Reply to Article by Muhana Al-Jubail: Can Democracy be an Alternative to the Khilafah in Achieving Unity?

On 23 August 2014, Aljazeera website published an article in the Knowledge section by Professor Muhanna Al-Jubail titled: "Unity and Khilafah and Democracy", the writer addressed through it what he called the conservatives among Muslim youth, who are wary of the acceptance of democracy or to exercise it in order to achieve the Islamic unity. This unity is undoubtedly obligatory in the definite texts of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

The writer attempted to promote the idea that "there is a deep problem in the understanding of the democratic constitutional system; the constitutional system is what guarantees for citizens of religions and sects their constitutional national right". And he said, "Countries that live in a democratic space or margin is the most capable today to achieve the standards of agreement and connection with the concept of Islamic unity more than other totalitarian regimes."

After the writer promoted the idea that democracy is the most capable in achieving the unity, he tried to hint that the concept of the Khilafah is a term of no Shariah origins, and considered the Khilafah to be a name given in history to those who undeservingly inherited the rule through inheritance. Then he presented a vision to achieve the Khilafah through a federal union between a band of countries whereby the Chairman of the Union acts as the Khaleefah!

The author concluded that the area of theoretical jurisprudence and intellectual foundation of the term 'Khilafah' in Shariah and in the history of Muslims and later in its contemporary political implications, is not as believed to be by some of the young people, and is not a reasonable justification for rejecting a political framework that is achievable by democracy for the creation of this country as a political and social force for certain Muslim people or others, and to support the legitimate resistance for liberation. Thereby, the Muslims must adhere to the democratic project to achieve unity and strength between their countries...

Commenting on the article's contents, we say: after placing the term "democratic state" and scrutinizing and highlighting it, we find that the West has relied on three loose, fanciful, and failed criteria to characterize a state as democratic: constitutional definition, Substantive measure, and procedural (due process). These three, each of which contain within it a set of contradictions, and its application is fictitious! ... A country like Jamaica is classified as having a degree of democratic success for conducting the elections in a way admired by the people of democracy, despite the assault of Jamaica's regime against the people of the country, which is according to them is an attack on "democratic freedoms". And a country like Iraq is classified as exceptionally democratic, yet until recently it was ruled by Maliki, who has exceeded in criminality the criminality of Saddam!... As for the ballot boxes in Egypt after the revolution of January 2011, which brought the government of Morsi, which came to rule as was said by the process of "transparent and fair elections", was attacked and aborted and Morsi was overthrown by the military, and all this with the blessing and sponsorship of the mother of democracy, America!..

In light of the failure of the implementation of the democratic model in actuality, we wonder about the writer's objective to advocate the embracing and adoption of a fanciful system that is full of contradictions and is unachievable in actuality and to abandon the Khilafah system which emanates from the doctrine of this Ummah, and is deeply rooted in their history where it was applicable for nearly fourteen centuries? Then does the writer not see that clinging to a system that carries within it failure and is fictitious and non-applicable is like clinging to a rope from the air and chasing after fairy tales?

It was mentioned in the article that democracy is a model for the protection of people's rights despite the fact that this contradicts the reality and the applications that are practiced by the elite democratic countries, so France prevents Muslim women from wearing the headscarf, and Switzerland prohibits the construction of minarets. As for American drone aircrafts, they spill the blood of Muslims in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia... Even more they are used to assassinate American citizens because they are Muslims without the slightest regard for legal judicial procedures. As for the list of executions provided by the American intelligence services, which won Obama's approval is endless, until it reached the implementation of some of these laws against minors, this is without elaboration of: the support the democratic West to the greatest crime called "Israel", and the scandals of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and Bagram, this is without going back to the black record of America in Vietnam, or even World War II and what took place of horrors... and finally we ask has democracy bring anything to humanity but evil, slaughter, and corruption?

Finally, the Khilafah is a Shariah fact, just as is the unity a Shariah fact, there are many texts regarding these subjects in the Quran and Sunnah and with the demonstration of its bases, there is no dispute in the obligation of the presence of the Khilafah among the Ummah and the Imams, Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُبِينًا

"It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error."

(Al-Ahzab: 36)

Khilafah is not just choosing a Khaleefah through the pledge of allegiance, but it is a comprehensive system for life that covers: social, economic, ruling, judiciary, education and punishments, all these systems were embodied in the Islamic State throughout the centuries of the application of Islam, hence an ideological state that carried the light and justice has emerged to the world, it guaranteed the unity and protection of the Ummah and its belief and sanctities.

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاك إِلَّا رَحْمَة لِلْعَالَمِينَ

"And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds"

(Al-Anbiya: 107)

The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir

Saturday 4th Dhul Qiddah 1435 AH

30/08/2014 CE

Issue No: 1435 AH /063