Исламское государство (English)
ON THE QUESTION OF THE ISLAMIC STATE.
Postgraduate student and applicant, issue 2 for 2011, pp. 59-65.
Pashkov R.V., MSLA specialist
1. ISLAM: FROM RELIGION TO STATE.
The Word of God.
The Word of God is the Message of Truth, imprinted by humanity in the Holy Scriptures, revealed by humanity at the height of consciousness of themselves and the world at a certain stage of their development, and the purpose of which is the development of man as the Creation of God.
Elements of the Word of God:
- God is the center of the universe and the Creator of the Universe,
- Truth is the knowledge of the world created according to divine laws through the development of the humanistic essence of man, abiding in Grace and serving the spiritual,
- Grace is the way to be in God,
- The Message is a way of conveying the Truth, the last of which will be addressed by God to everyone,
- The Holy Scripture is the One Great Book of Truth, transmitted by the higher ones.
Religion.
Religion is a concrete form of knowledge of God, designed to enable humanity to attain a partial truth at this stage of development. The final form of religion will be intellectual or philosophical. The point of final knowledge will be the Day of Judgment. The first form of divine knowledge was conveyed through nature—totemism. Then God himself revealed himself in the form of Buddha. The next stage, God revealed a part of himself—Christ as the only-begotten Son of God. Finally, through the lips of the Prophet, the final form of truth known to humanity today was proclaimed. Holy Scripture is essentially a teaching program for faith in God and the meanings derived from it .
Forms of development of faith in God:
- Totemism.
- Cult.
- World religion.
- Intellectual games of philosophers.
- Intellectual religion.
- Direct understanding of the Absolute.
World humanistic religion.
A world humanistic religion emerges by God’s will in the era of world religions. It is essentially humanistic, that is, it expresses the generic essence of man as God’s finest creation on Earth. A world humanistic religion transforms public consciousness, distinguishing God from nature for man, whereas in paganism, man separated himself from nature.
The world humanistic religion includes elements of:
- The spirit of religion.
- The mechanism of regeneration (reformism) is a new understanding at a different time.
- System of embedding historical experience.
- Historical time is a specific shell of the cult-ritual side and political-legal practice.
- Learning is a step in the ascent to the absolute.
- Manifestation of the spirit of religion in human activity.
Understanding the verses.
The Quran contains eternal Quranic verses and historical verses. The Quran was created this way to be understood in a given historical time. Political and legal verses may not be valid in other historical times, as Muslims have changed. Law cannot be established forever; it is not a religious dogma. Quranic verses cannot change in principle, but historical verses are subject to revision and renewal, just as they were originally written.
Theocracy.
A theocracy is a political divine authority , a religious power based on force, and therefore an integral attribute is the right to independent jurisdiction exercised by religious leaders or authorities. A court in a theocracy can not only render decisions on a case under consideration but also apply coercive measures of a social, property, and, importantly, physical nature. A theocracy is a system of religious-political power relations . The religiosity of theocratic power, or more precisely, power relations , is determined by religious norms, which impart a substantive specificity to theocratic interactions.
The implementation of religious norms as the most important social values of a theocratic state determines certain features of the organization of the state apparatus. These include: centralization, one-man rule, the absence of separation of powers, the irremovability of state leaders, the fusion of religious and secular authority, religious legitimacy, the supremacy of divine law, religious and religious-educational qualifications for key government positions, and restrictions on women holding government positions. The judicial activities of theocratic government bodies are not clearly delineated from other administrative functions. Justice, therefore, can be administered by lawmaking bodies, administrative bodies, and the courts themselves.
Historical evolution of theocracy.
Historical evolution of theocracy:
- The first forms of theocracy.
- Super-religious communities of world religion.
- Historical natural theocracies
- Theocracies of religious modernization
- Theos state.
The first forms of theocracy represented the final evolution of pagan communities as the first forms of faith, where religion played an all-encompassing role. Paganism, a product of human thought according to divine laws, fulfilled its role and made possible humanity’s acceptance of the revelations of world religions. In the first forms of theocracy, all power actually belonged to the priests , and their influence was limited locally. With centralization, a royal power emerged, based on religion. However, this power was nonetheless the power of the priests; without them, the king could not rule. The priests constituted the pagan clergy, the bearers of the entire body of knowledge and achievements of a given people, the guardians of historical tradition.
The super-religious communities of world religions emerged as a unique historical form . The communities of Christ, Moses, and Muhammad were short-lived and soon transformed into states, but they remained a fact in world history. These communities were a brotherhood of like-minded individuals, comrades in the struggle to spread a new religion. The universally recognized leader was the prophet of all prophets (God) and his closest associates, the prophets and apostles. The very emergence of these communities speaks to the qualitative evolution of a theoretical idea.
