The general appearance of the religious state and its major differences from the secular state and democracy have been prominently introduced. Perhaps it would be useful to refer to the ideal model of the state in Islam and its general characteristics now.
From the perspective of all Muslims, the first and highest example of the Islamic state is the state of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina. It must be said that there has never been a consensus in determining the nature of the state of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) because the concepts of the rules and theories that each Islamic school applies are not abstract but are historically embedded in previous experiences and form the basis of political learning and initiative in a particular school. However, it is not correct to object that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not establish any political structure or did not have a political structure at all.
Although the various organizations that exist in governments today did not exist at that time, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) built and established his own organization according to the requirements of that time. Just as he was a prophet and religious leader, he was also a political leader. He himself participated in wars and commanded them. He sent letters to the heads of regional governments and appointed army commanders. He had advisors and was informed of the problems faced by the people daily, striving to solve them.
Fortunately, in research related to the theories of the Islamic state, most Islamic scholars have introduced the foundations laid by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for forming an Islamic system in terms of speech and behavior with the people, as well as the performance and methods of the Khulafai Rashideen, who were his students, as the best model for forming a state. Here, we will only mention the general characteristics of the Islamic state from the above model, i.e., the political system at the beginning of Islam:
1. The Political System of the Caliphate
The Caliphate is an example of an Islamic state from the perspective of the Sunnis. Literally, the Sunnah means a way of life. In jurisprudential terms, it refers to a collection of practices left by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in words, deeds, or narrations. However, in common terminology among Muslims, the term “Sunnis” refers to a large sect of followers of Islam who possess a specific political perspective; they believe that Allah has chosen the “Sahaba” to preserve the message and propagate it after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and to maintain his political legacy. The Sahaba preserved the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and passed it on to future generations. The Sahaba, viewed by the Sunnis as embodying the highest levels of righteousness and piety, should not be subjected to criticism or doubt regarding their actions or the accounts they relayed from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
In Sunni thought, the best example of an Islamic state after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Caliphate of the Khulafai Rashideen, which some also consider to be an ideal Islamic Caliphate. Many Sunnis regard the period of the Khulafai Rashideen to the end of the caliphate of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz as the best for Muslims, and their order is based on the chronology of their leadership and rule. An Egyptian writer, in response to the question of whether the historical caliphate accurately reflects the theory of the Islamic state, wrote: “In this regard, it should be emphasized that the historical caliphate has deviated somewhat from thought; but there is no doubt that the caliphates of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Umar ibn Abdul Aziz are accurate adaptations of Islamic thought.” Thus, according to Sunnis, the correct application of the principles of Islam in the political system is predominantly associated with the aforementioned caliphs; at least, they are seen as the best examples who implemented Islam fully in the political sphere.
From the Sunni perspective, the caliphate represents the succession of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in safeguarding religion and the politics of the world. The caliphs aimed to maintain the state based on the faith and model present during the era of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Therefore, during the era of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Khulafai Rashideen, there was no conflict between religion and politics since the state was founded on Islamic beliefs and managed according to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, after the era of the Khulafai Rashideen, the framework of the caliphate that gradually developed was not entirely Islamic.
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