Kila raia aliye mtu mzima na mwenye akili timamu, ana haki ya kuwa mjumbe wa Baraza la Ummah au Baraza la Mkoa, awe mwanaume au mwanamke, Mwislamu au asiye Mwislamu; mjumbe asiye Mwislamu amezuiwa kutoa malalamiko kuhusu dhuluma za watawala au matumizi mabaya ya sheria za Kiislamu pekee.

Every citizen who is adult and sane, has the right to be a member of the Ummah Council or the Provincial Council, whether they are male, female, Muslim or non Muslim; the non-Muslim member is restriced to raising complaints regarding the oppression of the rulers or the misapplication of the laws of Islam.

Mtu yeyote wa Kiislamu mwenye uraia wa Dola, ikiwa amebaleghe na ana akili timamu, ana haki ya kuwa mwanachama wa Baraza la Ummah, bila kujali kama ni mwanamume au mwanamke. Hii ni kwa sababu Baraza la Ummah halina mamlaka ya kutawala, wala halihusiki na simulizi inayozuia mwanamke kuwa mtawala. Badala yake, lipo ndani ya suala la mashauriano (Shura) na uwajibikaji, ambalo ni haki ya wanaume na wanawake wote. Katika mwaka wa kumi na tatu wa Utume wa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, yaani mwaka alipohamia Madina, walimwendea watu sabini na watano wa Kiislamu, miongoni mwao wakiwemo wanawake wawili, nao wote wakampa Bay'a ya pili ya Al-'Aqaba, ambayo ilikuwa Bay'a ya vita na mapigano na Bay'a ya kisiasa. Baada ya wote kumpa Bay'a, aliwaambia wote:

Any Muslim who holds the citizenship of the State, provided he is mature and sane, has the right to be a member of the Ummah Council, irrespective of whether they were male or female. This is because the Council of the Ummah has no mandate to rule and it does not come under the narration that prevents the woman from becoming a ruler. It is rather within the issue of consultation (Shura) and accounting, which is a right for both men and women. In the thirteenth year of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)’s Prophethood, in other words, in the year he emigrated, there came to him seventy-five Muslims, among whom were two women, and they all gave him the Second Bay’a of Al- ‘Aqaba, which was a Bay’a of war and fighting and a political Bay’a. Once they had all given their Bay’a, he said to all of them:

. » أَخْرِجُوا إليَّ مِنْكُمُ اثْ نَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيباً يَكُون ونَ على قَ وْمِهِمْ « .

. » أَخْرِجُوا إليَّ مِنْكُمُ اثْ نَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيباً يَكُون ونَ على قَ وْمِهِمْ « .

"Chagueni kutoka miongoni mwenu viongozi kumi na wawili (naqibs) ambao watawajibika kwa nafsi zao na kwa watu wao." Hii ni sehemu ya simulizi ndefu iliyopokewa na Ahmad kupitia Ka'b Bin Malik, na ni amri kutoka kwake iliyoelekezwa kwa kila mtu, kuchagua kutoka miongoni mwa wote waliokuwepo. Hakutaja wanaume wala hakuwatenga wanawake, si kwa upande wa wanaochagua wala kwa upande wa wanaochaguliwa. Kanuni ya mutlaq (isiyofungwa) inapaswa kuchukuliwa hivyo hivyo, isipokuwa kuna dalili inayoifunga; na kanuni ya 'Aam (ya jumla) nayo inapaswa kuchukuliwa hivyo hivyo, isipokuwa kuna dalili inayoibainisha. Katika kisa hiki, hotuba ilikuwa isiyofungwa na ya jumla. Hakuna dalili yoyote ya kubainisha au kufunga iliyopokewa, jambo linaloonyesha kwamba Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aliamuru wanawake wawili wachague Naqibs, na akawapa haki ya kuchaguliwa kuwa Naqibs miongoni mwa Waislamu.

“Choose from among you twelve leaders (naqibs) who will be responsible for themselves and their people.” This is part of a long narration reported by Ahmad through Ka’b Bin Malik and it is an order from him addressed to everyone, to elect from all who were present. He did not specify the men nor exclude the women, neither in regard to who would select nor to who should be selected. The mutlaq (unrestricted) rule should be taken as such, unless there is evidence that restricts it; and the ‘Aam (general) rule should also be taken as such, unless there is evidence that specifies it. In this case the speech was unrestricted and general. No evidence of specification or restriction has been reported, which indicates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered the two women to elect the Naqibs, and gave them the right to be chosen as Naqibs from among the Muslims.

Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aliketi mara moja ili kuchukua Bay'a kutoka kwa watu, huku Abu Bakr (ra) na Umar (ra) wakiketi pamoja naye, na wanaume na wanawake wote walimpa Bay'a. Bay'a hii ilikuwa ya kutawala, na si ya Uislamu, kwa kuwa wanawake walikuwa tayari ni Waislamu. Baada ya Bay'a ya Ridhwan huko Hudaybiyah, wanawake nao walimpa Bay'a yao. Allah (SWT) anasema:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sat once to take the Bay’a from the people, with Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra) sitting with him, and both men and women gave him the Bay’a. This Bay’a was one for ruling, and not on Islam, for the women were already Muslims. After the Bay’a of the Redhwan in Hudaybiyah the women gave him their Bay’a too. Allah (swt) says:

"Ee Nabii (ﷺ), wanawake wanaoamini watakapokujia wakiahidi kwako kwamba hawatamshirikisha Allah na chochote, wala hawataiba, wala hawatazini, wala hawatawaua watoto wao, wala hawatazua uzushi walioubuni baina ya mikono yao na miguu yao, wala hawatakuasi katika jambo jema - basi pokea ahadi yao na uwaombee maghfira kwa Allah. Hakika Allah ni Mwingi wa maghfira, Mwenye rehema."(TMQ 60:12).