Historical natural theocracies, such as the Ismaili, Jesuit, and other states, arose out of the possibility of their emergence due to the changing nature of world religions under certain conditions. Such states arose under specific historical circumstances and also perished. Their role can hardly be called constructive; rather, they are a remnant of a sectarian understanding of world religion.
The theoretic approaches to religious modernization, the most striking of which is the Iranian revolution, represent a concrete historical form of modernization. They are simply a different path to modernization for non-Western societies. Religion in this context is a catalyst, a lever for the country’s development, mobilizing all efforts to realize the super-project of development.
Theos state.
The final form of theoidea and its fundamentally new stage will be the theosic state. The theosic state will be the final historical form of government. Here, religion will not directly determine but indirectly, where religion is the foundation of the historical and cultural existence of a given people. Religion does not influence government, which is secular by nature, but rather serves as a spiritual cosmos. It is not even necessary to subscribe to all the dogmas of religion; it is important to understand that it is humanistic and helps people develop in the world created by God.
The theosophical understanding of the state.
The state emerges at a certain stage of human development due to internal causes that arise from human development in accordance with divine laws. Through the evolution of the world created by God, man understands it as he is capable of understanding it. Therefore, the state emerges only at a critical stage of evolution in terms of the accumulation of factors. The very emergence of the state arose by human will, but it arose as a result of divine laws, only not directly, but indirectly. This is the fundamental error of Marxism. One cannot think in linear terms.
2. THE PATH OF ISLAMIC DEVELOPMENT: ISLAMIC REFORMATION.
Modern crisis.
The Islamic world is in deep decline. We won’t recount the numerous facts proving this. They are readily available in the public domain. Euro-Islam is being rejected by the Muslim world. The time has come to understand what is happening in the Muslim world as a result. This is all the more surprising given that the legacy of ancient Greek philosophy was adopted in the West through Arab scholars. Until the 14th century, Muslim Spain was the most advanced country in Europe, far ahead of the entire Christian world. Until the 14th century, the Muslim world clearly won the race for leadership and developed in its own unique way , but in the following centuries, deep stagnation set in, culminating in colonization.
The main reason.
The roots of the crisis lie much deeper and are rooted in Muslims’ very understanding of Islam. No external enemies or conquests could have occurred without internal causes. It’s time to face the truth. The main reason is the need to reform Islam. The question is under what conditions this will happen, not whether it will happen. All existing democratic projects in Muslim countries, as proposed by Muslim scholars, are largely undemocratic, while democratic ones are copied from Western models considered the standard.
Western Reformation.
The Reformation in the Western sense: secularization, that is, the restriction of religion’s role to the spiritual sphere of man. The church is transformed from the highest political institution into an institution of civil society and placed under the control of the nation-state. The church is deprived of its economic potential, primarily its feudal lordships and the vassalage system (economic activity solely for charity, not for increasing influence). The church is the foundation of mythological consciousness and a type of knowledge. These are destroyed and supplanted by classical culture.
Why Western reformation in Islam is impossible.
A Western-style reformation in the ummah is impossible for the following reasons. The ummah has developed a concept of the Islamic way of life that encompasses all aspects of a Muslim’s life. There is no church as an organization in Islam, with the exception of Sufi orders today. There is a spiritual administration (muftiate) providing organizational and technical support, a Shura of Ulema ( faqih ) representing the opinions of the clergy, and an institution of clergy with degrees but without a hierarchy of power. The Shura of Ulema, headed by the mufti, is a third part of the imam’s supreme authority and embodies the leadership of the ghazis—Muslims, each of whom must fight for the faith. Islamic clergy are better informed about the needs of the community and therefore more effectively engage in charitable work and preserve cultural heritage, which requires educational activities. The functions of monasteries in Islam are fulfilled by waqfs. Muslims are immersed in their faith and think in terms of a specific type of Eastern culture. There is a different system of symbols, the transmission of signs, and axiological values. Eastern culture seems to flow around the personality in a different way , constituting its shell, the background of the core.
Islamic reformation.
Islamic reformation is a change in rites and rituals that divide Muslims, and in political and legal practices that are inconsistent with the historical context. Rituals and rituals were adopted by the Prophet to facilitate understanding of the faith, while he organized state power within a specific historical context. Allah gave us faith so that we can, incorporating new historical experience, discover its deeper aspects. In this new context, we can and must preserve the fundamental principles of the Islamic state, while its concrete embodiment is fleeting and ever-changing.
Poles of Islam.
