Moral Principles as the Basis of Islamic Culture — Page 12
exerciSe by the people ·of their right of election or thcit right of veto. but his removal is left to God through his demise. It must be remem- bered, however, that this appliet only to a ruler who combines in his. . person the exercise of spiritual as well as secular authority and does not apply to a ruler or th the first type, it says: "God promises those of you who believe and act uppropriate/y that He u:i// estahlirh tht:m as Vicegerents upon ea. -th as He did in the case of thou who have paued on before you. " (Ch. XXIV, v. 55) But with reference to the other type of ruler it says: ''God crmnnands ;ou that you should entrust polftiuJ authority into the l 1 ands of those u 1 hu are best fitted to exercise ii and comt114'14t those into u 1 hose hands such authority is entrusted that theJ rholllJ exerci. re it justly 1md eq11ilab/y. " (Ch. IV, v. 58) This shows that executive authority vests primarily in the people and that the people entrust it by elettio~ into the hands of certain individuals and these individuals are commanded to exercise this authority and to discharge their responsibilities justly and equitably. Individuals so appointed are liable to va<:ate their offices as may be determined by the people or they may be removed according to the will of the people, but so long as they <:ontinue in offae they must discharge their responsibilities justly and equitably. Mam provides a further safeguard by making it obligatory upon th1'S~ in whoQl executive authority has been vested, whether they are Khali/111 or merely secular rulers, that they must seek the advice of the representatives of the people on all important matter<;. The Quran says "The M11slimJ sbrJ11/d ,·onduct their public. i/Jairs after mutual ron- J11/t. 1tirm. " (Ch. XLll, v. . 38) Here, too, there might be a difference in the ca~e ,. ,fa Kh. 1/ifi. 1 and a secular ruler. A Khalifa is bound to seek aJvic1: anJ normally he should accept the advice tendered to him unan- imn11~h or by a m. i. jority of the representatives of the ~pie but he is compt·trnt to overrule such acivi«t- in the national interest. In the case- of a sernlar ruler the matter is left to be regubted ~y the provisions in th:u bn1dlf of the Constitution that may be framed for the regulation -12·