Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

AsalamuAleykumWarahmatullah

I am a muslim brother living in Sweden. There are muslim imams, here in Sweden, who are so devoted to convice us to vote to a political, democratic parties. 

My question is: Is it a sin to vote to a democratic party when one is a muslim who believe in Allah and would like Sharia as a law?. If I vote to one of these democratic parties, does that mean that I implicitly or explicitly accepted the democratic constitution as definit law?. Please give detailed answers to these questions because there are others who are so confused that they don´t know what to do.

Wabillahi Towfik

/your brother

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Whom to vote for in Sweden

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: Is it a sin to vote to a democratic party when one is a muslim who believe in Allah and would like Sharia as a law?

If one is living in a muslim country, then as a believer, who truly fears Allah and the Last Day, he must vote and support the party whose mandate is to establish the Laws of Allah in the land. If a believer living in a muslim country votes and supports a people whose mandate is ‘secular’ and against the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws), it would indeed be a sin.

But if a believer is living in a non-muslim country like Sweden, US, England, etc., where all the candidates are non-muslims, then he may vote for the candidate whose mandate is closest to the mandate of Islam. For example, if one candidate’s mandate is to abolish abortion, or to reduce indecency in society, or to uplift family values, etc.; then he is more deserving of your vote than the candidate who is propagating gay marriages, or who is hostile to muslims, muslim countries, and Islam.

Muslims should organize and unite in their voting, especially in non-muslim countries, so that their collective voices and numbers can be heard for the upliftment of society.

Q-2: If I vote to one of these democratic parties, does that mean that I implicitly or explicitly accepted the democratic constitution as definit law?

When the muslims live as a minority in any country, it is only natural that they will live under the prevalent system of governance of the majority; but that does not mean that they will allow the Constitution of the country to supercede the Divine Laws of Allah Subhanah in their lives.

The first and foremost duty of every believer, who believes in Allah and the Last Day, is to implement the Shariah upon himself and his family; and it is the collective duty of the believers to strive to establish Shariah as the law of the land.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 66 Surah Tahreem verse 6:O you who have believed, save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel shall be men and stones; over which shall be appointed fierce and stern Angels, who never disobey Allah’s Command, and they only do as they are commanded!

Thus, wherever a believer lives, his first obligation as a believer is to implement the Shariah upon himself and his family. If one is living in a country, where it is forbidden by the constitution or law of the country that one cannot practice the religion of his choice, then it becomes obligatory on the believers to migrate from such a land and go to a place where he may practice Islam as his religion. If they don’t, they will have a severe accounting in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah on an Inevitable Day.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 97-100:

97 When the Angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls they ask: "In what (plight) were ye?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (from evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell what an evil refuge!

98 Except those who are (really) weak and oppressed men women and children who have no means in their power nor (a guide-post) to direct their way.

99 For these there is hope that Allah will forgive: for Allah doth blot out (sins) and forgive again and again.

100 He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah will find in the earth many a refuge wide and spacious: should he die as a refugee from home for Allah and his Messenger, his reward becomes due and sure with Allah: and Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan