Uthman Badar Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir / Australia explores the concept of slavery in Islam: its classical position, its early eradication and responses to common orientalist attacks.

07 March 2014 CE

The attack on the Muslims in Syria is directly intensifying from the West and through their agent rulers of the Muslims, in which the Muslims are witnessing a rare type of crime only happening in the Muslim lands like Chechnya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central Africa and Burma... this massive, heavy reality reminds us of the words of Allah (swt):

((وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ))

"They had naught against them save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Owner of Praise" [TMQ 85:8]

And reminds us of the story of the People of Al-Ukhdood. What dares the enemies of Allah in declaring open enmity against Islam and calling it the Religion of Terrorism, as well as afflicting the Muslims with dreadful torments is all due to their fear of the Muslims returning positively to their Deen, and calling for the source of their strength "The Righteous Khilafah "Caliphate"", the State by which Islam and its people will be glorified, and the Western Kufr and its people will be humiliated. The Kaffir Capitalist West has a bitter experience with the Islamic rule and its appearance through Da'wah and Jihad, and it is the West who is leading this fierce campaign that reveals the extent of its hatred towards Islam, as well as the extent of its fear of Islam's return to life, and the beast of Damascus in this vicious war against Islam is nothing but a sheepdog.

Indeed, this painful reality reminds us of what the Qur'an told us in Surah Al-Burooj of the story of the People of Al-Ukhdood, which Allah (swt) mentioned as a reminder, a lesson and a kind admonition, and to be

((هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ))

"a guide and a mercy to all who believe" [TMQ 7:52]

The saying of Allah (swt):

((قُتِلَ أَصْحَابُ الْأُخْدُودِ * النَّارِ ذَاتِ الْوَقُودِ * إِذْ هُمْ عَلَيْهَا قُعُودٌ))

"(Self) destroyed were the owners of the ditch * Of the fuel-fed fire, * When they sat by it," [TMQ 85:4-6]

Remind us of the horrific murder cases and their horrible scenes that are currently happening in Syria, the killing through bombing, torturing, slaughtering, burning, burying the alive, chemical suffocation, explosive barrels, and what they leave of scenes of scattered body parts... indeed, this reminds us of the many many types of murder that occur, which are too many to mention here, and which humanity did not witness worse than it. No matter what is mentioned, words cannot express the fear and anxiety accompanying these cases criminal murder, and living in an atmosphere of losing fathers, mothers, children, spouses, siblings, and relatives...
The saying of Allah (swt):

((وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ))

"They had naught against them save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Owner of Praise" [TMQ 85:8]

Also reminds us that all crimes that are happening to the Muslims were planned to terrorize Muslims, so they came with a great trespass, they came with a crime that was never witnessed before, they openly declared it, and through it they wanted to deter Muslims in Syria and elsewhere from even thinking of change on the basis of Islam, they wanted to defeat them from within; for this reason, their plan was to make their crime descriptive and attested to achieve its malicious end results, disrupting for this cause all international laws, alerting all agents, headed by the agent rulers in the Muslim lands, their despicable followers and the Capitalists - the masked enemies of the Ummah...

They recruited them to abort the project of the Islamic Ummah and preventing it from seeing light. It is a brutal aggression in which the lowest marks of humanity and mercy have been lost, and the truth has been demonstrated in His (swt) saying:

((وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ))

"They had naught against them save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Owner of Praise" [TMQ 85:8]

And in fact, this acclaimed conspiracy is nothing but a Western defeat in the arena of the clash of civilization against Islam, and the glad tiding of the imminent victory of Islam. It is the same clash that usually occurs between the haq (truth) and baatil (falsehood), between the followers of the Deen of Allah and the followers of Iblees, since Allah created Adam until the Day of judgment, which was mentioned in the Qur'an, and mentioned in the Sunnah which makes it one battle; because its nature is one and its objective is one, it is hence the same battle that was mentioned in the Hadeeth of the Prophet (saw), narrated by Bukhari:

