Jawed Anwar

ELEVEN Imams of Canada appealed to Muslim voters in a video released on Thursday titled “Your Vote, Our Future.”

No one mentioned whom to vote for or who is truly going to shape our future—the parties that represent the nation of Lut, or the parties that represent the nation of Zionists?

The video I listened to echoed: “Please… Please... Please… Vote… Vote… Vote… in this election, and your vote will shape our (Muslim) future.”
There was no solid argument in any statement.

However, Dr. Iqbal Al-Nadvi crossed all boundaries by declaring in less than a minute that “voting is your civic and “Islamic duty.” Until now, according to him, it was only a secular duty—not an Islamic one.

In a political meeting organized by Br. Ayyub Hamid for workers of Tehreek-e-Islami in 2011 or 2012, I asked: Should we Muslims not consider the faith, ideology, philosophy, and policies of a party? Should we not consider the issue of Tawheed and Shirk within the party? Dr. Al-Nadvi stood up in anger and silenced me, saying, “We are here to talk politics, not the issue of Tawheed and Shirk.”

Please note: Br. Ayyub Hamid was encouraging people to join any party of their choice and be active politically—he did not mention any particular party. However, personally, he always supported the Liberal Party.

Then I realized that Dr. Nadvi had removed “politics” from the Islamic system of life and had adopted a secular outlook. I boycotted and left the meeting immediately after his statement.

Note: I am not challenging his religious authority. He is responsible for whatever he is doing in Islamic finance, moonsighting, and modernization of Fiqh etc. But after removing politics from the Islamic system, one should not claim to be part of the Islamic movement. That is my point.

In his current statement, he didn’t say anything about which party we have an “Islamic duty” to vote for.

My question is: Who is the “Imam of Shariah” in this election for whom voting becomes our “Islamic duty”?

On the concepts of “civil” and “religious” duty, I explained in my previous article “Voting for a Fahishist or a Zionist?”
There, I wrote and explained: Voting in Canada is neither a civic duty nor a religious obligation. It is completely a personal choice. There is no legal or religious requirement that forces you to vote.

Now, let me examine Dr. Nadvi’s fatwa of “Islamic Duty.”

The Liberal Party of Canada (Liberal) and the National Democratic Party (NDP)—both at federal and provincial levels—have brought laws that made society morally and spiritually corrupt. Many laws were passed in federal and provincial parliaments to promote a culture of Fahishah (acts of the nation of Lut) in society and in the education system. In fact, these laws have made Canadian society worse than the nation of Lut—worse than any fahish (immoral) nation in human history.

For a complete understanding, read my following articles:

1. Canada: Fahisha & Haya Movement
2. Canadian Fahish Acts and Laws
3. Canadian Fahish Society: Freedom from Gender
4. Canada: The Worst School System in Human History
5. They Are Coming to Snatch Your Children
6. Justin Trudeau Left a Filthy Legacy

The question: Is voting for the Liberal or NDP really our “Islamic duty”?

Now come to the Conservatives.
Everyone knows the party’s current leader’s stance on Israel and Zionism, and his hatred toward Palestinians, their children, and their resistance.

The question: Is voting Conservative our “Islamic duty”?

However, regardless of how the three main parties present themselves during election campaigns on various issues, they all stand united when it comes to promoting Fahishah and supporting Israel/Zionism.

The Liberal Party has consistently voted in favor of Israel at the United Nations, while the Conservative Party has repeatedly surrendered to the Fahishah-related bills and laws introduced by the Liberals and the NDP.

We wish our respected Imams had even a little understanding of politics.

My Position:

Since becoming a Canadian citizen, I have voted in every election up to the last one—based on the principle of choosing the “lesser evil.” That was my mistake, and I repent to Allah for whatever I did in the past.

This year in Ramadan, after deeply studying the Qur’an with meaning, I came to the conclusion that voting for anyone is shirk (polytheism) and it is haram (forbidden). I explained my position and understanding in the article:

Reviving Islamic Politics: Our Duty to Establish Deen and Reject Taghut

In brief, the Qur'an says:

"Those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are indeed the disbelievers (Kāfirūn)." (5:44)
"Those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are indeed the wrongdoers (Ẓālimūn)." (5:45)
"Those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are the rebellious (Fāsiqūn)." (5:47)

In Qur’anic terminology, “those” refers to Taghut.

Taghut includes rulers, systems, or individuals who lead people away from Allah’s path and do not make judgments or laws according to Allah’s guidance.

The assemblies, parliaments, and lawmakers of the current system, who do not rule by what Allah has revealed, are Taghut, and we are commanded to reject them:

“(O Messenger!) Have you not seen those who claim to believe in what was revealed to you and what was revealed before you, yet they seek the judgment of Taghut, though they were commanded to reject it? And Satan only wishes to lead them far astray.” (Surah An-Nisa 4:60)

Based on these clear verses from the Qur’an, the great Islamic scholar Syed Abul A‘la Maududi (رحمه الله - 1903–1979) wrote:

“Our struggle against the current system is based on the fact that it is founded on the principle of the sovereignty of the people. In this system, whichever parliament or assembly the people elect is given the unconditional right to make laws, and it does not recognize any higher authority above itself.
In contrast, the core requirement of our belief in the Oneness of God (Tawheed) is that sovereignty should not belong to the people, but to God alone. The final authority must be the Book of God, and all law-making should be under the guidance of the Divine Book, not independent of it.
This is a matter of principle, directly related to our faith and fundamental belief.
Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone, and law-making should be based on the authority of the Divine Book. Until this principle is accepted, we do not consider any election or voting to be permissible (halal).”
(Monthly Tarjumanul Qur'an, September–October 1945, translated from Urdu)

And further:

“In Islam, a necessary part of the belief in the Oneness of God (Tawheed) is that Allah Almighty is the Owner and Ruler of the people and the entire world. Giving guidance and commands is His role, and the role of human beings is to derive their way of life (law) from His guidance and His commands. Even if they use their freedom of opinion, it should only be within the limits that Allah Himself has allowed.
According to this belief, the source of law and the reference point for all matters of life is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. To turn away from this and accept the earlier mentioned democratic belief (that sovereignty belongs to the people) is a deviation from the belief in Tawheed.
That is why we say that assemblies and parliaments formed on modern democratic principles are forbidden (haram) to be a part of. Because to vote means to choose, by our own opinion, a person whose job under the current constitution is to make laws that are completely against the belief in the Oneness of God (Tawheed).”
(Monthly Tarjumanul Qur’an, December 1945, translated from Urdu)

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