The Politically Aware Muslim

The Agenda Driven Canadian Media

2012-02-03T00:47:00.000-05:00

On January 29th, the jurors in the Shafia murdercase delivered a guilty verdict against Mohammad Shafia, his wife and son. Theywere convicted for killing his first wife, Rona, and three daughters Zainab,Sahar, and Geeti. The case was exploited by the agenda driven media tovilify Islam and Muslims.

The media extensively used the term "honour killing"to describe the murder and made baseless links to Islam, which forbids thetaking of innocent life. The Globe and Mail attempted to isolate the crimes assomething particular to people from Muslim countries, specifically mentioningAfghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East. AToronto Star columnist produced a convoluted assessment of the murder, wherethey simultaneously claimed that Muhammad Shafia was not a devout Muslim, butIslam had something to do with the crime! The Canadian Press commented: "The Shafia murder trial has cast a shadowover Canada's Islamic community, further tarnishing an image that has not yetrecovered from the events of 911." The fact that the agenda driven mediawould even bring up 9/11, which has absolutely no connection whatsoever to thecase, illustrates their hatred for Islam and testifies to their resolve in'further tarnishing' the image of Islam! More importantly the court transcriptspublished by the CBC revealed that the father did not even care for the pillarsof Islam. Tooba (the wife that was also convicted for the murders) testifiedthat "...the children did not fastfor Ramadan...Shafia didn't want them to because he was concerned it would"stunt their growth."" The failure of the media to make thisclear illustrates how biased they were against Islam and Muslims.

Murder Versus HonourKilling

Reviewing the coverage of the case, it seems that the agenda driven mediawent out of their way to label the murders as an "honour killing". Theyclaim that this label was justified because the father killed the girls forallegedly having boyfriends and dressing provocatively. For example, theToronto Star published an article in January 2012 focusing on the role ofhonour in the crime. The coverage mirrored the "honour killing" hysteriathat the media drummed up when a young Muslim girl was killed by her father andbrother in 2007.

What makes the labeling questionable is that the Toronto Star (also inJanuary 2012) labelled the killing of Jaswinder Sidhua murder. It is alleged that she was killed by her family because she married aman that her family disapproved of. The same newspaper in June 2010 went out ofits way to claim that the death of Amandeep Dhillon was not an honour killing, eventhough the man convicted of the killing, Kamikar Singh Dhillon, openly claimedthat he did it because he thought she was going the leave her husband and "disgracethe family". Although the circumstances of the 3 cases are similar, the newspaperchose not to apply the label of “honour killing” in the cases which involved non-Muslims.

Stats: Violencetowards Women in Canadian Society

Ultimately, this type of "journalism" promotes within Canadiansociety the notion that Islam implicitly supports violence towards women – whichis an absurd claim as it is clearly haram (illegal) for any individual withinsociety to kill any innocent person. Furthermore, these articles neglect toshed light on the larger problem of violence against women in Canadian society.For example, an article in the Toronto Sun highlighted the findings of aUniversity of Sherbrooke study noting that there have been 12 so-called"honour killings" since 1999. What the article neglects to mention ishow this number contrasts to the total number of women killed in Canadiansociety. A simple search on the Internet would have returned what StatisticsCanada has compiled on the topic. Statistics Canada reported that there areon average 178 women killed every year from 1994 to 2008. This means that the number of victims in so-called"honour killing" cases does not even amount to 1% of the total numberof female homicides in Canadian society over a nine year period (1999-2008). Ifthe media were serious about preventing violence against women they would have triedto open a debate about the subject and would have encouraged Canadians to studythe deep roots of this disease which continues to plague the Western way oflife. Instead, they distract the public’s attention away from such seriousissues by using sensationalist journalism to paint Islam and Muslims as threatsin the mind of the public.

The Agenda Driven Media

Before reacting tothe biased coverage of the media, it is important to understand the role ofmedia within the Capitalist society that we live in. The role of media organizationsis to ensure that the thoughts and emotions of the public at large are alignedwith those of the elite. Edward Bernays, an aide to US President Woodrow Wilson,stated: "They... who understand the mental processes and socialpatterns of the masses....pull the wires which control the public mind." The concentration of media within a handfulof companies (CanWest, Bell Canada, Quebecor, Torstar Corporation andRogers Communication) makes it easy to launch such a uniform campaign againstIslam. Vince Carlin, chair of the Schoolof Journalism at Ryerson University states: "You can fit everyone whocontrols significant Canadian media in my office. This is not a healthysituation.”

Whycreate a hostile climate against Islam & Muslims?

Since 2001, the G8Nations have increased their military presence in the Muslim world. Forexample, Canada still has a continuing role in Afghanistan (until 2014) interms of training and providing other logistical support to assist the NATOforces to colonize the country. Theproblem for the Canadian Capitalist elite is how to sell this war to theCanadian public – who pride themselves on their tradition as peace keepers.Canadian diplomat, Robert Fowler, highlighted this issuewhen he stated: "We are simply not prepared to foot the massiveprice in blood and treasure which it would take to effectively colonize Afghanistan ...and replace their culture with ours, for that seems to be what we seek." Andindeed, the military adventures of the Western colonial powers in the Muslimlands are always sold to the masses as a "civilizational" effort tobring "enlightenment" to "backward" societies.

Another role of the media is to put pressure on Muslims living in theWest to abandon Islamic values and adopt secular-liberal values instead. Forexample, the Globe and Mail claimed that these murders are a "wake-up callfor Canadian Muslims" in an attempt to exploit the death of these women topush an agenda to drive Muslims to abandon their Islamic values. Such articles attemptto undermine the confidence that Muslims have in Islam and make us ashamed ofpracticing Islam in Canada.

The Media was used against RasulAllah (saw)

The baseless assaultof the media upon the Muslim community is nothing new. Our beloved Messenger(saw) and the Sahabah (ra) were the object of a vicious media campaign perpetratedby the elites of the Quraysh. The Quraysh resorted to such tactics because theyfailed to answer the challenge of the Quran. So they devised a strategy to winthe "hearts and minds" of the Arab pilgrims who would potentiallyaccept the new way of life carried to them by RasulAllah (saw). Al-Waleed BinMugheerah invited them to agree on a unanimous resolution on how to deal withRasulAllah (saw). Some suggestions were to describe him as a soothsayer, othersproposed to claim he was possessed by jinn, or accuse him of sorcery while otherssuggested calling him a poet. Al-Waleed pointed out that none of thesedescriptions fitted the Prophet Muhammad(saw) and that, therefore, their designation of him as belonging to any ofthese categories would not be very convincing to the public. In the endhowever, they agreed to identify him as a sorcerer who would break up familyand tribal ties, separate sons from their fathers, brothers from their brothersand wives from their husbands.

When the Quraysh spread this propaganda and slander throughout theArabian Peninsula, it pushed people not to listen to the Prophet (saw) for fearof the effects of his “sorcery”. Some went as far as putting cotton in theirears for fear of hearing the words of the Prophet (saw) and being “affected” byhis “magic”. The constant vilification of Islam by the media today has producedsimilar results as in the time of the Prophet (saw). The mind of the public hasbeen bombarded with negative images of Islam that have resulted in many wantingnothing to do with Islam – a religion seen as hateful, oppressive and violent.In the Bouchard-Taylor Report, a woman is described to have said, "In2007, in Quebec, when a Muslim women wears the veil, I tremble."

Fitnah:The Pressure to Abandon Islam

For aMuslim, the first step of dealing with these assaults from the media is torecognize that they are a test from Allah (swt). We must remember that we cannot simply say that we arebelievers without being tested with respect to this claim:

“Do peoplethink that they will be left alone because they say: 'We believe, and will notbe tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah willcertainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainlymake (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allah knowsall that before putting them to test).” [TMQ 29:1-3]

If we look to theSahabah (ra) we will find in them excellent examples of those who held firmlyonto Islam regardless of the obstacles they faced. Many of them were pressuredby the disbelievers of Quraysh to leave Islam and for some it only strengthenedthem in their resolve. For example, Abu Jahl used the story of Al-Isra’ andAl-Mi’raj to attack RasulAllah (saw) because, to the disbelievers, such ajourney was impossible. However, when Abu Bakr (ra) heard the news from them,in the face of intense public pressure, he said: "By Allah, if he actually said that, he has told the truth. There reallyis nothing to be amazed about, for he has told me that information comes to himfrom Allah, from the sky to the earth, in an instant during the night or dayand I believe him. And that is even stranger." May Allah (swt) bepleased with Abu Bakr (ra) for standing firmly against the propaganda effortsof the Quraysh. If we desire Allah’s (swt) pleasure we must follow the exampleof the Prophet (saw) and his companions and Insha'Allah we will beamongst those whom Allah (swt) is pleased with.

Being Ambassadors for Islam

Living in Canada, we havea unique opportunity to be ambassadors for Islam. As noted above, we must befirst confident in the Deen and be open about our practice of Islam. Forexample, we should be open about the fact that we need to leave work for Jumaprayer, but can make up the time later.

We should alsoestablish dialogue with our neighbours and co-workers, so that we can openlydiscuss our Deen with them. This will give us an opportunity to show how Islamis a comprehensive way of life that provides an alternative to the Capitalistsystem. For example, we could discuss how the Islamic economic system focuseson the distribution of wealth, forbids riba, but encourages entrepreneurshipthrough small businesses and partnerships. Furthermore, when the media goes ona campaign – as they have done with the murders of these sisters – we candiscuss with them how the agenda-driven media is biased against Muslims anddiscuss why such media does not delve into the statistics raised earlier abouthow the issue of violence against women is a problem that affects Canadiansociety as whole – not just minorities.

Although this is aneffort we must attend to, we should also realize that RasulAllah (saw) was onlyable to effectively counter the propaganda of the Quraysh when he had his ownmedia; i.e. when he established the Islamic State in Madinah. Similarly, oncethe Muslims re-establish the Khilafah State in the Muslims lands, we tooinsha'Allah will have the ability to counter such powerful media outlets.

May Allah (swt) giveus the strength to bring back the Deen of Allah (swt) to this world. Ameen

''If you support Allah, Allah will support you.''
[TMQ47:7]

REFLECTIONS: The Holy Quran

2012-01-20T17:34:00.000-05:00

It is an established fact that for Muslims, the Qur’an is the foundationof the Islamic faith. It is the main medium of communication that Allah (swt)has chosen to communicate His message to mankind. It is the Book that wasrevealed to our beloved messenger Muhammad (saw) as a source of guidance and asa criterion for right and wrong. We must also remember that it is this Qur’anwhich confirms him as the final Prophet of Allah (swt), the carrier of theTruth and the bearer of glad tidings. Muslims throughout the centuries haveheld the Book of Allah (swt) in the highest regard, and as a source of guidancefor this life and the Akhira as they have no doubt that it is from Allah (swt).

Revelation of the Qur’an

It is well known that the Qur’an was revealed over a period of 23 yearsin a very interactive manner which enabled the Sahabah (ra) to practice theQur’anic injunctions in their lives and to convey it to others. Each year inthe month of Ramadhan, the Prophet (saw) would recite all of the Qur’an thatwas revealed to date in the presence of Jibreel (as). This was the ultimate means of checking the accuracy of his recitationand in turn verifying the accuracy of the memorization of others. In the lastyear of the Prophet’s (saw) life, the Qur’an was recited twice to Jibreel (as)in the month of Ramadhan to ensure there were no errors. By the time of theProphet’s (saw) death, the whole Qur’an had been committed to writing as well asbeing solidly established in the memories of thousands of Muslims - some ofwhom memorized the whole of it, while others memorized portions of it. It is inthis manner that the Qur’an has been meticulously compiled and passed down throughgenerations in order to preserve the revelations of Allah (swt) in its purestform without any alterations both in content and styles of recitation.

Virtues ofLearning and Reciting the Qur’an
It is narrated on the authority of Uthman (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said:

“The best amongst you is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it.” [Bukhari]

This hadith of the Prophet (saw) as well as others inspired and motivatedthe Muslims of the past and present to engage in learning to read and understand the Qur’an and then teach it to others.

Allah (swt) has blessed this Ummah by giving us not only theopportunity to extract guidance from the Quran, but has also made itsrecitation as means to get closer to Him. There are countless ahaadith on the virtues and rewards of reciting theQur’an. For example, Abdullah IbnMas’ud (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:

“Whoever reads one letter of the Book of Allah is credited with onehasanah (blessing) and one hasanah is equal to tenfold the like thereof in itsreward. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Meem is one letter, but Alif is one letter,Lam is one letter and Meem is one letter. ” [Tirmidhi]

The Qur’an will be an intercessor for the believers on the Day ofJudgment, as the Prophet (saw) said:

“The Qur’an is an intercessor (which by Allah’s permission) intercedes,and an opponent (which is) truthful. He who appoints it as his leader, (thenit) will lead him to Paradise. And he who puts it behind him, (then it) willlead him to the Fire. ” [Bayhaqi]

Furthermore, it is narrated on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Amar (ra)that the Prophet (saw) said:

“On the Day of Judgment, it will be said to the man devoted to theQur’an, ‘Go on reciting the Qur’an and continue ascending the stories ofparadise and recite in the slow manner you had been reciting in the worldlylife. Your final abode will be where you reach at the time you recite the lastayah. ” [Ahmed]

Qur’an is Guidance

It is in this context of trying to attain the pleasure of Allah (swt)and living for the Akhirah that the Islamic Ummah witnessed some great peoplein its history. They had made the Qur’an the centre of their lives and excelledin acquiring knowledge such that they mastered the Arabic language and all therelevant Islamic sciences in order to access the Book of Allah (swt) andunderstand its true message. They had truly lived up to their deen, treading inthe path of knowledge and shaping their personalities in accordance with theShariah. Allah (swt) says in the Quran:

“This is a Book full of Blessings that we have revealed unto you sopeople ponder upon its verses and men of intellect may reflect. ” [ TMQ 38:29]

Unfortunately, now we live in a time where those who recite the Qur’anare many but only a few are engaged in studying and seeking the guidance of theQur’an and acting upon its rulings. We need to remind ourselves of theimportance of contemplation, reflection and pondering over the meanings and therulings of the Qur’an, while making sure that it is read in a way that penetratesthe heart and leaves a lasting and permanent impact on us. The result of thiskind of reading is the development of a dynamic Islamic personality where theMuslim embraces the Islamic Aqeedah, makes the Shariah the code of conduct for hisor her life and engages in the da’wah to revive the Islamic way of life at astate level.

It is in relation to the subject of contemplation and reflection of the Qur’anwhen reading, that the Prophet (saw) said in a hadith:

“Groups of people will emerge from my Ummah who will drink the Qur’an asthey drink milk. ” [Tabarani]

In commenting on this hadith Al-Munawi says in his Fayd al-Qadir: “… that is, they will raise their voiceswith their tongues without contemplating and reflecting on its meanings andpondering over its rulings; instead it (i.e. the Qur’an) passes over theirtongues as milk which they drink passes over them, which is quickly.”

It is true that we receive reward for the recitation of the Qur’an (evenif we do not understand its meanings). However, this must not make uscomplacent such that it prevents us from studying the Qur’an and pondering overits meanings. Otherwise, this Qur’an will only be understood and practiced by aselect few whilst the masses will continue engaging in this act of ibadah (i.e.recitation of the Qur’an) with limited understanding and application of therevelation in their daily lives. Allah (swt) says:

“Do they not then ponder on the Quran, or are there locks on the hearts?” [TMQ 47:24]

What is worse is committing the Qur’an tomemory, but then failing to implement it. This is both in the personal sphere(e.g. salat, zakat, etc), but also the public sphere (e.g. working in theMuslim lands to establish the necessary societal institutions, such as Islamiccourts, to implement hudood of Allah (swt)).

This was the situation of hypocrites who used to read the Qur’an butnever attempted to sincerely understand it as the speech of Allah (swt). Therefore,despite the recitation in their own language, they were neither able to gainknowledge from it nor able to act according to what was prescribed in it.

Thus, the reading of the Qur’an must be accompanied by one’s desire tounderstand it in depth and use it as a guide in one’s practical life. Ifunderstood and followed correctly, the Qur’an becomes a living guide for thosewho act upon it.

“This Book which We have revealed is a blessed one. Follow its guidanceand have piety so that you perhaps may receive mercy and will not say that theBook was revealed only to two groups of people before you, or that you wereignorant of its knowledge, or say: Had the Book been revealed to us, we wouldhave followed its guidance better than they (Jews and Christians), so indeedthere has come clear proof from your Lord, and guidance and mercy. ” [TMQ 6:155– 157]

May Allah (swt) help us to understand His GloriousRevelation and make us of those who implement it in our lives. Ameen.

The Uprising in Syria

2012-01-11T07:54:00.001-05:00

For the past 10months, Muslims in Syria have been protesting against the tyrannical rule ofthe Assad regime. The Syrian government has responded to the protests by tryingto arrest, torture or kill anyone who comes out onto the streets. Earlier thismonth, Reuters reported that Avaaz, a British rights group, now puts the deathtoll at over 6,237 with approximately 617 of them being under torture and 400being children. Executive director of Avaaz, Ricken Patelsaid in a statement, "No one can now turn a blind eye to the horror-showin Syria... One in every 300 Syrians has either been killed or imprisoned."Recently, the Arab League has sent 60 observers to Syria to monitor the currentconditions in the country and to confirm whether the Assad regime has ceasedthe crackdown on protestors and if there is a peace-plan to be implemented. Thehead of the Arab League observers, Lieutenant-General Mustafa al-Dabi wasrecently quoted by Reuters to have said about Homs (the town in Syria where most of the brutalityhas been meted against the Muslims), “some places looked a bit of a mess butthere was nothing frightening.”His comments drew so muchcriticism that he later denied ever saying them.

Islam Came to SyriaEarly

In contrast to what is happening today, the Muslimsand non-Muslims living in Syria had enjoyed justice and security under the ruleof Islam for many centuries. Islam entered the land of Syria duringthe Khilafah of Abu Bakr (ra). The Muslim armies under the command of Khalidbin Waleed (ra) conquered Syria in 635 CE after a decisive victory against theRoman Empire. Syria gained even more importance in the Islamic State oncethe capital of the Khilafah moved to Damascus. Afterthe capital of the Khilafah was moved to Baghdad and then Istanbul, Syriacontinued to be part of the state and Islamic rule was generally maintained inthe region until the dismantling of the Uthmani Khilafah in 1924.

The End of Islamic Rule

With the borders of the Khilafah reaching the gatesof Vienna in 1529, the European nations(including Britain and France) hadbeen searching for a way to limit the control and influence of the Khilafah. InWorld War I, they saw the opportunity arise with the defeat of Germany who wasan ally of the Uthmani Khilafah. In 1916, the secret agreement between Britain,France and Tsarist Russia (known as the Sykes-Picot agreement) divided up theUthmani Khilafah into sections that would be colonized and controlled by them. Francereceived control of Syria and Lebanon where they established a firm policy toremove Islam from life’s affairs which effectively ended Islamic rule in theregion.

Rise of the Assad Regime

In 1946, due to resistance against the French occupation as well as achange in the international scene, the last of the Frenchtroops left Syria and the area was declared an “independent” republic state,although Islamic rule did not return. In the same year of the so-calledindependence of Syria,the Ba’ath party was also founded on a platform ofArab Socialism. In 1958, during the short union between Egypt and Syria, theBa'ath Party was banned due to Gamal Abdel Nasser’s hostility to political partiesother than his own. Some members of the Ba’ath partyincluding Captain Hafez Al-Assad decided to form a secretmilitary committee. In 1961, a military coup in Damascus brought the union betweenthe two countries to an end. In 1963, the Ba’athparty’s military committee successfully carried out a coup taking the Ba’ath party to power. In 1966, Hafez became Minister ofDefence giving him considerable influence over government policy. In 1970, Hafezswiftly launched a bloodless intra-party coup and by 1971, he became the presidentof Syria. Hafez Al-Assad became a staunch defender of secularism in Syria and adetermined opponent to the return of Islamic rule. After his death in 2000, hisson Bashar – who was seen as a modernist who would bring about reformations – inheritedSyria's presidency, as well as his father’s enmity towards Islam.

Brutality of the Assad Regime

As the Muslims have been keen to resume Islamicrule ever since the French had removed it, the Assad regime (beginning with Hafez al-Assad) has been known for its severeand extremely harsh treatment of the Muslims of Syria.

After he secured his post as president, Hafezbanned independent media outlets and political debate in the country. Hestrengthened the secret police (mukhabbarat) and turned them into permanentinformants. Two glaring examples of the brutality by the regime include:

· Tadmor Prison Massacre: In 1980, the Assad regime went into Tadmor prison and randomlymassacred more than a thousand prisoners in their cells, most of them politicalprisoners who opposed Assad’s regime. The regime conducted this bloodbath afteran alleged assassination attempt on the President.

· Hama Massacre: In the 1982 Hama Massacre, approximately 40,000 Muslims were killedbecause they rose up against the corruption of the regime and wanted tore-establish Islamic rule. This brutal atrocity is known as, “the singledeadliest act by an Arab government against its own people in the modern MiddleEast”. Hafez al-Assad deployed the full force of his regime against thedefenceless people of Hama.He began by carpet bombing the city of Hamawith the aim of disabling the roads so that no one could leave the city. Afterthe aerial campaign, tanks and artillery began shelling what was left of thetown. Gasoline was poured into the underground passageways of the old city andlit on fire. The regime then used tanks to gun down the people as theydesperately tried to escape the fire.

Rising up Against the Tyranny of the Regime

On January 31^st, 2011, Bashar said in aninterview that Syria was immune to the uprisings that had begun in Tunisia and

Egypt. In early March, in Daraa, approximately 15youth spray-painted “down with the regimeof Bashar Al-Assad”. The mukhabbaratarrested and severely tortured them. After witnessing the horrific treatment onthe youth, the Muslims began to demonstrate in numbers that reached in thehundreds of thousands. The protests began in Daraa and quickly spread to othercities including Homs, Hama, Baniyas, Jassem, Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia.

In April,the Syrian government closed the country’s only casino, lifted the ban forteachers to wear the niqab, granted thousands of Kurds citizenship and lifted the50-year old state of emergency law as a move to appease the protesters. However,having clearly understood that these changes were cosmetic the protestscontinued and so did the repression by the army.

In July, army officers abandoned the Syrian regimeand formed the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Led by Colonel Riad Al-Assad,the FSA stated that they would work with the demonstrators to bring down thesystem. By December it was estimated that there were approximately 10,000 to20,000 officers in their ranks. Since September, there have been reportedclashes between the Syrian army and the FSA.

In August, Bashar declared that military operationsagainst demonstrators have ended. However, there continues to be numerousreports of civilians taken from their homes and turning up dead with theirbodies mutilated not to mention the live ammunition that is being used daily ondemonstrators.

Even though Turkey, the United Nations and others have raised theirvoices against the atrocities in Syria, none of them have taken any real concreteactions to help the Muslims and stop the bloodshed. Currentlythe world has put its focus on the Arab League (AL) to use its position andinfluence in the region to establish peace and stability in Syria.

The Arab League to the Rescue of the Assad Regime

It was not until August of last year – 5 monthsafter the protests began and after thousands had already been killed anddetained – that the AL had voiced any concern. In mid-October, the AL gaveanother 2 weeks to the Syrian regime to halt the violence with norepercussions. In early November the ALagain gave the Syrian regime two more weeks to stop the violence without anultimatum. In early December, the AL finallydecided to send observers into Syriaonly after the Syrian regime approved. The observerselected to head the mission was Lieutenant-General Mustafa al-Dabi. Al-Dabi isa retired officer of the Sudanese army who had previously been head of asimilar committee tasked with investigating the events in Darfurso as to rescue the Sudanese President at the time (Omar Al-Basheer)from the accusation of mass genocide and war crimes! With his background, it isnot surprising that when visiting Homs he would say, “Some places looked a bit of a mess but there was nothing frightening.”

Clearly the ALcannot be relied upon let alone be trusted. The actions taken by the AL sincethe beginning of the uprising in Syria show that it is merely a tool to grantthe Assad regime more time for it to regain control of the situation byattempting to break the spirit of the protestors through continued killing and torture.

Advice for our Brothers and Sisters in Syria

Bilad al-Sham is blessed in the Qur'an and is promised khair in manyahadith. RasulAllah (saw) said:

“Allah Almightyhas guaranteed for me to take care of Al-Sham and its people.” [Ahmad]

In this struggle, we should not lose sight of the factthat Allah (swt) alone is the One who will provide victory for this Ummah.Allah (swt) revealed:

“Say: ‘Nothingwill happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us. He is our protector.’And in Allah let the believers put their trust.” [TMQ 9:51]

Our brothers and sisters in Syria should remain steadfast inthis honourable struggle through peaceful demonstrations accounting the regimeand demanding a change that would uproot the current system and replace it withIslam.

We should remind the sincere officers within the Syrian army that it isonly the implementation of Islam that will protect the blood of the Muslims andnon-Muslims in Syria, just as it protected it in the past when the Christiansof Homs stood side-by-side with the Muslim armies, in the days of Khalid ibnWalid (ra) against the Roman armies.

The Vital Issue for the Muslim Ummah

Similar to other Muslim lands, the only solution tothe current situation in Syriais not only to rid the Ummah from the tyrants and their entourage, but touproot and replace the entire system with the system of Islam.

We sincerely invite the Ummah in Syria andelsewhere to work with the sincere and aware Islamic groups such asHizb-ut-Tahrir for the re-establishment of Islam as a way of life by mobilizingits resources for this noble goal and by seeking the support of the sincerepeople of power in the Muslim lands, especially within the Muslim armies.

Only by combining the efforts of the Ummah with the efforts of thepeople of power and influence can victory be achieved for the return of theKhilafah Rashidah. This is the process that Hizb-ut-Tahrir is inviting theUmmah to join. Any other process, like requesting protection from the colonialkufr powers of NATO, the US, Britain or France will only lead to furtherhumiliation, foreign dependence and delaying the return of Islam as a way oflife.

May Allah (swt) grant us with the resumption of theIslamic way of life through the return of the Khilafah Rashidah. May He bring thosetyrants to justice in this life and the next. Ameen

“Consider not that Allah is unaware of thatwhich the Zalimun do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes willstare in horror. (They will be) hastening forward with necks outstretched,their heads raised up (towards the sky), their gaze returning not towards themand their hearts empty (from thinking because of extreme fear).” [TMQ 14:42-43]

REFLECTIONS: Enjoining Good And Forbidding Evil

2011-12-29T19:24:00.003-05:00

Theobligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil is an unparalleled concept thatdoes not exist anywhere except in Islam. Allah has made it an obligation on usand is a central aspect of the Shariah. The existence of Islam in our life reliesupon it. The implementation of Islam and the continuation of its tradition aredependent upon it as well. Allah (swt) describes the Ummah of Islam as the bestnation to emerge from mankind because of it. He (swt) says:

“You are the best of nations raised up formankind because you enjoin what is right (good) and forbid the wrong (evil) andbelieve in Allah” [TMQ 3:110]

Whatis good and what is evil

According tothe shariah, good is referred to as ma’roof, and evil is referred to as munkar.Allah (swt) says:

“And let there be among you a group that callsto Khair (Islam), they enjoin the ma’roof and forbid the munkar, and it is theywho are successful" [TMQ 3:104]

Allah (swt) describesthe characteristics of these people who call to Khair (Islam), as those who enjoinma’roof and forbid munkar. Since thesepeople call to Islam, the ma’roof they enjoin and the munkar they forbid cannotbe anything but the commands of Allah (swt), i.e. enjoining what is halal or fard(obligatory) and forbidding what is haram. Hence, ma’roof and good in thecontext of this concept refers to the halal and the obligations, while themunkar and evil refers to the haram.

