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USA is Hatching a New Plan after the Previous Plan was Exposed and Thwarted by the Ummah
News:
Armed Rohingya groups have begun recruiting from Cox’s Bazar refugee camps to assist in fighting against the Arakan Army in Rakhine. The information was revealed in a report from the International Crisis Group titled “Bangladesh/Myanmar: The Dangers of a Rohingya Insurgency”. The report notes that after the Arakan Army’s victory over Myanmar’s military in Rakhine, the Rohingya groups have become increasingly active and they have agreed to work together against the Arakan Army, a group that counts Rakhine’s Buddhist majority as its base. (The Business Standard, 18 June 2025)
Comment:
The so-called humanitarian corridor for the Rakhine state of Myanmar was clearly a US project to upset British backed Military Junta Government of Myanmar. It was originally designed to push Military Junta out of Kyaukpyu and Sittwe (Akyab), the last strongholds in the Rakhine state for the military government (Tatmadaw). However, due to the bold stance of the people of Bangladesh, including its armed forces, against this so-called humanitarian corridor, the word “corridor” became synonymous to ‘a threat to the national security’ of Bangladesh and ‘a dirty trick of the USA’. So, the USA has to revise its strategy and bring an Islamic dimension in the scene to bring public sentiments in her favor and play her nasty geopolitics. Arakan Army which represents the clear Buddhist majority in the Rakhine State is the focal point of US proxy war against the Junta Government. While, the ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) represents the Muslim minority in the Rakhine State. However, both groups have ties with the US under the ‘Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability act 2022’ of the USA, which explicitly includes provision for supporting anyone and everyone who is opposing or fighting the Tatmadaw. In 2023, Burma Act was included in the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in order to dispatch funds and military logistical supports to the groups those are fighting the Junta government. And now, after the US sensed that her plan to embolden Arakan Army in the name of a humanitarian corridor through Bangladesh was exposed, she has resorted to activate other groups with Islamic identity to reverse the public sentiments in Bangladesh. Under these circumstances the sudden increase of recruitment in the Rohingya camps are happening.
It is not surprising that the US will resort to all possible means to implement their evil schemes in the Bay of Bengal. However, the Ummah must distance herself from being a part of this schemes. The Ummah must understand that any insurgency (even in the name of Jihad) under the supervision and direct help of the US or any other Kuffar States will not solve a single problem that the Ummah is currency facing. Insurgency has been proven fruitless for the Ummah many instances including the problems of the Syrians, Kurds, Baloch, Kashmir and many other places. Although rivers of Muslim blood were sacrificed, the Ummah couldn’t move forward towards victory and honor. It is the Kuffar Colonialist who gained from the sacrifices of sacred blood of the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (saw). If blood and lives of the Muslims must be sacrificed, then why not sacrifice that for a pure Islamic cause?
Besides, the Muslims of Bangladesh must discard the idea of ‘nationalism’ in viewing the Rohingya Muslims. Because nationalism is that fetal poison which made the great Ummah fragmented and weak before her Kuffar enemies. The Muslims must ponder about the unparallel success of their forefathers who embraced every possible tribe, race and color and melted them under the La ilaha illallah to form a formidable Ummah. So, the Muslims of Bangladesh must not view the Rohingya Muslims as foreigners and refugees, rather they must view them as Muslim brothers. They must embrace the Rohingya Muslims like the Muslims of Medina embraced the Muslims of Mecca. The cause and interest of the Muslims of Bangladesh is not separate from the cause and interest of the Rohingya Muslims, so they must make their cause unified under a just Khaleefah (Caliph).
[إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُونِ]
“Truly! This Ummah is one single Ummah, and I am your Lord, so worship Me alone.” [Al-Anbiya: 92]. The Khaleefah will ensure the true liberation of Arakan; liberation of Muslim lands from the physical occupation of the Kuffar, as well as the liberation of Muslims’ hearts and minds from kuffar ideas such as nationalism and secularism. Only then the conspiracies of the head of Kuffar, USA can be conclusively foiled.
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Q&A: Dealing with States That Are Actually at War
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Answer to Question
Dealing with States That Are Actually at War
To: Abu Muhammad Salim
(Translated)Question:
As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh
Abu Muhammad Salim
I ask Allah Almighty that you are in good health, and may Allah grant you a mighty victory. I ask Allah to open all doors of goodness at your hands.
I direct this question to our Sheikh and beloved, the Ameer of Hizb utTahrir, Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah, saying:
A brother asked me about working in a factory in the Barkan settlement for manufacturing containers. Recently, part of this factory was converted for the benefit of the ‘Israeli’ army, and it manufactures trailers for transporting electric generators and other military-related items. Is it permissible to work in this section that manufactures trailers for the army?
May Allah bless you and reward you with the best reward.
May Allah shelter you, grant you victory, protect you, empower you, and bring victory and empowerment through your hands.
If possible, a prompt answer would be appreciated—may Allah reward you.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
Regarding the mentioned factory (which recently had a section converted for the benefit of the ‘Israeli’ army and manufactures trailers for transporting electric generators and other military-related items), it belongs to the Jewish entity, which is a state actually at war. The answer depends on two cases:
1. Muslims living under occupation.
2. Muslims outside of occupation.
First case:
Muslims under the Jewish occupation are like the Muslims who remained in Mecca after the state was established in Medina. It is permissible for the people of Palestine under the occupation of the Jews to engage in buying, selling, etc., except in work that strengthens the enemy. Likewise, for a Muslim who holds, for example, American citizenship, his ruling is like that of Muslims in Mecca who did not migrate, so it is permissible for them to deal with the Dar al-Harb (abode of war) in which they reside, except in matters that strengthen the disbelievers against Muslims, based on achieving the legal application (tahqiq al-manat).
Second case:
We have previously answered similar questions in multiple responses, including:
Answer to a Question on 31/03/2009:
1. Working directly with states that are actually at war is not permissible, nor is it permissible to work with companies of those states, because the relationship with actual belligerents is a war relationship, not a peaceful business one.
2. Working with institutions that deal with states actually at war is examined as follows:
a. If the project the institution is working on is for states actually at war, it is not permissible to work with the institution on that project.
b. If the project is not for belligerent states, but for local people, such as building a school or constructing a road, then the sin is upon the institution that deals with the belligerent states, but the work is permissible as long as the project is not for the states actually at war.
Answer to a Question on 24/07/2011:
“… Contracting directly with companies and organizations of occupying states of Muslim lands (those that are actually at war) is not permissible, because it is a form of dealing with states that are actually at war. As for contracting with a local government or local organization not affiliated with the occupying state but having a relationship with it, the following is considered:
1. If the relationship involves military projects with the occupying state, it is not permissible.
2. If the relationship involves commercial projects that do not harm the country, it is permissible, but it is better to avoid it due to the suspicion of causing harm.
3. If the worker is employed by the local state, but his contract is directly with the occupying state, it is not permissible.
4. If the worker is employed by the local state and his contract is with it, then it is permissible, even if the local state receives financial aid from the occupying state.
5. If the worker is employed by the local state, his contract is with the local state, but he receives his salary directly from the occupying state, then it is not permissible.
The evidences for this are the rulings of dealing with states that are actually at war.”
I hope this is sufficient, and Allah Knows Best and is Most Wise.
Your brother,
Ata bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah12 Muharram 1447 AH
Corresponding to 07/07/2025 CE -
The Duty of Sufficiency is a duty upon every Muslim
This is chapter 6 from the book “Islamic Thought”
Al-Fard (duty) is the speech of the Legislator related to the decisive request of performing an action. This is like His (swt) saying,
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ
“Establish the Prayer” [TMQ Al-Baqarah:43]
انْفِرُوا خِفَافًا وَثِقَالًا وَجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ
“Go forth, light and heavy, and strive in the way of Allah” [TMQ At-Taubah: 41]
It is also like his (saw) saying.
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به
“The imam was made so that he is followed”
and
من مات وليس في عنقه بيعة فقد مات ميتة الجاهلية
“Whoever dies without having a pledge (bai’ah) on his neck, he dies the death of Jahiliyyah.” All of these texts are speech of the Legislator related to decisive request of (performing) an action. What makes the request decisive is the connotation (qareenah) that came connected with the request, thus making it decisive, so it must be performed. The duty would not abolished in any way unless the obliged action has been performed. The one who neglects the duty deserves punishment for such negligence, and he continues to be sinful until he performed it. There is no difference (in this regard) between the personal duty (fard ‘ayn) and collective duty (fard ul-kifayah). All of these are duties upon all the Muslims. The saying of Allah (swt): “And establish the prayer” is a personal duty. His (swt) saying: “Go forth, light and heavy, and strive” is a collective duty. Similarly, the saying of Rasool ul-Allah (saw):
إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به
“The imam is made so that he is followed”, is a personal duty. While his saying,
من مات وليس في عنقه بيعة
“Whoever dies without having a pledge on his neck…” is the Legislator’s speech pertaining to the decisive request of (performing) an action. The trial to differentiate between the personal duty and the collective duty in regards of their obligation is sin in the view of Allah (swt), obstructing from the way of Allah and deception for the sake of neglecting the performance of the duties of Allah (swt). In regards to abolishing the duty from the one who is obliged of it, there is also no difference between the personal duty and the collective duty. The duty is not abolished until the action requested by the Legislator has been performed; whether it was requested to be performed by every Muslim, such as the obligatory prayers, or it was requested to be performed by all the Muslims, such as the pledge (bai’yah) of the Khaleefah. Each one of them would not be abolished until the action is performed, ie until the prayer is performed, and the Khaleefah is established and the bai’yah is taken to him. Thus the collective duty is not abolished from any one of the Muslims if some of them work to perform it, until it is performed. So, every Muslim (who do not work to perform this duty) will remain sinful as long as the carrying the action (to perform the duty) has not been completed.
