Various Q&A on Muslim Villages

1. What kind of regulatory rules do you have in a Muslim village? 

Fundamentally, the village must be under the leadership of an Ameer. He must be a leader, not nominally but functionally, who the residents must have accepted as a leader. He must have with him men who have knowledge of the Deen and the modern world (ulama who understand the times and modern challenges of the people of the country). Culture of the country and the people must be respected, unless such culture is in open violation of the shari'ah. The Ameer or whatever else you call that leader whose leadership is fully trusted by the residents, will set the rules of the village based on the teachings of the Deen, guided by the men of knowledge around him. 

2. What is the minimum and maximum population of the village?

It should be small. What number of families it should not exceed depends on the location and the challenges of that region. There should be at least 3 families, because of the barakah of the number 3 that makes a jamaa'ah, and perhaps not exceeding 20 families. However, I have been in discussions of Muslim village projects where a possibility of 200 families have also been discussed. While 200 families will be a good number to have a strong foundation for a local economy, I do find it necessary for the Muslim village to have an economy at all. It can function solely on waqf for example, without much of economic decisions being made. There may not necessarily be a market place at all. The Muslim village can solely be a foundation for guilds to grow (as opposed to a market place). This is also a common model found in historical Muslim communities in Ottoman Turkey and the Ribats of the Maghrib.  

3. What is the communication limits we should have to the cities?

Communication could be centralised. A centralised Internet centre, a centralised telephone booth, etc. Small trade relations could be established with the cities for just income (not necessarily an economy). The guilds for example, could supply products (not necessarily produce) manufactured in the village. For example, if we have enough trees, we could have guilds to produce timber and supply timber to perhaps just one construction company in the city. Or we could have a guild producing textiles to supply to a few textile businesses in the cities. Through trade, we could teach Islam. These are not my wild imaginations, but actual traditional rural establishments still found today in the world in places like Indonesia and India.  

4. What are the major professions that should be in the village?

Guilds in my opinion is one. It depends on our creativity. What professions should NOT be in the village is the right question. If we are able to establish that, then everything else could be an option.