Sharh At-Takattul Al-Hizbi (Explanation of Party Structuring).
This is a translation from the explanation of the unique book by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani.
The Ummah however will not revive without a Takattul. It is noticeable that the individual work does not work and cannot possibly lead to any real result at all. If someone wanted to revive the Ummah upon a clear basis he would inevitably find himself working to establish a Takattul. This is because when he calls the people as individuals and groups to the Da’wah that he carries and to the basis he wants the Ummah to revive upon, an individual or individuals could respond positively to him. It will then be necessary for him to culture them with the culture that he has prepared or to clarify the aim that he is striving to achieve. Then when these individuals go out with what they have learnt and what they have believed in, and call the people to their idea and their objective, they will inevitably remain in contact with the one who first called them to this Da’wah. He would direct them according to what he sees fit and will draw out for them a plan of work and its accompanying styles. He will provide answers to them in response to the questions that arise from the people or to their own questions and enquiring about some matters. In this situation, this person will find himself leading a specific Kutlah (party structure) whether he wished it or not. This is whilst assuming the sincerity of this person (and this is the original position). If we were to suppose other than that in respect to him being tied to another’s interests or that he was an agent, then his individual work will not lead to a result and nobody will respond positively to him. In addition it will be work that fails and unreliable. For this reason we say that any work for change within the Ummah cannot be accomplished by an individual by himself but rather it is essential for a Takattul to be established to undertake it. How could it be any other way when this work of change aims at reviving the whole Ummah? It is therefore necessary for a Takattul to be established. So what is this correct Takattul that is capable of causing the revival of the Ummah? This then is what we need to explain and make clear.
The Correct Takattul:
We have discussed two types of Takattul: The associative and the Hizbi. As for the associative kind we have already explained its corruption, which can be summarized by saying that the associative system is only established upon specific bases i.e. they are established upon actions and statements/speech, or actions alone or statements/speech alone.
The associations that are established upon actions and statements/speech are like those that undertake work related to building schools and hospitals. At the same time they undertake campaigns of exhortation, giving guidance and teaching the Qur’aan amongst other activities or actions based on speech. This type of association is widespread and plentiful in supply and includes those who have undertaken these acts as a means to earn riches.
As for the associations that were established upon acts alone, then these are those that were established to build Masaajid, Schools and other similar projects. They restricted themselves to this without engaging in spoken acts.
There are also associations that are established upon spoken bases and undertake the acts of ‘Wa’zh (exhortations) and Irshaad (instruction and providing guidance) and actions and activities revolving around speech, like the convening of seminars and distributing publications amongst other actions.
It is not allowed to encourage the presence of the like of these associations within the Ummah that wishes to revive. This is due to the reasons that we have previously mentioned which stated that they cause despair within the Ummah due to their repetitive failure. This is from one angle and from another; they divert the people and specifically those who have energy and life within them from looking for the correct party structure.
This is in respect to the associations and now we will examine the Takattulaat that are established upon a Hizby basis i.e. those which are political Takattulaat like those established in the Islamic world since the First World War and until our present day. These Takattulaat are not permitted to be encouraged within the society and they are no less dangerous than the associative Takattul. This is particularly the case after their mentality became dominated by the thought of depending and relying upon the foreigner, in addition to other deadly thoughts that they have adopted. It is also due to what they have left behind within the Ummah in terms of erroneous and false concepts.
The sound and correct Takattul is only the one that is established upon the basis of an ideological Islamic Hizb. This is on the condition that it avoids the errors that we have indicated and which were the reason and cause for the failure of those previously mentioned Takattulaat. Therefore it is essential that this Hizb is established upon an Islamic ideological basis as we have said. The thought in it is the soul (Ruh) of the body of the Hizb; it is its nucleus and the secret of its life. Its first cell would be a person in whom the thought (Fikrah) is embodied and the Tareqah (method) would be of the same kind as the thought. This is so that the person would be of the same kind as the thought in respect to his purity and clarity and like the method in respect to clarity and straightness.
In respect to what we have said in regards to it being an Islamic ideological Hizb in which the thought is the soul of the body of the Hizb, its nucleus and the secret of its life. Then it is well known that the ideology is an intellectual Aqeedah from which a system emanates. This is a System that regulates the life of the individual and the society, and it explains the manner of implementing this System i.e. it is a Fikrah and Tareeqah. As such, the Aqeedah of this ideology and what emanates from it is the soul (Ruh) for the body of this Hizb. So the Islamic Aqeedah and what emanates from it in terms of solutions and carrying it to the world, in addition to the manner of safeguarding it, implementing its solutions and carrying it to the people, all of this is the Fikrah (thought) that represents the secret of the life of this Takattul. This however does not mean that we only place down the six fundamentals of the Aqueedah: ‘Imaan in Allah, His angels, Books, Messengers and belief in the Day of Judgement and that the Qadaa and Qadr their good and bad is from Allah Ta’Aalaa’ and then say that the Aqeedah is what joins and brings together the members of the Takattul. This is because the Ummah as a whole believes in this Aqeedah, it runs in the veins and blood of its sons and no change has happened in this regard throughout the ages, despite some cloudiness occurring in some of its thoughts. In addition the individuals of other Takattulaat like the associations and political parties (Ahzaab) believe in this Aqeedah. Therefore benefit is not found and it is not viable to make this alone the bond that binds together the members of these structures. Indeed what is meant by the Fikrah (thought) (i.e. the Aqeedah of the Mabda’ (ideology)) is the understanding of this Aqeedah and understanding what this Aqeedah came with in terms of solutions, systems and objectives. This is in addition to solidifying it as a Thaqaafah (culture) for this Takattul so that the members of this Takattul are built upon the basis of this culture and their suitability for membership and taking responsibility is evaluated in accordance to their awareness of this culture and their sincerity towards it.
In this way it will be a bond between the members of the Takattul based upon Imaan and Ikhlaas (Belief and sincerity). So when this culture has been established and founded, in addition to what it has made clear in regards to the method that leads to the achievement its objective and realising its aims, then the nucleus of the Hizb would have come into being. It would then really be the Ruh (soul/spirit) of the Hizb and the secret of its life. This is the only matter that brings together its individuals and as such the lack of conviction of any individual in respect to a fundamental thought from this Aqeedah, would move that individual away from the Hizb and even if he was a member of it. Also his lack of Imaan in a Hukm (ruling) from amongst the Ahkaam of its method would lead as a result to the moving away of that individual from the body of the Hizb, and even if he was one of those who had been given a position of responsibility. This is the meaning of our statement that this Fikrah (thought) and this Tareeqah (method) is the nucleus of the Hizb and the secret of its life.
To access Part 20 click here
Comments