ISLAM AND PARTY POLITICS

Man in the real sense is surrounded with social, physical and chemical environment; the social environment of man is His religious and political organization

However, there is indeed an age long association between politics and religion as both are products of man’s physical and social environment. Religion essentially was borne out of mans’ crave to understand the supernatural in the context of a world he lives in. Politics on the other hand results from the compelling necessity of man’s association with other men within the society. Thus, man is both a religious and political being. As society grows, so also is the complexity and pattern or religious beliefs while both continued to influence each other.

In Nigeria, the interaction between religion and politics is rooted in its multi-religious character engendered by her colonial experience. Colonialism brought together disparate entities under a single national authority. This implies that, different ethnic, religious and cultural groups have to co-exist and compete within the geopolitical entity.

Although, there are different religious groups in the country, the duos of Islam and Christianity have assumed a dominant status. Thus, any references to Nigeria’s multi-religious character usually have these two in focus. 

Curiously, as noted by scholars, Nigeria’s religious character also has a geographic existence. That is, while the North is predominantly Islamic oriented, the south is predominantly Christian. The implication of this is that relations between the groups more often than not are usually intertwined with religious and/or ethnic connotations. This coloration also more often than not plays itself out at moments of political contests and elections. Thus, religion as a political force capable of pushing in different direction constitutes a major player on Nigerian government and politics. This is to the extent that since independence, religious polarizations has since been a common feature of governance and party politics in the country because it determines, at times, citizens perception of state policies as well as their party affiliations. This of course is not without some consequences for the state as a whole.

Let me stop bordering you with stories and move straight to the issue of concern.  As a Muslim are you permitted to take part in Party Politics? Are you allowed to vote during election for a candidate of your choice irrespective of the Person’s Religion? Or you are not allowed as a Muslim to take active part in politics, vote and be voted for? The answers to these questions will be very brief and concise, due to space available.

There is a saying that “Love of one’s homeland (country) is from faith”. How do we love our country? The love of one’s country starts from taking part in things that will bring development to the country as a whole. Politics is a means to select who leads the country and manage the affairs of all citizens irrespective of their religious affiliation. Hence, if we as Muslims now conclude that because of the way the Party Politics is been done we are not going to be part of it, then, the non- believers we be the one ruling us. You know what this mean? We can be forced out of the country.

Every Muslim has a role to play in the process of establishing a better life for all the people living together as members of the society, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.

Islam urges Muslims to be active and even proactive in any society they reside in. Muslims have to be positive and have to participate in public life in a way that enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil.

This participation is required, as long as it is not motivated by selfish desires and individual opportunism. You can read in the Quran the injunction that means

{Co-operate ye with one another on virtue and God-consciousness.} (Al-Ma'idah 5:2)

It is only by means of active participation in the sociopolitical life of a society that we can struggle for the causes dearest to our hearts: fighting poverty, rooting out crimes and vice, working toward employment equity, and social justice.

Muslims have a duty to stand united to work for a unified country that embraces all of its citizens irrespective of differences of race, religion, or language; a country that strives to defeat those forces whose vision is ethnocentric, backward-looking, and exclusivist.

The state of Muslims in the world will only go from bad to worse if Muslims continue to remain outside the mainstream and fail to participate in the political process, allowing others to decide policies and laws that may jeopardize their interests.

And remember, Allah the Almighty has described Prophet Muhammad as "a mercy to the worlds." He was a sign of Allah's mercy to all, Muslims as well as non-Muslims.

In his kindness and fair treatment he did not differentiate between the believers and nonbelievers. He was kind to the pagans of Makkah and fought them only when they fought him. He made treaties with the Jews of Madinah and honored the treaties until they broke them.

The Prophet is reported to have received the Christians of Najran with generous hospitality in his mosque in Madinah. They debated with him about Islam, but he treated them with honour and respect. There are many examples from his life that show that he was the friendliest person to all people.

And the Glorious Quran teaches Muslims that

{Surely Allah enjoins justice, kindness, and doing of good, to kith and kin, and forbids all that is shameful, evil, and oppressive. He exhorts you so that you may be mindful.} (An-Nahl 16:90)

This verse highlights the basic Islamic values of justice and compassion. These should be the overriding principles guiding our social engagements and deals. Hence we should ask ourselves whether we sincerely practice these values in our day-to-day life.

Realizing that the rules of Allah are sufficient for us, we need not only to practice them, but to teach them to others in the best possible manner. 

In conclusion, dear brothers and sister in Islam I must say it that in this coming Election we have a very important role to play by voting for the right candidate, if we say because the Country’s Political process if a very dirty one we are not going to participate, then who is going to make the dirty politics a clean one?

Salam alaykum waramotullah wabarakatuhu.