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  • What is the method to gauge the effect of the da’wah?

    Question: What is the way for us to gauge the effect of the da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life? Is it by looking at how many people we have, how many people attend our events or demonstrations, what people are talking about in society? Can you please clarify what criterion we should use to judge this.

    Answer: It is incorrect to gauge the effect of the da’wah from the number of people that are in a group or attend their events or demonstrations. Although a group requires people to be part of it and requires a popular base of supporters, however numbers are not an accurate measure when judging the impact of the da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life.

    Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani wrote in Concepts of Hizb ut-Tahrir:

    “Those who carry the da’wah should not assess the da’wah by their number. Such assessment is absolutely wrong and harmful to the da’wah because it distracts the da’wah carriers from focusing on the society to focusing on the individuals. This will cause the da’wah to slowdown and perhaps cause failure in that place. The reason behind this is that society is not composed of individuals as many people think. Rather the individuals are parts of the group (community). What bonds the individuals in the society are other components such as their thoughts, emotions and systems. The da’wah is carried in order to change the thoughts, emotions and systems. It is collective da’wah and a da’wah taken to the society and not to the individuals. Reforming the individuals is only to make them become part of a group (bloc) that carries the da’wah to the society. Therefore those who carry the da’wah and have a deep understanding of its nature rely on society to carry the da’wah to it.”

    “Although, the transformation of society from one state to the opposite state cannot be noticed just like the transformation of the water in the kettle is not noticed, those who are aware of societies and have confidence that the ideology which they carry is the fire and light which will burn and enlighten, know that society is in a state of transformation and it will definitely reach boiling point and the points of movement and dynamism. Therefore, they give attention to societies (and not number of individuals).”

    This is further elaborated in the adopted booklet ‘The Departure Point’ published by Hizb ut-Tahrir in 1954 that sheds light on this topic:

    “22- The method of gauging the thoughts and the sensations of society is very simple. It would be by way of monitoring the effect that political events evoke the thoughts. In other words, did these political events evoke thoughts, or did they merely confirm the old thoughts? It would also be by way of monitoring the effect that the political events on the emotions. In other words, did they evoke new emotions, or did they merely confirm the old emotions. What is meant by emotions here is what is felt in terms of happiness, sadness, pleasure and anger due to the new thoughts and emotions or due to the confirmed old thoughts and emotions.

    As for the existing thoughts and emotions, these could be gauged by monitoring the matters which the masses talk about and by monitoring their evoked emotions; for instance, the Muslims’ talk nowadays about the co-operatives and the public companies, instead of talking about the companies of “Inan” or the companies of “Mudharabah”; or their anger for their nationalism instead of their anger for the sanctities of Islam.

    Hence, according to this criterion the registering of the thoughts and the sensations takes place. It would be imperative to attend to observing all people, intellectuals and others alike, because the thoughts and the sensations are one in the one society.

    23- Gauging the thoughts and the emotions of society would be in order to treat them by way of attacking the erroneous thoughts, highlighting their falsehood and transforming the emotions of joy from what the Muslim should not be happy about to what the Muslim should be happy about, and the emotions of anger from what the Muslim should not feel angry about to what the Muslim should feel angry about. Hence, it would be imperative to attend to recognising the reactions which the events and the thoughts cause. In other words, recognising people’s reaction to the thoughts and events. Did they cause any reaction or not? If they did, this would indicate that they have approved of them, hence, it would be imperative to demonstrate the falsehood of the thoughts and to transform the emotions. If they did not cause any reaction, it would be pointless to give them any attention because it would be then a waste of time.

    24- Since the cornerstone in the tackling of thoughts and emotions is the changing of the concepts, it would be imperative to recognise the reaction that occurs when the process of changing the concepts is taking place. In other words, did the party’s endeavour to changing people’s erroneous concepts provoke any reaction form them and any effect upon them or not? If it did trigger a reaction and an effect, this would indicate that the thoughts which the party had conveyed did generate in them a host of concepts; it would also indicate that their taking of the thoughts was in reality a changing of the concept. However, if they did not provoke any reaction from them despite their understanding of the party’s thoughts, this would indicate that what occurred was that people merely received information, but no changing of concepts took place.

    25- Since it is the party that tackles the thoughts and the emotions of society with the thoughts that it has adopted, it would therefore be imperative for it to attend to recognising the inclinations people have towards the thoughts of the party and towards the party itself. In other words, do people approve of the thoughts of the party or do they dislike them? Do they like the party itself or do they hate it? Or do they neither like nor hate it, and do they treat it with disregard and indifference?

    26- It would be necessary for the party to recognise the thoughts and the sensations of society when addressing society, so that it could direct its attention to the thoughts, so that it recognised the thoughts which should be conveyed at the appropriate time. It should be however recognised that the attending to the thoughts is merely one part of the party’s activity, because the party should first of all endeavour to change the method of thinking people have, secondly, to change the intellectual base upon which people build their thoughts, thirdly to change their thoughts they carry and fourth to link all the thoughts which they encounter in life to their intellectual base. Hence, it would become easy for the party to change the thoughts and it would become easy for it to ensure that people themselves will have started to change their thoughts and to link them to their intellectual base. Consequently, the party would ensure the transfer of the Ummah and the radical transformative stage would be achieved.

    27- The transfer of the Islamic Ummah from the wretched situation she is in to a better situation would depend on the success of the radical transformative stage. It would be also dependent on the existence of the Islamic thoughts in people’s minds, because man’s concepts about life emanate from the basic thoughts he carries, and he is affected by the extrinsic thoughts. Hence, the party should exhaust a great effort in order to generate the basic thoughts and to remove the extrinsic thoughts. However, it should be made absolutely clear that the presence of the thoughts in people’s minds would not be sufficient for the transfer of the Ummah from one situation to another. The thoughts should rather be established in the individuals and the groups in a manner that gives them deep-rootedness and concentration and generate for them the power and the influence, in order to trigger the sweeping transformation, hence the transformation and the transfer would occur in the Ummah.

    28- It is noted that in society in the Muslims’ lands that the basic thoughts about life are capitalist and democratic thoughts. However these thoughts are shaky and not firmly established due to the fact that people’s Aqeedah is the Islamic Aqeedah. When people adopted these thoughts they took them as such not in a doctrinal manner, and they had been cheated by those who gave them these thoughts, by telling them that they did not contradict their Aqeedah, but rather in conformity with their Aqeedah. Hence we find that these thoughts are not concentrated in their minds, even if their conducts proceed according to these thoughts. Once they become convinced that they contradict their Aqeedah, they would soon abandon them and return to their Islamic thoughts, and this people’s return would mark the transformation in society.”

    Therefore if in a place an Islamic group held events where hundreds of thousands of people attended or demonstrated yet the dominant thoughts in that society were democratic and secular evidenced by the peoples reaction to political events then that group would not have had a significant effect. Yet if a group was small in number but due to its focused activity the dominant thoughts in a society changed such that the people say for example started to call for the Islamic Khilafah instead of democracy, that would be a significant effect of the da’wah.

  • Adoption when there is Difference of Opinion

    Where there must be unanimity in opinion and where difference is allowed

    The Ummah is one Jama’ah in its root. Islam has made clear where differences do not arise and where they can arise.

    وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعاً وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُوا

    “And hold tight to the rope of Allah and divide not,” [TMQ Ale-Imran: 103]

    Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) orders the Muslims to hold tight and not let go of the rope of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and not to divide.

    Ibn Masood (ra), Ali bin Abi Talib (ra), and Abu Saeed Al-Kuddrri (ra) said it is the Qur’an. Others said it is the Deen of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). Others like Ibnul Mubaarak said it is the Jama’ah.

    At-Tabari said; “…and do not disperse away from the Deen of Allah and His covenant which he took from you in His Book: that you should be together in obeying Him and His Messenger (SalAllahu alaihi wasallam).”

    Ibn Katheer said; “He ordered them to stay in the Jama`ah and not to divide.”

    Al-Qurtubi said; “Do not divide as the Jews and the Christians in their Deen…and it could mean do not separate based on your desires and interests.”

    Therefore, the disagreement that Muslims are not allowed to have is in the fundamentals of their Deen, not in its branches.

    Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu `Amir `Abdullah bin Luhay said; “We performed Hajj with Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. When we arrived at Makkah, he stood up after praying Dhuhr and said; ‘The Messenger of Allah (SalAllahu alaihi wasallam) said;

    إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ افْتَرَقُوا فِي دِينِهِمْ عَلى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً، وَإِنَّ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً يَعْنِي الْأَهْوَاءَ كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ وَإِنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ تَجَارَى بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْأَهْوَاءُ كَمَا يَتَجَارَى الْكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِه، لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُ عِرْقٌ وَلَا مَفْصِلٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَه

    ‘The People of the Two Scriptures divided into seventy-two sects. This Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, that is, the Jama`ah. Some of my Ummah will be guided by desire, like one who is infected by rabies; no vein or joint will be saved from these desires.””

    This hadith was also narrated by Abu Dawood (2/503), Ahmad (4/102) and al-Haakim (1/128) among others, with similar wording but with the following addition;

    ثنتان وسبعون في النار. قيل: يا رسول الله من هم؟ قال: الجماعة

    “Seventy two in hell fire and one in the Jannah: that is the ‘Jama`ah.”

    Some scholars, such as ash-Shawkani and al-Kawthari mistakenly said that this addition is weak. Ibn Hazm wrongly said that it was fabricated.

    So the subject that the hadith discusses is not the differences, which arise from interpretation of the texts, which are preponderant in meaning, but it is condemning those firqah (sects) that have differed in the foundations of the Deen.

    Rather, those sects that are mentioned in the hadith are those who have left the fold of Islam such as the Qadiani, who claimed Prophethood after Muhammad (SalAllahu alaihi wasallam), or those Alawi, who claim Ali (ra) to be god incarnate (may Allah protect us from such deviation), or those who deny the punishment in the Ahkirah, etc.

    Why differences exist

    Difference in opinion exists because the Shari’ah rule, which represents the address of the Legislator related to the actions of the servants, have come in the Qur’an and the Hadith, and many of these carry several meanings according to the Arabic language and according to Shari’ah. Hence, it is natural and inevitable for people to differ in their understanding and for this difference in understanding to reach the level of disparity and contradiction in the intended meaning. Thus, it is inevitable for different and contradictory understandings to be reached. These could be a host of different and contradictory understandings in the one matter.

    Bukhari extracted on the authority of Nafi’, on that of Ibnu Omar ® who said: “the Messenger of Allah (saw) said on the day of Al-Ahzab (the battle of the Ditch): “None of you should pray Asr except in Bani Quraytha.” The time of Asr entered while some were still on the way; so some said: “We should not pray until we reach Bani Quraytha.” Others said: “No, we should pray because the instruction does not mean this.” This was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he did not rebuke any of them.” When the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “None of you should pray Asr except in Bani Quraytha.”, some understood that he was urging haste and they prayed in the way, while others understood that he (saw) had literally ordered them to pray Asr in Bani Quraytha, thus they delayed Asr until they reached their destination. When the Messenger of Allah (saw) heard of this, he approved of both camps’ actions.

    There are many verses and Ahadith similar to this. The difference of opinion in the one matter makes it incumbent upon the Muslims to adopt one opinion from among these various opinions, for all of them are Shari’ah rules, and the rule of Allah (swt) in the one single matter does not multiply. Therefore, it is imperative to determine one single rule and adopt it. hence, the Muslim’s adoption of one specific Shari’ah rule is necessary and inevitable when he undertakes the action, for the undertaking of the action obligates the Muslim to accomplish it according to the Shari’ah rule, whether this were a Fardh (obligatory), or Mandub (recommended), or Haram (forbidden), or Makruh (despised), or Mubah (permitted), and this makes it incumbent upon the Muslims to adopt a specific Shari’ah rule when taking the rules to act upon them, whether he were a Mujtahid or a Muqallid or otherwise.

    Where adoption is a must to settle the difference of opinion

    The Khalifah adopts a host of specific Shari’ah rules, which he will enact as a constitution and as laws. If he adopts a Shari’ah rule, this rule alone becomes the Shari’ah rule that must be acted upon and it becomes a binding law that every citizen must obey openly and privately.

    The evidence of this article is derived from the Ijma’a (General Consensus) of the Sahaba. The Ijma’a of the Sahaba has been established in stipulating that the Khalifah reserves the right to adopt specific Shari’ah rules. It has also been established that it is obligatory to act upon the rules adopted by the Khalifah. A Muslim is forbidden from acting upon other than what the Khalifah has adopted in terms of Shari’ah rules even if these rules were Shari’ah rules adopted by a Mujtahid. This is so because the rule of Allah that becomes duly binding upon all the Muslims is that which the Khalifah adopts. The rightly guided Khulafa’ proceeded in this manner. They adopted a host of specific rules and ordered their implementation; thus, the Muslims, with the Sahaba amongst them, used to act upon these rules and abandon their own Ijtihad. For instance, Abu Bakr ® adopted in the matter of divorce a rule stipulating that the triple divorce would be considered as one divorce if it were pronounced in one go. He also adopted in the matter of distributing the wealth upon the Muslims a rule stipulating that wealth should be distributed equally amongst the Muslims, regardless of seniority in Islam or anything else. The Muslims followed him in this while the judges and the Walis implemented the rules which he had adopted.

    Examples of Ijma as-Sohaba (RA)

    When Omar ® took office, he adopted in the same two matters different opinions to those of Abu Bakr’s; thus he imposed the rule stipulating that the triple divorce in one sitting is considered as three. He also distributed the wealth among the Muslims according to their seniority in Islam and according to their needs, rather than equally. The Muslims duly followed him in this while the judges and the Walis implemented the rules he had adopted. Then Omar ® adopted a rule stipulating that the land conquered in war is a spoil for Bayt-al-Maal, (the State’s treasury) not for the fighters, and that the land should remain with its owners and should not be divided among the fighters nor among the Muslims. The Walis and the judges duly complied and implemented the rule which the Khalifah had adopted.

    Therefore, the rightly guided Khulafa’ proceeded in this way, adopting and ordering people to abandon their Ijtihad and the rules which they had acted upon and adhere to that the which the Khalifah had adopted. The Ijma’a of the Sahaba was established on two matters; these are the adoption and the obligation of acting upon that which the Khalifah adopts. Based on this Ijma’a of the Sahaba, the celebrated Shari’ah principles were obtained.

    These are:

     1- The Sultan reserves the right to effect as many judgements as the problems which arise.
     2- The order of the Imam settles disagreement.
     3- The order of the Imam is binding.

    In essence, the adoption is necessary when a difference of opinion in the one matter occurs. Hence, in order to act upon the Shari’ah rule in this matter, it is imperative to adopt a specific rule in this matter.

    Practicalities of adoption

    As for the Khalifah, it is imperative for him to adopt a host of specific rules according to which he assumes managing people’s affairs. Hence, it is necessary for him to adopt certain rules pertaining what is of general nature to all the Muslims, in terms of government and authority matters, such as Zakat, levies, Kharaj (land tax) and foreign relations, and also, in terms of all that is related to the unity of the State and the rule.

    However, his adoption of the rules is subject to scrutiny. If the Khalifah could not undertake an action, whose undertaking necessitates managing people’s affairs according to the Islamic Shari’ah rules, unless he adopted a specific rule in that matter, in this case the adoption would be obligatory upon the Khalifah.

    This would be in concordance with the Shari’ah principle stipulating that: “Whatever is necessary to accomplish a duty is in itself a duty.”, such the signing of treaties for instance. However, if the Khalifah could manage people’s affairs in a specific matter according to the Islamic Shari’ah rules without having to resort to the adoption of a specific rule in this matter, in this case the adoption would be permitted for him rather than an obligation, such as “Nisab Al-Shahada” (the minimum number of witnesses in a testimony) for instance. In this case, it is permitted for him to adopt or not to adopt, for in essence, the adoption is permitted and not obligatory; this is so because the Sahaba ® have unanimously consented that the Imam can adopt and they have not consented that the Imam must adopt. Therefore, the adoption itself is Mubah, and it does not become obligatory unless the obligatory management of people’s affairs cannot be accomplished except through adoption; then it becomes obligatory so that the duty could be accomplished.

    The Khalifah does not adopt any specific Shari’ah rule in matters related to rituals except in Zakat and Jihad, nor does he adopt any thought from among the thoughts related to the Islamic Aqeedah.

