Question:
In the book "The Institutions of State", page 16, the phrase "The ruling system in Islam is not democratic in the true sense of democracy" appears. There seems to be some ambiguity in this phrase... what is the benefit of mentioning the "true sense"? We look forward to your clarification, and may Allah reward you with goodness.
Answer:
What appeared in the book "The Institutions of State", page 16, is as follows:
"The ruling system in Islam is not democratic in the true sense of democracy, in terms of legislation being for the people—declaring things permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram), and judging what is good (hasan) and evil (qabih). And in terms of the lack of adherence to Shari'ah rulings in the name of freedoms. The Kuffar realize that the Muslims will not accept democracy in its true sense; therefore, the colonialist Kafir states (especially America today) attempt to market it in the lands of the Muslims by introducing it to them through deception, claiming that democracy is merely the mechanism for electing a ruler... They maneuvered around its essential part, which is that legislation, declaring things permissible and forbidden, belongs to humans and not to the Lord of humans... moving away from the true meaning established for it by its own people, which is that sovereignty belongs to the people, legislating whatever they wish by majority opinion, declaring halal and haram, and judging what is good and evil. Furthermore, it implies that the individual is 'free' in his actions to do as he wishes—drinking alcohol, committing adultery, apostatizing, or reviling and insulting sanctities—under the name of democracy and its freedoms. This is democracy; this is its reality, its connotation, and its truth. So how can a Muslim who believes in Islam dare to say that democracy is permissible, or that it is from Islam?!
As for the matter of the Ummah choosing the ruler, i.e., choosing the Khalifah, it is a matter explicitly mandated by text..." (End quote).
It is clear from this that mentioning the "true sense" was intended to distinguish democracy in its true technical sense from the meaning they promote—that it is simply the process of election. This is because some people think it is merely an election process, but this is not the true meaning of democracy.
As for the election of the ruler and his bay'ah (oath of allegiance), it existed in Islam centuries before the West ever knew of it.
5 Dhu al-Hijjah 1432 AH 02/11/2011 CE