The outcome of the idea of democracy is one of the important issues being raised today in the face of religious sovereignty. It has become the subject of exchange, discussion, and examination. Nowadays, this debate has once again become fertile and popular in the realm of political theorizing, and this idea has sparked considerable mental preoccupation and debate among researchers and thinkers. They are actively analyzing its essence and function.
In today’s world, democracy is an issue related to the efficiency of governance systems, which deserves discussion in political science. Classical theorists of democracy have examined it as a comprehensive political theory. However, theorists from Hobbes to Schumpeter claim that it should be viewed as a fundamentally scientific and non-prescriptive study, analyzing democracy as a fluid socio-historical reality and a method for distributing power and reducing errors in society, rather than as a planned ideology, which has been discussed and analyzed in detail in previous discussions.
The discussion of democracy and Western civil systems and their adaptability within the context of Islamic societies governed by Sharia has a long history. This dates back to Muslims’ familiarity with the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, as well as the theories of the four forms of government: aristocracy, democracy, oligarchy, and tyranny. However, the fundamental discussion regarding democracy in terms of legislation and people’s participation—whether freely or through self-governing institutions—began in the Islamic world amid the Ottoman military and political struggles with European countries and the emergence of an educated class in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, which had been influenced by European thought.
At the end of the twentieth century, a significant question arose among Islamic thinkers regarding democracy: Can religious rule be reconciled with modern democracy, which should not be considered merely as an ideology or political theory, but rather as a technology and method of distributing and supervising power? Assuming that democracy is compatible with religious rule, what does this compatibility entail, and with which model is it compatible?
Accepting or rejecting this compatibility depends entirely on the answers to these questions: What is the definition of democracy as the most efficient method of governance? Are the methods inherently neutral and equally applicable in secular and religious systems?
Some Islamic scholars interpret democracy to mean popular participation and the rejection of tyranny or the rule of law. Regardless of its foundations, they believe in the compatibility of Islam with democracy. Islam is a complete religion with practical methods and specific behavioral rules in all fields, especially in government and politics. Therefore, we need not resort to terms such as “democracy,” which carry many ambiguities even in the West. Instead, it is essential to utilize beneficial experiences from others while being self-aware and understanding our unique cultural, geographical, and social contexts. Thoughtfully and creatively presenting an Islamic governance model as a coherent political philosophy will enable us to offer appropriate solutions for the administration of Islamic society in line with contemporary requirements.
Based on this discussion, the optimal system for the Islamic Ummah and all of humanity is the political system of Islam, interpreted as the Great Imamate, the Islamic Emirate, the Islamic Caliphate, or the Islamic government—under which human rights and freedoms are ensured justly and equitably. With such a rich, comprehensive, and complete religion, Muslims do not require any other political program or system. It is worth mentioning that those Muslim thinkers who see some compatibility between democracy and Islam do not mean that democracy can be implemented in the same form as in the West. They argue that the Western democratic model is fundamentally un-Islamic and cannot be applied to Muslims in the same way. However, they believe it is possible to adopt elements of democratic systems in Islamic countries, provided that these elements respect two main conditions:
1. It should be explicitly declared that sovereignty belongs to Allah, and the head of state can only legislate on matters that are permissible and do not violate Sharia.
2. The form and method of government should resemble that of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. If democratic experiences are used without violating Sharia, there should be no issue.
