If Islam Were To Be Established in Iraq

Translator's Note

Not a single one of the governments in the 55 Muslim countries today has implemented an Islamic system of government. Some of these governments may claim to practice Islam but in reality that is about as far as they would go in this respect. Of course the Muslim people in various countries aspire to see a truly Islamic system of government established. In some countries with a predominantly Muslim population, Islamist activists have managed to form an effective opposition to the ruling governments. Such oppositions offer an alternative based on the teaching of Islam to the status quo.

In some Muslim countries there is conflict between the Muslim activists who want to see a system of government of their choice, preferably that based on the teachings of Islam, and others who have imposed their own system of government.

One of the main causes of these difficulties is the ignorance of Islam's teachings. On the one hand, when some Muslims attempt to implement Islam, because of their incorrect and incomplete understanding of the teachings of Islam, they do not succeed to implement a system that is intended by Islam. In fact in that way they manage to distort the picture of Islam.

On the other hand, there is also a systematic stereotyping against Islam and Muslims and a relentless campaign to distort the image and the teachings of Islam. As a result, the misconception has developed which portrays Islam as a system of violence, intolerance, denial of women's right, and the list goes on. Whereas on the contrary Islam stresses non-violence, tolerance, safeguarding women's right in particular and human right in general to an extent that is not available under any other system in the world today.

In this book the author presents the teachings of Islam in a brief and simple manner. This book particularly addresses those Islamists who have created an effective and viable opposition to the ruling system in their countries. It is also anticipated that this book would outline the approach that should be taken by those Muslims who are striving to establish a system of their choice.

When correct teachings of Islam are suitably implemented, this will not only result in the desired outcome, but it will also show others - primarily the non-Muslims - the truth about Islam. It is an unfortunate fact that incorrect and un-Islamic practices by Muslims are usually reflected as being the 'teachings' of Islam. If one wants to see the real Islam in action, one should consider the practices of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad peace be upon him, when he formed a true Islamic government. The book outlines the fundamental aspects of government according to the teachings of Islam, and the policies that a newly established Islamic government need to take if it were to establish an Islamic system of government. The book would also serve as a yardstick for anyone to check the practices of any government that claims to have implemented an Islamic system of government.

Originally written in Arabic, the title of the book was "If Islam were to be established in Iraq". The book was translated since it was considered that its argument is applicable for people who wish to implement Islam in any other country. In this book, the author emphasises on some of the most important aspects of government such as: "System of Consultation for Leadership" that is supported by constitutional establishments, Multi-party pluralism, Freedoms (such as freedom of belief, thought, expression, education), Non-Violence, Revival of the single Muslim Ommah, Economic self-sufficiency, . . . all within the framework defined by Islam.

The author discusses the issues raised in this brief outline in details in many of his other books. In his works the author emphasises the necessity of adherence to all the teachings of Islam as a complete system and failure to comply with some of the Islamic laws in some aspects would fail to give the desired outcome in the long run. This is because the various issues in life are inter-related and the teachings of Islam are also based on the same system. Therefore any deviations from the teachings of Islam in one respect would inevitably result in failing in another.

Islam defines a set of teachings within a framework that is in harmony with the human nature, as referred to in the Qur'an: " . . . the original nature according to which Allah fashioned mankind."1 It is for such reasons that make the Islamic laws dynamic and vigorous since they are in total harmony with man's needs.

Adherence to Islamic laws can only be beneficial to mankind, while if he opts out of these laws he would simply lose out. To use an analogy, if someone refuses to obey the physical laws of nature, he will have to face the consequences in the short or long term. For example, if he refuses to accept that boiling water could seriously endanger his health, and immerses his hand in it, then he would have to face the consequences of his refusal. The same applies to compliance with Islamic laws, which affect mankind in various domains, such as personal, social, political, economical.

Therefore if there are any restrictions in Islamic law, they are in the same way similar to the requirement to comply with the physical laws of nature, which are, normally, totally adhered to by mankind. The author addresses the issue of government as well as other related issues in a number of his books. For more in depth insight into the teachings of Islam on the issue of government, the reader is referred to the author's work some of which are:

Government in Islam,volume 99 of the al-Fiqh series.

The Rights,volume 100 of the al-Fiqh series. Islamic Government,volumes 101-102 of the al-Fiqh. Politics,volumes 105-106 of the al-Fiqh. Economics,volumes 107-108 of the al-Fiqh. Society,volumes 109-110 of the al-Fiqh. Peace,volume 135 of the al-Fiqh series. Freedoms,volume 139 of the al-Fiqh series. Law,volume 140 of the al-Fiqh series. The Path of Salvation,volume 150 of the al-Fiqh series. Leaders of Islam: the Prophet of Islam in Makkah and Medina The holy Qur'an: the Greek [^30]: 30.

Towards Islamic Renaissance The Islamic System and Contemporary Systems This is the Islamic System (of government) Islamic Freedom Basics of Islamic Government A preview of the Islamic banking A preview of Islamic Law on Wealth and Labour Consultation in Islam The Means to Awaken the Muslims The Process of Change to Rescue the Muslims The Salvation of the Muslims How to Unite the Muslims Towards the Government of 1000 million Muslims Towards the Government of Islam Islamic System of Government Islamic System of Government: its Principles, Aims The Islamic government during the reign of Imam Ali.

To achieve a universal Islamic government The government of the Messenger of Allah and Imam Ali The Islamic Economy in 50 questions and answers The Islamic Economy in brief Comparative Islamic Economy Economy for All Solution to economic problems in the light of Islamic law And for the first time in the history of the world The New Order for the World of Faith, Freedom, Welfare, and Peace Justice - the foundation of government The first Islamic government in the holy city of Medina The destruction of Islamic governments through the persecution of (religious) scholars Finally the translator wishes to express his gratitude to friends and colleagues for their contribution to the task of translating this book. Words or sentences within brackets ( ), as well as explanatory footnotes, are added by the translator for clarification.

Z. Olyabek February 2003