Each week, Muslims hear the same āyah being quoted at the end of every khutbah. It’s repeated so often that it’s been memorised subconsciously.
Allah says in His Book,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُون
“Indeed, Allah commands justice, grace, as well as generosity to close relatives.
“He forbids indecency, wickedness, and aggression. He instructs you, so perhaps you will be mindful.” [1]
Ibn Mas’ūd (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) stated that this is the most comprehensive verse in the Qur’ān with regards to halal and haram.
To seek justice is our duty
Islam is the perfect religion. Mankind was created to worship Allah, and part of that worship is to establish the perfect religion on this Earth by adhering to the moral guidelines of justice and excellent conduct.
Shaykh Dr. Haitham al-Haddad (hafidhahu Allah) posits that the moral framework which seeks to establish justice consists of four main steps:
Return to the dīn (religion).
Strive for unity of the Ummah.
Seek knowledge in all fields that make the Ummah stronger, both religious and secular.
Be active in seven key areas: politics, media, the judiciary, social activism, education, finance, and da’wah. [2]
We can’t avoid politics in the zeal for justice
Politics is an unavoidable arena when it comes to establishing justice, enjoining the good, and forbidding the evil.
After all, this is the highest level of decision-making, where laws and policies are set and affect the masses. This is the original meaning of politics in Islam.
The Ummah should strive to ensure the right people are selected to represent its interests in positions of decision-making (i.e. Parliament) or, at the very least, work towards removing the wrong people — those that don’t suit our interests.
Allah (‘azza wa jal) says,
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ
“You are the best community ever raised for humanity — you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah.” [3]
The Ummah is obliged to take all possible means to achieve this status as the greatest nation. Political participation is one part of that.
As the late Algerian scholar Mohamed Bachir El Ibrahimi (rahīmahu Allah) said,
“Dīn without politics will lead to politics without dīn.”
Isn’t politics haram and voting Shirk?
You might be wondering the above, so let’s address some common issues and misconceptions.
MPs enact legislation contrary to Sharī’ah!
We need to understand how the political system works and then realise how it fits in with Islam.
We live in a parliamentary democracy. This means that people are consulted on who should represent them in a parliament. This parliament will then enact laws and policies which govern the nation’s affairs.
They will set taxes, manage the welfare system, public services such as health and education, and policies on policing and immigration.
Didn’t Allah say legislation is solely for Him?
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ
“Legislation is only for Allah.” [4]
al-Qasīmī says about the āyah that this hukm (ruling or legislation) is in the matter of worship, and religion is “only for Allah” because Allah is the Owner. [5]
There is a principle in Islam, that everything in matters of worship (ibādāt) is regarded unlawful, unless there is prescription or legislation for it.
And everything in matters of transactions (mu’āmalāt) is lawful, unless there is prescription or legislation citing its impermissibility.
Are we allowed a say on mu’āmalāt matters?
Having our say on how hospitals are funded, how our children are taught, or how foreign policy is set, is all part of mu’āmalāt. By default, this is permissible until proven otherwise.
Furthermore, people make life choices every day and we do shūra on it. Whether to take a job, buy a car, move to a particular city, or choose a school for our children… These decisions have massive implications on our future, just as how our representatives and governments have a massive impact on our lives.
Just cast your mind back to the COVID pandemic. We were told to stay in our homes and avoid the mosques, this is undoubtedly against the Sharī’ah. Yet we all complied. We accepted furlough payments and grants. These were decisions made by the government of the day. These decisions have an impact on whether more good or evil prevails in society.
We are living, earning, and contributing to life in the UK. We should be able to have a say and, more than that, be able to influence decision-makers, policy-makers, and leaders, to do that which will bring the most benefit and reduce the most harm.
What if “my” party enacts laws contrary to Sharī’ah?
A vote for a particular party doesn’t mean you endorse everything they advocate for.
Just like sending our children to secular institutions for education, it doesn’t mean they will end up secular or that you endorse everything that they are taught. Parents mitigate the education of their children and evils of the school environment by sending their children to the madrasa and youth clubs.
Similarly, a vote is merely mitigating the potential harm or, you could say, advocating for the least evil choice that exists.
American Muslims are encouraged to vote in Presidential elections
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymīn (may Allah have mercy upon him) was asked during his trip to America if Muslims are allowed to vote for a President.
He answered by saying it is permissible to vote for the one who would be more beneficial for the Muslims.
The shaykh further said there is no problem in this, and then quoted the first four verses from Surat al-Rūm.
الم (1) غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ (2) فِي أَدْنَى الْأَرْضِ وَهُم مِّن بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ (3) فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ۗ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ ۚ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ (4)
“Alif-Lām-Mīm. The Romans have been defeated. In the nearer land (Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Palestine), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. Within three to nine years.
