al-Rai al-Amm fi al-Mujtama al-Islami
- Author died
- 1434 AH
- Editions
- الجامعة الإسلامية بالمدينة المنورة
al-Raʾy al-ʿAmm fī al-Mujtamaʿ al-Islāmī (Public Opinion in Islamic Society) is a treatise by the Jordanian scholar and professor Ibrahim Zayd al-Kilani (d. 1434 AH / 2013 CE) . The work investigates the definition, formation, guiding institutions, and societal functions of public opinion from an Islamic jurisprudential and political perspective .
Structure and Content
The treatise is organized around three central subjects: the definition of public opinion, its formation and influential factors, and its functions within an Islamic social order .
Definition and Foundations
Drawing upon sociological formulations as well as Islamic principles, al-Kilani defines public opinion as the judgment arrived at by a community regarding a specific issue following comprehensive deliberation, provided that this judgment aligns with the creed of the Muslim community (ummah) and serves its legitimate interests . He highlights several core principles governing the formation of public opinion in Islam:
- Subordinating all matters to divine judgment and avoiding hasty rulings before ascertaining the relevant scriptural textual ruling .
- Relying primarily on the Quran and the Sunnah as cultural sources .
- Consulting upright and qualified scholars (ahl al-dhikr) .
- Prohibiting rumors and slander, citing the Quranic handling of the incident of the slander (hadith al-ifk) .
- Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong (al-amr bi-al-maʿruf wa-al-nahy ʿan al-munkar) .
Influential Institutions
The author details key social and educational institutions responsible for guiding and shaping sound public opinion:
- The Mosque: Acting as a daily communal center of orientation and discussion of social and economic matters beyond ritual prayer .
- Scholars: Serving as moral exemplars and historical guides of public opinion, citing instances such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal during the trial of the createdness of the Quran, al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam opposing political compromise with Crusaders, and Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah rallying resistance against the Tatars and confronting theological innovations .
- The Home and the School: Providing foundational upbringing and unified cultural instruction grounded in Islamic tenets .
- Mass Media: Operating directly on popular perception, which al-Kilani argues must be steered by qualified personnel aligned with Islamic values rather than uncritical foreign models .
Functions and Comparison with Western Democracy
Al-Kilani identifies five major functions of public opinion in Islamic society: supervising the implementation of Sharia rulings, safeguarding Islamic values through accountability and constructive social ostracism of open sin, empowering qualified representatives (Ahl al-Hall wa-al-ʿAqd), bolstering communal morale, and mobilizing the populace for shared duties .
Regarding political representation, al-Kilani notes that while early Islamic history operated on implicit representation of Ahl al-Hall wa-al-ʿAqd, direct popular elections meeting religious prerequisites (probity, knowledge, and wisdom) are suitable in the modern era to prevent illegitimate claims of representation . He differentiates between public opinion in Western democracies and Islam, noting that whereas Western democratic systems grant absolute legislative sovereignty to the majority, Islamic public opinion and consultative councils can only deliberate in areas where no explicit scriptural text (nass sarih) exists, restricted by the foundational objectives of Sharia .
Publication and Reception
The treatise was published as an academic study in the journal of the Islamic University of Medina (Majallat al-Jamiʿah al-Islamiyyah bi-al-Madinah al-Munawwarah) . It received praise in contemporary commentary within the journal for its focused synthesis and treatment of the subject .
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