What If Plato Had Lived in the Time of the Prophet Mohammed pbuh?

A Journey from Imagined Justice to lived Reality. 

By Tajjamul Aly 

Plato, the father of political philosophy, was born in Athens more than 900 years before the Prophet of Islam (PBUH). He lived in a time when Athens was going through deep moral and political decay. The defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War against Sparta and the unjust execution of his teacher, Socrates by Athenian democracy had a deep impact on Plato's mind. Plato was disappointed by what was happening in his city. Athens had become a place of problems and injustice. The unfair execution of his beloved teacher was the turning point when he began to reflect deeply. He couldn't understand how a man who stood for truth , wisdom and moral courage would be condemned by the very society he tried to improve. 

This led him to start asking some critical questions: what is justice? What makes a good government? Who should rule society? What kind of society would be truly fair?

He didn’t just sit quietly, he began to imagine a better world. A place where good people lead with wisdom and care. All these thoughts came together in his famous book "The Republic", where he described his dream of a just and virtuous society.

In The Republic, Plato talks about an "ideal state" ruled by philosopher-kings—wise, virtuous, and selfless leaders who understand the true nature of justice and goodness. He believed only such leaders could bring peace and order to society. He wrote:

“There will be no end to the troubles of states… until philosophers become kings.”

But as time passed, Plato began to realize that such a perfect society was nearly impossible to create in the real world. He moved from the idea of a philosopher-king to the possibility of a second-best, law-based state, a more practical model. Yet, his longing for a truly just society never left him.

Now, imagine if Plato had lived not in ancient Athens, but in 6th-century Arabia, during the lifetime of the Prophet of Islam. What would he have thought then? Perhaps, he would have seen something far closer to the ideal society he had only dreamed of.

This was the man, the prophet of Allah, who rose from the deserts of Arabia and changed the course of history. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established a system in Madinah that was deeply rooted in justice, equality, welfare, and moral integrity. It wasn’t just an idea, it was a living reality. A society where rulers were accountable, where the poor were cared for, and where the leaders lived with humility. Could this have been the very kind of society Plato was longing for? Not only that, but it was even better and more practical than Plato’s ideal state. While Plato’s model remained a distant dream, the Islamic model was implemented on the ground. It touched real lives, protected real rights, and produced real justice. Where Plato imagined virtue, Islam showed virtue in action. This wasn’t just philosophy, it was transformation.

In the 30 years of the Rashidun Caliphate, we see a living example of what Plato only dreamed for, a state ruled not for power, but for the sake of justice and human welfare. Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all) did not rule as kings, but as servants of the people. Caliph Umar Farooq (RA) once said, “If a dog goes hungry on the banks of the Euphrates, Umar will be answerable.” What kind of moral conscience is this, if not what Plato envisioned?

Plato’s ideal state was often criticized and rightly so for ignoring individual freedom and human nature. But the Islamic model avoided such pitfalls. It uplifted not only society as a whole, but also respected the dignity and worth of every individual. The Qur’an declared, “Indeed, We have honored the children of Adam…” (Surah Al-Isra 17:70). Justice wasn’t a selective principle—it applied to all, regardless of status. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once said, “Even if my daughter Fatimah (ra) were to steal, I would cut off her hand” (Sahih al-Bukhari). That was not harshness, it was a declaration that no one stood above the law.

Unlike Plato’s utopia, the Islamic model did not rely on idealism or abstract perfection. It was grounded in reality. It demanded no impossible standard of philosopher-kings. All it asked was taqwa (God-consciousness) along with honesty and a sincere commitment to justice. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his successors ruled not because they were trained in philosophical theory, but because they were the most morally upright, the most humble, and the most accountable. Leadership in Islam was not about intellectual superiority; it was about spiritual responsibility.

And this wasn’t just theory, it was embodied in life. The Prophet (peace be upon him) didn’t just preach justice from a distance; he lived it in the streets of Madinah, in his courtroom, in his home, and even in battle. His leadership was marked by compassion, simplicity, and an unwavering sense of duty. He slept on straw mats while ruling over an empire. His companions gave up the comforts of kingship to walk barefoot for truth and fairness. This was not utopia dreamt in books, this was justice lived in reality.

The society he built was founded on mercy, mutual consultation (shura), and equal rights for all — including non-Muslims. The Qur’an clearly instructed, “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice…” (Surah An-Nisa 4:58). 

In this model, justice was not reserved for the elite; it was a divine command applied without discrimination.

Plato’s ideal state has been criticized for being unrealistic and authoritarian. Critics argue that he ignored human nature, suppressed freedom, and gave too much control to the state. But the Islamic system, in contrast, uplifted both individual dignity and community welfare. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

This shows that leadership is not about authority but about responsibility.

Interestingly, many thinkers in the modern world have recognized this. British historian Montgomery Watt wrote:

“Muhammad (peace be upon him) was both a religious and a political leader… he laid the foundations of a just and moral society.”

Such remarks show that even non-Muslim scholars acknowledge the depth of the Islamic model.

When we compare Plato’s search for justice, order, and virtuous leadership with the system established by Islam, we begin to see a deep connection. While Plato was always seeking an abstract Form of the Good, Islam presented that Good in the form of divine guidance through revelation, the Prophet’s life, and a moral framework that was not only theoretical but practical.

Plato searched for a just order all his life, but he never saw it in his time. If he had witnessed Madinah and the Rashidun Caliphate, perhaps he would’ve finally found peace. Maybe he would have written a different Republic, not of ideas, but of real people. Maybe his search for the “philosopher-king” would’ve ended with the Prophet of Islam.

For what Plato only imagined, Islam brought into being. What he wrote in theory and deeply dreamed in abstractions, the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions lived in flesh and blood. They did not just fulfill Plato’s dreams by showing a virtuous leadership, they actually made a practically ideal state, despite Plato’s own model being seen as utopian and full of flaws. Islam not only brought his vision to life, but offered something even more balanced, real, and justice-driven, morally upright civilization.