The Government of the Prophet (pbuh): Proof of Islam’s Capabilities
Religion “means managing human life. That is, it is a comprehensive program, not a personal program. It doesn’t involve just a person worshiping or only an individual program" (March 11, 2021). A better interpretation of religion would be to say, “The sphere of activity of this religion encompasses all of human life - from the depths of one’s heart to social issues, political matters, international issues, and issues related to humanity as a whole” (Oct. 24, 2021).
Accordingly, “Since Islam encompasses social issues and the important tasks of building society and civilization, it is also concerned with the issue of sovereignty. You can’t presume that Islam will call for social order in a certain way without addressing the issue of governance and leadership in religion and the world. … Therefore, it needs to determine who will be the leader of this society and appoint an Imam ...” (Oct. 24, 2021). That is why the Holy Quran describes the Prophet as an Imam and a leader. “When the Holy Prophet entered Medina, the first thing he did was to establish political and social authority. That is, he formed a government” (March 22, 2020).
“By forming a government in Medina and a civil society based on the teachings of the Prophet, Islam proved that this religion isn’t just about exhortations, preaching, and inviting others through words. Islam wants the reality of God’s laws to be carried out in society. Such a thing is not possible without the establishment of an authority based on the divine will” (Nov. 25, 2010).
The formation of a government by the Prophet “is exactly the opposite of the lopsided opinion of those who claim that if power is combined with religion, religion will become corrupted! No, it’s actually the opposite. If religion is combined with power, it will have the ability to spread” (Dec. 9, 1996).
In other words, you can’t have “people preserving a belief in their minds and performing their personal duties, yet have the social system be governed by God’s enemies” (Nov. 28, 1997). On the contrary, basically, “that which guarantees the implementation of the Islamic rules is an Islamic government and the authority of the rules of the Quran” (Apr. 5, 1999). Therefore, “the establishment of a government is considered to be the first duty of all of God’s prophets” (Apr. 20, 1998). Furthermore, “the establishment of an Islamic government has been the dream of all of the Friends of God throughout history” (Dec. 7, 1995).
Indicators of a Government Based on the Teachings of the Prophet
“We wouldn’t be exaggerating if we said that the behavior of the Holy Prophet during his ten-year rule in Medina was the brightest period of governance in the entire history of humankind” (May 18, 2001). Now the question is this, “How was his government different from other governments?” Firstly, “the governments of the prophets were governments that were from the people, were for the people, and worked in the people’s interests. People loved the prophets. When our Prophet established a government, people loved him. … It is this kind of government that is based on the people that can bring about reforms” (Apr. 4, 1992).
From the other side, the Prophet also loved and cared about the people. This was to the point that the Quran states, “Grievous to him is your distress; he has a deep concern for you, and he is most kind and merciful to the faithful” (Quran 9:128). This means that "the problems affecting people’s lives and human societies is hard on the Prophet of Islam. … He is eager to guide them, and he wants them to be happy” (May 5, 2016).
In other words, the Prophet “cannot be indifferent toward the culture and morality of the people in the Islamic system. The Islamic system isn’t a system that merely cares about maintaining its power while remaining indifferent with regard to the actions of its people even if they fall into a moral abyss. The Islamic system grieves when matters deceive and mislead people. … This is the way of the Prophet, and the Islamic system should have the same method” (Feb. 25, 2003). Therefore, one of the characteristics of a government based on the teachings of the Prophet is “being responsible for the general well-being of the society. … The Holy Prophet begs and pleads the Almighty God to guide his people" (Nov. 27, 2014).