    Evidence of this article is derived from the fact that the adoption is in itself Mubah for the Khalifah and not obligatory upon him. Just as he is entitled to adopt certain rules, he is also entitled to refrain from adopting certain rules. It is not matter which he imposes upon people, because it is not them who adopt, it is rather a matter that concerns him only; thus he is entitled to either adopt or to abstain from adopting. He is entitled to act according to what he deems fit. It emerged from the events of Al-Ma’mun, pertaining the Fitna (strife) of the creation of the Qur’an, that adoption in the thoughts related to Aqeedah matters has caused problems to the Khalifah and Fitna amongst the Muslims. It also emerged from the Fatimide’s adoption of Imam Ja’afar’s school of thought that this caused discontent amongst the followers of other schools of thought and a resentment towards this type of adoption, especially in the opinions related to Aqeedah matters and the opinions related to rituals. Therefore, the Khalifah deems it fit to abstain from adopting in matters related to Aqeedah and in rules related to rituals in order to avoid problems and in order to observe the consent and the tranquillity of the Muslims. Hence, the Khalifah chooses not to adopt in these two matters and Shari’ah has not made it an obligation upon him to adopt; thus he may choose not to adopt. Abstaining from adopting in matters of Aqeedah and in rituals does not mean that it is forbidden for the Khalifah to adopt in them, it rather means that the Khalifah chooses not adopt, for he can either adopt or abstain from adopting. Thus he may choose not to adopt. That is why the article stated that the Khalifah does not adopt rather than stating that the Khalifah is forbidden from adopting, which indicates that he may choose not to adopt.

    As for choosing to abstain from adopting in Aqeedah matters and in rituals, this is based upon two issues: The hardship caused by coercing people to follow a specific opinion related to Aqeedah matters and the fact that what prompts the Khalifah to adopt is in fact the management of the Muslims’ affairs by one single opinion and the preserving of the unity of the State and the unity of the rule. Hence, he adopts in matters related to relationships between individuals and related to public matters and he does not adopt in matters related to relationship of man with his God.

    Adoption by the Hizb

    The Shar’a does not require the mere presence of a group. Rathe hat the Shar’a requires is the establishment of a group whose purpose is to establish this order. The evidences for the existence of the group clarify this for us.

    In His SWT saying; “And let there arise out of you a group inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining the ma’roof (good) and forbidding the munkar (evil). And it is they who are successful.” [TMQ 3:104]. The Shar’a has obliged the establishment of a political group whose ideology is Islam and that carries the thoughts and Shar’ee rules necessary for the achievement of the aims the group was established for, which are the dominance, establishment and accession to power [of Islam]. The order is not to have a group for its own sake. It is rather to realise what was commanded, which is the da’wah and enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar. Also, it is not the da’wah and enjoining the good and forbidding the evil for their own sake. Rather the order is to realise the objective for which the da’wah and enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar exist; dominance, consolidation and accession to power.

    The Messenger SAW said; “It is not allowed for three people to be on any part of the earth without appointing one of them as ameer (leader).” [Narrated by Ahmad b. Hanbal]. The Shar’a indicated that for any joint action that the Muslims have been ordered to perform they must have an ameer. The obedience to him will be obligatory in the matter he has been made ameer for, and for the people over whom he has been made ameer. The group must comply with the order of the ameer, so that the results of this collective work are achieved according to the Shar’a. – Since Allah SWT has enjoined upon the Muslims many obligations that are entrusted to the Khaleefah only, then it has become imperative to appoint a Khaleefah in order to realise these obligations. Since the appointment of a Khaleefah and the establishment of the Khilafah cannot be achieved except by a group, then the presence of a group whose aim is to establish the Khaleefah and the Khilafah becomes inevitable. This is based on the principle: ‘That which is necessary to establish a wajib is itself a waajib.’

    So it becomes clear that the presence of a group is inextricably linked to the presence of the required Shar’ee objective. Thus, it is not a group that merely undertakes the da’wah to Islam. It is not a group that conveys the message just for the sake of conveying. Rather it is a group established for the purpose of establishing Islam in the life of the Muslims, through the establishment of the Islamic State, which is considered the Shar’ee method of applying all the rules of Islam, both individual and collective. Hence a group must exist whose purpose is to realise the aim for which it has been established.

    Until the group can be considered to have fulfilled all that is required of it, it must do the following things.

    It must adopt all the thoughts, Shar’ee rules and opinions that are necessary for its work, and it should adhere to them in word, deed and thought. This is because the aim of adoption is to protect the unity of the party. If the group is established and its members have different thoughts and diverse Ijtihaadaat the group will be afflicted with splits and fragmentation, even though they may be united on the aim and on Islam as well. It is allowed for the Ameer to change the means and styles according to the requirements of the work.

    Since the group will be dealing with a wide expanse of land and its reach will extend to many States, then the sheer size and volume of the work necessitates the presence of an administrative system through which the party can pursue the da’wah and realize its aims in all spheres of its work. The administration system will organize and regulate the movement of the da’wah. It will follow the culturing of the shabab and prepare the general atmosphere for the idea. It will organize the intellectual and political struggle. The party will appear to the Ummah as a body, which committed itself to realise this task. Hence, there must be an organisational structure, which is devoted to realising the aim as best as possible, so it monitors the achievements of the work and maintains them.

    So the party must adopt an administrative system or an organizational structure that will enable it to organise the da’wah successfully, thus leading to the attainment of the aim. The party must adopt an administrative law through which the body and its movement is organised, where the rules regarding the powers of the Ameer, how he runs the party and how he is selected are defined. It explains who will appoint those responsible for the areas and provinces, and what the limits of their powers are. It is the law that will organise the administration concerning every action of the Hizb and specify the mandatory powers of everyone concerned. All of these rules will take the Hukm of the means and styles that are required for executing the Sharee’ah rules related to the work. It is obligatory to adhere to the adopted administrative styles as long as the Ameer considers them necessary, because obedience to the Ameer is waajib.

    26 Rabi’ II 1431
    2010/04/10

  • Reflections – Nothing Except Brothers

    The definition of Brotherhood varies between dictionaries, ranging from blood relationships to associations based on common interests and activities such as unions and professional associations.

    Islam redefined brotherhood in a new and profound manner by changing the relationship from one based on personal interest or mutual activity to a permanent bond based on belief and acceptance of Islam. Allah (swt) revealed:

    إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

    “The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.” [TMQ 49:10]

    The Prophet (saw) also said about brotherhood:

    “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

    Upon completion of the Hijrah and building the masjid in Madinah, the Prophet (saw) proceeded to establish one of the main pillars of an Islamic community – brotherhood. He paired up the Muhajireen and Ansar, who were virtual strangers to each other prior to this. The two groups understood and accepted the responsibilities that came with this pairing, leading to unique acts, such as sharing wealth and other brotherly deeds, which helped ease the difficulties facing the Muhajireen who left everything behind in Makkah.

    This action had brought about a profound transformation in perception of what brotherhood means between members of the Muslim community. It redefined the concept of brotherhood beyond the typical understanding of blood or tribal relationships. This was clearly demonstrated by Mus’ab Ibn Umayr when he found his blood brother Abu ‘Azeez – who was among those captured during the battle of Badr. Upon reaching Madinah, Abu ‘Azeez was lodged with Abu Yusr Alansari, and Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr said to Abu Yusr: “Treat him harshly, for his mother is a wealthy woman.” Abu ‘Azeez said: “Brother is it for you to give this counsel?” “You are not my brother,” replied Mu’sab, “my brother is the one who is tying up your hands.” [Ibn Hisham]

    The brotherhood established after Hijrah came with explicit and implicit responsibilities between Muslims, as individuals and as members of the Islamic State. It was the responsibility of the strong to help the weak, of the rich to help the poor, and of the knowledgeable to help those seeking knowledge. Furthermore, it was a responsibility of brotherhood to enjoin the good and forbid the evil.

    We should always keep these actions of the Sahabah at the forefront of our minds, since they are the practical interpretation of brotherhood as defined by Islam.

    Brotherhood is an obligation, not a choice

    The evidences (Adilla) regarding the obligation of brotherhood in the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the life of the Sahabah are strikingly clear. We must be extremely vigilant in correctly upholding this concept to prevent transforming the relationship into a shallow bond, lacking the true essence of Islamic brotherhood.

    Sadly, one of the issues facing Muslims in the West is “life in the fast lane,” and due to this lifestyle, we tend to rush our dealings with one another. We should, for example, try to take a few minutes after Jum’ah prayers and greet our brothers next to us with Salaam, and introduce ourselves to them. We should neither be shy nor be afraid of a cold response, keeping in mind that we are only seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt) and following the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) said:

    “You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which if you carry out you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves.” [Muslim]

    It is necessary to let our brothers know that we care for their well-being, that we sincerely love them as we do our own blood brothers, and that we are ready to help them in any way we are able to. It has been narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adaabul-Mufrad that the Prophet (saw) said:

    “If one of you loves his brother for Allah’s sake, then let him know, since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love.”

    Muslims have the responsibility to give sincere advice to their fellow brothers and sisters to abstain from haram and stay on the course of halal in every aspect of life, following the basic rule of verifying every action with Hukum Shar’iee – whether in our ibadah (worship) or muamulat (social transactions). The Prophet (saw) said:

    “Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees a fault in him he should wipe it away from him.” [Tirmidhi]

    Brotherhood in Islam imposes a great responsibility on us to protect our brothers and sisters from harm, even from their own selves. We should ensure that we do not allow ourselves or others around us to engage in activities that could affect the unity of the Muslim Ummah. One such activity is backbiting; we must refrain from initiating or participating in it. Allah (swt) revealed:

    يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ

    “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” [TMQ 49:12]

    Envy and jealousy are also forbidden, which are the common causes of problems amongst brothers and sisters. The Prophet (saw) said:

    “Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slave of Allah! Be like brothers with each other. It is not allowed for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days.” [Muslim & Tirmidhi]

    We should also be aware that a brother or sister in Islam has five rights over us, as the Prophet (saw) said:

    “Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim: to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, and to respond to the one that sneezes.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

    It is clear from the above examples that, in Islam, brotherhood is not merely a word we mention to each other when we meet casually or when we engage in business transactions. Rather, it is an obligation, and a deep sense of responsibility and caring for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, not only in our local communities but around the world as well.

    Muslims are like one body

    One of the most fatal ideas to the concept of brotherhood that has been promoted is the concept of “Ummah fragmentation.” This concept suggests that issues of Muslims in one country should not be of concern to Muslims in other countries. The fragmentation of the Ummah is like a fatal virus that, when adopted intentionally or unintentionally by the Muslims, leads to a clear violation to the aforementioned evidences in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and consequently causes a complete decay in the obligation of brotherhood.

    The Prophet (saw) described the Ummah as one body; if one member becomes sick then the other members of this one body will take care of the sick one:

    “The Believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body: if one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

    The media outlets and internet have no shortage of news revealing the turmoil that Muslims are living in around the world: from occupation of Muslim lands to the dire poverty of our brothers and sisters. This is where a sense of brotherhood becomes the vital connection between Muslims around the globe. It is our obligation to be politically and intellectually aware of all affairs impacting Muslims everywhere. Allah (swt) has described the believer as a brother to another believer, and therefore it should pain us – just as it would if it were our own blood brother – when we read about the plight of our fellow Muslims.

    Sustaining the sense of brotherhood

    The enormity of events facing Muslims, coupled with the visible impotence and corruption of the ruling regimes in Muslim lands, are creating frustration and an artificial sense of helplessness among Muslims. This sense of frustration and helplessness is also further fueled by the daily pressures of life facing Muslims. All these factors lead to a gradual decline in reacting to the turmoil facing Muslims outside of their immediate circle of friends and blood relatives – causing a fatal departure from the very foundations and ties of the Ummah.

    Muslims should always gravitate toward the concept of brotherhood and the obligation of helping and sympathizing with our brothers and sisters in Islam regardless of where they are or what their condition is.

    Although helping our brothers and sisters may not be physically possible in all circumstances, it is imperative to always care and be concerned for their affairs, regardless of geography or language, and do whatever is possible within the circumstances. It is imperative to care, or even train ourselves to care for Muslims in nearby or remote parts of the world by reminding ourselves that our bond with all Muslims is that of brothers and sisters.

    Preserving our Muslim identity is both an obligation and a challenge at the same time. It is paramount for Muslims anywhere and at anytime to remain aware of the concept of brotherhood as a most critical tool in striving to keep our distinct identity, especially in the West. Therefore, it is an obligation to follow the lead of the Prophet (saw) and his Companions in this manner and do whatever is necessary to maintain it.

    May Allah (swt) bless us with the same brotherhood the Sahabah had under the shade of Khilafah Rashidah. Ameen.

    وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنْتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِنَ النَّارِ فَأَنْقَذَكُمْ مِنْهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ آَيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

    “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may be guided.” [TMQ 3:103]

  • REFLECTIONS: Unity of The Muslim Ummah

    As millions of Muslims travel to Makkah this month to perform Hajj, we congratulate them on their journey, and ask Allah سبحانه وتعالى to bless them with the completion of their obligation. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى shower His سبحانه وتعالى rewards and blessings upon them and return them home safely.

    The Ibadat of Hajj is an amazing event where millions of Muslims gather from around the world: wearing the same clothes and exerting their effort to fulfill this pillar of Islam. Contemplating upon the Hajj, our attention is drawn to one of the vital issues of this Ummah. Muslims with different backgrounds, from distant places, speaking different languages and of different colours and cultures; all come together to the same place and at the same time to perform an act of worship out of total obedience and submission to the one and only ilah: Allah سبحانه وتعالى. As all the differences disappear, Hajj illustrates the unity that Islam naturally brings about to Muslims. Islam makes it an obligation upon all Muslims to unite not just in Ibadat, like Hajj and Fasting, but rather it seeks a true and complete unity of the Ummah in all aspects of life. We will, inshAllah in this issue, shed some light on the type of unity that Islam calls for.

    Vital Issues in Islam

    A study of the Quran and Sunnah reveals that Islam has identified some issues and made them vital to all Muslims. These issues require the sacrifice of wealth and resources, including the lives of the Muslims themselves. In other words, vital issues in Islam are literally “life and death” issues. Furthermore, the Shariah provides details as to how the Muslims must deal with these issues. One example is the implementation of the rules of Islam. In the following hadeeth narrated by Aisha (ra) Usama Bin Zayd (ra) approached the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in order to intercede on behalf of a woman (from the elite tribe of Bani Makhzoom) who had committed theft. After Usama (ra) made his request to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the colour of the face of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم changed, and he said:

    “Do you intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah?” He (Usama) said: ‘Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.’ When it was dusk, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم stood up and gave an address. He (first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: “Now to our topic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any one of (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and when any weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, even if Fatima daughter of Muhammad were to commit theft, I would have cut off her hand.” [Muslim]

    RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم made a clear and strong connection between being lenient in implementing the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and the destruction of previous nations. He صلى الله عليه وسلم would make no compromise even if his own daughter, Fatima (ra), were to transgress the rules of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

    In the story of the apostates during the Khilafah of Abu Bakr (ra) when they refused to pay Zakat, Abu Bakr (ra) said to Umar (ra), “Oh by Allah, if they do not pay even a camel rope (used to tie camels) they used to pay to RasulAllah, I will fight them for it.”. This is despite the fact that most of Arabia apostatized and rebelled against the Muslims who were largely outnumbered by them. Yet, Abu Bakr (ra), with the support of all the Sahabah of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم, did not accept anything less than the full implementation of the rules of Islam and, as a result, went to war against the rebels. The fact that Abu Bakr (ra) would resort to fighting demonstrates that he understood this issue as a matter of life and death – meaning he saw it necessary to put the Sahabah and the Ummah in harm’s way to end the rebellion.

    The stance that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم took with Usama Bin Zayd (ra) and the stance that Abu Bakr (ra) took with those that refused to pay Zakat, illustrates that Islam has made the implementation of Shariah a vital issue. The Ummah must make it its highest priority to implement Islam comprehensively, as it is a matter of life and death.

    Unity of the Muslim Ummah – A Vital Issue

    Islam has also made the unity of the Muslim Ummah and the unity of the Islamic State one of the vital issues; an issue of life and death. This includes the prohibition of having more than one khalifah, the prohibition of dividing the Ummah into more than one political entity, and the prohibition of rebelling against an imam that implements Islam.

