Article of Faith:

Obedience and submission is to Allah, the One the Almighty. Jamaat-e-Islami believes and affirms that to Allah alone belongs all authority in this world and in the Hereafter, and to Him we all return and that He alone possesses the power and right to guide man to what is good and beneficial and that He has made man His vicegerent (Khalifa) on earth and has harnessed everything in the universe for man’s benefit.

Jamaat-e-Islami further believes in the universality of al Din (The Religion) which Allah revealed to mankind through a succession of Messengers who all contributed to evolving an equitable system of life (Al Din al Haq) until its completion with the arrival of Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him), the last Prophet, sent by Allah as "the seal of the Prophets". Jamaat-e-Islami acknowledges the limitations of human intellect to evolve a perfect code of life for humanity independent of Divine guidance and revelation and views the genesis of the universe in the light of Quranic injunctions that Allah’s will lay behind all creation and that He ordained the position and the purpose of man’s existence.

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan is totally committed to the concept of the Ummah (the Muslim Community) which embodies the unity of the Muslim peoples and has a profound appreciation of the failure of man-made systems and ideologies prevailing in the world which have subjected man to exploitation, repression, corruption and suffering.

Jamaat sincerely believes in fulfilling its responsibilities towards society and earnestly desires to live up to the Trust which Islam has reposed in the Ummah to strive to establish an ideal society wherein virtue triumphs and evil is wiped out; wherein co-operation, brotherhood and peace prevail over indifference, enmity, conflict and war; wherein man fully enjoys liberty, equality, fraternity, honour and self-respect, without fear of suppression, servitude, racial discrimination, class distinction, subjugation or humiliation; wherein man is fully equipped to convey Allah’s real message in this world, namely, to worship his sublime Creator, to contribute to the prosperity of the world whereby man may find opportunities to enjoy the bounties of his Creator; whereby he/she may be dutiful and benefactor to all humanity, which constitutes the all-embracing family of human being, all descendants of Adam, rooted in blood relationship to their common origin.

The Goal:

Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan strives to establish a society:

- Wherein all shall be equal in the eyes of the Law; - Wherein equality shall be the basis on which rights shall be enjoyed and obligations incurred; wherein equality springs from the common lineage of all men: "Mankind! Lo! We have created you from one male and one female" (Quran 49:13)

- Wherein equality emanates from the honour which Allah has bestowed on man:

"Verily We have honoured the children of Adam. We carry them on land and on sea and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom we created with a marked preferment" (Quran 17:70)

- Wherein equality rests on the assurances given by Islam to the non-Muslims making them fully equal to Muslims in respect of the protection of their persons, property, honour and religious sanctuaries;

- Wherein freedom is identical with life; wherein a person is born free and develops his personality with no let or hindrance, safe from suppression, oppression, humiliation or servitude;

- Wherein the family is the basic unit, and society protects the family and provides all opportunities for its solidarity, tranquillity and progress;

- A society wherein the ruler and the ruled are equal in the sight of the Law of Allah without any discrimination;

- Wherein authority delegated to the rulers is exercised as a Trust (amanah) reposed in them for the objective of implementing Islamic injunctions;

- Wherein all individuals affirm that Allah alone is Lord of the universe and everything therein is harnessed to the service of mankind as a bounty from Him:

"And He hath made of service unto you whatsoever is in heaven and whatsoever is on earth; it is all from Him" (Quran 45:13)

- Wherein policies are formulated, affairs of the community are administered and powers to enforce the Law are exercised through consultation and co-participation:

"And their affairs are conducted through mutual consultation" (Quran 42:38)

- Wherein equal opportunities are available to encourage every person to carry out his responsibilities according to his capacity and capability and to be accountable before the community in this world and before his Creator in the Hereafter:

"Everyone of you is a guardian and everyone of you is accountable for his ward" (Al Hadith)

- In which every person represents the conscience of society. Where men enjoin what is good and forbid evil, and every man has the right to take to court any other who has committed an offence against society;

- Which rejects oppression in any form and guarantees every individual security, freedom, honour and justice, and undertakes to ensure all other rights given to man.

Basis of Society:

The society for which the Jamaat strives shall be based on the following principles:

- Sovereignty belongs to Allah alone and Authority is a trust to be exercised in accordance with the Islamic injunctions as embodied in the Quran and the Sunnah.

- Jihad (legitimate struggle) is a paramount and inalienable duty. Its aim is to uphold the word of Allah on earth and defend the Islamic Order with all means at one’s command.

- Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is incumbent on every individual and group, and constitutes a fundamental and distinctive feature of a Muslim society.

- Shura (mutual consultation) is the method of governance.

- The belief that everything in the universe belongs to Allah and is a blessing from Him to mankind, provided by Him to everyone without anyone’s having a prior claim or privilege; and everyone being entitled to a just share in this Divine bounty.

- Inviolability of the Islamic code of human rights and responsibilities and the obligation to support and defend the oppressed.

- Protection and strengthening of the conscience as the basis of life and human conduct, and the Islamic personality of the individual being built and the Islamic fabric of society being reinforced through the flourishing of this inner dimension, fashioned and sustained by education, supported and complemented, in direction and objective, by all means of education, cultural and information policies.

- Freedom of speech and expression and its inviolability and protection.

- Provision of opportunity for work to all able-bodied members of society and guarantee of the provision of the necessities of life for the disabled, the sick, the old and the needy.

- Provision of essential public services and guarantee of health, educational, cultural and social amenities for all members of society.

