After the decision of Indonesian secular regime to remove the license of Hizb ut Tahrir / Indonesia on 19 July 2017 thus preventing the party from carrying out the Islamic Dawah work, on the pretext that the party has worked and still works to establish the Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate), which will threaten the national state and remove it from existence. However, their serious attempts to criminalize the Khilafah as part of Islam – are failed, because the idea of the Khilafah has spread among the people for centuries, and they believed that it is an integral part of their Deen.
As quoted from Seraamedia.org the truth of Khilafah struggle was an integral part of the great history of the Indonesian nation especially between 1924-1927. The research of historical sources suggests that immediately after the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate, a large number of Muslims and their movement leaders involved in the struggle for reestablishment of the Islamic Khilafah that time. Just mention the names such as H.O.S. Tjokroaminoto, K.H. Agus Salim, K.H. Fakhrudin and K.H. Mas Mansur. They are not just national heroes. Moreover, they are important actors of the Khilafah’s struggle at that time. #ReturnTheKhilafah movement even started from early 20th century in Indonesia.
The existence of the history of Indonesian Muslims in the struggle for the Khilafah has been recognized by the historians as well. Deliar Noer in his dissertation, The Modernist Muslim Movement in Indonesia 1900-1942 (Cornell University, 1962), stated that Muslims in Indonesia were not only interested in the issue of the Khilafah, but also felt obliged to discuss and seek solutions. The same tone was also expressed by a Dutch orientalist, Martin van Bruinessen, in his scientific journal entitled Muslim of Dutch East Indies and The Caliphate Question (Studia Islamika, 1995). The Ottoman demolition – followed by the call of al-Azhar clerics to elect a new caliph, and the conquest of Hijaz by Ibn Sa’ud – had gained enormous enthusiasm from the Indonesian Muslims resulting in a massive movement in Indonesia.
The reaction of Muslims at that time was very natural, because the Islamic Khilafah has been part of Indonesian civilization for more than four centuries. Even the implementation of Islamic Sharia has prospered the archipelago for centuries, until the disastrous arrival of European colonialism to this Nusantara Muslims land. Thematic Encyclopedia of the Islamic World published by Ichtiar baru Van Hoeve, Southeast Asia volume, mentioned in its Islam era, the archipelago truly experienced the golden age. The 16th to 18th centuries in the archipelago history was known as the golden age of the Islamic sultanate spread across the archipelago bringing prosperity and prosperity in almost all of its territory.
European colonialism (Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English) then came and caused a destructive impact on Islam in the archipelago. This period is an era of decline and deterioration of the Muslims in the archipelago as a result of the penetration of Western colonialism since the end of the 18th century. The nation’s economy is thriving in the Islamic era, then falling during colonialism penetration in this region. Politically-economic, colonialism led to the economic decline of the Muslims so that the colonial era is also called the era of gloom – the imposition of trade monopoly causes the decline and misery of the people. In the political field of colonialism resulted in the destruction of most of the political entities of the Islamic sultanate.
So #ReturnTheKhilafah campaign is truly an integral part of Indonesian and Malaysian Muslims across Nusantara Muslim lands, as echoed from a century ago. Khilafah is historically proven to bring this region into a golden age and will expel any kind of colonization including this modern democratic secular era, which impose the nation-state platform system dividing Muslims all over the world. Therefore, the Khilafah will unite the Southern Philippine archipelago with the huge territory of Indonesia and Malaysia, and all the lands of Muslims all over the world. The Khilafah will also free the lands of the Muslims in Mindanao, Sulu, Myanmar, Syria, Central Africa and will be a true shield for the honor of the Muslims, including Muslim women and children in all regions of the Khilafah state. Remember the Messenger of Allah, Sallalahu wa Alaihi wa salam, said:
«تكونُ النُّـبُوَّةُ فيكمْ ما شاءَ اللّهُ أنْ تكون، ثمّ يرْفعُها اللّهُ إذا شاءَ أنْ يرْفَعَها. ثـُـمّ تكونُ خِلافةً على مِنهاج النبوَّة، فتكونُ ما شاءَ اللّهُ أنْ تكون، ثـُمّ يرْفعُها إذا شاءَ أنْ يرفعَها. ثـُمّ تكونُ مُلْكاً عاضّاً، فتكونُ ما شاءَ الله أنْ تكونَ، ثـُمّ يرفعُها إذا شاءَ الله أنْ يرفعَها. ثـُـمّ تكونُ مُلْكاً جَبريَّةً، فتكونُ ما شاءَ الله أنْ تكونَ، ثـُـمّ يرفعُها إذا شاءَ أنْ يرفعَها. ثـُـمّ تكونُ خِـلافةً على مِنهـاج النُّـبُوَّة، ثم سكت» أخرجه أحمد.
“The Prophethood will be among you as long as Allah wills, then he will eliminate it if he so wills. Then a Khilafah on the model of Prophethood will prevail so long as Allah wills, then he will eliminate it if he so wills. Then there will be a biting monarchy as long as Allah wills, then he will eliminate it if he so wills. Then there will be an oppressive rule as long as Allah wills, then he will eliminate it if he so wills. Then a Khilafah on the way of Prophethood will prevail and he kept silent.” [Musnad of Imam Ahmad].
Fika Komara
Member of Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir