No System, Only Principles: What the 2026 Midterms Teach Muslims About Governance

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

ABSTRACT

On November 3, 2026, American voters made Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, a 42-year-old physician and former public health official, the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate. shafaqna Preliminary reports also show a record Muslim delegation in the House and new Muslim lawmakers in state legislatures. Besides 27-year-old Nabeela Syed in Illinois, they include Aber Kawas in the New York State Senate, five Muslim winners in Georgia (Ruwa Romman, Shaikh Rahman, Farooq Mughal, Akbar Ali and Rahim Asani, per CAIR-Georgia) and Amar Mukunda in Maryland’s State Senate. Muslims in America are celebrating, and rightly so. The celebration raises an uncomfortable question. Why do Muslims feel so little pride in how the roughly fifty Muslim-majority countries are governed, the 57 members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation among them? Wikipedia This essay checks the election results against major news projections. It then sets out the sober governance record of the Muslim-majority world using Freedom House, the Economist Intelligence Unit and Transparency International, while noting real bright spots such as Senegal and Indonesia. It argues, with Ali Abdel Raziq, Muhammad Asad and others, that the Quran gives no fixed political system. It gives enduring principles instead: consultation, trust, justice, truthful testimony, human dignity and freedom of conscience. Each key verse is quoted in Arabic with five widely read English translations. The absence of a blueprint is not a gap in revelation. It is a source of dynamism and flexibility that leaves Muslims free, and obliged, to learn from the political experience of all nations.

1. A Historic Night: The November 2026 Results and the American Muslim Celebration

Eight Muslim candidates have won seats in the US Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, according to preliminary reports. Among them is Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. ummid muslimnetwork

El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race, according to projections by the Associated Press, CBS News and Decision Desk HQ. PBS +2 He won the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The Hill NBC News Bloomberg reported him at 52.5% to Rogers’s 45.6% with about 96% of ballots counted. Bloomberg A physician and former public health official, the 42-year-old campaigned on healthcare, lower living costs and limits on corporate influence in politics. PBS shafaqna He won despite what Al Jazeera and the Arab American Institute described as a campaign of anti-Muslim attacks. Al Jazeera In his victory speech he said: “My name and my faith aren’t the reason you can’t afford your gas, not the reason you can’t afford your groceries, not the reason you can’t see a doctor.” Bloomberg

Seven Muslim candidates also won seats in the House of Representatives, according to preliminary election reports. Four incumbent Democrats, Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan, now in her fifth term), André Carson (Indiana) and Lateefah Simon (California), secured re-election. muslimnetwork Two newcomers won their first congressional elections. Adam Hamawy, an Egyptian-American surgeon and Army veteran who volunteered in Gaza, defeated Republican Greg Mele in New Jersey’s 12th District and becomes the state’s first Muslim member of Congress. tbsnews Darializa Avila Chevalier, 33, a convert of Dominican heritage, won New York’s 13th District and is reported to be the first Latina Muslim elected to Congress. newarab religionnews

Aisha Wahab entered Congress after winning a special election on August 18. California’s Secretary of State certified her at 53.1% against fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez, and she took office on September 2, 2026. ca +2 She also won a full term representing California’s 14th Congressional District, according to updated preliminary reporting. muslimnetwork On election night NBC News showed her leading Hernandez 56.5% to 43.5% with about half the expected vote counted. NBC News California counts slowly, so this result should be treated as a projection until certified.

