(Series of Answers by the Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to Questions from Visitors to His Facebook Page)
To Umm Ukasha - Nona Amer - Wassim Kordoghli
Questions:
A- Umm Ukasha
"Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
Our honorable Sheikh, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah:
I ask Allah to help you in the great effort you exert to serve Islam and Muslims, and that Allah crowns these efforts with the announcement of the establishment of the Khilafah at your hands soon, Allahumma Ameen, Ameen.
To proceed: there are those who claim that the party has changed its method and that holding conferences does not suit it, as it is an intellectual party...
May Allah reward you with goodness." Ends.
B- To Nona Amer
"Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh..
I have a question.. and I hope you will answer me.. It was mentioned in the adopted thoughts of the scholar Taqi al-Din (may Allah have mercy on him) that he rejected demonstrations... and now we see demonstrations are very widespread and you yourselves organize them.. Is there a Shari'i evidence for your action?? Wassalamu Alaikum." Ends.
C- To Wassim Kordoghli
"Assalamu Alaikum our Ameer, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. It was mentioned in the book The Islamic State, page 245: 'Therefore, the holding of Khilafah conferences was not a path to the establishment of the Islamic State...' My question, our Sheikh, is: Why does the party hold conferences and seminars while in its books it rejects doing these actions... We hope for a clarification of the matter so that the confusion we have is removed." Ends.
The Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,
Your questions are similar in terms of the subject; they are about conferences, marches "demonstrations," seminars, and whether the party has changed its method (tariqah)?
The answer, dear brothers, is that the party does not change its method because it is correctly derived from the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Prophet (saw), and it is detailed clearly without ambiguity in the party's books. Thus, the culturing (tathqif), interaction (tafa’ul), and the establishment of the Khilafah... all are explained with their evidences in our books.
We call people to carry the da'wah, and whoever responds, we incorporate them into the party so they become one of its shabab (members)... Likewise, we carry out public actions to create a public opinion (ra’y ‘amm) emanating from a general awareness (wa’y ‘amm)... and we seek the support (nusrah) of the people of power and establish the Khilafah, by the will of Allah.
This method for establishing the state is, as we said, correctly derived—by Allah's permission—following what the Messenger of Allah (saw) proceeded upon from the time he (saw) received revelation until he established the state in Madinah. That is, it is the culturing to build the body of the party, the interaction with the Ummah through public actions to create public opinion emanating from general awareness, and then seeking the support (nusrah), then establishing the state...
It seems that the confusion for the questioners comes from mixing between the actions for public opinion during the stage of interaction and the method of establishing the state... The issue of this confusion becomes clear as follows:
1- If it is asked: What are the actions for public opinion during the stage of interaction? We say: every action in which there is interaction with the Ummah, based on the ideas and rules of Islam, such as holding a lecture, a seminar, a public conference, or a march "demonstration" that we lead and move with our banners and slogans—if we are able—and similar actions...:
A- The Messenger (saw) gathered the people at as-Safa and addressed them:
- Al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas (ra) who said: When the verse was revealed:
وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ
"And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred." (ash-Shu'ara [26]: 214)
The Prophet (saw) climbed as-Safa and began to call out: "O Banu Fihr, O Banu 'Adi" — addressing the clans of Quraysh — until they gathered. If a man could not go out, he sent a messenger to see what it was. Abu Lahab and Quraysh came, and he said: "If I told you that there were horses in the valley wanting to raid you, would you believe me?" They said: "Yes, we have never experienced anything from you but truthfulness." He said: "Then I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." Abu Lahab said: "Perdition to you for the rest of the day, is it for this you gathered us?" Then the verse was revealed:
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَب
"May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained." (al-Masad [111]: 1-2)
Muslim narrated from Ibn Abbas, who said: When this verse was revealed: "And warn your closest kindred," and your sincere group among them, the Messenger of Allah (saw) went out until he climbed as-Safa, and shouted: "Ya Sabahah" (a cry for help). They said: "Who is this shouting?" They said: "Muhammad." So they gathered to him. He said: "O Banu Fulan, O Banu Fulan, O Banu Fulan, O Banu Abd Manaf, O Banu Abd al-Muttalib." So they gathered to him. He said: "If I told you that horses were coming out at the foot of this mountain, would you believe me?" They said: "We have never experienced any lie from you." He said: "Then I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." He said: Abu Lahab then said: "Perdition to you, have you only gathered us for this?" Then he stood up, and this Surah was revealed: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and indeed he is ruined," as al-A'mash read to the end of the Surah.
