O Muslims, the Destruction of the Khilafah, Our Shield, is a Painful Reminder of the Urgent Need to Re-Establish It

The Messenger of Allah (saw) conveyed to his Ummah that ,

«إِنَّمَا الْإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ يُقَاتَلُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ وَيُتَّقَى بِهِ» “Indeed, the Imam (Khaleefah) is a shield, from behind whom you fight and by whom you are protected.” (Muslim).

O Muslims, what to say of the loss of our shield, the Khilafah, on 28 Rajab 1342 AH, corresponding to 3rd March 1924 CE?!

After the destruction of our unifying Khilafah, the Western colonialists did not desist in their centuries of crusader hostility. They carved up states from within states, such that we feel the full pain of the divide et impera (divide and conquer) policy of the Westerners.

Despite our vast numbers, due to the absence of the Khilafah to shield us, enemy nations attacked us, just as we were warned by the Messenger of Allah (saw),

«يُوشِكُ الأُمَمُ أنْ تَدَاعَى عَليْكُم كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأكَلَةُ إلَى قَصْعَتِهَا»

“The nations will fall upon you, inviting others just like the guests invited to a meal.” They asked, “Will we be few in numbers on that day?” He (saw) replied,

«بَلْ أنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَكِنّكُمْ غُثَاءُ كَغُثَاءِ السّيْلِ، وَلَيَنْزِعَنّ اللّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوكُمْ المَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ، وَلَيَقْذِفَنّ اللّهُ في قُلُوبِكُم الَوَهْنَ»

“No you will be many, but you will be like the froth on the waters. Allah will remove fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and He will cast Wahan in your hearts.” They asked, “What is Wahan, O RasulAllah?” He (saw) replied,

«حُبّ الدّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ المَوْتِ» “Love of life and fear of death.” (Abu Daud).

Without our shield, the Khilafah, our lands are occupied and our people are martyred, despite us having over three million soldiers. We starve, despite having the world’s best resources under our feet. Misguidance rains down upon our children and families, even though we carry the one true Deen in our hearts!

O Muslims, indeed, the Khilafah did not fall without a reaction from our forefathers!

The destruction of the Khilafah shook the Muslim elite of the Indian Subcontinent, even though it was occupied by the British at the time. Iqbal read “Jawab-e-Shikwa (Answer to the Complaint)” in the Bhadshahi Masjid of Lahore, in November 1912, in order to raise funds for the Khilafah. Shaukat Ali and Muhammad Ali Johar from Utter Pradesh began efforts to mobilize the Muslims for support of the Khilafah, in the Tehreek e Khilafat (Khilafah Movement).

The Muslims condemned the traitors amongst the Arabs, who rebelled against the Khilafah. After the Arab nationalist traitor, Sharif Hussain, fought the Uthmani Khilafah, in June 1916, demonstrations took place all over the Indian Subcontinent against his rebellion. On 26 June 1916, a resolution was passed in Lucknow condemning the “outrageous conduct” of Hussain. After the occupation of the Khilafah, a fatwa was circulated in Occupied India, in February 1919, which declared that the appointment of an Imam or Khaleefah was obligatory.

The Muslims were restless when the traitors amongst the Turks abolished the Khilafah, on 3 March 1924. On 9 March 1924, Muslims of Occupied India convened to organize events, for the retention of the Khilafah. They issued a telegram warning that the abolition of the Khilafah “would open the door to the mischievous ambitions.” A circular was issued demanding that the deposed Khaleefah’s name, Abdul-Majeed, is mentioned in the Friday prayers.

This is how our noble forefathers were, as they saw the Khilafah fall. So how must we be, when it has been over a Hijri century, since the Khilafah has fallen?

O Muslims, we are sinful, unless we are working to re-establish the Khilafah!