A note on the numbers. Religion News Service first reported “a record seven” Muslims elected, six to the House and one to the Senate, and said the tally would rise to eight if Wahab’s lead held. The previous high for Muslims serving in Congress at the same time was five. Keith Ellison, now Minnesota’s attorney general, became the first Muslim elected to Congress in 2006. religionnews

The state level matters too. Indian-American Nabeela Syed, 27, the daughter of immigrants from Hyderabad, won the Illinois State Senate seat for District 26. The AP called the race for her. gulfnews suntimes She unseated Republican incumbent Darby Hills 57% to 43% with 94% of the estimated vote counted, according to the Daily Herald. It was one of the most expensive legislative contests in Illinois history: the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Syed “outraised Darby Hills 2-1 in an Illinois Senate race that fetched $6.5 million in contributions,” more than $3 million of it from the Democratic Party of Illinois and the Illinois Senate Democratic Fund. In 2022, at 23, she had become the youngest member of the Illinois General Assembly. gulfnews Muslim Network TV reported that “at least 36 Muslim candidates win or lead races in 2026 US midterm elections” across federal, state and local offices, out of more than 160 American Muslim candidates that CAIR and CAIR Action said they were tracking. All of this builds on earlier gains. Zohran Mamdani was sworn in on January 1, 2026 as New York City’s 112th mayor and its first Muslim mayor, taking his oath on a Quran. NPR middleeasteye In August 2026 the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) published a directory of Muslim elected officials and judges across 26 states, led by New Jersey (46), Michigan (38) and California (20). The count is 228 in CAIR’s press release and 255 in the directory’s key-statistics sheet and in Shafaqna’s report.

Muslims in the USA are happy and celebrating this outcome. CAIR praised Michigan’s Muslim voters for “turning out in record numbers” so that “Muslims are no longer on the political menu, but at the political table.” cair The celebration is earned. What makes it possible is a political order Muslims did not design. It has constitutional limits on power, independent courts, a free press, competitive elections and the peaceful handover of office. That observation leads to the harder part of this essay.

2. The Muslim-Majority World by the Numbers and the Sober Governance Picture

How many Muslim-majority countries?

There is little pride among Muslims about governance in the 50-odd Muslim-majority countries. The count itself depends on definitions and data years:

Muslim-majority countries. The Pew Research Center counted 49 countries where Muslims make up more than 50% of the population as of 2010, home to about three-quarters of the world’s Muslims. pewresearch Pew’s 2009 mapping report counted 50 Muslim-majority countries and territories out of 232. pewresearch Wikipedia’s “Islam by country” puts the figure at 53 for 2020. Wikipedia A range of roughly 49–53 is therefore defensible.
OIC membership. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has 57 member states. That includes eight Christian-majority members such as Guyana, Suriname, Gabon and Uganda. Wikipedia
Constitutional status. In one common classification, which the author draws on, about 8 Muslim-majority states describe themselves as Islamic states (for example Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia). About 17 declare Islam the state religion (for example Egypt and Iraq), and about 25 are constitutionally secular (for example Turkey and Indonesia). Counts vary by source. The point holds either way: the Muslim world already runs on several constitutional models, not one.

The five largest Muslim populations

Based on the figures compiled on the “Islam by country” page, the five largest are:

Indonesia: about 242 million Muslims (about 87% of the population)
Pakistan: about 240 million (about 96%)
India: about 200 million (about 14%; a large minority, not a majority country) Wikipedia
Bangladesh: about 150 million (about 91%)
Nigeria: about 97 million (about 48%; Pew projected that Nigeria would become Muslim-majority by around 2030) pewresearch

Two of these five communities, in India and Nigeria, live in religiously plural democracies, and the largest, Indonesia, has a non-confessional constitution.

What the indices say

Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2026 found global freedom declining for the 20th consecutive year. It rated 59 countries Not Free, up from 45 in 2005, and found that only 21% of the world’s people live in Free countries. freedomhouse humanrightsdefenders The Muslim-majority world is heavily represented at the bottom. Among the least free countries in the 2026 edition are Turkmenistan (1/100), Sudan (1), Tajikistan (5), Azerbaijan (6), Afghanistan and Somalia (8 each), Iran, Libya, Syria and Yemen (10 each), and Bahrain and Uzbekistan (12 each). visualcapitalist mappr Only a few Muslim-majority states hold Free status. Senegal is the clearest recent example. In Freedom House’s 2025 edition it moved from Partly Free (67/100) to Free (69/100) after “democratic institutions resisted an attempt to unduly delay the presidential election, and an opposition coalition overcame significant barriers to win both the presidency and a majority.” Central to this was the Constitutional Council’s ruling of February 15, 2024. The 2026 edition scores Senegal 70/100, Free.