"عَنْ خَبَّابِ بْنِ الْأَرَتِّ، قَالَ: شَكَوْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ مُتَوَسِّدٌ بُرْدَةً لَهُ فِي ظِلِّ الْكَعْبَةِ، قُلْنَا: لَهُ أَلَا تَسْتَنْصِرُ لَنَا أَلَا تَدْعُو اللَّهَ لَنَا، قَالَ: «كَانَ الرَّجُلُ فِيمَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ يُحْفَرُ لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيُجْعَلُ فِيهِ فَيُجَاءُ بِالْمِنْشَارِ فَيُوضَعُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَيُشَقُّ بِاثْنَتَيْنِ وَمَا يَصُدُّهُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ، وَيُمْشَطُ بِأَمْشَاطِ الْحَدِيدِ مَا دُونَ لَحْمِهِ مِنْ عَظْمٍ أَوْ عَصَبٍ وَمَا يَصُدُّهُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَاللَّهِ لَيُتِمَّنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ حَتَّى يَسِيرَ الرَّاكِبُ مِنْ صَنْعَاءَ إِلَى حَضْرَمَوْتَ لَا يَخَافُ إِلَّا اللَّهَ أَوِ الذِّئْبَ عَلَى غَنَمِهِ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ»

Narrated by Khabbab bin Al-Arat: We complained to Allah's Apostle (of the persecution inflicted on us by the infidels) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka'ba, leaning over his Burd (i.e. covering sheet). We said to him, "Would you seek help for us? Would you pray to Allah for us?" He said, "Among the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces; yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadrarmaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty."

It is the same battle that Allah (swt) mentions in Surat Al- Burooj regarding the people of the ditch; it is a battle that must have a winner and a loser. The winner must possess Taqwa of Allah (fear of Allah), it is the most powerful weapon against the enemy, and must seek assistance from Him (swt) alone and sever any assistance from anyone else but Him (swt).

It is a real battle that distinguishes Good from Evil... A battle of grave adversaries and heavy sacrifices; patience during sacrifices is only achieved by those who are true to Allah (swt).

The most important aspect of this battle is that it is for Allah and in His (swt) cause. When it is so it will be won and heavy prices will be easily sacrificed.
Gaining Martyrdom in its cause is for Allah (swt) alone. Allah (swt) says:

((وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ))

And Allah, over all things, is Witness." [Al-Burooj: 9]

Then the following verses mention the results; as for the Akhira, Allah (swt) says regarding the Kuffar:

((إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ الْحَرِيقِ))

"Indeed, those who have tortured the believing men and believing women and then have not repented will have the punishment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the Burning Fire." [Al-Burooj: 10]

Regarding the believers Allah (swt) says:

((إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِيرُ))

"Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds will have gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment." [Al-Burooj: 11]
As for the Dunya, the verses of Allah (swt) follow in succession in the same Surah:

إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ * إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ * وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ * ذُو الْعَرْشِ الْمَجِيدُ * فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يُرِيدُ * هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ الْجُنُودِ * فِرْعَوْنَ وَثَمُودَ * بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي تَكْذِيبٍ * وَاللَّهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِمْ مُحِيطٌ  بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ * فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ

"Indeed, the vengeance of your Lord is severe. * Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and repeats. * And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate, * Honorable Owner of the Throne, * Effecter of what He intends. * Has there reached you the story of the soldiers - * [Those of] Pharaoh and Thamud? * But they who disbelieve are in [persistent] denial, * While Allah encompasses them from behind. * But this is an honored Qur'an * [Inscribed] in a Preserved Slate." [Al-Burooj: 12-22]

O Muslims! The ones whose land is chosen by Allah to be the abode of IslamBe patient; you are upon the truth. It is Allah's Will that He (swt) chose to grant you the honour over all Muslims to be at the forefront of bringing the radical change that Muslim so eagerly yearn for; It is Allah's Will to grant you the honour by making you sacrifice heavily for it. If your sacrifices are for Allah alone; for establishing His Laws; then you are by doing so are the best successors to the best predecessors of this Ummah. If the Muhajiroon and Ansar were the first forerunners (in faith), then you are the latter forerunners who followed them with good conduct (Ihsan) as Allah (swt) says:

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

"And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct- Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment" [At-Tawba: 100]

Are they the companions of the Prophet (saw) and we are his beloved ones?

Will the reward of one of us worth the reward of forty of them?

Will one of our Martyrs equals forty of theirs?

