Jean Bodin was the first to define the modern Western concept of Governance in the 17th century. According to his definition, Governance is a perpetual power that is neither delegated conditionally nor temporarily. It is neither transferable nor subject to external command, and it is not limited by laws, as the sovereign is the source of law. His theory was a rational defense of absolutism, though he acknowledged the limitations imposed on supreme authority by divine and natural laws.
Thomas Hobbes stated, “Governance must be unified and absolute. Humans must choose to either live under governance or be free; they cannot have both. Anarchy results from freedom, while security stems from civil obedience.” This notion led to the concept of the Leviathan, the ultimate authority that Hobbes referred to as the “mortal Allah.” The power of the Leviathan, in Hobbes’s view, is irreversible, absolute, indivisible, and unlimited.
Hobbes, another defender of absolutism, used the Greek concept of “stoicism” to support his argument for public Governance as a response to the anti-monarchist absolutism of his time. John Locke, however, used this concept to advocate for the English constitutional movement. Jean-Jacques Rousseau merged Hobbes’s idea of absolute Governance with Locke’s concept of general consent into a philosophical notion of Governance known as the “general will.” In this sense, Rousseau’s Social Contract can be considered a response to both Hobbes and Locke.
However, it was John Austin (1790–1859) who established the legal theory of Governance, which remained influential for a long time. According to Austin, if the majority of a specific society obeys a definite superior who is not subordinate to any similar superior, that definite superior is the sovereign of that society, and the society forms a political and independent entity with its sovereign.
In this context, one can conclude that Governance has various definitions, but all revolve around human governmental and legal authority. The nature of this Governance reflects the nature of the will of the sovereign and the nature of the laws derived from this sovereign will. The nature of this legal authority indicates that the sovereign’s will is not permanent, and the law derived from this authority is not enduring. Thus, it is logical to infer that this concept of Governance implies a multiplicity of authorities, wills, laws, and judgments.
This nature and meaning of Governance are not compatible with the Islamic perspective. In Islamic jurisprudence, Governance is a divine attribute, with Allah’s rule being direct and His commandments, as mentioned in the Quran, embodying the constitution of the nation and state. As the Quran states:
1. “Say, ‘To whom belongs the earth and whoever is in it, if you should know?'”
2. “Say, ‘Who is it that has Governance over everything, protects, and against whom there is no protection—if you should know?'”
3. “Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne?'”
Moreover, the Quran declares that even the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not above Allah’s law. Accordingly, the Quran commands the Prophet:
1. “Say, ‘I am only a man like you, to whom it has been revealed that your god is but one Allah.'”
2. “And We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by the permission of Allah.”
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