The following is the translation of an Arabic article.
The idea of establishing an Islamic Emirate poses a challenge to the Islamic project or movement and the establishment of the Khilafah
Some may
find this statement strange despite it being the true reality and that is that
the idea of an Islamic Emirate as understood by the Jihaadi Salafi movement
poses a danger within the Islamic project.
The Islamic
Emirate does not have a Shar'i basis and it is a counter-productive idea
politically and this has been confirmed in the examples in which this idea has
been represented.
No shape of
ruling or form of authority has been reported from the Nabi (saw) except for
the Khilafah. The idea of an Emirate does not mean anything according to the
Islamic concept outside of the framework of the Khilafah. We are discussing
here the issue of the rule and not Islamic groups which are present here and
there. The Shar'a has affirmed that the Muslims are one Ummah and that it is
not permitted for there to be more than one human Jamaa'ah according to the
political understanding. This is not the Jamaa'ah in the meaning of a Hizb
(political party) as it is permissible for there to exist a number of political
parties at one time. I am speaking here about the concept of the Islamic
Jamaa'ah that has been mentioned in the Prophetic Ahaadeeth such as: .
So when the
work is done to establish the Islamic authority or Islamic rule then it is
obligatory to know that the only form that can be considered is that which the
Shar'a has affirmed and approved of and that which the Nabi (saw) explained.
And this is the Khilafah. The Khilafah in its description as the general
leadership for all of the Muslims without paying any regard to the region,
borders, people or race. As such it is not permitted to reduce the Islamic
project and shrink it to be a rule or authority in a deformed manner here and
there where it does not possess any of the essential elements or prerequisites required
for its success and thereafter when it fails attempts are made to link its
failure to Islaam.
Some have
after seeing the success of the Islamic project in a land or after seeing a
vacuum or weakness in the authority rush to gain control over a town, city,
province or even an afflicted land so as to announce within it the birth of
'Islamic rule' or an Islamic Emirate as if states are founded by their mere
announcement alone.
This is
similar to the example of the person who has was unable to have children for
many years and then when his wife became pregnant he was unable to take control
of himself. He cannot wait to see the child after waiting for so long and so he
resorts to a caesarean section in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy. These
are good emotions but nevertheless murderous and destructive.
Sheikh Bin
Laden said: 'And as for the matter of establishing states before completing the
essential elements or prerequisites of its success then I say: It appears to me
that proper reflection in the matter makes clear that establishing states
before the completion of the conditions of its success, is in the majority of
times a cause of failure for the work'.
Any state requires
essential elements or prerequisites for it to stand firm and continue. It is
not enough to have belief in its justice for it to be established on the earth
but rather it is necessary for it to have the essential material elements and
this understanding applies to the Islamic State and its establishment.
When the
Messenger of Allah (saw) was working for the establishment of the Islamic State
he did not grab at any opportunity that was offered to him to establish his
state. Rather he rejected for it to be established upon a land that does not
fulfill the essential elements that were required for the success of the project.
It has been related from the Nabi (saw) that he offered himself once to Bani
Shaibaan asking for the Nusrah (support) from them and a discussion took place
between him (saw) and them in which the Messenger (saw) which showed that he
(saw) was looking for an entity that had the elements required to form a
powerful state.
The
following is a part extracted from this discussion:
Abu Bakr
asked: "What is your number?" Mafruq replied "We are
one thousand in number and one thousand is no little figure." Abu
Bakr continued "What about the Manaa (power/defense) amongst
you?" Mafruq answered "We always struggle, for every nation
is bound to struggle." Abu Bakr further enquired "What
about the result of the battles between you and your enemies?" Mafruq
responded, "When we fight we are in one of our furies and the battle is
enraged.... We prefer our horses to our children and we prefer weapons to
milking animals. So far as the victory is confirmed it is from Allah."
The
discussion then moved on to Al-Muthannaa and he was showing readiness to the
invitation. "We have a treaty with Kisra (Emperor of Persia) due to which
we are staying here (i.e. their land between the valleys of Yamamah and
Samawah). According to the treaty we are not authorised to raise any new movement
or give asylum to any such person who initiates a new movement and I see that
that which you are inviting to may be hated by the kings...So if you desire
that we support you and aid you against the Arabs then we are ready for that".
It can be
noticed in what Al-Muthannaa said that he offered the Nusrah but it was not
complete and unrestricted and they saw that they were unable to stand up
against the Persians and not powerful enough to face them whilst at the same
time considering themselves capable of dealing with the Arabs with complete
confidence.
And then
came the response of the Nabi (saw) who said: "You have not wronged us in
your reply when you spoke clearly and honestly, but verily the Deen of Allah
'Azza Wa Jalla will never be helped except by the one that takes hold of it
from all of its sides. Do you see that if you were to wait just a little until
Allah causes you to inherit their lands and homes and endow you with their
women. Would you then praise Allah and sanctify Him?". An-Nu'maan Bin Shareek
(from amongst the leaders) said: O Allah you would have that".
So this is a
clear rejection of the offer because it did not include the assurance of
security from all of its sides but rather a deficient and incomplete security
and this is what the Islamic project cannot accept or any other serious
project.
It is
necessary for the Islamic State that is desired to be established today to
possess the essential elements and prerequisites that allow it to remain so
that it is capable of defending itself from any external threat. This is
especially the case where all of the disbelieving states oppose the Islamic
project and struggle against its return night and day. So what is required is
the realization of the reality that the Shar'i Hukm is applied upon according
to what is most probable. This is because the understanding of power and
strength is relative however it is necessary to achieve the minimum level of
strength according to the least amount of doubt which would prevent enemies
from overpowering it and for it to remain and continue, and indeed for it to
expand and spread to the entire Islamic world.
O Allah,
make our Deen firm for us, do not take us away from your path and do not
exchange us for others, and grant our eyes the sight of the promised Khilafah
on the path of the Prophethood.
Monzer
Abdullah
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