The Role of the Principle of  nafyÐ sabÐl or  Rejection of the Faithles's Dominion over the Faithful in the Development of Islamic Societies

The principle of ‘NafyÐ SabÐl’ signifies the legal rejection of any dominion or rule by the faithless over the faithful [Muslims]. In this sense, all Muslims have to be honored and dignified, thus not being subjected to the dominion of the faithless and their abasement. This does not mean that one is not allowed to establish relations with them, but that one should avoid having any relation that may result in the acceptance of their rule and dominion over the Muslims. The principle in question implies two objective assumptions: the first one is that if the mentioned principle is applied, the honor and dignity of Muslims can be preserved, thus paving the ground for the progress and development of the Muslim societies. The second assumption is that any relations with the faithless and accepting their rule and sovereignty will surely result in an ever-increasing scientific and technological dependence of Muslim countries on the developed countries which, in the end, avails nothing but backwardness and retardation, thus subjecting the Muslim community to the cultural invasion.This article, aiming at showing the capability of fiqhi principles and rules in creating various systems in the Islamic government and civilization, establishes the fact that the principle in question lays the foundation of two essential elements in Muslim communities: the first is that it paves the way for Muslims to promote and maintain their unity which, in turn, is one immediate and contributory factor in stimulating ongoing development. And the second is ‘autonomy’ that is applicable in establishing international relations between Islamic countries. These two are considered to be the essential and fundamental constituent elements of development without which it is impossible for the Islamic countries to witness that any significant developments taking place in their social affairs in this modern time.