The Constitution and the Law
It follows from this that we adhere to the principle of tawhid and derive our subsidiary legislation through analogical reasoning with the laws of hudud and qisas to maintain a unified direction addressing both individual and communal needs. Our foundational legislation, the constitution, is derived from the spirit of the Quran, encapsulated in La ilaha illa Allah (There is no god but Allah). This ensures a unified direction that balances the needs of the central government and the federal union members within our small society - Sudan - and our larger society - the planet Earth.
Thus, we derive our constitution from the spirit of the Quran, imposing no restriction on the legislation of our legislative body except adherence to the principle of unification (tawhid) that harmonizes the rights that may initially appear conflicting. For without such harmony, it cannot truly be considered law.
We view the texts of the Quranic and Sunnah laws in matters of transactions as means to realize the spirit of the Quran. We insist on adhering to them, unless the public interest dictates their development to further advance our modern society in alignment with that spirit in the domain of daily life. As for the texts of the Quranic and Sunnah laws in matters of worship, they remain as they are, and there is no authority to amend them. Whoever wishes may follow them in their traditional form as conveyed by the Prophet, and whoever wishes may refrain: “There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong” (2:256).
This is because Allah Almighty legislated acts of worship to assist individuals in exercising the broad freedom granted to them without falling into penalties under legal or moral codes. Such acts of worship enable individuals to fully enjoy their right to absolute personal freedom. In other words, Allah places humanity on the path to absolute personal freedom from the very beginning, with the sole condition that they bear responsibility for their actions. He then prescribed the ritual acts of worship, perfected in the manner handed down by the Prophet, so that individuals may use these practices to navigate the immense responsibility that might otherwise overwhelm them without this wise spiritual discipline.
Humanity and the Future of Religion
We believe that humanity today is experiencing the anxiety and turmoil characteristic of adolescence. It will soon leave behind its era of childhood and immaturity and enter an age of adulthood and maturity. In its future, humanity will no longer need religion in the same way it relied on it in the past - a religion rooted in obscurity and demanding submission. Instead, it will require a religion based on clarity, offering a way of life in harmony with the natural law. For this reason, we believe that the Islamic prescription for worship, which fulfills this purpose, will captivate the hearts of humanity.
Now, after this lengthy preamble outlining our views on law and the constitution, which bind our legislative body, we turn to a direct discussion of this body.