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index 2025 tells the same story. The Middle East and North Africa’s average score edged up from 3.12 to 3.16 on a 10-point scale, which the EIU called “a small” improvement. Every country in the region is classified as an “authoritarian” or “hybrid” regime except Israel, a “flawed democracy.” kverulant Pakistan recorded one of the largest declines worldwide in 2025 (-0.41). democracywithoutborders Senegal rose to “flawed democracy.” Yahoo Finance

Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2025 adds the question of honesty in public office. The global average fell to 42 out of 100. transparency Among Muslim-majority states, Somalia tied with South Sudan for last place at 9. Yemen and Libya scored 13 and Syria 15. transparency complead The region’s highest scorers were the United Arab Emirates (69), Qatar (58) and Saudi Arabia (57). Transparency International warned that in such “non-democratic regimes,” anti-corruption gains “remain vulnerable to shifts in political priorities.” transparency

Bright spots, and what explains the pattern

Fairness requires naming the exceptions. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, scores 56/100 (Partly Free) in Freedom House’s 2026 report. Freedom House credits it with “impressive democratic gains since the fall of an authoritarian regime in 1998,” including “multiple, peaceful transfers of power.” freedomhouse freedomhouse Senegal has shown that a Muslim-majority society can defend constitutional term limits through the courts and the ballot box. freedomhouse Malaysia has seen competitive elections and a peaceful change of government. Tunisia held free multiparty elections for a decade after 2011 before President Kaïs Saïed’s consolidation of power cut its political rights score to 11 out of 40. freedomhouse Turkey has a century of multiparty elections, now overshadowed by democratic backsliding.

Scholars disagree about why the overall record is so poor, and the strongest explanations are not about the Quran. Political scientist Michael Ross has documented the “oil curse”: rents that free rulers from needing taxpayers’ consent. Others point to colonial borders and security states, great-power patronage of friendly autocrats, and military coups. Ahmet Kuru has argued that a historical alliance between religious scholars and the state, not Islam itself, helped entrench authoritarianism. Whatever the weights, the conclusion is the same. The problem is not the religion. It is the failure to build accountable institutions, and too often that failure has been dressed up as fidelity to a supposed “Islamic system.”

3. There Is No Political System in Islam

One of the realities we can learn from this is that there is no political system in Islam. This creates dynamism and flexibility. History bears this out.

The historical record: many forms, no single model

The Rashidun (632–661). The first four caliphs were each chosen differently. Abu Bakr was acclaimed after debate at the Saqifa of Banu Sa’ida. Umar was nominated by Abu Bakr. Uthman was selected by a six-member consultative council appointed by Umar. Ali was acclaimed in Medina amid crisis. The constant was bay’ah, a public pledge of allegiance that implied consent. The procedure was never fixed.
The Umayyads (661–750) and Abbasids (750–1258). These were hereditary dynasties. The caliphate became a monarchy in all but name, a shift many classical Muslim writers themselves lamented.
Sultanates and empires. The Seljuks, Mamluks, Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals ruled through military-bureaucratic states, while religious scholars administered law and legitimacy.
The modern era. Today there are absolute monarchies (Saudi Arabia), constitutional monarchies (Morocco, Jordan, Malaysia), a clerical republic (Iran), secular republics (Turkey, Indonesia, Senegal), military-dominated states, and the elected Muslim representatives of Western democracies.

If the Quran had prescribed a single constitutional form, fourteen centuries of devout Muslims would hardly have improvised so freely. Even the Rashidun used no repeatable procedure.

