The Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyah still exercises the role that was drawn for it since its inception in 1895, if the Fatwa is related to a political matter or a matter that impacts the political reality of the ruling regime, then they are inevitably going to be fatwas that satisfies the Sultan, or if they are requested by him then they will add a spurious legitimacy to his authority, even if that leads to contradiction of the fatwas with each other, for example, a fatwa from the Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyah in 1956 that prohibits the peace with the Jews the usurpers of the land of Palestine unless they return that which was taken and seized by them, and a fatwa from the Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyah in the year 1979 that permits the peace between Egypt and the Jews and what is resulting from that should be seen as accurate.

In a statement issued by the Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyah on Friday, 10/01/2014 CE said, “It is not necessary to call for democratic rule as the rule of the people as a substitute for the rule of Allah; since there is no contradiction between the two,” the Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyah confirmed that “the essence of democracy embodies the principles of political Islam in the selection of a ruler, and the adoption of Shurah (consultation) and advice and the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil and resisting injustice, are from the heart of Islam and are not Kufr or evil as some claim, since Islam preceded democracy in stipulating of the principle bases of the essence of democracy.”

The fatwa was heedless of the true meaning of democracy, in terms of the legislation is by the people they prescribe the Halal and the Haram, the good and the bad, and in terms of not abiding by the Shari’ah rule in the name of freedom. But more than that it considers that there is no contradiction between the rule of the people and the rule of Allah, this is unprecedented, no one previously from those who stood up to the Fatwa of the most declined of ages said this. Because the Dar Al-Ifta Al-Missriyah is well aware that Muslims will not accept democracy in its true meaning; it has resorted to deception by claiming that democracy is the mechanism to elect ruler, and the adoption of the Shurah and advice and the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, and resistance to injustice, so you can observe them in the Fatwa they spin away from the true meaning which is put by its people, from its meaning of sovereignty of the people who prescribe what they want through the opinion of the majority, they decide the Halal and the Haram, the good and the bad. Otherwise how will they get the false legitimacy for their new constitution? Is it not by voting to achieve a majority opinion? Or will the legitimacy be extracted from the Quran and Sunnah? Does democracy not mean that the individual is free in his actions to do whatever he wants, to drink alcohol, to commit adultery, to apostate, to insult and vilify the sanctities under the name of democracy and its freedoms?

This is democracy, this is its reality meaning and truth, and how could a Muslim who believes in Islam dares to say that democracy is permitted, or it is from Islam?

The issue of Ummah choosing its ruler is stipulated in Islam and we are not in need for their alleged democracy for that. Sovereignty in Islam belongs to the Shari’, but the Bay’ah (allegiance) of the people for the Khaleefah is a prerequisite for him to become Khaleefah.

The election of the Khaleefah in Islam was practiced at a time when the world was living in the darkness of dictatorship and tyranny of kings. One who follows how the rightly guided Khulafah: Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman and Ali (ra), notices very clearly how the Bay’ah was given to them by the people of influence (Ahl al-Hal wal-Aq’d) and the representatives of the Muslims, once it is given he becomes a Khalifah and requires the obedience to the Muslims. Abdul Rahman bin Auf (ra) who was given the responsibility to learn the opinion of the representatives of the Muslims (who are people of Medina) He approached them asking all, and pass by many houses, and asked men and women to see which of the candidates they choose for the Khilafah, the opinion was settled in the end on Uthman and he was given the Bay’ah.

Hence, we in Hizb ut Tahrir say that democracy is a system of Kufr, not because it allows election of the ruler, this is not the subject basis, but because the foundation of democracy is to make legislation for humans, not to Allah and Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

إنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ

“The legislation is only for Allah.”

(Yusuf: 40)

فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

“No, by your Lord, they are not believers until they make you their judge in the disputes that break out between them, and then find no resistance within themselves to what you decide and submit themselves completely.”

(An-Nisa: 65)

And the evidence is numerous and famous on the fact that legislation is for Allah alone.

This is in addition to the fact that democracy stipulates because of the personal freedoms, a man and a woman can do whatever they want, without a deterrent of Halal or haram, as well as the religious freedoms that allows apostasy and to switch religion without any restriction, then the freedom of ownership in the strong exploits the weak by all means available, and the rich is richer and the poor is poorer, as well as freedom of opinion, which is not to tell the truth, but it used against the sanctities of the Ummah, they consider those who slander Islam under the pretext of freedom of opinion as geniuses and the shower them with awards.

Although the Fatwa stressed clearly that Islam can be applied in every era and that the early Muslims managed its application in the early times of Islam with the simplicity of the communities and the fewer state functions, as it also enables Muslims of its application with the complexity of communities and increase the functionality of the state, but the Fatwa did not state clearly that Islam must be implemented in this day and age as well as it did not renounce democracy because it is from other than Allah, even if in some parts it coincides with Islam.

In the end, we do not say except what the Lord of Glory in His Holy Book:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإسْلامَ دِينًا

“Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a deen for you.”

(Al-Ma’ida: 3)

Accept that which your Lord approved for you and do not follow the ways of those who came before you religiously (in every inch and arm span) even if they entered a lizard’s hole you enter behind them.

Sharif Zayed

Head of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir Wilayah of Egypt

Sunday, 11 Rabii’ al-Awwal 1435 AH

12/01/2014 CE

No: PR 01/14