Democracy in Islam

Abstract

From the early twentieth century onward, many Muslim thinkers have explored the prospects for establishing an “Islamic democracy” by defining, discussing, and debating the relationship and compatibility (and similarity) between “Islamic political concepts” and the “notions and positive features of democracy.” They interpret the Islamization of democracy on the basis of a modern reinterpretation of several key Islamic political concepts – mainly khilafah and shura – to provide an effective foundation for understanding the (contemporary) relationship between Islam and democracy. The majority of scholars in the Muslim world continue to throw light on the “modern reflection on democracy,” thereby pushing this century-long search ever forward.