{The Law (Shariah) [continued (10)] – Legitimacy}[11th April 1991]

[Redbook9:72][19910411:0935j]{The Law (Shariah) [continued (10)] – Legitimacy}[11th April 1991]

19910411.0935

[continued]

‘… There is no denying the fact that the Sunni doctine came more and more to be heavily weighted on the side of political conformism. This change is also reflected in the principles of legitimacy. Whereas early Islām had confirmed the pre-Islāmic democratic Arab principle of rule by consultation (shūrā) and some form of democratic election of the leader, those practices soon gave way to dynastic rule with the advent of the Umayyads. The shūrā was not developed into any institutionalised form and was, indeed, soon discarded. Soon the principle of “might is right” came into being, and later theorists frankly acknowledged that actual possession of effective power is one method of the legitimisation of power.

‘In spite of this development, the ruler could not become absolute because a basic restraint was placed upon him by the Shari’ah law under which he held his authority, and which he dutifully was bound to execute and defend.’

*

*– ibid. [Encyclopaedia Britannica 22:] 36

[continued]

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