ABSTRACT
The sociocultural environment is different and is marked by the importance of religious movements. The problem of the relationship between Islam and the state itself is posed in terms which are basically different to those used in the Western world. There existed originally an understanding between the two parties-the state and the religious establishment-whereby, on one hand, the ulema contributed to the legitimisation of the state and brought its support to state policy and, on the other, political power undertook to comply with orthodox doctrine as defined by the ulema and to accept the supervision and the censure of the fuqaha. This balanced relationship between political power and religious institutions was bound not to last and has proved to be an unequal alliance, as history abundantly has demonstrated. The political power has gradually integrated the religious establishment in its own structure.