As such,praying, paying zakat, obeying one’s parents, respecting the elderly, givingfor the sake of Allah (swt) and implementing the rules of Islam are allexamples of ma’roof, or good actions. On the other hand, dealing with interest(riba), committing adultery, not praying, not wearing proper Sharai clothing andnot implementing the rules of Islam are all examples of munkar or bad actions.

The obligation

The Shar’ahas ordered all Muslims to undertake the obligation of enjoining ma’roof andforbidding munkar, each one according to his or her knowledge and ability. TheShar’a has ordered the establishment of this obligation on all Muslims – asindividuals and as groups – and made it obligatory under all circumstanceswhether there is an Islamic State or not, whether the ruler applies the rulesof Islam properly or he misapplies

them or whetherthe ruling applied on the Muslims is the ruling of Islam or the ruling of kufr.

Enjoining ma’roof and forbidding munkar existed in the days of the Messenger (saw),the days of the Sahabah (ra), the Tabi’een (rh) and those who followed them. Thisobligation will remain until the coming of the Day of Judgment.

It was narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:

“If the people see the Munkar (evil, wrongdoing) and they do not change it, Allah will take them with a punishment.”[Ahmed]

Consequently,enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar becomes an individualobligation that a Muslim is not excused and is sinful for abandoning. Thus, theMuslim, in his daily life must give naseeha (advice) to anyone who fails toperform a duty or is disobedient, including his wife, children, relatives,neighbors, acquaintances or anyone else whom he meets.

Allah (swt) says:

“The believers, men and women, are awliya(helpers, protectors, friends) of one another, they enjoin the ma’roof andforbid the munkar and they establish the salah.” [TMQ 9:71]

“Help one another in al-Birr and Taqwa (virtue,righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin andtransgression.” [TMQ 5:2]

We Muslims,and the scholars in particular, must not fear people or the consequences offulfilling this great obligation. This fear might be due to concerns aboutgoing against the norms of society, peer pressure, being physically harmed orotherwise. It was narrated that RasulAllah(saw) said:

“Any people in which there are sins done amongthem, and they can change the evil but they do not, Allah will cover them witha punishment from him”

[Bukhari & Muslim]

“Let not the fear of people prevent oneof you to utter the truth when he sees it (i.e. sees the munkar) or hears it”[Bukhari & Muslim]

We must remember the hadeeth of RasulAllah(saw) advising Ibn Abbas (ra) when he told him:

“Know that if the whole Ummah gathered tobenefit you with something, they will not benefit you except by what Allah hasdestined (written) for you. And if they gathered to harm you with something,they will not harm you with anything except what Allah has destined for you.” [Tirmidhi]

Having knowledge of Ma’roof and Munkar

In order toundertake this obligation we must have knowledge of the ma’roof and the munkarin the first place. Otherwise, we mayforbid someone from ma’roof and enjoin someone to commit munkar.

We should, however, be careful not to treat matters of legitimate ikhtilaf (i.e.differences of opinion that are based on texts from the shariah) in the sameway as munkar. Imam Naysaburi (rh), one of the great Ulema of Islam, said “the munkarare those of the haram which are definitive and not those about which there is Sharaidifference of opinion on”. “Sharai difference of opinion” means that theopinion is based on the Sharai evidences from valid sources including theQuran, Sunnah, Ijma as-Sahabah or Qiyas, and not opinions based on personal inclination,harm and benefit, or whims and desires.

The differentresponsibilities

There are different responsibilities inthis issue related to the individual, group and state. The Prophet (saw) said:

“Whosoever sees a Munkar (an evil or wrong) lethim change it by his hand, if he could not let it be by his tongue. If he couldnot let it be by his heart, and this is the weakest of Iman.” [Muslim]

This hadeethtells us that capability and Sharai (legal) responsibility determines how farwe should go when enjoining ma’roof and forbidding munkar.

Forexample, as an individual Muslims, we have the obligation to enjoin ma’roof andforbid munkar to those within the domain of our authority and responsibilitylike our families. We also have the responsibility to offer naseeha (advice) toeveryone. RasulAllah (saw) said:

“Al-Deen (religion) is naseeha. He said itthree times. We (the Sahabah) asked, for who O’ Messenger of Allah. He said forAllah (i.e. following His commands), His Messenger, the imams (leaders of the Muslims,and the general Muslims.” [Bukhari]

In othersituations, the Shariah has given us the responsibility to enjoin the ma’roofand forbid the munkar but has not given us the authority to implement it. Forexample, the implementation of the rules of Islam, i.e. hudood, economic rules,social rules, state policies, etc. Allah (swt) has given the state and only thestate represented by the Khaleefah (i.e. the legitimate ruler for all Muslimsthat implements Islam) the authority to implement such rules. RasulAllah (saw)said:

“Defend implementing the hudood on Muslims asmuch as you can, and if there is a shubha, (doubt or exit for avoiding doing so),do it. It is better for the imam (ruler) to make a mistake forgiving than tomake a mistake punishing.” [Tirmidhi]

The statehas the ultimate responsibility and authority to establish and maintainenjoining ma’roof and forbidding munkar.

Given thereality of the Muslim Ummah today, it is conceivable for the individual Muslimto enjoin ma’roof and forbid munkar within his or her sphere of responsibility.However, how about the domain of the state? In fact, one can see that most ofthe rules of Islam are not implemented, and many haram acts are committedtoday. This in itself requires the state to enjoin ma’roof and forbid munkar.However, in the absence of the Islamic State, as is the case today, theobligation of enjoining ma’roof and forbidding munkar obliges the Muslims towork to establish and bring back the Islamic State into existence. Through thefull implementation of Islam, the State, and the entire ummah, will fulfill theobligation of enjoining ma’roof and forbidding munkar.

As such, thevital issue of the Ummah is the re-unification of her lands and the ruling ofher lands by Islam through the restoration of the Khilafah. The root munkar thatenables all the other munkar is Kufr system, and the ma’roof which will bringback every ma’roof that is absent, and also the whole Deen of Islam, is theKhilafah which will re-establish Islam in all walks of life and carry the da’wahof Islam to the rest of the world inshaAllah.

Rewardfor fulfilling this obligation

To appreciate the significance of thisobligation, one can look at the reward attached to fulfilling it. It wasnarrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:

“There will be from the later generations of myummah people who will be rewarded like the first generation as they enjoinma’roof and forbid munkar.” [Bayhaqi]

In a similar narration, he (saw) said:

“Verilyfrom my ummah, there will be people who will be rewarded like the firstgeneration, those who forbid the munkar.” [Ahmed]

NATO Strike on Pakistan

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

OnFriday November 25^th,NATO forces launched a deadly strike on the Pakistani military postslocated near the Afghan border at Salala in the Mohmand district. Theattack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and wounded at least 14 others.According to the Express Tribune, 4 fighter jets, 3 or 4 drones and 3helicopters attacked the posts. According to the Guardian, theattacks lasted for over 2 hours. The attack has resulted in anoutrage across Pakistan.

Theofficial response from US officials has been todismissthe event as a mistake.However, US President Barack Obama has refused to apologize for theattack. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney stated regarding thePresident's statement on the attack: "Therewas, obviously, no apology, and there was an expression ofcondolences".

Clearcondemnation of this act

Theattack on the Pakistani soldiers is something that mustbe condemned by all Muslims. RasulAllah (saw) said:

"Destroyingthe Kabaa stone by stone, is less evil than killing a single Muslim."[Ibn Majah]

Wepray that Allah (swt) hasMercy on the souls of those who were killed and that He grants theirfamilies patience and peace.

Anotherattack in a series of hostilities towards Pakistan

Theattack ispart of the series of hostile activities that the US has directed atPakistan over the past few years. It is a deliberate attempt todestabilize and weaken Pakistan. According to the Wall StreetJournal, a senior Pakistani military officer said it was impossiblefor NATO forces not to know that the bases they were bombing belongedto Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistani officials had called in NATOwithin 50 minutes of the attack. However, as stated earlier, theattack lasted over 2 hours – meaning theycontinued to bombard our brothers for at least another hour and 10minutes after knowing they were attacking Pakistani troops.

Furthermore,the attack should not be viewed in isolation of the aggressiveforeign policy that the US has adopted towards Pakistan. Since 2004,the US has conducted a drone campaign that has resulted in thekillingof over 2,600 people. Earlier this year, America undertook aprolonged violation of Pakistani sovereignty and launched a daringraid in Abbotabad that again went unchallenged.Muslims in Pakistan are – to this day – angry with the army.Also, this is not the first time that the NATO forces have attackedand killed Pakistani soldiers. In addition to this incident,Pakistani soldiers were attacked and killed or wounded on thefollowing date:

January 2007: 1 killed, 2 wounded
April 2008: 1 killed
June 2008: 11 killed
September 2010: 3 killed, 3 wounded

Pakistanigovernment:deceiving the Ummah

Theease inwhich NATO and America violate Pakistan's sovereignty bycarrying outdrone strikes, land operations, reconnaissance missions, and othernon-military activities (such as its interference in the judicialsystem to secure the release of Raymond Davis) is extremelyworrisome. The feeble response from both the government and the army,has only added to the frustrations felt by Muslims around the world.For example:

Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani condemned the strike. However, his condemnation can hardly be taken seriously as Gilani has given approval to US air assaults on the Muslims of Pakistan. A WikiLeaks cable recorded the exchange between Gilani and Rehman Malik (the Interior Minister) when discussing about whether to hold off on the drone strikes. Gilani's response was: "I don't care if they do it [the drone attacks] as long as they get the right people. We'll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it". Clearly this illustrates that Gilani and the other politicians intend to intentionally deceive the Ummah with such protests.
Complaining to the US Ambassador. Press TV reported that Pakistan had "called in US Ambassador Cameron Munter to lodge a strong complaint regarding the unprovoked attack". However, holding a conversation with America is hardly going to resolve anything.
Closure of the Afghan-Pakistan border to NATO supplies. Firstly, this is only a temporary closure of the border – simply to give the semblance of stern action. This action will have little if any impact on the American war on Afghanistan. Secondly, the closure of the border to NATO supplies is something that the Pakistani regime has tried before to pacify the people of the Pakistan. In September 2010, two NATO helicopters killed three soldiers and wounded three. Pakistan stopped NATO supplies at the border, but later resumed them when it was politically expedient to do so.

Whatis the source of the problem?

Meekactions like the temporary closure of the Afghan-Pak border toprevent convoys laden with fuel and goods from reachingNATO are not enough. By choosing not to stand up to the crusaders,Kiyani and Zardari are keen to humiliate the people of Pakistanfurther. Both have spearheaded America's crusade by granting Americafull access to kill, maim, torture and displace the Muslims in thetribal areas of Pakistan while allowing Blackwater/Xe to conductterrorist campaigns designed to incite sectarian violence in thecountry. Their foremost concern is to protect their alliance with theAmerican crusaders. Allah (swt) has revealed in the Quran:

"Oyou who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends,showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in whathas come to you of the truth, and have driven out the Messenger andyourselves because you believe in Allah your Lord!" [TMQ60:1]

Ultimately,it is the subservienceof the Pakistani regime to the colonial foreign powers that is theroot cause of this attack. Untilthis relationship is severed, the onslaught on Pakistan willunfortunately continue.

ThePakistani government’ssubservience to the US has resulted only in hardship for our brothersand sisters not just in Pakistan, but also in the surrounding region.For example:

Co-operating with the US on the war on Islam against the Muslims of Afghanistan. It has caused harm and suffering to the Muslims of Afghanistan. As stated earlier, the blood of a Muslim is sacred and the loss of life in Afghanistan as a result of this co-operation is unacceptable. Furthermore, America did not limit its war to Afghanistan, but has expanded its bombing campaign to Pakistan itself!
Fighting the Muslims in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). As with the killing of Muslims of Afghanistan, this is haram and cannot be tolerated. Furthermore, this has undermined the credibility of the military amongst its own people. It is unacceptable for a Muslim army to kill its own people.
Betraying the resistance in Kashmir. By failing to support the resistance in Kashmir, Pakistan has abandoned the Muslims of Kashmir to the brutal mushrikeen of India. Are they not aware of the brutality that the Indian government has levied not just against the Muslims of Kashmir, but also the Muslims of Gujarat? By doing this, Pakistan is undermining its own influence in exchange for increasing India's dominance in the region.

Whatmust be highlightedis that after over ten years of co-operating with the US on the Waron Islam (a.k.a. the War on Terror), the country remains in a stateof insecurity, poverty and corruption.This exposes the fact that co-operation with the US will never resultin prosperity in this life or the next.

Whatcan be done immediately?

Forthose Muslims who have relatives or relationships with the Ummah inPakistan, we should work to convince the sincereofficers and soldiers in the army to cut ties with NATO, includingtraining programs, intelligence sharing, etc. They should permanentlysever the NATO supply line and seize all equipment and fuel as wellas closing all airbases and waterways to NATO and American personnel.All military personnel and embassy staff belonging to Western forcesshould be ejected from Pakistan. Finally, the army should do its joband repel predator drone strikes.

Theway of the Prophet: The only method for change

Theabove actions are temporary measures to prevent the crusaders fromviolating Pakistan's sovereignty. A more permanent solution requiresthe Ummah in Pakistan (and all other Muslim lands) to turn to thebook of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw) andre-establish the Khilafah state according to His command.Any other method attempted has and will fail.

InPakistan, we must work with the sincere groups who are working forreal change. Real change can only come by replacing the entire systemwith what Allah (swt) has prescribed for us: the Khilafah State.Hizb-ut-Tahrir works in Pakistan and in other Muslim lands to fulfillthis obligation to re-establish the Khilafah Rashidah. In order toaccomplish this obligation, the Party has adopted the method ofRasulAllah (saw), which includes giving halaqat with the goal ofattaining the Islamic personality, interacting with the Ummah tocreate positive public opinion for Islam, and seeking the supportfrom the people of power and influence. Hizb-ut-Tahrir restricts itsactivities to intellectual and political means (e.g. protests,conferences, leaflets, discussions, etc), since RasulAllah (saw)restricted himself to such means and forbade the Sahabah (ra) fromusing armed struggle in establishing the Islamic State. The Prophet(saw) also did not participate in the political system of theQuraish. Consequently, Hizb-ut-Tahrir does not involve itself indemocratic systems either. Instead, the Party works to expose thelies and treachery of the rulers and those who support them, as wehave done in this leaflet.

MayAllah (swt) grant victory to His Deen through the work of the sincereMuslims.

“Sowhosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. Andwhosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”[TMQ99:7-8]

REFLECTIONS: The Sahabah (ra) - Beacons of Guidance

2011-11-26T02:33:00.001-05:00

TheSahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) were not an ordinarygroup of people. There are numerous narrations about theirperseverance, hardship, sacrifice, steadfastness, unwavering iman,taqwa and tawakkul. The Sahabah (ra) demonstrated thesecharacteristics when they went through difficult times with theProphet (saw). This can be seen during the early days of the dawah inMakkah as well as the latter days of the Prophet's (saw) life inMadinah, where the Islamic State was established and from where itexpanded to the whole of the Arabian Peninsula.

TheStatus of Sahabah (ra)

Thestatus of the Sahabah (ra) has been stated clearly in the Quran andSunnah. Allah (swt) revealed,

“Andthe first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and theAnsar and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah ispleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has preparedfor them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abideforever. That is the great attainment.” [TMQ 9:100]

TheProphet (saw) said:

“Thebest of my nation is my generation then those who follow them andthen those who follow them.”

[Bukhari]

Theabove ayah and hadeeth reveal the unique status of the Sahabah (ra)in the sight of Allah (swt) and His Prophet (saw). Furthermore, therewere specific Sahabah (ra) who were given the glad tidings of Jannahwhile they were still alive. This status was bestowed upon them as aresult of their dedication and sacrifices for the sake of Islam.

AbdulRahman bin 'Awf narrates that the Prophet (saw) said:

“AbuBakr is in paradise, Omar is in paradise, Uthman is in paradise, Aliis in paradise, Talha is in Paradise, Az- Zubair is in paradise,Abdul Rahman bin 'Awf is in paradise, Saad is in paradise, Saeed isin paradise and Abu Ubaida bin al- Jarrah is in Paradise.' [Tirmidhi]

Itis essential however that we understand the relationship between theProphet (saw) and Sahabah (ra). One crucial element of thisrelationship is that the Sahabah (ra) were not companions inprophethood or messengership but rather companions in carrying thedawah of Islam. The numerous stories and events of the Sahabah (ra)during and after the life of the Prophet (saw) show us that theirlives were dedicated to carrying dawah. They understood their rolesand lived their lives as they were commanded by Allah (swt).

Upholdingthe Aqeedah and Staying on Course

TheSahabah (ra) exemplify the Islamic personality. All aspects of theirpersonalities and actions were driven by the Islamic Aqeedah. TheSahabah (ra) understood the basic and ultimate tasks of theirexistence as a group and as individuals, which included living byIslam under the shade of the Islamic State and carrying the messageof Islam to all of humanity. They persevered to make every action andevery decision -both collective and individual- according torevelation of Ahkam Shariah only. They stood firm in upholding Islamin front of all challenges and obstacles fulfilling the commitmentthey made to Allah (swt). Take for example Musab ibn Umayr (ra) whodied at the battle of Uhud; he did not have enough clothing to coverall of his body. When his clothing was pulled up to cover his face,his calf and feet would be exposed and when his clothing was pulleddown to cover his calf and feet, his face and torso will be revealed.He was known as the Prince of Makkah before embracing Islam as hecame from a wealthy family. The Prophet (saw) wept as he stood besideMusab's (ra) body and recited,

“Amongthe believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them ishe who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he whoawaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of theircommitment] by any alteration.” [TMQ 33:23]

SeekingGuidance from the Example of the Sahabah (ra)

Whenwe approach the stories and events that occurred during the lifetimeof RasulAllah (saw) and the Sahabah (ra), we should have the correctmindset. We should exert our efforts in understanding how we canapply the lessons we learn from the Sahabah (ra) in our lives. Thesimilarities between our time and the time of the Prophet (saw) andhis Sahabah (ra) are startling but not surprising. Today the MuslimUmmah faces a similar struggle to what the Sahabah (ra) faced inMakkah where Islam was openly attacked. The agenda-driven media andWestern governments go out of their way to distort the image of Islamby associating Islam with violence, backwardness, oppression and soon. Western governments, just like the Quraish, are trying to distortthe image of Islam in an attempt to defend the Capitalist way oflife. If we as an Ummah want to be extraordinary like the Sahabah(ra), then, besides adopting their names, we need to adopt theiractions in standing up for Islam and conveying Islam in a manner inwhich it is meant to be conveyed i.e. a Deen that has been sent asguidance for the whole of mankind. Allah (swt) says:

“Itis He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the Deen of Haq(truth), to make it superior overall Deens, even though the Pagansmay detest (it).”

[TMQ9:33]

Byreflecting on the lives of the Sahabah (ra), we can empower ourselveswith the intellectual arguments of Islam. This will give us guidanceon how to defend Islam from the propaganda spread by theagenda-driven media and opportunistic politicians. It will alsoassist in explaining to Muslims and non-Muslims how Islam solves theeconomic, social and political problems faced by the wider society.Moreover, Muslims should have the courage of the Sahabah (ra) to saythat it is the absence of Islam from our daily lives that is thevital issue of today's world. Only when we establish Islam in thedunya in its entirety via the Khilafah System will the lives,property and honour of Muslims and non-Muslims, by the will of Allah(swt) be protected.

TheSahabah (ra) were human beings who went through a profoundtransformation at the hands of the Prophet (saw) and at the core ofthat transformation was the firm belief in the Islamic Aqeedah ,which lead them to conduct every aspect of their lives according toAhkam Shariah. Muslims must study and understand the Seerah of theProphet (saw) and his Sahabah (ra) as the guiding principles in ourjourney in this life. We need to remember that our ultimate objectiveis to please Allah (swt) by living under Islam under the shade of theIslamic State - the Khilafah state, and carrying the dawah exactlylike the Sahabah (ra) did from the moment they accepted Islam to themoment they met their ajal. Allah (swt) revealed:

“Allahhas promised those who believed among you and done righteous deedsthat he will surely grant them succession (authority) upon the earthas He granted it to those before them and that He will surelyestablish for them (therein) their religion which He has preferred tothem and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear,security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me.But whoever disbelieves after that-then those are the defiantlydisobedient.” [TMQ 24:55]

Islamas the Deen of Haq and Way of Life

Withall the extraordinary aspects of the personalities of the Sahabah(ra), it is very critical to keep reminding ourselves with the factthat the Sahabah (ra) were humans after all and what made themextraordinary was their adherence to Islam as a complete Deen. Therefore, we can all successfully follow in their footsteps if wechoose to adhere to Islam in every aspect of our lives. After all,Islam is a comprehensive and complete way of life as revealed byAllah (swt):

“Thisday I have perfected for you your religion and completed my favourupon you and have approved for you Islam as religion” [TMQ 5:3]

MayAllah (swt) guide us to follow the steps of the Prophet (saw) and hiscompanions (ra) to re-establish Islam in our individual andcollective lives the way it was established the first time.

Remembrance Day: Who are we remembering again?

2011-11-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Everyyear on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month,a moment of silence is observed to pay homage to the fallen Alliedsoldiers of World War One. Many Muslims partake in this day unawareof the origins of this event and also what impact this war had on theMuslim Ummah. As November 11^thapproaches, Remembrance Day is upon us. What is this day all about?Is it permissible for Muslims to participate in such an event?

TheOrigins of Remembrance Day

WhenWorld War One ended, an armistice agreement was signed between theAllies and Germany which took place in Paris, France on Monday,November 11^th,1918. On November 6^th,1919, George Foster, the acting Prime Minister, rose in the House ofCommons to read a message from King George V: “Toall my people: Tuesday next, November 11^th,is the first anniversary of the armistice which stayed the world-widecarnage of the four preceding years, and marked the victory of rightand freedom. I believe that my people in every part of the Empirefervently wish to perpetuate the memory of that great deliverance andof those who laid down their lives to achieve it.”

Inother words, Remembrance Day began with the end of World War One andwas a day to recognize the victory of Britain, France, Russia, theUnited States and Italy against the Central Powers - Germany,Austria-Hungary, and the Uthmani Khilafah.

Muslimsin the First World War

Theadvent of World War One did not go unnoticed by the Muslim Ummah.Close relations with Germany and the continued enmity towards Russia- who had invaded the northern part of the Khilafah and supported therevolt in Southern Greece (a province in the Islamic State at thattime) - pushed the Khilafah into joining the Central Powers.

TheMuslim Armies fought many battles in order to protect the preciousIslamic lands including The Battle of Lone Pine, The Nek, The Battleof Scimitar Hill, and The Battle of Hill 60 all of which contributedto the Gallipoli Campaign. The sacrifice of the Muslims ran high,with 131,000 martyred and 262,000 wounded.

OnMay 16^th,1916, Britain and France made a secret agreement as to which parts ofthe conquered Muslim lands each country would control. Under theSykes-Picot Agreement, the British and French split the Muslim landnorth of the Arabian Peninsula (Al-Sham) and Southern Turkey amongstthemselves. Later, Italy and Russia were included in the deal.

EdmundAllenby, Commander of the V Corps in the Second Battle of Ypresworked alongside the British Agent, T.E. Lawrence, and directed themarauding forces to Palestine. Despite the will and determination toprotect one of the most sacred lands for Muslims, the Uthmani Armywas defeated at Al-Quds on December 11^th,1917. An arrogant and pompous Allenby then declared, “TheCrusades are now over.”French commander Gouraud, on arrival to Damascus in 1920, immediatelymarched to Salahuddin al-Ayyubi’s tomb and cried, "Nousrevenons, Salladin!"(We have returned, Oh Salahuddin!).

Bythe end of the war, the number of Muslim Soldiers killed totaled325,000, whereas the number of civilians totaled 1,000,000.

Froma historical point of view, it should be quite clear that wearing apoppy in recognition of those fallen soldiers in World War Oneimplies support for the disbelieving colonial powers who invaded ourlands, killed over 1 million Muslims, and stole our resources! Weshould not, in any way, be associated with it because doing so wouldbe similar to participating in the remembrance of the defeat ofMuslims at the hands of Quraysh during the Battle of Uhud, theMongols in Baghdad or the Crusaders in Palestine.

TheProphet (saw) – An Excellent Example

Ineagerness to create a common ground between ourselves and thenon-Muslims, we may be tempted to adopt customs and traditions fromthe surrounding environment. If we think that by wearing a poppy, ourneighborsor bosses will think better of us, or that by wearing a poppy we aregoing to create a “bridge of understanding” with the non-Muslims,we need to first ask ourselves how did the Prophet (saw) relate tothe non-Muslims. We must follow his example because Allah (swt)revealed:

“Andwhatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it, andwhatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), andfear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment.”[TMQ 59:7]

“Indeedin the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example (to follow)for him who hopes in (the meeting with) Allah and the Last Day andremembers Allah much.”[TMQ 33:21]

Whenit comes to any situation, we must refer to the commandments of Allah(swt) revealed to the Prophet (saw) and follow his example as he wassent down as the role model to emulate. One situation occurred afterthe Prophet (saw) had migrated to Madina. Anas narrated, “Whenthe Prophet (saw) migrated from Makkah to Madina, the people ofMadina used to have two festivals. On those two days, they hadcarnivals and festivity. The Prophet (saw) said, 'Insteadof those two days, Allah has appointed for you two other days, whichare better, the days of ‘Eid ul-Fitr and ‘Eid ul-Adha.'”[An-Nasaa’i]Despite the fact that there were prevailing customs and traditionsthe Prophet (saw) did not in any way compromise by involving himselfor the Sahabah (ra). Rather, he acted upon what was revealed.

Onemay ask about situations – like wearing the poppy – which theProphet (saw) did not engage in. What is the ruling on an action thatdid not occur during the Prophet (saw)’s time? Muslim reported onthe authority of Ayesha (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“Hewho introduces in our order that which is alien to it, it must berejected.”

