Headlines:
- The Finality of the Prophethood Crisis Confirmed it is Time for Khilafah
- The Political Parties of Pakistan Must Commit to Establish Khilafah, not Preserve Democracy
- Islamic Rule Alone will Provide State-of-the-Art Healthcare as a Right of the People
The Finality of the Prophethood Crisis Confirmed it is Time for Khilafah
Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmad of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on 28 November 2017 praised the army for its efforts in defusing the Finality of the Prophethood crisis in Faizabad, a day after Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui lashed out at the military’s role as the mediator between the protesters and the government. The change in the language of the candidates’ declaration form in the Elections Act 2017 about the Finality of the Prophethood enraged religious parties, who launched an agitation against it and insisted that those responsible for this embarrassing act be identified and punished. Though the government has reversed the change, and the sit-in protest has ended after the intervention of the army, the following points are clear.
The change in the Finality of the Prophethood declaration was only possible because of this democratic ruling system which gives man the right to make and change laws according to their whims and desires. Democracy stands against the laws of Allah (swt), which all Muslims are bound to obey. So we must work diligently to abolish the basis of all evils, Democracy, and replace it with the Islamic ruling system of the Khilafah. The crisis also confirmed that the power in Pakistan is in hands of armed forces, which resolved the matter through intervention. It is upon them to prevent future attacks on the Islamic Belief, by giving Nussrah for the re-establishment of the Khilafah (Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood.
And the crisis confirmed that the Muslims of Pakistan are committed to stand firm for Allah (swt) and the beloved RasulAllah ﷺ. Thus, the Muslims must work for real change to re-establish the Khilafah on the Method of the Prophethood, which will implement the Deen of Islam and ensure that the Islamic Belief dominates over the entire world, not just Pakistan. Tameem Ad-Dari reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, «لَيَبْلُغَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ مَا بَلَغَ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَلَا يَتْرُكُ اللَّهُ بَيْتَ مَدَرٍ وَلَا وَبَرٍ إِلَّا أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ هَذَا الدِّينَ بِعِزِّ عَزِيزٍ أَوْ بِذُلِّ ذَلِيلٍ عِزًّا يُعِزُّ اللَّهُ بِهِ الْإِسْلَامَ وَذُلًّا يُذِلُّ اللَّهُ بِهِ الْكُفْرَ» “This matter will certainly reach every place touched by the night and day. Allah will not leave a house or residence except that Allah will cause this religion to enter it, by which the honorable will be honored and the disgraceful will be disgraced. Allah will honor the honorable with Islam and he will disgrace the disgraceful with unbelief.” [Ahmad]
The Political Parties of Pakistan Must Commit to Establish Khilafah, not Preserve Democracy
“We have decided in principle to restore the MMA but its formal announcement will be made in the mid of December after a meeting at the residence of JUP Secretary General Shah Awais Noorani in Karachi,” said Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman while briefing the media after a three-hour meeting of the heads of all component parties at Mansoora on 16 November.
With elections approaching, in Pakistan the season of making and breaking of alliances among various political parties has. Within this political arena, there is prominence been given to the revival of “Mutahida Majlis Aml” (United Council of Action). The alliance of Islamic political parties was first formed before the 2002 general elections. The MMA formed the provisional government of Khyber–Pakhtunkhwa and remained in alliance with the ruling PML-Q in Balochistan. It willingly took power under Democracy, wherein people are ruled by a constitution and laws based on the whims and desires of human beings, which blatantly ignore that which Allah (swt) has ordered and openly embrace that which Allah (swt) has forbidden, even though Allah (swt) said,
وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ
“And judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires, and beware (O Muhammad) that they might seduce you from some of what Allah has sent down to you.”
