According to the Islamic definition of Oneness the authority comes from the above and not from below or the authority comes from God and not from the people. The support rendered from the public is also regarded as a trust from God.
It can be explained as the difference between the ideology of monotheism and the ideology of polytheism.
One such difference is that the believer in Oneness believes that the authority (of forming laws, implementing them and judging accordingly) comes from God to the Apostles, the saints, the Ulema and the virtuous. It is imperative for those in authority to consider themselves answerable to God and keep His approval in mind before the take any action and they should be sympathetic to god’s creatures. Such an authority or rulership can benefit from the Great God and lead the people and not those who follow their sinful acts and desires.
It may then be said that people’s views have no place in Islamic governance and this is the lordship of the pious ones. But this will be a big misconception because the real Shura or congress that we know has been mentioned in the Qura’n and the Messenger who had the perfect intelligence has acted upon it. It is then known that God who is the “authority of all authorities” and the ruler of all rulers has commanded that people should be consulted in governmental matters and be partners in it work.
So the government based on Oneness and Islamic will be construed as a people’s government for it gives importance to God’s ordinances and people’s views but the views should not interfere with the tenets of Islam and should be within the four boundaries . We will discuss this statement when we discuss the “Government of Islam” Inshallah.
The conclusion is that when people go to vote to select the President of the Republic or the members of the parliament they should remember that god has given them this power to exercise their opinion and they are like the trustees of God. This vote which is like a decision should be used to select a person who has the best habits as God has decreed otherwise they will be misusing the trust imposed on them.
In verse 58 of Surah Nisaa the Book says, “God commands that you should render back the trusts to those to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice.
It is recorded in the traditions that “Governance” is one of the most spoken about trust of God. Tafsir Durre Manshur also reiterates this view “It is imperative for the Imams and Judges of the people that they should rule according the commands of God and always justify the trust impose in them. (1)
The voters should never give importance to the idea as to who would be best suited to be the President or the member of parliament and be beneficial to him or his group or who is friendly or has family relations with him or who is like or disliked but they should always think about the assent of God. They should exercise their vote keeping the religious and social commandments in view so that the trust is not betrayed.
But it is not ruled out t that people cast their votes keeping their material gain, group bias, political affiliation, unethical monetary benefits, and special relationships and betray the trust imposed by God though in an Islamic society the votes are cast to please God and for the betterment of the society.
1. Tafsir Durre Manshur Vol. 2 Page 175