Today, we observe extreme antagonism between different profound understandings of Islam, namely, Wahhabism on one side and Sufism on the other. Let’s not dwell on the fact that Wahhabism is a specific historical form of the Sunni school of Islam, while neo-Wahhabism is the most developed doctrine of jihadism . Wahhabism can be defined as a violent school of Islam, and this type can be called fiery Islam. Fire looks beautiful, but in its wake, ashes remain. Sufism can be defined as personal Islam, that is, a path of exclusively personal, rather than social, self-improvement for a Muslim. There is extreme struggle and denial between Wahhabism and Sufism. This speaks of a profound crisis.
Spiritual understanding of Islam.
A spiritual understanding of Islam means a new understanding of its deepest essence. Not self-isolation, as in Sufism, nor violence, as in Wahhabism, but an active path to understanding the world created by God. This is a new understanding of the social interpretation of Islam, not the Muslim’s relationship with Allah, but the Muslim’s engagement with society, their social attitude. We must transform the world around us, understanding it creatively, not by copying or destroying it.
The biggest problem and the biggest breakthrough.
The most difficult issue in the development of Islam today is how to overcome the crisis of Islamic political and legal doctrine. This is the greatest pain and hope of Muslims. This profound crisis offers an opportunity to begin a fundamental renewal of this doctrine. This is the key to the success of the Muslim world’s leading position. Without this, development is impossible, and only stagnation and the terrorism of despair against rich and powerful countries are possible. The crisis allows us to start from scratch, creatively embracing our heritage. Reformation is inevitable; the sooner it occurs , the greater the chance of Muslims’ success in the global community of civilizations.
Movement of the path of Islamic development.
A movement dedicated to Islamic development must be created. Its goal will be the unification of Muslim countries and their reform. It must rely on its own resources and pursue constitutional reforms, defending the land of Islam. This new movement will neither blindly copy Western ideas nor embrace the misanthropic ideology of terrorism. This movement will be based on the tradition of Islamic philosophy and integrate the achievements of global thought without distancing itself from it.
Differences from fundamentalism.
The Islamic development movement differs from Islamic fundamentalism in two defining ways. First, it has an extremely negative attitude toward terrorism. Terrorism is categorically unacceptable due to its anti-humanitarian principles. The Great Islamic Revolution will likely be accompanied by a certain amount of violence due to the length of time and complexity of the ongoing processes, which will likely include a number of uprisings and guerrilla wars, as well as anti-colonialist wars and, if such a war occurs, a war for the unification of the Ummah . Terrorism will likely be present from a number of movements and groups, but the liberation forces must suppress any manifestation of terrorism as unacceptable and anti-democratic.
The second peculiarity is the proposed project. Fundamentalists propose a totalitarian project, playing on the aspirations of the Muslim world. The Islamic development movement insists on the inherently democratic nature of Islam and the possibility of building a democratic caliphate. The Muslim dream must be realized.
Political and spiritual liberation.
The process of revolutionary self-awareness among Muslim peoples includes spiritual and political components. The political component is the political unification of the ummah into a single state as a result of the Great Islamic Revolution. Spiritual liberation can be defined as the cessation of the process of importing Western development models for the Muslim world and the development of a distinct spiritual identity, sometimes drawing on historical heritage. These two components are inextricably linked, and one is unthinkable without the other.
3. ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS.
To the formulation of the problem.
The modern, genuine Islamic democratic movement is experiencing, if not a crisis, then complete uncertainty. Fundamentalists who tolerate terrorism and totalitarian statehood have seized leadership in Muslim political life in the name of a truly Muslim ideological heritage. How could it be that Muslims are now represented by people who openly proclaim arms as the primary argument in the struggle for the unity of the Muslim world? How could it be that the extreme intellectual dominance of Western ideas has been replaced by the totalitarian ideas of fundamentalists who reject them.
We must openly admit that we have proven incapable of putting forward not only a unified democratic project, but even of showing Muslim society a path for its own development. Ultimately, we lost the battle for influence before we even began. And today, we draw our programs sometimes from Western social democratic models, sometimes turning back to the Western conservative legacy.
Islam as a revolutionary doctrine.
Islam is not only a religion but also a revolutionary doctrine. This has nothing in common with Marxism. Marxism proclaimed itself a science and a revolutionary doctrine. Islam is not a science, but a humanistic world religion, containing elements of constant renewal and progress. Revolutionary doctrine is not directly contained in Islam as a religion, but stems from the attitude toward the world of Muslims as expressed in the Quran. The revolutionary doctrine of Islam aims to embody in the Muslim personality those divine principles inherent in man from the very beginning. The Quran merely revealed them, pointing the way to Allah.
Islamic Revival.
The Islamic revival refers to the growing role of Islam in all spheres of public life within Muslim civilization and, consequently, the indirect impact of this process on the rest of the world. Its beginnings can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when, under the influence of colonial European culture, first the ulema and then secular Islamic scholars were able to become acquainted with the achievements of European thought.
