The course of politics in the Islamic world

Moulavi who is known as Rumi in the West in his book, Masnavi, has narrated a story that during the reign of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, an ambassador of the Roman Empire came to the city of Medina (the capital) and he was searching for the caliph’s palace. He was told that the caliph does not have a palace and lives like other peoples and you can see him like others in the streets so, the ambassador was surprised hearing these talks and thought that how is it possible for a man who is ruling over the Islamic world and his realm of government has spread over Africa and East of Europe and has become the neighbor of the Roman Empire and he lacks the palace, court system and formalities?. Then, he left formalities and attendants and walked through the streets of Medina and anyone who he was seeing on the way asking for the Caliph until he came across with a woman near a palm groves and asked her where i can find the Caliph then, the woman showed him the man sleeping under the palm trees and said this is Khalifa. The ambassador did not believe at first but, when he approached the man and looked at him, he was shaking on his limbs; he who had seen many kings, rulers and commanders and also had attended in many horrible wars, could not remember to experience such fear and anxiety and then, the Caliph got up and calmed the ambassador and opened the dialogue with him. We don’t discuss what did both debated on, and also the goal is not transporting story or tale narration but, the purpose of this story is just one of the conclusions that Moulavi has made. In the teachings and beliefs of Islam the power belongs to God and the humans are the manifestation of the Divine Names and the people against the one who is the epitome of power are humble so, Moulavi’s obvious or unequivocal conclusions is that everyone who really fears God , all the people would take account of him. Perhaps the divine splendor is told that the Persian kings have had and Suhrawardi, the great Iranian philosopher has referred to it in his philosophical policy to be both concrete and tangible issue that Khalifa has attributed to Moulavi. Islam’s sovereignty as we pointed was began and until the Umayyad came to rule and turned the government to the throne was based on the same procedure. But the caliphs of the Umayyad and Abbasid, as Ibn Khaldun and many of other historians has said , by referring to customs regime in Iran and Rome, have fixed the foundation of corporate governance however, apparently religious but, was different with the Prophet’s tradition and Islam’s caliphates. Regarding whether Islam has politics or not, some said it doesn’t but, in recent decades has gained policy. It is true that Islam has not been politic-centered at the beginning and has become in recent times of but, it is not the reason to say that Islam has not had policy. Note that the origin of the history of Islam is the year that the Prophet (PBUH) emigrated from Mecca to Medina, where he founded the state and the difference between Shiites and Sunnis that created was a political difference caused by different perceptions of both groups who had of the meaning of leadership and justice, and is it possible to say that issues of justice and leadership, has nothing to do with politics. Sunnis and Shiites do not have significant differences in worship and religious practices, but also to understand the principals have had differences, and this difference has appeared in all aspects of life including politics. Shiites in addition to the principles of monotheism prophesy and resurrection also believes in two other principles, namely justice and leadership (Imamate) apparently, they have added these two principles to the other principles of religion but, in reality it is not so. The origin of justice taken from understanding that the Shiites had from the essence, deeds and attributes of God and the existence of good and evil and also the origin of is out of the means of believing to the end of prophesy. This concept is also exists in Islamic philosophy and Islamic philosophers since Suhrawardi era has brought the understanding of prophetic philosophy in their works and Sunnis and Shiites have both knew God as a just creator. According to Shiites, God has created the world in the ruling Justice and its actions are also based on justice on the other hand, Ahl Sonnat considered God just, too but they believe that whatever God 's does , is just we can not define a criterion for his justice. But, about Imamate the difference is that the Shia considers Imam as the follower of the Prophet’s way and entitle to infallibility but, Sunnis attribute infallibility only to the prophets know. These differences have either important implications or effects on the history of philosophy or culture and philosophy of politics of Muslim groups.
In the Islamic world, there are four types of political writing:
A- The works Philosophers have written and these works are more famous that the others including the most important of these are the votes of Farabi's utopia.
B- Policy letters which involving reports of procedures and plans of their character politicians and their example is the Policy letter of Nezam Al Molouk.
C- The Collection of judgment men and advices of scholars that the audience of some of them politicians and rulers were accounted. The eternal wisdom of Abu Alisina is one of the most important of them.
D- The books we can call them as political jurisprudence. In these books the religious orders of the government and the system of religious state has been written and perhaps the most important of which is Mavardis’ Ahkam Alsoltania.