    First, Islam prohibited the existence of more than one khalifah for the Muslims. That is, the Muslims must only have one state. It has been narrated by Abdullah Bin Amr Bin Ul-Aas (ra) that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

    “He who pledged his Bay’a to an Imam giving him the clasp of his hand and the fruit of his heart shall obey him as long as he can, and if another comes to dispute with him, you must strike the neck of that man.” [Muslim]

    Abu Said Al-Khudri narrated that RasoulaAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

    “If a Bay’a has been taken for two Khalifahs, kill the latter of them.” [Muslim]

    Hence, he صلى الله عليه وسلم made the unity of the state a vital issue when he prohibited the existence of more than one khalifah for the Muslims and ordered the killing of anyone who attempts to establish a separate rule, unless he retracts.

    Second, Islam prohibited the division and fragmentation of the Muslim Ummah. It has been narrated on the authority of Ajrafa (ra) who said: I heard RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم say:

    “He who comes to you while your affair has been united under one man, intending to drive a wedge between you or fragment your group, kill him.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

    Furthermore, Ziyad Ibn Alaaqah (ra) narrated that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

    “There will be bad and evil things happening, and who wants to fragment this Ummah when it is all united, strike him by sword whoever he is.” [Muslim]

    So, he صلى الله عليه وسلم made the unity of the Ummah and the unity of the Muslim state a vital issue when he prohibited the fragmentation of the Ummah and ordered the killing of anyone who attempts to divide it, unless he retracts.

    Third, a rebellion against the Imam of the Muslims, namely the Khalifah, is forbidden, due to the fact that rebellions lead to the disunity of the Muslims, the shedding of their blood and the squandering of their wealth. Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:

    وَإِن طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اقْتَتَلُوا فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا فَإِن بَغَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا عَلَى الْأُخْرَى فَقَاتِلُوا الَّتِي تَبْغِي حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ

    “If two factions from among the believers fall into a quarrel, make peace between them; and if one of them transgresses against the other, then fight the one that transgresses until it complies with the Command of Allah.” [Al-Hujraat, 49:9]

    Al-Qurtubi in his tafseer states that this is an evidence for the obligation of fighting those who transgress and rebel against the Shariah and a just imam (ruler) while refusing to repent. RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

    “He who rebels against my Ummah while they are united, strike his neck with the sword whoever he may be.” [Muslim]

    Consequently, Allah سبحانه وتعالى prohibited the Muslims from having more than one state or one Khalifah (ruler). Allah سبحانه وتعالى also prohibited the Ummah from rebelling against the khalifah and causing division within the Ummah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى made this unity an obligation and a vital issue when He made it an issue of life and death.

    Throughout the history of this Ummah, the Muslims viewed the issue of unity to be the most important and most critical of matters. They never used to be lenient on this issue towards any Muslim whoever he might have been. Ali (ra) was never lenient with Muawiyyah, nor were the Ummayyads or the Abbasids lenient with the Khawarij. Before liberating Al-Aqsa and defeating the Crusaders, Salah-ul-Deen and and his uncle Imad-ul-Deen Zinki worked tirelessly to unite the Ummah.

    However, when the Khilafah became weak and the understanding of Islam declined, Muslims kept silent over the breakaway of Islamic lands from the body of the Khilafah. Thus, a wedge was driven between the Muslims and the Khilafah state fragmented into many insignificant countries. This occurred despite the fact that the breakaway of any country from the body of the Muslim state is a vital issue, which stipulates either the repentance of the rebels or the waging of war against them – regardless of the cost in lives or wealth.

    Unity According to Islam

    Therefore, it should be clear that the unity Islam calls for is a matter of life and death. However, this unity is not the unity of separate Muslim countries where each is ruled by an independent ruler with some form of a union. It is also not a unity based on economics or currency. It is not a unity based on agreements or treaties between separate Muslim countries. All of these are non-Shari’e forms of unity that only serve to distract Muslims from the correct form of Islamic unity. The unity that Islam obliges upon all Muslims is the unity of all Muslim lands under one state ruled by a single Khalifah (ruler). That is “One Aqeedah, One Ummah, One State”. This is the true meaning of Muslim unity that we must adhere to and advocate amongst the global Muslim community. We must elevate the issue of uniting the Ummah from where it is today to where it was during the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the generations that followed. As RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions did, we must not accept anything less than the comprehensive implementation of this obligation.

  • Islam and International Relations

    The basis of the Islamic foreign policy consists of taking the message of Islam to every people and every nation.

    For Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ۖ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

    “O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed his Message.” [Al-Ma’idah, 5:67]

    When the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم established the Islamic state in Madinah, the foreign policy of the state was implemented without delay. Examples of this was when He صلى الله عليه وسلم signed the treaty of Hudaibiyah with, many Muslims were displeased with some aspects of the agreement, to such an extent that Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) approached the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and expressed his disagreement. However, he صلى الله عليه وسلم reminded Umar (ra) that his first priority was please Allah سبحانه وتعالى and to obey his commandments. Hence the treaty of Hudaibiyah helps us to understand that certain political manoeuvres which need to be taken to spread dawah. Also, it is vital to generate a good public opinion to earn respect and trust of the people.

    He صلى الله عليه وسلم also sealed treaties with the Jews of Madinah to convey the Message in Hijaz.

    The basis of international relations in Islam has always been a set concept and can never be changed; this has been the case from when the Islamic state was established and up until it was destroyed. The Islamic State cannot place a bubble around it and just be concerned about its own people; the state will need to constantly monitor international politics as well as local politics (i.e. affairs of the state). This is what it meant by foreign policy.

    The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said in his Khutbah al-wada’ (farewell speech):

    “Would the present tell the absent, for the absent may be more conscious than the listener.” He صلى الله عليه وسلم also said, “May Allah brighten a man who listened to my saying, understood it and conveyed it as he heard it.”

    The implementation of the Islamic foreign policy is through dawah and Jihad. This method has always been used as a means to execute the foreign policy of the Islamic state.

    Due to the way Islam has been degraded by western governments and the media, it has had a negative impact on the perception by non Muslims and some Muslims. It would be absolutely vital that the state works towards refuting the arguments that are being hurled against Islam; this would ensure that the correct version of Islam is presented and would not affect the foreign policy and the states work to open lands to Islam. Here, the media would be used as a tool to propagate Islam and to show the strength of the State to masses. Styles and means such as debates and lectures would be utilised to demonstrate the success of the state and how it would be flourishing in terms of economic, educational and scientific progress. Equal rights would be given to every citizen whether they are Muslim or non Muslims. Every citizen would have access to free education, jobs and medical care.

    Exposé of fallacies of contradicting ideologies would also be relayed to the public. Hence, media is key in facilitating the foreign policy and to propagate the values of Islam and to eradicate the capitalist ones.

    The State would be independent from international organisations such as United Nation who from the very basis contradict the Islamic ideology. The sole ambition of this organisation is to propagate the capitalist ideology. The state would work to unify the Muslim world under the shade of Islam and would set itself free from any organisation that will act as an obstacle towards the objectives of the Khilafah.

    As Muslims we should be very vigilant of the erroneous beliefs of international law. Internal law emerged initially to counter the Ottoman Khilafah. During the 17th century the European states collaborated with one another to confront the Ottoman state. The relations between the states were regulated by certain rules which were agreed upon. The questions which we need to raise in this day and age are: How can International Law be successful, applicable or universal when its main focus is just to keep stronger nations in power. Their aim is to protect the interests of capitalist states, rather than any other ideology be it communism or Islam. The United Nations is weak in comparison to powerful nations such America. An example of the failed attempts by the UN was the Srebrenica massacre. Currently in its 14th year anniversary of a massacre that the United Nations facilitated by gathering the victims together, disarming them, and then refusing pleas for the return of their arms as their predators closed in. This resulted in more than 8000 Muslims being massacred.

    Another major concern for Muslims is Guantanamo Bay and how it has remained open for 6 years without any type of justicafication. Though the UN displayed signs of disapproval, they couldn’t even manage to shut it down or put a stop to the regime of torture and humiliation of our brothers.

    And lets not forget the dark days that we witnessed earlier this year; the massacre in Gaza. Once again the UN demonstrated the flaws of their organisation. The superpowers would always protect Israel and would veto against any motion passed against it.

    The list of failed attempts of peace by the United Nations is endless.What the Ummah needs is for their affairs to be run by the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى not by the United Nations. Contract/oath with this organisation would not be allowed, this is to prevent any type of interference on how the Khilafah would be run.

    Allah (swt) says:

    وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ إِلَّا تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ

    “The Unbelievers are protectors, one of another: Unless you do this, (protect each other), there would be fitna on earth, and great mischief.” [Al-Anfal, 8:73]

    We need to rely on Allah سبحانه وتعالى laws and on each other to liberate the lands which have been occupied by colonialists. The state would not be allowed to keep ties with countries that have occupied Muslim lands and would not be allowed to sign economic treaties or keep diplomatic relations with them. However, the State would be allowed to establish relations with neutral states; Non Muslim states. Any type of treaties established with these nations would need to be done according to Islam.

    Furthermore, the Khilafah would need to ensure that they are progressing in the field of technology to build certain relations with places such as Japan. Advancement in nanotechnology, nuclear and solar power would aid this. Japan is an economic giant and is blooming in technology. The countries strength lies within its economy; it is one of the highly developed countries in the world. The Industries heavily rely on importing raw materials from other countries; this would work in favour for the State as we would use this opportunity to liaise with them. The State would either exchange information or even supply raw materials to aid the manufacturing process. This would solidify relations between the two nations.

    Domestic natural resources such as oil, diamonds and gold are widely recognised as being great assets for Africa. The state would encourage Africa to manage their resources effectively and not sell them for insignificant costs to feed US interests. The same thing would be said for Latin America; it is rich in resources and agriculture but is in poverty due to it being bankrupt by capitalist nations.

    Building relations with neutral nations would smooth the progression of the state in terms of economy, technology and military power. This would set a powerful image to show the strengths that the state would have.

    In conclusion, the state would need to be diligent of the domestic and international Politics. This means that it would need to be conscious of the internal and external threats to prevent any type of danger to the state and the Ummah. The state would work towards strengthening its military power, economic status and convey the correct version of Islam to the world. The Ummah needs to look towards the Islamic state to protect their interests and not the United Nations or capitalist nations.

    The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Deceiving years will come where the people would believe the liar and not believe the trustworthy, and the traitor would be trusted and the honest would be distrusted. In those years, the Ruwaybidah will speak.” He was asked, “And what is Ruwaybidah?” He said, “The shallow man who speaks about the public affairs.”

  • Islam and the Arabic Language

    Language plays a pivotal role in any given society.  Not only is it a means by which individuals communicate with each other, but it is the medium through which a society’s core beliefs and values are expressed.  It is these beliefs and values which subsequently lead to the establishment of its whole structure and from which solutions are derived for problems that arise in life’s affairs. Among a number of other languages, Arabic is a principal world language.  By virtue of being intrinsically linked to the Qur’an and Sunnah, it has had a huge impact on the lives of billions over the centuries.

    Arabic Language

    Although known as the language of Islam, the Arabic language predates the advent of Islam: it is an ancient Semitic language with roots in the sixth century B.C. with the Nabataeans, an Arab tribe that spoke Aramaic.

    The language was thus coined by the Arabs and is not in any way a ‘revealed’ language.

    The Arabic alphabet (derived from the Aramaic script) has 28 letters.

    The normal word order of a sentence in Arabic is verb/subject/object.

    As for tenses, it only has two (perfect tense, imperfect tense or the present tense).

    The words in Arabic are constructed from normally three letter “roots” which convey a basic idea.

    A variety of new words can be formed from a single root such as the words book, office and library which can be formed by adding other letters to the root k-t-b (which conveys the idea of writing).

    The verbs are marked for person (first, second, third), gender and number. These alterations in the basic meaning of a verb are made by adding to the root. Hence, the root k-t-b can produce forms such as kataba, “he broke”, kutiba, “it was written” andyaktubu “he writes”. 

    The Arabic language is largely a rule-governed language with a less number of exceptions to the rules as compared to some other languages such as English.

    Before the coming of Islam, the Arabs took great pride in their linguistic skills. The huge amount of literature that exists from the pre-Islamic era is a testament to the significant role the Arabic language played at that time.  As Ibn Rashiq (quoted in Islam, the Qur’an and the Arabic Literature by Omran, 1988) writes:

    “Whenever a poet emerged in an Arab tribe, other tribes would come to congratulate, feasts would be prepared, the women would join together on lutes as they do at weddings and old and young men would all rejoice at the good news. The Arabs used to congratulate each other only on the birth of a child and when a poet rose among them.” 

    Miracle

    Indeed the miracle given to Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is fundamentally linked to this period in history. As with other prophets, Allah سبحانه وتعالى sent Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم a miracle (i.e. a phenomena that broke a universal law) that was most relevant to its time. That miracle was the Qur’an. The Qur’an, being an embodiment of linguistic and literary beauty, exceeds anything of human origin for the reason that it cannot be matched grammatically, linguistically, aesthetically or in composition.  Its’ style is universally recognized as being unique as it falls in none of the eighteen styles of writing that exist in the Arabic language (sixteen styles of poetry (al -Bihar), prose (sajj) and rhymed prose (mursal). The Qur’an is therefore, indisputably recognized as a unique genre – a genre that cannot be improved upon or even matched by any living being. As Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Qur’an:

    “If the whole of mankind and the jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed each other up.” [Al-Israa, 17:88]

    The disbelievers are also openly challenged in the Qur’an:

    “And if you are in doubt as to what we have revealed, then produce a sura like unto it.” [Al-Baqara, 2:23]

    “Or do they say: ‘He forged it’? Say: ‘Bring then a sura like unto it and call [to your aid] anyone you can.‘” [Yunus, 10:38]

    This challenge of the Qur’an came at a time in which literary eloquence was at its peak.  The Arabs who took great pride in their language and in precise and articulate speech had been truly humiliated, for despite having the same set of letters and grammatical rules at their disposal, they were unable to come anywhere near meeting the challenge. Since then, there have been many who have tried and failed miserably in this endeavor.  Thus Allah سبحانه وتعالى used the Arabic language to convey His final message to mankind and to present to those in doubt of the Message and the prophet hood of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم an open challenge till the Day of Judgment.

    Arabic and Legislation

    The role of Arabic in Islam does not come to a halt with the revelation. Naturally a sound understanding of the Arabic language is required to understand its Message. The knowledge of Arabic language is also required to extract laws from the Qur’an and Sunnah – that is, to perform ijtihad. Ijtihad is defined as exerting one’s utmost effort to extract rules from the legislative sources. The Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are considered to be the primary legislative sources that have the ability to express new rulings from a single Ayah or Hadith. The other legislative sources that are derived from these primary sources are Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogical deduction). When applied, the legislative sources enable a Mujtahid (a person qualified to perform ijtihad) to find a rule for any new situation faced at any period in time. In addition to having an in depth knowledge of the legislative sources, a Mujtahid would also need to acquire knowledge of the Arabic language since without understanding the rules of the Arabic language and their application, it would be impossible to comprehend the sources accurately. As an example, without being aware of the rules of Arabic grammar for interpreting the text of Quran and Sunnah, it would not be possible to find out if the command in the Ayah or Hadith for a certain action is Haram (forbidden) or Makruh (undesirable). As it is the Arabic language in its linguistic capacity that enables the Qur’an and the Sunnah to be applicable for all times, we find that Muslims in the past would acquire knowledge of the Arabic language in the same way as they would acquire knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Most of the Tabi’een (followers and companions of a specific Sahabi) for instance, were non-Arabs who learned the Arabic language and made great contributions to the field of Islamic law.

    Understanding the inextricable link between the Arabic language and the Qur’an and Sunnah, the Muslims of the Arabian Peninsula took with them the Arabic language, in the same way as they took the Qur’an and Sunnah, to far-off lands. It is reported that ‘Umar ibn Yazeed wrote to Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari and said: “Learn the Sunnah and learn Arabic; learn the Qur’an in Arabic for it is Arabic.”

    It is therefore hardly surprising that, within a few centuries after the revelation of the Qur’an,Arabic became the common language of government, correspondence, business, and literary expression.  Regions of Northern Africa and the Middle East were transformed into Arabic-speaking areas within a century of the coming of Islam. In later centuries, Arabic was spoken in parts of Europe and Asia as more lands came under the domain of Islam. The Arabic language was the tool with which Muslims implemented Islam over vast areas of land bringing peace, justice and tranquility to Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.

