The main objective of Islamic law is to bring benefit and prevent harm. So, a Muslim can help non-Muslim to get a public office providing that his election will prevent injustice and ensure and complement benefit

Helping non-Muslim Candidates to Win Public Office

Similar Questions

• Voting for non-Muslim candidates;

• Electing non-Muslims.

The Issue

Muslims may help a non-Muslim candidate to win a public office because he is the best candidate and he is likely to better serve the Muslim community.

Ruling

It is permissible to help one candidate against another, even if the candidate is not a Muslim, if his election to public office is more likely to prevent injustice or bring benefit. This is endorsed by the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (Decision 1-4).

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah says: ‘This is a matter that should be determined by Islamic institutions and organizations. If they see that this is the best way to serve the interests of the Muslim community and that such interests are unlikely to be realized without such participation then it is appropriate, provided that the Muslims do not have to make compromises that outweigh the interests they receive.’[1]

Evidence

All this comes under proper policy and taking up what brings benefit and prevents harm. Whatever brings benefit to Muslims is legitimate unless it results in a greater harm. Islamic principles make clear that the objective of Islamic law is to ensure and complement benefit and prevent or reduce harm.

Sources

• Decisions by the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America.

• Abdullah Bin Bayyah, Sina'at al-Fatwa wa Fiqh al-Aqaliyyat.

• Khalid Abd al-Qadir, Fiqh al-Aqaliyyat al-Muslimah.

• Muhammad al-Subayyil, ‘Musharakat al-Muslim fi al-Intikhabat ma' Ghayr al-Muslimin’.

• Abd al-Kareem Zaidan, Al-Dimuqratiyyah wa Musharakat al-Muslim fi al-Intikhabat (a paper presented to the sixteenth session of the Islamic Fiqh Council, Makkah 1422 AH, 2001).

• Wahbah al-Zuhaili, ‘Musharakat al-Muslim fi al-Intikhabat’.