The books of the first and third categories have been mostly written by philosophers and these people were either Shiite or were close in comment with those of Shia so, the works of fourth and second types is often written by Sunni politicians and scholars. Even though the origin of Shia and Sunni has been politics, the political orders agreements of this sect is not less and perhaps both sides has agreed upon the common resources. One of these sources, are words, sermons and treatises of Imam Ali (PBUH) so, the first lesson is that the ruler should not be captured and subdued by political power and buy it at any price. He said, in his first rhetorical arriving to the caliphate that if people had not asked me and if God did not take the promise from the learned people who take the scream of the oppressed , I will leave the reins of power supplies to go wherever it wants to go and to ride on every one who wants. In this sermon, the religious and moral policy has been summarized in four main principal.
1- The government is not desirable by itself
2- The religious experts of God’s way should not remain silent in the face of oppression and tolerate that hungry persons stay hunger and aggressors and tyrants, to be busy with oppression.
3- If the conditions are met, for those who qualify the government affairs? It is obligatory to take responsibility
4- The people’s consent of Government their help and support is the prerequisite for the estate establishment and the guarantee of keeping and continuity of it.
In a letter that Imam Ali (PBUH) wrote to Malek Ashtar when seated him, he has described the ruler’ duties as follow:
1- Taking, maintenance and correct and systematic costing and paying tax.
2- The defense against warlike enemy to settle the security
3- Attempt to improve the work and life of people
4- Development of the cities
When we compare these guidelines with the lifestyles of the Islamic kings and princes of the Islamic lands and even by reigning methods of the Abbasid and Umayyad caliphs of the government , we will see the scope of government power immensely and vast.
Because, these governments , were more trying to take taxes and doing war and perhaps some of them were thinking of development but often, reforming of people’s have not had a position in their ruling system and If Nizam al-Mulk established military schools , his intention was to deal with education and advertising of Ismailis who in Egypt had established, Al-Azhar school of course, we must not to forget this important point that Ismailis and Nizam al-Mulk for the first time in Islam and Iran has linked the Science with policy so much that policy could undertake the science (unless we consider Ma'mun’s notice ,Abbasid caliph, science and philosophy and consider discussion about ideas also as a political device that in this way Ma'mun earlier than Nizam al-Mulk has implemented science for speeding politics. The point is that in the policy plan sciences especially education of the men and women has been considered by men. However, the interference of intended government of the Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (RA) in the affairs of the people compared with the duties of the state in modern times , and even those with minimum government interference is not too much and hence, that government has neither been despotic and oppressor nor the complete authoritarian and totalitarian.
5- The Muslim philosophers who has been familiarized with Greek philosophy interpreted political ideas of Plato and Aristotle in religious terms therefore, we can summarize their ideas as follow:
A- Philosophy and prophecy, not only put against each other , but , religion and philosophy are two effects of one action however, according to Farabi’s idea , the chief of the utopia is Prophet and sometimes this head is called “ philosopher king”.
B- The Ultimate of politics is achieving happiness and prosperity is obtained by virtue of policy so, in fact, the policy proposed by Islamic philosophers have been a moral policy but, it can also be called as moral.
C- If in the philosophical propose of politics, more attention has been paid to the head of the city and end of life, it is because that prestigious law in the Muslim world is religious and Qur'anic principles. What political philosopher could do, was to clarify the relationship between prophecy and philosophy , and if you conclude that both the Prophet and philosopher are taught by a single source and a single teacher, despite the law , no longer the provisions of the rules and policy outcomes was necessary for philosophers.
D- Although in the works of Islamic philosophers, firstly, the policy has been depended on prophecy and gradually this relation has been strengthened. When we look at the works of Farabi and Akhavan , perhaps we find the dominant philosophy , but Abul Hasan Ameri , Ibn Sina and Suhrawardi have tried to create a balance between these two and at the end of this way and political views of Mola Sadra , the politic has more became religious based.
