Kanuni ni neno la kigeni la kitaalamu lenye maana ya amri inayotolewa na mtawala ili watu wautekeleze. Imefafanuliwa kuwa "ni kundi la kanuni ambazo mtawala huwawajibisha watu kuzitekeleza katika mahusiano yao". Sheria ya msingi kwa kila serikali huitwa katiba; ilhali sheria inayotokana na mfumo ulioamriwa na katiba huitwa kanuni. Neno katiba limefafanuliwa kuwa ni kanuni inayoainisha umbo la dola na mfumo wake wa kutawala, na inaeleza mipaka na kazi za kila mamlaka iliyopewa, au ni kanuni inayopanga mamlaka ya umma, yaani serikali, inayobainisha uhusiano wake na raia wake, na kukabidhi haki na wajibu wa dola kwa raia, pamoja na wajibu na haki za raia kwa dola. Katiba zina asili tofauti. Baadhi zimetolewa kwa njia ya kanuni, na nyingine zimeibuka kupitia desturi na kaida, kama katiba ya Uingereza, wakati nyingine zimeandaliwa na kamati ya bunge la kitaifa - lililopewa mamlaka wakati huo - ambalo liliipitisha katiba, likaweka utaratibu wa kuirekebisha, kisha likajivunja ili lipishwe na mamlaka iliyoanzishwa na katiba hiyo, kama ilivyotokea Marekani na Ufaransa. Katiba na kanuni hutokana na vyanzo viwili. Cha kwanza ni chanzo ambacho hutokana nacho moja kwa moja, kama vile kaida, dini, maoni ya wanazuoni wa sheria, hukumu za mahakama zilizotangulia na kanuni za haki na usawa. Hiki hujulikana kama chanzo cha kutunga sheria. Mifano ya aina hii ya katiba ni baadhi ya nchi za Magharibi kama Uingereza na Marekani. Cha pili ni chanzo cha kihistoria, yaani chanzo ambacho katiba au kanuni hujitokeza au kuchukuliwa kutoka humo, kama vile Katiba ya Ufaransa na katiba za baadhi ya nchi za ulimwengu wa Kiislamu, kama Uturuki, Misri, Iraq na Syria.

Canon is a foreign technical term which means the decree issued by the ruler for people to enact. It has been defined as "the group of principles which the ruler obliges the people to enact in their relationships". The basic law for every government is called a constitution; whereas law which emanates from the system decreed by the constitution, is called a canon. The term constitution has been defined as the canon which outlines the shape of the state and its ruling system, and explains the limits and functions of every authority vested in it, or the canon which organises public authority, i.e. the government, defines its relationship with its subjects, and assigns both the State's rights and duties towards the subjects and the subject's duties and rights towards the State. Constitutions have different origins. Some have been issued in the form of a canon, and some have arisen through customs and norms, such as the British constitution, while others have been drafted by a committee of a national assembly - vested with the authority at that time - which passed the constitution, defined the procedure for revising it and then dissolved itself so as to be replaced by the authority established by the constitution, as happened in America and France. Constitutions and canons are taken from two sources. The first being the source from which they directly originate, such as norms, religion, the opinions of jurists, court precedents and the principles of justice and equity. This is known as the legislative source. Examples of this type of constitution are some of the Western states like Britain and America. The second is a historical source, i.e. the source from which the constitution or canon emerges or is taken, like the French Constitution and the constitutions of some of the states in the Islamic world, like Turkey, Egypt, Iraq and Syria.

Hii ni maelezo mafupi tu ya maneno katiba na kanuni (canon), ambayo kwa jumla yake yanamaanisha kwamba Serikali huchukua kanuni fulani kutoka vyanzo vya kisheria au vya kihistoria, ambazo inazipitisha na kuzitangaza; baada ya hapo, kanuni zilizopitishwa na Serikali huwa katiba iwapo ni za jumla, au kanuni maalum iwapo ni mahsusi.

This is but a brief definition of the terms constitution and canon, which in sum means, that the State takes certain rules from either legislative or historical sources which it adopts and enacts, such that thereafter the rules adopted by the State become a constitution, if they are general, or canons if they are specific.

Swali linalowakabili Waislamu sasa ni kama ni halali kutumia maneno haya. Jibu la swali hili ni kwamba ikiwa maneno ya kigeni yana maana au dhana za kimantiki zinazopingana na istilahi za Waislamu, basi ni haramu kuyatumia. Mfano ni neno "social justice" (haki ya kijamii), ambalo linadokeza mfumo maalum unaojidhihirisha kwa kuhakikisha elimu na huduma ya afya kwa maskini, pamoja na kuhakikisha haki za wafanyakazi na wafanyabiashara. Dhana hii inapingana na maana ya kiistilahi ya haki kwa Waislamu, kwa sababu katika Uislamu 'adl (haki) ni kinyume cha dhulma (uonevu). Kuhakikishiwa elimu na huduma ya afya ni haki ya tajiri na maskini, na kulinda haki za wanyonge na wahitaji ni haki inayohakikishwa kwa wote wanaoshikilia uraia wa Dola ya Kiislamu, iwe ni wafanyakazi, vibarua au wakulima n.k. Lakini ikiwa maana ya istilahi inalingana na kile ambacho Waislamu wanacho, basi ni halali kutumia neno hilo, kama neno "tax" (kodi), linalomaanisha mali inayokusanywa kutoka kwa watu kwa ajili ya kuendesha dola. Waislamu wana mali inayokusanywa na Dola kwa ajili ya kuendesha mambo yao, hivyo ni sahihi kutumia neno "tax". Maneno "constitution" (katiba) na "canon" (kanuni) yanamaanisha kwamba dola inachukua kanuni fulani, inazitangaza kwa watu na kuwalazimisha kutenda kwa mujibu wake, na kuwatawala kwa msingi wake. Maana hii inalingana na Uislamu. Kwa hiyo, hatuoni chochote kinachozuia matumizi ya maneno katiba na kanuni, yenye maana ya kanuni zilizopitishwa na Khalifa kutoka katika Hukmu za Shari'ah. Hata hivyo, kuna tofauti kati ya katiba na kanuni za Kiislamu kwa upande mmoja, na katiba na kanuni nyingine kwa upande mwingine. Chanzo cha katiba na kanuni nyingine ni mila na hukumu za mahakama zao n.k. na asili yake ni kamati ya kitaasisi inayoweka katiba, na mabaraza yaliyochaguliwa na watu kutunga sheria, kwa kuwa wao wanaona kuwa watu ndio chanzo cha mamlaka na utawala. Kwa upande wa katiba na sheria za Kiislamu, chanzo chake ni Qur'an na Sunnah pekee, na asili yake ni ijtihad ya mujtahidina ambayo Khalifah huchukua baadhi ya kanuni kutoka humo, kisha huzitungia sheria na kuwalazimisha watu kuzifuata. Hii ni kwa sababu mamlaka ni ya Shari'ah, na ijtihad ni haki ya Waislamu wote na ni fardh kifaayah juu yao kuzitoa hukmu za Shari'ah. Ni Khalifah pekee mwenye haki ya kuchukua hukmu za Shari'ah.

The question that now faces the Muslims is whether or not it is permissible to use these terms? The answer to this question is that if foreign terms contain meanings or logical connotations that contradict the terminology of Muslims, they are prohibited for use: such as the term "social justice", which implies a specific system that is manifested in the form of guaranteeing education, medical care for the poor and guaranteeing the rights of employees and workers. This connotation contradicts the Muslims terminological meaning for justice, because in Islam justice ('adl) means the opposite of injustice (DHulm). As for securing of education and medical care it is a right for rich and poor, and protecting the rights of the weak and needy is a right secured to all those who hold citizenship of the Islamic State, whether they are employees, labourers or farmers etc. However, if the meaning of the terminology is consistent with what the Muslims have then it is permissible to use that term, such as the term tax, which means the funds collected from the people for the management of the state. The Muslims do have funds collected by the State for the management of their affairs and, thus, it is correct to use the term tax. The terms constitution and canon mean that the state adopts certain rules, announces them to the people and obliges them to act according to them and it governs them on their basis. This meaning is consistent with Islam. Accordingly, we do not find anything to prevent the use of the terms constitution and canons, which means the rules adopted by the Khaleefah from the AHkam shar’aiah. However, there is a difference between the Islamic constitution and canons, on the one hand, and other constitutions and canons, on the other. The source of the other constitutions and canons is the traditions and verdicts of their courts etc. and the origin is an institutional committee which lays down the constitution, and councils elected by the people to enact canons, for they consider the people to be the source of authority and sovereignty. As for the Islamic constitution and canons, their source is the Qur'an and Sunnah only, and their origin is the ijtihad of the mujtahideen from which the Khaleefah adopts certain rules, where he enacts them and obliges the people to act according to them. This is because sovereignty is for the shar’aiah and ijtihad is a right for all Muslims and a fard kifayah upon them to deduce AHkam shar’aiah. Only the Khaleefah has the right to adopt the AHkam shar’aiah.

