Contemporary Islamic government and its foundations in Islamic jurisprudence

Abstract

The contemporary Islamic government is considered one of the most important intellectual and political projects in Islamic jurisprudence. The project of establishing a contemporary Islamic government represents a serious attempt to establish a political system based on Islamic jurisprudence and the objectives of Islamic law (Sharia), while simultaneously engaging with the variables, requirements, and challenges of the modern age. This research begins by studying the jurisprudential foundations that legitimize this project and establish its principles, which laid the groundwork for the concept of the contemporary Islamic government. It demonstrates its legitimacy through legal evidence, Quranic and Hadith texts, the environmental factors surrounding humanity, and the changing objective conditions of time and place, in addition to the interpretations of jurists that contributed to shaping this vision .

The legitimacy of establishing an Islamic government is rooted in the principle of the obligation to implement Islamic law, as derived from Quranic and Hadith texts, and the various factors and circumstances in all aspects of life. It also stems from the principle of the obligation to appoint an Imam or ruler who establishes justice and maintains order. Therefore, the Islamic government is not merely a political option, but a religious duty connected to the objectives of the religion in preserving life, intellect, property, and human dignity. The article also discusses the foundations, components, characteristics, and challenges of contemporary Islamic government in light of Islamic jurisprudence and the demands of contemporary reality .

The research focuses on the essential characteristics of this government, such as social justice, consultation (shura), the rule of law derived from Sharia, the integration of the immutable and the mutable, and achieving a balance between Islamic identity and the requirements of the modern age .

However, this project faces contemporary challenges on several levels, including

Intellectual challenges represented by confronting secular or liberal ideologies that view religion as an obstacle to the modern state .

Political challenges related to the structure of the international system and the pressures exerted by major powers .

Social and economic challenges that necessitate reconciling Islamic principles with the requirements of development and modernity .

The research concludes that contemporary Islamic government is not a rigid model, but rather an open framework for interpretation (ijtihad), striving to establish justice and protect human rights. It possesses the elements of continuity as long as it is able to interact with the challenges of time and place, while preserving its constants derived from legal texts and the objectives of Sharia.

Keywords: Government, Contemporary Government, Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Administrative Organization