The scholarly case: principles, not a blueprint

Ali Abdel Raziq (1888–1966), an Al-Azhar-trained judge, published Islam and the Foundations of Political Power in 1925, a year after Atatürk abolished the Ottoman caliphate. He argued that the Quran and Sunnah stipulate no specific form of government and that “this institution which Muslims generally know as the caliphate has nothing to do with religion.” He wrote that matters such as “the organisation of government” are “of no interest to religion, but pertain rather to reason and experience.” researchgate Al-Azhar’s council of senior scholars condemned the book and stripped him of his post. understanding-islam A century later his central claim is hard to refute from the texts.

Muhammad Asad (1900–1992), the Austrian-born convert whose Quran translation appears below, wrote The Principles of State and Government in Islam (University of California Press, 1961) while helping the young state of Pakistan. researchgate Asad wanted a state faithful to the Quran and Sunnah, yet he concluded that their political ordinances “do not lay down any specific form of state.” newageislam Wikipedia The Shariah prescribes no definite pattern or detailed constitutional theory, so each generation must find the form that best meets its needs. newageislam dergipark In his commentary on 3:159 he called the command to consult “one of the fundamental clauses of all Qur’anic legislation relating to statecraft,” implying “government by consent and council.” alim

Others have followed the same path. Fazlur Rahman urged Muslims to derive the moral principles behind Quranic rulings and apply them to new conditions. Mohammad Hashim Kamali has written extensively on shura as a binding principle of accountable government. Khaled Abou El Fadl, in Islam and the Challenge of Democracy, argues that constitutional democracy best protects the dignity and accountability the Quran demands. Abdullahi An-Na’im, in Islam and the Secular State, argues that Shariah can only be lived authentically when chosen freely, which requires a state that does not enforce religion. Abdolkarim Soroush and Tariq Ramadan have similarly separated eternal ethics from historically conditioned institutions.

The opposing view, stated fairly

The modern “Islamic state” tradition takes the opposite position. Abul A’la Maududi proposed a “theo-democracy” in which God alone is sovereign and the community acts as His vicegerent within the bounds of Shariah. Sayyid Qutb, in Milestones (1964), made hakimiyya, God’s exclusive sovereignty, the test of a legitimate order and condemned existing Muslim societies as jahiliyya. Ayatollah Khomeini’s 1970 lectures on wilayat al-faqih (guardianship of the jurist) became the basis of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s 1979 constitution, which vests ultimate authority in a senior cleric.

These thinkers were right that Islam makes moral demands on public life. They were wrong to turn those demands into one institutional template, for three reasons. First, the Quran names no office of caliph, no method of succession, no term of rule and no structure of government. The word shura appears only once in the entire text, at 42:38, as a description of how believers manage “their affairs.” Wikipedia Second, the most revered generation of Muslims improvised. Third, the clearest real-world implementations of these theories have produced concentrated, unaccountable power. Freedom House scores Iran 10/100 and Afghanistan under the Taliban 8/100. visualcapitalist A theory that consistently produces the opposite of justice has to answer to the Quran’s own standard: judge between people “with justice.”

4. What the Quran Does Give: The Principles

The Quran does not give a system. It teaches principles of honesty, justice, truthful testimony and mutual consultation. Each key verse below appears in Arabic, followed by five widely read English translations: Sahih International, Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthall, Muhammad Asad (The Message of the Qur’an) and M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (Oxford). Where only part of a verse is quoted, this is noted.

A. Mutual Consultation (Shura)

Quran 42:38

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَىٰ بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ alim

Sahih International: “And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend.” myislam
Yusuf Ali: “Those who hearken to their Lord, and establish regular Prayer; who (conduct) their affairs by mutual Consultation; who spend out of what We bestow on them for Sustenance;” multimediaquran
Pickthall: “And those who answer the call of their Lord and establish worship, and whose affairs are a matter of counsel, and who spend of what We have bestowed on them,” multimediaquran
Asad: “and who respond to [the call of] their Sustainer and are constant in prayer; and whose rule [in all matters of common concern] is consultation among themselves; and who spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance;” islamawakened
Abdel Haleem: “respond to their Lord; keep up the prayer; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation; give to others out of what We have provided for them;” quran

Commentary: This Meccan verse, revealed before there was any Muslim state, places consultation between prayer and charity as a defining trait of the believing community. blogspot Amruhum, “their affairs,” belongs to the people. The verse sets a norm, participation, and leaves the mechanism open: tribal councils then, parliaments and town halls now.