“The decision of the matter, before and after (these events) is only with Allah and, on that Day, the believers [Muslims] will rejoice.” [6]
These verses describe the victory of the Romans over the Persians, which the Muslims were delighted about. The shaykh explained that this was between two non-Muslim groups, and that the reason for the rejoice of the believers was because the Romans were a lesser evil than the Persians.
Similarly, elections should be used to select someone who is a lesser evil for the Muslims.
As Muslims, shouldn’t we avoid taking part in elections?
On another occasion, the shaykh was asked about the ruling on elections.
His reply was as follows:
“I think that elections are obligatory. We should appoint the one who we think is good, because if the good people abstain, who will take their place?
“Evil people will take their place, or neutral people in whom there is neither good nor evil, but they follow everyone who makes noise. So, we have no choice but to choose those who we think are fit.” [7]
Isn’t Labour going to win a landslide, does my vote matter?
The UK operates on a two-party system: the Labour Party and the Conservatives. It is similar to that of the US, with the Republicans and Democrats.
In the opinion polls, Labour are expected to win handsomely with a supermajority. But all these opinion polls are sample representatives and non-binding.
There is only one poll that matters and that is the poll on 4th July. Labour is acutely aware of this and that’s why they need people to come out and vote for them and convert that perceived support into a reality.
We won’t know the outcome until 5th July at the earliest, so it isn’t a done deal. Every vote must be fought and every vote has to be earned by every candidate.
What this election is about
For Muslims, this election is about signalling our discontent, stating our dissatisfaction, and about solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
Removing evil is required of us
With more and more votes against the favourite, MPs will get elected with reduced majorities and they will be forced to move their positions to align with their constituents, lest they see their majority overturned in the following election.
Abu Sa’īd al-Khudri (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ
“Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he cannot do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest level of faith. [8]
Removing an evil is a command, irrespective of how much we can remove or how we do it.
Our religion teaches us to focus on effort and action, not results and outcomes. Effort and action are with the slave of Allah, while the result and outcome is with Allah.
Allah is al-Hakīm, the Most Wise. Allah is all-Knowing, and the Controller of all affairs. A Muslim should have firm conviction in that.
The primary motivation to vote in the election would be to fulfil the command of Allah and His expectations for His slaves to remove evil and establish justice on the Earth. A believer may or may not be fortunate to see the fruit of one’s actions in this life.
Are we voting for people who will not “win”?
In our modern history — just under a decade ago in 2015 — the UK saw the exponential rise in support for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). They received 12.6 per cent of the total vote, a gigantic fourfold increase on their 3.1 per cent of the total vote share in the 2010 general election.
That 12.6 per cent of the vote should have resulted in 82 MPs, but the imperfect first-past-the-post (FPTP) system — whereby the candidate with the most votes in a particular constituency gets elected — meant that UKIP only secured a single MP.
Undoubtedly, this is a huge flaw and criticism of the British electoral system. It disenfranchises the electorate.
The Conservatives, with their pro-remain Prime Minister David Cameron, were forced to call a referendum in 2016 asking the public whether the UK should leave or remain in the EU, specifically due to the significant rise of UKIP in the 2015 general election.
MPs had their majorities slashed and needed to move their policy positions on the EU to avoid defeat at the next election.
Converting our votes into results, if not through MPs
The above success for UKIP came about after years of consistent campaigning, persistence, and working against the two-party system on the topic as a single issue.
So our recent history has shown that change can be made at the ballot box, despite the material outcome of number of MPs elected.
There is now talk among political analysts, that increasing vote shares in this election for Reform, the Greens, Workers Party, and Independents, with little to no translation into MPs in the House of Commons would be strong grounds for discussions around electoral reform to resurface.
Conclusion
Allah sets the expectation for humanity when He says,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ
“Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” [9]
Change comes from within. Allah has empowered us to act and do good deeds. To establish justice, to enjoin the good, and forbid the evil. Without action, there is no change.
Voting is a small part of that action to bring about change and more justice with the permission of Allah.
On Thursday 4th July, don’t neglect the opportunity that Allah has placed in front of you to make that change.
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] al-Qur’ān, 16:90
[2] https://www.islam21c.com/khutbah/eid-al-adha-1445-2024/
[3] al-Qur’ān, 3:110
[4] al-Qur’ān, 12:40
[5] تفسير سورة سورة يوسف من كتاب محاسن التأويل المعروف بـتفسير القاسمي
[6] al-Qur’ān, 30:1-4
[7] https://www.islam21c.com/politics/why-muslims-should-vote/
[8] Sahīh Muslim, 49; https://sunnah.com/nawawi40:34
[9] al-Qur’ān, 13:11