5 - On the surface, the political plans of philosophers has not commensurate with current policies and dominant despotic practices; and while appearing of weakness and frailty in the caliphate system has often been wars which has been specifying the duty of the government in Islamic lands but, there are points without paying attention to them, the history of Islam is not perceived as it must be. First , all revolutions arisen against the caliphate, or was dependent on the domains of wisdom and knowledge areas , or was supported by large , influential , Shiite clerics and theologians, as Gaznavian and Seljuk , who were Sunni were also enjoying the support of religion scholars and they also tried to bring the scholars to their area. Another important issue is that in the Islamic world the issue of fate, education , science and School has been separated from military and political power hence, governmental system which has been established up to new era, even though was considered a kind of tyranny in Islamic lands, we can not consider this tyranny with Monarshi or individualistic tyranny because the despotic rulers of Islamic areas , in any case, should respect and consider the beliefs of the people and the principals of religion.
6- When Islamic countries knew the West and modernity, some changes began to appear in the historical and cultural geography of the Islamic world. The Muslims at first recognized the modern West in the military and political manifestation and still more or less know it by its political and military power. Confrontation with the West and Islamic countries created a stir in ancient societies as well as caused some reactions. These reactions were less based on the mind and consciousness thus, the people in the streets and lanes were unaware of what had happened in the West and those who heard , according to their understanding , talent and their dependency to religious and ethnic traditions tried rejection and acceptance and agreement and disagreement but, less is asked of modernity and where it came from and what occasional we can, and must have with it so, the disagreements and agreements were not equally effective and over all, none of them had so important and decisive effect. The most outspoken and most basic attack has been done by those who were among the Sufis and were attached to the reality of religion and conscience. They even burst in to war with colonial troops , and everything possessed, they lost in the way of their country and their faith and it was clear that these people were not capable to be successful in their official war not however, Algerian Emir Abd-el-Kader was one of the largest warriors. Anti- colonial nationalists that came after them, they fought to reach the Western values although they had similarities with the former group, they were not successors of their path. The important chapter of the political history of all underdeveloped worlds should be devoted to national movements but, here we must suffice to this cursory glance. Another group after familiarity altogether with modern literature accepted it soon considered its undisputed acceptance in line with wisdom and counseling in order to pave the way, has tried to search for defects and deficiencies in religious and cultural traditions. Some of these people were of the socialist and social-democratic or democracy –lovers and their articles and books has not had many readers and next generations are less informed of their existence but, we can not de-emphasize their influence. One of the other means of familiarity with the West was feeling of time- ending as well as exacerbated waiting for the appearance of the Promised Mahdi (AJ) as the Messiah of Mahdaviat approximately at the same time appeared in India, Iran and Africa in different ways and following it, occupied throughout the Islamic world from India to Sudan. This issue undoubtedly had some political impacts, too but, in political ideas did not have a direct impact and to this reason, in the history of political thought we can not consider a position. A group of people have also concluded that Muslims have departed fro Islam and the and the method of their antecedents, and sin have been far more common so, these persons have ordered Muslims that avoid frills and attempts to truly implement the rules. These communities were of various types and most of them were going on apparent religion and the most objectivist of them fell in the way of fundamentalism. On the other hand, when gradually familiarity with the West became more and more on the contrary, Muslims’ worry about the future of religion reduced however, reducing this concern had either a good face or a bad one. It was good because it was the result of awareness, but it was bad, because with it, the few research incentive regarding West and modernity was removed and relations were only limited to political, economical and military relationships. Since one hundred years ago this accident happened and the issue of modernity and modern culture which had been raised vague and ambiguous, was canceled; it means that the principle of secularism in ambiguous way and unknowingly became involved in the circulation of life. West in the eyes of the inhabitants of the non-Western world found two opposite faces that one was face of science , democracy and prosperity, and the other one was the face of imperialism and colonizer that we should welcomed the first and rejected the second. In this way, confrontation with West appeared as national and anti-colonial movements in moreover; many religious figures have joined these movements and also kept silent regarding secularism. During the last fifty years that the National Movements in the way of their own country’s political independence and modernization have been faced many difficulties and setbacks as result, religious movements gained momentum and ,in Iran, this movement was ended to Islamic Revolution in 1357 (1979) . Since then, these issues that, what policies did the government and Islamic government follow? And what relations does religious policy have with socialism, democracy and other ideologies? Have always been questioned. The constitutional law of Islamic Republic of Iran was formulated with the spirit of anti-colonialism and was emphasized on people's choices and political freedoms. this question that how would be the plan of Islamic democracy is a question that the experts in policy have to reflect on that and what we can say at the moment is that in this system fundamentalism and terrorism can not have any position.