Quran 3:159

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

Sahih International: “So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].” islamawakened
Yusuf Ali: “It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou dost deal gently with them Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (Their faults), and ask for (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast Taken a decision put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).” islamawakened
Pickthall: “It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).” islamawakened
Asad: “And it was by God’s grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee. Pardon them, then, and pray that they be forgiven. And take counsel with them in all matters of public concern; then, when thou hast decided upon a course of action, place thy trust in God: for, verily, God loves those who place their trust in Him.” islamawakened
Abdel Haleem: “By an act of mercy from God, you [Prophet] were gentle in your dealings with them- had you been harsh, or hard-hearted, they would have dispersed and left you- so pardon them and ask forgiveness for them. Consult with them about matters, then, when you have decided on a course of action, put your trust in God: God loves those who put their trust in Him.” islamawakened

Commentary: This verse was revealed after the setback at Uhud, a battle fought outside Medina partly because the Prophet followed the majority view against his own preference. Even so, God commands him to keep consulting the very people whose counsel had gone badly. If the Messenger of God was told to govern by consultation and gentleness, no later ruler, king, general or cleric can claim exemption.

B. Justice and the Trust of Office

Quran 4:58

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا۟ ٱلْأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا۟ بِٱلْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًۢا بَصِيرًا

Sahih International: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Wikipedia Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.” quran
Yusuf Ali: “Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; And when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! For Allah is He Who heareth and seeth all things.” islamawakened quran
Pickthall: “Lo! Allah commandeth you that ye restore deposits to their owners, and, if ye judge between mankind, that ye judge justly. Lo! comely is this which Allah admonisheth you. Lo! Allah is ever Hearer, Seer.” quran
Asad: “BEHOLD, God bids you to deliver all that you have been entrusted with unto those who are entitled thereto, and whenever you judge between people, to judge with justice. Verily, most excellent is what God exhorts you to do: verily, God is all-hearing, all-seeing!” quran
Abdel Haleem: “God commands you [people] to return things entrusted to you to their rightful owners, and, if you judge between people, to do so with justice: God’s instructions to you are excellent, for He hears and sees everything.” islamawakened islamawakened

Commentary: Classical scholars, notably Ibn Taymiyya in his treatise on governance, read this verse as the foundation of public office. Authority is an amanah, a trust, to be given to the competent and honest and exercised with justice. Wikipedia A Corruption Perceptions Index score of 9 or 13 is, in Quranic terms, a measure of betrayed trust.

Quran 16:90

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ alim

Sahih International: “Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.” quran
Yusuf Ali: “Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition.” quran
Pickthall: “Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.” quran
Asad: “BEHOLD, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity towards [one’s] fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; [and] He exhorts you [repeatedly] so that you might bear [all this] in mind.” alim
Abdel Haleem: “God commands justice, doing good, and generosity towards relatives and He forbids what is shameful, blameworthy, and oppressive. He teaches you, so that you may take heed.” islamawakened

Commentary: This verse is recited in Friday sermons across the Muslim world. islamicstudies It pairs ‘adl (justice, the floor) with ihsan (excellence, the ceiling) and forbids baghy, oppression. academyofislam A state that jails critics, rigs elections or seizes public wealth commits baghy, whatever religious label it wears.