Therefore, it is wrong to say that the collective duty is that which if some (of the Muslims) undertook it, it would be abolished from the rest (Muslims). Rather, collective duty is that which if some (of the Muslims) completed it, it would be abolished from the remaining (Muslims). Its abolishment then would be real, for the requested action has been executed and completed, so there is no scope for it to remain. This is the collective duty. It is the same like the personal duty. Thereupon, establishing the Islamic State is a duty upon all Muslims, i.e., upon every one of the Muslims. This duty would not be abolished from any one of the Muslims until the Islamic State exists. If some (of the Muslims) carry out the actions that establish the Islamic State, then the duty will not be abolished from any Muslims as long as the Islamic State was not established. The duty remains upon every Muslim, and the sin remains upon every Muslim until the Islamic State is established. The sin would not be abolished from any Muslim until he pursues the actions that establish it, and continue on doing so till it is established. Similarly, Jihad against the French in Algeria is a duty upon all Muslims. If the people of Algeria undertook Jihad against the French, this does not abolish the duty from any one of the Muslims until the French are completely driven out of Algeria and the victory of Muslims is achieved. This is the case of every collective duty; thus it remains a duty upon every Muslim, and it is not abolished until the requested action has been completed.
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Religiousness is an Instinct
This is chapter 5 from the book “Islamic Thought”
There is live energy in man that drives him to undertake actions and requires satisfaction. This life energy has two aspects: one of them requires inevitable satisfaction, and man would die if it were not satisfied. This represents the organic needs, such as eating, drinking and response to nature’s call. The second one requires satisfaction, but man does not die because of not satisfying it, though he would be worried until he satisfies it; and this is the instincts, whose
action would be through a natural feeling that outbursts requiring satisfaction. However, the instincts are different to the organic needs in terms of agitation. This is because the organic needs are agitated from inside while what agitates the instincts or shows the feeling of need for satisfaction is either thoughts about what incites the emotions come to mind, or it is a tangible reality that makes the emotions requiring satisfaction. The procreation instinct (ghareezal-un-naw’) for example, is agitated by thinking of a beautiful girl, or of anything related to sex or to seeing a beautiful girl or anything related to sex. If nothing of that happened, then nothing would occur to agitate the instinct. Similarly the religiousness instinct (ghareezat-ud-dayyun) is agitate by thinking in the verses (aayaat) of Allah (swt), the Doomsday or what is related to that, the contemplation in the perfect creation of Allah (swt) in the heavens and the earth or what is related to that. Thus, the effects of the instinct appear when there is something of that which agitates it. We do not see such effects in case of the absence of what agitates it, or in case of transferring what agitates it from agitation by misinterpreting it in a way that makes the person lose the concept of its original characteristic that incites the instinct.Religiousness instinct is natural and constant, for it is the feeling of need to the Creator and the Sustainer, regardless of the interpretation of that Creator and Sustainer. This feeling is innate in man as a man, whether he believes in the existence of the Creator or he disbelieves in Him, but believes in the matter or the nature. The presence of this feeling in man is inevitable, because it is created in a man as part of his creation; and it is not possible to be secluded nor detached from him. This is religiousness.
The manifestation of this religiousness is sanctification (taqdees) of what is believed to be the Creator and Sustainer or what is conceived that the Creator and Sustainer incarnated in it. Sanctification could appear in its true manifestation, so it is called worship (‘ibadah). It might also appear in a lower form, which is reverence and glorification.
Sanctification is the ultimate heartly respect. It does not result from fear, rather from religiousness. This is because the manifestation of fear is not sanctification, it is rather flattering, escape of defence; all of that contradict the reality of sanctification. Thus, sanctification is manifestation of religiousness and not of fear. Therefore, religiousness is an instinct independent of the survival instinct, which fear is one of its manifestations. That is why man is religious, and we find him worship something since Allah brought him on the face of earth. He worshipped the sun, planets, fire and idols. He also worshipped Allah . We do not see in any age, a nation or a people without worshipping something. Even the peoples, which the authority forced them to abandon religiousness, they were religious and worshipping something,
despite the force imposed upon them. They suffered great deal of harm in pursuit of performing their worship. There is no force that can strip religiousness from man, remove from him the sanctification of the Creator and prevent him from worship. It can rather suppress that for a time. This is because worship (‘ibadah) is a natural manifestation of religiousness, which is a natural instinct in man.As regards to what appears on some atheists in terms of absence of worship or mockery of worship, the religiousness instinct in such people has been turned away from worshipping Allah to worshipping the creatures. Its manifestation has been thus made in sanctification of the nature, heroic gigantic things and the like. To achieve this distraction, distortion and erroneous explanation of things have been used. Therefore, kufr (disbelief) is more difficult than eeman (belief), because it is distraction of man from his innate nature (fitrah) and transferring it from its true manifestations. This would require a great effort. How much it is hard for man to turn away from what is necessary to his innate nature (fitrah).
Therefore, we find the truth (haqq) is revealed to the atheists, and they sense the existence of Allah (swt) and thus realise His existence by mind in a decisive way, you find them rush to eeman and feel with comfort and tranquillity; and a heavy nightmare that used to burden them would disappear. The eeman of such people would be strong and steadfast, for it came through sensation and certainty. This is because their mind was linked with their emotion, so they realised the existence of Allah (sw) in certainty, and they had certain feeling of his existence. Thus their innate nature (fitrah) met with their mind, thus producing strong eeman.
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Q&A: The Jewish Entity’s Aggression Against Iran and Its Repercussions
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمAnswer to Question
The Jewish Entity’s Aggression Against Iran and Its Repercussions
(Translated)Question:
Al Arabiya published on its website on 27/6/2025: “Four informed sources said that the administration of President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of helping Iran access up to $30 billion to build a nuclear program for civilian energy production. The sources added that these discussions continued this week after the ceasefire agreement was reached. Trump administration officials confirmed that several proposals had been put forward, both preliminary and advanced, with one fixed, non-negotiable clause: “total cessation of Iranian uranium enrichment.”
Trump had announced the implementation of the ceasefire he proposed between Iran and the Jewish Entity. (“Netanyahu said he had agreed to Trump’s proposal. Reuters also quoted a senior Iranian official saying that Tehran had agreed to the ceasefire, mediated by Qatar and based on an American proposal.” (Al Jazeera, 24/6/2025)
All of this happened after Trump’s forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities on 22/6/2025, and after the Jewish entity launched a surprise, large-scale aggression against Iran on 13/6/2025. The question is: Why did the Jewish entity carry out this surprise aggression, when it only carries it out upon America’s order? Also, is not that Iran orbits in America’s orbit? So why did America participate in striking Iranian nuclear facilities? Thank you.
Answer:
For a clear answer, we will review the following points:
1- Yes, the Iranian nuclear program is considered a grave threat to the Jewish entity, and therefore it wants to eliminate it by all means. For this reason, it hailed President Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 agreement in 2018. The Jewish entity’s position was clear: it only accepts the Libyan model and Iran’s dismantling of its nuclear program, i.e. Iran abandoning its nuclear program entirely. It intensified its spies inside Iran for this purpose. On its first day, the Jewish entity’s attack revealed an army of agents inside Iran who monitor and cooperate with the Jewish entity’s intelligence agency, the Mossad, for a small price. They import drone parts, assemble them in small workshops inside Iran, and launch them at targets, including the homes of Iranian regime leaders. This scenario is similar to what happened to Hezbollah in Lebanon when the Jewish entity assassinated its leaders!
2- America’s position was the primary supporter of the Jewish entity, and indeed the driving force behind them against the Iranian nuclear project. However, Trump has put on the table to achieve this: a negotiated solution and a military solution. Thus, in April 2025, America and Iran headed to Muscat, Oman, for negotiations. The Trump administration praised them for the depth of the concessions made in the nuclear negotiations, as if a new nuclear agreement was just around the corner. Trump had set a two-month deadline to complete this agreement. Officials of the Jewish entity met with the American envoy to the region and the first negotiator for Iran, Witkoff, almost once before every meeting with the Iranian delegation, so that the American negotiator could brief them on what was happening in the negotiations.
3- The Trump administration has adopted the hardline views of some of its leaders, a view that is in line with the Jewish entity. This coincided with the emergence of hardline views in Europe as well. European countries were irritated that the US was negotiating with Iran alone, meaning that America would receive the lion’s share of any agreement with Iran, especially since Iran was tempting the Trump administration with talk of hundreds of billions of dollars that American companies could invest and benefit from inside Iran, such as oil and gas contracts, airline companies, and much more. These hardline views culminated in the emergence of a hardline report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced today, Thursday, June 12, 2025, that Iran had violated its obligations in the field of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons:“The UN nuclear watchdog IAEA has condemned Iran for being in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost two decades, diplomatic sources have said,” (Deutsche Welle, 12/6/2025). The Iranian Supreme Leader had previously refused to halt enrichment: (Khamenei said: “Since negotiations have come up, I want to give a warning to the opposing side. The American side that engages in these indirect talks and have discussions, should try not to spout nonsense…Saying things like ‘we won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium’ is way out of line. No one is waiting for anyone’s permission. The Islamic Republic has its own policy, its own approach, and it will continue to pursue it.” Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, said on Sunday that Washington would not accept any level of uranium enrichment in a potential deal with Tehran. “We cannot allow even 1 percent of an enrichment capability,” Steven Witkoff told ABC News. “Everything begins from our standpoint with a deal that does not include enrichment…” (Iran International, 20/5/2025).
4- With Iran’s refusal to stop enrichment and America’s insistence on stopping it, the US-Iranian negotiations reached a dead end, even if the negotiations were not declared over. However, with the issuance of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s report on 12/6/2025, the Jewish entity accelerated a plan hatched at night with America and launched a surprise attack on 13/6/2025, during which it struck the Iranian nuclear facility at Natanz, the largest Iranian uranium enrichment plant with 14,000 centrifuges. It also carried out a series of assassinations of Iranian military and Revolutionary Guard leaders, as well as nuclear scientists, and attacked missile launch pads. Regardless of the Jewish entity’s justification for its attack, which is that Iran has resumed nuclear weapons research and development, according to Netanyahu (RT, 14/6/2025). All of this is refuted by the many Iranian statements, that Iran does not plan to produce any nuclear weapons, and that it accepts any level of international monitoring to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. But it is also certain that the Jewish entity was waiting for the American green light to implement it, and when the entity saw that this window had been opened with the green light, it began the attack.
5- Thus, no sane person can imagine that the Jewish entity would carry out such an attack without a green light from America. This is absolutely impossible. (US Ambassador to ‘Israel’, Mike Huckabee, said on Thursday, “Israel is unlikely to attack Iran without a green light from Washington.” (Arab48, 12/6/2025). And after a 40-minute phone call between Trump and Netanyahu, “An Israeli official revealed to The Times of Israel on Friday that Tel Aviv and Washington had carried out “a multi-faceted misinformation campaign” with the active participation of Donald Trump, with the aim of convincing Iran that an attack on its nuclear facilities was not imminent. He explained that the ‘Israeli’ media at that time had received leaks claiming that Trump had warned Netanyahu against attacking Iran, describing those leaks as “part of the deception operation.” (Al Jazeera Net, 13/6/2025). In addition to all this, America supplied the Jewish entity with special weapons prior to the attack, which were used in the attack: (“Media reports revealed that the United States covertly shipped approximately 300 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles to Israel last Tuesday, according to US officials. According to the Jerusalem Post, “two US officials confirming that Washington had advance knowledge of Jerusalem’s plan to strike Iranian nuclear and military targets early Friday. The same officials said US ground-based air-defence assets later helped Israel intercept more than 150 Iranian ballistic missiles fired in response. A senior US defense official was quoted as saying that the Hellfire missiles “were useful to Israel,” noting that the IAF (Israeli Air Force) used more than 100 aircraft to hit senior Revolutionary Guard officers, nuclear scientists and control centres around Isfahan and Tehran.” (Jerusalem Post; RT, 14/6/2025).
6- Thus, the Trump administration misled Iran – while negotiating with it- to make the attack by the Jewish entity effective and impactful by shock and intimidation. American statements indicate this, that America wanted the attack by the Jewish entity to be an incentive for Iran to make concessions in the nuclear negotiations. This means that the attack was a tool of American negotiation. This is coupled with the American public defense of the attack by the Jewish entity and that it was self-defense, and the supply of weapons to the entity and the operation of American aircraft and air defenses to repel the Iranian response. All of this amounts to a semi-direct American attack. Among these American statements is Trump’s statement, during his statements to reporters on Sunday, while heading to the G7 summit in Canada, that, “Sometimes they have to fight it out.” “In an interview with ABC, Trump indicated the possibility of the United States intervening to support ‘Israel’ in eliminating the Iranian nuclear program.” (Arab48, 16/6/2025).
7- America is using war as a tool to subjugate Iran, as in Trump’s previous statement that“Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see.” This is confirmed by Trump’s description of this attack, saying, “The Israeli attack on Iran was excellent.” He said, “We gave them a chance and they didn’t take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you’re going to get hit. And there’s more to come, a lot more.” (ABC, 13/6/2025). Trump said, “The Iranians want to negotiate, but they should have done so before. I had 60 days, they had 60 days, and on the 61st day, I said, ‘We don’t have a deal.’” (CNN, 16/6/2025). These statements clearly indicate that America is the one that allowed the Jewish entity to launch this aggression, and even instructed it to do so. Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign… Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again!” (RT, 16/6/2025). A Jewish entity official clarified regarding America’s participation in the bombing of the underground, fortified Fordow site in Iran: “The United States may join the military operation against Iran, noting that Trump indicated during a conversation with ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would do so if necessary.” (Al Arabiya,15/6/2025).
8- And this is what actually happened. Early Sunday morning, 22/6/2025, Trump announced “the targeting of three Iranian nuclear facilities, confirming the success of the American strike. Trump pointed to the targeting of the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, calling on Iran to make peace and end the war. For his part, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the American strike had “obliterated” Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.” (BBC, 22/6/2025). Then, CNN revealed on Monday evening that Iran had attacked the US Al-Udeid base in Qatar with short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, indicating that US military aircraft stationed at the air base had been moved at the end of last week. Reuters also reported: “Iran gave advance notice to the U.S. via diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as to Qatari authorities.” (Sky News Arabia, 23/6/2025). On Monday, Trump said, “I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice…which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured.” (Sky News, 24/6/2025).
9- Then, after these attacks by America and the Jewish entity and the Iranian responses, where the material losses were massive in addition to the human losses: “An Iranian Health Ministry spokesman said that the Israeli strikes resulted in the martyrdom of 610 people and the injury of 4,746 others since the beginning of the conflict… According to the Israeli Health Ministry…The death toll since June 13th has risen to 28 people…” (BBC News, 25/6/2025), after these attacks, Trump, just as he started them by pushing the Jewish entity to attack Iran and participated in it, is now announcing a ceasefire, so that the Jews and Iran agree, as if Trump is the one managing the war between the two parties and also the one stopping it! “Trump announced the implementation of the ceasefire he proposed between Iran and the Jewish entity.” “Netanyahu said that he agreed to Trump’s proposal. Reuters also quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that Tehran agreed to the ceasefire with Qatari mediation and an American proposal.” (Al Jazeera, 24/6/2025). This means that this war that Trump started and then stopped was to achieve his goal of eliminating the effectiveness of Iran’s nuclear and missile weapons (in a statement to reporters before leaving to attend the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump said, “The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed!” and it will never rebuild its nuclear program.” He continued, “Israel will not attack Iran… and the ceasefire is in effect.” (Al Jazeera, 24/6/2025).
10- As for Iran revolving in America’s orbit, yes, Iran is a state revolving in America’s orbit, seeking to achieve its interests by achieving America’s interests. Thus, it helped America occupy Afghanistan and Iraq and consolidate its occupation there. It also intervened in Syria to protect America’s agent, Bashar al-Assad, and did the same in Yemen and Lebanon. By doing so, it seeks to achieve its interests in these countries and become a major regional power in the region, even if it revolves in America’s orbit! However, they forgot that when America sees that its interests have ended in the orbiting state and wants to reduce its role and power, it pressures it diplomatically, and if necessary, militarily, as is happening with Iran in the recent attacks, in order to control the rhythm of the orbiting state. Therefore, through this attack, which was ordered and executed by the Jewish entity and with its support, it is eliminating the military leadership, especially the nuclear division and the advisors who have recently tried to have a say in dealing with the Jewish entity against America’s wishes. It does not care about these countries because it realizes that these countries will ultimately accept the solution crafted by America!
11- This is what began to appear publicly in the American plan after the ceasefire, which is to end Iran’s military nuclear weapons: (Four informed sources said that the administration of President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of helping Iran access up to $30 billion to build a nuclear program for producing energy for civilian purposes, easing sanctions and freeing up billions of dollars in restricted Iranian funds, all of which is part of an intensive attempt to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table, according to the American CNN network. The sources reported that key players from the United States and the Middle East held talks with the Iranians behind the scenes, even in the midst of a wave of military strikes on Iran and Israel during the past two weeks. The sources added. These discussions continued this week after the ceasefire agreement was reached. Trump administration officials confirmed that several proposals had been put forward, both preliminary and advanced, with one fixed, non-negotiable item: “a complete halt to Iranian uranium enrichment.” (Al Arabiya, 27/6/2025)
12- Finally, the calamity of this Ummah lies in its rulers. Iran was threatened with an attack, but it did not initiate an attack in self-defense, although an attack is the best means of defense against the Jews. Rather, it remained silent until its facilities were struck and its scientists killed, and then it began to respond. The same applies to the American attack. Then Trump announced a ceasefire, and the Jews and Iran agreed. After that, America held discussions and made proposals, and said that “a complete halt to Iranian uranium enrichment” is fixed and non-negotiable! We warn that this war could lead to any form of a “peace deal” with the Jewish entity, or the disarmament of Iran. As for the other rulers in the Muslim countries, especially those around the Jewish entity, enemy planes fly over their heads, bomb Muslim countries, and then return reassured without a single shot being fired at them!! They are at America’s disposal… they justify sitting idle, they sanctify borders, and they forgot or pretended to forget that the lands of Muslims are one, whether they are in the farthest reaches of the earth or the nearest! And that the peace of the believers is one, and their war is one, it is not right for their sects to divide them as long as they are Muslims… These rulers are doomed, for they think that by this subservience to America they will be saved, and they do not realize that America will isolate them and disarm them, if they pose a threat to the Jewish entity, as it did in Syria when it allowed the Jewish entity to destroy its military installations, and is doing the same in Iran. These rulers will inherit humiliation in this world and the Hereafter:
[سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ]
“The wicked will soon be overwhelmed by humiliation from Allah and a severe punishment for their evil plots” [Al-An’am: 124]. Will they comprehend? Or are they:
[صُمٌّ بُكْمٌ عُمْيٌ فَهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ]
“…deaf, dumb and blind so they have no understanding.” [Al-Baqara: 171].
