ABSTRACT
The Prophet promoted the ideology of an international world federation of autonomous communities, each constituent member of which was 'a shepherd or keeper unto the other'. It was a democracy of individuals who were not only conscious of the human dignity of others but also recognized no criterion of superiority among themselves, except that of righteous living. Based on studies relating to different regimes and institutional settings, political analysts suggest that, although important changes have occurred in some parts of the Muslim world, they do not completely fit within the usual Western patterns of democratization. One reason for this seems to be that we inherit a historical legacy that encourages a mutually hostile mirror image in the interaction between Islam and Western democracy. Isalm accepts the welfare of the individual, developmentalism (including technology), pluralism and political participation.