Quran 5:8

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

Sahih International: “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.”
Yusuf Ali: “O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.”
Pickthall: “O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do.”
Asad: “O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice. Be just: this is closest to being God-conscious. And remain conscious of God: verily, God is aware of all that you do.”
Abdel Haleem: “You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to awareness of God. Be mindful of God: God is well aware of all that you do.” islamunlocked

Commentary: Justice that holds only for friends is factionalism, not justice. This verse is the Quranic basis for equal protection of the law and due process for the despised. El-Sayed won after a campaign in which opponents sought to tie him to extremism “despite no evidence of such ties,” as PBS/AP reported. PBS Muslims who ask for fairness when they are a minority must give it when they are a majority.

Quran 4:135

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا quran

Sahih International: “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.” quran
Yusuf Ali: “O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.” quran
Pickthall: “O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred, whether (the case be of) a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both (them ye are). So follow not passion lest ye lapse (from truth) and if ye lapse or fall away, then lo! Allah is ever Informed of what ye do.” quran
Asad: “O YOU who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in upholding equity, bearing witness to the truth for the sake of God, even though it be against your own selves or your parents and kinsfolk. Whether the person concerned be rich or poor, God’s claim takes precedence over either of them. Do not, then, follow your own desires, lest you swerve from justice: for if you distort [the truth], behold, God is indeed aware of all that you do!” quran
Abdel Haleem: “You who believe, uphold justice and bear witness to God, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or your close relatives. Whether the person is rich or poor, God can best take care of both. Refrain from following your own desire, so that you can act justly- if you distort or neglect justice, God is fully aware of what you do.” islamawakened islamunlocked

Commentary: Nepotism and dynastic rule, where justice bends toward “your parents or your close relatives,” are rejected here in so many words. So is plutocracy, where it bends toward the rich. An independent judiciary that can rule against the head of state is this verse in institutional form.

C. Honesty and Truthful Testimony

Quran 2:42

وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا۟ ٱلْحَقَّ بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَتَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلْحَقَّ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Sahih International: “And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].”
Yusuf Ali: “And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is).”
Pickthall: “Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth.”
Asad: “And do not overlay the truth with falsehood, and do not knowingly suppress the truth;”
Abdel Haleem: “Do not mix truth with falsehood, or hide the truth when you know it.”

Commentary: Propaganda, censorship and manufactured statistics are exactly the “overlaying” and “suppressing” of truth this verse forbids. A free press is the institutional safeguard against it.

Quran 2:283 (final portion)

وَلَا تَكْتُمُوا۟ ٱلشَّهَـٰدَةَ ۚ وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ

Sahih International: “And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it – his heart is indeed sinful, and Allah is Knowing of what you do.”
Yusuf Ali: “Conceal not evidence; for whoever conceals it,- his heart is tainted with sin. And Allah knoweth all that ye do.”
Pickthall: “Hide not testimony. He who hideth it, verily his heart is sinful. Allah is Aware of what ye do.”
Asad: “And do not conceal what you have witnessed – for, verily, he who conceals it is sinful at heart; and God has full knowledge of all that you do.”
Abdel Haleem: “Do not conceal evidence: anyone who does so has a sinful heart, and God knows well everything you do.”

Commentary: A ballot is a testimony, and so are a vote count and a judge’s finding. Societies that punish whistleblowers and intimidate witnesses invert this command.

Quran 33:70

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا

Sahih International: “O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice.”
Yusuf Ali: “O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right:”
Pickthall: “O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point;”
Asad: “O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and [always] speak with a will to bring out [only] what is just and true”
Abdel Haleem: “You who believe, be mindful of God, speak in a direct fashion and to the point,”

Commentary: Qawl sadid, straight and truthful speech, is a standard for politicians’ promises and officials’ statements. Honest speech is the precondition of good governance, not an ornament on it.

