Mawdudi: Deen is Synonymous with Government

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A unique aspect of the Fikr (thought) of Abul-Alaa Mawdudi (1903-1979) which has been the major influence for the deviancy and corruption among the political Jama’aat (groups) is the idea that the Deen cannot materialise without control of the government or political power.

Mawdudi writes:

دین  در اصل حکومت کا نام ہے۔شریعت اس حکومت کا قانون ہے اور عبادت اس کےقانون اور ضابطے کی پابندی ہے۔

خطبات ص268

“Deen in reality is synonymous with government. The Shari’ah is the law of that government, and Ibadah (worship) is the adherence to its law and system.” (Khutbat; p.268)

 بہر حال ہر دین کو اپنے قیام کیلۓ خود اپنی حکومت کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے حکومت کے بغیر دین بالکل ایسا ہے جیسے ایک عمارت کا نقشہ آپکے دماغ میں ہو، مگر زمین پر موجود نہ ہو

“Every Deen requires its own government in order to be established. Without a government, Deen is merely a blueprint for a building that is in your mind but has not actually been built.” (ibid; p.271)

 دین وہی ہے جس کا اقتدار زمین پر قائم ہو

خطبات ص271

“Deen is that whose power has been established on the Earth” (ibid)

This thought presented by Mawdudi that the Deen of Islam is merely theoretical and cannot actually be materialised without political power in the form of a government and state is the infectious idea that infected extremist and radical groups and motivates them to focus all their efforts on attaining political power. It is worth mentioning that this idea of Mawdudi has not basis from the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Nor did any other Muslim thinker or scholar present such an absurd and unorthodox doctrine prior to Mawdudi.

On the contrary, the Holy Qur’an explains that the true Deen is to submit oneself to Allah and follow the Way of Abraham:

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِّمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّـهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

And who is better in Deen than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the Millat of Abraham, inclining toward truth? (Surah 4:125)

Allah says “There is no compulsion in Deen” (Surah 2:256). Whereas government is something based on compulsion. This Verse is therefore explicit in clarifying that the Deen of Islam is not synonymous with Islamic government. In fact, the meaning and reality of the true Deen is to worship none but Allah and turn away from all forms of idolatry:

أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct Deen, but most of the people do not know” (Surah 12:40)
وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, being sincere to Him in Deen, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that is the correct Deen. (Surah 98:5)