Inthis evidence, Allah (swt) commands us to initiate all of our actionsaccording to evidences from the Quran and Sunnah. We cannot use anyother criteria – not our inclinations, nor our logical conclusions.We must not fall into the trap of thinking “what is the harm inthis action?” or “if I do this then maybe it will make thenon-Muslims around me more receptive to the message of Islam”.These are pitfalls we must protect ourselves from. As Muslims, ourbasis for actions is not our mind nor the environment around us butrather the Hukm Sharai’. Every action relating to subject mattersthat were revealed must be measured against this yard stick. It isthe pleasure of Allah (swt) that we must seek and we must seek it inthe manner that He has prescribed for us, no matter what the societyor trends around us dictate.

WhoShould Be Remembered

RemembranceDay should remind us of the state that our brothers and sisters havebeen living in since the Khilafah was destroyed. Once the Imam –the shield of the Ummah – had been destroyed, the colonial powershad a free hand in plundering and robbing our resources andsubjecting us to political subjugation.

RemembranceDay should not only remind us of the last days of the Khilafah butalso the beginning of the tyrannical rulers and dictators that havesubjugated and oppressed the Ummah for the past 87 years. We see thissubjugation and oppression continue today not only with the invasionof Iraq and the occupation of Palestine but also in the slavishnessof our rulers who are more interested in serving the western colonialpowers than the Ummah. This day should be a catalyst to increase ouractivities in resuming the Islamic way of life by re-establishing theKhilafah Rashidah in the Muslim lands according to the method of theProphet (saw).

Lookingback at the war and examining what it had achieved, we can see thatthere was nothing accomplished but bloodshed and a vying forpolitical power. The war had less to do with right and wrong and moreto do with fulfilling the insatiable desire of man for power andwealth. This drive did not end with “the war to end all wars” butis being continued in the wars that are being fought today. So thenext time we walk past a booth and are asked if we would want to weara poppy we should use this as an opportunity to invite people tothink and reflect as to what this poppy represents and what wasachieved by the war and if it has made any difference in our livestoday.

MayAllah (swt) allow us to remember Him and act according to Hiscommandments, abstain from His prohibitions and remember that we willbe standing in front of Him alone.

“Sowhosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. Andwhosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.”[TMQ 99:7-8]

REFLECTIONS: Lessons from Eid ul-Adha

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

We are approaching the best ten days of the year - the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. It is an occasion for many to perform Hajj and for those not partaking in this act of worship, there are extra rewards for deeds performed during this time. We should take the opportunity during these days to reflect on the rewards that can be earned Insha’Allah and derive lessons to implement in our lives.

The First 10 Days
Allah (swt) has revealed:

“By the dawn; by the ten nights.” [TMQ 89:1-2]

In the above verse, Allah (swt) swears an oath by these days. Swearing an oath by something is indicative of its importance and great benefit. Ibn Abbas, Ibn Az-Zubayr, Mujahid and others of the earlier and later generations are of the opinion that this refers to the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah.
The Prophet (saw) said: "There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days." The people asked, "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?" He said, "Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, except in the case of a man who went out to fight, giving himself and his wealth up for the cause, and came back with nothing." [Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet (saw) also said: "There are no days greater in the sight of Allah and in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Him than these ten days, so during this time recite a great deal of tahlil, takbir and tahmid." [Ahmad]

Hajj: The Fifth Pillar of Islam

Muslims from all over the world are gathering together in Makkah to perform Hajj. May Allah (swt) reward them and accept their Hajj. May He also enable those who were unable to undertake this blessed journey to fulfill it in near the future. Ameen. Hajj is an obligation from the pillars of Islam, the reward of which the Prophet (saw) has spoken about:

"Whoever performs Hajj for Allah's pleasure and does not have sexual relations with his wife, and does not do evil or sins then he will return as if he were born anew." [Bukhari]

Indeed, one of the astonishing things about Hajj even for the non-Muslims is that people from all races, black and white; people from all nations - from Europe, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Africa; people from all ages - the young and the old are united in the worship of Allah (swt) and are all equal before Him.

"There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colours, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white."-Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)

Hajj symbolizes the concept of Ummatun Wahida (One Ummah). The Muslims from all parts of the world all perform the various obligatory acts together like the wearing of the Ihram, the tawaf around the Ka'ba, the running between Safa and Marwa, the standing at Arafah and the stoning of the Jamarat.

Indeed the concept of a united Ummah with no distinction, with no racism or nationalistic divisions is a fundamental concept in Islam. Allah (swt) has revealed:

“And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may be guided.” [TMQ 3:103]

Abu Musa narrated that the Prophet (saw) said, "A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other." The Prophet then clasped his hands with the fingers interlaced (while saying that). [Bukhari]

But unfortunately as soon as Hajj is over, Muslims will return to lands where they are divided by false borders and dominated by man-made laws. The creation of false borders is not something of mere coincidence or an event that naturally occurred over time.

In Lord Curzon's address to the Prime Minister shortly before World War II, the British Foreign minister said, "We must put an end to anything which brings about Islamic Unity between the sons of the Muslims. As we have already succeeded in finishing off the Caliphate, so we must ensure that there will never arise again unity for the Muslims, whether it be intellectual or cultural unity."

Nationalism is a concept alien to Islam because it calls for unity based on belonging to a piece of land crafted by the colonial powers, whereas Islam binds people together on the Aqeedah, that is the belief in Allah (swt)and His Messenger (saw). The Prophet (saw) said: "He is not one of us who calls for ‘asabiyyah, (nationalism) or who fights for ‘asabiyyah or who dies for ‘asabiyyah." [Abu Dawud]

It is forbidden in Islam for the Islamic land to be divided as it is today. When Muslims go for Hajj, why do we need a visa? Did Muslims need a visa in the past under the Khilafah which ruled for over a thousand years? Ruling according to Islam can only be achieved under one state, with one Khaleefah – not the over 50 divided nation-states as we have today. This should make us work harder to liberate the Islamic lands from the oppression of Kufr by re-establishing the Khilafah Rashidah in the Muslim lands according to the method of the Prophet (saw). Only when the Ummah submits to the authority of one Khaleefah, in one Khilafah, will complete unity be achieved.

Ibrahim (as) and his adherence to the Wahy (Revelation)

We should take a lesson from the well known story of Ibrahim (as) and his son Ismail (as). We are all reminded of this story as Eid ul-Adha represents the culmination of the first ten glorious days of Dhul-Hijjah. Allah (swt) informs us of his story in the Quran:

“My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous." So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offer you in sacrifice to Allah), so look what you think!" He said: "O my father! Do that which you are commanded, Insha'Allah (if Allah wills), you shall find me of As-Sabirun (the patient)." Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of Allah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for slaughtering); And We called out to him: "O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!’ Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinun.”
[TMQ 37:100-105]

If we ponder over the story of Ibrahim (as) carefully, we find that Allah (swt) ordered His believing slave to slaughter his beloved son! Both the father and the son fully submitted to the order of Allah (swt) without questioning it. Ibrahim (as) didn't look for a reason for the command that Allah (swt) gave him, nor did Ismail (as) – even though he knew he would be the one that was going to be sacrificed. Rather they both willingly accepted the decision of Allah (swt), because they realised that He is the Creator and that their purpose is to worship Him. The lesson we can learn from this is to submit to the orders of Allah (swt) whether Allah (swt) has given us a reason for them or not. So we know that Allah (swt) issued a judgement on the many actions that are before us such as the prohibition of dealing in Riba (interest), pre-marital relations and supporting political parties not based on Islam. We must submit to these rules completely without attempting to justify them based on our own limited rationale.

Indeed, Eid ul-Adha is a time of celebration for over one billion people around the globe. Although we will perform the slaughter, pray the Eid Salah and play with our children on this day, our hearts and our minds will not be at ease due to the suffering felt by our brothers and sisters around the world.

The food that we eat on this day should remind us of the many who are dying of hunger in East Africa, Gaza, Chechnya, Kashmir, and all over the world. The slaughtering that we perform on this occasion as a worship to Allah (swt) should provoke us to think about the agent rulers in our lands who allow the continuous slaughter upon the Muslims of Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Pakistan, Somalia, Chechnya - the list goes on. On this occasion of Eid when we spend the days with our family and friends, let us make sure that we do not forget the problems of the Muslims worldwide. Let us work for the pleasure of Allah (swt) so that we may be of the Muhsinun (good doers).

“Verily, along with every hardship is relief, verily, along with hardship is relief. So when you have finished (your occupation), devote yourself for Allah's worship. And to your Lord (Alone) turn (all your) intentions and hopes.” [TMQ 94:4-8]

Why don't people trust the system?

2011-10-15T16:48:00.000-04:00

Inthe recent Ontario provincial election, the Globe& Mail reported the following headline describing the voterturnout: "Voter turnout hits dispiriting low in Ontario".The article went on to report: "Ofthe roughly 8.5 million citizens who were eligible to vote, about 4.1million, or 48 per cent, appear to have cast ballots."The voter turnout in the previous provincial was the second lowest at52.1%.

WithinCanada, Europe and theU.S., we are witnessing the increasingly vocal display of people'sdiscontent with the current system of governance, (i.e. Capitalism).In Britain, Spain and Greece, students have taken to the streets toprotest further cuts in education. In Greece, students were angrythat they were given DVDs instead of textbooks. In Spain, studentsheld their protest under the banner, which stated: "Defendpublic education, make cuts for bankers".In the US, the Occupy Wall Street protests, which were inspired bythe demonstrations in the Muslim world, have spread from New YorkCity to 25 other cities in the US.

LowVoter Turnout: What is the cause?

Commentatorshave offered a variety of reasons forthe low turnout ranging from voter fatigue to voter apathy. However,the more likely cause is that voters increasingly distrust thesystem. For example, in the previous election, the Premier of Ontariowas so brazen as to openly admit that he broke his promises stating,"Inthe last election, I told Ontarians I wouldn't raise their taxes, andI broke that promise".According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, in 2003 he signed,the "Canadian Taxpayers Federation Taxpayer Protection Promise".In it he agreed not to raise taxes without a referendum from thevoters. Six months later, he amended the law that required him toseek such a referendum, and then went ahead and raised taxes.

Itis, however, inaccurate to blame the lack of interest in the electionsolely on the broken promises of politicians. In fact, it would benaive to believe that politicians in the democratic system speak thetruth and keep their promises.

Thepeople have become increasinglyaware that the true rulers of the system are not the politicians. Thetrue rulers are in fact the Capitalist elite who have engineered thepolitical and economic system to serve their interests above everyoneelse and ensure the wealth is concentrated in their hands. Forexample, a2006 StatsCan study found that the top 10% of Canadians held 58.2% ofthe wealth in Canada, while the bottom 50% held only 3%. It istherefore no surprise that therallying call of the Wall Street protestors is "we are the 99%,"which is indicative of a population that has become disenchanted withthe system.

Furthermore,it is understood that the politicians are serving the elite and notthe masses. Asnoted in a 2005 op-ed piece in the Toronto Star, “secretdonations of unlimited amounts of money are still allowed tocandidates in federal elections… One Liberal MP, who [was then] acabinet minister, admitted a few years ago that he had a personalbank account with more than $200,000”.This allows for the elite to provide funds to MPs in exchange forpolitical favours. The elite can also influence the political processthrough the funding of expensive election campaigns.

Peoplealso feel that politicians sell policies to the highest bidder. A May2008 Globe & Mail article entitled "Alobby machine that runs on ethanol"explained how, in 2007, the ethanol industry was able to get $2billion worth of subsidies and "convince" the government topass a bill that requires 5% ethanol content in gasoline by 2010. Thearticle then went on to explain how the government had relationshipswith many lobbyists from the ethanol industry. For example,Agriculture Minister, Gerry Ritz, was friends with RobinSpeer, "a key lobbyist for Canada's ethanol industry". Thebill favours the corporate interests that make money from ethanol, atthe expense of the environment and people. UC Berkeley professor TadPatzek points out that "ittakes more fossil fuel to produce ethanol than the energy that comesfrom the biofuel".Also, the increased demand for corn and sugar will also cause foodprices to rise; thereby increasing the level of starvation amongstthe poor.

Giventhis current environment, it is no surprise that people in Torontoare preparingto launch protests modeled after the Occupy Wall Street protests inmid-October. The group planning the Occupy Toronto told the pressthat the focus of their protest is against "corporate greed".

Man-maderule: The root of the problem

ToMuslims, the current agitation amongst the people in Canada, US,Spain and Greece should not come as a surprise. Like Communism, theCapitalist system that is implemented in these countries willultimately fail. The reason is that these systems are based onman-made ideas and consequently are limited by man's thinking.Therefore,the solutions emanating from these man-made systems are flawed andincomplete. Take for example, the approach China took to limit thesize of its population. It passed a law that restricted each familyto having only one child. Although those who implemented this ideawere convinced of its merits, it had two key unforeseen consequences.First, they did not consider how families would react to this law.Families started killing their female born children to ensure thatthey had a male heir to take care of them in their old age. Thesecond consequence was a lower number of women in society, which iswhy men in China are having a hard time finding wife and starting afamily.

Similarly,the Capitalist system is built based on man's guesses as to how asociety should be organized. As they are human, they simply don'thave the answers. Consequently, we see the economic system in a stateof turmoil with high level of unemployment and poverty. The Islamicsystem, on the other hand, is based on what Allah (swt) has revealed.Allah (swt) doeshave all the answers. Any solution derived from what Allah (swt) hasrevealed will address the human being holistically and ensure thatthere are no "negative side effects" in the future.

TheIslamic Alternative

AsMuslims living in the West, we have a unique opportunity to discussIslam with those seeking change as a comprehensive alternative way oflife.Numerous ayat in the Quran reminds us that Islam addresses people whothink:

"Heit is Who sends down water (rain) from the sky; from it you drink andfrom it (grows) the vegetation on which you send your cattle topasture. With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, thedate-palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. Verily!In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people whogive thought."[TMQ 16:10-11]

Therefore,when we see our colleagues, neighbors, coworkers agitated by thecurrent situation, it is our responsibility to discuss how Islamsolves societal problems.

Islam:Solutions forthe individual and the society

Allah(swt) revealed to us that all problems we face are addressed in whatAllah (swt) has revealed to us:

“Werevealed the Book to you in explanation of every thing, and asguidance, mercy, and good tidings to those who believe.” [TMQ16:89]

Consequently,we must be able to explain to the non-Muslims seeking a new wayforward thatIslam has its own economic and political systems. Under each headingbelow, we will inshAllah briefly discuss how Islam solves problems insociety to ensure that the society operates harmoniously and in amanner that ensures justice for all.

Rulers:Obligated to protect the defenceless.

Asmentionedearlier, the democratic politicians are effectively servants of theelites. Islam, on the other hand, makes it an obligation on therulers to take care of the wholesociety. The Prophet (saw) said:

"Aruler who, having control over the affairs of the Muslims, does notstrive diligently for their betterment and does not serve themsincerely, will not enter Jannah with them.'' [Muslim]

Therulers after RasulAllah (saw) were clearly affectedby this idea. WhenAbu Bakr (ra) became the Khaleefah, he said: "Ohpeople, I have been appointed your ruler, though I might not be thebest of you. Support me if I do good, but if I do not, set me right.The weak is strong to me until I remove his plight, Allah willing;and the strong is weak to me till I take the right of the weak fromhim, Allah willing.”And indeed, Abu Bakr (ra) fulfilled his pledge. When the strongwithheld the zakat – which is a financial obligation upon thewealthy towards the poor – Abu Bakr (ra) declared war on them. Thisis a sharp contrast to Bush and Obama who did the opposite when theyspent billions of taxpayer dollars on the elite bankers andshareholders.

Eliminatinglobby groups

Althoughthe Khaleefahis elected, the political system of Islam is not encumbered bymulti-million dollar election campaigns. Instead, the ruler iscontractually obligated to take care of the affairs of the people byimplementing Islam without deviating from what Allah (swt) hasrevealed. Take for example how RasulAllah (saw) dealt with lobbygroups in his time. Inthe following hadith narrated by Aisha (ra), Usama Bin Zayd (ra)approached the Prophet (saw) in order to intercede on behalf of awoman (from the elite tribe of Bani Makhzoom) who had committedtheft. After Usama (ra) made his request to the Prophet (saw), thecolour of the face of RasulAllah (saw) changed with anger and hesaid:

“Doyou intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah?” He(Usama) said: 'Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.’ Whenit was dusk, RasulAllah (saw) stood up and gave an address. He(first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: “Now to ourtopic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any oneof (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and whenany weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted theprescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, evenif Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, was to commit theft, I would havecut off her hand.”[Muslim]

Consequently,when the ruler is lobbied to do something contrary to what Allah(swt) has revealed, he is obligated to refuse the demands of thelobbyist and implement thelaw.

IslamicEconomics: Distribution,not production

TheIslamic economic system offers a range of solutions to ensure thefair distributionofwealth. The Capitalist system, in contrast, focuses on productionand uses GDP and stock prices to measure the health of the economy. In Islam, the goal of economic system is to ensure that there are nohomeless people or poor people in society. In fact, the ruler isobligated to ensure that everyone's basic needs are met:

"TheSon of Adam has no better right than that he would have a housewherein he may live, a piece of clothing whereby he may hide hisnakedness and a piece of bread and some water."[Tirmidhi]

Thispolicy is achieved through implementing the rules of Islam. Forexample, interest (riba) is haram,so the wealthy have to take a risk with their capital when theyinvest. Also, when they invest, they can only do so as equalpartners, even if the other party has skills or ideas, but nocapital.

Theconcept of fair distribution applies to resourcesas well. RasulAllah (saw) said:

“Peopleshare in three things: Water, Pasture lands, and Fire.” [Abu Dawud]

Oil,natural gas, nuclear energy, coal, and hydroelectricity, are allexamples of energy sources that would facilitate “fire”. Thesenatural resources are therefore administered by the Khaleefah onbehalfof the Ummah and the profit has to be spent on services ordistributed to all people living within the Islamic State’sboundaries.

MayAllah (swt) help us to convey Islam in the appropriate manner thatpleases Him.

“Verily,Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah isAll-Strong, All-Mighty.” [TMQ22:40]

REFLECTIONS: Raising Children in Islam

2011-09-30T19:29:00.000-04:00

Raising our children is an important responsibility that Allah (swt) has entrusted us with. In Islam, parents are rewarded when this responsibility is carried out in the correct manner. In this society, Muslim parents are further challenged to raise their children in a manner that is pleasing to Allah (swt). The task is further complicated by the lack of communication that is needed between parents and their children – especially teenagers. As parents, we must do our utmost to protect ourselves and our family from the Hellfire. We must build a relationship with our children based on fulfilling our fard (obligations) with respect to raising them. This includes, of course, providing for their needs (e.g. food, shelter, etc) as well as ensuring that they are taught the foundational aspects of Islam. This includes the Islamic Aqeedah as well as the ahkam of Islam. They should learn from an early age that the only thing that matters is working to earn the pleasure of Allah (swt) and that their attitude – even to their parents – is solely determined by what Allah (swt) has revealed. Furthermore, we should not approach the task of parenting as an authoritarian taskmaster. Instead we should be companions to our children by dealing with them according to the ahkaam of Islam while being patient, just and honest with them. As we will discuss below, this is how RasulAllah (saw) acted towards his children and the children in his care.

Parents Role
Allah (swt) has laid a heavy responsibility on the parents for the well-being of their children in the Dunya and in the Akhira:

“Oh you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.” [TMQ 66:6]

In his tafsir, Ibn Kathir says, “Qatadah said [about this ayah], ‘He commands obedience to Allah, to not disobey Allah, he orders his family to obey His orders and helps them to act upon His orders. When one sees disobedience, he stops them and forbids them from doing it.’”

Thus parents assume the role of managing the affairs of the household. They ensure that the obligations (fara’id) are being fulfilled and the prohibitions (muharamat) are avoided by all family members. The Prophet (saw) said:

“All of you are guardians and all of you are responsible for things under your guardianship; the ruler is a guardian (managing his state’s affairs) and he is responsible for things under his care, the man is a guardian over his family and responsible for them, the woman is a guardian of her husband's house and she is responsible for it. All of you are guardians and responsible for things under your control.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

As parents, our motivation for raising our children correctly is that Allah (swt) has endowed us with the responsibility to guard our families from the hellfire. And indeed He will hold us accountable for this duty on the Day of Judgment.

Parents must also take care in implementing Islam within their own lives. It is unrealistic for the father and mother to expect their children to abide by the hukm sharie, when the parents themselves fail to do so. For example, a child will imitate his parents: if they pray he will likely pray and if they don't, he will also likely ignore the commands of Allah (swt). To our children, our actions speak louder than our words.

Establishing the Foundation
How can parents do their best to raise their children on the right path? The Prophet (saw) said:

“A father gives his child nothing better than a good Ilm [i.e. sharie knowledge].” [Tirmidhi & Baihaqi]

Our best effort in achieving this would be to provide our children with the correct foundation built on the Islamic Aqeedah. We should regularly engage in discussions with our children to teach them and enforce fundamental concepts. For example, we should teach them that the Islamic Aqeedah is based on reflecting upon the world around us and concluding that it is created by Allah (swt), the Creator of all creation. We should also teach them that the commands and prohibitions are from Allah (swt) and not from us as parents. That is, we should make them realize that they are not ultimately accountable to us, but rather to Allah (swt) who is All-Seeing and All-Knowing. Once this basis is established, we should then proceed to teach our children that all our actions must be based on textual evidences from the Quran and Sunnah. Our children must also be immersed in the vivid descriptions of Jannah and Jahannam, so that their emotions are linked to the rewards that Allah (swt) has promised and the punishments that Allah (swt) has warned us about.

Role Models: Fathers of the Past
Knowing that Allah (swt) has placed on our shoulders the responsibility of managing our family’s affairs, we should look to the examples provided to us in the Quran, Sunnah and the generations thereafter.

Allah (swt) revealed to us how Luqman advised his son:

"O my son! Perform As Salat, enjoin (on people) Al-Ma'ruf , and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar, and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments (ordered by Allah with no exemption). And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of the donkey." [TMQ 31:17-19]

This advice shows the concern of a father for the well-being of his son not only in this life but, more importantly, on the Day of Judgment. When we look at the ayat together, we can visualize the advice being passed from a loving father to his son rather than a set of orders being handed down. As parents, we need to establish a relationship with our children where we are not simply ordering them to “do this” or “don’t do that”. We must first establish a bond with our children so that they are willing to receive and accept our guidance. This can be best achieved in a relationship that is based on mutual respect, trust, and love. As parents, we must take the time to understand our children and their personalities and tailor our conversations with them accordingly.

Our greatest example is the Prophet (saw). He was like a father to his Sahaba (ra). By looking into his life and how he treated his Sahaba (ra), we see that he spent a great amount of time and effort to know their personalities. He took a great deal of effort to understand their needs and what would motivate them to be the best believers in Allah (swt). Regarding his attitude towards the Muslims, Allah (swt) revealed:

“And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs.” [TMQ 3:159]

For example, Anas (ra) (when mentioning his childhood) narrates,“I served the Prophet (saw) for ten years, and he never said to me, "Uff" (a minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed me by saying, "Why did you do so or why didn't you do so?"

The Sahaba (ra) continued this relationship of being conscious of their children’s affairs and advising them with the best of speech. When Aisha (ra) was accused of committing adultery, her parents did not cut her off and sever ties with her although this was a heavy accusation made against her. Rather her father, Abu Bakr (ra), and mother allowed her to return to their home until the issue was resolved. Aisha (ra) said, “So I continued to cry that day and my tears would not stop flowing until I believed that my liver would split open due to my tears. While I was sitting and crying, my parents were with me, and one of the Ansar ladies asked permission to enter and started crying with me.”

In another situation the Sahaba (ra) were sitting with the Prophet (saw) and he asked about a specific tree. None of the Sahaba (ra) knew the answer except Abdullah ibn Umar (ra). However, Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) remained silent. After the halaqa was over, when Umar (ra) and Abdullah (ra) were returning home, Abdullah (ra) told his father that he knew the answer but had remained silent out of respect for the older Sahaba (ra) who were present. Umar (ra) was disappointed and told Abdullah (ra), “Had you said that it meant the date-palm tree, this statement of yours (would have been dearer to me) than such and such things.” It was clear from his statement that Umar (ra) was teaching his son to be confident when upholding what is right and not to shy away from it.

Inculcating the Lessons in our Youth
With this heavy responsibility placed upon us, we might be inclined to assume the role of a taskmaster, and order our children around as though they were servants, since that is always easier than earning their co-operation and help. But we must refrain from this type of thinking because it will establish a sense of dread and fear in our children, making us, their parents, the last people they turn to and trust. Rather we should mentor the hearts and minds of our children so that they hope for the mercy of Allah (swt) and fear His anger. Verily, in our absence, it is Him who is aware of their actions and who will account them accordingly.

It is narrated that Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) said: "Play with your children until the age of seven, educate them for another seven, and befriend them for another seven.”

From this advice we can discern that as parents we should understand that our relationship with our children progresses as they grow older and should not remain as it was when they were infants or small children. As they mature, we should strive to establish with them a relationship of companionship. When we speak to our children, we should speak to them using the best of speech and talk to them in a respectful manner.

We should have patience and be gentle in our dealings with our children. We should create an environment where they feel that they can come to us for advice or to entrust us with information without fearing that they will not be understood, or that they will get into more trouble by speaking. We need to establish an understanding with our children that we are here to help and guide them and not to reign over or control them.

May Allah (swt) help us raise our children in the way that pleases Him (swt), may our children be a means of continuous rewards after our death insha-Allah and may Allah (swt) guide and protect all our children.

“Your wealth and your children are only a trial, whereas Allah! With Him is a great reward (Paradise).” [TMQ 64:15]

The Politics of Fear & Exploitation: Signs of Decline

2011-09-18T11:35:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper singled out Islam as the number one threat to Canada by saying, “…there are a number of threats on different levels, but if you look at, if we're talking about terrorism, I mean, the major threat is still Islamicism. There are other threats out there, but that is the one that I can tell you occupies the security apparatus most regularly in terms of actual terrorist threats. Now, as we've seen in Norway, terrorist threats can come out of the blue. It can come from something completely different, and there are other groups and individuals that if given the chance would engage in terrorism. But that one is probably still the major one. But it's diffused. You know, it ranges all the way, when people think of Islamic terrorism, they think of Afghanistan, or maybe they think of someplace in the Middle East, but the truth is that threat exists all over the world. We've seen some recent bombings in Nigeria, domestic Nigerian terrorists.”

Harper then disclosed that the Canadian government intends on reinstating two of the most controversial sections of Bill C-36 – an anti-terror bill that was passed in December 2001 and whose portions expired in November 2007 after a majority of parliamentarians voted against reinstating them. The first section to be reinstated grants police the power to detain someone suspected of a terrorist activity or association to one for 72 hours without a warrant. The second section allows a judge to compel secret testimony on previous association and upcoming terrorist activity from uncooperative witnesses in any case that falls under the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act. The latter section is backed by a jail sentence if the witness refuses to comply. Speaking about the laws Harper said, "We think those measures are necessary. We think they've been useful...And as you know … they're applied rarely, but there are times where they're needed."