D. Human Dignity, Pluralism and Freedom of Conscience

Quran 49:13

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ quran

Sahih International: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” quran
Yusuf Ali: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” quran
Pickthall: “O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.” quran
Asad: “O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all-aware.” quran
Abdel Haleem: “People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware.” quran

Commentary: The verse addresses all humanity, not only believers. It grounds equal citizenship and rules out privilege by lineage, tribe or race. Li-ta’arafu, “that you may know one another,” is also a mandate for learning across nations. Substack tumblr

Quran 2:256 (opening portion)

لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ ۚ

Sahih International: “There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.”
Yusuf Ali: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error:”
Pickthall: “There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error.”
Asad: “THERE SHALL BE no coercion in matters of faith. Distinct has now become the right way from [the way of] error:”
Abdel Haleem: “There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error,”

Commentary: Faith that is coerced is not faith. A state that polices belief makes hypocrites, not believers. This verse supports An-Na’im’s argument that a religiously neutral state is the best protector of sincere religion.

Quran 5:48 (central portion)

لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۖ فَٱسْتَبِقُوا۟ ٱلْخَيْرَٰتِ ۚ

Sahih International: “To each of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good.”
Yusuf Ali: “To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues.”
Pickthall: “For each We have appointed a divine law and a traced-out way. Had Allah willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you (He hath made you as ye are). So vie one with another in good works.”
Asad: “Unto every one of you have We appointed a [different] law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but [He willed it otherwise] in order to test you by means of what He has vouchsafed unto you. Vie, then, with one another in doing good works!”
Abdel Haleem: “We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If God had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good:”

Commentary: Diversity of communities and paths is presented as divine design, and the proper response is competition in good works, not domination. Nations can, and should, compete to govern well.

E. Authority Within the Frame of God and His Messenger

Quran 4:59

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

Sahih International: “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”
Yusuf Ali: “O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination.”
Pickthall: “O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger and those of you who are in authority; and if ye have a dispute concerning any matter, refer it to Allah and the messenger if ye are (in truth) believers in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more seemly in the end.”
Asad: “O you who have attained to faith! Pay heed unto God, and pay heed unto the Apostle and unto those from among you who have been entrusted with authority; and if you are at variance over any matter, refer it unto God and the Apostle, if you [truly] believe in God and the Last Day. This is the best [for you], and best in the end.”
Abdel Haleem: “You who believe, obey God and the Messenger, and those in authority among you. If you are in dispute over any matter, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day: that is better and fairer in the end.” islamawakened

Commentary: Authoritarian rulers often cite this verse, but its structure works against them. The verb “obey” is repeated for God and for the Messenger but not for “those in authority,” whose obedience is derivative and conditional. Ulu al-amr are “from among you,” part of the community, not above it. The verse expects disputes with authority and refers them to a higher standard, much as a constitutional court does. And it specifies no form of authority: not caliph, king, president, parliament or jurist. Read alongside 4:58, the passage describes accountable authority, not absolute authority.

5. Learning From the Political Experience of All Nations

The Muslims, whether they live in Muslim-majority countries or elsewhere, should build their insights from these Quranic principles. They should also learn from the political experience of all countries, to improve governance everywhere in the world.

American Muslims as a case study

The 2026 results show what Quranic principles can achieve inside a well-designed constitutional order. El-Sayed, Hamawy, Wahab and Syed were not appointed by a ruler or anointed by a council of scholars. They argued in public, raised money transparently (Diya TV reported that Syed “raised at least $4.7 million, more than twice Hills’ $1.8 million”), withstood hostile campaigns and accepted the verdict of voters. That is shura at the scale of a modern nation.

The same is true elsewhere in the West. Sadiq Khan has been elected Mayor of London three times since 2016. Humza Yousaf served as First Minister of Scotland in 2023–24. Anas Sarwar led Scottish Labour from 2021 until his resignation in July 2026, after a disappointing Holyrood election in which he lost his constituency race but was returned on the regional list. Wikipedia Defeat accepted peacefully, followed by an orderly leadership succession, is itself a democratic virtue worth emulating. Wikipedia Muslims flourish wherever institutions protect conscience, constrain power and reward honest competition, whatever the faith of the majority.

