15.1 Why Islam Involves Politics

To understand why Islam plays a role in many political governments, we have to look at how the religion began and how it understands the world.

In many Western systems, religion and government are treated as separate spheres, often described as “separation of church and state.” In Islamic tradition, however, religion and state are often considered closely connected.

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A central reason for this connection is the role of Muhammad.

In Islam, Muhammad is considered a model for how life should be lived. Unlike many religious founders who are primarily remembered as spiritual teachers, Muhammad was also the political leader of a city-state called Medina in 7th century Arabia.

After migrating to Medina, Muhammad taught religious beliefs while also helping to establish agreements between groups (such as the Constitution of Medina), which organized relationships between different communities.

Because of this, Islam developed alongside the organization of Medina. Therefore, questions about how a society should be governed are often directly connected to Islamic teaching.

This created a lasting precedent in which religious guidance and political authority are intertwined. There is a long-standing idea in Islamic thought described as “religion and state” (Arabic: din wa dawla), which reflects the belief that faith is not limited to private life.

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Another reason Islam is often involved in politics is because Islam is considered to be a comprehensive way of life (Arabic: din). The Qur’an includes guidance on social matters, like caring for those in need, as well as legal matters like marriage, inheritance, and contracts.

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Lastly, and in more recent history, especially during the 20th century, many Muslim-majority regions experienced European colonial rule.

After gaining independence, many of these societies adopted secular political systems which, in some cases, were seen as unsuccessful and disconnected from local values.

Those culturally-disconnected governments contributed to new political movements which argue that political systems should be more closely aligned with Islamic principles. These movements are called Islamism.

While “Islam” refers to a 1,400-year-old religion with nearly two billion followers, “Islamism” describes a range of 20th-century political movements seeking to implement their specific interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law) into the government and legal systems of modern states. 

Islamism, also known as political Islam, holds that Islam should guide all aspects of social, political, and personal life. Adherents believe religion is indivisible from the state, rejecting secularism and, in some cases, Western-style democracy, in favor of a system where “Islam is the solution.”

In section 15.2, we will look more at Islamism.