    As lands were conquered, words had to be given to items that Arabs came across. This was only made possible due to the unique quality of the Arabic language which only a few other languages possess. The Arabic language comprises of certain styles that enable it to express any new meaning. For one, its metaphorical nature enables it to create words according to meaning in a metaphorical sense. The qualities of derivation lead to coining of Arabic equivalents on the basis of the Arabic roots. In addition, arabisation makes possible the carving of foreign words and shaping them based on fixed rules that ensure consistency with the principles of arabisation that have already been set in the Arabic language.  An example of this would be the word dirham – used to denote a silver coin- which was arabised from the Greek drachmē or drachma by following the standard Arabic noun structure fi’lal. In fact, by proceeding according to the principles of derivation, arabisation and metaphoric usage as well as the details and forms (awzaan) of the Arabic language that had been firmly established in the Arabic language, the Muslims were able to enrich the language and were able to express any new meaning that they came across. The nature of the Arabic language is as such that due to its ability to encompass new words, it is a language that is applicable and relevant for all times in all aspects of human affairs. This quality makes it extremely suitable for the carrying of the Islamic call.

    The role of the Arabic language is therefore crucial in Islam for it is the language Allah سبحانه وتعالى has used to convey His final Message and to openly challenge those who disbelieve in its authenticity. Moreover, it is the Arabic language that enables Islam to be relevant and applicable for all times since it is a tool without which ijtihad cannot be performed.  The closing of the doors of ijtihad from the seventh century Hijri had a devastating effect on the Muslim Ummah as it stunted its ability to solve emerging problems. Islam therefore became a set of rituals lacking in capacity to deal with new issues that arose. The closing of the doors of ijtihad also lead to the birth of erroneous philosophies as to how to deal with problems of the Ummah. Some began to use their own minds to solve newly occurring problems without any evidence from the Islamic sources, while others were quick to come up with answers without acquiring the necessary tools to perform ijtihad. This road to decline still exists as the Muslim Ummah continues to live in a state of decline in every sphere of life. The only way to come out of this darkness is to once again mix the capacity of the Arabic language with the capacity of Islam without which proper understanding and implementation of Islam cannot be achieved.

  • Q&A: Benefiting from Public Property in the Khilafah

    Question

    The following text is found in the draft constitution:

    “Article 140 – Every individual from the individuals of the community (ummah) has the right to derive benefit from public ownership. The State has no right to allow any particular individual to possess, own or utilise publicly owned properties to the exclusion of other citizens.”

    In our books we find the hadith, “The Muslims are partners in three…” as well as the hadith, “The people are partners in three…” In light of this, the question is as follows.

    The article says that benefit from public property is for the individuals of the Ummah, not for every citizen, or for the individuals of the society. As for the ahādith one mentions ‘Muslims’ and the other mentions ‘people’. Thus is the case that we have used the principle of interpreting the general in light of the specific and thereby understood that the intent of ‘people’ in one of the two narrations is ‘Muslims’, and hence there is no right for the Ahl al-Dhimmah in the public property (except for the public utilities, as the evidences clearly indicate), or is there some other understanding in this issue? Barak Allahu feekum.

    Answer

    1- Article 140 reads, “Every individual from the individuals of the community (ummah) has the right to derive benefit from public ownership. The State has no right to allow any particular individual to possess, own or utilise publicly owned properties to the exclusion of other citizens.”

    The word ‘Ummah’ is of those words which have more than one meaning [mushtarak]. It is used to refer to one person, a community, the Muslims, the citizens, the deen, etc. The intended meaning in a given usage is determined by an indication [qarīnah].

    In the text of the above article we intended by ‘Ummah’ the meaning of ‘citizens’ [ra’iyyah], and this intent is indicated explicitly; we mention at the end of the article, “to the exclusion of other citizens [dūna bāqi al-ra’iyyah]”.

    This is with respect to the understanding of the text of the article.As for the understanding of the two ahadith and the derivation that ‘citizens’ are intended by the word ‘people’ and the word ‘Muslims’ in these ahadith, it is as follows:

    2- Specification [takhsīs] is clarification [bayān], thus if a general expression is found as well as a more general expression, the matter requires consideration: if the first general word is a clarifier for the second more general word than the former specifies the latter; if not, then both remain general and in need of clarification by specification and the former is an individual case [fard] of the latter (the general is merely one case of the more general).

    In the two ahādīth ‘people’ is more general than ‘Muslims’. However both texts are in need of a further clarification. This is because if you say that ‘Muslims’ specifies ‘people’ than the legal rule [hukm shar’i] is that the public property is for Muslims, and this is not the case because it is not for all Muslims. The Muslim who lives outside the Islamic State, that is, is not from its citizens, has no share in the public property of the state, and this is clear.

    Therefore we hold that ‘people’ is a general word and ‘Muslims’ is one case from its cases [afrād]. In seeking the clarification of both words we find the hadith of Burayda, “…then call them to move from their land to the land of the Muhājirīn [dar al-Muhājirīn], and inform them that if they do so then their rights and responsibilities are like those of the Muhājirīn, and if they refuse to move then inform them that they will be like the Bedouins of the Muslims having the responsibilities of Muslims but having no share in the fay’ and ghanīma unless they fight with the Muslims.” This hadith is explicit in that whoever does not move to dar al-Islam and carry the citizenship of the state then he has no right in the rights of the citizens even if he is a Muslim. Thus both the words ‘people’ and ‘Muslims’ are specified by the hadith of Burayda by ‘citizens’ [ra’iyyah].

    Thus we understand the legal rule [hukm shar’i], namely that the public property is for those who live in dar al-Islam and hold citizenship.
    3- This is with respect to the derivation of the legal rule from the two ahadith which you mentioned in the question, and it is as follows:

    The hadith using the word ‘people’ is general.

    The hadith using the word ‘Muslims’ is one case from the cases of the general.

    The hadith of Burayda specifies the general ‘the people’ such that its intent is only those who are citizens, regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.

    4- Notwithstanding the above there are explicit texts which apply to the Ahl al-Dhimma and show that they have a right in the public property. The roads and pathways [turuq] are from the public properties and al-Tirmidhi relates a hadith from Aa’isha (ra) that she said, “The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم had two heavy qitri garments. When he would sit and sweat they would weigh heavily on him. When bazz cloth came from al-Shām with a Jewish man, I said, ‘Perhaps you should go to him and buy two cloths from him to be paid for at a later date.’”. This Jew who lived in the Islamic State used the roads of the Muslims for his trade, and these are from the public properties.

    Further the Companions consented that the Christians of al-Sham could drink from the rivers of al-Sham just as the Muslims did; so too those who remained upon Zoroastrianism in Irāq and Bahrain. Similarly, the Copts in Egypt could drink from the Nile and water their animals. And all of them used to gather firewood from the forests.

  • Understanding the Hadith

    Nothing historically has received more scathing attacks from the kuffaar than hadeeth literature, that is, the preserved body of narrations related to the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم sayings, actions and conduct. Originally, many kuffaar attempted to stir doubt in the genre of hadith literature by spreading dubious lies about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and highlighting supposedly contradictory ahadeeth. Orientalists then took up the mantle of destroying the credibility of the Prophetic traditions by carrying out extensive research on the wholesale rejection of hadeeth as a historical source. This was initiated by Orientalists such as Goldziher and Schact, an attack that continues to this day at the hands of modern-day Orientalists.

    There exist many misunderstandings about the reality of hadeeth even amongst the Muslim Ummah. Amongst some, there is an attitude that the Sunnah is of much less importance than the Qur’an. From this a mentality has emerged disregarding or neglecting legislation (ahkaam) simply because it is not found explicitly in the Qur’an. Unfortunately, many Muslims have criticised the use of ahadeeth (pl. Hadeeth) by using the very same arguments non-Muslims have used against the authenticity of the Sunnah. In 1977 Colonel Gaddafi, ruler of Libya, announced that the ahadeeth mentioned by the tongue of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم are of doubtful authenticity because they were compiled two hundred years after the death of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He gave an example of a contradiction in the hadeeth by quoting ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها which says, “Aisha رضي الله عنها is deficient in mind and Deen.” He also mentioned another hadith were we read, “Take half your Deen from the mouth of ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها.” Gaddafi concluded that it is not allowed to accept ahadeeth because one cannot be certain whether they are authentic or fabricated. He thus concluded that the Sunnah cannot be taken as a source of legislation.  

    Historical origins

    At the time of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم questions of authenticity were never an issue since the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was living amongst Muslims and his companions were able to correct each other if any mistakes were made in narration. ‘Umar رضي الله عنه once narrated that the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “The deceased is punished due to the weeping of his family.”  ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها corrected him, saying, “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said this regarding a Jewess that she was punished whilst her family were crying for her,” meaning that she was punished due to dying upon disbelief (kufr) whilst the family wept and not because the family was weeping for her. Due to their proximity to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Sahabah would check strange attributions and reports when they felt doubt.

    The earliest record of fabrication of ahadeeth started after the first civil war between Ali رضي الله عنه and Mu’awiya from 35AH following the murder of Uthman رضي الله عنه. According to ibn Sirin (d.110AH), “They did not ask about the isnad (chain of narration) but when civil war (fitna) arose they said: Name to us your men; those who belong to Ahl al-Sunnah, their traditions were accepted and those who were innovators, their traditions were neglected.”

    After this time the fabrications increased with varying motivations. Initially the false attributions reflected political differences. According to ibn Abi al-Hadeed: “Lies were introduced in hadeeth on merits originally by Shi’ah. They in the beginning fabricated many ahadeeth in favour of their man, motivated by enmity towards their opponents. When the Bakriyya (i.e. supporters of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه) found out what the Shi’ah had done they fabricated on their part ahadeeth in favour of their man.”

    From this problem arose the challenge to authenticate and verify the narrations being attributed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. There were thousands of transmitters of ahadeeth scattered throughout the Islamic lands and an even greater number of reports to sift through. What was required was for the sound narrations to be separated from the weak and then to be compiled. This was all in the days when the best form of data storage was the human memory.

    Understanding the Hadeeth methodology

    The essential argument for the rejection of ahadeeth is that they were a human construct and not revelation. The discussion of the Shari’ah begins with its sources, which in origin is the Qur’an. The other legislative source is the recorded sayings, actions and conduct of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم which are termed ahadeeth. The ahadeeth are a collection of around 600,000 authenticated narrations comprised of the sayings, actions and consent of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. A hadeeth is always composed of two parts: the matn (text) and the isnaad (chain of reporters).

    When one wants to authenticate any incident or statement one would look at those people narrating the incident and then look at their characters. It was out of this need that an entire science, known as ‘ilm al-rijaal (knowledge of the men who transmitted ahadeeth) emerged and this science evolved into an extremely sophisticated discipline. This is because if one is characterised with lying, sin or memory loss, one cannot be considered trustworthy. One can also examine how close the narrators were to a reported incident in terms of whether they actually witnessed it or spoke to another person who narrated the event. This would require the specialist in hadeeth and the scholars of Islam to check accounts of a given narrators memory, eyesight, tendency to exaggerate etc. If the people narrating the event were small in number, then it must be asked if they could have colluded in their accounts. If the opposite were the case and the numbers of trustworthy individuals relating a similar account unknown to the others incredibly numerous, the possibility of collusion diminishes accordingly.

    Since each narrator related narrations to others, and so on, chains of narrators develop and we must then examine the chains themselves as well as those within the chain. A tawaatur narration (a narration confirmed generation to generation) is a hadeeth which has been transmitted from one generation to another with each generation being composed of individuals so numerous that the possibility of fabrication or lying is effectively non-existent. It would be similar to taking into account the numerous different narrations from various generations and still claiming the Second World War never took place.

    The chain of narration (isnaad) and its study is where the muhaditheen (scholars who collected and categorised ahadeeth) establish the continuity of the chain of narrators i.e. they ensure that there were no gaps, inconsistencies, distortions or errors in the chain. This was achieved by cataloguing the dates of birth and death of narrators and the towns they came from in order to establish the possibility that they had met and hence were actually able to transmit ahadeeth to one another.

    The second issue that had to be ascertained was the probity or mendacity of transmitters. It is not sufficient to verify an unbroken continuous chain if even one of the transmitters was known to be of unsound character. Like any chain, all that is necessary for the whole sequence to collapse is simply one weak link that would allow it to fall apart quickly and easily. So one weak link, or in the case of hadeeth literation, a liar in the chain, will weaken or nullify the report respectively even if the rest of the chain features illustrious and trustworthy transmitters. It is for this reason that the Muslims at the time gathered information about the narrators (‘ilm al-rijaal) which was a colossal accomplishment since it involved assessing the character, reputation and state of mind of thousands upon thousands of transmitters. This repository of biographical material would then be used to identify each and every transmitter in the chain to ensure a valid link back to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. It is as a result of this that the genre of biographical dictionaries emerged, a genre that went on to become one of the pillars of hadeeth classification with countless books being compiled on this subject. After the study of the chains the ahadeeth were classified into strong (sahih), good/sound (hasan), not sound (da’eef) and fabricated or spurious (maw-doo‘). The ahadeeth came to be further categorised into topics such as purity, prayer, charity, partnership, marriage, trade, taxation, brokerage, ruling and deputation, amongst many others. This now meant that legislation could be deduced from this basis from the Sunnah, and Muslims have been doing this for the last fourteen centuries.

    The ahadeeth is confirmed as a source of law by the Qur’an itself,

    مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ

    “He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed God.” [TMQ An-Nisa: 80]

    This method became the method of verifying what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did and said. This is why the science of ahadeeth developed and became a whole discipline itself. Thus a valid hadith is one whose chain is continuous by trustworthy and meticulous transmitters whose reports contained no abnormality or defects.  Thus, the conditions in this definition can be listed as the following:

    1. Ittisaal as-Sanad (continuity of the chain)
    2. ‘Adaalatu Al-Ruwwaah (probity or trustworthiness of narrators)
    3. DabT Al-Ruwaah (The precision and accuracy of narrators)
    4. The absence of conflict with stronger narrations

    Detecting forgery

    A wide variety of techniques were developed to detect forgery and deception. There are techniques related to the sanad (chain) and also techniques relating to the matn (text). Such techniques were many in number and are beyond the scope of this article; two such techniques are reconciling facts with narrations and mukhtalaf al-Hadeeth, reconciling seemingly contradictory hadith.

    An example of reconciling facts with narrations through textual analysis is the one quoted by ibn Qayyim in his work, Naqd al-Manqool. He quotes a report which says that an agreement was made with the people of Khaybar that exempted them from the payment of Jizyah. This report was declared a fabrication due to the following indications in the Matn:

    The text mentions Sa’d bin Mu’aadh رضي الله عنه but Sa’d had died before then in the Battle of Ahzab.

    It mentions that Mu’aawiyah wrote the letter but Mu’aawiyah had not embraced Islam until the Conquest of Makkah which occurred after this incident.

    The hadeeth mentioned Jizyah but the verses (aayaat) legalising Jizyah were not revealed until after the Battle of Tabuk.

    Its text mentions that certain types of taxes were levied but these were known not to exist at the time of Khaybar.

    The Jews of Khaybar fought the Messenger (saws) and his Companions. What did they do to deserve being granted such an exemption from the obligation of Jizyah, when other tribes equally bellicose had not been exempted?

    Had the Prophet (saws) exempted the people of Khaybar from the Jizyah, he would not have stipulated that they be expelled when he صلى الله عليه وسلم willed. This does not fit with the ruling that the Ahl al-Dhimmah cannot be expelled as long as they abide by the rules of Islam.

    If the Prophet had exempted them, why did none of his companions, the Sahaabah, ever exempt them?

    In this way, established facts were utilised to ascertain the validity of the content in the various ahadeeth.

    When presented with two sets of contradictory hadith, one of three options is possible. Either one can resort to reconciliation of the hadeeth by considering a whole host of issues such as textual indication or, if this is not possible, then the outweighing (tarjeeh) of one report over the other if the chronology is not known and finally, accepting abrogation if the chronology is known.

    Thus, the means of removing conflicts are three:

    a) Jam’ a (reconciliation)
    b) Tarjeeh (outweighing if the chronology is not known)
    c) Naskh (abrogation if chronology is known)
    d) If none of the above methods are possible, then the muhadditheen revert back to the original rule and assume the contradictory texts are non-existent.

