Salaamun alaykum, dear readers!
There is a common misconception that for a system of government to be in line with Islamic values, Quranic law must be enforced by the government. This would mean:
- Criminalizing pork, alcohol, gambling, etc.
However, the Quran says that there is zero compulsion in the religion of Islam. That means Islamic law cannot be forced onto anyone.
- [2:256] There is no compulsion in the religion…
The only valid form of compulsion in the Quran is defending from the compulsions and injustices done by other people, whether it is defending yourself or defending other people.
- [4:75] And what is for you that you do not fight in the way of God and the weakened ones among the men, the women, and the children who say, “Our Lord, exit us from this town of its wrongdoing people, and make for us an ally from with You, and make for us a helper from with You!”
- [42:39] And the ones who help themselves when violation befalls them.
That means using whatever means necessary (including the force of law) to protect others from injustices and things that are done to them without their consent, such as: theft, murder, oppression, discrimination, destruction of the environment, lack of consumer protection laws, and more.
This means the governor cannot jail a person for 20 years for drinking alcohol or having consensual relations outside of marriage, but a person who rapes or forces others to drink alcohol most definitely deserves severe legal penalties.
Quranic Punishments
The Quran prescribes punishments for several misdeeds, such as feeding 10 needy people for violating a contracted or serious oath, or 100 lashes for adulterers and fornicators (if guilt can be proven).
Many believe that those punishments must be forced onto someone who commits those things, but that is not true.
Those who meet the requirements for a Quranic punishment must willingly consent to being punished. No person can be given a Quranic punishment against his or her will.
That is because compulsion in the religion is forbidden in verse 2:256, but if someone is forced to undergo a Quranic punishment against his or her will, then that becomes a form of religious compulsion, which the Quran forbids.
The beauty of this system is that if an innocent person is falsely accused by someone and convicted (such as for adultery/fornication), and that person is fully aware of his or her innocence, then that person can protect himself or herself from punishment by simply not consenting to it.
But if that person is truly guilty and does not consent to the punishment, then God will hold him accountable for that.
Conclusion
God wants the people to adhere to His commandments (doing Salat, Zakat, fasting, abstaining from alcohol and pork, etc.) due to fear of Him alone, not the fear of other people or fear of the government guns.
Therefore, it is not the job of the government to limit exposure to sin or temptation. It is the responsibility of the person alone to maintain discipline.
If alcohol and pork were prevented everywhere in a country, where would be the test of devotion? Is this not interfering in God’s test? In a land where pork and alcohol are completely forbidden, for example, are people abstaining from pork and alcohol because they fear God, or they fear the guns of the government?
Here is a quote from Rashad Khalifa, God Messenger of the Covenant, which sums this up quite nicely:
“God wants the people to be free to obey or disobey Him, follow the commandments or break them, worship Him or not, believe in Him or disbelieve in Him, drink or not. If you go in a country that says nobody can drink alcohol, now are the people abstaining from alcohol because they are following God’s commandment, or the law of the land?“
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