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Civil Society: Key to Islamic Renaissance

By Atif Raja

Many methodologies exist on how the ummah needs to work to revive Islam amongst the people. At the height of this revival movement the efforts of reform and struggle in the path of Allah arguably culminates in the establishment of a Caliphate – or Islamic State in modern terminology.

One of the key areas in establishing, and then maintaining such a harmonious state where rule is by Islam lies in the concept of civil society. So what is civil society and how do we maintain it?

In every political system in the modern era there has always been a balance of power between the people of a state and its ruler. Over the centuries in the West, the balance of power has swung away from the ruler and towards the subjects. However, in Islamic societies the balance has swung in the opposite direction towards the rulers and away from the people. The key to this difference is the extent and condition of civil society.

Civil society is all those organisations and associations that are independent of government both in management and funds. They have a variety of objectives and collectively are able to articulate their interests via the political and media communications channels available. Most importantly, they are collectively able to regulate and curb the powers of the rulers.

In Islamic society traditionally the Mosques, Islamic schools, Ulama, endowment fund associations, judiciary, private businesses etc have all been independent of the government. In fact the governments have always sought to acquire their legitimacy via support of these powerful civil organisations. In modern terms one of the key types of organisations essential for civil society are the media companies. These allow the people to communicate their support of or opposition to policies and also allows for the dissemination of information on government policies.

Any country which lacks this structure in its civil society is likely to be oppressed by a cruel dictator because there are no checks and balances in the society to curb the excessive power at his disposal. An unquestioned and unrestrained leader is like a bull in a China shop. A similar principle could be applied to towns or even mosques. Generally if the people did not form organisations, and lobby groups then institutions such as the mosque or the local council would also be free to do as they please and hence have the potential to be despotic.

In order for Islamic communities everywhere to experience a change in their environments they must focus on enhancing civil society. Through civil society common people are empowered and heard. They are able to lobby and protest and hold their leaders’ accountable.

The TSMY group is an excellent example of an organisation that is independent, and is a great enhancement to civil society. It is run by the youth for the youth. It allows the youth to be represented, provides a cohesive platform and a certain weight in numbers. Keep up the great work.