Examining the Position of Political Parties in the Islamic Political System

Abstract

The multiplicity of political parties, or political pluralism, which emerged from the political thought of Western systems and is considered one of the challenging phenomena in Islamic societies, has become a widely debated issue among Muslim scholars. Therefore, discussing its permissibility or impermissibility from the perspective of Islamic Sharia is of great importance.This article examines the significance of the subject, the concept of political parties, the usage of the term in the Holy Qur’an, and the ruling on the establishment and formation of political parties within the jurisdiction of an Islamic state in light of the Holy Qur’an, the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the opinions of Islamic scholars, and the current condition of the Muslim Ummah. The main objective is to clarify and explain the Islamic ruling regarding the existence of multiple political parties within an Islamic state.The data for this study were collected through library-based research, and the information was analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach. After examining the arguments of both sides—the opponents and proponents of political pluralism—the study concludes that the establishment and formation of political parties parallel to a legitimate Islamic government constitute one of the major causes of division and discord among Muslims and, therefore, are not permissible according to Islamic law.