Hii inahusu uhalali wa kutumia maneno katiba na kanuni. Kuhusu umuhimu wa kupitisha kanuni, Waislamu, tangu wakati wa Abu Bakr (ra) hadi wakati wa Khalifa wa mwisho, wameona umuhimu wa kupitisha kanuni ambazo Waislamu wameamrishwa kutenda kwazo. Upitishaji huu ulikuwa wa kanuni mahsusi na si upitishaji kamili wa maamuzi yote ambayo dola ilitawala nayo. Dola ilipitisha kikamilifu katika baadhi ya zama tu, yaani, wakati Waayyubi walipopitisha madhehebu ya Ash-Shafi'i na wakati Dola ya Uthmani ilipopitisha madhehebu ya Al-Hanafi.

This is with respect to the permissibility of using the terms constitution and canon. As for the necessity of adopting rules, the Muslims, from the time of Abu Bakr (ra) up to the time of the last Khaleefah, have seen the necessity of adopting rules according to which the Muslims have been commanded to act. This adoption was for specific rules and not a comprehensive adoption of all the decrees that the state ruled with. The State only adopted comprehensively in some eras, namely, when the Ayubites adopted Ash-Shafi'i madhab and when the Uthtmani State adopted Al- Hanafi madhab.

Swali linalojitokeza ni kama ni kwa maslahi ya Waislamu kuweka katiba kamili na kanuni za jumla. Jibu la swali hili ni kwamba kuwepo kwa katiba kamili na kanuni za jumla kwa kila hukmu kunazuia ubunifu na ijtihad. Kwa hiyo, Makhalifa katika zama za Maswahaba (Sahabah), Matabi'ina (tabe'ieen), na Matabi' al-Tabi'ina (tab''ii et-tabe'ieen), waliepuka kupitisha hukmu zote. Walizuia kupitisha tu hukmu maalum ambazo kupitishwa kwake kulihitajika ili kudumisha umoja wa utawala, sheria na utawala wa kiutendaji. Kwa hiyo, kwa ajili ya kudumisha ubunifu na ijtihad, ni bora kwa Dola kutokuwa na katiba kamili inayojumuisha hukmu zote, bali katiba inayojumuisha kanuni za jumla zinazobainisha muundo wa Dola na kuhakikisha mwendelezo wa umoja wake, na kuacha ijtihad na istinbati kwa watawala na mahakimu. Hili linatumika ikiwa ijtihad inawezekana na watu ni mujtahidina kama ilivyokuwa wakati wa Maswahaba, Matabi'ina, na Matabi' al-Tabi'ina. Lakini ikiwa watu wote ni muqallidina, na mujtahidina ni wachache, inakuwa wajibu kwa Dola kupitisha hukmu ambazo kwazo Dola, yaani Khalifa, wali na mahakimu, wanawaongoza watu. Hii ni kwa sababu vinginevyo kuhukumu kwa kile alichokiteremsha Allah (swt) kungekuwa si rahisi, na watawala na mahakimu wangekumbwa na tofauti na taqlidi zinazopingana. Hata hivyo, kupitishwa kwa hukmu kunapaswa kutanguliwa na kujifunza somo husika na dalili zake. Kuwaruhusu wali na mahakimu kutawala kwa elimu yao wenyewe kutasababisha kuwepo kwa hukmu tofauti na zinazopingana ndani ya dola moja, hata ndani ya mkoa mmoja, na pia kunaweza kusababisha wao kuhukumu kwa kisichokuwa alichokiteremsha Allah (swt). Kwa hiyo, kwa kuwa ujinga wa Uislamu umeenea siku hizi, ni wajibu kwa Dola ya Kiislamu kuchukua baadhi ya kanuni zinazohusu miamala na adhabu tu, bila kuchukua zile zinazohusu ‘aqeedah na ‘ibadaat. Kuchukua huku kunapaswa kuwa jumuishi kwa kanuni zote, ili kupanga mambo ya dola na kuendesha mambo yote ya Waislamu kwa mujibu wa kanuni za Allah (swt). Dola inapochukua kanuni na kuanzisha katiba na sheria, lazima ijizuie kabisa kwa Ahkam Shar‘iyyah. Haipaswi kuchukua, wala hata kusoma, chochote kingine isipokuwa Ahkam Shar‘iyyah, iwe kinakubaliana na Uislamu au la. Kwa mfano, haipaswi kuchukua utaifishaji wa mali. Badala yake, lazima iweke