Participating in elections has frequently been a bone of contention within the Muslim community.

With the 2010 General Election rapidly approaching, one feels that some Islamic guidance is required.

To vote in the general election is not just to elect an individual to Parliament. It is to participate in a man-made electoral system which is not based on the principles found in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Therefore the gut reaction of any Muslim scholar would be to consider such a system to be against Islam, for the right of legislation belongs only to our Creator, the Almighty.

But is this gut reaction the only consideration to make before declaring the entire process haram?

Historical rulings forbidding taking part in a non Muslim political process are not at all applicable to us today in Britain, given the State protects our individual rights to worship, own property and be treated equally with non-Muslims.

Contemporary scholars, in addition to considering historical rulings to be inapplicable, have considered voting to be permissible owing to three main factors.

Firstly is the principle, that if a person is presented with two evils and has no choice but to perform one of them, then he wards off the greater evil (or haram) even if it means performing a lesser evil (or haram).

Secondly, that to enjoin good and forbid evil is an intrinsic part of Faith, and is one of the greatest communal obligations in Islam, as Allah says, "You are the best nation ever to be brought forth for people. You enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and you believe in Allah." (ale-‘Imran, 110) Based upon this, it is mandatory that every Muslim actively work towards changing the evil in his or her life. Undoubtedly, if we have the ability to discourage the harmful policies of some MP’s, this becomes important. Likewise, blocking the BNP and other similar parties at the local level is an obligation on the Muslim community.

Thirdly, some scholars point to the practice of Prophet Yusuf ('alayhis salam), as documented in the Quran, who accepted a ministerial position in a government that was ruling by laws other than the Law of Allah in order to achieve the greater good.

Accordingly, the vast majority of contemporary scholars have ruled voting to be not only Islamically permissible, but indeed virtuous. Moreover, some scholars have gone further and considered it to be an Islamic obligation to vote.

To recap, the rationale behind these rulings is, given that we as law-abiding Muslims have chosen to live in Britain, and given that the electoral process and governmental system has a profound impact upon our lives, it is important to influence this process as much as we can so that beneficial policies are encouraged and harmful policies discouraged.

Consequently the person who votes with this intention is one who will be rewarded for his action.

Once this perspective is accepted, other dilemmas present themselves. Will my individual vote make one jot of difference and how do I decide exactly which party or candidate to vote for?

These crucial questions require careful analysis and thought and will be tackled via a subsequent article.

Let us conclude by restating that the forthcoming general election is highly likely to be one of the closest in living memory, and in such circumstances, the outcome of a few dozen seats which depend on the Muslim vote, may prove crucial in determining the overall winner.

Sheikh Abu Eesa Niamatullah is an adviser to ‘Get Out & Vote!’ www.getoutandvote.info