“O Prophet (phuh), when the believing women come to you pledging to you that they will not associate anything with Allah, nor will they steal, nor will they commit unlawful sexual intercourse, nor will they kill their children, nor will they bring forth a slander they have invented between their arms and legs, nor will they disobey you in what is right - then accept their pledge and ask forgiveness for them of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (TMQ 60:12).

Bay'a hii pia ilikuwa ni bay'a ya utawala, kwani Qur'ani inasema kwamba wanawake hao walikuwa waumini, na bay'a yenyewe ilikuwa kwamba hawatamwasi katika jambo lolote jema.

This Bay’a was also a Bay’a on ruling, as the Quran states that the women were believers, and the Bay’a was that they would not disobey him in any good thing.

Zaidi ya hayo, mwanamke ana haki ya kuwakilisha na kuwakilishwa katika kutoa maoni. Hii ni kwa sababu ana haki ya kutoa maoni yake, hivyo anaweza kuchagua mwakilishi wake; na zaidi ya hayo, kwa kuwa uwakilishi hauhitaji kuwa mwanaume, ana haki ya kuwakilisha wale wanaomchagua.

In addition to that, the woman has the right to represent and be represented in voicing an opinion. This is because she has the right to voice her opinion, so she can choose her representative; and moreover since deputyship does not necessitate being a man, she has the right to represent those who elect her.

Pia ilithibitishwa kwamba bwana wetu Umar (ra) alikuwa akitafuta maoni ya Waislamu pale alipokumbana na tatizo, iwe linahusu hukumu za Shari'ah au utawala, au mojawapo ya vitendo vya Dola. Alipokumbana na tatizo alikuwa akiwaita Waislamu msikitini, akiwaita wanaume na wanawake, na kutafuta maoni ya wote. Alirudi nyuma kwenye maoni yake pale mwanamke alipompinga kuhusu kuweka kikomo cha mahari.

It was also confirmed that our master Umar (ra) used to seek the opinion of the Muslims when a problem faced him, whether it related to the rules of the Shari’ah or governing or any of the actions of the State. When a problem faced him he used to call the Muslims to the mosque, and he used to call the men and women, and seek the opinion of all of them. He withdrew his opinion when a woman opposed him regarding limitation of the dowry.

Wasiokuwa Waislamu nao, kama Waislamu, wana haki ya kuwakilishwa katika Baraza la Ummah, na kuwa wawakilishi wa wapiga kura wao ndani yake, ili kutoa maoni kwa niaba yao kuhusu matumizi yasiyo sahihi ya kanuni za Uislamu juu yao na dhulma ya mtawala ambayo inaweza kuwaangukia. Hii ni kwa sababu Allah amesema: {Basi waulizeni watu wa kumbukumbu ikiwa hamjui.} (TMQ 16:43).

Non-Muslims have the right, like the Muslims, to be represented in the Council of the Ummah, and to be representatives of their electorate in it, so as to express the opinion on their behalf regarding the misapplication of the rules of Islam upon them and the oppression of the ruler that might fall upon them. This is because Allah said “So ask the people of the message if you do not know.” (TMQ 16:43).

Hata hivyo, wasio Waislamu hawatapewa ruhusa ya kutoa maoni yao katika mambo yanayohusu sheria, kwa sababu sheria ya Kiislamu inatokana na imani ya Kiislamu ('Aqeedah). Ni kundi la kanuni za kivitendo za kimungu zinazotolewa kutoka kwenye ushahidi wake wa kina, ambazo hushughulikia matatizo ya binadamu kwa mujibu wa mtazamo maalum ulioainishwa na imani ya Kiislamu. Asiyekuwa Muislamu anaishika itikadi ambayo ni ngeni na inayopingana na 'Aqeedah ya Kiislamu, na mtazamo wake kuhusu maisha unapingana na mtazamo wa Kiislamu; kwa hiyo maoni yake hayatafutwi katika mambo ya kutunga sheria.

However, non-Muslims would not be allowed to voice their opinion in matters related to legislation, because the Islamic legislation emanates from the Islamic belief ('Aqeedah). It is a host of practical divine rules deduced from their elaborate evidences, which treat human problems according to a specific viewpoint outlined by the Islamic belief. The non-Muslim embraces a doctrine that is alien and contradictory to the Islamic 'Aqeedah and his viewpoint about life contradicts the Islamic viewpoint and ,therefore, his opinion is not sought in matters of legislation.

Mtu asiye Muislamu pia hana haki ya kumchagua Khalifah, wala kushiriki katika uteuzi wa awali wa wagombea ambao Khalifah atachaguliwa miongoni mwao, kwa kuwa hana haki yoyote katika utawala. Kuhusu mambo mengine yanayounda sehemu ya madaraka ya lazima ya Baraza la Ummah, yeye yuko sawa na Muislamu katika mambo hayo, na katika kutoa maoni yake kuhusu mambo hayo.

The non-Muslim also does not have the right to elect the Khalifah, nor to participate in the short listing of the candidates from whom the Khalifah is to be elected, for he has no right in ruling. As for other matters that form part of the Ummah Council’s mandatory powers, he is just like the Muslim in these matters and in voicing an opinion regarding them.