It is not allowed for us to be without a Khaleefah, ruling us by all that Allah (swt) has revealed. Allah (swt) said,

(وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَـفِرُونَ) “And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers.” [TMQ Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:44]

Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) commented, من جحد ما أنزل الله فقد كفر ومن أقر به ولم يحكم فهو ظالم فاسق “Whoever rejects what Allah has revealed, will have committed Kufr, and whoever accepts what Allah has revealed, but did not rule by it, is a Zalim (unjust) and a Fasiq (rebellious) and a sinner.” [Narrated by Ibn Jarir]

Appointing the Khalifah becomes obligatory (fard) upon us, from the moment that the previous Khalifah dies, or is removed. Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said,

«كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ، كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَسَيَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَيَكْثُرُونَ، قَالُوا: فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا؟ قَالَ: فُوا بِبَيْعَةِ الأَوَّلِ فَالأَوَّلِ، أَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ»

“Banu Isra'il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no Prophet and there will be Khulafa'a and they will be quite large in number. His Companions said: What do you order us to do (in case of more than one Caliph)? He said: The one to whom allegiance is sworn first has a supremacy over the others. Concede to them their due rights (i. e. obey them). Allah will question them about the subjects whom He had entrusted to them.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

The Ijma’a of the Companions (ra) conveys to us the command of the Messenger of Allah (saw), O Muslims. By this Ijma’a, it is established that it is not allowed for us to be without a Bayah to a Khaleefah, for more than three days and their nights. Al-Bukhari reported through Al-Miswar Bin Makhramah who said: طَرَقَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بَعْدَ هَجْعٍ مِنْ اللَّيْلِ، فَضَرَبَ الْبَابَ حَتَّى اسْـتَـيْقَظْتُ، فَقَالَ أَرَاكَ نَائِمًا، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا اكْتَحَلْتُ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ بِكَبِيرِ نَوْمٍ “Abdur-Rahman called on me after a portion of the night had passed and knocked on my door till I got up, and he said to me, “I see you have been sleeping! By Allah, during the last three nights I have not slept enough.”

It has been over a Hijri century, not only three days and three nights, without us fulfilling the obligation of the Khilafah. So are we not late to join the work to re-establish it?!

O Muslims, we must re-establish the Khilafah (Caliphate), so we are ruled by all that Allah (swt) has revealed!

The Khaleefah neither rules by his own personal opinion, nor the consensus opinion of an assembly. He rules according to the Noble Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah. He is subject to the Law of Allah (swt) in any dispute with those he rules. Allah (swt) said,

(فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ)

“And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day.” [Surah an-Nisa’a 4:59]

The First Khaleefah Rashid, Abu Bakr as-Sadiq (ra), secured the rights of the weak, by ruling according to Islam. He (ra) declared, وَالضّعِيفُ فِيكُمْ قَوِيّ عِنْدِي حَتّى أُرِيحَ عَلَيْهِ حَقّهُ إنْ شَاءَ اللهُ, وَالقَوِيّ فِيكُمْ ضَعِيفٌ عِنْدِي حَتّى آخُذَ الحَقّ مِنْهُ إنْ شَاءَ اللهُ “The weak amongst you is strong before me till I return to him his right, Allah willing, and the strong amongst you is weak before me till I take the right from him Allah willing.”

The Second Khaleefah Rashid, Umar al-Farooq (ra), took back his order, when he was corrected by a single woman, on the basis of Islamic evidence. He (ra) declared, إِنَّ امْرَأَةً خَاصَمَتْ عُمَرَ فَخَصَمَتْهُ “Indeed, a woman has disputed with Umar, and she is in the right in the dispute, over him.”

It has been over a hundred Hijri years that the Islamic Ummah has been ruled by other than all that Allah (swt) has revealed. How can we be silent and motionless over the continued neglect of our Deen?

O Muslims, the Khilafah was a shield for non-Muslims, so what of the Muslims?!

Immediately, after the Sword of Allah, Khalid Ibn al-Walid (ra), had opened al-Hira in southern Iraq, he (ra) wrote a letter to the Khaleefah Abu Bakr (ra). He told him how he had implemented the Jizyah tax, but had exempted non-Muslims who were poor, old and handicapped, saying, طُرِحَتْ جزيتُه وعيلَ من بيت مال المسلمين وعياله “Exempted of Jizyah, he will be enriched of the Bayt ul Maal of Muslims, along with his family.”

The Khilafah of Umar al-Farooq announced that the Jizyah was to be given back to the non-Muslim citizens, because it was unable to ensure their protection from the Roman army. However, instead of siding with the Roman Christians, the Christians of the Khilafah declared,رَدَّكُمُ اللهُ إلينا، ولَعَنَ اللهُ الذين كانوا يملكوننا من الروم، ولكن والله لو كانوا هم علينا ما ردُّوا علينا، ولكن غصبونا، وأخذوا ما قدَرُوا عليه من أموالنا، لَوِلايتُكُم وعدلُكم أحبُّ إلينا مما كنا فيه من الظلم والغُشْم" “May Allah return you to us safely. Allah curse those who dominated us from Rome. By Allah, had they been over us, they would not have returned to us. They would have robbed us and taken what they could from our wealth. Indeed, your guardianship and justice is more beloved to us, than the oppression and misery were under.”

