Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Public / Politics / Difference Between Shura and Democracy

Difference Between Shura and Democracy

July 23, 2013 Posted by Admin

Shura vs Democracy
 

Democracy is a system of governance that is made up of elected or nominated representatives of the people. Democracy is very popular around the world and is an accepted form of governance across societies and cultures. Shura is a word that means consultation and deliberation. It is an Arabic word that describes a process of decision making in Islam. The manner in which the word is described and explained makes it very similar to the concept of democracy. However, many remain confused between Shura and democracy on account of literal meanings of the two words. This article takes a closer look at the two concepts to come up with their differences.

Democracy

The most basic definition of democracy is that it is a rule by the people, of the people, and for the people. People are allowed to vote for candidates making a choice between several for a single seat in the legislative assembly or the parliament. The chosen representatives raise the voice of the people in the assembly and make laws keeping their interests in mind. Thus, democracy becomes a tool in the hands of the people to govern themselves. The most common forms of democracies in the world are parliamentary and presidential. While USA is a presidential democracy with the President being the highest elected representative of the people, India is the best example of parliamentary form of democracy with the Prime Minister of the ruling party being the leader of the government.

Shura

Shura comes from Arabic where it means extracting honey from hives. The word also has secondary meanings that pertain to deliberation and consultation. If we go by linguistics, Shura is no more than a procedure to make decisions. However, western people get a feeling that Shura is a concept very similar to democracy that is the rule of the people. But Shura has nothing to do with political decision making and nowhere has it been described as compulsory in Muslim systems of governance. It is a mere procedure of decision making, and it can be used at any level and not necessarily by political rulers. Though the word has been described a few times in Quran, Shura is not completely a Muslim concept. It was practiced even before the arrival of Islam.

What is the difference between Shura and Democracy?

• Democracy is purely a western concept and ideal form of governance though, in reality it is never ideal.

• Democracy can be parliamentary or presidential.

• Shura is an Arabic word meaning deliberation or consultation.

• Shura is mentioned in Quran, but it is not purely an Islamic concept as it was in existence, in several tribes even before the arrival of Islam.

• Shura cannot be compared with democracy as it is not a political system or a system of governance.

Related posts:

Difference Between Democracy and RepublicDifference Between Democracy and Republic Difference Between Fascism and Communism and Totalitarianism Direct vs Indirect DemocracyDifference Between Direct and Indirect Democracy Difference Between Democracy and Communism Difference Between Radical and Liberal

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: Democracy, Shura

About the Author: Admin

Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Hapten and Antigen

Difference Between Hapten and Antigen

Difference Between Political Culture and Political Socialization

Difference Between Political Culture and Political Socialization

Difference Between Tourist and Traveler

Difference Between LTE and IMS

Difference Between Hepatitis B and C

Latest Posts

  • What is the Difference Between Lactam and Lactim
  • What is the Difference Between Carbamazepine and Oxcarbazepine
  • What is the Difference Between HTLV 1 and 2
  • What is the Difference Between Bohr Effect and Haldane Effect
  • What is the Difference Between Oxybenzone and Avobenzone
  • What is the Difference Between Flakiness Index and Elongation Index
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.