Islam Rediscovered
21. Islam in History
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Muslim rulers will certainly result in a revival of the
coercive system, for the rulers will not hesitate to
resort to oppression in order to keep their political
power intact. The upshot will be that the old
fitna
will re-emerge in a new garb. That is why the
Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him,
strictly forbade such action and Islamic scholars
arrived at a consensus that according to the Islamic
shariah, insurrection against an established Muslim
government was unlawful. Even in unavoidable
situations, Muslims are required to strive peacefully
and to refrain entirely from launching violent
movements aimed at unseating those in positions of
authority.
This is undoubtedly an important Islamic
injunction. It has great wisdom behind it. To put it
briefly, the kings of ancient times made every effort
to politicize religion. And when they found the
adherents of any given religion placing obstacles in
their path, they went all out to crush them. In a
similar way, even today, certain factions attempt to
Islamize governments, then those rulers who
become their targets, wreak all kinds of havoc on
Islamists in order to save their political power.