O Muslims: You see and hear what your rulers have brought to you of humiliation, disgrace, and subservience to the kafir (disbelieving) colonizers, even the Jews who have been humiliated and are destitute occupy the Blessed Land! You undoubtedly know that you will have no glory except through Islam and the Islamic state, the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate), in which a Rightly-Guided Caliph leads you, behind whom you fight and by whom you are protected, and it will happen, Allah willing, at the hands of the sincere believers, and his (saw) words will come true:
«لَتُقَاتِلُنَّ الْيَهُودَ فَلَتَقْتُلُنَّهُمْ…»
“You will fight the Jews and will kill them” Then the earth will shine with the victory of Allah Al Qawi, Al Aziz, Al Hakeem (The Strong, The Mighty, The Wise).
In conclusion, Hizb ut Tahrir, the pioneer that does not lie to its people, calls upon you to support it and work with it to restore the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate) once again, so that Islam and its followers will be honoured; and kufr (disbelief) and its followers will be humiliated, and that will be the great victory.
[وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ]
“And on that day the believers will rejoice * at the victory willed by Allah. He gives victory to whoever He wills. For He is the Almighty, Most Merciful” [Ar-Rum: 4-5]
3 Muharram 1447 AH
28/6/2025 CE -
Essentials of Political Understanding and Policymaking – Part 1
The following is a translated article from Arabic that appeared in al-Waie Magazine
Politics means taking care of affairs, and therefore every person is a politician, as every person takes care of their own affairs or the affairs of those under their care. However, the mind does not turn to this reality when the word “politician” is used. This is because a person who takes care of his own affairs only has no influence beyond his own affairs, and his thoughts do not extend beyond his needs. Rather, when the word “politician” is used, the mind turns to those who take care of the affairs of their nation, state, or more. These politicians’ influence extends to their nation, state, or more.
Politics has been described as the art of the possible. This description is true in one respect and false in another. If the meaning of the possible is considered the opposite of the impossible or the necessary, then this description is correct, as the politician does not deal with the impossible. However, if the description means that the politician deals with reality and starts from the possible as reality, i.e., that he is realistic, then this description is false. In fact, this type of politician is dangerous to their nations if they take over their leadership. Their policies draw from reality, and their view does not go beyond the existing reality. If the reality existing in these nations is created by their enemies, then they will not be able to escape the cage in which their enemies confined them. If this reality is created by them, then they will not be able to advance it or preserve its goodness, but will rather go back on their heels. The politicians who elevated their nations crossed the threshold of the reality in which their nations live. They drew a reality that their nations would advance, made it a goal, and formulated policies that led them to it. God has drawn for us an image of that politician who looks after the affairs of his nation and does not remain in the protection of corrupt reality. He is the bearer of the call, so He (swt) said:
And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing [Al-An’aam: 122]
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was the best example of this. When he was sent, he was sent to a people who had competed against each other in terms of their worldly power and weath and shed each other’s blood, but they were humiliated before the Persians and the Romans. The Messenger of Allah called them to emerge from the reality of humiliation and degradation to a reality in which they would sit on the throne of the world. An example of this is what happened when the leaders of Quraysh came to Abu Talib complaining to him about the Prophet of Allah. He asked him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him: “Uncle, I want them to agree on one word, the Arabs will submit to them, and the non-Arabs will pay them the jizyah.” [Musnad Ahmad, 2008] The politician who seeks to look after the affairs of his nation and state, and more than that, must be able to formulate policies in order to move from the crucible of theoretical understanding to practical influence. In order to be able to formulate policies, he must have a political understanding of events and a political understanding of international relations. He must have a special vision through which he looks at the world, and build policies on that basis.
Political understanding is as essential to those striving for renaissance as air is to humans. Those striving for renaissance in the Islamic nation must consider themselves in terms of what will come. They seek to establish a state for their nation that upholds a principle, striving to become a major power, then to sit on the throne of the world, becoming the foremost state in the world. The kingdom of this nation will then attain the extent of what God has entrusted to His Messenger on this earth.
For this to happen, a Muslim must strive to find the means to achieve it. These means must be coupled with his commitment to the legitimate path leading to the establishment of his state, and with his dedication to preparing himself and his community so that the state he establishes will be capable of competing with the great powers of this world, and then closing the gap like a page in history. This can only be achieved if the political understanding of the person working for renaissance is built on sound foundations, producing true results. Otherwise, the outcome will be an illusion and a fantasy that prevents him from emerging from the corner of his home and assuming leadership of the world.
The individual’s transition from working for renaissance to leading and ruling the world with Islam requires good policy formulation. This can only be achieved through sound political understanding, good goal selection, good action leading to these goals, and good linking of action to these goals, connecting cause to effect. Therefore, it has become imperative to establish important foundations that open horizons for anyone who finds within themselves the ability to pursue this field. Understanding the necessary foundations for political understanding alone is not sufficient for mastering this field, as observation and practice are essential to achieving mastery. Learning does not happen overnight, but requires training, patience, determination, and willpower. Learning after the need for it is more likely to entrench knowledge in the mind and make it firmly rooted in the heart. It turns the learner into a worker and learner, unlike learning without purpose or need, which is like someone who spins and unwinds what he has spun, or plants but does not benefit from what he has sown until his crops turn yellow and are destroyed by pests.
These articles shed light on the reality of political understanding and analysis, the reality of political awareness and policymaking, and the political information required. Readers must realize that they will not become politicians simply by reading them. Rather, they will become politicians only if they learn from them what benefits them and engage in follow-up, understanding, awareness, and influence.
I place this work at the disposal of the Islamic Ummah, the best nation brought forth for mankind. I dedicate it specifically to the bearers of the call who are diligently striving for renaissance, especially the young people who are seeking the path of correct political understanding. I discourage anyone who reads these articles from using them to become merely a political analyst, as this will have no impact in this life, and those who ask about them do so only out of curiosity. Rather, I ask everyone who reads them to use them as a means to raise the level of thinking within the nation and to use them as a tool of guidance, through which they can understand the political reality correctly, view it from the perspective of Islamic doctrine, and manage the affairs of the people. Allah is the guide to the right path.
Political Analysis
Political analysis is essential for anyone who wants to understand and deal with political reality, and it is essential for policymakers. Therefore, political analysis is extremely important for the group working to advance the nation’s progress and for the state. Sound political analysis protects the group, the state, and the nation from the risks surrounding them and enables them to adopt policies that ward off harm, mitigate the deceit of their enemies, or help them achieve their goals.
Political analysis is the production of political opinions on emerging political events. It is based on political information and connections. Political analysis is achieved through an understanding of political reality, not simply by giving the mind free rein to draw every possible picture related to a piece of news or event. If this is given free rein, it shifts from the framework of political analysis to one of imagination, speculation, and logical investigation. This pattern does not lead to truthful results. Conversely, if understanding is linked to correct political concepts, it leads to truthful results. This is because politics is the actions of politicians, and it is built on the visions and orientations of their countries, and the natures that they have been imprinted with throughout their history. Accordingly, understanding the reality of politicians, the nature of the visions and orientations that their countries hold, the natures they hold, and the nature of the current event, and linking them correctly based on correct political concepts, is an understanding, not speculation or imagination, but rather drawing a complete picture by assembling its small component parts within a clear framework. Accordingly, if some of the small parts are missing, their nature can be explored by looking at the adjacent parts of the picture, thus drawing the complete picture in the mind. This is political analysis.
Political analysis requires three elements: political information, constant knowledge of political news, and careful selection of political news. Hizb ut-Tahrir discussed this topic in detail in a bulletin dated March 27, 1974, entitled “Politics and International Politics.” It stated that political information “is historical information, especially historical facts, information about events, actions, and individuals related to them from a political perspective, and information about political relationships, whether between individuals, states, or ideas. This information is what reveals the meaning of political thought, whether it be news, action, a principle of belief, or a ruling. Without this information, a person cannot understand political thought, no matter how intelligent or brilliant they are, because the issue is one of understanding, not reason. As for knowledge of current news, especially political news, this is because it is information and news of current events, and because it is the subject of understanding and research, it is therefore essential to know it. Since life events inevitably change, renew, differ, and contradict each other, it is essential to constantly follow them in order to remain aware of them. That is, so that he remains standing at the train station that the train is actually passing through, and does not remain standing at a station that the train is not passing through now, but rather one that was passing through an hour ago and then changed, and it is now passing through a different station. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly follow the news in a necessary and consecutive manner so that he does not miss a piece of news, whether it is important or trivial. Rather, he must endure the trouble of searching in a haystack for a grain of wheat, and he may not find it.
Because he doesn’t know when important news will arrive and when it won’t, he must continue to follow all the news, whether it concerns him or not. These are interconnected links; if a link is lost, the chain is broken, making it difficult to understand the situation. He may even misunderstand the situation and link reality to a piece of news or an idea that has ended and is no longer valid. Therefore, it is necessary to follow news sequentially in order to understand politics.
As for selecting news, this is achieved by taking it, not simply by hearing it. He only takes in important news. If he hears that the French Prime Minister has traveled to London, he listens to it and takes it in. But if he hears that the German Chancellor has traveled to Berlin, or gone to Washington, or met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, he listens to it but does not take it in. He must distinguish between what he takes in and what he does not take in, even if he hears all the news. This is because taking in news that is beneficial to him, and not other news, even if it may constitute information. This is the pursuit of taking in, not merely hearing it. End quote.
News is obtained from reputable newspapers and respectable channels, as these newspapers and channels are keen to be trusted by the people, and especially by politicians. When obtaining their news and writing their articles, they are keen to communicate with those in charge of the events and those directly involved in them, and obtain information from reliable sources. However, it is not right to take the news as truthful, as the politicians in charge of events often intend to mislead in order to support their positions, conceal their objectives, or miss an opportunity for their enemies. Therefore, it remains incumbent upon the observer to trace the words and actions, and the occasions in which they were said, to identify the speaker and the doer, and link them to their preconceived notions. This will imprint on the mind the reality of the news, whether it is true or misleading.