Is Canada the target of terrorism? Who are behind terrorist attacks?
The main problem with the PM's statement is that it has nothing to do with fact and reality. Firstly, terrorism is not a major problem facing Canada. The Ottawa Citizen reported last month that according to Maplecroft (a risk analysis company), the 2011 Terrorism Risk Index ranks Canada at 86 out of 197 countries as being a potential target for a terrorist attack - the lowest risk of terrorism among major Western economies. Secondly, it is completely baseless for anyone to link Islam to terrorism. According to an FBI study of terrorist attacks from 1980 to 2005, only 6% of attacks were attributed to Muslims. 94% of the remaining terror attacks had no relation with Muslims and/or Islam.

Why is Islam being portrayed as a threat?
Muslims are well aware that the agenda driven media regularly portrays Islam in an unfavourable light. This in turn generates a negative public opinion within Canada, Europe and America – one based on fear and insecurity. Politicians, in turn, exploit these fears to secure support for their government or its policies. For example, the niqab ban was introduced in Quebec, where very few Muslim sisters actually wear the niqab. In Quebec only 10 people out of 118,000 visitors to the Health Board’s Montreal office in 2008-09 wore the niqab, yet a bill was passed stating that “people obtaining — or delivering — services at places like the health- or auto-insurance boards will need to do so with their faces in plain view”. This bill won support for the unpopular government of Jean Charest and appeased many in Quebec who feel that the government is not doing enough to integrate immigrants into Quebec culture. In Denmark, during the controversy over the printing of cartoons insulting the RasulAllah (saw), the Norwegian PM at the time backed the publication of the offensive material. By doing so, he ensured that the right-wing Dansk Folkeparti would continue to support his frail coalition government. The Dansk Folkeparty came to power by provoking fear of Muslims amongst the Danish people by distributing leaflets that had pictures of a young blonde girl with the tagline: “By the time she retires there will be a Muslim majority in Denmark”. These are all but a few examples of capitalist politicians across Europe and North America who regularly indulge in the politics of fear to garner support for their party and careers.

Exploitation for political gain
In addition to fear, capitalist politicians also exploit the financial desperation of people to buy votes. For example, when running for office in 2003, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty promised a mandatory 10% reduction in car insurance rates within 90 days of taking office, with an eventual reduction of 20%. After eight years of McGuinty being in office, insurance rates have actually increased! In 2009, the Financial Services Commission of Ontario released a report which stated that during the first 3 quarters of 2009 alone, insurance premiums increased by 6.9% on average. This only goes to show that the primary concern for politicians in a democracy is to win elections whatever the cost may be – including making false promises.

Serving the Elite
We must also consider the influence of the capitalist elite on politicians and the role they play in shaping public policy. For example, in 2009, Moammar Gadhafi planned to stop in St. John's to refuel his personal jet on his way back to Libya after addressing the UN General Assembly in New York. But he cancelled the trip after being told that the then-Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon planned to meet with him and express Canada's displeasure over the hero's welcome given by Libya to the Libyan national convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. Gadhafi was so incensed by Canada's planned lecture that he threatened to seize billions in assets of Canadian companies, including Petro-Canada, if he didn't get an apology. A flurry of emails that night led to Canada softening its wording about the bomber. Ghadafi didn't seize the corporation's assets, but he did cut its allowed oil production in half. Ottawa quietly sent Cannon to Tripoli to smoothen relations over with his government. Cannon was advised to tell Libya that Canada regretted "any misunderstanding" and had supported its bid to join the World Trade Organization. He was also told to remind Libya that Canada had supported Gadhafi's attempt to get a seat on the International Atomic Energy Agency in exchange for Libya's support of Canada's UN Security Council bid.

Furthermore, politicians in decision-making positions are most often appointed from corporate backgrounds making them vulnerable to lobbying from firms that stand to gain or lose as a result of passing a certain bill. Once these politicians quit politics, they usually go back to the corporate world, and use their political connections to advance corporate interests. Some examples include:

Jean Chretien, the former Prime Minister, had the position of "international relations advisor to PetroKazakhstan Inc., an energy firm based in Calgary with major interests in Kazakhstan and [the] Caspian".
John Dossetor, senior policy advisor to the then Health Minister Allan Rock, joined Monsanto (a giant-agribusiness corporation) as "Vice-President, Government Affairs".
Gordon O'Connor, prior to taking the position as Canadian Defense Minister, was a lobbyist representing defence contractors such as Airbus Military, United Defense, General Dynamics Canada and BAE Systems in addition to a variety of other, non-military clients.

Why do capitalists rely on fear and exploitation to build support?
While it may be tempting to explain this phenomena by raising slogans such as, “politicians are corrupt” or that “politics is a dirty game”, the answer lies at the heart of the capitalist system: its aqeedah, and the norms that emanate from it, specifically the measure of benefit and harm. The secular aqeedah is based on the separation of deen from life which relegates man to design his own laws and systems. The rejection of Allah (swt)’s guidance and the reliance on man’s limited faculties is, as a result, doomed for intellectual bankruptcy. In such a system legislation will inevitably tip the balance in favour of the wealthy (i.e. the capitalist elite) at the expense of the average individuals’ rights. With no true accountability, the imbalance will continue to increase. The capitalist system also produces individuals who make decisions that will maximize their personal benefit. The politicians are not immune from such behaviour and the above examples clearly illustrate this.

The Islamic aqeedah establishes proper governance
As Muslims we believe that the systems that govern man should not be based on the whims and desires of people. Instead, these systems should solely be based on what Allah (swt) has revealed. Allah (swt) revealed:

“Rule between them by that which Allah has revealed to you, and do not follow their vain desires.” [TMQ 5:49]

This is the reason that the Islamic political system, the Khilafah, is the only system suitable to govern humanity. Having a society in which the thoughts, emotions and systems are all based on the Islamic aqeedah will provide the rights and responsibilities to all citizens irrespective of whether they are rich or poor. The Sahabah (ra) understood this example and implemented it. When Abu Bakr (ra) became the Khalifah, he said: "Oh people, I have been appointed your ruler, though I might not be the best of you. Support me if I do good, but if I do not, set me right. The weak is strong to me until I remove his plight, Allah willing; and the strong is weak to me till I take the right of the weak from him, Allah willing.” And indeed, Abu Bakr (ra) fulfilled his pledge. When the strong withheld the zakat – which is a duty upon the wealthy towards the poor – Abu Bakr (ra) declared war on them. This is despite the fact that the Muslims who remained loyal to the Khilafah state were far outnumbered by their enemies.

Any attempt to introduce a bias into the Islamic system that favors the rich will be met with extreme harshness as happened during the time of RasulAllah (saw). In the following hadith narrated by Aisha (ra), Usama Bin Zayd (ra) approached the Prophet (saw) in order to intercede on behalf of a woman (from the elite tribe of Bani Makhzoom) who had committed theft and ask him to excuse her from the punishment. After Usama (ra) made his request to the Prophet (saw), the colour of the face of RasulAllah (saw) changed and he said:

“Do you intercede in one of the prescribed punishments of Allah?” He (Usama) said: ‘Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.’ When it was dusk, RasulAllah (saw) stood up and gave an address. He (first) glorified Allah as He deserves, and then said: “Now to our topic. This (injustice) destroyed those before you that when any one of (high) rank committed theft among them, they spared him, and when any weak one among them committed theft, they inflicted the prescribed punishment upon him. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, even if Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, was to commit theft, I would have cut off her hand.” [Muslim]

The Islamic aqeedah also produces individuals who make decisions based on engaging in the halal and shunning the haram. By having the goal of achieving the pleasure of Allah (swt) and hoping to attain Jannah, the politicians of the Khilafah will feel a sense of immense burden and responsibility to ensure that everyone under their guardianship is taken care of as commanded by Allah (swt). As we saw during the Khilafah of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (ra), he was very meticulous in ensuring that the governors whom he appointed were servants of the citizens of the Khilafah and did not profit from their positions beyond what the shariah allowed them. For example when assigning an individual to the position of a governor, Umar (ra) would weigh how much money he had. Then when the governor would return the following year, Umar (ra) would again weigh the governor’s wealth and half of any profits he had made would go to the Bait al-Mal.

May Allah (swt) expose the plots of the disbelievers and make the truth clear from error.

“Shall We then treat the Muslims like the Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists and disbelievers)? What is the matter with you? How do you judge?” [TMQ 68:35-36]

REFLECTIONS: Holding on to the Burning Coal

2011-09-06T19:48:00.002-04:00

Alhumdullilah, we have been blessed with another Ramadhan this year! May Allah (swt) accept our saum (fast), our salat, our d'ua and grant us protection from His Punishment and grant us the highest level of Jannah. We would also like to congratulate the Islamic Ummah on the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr.

With our commitment to Allah (swt) renewed, we take this opportunity to remind the Ummah to remain steadfast in the face of persistent pressure to abandon Islam and its practices. As narrated in the following hadith, a time will come when it will be difficult to remain steadfast:

“A time will come on the people when the patient among them on his religion will be like one who holds live coal (in his hand).” [Tirmidhi]

In the first part of this issue of Reflections, we will explore the immense pressure that RasulAllah (saw) faced to abandon the call to Allah (swt) and the Deen. In the second part, we will relate the Prophet's (saw) example to our current reality - here in the West and also in the Muslims lands.

RasulAllah (saw): Model of Steadfastness
In the early life of the da'wah, we find that RasulAllah (saw) was continuously opposed by Quraish in Makkah. As the intellectual attacks of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) intensified upon the Quraishi practices of idol worshipping, usurping the wealth of orphans, the ill treatment of women and slaves, etc., so did the opposition of the likes of Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and Abu Sufyan (i.e. the chiefs of Quraish) increase towards the Muslims. Their fear was that their control over the population, along with their profiteering from idolatry, would diminish as a result of RasulAllah’s (saw) da’wah. In order to maintain their authority, certain concessions were offered to RasulAllah (saw) to get him to stop his intellectual challenges.

Quraish went to Abu Talib; the uncle RasulAllah's (saw), who had been raising his nephew from the age of 8 after RasulAllah (saw) had lost his father, mother and grandfather. They said: "Abu Talib, you are our elder, the most honoured among us, the highest rank. We asked you to stop your nephew but you have not succeeded [Previously they offered Abu Talib a replacement in exchange for RasulAllah (saw), Umara, the most handsomest amongst the youth of Quraish, but that offer was turned down by Abu Talib.] We shall bear this no longer for he has insulted our forefathers, belittled our aspirations and spoken against our gods. Either you stop him or we shall fight you and him until one of the two parties perishes." Upon hearing this, Abu Talib called RasulAllah (saw) and said, "Stop, for my sake and yours. Do not force me to bear what I have not the power to endure."

Prophet Muhammad (saw), saddened by the request from his beloved uncle Abu Talib, answered, "Uncle, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to abandon this affair, I would not until Allah made the truth prevail or I died in the attempt." [Ibn Hisham]

As beloved as Abu Talib was to RasulAllah (saw) - and even though he prevented any physical harm coming to RasulAllah (saw) and his family - RasulAllah (saw) did not waiver in his resolve to call the people to the Deen of Allah (swt). RasulAllah (saw) was in no position to stop spreading and calling for the Deen, since he fully understood what was at stake:

"if I were to disobey my Lord, I should myself fear the penalty of a Great Day (to come)." [Yunus, 10:15]

With the refusal of RasulAllah (saw) to stop spreading the message of Islam, Quraish had turned their attention to the Muslims. Those who were weak and without any tribal protection, namely the poor and the enslaved, were targeted - such as the humble family of Banu Yasir (ra) or the slave of Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughira, Bilal (ra). However Quraish quickly realised that the more they tried to coerce the Muslims into leaving the Deen, the more they adhered to it. They cared for nothing except the pleasure of their Lord. Allah (swt) revealed:

"Indeed those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and thereafter are steadfast, the angels descend on them 'Fear you not! Nor grieve! But receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of Bliss), that which you were promised!' We are your protectors in this life and in the Hereafter: therein shall you have all that your souls shall desire; therein shall you have all that you ask for!' A hospitable gift from One Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful" [TMQ 41:30-32]

The Muslims were growing in numbers and their steadfastness was unbreakable so Quraish sent Utba ibn Rabi'a directly to RasulAllah (saw) instead of using a mediatory such as Abu Talib. Utba ibn Rabi'a offered 3 things to RasulAllah (saw) in return for RasulAllah (saw) to stop his da'wah. Each offering had its own significance: money, power, and kingship.

Money or wealth symbolised status in Makkah- simply put: the more money you had; the more important you were. So to offer RasulAllah (saw) money or more specifically to make him the richest amongst Quraish would mean that RasulAllah (saw) would become the most notable amongst them all. Offering RasulAllah (saw) power; that nothing would happen in Makkah without his (saw) command would have made him the de facto ruler of Makkah.

Further to this, to offer RasulAllah (saw) kingship was unprecedented in the history of Makkah. RasulAllah (saw) was the first to be offered such a title.

Since Quraish had offered the best of this life to RasulAllah (saw), they thought that only a mad man would refuse such an offer. RasulAllah (saw) responded by reciting part of Surah al Sajda. In this surah, Allah (swt) talks about the wonders of his creations, the nature of man and his ability to do good by his fellow man in the form of charity, kindness, and justice. Utba ibn Rabi'a realised there and then that RasulAllah (saw) was no ordinary man. Here stood a man who wanted nothing of this world, and lived for what was to come in the akhira (Hereafter).

Utba ibn Rabi'a reported back to his Quraishi brethrens about his encounter with RasulAllah (saw:) where he said, "leave RasulAllah to the rest of the Arabs... if he overcomes them by his strange words, then all the honour will go to you for you are his people". Utba ibn Rabi'a had realised the power in RasulAllah's (saw) message and he also had experienced his resolve to see his message succeed and dominate over all other Deens. Allah (swt) says,

"It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the Deen of Haq (truth), to make it superior over all Deens, even though the Mushrikeen (pagans/idolaters) may detest (it)." [TMQ 9:33]

Remaining Steadfast Today
Today the Muslim Ummah faces a similar struggle to hold onto Islam. The Capitalist nations openly attack Islam without any fear of consequences or opposition. They attempt to make Islam look deviant, by distorting the image of Islam; associating it with violence, backwardness, and so on. The Capitalist nations, like Quraish, use their attacks on Islam as a smokescreen designed to hide the failures of their own corrupt system.

In these times, when we see Islam continuously being attacked we should draw our strength from the best of examples. Allah (swt) revealed:

"Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have the best example." [TMQ 33:21]

Consequently, under the pressure from the disbelievers we should hold on fast to the haqq (truth) and not compromise in the face of baatil (falsehood).

Whilst the attacks against Islam may vary in scope, we must understand that the Deen is something we should be honoured to be associated with - even if we are harmed for adhering to it. For example, recently a number of groups openly expressed their hatred for Islam when they held protests against the Jummah prayers being conducted at a local Toronto high school. Media personalities then exploited the incident in order to attack the rules of prayer as it relates to women. Salat is the most basic aspect of Islam and when we come under such pressure, we should be steadfast and continue to practice Islam without compromise. We should draw our confidence from the fact that Islam is the Deen of Allah (swt) and that it has been sent as a mercy to mankind to tackle the many issues that face our world.

The agenda driven media attempts to make Islam look devious by labelling it as violent. In contrast, when white, Norwegian Christians commit violent acts to enact political change, they are not labelled as terrorists. They also seek to categorize Muslims into extremists and moderates in order to sow division within the Ummah. We should reject this and not be apologetic or defensive when it comes to our Deen wherever we live. Moreover, like RasulAllah (saw) we should teach the Deen to the wider Muslim community and also take the debate to the non-Muslims. For example, the Khilafah system implements, protects and nurtures all of the values in Islam from respecting your parents and elders to cultivating the values of fairness, openness and honesty in transactions between people, to accountable rulers who serve the citizens of the Khilafah. All of this is in contrast to a Capitalist system that protects the vested interests of the elite, wealthy and powerful at the expense of the needs of society.

In the Muslim countries, the Capitalist nations and their agent rulers wish to stifle the revival that is occurring within the Ummah. We see this in the brutal repression meted out by the likes of Assad, Bouteflika and - now the military rulers of Egypt - against the Ummah. They also wish to stomp out any call for the re-establishment of Khilafah Rashidah. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and throughout the Muslim lands - even in Palestine - the dawah carriers who call for the re-establishment of the Khilafah Rashidah and the Shariah of Allah (swt) are treated like criminals, even though they are solely working to implement the legal system that Allah (swt) has ordained for us.

In light of the actions of RasulAllah (saw), Muslims should feel encouraged and empowered to engage with the wider community, equipped with the intellectual arguments of Islam in how to deal with the issues of society and how desperately Islam is needed to bring about solutions for mankind. Moreover, Muslims should have the Imaan to say that it is the absence of Islam today from our daily life's practices that is the greatest ill of today's world.

May Allah (swt) help us to remain steadfast and be not of those that sell the Deen for a miserable price. Ameen.

"And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a Mercy to mankind." [Anbiya, 21:107]

AKP's Inaction Over Assad's Crimes

2011-08-23T07:33:00.002-04:00

As we break fast in the comfort of our homes, we witness scenes of horror in Syria where our brave brothers and sisters stand up to the tyranny of the Assad regime. On August 8th, 42 people were martyred in Deir al-Zor by the Syrian army who used artillery and heavy machinegun fire. This brings the total death toll between 1,600 and 2,000 - surpassing the 1,417 death toll of the Gaza Massacre of 2009. Deutsche Welle, when reporting on the massacre in Deir al-Zor, noted that the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "very patient until now." It also reported that Erdogan will "send Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu to Damascus on Tuesday to "pass critical messages "to the Syrian authorities".

AKP: History of empty rhetoric
The AKP government has used Islamic issues in the past to rally support for its party. In the infamous Gaza flotilla raid last year (where 9 Muslims were killed at the hands of the Israelis when they were attempting to bring aid to the besieged people of Gaza), the AKP Government made the following seemingly bold statements:

President Erdogan stated that the raid “deserves every kind of curse”.
Zafer Caglayan, Minister of Foreign Trade and member of AKP stated, "The inhumane attitude and the state terror conducted by Israel may cause the discarding of all trade figures, no matter how high they might be."
Ahmet Davutoglu gave the ultimatum for Israel to apologize and acknowledge an impartial inquiry or suffer the consequence of diplomatic ties being cut off.

Despite these aggressive statements, nothing has been done to bring the Israelis to justice. Instead, Turkey has increased its imports from Israel. In the first quarter of 2010, Turkey was Israel's 9th largest importer of goods, while in the first quarter of 2011; they rose to be Israel's 3rd largest importer of goods.

AKP: Buying time at the cost of martyrs
In reality, the AKP is really buying the Syrian regime time to reassert control over the country. After the protests are crushed and the regime enacts some token reform measures, the AKP will claim that the Assad regime buckled under their diplomatic pressure. As can be seen in the timeline below, they are stalling by issuing empty statements. In the meantime, the death toll keeps rising:

April 2011: Syrian army kills 22 protestors in Deraa. Erdogan's reaction: to urge restraint and express "deep concern and sorrow over loss of many lives".
May 2011: Syrian army kills 36 in Talkalakh. Erdogan stated: “We do not want to see another Hama massacre. It will be very difficult for Syria to deal with the consequences if such a tragedy repeats itself.” Erdogan was referring to a deadly 1982 crackdown in the town of Hama where 40,000 people were killed by the Syrian government in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime.
June 2011: 53 protesters are killed in Hama, Erdogan issues statements accusing Syria of “atrocities”, and behaving in an “inhumane” manner towards protesters.
July 2011: 23 protestors are killed in the capital, Damascus. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu holds a joint press conference in Iran with his counterpart and “called on regional governments to respect their people's rights and to heed the people's demands".
August 2011: On August 10th, Erdogan buys time for the Syrian regime by stating: "We hope that within 10-15 days this [i.e. stopping the violence] will be realized and steps will be taken toward the reform process in Syria". This is while the people on the street are not calling for reform, but rather for the removal of the regime.

AKP: A defender of the Muslims in Syria?
Although it appears that the Turkish government is trying to appear as an honest broker, the reality is more likely that the two countries are coordinating with one another to ensure that the Assad regime survives.

When the Syrian forces crushed the town of Jisr al-Shughour in June, it appeared that AKP was alleviating the suffering of the Muslims living in Syria by opening its borders and establishing refugee camps. However, the AKP in actuality assisted the Syrian regime in containing the situation. In Jisr al-Shughour, it was reported that there was a mutiny where the officers and police (may Allah (swt) reward them) refused to shoot the unarmed population. To the Syrian Regime this was a cause for concern as it would be difficult to take control of a town where the inhabitants now had the (limited) means to fight back. So they blocked off the area, but left the border open. This is in contrast to how they dealt with the situation in rural areas near the Lebanese border. Al-Jazeera reported that the Syrian army deployed tanks near the border, blocking people from fleeing. The varying tactics by the regime to allow the Muslims to cross into Turkey and not into Lebanon illustrates that the Syrian regime knew their interests would be protected if the refugees were in Turkey. For example, AKP prevented the media from interviewing refugees to cover up the crimes of the Syrian regime.

The AKP has also failed to apply any economic pressure to the Assad regime. The country continues to trade with the regime with its exports amounting to $824 million for the first six months of 2011 (compared to $807 million in 2010) - coinciding with the protests in Syria that began on January 26th and its subsequent suppression by the regime. Syrian exports to Turkey in 2010 were $630 million. There has been no word of cutting off the Syrian economy in order to put pressure on it to stop the massacres.

AKP: Uthmani resurgence or political opportunism?
Some media have attempted over the years to portray the AKP government as having similarities to the Uthmani Khilafah. More specifically, the move by Turkey to strengthen its ties with other Muslim countries and to speak out against the atrocities in Gaza in 2009 has given President Erdogan the nickname “Sultan Erdogan” – similar to how the Khulafah were given the title of Sultan during the Uthmani Khilafah. Let us look at how the Uthmani Khilafah assisted Muslims in need:

Aceh: In the early 1500’s, the Portuguese invaded Aceh - a small but strategically important land mass that is located in Indonesia. In 1547, the first Achinese envoy reached the Uthmani Khilafah with requests for weapons and military support. Sultan Selim II sent a letter to Aceh, stressing that it was the Khalifah’s duty to accept the requests of Muslim rulers when they needed aid in fighting invaders. He mentioned how he would send a fleet and that his troops would have the duty to repel the Portuguese invasion. Sultan Selim II’s warm attitude towards the Achinese was further stressed by his call to the other governors of the Khilafah to assist the ambassador and all Achinese envoys in every way possible, without the need to inform the central government.

Al-Maghrib: After Al-Maghrib had liberated themselves from the Spanish occupation in 1517, they rejoined the Uthmani Khilafah. Knowing that the Spanish would return the Khalifah sent Janissaries (personal body guards and troops of the Khalifah), galleys and cannons as support. Unfortunately the Spanish returned in 1518, defeated the Uthmani army and killed the appointed governor. As a response, the Khalifah sent the Uthmani Admiral Hayreddin Barboussa. Under his leadership, the Uthmani army engaged in battle against the Spanish for the successful liberation of Muslim lands.

Palestine: In 1901, the Jewish banker Mizray Qrasow and two other influential Jewish leaders came to visit Sultan Abdul Hameed offering to pay all of the debts incurred by the Uthmani Khilafah, assist in building the state navy and provide a loan of 35 Million Golden Liras without interest for state funds in exchange for allowing the Jews to visit their holy sites in Palestine and to allow the building of settlements near Jerusalem.

Abdul Hameed refused to even meet them. He told his assistant, "Tell those impolite Jews that the debts of the Ottoman state are not a shame, France has debts and that doesn't affect it. Jerusalem became a part of the Islamic land when Omar Bin Alkhattab took the city and I am not going to carry the historical shame of selling the holy lands to the Jews and betraying the responsibility and trust of my people. May the Jews keep their money, the Ottoman's will not hide in castles built with the money of the enemies of Islam." He also told them to leave and never come back again.

Later in the same year, the founder of the Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl, visited Istanbul and tried to meet Abdul Hameed. Abdul Hameed refused to meet him and he told his Head of the Ministers Council to "Advise Dr. Herzl not to take any further steps in his project. I cannot give away a handful of the soil of this land for it is not my own, it is for the entire Islamic Nation. The Islamic Nation that fought Jihad for the sake of this land and they have watered it with their blood. The Jews may keep their money and millions. If the Islamic Khilafah State is one day destroyed then they will be able to take Palestine without a price! But while I am alive, I would rather push a sword into my body than see the land of Palestine cut and given away from the Islamic State. This is something that will not be; I will not start cutting our bodies while we are alive."

From the above examples, it is clear that it would be a grave injustice to compare AKP to the Uthmani Khilafah. The AKP broadcasts empty slogans, while the Uthmani Khilafah acted upon the book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw) to defend this noble Ummah, right until it was destroyed.

AKP: Not the hero that the Ummah was looking for
When reviewing the AKP government’s track record, by only analyzing its policies and accomplishments, and ignoring all of its slogans, empty rhetoric and broken promises, one must ask if the AKP is really any different from other Muslim governments. Has it done anything to truly help our brothers and sisters in the occupied lands of Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere? Given its failure in handling the situation in Palestine, we can only expect more betrayal.

Reflecting on the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw)
As it is the month of Ramadhan, it is important to reflect on the current events in Syria and the other Muslim lands in light of the Quran and Sunnah. When we see the Assad regime kill and torture civilians, it should remind us of the sacrifices that the Sahabah (ra) made in the times of Makkah. Sumiyah (ra) was martyred for following the Messenger of Allah (saw), while Khabab ibn Aratt (ra) had hot coals placed on his back until he could smell his flesh burning. We pray that Allah (swt) rewards the Sahabah (ra) for their sacrifice and we pray that Allah (swt) rewards the sacrifice of our brothers and sisters in Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia. It is important to remember that the Sahabah (ra) were human beings and that they felt pain just as we do. What made them special was their unshakeable Iman in Allah (swt) and his Messenger (saw). They believed that they must hold on to the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw), and Allah (swt) would grant them victory.

What actions did the Messenger of Allah (saw) take that ultimately led to a situation where they would no longer be in a position of weakness? It was the establishment of the Islamic State in Madinah. This was no accident and the Messenger (saw) took clear steps, which included teaching the Sahabah (ra), establishing a group to convey the Islamic concepts to society, and seeking the support from the influential people. It is only through this method that we will see the materialization of the change described in the hadith:

"‘...Then there will be a tyrannical rule (i.e. all the current regimes) for as long as Allah wills, then he will lift it when he so wills, then there will be a Khilafah Rashidah on the method of the Prophecy’, then he kept silent." [Ahmad]

May Allah (swt) give us the strength to change the current situation to that which pleases Him and in the manner that He (swt) has prescribed.

REFLECTIONS: Ramadhan - A time to Review one's Obedience to Allah (swt)

2011-08-10T02:23:00.002-04:00

Praise be to Allah (swt) who granted us the opportunity to taste the sweetness of Ramadhan this year. As we all know, Ramadhan is a blessed month in which the shayateen are chained, the gates of Jannah (Paradise) are opened, and the gates of Jahannam (Hellfire) are closed. This is the month in which we fast during the day and pray during the night. It is during this month that all our deeds are multiplied. It is narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said about Ramadhan:

“Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time.” [Ibn Khuzaimah]

Ramadhan and the Obedience to Allah (swt)
Ramadhan is not simply a month of ibadah. Rather it is a month of obedience because obedience covers ibadah along with all the commands and prohibitions ordained by Allah (swt). Ramadhan is an opportunity to review the actions in our daily life so that we become aware of neglected obligations and forgotten sins. Such a review should not be limited only to matters of personal worship, but should also include matters that involve transactions and attending to the affairs of the Ummah. For example, it is narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:

“A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor.” [Bukhari]

Therefore, during Ramadhan, we should review how connected we are to the trials and tribulations that the Ummah is going through – be it in Pakistan, Syria, East Turkistan, or Somalia, where 1 out of 3 children are malnourished. The desperate situation in Somalia should be a reminder that some of our brothers and sisters go without food or water regardless of whether it is Ramadhan or not. May Allah (swt) ease their difficulty and the difficulty of all the Muslims. Ameen.

Worshiping Allah: Mind and Soul
As a reminder for us all, we should not simply go through the motions when we engage in our acts of worship. Instead, we should invest ourselves fully so that our minds are connected to Allah (swt) and the Day of Judgment and our nafsiyah (emotional desires) can be reshaped to desire what Allah (swt) loves and reject what Allah (swt) hates. Building a deep connection with Allah (swt) is crucial to making these changes in ourselves permanent. Once Ramadhan is over, we must continue to obey Allah (swt) in all matters. We must do the faraaid (e.g. salat, working to re-establish the Khilafah, taking care of our parents and our families), abstain from the haramat (e.g. alcohol, backbiting, interest, etc), and pursue the mandoubat (recommended) (e.g. sadaqa, assisting the sick, etc).

Safeguarding the Fast
The reward for fasting is immense: Allah (swt) alone will give its reward. Therefore, we should be careful to ensure that we do not do anything that will prevent us from reaping this reward. It is narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:

“If one does not abstain from lies and false conduct, Allah has no need that he should abstain from his food and drink.” [Al-Bukhari]

Therefore, we may accomplish the wajib by fasting, but we may not see its rewards if we do not ensure that our conduct is in line with what Allah (swt) has revealed. This also means that we should avoid getting angry or using foul language when interacting with people.

Reciting and Reflecting on the Quran
Ramadhan is known as the month of Quran. Consequently, we should increase our recitation of this Glorious Book that Allah (swt) out of His Mercy revealed to us. It is only by the Mercy of Allah (swt) that we have been guided and have been granted access to this book; so we should take full advantage of its message, especially in this month. Abu Umamah (ra) reported:

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) saying, ‘Read the Quran, for it will come as an intercessor, meaning it will be endowed with the power of speech by Allah and it will request Allah to forgive the sins of its reciters who acted upon its teachings, on the day of Resurrection.’” [Muslim]

Therefore, it is important to recite the Quran and implement the commands revealed in it. Also, we should take note of the immense reward of reciting each letter in the Quran. It is narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:

“Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will receive a hasanah (good deed) from it (i.e. his recitation), and the hasanah is multiplied by ten. I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is (considered as) a letter, rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.”
[At-Tirmidhi, Ad-Darimi]

Praying in the Nights of Ramadhan
Another important ibadah in the month of Ramadhan is to perform the prayers at nights. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported:

“The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to urge (the people) to perform (optional Tarawih) prayer at night during the month of Ramadhan. He did not order them or make it obligatory on them. He (saw) said, ‘Whosoever performs (optional Tarawih) prayers at night during the month of Ramadhan, with Faith and in the hope of receiving Allah’s reward, will have his past sins forgiven.’”
[Muslim]

Alhumdullilah, the masjids are filled after Isha with those who pray the tarawih. However, we should also remember that praying in the last third of the night (i.e. before fajr) is especially blessed:

“Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, inquiring: ‘Who will call on Me so that I may respond to him? Who is asking something of Me so I may give it to him? Who is asking for My forgiveness so I may forgive him?’” [Bukhari]

This time of the night is an excellent opportunity to appeal to Allah (swt) for His Forgiveness, and for His Mercy. It is also a good time to remember the Day of Judgment, Jannah and Naar and to reflect on our deeds. We should ponder on what our situation will be like when we are resurrected in front of Allah (swt). We should think about how on that day, all that will matter is our good deeds and our sins. Taking this time to reconnect with Allah (swt) can provide us with the energy to ensure that our conduct is in line with what Allah (swt) has revealed throughout the year. Furthermore, making ourselves accustomed to praying at night is a good preparation for observing Laylat al-Qadr.

Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Decree)
Allah (swt) has revealed:

“Verily, We have sent it down in the Night of Al-Qadr. And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr is. The Night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Ruh by their Lord's permission with every matter. There is peace until the appearance of dawn.” [TMQ 97:1-5]

The following was extracted from the tafsir of Ibn Kathir regarding this blessed night: Allah (swt) informs that He sent the Quran down during the Night of Al-Qadr, and it is a blessed night about which Allah (swt) says:

“We sent it down on a blessed night.” [TMQ 44:3]

“The month of Ramadhan in which was revealed the Quran.” [TMQ 2:185]

Abdullah ibn `Abbas (ra) and others have said, “Allah sent the Quran down all at one time from the Preserved Tablet (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz) to the House of Might (Baytul-`Izzah), which is in the heaven of this world. Then it came down in parts to the Messenger of Allah based upon the incidents that occurred over a period of twenty-three years.”

Then Allah (swt) magnified the status of the Night of Al- Qadr, which He chose for the revelation of the Mighty Quran. Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Hurayrah: “When Ramadhan would come, the Messenger of Allah would say: ‘Verily, the month of Ramadhan has come to you all. It is a blessed month, which Allah has obligated you all to fast. During it the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are shackled. In it there is a night that is better than one thousand months. Whoever is deprived of its good, then he has truly been deprived.’”

Aside from the fact that worship during the Night of Al-Qadr is equivalent to worship performed for a period of one thousand months, it is also confirmed in the two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“Whoever stands (in prayer) during the Night of Al-Qadr with faith and expecting reward (from Allah), he will be forgiven for his previous sins.”

Laylat al-Qadr and its Signs
The following hadith indicates that the Night of Al-Qadr can be found in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“The Night of Al-Qadr occurs during the last ten (nights). Whoever stands for them (in prayer) seeking their reward, then indeed Allah will forgive his previous sins and his latter sins. It is an odd night: the ninth, or the seventh, or the fifth, or the third or the last night (of Ramadan).” [Ahmad]

Supplication during Laylat al-Qadr
Imam Ahmad recorded from `A'ishah (ra), that she said, “O Messenger of Allah! If I find the Night of Al-Qadr what should I say?” He replied: ‘Say: O Allah! Verily, You are the Oft-Pardoning, You love to pardon, so pardon me.’

Also, the Prophet (saw) used to perform I’tikaaf in the masjid during the last ten days, where he would stay at the masjid and be involved continuously in the worship of Allah (swt).

Will we be around for the next Ramadhan?
It is narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:

“Remember frequently the thing that cuts off pleasures (i.e. death).” [At-Tirmidhi]

Consequently, we must be attentive toward how we spend the precious minutes of this month. We should also think about how we will answer to Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgment: will we wish we had done more this Ramadhan of 1432 AH?

May Allah (swt) help us make the most of this month. May Allah (swt) accept our siyam (fasting), qiyam (night prayers), and deeds during this Blessed month of Ramadhan. Ameen.

“But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise). Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?” [TMQ 55:46-47]

The Crisis in Somalia Continues

2011-07-22T07:43:00.002-04:00

Since the beginning of this year, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia have been experiencing one of the most severe draughts in the last 60 years affecting more than 10 million people. Earlier this month, Antonio Guterres, the head of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), visited a refugee camp in Kenya stating, “I have no doubt that in today's world, Somalia corresponds to the worst humanitarian disaster. I have never seen in a refugee camp people coming in such desperate conditions.” A UN report released this year stipulated that the situation in Somalia has, “drastically deteriorated due to the combination of drought, increasing food prices and conflict.

Geography & Resources
Somalia is bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden with Yemen to the north, the Indian Ocean to the east, and Ethiopia to the west. The country occupies the tip of a region that, due to its resemblance on the map to a rhinoceros' horn, is commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa. Somalia occupies a very strategic position along the Indian Ocean and has the longest coastline in Africa running 2,720 km (1,700 miles). Somalia has two stretches of coastline, one running along the Indian Ocean to the east and another running to its northern side along the Gulf of Aden towards the Bab el Mandeb and the Red Sea. Thus, Somalia is strategically placed as the gateway to Southern Africa as well as the Arabian Peninsula – a location that can be used to control these territories. Based on geological studies conducted Somalia is also very rich in the resources of uranium, natural gas, and oil.

How Islam Came to the Region
The history of Islam in the region dates back to the time of RasulAllah (saw). In the 5th year of Prophethood, as the oppression increased by the Quraysh, RasulAllah (saw) permitted 12 men and 4 women to leave for Habasha (Ethiopia) which included Uthman ibn Affan (ra) and his wife Ruqaiyah (ra). During the Khilafah of Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, parts of modern-day Somalia including Mogadishu, came under the shade of the Islamic State. Other factors that contributed to the spread of Islam in Somalia include commerce and the migration of Muslims to the coastal cities of Somalia. Mogadishu became the center of Islam on the East African coast. The local merchants expanded commercial ties to Mozambique, which included mining gold from the Monomopatan mines in Sofala. In northern Somalia, Adal was in its early stages a small trading community established by the newly converted Muslim merchants.

European Occupation
After the Berlin Conference in 1884, European nations agreed on the invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of Africa. Britain, France and Italy all laid claims to various parts of the area now known as Somalia.
For 40 years, the British controlled northern Somalia because of its access to the Red Sea, and the Italians ruled southern Somalia while the French had little impact on the region but controlled neighbouring Djibouti.

Both British and Italian territories gained “independence” in 1960 and merged to form modern-day Somalia. However, the country suffered from a tumultuous political atmosphere. For example, Somalia's sitting president was assassinated in a military coup in 1969; just 9 years after the Europeans left. Muhammad Siad Barre became Somalia's new president in 1969 and founded Barre's Supreme Revolutionary Council as the sole political party in Somalia. Barre also abolished the National Assembly and the country's constitution.

Post Pseudo-Independence
In 1991, Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted from power, and a power struggle ensued between clan warlords. From 1992 to 1995, through the so-called “Humanitarian” delegations under the auspices of the ‘Hope Again’ project, America deployed approximately 30,000 troops in Somalia to “restore order and protect the supply lines”. The mission was a failure and it resulted in a humiliating withdrawal for the US.

In 2006, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took control of Mogadishu and other parts of the south after defeating clan warlords. After years of lawlessness, the UIC worked to bring some law and order based on implementing the Shariah of Allah (swt). In 2007, backed by American support, Ethiopian and African Union troops entered Somalia and dismantled the UIC. Today the country remains in conflict between As-Shebab and the Transitional Federal Government supported by the West and African Union troops.

Impact on the Muslims in Somalia
It has been estimated that between 350,000 and 1,000,000 have died as a result of the conflicts that began in 1991. This number can only be further magnified by the number of people who have been injured and displaced in the conflict. Furthermore, with the region being in constant conflict for 20 years, this has further exacerbated the plight of the Muslims.

Regarding the impact of the drought on the Muslims, a report by the UN published last month highlighted the following:

At least one in three Somali children is malnourished in parts of southern Somalia. Malnutrition rates among new arrivals in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya are alarming, ranging from 30-40 percent. Three in five children arriving in refugee camps in Ethiopia from southern Somalia are malnourished. In refugee camps in Kenya, more deaths were recorded among Somali children in the therapeutic feeding centers in the first quarter of 2011 than in all of last year.
Because of lack of food in southern regions of Somalia, thousands are being forced to flee to neighboring countries Kenya and Ethiopia for assistance. An average of 10,000 new Somali refugees arrives in Kenya’s Dadaab camps per month and 5,000-6,000 at the Doolow Ado camp in Ethiopia. At the end of June, a total of 60,200 Somalis were registered in Kenya this year – more than a 100 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2010.
UNICEF said earlier this week that at least 500,000 children were at risk of death in the Horn of Africa, while the International Committee of the Red Cross has said one in 10 children in parts of Somalia could die from starvation.

What is the Solution?
When we examine the major factors that are causing the crisis in Somalia it is clear that it is linked to the absence of the Islamic system of governance - the Khilafah. Applying the Islamic system would address the issues affecting Somalia in the following manner:

Internal Conflict – Throughout the history of the Khilafah, there were many attempts by the disbelieving colonial powers to forge alliances with Muslims living in the Islamic State with the hopes of creating a wedge between Muslims. For example when Ka’ab bin Malik (ra) was awaiting his judgment from Allah (swt) on missing the Battle of Tabuk, the King of Ghassan sent him a letter stating, "To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (i.e. the Prophet ) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not let you live at a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So join us, and we will console you." Ka’ab (ra)’s response was to burn the letter as he knew what the King was intending to do.

Many of the internal conflicts in Somalia arose as a result of foreign influence and intervention. Allah (swt) has clearly forbidden Muslims from seeking military assistance or support from non-Muslims:

“Oh you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya’ (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Auliya’ of each other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Auliya’), then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimun.” [TMQ 5:51]

Applying the Islamic system will mean the establishment of authority and security in the hands of the Muslims. This will allow the affairs of the Muslims to be decided based on the interests of the state (i.e. seeking the pleasure of Allah (swt)) and not the interests of any foreign power.

Drought and Food Prices – the first time the Muslim Ummah witnessed famine was in the year 18AH – during the Khilafah of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (ra). Bedouin people began to die because of hunger and epidemic diseases. People from all over Arabia gathered at Madinah (the capital of the Khilafah) where food was rationed. Soon the reserves of food in Madinah began to decline, and Umar (ra) wrote to the Wulaat (provincial governors) of Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Iraq for aid who responded by sending caravans loaded with food and supplies. Umar (ra) dispatched his men to the routes of Iraq, Palestine and Syria to take the supply caravans to the desert settlements deeper into Arabia, which in turn saved millions from starvation. For internally displaced people, Umar hosted a dinner every night at Madinah, which according to one estimate had an attendance of more than one hundred thousand people. By early 19AH, conditions began to improve as precipitation resumed in the drought-affected areas. Umar personally supervised the rehabilitation of the displaced people.

What Umar (ra) did can be applied to drought-affected areas such as Somalia and the surrounding regions today. Having a Khilafah for the whole Muslim Ummah and implementing the ruling system of Islam in the Muslim lands will allow the Khalifah to co-ordinate the rich and abundant resources available in one area to areas that are poor and depleted of resources. Each area of the Khilafah will be under his control and the Wulaat (provincial governors) of each region will work with him to solve problems such as droughts. Implementing these relief efforts will also eliminate the sharp rise in food prices we are witnessing in Somalia today as there will be more food available for the population to consume. As a result, the local sellers who have access to food supplies will have little incentive to raise food prices to exorbitant levels.

Reflecting on Those Who Died
Many of us may know, or be related to, someone who is personally afflicted by the drought in Somalia. While it is a tragic time for the grieving families, we should also remember that a believer is never at loss, regardless of the tremendous trials that befall him/her. We ask Allah (swt) to raise the ranks of those who have suffered and for them to be in a more comfortable place.

Just as Allah (swt) is testing our brothers and sisters in Somalia with hardship, He is testing us in our response. In this time of need and immediate crisis, we should help where we can and give sadaqa to those in Somalia whom we know personally.

The drought or any other natural disaster that befalls the Muslim Ummah exposes the current despotic rulers. They should be a reminder for us that the work to resume the Islamic way of life, by re-establishing the Khilafah Rashidah in the Muslim lands, needs to be undertaken with urgency so that we may seek the pleasure of Allah (swt). Only with a constructive and coherent effort at re-establishing the Khilafah Rashidah will this problem be addressed. Only with a comprehensive elimination of the current constitution, judiciary and systems, and their replacement with the constitution, judiciary and systems based on the Hukm of Allah (swt) can the direction of all Muslim lands including Somalia be comprehensively changed for the better. It is only the Khilafah Rashidah that has the track record of uniting Arab, Asian and African, of uniting white, brown and black under the Islamic Aqeedah. It can only be the Khilafah Rashidah that can be trusted with key resources which would be utilized in a manner allowed by the Shara’ and not circulated among the few. Only the Khilafah can end foreign occupation and political interference and bring stature and respect back again to the whole of the Muslim world.

“Oh you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.”
[TMQ 47:7]

REFLECTIONS: The Islamic Ruling on Protests & Demonstrations

2011-07-08T22:27:00.003-04:00

The Ummah (Islamic Nation) around the world is rising and seeking to reclaim the authority that was stolen from her by the tyrant rulers. In country after country, we are seeing the people lose their fear of the regimes that have been suppressing, repressing, torturing and imprisoning them while standing in the way of their political aspirations. Now, some of these rulers have fallen, and others are living precariously; the momentum is for change and the Ummah will not turn back.

This struggle that the Ummah is engaged in is the highest political struggle that was sanctioned by the Messenger of Allah (saw) as the best struggle.

Yet, we find some ‘ulama (clerics) sponsored by the oppressive regimes giving a most unfortunate regressive fatwa (religious edict) that claims protests and demonstrations in the Muslim lands are haram (prohibited). In this article, inshAllah, we want to scrutinise this fatwa, since Muslims are commanded not to be like the Ahl al-Kitab (The People of the Book) who took their priests and rabbis as Lords (instead of Allah), accepting their judgments blindly without question. The reasons given for such a fatwa range in gravity, from the serious charge of rebellion, to the downright ludicrous claim that demonstrations will hold up traffic! One fatwa is premised on the principal reason: that protests and demonstrations constitute rebellion against legitimate rulers.

It is important to note that accounting the rulers is an important obligation in Islam, independent of their legitimacy. In other words, whether the rulers are legitimate or illegitimate, the Ummah has the obligation to hold them to task. This article will inshAllah explain that public protests and demonstrations (which are conducted in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Sharī’ah) are a permitted form of accounting.

What is a Legitimate Authority in Shari'ah?
A state becomes Islamic when its rules and policies are based on the Islamic Aqeedah (creed). Specifically, all laws and policies enacted by the government are solely extracted from the Qur’an and Sunnah. In other words, the sovereignty solely lies with Allah (swt). That is why obedience to the rulers is required if they rule by the Sharī’ah, as Allah (swt) says:

“O you who believe! Obey Allah, Obey His Messenger and those in authority from amongst you; and if you differ, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.” [Al-Nisa: 59]

This noble verse in Surah al-Nisa comes after verse 58, which focused on the rulers when they were enjoined to rule by justice – which is nothing other than what Allah (swt) has revealed (i.e. the Qur’an and the Sunnah). The focus in the verse is on the Muslims under the authority of the rulers, and their responsibility. In this respect, the message of this ayah is addressed to the Ummah:

The Messenger (saw) said: “There is no obedience (when this results) in disobedience of the Creator.”
[Sahīh Bukharī]

Here the apparent mantūq (meaning) is an absolute prohibition of following an order that goes against the order of Allah (swt).

It has been reported that ‘Alī (ra) said, “The Messenger of Allah sent a troop under the command of a man from Al-Ansar. When they left, he became angry with them for some reason, and said to them, `Has not the Messenger of Allah commanded you to obey me?’ They said, `Yes.’ He said, `Collect some wood,’ and then he started a fire with the wood, saying, `I command you to enter the fire.’ The people almost entered the fire, but a young man among them said, `You ran away from the Fire to Allah’s Messenger. Therefore, do not rush until you go back to Allah’s Messenger, and if he commands you to enter it, then enter it.’ When they went back to Allah’s Messenger, they told him what had happened, and the Messenger said, ‘Had you entered it, you would never have departed from it. Obedience is only in righteousness.’” [Bukhari]

Here the Messenger (saw) stated that obedience is only in the ‘ma’rūf’ (good) and not in the ‘munkar’ (evil).

Even though the persistent violation of Sharī’ah by the regimes in the Muslim lands is clear to any observer, it is important not to confuse the issue of legitimacy, with that of accounting the rulers. Accounting the rulers is an independent obligation in Islam. Suffice it to say, as the following section will show; if public accounting was permitted in the time of our Prophet (saw) and the Khulafa Rashideen (rightly-guided Caliphs), who represent the pinnacle of Islamic leadership and justice, then by min bab awla (greater reasoning), such accounting is needed in the time of oppressive and corrupt rulers, whether they are legitimate or illegitimate.

Evidences for Permissibility of Protests/Demonstrations
A number proofs (adillah) exist for the permissibility of demonstrations. Firstly, the general evidences that allow people to meet and express opinions would also permit people to demonstrate their opinions - as long as the opinions expressed are permitted by Islam. As such protests and demonstrations are merely a permissible style, which takes its hukm (ruling) dependent on the reasons and aims of the demonstrations. Thus, these must be assessed before a hukm can be given. How can a style be labelled haram without considering its aim and purpose? For example, if Muslims come out on a demonstration calling for the legalisation of riba, such a demonstration would not be halal, as it calls for something that is haram. However, if people come out to account the rulers for their oppression, and neglecting the people’s legitimate rights (given by Islam); then such a demand – whether via a letter, meeting or demonstration – is halal, because it is regarding a matter that is not only permitted, but also obliged by the Sharī’ah.

Another form of general evidences are the ‘umūmat (generality) and mutlaq (unrestricted) of the ahadīth, that enjoin Muslims to speak the haqq, enjoin the good and forbid the evil. So for example the hadīth:

“The best struggle (jihad) is the word of truth spoken to a tyrant ruler.” [Al-Nasa’ī]

This hadīth encouraging political struggle does not specify the manner in which the truth should be spoken to the tyrant ruler, which means any style that has not been prohibited by another text is permitted. So whether by a letter, distribution of leaflets, publication of a book, article in a newspaper or speaking directly to the ruler - these are all permissible means of fulfilling the obligation. This is similar to the hadīth of the Messenger (saw) when he said: “Convey from me even if it be one verse.”[Bukharī]. This hadīth enjoins on us to convey Islamic knowledge or carry da’wah to others and in the language of this hadīth the Prophet (saw) did not restrict it to any particular style or means. Therefore, it is permissible to impart knowledge via one to one teaching, group lessons or even via the internet. These are all permissible styles as the command of ballighū (convey) is mutlaq (unrestricted): so whatever action will realise this is permitted, as long as there is no specific nass (text) to the contrary.

The above hadīth for example says ‘the best struggle’: this fits a reality where the accounting is done publicly, since that is truly a struggle, whereas it is easier to account privately. It is when the ruler is accounted in front of everyone that he is likely to kill or imprison the person accounting him. This is also the significance of the following hadīth:

“The master of martyrs is Hamzah and a man who stood up to a tyrant ruler to advise him and was killed”
[Al-Hakim]

The fact that a ruler was accounted publically is the most likely reason for the accounting-person being killed.

This is also the example of the Sahabah and Salaf al-Salih who accounted the rulers in public. It is reported that a person told ‘Umar b. Khattab (ra) to “fear Allah” publicly, and ‘Umar responded by saying: “There is no goodness in you if you do not say it, and there is no goodness in us if we do not hear it.” (Manaqib amir al-muminin by Ibn Jawzi. P.155)

As for the Salaf al-Salih, look at the example of Hasan al-Basrī: he was present in Basrah when al-Hajjaj, a tyrant walī, built his grand palace and called all the people to witness it. Hasan knew that this was a great opportunity to remind the people about the place of wealth and status in this life. He said: “We looked at what the filthiest of filth built, and we found that Fir’awn built greater than what he built and higher than what he built, then Allah destroyed Fir’awn and what he built. Hajjaj should know that the inhabitants of the sky hate him and the people of the earth only deceive him!” It was said to Hasan “Be careful, O Abū Sa’īd!” Hasan replied “Allah has taken a covenant from the people of knowledge to explain it to the people and not to be silent!” In this example, Hasan al-Basrī openly exposed the excesses of the legitimate ruler. (Suwar min hayat at-tabi’in, ‘Abdur Rahman Ra’fat Basha p.101-102)

This was the same practice for Ahmad Ibn Hanbal when he accounted the Abbasid Khalīfah al-Ma’mun, and Ibn Taymiyyah with Sultan al-Nasir, the Mamluk sultan: so how can it be claimed today that it is haram to account the rulers publicly?. It does not befit those who claim to follow such scholars that they should give a fatwa that effectively stops a means to accounting the rulers and speaking the word of truth. This is not blocking the means (sad al-zari’ah) to evil but blocking the means to hold the rulers to account and speaking the Haqq.

Therefore, demonstrations and protests to account the rulers and expose their betrayal of the Ummah’s interest are permissible. The caveat to this permissibility is conditional that no other rules of the Sharī’ah are violated, such as destruction of public or private property, non Islamic slogans or free-mixing etc.

It is an Obligation
If a person were to steal our property, would we sit back and watch as bystanders? Rather, we will at least protest or attempt to reclaim our property. So why is it that some choose to remain silent, or ask others to remain silent when the tyrant rulers have stolen something far more precious, which is the authority (sultan) of the Ummah to implement Islam. This authority has been stolen, usurped and abused by the tyrant rulers and we are obliged to reclaim that authority by accounting these rulers and working to re-establish the Khalīfah who will rule by what Allah has revealed. Let us continue to heed the words of Muhammad al-Mustafa (saw) which came in the form of a warning, when he said:

“Nay, by Allah, you either enjoin good and forbid evil and catch hold of the hand of the oppressor and persuade him to act justly and stick to the truth, or, Allah will involve the hearts of some of you with the hearts of others and will curse you as He had cursed them.”
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]

Russia is Targeting Our Muslim Sisters

2011-06-24T09:20:00.012-04:00

In this issue, we call attention to the recent actions of the Russian government against our Muslim sisters living in Russia. The Russian government has recently begun a campaign of repression against these sisters as a means to put pressure on their husbands to confess to crimes that they did not commit.

As Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russian leaders are working hard to portray the country as a civilised nation that respects human rights. For example in November 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was praised by activists for vetoing a law that would have made it more difficult to hold protests in the country. However, the reality is that Russia continues to be in line with its long history of tyranny. The Russian government continues to resort to any means necessary to achieve its objectives, including the separation of a mother from her children in order to force the father to confess to crimes he did not commit.

Below you will find a sample letter to email to the Russian embassy in order to put pressure on the government to stop these brutal tactics against men, women and children. The email address is:

rusconsul@bellnet.ca

The following are just a few recent examples of what our Muslim sisters living in Russia have gone through:

Sidikova Oomidjan Ganevna - 35 years old

The domestic security agency of Russia (FSB) arrested a Muslim woman, Sidikova Oomidjan Ganevna, on the morning of May 19^th, 2011 in Moscow. They did not allow her to inform her family of her whereabouts, and her three children – a daughter, Meerkhan (12), and two sons, Nusratullah (10) and Salahuddin (8) – were placed in an orphanage.

