MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL OF THE UMMAH

Any person who holds the citizenship of the State, if He was mature and sane, has the right to be a member of the Council of the Ummah and the right to elect the members of the Council, whether the person was a man or a woman, a Muslim or non-Muslim. This is because the Council of the Ummah is the people’s representative in opinion only, and has no mandate to rule and legislate. Since the Council is the representative in voicing opinions, people in the Islamic State have the right to delegate whomever they wish from among those who lawfully qualify as representatives. This is just like the Muslim and the non-Muslim has the right to voice his opinion regarding the misapplication of the rules of Islam on him, and regarding any possible unjust act perpetrated against Him by the ruler. He therefore has the right to have any representative He wishes and to represent anyone He wishes. Accordingly, the representative and the represented do not have to be Muslims; they can be either Muslims or non-Muslims. This is why it is permitted for non-Muslims, just as it is for Muslims, to elect their representatives to the Council of the Ummah, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, as long as they hold the citizenship of the State.

Beside this, Islam looks upon the subjects under its authority from a purely human viewpoint, regardless of their sect, race, or sex. The ruling policies designed for them would be founded on this basis, so that the ruling is for the benefit of humanity, thereby taking it out of the darkness into the light. The citizens are thus equal in terms of rights and duties related to the human in his capacity as a human, as far as the implementation of the divine rules on everyone is concerned. When the judge settles the disputes and when the rulers rule, they cannot differentiate between people, they must treat them as equals in their quality as citizens and nothing else. Each citizen therefore has the right to voice his opinion and to choose his representative to express his opinion and those who elected him. This is because Allah (swt) has addressed all people with Islam in their quality as humans and nothing else. He (swt) says;

“O you people, a proof has come to you from your Lord, and we have revealed to you a shining light.” [TMQ An-Nisa’: 174] And He (swt) also says;

“O you people, I am the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sent to all of you.” [TMQ Al- A’raf: 158]

The scholars have agreed, especially the scholars of Usul (foundations), that the divine rules are addressed to every sane person able to understand the speech, whether He is Muslim or not, male or female. This is as far as the non-Muslims are concerned. As regards the membership of Women to the Council of the Ummah, this is because the Council of the Ummah is not part of ruling and is not subject to the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) which relates to the woman’s guardianship. It has also been confirmed that when ‘Umar had a problem brought to his attention and He wanted to consult the Muslims about it, whether the problem was related to the divine rules (legislation) or related to ruling or any other matter that concerned the State, He would summon the Muslims to the Masjid, and He would summon both men and women and ask them all for their opinion. He, on one occasion, reversed his opinion when a woman pointed out to Him that it was wrong to fix the Doweries. In the thirteenth year of the Messenger of Allah’s (pbuh) Prophethood, the year He emigrated, there came to the Him (pbuh) seventyfive Muslims, among whom were two women, and they all gave Him the second Bay’ah of Al-’Aqaba, which was a Bay’ah of war and fighting and a political Bay’ah. Once they had all given their Bay’ah, He said to them;

“Bring me twelve Chiefs (Nuqaba’a) from among you who would be responsible for themselves and their folk.” This order was addressed to everyone, to select from among everyone present. He (pbuh) did not specify whether they should be men or women and He did not exclude the women, neither in regard to who was to select, nor to who should be selected. The Mutlaq (unrestricted) rule should be taken as such, unless there is evidence that restricts it, and the A’aam (general) rule should also be taken as such, unless there is evidence that specifies it. In this case the speech was unrestricted and general. No evidence of specification or restriction has been reported, which indicates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered the two women to elect the Nuqabah (Chiefs), and gave them the right to be chosen as Nuqabah from amongst the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sat once to take the Bay’ah from the people, with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar sitting with him, and both men and women gave Him the Bay’ah. This Bay’ah was one on ruling and not on Islam, for the women were already Muslims. After the Bay’ah of the Ridhwan in Hudaybiyah the women gave Him their Bay’ah too. Allah (swt) says;

“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to take the oath that they will not associate in worshipping any other thing whatsoever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery).” [TMQ Al-Mumtahinah: 60] This Bay’ah was also over ruling, because the Qur’an pre-determined that they were believers, and the Bay’ah was over not disobeying Him in any ma’roof.

Moreover, the woman has the right to delegate somebody in voicing her opinion, and for somebody to delegate her, because she has the right to voice her opinion, so she can choose her representative over it. It is also because the Wakala (representation) does not necessitate manhood, thus she has the right to represent others.

Despite all this, non-Muslims would not be allowed to voice their opinion in matters related to legislation, because the Islamic legislation emanates from the Islamic ‘aqeedah. It is a host of practical divine rules deduced from their elaborate evidences, which treat the human’s problems according to a specific viewpoint outlined by the Islamic ‘aqeedah. The non-Muslim embraces a doctrine that is alien and contradictory to the Islamic ‘aqeedah, and his viewpoint about life contradicts the Islamic viewpoint, so his opinion is not sought in matters of legislation.

The non-Muslim does not have the right to elect the Khaleefah, nor to participate in the short listing of the candidates from whom the Khaleefah is to be elected, for He has no right in the ruling. As for other matters that form part of the Council of the Ummah’s mandatory powers, He is just like the Muslim in these matters and in voicing an opinion regarding them.