News is also obtained from the mouths of politicians themselves, including leaders, foreign ministers, spokespersons for their countries, and those working in the field of national security. The observer must be concerned with tracking the realities of these individuals, or those sent by their countries to carry out relevant political, military, or intelligence missions. It is essential to know their biographies so as not to miss any element that constitutes the complete picture.
Although political analysis is important, it is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. Therefore, those working for the renaissance and those working within the state must use and familiarize themselves with political analysis, given its usefulness in their work. Every worker working for the renaissance of his nation must view his bloc as the leader of the change that will be global, and his nation as the one whose kingdom will achieve what God has concealed for His Messenger on earth, and his state as the state that will be the first in the world, and then the only one in the world.
To be continued…..
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The rules of the method are controls for the path, while the means and methods are the basis of the path plans
The following is a translated article from Arabic that appeared in al-Waie Magazine.
Islam legislated the rules of the tariqa, not for its own sake, but to implement the rules of the idea. It ordered that the tariqa’s objectives be considered when implementing it, for it has no value without consideration of its objectives and consideration for their realization. Let us take as an example the rules of jihad and fighting, which are among the most prominent rules of the tariqa.
The rulings on jihad and fighting, the types of fighting, jihad by fighting, jihad by words, jihad with wealth, jihad of seeking, jihad of defense, when fighting is an individual obligation, when it is a collective obligation, and when it is recommended, the rulings on truces, peace, and prisoners, the rulings on treaties, those with treaties, those who have been granted protection, and those envoyed, the sanctity of killing children, women, and the elderly, the sanctity of demolishing temples and monasteries, the rulings on spoils of war and spoils of war, the prohibitions and permissible aspects of fighting, the types of permissible and prohibited weapons, the rulings on flags and banners—all of these and other rulings on jihad and fighting must be learned by rulers and mujahidin, from the emir of jihad to the most junior fighter, and they must master, adhere to, and implement them. But: Are they alone sufficient to achieve military objectives? Are they sufficient to achieve victory over the enemy? Do they replace the arts of war, fighting, and preparing equipment at the highest possible level? Do they replace trickery, cunning, and creativity in methods? Does it make keeping up with the latest military schools and combat theories unnecessary? Does it make modernizing weapons factories of all kinds unnecessary? Does it make it unnecessary to benefit from the expertise of experts, or even to purchase their expertise, even if they are from different religions and ethnicities?
The answer is clear: No, it definitely does not sing.
Also, when selecting military leaders, should they be the most pious and zealous? Or should they be the most competent and skilled in the sciences of war and the arts of combat, while ensuring they are pious and sincere?
The answer, based on the biography of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the biography of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the distinguished, successful rulers, is that the first thing to be taken into consideration when selecting military leaders is their capabilities, competence, and combat experience, provided that they are pious and sincere, not necessarily the most pious of the pious.
Whoever is deceived that being educated in the rules of the method, piety, and enthusiasm alone, without the means of strength, sufficiency, skill, and the arts of combat, is sufficient to achieve victory, then he has led his nation to the sources of destruction.
This is neither theoretical nor genius talk. It is what is indicated by the words of Allah the Most High: {And spend in the cause of Allah and do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction [by refraining]. And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.} And He, the Most High, said: {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy . }
Just as is the case with fighting and the rules and methods related to it, so is the case with carrying the call and its method and means.
If you are well-versed in the rules and evidence of the method, memorize them by heart, adhere to them, and do not deviate from them, then you have feared God Almighty in your conduct. However, complete piety comes from taking on more than adhering to the method, which is mastering and perfecting your work and being creative in achieving its objectives. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “God loves it when one of you does a job that he does it well . ”
It’s a genius of style.
The rules of the Tariqa, no matter how well you understand, comprehend, or master the inferences you draw from them, will not alone chart your course. They will not tell you when you wake up in the morning how to begin your da’wah day and venture into society to achieve the goals of your da’wah. They will not tell you how to overcome obstacles and barriers, how to infiltrate minds and souls, how to thwart conspiracies against your da’wah and your ummah, how to deliver a lecture, how to write a newsletter or article well, how to organize a successful conference, how to master the use of electronic communication tools, how to break the media blackout, how to excel in an intellectual or political debate, when to engage with the media and when to turn away, and how to prevent journalists or media professionals from distorting your words. The Tariqa will not tell you when the media is an opportunity and when it is a trap. The rules of the Tariqa will not tell you how to select the right person for the right task, nor how to lead a demonstration. It will not tell you about the difference between the methods of attracting segments of society, including educated people, students, the public, politicians, scholars, and merchants, nor about the levels, types, and forms of this attraction.
The rules of the tariqa were not legislated for their own sake, but rather for something else, to achieve specific goals. If the rules of the tariqa are implemented for their own sake, without regard for achieving their goals—or worse, if they are implemented with the understanding that they will achieve nothing—then their implementation is completely worthless and, indeed, extremely dangerous and harmful. Such implementation of the rules of the tariqa is like a military commander who throws his fighters into battle simply to fight, without setting any goals for this fight, thus destroying lives and destroying crops and livestock without achieving any real goal.
Carrying the call to resume Islamic life by establishing an Islamic state is one of the most difficult battles a group of people can fight. Indeed, it is the most difficult, arduous, and dangerous of all, especially in this era, when this mission is confronted by the world’s most powerful empires, the most cunning and deceitful from ancient history to the present day. These empires do not confront you with repression and brutality alone, with the response being mere steadfastness, determination, and perseverance. Rather, beyond brutality and repression, they wield cunning against Islam, employing cunning, satanic methods unparalleled in history. They have harnessed research centers and media outlets, and employed so-called social psychology, management sciences, media arts, and the production of documentaries and even entertainment films. They have mastered the manipulation of minds, innovated methods, diversified terminology, and infiltrated the nature of peoples and societies to deceive, manipulate, and lure them into their plots and schemes.
It is certain that the bearers of the call will not possess the material capabilities of their opponents before they come to power, nor will they have the same massive media machine they have. However, it is also certain that they can, without a doubt, use alternative media intelligently, acquire the sciences and arts of party and association management, study the new arts of radio oratory, and practice the production of documentaries and short clips, even if they learn them from their enemies, in their universities and institutes, just as the Companions learned to read and write from some of the polytheists of Quraysh, just as they learned to manufacture weapons from others, just as they adopted the method of the trench from the Persians, and just as Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) adopted administrative methods (diwans) from the Romans and Persians.
The methods of addressing public opinion to shape and influence it are, in this era, a science taught in universities and institutes, and cannot be separated from the Sharia method, just as the economic system (economic legislation) cannot replace “economics,” and just as the system of government, which is one of the rulings of Sharia, cannot replace the science of administration and the arts of politics. If you delve into this science, it will tell you that there are methods for addressing society as a whole, methods for addressing its politicians, methods for addressing the younger generation, methods for addressing the military, methods for addressing minorities, and that these methods may require multiple – even if only formally – entities or frameworks that address each of them. Thus, a block is allocated for students that takes into account their abilities and choices so that they can integrate into it until they pass the stage of study and parental guardianship. For intellectuals, there are committees that organize their contributions and harness their energies. For merchants, there is a body that attracts and alerts them. For popular energies, there are leaderships that mobilize them… Thus, the forces of change are distributed between committed partisans, organized “framed” supporters, and responsive popular people…
In short, after understanding and adhering to the method, nothing will move you forward except creativity in methods, intelligence in them, and keeping up with its arts, “sciences,” and developments.
The method is the closest thing to controls for the call and its protection from deviation and error. It is the broad outline of the path. It is easy to adhere to it and not deviate from it, as long as there is sincerity to God Almighty and the determination to be upright and not deviate. As for the intelligent methods, their arts and “sciences,” they are the roadmap for the renewed journey. They represent the greatest challenge, and at their threshold lies failure or success. If deviating from the method is fatal deviation, then refraining from adopting effective methods and means and from keeping up with their arts and sciences is failure itself, and its result may be stopping at the beginning of the path or in the middle.
We must not forget, first and last, that above all of this, before, during, and after it, there is fear of God Almighty, sincerity of intention towards Him, and provisioning oneself for this noble task with spiritual energy, for there is no steadfastness, persistence, or progress in the midst of this savage, criminal world without the help and guidance of God Almighty.
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Political Statements and Political Analysis
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Political Statements and Political Analysis
(Translated)The news necessary for analysis in general is the foundation of political thinking. In fact, it is the daily bread of politicians. Without it, politics cannot be understood, political analysis cannot exist, events cannot be discerned, and their purposes remain unknown.
The Islamic Ummah has long suffered from misinformation in political statements. This is so much so that it has lost vast regions due to the misinterpretation of such statements. The Uthmani Khilafah (Ottoman Caliphate), for instance, lost the Balkans not because of military weakness, but due to malicious and misleading political statements. Britain and its European allies manufactured the Balkan crisis out of nothing, solely through statements. They deceived the Ottomans into believing that sweeping popular uprisings were taking place in the Balkan states, demanding independence and secession. This is even though these claims had no real basis on the ground. There were neither uprisings, nor even demands for independence and secession. Yet the repeated dissemination of these statements convinced the Ottomans that powerful separatist movements were indeed active in the region. The state swallowed the bait and began to act accordingly, which led to its exhaustion and overextension. Eventually, nationalist movements did in fact spread and fill the region, even reaching the very heart of the state. This ultimately led to the complete secession of the Balkans and later, to the fall of the Uthmani Khilafah (Ottoman Caliphate) itself.
To begin with, and in order to understand the importance of political statements in political analysis, it is essential to know the five key components of political analysis:
1- A political analyst must first follow-up on the events and incidents occurring in all countries around the world, gather news about them, and sort them based on importance and relevance, distinguishing between what is coincidental and what is intentional. With continued monitoring, experience, and the passage of time, this follow-up becomes expert. The analyst then develops the ability to select what is most important, and what is deliberate and significant.
