Shura

Shura is an Arabic word for "consultation". It is believed to be the method by which pre-Islamic Arabian tribes selected leaders and made major decisions.

Related Topics:
Arabic - Arabia - Tribe

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Some Muslims say that Islam requires all decisions made by and for the Muslim community be made by shura. To some, this means that Islam enjoins representative democracy. This belief is characteristic of liberal movements within Islam.

Related Topics:
Islam - Representative democracy - Liberal movements within Islam

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Other Muslims say that Islam requires submission to existing rulers, however they are chosen, so long as they govern according to sharia or Islamic law. This is a more traditional approach, characteristic of many centuries of Islamic history (see History of Islam).

Related Topics:
Sharia - History of Islam

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