Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
4. The Concept of the State in Islam
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Therefore, according to the Quran whoever receives power
should realise that power is given to him in order to test him. It is
not something to take pride in, nor is it merely a matter of being a
gift from God.
The concept of the State that emerges from these verses of the
Quran make it clear that political power is not the target or goal of
our activities or actions. Rather it is the result of some other set of
actions. That is to say, according to the Quran, the objectives of
our struggle should be faith and good character. These conditions
have to be fulfilled and only then can a group be blessed with
political power by God, if He so desires. We might say, by way of
analogy, that the position of faith is that of the seed and the
position of power is that of the fruit.
According to the Quran, the whole matter can be likened to a
tree. The position of the seed in this example is that of action and
the position of the fruit is that of receiving the reward of that
action. In this way those who sow the seed of Faith and good
deeds may receive political power as a gift from God.
We must then consult the Quran and Sunnah as to what is the
structure of political power in Islam. In the Quran, the first
principle that comes before us is in the form of approbation of:
“those who conduct their affairs by mutual
consultation.” (42:38).
This verse alludes to a basic principle of conduct so far as the
political structure of Islam is concerned. This shows that the
