| Islamic political theory is often cited as having democratic roots. While this may appear to be the case with regard to certain political expressions and principles, on the whole the two ideal political theories are inextricably interlocked within two different world views that are based upon different assumptions and goals. The Islamic political systems is unique in its prescription of human participation within the framework of divine will. Democratic political theory, on the other hand, takes place within the framework of a secular and human determination of what constitutes proper and improper norms of behavior. Given the divine and absolutist assumptions of the Islamic orientation, and the secularist and relativist assumptions of the democratic orientation, their respective relationships to formal democratic principles, such as freedom, equality, direct participation and popular sovereignty, likewise reflect these diverse assumptions and value orientations. Islamic political principles can therefore best be understood according to their own indigenous reference to the Qur'an and the practice of the Prophetic Era.;This thesis presents the ideal positions of western democratic and Islamic normative political theories. The study is divided into two parts. Part I presents a historical review of the many democratic normative expressions from the Greek era up to contemporary times. Part II details the ideal principles of Islamic political theory, while simultaneously comparing Islamic theory with the western democratic theory. While some similarities exist with regard to the emphasis on participatory activity, the Islamic injunctions of shura (mutual consultation), salat (the prayers), al-Haj (the pilgrimage to Mecca), jihad (striving in the path of Allah against the wrong), and zakat (alms giving) in and of themselves are the unique political structures that provide the framework within which Muslims may best govern and be governed simultaneously under the aegis of divine guidance. |
