The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought

republicanism

Republicanism is a relatively new term in Islamic philosophical discourse. The idea of a representative government resembling what today is called a republic (jumhūrīyya) first appeared in 19th- and 20th-century Islamic thought. The term “republic” was first used to refer to a Muslim-majority country with the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1922–23.

Muslim thinkers who argue in favor of republicanism as a preferred political system justify this relatively new idea with reference to classical Islamic sources and doctrines. The most important of these doctrines is the Qur’anic principle of shūrā (consultation). Sura 42 of the Qur’an, called al-Shura, encourages mutual consultation. Elsewhere in the Qur’an (3:159), Muhammad is urged to consult with the members of his community (in spite of their faults) when making important decisions. This principle of consultation has become a primary justification for the arguments of prorepublican Muslims.

Early proponents of republican government in Muslim-majority countries included the Young Ottomans, who operated in Turkey in the late 19th century. One of their most common strategies was to demonstrate support for more democratic forms of government in Islamic teaching by identifying parallels between Qur’anic teachings and the terms familiar to liberal political discourse. Namık Kemal (1840–88) was a member of the Young Ottomans who argued that the principle of shūrā could be used to justify representative forms of government. Another early supporter of republican principles was Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849–1905), who argued that consultation is crucial for a just government, as it provides individual rulers with access to the greater intelligence that comes from the collective community. Muhammad Rashid Rida (1865–1935) was more explicitly republican in his adoption of the principle of shūrā. Rida proposed a group of representatives of the general population to choose, consult with, and have the power to remove the ruler. Rida argued that this model was fully compatible with the traditional Islamic caliphate, as the caliph could benefit from consultation with community representatives and Muslim jurists, so long as their advice did not contradict Qur’anic teachings.

The rise of republican discourse among Muslim thinkers was also connected to Arab nationalist and Pan-Islamic movements. Afghani (1838–97), a major figure in the history of Pan-Islamism and of modern Islamic thought more generally, argued that Muslims could seek truth in both revelation and reason. Afghani argued that a revival of Islam, uniting all Muslims in one community, would include a revival of reason as a source of guidance and also of more representative forms of government. Rida also argued strongly in favor of a united Islamic community; the collective intelligence of the Muslim community as a whole would far outweigh any national grouping.

Many contemporary Islamic countries are called republics, including Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Indonesia, among others. In 1956, Pakistan was the first country to adopt the title of “Islamic Republic,” which subsequently was used by many other nations including the Shi‘i-dominated Islamic Republic of Iran, established in 1979, and the post-Taliban Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The legal structures of these countries are characterized by a high degree of variety, demonstrating the wide array of possibilities that can be captured by republicanism in the Islamic context.