We are witnessing monumental events taking place in the Muslim World. First was the WikiLeaks which exposed the colonialists and their agents and how they are conspiring day and night to impose the dominance of the west in the Muslim lands with assistance of the puppet Muslim rulers such Zardari and his co-operation with US war against the Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan and also like Saleh in Yemen in killing Muslims.
وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَعْلُومٌ
مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ
“We did not destroy any city without it having a set time. No nation can advance its appointed time nor can they delay it.” (Al-Hijr, 15:4-5)
We are witnessing monumental events taking place in the Muslim World. First was the WikiLeaks which exposed the colonialists and their agents and how they are conspiring day and night to impose the dominance of the west in the Muslim lands with assistance of the puppet Muslim rulers such Zardari and his co-operation with US war against the Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan and also like Saleh in Yemen in killing Muslims. Then the Jasmine revolution in Tunisia, where the brave Muslims ousted President Ben Ali, who fled the country like a coward! Then came the Palestinians papers exposing the PLO for their treachery, assisting the Zionist in killing Muslims and willing to surrender Al-Aqsa to the Zionists. They have plotted and continue to plan and now Allah سبحانه وتعالى has exposed their plots for all to see.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says,
وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ
“They plotted and Allah plotted. But Allah is the best of plotters.” (Al-Imran, 3:54)
Fear No More!
For a while we thought we can’t bring about political change, because the regimes have created atmosphere of fear and intimidation using the police, judiciary and the army and anybody dared to challenge is harassed, jailed and even killed. This created a climate of fear, and no one dared to speak out and challenge these tyrants. Now the barrier of fear has been broken, the Muslims have shown in Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Algeria and now in Egypt, the Muslims have found courage and began to challenge the tyrants and demand their downfall! This development is major milestone in the Muslims world and its quest for revival, the Muslims have realised that the power it possesses, when we collectively undertake political actions for change. The Muslim Ummah is now demanding end to tyrant rulers, western interference, end to poverty, police brutality and oppression. This feeling has been building over the years and now it is reaching boiling point!
Hijacking the revolution
What is very clear from the uprising in Tunisia and Egypt is that ummah wants change and is capable of bringing about change. However, the west governments and their media is portraying this call for change to be secular and democratic change in the Muslim world and claiming that it is a victory for the kufr system and ideology. Slogans such as ‘Democracy’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Human Rights’ and other western slogans should be understood how Muslims understand them in the Muslims in the Muslim world. The Muslims do not understand them in the ideological sense as in the west but rather they used as to express the injustices experience by them in face of the tyrant regimes.
Democracy – When Muslims call for Democracy they don’t mean sovereignty to man over sovereignty over sharia, rather than mean the Muslims should appoint their own leaders and not imposed upon them by the west like Mubarak over the last 30 years.
Freedom – The call for freedom is a reaction against the state brutality against anyone opposing the regime, and being imprisoned and killed as a result. Muslims are not calling for freedom in the western sense of the term, where our prophet can be abused in the name of freedom of speech.
Human Rights – Call for human rights is a reaction to the police state in the Muslim world, where Muslims are falsely accused, harassed, spied upon and tortured.
Moreover, the Muslim Ummah is an Islamic Ummah and motivated by the aqeedah and a desire to live by Islam which has been shown surveys after surveys that they seek role of Islam in politics, implementation of the sharia, unity of the Muslim lands etc.
Although it is good news that Muslim ummah are moving towards taking control of their own affairs, but there is real danger that emotions and momentum for change will be hijacked by the regimes and the western powers by making cosmetic changes such changing the face of the regimes and making minor concessions and partial policy changes to relief poverty. To offset against this risk we must realise four points:
1. Radical Change – The changes that is required is not reform, change of faces, policies – this will only sap the energy of the Muslims and the efforts and sacrifices of the Muslims will be put to waste. Also just prolong the life of these regimes and kufr systems. The change must be radical – must remove the regimes and the kufr system.
