Is It Permissible to Participate in Elections in Western Countries?

Answered by Shaykh Bassem Itani

Question

Is it permissible to participate in elections in Western countries?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his Family, and all his Companions.

Muslim citizens living in Western countries are permitted to participate in parliamentary and municipal elections. Participation is permissible because it brings significant benefits to Muslim citizens and their country or prevents harm from befalling them and their homeland.

Muslim citizens in Western countries should enhance their values and morals, play a positive and influential role in their country, and vote for those who exhibit moderation and support just and rightful causes for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Forming influential groups, such as Muslim minorities in Western countries, can impact elections. Participation is considered a form of cooperation in goodness and righteousness, defending their rights and causes, and securing their gains. This brings both worldly and spiritual benefits, as Allah (Most High) says:

“Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.” [Quran, 5:2]

If Muslim citizens find that participating in elections causes harm, they should vote for the lesser harm to prevent the greater harm from affecting them. Jurists have mentioned a legal maxim in this regard:

“If two evils conflict, the greater harm should be avoided by committing the lesser harm.” [Ibn Nujaym, al-Ashbah wa al-Naza’ir]

For example, if a husband is unable to financially support his wife, it causes harm. If the wife requests a divorce and he divorces her, the divorce itself is harmful. However, the husband chooses the lesser harm because financial incapacity is more damaging to the woman than divorce.

Participating in elections in Western countries is one of the contemporary fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) issues. It is based on balancing benefits and harms, such as bringing about benefits, preventing harm, or avoiding what is more harmful by committing what is less harmful. Muslim citizens in Western countries should promote a culture of cooperation and participation in elections among themselves to achieve significant benefits for their communities in their countries.

[Shaykh] Bassem Itani

Shaykh Dr. Bassem Hussayn Itani was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1965. He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies in 2005. Among his mentors were Shaykh Muhammad Taha Sukkar, Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, Shaykh Mulla Abdul ‘Alim al-Zinki, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Abdul Razzaq al-Halabi, Shaykh Dr. Mustafa Dib al-Bugha, Shaykh Dr. Wahba al-Zuhayli, Dr. Muhammad al-Zuhayli, and others, may Allah have mercy on them all. 

Shaykh Itani has a rich background in both academic and administrative fields. He has held significant positions in many governmental and non-governmental institutions in Lebanon and abroad. This includes his role as a member of the Academic Committee at SeekersGuidance and a senior teacher with the free online global seminary.

From 2020 to 2021, he served as the Dean of the College of Da‘wa – University for Islamic Studies (Lebanon) – Postgraduate Studies. He was the Director of Dar Iqra for Islamic Sciences from 1998 to 2018. Shaykh Itani is a well-versed teacher in several academic subjects, including Fiqh, Usul, Aqida, and Tafsir. He has supervised and examined numerous Master’s and Doctoral theses at various universities and colleges in Lebanon.

His contributions to Islamic sciences are also evident in his writings and research. His notable works include “The Relied-upon Statements of Imam Zufar in the Hanafi School,” “Collective Ijtihad: The Sublimity of Thought in the 21st Century,” and “Custom and its Impact in Islamic Jurisprudence.” Shaykh Itani has actively participated in numerous scientific conferences and seminars, both in Lebanon and internationally. He is linguistically adept, excelling in Arabic, proficient in French, and comfortably conversant in English.