Alhamdulillah! Recently, we have witnessed the Ummah in the Muslim lands rise up against tyranny. The blessed uprising began in Tunisia, where the Ummah took to the streets to end the tyrannical rule of Ben Ali. They confronted the tyrant despitethe threat of torture and even death. The uprising then spread to other parts of the Muslim world. In Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain, Muslims came out of the masajid after Jumu'ah prayers to demand an end to the decades of slavery, humiliation and injustice. In Syria, the fight against Bashar al-Assad continues to this day, by the hands of Muslims who refuse to bow down to any authority other than Allah (swt) alone.

As was expected, the tyrants did not go peacefully. Instead, they unleashed their batons, bullets and bombs upon the unarmed protesters. But by Allah's (swt) leave, the protestors refused to submit. It is clear by the Islamic slogans resonating in the streets of every major Syrian city that the protesters' source of strength and inspiration comes from their unwavering Imaan in Allah (swt).

We congratulate the Ummah on the fall of Gaddafi, Mubarak and Ben Ali. However, the struggle must continueas the regimes have unfortunately survived thedemise of their figureheads. These regimes are attempting to deceive this noble Ummah by hiding behind the slogan of the so-called "dowlah madiniyah" or the "civil state." Such slogans come from regimes that were forced to change their appearance, realizing that the Ummahhas rejected the secular order of society. Until now, the transformation across the Middle-East has only changed how the regimes are perceived without affecting their secular nature. The Ummah should therefore not let itself be deceived, but must recognize that the "civil state" is just another mask worn by the same regimes that have oppressed the Ummah for decades. As the Prophet's (saw) companion Rabiah Ibn 'Amir (ra) explained to the Persian general Rostum: "Allah Azza wa jal has sent us to deliver you from worshiping the creation to worshiping the Creator of the creation and to deliver you from the constriction of this world to the vastness of this world and the after-life and from the oppression ofthe religions to the justice of Islam.

Allah Azza wa jal has sent us to save you from worshiping each other. "The Muslim Ummah must realize that true liberation is liberation from the rule of man. It lies in the submission to the rule ofAllah (swt). We must also realize that true justice can only be delivered by implementing the shari'ah of Allah (swt) and that the only path to 'izzah (honour) and dignity is through full submission and obedience to our Master, Allah (swt):

"Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allah belong all honour, power and glory." [TMQ 35:10]

These uprisings must continue until the Ummah uproots the corrupt regimes and restores the rule of Islam, and is able to implement the Deen of Allah (swt) in a complete and comprehensive manner, without compromise and without delay, emulating the example of RasulAllah (saw) and the righteous Khulafa (Caliphs) (ra) after him. Allah (swt) revealed:"Allah has promised to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will of a surety grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their Deen, the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state) after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace." [TMQ 24:55]  May Allah (swt) guide this Ummah to see through the deception and may He (swt) help our brothers and sisters in al-Sham to overthrow the evil regime and establish in authority the Deen of Allah (swt).