Yusuf Badri
Democracy has been one of the most widely promoted and highly praised concepts of the modern age. It is presented to the world as the ultimate path to human salvation, carrying the popular slogan of “power to the people.” Yet behind this widely circulated façade lie deeper agendas of disbelief, arrogance, exploitation, and open hostility to the divine order.
Democracy does not draw from revelation, nor does it rest upon divine authority. It is a wholly human construct, the outcome of repeated and flawed experiments of human reasoning. In such a framework, the standard of right and wrong is not the command of Allah but the shifting opinion of the majority. If the majority favors polytheism, it becomes law; if it favors immorality, it is legalized under the banner of freedom. This principle stands in stark opposition to divine monotheism, justice, and the guidance of Sharia.
Although democracy often celebrates itself as the guardian of human liberty, history shows that under its shadow some of the worst injustices and aggressions have been carried out. In our own time, the very name of democracy has been used to justify bombardments, occupations, economic sanctions, political coercion, and covert conspiracies against Muslim nations. Peoples who strive to maintain their faith, their Sharia-based order, and their independence are singled out and attacked under this same banner.
Islam, in contrast, rests upon a very different foundation. It is a divine system rooted in revelation from Allah Almighty, where ultimate authority belongs to Allah alone and not to humankind. Sharia provides comprehensive guidance for every sphere of life, offering a framework that accords with human nature and shields society from corruption, injustice, and misguidance. Governance in Islam is built upon justice, responsibility, piety, consultation, and fairness. It does not allow falsehood to be legitimized merely through majority opinion.
For this reason, Muslims must remain discerning and not be lured by the appealing rhetoric of democracy. It is, in essence, an intellectual trap designed to erode Islamic values. Far from solving humanity’s crises, it has failed to deliver justice, to end colonial exploitation, or to defend the vulnerable. Instead, it has served as a structured mechanism through which powerful elites extend their dominance over the fate of nations.
Now is the moment for Muslims to return to their true foundations and to construct political, social, and economic systems upon the basis of divine Sharia. The responsibility falls upon us to lift the mask from democracy, expose its reality to the people, and invite them to the order of Islam. Only through this divine system can the integrity of human nature, the dignity of mankind, and genuine prosperity be secured.