Islamic Fundamentalism
Islamic Fundamentalism
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lesson from the early period of Islam that this aim
was neither achieved in this ideal period nor was it
achievable. Those who present the first phase of
Islam to be that of an ideal society or an ideal State
have fallen prey to a fallacy. They present the
example of ideal individuals, equating them with
the ideal society or the ideal State. The truth of the
matter is that both are totally different from each
other.
It is undeniable that in every period of Islamic
history, we find large numbers of ideal individuals,
and this is true even today. But the ideal State is in
no way the goal of Islam and neither has such an
State ever existed in the ideal sense of the word. For
instance, the first and foremost matter in the setting
up of a state is the appointment of the head of a
state. But there is no prescribed procedure for such
an appointment. The Prophet was succeeded by
four rightly guided Caliphs, but every one of them
was selected by a different process, for the simple
reason that no prescribed method existed at all. This
also explains why no tradition could be established
for the appointment of the Caliphs.
