The Concept of “Al-Hakimiyya” between Religion, Politics, and Violence

The principle of Al-Hakimiyya (governance) is one of the most prominent religious terms adopted by Islamic groups in consolidating their position on governance, the ruler, and all state institutions. Some of these groups refused to engage in political work in Parliament, as it legislates human-made laws, and because it is a form of disputing God with regard to one of his jurisdictions in legislation. In addition, they rejected the statutory constitution, as it states that sovereignty is for the people, which also disputes God’s sovereignty overall. The first to put forward the concept of Al-Hakimiyya is the Khawarij, because of their objection to the arbitration incident between Imam Ali bin Abi Talib and Muawiya bin Abi Sufyan, and then it was recently re-presented by Abu Al-Ala Al-Mawdudi and translated into Arabic by Sayyid Qutb. Islamism sought to link religion with politics and to prove that Islam is inclusive of all aspects of life, including politics. Hassan Al-Banna believed that politics is closely related to religion and he was interested in the political aspect, unlike other religious groups. Moreover, Sayyid Qutb declared that all contemporary societies are Jahiliya (ignorant) societies because they do not worship God alone, but worship the rulers who made laws and constitutions. Therefore, violence had emerged from radical Islamic movements that considered that their opponents were infidels and thus wanted to achieve Al-Hakimiyya for God alone through jihad, as they claim. As we saw in the 9/11 attacks and the terrorist operations that have been and are still being carried out by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS in the name of religion and in the name of the desire to establish the Islamic state. In addition to the Islamism thought in Al-Hakimiyya, I will present the views of those who refute any relationship between religion and politics and thus assert that the idea of Al-Hakimiyya has no basis in the Islamic religion, and that it is just a claim by Islamists who have purely political purposes that have nothing to do with religion.