Rebellion and Civil Disobedience in Islam The Need for a Paradigm ...

example, humans are instinctively inclined to think in terms of gains and losses. Mosthumans do good not because it is good, but because doing so may reap them somebenefit, or bring them a feeling of enjoyment or delight. Most humans do not do evil notbecause it is evil, but because they are keen to escape harm, misery, pain, orpunishment 60 . In the ideal Islamic society, the pacifying role of the state is kept to aminimum. Taqwa and the love for Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saw) stimulate peoplemuch more than worldly gains or punishments. However, many reformers mix betweenour desired goal and our reality 61 . People are caught between two extremes, one extremeputting all emphasis on the state, and another underestimating the state and imagining thepossibility of establishing a genuine Islamic society regardless of the existing corruptregimes. The truth is that both a strong state, and a truly Islamic people are required forour success.“Surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until theychange their own condition.” (13:11)If there is good in what I have said, the praise rests solely with Allah (swt). Theblameworthy originates from me.60 That is the reason we have qisas in Islam.61 I remember in one discussion, a friend of mine said that the state does not force a man and woman tocommit fornication in public. I do agree, but there are three catches: (1) the state encourages promiscuitythrough the corrupt media it controls, (2) people are ignorant of their religion because of the stagnanteducational system controlled by the state, and (3) people are naturally deterred by punishment. Of course Iam not advocating a righteous state in which people do good because they are compelled to do so. In fact,this would be antithetical to the Islamic principle of individual responsibility.32