The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought

citizenship

Citizenship is a modern Western notion that does not fully fit into political interpretations of Islam. The modern perception of citizenship as a relationship between the state and the individual ignores the importance of group identity in both classical and modern notions of citizenship in Islam. In classical Islam, one’s rights and duties in relation to the state were defined by one’s religious affiliation. A similar situation exists in many contemporary Muslim states that claim an Islamic government, such as Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Individuals relate to the state based on whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. This emphasis on a corporate identity derives from the classical emphasis on the umma, or the Muslim community, and the notion of the ahl al-kitāb (People of the Book), or religious minorities recognized by Islam and often referred to as dhimmīs. The rights and duties of each of these groups were different, and usually only Muslims were allowed full participation in the state.

The role of nationalism in Islamic perceptions has been an important factor since the development of nationalism in Europe in the 18th century. However, for both classical Islam and many modern Muslim thinkers, such as Sayyid Qutb (1906–66) and Mawdudi (1903–79), the notion of citizenship does not necessarily depend on one’s relationship to the state but rather to Islam itself. The focus on the umma allows for a transnational emphasis on Muslim citizenship. Mawdudi tried to emphasize this approach by claiming that in areas that are considered dār al-islām (abode of Islam), a Muslim is a citizen by virtue of the fact that he or she is part of the Muslim umma and not by birth in that country.

The notion of citizenship based on one’s identity as a Muslim has an important impact on non-Muslims living in Muslim lands. Traditionally, the relationship of dhimmīs to the government is contractual; they are given rights and freedoms as citizens of the state based on their political submission to the Islamic state. While there is much debate over the status of dhimmīs in Islam, it is clear that their position as citizens is different from, and inferior to, that of Muslims. At times, this has led to a state of what might be called partial citizenship for non-Muslims. In Muslim countries that define themselves as Islamic states, the political rights of non-Muslims are shaped by their religious identity.

This view of citizenship as based on membership in the Muslim community also affects Muslims living in non-Muslim lands. In debates over how Muslims should relate to their country of residence and its government, some groups advocate complete separation from their non-Muslim host society, since the government is not based on shari‘a (Islamic law). Others, such as the Swiss Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan (1962), have argued for full civic and political participation by Muslim citizens of Western countries.