Voting In Islam

With the Name of Allâh, and in Him we seek assistance, and the praise is due to Allâh, Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allâh alone, without any associate, and there is nothing comparable to Him. And I testify that Muhammad is His servant and final Messenger.

In the current climate, many brothers and sisters in Britain have become preoccupied with the issue of the coming elections and debating the question of whether Muslims are allowed to vote and which party is most deserving of our vote. In reply, I would like to present the following clarification and advice.

“In March 2004 the Emergency Reaction Force in Camp Delta came into his cell. They brought their pepper spray and held him down. “They held both of his eyes open and sprayed it into his eyes, and later took a towel soaked in pepper spray and rubbed it in his eyes.” An officer then pushed his finger in Omar’s right eye. “He’s totally blind in the right eye,” says Clive Stafford Smith. “I can report that his right eye is all white and milky — he can’t see out of it because he has been blinded by the US in Guantanamo.”

The Permissibility of Assuming Public Office in an Unjust State if the Occupant Would Alleviate Some of the Injustice or Curb Evil and Corruption.

Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymia, May Allah grant him forgiveness, was asked about a man, who assumed public offices and undertook responsibility for certain fiefs whose inhabitants were required to pay the State ­ imposed taxes levied as per the practice of all governments. That man chose to lift all the injustice off people's shoulders, seeking to do so with all his effort, knowing that if he resigned his office the injustice would remain as it was, if it did not become worse...

Islam is a comprehensive system where worship (`ibadah) and legislation (Shari`ah) are not divided into two separate actions of life. The distinction between the secular realm and the realm called religious or spiritual is nothing new to Christian but alien to Islam and Muslims. This concept of duality in life is totally unacceptable to Muslims. We Muslims believe that Allah (SWT) is the sole Creator and Sustainers of the Worlds. One Who "…takes account of every single thing) (72:28); that He is omnipotent and omniscient; that His mercy and bounties encompasses everyone and suffice for all. In that capacity, Allah (SWT) revealed His divine guidance to humanity, made certain things permissible and others prohibited, commanded people observe His injunctions and to judge according to them. If they do not do so, then they commit kufr, aggression, and transgression."

The Question: I don't think Muslims are split over whether it's halal to vote or not, but over the issue of voting in a democratic system. The democratic system such as the one that we have here in Britain, it recognises man as Al-Hakim (ruler) and it is man who governs himself. Surely this is verging on shirk where man does not recognise Allah swt as ruler and makes up rules for his own... i.e. he is "playing God"!

The Question: Every year in England, we the Muslims are split on the issue of: "whether it is permissible or not to vote for man made laws" I ask this question as to whether it is permissible to vote for other then Allah's laws, and does this lead to taghoot or shirk?

Are we only allowed to follow the shariah? The main argument is weather or not we are allowed to participate in this voting process?