(Surah Al-Maaida 5:49)
In fact, Western colonialist powers have always endeavoured to invite the religious political parties to enter Democracy, so that it gains acceptance in the eyes of Muslims, throughout the Muslim World. Those who are trying to revive MMA before the 2018 general elections must not fall into this trap. They must openly denounce Democracy, condemn any elections within it and demand the re-establishment of the Khilafah on the Method of the Prophethood. Anything less will never bring any real change, as is clear from the last seven decades. Anything less is a betrayal of the immense sacrifices to establish a state in the name of Islam in August 1947.
Democracy is a system of disobedience and corruption so let us commit fully to our Deen by standing with Hizb ut Tahrir and strive with it to re-establish the Khilafah on the Method of the Prophethood in Pakistan, the Pure, the Good. Allah (swt) said,
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“You are (the) best (of) people raised for all of humankind – enjoining the right and forbidding from the wrong and believing in Allah. And if the People of the Book believed, surely that would have been good for them. Among them (are) [the] believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.”
(Surah Aali Imran 3:110)
Islamic Rule Alone Will Provide State-of-the-Art Healthcare as a Right of the People
A telemedicine project was inaugurated at New Karachi Hospital on 28 November. The pediatric emergency room telemedicine site is supported by Child Life Foundation. Speaking on the occasion, Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho said that telemedicine was the way forward in health sector. “Telemedicine projects will not only help in improving rural healthcare, but also improve quality of care all over Sindh,” Pechuho said. Public-private partnership in health sector will pave the way for the inclusion of state-of-the-art facilities that will provide medical treatment to children in critical condition, he said.
However, increased privatization of the health sector has led to unaffordable health care. According to Dawn news dated 22 November 2017, health costs see sharp increase in Pakistan. Amongst various product categories in the market, medical drugs showed highest price rise in October, amounting to an increase of 15.68% as compared to last year. Medical tests cost increased by 6.23%, clinic fees rose 5.75% year on year. Although Pakistan imports many of its pharmaceutical products due to which local industry is still fighting for its survival under capitalist brand wars. Moreover, the last few months have seen several cases of unavailability of medical attention causing women giving birth outside public hospitals and on roads. For those who happen to enter the hospital premises for their medical needs, they must bear the pain of long waiting and endless queues before they get any attention. On the other hand, we see the rulers of Pakistan enjoying privileges of medical treatment in international hospitals abroad, with their entire focus on their own interests.
Capitalism gives emphasis to freedom of ownership to the detriment of humanitarian concerns. Whilst state hospitals are run into the ground, private hospitals compete with each other, with hefty fees, whilst private pharmaceutical companies make huge profits. The citizens suffer because in state hospitals, he does not receive adequate care, but in private hospitals, he must pay through his nose.
In Islam, it is the right of the people to have health care provided. Hizb ut Tahrir has adopted in its Introduction to the Constitution, “Article 164: The State provides free health care for all, but it does not prevent the use of private medical care or the sale of medicine.” Healthcare is part of the interests and utilities which the people cannot do without and so it is considered to be from the essentials. RasulAllah ﷺ ordered people to take treatment: جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنَتَدَاوَى؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يُنْزِلْ دَاءً إِلاَّ أَنْزَلَ لَهُ شِفَاءً، عَلِمَهُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ وَجَهِلَهُ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ» “A Bedouin came and said: O Messenger of Allah, should I make use of medical treatment? He replied: Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, the one who knows it knows it and the one who is ignorant of it is ignorant of it” (reported by Ahmad from Usama Bin Shareek). This indicates the permissibility of seeking treatment. Through treatment, benefit is gained and harm is prevented, so it is considered to be an interest, and on top of that the clinics and hospitals are a utility which the Muslims use for the sake of seeking treatment and cure, and so healthcare is, therefore, part of the benefits and utilities. The State is obliged to provide the benefits and utilities, because it is part of what the State must practically manage due to the words of the Messenger ﷺ:
«الإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ وَمَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ» “The Imam is a guardian and he is responsible for his subjects” (reported by Al-Bukhari from ‘Abd Allah Bin Umar). This is from the responsibilities of guardianship and for that reason it is obligatory upon the State to ensure it is provided to the people.