Wajeeha Bilal
Many thinkers and political figures since the ancient world have formed
different ideas about the goals that politics can achieve. From moralists (who
believe that political life is a branch of ethics or moral philosophy) to
realists (who focus on power, conflict, and war), political life is definitely a
necessary response to the challenges of everyday life and the realization that
collective action is better than individual action. Making sense of human life
from ancient times to the Middle Ages, and the present time requires an
understanding of the variety of political ideas and achievements established
throughout history.
It is generallyacknowledged in the West that Magna Carta also called the Great
Charter, written by a group of thirteenth century barons to protect their rights
and property against a despoticrule, was the first everproclamation of rights in
which all parties were entitled to social, administrative, and religious rights.
Universally considered as the first document to establish a tradition of civil
rights, it is the basis of most constitutions of modern nation states.
However,analyzing history, the first person who actualized the formation of a
constitution for multireligious and diverse community is The Holy Prophet
Muhammad(pbuh). The fact is that the Constitution of Madinah, antecedes Magna
Carter.The prophet of the Islamic faith, Hz. Muhammadﷺ laid the foundation for
an Islamic state. He was its political and military leader as much as its
spiritual guide. After Hijra to Yathrib in 622, he continued to spread his
message and ultimately organized the city into a unified Islamic city-state. The
city was renamed Medina(city of the prophet) and it became the world’s first
Islamic state with a constitution that formed the basis of an Islamic political
tradition. The constitution addressed the rights and duties of every group
within the community, the rule of law, and the issue of war. The key aims were
peace within the Islamic state and the construction of a political structure
that would strengthen Islam. The constitution helped ensure agreement among
different communities securing their lives and properties. This was the first
treaty in history defining how a diverse community was to function. It helped
commute mutual trust for all parties holding them to the terms and conditions of
the agreement. Though the guidelines had been laid down many centuries back,
they still stand true for diverse communities and their governments.
Since the establishment of the current government in our country, there has been
a continuous stress on ruling through the doctrine of Riyasat-e-Madinah.Being an
independent country,that was established on the Islamic identity, while giving
rights to multi religious and ethnic communities, Pakistan’s dream was formed on
the principles of that great charter, not just in writing, but also in
spirit.The concept of Riyasat-e-Madina was embodied in a lawful state of Madina
which was created by the Holy Prophet Muhammadﷺwhere all human beings wereequal
with the basic rights of living a peaceful life. Where no one hadanysuperiority,
and everyone was treated equal according to the law.While the Islamic state of
Madina was successfully able to govern itself on the Islamic principles, our
country since its creation has been struggling to do that.What the leaders of
struggling states fail to understand is that it is the leadership that sets an
absolute example of a lawful state not vice versa. Corrupted power is the cause
ofpoverty,oppression, and injustices.“We have guided missiles and misguided
men.” Martin Luther King Jr.
All the leaders who cite examples of great states like Medina should focus on
their leadership qualities before having a perfect state to run. Instead of
having debates over the corruption of others and how imperfect the previous
governments were, the present leaders need to focus more on their own
characters. Before establishing the perfect Islamic state, The Greatest Islamic
Leader witnessed a very miserable society of Arabs.The Prophetﷺembodied the true
essence of greatest leadership, through which he revolutionized the uncivilized
lives of Arabs and gave them a lawful purpose to live by. As new potentials
arise for the execution of power, control and credibility,new political ideas
and theories come to be formed.“Politics is too serious a matter to be left to
the politicians”- Charles de Gaulle. Witnessing corrupt and unjust leaderships
through media, the present Politics concerns all of us, so we try our best to
understand and find ways to address the issues and spread a positive message.
Great leadership qualities have strong connections in Islamic tradition, they
are also universal in spirit, making them fitting to any leader, of every
religion and ethnicity. Though Muslims believe that there can be no one as pure
a leader as the Holy Prophet ﷺ but there can definitely be great leaders who
follow his footsteps and lead with honesty and truthfulness. Prophet Muhammad
ﷺhad a very strong and virtuous character with a perpetual display of honesty
and truthfulness in his negotiations.His integrity played a vital role while
forming the treaty of Hudaibiyyah, when his followers felt disappointed with in
the short term, but laterwitnessedthe rise of Islam in the long term.The
Companions of the Holy Prophet tried to follow his footsteps in handling the
matters of the state. Great states and governments are built through men with
great characters and qualities.“The best of you arethe best in character.”
The present corrupted and unjust society is in a dire need of truthful leaders
who follow Sunnah, in politicsinstilled with ethics and morality.Leading by
Example was an integral characteristic of The Prophet’s personality, as he acted
upon the enforced Islamic teachings himself and lead by example to be remembered
forever. Muslims around the world celebrate the birth (the Mawlid al-Nabawi) of
the greatest leader in the history of mankind, on the 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal, with
religious devotion and solemnity.The influential quality of Hazrat Muhammad ﷺis
still prominent in both spiritual and social issues of life. Spreading of Islam
throughout the world was made possible by His meaningful and effective Sunnah.
When considering the greatest leader of all times, the name of the Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ comes on top, not just for Muslims, but also for other honorable
researchers and historians such as Michael Hart, who named Prophet Muhammad as
number one in his compilation of the hundred greatest leaders in history.Michael
Hart in “The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in the History”,
claimed, “My choice of Muhammad (PBUH) to lead the list of world’s most
influential persons… he was the only man in thehistory who was supremely
successful on both the secular and religious level… It is this unparalleled
combination of the secular and religious influence which I feel entitles
Muhammad (PBUH) to be considered the most influential single figure in human
history.”
(Twitter@WajehaBilal)