SOVEREIGNTY

• Jean Bodin…“the supreme power of the state over citizens and subjects, unrestrained by law”
• CHARACTERISTICS
PERMANENT
• Sovereignty is permanent and it continues uninterrupted as long as the State exists.
• The death of the king, the overthrow of the government does not affect sovereignty.
• Exclusiveness
• By exclusiveness means that there can not be two sovereigns in one independent state. If two
sovereigns exist in a state, the unity of that state will be destroyed.
• Inalienability:
• The sovereignty of the State cannot be alienated.
• sovereignty can not be transferred to any other body without destroying.
“No sovereignty, no state ”
• Indivisibility
• Sovereignty can not be divided into parts
• “Sovereignty is entire thing, to divide it, is to destroy it.”
• There can not be two sovereign in a state.
• Absoluteness
• Sovereignty is absolute and unlimited. There can be no legal power within the state
superior to it
• Comprehensive
• No one in state above law. No one in state above state. That’s why it is called
comprehensive.
• Kinds of sovereignty
• Internal and external
• Internal sovereignty means that the State is supreme over all its citizens, and
associations.
• External sovereignty means that the state is independent and free from foreign or
outside control.

=> Islamic concept of sovereignty

sovereignty belongs to ALLAH
Man is vicegerent of ALLAH
All laws derived from QURAN and SUNNAH.