Contribution of Islam in Maldives Political Field

KULIYYAH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA SEMESTER 1, 2022/ 2023 PSCI 3220: COMPARATIVE POLITIC OF THE MUSLIM WORLD SECTION 1 CONTRIBUTION OF ISLAM IN MALDIVE POLITICAL FIELD Prepared By: HAKIM CHUSNUL 1919143 Submitted For: Rohana Binti Abdul Hamid (Dr.) A. Introduction The Maldives is a nation that take up very little space geographically and have a low profile in the political landscape of the international community. In spite of this, this nation's tourist industry benefits from a number of competitive advantages that place it among the top nations in the world in terms of effective tourism management. The tourism industry in the Maldives is capable of making a variety of contributions, including financial contributions to the nation's development efforts. The Republic of Maldives, also known in Arabic as Aldawla Al-Muhalidibi, is an archipelago that is located in the Indian Ocean and consists of an atoll or a coral island that is surrounded by a lagoon. The Maldives is both a country with a population and a country with a population that is entirely Muslim despite having the lowest land area of any country in the region with whom they share a border. About eight hundred years ago, in the year 1150 to be exact, Islam first made its appearance in the Maldives. It is believed by a number of authorities that traders from Gujarat and Persia were the first to introduce Islam to the Maldives. Indeed, the merchants were members of the Muslim faith. A little over a quarter of a century after Christianity was introduced, religious leaders also brought Islam. This results in a huge spread of the disease. The doctrines of Islam were disseminated around the world by Muslim leaders through the promotion of tolerance and coexistence with other cultures of the period. To this day, every single person in the Maldives adheres to the teachings of Islam (Ajeng Wirachmi, 2021). As a result of the efforts of an Abu Barekat Berberi, a Hindu ruler who was known at the time as Dharam Sant eventually became a Muslim and changed his name to Sultan Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. The official name of this nation, the Republic of Maldives, became the most significant turning point in its history. People there have always referred to it as the "Spiritual Revolution" event even today. As we go into the modern day, Islam's light needs not necessarily wane. Islam is still evolving on a social and political basis. For instance, the then-President Mamun Abdul-Rashid brought this up in his July 1984 speech, in which he resolutely declared that "Islam is my religion." Islam, in his opinion, represents the best way to live. Islam is also very adaptable and able to change with the times, so anyone, anywhere, and anytime can benefit from it. "Every aspects of social life can be affected by the Islamic system." (Hasanuddin, 2020) B. Islam as the Basis of State Politics and Law The Maldives' political climate and the application of Islamic law can be traced back to the 12th century when the population converted to Islam as a result of the extensive spread of the religion commanded by Ibn Battuta throughout this archipelago. Additionally, there was no government in place at the time, but there had been several minor political conflicts aimed at dividing the region's natural resources. The presence of the Portuguese fleet in the 16th century AD, which carried 3G missions (Gold, Gospel, and Glory) that attempted to convert the population into Christians was rejected by the inhabitants of the Maldives, which resulted in the failure of the Portuguese mission to bring Christianity to the Maldives. At the close of the 16th century after the Common Era, the Portuguese finally left the Maldives. The day-today activities of the island's inhabitants are governed by more over 300 Muslims. The Maldives was an English colony from the beginning of the 19th century AD to the conclusion of that century. Beginning in 1887 and continuing until 1965, the Maldives were under British colonial rule. Independence Day for the Maldives was celebrated on July 26, 1965, marking their day of liberation from the United Kingdom. There were no democratic elections held in the Maldives until the fall of the Maldivian sultanate on November 11, 1968, when the country became a republic state. At that time, the people who lived in the Maldives were also controlled by the sultan. (Nuuri, n.d.) In 1997, a state law was passed that formally acknowledged Islam as the de jure religion of the country. In addition, the legislation mandates that every citizen must adhere to Islam and makes it illegal to follow any religion other than Islam. They are permitted to do worship in accordance with their beliefs, with the exception of foreigners who are not Muslims. Nevertheless, they are required to do so in secret and are not permitted to ask citizens to participate. In this particular scenario, the president serves as the "ultimate judge of Islamic law." Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was serving as President of the Maldives at the time, reaffirmed the fundamental principle upon which the nation was established, which is that Islam is the only legal religion in the Maldives. In order to accomplish this goal, the President gave instructions to the Minister of Home Affairs to formulate plans that would preserve and protect the unity of all religions. As a result, the Islamic High Court came into being so that it could provide guidance in the area of religious practice. In addition, norms and standards for the actual performance of worship are being formulated in order to guarantee that the altruistic aspects of the people's acts of worship would be recognized by Allah SWT. It is also against the law for the government of the Maldives to allow the sale or distribution of any items or resources that are not of an Islamic nature. However, individuals are permitted to privately preserve religious literature such as the Gospels for their own use. In a similar vein, only non-Muslims and visitors are allowed to purchase non-Islamic religious artifacts such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. A prohibition on non-Islamic religious broadcasting operations and on missionaries is an additional step and regulation that has been implemented. Converting from Islam to another religion, especially one that is not Sharia-compliant, is in direct violation of Sharia law and can result in the loss of citizenship rights. (Nashrullah, 2020) According to Ahmad (2001), based on article 2 of the 1968 Constitution, it asserts that the 'Maldives is a composite, sovereign, and fully independent Islamic State' (emphasis added), and Article 3 declares that the 'Maldives shall be a Republic, and its Religion shall be Islam.' 21 In addition, Articles 24 and 51 of the Constitution require that the president and all ministers be "Muslims of the Sunni Sect." Additionally, the Constitution requires that members of the Citizens' Majlis and Citizens' Special Majlis be "Muslims" (Article 63). The president, ministers, and Majlis members are all required to take swears that include a promise to "respect the religion of Islam" before they may be inaugurated in. Articles 25, 52, and 64 of the constitution all make allusions to this oath. According to (Hecker, 1986) And as can be observed in the next sentence, "All functions vested in the President of the Republic are contained within the limitations laid forth in the Shari'ah," the religious tenets of Islam are used to define the scope of the presidency (Article 36). A further article states, "The President of the Republic is the supreme authority to promote the religion of Islam in Maldives," indicating that the state's legitimacy rests in the religion it professes. This is because [the state] has religious legitimacy Article 32 (Hecker, 1986: 13). One facet of this befuddled character, when combined with the method used to choose the president, immediately reduces the relevance of religious authority to that of a contingent affair. References Ahmad, R. A. (2001). The State and National Foundation in the Maldives. Cultural Dynamics, 13(3), 293–315. DOI:10.1177/092137400101300303 Hasanuddin Latief, B. (2020). Krisis Politik Maladewa. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/11465923/Krisis_Politik_Maladewa Hecker, Hellmuth (1986) ‘The Maldives’, trans. Adnan Hussain, in Albert P. Blaustein and Gisbert H. Flanz (eds) Constitutions of the Countries of the World. New York: Oceana Publications Nashrullah, N. (2020, June 3). Maladewa, Formalisasi Syariat dan Islamisasi Lewat Budaya. Republika Online; Republika Online. https://www.republika.co.id/berita/qbck8x320/maladewa-formalisasi-syariat-danislamisasi-lewat-budaya Nuuri, I. I. (n.d.). PROFIL MALADEWA DAN DINAMIKA PARIWISATA MALADEWA. Reposiroty.umy; Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta. Retrieved November 18, 2022, from http://repository.umy.ac.id/bitstream/handle/123456789/29784/BAB%20II%20Irsalin a%20Ilan%20Nuuri.pdf?sequence=6&isAllowed= Wirachmi, A. (2021, October 10). Maladewa dan Mauritania, Negara 100 Persen Islam. SINDOnews.com; SINDOnews.com. https://international.sindonews.com/read/564548/40/maladewa-dan-mauritanianegara-100-persen-islam 1633857024#:~:text=Eksistensi%20Islam%20di%20Maladewa%20sudah,juga%20di bawa%20oleh%20tokoh%20agama.