Humanity's role as steward is not only a deeply moral one but also a society wide one. Meaning that the idea of Khalifah feeds directly into notions of state, society, and politics; hall- marks of international relations. This book compares and contrasts Islamic worldviews and Western theoretical perspectives on international relations to suggest that a combination of the two could lead to a mutually beneficial redefinition of contemporary international relations utilizing Western theoretical tools and incorporating an Islamic perspective. Particular focus is given to the Islamic concept of istikhlaf as an ontological and normative foundation. The reasoning being that all man-made social arrangements on “earth”, as well as international society, should be considered a realm of istikhlaf. This allows for return to an eternal and critical first principle, linking all social roles to this principle, which is that man as designated by the Qur’an, is God’s khalifah or Vicegerent on earth. It’s a statement of great magnitude. This radical approach has required serious engagement with some deeply held assumptions of Western International Relations theory including the subsequent distinction between the causal responsibility of the state on the one hand, and the moral responsibility of statesmen on the other. The result is an ontological terrain in which Islamic actors in international relations are theoretically re-linked to Allah as his Vicegerents, and the structure of modern international society assessed according to the normative foundations of istikhlaf.
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