hukmu ya mali ya umma. Dola inapaswa kujizuia kwa Ahkam Shar‘iyyah katika kila jambo linalohusiana na fikra (fikrah) na mbinu (tareeqah). Lakini kwa kanuni na mifumo isiyohusiana na fikra na mbinu, na hivyo isiyoonyesha mtazamo maalum wa maisha, kama vile kanuni za kiutawala na miundo ya idara n.k., hizo zinachukuliwa kuwa ni njia na mitindo, kama elimu ya sayansi, viwanda na teknolojia, ambavyo dola inaweza kuvichukua ili kusimamia mambo yake, kama ilivyotokea kwa ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) alipoanzisha daftari za jeshi (diwani) zilizochukuliwa kutoka kwa Wajemi. Mambo haya ya kiutawala na kiufundi si sehemu ya katiba wala ya Ahkam Shar‘iyyah, na kwa hiyo hayajumuishwi katika katiba. Hivyo, wajibu wa Dola ya Kiislamu ni kuhakikisha kwamba katiba yake ni Ahkam Shar‘iyyah, yaani, katiba na sheria zake ziwe za Kiislamu. Inapochukua kanuni yoyote, lazima aichukue kwa msingi wa nguvu ya dalili ya kishari‘ah, pamoja na ufahamu sahihi wa jambo husika. Kwa hiyo, kwanza lazima ichunguze tatizo ili kulielewa, kwa sababu kuelewa tatizo ni jambo la msingi. Ni lazima ichunguze hukmu ya kisheria inayohusiana na tatizo hilo. Kisha ni lazima ichunguze dalili ya hukmu hiyo ya kisheria. Dola kisha inapitisha kanuni hiyo, kwa msingi wa nguvu ya dalili, kwa sharti kwamba hukmu hizi za Kishariah zinakubaliwa either kutoka kwa maoni ya mmoja wa mujtahidi - baada ya kuchunguza dalili na kuhakikisha nguvu yake - au kupitia ijtihadi ya kishariah, hata katika suala moja moja, kutoka Qur'an na Sunnah, ijmaa' ya Maswahaba, au qiyas. Hivyo, kwa mfano, ikiwa Dola ingetaka kupitisha kukataza bima ya bidhaa, kwanza ni lazima ielewe asili ya bima ya bidhaa. Ni lazima ichunguze njia za umiliki. Sheria ya Allah (swt) kuhusu mali ingetumika juu ya bima, na hii baadaye ingepitishwa kuwa Hukmu ya Kishariah katika suala hili. Kwa hiyo, inapaswa kuwepo utangulizi wa katiba na kila kanuni unaoeleza wazi madhehebu ambayo kila ibara imetolewa, pamoja na dalili iliyotegemewa. Ikiwa ibara imetolewa kwa ijtihadi sahihi, ni lazima kutolewe maelezo ya dalili ambayo ibara hiyo imetokana nayo, ili Waislamu wajue kwamba kanuni ambazo Dola imepitisha katika katiba na kanuni ni Hukmu za Kishariah zilizofikiwa kwa ijtihadi sahihi. Hii ni kwa sababu Waislamu hawalazimiki kutii sheria za Dola isipokuwa ikiwa ni Hukmu za Kishariah zilizopitishwa na Dola. Kwa msingi huu, Dola inapitisha Hukmu za Kishariah katika mfumo wa katiba na kanuni ili kuwaongoza watu wanaoshikilia uraia wake.

Kama mfano, tunaweka mikononi mwa Waislamu rasimu ya katiba ya Dola ya Kiislamu katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu, ili isomwe na Waislamu wakati wakifanya kazi ya kuanzisha Dola ya Kiislamu itakayobeba da'wah ya Kiislamu kwa ulimwengu. Inapaswa kuzingatiwa kwamba katiba hii haikusudiwi kwa nchi fulani wala haikusudiwi kuwa mahsusi kwa eneo au nchi yoyote, bali kwa Dola ya Kiislamu katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu.

As an illustration of this, we place in the hands of Muslims a draft constitution for the Islamic State in the Islamic world, to be studied by Muslims while they are working to establish the Islamic State that will carry the Islamic da'wah to the world. It should be noticed that this constitution is not meant for a particular country or intended to be specific to any region or country but for the Islamic State in the Islamic world.