2- The analyst needs prior foundational knowledge about the nature of events, incidents, places, people, and statements such as geographical, historical, political, and ideological information, in order to accurately grasp and deeply understand those events, incidents, and news reports.
3- As the analyst seeks to issue political judgments, it is essential that they adhere to two inseparable, and interconnected, principles:
a) Not isolating events from their circumstances, contextualization, and related factors, because separating events from what surrounds, and relates to, them strips them of their value, and detaches them from reality.
b) Avoiding generalization and sweeping comparisons, because generalization and analogical reasoning have no place in politics. In fact, they are a plague upon politicians, and among the most significant indicators of failure in political analysis.
4- Scrutinizing news and events involves, first, verifying their authenticity through reliable sources; second, linking them to the time they occurred; third, examining them within the context of the situation in which they took place; fourth, understanding the intended purpose behind their timing; and fifth, observing the immediate reactions to them, from all relevant and active parties.
5- Connecting the event, or news, to previously available information about it. Then linking the event to relevant analytical frameworks applicable to it and similar news. Finally issuing a judgment that is believed to be the closest to accuracy, and most consistent with reality.
The failure to adhere to these components in political analysis, and the improper handling of the massive volume of statements and news flooding today’s media and online social networks, along with the malicious methods used to shape and direct them, inevitably leads to a dangerous informational and political maze. This maze confuses minds, misleads intellects, diverts understanding from clarity, and steers thought away from sound judgment. The logical consequence is the occurrence of deadly political mistakes that mislead analysts in reaching accurate conclusions, causing them to fall into the traps of international intelligence agencies. This, in turn, has a devastating negative impact on the Ummah and on those striving for its revival.
Therefore, it is essential to adhere to these components most importantly, to closely monitor the flood of information related to events, to exercise caution when dealing with political statements issued by politicians in major and influential countries, and to make an effort to understand the intent behind these statements, before beginning to analyze them and before linking them to the established political frameworks known to us.
For example, American politicians issued statements suggesting that war with Iran was imminent. These were accompanied by the deployment of US aircraft carriers to the Middle East, along with shipments of multi-purpose missiles and weapons. At the same time, attention was drawn to the American-British base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, emphasizing that it is beyond the reach of Iranian missiles, and that it would play a major role in the upcoming war. These reports and events created an atmosphere of war and gave the impression that it was near. Then, suddenly, contradictory news emerged about direct negotiations taking place in Oman between American envoys to the Middle East, and Iranian officials. It was announced that the first round of talks had concluded with positive impressions, as if all the war-related information had merely been a natural prelude to launching a long series of negotiations between the two countries.
Likewise, information continues to pour in about the ongoing war by the Jews against the Gaza Strip, portraying that the people of Gaza have no options but displacement or death, and insisting on the need to surrender the weapons of the resistance and for its leaders to leave. Then, news emerges about the near success of negotiations sponsored by the United States. The same America that calls for turning Gaza into real estate projects now claims it will guarantee Hamas that the Jewish entity will commit to moving on to the second phase of negotiations, supposedly including an end to the war and a withdrawal from Gaza.
If political analysts had taken the politicians statements at face value the first time and built their analyses upon them, their conclusions would have been entirely contrary to reality. They would have fallen victim to deception in dealing with those waves of contradictory statements.
Therefore, before beginning any analysis, it is essential to wait patiently and carefully when receiving political statements. Only afterward should one move on to scrutiny, contextualized linkage, avoiding isolation of events, and refraining from generalizations.
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Media is a Pillar from the States’ Pillars
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمMedia is a Pillar from the States’ Pillars
(Translated)Media has always had a clear impact on shaping public awareness, and directing it in a way that pleases the state. It has been instrumental in forming public opinion around particular issues, or thoughts either to highlight or oppose them. In Jahiliyyah Arab society, poetry served as a powerful and prestigious form of media. Leading poets held high social standing, due to their influence, and were sought after by some, and feared by others. As an example, a poet said,
كم خامل سما به إلى العلا، بيت مديح من بليغ ذلق “How many an indolent person has been elevated to the heights, by a house of praise from an eloquent and fluent poet.”
مثل بني الأنف ومثل هرم، وكالذي يعرف بالمحلق “Like the sons of Al-Anf and the pyramid, and the one known as Al-Muhallaq.”
وكم وكم حط الهجا من ماجد، ذي رتبة قعساً وقدرٍ سمق “And how many a noble person of high rank, and lofty stature has satire struck down.”
مثل الرَّبيع وبني العجلان، مع بني نمير جَمَرَات الحَدَق “Such as Al-Rabi’ and the sons of Al-Ajlan, with the sons of Namir, are but embers in the gaze.”
This poetic excerpt illustrates how eloquent praise can elevate someone of low status to great heights, like the examples of Banu Al-Anf and Al-Muhallaq, and how harsh satire can disgrace the noble, such as Al-Rabi’ and Banu Al-Ajlan. It reflects the immense influence of poetry in Arab culture, capable of both raising and ruining reputations.
The Arabs greatly revered tribal affiliation, and few among them would not take pride in their lineage, unless a shame or disgrace was associated with it, such as occurred with Banu al-Anf al-Naqa. However, even they were elevated in status, when praised by a poet, and thus rose in esteem.
قوم هم الأنف والأذناب غيرهم، ومن يسوي بأنف الناقة الذنبَ “They are Al-Anf, the nose, while others are merely tails, and who can compare the nose of a she-camel to its tail?”
This verse praises a once-ridiculed tribe.
Or as Jarir mentioned about Namir, which was a source of pride for those who claimed to be related to it, and he said,
فغض الطرف إنك من نمير، فلا كعباً بلغت ولا كلاباً “Lower your gaze for you are from Namir, you have not surpassed neither the tribe of Ka‘b nor dogs.”
Before Islam, Arab leaders had their poets, who would glorify their deeds, power, and authority through praise in poetry, while vilifying, belittling, and weakening their enemies through satire. Their poetry would spread among the people, which was exactly what the leaders desired. As a result, kings and leaders would honor these poets greatly, in a manner befitting their actions.
Hassan ibn Thabit was one of them. Hassan used to visit the Ghassanid kings, benefiting them with his poetry and benefiting himself from their wealth. However, when Islam came, he placed his poetry at the service of the Messenger of Allah (saw), using it to defend Islam, spread its risaalah (message), and satirize its enemies.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
«اهْجُوا قُرَيْشًا فَإِنَّهُ أَشَدُّ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ رَشْقٍ بِالنَّبْلِ» “Satirize Quraysh, for it is more severe for them than arrows being shot.” So he sent for Ibn Rawahah and said, «اهْجُهُمْ» “Satirize them.” He did, but the Prophet (saw) was not satisfied. Then he sent for Ka‘b ibn Malik, but again was not satisfied. Then he sent for Hassan ibn Thabit. When Hassan entered, he said, “It is time for you to call upon this lion who strikes with even his tail!” Then he stuck out his tongue and began to move it, and said, “By the One who sent you with the truth, I will tear them apart with my tongue just as leather is torn.” The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,
«لاَ تَعْجَلْ فَإِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ أَعْلَمُ قُرَيْشٍ بِأَنْسَابِهَا وَإِنَّ لِي فِيهِمْ نَسَبًا حَتَّى يُلَخِّصَ لَكَ نَسَبِي» “Do not rush. Abu Bakr knows the genealogies of Quraysh better than anyone, and I have lineage among them. So have him clarify my lineage for you.” Hassan went to Abu Bakr (ra) and then returned, saying, “O Messenger of Allah, he has clarified your lineage for me. By the One who sent you with the truth, I will extract you from them as a hair is pulled from dough.” Aishah (ra) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say to Hassan, «إِنَّ رُوحَ الْقُدُسِ لاَ يَزَالُ يُؤَيِّدُكَ مَا نَافَحْتَ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ» “Ruh al-Qudus will continue to support you as long as you defend Allah and His Messenger.” She also said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, «هَجَاهُمْ حَسَّانُ فَشَفَى وَاشْتَفَى» “Hassan satirized them, and he brought healing and satisfaction.” Narrated by Muslim.
The Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the killing of certain disbelievers who composed poetry, because of the influence they had on people, against the Muslims. Among them were Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf, and two female singers in Makkah, on the day of the Conquest, whom the Prophet (saw) commanded to be killed.
In our time, we are surrounded by the rapid advancement of technology. At the beginning of this era of modern technology, media consisted mainly of official state outlets, where each country had its own radio stations, television channels, and newspapers, whether fully official, or semi-official. However, as times changed, and the need arose for so-called independent media, often sponsored by states. Then, came the rise of social media, a powerful form of media that is unrestrained by any regulation, though at times deliberately manipulated. States are now faced with the challenge of trying to control this vast and complex landscape of media outlets.
In the Muslim World, most states have adopted a similar approach. It is is keeping government-run media alive in the face of strong competition from satellite channels, and social media platforms. There is no doubt that state-run media has become severely weakened, or appears weak in this competition. There was a time in the past when it was virtually the only media source available to the public, and it was strong for that very reason. It was the sole, or nearly sole, option for viewers, listeners and readers.
Today, these states, while still maintaining their official media institutions, are well aware that such outlets will never surpass a certain ceiling of influence over the public, and that ceiling is quite low. This is because those in power know full well that the competition is fierce, and that government media is plagued by stagnation, bureaucratic complexity, financial and administrative corruption, and a declining level of public trust in the rulers of these countries.
The next step was to launch so-called independent media outlets, through new laws that allowed a limited margin of media activity, involving figures from within the political medium, and others. These media outlets were secretly tied to the state in ways the public could not see, while being given a certain degree of freedom in their media work, which was enough to make them appear entirely different from official state media, in the eyes of the people.
