This chapter summarizes Islamic view of life as a system and analyzes some
implications of this system for family and male-female relationships. It is
necessary, therefore, to replace the conceived notion that Islam is a religion
limited to the ritual acts of worship (the five pillars) with the affirmation
that Islam is a system designed for a purpose, and that this system is either
accepted as a whole, understood within its ontological worldview, and acted
upon within its components, or its practice may not be total. It is as important
to understand that one cannot be operating partially within this system and
still claim it as the base of operation. That is because whenever something
is not accomplished according to what the system was designed to achieve one
cannot discredit the system for not fulfilling its goals. One might understand
the reason(s) that have lead to the unexpected results, rather, by exploring
the steps that may have been missed during the application.
I am proposing that Islam as a system or an ideology has a central concept
(or an essence) around which certain principles (or secondary and tertiary concepts)
are built. These principles vary in their priority depending on their closeness
to objectifying the central concept. The closer they are, the higher value they
should be given and the more consideration they should receive in application
of the system. Then on the outer circle (of the imaginary diagram) there are
the auxiliary hypotheses (or the manifestations) which, if were appropriated
within the framework of the central concept and with the essence of the principles
as the base, will achieve the intended results (or the outcome) of the system.
The focus of this paper is on the Islamic principle of al-Khilafah (vicegerency
of human beings to Allah as the Only God and the Supreme Guide), its social
implications for the family, and where and how its manifestations may have been
mistaken for its essence. Al-Khilafah is the purpose of the Islamic system,
that is, fulfilling the purpose of creation and the will of Allah through human
morality. The first part of the argument is that the principle of al-khilafah
has been generally understood by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and has been
practiced by the majority of Muslims on its manifestation level and not at the
essence level of the principle. Furthermore, the perception (conception and
practice) of this principle has been generally outside the Islamic ontological
view and without consideration of the central concept of Islam, Tawhid (the
Oneness of God and humanity).
The second part of the argument will be stated as follows. Unless scholars,
Muslims or non-Muslims, who are concerned with the study of Islamic family realize
the different conceptual levels of the Islamic system, understand the variation
in the implications of the different conceptualizations, and use the central
concept as the epistemological base, their attempt to understand or prescribe
solutions to injustice in male-female relations in the Muslim family will fail.
Also, as long as Muslims are practicing the principle of al Khilafah and its
social and political implications on the manifestation level only, they will
not fulfill that principle nor the central concept of Islam, Tawhid.
See also: Islamic Identity and the Struggle for Justice
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Copyright 1996, University Press of Florida.
This is a pre-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in the edited book Islamic Identity and the Struggle for Justice following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available through the University Press of Florida: http://www.upf.com/book.asp?id=BARAZS96