Do such actions like forging pacts with active groups and tribes, organizing a strong army, dispatching ambassadors to different countries, warning kings and rulers and communicating with them, sending governors and rulers to cities and districts far and near, and the like have any other name than “politics” in the sense of managing and administering different aspects of society?
In addition to the conduct of the Prophet (ṣ), the manner of the Four Caliphs, and in particular the way followed by the Commander of the Faithful ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (‘a) during his caliphate and rule in his treatment of the Shī‘ah and the Sunnī is a testimony to the concordance of religion and politics.
The scholars of both Islamic groups offer extensive proofs from the Book (Qur’an) and Sunnah to support the idea of the need for the establishment of government and management of the affairs of society. Here are some examples:
In his book, Al-Aḥkām as-Sulṭāniyyah, Abū’l-Ḥasan al-Māwardī says:
سياسة و الدّين حراسة في النّبوّة لخلافة موضوعة الإمامة”
“.بالإجماع واجبٌ الأمّة في بها يقوم لمن عقدها الدّنيا،
Imāmah has been laid to succeed the prophethood [nubuwwah] and to safeguard the religion and manage the affairs of this world, and pledging loyalty to the one who undertakes it is obligatory according to the consensus of the ummah.[1]
This Muslim scholar, who is one of the renowned ‘ulamā’ of the Ahl as-Sunnah, presents both rational and religious proofs to support this idea.
The following is his rational proof:
التّظالم، من يمنعهم لزعيم التّسليم من العقلاء، طباع في لما”
لكانوا الولاة لولا و التّخاصم، و التّنازع في بينهم يفصل و
“.مضاعين همجًا و مهملين فوضى
It is the nature of wise peple to follow a leader so that he may prevent them from oppressing one another and settle their problems at the time of dispute. And if it were not for the rulers, the people would have live in chaos like lose savages.[2]
His religious proof is as follows:
:عزّوجلّ الله قال الدّين، في وليّه إلى الأمور بتفويض الشّرع جاء ولٰكن
﴾ مِنكُمْ ٱلأَمْرِ وَأُوْلِي ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأَطِيعُوا ٱللهَ أطِيعُوا ءامَنُوا ٱلَّذِينَ يَٰأَيُّهَا ﴿
.علينا المتامرون الأئمّة هم و فينا الامر أولي طاعة علينا ففرض
But religious law is intended to entrust the affairs to a religious authority. God, the Honorable and Glorious, says: ‘O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you.’[3] Thus, God has made it incumbent upon us to obey those who are vested with authority and such people are our leaders and rulers.[4]