Thus, if it is a news outlet, its news broadcasts would show less focus on the actions of the president and the government, compared to the official state media. Its programs would be bolder, its guests more diverse, and its reporters more professional, and open to a wider range of information sources. If it is an entertainment or variety outlet, it would be more liberal or rather, looser in moral boundaries in its talk shows, the personalities it hosts, and the dramas, songs, and movies it promotes through commercial advertisements. If it is a religious outlet, it presents a conservative image of religion, whether through its hosts, its content, its guests, or the pre-prepared material it broadcasts, whether that material is documentary, narrative, or entertainment in nature.
Regardless of the type or style of these media outlets, they aim to make certain individuals within the institution become well-known, even beyond the channel itself, whether through being hosted by regional or international networks, participating in media forums or festivals, preferably as speakers, or through other means of gaining fame. This, in turn, increases their acceptance and popularity among the local public.
Regardless of the type or style of the media outlet, its personnel are those who are content with the ruling system in the country, even if some of them claim dissatisfaction with the performance of those in power. Nevertheless, all of them are fundamentally satisfied with the system itself, and do not think beyond its framework. So it should come as no surprise if we learn that certain state agencies maintain close contact with all these media outlets, in order to regulate their output in a way that serves the state’s overall direction.
If one of these states succeeds in pushing this media sector to operate on a regional level, so that its audience extends beyond the country itself to the entire region, then that state has achieved a significant breakthrough, that is recognized on the regional stage. It also secures for itself a regional standing in the eyes of its patrons in the West.
What remains is the role of social media, which has entered every home, and become the focus of everyone’s attention. It has captured the interest of the general public on a massive scale, and as a result, every entity seeking to influence people has turned its attention to it creating platforms, influencers, YouTubers, pages, and more. Among these entities are the regimes that rule the countries. These regimes have gone beyond merely using social media as direct tools of influence. They have extended their reach to connect with other active platforms as well, ensuring that no content directed at the public strays from the regime’s overall policy of shaping public awareness.
However, social media contains security loopholes, that are difficult for regimes to control, and these fall into two main areas:
The first area concerns groups that are neither supporters, nor traditional opponents, of the regime. Instead they are groups that reject the regime’s very existence and work to overthrow it. The regimes are unable to control the content these groups produce for the public, as part of their influence aims to dismantle the collective awareness being shaped by the ruling states, whilst building a new direction in public awareness. Therefore, the main effort made by governments to counter the influence of these platforms has been to block their websites, though this has had only a limited effect.
The second area is that of the personal pages and accounts of individuals. On these platforms, people express what’s on their minds, and among them are individuals who follow those groups that reject the legitimacy of the current ruling regimes. The general public has become increasingly bold in speaking, and writing, on their pages, which has posed a major challenge to these regimes. In response, the states have taken security measures to intimidate the public, in the hope of closing this gap in the media sphere. These measures include enacting cybercrime laws, conducting security surveillance, and other forms of crackdowns.
Through all these measures, and their connections with media outlets and influential social media pages, the regimes in our countries have built a cohesive media system. The media system is aimed at controlling the direction of public awareness, steering people’s emotions in a way that protects the regimes during times of crisis, promoting a specific culture that serves the ruling authorities, and ensures their continued dominance, and combating any other culture they perceive as a threat to their rule, among other objectives.
The impact of this media system became evident during the Gaza War, Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, when media outlets split into two distinct camps:
One camp supported the actions of the resistance in Gaza, or leaned toward it, in its coverage, while the other camp adopted an opposing viewpoint, even if indirectly. The public’s rejection of the second camp led them to gravitate toward the first camp, whether those media outlets were local or regional. However, both camps, especially the, first worked on a specific portrayal.
It was portraying the military efforts of the mujahideen in Gaza as a powerful force, capable of standing up to the military might of the Jews, needing only supporting fronts to distract the enemy, without directly entering into war. This is despite the fact that the Jews threw their full military weight into the war on Gaza, calling upon the support of the US, Europe, and regional and non-regional regimes, who backed them with equipment, supplies, and even manpower at times.
As a result, viewers came to expect a decisive victory from the people of Gaza, and a crushing defeat of the Jewish army on the battlefield. However, as the war dragged on, and the killing and destruction increased, a sense of despair began to creep into people’s hearts.
People’s minds and emotions were then redirected to believe that Gaza’s need was purely humanitarian, not military. As a result, public attention became fixated on scenes of destruction, images of tents, displacement, starvation, and the bodies of martyrs left in the streets. The emotional impact on people was immense, as their compassion was genuine. The media skillfully steered these emotions toward calls for humanitarian aid, aid that would only reach Gaza with the approval and permission of the very criminals responsible for the genocide.
People were also directed to offer Dua for Gaza, rather than to send what would truly repel the harm of the Jews and their allies, the armies. Thus, these media outlets led the public toward treating the symptoms of the crisis, rather than addressing its root causes.
These media outlets diverted the people from calling for the mobilization of armies in support of the people of Palestine, even though the crisis in Palestine is, at its core, a military crisis. It would have been more appropriate, and necessary, for those specialized in such matters, namely the military forces in the region, to intervene. However, this was not what the tsars of these media outlets, nor the regimes backing them, wanted. In fact, this course of action was strictly forbidden, even though it had strong popular support at the beginning of the war.
Social media pages, run by individuals and groups dissatisfied with the existence of these regimes, played a significant role in calling for military intervention in the Gaza war. However, with the help of their tightly controlled media systems, these regimes succeeded in diverting the public away from this option.
These media outlets also played a role in attaching people’s hopes to political solutions being promoted, and to the delegations that came and went throughout the region, in the hope that they might bring an end to the suffering in Gaza and provide relief. As a result, the criminal, oppressive leaders of certain regional states were given status and importance. People forgot the truth, which is that no real relief can come from an oppressor who aids your enemy against you, and that true relief only comes by following the commands of Allah (swt) in resolving crises.
Throughout the war, people turned to Allah in Dua, yet the oppressors and their media convinced them to wait for relief to come from the political delegations of Qatar, Egypt, America, and others like them.
The public’s reliance on media during the Gaza war was evident, and their engagement with social media was intense, especially with platforms that provided the most live footage and breaking news. The weakness of the official state media institutions was clearly exposed.
This is a highly valuable lesson for those working toward change in the region. The powerful impact of media on the public must not be overlooked. In the upcoming Islamic State, by Allah’s Permission, the official media institution must be given full freedom to operate under a new leadership, made up of politically aware individuals, with expertise in media. The institution must be restructured to serve the overarching goals of implementing and spreading the Dawah of Islam.
Likewise, other media outlets operating under the authority of the newly established Islamic State must be reorganized in accordance with the Islamic system. They must be informed of the state’s public policies, media regulations, and the public image the society is expected to present. At the same time, constant surveillance over these outlets must be lifted, and direct communication between media and state agencies especially security agencies, must be avoided. However, there must be strict adherence to the Shariah Laws and firm commitment to the general policy of the Islamic State.
The Middle East is experiencing great turmoil. We ask Allah (swt) that it be resolved with the establishment of the great Islamic State, the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate), and that He (swt) supports those who will lead it. Every aspect of people’s lives is in need of recalibration, including the media.
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The Believer’s Need for Steadfastness
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Believer’s Need for Steadfastness
(Translated)Allah (swt) said,
[يُثَبِّتُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ ٱلثَّابِتِ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَۚ وَيَفۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُ]
“Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word (al-qawl ath-thaabit), in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills.” [TMQ Surah Ibrahim: 27]
The noble ayah contains three sentences. In the Arabic language, it is known that a sentence is a set of words that carries a meaning and expresses a thought. Thought is a judgment about a reality, and it becomes a concept for a person, when they understand the reality of the thought and believe it.
Thus, the Quranic verse contains three concepts that a Muslim is required to adopt: 1. Allah’s (swt) granting of steadfastness to the believers with the firm word (al-Qawl ath-Thabit) in this worldly life and in the Hereafter 2. Allah’s (swt) leading the wrongdoers astray. 3. Allah (swt) does whatever He wills.
Regarding the first concept in the first sentence, Ibn Ashur says, وَالْقَوْلُ، الْكَلَامُ. وَالثَّابِتُ الصَّادِقُ الَّذِي لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ. وَالْمُرَادُ بِهِ أَقْوَالُ الْقُرْآنِ لِأَنَّهَا صَادِقَةُ الْمَعَانِي وَاضِحَةُ الدَّلِيلِ، فَالتَّعْرِيفُ فِي الْقَوْلِ لِاسْتِغْرَاقِ الْأَقْوَالِ الثَّابِتَةِ. وَالْبَاءُ فِي بِالْقَوْلِ لِلسَّبَبِيَّةِ. وَمَعْنَى تَثْبِيتِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهَا أَنَّ الله يسر لَهُم فيهم الْأَقْوَالِ الْإِلَهِيَّةِ عَلَى وَجْهِهَا وَإِدْرَاكَ دَلَائِلِهَا حَتَّى اطْمَأَنَّتْ إِلَيْهَا قُلُوبُهُمْ وَلَمْ يُخَامِرْهُمْ فِيهَا شَكٌّ فَأَصْبَحُوا ثَابِتِينَ فِي إِيمَانِهِمْ غير مزعزعين وعاملين بِهَا غَيْرَ مُتَرَدِّدِينَ. وَذَلِكَ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ظَاهِرٌ، وَأَمَّا فِي الْآخِرَةِ فَبِإِلْفَائِهِمُ الْأَحْوَالَ عَلَى نَحْوٍ مِمَّا عَلِمُوهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَلَمْ تَعْتَرِهِمْ نَدَامَةٌ وَلَا لَهَفٌ“The word (al-qawl) means speech, and ‘firm’ (al-thabit) means truthful, without any doubt. What is meant by it are the words of the Qur’an, for they are truthful in meaning and clear in evidence. The definite article in ‘the word’ (al-qawl) denotes comprehensiveness of all firm words. The preposition ‘bi’ in bi’l-qawl indicates causation. The meaning of Allah’s (swt) making those who believe steadfast through it is that Allah (swt) facilitates for them the divine words in their proper form and enables them to understand their proofs until their hearts are reassured by them, and no doubt ever enters them. Thus, they become steadfast in their faith, unshaken, and act upon it without hesitation. This is evident in worldly life; as for the Hereafter, it is by them finding circumstances similar to what they learned in the world, so they feel no regret nor grief.”
