Can A Muslim Be A Political Candidate In Elections In A Non-Muslim Country Just As Prophet Yusuf (ʿalayhi salām) Was A Governor For Pharaoh by Shaykh Dr. ʿAbdullah ibn Ṣulfīq aẓ-Ẓafīrī

Pivotal Quote

“The situation that was present in the time of Yūsuf (عليه السلام) was different to our situation now. The reality of political parties nowadays is that people enter them and lose their dīn in the process. Islām has nothing to do with political parties and democracy in our day and time.

Question:

Is it allowed to join a democratic political party with the intention of benefiting the Muslims in the lands of disbelief as Yūsuf (عليه السلام) did in the government of Pharaoh in order to benefit the people?

Answer:

The religious laws of the Prophets that preceded us do not apply to us. Making a ruling on something is secondary to understanding it; you have to properly understand the situation in order to make a judgment on it. The situation that was present in the time of Yūsuf (عليه السلام) was different to our situation now. The reality of political parties nowadays is that people enter them and lose their dīn in the process. Islām has nothing to do with political parties and democracy in our day and time.

Yes, Yūsuf (عليه السلام) entered a position of authority in a non-Muslim land, but the reason he did so was to spread Tawḥīd and to call the people to Islām. Nowadays, the reason people enter political parties is to get some dunyā (worldly benefit). Let us be frank, they are getting something material out of participating in these political parties. The means and ends of these political parties are totally in opposition to the teachings of Islām, therefore it is not befitting or permissible for a Muslim to enter democratic parties and the likes, because they do not bring about general benefit for the masses. They bring about personal benefits for those who join those parties. So it is not permissible to join these parties, and if the people want to benefit the Muslims in those lands, they should tell them to make hijrah out of those lands and live in the Muslim lands.

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