    The process of reconciliation succeeds by attempting to reconcile two conflicting texts due to certain linguistic and circumstantial considerations. Here, the textual indications can assist in the reconciliation between two texts. For example, in one hadeeth, we read, “Water is pure so nothing can make it impure.” (Abu Dawud). In another, we read, “If the water is enough to fill two pots (qullatayn), it carries no impurity.” (An-Nasaa`ee) The first text is ‘Aam (general) for all amounts of water except the wording of the second text indicates that water can become impure if its nature is changed. This is a specification (takhsees) of the first text by the meaning of the second.

    Tarjeeh (outweighing) can occur in a number of ways; one such way is if one of the conflicting hadeeth accords with another authentic hadith. For example, one hadeeth reads, “There is no nikaah (marriage) without a wali (guardian).” (Abu Dawud) This hadeeth stipulates the presence of a wali but it seems to contradict another hadeeth which indicates that the wali is not stipulated. That hadith is as follows, “The matron has greater right than her guardians and the virgin her permission is sought. Her permission is her silence.” (Saheeh Muslim) Yet the first hadith stipulating the presence of the wali agrees with another sound narration which says, “Any woman who gets married without the permission of her guardian (Wali), her marriage will be void, her marriage will be void, her marriage will be void.” (al-Haakim) Therefore, the tarjeeh here will be that the hadeeth which says that there is no nikaah without a wali is outweighed and accepted because it is supported by another authentic narration.

    As for abrogation, this happens when it is not possible to reconcile a hadeeth but abrogation is possible because the chronology is known. For example, one hadeeth reads, “The one who cups blood and is cupped has broken his fast” whereas another hadeeth reads, “…that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was cupped while he was fasting.” If we scrutinize the circumstances of these ahadeeth, we find that first hadeeth took place in the 8th year after Hijrah during the Conquest of Makkah while the second hadeeth is in the Farewell Khutbah in the 10th year after Hijrah. Thus, Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee رضي الله عنه took the view that the second hadeeth had abrogated the first, allowing the cupping of blood while fasting in Ramadaan.

    The Muslim scholars and experts were able to amass a database of thousands of narrators, define rigorous criteria to assess authenticity, classify and adopt a grading system for chain narrators, devise techniques to detect and avert mistakes and fabrications and adopt a methodology to reconcile the differences within certain texts. The result was the remarkably robust and effective preservation of the Islamic ideology and its legislative capacity.

    If we compare the system of hadeeth collection (Isnaad) to the modern system of historical analysis, we will find the former to be much more sophisticated and successful in establishing the authenticity of historical incidents and events. What the Muslims called a da’eef hadith is perhaps stronger in historicity, in some of its forms, than modern sources such as history textbooks, numismatics or historical criticism of literary texts. This is because da’eef does not mean fabrication but simple that it does not satisfy the stringent criteria developed by the muhadditheen.

  • Nusrah: The Shara’i Method to Assume Authority

    Nusrah: The Shara’i Method to Assume AuthorityIt is enjoined upon the people of power.

    Allah سبحانه وتعالى has bestowed the early Muslims with His honour, decreed rewards for them, and mentioned their praise in the Great Book. He سبحانه وتعالى mentioned each of the two brotherly groups, who embarked upon a great endeavour, and referred to them as Muhajirin and Ansar (the Immigrants and the Sponsors), which means the people who under took Hijrah and those who offered them the Nusrah. The Hijrah itself was the declaration of the state and migration to the land or abode of Islam (Dar ul Islam), while the Nusrah was created for Hijrah and for establishing the Dar ul Islam. Without the Nusrah and the Ansar, there could be no Hijrah or Muhajirin. Therefore, how can a Muslim, who very often recites the Quran and therein comes across the virtues of the Muhajirin and Ansar, continue to ignore the virtues of Hijrah and Nusrah?

    Since we are discussing Nusrah which followed the Hijrah, it becomes inevitable to refer to the biography of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and follow his example. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم’s efforts in Makkah were directed at establishing an abode of Islam (Dar ul Islam), he treaded clearly defined path with properly calibrated milestones which could later be imitated by later generations when the Dar ul Islam ceases to exist and in fact following these well laid tracks will be mandatory in working towards establishing the Dar ul Islam. In fact the re-emergence of Dar ul Islam has been mentioned by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم in Ahadeeth where he also gave glad tidings of the return of the Khilafah.

    In the tenth of the Prophethood, which is three years prior to the Hijrah, after the death of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم’s uncle Abu Talib who provided some measure of Nusrah and protection which enabled the Prophet to safely carry the call of Islam, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم realised that the society in Makkah was neither affected by the call of Islam nor there was any public opinion for Islam and its concepts. It was in this phase that Allah سبحانه وتعالى ordered him صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to seek Nusrah. Nusrah means good support, in the lexicons, Nasr means supporting the victims of injustice, while Ansar means a group of those who provide support and succor to the oppressed. Under the chapter titled: Efforts of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to seek Nusrah from the tribe of ‘Thaqeef’, in Seerat ibn Hisham, it is reported:

    “Ibn Ishaq says: when Abu Talib died, the Quraysh inflicted persecuted the prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم so much which they could not during the time of his صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم uncle. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم left for Ta’if in order to seek their support and protection and asked them to accept what was revealed to him from Allah سبحانه وتعالى. He went alone to Ta’if.”

    It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas (r.a) in Ibn Hajar’s Fath ul Bari, Tuhaft ul Ahwadhi & al Kalam as well as Hakim, Abu Nua’im and Baihaqi in Dala’il with sound narrations, Ibn Abbas quotes Ali ibn Abi Talib who says:

    “When Allah سبحانه وتعالى ordered the Prophet to approach the Arab tribes, I and Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to Mina until the court of the Arab tribes.”

    It is therefore established that the command to approach the Arab tribes and seek their support, as well as the timing of this approach came from Allah سبحانه وتعالى as is evident from the narration of Ali ibn Abi Talib (r.a) above. The timing of this command coincides with the loss of protection & support of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. He was no longer safe and protected, the Quraysh would not allow him to carry the call of Allah, and at the same time the Prophet had no hopes that the society in Makkah would accept his authority since the public opinion itself in Makkah was not favourable to Islam. Thus the Prophet was ordered to seek Nusrah at that point in time in order to make encourage the da’wah and bring Islam to position that befits it in terms of ruling, authority and a comprehensive implementation of its Ahkam. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم began this task of seeking the Nusrah from Ta’if which was counted among the most powerful entities in the Arabian Peninsula at the time. In fact it rivaled the Quraysh in terms of strength, prestige and position. This is what was stressed by Walid ibn Mughairah when he refuted the revelation of Quran on Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and not upon the nobles of Makkah & Ta’if. Allah سبحانه وتعالى then revealed the ayah:

    وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ

    “And they say: “Why is not this Qur’ân sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Tâ’if)?” [TMQ: al-Zukhruf: 31]

    The strength of the people of Ta’if is evident by the fact that even after the Islamic state was later established, Ta’if was not conquered by ease, it was under siege resulting in heavy casualties on both sides and canons had to be fired to break their resistance. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم proceeded to Ta’if intending to meet their chieftains and nobles, he met three of them and talked to them about Islam and Nusrah. He returned disappointed from there due to the rejection of Nusrah by the tribal heads. This was the beginning. The Prophet returned from Ta’if and stayed with al Mut’im ibn ‘Adai on the outskirts of Makkah and began to approach the powerful leaders of other Arab tribes during the hajj seasons. These tribal leaders were in effect the heads of governments in our times. In Seerat ibn Hisham, under the chapter about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم approaching the tribes, Ibn Ishaq says:

    “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم came to Makkah but his people (the Quraysh) were even more severe than before except the few who had embraced Islam. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم would approach the tribes during the hajj season and call them to Allah, inform them that he was the Messenger sent by Allah and urge them to believe in him and protect him until Allah manifests for them what He سبحانه وتعالى has sent down.”

    The books of seerah show that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم during the hajj season approached anyone who occupied a position of honour and was powerful. In seerat Ibn Hisham, under the chapter “the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم approaching the Arabs during the seasons”, it says: “Ibn Ishaq said:

    “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم persistently pursued this matter whenever people met him during the (hajj) seasons, he called the tribes to Allah and to Islam and presented himself to them as well as what guidance was revealed by Allah سبحانه وتعالى. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم heard of no one of some significance and nobility visiting Makkah except that he called him to Allah and presented his call to him.”

    The books of Seerah inform us that the Prophet visited Bani Kalb at their place and they refused to accept him, he came over to Bani Hanifah of al Yamamah at their place and they behaved very rudely like no other Arab tribe. The Prophet called on Bani ‘Aamer ibn Sa’sa’ and refused unless he gave them the authority after him which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم rejected. He then visited Bani Kindah of Yemen at their camp and they also demanded authority after him and so the Prophet rejected their Nusrah. He called on Bakr bin Wa’il at their camps; they refused to protect the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم because they were in the vicinity of Persia. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم visited Bani Rabee’ah’s camp, they did not answer. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم called on Bani Shaiban at their camps who also were in close vicinity of Persia. Bani Shaiban offered to protect the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم from the Arabs but not the Persians, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم replied to them:

    “Your eloquence of the truth amounts to its rejection. No one stands by the deen of Allah except the one who covers all its aspects.”

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم continued to seek Nusrah despite the refusal of several tribes; he did neither waver, nor despaired nor changed his course. ‘Zaad al Ma’ad’ reports from al-Waqidi who says:

    “The tribes known to us whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم approached and called them are Banu ‘Aamer ibn Sa’sa’, Muharib ibn Hafsah, Fazarah, Ghassan, Murrah, Haneefah, Sulaym, ‘Abs, Banu Nadhar, Banu Bika’, Kindah, Kalb, Harith ibn Ka’ab, ‘Udrah and the Hadhramis. None of them responded positively.”

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم persisted in seeking Nusrah until Allah سبحانه وتعالى blessed His deen with Nusrah. Ibn Ishaq is quoted in Seerat ibn Hisham:

    “When Allah سبحانه وتعالى decreed the domination of His deen and honouring His Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and accomplish His promise, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم went out in the hajj season when he met people of the Ansar. He presented himself to the Arab tribes as he had been doing during the hajj seasons. So while he was at al-‘Aqabah, he met people from the Khazraj tribe whom Allah سبحانه وتعالى wished to bless. Those people from Khazraj accepted his call and went to reconcile their dispute with the tribe of Aws. They returned the next year with twelve persons and met the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم at al-‘Aqabah, this was the first Bai’ah of ‘Aqabah. Then after the society of Madina was prepared by Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair (r.a) the nobles of the city visited the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to offer him their protection and assistance. They met the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم again at al-‘Aqabah and made the pledge of allegiance which was a pledge of fighting along with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. Seerat ibn Hisham narrates from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم during this bai’ah:

    “I take your pledge that you will protect me just as you protect your women and children.” Al Bara’ ibn Ma’roor took the hand of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and said: “Indeed, by the One Who sent you with the truth as the Messenger, we shall protect you like we protect our children therefore, take our pledge oh Messenger of Allah, We by Allah are the sons of battles and the weapons of war are like toys for us, this has been our heritage from the times of our forefathers.” With this, Allah promise was fulfilled and a state for Islam was established.

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was seeking Nusrah to accomplish two things: One was to ward off any harm to him and protection in order to carry the call of his Rabb سبحانه وتعالى, and the other to bring Islam to a position of authority and state. On the first aspect, Hakim narrates in his Mustadrak on the authority of Jabir and on the conditions of the two Sheikhs (Bukhari & Muslim), Jabir (r.a) says:

    “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم used to approach the people and say: “Is there a man who would take me to his people, the Quraysh prevent me from carrying the word of my Rabb?” A man from Bani Hamdan came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and said: “Do your people have the strength? The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “Yes” and he asked the man from where he came, the man replied that he was from Banu Hamdan. The man was then afraid that his people may let him down i.e. break his pledge, so he came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and told him: “My people are coming, so talk to them and I shall meet you the next year.” the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم told him: “Yes.”

    Seerat ibn Hisham narrates from Ibn Ishaq:

    “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم used to approach the Arab tribes during the hajj season and call them Allah and to provide him Nusrah, he used to inform them that he was indeed the Messenger of Allah and ask them to believe in him and to protect him until Allah manifests what He revealed.” Therefore this was a request to provide him the Nusrah in order to enable the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to carry his call.

    While the second aspect concerns what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم discussed with Bani Sha’ban at their camps and asked them their protection which they refused. Similarly what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم discussed with Bani ‘Aamer ibn Sa’sa and Bani Kindah who asked him to accede authority to them after him and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم refused it. This sequence culminated with asking for protection at the pledge of Aws & Khazraj which was a pledge of war that took place at the second pledge at ‘Aqabah.

    Indeed this relentless effort of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم of seeking Nusrah as ordered by Allah سبحانه وتعالى and his persistence & perseverance on this effort without changing his course despite the frustrations & persecutions he was met with, clearly indicates that the order of Allah سبحانه وتعالى to seek Nusrah was categorical and hence was obligatory. This is from the methodology of establishing the state and resuming the Islamic way of life, hence it is not permitted to waver from this path. In our times this can be accomplished by a political party working to revive the Islamic way of life on the pattern of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and seeking Nusrah from the people of power of the present times who happen to be the armed forces of the Muslim lands. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم considered the tribes as such and used to seek their protection. He used to first and foremost ask them to accept Islam as a precondition to offer their protection. This condition is applicable to the armed forces of the Muslim lands and certain large tribes who can bring about a change in ruling and authority. The seeking of Nusrah by the Hizb, which works to revive the Islamic way of life, is a political action and those who have the potential to engage in material action are the people of power and thus they have the means to mobilise force. The Hizb urges the people of power who have the means to give the Nusrah. The Hizb works with the Ummah to impress upon the people of power to take up this great responsibility. This is a most urgent task although its obligation is by way of methodology. The task begins after preparing a popular base and making the Islamic concepts dominant basic public opinion. When the societies lack such resolve and are overwhelmed by the present systems, change can not be accomplished in the natural manner. This task is completed and accomplished when power and authority is achieved to implement Islam completely and radically.

    Since the task of seeking Nusrah is so important and critical that on this great Shara’i command depends the formation of the state after it has been lost and the rise of Allah’s banner, as well as this is required to eliminate the treachery upon treachery that are confronting the Ummah: it is ruled by other than what Allah سبحانه وتعالى has revealed, it is subjugated to the system of capitalism and is faced with dilemmas, tragedies, woes and great afflictions, and since this task of seeking the Nusrah concerns those who have power and the means to bring about change in ruling to support the call of Islam, and since this matter is of such grave concern and urgency, therefore the responsibility of those who have the means assumes greater significance to bring about a change. Certainly, their rewards are also great if they stand up to their responsibility, and what is a better reward than the Jannah?

    Virtues and Merits of those who provide the Nusrah

    In the Quran al Kareem:

    It is enough merit of the Ansar that Allah سبحانه وتعالى mentioned them in His Book and attributed them with qualities that every Muslim aspires to. He سبحانه وتعالى said about them that they are from the Sabiqoun al Awwaloon (the first ones) and asked us to meticulously follow them. He سبحانه وتعالى is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him سبحانه وتعالى. Allah سبحانه وتعالى prepared for them heavens underneath which flow the rivers…their happiness are eternal. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says about them:

    وَالسَّابِقُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

    “And the foremost to embrace Islâm of the Muhâjirûn (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansâr (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhâjirûn) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [TMQ at Tawbah: 100]

    He سبحانه وتعالى further says about them:

    لَقَد تَّابَ الله عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنصَارِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ فِي سَاعَةِ الْعُسْرَةِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا كَادَ يَزِيغُ قُلُوبُ فَرِيقٍ مِّنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّهُ بِهِمْ رَؤُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

    “Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhâjirûn (Muslim emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madinah) and the Ansâr (Muslims of Al-Madinâh) who followed him (Muhammad) in the time of distress (Tabuk expedition), after the hearts of a party of them had nearly deviated (from the Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly, He is to them full of kindness, Most Merciful.” [TMQ at Tawbah: 117].

