Answer
Short Answer:
- Unequivocally and without a doubt – YES! Voting in proper leaders will not cure all ills in our society, but it is still an important step to take and is selfish to abstain without a legitimate reason.
- It is true that no major political parties perfectly encompass good morality. There is no perfect party platform. This is perhaps why some Muslims are hesitant to cast their vote one way or another.
- It is important to remember, however, that there are no perfect people and no perfect organizations in the world. It may be easier to consider voting in the way that – rather than do the most good – is going to cause the least harm. Remember, Allah hates oppressors. Which candidate is the least oppressive? How can you vote to try to ensure that the most oppressive candidate does not take office?
- One extremely important tenet of Islam is to care for our neighbors – and not just our Muslim neighbors. Even if you feel that you, personally, will not be adversely affected by an undesirable election outcome, you must remember that you are not alone in this world. There are hundreds of millions of people in the USA and billions in the world. The way you cast your vote may have an effect on them, if not you.
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Alaykum salaam wa rahmatullah.
Thank you for this very important and timely question. No doubt, the election is on the minds of many Muslims, especially following some events of the past four years.
Is Democracy Haraam?
This question is one that I find oddly common amongst Muslims living in the West. For some reason, there is a strangely pervasive idea that having a democratically elected leader is haraam, that a leader must be appointed.
To put it bluntly, this is ridiculous. Remember, in day-to-day life, unless something is explicitly stated as being haraam in the Quran or by the Prophet it must not be considered haraam. Pose the question to your uncle: what is the proof? Where is it stated that democratically electing a leader is haraam?
Some people who hold these extreme views put forward that the Caliphate that followed the Prophet’s death was not democratic – thus our modern governments should not be.
But again – how does that indicate democracy is haraam? If we were to emulate every aspect of life as it was at the time of the Prophet then we would be shunning many modern conveniences and technologies, such as phones, the internet, air conditioning, and… democracy.
Democracy is a form of government (which technically the USA doesn’t have, but that is beside the point). It is not a direct form of worship. Thus, it is not considered a religious innovation – bid’ah. I suggest you attempt to educate your uncle on this matter.
Should Muslims be Voting?
Unequivocally and without a doubt – YES! Voting in proper leaders will not cure all ills in our society, but it is still an important step to take and is selfish to abstain without a legitimate reason.
It is true that no major political parties perfectly encompass good morality. There is no perfect party platform. This is perhaps why some Muslims are hesitant to cast their vote one way or another.
It is important to remember, however, that there are no perfect people and no perfect organizations in the world. It may be easier to consider voting in the way that – rather than do the most good – is going to cause the least harm. Remember, Allah hates oppressors. Which candidate is the least oppressive? How can you vote to try to ensure that the most oppressive candidate does not take office?
Care for Your Neighbors
One extremely important tenet of Islam is to care for our neighbors – and not just our Muslim neighbors. Even if you feel that you, personally, will not be adversely affected by an undesirable election outcome, you must remember that you are not alone in this world. There are hundreds of millions of people in the USA and billions in the world. The way you cast your vote may have an effect on them, if not you.
Too often, as Muslims, we get caught up in irrelevant details such as what kind of government was in place in the time of the Prophet. It is more important than ever to have our heads in the present day and learn from the Prophet’s example – not regarding his government structure. Rather, regarding the care he showed for his fellow humans and how he made many sacrifices, himself, to ensure that others were well cared-for.
Please motivate your uncle to vote!
I hope this helps. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.
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