A few months earlier, on December 7^th 2010, Sidikova's husband, Farookh Fadl Dinovic, was arrested upon allegations of membership with the Islamic political party, Hizb ut-Tahrir. His wife was then arrested in order to put pressure on him to confess to the allegations, which were not true. The court sentenced Sidikova to two months in prison.

Raids against our sisters in Ufa

On May 23^rd, in the city of Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan (a province in Russia), security agencies carried out raids on homes without warrants and arrested many Muslim women.

Manapova Yula Kazikhanov - 27 years old

The house of Manapova Yula Kazikhanov was raided by officers of the National Security agency on May 23^rd 2011. They led her to 55a Kalinina Street where she was verbally abused and threatened with a screwdriver and sharp tool (an awl). She was also threatened with the arrest of her sons as a form of pressure. This procedure was repeated throughout the day, while her baby and 5 year old child were left alone in the house.

Elmira Minnibiva Yonnerova - 26 years old
The house of Elmira Minnibiva Yonnerova, who also lives in Ufa, was searched while she was eight months pregnant. The search was carried out without legal authorization: the address written in the legal papers was wrong and the two female witnesses used during the investigation were from the agency itself. During all this, her husband, Tahir Vanisovic, and her one-year old son, Aleem, were in the apartment witnessing the actions of the agents, who added insult to injury by trampling with their dirty feet on books that contained verses from the Qur’an.

It is clear that this sort of conduct by the security agencies seek to degrade the feelings of the believers.

Their unlawful entry had a traumatic impact on the sister, in the form of severe stress, a dangerous increase in her heart rate, and pain in the lower abdomen. She was later taken by the ambulance to be examined by a doctor. It was found that her condition was precarious and that she may lose her child as a result of this traumatic experience.

Caquerova Ramilva Leila - 29 years old
Caquerova Ramilva Leila, mother of 4 small children – Zainab (6 years), Salah al-Din (4 years), Ali (2 years) and Jannat (1 year) – was also put under pressure by the security agencies. Two cars arrived at her house at 7am on May 23^rd, 2011 while the sister was leaving to go meet her husband Albert Shakirov Zkjevic, who has been imprisoned as of September 22^nd 2010. They stopped her and conducted a body search, and without any reason, they forcibly pulled her mobile phone from her. They then started to act according to the old customs and traditions of the Russian State by showing her a “warrant” while forcing her to open the gate so that they could enter the house.

During their search for prohibited literature, the authorities searched every corner of the house: even the fridge and the freezer were not spared. The search was conducted despite the fact that all the books in the house were issued in Russia. Still not satisfied with what they found, they began threatening to tear the panels of the walls which were made of wood. They began shouting, scaring the young children and waking them up from their sleep.

After interrogating the sister, they took her to the section located in 55a Kalenna Street, room number 218. Then they started to talk after which they handed her a prepared confession to being a fundamentalist which they wanted her to sign. She requested a lawyer, and mentioned to them Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but this did not sway them. Rather, the response was a threat of imprisonment and to take her children to an orphanage. They began calling the management in order to find the address of the nearest orphanage, and they began waving a knife and awl at her face.

Responsibility to Our Brothers & Sisters in Russia
When looking at these crimes being committed against the Muslims of Russia, we must remember that these crimes are being committed against the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (saw) - our Ummah. In other words, these illegal and extra-judicial practices are being committed against our wives, our mothers, our sisters and our children. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he does not oppress him, nor betray him. He who assists his brother, Allah assists him, and he who relieves a Muslim of a calamity, Allah will relieve him of a calamity on the Day of Resurrection. He who conceals a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection.”
[Bukhari and Muslim]

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he does not oppress him, nor degrade him.” [Muslim]

Everyone who is able to protect or assist but does not do so will be considered as having left his brother without helping him. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“A Muslim does not abandon another Muslim in a place where he desires his help except that Allah will abandon him in a place where he desires the help of Allah.” [Abu Dawood]

It is necessary that this incident impacts us and that each one of us partakes in freeing these Muslim families.

Dear Muslims:

You are able to assist our brothers and sisters by:

Making dua: Pray to Allah (swt) that Allah (swt) grants our sisters and our brothers a swift release. Indeed, Allah (swt) has power over all things.
Exposing Russian crimes: We must spread the news of these incidents to all the Muslims. Everyone must know about it. We must draw the attention of all segments of society including the media, friends and family. In addition to speaking to others in person or by phone, we can use e-mail and other online tools to create awareness about this issue.
Putting pressure on the Russian Government: We can also fax and email the Russian authorities and make it clear to them that this brutality is unacceptable. They should know that the Muslim Ummah is one and that we stand in solidarity with our sisters and our brothers who live in Russia. Protests have already been held in Jordan, Turkey, Australia, UK and other places around the world. We have included a sample letter below that can be sent to the local Russian embassy.

We Require our Shield for the Aggression to Stop
We are reminded again and again that without the Khaleefah, these tragedies will unfortunately continue without end.

The ruler of the Muslim Ummah is obligated to protect the honour of the Muslim men, women and children as RasulAllah (saw) and the Khulafa after him did:

Rasul’Allah (saw) – When a Muslimah had her awrah exposed in the market of Banu Qaynuqaa', a Muslim rushed to her assistance and was killed. However, Prophet Muhammad (saw) was able to send in reinforcements which resulted in the expulsion of Bani Qaynuqaa'.
Mu'tasim – A Muslimah in 'Ammuriyyah (present day Ankara) was dishonoured by the Byzantines. When the Khaleefah Mu’tasim heard of her plight, he responded by sending a Muslim army to liberate that region and free the Muslim prisoner.
Nur Al-Deen – United, the Muslim Armies directed an assault on the Crusaders and through his general Salahuddeen Al-Ayubi, liberated Al-Sham.

Subhan-Allah! It has become all to easy to find unspeakable horrors and crimes being committed against this Ummah, whether it is in Russia, Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir - or even in our own countries! Brothers and sisters, what we lack is the shield that RasulAllah (saw) prescribed for us to use in order to protect ourselves. This shield is described in the following hadith:

“Indeed, the Imam (Khaleefah) is a shield, from behind whom you fight and by whom you are protected.”
[Muslim]

May Allah (swt) help this Ummah to reclaim its shield and may He (swt) protect the honour of this Ummah.

“But if they seek help from you in the matter of the deen then it is your duty to help.” [TMQ 8:72]

Sample Letter to Send to the Russian Embassy

To the Russian Ambassador and his superiors:

I, insert your name, from [insert your country's name here] hereby express my most severe condemnation of the arrests, searches and investigations conducted by the Russian authorities against Muslims in general and more specifically Muslim women and children, including: Sidikova Oomidjan Ganevna, Manapova Yula Kazikhanov, Elmira Minnibiva Yonnerova, Caquerova Ramilva Leila and many others.

I sincerely advice you to stop all such actions immediately, and demand that you, among other innocent imprisoned Muslims, release Sidikova Oomidjan Ganevna, who was arrested in Moscow on the 19th of May 2011, and return her three children.

Reflections- The Khilafah: The Only Way Forward

2011-06-13T16:40:00.006-04:00

The 28th of Rajab will mark the 90th anniversary of the fall of the Khilafah – the day that Islam ceased to exist over any land as a way of life. This anniversary should remind us of our obligation - as an Ummah - to resume the Islamic way of life through the re-establishment of the Khilafah.

Since the abolishment of the Khilafah in 1342/1924, the Ummah has witnessed a succession of despotic regimes backed by the Capitalist nations. With the uprisings in the Muslim world, Mubarak and Ben Ali may be gone, but the regimes are still there and continue to be financed, armed, and supported by the United States and Europe. As a consequence, the Ummah will continue to live a life of hardship and subjugation under the heel of colonialism that has caused political, economic, and social disasters throughout the Ummah. For example, 1 out of 5 Arabs lives on less than $2 a day – and this was before the 2008 Financial Crisis. According to Transparency International, Muslim countries account for 8 of the 10 most corrupt countries surveyed. The Ummah also continues to be devastated by war, where the UN estimates that 2 million women have been widowed in Iraq, while 744,000 have been widowed in Afghanistan.

Islamic Rule: Representation and Justice
From the recent uprisings in the Muslim world, it became clear to all that the Ummah was fed up with the rulers imposed upon us by the colonial powers. However, it should also be clear that we do not need to import the concepts of freedom and democracy from those same nations who actively work to support the tyrant rulers, along with the institutions that enable their corruption. Instead, we must call for the Khilafah - the Islamic State - and not democracy, as it is the only real solution. Islam gives us the right to elect our ruler through the process of giving bay’ah (pledge of allegiance) to the Khaleefah. This can be done via Majlis al-Ummah (Assembly of the Ummah) that will produce a short list of candidates from which the Muslims elect one to become Khaleefah.

Democracy, on the other hand, is a failed system, due to the fact that its political and economic systems (i.e. Capitalism) are based on the limited and biased mind of man instead of the Wahy (revelation) of Allah (swt). We have seen its spectacular failure with the financial crisis and even the current food crisis.

Furthermore, Allah (swt) has made it an obligation on us to refer solely to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of His beloved Messenger (saw) in matters of ruling, economy, and settling the affairs of the people. As long as we tolerate the rule of despots – who do not rule by what Allah (swt) has revealed – we can only expect our present-day condition to persist. Allah (swt) has revealed:

"And rule between them by that which Allah has revealed and follow not their vain desires, but beware that they may turn you away from some of what Allah has revealed." [TMQ 5:49]

As we know, the Sahabah ruled by what Allah (swt) revealed and therefore those who were blessed to live under their rule witnessed the justice that we seek today. For example:

Umar (ra), as the Khaleefah, received some cloth and distributed it amongst the Muslims by giving them one piece each. It became apparent that he was wearing two pieces of cloth. Immediately, Salman al-Farsi (ra) said, "By Allah, we will not hear you, because you prefer yourself to your people." In response, Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) then explained that he gave his father his cloth. Salman al-Farsi (ra) responded by saying: "Now we shall hear you."
When it came time to appoint the successor to Umar (ra), Umar (ra) did not appoint his son. Instead, Abdur Rahman bin Auf (ra) sought the opinion of the people of Madinah to determine whether Ali (ra) or Uthman (ra) should lead.
Even during the last days of the Khilafah, the Khaleefah practiced the concepts of justice and representation. In 1901, the founder of the Zionist movement, Theodor Herzl, visited Istanbul and attempted to meet the Khaleefah, Sultan Abdul Hameed II. He in return refused to meet Herzl, and he told his Head of the Ministers Council to "Advise Dr. Herzl not to take any further steps in his project. I cannot give away a handful of the soil of this land for it is not my own, it is for the entire Islamic Nation. The Islamic Nation that fought Jihad for the sake of this land and they have watered it with their blood. The Jews may keep their money and millions. If the Islamic Khilafah State is one day destroyed then they will be able to take Palestine without a price! But while I am alive, I would rather push a sword into my body than see the land of Palestine cut and given away from the Islamic State." His statement clearly illustrates his responsibility and concern for the land and the people of Palestine, as it was not his own property to sell.

Re-establishing the Khilafah – the comprehensive system of Islamic governance, education, courts, and other societal institutions entirely based on the Qur’an and Sunnah – in the Muslim lands is the only way of bringing a system of representative government that will ensure we are ruled by the Justice of what Allah (swt) revealed.

Khilafah: One of the Highest Obligations
The fardiyah (obligation) of Khilafah is well known to the Ummah, but some may consider it a low priority. Allah (swt) has revealed:

"And no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they refer to your judgment in all disputes between them then find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission." [TMQ 4:65]

This means that if we differ on an issue – such as the priority of the Khilafah – we must refer to the Qur’an and Sunnah to resolve our disagreement.

By the mercy of Allah (swt), the Shari’ah has identified certain issues as “vital”, i.e. matters of life and death for the Ummah. If such issues are not attended to, then the Ummah’s existence will be at stake. According to the Qur’an and Sunnah, when a hadith or ayah refers to taking someone’s life, it signifies a vital issue. That is because the life of a human being is sacred and can only be violated under very specific circumstances.

Islam has made the unity of the Islamic Ummah and the unity of the State as one of the vital issues. This is manifested in two cases: plurality of Khulafaa’ and rebellion against the Islamic State. Imam Muslim reported on the authority of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al’ Aas that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “He who pledged his Bay’ ah (oath) to an Imam giving him the clasp of his hand and the fruit of his heart shall obey him as long as he can, and if another comes to dispute with him, you must strike the neck of that man.”

It has also been reported on the authority of Abu Said Al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“If a Bay’ah has been taken for two Khulafaa’, kill the latter of them.” [Muslim]

Hence, he (saw) made the unity of the State a vital issue when he prohibited the plurality of the Khulafaa’ and ordered the death penalty for the one who insists on establishing multiple leaders within the Islamic State after being advised against it. It has also been reported on the authority of Arfaja, who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:

“He who comes to you while your affair has been united under one man, intending to drive a wedge between you or fragment your group (Jama’ ah), kill him.” [Muslim]

Now that the Islamic State no longer exists, these ahadith indicate the level of priority we must give to ensure that the Ummah is united under the leadership of one Khalifah (Caliph). We must understand that the unity of the Ummah is a “matter of life and death” and, therefore, we must exert our utmost effort to re-establish the Khilafah in the Muslim lands according to the Prophet’s method.

The Return of the Khilafah
The current era of tyrannical rule over the Ummah was prophesized by Prophet Muhammad (saw) in the famous hadith narrated by Imam Ahmed (rh): “…there will be dictatorships that will last as long as Allah is willing...” However, the same hadith also predicts that, after this tyrannical era: “…there will be a Khilafah on the way of the Prophethood.” In addition, Allah (swt) has promised victory to the Ummah. He (swt) has revealed:

"Allah has promised such of you who believe and do good deeds that He will surely make them to succeed (the present rulers) in the earth even as He caused those before them to succeed (others); and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and will give in exchange safety after their fear". [TMQ 24:55]

Allah (swt) never fails in His promise. We should therefore be motivated by this hadith and the ayah to look forward to the return of the Khilafah as the hope for the Ummah. However, this does not give us the excuse to sit back and wait for the Khilafah. We must instead study and comprehend the method used by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) to establish the Islamic State the first time, and follow his method in re-establishing the Khilafah this time. This means we must work within an Islamic political group as Allah (swt) revealed:

“Let there be from amongst you a group that call for goodness.” [TMQ 3:104]

The method of RasulAllah (saw) also requires us to take a halaqa within the group structure, with the goal of attaining the Islamic personality, while interacting with the Ummah to create public opinion for Islam, and seeking the support of the people of power and influence for the re-establishment of the Khilafah. In order to do so, we must educate ourselves, as the Sahaba did in Dar Al-Arqam, and rid ourselves of the influences of Capitalism by adopting the measures of halal and haram in our decision making and way of thinking. We must also work to convince the Ummah that Islam is the sole source of legislation and that Islam is sufficient: we do not need the ideas of Karl Marx, Adam Smith, or Barack Obama. Finally, we must work to convince the people of political and military influence in the Muslim lands to give the nusrah (support) to Islam – just as the Ansar gave nusrah to Islam. Only intellectual and political means (e.g. discussion, leaflets, conferences, etc) can be used in the struggle to re-establish Khilafah, as RasulAllah (saw) restricted himself to these means and forbade the Sahabah from using armed struggle to establish the Islamic State. He (saw) also did not participate in the political system of the Quraysh: Dar-al Nadwa. Therefore, we are also forbidden from working through the non-Islamic political systems that are currently in place. If our goal is to implement the Deen of Allah (swt), we must take the Qur’an and Sunnah as our only point of reference.

May Allah (swt) grant this Ummah victory, so that we may worship Him as He has ordained us to.

"And say: Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished away. Lo! Falsehood is ever bound to vanish".
[TMQ 17:81]

U.S. Policy: Aggression Towards the Muslim Ummah Continues

2011-05-27T21:39:00.002-04:00

On May 19th U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a much anticipated speech on U.S. policy towards the Middle East and North Africa. In the Guardian, the speech was referred to as, “...his most important speech on the Middle East since Cairo in 2009, when he called for a new beginning in relations between the US and the Muslim world.” Yet, in contrast to his speech in Cairo, this speech was intended to shed light on Washington's inconsistent response to the “Arab Spring” as well as providing a solution to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. As such, the speech dealt mainly with the Arab uprisings while positioning the U.S as a champion of these movements as well as reiterating the two-state solution to Israel’s occupation of Palestine based broadly on 1967 borders.

Denial of Supporting Tyrants
The speech did not offer anything new for the relationship between America and the Muslim Ummah. What was presented was an implicit denial of supporting the tyrannical regimes as Obama spoke of his support for the people demonstrating on the streets in the Muslim lands. It was not too long ago that Obama and his administration were shaking hands and making deals with those very tyrants they have apparently disowned today. For example, two years ago when Obama gave his “landmark” speech in Cairo, he referred to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as “a force for stability and good in the region.” Furthermore, during an interview this year while the protests were taking place, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden refused to call Mubarak a dictator.

Obama spoke of the oppressive rulers in the Muslim lands and the conditions that the Muslims living under their rule face: “It’s the same kind of humiliation that takes place every day in many parts of the world -– the relentless tyranny of governments that deny their citizens dignity.” What he failed to mention was that these very conditions were made possible by the political and economical support that the U.S has given to these rulers. For example in Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov and his government continue to receive millions in aid from the U.S despite the routine detention, torture and brutal subjugation of the Muslims living in the region.

U.S. Foreign Policy: Colonialism Continues
When we sift through all the rhetoric, we see that the American position towards the Middle East has not changed at all. On Palestine, Obama stated that, “a lasting peace will involve two states for two peoples: Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people, and the state of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people, each state enjoying self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace.” The notion of a two-state solution was also mentioned in Obama’s speech in Cairo, two years ago. This echoes President Bush’s statement where he said during his time in office, “I said that Palestinians should not have to live in poverty and occupation and I laid out a new vision for the future – two democratic states, Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security.” Clearly, Obama is maintaining Bush’s policy for Palestine – which is giving most of the land of Palestine to Israel. With that in mind, it is important to recognize that for Obama, the main issue of concern is Israel’s security as he stated “our friendship is rooted deeply in a shared history and shared values. "Our commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable”. This of course echoes what he stated in January 2009 (after the Gaza Massacre): “America is committed to Israel's security. And we will always support Israel's right to defend itself against legitimate threats”.

In Egypt, although Mubarak has stepped down and some members of his regime have been prosecuted, there has not been any real change thus far. The real power-broker in Egypt is the military and the heads of the army have maintained their allegiance to the U.S. Every year, the Egyptian Military receives $1.5 billion dollars in assistance from America. However, the relationship between the American government and Egyptian army is not limited to financial support. Rather they maintain a close relationship to ensure the country is run according to American interests. For example, Egyptian Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Sami Annan was in Washington on January 24th 2011 – while the uprisings gained momentum – heading a high ranking military delegation. Omar Suleiman, the Vice President appointed by Mubarak (just before stepping down) was previously the head of the Egyptian intelligence services and worked closely with the CIA on many assignments including the rendition of prisoners detained and tortured in Egypt. As such, the change that Obama alluded to in his speech when he said, “…it will be the policy of the United States to promote reform across the region…both nations [Tunisia and Egypt] can set a strong example through free and fair elections…” is really lip service as the facts reveal the U.S. support the existing power structures in Egypt. As a result the Egyptian president changed but the tyranny will continue.

Continued Economic Enslavement
In Egypt and Tunisia, where the people have removed the dictators from their necks, the U.S plans to impose additional financial policies that will not help the economic condition of the people but ensure further U.S domination of those regions. Obama said, “We’ve asked the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to present a plan at next week’s G8 summit for what needs to be done to stabilize and modernize the economies of Tunisia and Egypt.” What Obama failed to mention about these institutions is that they make policy prescriptions to the borrowing countries as a condition for the loans. Specifically, the World Bank and IMF will demand Egypt and Tunisia to privatize any public institution (i.e. water, electricity, etc) they want. The privatization of these institutions will allow foreign companies to purchase and control these assets. As a result the programs used by the IMF and World Bank will effectively transfer the control of vital resources into the hands of foreign-based corporations. The loans suggested by Obama is not something new; both Tunisia and Egypt have been given loans by the IMF and World Bank well before the uprisings began and the devastating consequences can clearly be seen. For example, in the 1990’s the Egyptian textile industry was privatized as a condition for loans provided by the IMF. As a result the work force was cut in half and wages for factory workers were reduced to less than half the pay of their counterparts in Tunisia, and about a third of the pay of those in Morocco and Turkey. With more loans from the IMF and the World Bank, we can expect the level of debt in Egypt and Tunisia to increase and the economy to deteriorate even further.

Why Does the U.S. Subjugate and Colonize the Ummah?
Although it is obvious that the U.S. is using rhetoric to cover its colonial foreign policy, the question is: why must they behave this way? We have seen successive U.S. administrations, whether democrat or republican, all working to subjugate the Ummah.

The answer lies in the fact that America has firmly embraced the secular aqeedah (doctrine), which separates between “church and state”. Laws governing public affairs are legislated based on the whims and desires of human beings. Consequently, the secular aqeedah will motivate the individuals who adhere to this way of life (i.e. Capitalism) to seek material benefits at any cost. The Capitalists do not limit themselves to spreading secularism, but work to dominate other nations as it is in their benefit to do so. For example, between the 16th and 19th century, Italy, England, France, and other European nations embarked on campaigns to colonize the Muslim world to force the Ummah to adopt their way of life and to steal our resources. Since America upholds the same secular aqeedah as these other nations, it now also seeks to colonize and subjugate the Ummah – as is clear from its actions in Iraq, its support for Israel and, most importantly, its support and imposition of ruthless tyrants, like Karimov, Zardari, and Karzai, across the Muslim world.

The objective to dominate the Muslim Ummah was expressed in the “Carter Doctrine” in 1980 when then U.S. President Jimmy Carter stated in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: “An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.” Carter established the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) and gave it the responsibility for combat operations in the Gulf. Three years later, Ronald Reagan elevated the RDJTF, naming it Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM has been the main American presence in many military operations, including the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. With this understanding, it is clear that the objectives of American foreign policy run counter to those of the Muslim Ummah.

Khilafah: A Real Concern for Capitalism
The major concern for the Capitalists is that the Ummah believes that Allah (swt) has the sole right to rule. As Allah (swt) has revealed in numerous ayat:

“The rule (Hukm) is for none but Allah.”
[TMQ 12:40]

"And no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they refer to your judgment in all disputes between them then find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission."
[TMQ 4:65]

This means that all our public affairs including economics, politics, the social system, the educational system and the judiciary are all governed by the commands and prohibitions from Allah (swt) revealed to us in the Quran and Sunnah. The manifestation of these systems into one entity – the Khilafah State – will by Allah (swt)’s leave outpace the Capitalist system by leaps and bounds. As it happened before, the Khilafah State will insha-Allah compete as a superpower. This is something that does not benefit the Capitalists and as a result they are trying to prevent the Muslim Ummah from working towards political unification. Consequently, the Capitalists will work day and night to ensure that the Muslim Ummah remains subjugated.

To the Capitalist Nations: Stop Meddling in Our Affairs
On numerous occasions we have witnessed Capitalist nations (such as America) interfere in our affairs. Allah (swt) has clearly forbidden Muslims from seeking assistance or support from non-Muslims:

Allah (swt) has also forbidden non-Muslims to have authority over the Muslims:

“Allah will not allow the disbelievers to have an authority (sultan) over the believers.” [TMQ 4:141]

Therefore in order to maintain obedience towards Allah (swt) we should not seek help from them and refuse by all possible means allowed in the Shara’ any perceived help or assistance they may offer. As Muslims, it is our obligation to warn the Ummah from being seduced by any rhetoric that comes from Capitalist Nations. We must convey the Hukm Sharai’ and show the facts as mentioned above to those that incline to such speeches.

May Allah (swt) help this Ummah to see the Haqq (truth) clearly from the Batil (falsehood). May Allah (swt) help us to be loyal to Him and His Prophet (saw) alone.

"And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not."
[TMQ 12:21]

REFLECTIONS: The Real Meaning Of Taqwa and Its Significance

2011-05-14T21:34:00.003-04:00

Taqwa is one of the most profound concepts in Islam. It has been referred to numerous times in the Quran and Sunnah in order to emphasize its relevance and significance to Muslims. In fact, the word taqwa and its derivatives are mentioned in 239 verses of the Quran and mentioned countless times in the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw). This emphasis is not surprising once we see that it is the key to happiness and success in this life and the hereafter. Taqwa is an avenue by which Muslims relate to one another in society and a means to channel their actions.

Allah (swt) said:

"O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in a state of Islam." [TMQ 3:102]

“O mankind! Fear your Guardian Lord, Who created you from a single person” [TMQ 4:1]

“O you who believe! If you fear Allah, He will grant you a Criterion (to judge between right and wrong)”
[TMQ 16:29]

RasulAllah (saw) said on the authority of Abu Dhar (ra) and Muath Ibn Jabal (ra):

“I advise you to have taqwa (be pious) to Allah in your secret and open affairs” [Ahmed].

Allah (swt) strongly emphasizes the rewards of people with taqwa in this life and in the Hereafter. He (swt) said:

“And for those who fear Allah, He prepares a way out, And He provides for him from (sources) they never could imagine” [TMQ 65:2-3]

“For the Muttaqeen (pious believers) are Gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath” [TMQ 3:15]

It is the Muttaqeen (i.e. believers who observe taqwa) whom Allah (swt) grants assistance, victory and provision. Therefore, understanding the concept of taqwa is vital and mandatory for every Muslim.

In the last few decades, some fundamental Islamic concepts have been distorted because of the colonial invasion that has taken root in the Muslim lands. Today, Muslims are more pressured than ever before to confine Islam to their private lives. They are pushed to limit Islam to personal Ibadat and Akhlaq (morals), while detaching Islam from any other aspect of life such as economics, politics or social affairs. The concept of taqwa does not have the same meaning to the Ummah as it did with the Sahabah (ra).

To some Muslims, taqwa is limited to acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, and charitable acts (e.g. donating to the masjid, helping the needy, etc). Consequently, to increase one's level of taqwa, one will only perform extra (i.e. mandoub) fasts, prayers, and charitable acts. These are truly important actions that each and every Muslim should strive for, however, it is incorrect to confine taqwa to the mandoub acts of worship. In other words, the picture is not complete, as Allah (swt) said:

“And We have sent down to you the Book as an explanation of everything, a guidance, a mercy and glad-tidings for those who submitted themselves to Islam.” [TMQ 16:89]

The Complete Picture of Taqwa
The Quran and Sunnah define the concept of taqwa as protecting oneself from the Hellfire by following the orders of Allah (swt), by doing what He (swt) has commanded and by avoiding what He (swt) has forbidden. Many ayat in the Quran point to this:

“And unto Allah belongs all that is in the Heavens and all that is on Earth. And, verily, We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allah, and keep your duty to Him, But if you disbelieve, then unto Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allah is Ever Rich, Worthy of all praise.” [TMQ 4: 131]

Taqwa comes from the root word 'waqiya', which means to protect. It is a protection from the Anger of Allah (swt) and His Punishment. This is why taqwa is used to describe the performing of actions, which please Allah (swt) and abstaining from those actions that displease Him (swt). Taqwa, in essence, means God consciousness - being conscious of Allah (swt) in all our actions and affairs. In the Prophet’s (saw) last khutbah, he said:

“I ask you to fear Him (swt), listen to Him (swt), and obey.”

