On 10 May 2023, certain news platforms including text and television reported about detentions of up to 16 Muslims in two cities – Bhopal and Hyderabad. The scandalous allegations attacked Hizb ut Tahrir as a ‘Terrorist’ organization intending to wage ‘Jihad’ against India. References made to ‘unknown’ sources to different intelligence agencies (state and union) including some ‘foreign’ agencies. Possession of printed material of Hizb ut Tahrir books by those detained were made the basis of the allegations. Since then different versions of the allegations have been doing its rounds online, including some linking the 16 Muslims arrested to an ongoing case of Hizb ut Tahrir members in the state of Tamil Nadu. Even eminent news platforms such as India Today or Economic Times of India could not adhere to basic code-of-conduct, that is published on their own websites, and conveniently towed the ‘narrative’ given to them without running a basic fact check about Hizb ut Tahrir! So herein a brief introduction about Caliphate and Hizb ut Tahrir. Hizb ut Tahrir (Party of Liberation) is a political party that works to re-establish Khilafah (Caliphate), Islamic ruling system, in the Muslim world through emulating the example of Prophet (saw) as its methodology.
About Caliphate: The Khilafah system of governance is not an unknown system that the world or the people of India, are ignorant about. India was ruled by this governing system for centuries that ushered India into its golden era; as the Islamic system created security, safety, and prosperity to the extent that India was known as the basket of the world for food. India’s production share was more than 25% of the world’s production. The Caliphate known as Khilafah (in Arabic) is the Islamic Ruling system stipulated, by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh–peace and blessings upon him) himself, as the institution of ruling to continue after the time of Prophet (pbuh) in Medinah where he was the Messenger of Allah and Head of the state. In this institution the Caliph known as Khaleefah (in Arabic) is the elected person to head the Government of all territories governed by the state that includes Muslim and Dhimmi (Non-Muslims citizens). The Caliph has the authority to appoint his assistants (in ruling), judges and also head of various administrative departments or directorates, which he can also delegate. The Caliph also takes an elected consultative body known as Shura (consultative council). It is viewed that the general responsibility to live and apply the Shariah in their lives for Muslims is entrusted collectively as a trust to the Caliph by the Muslims in what is known as Bayah (covenant). The Caliph is expected to implement the Shariah (law ordained in the Quran and Hadith of Prophet). The Shariah rules govern matters of personal and public affairs. Public affairs govern matters of ruling, economy, society and international relations. As for Personal affairs, there is no compulsion in religion and worship and as for personal affairs involving participation of ruling, economy & society they are governed by the Shariah limits.
History of Caliphate: It is an established fact of history that the institution of Caliphate as a Ruling system of the Muslim world started from Medinah after the time of Prophet (pbuh) and continued till 1924 when it was formally abolished by Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Turkey. Broadly speaking, after the first 5 Caliphs who were among the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), the institution remained in the hands of Umayyads (in today’s Syria), Abbasids (in today’s Iraq and Iran), and Uthmanis (in today’s Turkey). The continuation of the Caliphate under a single Caliph is by direct instruction of the Prophet (pbuh) in his ahadith (sayings); with failure to do so deemed a sinful action on the Muslims. There were brief times in history when the unity of the Caliph was disputed only to be settled by later generations. During the colonial expansion of European states as a result of the Industrial revolution in the 19th century, some territories in Africa and Asia came under occupation by the colonial states although resisted throughout by the Caliphate then in Turkey. WW1 saw the Caliphate join Germany in 1914 to fight against Britain and France and after their defeat, territories of the Caliphate were dismembered into various mandates that later became failed states in what is now known as different Muslim major countries in North Africa, Middle East and Asia. In particular reference to India, 1918 (after WW1) to 1924 was a period of immense uncertainty when the question of continuation of Caliphate was a major concern for Muslims throughout the world including India. It was then that famous Khilafat Movement was launched by Muslim leaders such as Ali brothers that even Non-Muslims supported the call. It was during then that Mahatma Gandhi wrote in Young India in June 1921 to defend the Caliphate against all odds even if there were no Musalmaans in India; for his view about the role of Caliphate in removing the colonial injustices was far too obvious. Books about Caliphate and its Shariah rulings has been written throughout the last 1400 years from around the world in so many languages. Today they are routinely available in books stores and online. However, the law of Allah Almighty, which requires the continuation of the struggle between truth and falsehood, made the people of falsehood miss the role of Islam under its state for many centuries of false history that they teach their children, despite the recognition of many fair-minded people in the world that all of humanity is indebted to Islam and its people for the bright change they brought about in people’s lives.
About Hizb-ut-Tahrir: Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation) is a political party formed in 1953 by the eminent scholar, political thinker and judge Sheikh Taqiuddin Nabhani. The Hizb works to create public opinion in the Muslim countries in favor of the Islamic ruling system, the Caliphate, through emulating the example of Prophet (saw). This involves presenting the Islamic solutions to address contemporary problems, political activism and ultimately working for political change in the Muslim countries in a non-violent way. In Muslim non-major countries, the party encourages the Muslim community to be the advocates for Islam and safeguard its Islamic identity. Activism includes studying the Islamic solutions to contemporary economic, social & ruling problems from the Shariah standpoint, appealing to all sections of the people against the injustices of ruling elite, who mostly enjoy the patronage of the colonial states with the view to stifle any form of political revival in the Muslim world. Activism globally is adhered to intellectual means as a Shariah obligation with regards to method for revival of people. Any form of violence by individuals or groups for political change is seen as a violation of the method to revive people. The party has published a draft-constitution based on Shariah principles and made available as a recommendation to the future Caliphate. The opinions and views of the party are fully public, as long as the countries do not restrict the websites or publishers, and there are no different opinions, views or actions of the party to what is publicly stated. The party makes this a condition for its followers, to work with the party. Today the party is present in more than 40 countries including some outside the Muslim world; and since its founding, it has not deviated in its method.
O People! Hizb ut Tahrir is the shepherd (pioneer) that does not lie to its flock (people), and its cause is determined to save humanity from the slavery of capitalism and the degeneration of its morals into the justice of Islam that does not oppress people at all, and it does this noble work without any ajr from people, following the example of the prophets and messengers; headed by the master of creation, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Hizb ut Tahrir doesn’t fears the injustice of the oppressors, and it does not fear the blame of the blamer, and it knows that the Western powers and their agents in the world are working hard to prevent people from searching for a civilized alternative that will save them from the clutches of greed, chaos and secular racism. So this evil force obscures the truth of Islam and the truth of Hizb ut Tahrir that carries this Islam. Rather, they distort its image so that the downtrodden people will not be guided to what is in the hands of the party of great good, and what Hizb ut Tahrir carries is the civilized alternative that saves people from the calamities they are in caused by man-made regimes. So it is obligatory for every honest and impartial savior, whether Muslim or a non-Muslim, a male or a female, a scholar or an aalim, a security man or a lawyer, a lecturer or a professor, to work hard to adopt the great Islam as a way of life and a way of living. Allah (swt) says in His Book,
[هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ]
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although they who associate others with Allah dislike it.” [TMQ 9:33].
Hizb ut Tahrir India
05 Dhul Hijjah 1444 AH – 23 June 2023 CE