    Allah سبحانه وتعالى orders the believers to be Ansar in order that we be pleased:

    يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُونوا أَنصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أَنصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ اللَّهِ فَآَمَنَت طَّائِفَةٌ مِّن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَت طَّائِفَةٌ فَأَيَّدْنَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا عَلَى عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ظَاهِرِينَ

    “O you who believe! Be you helpers (in the Cause) of Allah as said ‘Esâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), to the Hawârîyyûn (the disciples): “Who are my helpers (in the Cause) of Allah?” The Hawârîyyûn (the disciples) said: “We are Allah’s helpers” (i.e. we will strive in His Cause!). Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. So, We gave power to those who believed against their enemies, and they became the victorious (uppermost).” [TMQ as-Saff: 14].

    The Ansar Virtues in the Prophet’s Seerah:

    Regarding the second pledge of ‘Aqabah, it is reported in the seerah books:

    They (The Ansar) asked: “Ya Rasool Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, what is our reward if we honour our word?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “Jannah”. They responded: “Hold your hand”, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم held his hand and they made the pledge. As against this, those who have the onus of giving the Nusrah, so that Islam is brought to the fore and they remain faithful to its, are persistent in their loyalty to the rulers who have actually usurped power over the neck of the Ummah.

    The two Sheikhs (Bukhari & Muslim) have narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (r.a) who reports that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “Love for the Ansar is a sign of faith and hatred for the Ansar is a sign of hypocrisy.”

    While Tirmidhi reports on the authority of al-Bara’ bin al’Azib who says he heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said regarding the Ansar: “None but the believer loves them, none but the hypocrite hates them. He who loved them loved Allah and he who hated them hated Allah.”

    Bukhari reports on the authority of Anas (r.a): “The Prophet saw the women and children (of the Ansar) coming forward. (The sub-narrator said, “I think that Anas said, ‘They were returning from a wedding party.’”) The Prophet stood up and said thrice, “By Allah! You are from the most beloved people to me.”

    Bukhari has another narration from Anas (r.a) again who says: “A woman from the Ansar came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم along with her child and spoke to him, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “By the one who has my soul in His hand, you (the Ansar) are dearest to me of all people” he said this twice.”

    Muslim reports on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (r.a) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “The Ansar are like my veins vaults (they occupy a position of trust), people will increase in numbers while the Ansar’s numbers will shrink. Therefore accept those from Ansar who do good deeds and forgive those from Ansar who do wrong.”

    It is also reported in Muslim on the authority of ibn ‘Abbas (r.a) that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said about the Ansar: “No man who believes in Allah and the day of judgement hates Ansar.”

    Bukhari reports on the authority of ‘Amr bin Murrah who says: “I heard Abu Hamza, an Ansar say: “the Ansar said: “Every people have a following and we have followed you, therefore pray to Allah that He makes our people follow our example, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “Oh Allah, make their followers from among them.”

    Then we have that most eloquent and effective address that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم made after distributing the spoils of Hunain, this narrative is from Musnad Ahmad on the authority of Abu Said al-Khudri (r.a):

    “Oh Ansar! are you pleased that others walk away with sheep and camels and you return with Allah‘s Messenger in your company; By the one Who possesses Mohammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم’s soul, were it not for the Hijrah, I would myself be from the Ansar. And if the entire people tread a valley and the Ansar went for another valley, I would tread Ansar’s valley. Oh Allah! Have mercy on Ansar, have mercy of their sons, and their sons’ sons.”

    What attribute could be greater that loving Ansar is the sign of being a believer, and hating the Ansar is taken as a sign of being hypocrite? What can a greater position than the position of those who are dearest to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم than the rest of the people and they are his chosen people and his kin? What could be higher honour than their sons, and progeny being forgiven? Not only that the Prophet followers and his friends are from them. What can be more significant than the fact that the Allah, the Merciful’s heaven trembles at the passing away of a man named Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh, what discerns him from the rest of the Sahabah is his giving the Nusrah!

    Bukhari narrates on the authority of Jabir (r.a) who says: “I heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم say: “the heavens trembled at the death of Sa’ad bin Ma’adh.”

    All these are in fact the exclusive virtues of the Ansar that no one shares with them except the Muhajirin. So where are the Ansar, now that there is great potential for Nusrah for them to emulate the fist Ansar, the first heroes. And the doors for Nusrah which though were shut for long centuries are now wide open. Blessings and congratulations are for those who are chosen by Allah to open these doors, Allah knows, the doors once they are shut may never open again!

    Sa’ad ibn Mu’adh

    By Jawad Abdul Muhsin, Al-Khaleel (Hebron), Palestine.

    It is the duty of the people of power to realise that the Islamic State was established and destroyed only once before. The greatness of the one who now establishes it is like the one who protected and supported the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. His status, by the will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى will be like that of Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh (r.a) about whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “The heavens have trembled at the death of Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh.”

    It is the duty of every person who commands power among the Muslims to study about Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh (r.a)…it was him who stood on the decisive day of the battle of Badr and told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “We have believed in you and trusted you…and testify that what you have brought is the truth, and on that we have given our pledges to listen to you and obey you. Therefore you decide (any which way) and we are with you, by the One who sent you down with the truth if you order us to jump into the ocean, not one of us will waver. We are not averse to confronting the enemy tomorrow, we shall be steadfast in our fight, and may Allah manifest to you what will please your eyes, let us march and count ob His support.”

    In another narration: “You may proceed where you wish and have relations with whom you wish and cut off relations with whom you wish, take from our wealth what you want and give whatever you want. What ever you take from us will be dearer to us than what you leave with us.”

    This is what the people of power must bear in mind regarding the critical issue confronting the Ummah, they should not be like Banu ‘Abd Ashhal but rather like a poet says:

    Strong, when they confront (the enemy), mild hearted when praying (to Allah)

    This was Sa’ad about whom the people told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “We have not carried a dead body lighter than this.” And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم replied to them: “Nothing made his body lighter, but it was such and such number of angels who descended and carried him along with you. Those angels had never before descended.” This is narrated in Tabaqat ibn Sa’ad.

    Such was Sa’ad that when his soul was carried to his Creator, Jibreel (a.s) came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and said: “Who was this good soul who died? The gates of the heavens were opened for him and the throne moved.” This is narrated by Haakim and authenticated by al-Dhahabi; also Imam Ahmad reported it with an authentic chain of narration.

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “This virtuous servant for whom the gates of heavens were opened and the throne moved. Seventy thousand angels descended for him, he was buried and left.”

    Such was Sa’ad who enjoyed the blessings of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, Asma’ bint Yazeed Sakan reports…that when Sa’ad died, his mother wept and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم told her: “Your tears would recede and your sorrow be lessened if you know that your son is the first person for whom Allah سبحانه وتعالى smiled and the heavens trembled.” This is reported in at-Tabarani.

    Such is the position of the one who provided support & protection to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم when the Islamic State was established…but perhaps the blessings of Allah سبحانه وتعالى will be even greater for the one who now provides that support for His deen because now it is overwhelmed with kufr from all sides and the nations of the world are united against it.

    At the same time if person shirks away from his duty to support the deen of Allah, his military ranks and honours will not be able to stop the wrath of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Every officer who controls power in any way must realise that Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh was not meant to be the last person and the like of him will not surface again… every Muslim officer must realise that he himself is Sa’ad and is in a position to give Nusrah like Sa’ad (r.a). This address to him is just like the address was to Sa’ad then!

    Usaid ibn Hudhair (r.a)

    A person of noble traits leaves an inheritance of nobility.

    His father was Hudhair al-Kataib who was a chieftain of the Aws tribe. He was a senior leader of the Arabs and a fierce fighter during the period of Jahilliyah.

    Usaid (r.a) inherited his father’s position, his bravery and other qualities. Before he accepted Islam, he was a leader of Madina and a noble among Arabs and an archer of rare expertise. When he accepted Islam and was guided to the righteous path of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, his honour and nobility was obvious. He was among the Ansar of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and an early entrant to Islam. He was quick to accept Islam and it was conclusive.

    When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم sent Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair to Madina to teach the Muslims of the Ansar who had made their pledge of allegiance at the first bai’ah of ‘Aqabah and cultivate Islamic thinking in them, and to call other people of Madina to Islam, Usaid (r.a.) was sitting with Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh, both leaders of their people and discussing on this new issue of Islam which had come from Makkah and called for something unknown to them.

    Sa’ad said to Usaid (r.a): “Go to this man (Mus’ab) and ask him (about the matter).” Usaid (r.a) picked his stick and walked to where Mus’ab was sitting as the guest of As’ad ibn Zurarah, another leader of Madina who had already accepted Islam.

    There he saw a group of people listened intently to the nobles words of Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair who was inviting them to Islam. Usaid (r.a) surprised them with his anger.

    Mus’ab (r.a) told Usaid: “Would sit and listen… if you like this matter, you accept and if you do not like, you can leave it.” Usaid was a person of open heart and wise thinking, in fact he was known to his people as al-Kamil, the accomplished, a title that he inherited from his father.

    When he saw that Mus’ab was addressing his intellect, he pierced his stick to the ground and sat down and said to Mus’ab: “You are fair, tell me what you have?”

    Mus’ab recited a portion from the Quran to Usaid and explained his call of the new religion, the true path for which he was ordered by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to spread and raise its banner. Those who were present at this gathering narrated the incidence:

    “By Allah, before he spoke, we recognised Islam on his face by its peaceful glow!”

    Mus’ab had not even completed his speech, when Usaid was spellbound and shouted out: “What a beautiful discourse this is!” and he asked: “What do you do when someone wants to embrace this deen?” Mus’ab (r.a) told him that he must clean himself up and his garments then bear witness to the Truth and pray two rak’at.

    Usaid’s was a personality of consistence and steadfastness, a pure soul, when he was convinced of a matter, he would never waver in his firm resolve. He stood up to accomplish his task without any delay and tardiness and accepted the deen for which his heart testified and his soul satisfied. He cleaned himself, prayed to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and announced his acceptance of Islam and discarded his previous crooked ways of ignorance! Now he had to go back to Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh and report to him his mission that he was dispatched by Sa’ad for this was to quell Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair. He returned to Sa’ad, as he approached the gathering, Sa’ad told those around him: “By Allah, Usaid is coming with an expression different from the one he left with.”

    Indeed! When he had left, he was full of bitterness, anger and hostility, and returned with an expression brimming with mercy, enlightenment and content. Usaid decided to put his intellect to good use; he knew that Sa’ad was identical to him in terms of his purity, decisiveness, resolve and fair thinking. He knew that nothing would come between Sa’ad and his acceptance of Islam if he heard what he had himself heard from Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair, the emissary of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. But he knew that if told Sa’ad of his acceptance of Islam, it will be a confrontation of uncertain results. Therefore he decided to influence Sa’ad’s enthusiasm in order to push him to the place where Mus’ab was sitting so that Sa’ad could listen to the same and see for himself.

    Now the question was how to accomplish this? As mentioned, Mus’ab had come to Madina as the guest of As’ad ibn Zurarah who was a cousin to Sa’ad, the son of his maternal aunt. So Usaid (r.a) told Sa’ad: “I have learnt that Banu al-Harithah have come out with intention of killing As’ad ibn Zurarah although they are aware that he is your cousin.” Sa’ad stood up full of anger and picked up his sword and came walking briskly to the place where Mus’ab (r.a) sat with As’ad and other Muslims.

    When he approached the place, he saw no noise or disturbance and the people sat with patience and calmness with Mus’ab who was reciting the Quran and the people listened to him intently.

    He realised that Usaid (r.a) had intended that he listen to the words of the Mus’ab, the emissary of Islam. Usaid’s intellectual acumen in his friend was vindicated, Sa’ad had barely heard the words when Allah سبحانه وتعالى opened his heart to Islam and Sa’ad quickly occupied a position of prominence among the early Muslims.

    Usaid (r.a)’s heart was filled with steadfastness and enlightenment of Iman…his Iman gave him patience, discernment and fairness of judgement and these qualities made him a reliable person of trust…During the battle of Bani Mustalaq, ‘Abdullah ibn Ubai was enraged and said to those people of Madina who were around him:

    “You have given away your city to the Muslims and you have shared your wealth with them. If only you had caught them with your hands and turned them away from your place anyway, by Allah, when we reach Madina we will make the respected person a humiliated one.”

    Zaid ibn Arqam, an eminent companion heard these venomous words of hypocrisy, and as was his duty he informed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم who was very much pained to hear it. When Usaid (r.a) met him, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم enquired: “Have you heard the words uttered by your friend? Usaid: “and which friend do you mean?” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “Abdullah ibn Ubai.” Usaid: “and what did he say.” The Prophet: “he said that when we reach Madina we will make the respected person a humiliated one.” Usaid: “insha Allah, it will be you who will expel him, he is the humiliated one and you are the exalted one.” Usaid added further: “Leave him, Allah سبحانه وتعالى has brought you to us. The people (of Madina) were preparing a crown for him and make him the king. Therefore he considers that Islam has denied him the kingship.”

    With such deep, clear and balanced understanding of issues Usaid (r.a) always solved critical problems; he would face issues and take all relevant matters into consideration.

    Then at the Saqeefah, in the aftermath of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم’s demise, where a group of Ansar led by Sa’ad ibn ‘Ubadah (r.a) declared that the Khilafah was their right and this dialogue rather stretched for a long time and tempers were raised. At this sensitive moment the stand taken by Usaid (r.a), who as we know was an Ansar, was an effective stand which conclusively settled the matter. His words set the direction; he stood up and addressed his people: “You know that the Prophet himself was from the Muhajirin therefore his successor should also be from among them. And we were the supporters and protectors of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم today, it is our duty to support and protect his Khaleefah”

    His words soothed the nerves and calmed the tempers. Throughout his life, Usaid (r.a) lived the life a true servant of Allah, he was content and satisfied and spent his life and wealth to good use and strived to meet the Prophet at the pool of Kauthar as the he had said: “Have patience until you meet me at the haudh.”

    He loved his friends and was highly respected by Amir ul Mumineen ‘Umar (r.a) as well as all other companions. He was a very profound reciter of the Quran and the companions were always keen to listen to his recitation.

    That splendid but fearful voice about which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said that the angels descended to listen to Usaid (r.a) passed away in the month Sha’ban in the twentieth year of hijrah and he was carried by none less than Amir ul Mumineen ‘Umar (r.a) on his shoulders and buried at the Baqee’. The companions saw the body of this great Mu’min for the one last time and returned to Madina and continued to remember his virtues and recalled the words of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “The Best of men is Usaid ibn Hudhair”

    Nusrah: Meticulously planning and brave execution

    Nusrah is a divine command and binding upon the people of power among the Muslims, and they are sinful for their failure in this, indeed it is a great sin. The people of power have two duties, none any less significant than the other: The first duty is to take away power, or seize by force if necessary, from those rulers who rule over people by other than what Allah سبحانه وتعالى has sent down. And the second obligation on the people of power is to hand over this power and authority to those who may be working to establish such an authority that rules by what Allah has revealed. By honouring these two obligations, the duty of Nusrah is achieved and the one who accomplishes this achieves the status of being an Ansar of Allah. Once the khilafah is established, their position and dignity in the state will be like their predecessors who provided Nusrah to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم like Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh, Sa’ad ibn ‘Ubadah, As’ad ibn Zurarah and Usaid ibn Hudhair and they will be remembered for this until the day of judgement.

    What must be borne in mind in this context is that the process of taking over power and handing it over requires detailed & meticulous planning and unprecedented braveness in its execution as well as adopting innovative means.

    At the same time, it also requires well coordinated cooperation between those people of power who want to provide Nusrah, and the hizb that works among the Ummah which must have prepared for all the Shara’ required groundwork needed to establish the Islamic State. For instance like having proper Islamic personalities, statesmen who have been properly cultured and well versed in its thoughts & concepts, shaped public opinion. This coordination between them will help move to the desired destination, which is the establishment of authority to rule by what Allah has sent down.

    Therefore, planning and proficient execution are two key requirements and we are reminded of what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم did when he migrated from Makkah to Madina. He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم adopted a plan and utilised resources and means very intelligently; he considered every matter in detail and did not leave any breach either in planning or in implementation and then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم relied on Allah سبحانه وتعالى, completely believed in Him and did not harbor a speck of doubt that Allah alone is to be worshipped and obeyed, He is the One who helps and accomplishes and He has promised the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم with Nusrah. We shall see how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم planned and how Allah سبحانه وتعالى helped him, until the state based on The Truth was established, the state of the kalimah (La ilaha illa Allah Muhammad ur Rasool ullah). Thus his example is a beacon of light that which will guide us right in these days of gloom especially gloomy in terms of Nusrah.