2. Public Opinion for Islam – The Muslim Ummah must articulate clearly and create a strong public opinion for the Islamic system as the alternative system that will provide dignity, justice, decent living and peace. This requires that Ummah has deep knowledge of the systems of Islam as a solution the contemporary problems in the Muslim world.
Khilafah / Democracy – Instead of calling for Democracy, the Muslim Ummah must call for the Khilafah, which gives them the right to appoint their leader through the process of baya to the Khaleefah. Islam has detailed the process – it is done via the Majlis al-Ummah to short list the candidates and appoint one of them, like the Khulfah Rashida.
Accountability / Freedom – Rather than calling for freedom as a basis the Islamic system has detailed the ways in which the Muslims can account their rulers on the basis of Islam. In Islam accounting the ruler is fard not just a civic right. Accounting rulers is one of the most important duties in Islam and it’s considered the best of Jihad.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said,
أفضل الجهاد كلمة حق عند سلطان جائر
“The best jihad is to say the work of truth a tyrant ruler.”
This duty is performed by the Majlis Al-Ummah, Islamic Political parties and individuals and an independent media.
The Islamic state does not torture, based on due process and respects the privacy of all the citizens.
Torture is prohibited
Torture of anyone in the Khilafah is prohibited regardless of any benefit it may bring, such as intelligence information. The Khilafah does not lower itself to the despicable behaviour of the Americans and Israelis and their ‘state sanctioned’ torture methods. Muslim narrated from Hisham b. Hakeem, who said:
‘I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم say: “Allah will punish those who punish the people in the Dunya.”‘
Judicial Process
Arbitrary arrest and detention without trial is forbidden in the Khilafah. The legal principle of habeas corpus exists where anyone arrested must be brought before a judicial court and their case investigated by a judge (qadi).
“The Messenger of Allah has ordered that the two disputing parties should sit before a judge.”
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a shari’ah court.
Private/Public Sphere
The sanctity of someone’s home in the Khilafah cannot be violated by spying on them.
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “He who peeps into some people’s house without their permission, it is allowed for them to gouge out his eye.”
Also Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Holy Qur’an:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا
“O you who believe, avoid most suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is a crime. And do not spy.” (Al-Hujraat, 49:12)
Allah سبحانه وتعالى prohibited spying in this verse when He سبحانه وتعالى said – “do not spy.”
These ahkham (rules) are the solution the problems that we face which lead to tranquility and progress in society. And we as the youth must study and carry this message to the Ummah.
3. Political Awareness.
The Muslim Ummah should develop strong political awareness so that we do not fall into the political traps of US and her allies. They will call for reforms and minor changes to placate the sentiments of the Muslims. The US ordered Mubarak to dismiss the cabinet, appoint a vice president, announce reforms all to preserve the regime and her interest in the region which Mubarak serves dutifully like protecting Israel, mediator for the peace process and aid the US against her war against Islam by fighting the dawa carriers.
4. Role of the Army
Finally the events in Tunisia and Egypt have confirmed the effectiveness and truth-fullness of the method of taking power is to seek nusra from the influential people is effective and can deliver change. This is the method of Mohammed سبحانه وتعالى where he sought nusrah from the Aus and Khazraj in the second pledge of Aqabah, so when entered into Medina he entered as a head of state with the most powerful faction backing him.
For years the Muslims thought the Muslims armies are so corrupt and we cannot rely on them to deliver political change, but example of Tunisia and Egypt have shown the Muslim armies will not fire on the masses and will side with the Ummah if there is strong support for a political idea. Therefore, it is possible for the Muslim Ummah to topple the regime if the armies either support the change or even remain silent by allowing the political movement to take power. This means that we have to carry the call of Islam to them and let them resume the role of the Ansar like Aus and Khazraj in giving victory to this Deen.
By following this method to bring about the change, we pray and beg Allah سبحانه وتعالى to fulfill his promise on us, He سبحانه وتعالى says:
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their deen with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. ‘They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.’ Any who are kafir after that, such people are deviators.” (An-Nur, 24:55)