Conclusion

The increasing presence of Muslims in Western societies underscores the importance of examining the compatibility between Islamic principles and Western political ideals. This book contributes to the growing interest in understanding how Islam intersects with liberal political values. To gauge the potential for harmony between Islam and a liberal state, this book compares the perspectives of Islamic scholars regarding the legitimacy of a secular political order in light of their adherence to Islamic orthodoxy. Through an analysis of Islamic doctrinal tradition, this book presents technical legal arguments that clarify Muslims’ political obligations within a liberal political order. It reveals that the mainstream Islamic perspective allows Muslims to accept a non-Islamic political authority only under unfavourable political circumstances. While this book acknowledges that a possible IOC does not represent the mainstream outlook, it maintains that a possible IOC can still be grounded in acceptable interpretations of divine sources within Islamic intellectual traditionIslamic intellectual tradition.