Islam and Democracy in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

The relationship between Islam and democracy is a very complicated subject and has always been fraught with difficulties, primarily because there is no particular consensus among Muslim scholars on the form of democratic system that can be acceptable from the Islamic perspective.¹ Both the Quran and the Sunnah say little with regard to the exact shape or form that an Islamic polity ought to be, giving only some general principles that can be used as guidance for a political system that should ensure justice, equity, and respect for human dignity. This has opened up the door for different interpretations: some are rigid and dogmatic and do not take into consideration either the egalitarian spirit of the faith or the conditions of the Modern age²; while others tend to be rhetorical and superficial intended mainly to specific audiences.³ This has led to confusion, among Muslims and non-Muslims alike, exacerbated by two factors: the reality of contemporary Muslim politics that tend to be generally either secular or religious based authoritarianisms,⁴ and secondly, the prevailing essentialist thought, especially in the West, about the perceived inability of Islam to reconcile itself with democratic principles.⁵