What has been known in the modern world as the idea of the ministry has been known in the Muslim world and in Islamic political thought as the wezara, or the vizierate. Since the early days of Islam, Muslim caliphs have appointed trusted men to their side to advise and help them in the affairs of the realm. Due to the importance of this position of authority, Islamic scholars have addressed the aspects associated with the vizierate.
The famous scholar of Islamic political theory, Abu ElHassan ElMawardy, addressed the difference between the authority of the ruler and that of the vizier. The first difference, he mentioned, is that the vizier is obligated to inform the ruler about all he has done with regard to the management of the affairs. The second difference is the right of the ruler to review and revise the actions and the decisions of the vizier, so that he may acknowledge what he sees as right and change what disagrees with the ruler’s judgment.
ElMawardy mentioned that all actions that may be performed by the ruler may also be performed by the vizier except for three:
The ruler may appoint a successor, while this isn’t permissible for the vizier.
The ruler has the right to request to be relieved of his position by the nation, while the vizier, being appointed by the ruler, does not have that right.
The ruler has the right to dismiss someone appointed by the vizier, but the vizier cannot dismiss an appointee of the ruler.
ElMawardi, in his book AlAhkam AlSultaniya, divided the vizierate into two categories:
The vizierate of delegation (wezaret eltafweed) is a position appointed by the Muslim ruler. The ruler delegates the management of the affairs to the appointed vizier to manage according to the vizier’s conscientious judgment and opinion. ElMawardy mentions that the criteria for the vizierate of delegation are the same as that of the selection of the ruler, in addition to the criterion of efficiency in the affairs the vizier will be delegated to manage. He excluded from the criteria of the vizierate of delegation the criterion of lineage (which he listed as the last criterion for the selection of a ruler. The criteria for the selection of a ruler according to ElMawardy are, briefly: 1: Justice, 2: Knowledge for good judgement, 3: Free of defects in the senses, 4: Free of physical defects or deformities that hinder movement, 5: Wisdom and proper opinion, 6: Bravery and courage, 7: Proper lineage.)
The executive vizierate (wezaret eltanfeez) is a position appointed by the ruler to carry out the ruler’s orders and commands. The characteristics of the executive vizierate, according to ElMawardy, are:
- Fidelity
- Honesty
- Limited aspiration
- Good relationship with the people
- Masculinity (the vizier should be a man)
- Intelligence and astuteness
- Frugality (the vizier should not be a person who follows his desires)
ElMawardy differentiates between the rights of the executive vizierate and the vizierate of delegation in the following points. Unlike the executive vizierate, the vizierate of delegation may:
- Directly rule and oversee the implementation of justice.
- Appoint magistrates.
- Manage military units and soldiers.
- Manage the spending of the treasury within the legal limits.
ElMawardy then lists the differences between the criteria for a vizierate of delegation and that of an executive vizierate. Unlike an executive vizierate, the vizierate of delegation must be
- Free (and not a slave).
- A Muslim.
- Aware of shariah rulings.
- Knowledgeable in topics of war and financial expenditure.
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