THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT PREROGATIVE UNDER ISLAMIC LAW

The citizens of a state, under the Islamic Law, have certain fundamental rights against the state that must be protected by it. It is only where the state does its utmost efforts in protecting these rights, that it has even the right to exist and have its corresponding rights against the citizens. This means that, under the Islamic Law, as the rights of the citizen are not unlimited and unrestricted so also the prerogatives of the government; both have been categorically defined by the principles of Islamic law. The aim of this paper is to give full exposition of citizens’ right vis-a-vis the government prerogatives as provided under Islamic law. The Rights and Interests of the Citizens One of the most important functions or responsibilities of the government, under Islamic system, is to organise the state so as to serve the interests of the citizens by having the civil servants to manage the state of affairs and men of wisdom (i.e. the scholars) to give advice.