Understanding International Relations: a Qur anic Perspectrive

Islam as a religion contains a comprehensive set of principles, precepts and values (belief system) which lie at the foundation of a quite elaborate body of practical edicts (do’s and don’ts) governing all aspects of the behavior and life of the faithful, at the personal as well as communal/social levels, with the ultimate goal of leading a pious, happy life and “salvation” in the Hereafter. Over and above the personal and communal affairs, Islam is also concerned with the affairs of the state, as the embodiment of the apparatus in charge of the collective affairs of the society, and its behavior at all levels, both domestic and external. Based on this overall framework, this article looks into the Qur’anic approach to international relations and tries to analyze Qur’anic propositions in order to arrive at an Islamic understanding of the nature, rules, and behavioral principles governing these relations. To this end, the author advances an analytical model for "semantic structure and legal institutions" and studies the Qur’anic precepts/propositions from the vantage point of comparison between the two semantic structures of the Jahilyya [pre-Islamic paganism] and Islam. The article then proceeds to lay out the general principles of an Islamic theory of international relations – consisting of the three principles of conviction, blissfulness, and “Velaya” [acceptance of the guardianship of jurisprudence], which, in my reckoning, could fit under the general title of an "objective ethical theory."