Another characteristic of the Prophet’s government was unity, “If the Holy Prophet of Islam (pbuh) was amongst us today, according to the verse, ‘Grievous to him is your distress; he has deep concern for you, and is most kind and merciful to the faithful,’ he would call on Muslims to have unity. He would prevent discord” (Jan. 29, 2013). “In the system based on the teachings of the Prophet, conflicts arising from superstitions, personal interests, profiteering, and motives of self-interest are despised and opposed. The environment is one of friendship, brotherhood, and empathy” (May 18, 2001). Basically, “in the Islamic system, the government is based on love, faith, unity, and empathy. Furthermore, the people and the government are together, the different parts of the government are together, and different sects of people are together” (Apr. 16, 1998).
Another feature is that “in a system based on the teachings of the Prophet, the foundation of everything is knowledge, awareness, and awakening. People are not led blindly in a certain direction. People are turned into an active force rather than a passive force with awareness, knowledge, and insight” (May 18, 2001).
The rule of law and confronting violations is another characteristic of a government based on the teachings of the Prophet, “He was the protector and guardian of rules and laws, and he wouldn’t allow the law to be violated – neither by himself or by others. He himself adhered to the laws too. The verses in the Holy Quran speak of this point. The same laws that the people had to follow, the Prophet also strictly adhered to and wouldn’t allow any violations to take place” (May 12, 2000).
Another feature is that “the system based on the Prophet’s teachings is not complacent or dependent on anyone else. It does not follow others, nor does it ask others for help. It is loved, powerful, and decisive. Once it recognizes the things that are in its interest, it puts in the necessary effort to achieve those things” (May 18, 2001).
And finally, taking care of the weak and paying attention to social justice is another important feature in a government based on the Prophet’s teachings. “The Prophet’s way of life was such that he used to be in contact with the poor, the weak, and the like. He didn’t care about external appearances and the things that bring an appearance of glory, magnificence, and these sorts of things” (Dec. 24, 2019)
A Government Based on the Teachings of the Prophet: The Model of an Islamic System
It is important to note that by forming an Islamic government, the Prophet showed everyone that Islam has the ability to manage a person’s life. The Prophet’s “period of governance was not for more than ten years; however, he laid the foundation of a structure that was the pinnacle of humanity in science, civilization, spiritual progress, moral progress, and wealth for many centuries” (Feb. 10, 2012). “One of the amazing things about his life was that during those ten years, he did not waste a single moment of his time. … He had only worked in the government, politics, and society for ten years. What a blessed life” (May 18, 2001).
“The Holy Prophet of Islam ruled for ten years. But if we were to assign the work that he completed in those ten years to a hard-working organization, they wouldn’t be able to do all that hard work, effort, and service, not even in a hundred years. If we compare the work we do today with the things the Prophet did, that’s when we’ll understand what he did. The administration of that government and creating that society and that model was one of the Prophet’s miracles” (May 18, 2001).
Therefore, the Prophet’s government is a perfect model. In fact, “the Prophet entered Medina to establish and complete this [Islamic] system, leaving it forever as an example in history. He did this so that at any time in history, from his own time until the Day of Judgement, others could create the same system and create enthusiasm in the hearts of human beings to move toward such a society” (May 18, 2001)
Therefore, in contemporary times where God has blessed us with an Islamic government, we need to adapt ourselves to this model as much as we possibly can. According to this statement, “An Islamic government means those who work in this government work for Islam and God, not for themselves” (Dec. 5, 1990). In other words, “The Islamic government and the system of the Islamic Republic can hold its head up with honor only when it is able to maintain the divine limits” (Dec. 31, 1990).
A more important point is that “What Islam wants from the Muslims is for them to create a perfect Islamic system. What Islam wants is the complete realization of the Islamic religion. … A minimal religion and contentment with the minimum is not acceptable from the Islamic viewpoint” (March 12, 2015). The Prophet was like this. “The first person who followed all the rules of Islam was the Holy Prophet of Islam himself. … That is, he wouldn’t preach something without doing it himself” (July 20, 2009).
In short, all officials and those who work in this government should hold the belief that “saving this country and reaching the point that this nation deserves is only possible with Islam, the Islamic Republic, and the Islamic system” (June 4, 2002).
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