Is democracy compatible with the Shareeah?
A. The essence of democracy is that the people identify their leaders and decide who govern their affairs. The essence of the Sharee’ah on this subject is that a leader cannot be imposed upon a people – not even in the matter of rituals. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you; whom you pray for and who pray for you. The worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, and whom you curse and who curse you.” However, the “ballot box” cannot be used to over-turn any clear decision provided by the Quran and/or the Sunnah. For example, it is not a matter of public opinion to legalize murder, prostitution, intoxicants (any form of it), or promiscuity.