It is clear to anyone with insight the necessity of steadfastness for the believer in this life, in the grave, and on the Day of Judgment, and his need for Allah’s granting him steadfastness, for this world is a place of trial and temptation.
Allah (swt) says,
[وَنَبۡلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلۡخَيۡرِ فِتۡنَةٗۖ وَإِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ]
“And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.” [TMQ Surah Al-Anbiya 35]
And He (swt) says,
[أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتۡرَكُوٓاْ أَن يَقُولُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمۡ لَا يُفۡتَنُونَ]
“Do the people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tested?” [TMQ Surah Ar-Rum 2]
Every believer is exposed to trials from time to time of various kinds. This is affirmed in the hadith found in Sahih al-Jami narrated by Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman from the Messenger of Allah (saw), «تُعرَضُ الفِتَنُ على القُلوبِ عَرْضَ الحَصِيرِ عُودًا عُودًا، فأيُّ قلبٍ أُشْرِبَها نُكِتَتْ فيه نُكتةٌ سَوداءُ، وأيُّ قلبٍ أنْكَرَها نُكِتَتْ فيه نُكتةٌ بيضاءُ، حتى يصِيرَ القلبُ أبيضَ مثلَ الصَّفا، لا تَضُرُّه فِتنةٌ ما دامَتِ السمواتُ والأرضُ، والآخَرُ أسودَ مُربَدًّا كالكُوزِ مُجَخِّيًا، لا يَعرِفُ مَعروفًا، ولا يُنكِرُ مُنكَرًا، إلا ما أُشْرِبَ من هَواه»“Temptations will be presented to the hearts like a reed mat, stick by stick. Any heart that absorbs them will have a black mark put in it, and any heart that rejects them will have a white mark put in it, until the heart becomes white like a stone, unaffected by any trial of temptation so long as the heavens and the earth endure. However, the other becomes black, dusty, like an overturned vessel, not recognizing good nor rejecting evil, except what is in accord with its desires.”
Indeed, Allah even bestows His favor upon His Messenger (saw) by granting him steadfastness so that he does not incline towards the disbelievers. Allah (swt) says,
[وَلَوۡلَآ أَن ثَبَّتۡنَٰكَ لَقَدۡ كِدتَّ تَرۡكَنُ إِلَيۡهِمۡ شَيۡٔٗا قَلِيلًا]
“And if We had not strengthened you, you would almost have inclined to them a little.” [TMQ Surah Al-Isra 74].
The “firm word” includes the statement of tawhid (monotheism) “La ilaha illa Allah – There is no God but Allah,” as Ibn Abbas (ra) said. It also includes the words of the Qur’an, as Ibn Ashur stated, and it encompasses everything that stems from the Islamic creed and everything built upon it, for it is the standard by which a Muslim measures every word and every action.
Describing the word as “firm” indicates steadfastness and commitment to that word, so as to produce uprightness, which Allah (swt) commanded His Messenger (saw) and the believers with, in His saying,
[فَٱسۡتَقِمۡ كَمَآ أُمِرۡتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ]
“So remain steadfast as you have been commanded, you and those who have turned back with you.” [TMQ Surah Hud: 112].
Allah’s granting steadfastness to those who believe is a reality both in the life of this world and in the Hereafter.
As for the second concept in the verse — Allah’s leading the wrongdoers astray — Ibn Ashur says, وَيُضِلُّ اللهُ الظَّالِمِينَ، أَيِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، أَيْ يَجْعَلُهُمْ فِي حَيْرَةٍ وَعِمَايَةٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ. وَالضَّلَالُ: اضْطِرَابٌ وَارْتِبَاكٌ، وَالظَّالِمُونَ: الْمُشْرِكُونَ، قَالَ تَعَالَى:
[إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٞ]
“And Allah leads the wrongdoers astray, meaning the mushrikeen, that is, He leaves them in bewilderment and blindness in this world and in the Hereafter. Misguidance is disturbance and confusion, and the wrongdoers are the mushrikeen, as Allah (swt) said,
[إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٞ]
“Indeed, associating others with Allah is a great injustice.” [TMQ Surah Luqman: 13]”
The misguidance attributed to Allah (swt) is in the form of allowing, facilitating, and gradually leading on, not compulsion, because Allah (swt) holds people accountable for the deeds they perform within the domain over which they have control: if good, then it is good; and if evil, then it is evil. This is indicated by His saying,
[فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرٗا يَرَهُۥ*وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٖ شَرّٗا يَرَهُ]
“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” [TMQ Surah Al-Zalzalah: 7–8] and other similar verses.
What further confirms that Allah’s leading the wrongdoers astray is by way of allowing, facilitating, and leading them on is His statement,
[قُلۡ مَن كَانَ فِي ٱلضَّلَٰلَةِ فَلۡيَمۡدُدۡ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ مَدًّاۚ]
“Say, ‘Whoever is in error — the Most Merciful will prolong his span [in error]” [TMQ Surah Maryam: 75].
This misguidance from Allah (swt) is specific to those characterized by wrongdoing, as is indicated by linking the ruling to a derived term (مشتقّ), the subject case (اسم الفاعل) al-ẓalimin (“the oppressors”). In the usool of fiqh (foundations of jurisprudence), linking a ruling to a derived term evidences that the cause lies in the source of derivation, here, wrongdoing. Thus, as long as the servant persists in wrongdoing, he deserves misguidance until he turns away from his wrongdoing and repents to Allah (swt).
It is more appropriate to understand ẓulm (oppression) here in its general sense, so that it includes polytheism (shirk) and disbelief (kufr), as well as wrongdoing against oneself, and committing sins, since there is no specific qualifier that restricts ẓulm to mean only polytheism.
As for the statement of Allah (swt),
[إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٞ]
“Indeed, associating others with Allah is a great injustice” [TMQ Surah Luqman: 13] it indicates that polytheism is described as ẓulm, and indeed as a great ẓulm, but it does not mean that ẓulm is limited exclusively to polytheism. This is what the rules of Arabic grammar mandate.
Accordingly, anyone who is characterized by any form of wrongdoing deserves to be led astray, and prolonged in that state until he repents from it, whether it is polytheism and disbelief, or an evil deed, or wrongdoing against oneself. Allah (swt) said,
[قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ إِن يَنتَهُواْ يُغۡفَرۡ لَهُم مَّا قَدۡ سَلَفَ]
“Say to those who disbelieve that if they desist, they will be forgiven for what has passed.” [TMQ Surah Al-Anfal: 38] and He (swt) also says,
[وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ سُوٓءًا أَوۡ يَظۡلِمۡ نَفۡسَهُۥ ثُمَّ يَسۡتَغۡفِرِ ٱللَّهَ يَجِدِ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا]
“And whoever does evil or wrongs himself, then seeks Allah’s forgiveness, will find Allah All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [TMQ Surah An-Nisa: 110].
As for the third concept in the noble Quranic verse, it is that Allah (swt) does whatever He (swt) wills. He (swt) is capable of all matters; nothing can prevent Him, none can overturn His judgment, and none can repel His command. He (swt) does with His creation whatever He wills.
This concept comes as a confirmation of what preceded it: Allah (swt) grants steadfastness when He (swt) wills to grant it, and He (swt) leads astray when He (swt) wills to lead astray. Indeed, He (swt) is not to be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.
The verse contains a rhetorical nuance, namely the explicit mention of the subject case in all three sentences, as the Divine Name, “Allah makes firm,” “Allah leads astray,” and “Allah does what He wills.”
Ibn Ashur says about this, وَإِظْهَارُ اسْمِ الْجَلَالَةِ فِي وَيُضِلُّ اللهُ الظَّالِمِينَ وَيَفْعَلُ اللهُ مَا يَشاءُ لِقَصْدِ أَنْ تَكُونَ كُلُّ جُمْلَةٍ مِنَ الْجُمَلِ الثَّلَاثِ مُسْتَقِلَّةً بِدَلَالَتِهَا حَتَّى تَسِيرَ مسير الْمثل“The explicit mention of the Name of His Majesty in ‘Allah leads astray the wrongdoers’ and ‘Allah does whatever He wills’ is intended so that each of the three sentences stands independently in its meaning, until it flows like a proverb,” in addition to emphasizing the importance of the subject, Glorified and Exalted is He, and His Power to do whatever He wills.”
Finally, we point out that some mufasiroon among them al-Ṭabari, al-Qurṭubi, and others mentioned that the Reason (sabab) for the Revelation (nuzool) of the verse was the questioning of the deceased by the two angels in the grave. However, this does not necessitate restriction, because of the principle that, العبرة بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب“the consideration is given to the generality of the wording, not the specificity of the cause (sabab),” as established in the usool ul-fiqh (foundations of jurisprudence).
Thus, Allah’s making the believers firm is a reality both in this world and in the Hereafter; Allah’s leading astray is a reality for the wrongdoers as long as they persist in their wrongdoing; and Allah does whatever He wills, as indicated by the generality of the connecting pronoun (ism mawsool) “whatever.”
We ask Allah (swt) to guide us and all the Muslims to the truth, and to make us and them steadfast upon the truth until we meet Him (swt) while He is pleased with us.