Upon learning about the oppressive expulsion of Jews from Spain, the Khilafah of Sultan Bayezid II dispatched its navy to bring the Jews safely to the lands of the Khilafah State, mainly to the cities of Thessaloniki and İzmir. The Khaleefah declared regarding the occupier of Spain, “You venture to call Ferdinand “the Wise” yet he who has impoverished his own country and enriched mine!”

In the thirteen centuries of the Khilafah, the non-Muslims were protected by its shield. Yet, today, without this shield, the Islamic Ummah is defenseless, for over a Hijri century. Is it not high time we restored our shield, O Muslims?

O Muslims, working to re-establish the Khilafah is an obligation upon us, whilst the Nasr (Victory) is in the Hand of Allah (swt) alone!

Allah (swt) said,

(وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَىٰ لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا ۚ يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ)

“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will certainly make them successors in the land, as He did with those before them; and will surely establish for them their faith which He has chosen for them; and will indeed change their fear into security, provided that they worship Me, associating nothing with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this promise, it is they who will be the rebellious.” [Surah An-Noor 24:55].

Ibn Kathir commented in his Tafsir, هذا وعد من الله لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم . بأنه سيجعل أمته خلفاء الأرض ، أي : أئمة الناس والولاة عليهم ، وبهم تصلح البلاد ، وتخضع لهم العباد ، وليبدلن بعد خوفهم من الناس أمنا وحكما فيهم “this is a promise from Allah (swt) to His Messenger (saw) that He would cause his Ummah to become successors on earth, i.e., they would become the leaders and rulers of humankind, through whom He would reform the world and to whom people would submit, so that they would have in exchange a safe security after their fear.”

Thus, Allah (swt) promised to grant us Nasr (Victory) if we obey Him (swt), whilst the Messenger of Allah (saw) gave us glad tidings of the return of the Khilafah, after the rule of oppression. He (saw) said,

«ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّة»

“Then there will be an oppressive rule, and things will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then, Allah will end it when He wishes. Then there will be a Khilafah according to the method of Prophethood.” After this speech, then, he (saw) fell silent.

After understanding the promise of Allah (swt) and glad tidings of the Prophet (saw), does it not encourage us to shake off any apathy or hopelessness, fulfilling our obligations, without hesitation or neglect?!

O Muslims, let us work to re-establish the Khilafah, until Allah (swt) restores ruling by all that He (swt) revealed.

Indeed, the Prophet (saw) and his Blessed Companions (ra) bore great hardship at the hands of tyrants, to ensure the ruling by all that Allah (swt) has revealed. When he (saw) was asked by his uncle to desist, he (saw) replied,

«يَا عَمّ ، وَاَللّهِ لَوْ وَضَعُوا الشّمْسَ فِي يَمِينِي ، وَالْقَمَرَ فِي يَسَارِي عَلَى أَنْ أَتْرُكَ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ حَتّى يُظْهِرَهُ اللّهُ أَوْ أَهْلِكَ فِيهِ مَا تَرَكْتُهُ»

“O, Uncle!, by Allah, even if they placed the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left, I will not abandon this work until either Allah makes this Deen the dominant one or I perish on this path.” Thus, the best of all generations (ra) believed, worked and sacrificed with the Messenger (saw), until Allah (swt) granted His Nasr, establishing Islam in authority, within Al-Madinah al-Munawarah.

Inaction over the restoration of the Khilafah has run its course in over one hundred hijri years. The punishments of this world, in terms of suffering and humiliation have reached their peak. One suffering has yet to end, before another starts. Each humiliation only leads to a greater humiliation. O Muslims, the sin of inaction is not an option for anyone who loves Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw). Let us not squander what Allah (swt) has blessed us of health and time. Let us invest it all in the pursuit of the pleasure of Allah (swt). Let us earn admission into His Jannah, in the every lasting Aakhira.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

«نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ»

“Two blessings which many people squander: Good health and free time.” [Bukhari]

Indeed, the lands of Muslims have been darkened by the rule of kufr, disobedience and oppression for far too long. Let each and every one of us fulfill our duty, until the light of Islam shines upon us all again.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Musab Umair – Wilayah Pakistan

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