Today, the United States celebrates Independence Day commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in 1776. Since 1776, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence.
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, which was ratified by all of the 13 original colonies by 1790, are the foundational documents of the United States government.
A portion of the Declaration of Independence reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The concept of men governing themselves is not found in Islam. Sayyid Qutb, author of Milestones and Islamic cleric said, “It is Allah and not man who rules. Allah is the source of all authority, including legitimate political authority. Virtue, not freedom, is the highest value. Therefore, Allah’s law should govern the society; not man’s.”
The Quran backs up Qutb’s statement. Sura 18:26 says, “Allah…makes none to share in His Decision and His Rule.”
The Quran also teaches that non-Muslims are not equal to Muslims. Sura 45:21 says, “What! Do those who seek after evil ways think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous deeds, that equal will be their life and their death?”
The U.S. Constitution was designed to keep government limited and restrained while shari’a is designed to regulate every aspect of a Muslim’s life from the moment he is born until he dies. Unlike other religious laws such as Jewish religious laws and Christian canonical laws, shari’a law also attempts to control the behavior of non-believers and therefore is in direct violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Islamic shari’a law and the U.S. Constitution are polar opposites in intent and execution.
Prayer Point:
As the U.S. celebrates Independence Day today, pray that governmental leaders both in the U.S. and other Western nations will become enlightened to the differences between the concepts of freedom and democracy and shari’a law.
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