    The books of seerah remind us that Jibreel (a.s) descended on the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and brought the Wahi from Allah سبحانه وتعالى and informed him of the conspiracy of the Quraysh to kill him and asked him to leave Makkah and said to him: “Do not sleep on your bed on which you sleep daily.”

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم went to the house of Abu Bakr (r.a) and was armed, and this was a time when no one visited another at this hot hour of rest. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم informed him of the order to migrate and the modalities of the hijrah process were agreed between them. He returned to his house and awaited the night.

    On the other hand were the criminal leaders of the Quraysh who had decided during the day to execute their plan of assassinating the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and distribute his blood among the tribes. They chose eleven of their leaders and during the early part of the night they gathered at the door waiting for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to go to sleep so that they could strike at him. This is how the Prophet began to execute his plan.

    He ordered Syeddina ‘Ali (r.a) to sleep on his bed and cover himself with the green Hadhrami sheet which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم used, he also told ‘Ali (r.a) that nothing untoward would befall him confuse the enemy and blind them and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم fully succeeded in this. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم emerged from his house while reciting:

    وَجَعَلْنَا مِن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا فَأَغْشَيْنَاهُمْ فَهُمْ لاَ يُبْصِرُونَ

     “And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so that they cannot see.” [TMQ Yaseen: 09]

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم threw a handful of sand over the heads of those surrounding his house and yet they could not see him. When another person saw the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم he informed these men that he had already left, but they did not believe him because they felt that the one who was covered with the green sheet of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was himself. Although they came to know the reality later, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم had meanwhile gone far away from them, first to the house of Abu Bakr (r.a) and from there they followed their decisive plan. They did not leave the house of Abu Bakr (r.a) by the door but through an opening in the wall so that they are not seen coming out and are not recognized. They reached the cave of Thawr in the direction of Yemen which is the opposite direction of Madina. This was on 27th of Safar.

    When the people surrounding the house realised that it was ‘Ali in the house instead of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, they realised their folly. They asked ‘Ali (r.a) about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, but ‘Ali (r.a) told them that he did not know and fell in their hands.

    The plan of Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم was that the spies of the Quraysh will look for him in the direction of Madina in the north, therefore he took to just the opposite path in the south that leads towards Yemen. After travelling for some five miles they reached the mountain of Thour which is a high altitude range of mountain, the path is stony and arduous. There was a cave in the mountains where they spent three nights. Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr would come to accompany them for the night and leave early in the morning so that he could be with Quraysh at day break and they would presume that he was in Makkah itself. When ‘Abdullah would come to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and Abu Bakr (r.a), he would inform them about the situation in Makkah. ‘Amer ibn Fuhairah (r.a), the slave of Abu Bakr (r.a) would ensure that milk was supplied to them during the late hours of each of the three nights. Then before dawn when ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr (r.a) would depart for Makkah, Amer (r.a) would follow him behind along with his herd of sheep so that his track marks were erased.

    When the Quraysh learnt about the departure of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, they were mad with anger, they beat up ‘Ali (r.a) and pulled him to Ka’ba and detained him for some time so that he gives them information regarding the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, but they were disappointed. Then they went to the house of Abu Bakr (r.a) and enquired about him. His daughter Asma (r.a) told them that she did not know, Abu Jahal (may Allah’s curse be on him) slapped her face.

    The Quraysh then met for an emergency meeting to decide upon using all resources at their disposal in order to get hold of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and his companion Abu Bakr (r.a). They placed their spies on all routes going out of Makkah under intense surveillance and placed a huge booty on their heads which was a hundred camels each for bringing them dead or alive. As a result several people mounted and on-foot, experts of the tracks left out to look for them. They spread out in the mountains, hills and valleys, but to no avail. They even reached the opening of the cave, but Allah سبحانه وتعالى is competent in His work, He سبحانه وتعالى saves whom He سبحانه وتعالى wishes.

    Once reached so close that Abu Bakr (r.a) says that if they had looked at their feet, he would have seen us, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم reassured him and said to him: “What do you say abut the two men, the third of whom is Allah.” In this regard, Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed the following ayah:

    إِلاَّ تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لاَ تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَنَا فَأَنزَلَ اللّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ السُّفْلَى وَكَلِمَةُ اللّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

     “If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he said to his companion (Abu Bakr): “Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allah is with us.” Then Allah sent down His Sakînah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allah that became the uppermost; and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” [TMQ at Tawbah: 40]

    Thus the interceptors returned frustrated, though at one time, they were just a few steps away from them.

    The search was loosened and the patrolling parties gave up and then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم prepared along with his companion to depart towards Madina. They had already engaged ‘Abdullah ibn Uraiqah al- Laithi to guide them to their path because he was considered an expert and trustworthy person. He was still on the deen of his people. It was agreed that he will come to the cave after three nights with the mounts. As he had promised, he came on the night of the first of Rabi’ ul Awwal and Asma (r.a) brought them food for the journey, and they left along with ‘Amer ibn Fuhairah.

    The guide ‘Amer ibn Fuhairah first took them southwards on the way to Yemen, he then turned west towards the coast and reached a path not known to the people. Then he turned northward near the coast of the Red Sea and again took a path known only to few people.

    On his way, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم met al-Zubair bin al-‘Awwam (r.a) who in the company of some Muslim traders had gone to al-Sham and were returning from there, he presented some white clothes for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and Abu Bakr (r.a).

    On 8th day of Rabi’ ul Awwal, in what later became the first year Hijrah, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم arrived at Quba.

    The Muslims in Madina had already heard of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم’s departure from Makkah and they used to go out each day towards al-Harrah to receive the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and wait there until it became too hot when they would return back to their places after lengthy waiting. A Jew who had ascended to his rooftop to look for something saw the white-radiating Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم along with his companion, he could not hold himself and shouted at the top of his voice: “Oh the Arabs! Here comes the one you have been waiting for.” the Muslims reached for their arms.

    The Muslims chanted the takbeer in their delight at the arrival of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and left homes to receive him, this was an unprecedented day in the history of Madina… the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم stayed in Quba for four days and on the 5th day, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم mounted his camel with Abu Bakr (r.a) behind him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم informed Bani Najjar, the clan of his maternal uncles who came to receive him and were carrying their swords. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم thus entered Madina with voices glorifying Allah echoing from every lane and house.

    In this process of the Hijrah, two important points are noted in the planning of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم:

    I. Preparing Manpower Support:

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم himself prepared the plan and attended to every detail and did not leave any aspect unattended. This preparation itself bears to the fact that the entire process was a matter of judgement, war and strategy. Allah سبحانه وتعالى had ordered the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم to undertake the hijrah and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم prepared the detailed plan, taking all resources and means available to him in order to make the hijrah successful. It is therefore required that the people who provide Nusrah should undertake a detailed & exhaustive plan which should meticulous to detail and creative in adopting means and resources as well as boldly & fearlessly executed. The example of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم bears testimony to this. In short, as a matter of reminder, the various stages may be summarised as follows:

    • Lodging ‘Ali (r.a) on the bed of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.
    • The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم departed from his house to the house of Abu Bakr (r.a) in darkness to avoid being detected by anyone.
    • Both of them left Abu Bakr (r.a)’s house through a gap in wall so that they are not caught, recognised and followed.
    • They took the road to Yemen towards south which is opposite to the direction of Madina in the north.
    • Took shelter in the cave of Thour for three days so that the search for them subsides.
    • ‘Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr (r.a) was asked to come every night in order to brief them about what the people of Makkah were saying about them.
    • Food supply for the journey was ensured through Asma bint Abu Bakr (r.a).
    • It was ensured that foot marks were erased. This was done by the sheep herded by ‘Amer ibn Fuhairah, the slave of Abu Bakr (r.a).
    • Ibn Uraiqah, a professional expert guide well-versed with the route was hired.

    II. Divine Intervention

    This divine intervention has been reported in the books of seerah during the process of hijrah. They are mentioned in the Quran as well as the authentic Ahadith. What are these? How do we interpret then and how do we benefit from them in our times for Nusrah. It will suffice to cite just two examples:

    In the narration of Imam Ahmad regarding the pursuers & interceptors of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم & his companions, it is reported that they left Makkah from around the Mountains until the Mountain where they settled for three nights. So Abu Bakr (r.a) told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: “Oh, the Messenger of Allah, he (the interceptor) may find us.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم replied to him: “No, the angels have covered us with their wings.” The man sat down facing the cave, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “If he had spotted us, he would not be doing so.” This has been reported by Ibn Hisham, while in the report of Bukhari, it is reported that Abu Bakr (r.a) says: “So I told the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم that if some of them only lower their heads, they would see us.” So the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم told him: “Quiet Abu Bakr, we are two and the third is Allah.”

    Here, despite all possible human efforts exerted by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم in planning and execution of this mission, the Kuffar interceptors managed to reach the place of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم’s hiding. This demonstrates their committed resolve as well as exhaustive & concerted efforts to assassinate him and finish off his da’wah. So also the support of Allah سبحانه وتعالى is also manifest. This is despite all possible efforts & precautions by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, so Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    إِلاَّ تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ اللّهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ اثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِي الْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ لاَ تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَنَا فَأَنزَلَ اللّهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ السُّفْلَى وَكَلِمَةُ اللّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا وَاللّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

    “If you help him (Muhammad) not (it does not matter), for Allah did indeed help him when the disbelievers drove him out, the second of the two; when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr) were in the cave, he said to his companion (Abu Bakr): “Be not sad (or afraid), surely, Allah is with us.” Then Allah sent down His Sakînah (calmness, tranquillity, peace) upon him, and strengthened him with forces (angels) which you saw not, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowermost, while the Word of Allah that became the uppermost; and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” [TMQ at Tawbah: 40]

    This is what the da’wah carriers and the people of power must understand that certainly no one can overwhelm the one who supports Allah. The Nusrah of a servant to his Creator and His deen is through complete & comprehensive compliance, while the Nusrah of Allah سبحانه وتعالى to His servant is by supporting him and making the deen dominant through him.

    Also, despite utmost precautions exercised by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم & his companion (r.a), Suraqah ibn Malik managed to come face to face with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم in his greed for the prize amount. Harm came close to them more than once during this journey but did not succeed and even the front legs of Suraqah ibn Malik’s steed caved in knee into the sand by which he understood that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is immune to harm from him. In fact he himself said that the matter of the Prophet will come to dominate. He called them to safety and they stopped. They were four: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, Abu Bakr (r.a), ‘Amer ibn Fuhayirah (r.a) and Ibn Uraiqat. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم told him to guard the secrecy of their travel and in Suraqah’s request gave him a letter of safety. When Suraqah returned back he found people were looking for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم so he told them that he has already searched for them there. Thus he led them elsewhere, Suraqah, who was himself trying to intercept them in morning, happened to be guarding them by the evening. This again was a divine interception from Allah سبحانه وتعالى that protected the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and his companions (r.a) from any harm and removed obstacles in their way to come to Madina and establish the state.

    The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم fully deserved this protection from Allah سبحانه وتعالى because he perfectly complied with that was expected of him to the extent that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم did not overlook a minute matter when it came to preparing for the hijrah journey. And Allah’s gift and prize to him was: establishment of the Islamic State in Madina…and today, if the multitude of the believers among the people of power and carriers of da’wah stand up to this task and exert all their efforts without any reservations, the Nusrah from Allah سبحانه وتعالى will certainly be on the way, there is no doubt on that, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ

    “Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islâmic Monotheism) in this world’s life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth (i.e. Day of Resurrection)?” [TMQ al-Ghafir: 51].

    The intervention and support from Allah سبحانه وتعالى will certainly come though we do not know its nature.

    A Warm Call to the People of Power & Force

    We direct this call to the people of rank and decorations, to the officers & commanders, to the captains and soldiers in the forests of the Muslims lands and all those who carry the da’wah to their religion, we say:

    Oh! The people of power & force, is it that you invite Allah’s wrath or that you provide Nusrah to the deen of Allah سبحانه وتعالى? Would you rather pledge your allegiance to your rulers or comply with the deen of Allah? Don’t you have the excellent examples of Sa’ad ibn Ma’adh, Usaid ibn Hudair and As’ad ibn Zurarah? Do you not vie for the Jannah who expanse is like the heavens & earth and which has been prepared for those who are mindful & fearful of Allah? What happens to your zeal & enthusiasm for Islam when you see the honour of Muslim women violated by the lout Kuffar who humiliate the book of your Master, does this not infuriate you? Is there not one among you who is angered by all this and stands up to provide Nusrah to those who work fir the Khilafah? Are you not concerned that you will stand right in front of your Creator and your present rulers will not be in a position to save you from His wrath, neither will your ranks & military honour that you hold so dear to your chest. Even the wealth of your rulers of which you are so possessive & proud will be able to save your on the day of Judgement. Would you not move & mobilise and realize that it just a matter of your life- if it is utilised in the path of Allah- its sole owner-so that you enjoy the company of the master of the martyrs and the hoors- or it this life may be used up at the service of these treacherous rulers and this soon to be over world and thus become the source of misery and sorrows on the day of the judgement. May Allah save us from such an end. Have fear of Allah for this Ummah and your soul and demonstrate to Allah what will please Him and grant you His forgiveness for your past sins before you come to face the inevitable death and say:

    حَتَّى إِذَا جَاء أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ

    لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ كَلَّا إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَائِلُهَا وَمِن وَرَائِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

    فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلَا أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَاءلُونَ

    “Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: “My Lord! Send me back, “So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!” No! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurrected. Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another.” [TMQ al-Mu’minoun: 99-101]

    Oh the soldiers in the armies! Oh the people of power & force! These are times to firm up your determination and resolve, the Ummah is looking up to you for your stand, the world is suffering under the treacherous claws of kufr and the yoke of capitalism and is awaiting the moment to turn aside these systems of oppression and the declaration of the second Khilafah al Rashidah on the method of the Prophethood. If your respond positively to this call-on this occasion of the destruction of the khilafah, great honour awaits you in this world as those who formed the khilafah and provided Nusrah to those who worked for it. But if you turned away from this call and failed to provide Nusrah, then remember that Allah سبحانه وتعالى Himself protected His messengers before and He سبحانه وتعالى alone shall provide Nusrah to those who are His allies. He سبحانه وتعالى shall then choose you for His wrath and evident loss & misery. He سبحانه وتعالى says:

    يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَلاَ يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لآئِمٍ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

    “O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion (Islâm), Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the way of Allah, and never fear the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knower.” [TMQ al-Maidah: 54]

    Ibn Katheer (r.a) said: “Anyone who turned away from providing Nusrah to Allah’s deen and from firmly establishing the Sharee’ah, then Allah سبحانه وتعالى shall bring another set of people who are better than them and of more power & strength.”

    In the end we say that we are treading this path of guidance from Allah سبحانه وتعالى and have complete hope & faith to accomplish our objective with the blessings of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. We direct this call to the all the Muslims-men & women- to share this concern with us, because this is the mission of the times where it is not permissible for anyone to ignore this duty or shy away from it. We also repeat our call to the soldiers and tell them: This is by Allah, the moment where you are losing out- this moment when Allah سبحانه وتعالى has opened the trade of Jannah for you. So show up your best to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and provide Nusrah to the deen of Allah in order that you have your share of the honour in this world and the hereafter. We pray to Allah سبحانه وتعالى to open your hearts to this vital issue and to provide for this Ummah the honour of the Nusrah for this deen and declaration of the khilafah, He سبحانه وتعالى hears all and He سبحانه وتعالى responds to prayers.

    يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُم لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

    “O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he [saw] calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily, to Him you shall (all) be gathered.” [TMQ al-Anfal: 24]

    Prepare the Ground

    Indeed the Nusrah and putting the Ummah in position authority is beginning of Allah’s blessing to His believing worshippers, it is a great prize for the steadfast, He سبحانه وتعالى says:

    وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ

    وَنُمَكِّنَ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِي فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ

    “And We wished to do a favour to those who were weak (and oppressed) in the land, and to make them rulers and to make them the inheritors, And to establish them in the land, and We let Fir’aun (Pharaoh) and Hâmân and their hosts receive from them that which they feared.” [TMQ al-Qasas: 5-6].

