Sharh At-Takattul Al-Hizbi (Explanation of Party Structuring) by Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hawarey (rh).

Sharh At-Takattul Al-Hizbi (Explanation of Party Structuring) by Sheikh Mohammad Al-Hawarey (rh). 

This is a translation from Sheikh Hawarey's explanation of the unique book by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani. 

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The associations:

Other Takattulaat (structures) were established upon the basis of associations. So local and regional associations were established in the lands with charitable objectives. They established schools, hospitals and hostels and they helped in acts o kindness and goodness. These associations were dominated by sectarian strains. They were encouraged by the colonialists so that their charitable acts were manifested to the people. Most of them were cultural and charitable associations and political associations did not exist amongst them except for a very few. In spite of the clear futility of these associations they still attracted thousands of the sons of the Muslims and to their activities. Their harm is still hidden as the people have not comprehended this harm and are still influenced by these associations and consider what they do as acts of goodness and bricks that help build the society and specifically this is how they consider the cultural and charitable associations. And what happened in this area is the expansion of this sphere until i covered nearly every estate and indeed many estates and villages had more than one association operating within them. It reached the level where every family or clan in a single village had a charitable association and this is not even mentioning the associations that carried Aquaaidiy names like the association of the preservation of the Qur’aan, the association of the memorization of the Qur’aan Al-Kareem and its teaching, the association (Jam’iyah) of Al-Birr and Al-Ihsaan, the association of the Muslim brotherhood and the association of the Muslim Sisters. In Lebanon for example the number reached 1220 Islamic charitable associations at the head of which was the Maqaasid Al-Islaamiyah association and the Dar ul-Aytaam Al-Islaamiyah (orphanage) association amongst others. All of them undertook charitable actions in actual practice and many of them were established upon partial charitable acts and they obtained revenues and profits from what they collected from the assistances that came to these associations to the point where they became in a lot of times a means for earning and attaining affluence. Many political parties and structures were affected by this style which caused them to establish branches within them that engaged in charitable actions like the opening of medical clinics, schools and hospitals amongst other things. This then is the reality of the associations.

The results and consequences resulting from the associations:

It is necessary to take a close and precise look to these results in order to understand whether they benefit the Ummah with anything which assisted the revival and this is where the subject (that concerns us) is the Nahdah (revival). Did the path that they followed assist the revival? And did the actions of help that they undertook benefit anything to the Nahdah?

This is what must be looked at when considering the results of these associations and our aim is not to investigate the actions that they undertook like the building of a hospital, Masjid, hostel for those in need or other than these from amongst the actions that appeared to be charitable acts of goodness. This is not the aim but rather our purpose and focus is the revival of the society and the generation of revival within the Ummah. The one examining from this perspective will not find that they benefited or brought anything at all in regards to this.

If this is the case then can it be said that the existence in the end is like their non-existence? No, this cannot be said because their presence was a downright harm however this harm is not perceived except by the one who examines the reality of these associations with scrutiny and what resulted from their existence. If we take out the partial benefit that we indicated above, what then is the harm?

The subject of our study here is the Nahdah (revival) of this Islamic Ummah in respect to the condition that it has reached in terms of backwardness, fragmentation and intellectual decline. It is inevitable for the sons of this Ummah and particularly those who have awareness and sincerity to study and delve into the factors of revival and the elevation of this Ummah to the high position and status that is befitting for her. And by the judgment that the Ummah as a whole possesses some Islamic thoughts and concepts, and the judgment that she implements some of them even to this day, and by the judgment upon the clarity of her Aqueedah, and by the judgement of her absolute Imaan (belief) that she used to be ahead of all nations for many centuries, and her absolute Imaan in the obligation of Al-Jihaad, then all of this makes her feelings and sentiments overwhelmingly Islamic, and it makes her emotions Islamic emotions, and it makes the sensations for revival constantly and continuously present within her. And when there exists a number of texts and acts that focus the collective spirit within the Ummah and as such has established within the Ummah the natural inclination to gather together in a Takattul. 

This is the reality of the Ummah, an Ummah possessing some Islamic thoughts and concepts, the sentiments within her are Islamic, the collective spirit is focused in her and the sentiments and feelings for revival are activated by the corrupt reality that she suffers from. So this is the state of the Ummah and if she and her affairs were left then her sentiments and feelings would transform into a thought. This is a natural and logical matter and this thought could produce work that revives the Ummah and guide her towards the manner of achieving revival. However the presence of associations prevented that from happening as it created an outlet for her enflamed emotions and drained or exhausted who potency or energy to engage in the work. They engaged in what they saw to be obligatory upon them and in response to the words of Allah (swt):

وتعاونوا على البر والتقوى

And cooperate in Al-Birr (righteous deeds) and Taqwaa (God fearing acts).

So the member of the association saw he had his built a school, or set up a hospital or taken part in an act from amongst the charitable acts. He would therefore feel at ease and in contentment and be convinced of this act in his belief that he had done what Allah (swt) has commanded him for this Ummah. And you see him saying that if each one of us participates in accordance to his ability in one of these acts of goodness and kindness, then the Ummah will be saved from that which she is in or that in the very least we would have lightened the pains and sufferings that our Ummah is suffering?!!

Had these associations not been present along with those people who acted as outlets lightening the mounting pressure upon the people from their sensation in regards to the obligation of the work, had they not existed then she would have continued upon the search until they established the correct gathered structure (Takattul) that would revive the Ummah upon a sound ideological basis. This is a natural matter due to its reality, its influences and its opposition to what is in the person in terms of Islamic concepts and thoughts, and in contrast and hostile to the Islamic feelings that are latent within the Ummah and the life energy that exists in her, all of which would naturally drive her to study and explore the way of escape and salvation from what she is in. However the presence of these associations and the appearance of its charitable acts diverted the Ummah away from this study and search and it cast into many of her sons that this (the establishment of associations) represented the path of salvation and freeing the Ummah of what she was in. 

Therefore the comprehension of the danger of the existence of these associations is a precise issue that requires depth and a careful and close examination. We do not mean that undertaking charitable and kind acts is a prohibited matter and are not permissible according to the Shar’a. Rather it is the opposite of this as the good act remains a good act, its recompense is reward and cooperating upon a good act is cooperating upon Al-Birr and At-Taqwaa. However we are not examining the issue from this angle and it is only being looked at in terms of it being a path towards revival or not being so? And is it permitted to consider these associations as representing the path for revival and actions from the acts associated with resuming the Islamic way of life? And is their existence and aid or an obstacle for establishing the revival and resuming the Islamic way of life? This is how the issue must be looked at and examined and not from the angle of whether these actions are permissible, recommended (Mandoob) or Fard (obligatory).

This then is the issue of the Jami’yaat Al-Khairiyah (The charitable associations) and their effect upon the establishing of the sound Takattul within the society.

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