In another hadith narrated by Imam Ahmed (rh), when RasulAllah (saw) was asked by a sahabi “Oh Messenger of Allah, give me some advice", the Prophet (saw) responded,

“I advise you to fear Allah because it is the head of everything.”

In another occasion the Prophet (saw) replied,

“Fear Allah because it is the collection of all goodness.”

The ayah and the ahadith are commanding Muslims to fear, obey and listen to Allah (swt). This will be the barrier between the Muslim and the Anger and Displeasure of Allah (swt).

Umar bin al Khattab (ra) once looked at people praying and said, "The great number of times any of you raises and lowers his head does not deceive me. The real deen is to be cautious and meticulous in the deen of Allah, and refraining from what Allah has forbidden, and acting according to what Allah permits and forbids.”

The son of Ali (ra), Al-Hasan (ra) once said, “The people who have taqwa (al-muttaqoon) are the people who avoided whatever Allah has prohibited and have done whatever Allah has ordained”. Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz(rh) once said, “taqwa is not by fasting the day and not by praying the night. And it is not by mixing between the two of them. But taqwa is leaving what Allah has made Haram and by doing what Allah has made Fard. After one has done this, Allah will provide good things for that person”. Ibn Juzayy (rh) said in his dictionary of terms from the introduction to his tafsir: "taqwa's meaning is fear, clinging to obedience to Allah and abandoning disobedience to Him. It is the sum of all good". In essence, taqwa is to fear Allah (swt); to listen to Him (swt); to obey Him (swt); to strive in seeking His (swt) pleasure. It is through the obedience of Allah (swt), by following His commands (hukum sharie), that one can attain taqwa.

Effect of Taqwa
Hence, from what Allah (swt) has outlined through the Quran and Sunnah, a person that only obeys Allah (swt) in the ritualistic aspects of worship, but fails to obey Allah (swt) in other matters (e.g. transactions) - is not considered to be someone who possesses taqwa. Instead, the muttaqoon are those who fear Allah (swt) and look to what Allah (swt) has ordained in their actions to avoid His (swt) Displeasure and Anger. It is this understanding of taqwa that a Muslim strives for. So, when Allah (swt) commands us:

"So establish regular Prayer and give Zakat; and obey the Messenger; that you may receive mercy" [TQM 24:56]

we pray, pay zakat and follow the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw), fulfilling Allah's (swt) command. When He (swt) orders us to:

"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in their life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor" [TQM 17:23]

we worship Allah (swt) only, and obey and respect our parents, in response to Allah's (swt) command. When RasulAllah (saw) tells us in the hadith:

"Riba (interest/usury) is seventy two types, the least of them (as a sin) is equivalent to that of a man committing Zina (adultery) with his mother",

knowing how great of a sin it is to commit adultery with one's mother (may Allah (swt) forbid), we will be running away from dealing with interest in any way or form (e.g. taking mortgage or investing in bonds). When Allah (swt) tells us:

"The Believers are but a single Brotherhood"
[TQM 49:10]

we obey Him (swt) and leave behind all types of nationalistic divisions and view and deal with all Muslims as one Ummah. When RasulAllah (saw) tells us:

"and whoever dies without a pledge in his neck (for the imam or khalifah), dies the death of Jahyliyah"

we strive to implement the rule of Allah (swt) by establishing the Islamic State and give our pledge to the khalifah - fulfilling the command of Allah (swt). When Allah (swt) tells us:

“The answer of the Believers, when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that he may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, "We hear and we obey": it is such as these that will prosper.” [TQM 26:51]

We totally submit to the rule of Allah (swt) and the Shariah that He (swt) revealed to us. When we hear Allah (swt) condemning those who take their desires as their source of legislation (Ilah):

"Have you seen the one who takes his own vain desire as Ilah (god)? Allah has, knowing left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart (and understanding), and put a cover on his sight: Who, then, will guide him after Allah? Will ye not then receive admonition?"[TQM 45-23]

we abstain from using our inclinations or likings to overrule the hukm of Allah (swt) for any reason - once again fulfilling His Command and avoiding His Anger.

This understanding of taqwa is what will drive the muttaqeen to acquire knowledge about the rules of Allah (swt) for the sake of applying them in all aspects of life in a comprehensive way to please Him (swt) and to avoid His anger. It puts us in a state of alertness to ensure that we fulfill all of His (swt) commands, i.e. looking for all of our obligations and fulfilling them, and abstaining from everything that is haram, regardless of what the consequences might be.
With this understanding, we can now realize the importance of what Umar bin al Khattab, Al-Hasan, and Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz, may Allah (swt) be pleased with them all, said, and why Ibn Juzayy summarized taqwa by saying "it is the sum of all good".

May Allah (swt) make us among the muttaqeen, who realize the true meaning of taqwa, and are worthy of receiving His (swt) promise:

“And whoever fears Allah, and keeps his duty to Him, He will forgive his sins from him and will enlarge his reward.” [TMQ 65:5]

MPs: Who do they represent?

2011-04-29T19:35:00.004-04:00

On March 25th, the Harper government was defeated by a non-confidence vote over the budget it was attempting to pass in the House of Commons. As a result, Canadians will be required to endure yet another election. As reported in the Toronto Star, Harper himself stated that it was "Canada’s fourth election in seven years, an election Canadians had told them clearly that they do not want". This issue will examine the reality of who politicians actually represent and also the hukm (Islamic ruling) on voting in a secular system.

Power to the People or Power to the Party?
Whenever we approach an issue, we must study the matter so that we can understand its reality. Therefore, as Muslims we need to look deeply into the matter - beyond the hype and the official rhetoric - of electing representatives who legislate by other than what Allah (swt) has revealed and whether Members of Parliament do in fact represent the interest of Canadian voters.

Beyond the actual voting process, we must consider whether the candidate actually represents his or her constituency. The reality of Canadian politics is that MPs do not vote on behalf of their constituents, but vote according to the dictates of their party leadership. A recent report published by Samara identified the mechanics of how decisions are actually made by the party - and not the individual MP. The Toronto Star quoted the following from this report: "Decisions from their parties’ leadership were often viewed as opaque, arbitrary and unprofessional and . . . parties’ demands often ran counter to the MPs’ desires to practice politics in a constructive way." The report, which was based on interviews with 65 MPs, also identified the following issues:

Quoting an MP: "Virtually all MPs ... go into the House of Commons with a bill and 18 to 20 amendments, and don’t have a damned clue of what the amendments say."
Quoting an MP: "I hate to tell you how many bills I had very little idea what I was voting on. That’s not necessarily my weakness, that’s just the reality."
One MP explained how the 'party whip' fulfills his or her function (i.e. which is to ensure that the party members tow the party line). According to the report, "...permission to travel for Parliamentary business—an important aspect of committee work—is granted by the party whip. But as one MP described it, if you weren’t “playing the game,” your travel request would be denied. “You can see who was going where. All you had to do was reflect on a six-month period and see who was rewarded and penalized."
An MP explained the consequence of voting against extending Canada's involvement in Afghanistan: "I told them a dozen times. I stood up to vote against extending the mission. And the whip’s crowd and the leader’s crowd are looking at me thinking, ‘What’s wrong with him?’” he said. “Of course, in no time after that my seat was moved back as far as it can get, by the curtain".

The report echoes the statements made by then Federal MP David Kilgour back in 2005 during a speech at the University of Alberta's Law School. He pointed out the following with regards to how the system is designed to force MPs to vote along party lines: “…the ability of an elected official in government to represent constituents is seriously impaired by the high degree of party discipline prevalent in the Canadian system since about 1900…the role of the member as a representative is seriously compromised by the fact that the real political power lies with the Prime Minister of the day. The Prime Minister has the power to dismiss a member of his caucus at any time…which it is severely disadvantageous for caucus members to deviate from any agenda set by the Prime Minister.” Some may point out that if an MP is ousted from the Party they can sit as an independent and serve their constituency as such. However, as Kilgour points out: “An expelled MP is forced to sit as an independent and is virtually excommunicated from the political process. He/she must try and conduct their work with severely diminished resources…Such members have little means of influencing government policy to the benefit of their constituents in any way....” Thus, it is clear with such statements from a Federal MP, that an MP does not in actuality represent the people, but rather represents the party agenda.

It is also public knowledge that MPs will be expelled from their party for failing to cast their vote along party lines. For example, Jack Layton ousted a member of his party (Winnipeg MP Bev Desjarlais) for voting against the same-sex “marriage” bill – even though she was only representing the views of her constituency who were against the bill.

Economic Interests versus the Will of the People
We must also consider the influence of the capitalist elite in the political process. As noted in a 2005 op-ed piece in the Toronto Star, “secret donations of unlimited amounts of money are still allowed to candidates in federal elections… One Liberal MP, who [was then] a cabinet minister, admitted a few years ago that he had a personal bank account with more than $200,000”. This allows for the elite to provide funds to MPs in exchange for political favours. The elite can also influence the political process through the funding of expensive election campaigns. CBC noted that “parties and candidates are not required to disclose who bankrolled their election campaigns before Election Day.”

Furthermore, politicians in decision making positions are most often appointed from corporate backgrounds making them vulnerable to lobbying from firms that stand to gain or lose as a result of passing a certain bill. In addition, once these politicians quit politics, they usually go back to the corporate world, and use their political connections to advance corporate interests. Some examples include:

Jean Chretien, the former Prime Minister, had the position of "international relations advisor to PetroKazakhstan Inc., an energy firm based in Calgary with major interests in Kazakhstan and [the] Caspian".
John Dossetor, senior policy advisor to the then Health Minister Allan Rock, joined Monsanto (a giant-agribusiness corporation) as " Vice-President, Government Affairs".
Gordon O'Connor, prior to taking the position as Canadian Defense Minister, was a lobbyist representing defence contractors such as Airbus Military, United Defense, General Dynamics Canada and BAE Systems in addition to a variety of other, non-military clients.

As noted above, an MP was ostracized for failing to vote for extending the mission in Afghanistan. What is interesting is that his vote was in line with the prevailing sentiment of Canadians. The war in Afghanistan has not been popular amongst the Canadian public who pride themselves on their tradition as peace keepers. Canadian diplomat, Robert Fowler, noted this resistance amongst the Canadians when he stated: "We are simply not prepared to foot the massive price in blood and treasure which it would take to effectively colonize Afghanistan ... and replace their culture with ours, for that seems to be what we seek." Given this war is so unpopular, why are none of the parties raising it as a key election issue?

The reason is that going along with the will of the people will harm the economic interests of the elite. Although the Canadian elite do not have significant direct interest in Afghanistan, they have interests in maintaining good relations with the United States. Canadian corporate elite interests depend on an open border with the US. According to Statistics Canada, in 2009, Canada exported over $270 billion to the US, which represents 75% of Canada’s total exports. The US has been putting pressure on other nations to support its war in Afghanistan. In 2008, the Globe and Mail reported that US President Barack Obama issued an ultimatum to Canada and other NATO allies: "There won't be any excuse to be anti-American any more. There will be no free rides. Allies will be expected to pull their weight.'' (www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/spector-vision/obama-harper-and-afghanistan/article719471/) In March 2010, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton told the CBC that the US would be unhappy if Canada stuck to its timetable of withdrawing its troops in 2011. She went on to state: "We do need non-combat forces, for example, for training and logistical work". (www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/03/29/clinton-canada-afghanistan.html#ixzz15psyG8cH)

In other words, Canada's policy in Afghanistan is ultimately dictated by elite interests - not the will of the people.

Why is the Democratic System so Flawed?
Given the above facts, it is no wonder that the Canadians are fed-up with the system. Consider the following:

47% of people do not vote (Globe&Mail)
75% of youth do not vote (CTV).
86% of the Canadian population believe that politicians lie to get elected (CRIC)

Although a significant section of Canadian society does vote, Canadians are increasingly realizing that the votes they cast actually do not count: only 28% of the Canadian population thought that the average citizens had influence with government (Participatory Democracy Group).

However, it is important to understand why the democratic system is so flawed. The answer lies not in some superficial rules that attempt to curtail the influence of lobbyists or increase transparency. Rather, it lies at the heart of the democratic system: its Aqeedah. The secular Aqeedah is based on the separation of Deen from life; meaning man designs his own systems - he does not take guidance from Allah (swt). The problem with this approach is that man is incapable of legislating because of his natural limitations. He is limited in his capacity to think and is easily influenced by his environment.

In contrast, as Muslims we believe that the systems that govern man should not be based on the whims and desires of people. Instead, these systems should solely be based on what Allah (swt) has revealed. Allah (swt) revealed:

“The right of Rule is solely for Allah." [TMQ 12:40]

“Rule between them by that which Allah has revealed to you, and do not follow their vain desires.” [TMQ 5:49]

This is the reason that the Islamic political system, the Khilafah, is the only system suitable for governing human beings. We should use this election time to bring this to the attention of Muslims and non-Muslims. Ultimately, the secular system is flawed because it is based on the weak minds of men. We should instead, turn to the guidance as revealed by Allah (swt):

“Say: Allah's guidance is the (only) guidance, and we have been directed to submit ourselves to the Lord of the worlds” [TMQ 6:71]

After all, what is guidance? Is Allah's (swt) guidance only restricted to the spheres of personal worship and individual morality? As stated in the ayat, we submit completely to Allah (swt). That is, by surrendering our will to Allah (swt), we recognize that we need His guidance to run not just our affairs in the personal sphere, but also our affairs as a society. Therefore, when a politician is running he is actually claiming to provide guidance to humanity. The Liberal Party is saying that they are the best guide for humanity whereas the Conservatives think themselves to be the best guide for humanity. The reality is that only Allah (swt) can be the guide for humanity. We would never believe that any of the party leaders that are running for office has better guidance than that revealed by Allah (swt). Therefore, we must stay true to our covenant with Allah (swt). When Election Day comes, we need to comply with the above ayat by stating clearly that only Allah’s (swt) guidance is the guidance for humanity and submission is to none but Him. InshAllah, if Allah (swt) accepts our deeds and is Merciful towards us, we will be happy that we maintained our covenant with Him by steering clear of the ballot box which does not recognize Allah's (swt) complete authority.

"And it could be that you hate something and it is good for you, and it could be that you love something and it is bad for you, and Allah knows and you know not."
[TMQ 2:216]

REFLECTIONS: How Did RasulAllah (saw) Attain Political Authority?

2011-04-17T21:17:00.004-04:00

In the past few months, the Ummah has attempted to replace the current regimes with a better system. As some of the dust settles from the massive wave of protests, it has become apparent that change has not yet truly taken place in the Muslim world. Although the rulers of Egypt and Tunisia are no longer official rulers, the system that kept them in power for decades is still firmly in place.

In order for true change to be successful, we must follow the method of RasulAllah (saw) as Allah (swt) has ordered us to follow the example of His Rasul (saw) in all our life’s affairs, including the way we bring about change in society:

“Whatever the messenger gives you take it, and whatever he forbids you abstain from it.” [TMQ 59:7]

“Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for everyone who looks for Allah and looks for the last day and who mentions Allah much.” [TMQ 33:21]

As we know from the Seerah, RasulAllah (saw) went from challenging the leadership of Makkah to becoming the ruler of Madinah. However, before attaining leadership, he engaged in three key activities: (1) building his group, the Sahabah (ra), to have Islamic personalities, (2) interacting as a group (i.e. he and the Sahabah (ra) together) with the society at large by challenging the erroneous thoughts of society, and (3) seeking nusrah - asking the influential members of society to give him unconditional support. Consequently, it is a fard (obligation) to follow these steps when working to change the system. InshAllah, we will focus on the Prophet's (saw) actions in the last activity - seeking nusrah - which enabled him to transform the kufr society of Hijaz into an Islamic society.

Seeking Nusrah: An order from Allah (swt)
In the tenth year of the Prophethood (3 years before Hijrah), after the death of the Prophet’s (saw) uncle Abu Talib, the Prophet (saw) realized that the Makkan society was not positively affected by the call of Islam in terms of public opinion for Islam and its concepts. It was in this phase that Allah (swt) ordered the Prophet (saw) to seek nusrah. Nusrah means "good support", while Nasr means supporting the victims of injustice, while Ansar means a group of those who provide support and provide relief to the oppressed. Under the chapter titled: "Efforts of the Prophet (saw) to seek Nusrah from the tribe of ‘Thaqeef’", in Seerat ibn Hisham, it is reported that when Abu Talib died, the Quraysh increased their persecution to a level that would not have been possible when his uncle was alive. After this increase in persecution, Ibn Ishaq says: “The Prophet (saw) left for Ta’if in order to seek their support and protection and asked them to accept what was revealed to him from Allah (swt). He went alone to Ta’if.”

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas (ra) in Ibn Hajar’s Fath ul Bari, as well as Hakim, Abu Nua’im and Baihaqi in Dala’il with sound narrations, that Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) said:

“When Allah (swt) ordered the Prophet to approach the Arab tribes, I and Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet (saw) to Mina until the court of the Arab tribes.”

Based on this evidence, it is therefore established that the command to approach the Arab tribes and seek their support, as well as the timing of this approach, came from Allah (swt). The timing of this command coincides with the loss of protection & support for the Prophet (saw). He was no longer safe and protected, the Quraysh would not allow him to carry the call of Allah (swt), and at the same time, the Prophet had no hopes that the society in Makkah would accept his authority, since the public opinion in Makkah was not favourable toward Islam. Thus, the Prophet was ordered to seek nusrah at that point in time in order to encourage the da’wah and bring Islam to a position that befits it in terms of ruling, authority and a comprehensive implementation of its Ahkam.

RasulAllah (saw) approaches Ta'if leadership for Nusrah
The Prophet (saw) began this task of seeking nusrah from Ta’if which was counted among the most powerful entities in the Arabian Peninsula at the time. In fact, it rivaled the Quraysh in terms of strength, prestige and position. This is what was stressed by Walid ibn Mughairah when he rejected the revelation of Quran on Muhammad (saw) because it was not sent down to the nobles of Makkah & Ta’if. Allah (swt) then revealed the ayah:

“And they say: ‘Why is not this Qur'ân sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Tâ'if)?’”
[TMQ 43:31]

The strength of the people of Ta’if is evident by the fact that even after the Islamic State was established, Ta’if was not conquered by ease. In fact, the fighting resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Ta’if was only conquered after the city was laid to siege and cannons were used to break their resistance. The Prophet (saw) proceeded to Ta’if intending to meet their chieftains and nobles. He met three of them and talked to them about Islam and nusrah. He returned disappointed due to the rejection of nusrah by the tribal heads. When the Prophet (saw) returned from Ta’if, he began to approach the powerful leaders of other Arab tribes during the Hajj seasons. These tribal leaders were, in effect, like the leaders of the armed forces or other powerful figures we find in the Muslim lands today. In Seerat ibn Hisham, under the chapter about the Prophet (saw) approaching the tribes, Ibn Ishaq says: “The Prophet (saw) came to Makkah but his people (the Quraysh) were even more severe than before except the few who had embraced Islam. The Prophet (saw) would approach the tribes during the Hajj season and call them to Allah, inform them that he was the Messenger sent by Allah and urge them to believe in him and protect him until Allah manifests for them what He (swt) has sent down.”

The books of Seerah show that the Prophet (saw), during the Hajj season, approached anyone who occupied a position of nobility and power. In seerat Ibn Hisham, under the chapter “The Prophet (saw) approaching the Arabs during the seasons”, it says: “Ibn Ishaq said: “The Prophet (saw) persistently pursued this matter whenever people met him during the (hajj) seasons, he called the tribes to Allah and to Islam and presented himself to them as well as what guidance was revealed by Allah (swt). The Prophet (saw) heard of no one of some significance and nobility visiting Makkah except that he called him to Allah and presented his call to him.”

The books of Seerah inform us that the Prophet visited Bani Kalb at their place and they refused to accept him, he went over to Bani Hanifah of al Yamamah at their place and they behaved very rudely like no other Arab tribe. The Prophet called on Bani ‘Aamer ibn Sa’sa’ and they refused unless he gave them the authority after his death which the Prophet (saw) rejected. He then visited Bani Kindah of Yemen at their camp and they also demanded authority after him and so the Prophet (saw) rejected their nusrah. He called on Bakr bin Wa’il at their camps; they refused to protect the Prophet (saw) because they were in the vicinity of Persia. When the Prophet (saw) visited Bani Rabee’ah’s camp, they did not answer. The Prophet (saw) called on Bani Shaiban at their camps who also were in close vicinity of Persia. Bani Shaiban offered to protect the Prophet (saw) from the Arabs but not the Persians, so the Prophet (saw) replied to them:

“Your eloquence of the truth amounts to its rejection. No one stands by the deen of Allah except the one who covers all its aspects.”

The Prophet (saw) continued to seek nusrah despite the refusal of several tribes; he neither wavered, nor despaired nor changed his course. ‘Zaad al Ma’ad’ reports from al-Waqidi who says: “The tribes known to us whom the Prophet (saw) approached and called them are Banu ‘Aamer ibn Sa’sa’, Muharib ibn Hafsah, Fazarah, Ghassan, Murrah, Haneefah, Sulaym, ‘Abs, Banu Nadhar, Banu Bika’, Kindah, Kalb, Harith ibn Ka’ab, ‘Udrah and the Hadhramis. None of them responded positively.”

The Prophet (saw) persisted in seeking nusrah until Allah (swt) blessed His deen with nusrah. Ibn Ishaq is quoted in Seerat ibn Hisham: “When Allah (swt) decreed the domination of His deen and honouring His Messenger (saw) and accomplish His promise, the Prophet (saw) went out in the Hajj season when he met people of the Ansar. He presented himself to the Arab tribes as he had been doing during the hajj seasons. So while he was at al-‘Aqabah, he met people from the Khazraj tribe whom Allah (swt) wished to bless. Those people from Khazraj accepted his call and went to reconcile their dispute with the tribe of Aws. They returned the next year with twelve persons and met the Prophet (saw) at al-‘Aqabah, this was the first Bai’ah of ‘Aqabah. Then after the society of Madina was prepared by Mus’ab ibn ‘Umair (ra) the nobles of the city visited the Prophet (saw) to offer him their protection and assistance. They met the Prophet (saw) again at al-‘Aqabah and made the pledge of allegiance which was a pledge of fighting along with the Prophet (saw)."

Seerat ibn Hisham narrates from the Prophet (saw) during this bai’ah: “I take your pledge that you will protect me just as you protect your women and children.” Al Bara’ ibn Ma’roor (ra) took the hand of the Prophet (saw) and said: “Indeed, by the One Who sent you with the truth as the Messenger, we shall protect you like we protect our children therefore, take our pledge oh Messenger of Allah, We by Allah are the sons of battles and the weapons of war are like toys for us, this has been our heritage from the times of our forefathers.” With this, by Allah’s (swt) leave, the Islamic State was established.

Nusrah: The Only way to achieve change
Indeed, the relentless effort of the Prophet (saw) in seeking nusrah as ordered by Allah (swt), despite the hardship and persecution he faced, clearly indicates that the order of Allah (swt) to seek nusrah is fard (obligatory). This is from the methodology of establishing the Islamic State and resuming the Islamic way of life. Hence it is not permitted to waver from this path.

In our time, we are seeking a similar change in the Muslim lands. This can be accomplished by a political party working to revive the Islamic way of life on the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and seeking nusrah from the people of power. This includes the armed forces of the Muslim lands as well as certain large tribes. As the Prophet (saw) did, we must ask these people of influence to support the establishment an Islamic system that only implements what Allah (swt) has revealed. Once the people of power and influence support the implementation of Islam, with the help of Allah (swt), we will see real change in the Muslim lands.

“If you support Allah, Allah will support you.” [TMQ47:7]

Foreign Intervention in Muslim Lands

2011-04-03T08:31:00.002-04:00

In mid March, the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1973 which sanctioned a no-fly zone and the use of “all means necessary” to protect the civilians in Libya. On March 19th, America, France and Britain launched aerial attacks in Libyan territory. The move by the Western nations to intervene in Libya was based on claims that Muslims in Libya who opposed Gaddafi were calling for foreign intervention and assistance.

Intervention by Western colonial powers, such as America, Britain and France, is not a new phenomenon in the Muslim world. In the recent past we have seen these nations meddle in the affairs of Muslims under the pretext of freedom, democracy and human rights. However, time and time again we have come to realize that these excuses mask their true intentions of colonialism. These Capitalist nations seek to dominate the Muslim lands in order to subjugate the Ummah and exploit her resources:

Afghanistan – Under the pretext of the 9/11 attacks, America and Britain invaded Afghanistan in order to remove the Taliban and create a democratic state. Today, American Forces are still in the country (30,000 more troops were added last year) and the installed government is headed by the corrupt U.S. puppet Hamid Karzai. The country is relatively lawless and violent and the economic conditions are worse now than they were when the country was ruled by the Taliban.
Iraq – Under the pretext that the country was producing weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam Hussein was a tyrant and that a democratic state needed to be established, America and Britain invaded Iraq in 2003. Throughout the occupation, the world witnessed the brutality of the occupiers through their heavy-handed tactics in dealing with the civilian population including the horrors in Abu Ghraib. Although America has officially ended the occupation in August 2010, American forces and bases still remain. Furthermore, Iraq is now economically worse off than it was prior to the invasion and over 1.4 million people have been killed.

The Real Reason for Assistance
While the Western colonial powers enter into Muslim lands under the pretext of bringing help, support and assistance to the civilian population, it is obvious that they have other interests at heart. Western colonial powers, such as America, are founded on the secular Aqeedah, which dictates that man determines what is good and what is evil. Therefore, these nations always act to fulfill only their own interests. It is inconceivable for these nations to act out of pure altruistic motives. These nations are not going to spend their wealth, and risk the lives of their citizens without expecting anything in return. And more often than not, they expect no less than subservience, especially when such subservience prevents the emergence of an alternative to the secular way of life, such as Islam.

America, for decades, sought to set a permanent foothold in the Central Asian region that included Afghanistan. In 1997, Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former national security advisor of US President Jimmy Carter, highlighted in his book, “The Grand Chessboard”, the need to acquire the “potential economic prize” within the Central Asian region. He described that an “enormous concentration of natural gas and oil reserves is located in the region, in addition to important minerals, including gold”.

The invasion of Iraq is another example of the Western colonial powers’ pursuit of their own interests. In 2004, US General Jay Garner who was in charge of managing occupied Iraq said, "look back on the Philippines around the turn of the 20th century: they were a coaling station for the navy, and that allowed us to keep a great presence in the Pacific. That's what Iraq is for the next few decades: our coaling station that gives us great presence in the Middle East."

Today Libya, with its large oil reserves, is in the same situation. It is guaranteed that following this intervention the Western colonial powers will expect an enormous return.

The Hukm Sharai’ of Seeking Assistance
As mentioned earlier, there have been claims that the Muslims in Libya who oppose Gaddafi requested foreign assistance. Allah (swt) has clearly forbidden Muslims from seeking military assistance or support from non-Muslims:

“Oh you who believe! Take not as Auliya' those who take your religion as a mockery and fun from among those who received the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, nor from among the disbelievers; and fear Allah if you indeed are true believers.” [TMQ 5:57]

Furthermore we see in the life of RasulAllah (saw) that he refused non-Muslims to participate in the battles against the Quraysh. Ahmad and Nasa’ee recorded that prior to the battle of Uhud, they saw a good looking battalion. The Prophet (saw) inquired about it and was told that it is a battalion of Jews who were willing to help the Muslims in their battle. The Prophet's (saw) reply was:

“We don't seek help from kuffar."

Interpreting this hadith, Imam Sarakhsi said, “its interpretation [the hadith above] is that they were forming an independent battalion and were not fighting under the flag of Muslims. For us we can only accept their help if they fight under the flag of Muslims (i.e. receiving commands from the Muslim general). If, however, they wanted to fight independently then we don't accept their help. This is the interpretation of the hadith "do not be enlightened by the fire of Mushrikeen" and the hadith "I am not responsible of any Muslim who has fought with a mushrik.”

Allah (swt) has also forbidden non-Muslims to have authority over the Muslims:

“Allah will not allow the disbelievers to have an authority (sultan) over the believers.” [TMQ 4:141]

It is not allowed for the disbelievers to have authority over the believers, because giving them authority not only means that the security of Muslims is in the hands of Kufr, and not in the hands of Islam, but also that implementing the rules of Islam will not be possible. The examples of Afghanistan and Iraq clearly illustrate this case.

What Should the Ummah Do?
If the above ayat and ahadith indicate that we cannot seek military help from the non-Muslims then naturally we need to first and foremost have tawakul in Allah (swt) and then ask our fellow Muslims for help. In the case of Libya, when the forces loyal to Gaddafi fled Benghazi, the Muslims in the area should have invited the Egyptian and Algerian armies for protection.

It may be argued that it is useless to ask them as Egypt or Algeria will not respond; they will remain inactive as they did when the Muslims in their own area protested. In answer to this we should be reminded that the victory lies with Allah (swt):

“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust.”
[TMQ 3:160]

The ultimate and true success and achievement is attaining the pleasure of Allah (swt) and Jannah as Allah (swt) revealed:

“Oh You who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful torment. That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know! (If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwelling in Gardens of 'Adn - Eternity ['Adn (Edn) Paradise], that is indeed the great success.”
[TMQ 61:11-13]

As a result, our perspective on any trial or issue facing us should be to implement the hukm sharai’ regardless of the consequences. We should view this world as a series of tests and passing the test means abiding by the ahkam shariah and Insha-Allah attaining the pleasure of Allah (swt). This mindset should be deeply-rooted in us so that when we are confronted with the immense trials we will continue following only what Allah (swt) has commanded. Allah (swt) has revealed to us many examples that show this behavior amongst the believers, including:

Those who were forced into the ditch: In Surah Al-Buruj Allah (swt) reveals the story of the believers who were given the option of either apostatizing or being thrown in a ditch of fire. As the believers refused to denounce their belief in Allah (swt) they were thrown in the fire. While it might appear that there was no success in refusing to disbelieve and be burned to death, they were indeed successful because they stuck to the truth and did not sway from the hukm sharai’.
Talut: In Surah Al-Baqarah Allah (swt) reveals to us the story of Talut and the army who went to fight Jalut. After testing the army by commanding them not to drink from a river only a small number of soldiers remained. They did not abandon their original objective, but rather put their trust in Allah (swt) and continued to meet Jalut and his army and they were victorious.
The Archers who remained: In the Seerah we learn about the details of the battle of Uhud. We are familiar with, the Prophet (saw) positioning 50 archers and commanded them to remain in that position no matter what happens (i.e. whether they see the Muslim army winning or losing). When the battle ensued it appeared that the Muslims were winning and many of the archers left their position in order to secure some of the spoils of war. However, the remaining 10 archers stood their ground as they were commanded to, fought the Quraysh army - led by Khalid ibn Walid who was known to never lose a battle - and died. Irrespective of whose Seerah we examine, it is clear that those archers who disobeyed RasulAllah (saw) were wrong to leave their post whereas those who stood their ground, abided by the hukm sharai’ and were in the right even though it meant their death.

May Allah (swt) allow us to be steadfast and patient in times of adversity and also at times of ease. May Allah (swt) allow us to abide by His commandments irrespective of the situation and the pressures facing us. Ameen.

“Verily, your Wali (Protector or Helper) is none other than Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, - those who perform As-Salat, and give Zakat, and they are Rakiun (those who bow down or submit themselves with obedience to Allah in prayer). And whosoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and those who have believed, as Protectors, then the party of Allah will be the victorious.” [TMQ 5:55-56]

REFLECTIONS: Islamic Concepts and the awakening of the Ummah

2011-03-19T06:04:00.004-04:00

Since the collapse of the Khilafah State in 1924, the Muslims have been suffering from the consequences of living under the rules of Kufr. Specifically, we have been colonized, and dismembered into over 50 states. The colonial powers left the Muslim lands physically, but have managed to install and support brutal and corrupt regimes to keep our Ummah divided, weak and defeated, and, in some occasions, even waging wars against each other under the pretext of nationalism.

Looking deep into how the murderous tyrant regimes and their masters managed to oppress the Muslim Ummah reveals a sinister and systematic approach of attacking specific Islamic concepts in an attempt to reduce the Ummah to a dysfunctional and subverted mass of people. The tyrants have survived and thrived by making the Ummah fear for their Ajal (appointed term) and rizq (provision) in addition to many other sinister tactics of dividing the Ummah and spreading a sense of distrust and suspicion among them.

By threatening the Muslims with death, suffering and loss of livelihood, such regimes have managed to dissuade the Ummah from its responsibility of enjoining good and forbidding evil, as revealed in the Qur’an:

“You are the best nation revealed for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.” [TMQ 3:110]

The tyrant regimes have acted, and are still acting, like Fir’aun (Pharaoh) did when he appointed himself as a god in front of the people by enforcing his own desires upon the nation, as was revealed by Allah (swt):

“And (Fir’aun) said, ‘I am your most exalted lord.’”
[TMQ 79:24]

The Islamic concepts of “Ajal” and “Rizq” are some of the most influential concepts that impact people’s reactions and their ability to respond. The two concepts are known but not remembered as absolute facts (Yaqeen) by many Muslims, and this fear has enabled the tyranny to continue without challenge for a long time.

Ajal (Appointed Term) Concept in Islam
The concept of Ajal has been a subject of misunderstanding due to the attempts of trying to understand the concept of life and death in an observational way, and not using the right thinking process based on adila (evidences) from Quran and Sunnah. We observe death in many different ways such as illness, accidents and so on; such observations are made using our natural senses and that’s how some Muslims have missed the actual and only cause of death which is the end of ajal (appointed term). Allah (swt) revealed in numerous ayat that the end of ajal is the only cause of death:

“…For every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a term appointed; when their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).” [TMQ 10:49]

“No soul can ever die except by Allah's leave and at a term appointed.” [TMQ 3:145]

“Say, ‘Indeed, the death from which you flee - indeed, it will meet you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you about what you used to do.’” [TMQ 62:8]

“Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thoughts”. [TMQ 39:42]

Contemplating and understanding the ayat should leave no doubt in our minds that the only cause of death is reaching the appointed term made by Allah (swt) and this belief should be in the forefront of any actions we do, especially when it involves enjoining good (Ma’roof) and forbidding evil (Munkar).

Rizq (Provision) Concept in Islam
Seeking the basic needs of life such as food, water and other necessities is a natural thing in order to be able to achieve the goals of our existence as revealed by the Quran and Sunnah. Islam made it an obligation to work to acquire our needs within the Sharia guidelines governing what can be acquired and how it can be acquired. A Muslim's actions must always be exclusively governed by the concept of Halal and Haram and nothing else. The most important aspect of acquiring Rizq is to believe that Allah (swt) is The Only Provider (Al-Razzaq) and all that we can do is put the adequate effort as part of relying (tawakkul) on Allah (swt) and leaving the end results to Allah (swt), as revealed in the following ayat:

“And there is not a beast on earth but its provision is due on Allah (swt). He knows its habitation and its repository. All is in a clear record.” [TMQ 11:6]

“Lo! Allah (swt) is that who gives livelihood, the Lord of unbreakable might.” [TMQ 51:58]

“And they worship beside Allah (swt) that which owns no provisions whatsoever for them from the heavens or the earth, no have they any power.”[TMQ 16:73]

“Eat and drink from the Rizq of Allah (swt)” [TMQ 2:60]

Slavery for Allah and not for Humans
Allah (swt) in His unlimited mercy and wisdom saved humans and all living things from being dependent on other humans or other living creatures for their provision and duration of life (rizq and ajal), setting them free from being slaves to other humans or even being fearful of other humans for their lives. When Allah (swt) mandated the enjoining of good and forbidding evil on Muslims he gave humans the tools to do that - by not fearing anything or anybody. If our ajal and rizq are given and taken by Allah (swt), and only Him, why should we fear the consequences of doing our obligations as Muslims?

Setting ourselves free from the self-inflicted enslavement to other humans or ruling regimes, caused by our fear of losing rizq and ajal, are two basic prerequisites to carry the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil. But this task requires acting collectively and not as individuals. Looking back at how the tyrant regimes have thrived reveals how they attacked the concepts of rizq and ajal combined with doing everything possible to fragment the Ummah to scattered individuals.

Despite being geographically dispersed, the Ummah has moved as one entity with the same theme and aspiration: to remove the injustice in all its forms and shapes brought by a fundamental root cause which is the absence of Islam as a ruling system. The Prophet (saw) said:

“Do not let fearing people prevent you from saying the truth when you see it, saying the truth and doing the right will never advance your Ajal or prevent a provision” [Ahmad, Ibn Habban, Ibn Majah]

Staying the Course and Being Vigilant
The current movements of the Ummah to remove the modern days Fir’auns began after a long time of suffering as a result of removing Islam from the lives of Muslims and replacing it with man-made Kufr rules implemented by the current regimes across the Muslim countries on behalf of their colonial masters. The Ummah's sons and daughters are paying the ultimate price by sacrificing their lives to remove the tyrants and their kufr regimes. May Allah (swt) reward those that have paid this price with highest reward. The Ummah came together as one entity to demolish the tyrannical regimes, breaking the fear of humans and fearing nobody but Allah (swt).

Our ultimate goal should always be pleasing Allah (swt), and the sacrifices made by the Ummah every day should never be tainted with the attempts of the dying regimes or their masters to superficially change the ruling systems. The sacrifices are made for the sake of Allah (swt) and the demands should be no less than re-implementing Islam under the shade of the Khilafah State. The enemies of the Ummah will do everything within their capabilities to break the enormous tidal wave, sometimes by promising help and other times by trying to maintain the status quo just by changing faces with less ugly ones. The Ummah must be vigilant not to fall twice in the same hole. Victory is from Allah (swt) and it does not come cheap, and the Ummah in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other Muslim lands are willing to sacrifice their lives for enjoining the good and forbidding evil. Allah (swt) revealed:

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, "When is the help of Allah?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.”
[TMQ 2:214]

One Ummah
Since the start of the uprising of the Ummah in Tunisia, the rest of Muslims across the globe are responding in different ways in support of their brothers and sisters despite all attempts by the enemies of the Islam to break their sense of belonging to one Ummah. In a matter of days, the Ummah picked up the message and revived the dormant concept of slavery to Allah and not to the modern day Fir’auns. We all ask Allah (swt) that this will be the real awakening of the Ummah to demolish kufr systems once and for all and reestablish the Khilafah State. May Allah (swt) accept our martyrs and give us the victory He promised.

“Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me” [TMQ 24:55]

Real Change Or More of the Same?

2011-03-06T01:34:00.002-05:00

We are witnessing monumental events taking place in the Muslim World. First in Tunisia, the Ummah took to the streets calling for change and removal of the dictatorship of Ben Ali and his wife's family. Then in Egypt, the Ummah protested in Tahrir Square – seeking true liberation from the 30 years of Hosni Mubarak’s police state. Now we see the Ummah going into the streets of Bahrain, Yemen, and Libya. The unchanging demand of the Ummah is for change.

Collapse of the Barrier of Fear
For a long time it was thought that the Ummah could not bring about political change in the Muslim world, because of the intense atmosphere of fear and intimidation created by the regimes. Anyone who dared to challenge the corruption of the rulers was harassed, jailed, tortured and even killed. This created a climate of fear, and only a few dared to speak out and challenge the tyrants. This barrier of fear has finally been broken. Courageous Muslims in Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, Syria and Libya, are challenging the dictators and demanding their expulsion! Libya is perhaps the most striking example: despite the widespread reports of martyrdom at the hands of the regime, the Ummah is still insisting that “There is no God but Allah - Gaddafi is the enemy of Allah”. This development is a major milestone in the Muslim world. In its quest for revival, the Muslim Ummah has realized the power it possesses, when it collectively undertakes political actions for change. The Muslim Ummah is now demanding an end to tyrant rulers, colonial interference from the Western powers, poverty, police brutality and oppression. This demand has been building up over the years and it has reached its boiling point!

Hijacking the Revolution
What is very clear from the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt is that the Ummah wants change and is capable of bringing about this change on its own terms. However, Western governments and their media are portraying this call for change to be a secular and democratic one in the Muslim world. Furthermore, they are claiming that it is a victory for their kufr system and ideology. Slogans such as 'Democracy', 'Freedom' and 'Human Rights' should be understood in the way Muslims understand them in the Muslim world. Muslims do not use these slogans in the ideological sense as in the West, but rather to express the injustices experienced by them when confronting the tyrant regimes.

Democracy: When Muslims call for Democracy they don't call for sovereignty of man over the sovereignty of the Shari’a, rather they mean the Muslims have the right to appoint their own leaders and not accept those imposed upon them and supported by the Western colonial powers, like Mubarak.

Freedom: The call for freedom is a reaction to the state brutality against anyone opposing the regime, and being imprisoned and killed as a result. Muslims are not calling for freedom in the Western sense of the term; according to which our beloved Messenger (saw) can be insulted in the name of freedom of speech.

Human Rights: The call for human rights is a reaction to the police state in the Muslim world where Muslims are falsely accused, harassed, spied upon and tortured.

The Muslim Ummah is an Islamic Ummah and is motivated by the Islamic Aqeedah and a desire to live by Islam, which is a fact supported by public opinion. For instance, the Ummah seeks to implement Islam in all aspects of their daily lives, including the government and economy and also seeks to unify the Muslim lands under the banner of Islam.

Although it is a courageous move that the Muslim Ummah is making by taking control of its own affairs, there is a real danger that the Islamic emotions and the momentum for change will be hijacked by the regimes and colonial powers. This will be primarily achieved by making cosmetic changes such as changing the face of the regimes while making minor concessions or partial policy changes to please the masses without undertaking the true fundamental change the Ummah yearns to achieve. We have already seen the governments trying to give handouts to appease the Ummah in many countries including Saudi Arabia. To prevent this from happening, we must do the following:

1. Recognize the dangers of “surface modification” instead of real change: We do not need surface modification, where only superficial changes are made, while the system is still based on other than Islam. Such change – despite the sacrifices made by the Muslims – will not yield the full desired result, or even worse, just prolong the life of these corrupt regimes. The change must be at the fundamental level – we must remove the regimes and the kufr system all together; so that the sovereignty remains only for Allah (swt). This means that the policies are no longer dictated by the colonial powers, but instead that they are solely dictated by the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of our beloved Messenger (saw).

Anything less than the full implementation of Islam will result in the continued subjugation of the Ummah at the hands of the colonial powers and will prevent the Ummah from leading humanity to the Guidance of Allah (swt).

2. Creating a Public Opinion for Islam as a System: The Muslim Ummah must create a strong public opinion for the Islamic system as the alternative system of governance. We must clearly articulate that only Islam will provide dignity, justice, decent living and peace to all of humanity because it is based on the revelation of Allah (swt). This requires that the Ummah has sufficient knowledge of the systems of Islam as a solution to the contemporary problems of the Muslim world, including:

Calling for the Khilafah: We must call for the Khilafah and not democracy. Islam gives us the right to appoint our leader through the process of giving bayah (pledge of allegiance) to the Khaleefah. This can be done via the Majlis al-Ummah who will produce a short list of candidates from which the Muslims will elect one to be the Khaleefah.

Democracy, on the other hand, is a failed system because its political and economic system (i.e. Capitalism) is based on the limited mind of man instead of the Wahy (revelation) from Allah (swt). We have seen its spectacular failure with the financial crisis and even the current food crisis.

A System of Accountability based on Shari’a: The Islamic Shari’a has detailed the ways in which Muslims can account their rulers on the basis of Islam. In Islam, accounting the ruler is fard (obligatory); and not just a hobby that one does if one feels like it. This is a critical difference between the Islamic concept of accounting the ruler and the concept of freedom exported from America and Europe. For example, when the people in America realized that their leaders took them to war based on the lie that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction; did they go on the streets (i.e. as Muslims in Egypt did) and force the American government to withdraw from Iraq? No, they did not because they have the freedom to account the ruler, but not the obligation to do so. Accounting rulers is one of the most important duties in Islam and it's considered the best of Jihad. The Prophet (saw) said,

"The best Jihad is the word of Truth in front of the oppressive ruler." [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, ibn Majah]

This duty is performed by the Majlis Al-Ummah, Islamic political parties, independent media, and individual Muslims themselves.

Judicial Process and Absolute Ban on Torture: It is haram for the Islamic State to torture its citizens for speaking the truth or for any other reason. The torture of Muslims and non-Muslims in the Khilafah is prohibited regardless of any benefit it may bring, such as gathering information. Unlike the liberal democratic states, such as America and Israel, the Khilafah does not resort to the limited human mind to determine whether it should torture people. Instead the Khilafah must implement the Sunnah of RasulAllah (saw). Muslim narrated from Hisham bin Hakeem, who said:

‘I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: "Allah will torture those who torture the people in the Dunya."'

Arbitrary arrest and detention without trial is forbidden in the Khilafah. This is not based on a liberal ideology, but instead on the following hadith:

"The Messenger of Allah has ordered that the two disputing parties should sit before a judge."
[Abu Dawood]

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Shari'a court.

Absolute Right to Privacy: The sanctity of someone's home in the Khilafah cannot be violated by spying on them, based on the following ayah:

"Oh you who believe, avoid most suspicion. Indeed some suspicion is a crime. And do not spy."
[TMQ 49:12]

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

"He who peeks into some people's house without their permission, it is allowed for them to gouge out his eye." [Ahmad]

These ahkham (rules) are the solutions to the problems that we face. They will bring tranquility because they are based on what Allah (swt) has revealed.

3. Political Awareness: The Muslim Ummah must develop strong political awareness so that it does not fall into the political traps of the US and her allies. They will call for reforms and minor changes to pacify the sentiments of the Muslims. The US ordered Mubarak to dismiss the cabinet, appoint a vice president, and announce reforms – all to preserve the regime and her interests in the region like protecting Israel, being a mediator for the “peace process” and aiding the US in her war against Islam by fighting the dawah carriers who call to implement Islam as a complete way of life.

4. Role of the Army: The events in Tunisia, Egypt, and especially Libya clearly illustrate how change rests on the people of power and influence. In Egypt, the regime did not unleash violence on the protesters as the Libyan regime did. That is, the number of dead is directly related to the policy adopted by the armies in the two countries. More importantly, calling the people of power to implement the change is based on the method of RasulAllah (saw) where he sought nusrah (support) from a number of tribes in the Arabian Peninsula. Ultimately, Allah (swt) guided the Aws and Khazraj to give the Nusrah to RasulAllah (saw) in the second pledge of Aqabah. This allowed him to enter Madinah as the head of state.

For years, the Muslims thought of its own armies as corrupt and therefore unable to deliver political change, but the example of Tunisia and Egypt have shown that the Muslim armies will not fire on the masses and will side with the Ummah if there is strong support for a political idea. Therefore, it is possible for the Muslim Ummah to topple the regime if the armies either support the change or even remain silent by allowing the political movement to take power. This means that we have to carry the call of Islam to them and urge them to follow the example of the Ansar (i.e. the Aws and Khazraj) who gave victory to this Deen.

By following this method to bring about the change, we pray and beg Allah (swt) to fulfill His promise on us:

"Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right deeds that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their Deen with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. ‘They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who are kafir after that, such people are deviators." [TMQ 24:55]

REFLECTIONS: Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

2011-02-21T12:51:00.003-05:00

Allah (swt) revealed:
“You are the best nation revealed for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.” [TMQ 3:110]

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
“Whoever from amongst you sees an evil should change it by his hand, if he is unable to do so then he should change it by his tongue (by speaking against it), and if he is unable to do so then he should reject it in his heart and this is the weakest of Iman.” [Muslim]

Islam made it an obligation upon Muslims to enjoin the good and to forbid the evil no matter where they live and how big or small the good or evil may be. This is why we find Muslims across the world calling to the good or speaking against injustices regardless of whether they live in “democracies” or “dictatorships”. Individuals and organizations have been known to speak out against tyrant rulers in the Muslim world, for which reason their members have been tortured and in many cases murdered. Muslims are motivated by the words of Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw) in their struggle against injustices.

Enjoining the good and forbidding evil is a fard kifayah - a collective duty upon the Ummah. If some of the Muslims carry it out and the aim is achieved, then the intent is met and the obligation is lifted; but if it is neglected, then all Muslims are responsible and sinful. The order mentioned in the hadith above - to change - is a binding order and therefore considered an obligation. It is not restricted to a particular person such as someone in authority (i.e. the ruler or judge), or people who have certain qualifications (i.e. the scholars), but rather it is a general command to all people as understood by the generality of the language of the hadith. It goes without saying that the scholars should be at the forefront of standing up for the truth since they are the inheritors of the prophets. They inherit the duty to convey knowledge and enjoin the good and forbid the evil. Unfortunately, many scholars have kept quiet about the haq (truth) and many have gone as far as enjoining evil. The narration explains that if it is not possible to stop or change the evil through force or authority, then it is necessary to speak against it.

It is important to note here that one does not need to be sinless to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. Also the evil mentioned must be an agreed upon munkar (evil), and there is no inkaar (preventing/condemning others) on issues of differences of opinion between respected mujtahideen.

Sheikh ibn Taymiyya mentioned three conditions for the issue of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil:

1. Knowledge prior to the action: This is in accordance to the issue, if the issue itself is well known to the Muslims such as abandoning the prayer, paying (riba) interest on a loan, or ruling by other than the Shari'ah then such matter does not require someone to be a scholar to enjoin or forbid.
2. Delivering the message in the most effective manner. This means we are firm, but avoid being harsh upon the person we are advising.
3. Patience after the action since whomever does this noble act will be afflicted with trials and tribulations by those they face. Allah (swt) revealed:

“By Al-'Asr (the time). Verily! Man is in loss, Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, And recommend one another to patience.” [TMQ 103]

Ibn Kathir in his tafsir sai'd, “recommend one another to patience meaning patience with plots, the evils, and the harms of those who harm people due to their commanding them to do good and forbidding them from evil.”

Sometimes when Muslims engage themselves in debate with journalists and media outlets, the conversation ends with the Muslims being told that the only reason they are able to speak is because of the freedom of speech they are entitled to in democracies and that this is the reason they can be critical and disagree with others in the west. This argument is based upon a premise which assumes that the reason Muslims speak out against the injustices which they see around the world is because they have the freedom to do so and for this reason Muslims should be grateful. This could not be further from the truth!

The fact of the matter is that even before the birth of the concept of free speech in Europe and America, Allah (swt) had revealed to the Muslims the concept of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, as explained above. This is more precious and worthwhile than free speech, not only because it is from Allah (swt), but also because the freedom of speech in itself is merely a choice that an individual can uphold or ignore and we see this everyday in the streets of western cities. We will find that thugs and criminals are causing all sorts of problems in some communities, but very few people intervene or attempt to intervene to stop them. This is the type of mentality freedom of speech creates, a passive mentality to crime, towards other people's feelings and sentiments and a mentality of, “I will only use freedom of speech when it benefits me”. This can also be seen on a societal scale. For example, the American and British public is aware that their politicians lied to them about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. However, most people have chosen not to use their freedom of speech to hold the government accountable for countless criminal acts their governments have committed against the innocent people of Iraq.

The concept of enjoining the good and forbidding evil however is mandatory on Muslims. Hence it creates a proactive mentality where the Muslims will involve themselves in stopping the injustices and if necessary in many cases put their own lives at risk for others. Anybody who has been to the Muslim world would know that when any crime occurs, people from the street involve themselves to resolve these issues and if necessary stop the injustice, even if both the perpetrator and victim are complete strangers. For example, we recently saw the Ummah hold the rulers accountable in Egypt, Jordan, Algeria and Tunisia for their continuous transgression against the Ummah. Also, during the Gaza Massacre of 2009, the Ummah in Egypt and elsewhere held the rulers accountable for allowing Israel to massacre our brothers and sisters in Palestine. And there have been many individuals and members of groups who have held their rulers accountable and faced harsh consequences, such as imprisonment, torture, and even death. These actions carry a high reward based on the following hadith:

“The master of the martyrs is Hamza ibn Abdul Mattalib, and a man who stands (in front of) an oppressive ruler and enjoins the good and forbids the evil and so is killed for it.” [Hakim]

This creates a level of security within society where people can feel a sense of peace knowing that others will help them in their time of need. The reason Muslims feel the need to enjoin the good and forbid the evil is because it has been placed as an obligation upon them by their Creator (swt) for which they will be immensely rewarded or punished if not undertaken, and this is why it is not subject to being discarded at the whims and desires of people.

The rewards of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is immense. And the consequence of keeping silent when seeing evil is grave. Abu Huraira (ra) reported that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:

“If anyone summons others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those of the people who follow him without their rewards being diminished in any respect on that account; and if anyone summons others to follow error, the sin of which he is guilty will be equivalent to those of the people who follow him without their sins being diminished in any respect on that account.” [Muslim]

Aisha (ra) said: “Once the Prophet Muhammad (saw) entered the house, and I guessed from his face that something had happened to him. He did not talk to anyone, and after having ablution he entered the mosque. I tried to hear behind the wall what he said. So, he sat at the pulpit, and after praising Allah (swt) he (saw) said:

‘O’ Muslims! Allah has commanded you to exhort people to good deeds and prevent them from sins; otherwise a time will come when you will pray to Him, but He will not listen to you; you will ask your needs of Him, but He will not grant them; you will demand His help against your enemies, but He will not help you.’ After saying this, he came down from the pulpit”. [Ibn Majah]

May Allah make us among those who enjoin the good, forbid the evil and believe in Allah (swt).