Democracy in Islam The Views of Several Modern Muslim Scholars

Abstract

From the early twentieth century onward, many Muslim thinkers
have explored the prospects for establishing an “Islamic democracy”
by defining, discussing, and debating the relationship and
compatibility (and similarity) between “Islamic political concepts”
and the “notions and positive features of democracy.”
They interpret the Islamization of democracy on the basis of a
modern reinterpretation of several key Islamic political concepts
– mainly khilafah and shura – to provide an effective foundation
for understanding the (contemporary) relationship between Islam
and democracy. The majority of scholars in the Muslim world
continue to throw light on the “modern reflection on democracy,”
thereby pushing this century-long search ever forward.