What Muslim-majority countries can borrow

None of these is a foreign import that threatens Islam. Each is a tested tool for keeping a Quranic command:

Constitutional limits and term limits, so that no one holds power indefinitely. Senegal’s courts enforced exactly this in 2024 (4:58; 4:135). freedomhouse
Separation of powers and an independent judiciary, so that judges can rule against rulers (4:135; 4:59).
Free and fair elections with peaceful transfers of power, the scaled-up form of shura (42:38; 3:159). Indonesia’s peaceful handovers since 1998 show it can be done in the world’s largest Muslim nation. freedomhouse
A free press and freedom of information, guards against “overlaying truth with falsehood” (2:42; 33:70).
Independent anti-corruption agencies, audit offices and asset disclosure, the machinery of amanah (4:58; 2:283).
Equal citizenship and freedom of religion, including for minorities and dissenting Muslims (49:13; 2:256; 5:8).

What Muslims in the West can offer

Learning runs both ways. Freedom House reports that the United States suffered the largest score decline of any Free country in its 2026 report, falling to 81/100. humanrightsdefenders Western democracies face polarization, money in politics, disinformation and the scapegoating of minorities. Muslims in the West can bring a Quranic ethic of justice “even against yourselves,” care for the poor and the refugee, and moral seriousness about truthful speech.

THEMATIC EPILOGUE: Principles Over Systems

The Muslims should wake up to this reality: the Quran does not give a system. It teaches principles of honesty, justice, truthful testimony and mutual consultation.

There is a reason God did not hand the Muslim community a constitution with articles, offices and procedures. Systems are made for particular times. Principles are made for all times. A seventh-century Arabian governing structure, frozen in scripture, would have become a cage for later generations: Persian bureaucrats, Andalusian poets, Mughal administrators, Indonesian voters and Michigan senators. Instead the Quran gave Muslims a compass rather than a map. It names the true north: justice that does not bend for kin, trust returned to its rightful owners, testimony never concealed, consultation in “their affairs,” dignity for every tribe and nation, and no compulsion in matters of faith. It then leaves each generation to chart its own route through the terrain of its own century.

That is what the author means by dynamism and flexibility. The absence of a fixed system is not a gap in revelation. It is an act of trust in human reason and experience, which Ali Abdel Raziq recognized in 1925 when he said that the organisation of government belongs to “reason and experience.” It is also a test, as 5:48 puts it: “so race to do good.” The tragedy of much modern Muslim political thought is that it treated a historically contingent institution, the caliphate, as though it were a pillar of faith, and then treated its absence as a crisis rather than an invitation. Meanwhile, rulers in many Muslim-majority lands have used religion as what Abdel Raziq called “a shield protecting their thrones.” Wikipedia The indices quoted in this essay are not verdicts on Islam. They are verdicts on the betrayal of Islam’s principles.

The November 2026 elections offer a quiet, hopeful counter-image. A physician whose parents emigrated from Egypt, a surgeon who treated the wounded of Gaza, a 27-year-old daughter of Hyderabadi immigrants and a Dominican-American convert all won public trust in an open contest and will now be held to account by the voters who gave it. None of them needed an “Islamic system” to carry their faith’s ethics into public life. They needed honest institutions and the courage to compete within them.

So the duty before Muslims everywhere is twofold. First, return to the principles. Read 42:38, 3:159, 4:58, 4:135, 5:8, 2:42, 49:13, 2:256 and 4:59 as standards to be met, not slogans to be recited. Second, take wisdom wherever it is found. Learn from Athens and Medina, from Westminster and Jakarta, from Dakar’s courts and Michigan’s ballot boxes, and from every nation’s hard-won lessons about constraining power and protecting the weak. The Prophet was commanded to consult even those who had failed him. Surely his community can consult the accumulated political experience of all humanity.

The principles are eternal; the systems are ours to build. That is not a burden to be lamented. It is a trust, an amanah, to be honoured. “God commands you to return things entrusted to you to their rightful owners, and, if you judge between people, to do so with justice.” islamawakened When Muslims, as majorities or minorities, begin to govern as though that verse were their constitution, they will have reason to take pride in governance again.