5 Principles of Spiritual Democracy

The following five statements, in my understanding, constitute the basic principles of spiritual democracy.

The statements are simple but they can bring a paradigm shift when understood in context (and that shall be attempted in the future posts). Also, they form a process and must be taken in the order suggested here. For instance, the proposition that Islam does not allow separation between Church and State is well-known but its practical implications would obviously depend upon our beliefs about the individual and his or her relationship with society. Therefore, those concepts must be clarified before attempting this rather advanced proposition.

More in the future posts. For now, as we go through each of these statements, let's ask ourselves: does it challenge our existing views in any manner?

1. Individual:

“The essential nature of man, then, consists in will, not intellect or understanding.”

('Islam As a Moral and Political Ideal', 1909)

2. Society:

“The idea of universal agreement is in fact the fundamental principle of Muslim constitutional theory.”

('Political Thought in Islam', 1908)

3. Leadership:
“By leaders I mean men who, by Divine gift or experience, possess a keen perception of the spirit and destiny of Islam, along with an equally keen perception of the trend of modern history.”

(The Allahabad Address, 1930)

4. Religion and State:

“The State with us is not a combination of religious and secular authority, but it is a unity in which no such distinction exists.”

('Political Thought in Islam', 1908)

5. Goal:

“…the immortality of a people, as Nietzsche has so happily put, depends upon the incessant creation of worths. Things certainly bear the stamp of divine manufacture, but their meaning is through and through human.”

('The Muslim Community - A Sociological Study', 1911)