This process intensified especially in the second half of the 20th century, when many Muslim countries gained independence. The process accelerated rapidly from the 1970s onward, when Islamic countries experienced a sharp rise in the ideology of self-understanding through Islam. However, the period from the mid- 19th to the mid-20th century could arguably be called «Islamic Enlightenment.» This is a more realistic approach, as education was spreading and an independent cultural elite was once again emerging.
Islamic National Revival Movement.
All this led to initially timid attempts, and then increasingly intensive efforts to create Islamic political parties. All reformist movements initially lost the battle for Muslim minds, as they directly appealed to Western heritage, copying it without creatively embracing it. And because of this, fundamentalists were able to speak on behalf of Muslims. Properly reformist Islamic forces remained the preserve of a small circle of intellectuals, observing the struggle between fundamentalists and Western-style parties, liberal or communist, in Islamic society. The Islamic national revival movement manifested itself only in fruitless discussions about how Western experience could be applied to the Muslim world. However, Muslim scholars fulfilled their historical mission and ignited the process of Muslims realizing themselves as a distinct, distinctive world civilization, rather than a mere nostalgia for bygone times.
Islamic Reformation.
The Islamic Reformation can be defined as a process of fundamental change in the political and legal doctrine of Islam, moving it from the realm of fundamentalism to the realm of reformist forces. The Islamic Reformation is not a process of a new division of Muslims, as in Christianity between Catholics and Protestants, but simply a change in the political and legal practices of Islam, the sphere of state building, and the understanding of public institutions. This process is irreversible simply because without it, the Muslim world will remain in stagnation for a long time, periodically exploding into fundamentalism. This process must be changed.
United Islamic Revolutionary Movement.
At a certain stage in the contemporary political development of the Muslim world, a unified Islamic revolutionary movement will emerge. This is not the Muslim Brotherhood or its ilk. It is a democratic, unifying, and reformist movement that rejects terrorism and advances the democratic project of a unified Islamic state. This movement, as a unified whole, will embody the ummah’s centuries-old dream of a unified country.
The Great Islamic Revolution.
The Great Islamic Revolution, as the process of establishing a unified Muslim state, could last for decades and be multifaceted, but reformers must seize the strategic initiative from fundamentalist forces. Terrorism is unacceptable due to its anti-humanitarian principles. The Great Islamic Revolution will include a war against neocolonialism, guerrilla warfare, and popular uprisings. Reformers must accept the revolutionary nature of this process; the question is what the new state will be like: will totalitarian structures prevail?
People, nation and ummah .
The Muslim people are an ethnic unit of the highest level of development, the result of the self-organizing process of establishing a Muslim community based on adat. The Muslim nation is the second stage of the unity of the Muslim world. The Muslim nation is a state and political community of Muslim peoples, existing independently of them and not coinciding with the borders of Muslim peoples. The Ummah acts as the third, highest, and only possible form of Muslim unity in the universe. The Ummah is founded, first and foremost, on the spiritual unity of Muslims. All three stages can coexist and overlap, but each signifies a process of Muslim understanding of the world and an ascent to a higher level of unity. Each stage absorbs the next, and only political unity can recreate Muslim civilization. These stages mark a cycle from a unified Ummah in spiritual and political terms to its disintegration into constituent parts and then its rebirth.
Islamic Liberation Community.
The Islamic revolution will be carried out by an Islamic liberation community as a system of liberation organizations. At the head of the Islamic liberation community will be a single Islamic liberation organization. This could be a party or simply a union, a more narrowly defined organization. Such an organization serves as the core of the Islamic revival movement or Islamic front. In addition to this organization, the front will include student, youth, women’s, and peasant organizations.
The Second New Caliphate.
The state that will emerge as a result of the victory of the Great Islamic Revolution can be designated as the Second New Caliphate. This could be simply a unified community of Muslim states, including the Caliphate as an Arab nation-state, Sunni national states, and a Shia state, or it could be a truly unified state. Although it is unlikely that all Muslim countries will be united. The Second New Caliphate will be a democratic state governed by the rule of law, based on Sharia as the ideal state law. Sharia will also change, and a Second Sharia will emerge as a creative development of the original.
Stages of the Islamic revolutionary process.
Thus, the Islamic revolutionary process goes through the following stages:
- Islamic Enlightenment as a process of awakening the Muslim world,
- Islamic Renaissance as a process of self-awareness of the Muslim world,
- The United Islamic Revolutionary Movement as a political liberation organization of Muslims,
- Islamic Reformation as a process of spiritual cleansing of Islam from outdated political and legal practices,
- The Great Islamic Revolution as a long and diverse political phenomenon,
- The Second New Caliphate as an ideal Muslim state as a result of the victory of the revolution.
