Islamic state
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
"On 29 June 2014, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant announced the establishment of a new caliphate. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was appointed its caliph, and the group formally changed its name to the "Islamic State"." --Sholem Stein |
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An Islamic state is a type of government, in which the primary basis for government is Islamic religious law (sharia). From the early years of Islam, numerous governments have been founded as "Islamic", beginning most notably with the caliphate established by Muhammad himself and including subsequent governments ruled under the direction of a caliph (meaning "successor" to the Islamic prophet Muhammad).
However, the term "Islamic state" has taken on a more specific modern connotation since the 18th century. The concept of the modern Islamic state has been articulated and promoted by ideologues such as Abul A'la Maududi, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Israr Ahmed, and Sayyid Qutb. Like the earlier notion of the caliphate, the modern Islamic state is rooted in Islamic law. It is modeled after the rule of Muhammad. However, unlike caliph-led governments which were imperial despotisms or monarchies (Arabic: malik), a modern Islamic state can incorporate modern political institutions such as elections, parliamentary rule, judicial review, and popular sovereignty.
Today, many Muslim countries have incorporated Islamic law, wholly or in part, into their legal systems. Certain Muslim states have declared Islam to be their state religion in their constitutions, but do not apply Islamic law in their courts. Islamic states which are not Islamic monarchies are usually referred to as Islamic republics.
See also
- Theocracy
- Syed Farid al-Attas
- Hizb ut-Tahrir
- Islamic Revolutionary State of Afghanistan
- Former Salafist states in Afghanistan
- Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
- Islamic State of Azawad – a former short-lived unrecognised state declared unilaterally in 2012 by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad
- Islamic State of Qadian – a state in the Indian subcontinent involving Qadian and surroundings areas established in 1530
- Islamic State of Waziristan – also known as Islamic Emirate of Waziristan, declared in Waziristan, Pakistan
- Islamic State of Indonesia – (Negara Islam Indonesia or Darul Islam), Islamist group in Indonesia that aims for the establishment of an Islamic state of Indonesia (an unrecognised state)