Al-Qalam 
By Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar
On Wednesday 29th of May 2024, South Africans will be participating in our country’s seventh general elections.
In this article, I provide some guidelines as to how we as conscientious Muslims should be responding to our country’s forthcoming national democratic elections.
First and foremost, it is important to reiterate that the majority of Muslim scholars agree that Islam and Democracy are not compatible.
In fact, Muslim scholars, such as Abdulaziz Sachedina in his book The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism (2001), have cogently demonstrated that Islamic sources encompass democratic principles and have singled out the principle of shura to illustrate his point.
Sachedina has pointed out that both the Islamic concept of shura and democracy arise from the central consideration that collective deliberation is more likely to lead to a fair and sound result for the social good than individual or group preference, or hereditary leadership.
The Arabic word shura which literally means mutual consultation appears three times in the Glorious Qur’an (2:233, 3:159; 42:38). In fact, the concept is so significant that chapter 42 of the Qur’an is titled surah al-Shura. In this chapter, Allah, the Lord of Compassionate Justice, describes shura as being one of the sublime characteristics that should adorn the lives of conscientious believers.
[The Conscientious Believers are] those who hearken to their Lord, establish regular Prayer; who (conduct) their affairs by Mutual Consultation; and who happily give Alms out of what We bestow on them for Sustenance (Q42:38).
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) embodied this Qur’anic virtue of shura. Small wonder then that his companion Abu Hurayra (RA), describes Prophet Muhammad’s disposition as follows:
“I have never seen anyone who consults his companions as much as the Messenger of God”
It should thus be crystal clear that Islam is compatible with democracy and consequently, it is my considered view that Muslims should be strongly advised to participate in our country’s seventh general elections on 29 May 2024.
Second, our country’s general elections coincide with a time during which we are celebrating thirty years of our non-racial democracy.
As responsible South African citizens, we have many challenges that face us, but we also have things to celebrate and to be grateful for.
With the demise of apartheid in April 1994 and the coming to power of a democratically elected government, Muslims were recognized as equal citizens and partners in the shaping of the destiny of our nation. Our unique experience of religious empowerment is the fruits and results of countless anti-apartheid Muslim activists who did not see their role in narrow sectarian terms, but rather as contributing towards the development and empowerment of all the people of their land, Muslim as well as non-Muslim. They saw their struggle for religious freedom as integral to their struggle for social justice. It was this egalitarian ethos that has ensured that Muslims have assumed a role in post-apartheid South Africa that far outweighs what would be expected from their minority demographic status in the country. The question of apathy cannot be entertained – voting is a moral responsibility for all of us, old and young.
The third guideline I wish to share is that as we exercise our democratic right to vote in the upcoming elections, we should be clear that there is no explicit textual evidence (nass) either from the Qur’an or Sunna (prophetic tradition) that can be used to substantiate the view that Muslims should only vote for Muslim parties or any other party for that matter. We must remain vigilant and repudiate unscrupulous politicians who would abuse Islamic sources to coax Muslims into voting for their party. In this regard, it is important to note that if one votes for a particular party, it does not necessarily mean that one agrees completely with all of their ideology or policies. Rather the intention should be that the political party will be of help to the whole community and represent the best alternative among the various options.
Muslim jurists (fuqaha) have always advocated the principle of realism represented in the concept of akhaff al-dararayn – the lesser of the two evils. In other words, if the major part of the manifesto of a political party is deemed non-objectionable in terms of Islamic ethics, then it is acceptable for Muslims to vote for such a party.
So, as we exercise our democratic right to vote in the upcoming elections we need to be discerning in casting that vote. We should reflect on the histories of each party, the status and integrity of their candidates, their past and present policies, and the promises they make in their electoral manifestos. The party which in our estimate best resonates with the Islamic value system and advances the cause of the poor and the marginalized should be supported.
Moreover, if a political party openly supports the Apartheid state of Israel, then it is my considered view that Muslims should refrain from voting for such a party.
Fourth, it is important for us to appreciate and understand that from the Islamic perspective, democracy should not merely mean casting one’s vote for this or that party every five years. The Islamic concept of shura as presented in the Glorious Qur’an and exemplified in the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is closer to the modern notion of participatory democracy. Participatory democracy holds that the critical motor of social change does not lie in the support for this or that political party, but rather in holding politicians and parties accountable for their actions. Shura thus demands that we become active citizens who contribute to the building of consultative and transparent social institutions.
By embracing participatory democracy, we strengthen our capacity to root out corruption, to stem the tide of violence and crime, and to better address the needs of the poor. We can only do that if, in addition to casting our votes wisely on 7 May 2014, we also re-commit ourselves to working even harder to strengthen our civil society organizations.
This leads me to my last and final guideline. While I have been making a strong case as to why it is important for us to vote on the 29 of May, the critical challenge facing all South Africans will be in the post-election period. I believe that the conditions are ripe for social transformation and the time is truly upon all of us, as people of conscience, to mobilise ourselves, not only to hold the government to account but to become active agents of social change.
It is our collective responsibility to rediscover and revitalize the vibrant social activism that characterised the struggle against Apartheid.
Let us therefore commit ourselves to join and strengthen our local civil associations and organizations. In particular, I call on you to become formal members of masjid congregations and civic associations so as to make a modest yet meaningful contribution to shaping the future of our country.
We pray and make du’a that Allah, the Lord of Compassionate Justice, will bless South Africa with peaceful, free, and fair elections and with elected leaders that will not merely serve their own personal interests but rather that of all citizens and particularly socio-economic justice for the poor and marginalized in our country.
