The bayaa ceremony (al-bayaa) is performed in Islamic societies, as a means to formally endorse the rule a newly-appointed Imam, Sultan or other leader, by a pledge of allegiance. A ceremony is an activity, infused with ritual significance, performed on a certain occasion. ... Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... Imam is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... A sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings muslim monarch ruling under the terms of shariah The title carries moral weight and religious authority, as the rulers role was defined in the Quran. ...

The bayaa origins start with the death of the Prophet Mohammad (circa 7th century) and the public support given to the caliphs who followed him. Muhammad (Arabic محمد, also transliterated Mohammad, Mohammed, and formerly Mahomet, following the Latin) is revered by Muslims as the final prophet of God. ... // Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Syria, Iraq, Persia, North Africa and Central Asia convert to Islam. ... Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalifah, is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ...

During a two-day ceremony, hundreds of clerics, tribal chiefs, military officers, and other prominent citizens pledge their allegiance to the new ruler. Each of these individuals shakes the hand of the new ruler and states "I express my allegiance to you. I hear and obey, except in what would disobey God." A cleric is: A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals; or A member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games. ... Viewed historically or developmentally, a tribe consists of a social formation existing before the development of, or outside of, states. ... Chief can refer to The chief engineer of a naval vessel or anyone with the rank Chief Warrant Officer in the Canadian Forces In heraldry, a chief is a band of colour or metal making up the top (usually the top third or slightly less) of a shield. ... In military organizations, a commissioned officer is a member of the service who derives authority directly from a sovereign power, and as such holds a commission from that power. ... Allegiance is the duty which some think a subject or a citizen owes to the state or to the sovereign of the state to which some think he belongs. ...

The ceremony is meant to be open to all citizens, but rarely is. Some Muslims view this ceremony as a fascade used to maintain a system of hereditary monarchy, whereas the first four post-Mohammad rulers were selected by the citizens (a practice of public consensus called "shura").*1 The word citizen may refer to: A person with a citizenship Citizen Watch Co. ... A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... Shura is an Arabic word for consultation; specifically the duty in Sharia (Islamic law) of the ruler to consult his followers in making decisions. ...

The Koran states that a Muslim who fails to baaya (pledge allegiance) to state authority, will die a death of Jahiliyyah (ignorance, meaning he exists as a non-Muslim as in a state before the advent of the religion of Islam).*2 The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Jahiliyyah is an Islamic concept referring to the spiritual condition of pre-Islamic Arabian society. ...

References

• [1] *Muslim Access - Explanation of Islamic governance.
• [2] *Renaissance.com - "The Political Law Of Islam"

External Links

• Description of the bayaa ceremony honouring King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, 2005