Alhamdullilah, as Muslims, we feel blessed that we have been honoured with Islam. Islam is what gives meaning to this life and informs us of its purpose. It helps us achieve tranquillity and happiness and it also guides us in dealing with the difficult aspects of life.
Allah (swt) reveals the blessing of Islam in the following verse:
(ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمَ دِينٗاۚ)
“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Surah Al-Maa’idah, 5:3]
But the Islam that we know today is only a fraction of the blessing which is spoken about in the above verse. Some who read this might not have ever heard about the complete ruling system that exists within Islam. Or they might have not heard the true meaning of Khilafah (Caliphate) and how it is essential to regain the true blessing which Allah (swt) honoured us with.
The reason why many within the Ummah are unaware of the completeness of Islam is because the enemies of Islam made this an important goal to be achieved. This was stated openly by the British Foreign Minister Lord Curzon when he stated the following: “We must put an end to anything which brings about any Islamic unity between the sons of the Muslims. As we have already succeeded in finishing off the Caliphate, so we must ensure that there will never arise again unity for the Muslims, whether it be intellectual or cultural unity.”
Keeping this goal in mind, it is no wonder that the generations after the fall of the Khilafah hardly understand what it entails, let alone understand that the Khilafah is the answer to the many problems within the world generally and in the Muslim world in particularly.
The mechanism through which we live Islam in every aspect of our lives is the Khilafah ruling system. This is the same Khilafah ruling system that the Khulafa Rashideen implemented and the same one which existed during the Golden age of Islam, right up until 3rd March 1924, when the last Ottoman Caliph, Sultan Abdul Majed II was deposed of his position. On this day, with the absence of the ruling system, the Sharia of Allah (swt), His Blessing, ceased to be implemented in society.
To revive the importance of the complete ruling system within the Ummah, it is important to share some of the evidences informing us of this obligation.
(إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِمَآ أَرَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ) “Indeed, we have revealed to you the book with the truth so that you may rule between mankind by that which Allah has shown you…” [TMQ 4:105].
(وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ) “…Whosoever does not rule by that which Allah has revealed, they are disbelievers (Kafiroon)…..the thaalimoon (oppressors)….the fasiqoon (evil doers)” [TMQ 5:44-47]
These ayaat (versus) of Qur’an, and many others, prove beyond doubt the obligation of ruling by what Allah has revealed, thus proving the obligation of the return of the Khilafah. Also in the ahadith, we find many evidences speaking about the necessity of Khulafaa. Imam Muslim narrated from Abu Hazim who said, ‘I was with Abu Hurairah for five years and I heard him narrate from the Prophet (saw) that he said:
«كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ، كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَسَيَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُونَ. قَالُوا فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا قَالَ فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ، أَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ»
“The Prophets used to rule Bani Israel. Whenever a prophet died another prophet succeeded him, but there will be no prophets after me; instead there will be Khulafaa’ (Khalifahs) and they will number many.” They asked: what then do you order us? He said: “fulfil allegiance to them one after the other. Give them their dues. Verily Allah will ask them about what he entrusted them with.”
Imam Muslim narrated from Abdullah bin ‘Umar who said that the Prophet (saw) said:
«مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَيْسَ فِي عُنُقِهِ بَيْعَةٌ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً»
“One who dies without having bound himself by an oath of allegiance (to a Khalifah) will die the death of one belonging to the days of ignorance (Jahiliyah)”.
Saying of the Sahaba (ra):
Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (ra) said “The people in the Ummah will not suffer even if they were oppressors and sinful if the rulers were guided and were guiding. But the people in the Ummah will suffer and perish even if they were guided and were guiding if the rulers were oppressors and sinful”. (Abu Nu’aim narrated in ‘Hulayat Awliyyah.)
Sayings of the ulemaa:
Imam al-Qurturbi (ra) also said, “The Khilafah is the pillar upon which other pillars rest.”
Imaam al-Ghazali (ra), when writing of the potential consequences of losing the Khilafah, said, “The judges will be suspended, the Wilayaat (provinces) will be nullified… the decrees of those in authority will not be executed and all the people will be on the verge of Haraam.”
In conclusion, we cannot truly experience the blessing of Islam without the ruling system of Islam in place in the form of the Khilafah. Will we allow the enemies of Islam to be successful in taking away the Khilafah, erasing its history and preventing its return or will we acknowledge its importance by taking heed of the many Islamic evidences and work for its revival?
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Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Yasmin Malik
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir