Islam and Democratization in Asia By Shiping Hua

that is pluralistic in its character and does not differentiate between people on the basis of their religion or ethnicity. The compact of Medina indeed considered all those who were party to it as people who constituted one nation. ¹¹

Consent

An important principle of the constitution of Medina was that Prophet Muhammad governed the city-state of Medina by virtue of the consent of its citizens. He was invited to govern and his authority to govern was enshrined in the social contract. ¹² The constitution of Medina established the importance of consent and cooperation for governance. According to this compact, Muslims and non-Muslims are equal citizens of the Islamic state, with identical rights and duties. Communities with different religious orientations enjoy religious autonomy. This idea is essentially wider in scope than the modern idea of religious freedom. The constitution of Medina established a pluralistic state—a community of communities. It promised equal security to all and all were equal in the eyes of the law. The principles of equality, consensual governance, and pluralism are beautifully enmeshed in the compact of Medina.

The process of bayah, or the pledging of allegiance, was an important institution that sought to formalize the consent of the governed. In those days, when a ruler failed to gain the consent of the ruled through a formal and direct process of pledging of allegiance, the ruler's authority was not fully legitimized. ¹³ This was an Arab custom that predates Islam but like many Arab customs was incorporated within Islamic traditions. The early Caliphs practiced the process of bayah after rudimentary forms of electoral colleges had elected the Caliph, in order to legitimize the authority of the Caliph. One does not need to stretch one's imagination too far to recognize that in polities that have millions rather than hundreds of citizens, the process of nomination followed by elections can serve as a necessary modernization of the process of bayah. Replacing bayah with ballots makes the process of pledging allegiance simple and universal. Elections therefore are neither a departure from Islamic principles and traditions nor inherently un-Islamic in any form.