- Firm adherence to the principle of the unity of the Ummah in all collective affairs and effective efforts for its realisation.

- Obligation to convey the call of Islam to all mankind.

Framework for Policies:

State Policy

Jamaat-e-Islami is committed to the sincere and effective pursuit of the following guiding principles of state policy:

a The Quranic code is the supreme law of the Muslim community and must be enforced in its entirety in all aspects of life. Islamic law be made the criterion by which to judge the public and private conduct of all, rulers and ruled alike, and the chief source of all legislation.

b Political power must be exercised within the laid down framework. It is neither valid nor exercisable except by and on behalf of the community through the process of mutual consultation (Shura). No one is authorised to arrogate to himself the right to rule by personal discretion.

c It is the obligation and right of every person to participate in the political process, and political authority is to be entrusted to those who are worthy of it according to the Islamic criterion of knowledge, trustworthiness and capability.

d All political power, whether legislative, executive or judicial, is exercisable within the limits set out by Allah and His Prophet for the promotion and enforcement of the values prescribed by Islam.

e Obedience to the legitimately constituted authority is obligatory on people so long as it is in conformity with the Islamic Laws.

f All persons in authority are bound by the rules of, both in regard to their personal as well as public conduct.

g All citizens are equal before the law.

h People have the right to question the decisions of their rulers and to seek and obtain remedies for wrongs committed by them.

i The rights of all citizens to life, liberty, honour and property as guaranteed by Allah and His Prophet can in no circumstances be abrogated or suspended.

j The civil and religious rights of minorities shall be upheld and protected.

Economic Policy

The Islamic economic system is based on social justice, equity, moderation and balanced relationships. It is a universal system embodying eternal values which safeguard man’s rights while constantly reminding him of his obligations to himself and to society. It forbids all forms of exploitation and honours labour, encourages man to earn his living by honest means, and to spend his earnings in a rational way. Its salient features are:

a All natural resources are a trust (Amanah) from Allah and man is individually and collectively custodian (Mustakhlif) of these resources. Man’s economic effort and its reward are determined within the context of this framework of trust.

b Wealth must be acquired through effort and by lawful means. It should be saved, retained and used only in ways approved by Allah and His Prophet.

c Wealth should be justly distributed. When personal wealth has satisfied the legitimate needs of its owner, the surplus is required (voluntarily) to meet the needs of others.

d All resources available must always be put to optimum use; no one has the right to hoard them or to keep them idle, or to squander them or to use them for wanton display, be it the individual, the community or the state.

e Development and growth are essential requirements, and participation in economic activity is obligatory on every Muslim. He must labour hard, and always seek to produce more than is necessary for his personal needs, because then alone would he be able to participate in the process of Zakat and to contribute to the well-being of others.

f Every worker is entitled to a fair recompense for his or her work. There must be no discrimination based on race, colour, religion or sex.

g The procurement of wealth and the production of goods must be lawful in terms of the Islamic law. Usury (Riba), gambling, hoarding, etc. are forbidden sources of income.

h The principles of equality and brotherhood require the just sharing of resources in prosperity as well as in adversity. Zakat, Sadaqat, Al’Afw and inheritance are some of the means for the equitable distribution of wealth and resources in society.

i Persons incapable of looking after their own needs, owing to permanent or temporary incapacity, have a just call upon the wealth of society. They are the responsibility of society which must ensure supply of basic necessities of food, clothing, shelter, education and health care, to all of them irrespective of their age, sex, colour or religion.

j The economic strategy shall be structured in such a way that there is co-operation and sharing within the Ummah and maximum self-reliance therein.

Education Policy

Education is an important corner-stone of the Islamic system. Pursuit of knowledge is obligatory for all Muslims, including knowledge of skills, crafts and vocations. Some of the basic principles of educational policy that Jamaat-e-Islami pledges to pursue, are:

a There shall be universal basic education for all men and women in society, and adequate resources shall be made available for this purpose.

b The purpose of education shall be to produce people who are imbued with Islamic learning and character and are capable of meeting all the economic, social, political, technological, physical, intellectual and aesthetic needs of society.

c Specifically the two parallel streams of secular and religious education prevailing today would be fused together so as to provide an Islamic vision for those engaged in education, and to enable them to reconstruct human thought, in all its forms, on the foundations of Islam.

Social Policy

The social institutions of mosque, family, local community, social consultative bodies, socio-economic co-operatives, etc. are an integral part of the Islamic system, and would be established and strengthened on the Islamic principles of brotherhood (Ukhuwwah) and mutual help (Takaful). The fundamental objectives of the Jamaat’s social policy are:

a Affirmation, restoration and consolidation of the dignity, integrity and honour of the individual.

b Protection and strengthening of the family as the basic unit of society, with particular emphasis on kindness and respect to parents.

c Ensuring that women enjoy full rights C legal, social, cultural, economic, educational and political C which Islam has guaranteed to them.

d Self-reliance, mutual consultation, social cohesion and co-operation in all aspects of national life.

Defence Policy

Defence of Islam and Muslim lands is the sacred duty of all Muslims. While Islam stands for peace, it also enjoins us to be ever ready to deter and repulse aggression. To fulfil this duty, the Jamaat undertakes to:

a Develop Pakistan defence potentials to the maximum, using all appropriate modes including nuclear option.

b Strive for the earliest achievement of self-sufficiency in defence production.

c Establish the closest possible co-operation with the Muslim world in every field of defence activity.

d Consider aggression against any Muslim country as aggression against the entire Muslim world.

e Strive to get back every inch of land that belongs to us.