    This is the beginning of carrying the divine trust- the revelation of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, He says:

    وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاء الزَّكَاةِ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ

    “And We made them leaders, guiding (mankind) by Our Command, and We revealed to them the doing of good deeds, performing As-Salât (the prayers – Iqâmat-as-Salât), and the giving of Zakât (obligatory charity), and of Us (Alone) they were worshippers.” [TMQ al-Anbiyaa: 73].

    Imam Shawkani says in his tafseer al-Fath al Qadeer: “meaning, the leaders in the path of good and those who call to it and the governors over people.”

    Certainly there must some preconditions attached by Allah سبحانه وتعالى to bear & carry this great custody and trust-the divine revelation. These pre-requisites are the same that Allah سبحانه وتعالى attached for the followers of the messengers & prophets before giving them Nusrah and authority. What are these pre-requisites to carrying this custody?

    Before this question is addressed, it must be clear that now the custody is not a new Messengership or Prophethood, because that has already been sealed by Allah سبحانه وتعالى with the Prophethood of Syedina Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. This custody is the succession of the Prophethood, which, in other words is its inheritance. This has been the duty of the messengers and the pure souls, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

    “Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islâm). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fâsiqûn (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).” [TMQ an-Noor: 55].

    And He سبحانه وتعالى says:

    يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ

    “O Dâwûd (David)! Verily, We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and justice) and follow not your desire – for it will mislead you from the path of Allah. Verily, those who wander astray from the path of Allah (shall) have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.” [TMQ Saad: 26]

    And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “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.”

    And He صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said: “The scholars (‘ulama) are the inheritors of the messengers…”

    The prerequisites of succession & authority on earth for the carrying the custody of the divine revelation after the messengers and these have been expounded by Allah سبحانه وتعالى Himself and His Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, and they are:

    First: Earnest and true Iman of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, He says:

    إِنَّا لَنَنصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ

    “Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islâmic Monotheism) in this world’s life and on the Day when the witnesses will stand forth (i.e. Day of Resurrection)?” [TMQ al-Ghafir: 51].

    And He says:

    وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ رُسُلًا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فَجَاؤُوهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَانتَقَمْنَا مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا وَكَانَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نَصْرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

     “And (as for) the believers, it was incumbent upon Us to help (them).” [TMQ ar-Room: 47]

    Secondly: Virtuous deeds that spring from such true, firm and whole hearted Iman. Virtuous deeds are indeed the symbols of true Iman in one’s heart & mind, goods indicate true and firm Iman. Such deeds are in fact a natural culmination that manifest in a believer, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الْأَرْضِ

    “Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land,” [TMQ an-Noor: 55].

    And He سبحانه وتعالى says:

    إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَاهَدُواْ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ

    “Verily, those who believed, and emigrated and strove hard and fought with their property and their lives in the Cause of Allah” [TMQ al-Anfal: 72]

    Thirdly: Testing & Examination: Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    أَمْ لَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌحَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَا

    “Or think you that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, “When (will come) the Help of Allah?” Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allah is near!” [TMQ al-Baqarah: 214]

    Mus’ab ibn Sa’eed reports on the authority of his father who says:

    I said: “Oh Messenger of Allah, which people are put most (hardest) of tests?” He said: “The messengers, then those closest to them and then those closest to them. A man is tested in proportion to the firmness of his deen, if his deen is strong, his test is intense, and if his deen is weak, he is tested accordingly. The testing continues until the man is walks sinless on earth.”

    Patience and steadfastness on the path of truth are the indications of success in these tests, i.e. a man does not waver, does not falter, does not follow his baser desires nor is blinded by the worldly relishes. If a Muslim remains steadfast when tested or persecuted because of his Iman and virtuous deeds, Allah سبحانه وتعالى looks at him with utmost beneficence and accepts him in this world and the hereafter and grants him authority on earth, and in the hereafter, he is awarded an eternal Jannah, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    وَلَقَدْ كُذِّبَتْ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَصَبَرُواْ عَلَى مَا كُذِّبُواْ وَأُوذُواْ حَتَّى أَتَاهُمْ نَصْرُنَا وَلاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللّهِ وَلَقدْ جَاءكَ مِن نَّبَإِ الْمُرْسَلِين

    “Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before you (O Muhammad) but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt; till Our Help reached them, and none can alter the Words (Decisions) of Allah. Surely, there has reached you the information (news) about the Messengers (before you).” [TMQ al-An’aam: 34]

    Fourth: Prepare atmosphere for proper nurturing of the believers who are sincere, true to test and steadfast. Such a nurturing structure or nursery is indispensible which will culture the believers and fearful, this will be the beginning of Allah’s rewards in this world. Allah سبحانه وتعالى blesses His friends with those sincere persons who provide Nusrah, who love the believers, stand to protect them and move with them. Islam & Islam’s authority take the centre-stage of public opinion in their lands and public awareness is based on these. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and the believers with him demonstrated their consistency, steadfastness and were subjected to tests and persecution and yet they remained steadfast, then Allah سبحانه وتعالى prepared for them such a nurturing place at Madina where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم lived with his companions and those who treaded the path of truth with them. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

    لِلْفُقَرَاء الْمُهَاجِرِينَ الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِن دِيارِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا وَيَنصُرُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ

    وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّؤُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

    “And there is also a share in this booty) for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their property, seeking bounties from Allah and to please Him, and helping Allah (i.e. helping His religion – Islamic Monotheism) and His Messenger (Muhammad). Such are indeed the truthful (to what they say). And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Banû An-Nadîr), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.” [TMQ al-Hashr: 8-9]

    We must dwell for a little while on the issue of nurturing. It is necessary to start the call for this from very stage in order to achieve Nusrah and authority. This stage precedes the stage of Nusrah to come to power. By the term preparing a nurturing ground, we mean the presence of a mass of people and mobilised youth who carry the da’wah in such a way that it dominates the society and they occupy considerable position in it. Then there must be a public opinion & support for this da’wah and most importantly for implementing Islam radically and comprehensively in every aspect of human life via the Islamic State. It is of utmost importance that this public opinion springs from understanding & comprehension, and this means that there have to be a public awareness on the main issues of da’wah and not just intense emotions which peak high very fast and wane even faster.

    Further, there must emerge a readiness from among the people to stand along the da’wah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم accomplished this before he started to seek Nusrah to establish the state i.e. before the second bai’ah at ‘Aqabah. He deputed Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair (r.a) to Madina who worked to prepare the atmosphere and public opinion and the readiness to stand by the da’wah.

    Fifth: Nusrah & Authority. This is the final phase after the nurturing place has been prepared on Allah’s earth. This is where Allah سبحانه وتعالى will bless the believers with the people of power & force from the sons of this place who will protect the deen and provide shelter to the sincere believers, Allah says:

    وَاذْكُرُواْ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ النَّاسُ فَآوَاكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

    “And remember when you were few and were reckoned weak in the land, and were afraid that men might kidnap you, but He provided a safe place for you, strengthened you with His Help, and provided you with good things so that you might be grateful.” [TMQ al Anfal: 26].

    Indeed an observer of the da’wah carrier observes that the accomplishment of the pre-requisites that precede Allah’s Nusrah must be fully achieved by Muslims since they believe in Allah as their Master, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم as the Prophet & messenger and they stood their ground in the midst of shirk and remained steadfast despite all forms of oppression, punishments, ordeals and menace which can not be described in words. These Muslims neither gave their way, nor weakened their resolve and neither did they turn away their heads nor body. They remained steadfast as the companions of the previous messengers like the Ansar of prophet Eesa (a.s) when they were cut through with saw, or like the companions of Musa (a.s) when Fir’awn slaughtered their sons and left their women or even like the people of Ukhdood who were consigned to flames, or like the companions of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم like Bilal (r.a), Khabbab (r.a), ‘Ammar (r.a), and Yassar (r.a) among others.

    Yes indeed multitudes of Muslims have the true Iman in them and their deeds are virtuous and they carry this custody of Allah’s revelation and are steadfast and consistent upon it. And the blessing of Allah سبحانه وتعالى is not far away, it is just around the corner and has begun to spread the da’wah with huge number of da’wah carriers and protectors who can prepare such a nurturing place anywhere on this earth insha Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

    The da’wah has began to fortify and strengthen its base in the world and it will not be long before from this place emerges the Nusrah by the will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى just as the place of Madina was prepared for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم and his honoured companions.

    In the end, we pray to Allah سبحانه وتعالى to quicken the coming liberation and joy everywhere on earth by the establishment of Khilafah al-Rashidah on the method of the Prophethood which will please every inhabitant of earth and the Creator of heaven & earth and so will the believers be pleased.

    فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِن قَبْلُ وَمِن بَعْدُ وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

    بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنصُرُ مَن يَشَاء وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ

    وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

    يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِّنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ

    “The decision of the matter, before and after (these events) is only with Allah, (before the defeat of the Romans by the Persians, and after the defeat of the Persians by the Romans). And on that day, the believers (i.e. Muslims) will rejoice (at the victory given by Allah to the Romans against the Persians) -With the Help of Allah. He helps whom He wills, and He is the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful. (It is) a Promise of Allah (i.e. Allah will give victory to the Romans against the Persians), and Allah fails not in His Promise, but most of men know not. They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood, like irrigating or sowing or reaping), and they are heedless of the Hereafter.” [TMQ ar Room: 4-7]

  • Israel will be destroyed & Jerusalem will become the capital of the Khilafah

    n these difficult times we must not get defeated, have vision and work to achieve that vision. Israel will be defeated in the future and Jerusalem will become the capital of the Islamic Khilafah inshallah. The following are evidences from the Quran and ahadith for this:

    Allah (swt) States: “And we decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture, that indeed you would do mischief on the earth twiceand you will become tyrants and extremely arrogant! So, when the promise came for the first of the two, We sent against you slaves of Ours given to terrible warfare. They entered the very innermost parts of your homes. And it was a promise (completely) fulfilled. Then We gave you once again, a return of victory over them. And We helped you with wealth and children and made you more numerous in manpower. (And We said): ‘If you do well, you do good for your ownselves, and if you do evil (you do it) against yourselves’. Then, when the second promise came to pass, (We permitted your enemies) to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before, and to destroy with utter destruction all that fell in their hands. [And We Said in the Taurat (Torah)]: ‘It may be that your Lord may show mercy unto you, but if you return (to sins), We shall return (to Our Punishment). And We have made Hell a prison for the disbelievers” [TMQ Al-Isra, 17:4-8]

    The indication in this verse that the second promise of Allah (swt) which will come to pass refers to the destruction of Israel is where it says, “to make your faces sorrowful and to enter the mosque (of Jerusalem) as they had entered it before”. The Muslims opened Jerusalem to Islam under the rule of the second Khalifah Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), the Islamic state ruled it with justice for hundreds of years. Even though it was captured by the Crusader Christians for a number of years it was never captured by the Jews previous to the formation of the state of Israel. So Allah (swt) promises that we will enter the mosque of Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem as we entered it before when we conquered it.

    Narrated by Ibn ‘Asaakir, from Maseerah b. Jaleese, where he heard the Prophet (saw): “This matter (the Khilafah) will continue after me in Al-Madina, then (move to) Al-Shaam, then to the peninsula, then to Iraq, then to the city, then to Bait-ul-Maqdis. So if it reaches Bait-ul-Maqdis, then it would have reached its (natural resting place); and no people who remove it (i.e. the capital of the Khilafah) from their land will ever get it back again (for them to be the capital again).” The scholars said they believe that what he (saw) meant by ‘the city’ is the city of Heraclius (Constantinople). This hadith is talking about which cities would become the capital of the Khilafah, all the cities mentioned have been the capitals of the Khilafah in the past except Bait ul-Maqdis (Jerusalem). This will be our capital sometime in the future inshallah.

    In addition there are others from Ibn ‘Asaakir, from Abdul Rahman b. Abi ‘Umayrah Al-Muzni, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saw): “There will be, in Bait-ul-Maqdis, a (rightly guided) Bay’a.”

    These include narrations by Al-Haakim, which have been classified as Sahih. Of these is the narration from Abi Shareeh: “…I have heard those who say that they will be twelve banners, and under each banner twelve thousand (men), and the Muslims will gather to their comrade (or Imam) in Bait-ul-Maqdis (Al-Quds).”

    It was narrated by Ibn Habban in his book of Sahih Ahadith, that Al-Shaam (the region which covers Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon and part of Iraq) will be the base of the land of the believers at the end of time. On the authority of Al-Nawas b. Sam’aan, who said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, “…and the ‘Uqr (natural origin) of the land of the believers is Al-Shaam.”

    It was also narrated by Ahmad from the hadith by Salamah b. Nufayl, “…verily, the ‘Uqr of the land of the believers is Al-Shaam…”

    Furthermore, it was narrated by Al-Tabarani, in ‘Al-Kabeer,’ on the authority of Salamah b. Nufayl: “The ‘Uqr of Dar Al-Islam is in Al-Shaam.” According to Al-Haythami, this was narrated by Al-Tabarani, and his men (chain of narration) are trustworthy.

    This hadith was narrated by 5 Tabi’ Tabi’een, from two Tabi’een, from 2 of the Sahaba. Due to the nature of the definite truthfulness of the speaker (the Messenger of Allah (saw)), this hadith is with regards to the second ‘Uqr of Dar Al-Islam, and not the ‘Uqr of the first, for the meaning of the ‘Uqr of the land is its centre and origin, and the ‘Uqr of the first Islamic State was in Al-Madina Al-Munawwarah; therefore, this means that what is meant here is the ‘Uqr of the second Islamic State.

    It was narrated by Abu Dawud in ‘Al-Sunan’, on the authority of Abdullah b. ‘Amr (ra): “There will be a Hijrah after a Hijrah, so the best people on earth are those who keep to the (land of the) Hijrah of Ibrahim (i.e. Al-Shaam).”

    This Hadith was also narrated by Al-Haakim, who said that it is Sahih according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs, and they have not narrated it. On the authority of Musa b. Ali b. Rabah, who said: I heard my father say: ‘…Abu Hurairah said, I was told by Abdullah b. ‘Amr b. Al-‘Aas (ra): I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say…’ and he mentioned the hadith. It was also narrated by Ahmad in his Musnad, on the authority of Abdullah b. ‘Amr, and said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say…’ and he mentioned the hadith.

    This hadith was narrated by at least five Tabi’ Tabi’een, from three Tabi’een, from two Sahaba. It indicates that there will be a Hijrah (emigration) to Al-Shaam after the Hijrah to Al-Madina. The purpose of Hijrah is to leave Dar Al-Kufr (land ruled by Kufr) and to emigrate to Dar Al-Islam (land ruled by Islam). The first emigration was to Al-Madina, and the second emigration will be to Al-Shaam. This understanding supports the hadith regarding the ‘Uqr of Dar Al-Islam.

    It was narrated by Abu Dawud, on the authority of Ibn Zughb Al-Ayadi, who said that Ali Abdullah b. Hawalah Al-Azdi came to him and said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent us to seek booty on foot, so we returned and did not find anything, and he (saw) could see the exhaustion in our faces, so he stood up and said: ‘Oh Allah, do not leave them for me, where I would be too weak for them, and do not leave them to themselves, where they would be too weak for themselves, and do not leave them for the people, where they would keep (the good) from them, keeping it for themselves.’ Then he (saw) placed his hand on my head…” (or he said: “…on my forehead): ‘Oh, Ibn Hawalah, if you see that the Khilafah has come to the sacred land (Al-Quds), then the earthquakes, the troubles, and the great happenings have come, and the hour on that day is nearer to the people than my hand here on your head.’”

    Al-Haakim also narrated this hadith on the authority of Ibn Zughb Al-Ibaadi. He declared that this hadith has an authentic chain of narrators, and it was not narrated by the two Shaykhs. Ahmad narrated it with the same Isnad (chain of narrators) as Al-Haakim. If Ibn Zughb is Abdullah, then he is one of the Sahaba, and if he is Abdul-Rahman, then he is one of the Tabi’een. Therefore, this hadith was narrated by two Sahaba if he is the first (Abdullah), or one of the Sahaba if he is the second (Abdul-Rahman); and one of the Tabi’een if he is the first, or two of the Tabi’een if he is the second; and three Tabi’ Tabi’een in both cases.

    This hadith indicates that the Khilafah will come to the land of Al-Quds. It cannot be said that the Khilafah came to it during the Khilafah of ‘Umar (ra), because the earthquakes, troubles and tumultuous events did not come at that time. This means that there will be a second coming of the Khilafah in which these events will follow.