Modern Discourse on the Islamic Law of Rebeliion

Abstract

Several verses of the Qur’an and Traditions of the Prophet (peace be on him) prohibit mischief and disorder and make it obligatory on Muslims to enjoin good and forbid evil. These verses are used both by government forces and rebels to justify their position.As Muslim history records several events of rebellion and civil wars in the very early stage and the Companions of the Prophet differently conducted themselves during these conflicts, the Muslim tradition shows a rich variety of approaches towards the issue of resistance and revolt against an unjust ruler. This renders the monolithic approach of Orientalists untenable as they propagated that Muslim jurists generally adopted the approach of passive obedience to usurpers. On the contrary, various modes of behavior – such as obedience to authority, passive non-compliance with the unlawful commands of the rulers, pacific efforts to bring positive change in the system and forceful removal of the unjust ruler or replacing the unjust system – are found within Muslim tradition at any given time and place.