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The question of political legitimacy remains a central yet contested issue in contemporary Islamic governance discourse. While classical Sunni jurisprudence affirms the necessity of political authority to preserve religion, social order, and justice, modern analyses often fail to integrate prophetic traditions with emerging frameworks such as Fiqh Watan. This article examines the concept of leadership legitimacy within the framework of Fiqh Watan grounded in the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah (ASWJ) methodology by analysing the meaning and implications of the Prophet’s hadith: “al-Sultan zillulLah fi al-ard.” This hadith constitutes an important foundation in Islamic political theory, affirming that leadership is a divine trust entrusted to uphold justice, security, and the well-being of the people. According to the ASWJ methodology, leadership legitimacy is not limited to political obedience; it is equally anchored in moral authority, justice, and the public interest (maslahah), which form the core of siyasah shar‘iyyah. The Fiqh Watan approach further expands this notion of legitimacy within the context of the modern nation-state, wherein the ruler plays a vital role as the guardian of sovereignty, unity, and social harmony in a multi-religious and multicultural society. This study asserts that the principle of al-sultan zillulLah f? al-ard can serve as a conceptual foundation for developing an Islamic Leadership Legitimacy Model that integrates spiritual values, principles of state ethics, and modern constitutional norms.
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