Expect your reward from Allah alone.

All elements of change upon the method of the Prophet (saw) are present in Syria. Muslim lands are ready to join the first Muslim land that will establish the Rightly Guided Khilafah "Caliphate" on it.

So be the forerunners to gain the glory of the Dunya and the Glory of the Akhira. Allah (swt) says:

((وَالسَّابِقُونَ السَّابِقُونَ* أُولَئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ * فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ * ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ * وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ))

"And the forerunners, the forerunners * Those are the ones brought near [to Allah] * In the Gardens of Pleasure, * A [large] company of the former peoples * And a few of the later peoples," [Al-Waqi'a: 10-14]

What happened on the 3rd March 1924? Abolition of the Caliphate (Khilafah "Caliphate").
Khutbah by Taji Mustafa (Hizb ut Tahrir)

28 February 2014 CE

News

On Saturday 2nd of March, the Russian parliament granted President Putin the authority to use military force to protect Russian interests in the troubled country of Ukraine. The parliamentarian endorsement cited Crimea, where Russia maintains important military installations such as the Black Sea fleet, but covered the use of force in the entire "territory of Ukraine." No sooner had the parliament endorsed the use of force, Russian armed forces had secured much of the Crimean peninsula, which is home to ethnic Russians as well as Tartar Muslims.

Comment

Ukraine has always been at the centre of conflict between Europe and Russia, but lately the struggle has intensified with the Orange Revolution that bought Viktor Yushchenko the pro-Western President of Ukraine to power in 2005 at the expense of Russia's strong man Viktor Yanukovych. Russia reacted by engineering the return of Viktor Yanukovych in 2010 through the use of Russian gas as a political weapon.

The present Russian intervention comes after President Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine was forced out of office by EU-US inspired protestors. The ousted President secretly turned up in Russia and claimed to be the legitimate leader of the Ukraine.

Reacting to Russia's interference in Ukraine, the US President Obama accused Russia of a "breach of international law" and condemned the country's military intervention, calling it a "clear violation" of Ukrainian sovereignty. The Whitehouse also stated that the US would suspend participation in preparatory meetings for the G-8 economic conference to be held in Sochi, Russia, in June, and warned of "greater political and economic isolation" for Russia.

But the real question is; what can America and Europe do to roll back the Russian take-over of Crimea. Both America and Europe failed to act decisively in 2008 as Russia invaded Georgia and effectively divided the country into two parts-albeit Russia taking a small Northern chunk of the country. Can the same happen to Ukraine i.e. division of the country where the pro-Russian Eastern part of Ukraine falls into Kremlin's control.

The measures announced by the US so far, fall short of anything meaningful that will deter Russia's aggressive behaviour towards Ukraine. This leads to the obvious conclusion that the inflated notion ‘21st century belongs to America' is no more than hype. The American inspired ‘new world order' which George Bush senior had announced after the first Gulf War is wavering before our very eyes. America's primacy is being challenged on multiple fronts. In Europe, America's allies are at odds with Washington's economic policies, view NATO's role beyond European shores with disdain and are critical of US policy in many parts of the world. Throughout the Middle East and the wider Muslim world, uprisings, instability and ant-Americanism is replacing 60 years of American stability with power vacuums. In the Far East, the rise of China is increasingly making America's traditional allies extremely nervous.

Despite such numerous challenges, America has abandoned its long-held doctrine of fighting two major wars and is in the process of redeploying much of its naval and military assets from Europe to the Far East. Russia's intervention in Ukraine now calls into question Obama's pivot to Asia strategy. This no doubt will provide Beijing with even more confidence to reassert itself in the territorial disputes with China's neighbours and increase her determination to take back Taiwan.

What is most disappointing in these turn of events is that the Muslim Ummah is still unable to take advantage of the struggles between major powers to proclaim control over its own destiny. The Muslims of Crimea who suffered immensely under Joseph Stalin will have to relive the horrors of another Russian occupation.

All that is required to prevent this abysmal act of history repeating itself is for the Muslims of Turkey to re-establish the Caliphate. The Caliphate will not only protect to the Muslims of Crimea but will genuinely offer the people of Ukraine a third alternative and that is the peace and security of Islam.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Abu Hashim