Ahmad bin Yahya bin Jabir bin Dawud al-Baladhuri (d. 279 AH) narrated in his book Jumal min Ansab al-Ashraf: Muhammad bin Sa'd and al-Walid bin Salih told me, from Muhammad bin Umar al-Waqidi, from Ibn Abi Sabrah, from Umar ibn Abd Allah, from Ja'far bin Abd Allah bin Abi al-Hakam who said: When "And warn your closest kindred" was revealed to the Prophet (saw), it was difficult for him and he felt distressed by it... When it was morning, the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent for the children of Abd al-Muttalib. They came, and with them were a number of the children of Abd Manaf, in total forty-five men... The Messenger of Allah (saw) gathered them a second time and said: "Praise be to Allah, I praise Him, seek His help, believe in Him, and rely on Him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner." Then he said: "Indeed, the scout does not lie to his people. By Allah, if I lied to all people, I would not lie to you. And if I deceived all people, I would not deceive you. By Allah, other than whom there is no god, I am the Messenger of Allah to you specifically and to all people generally. By Allah, you will die just as you sleep, and you will be resurrected just as you wake up, and you will be held accountable for what you do, and you will be rewarded with good for good and with evil for evil. And it is either Jannah forever or the Fire forever. And you are the first I warn." Abu Talib said: "How much we love to assist and support you, and how much we accept your advice and believe your speech. Here are the children of your father gathered. I am but one of them, but by Allah, I am the quickest of them to what you love. So proceed with what you have been commanded. By Allah, I will not cease to protect and defend you, except that I do not find myself willing to leave the religion of Abd al-Muttalib until I die upon what he died upon." The people spoke gentle words, except for Abu Lahab who said: "O children of Abd al-Muttalib, this, by Allah, is the disgrace. Restrain him before others restrain him. If you hand him over then, you will be humiliated. And if you defend him, you will be killed." Abu Talib said: "By Allah, we shall defend him as long as we remain."
• Thus, gathering people and speaking to them is one of the public actions that is carried out.
B- The Messenger (saw) led the Muslims in two rows, at the head of the first was Umar, and at the head of the second was Hamza:
Abu Nu’aym Ahmad bin Abd Allah bin Ahmad bin Ishaq bin Musa bin Mehran al-Asbahani (d. 430 AH) narrated in his book Hilyat al-Awliya wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya from Ibn Abbas, who said: I asked Umar (ra): "For what reason were you named al-Faruq?" He said: "Hamza accepted Islam three days before me, then Allah expanded my chest for Islam... I said: Where is the Messenger of Allah (saw)? My sister said: He is in the house of al-Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam at as-Safa. So I went to the house... I said: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. He said: The people of the house shouted Allahu Akbar so loudly that the people in the Masjid heard it. He said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, are we not upon the truth whether we die or live? He said: 'Yes, by the One in Whose hand is my soul, you are upon the truth whether you die or live.' He said: I said: Then why the concealment? By the One Who sent you with the truth, you shall go out. So we brought him out in two rows, Hamza in one of them, and I in the other, making a sound like the grinding of flour, until we entered the Masjid. He said: Quraysh looked at me and at Hamza, and they were struck by a gloom the like of which had never struck them. On that day, the Messenger of Allah (saw) named me al-Faruq, and Allah separated between truth and falsehood." Ends.
Therefore, marches are among the public opinion actions to move people and aware them of the ideas and rules of Islam. They are carried out on the condition that we are able to do them with our banners, slogans, and ideas. However, we do not participate with others in a public action that we do not lead, because when the Messenger (saw) led the Muslims in that march, the Muslims were not participating with other movements under mixed leadership; rather, the Muslims went out in two rows in a march led by the Messenger of Allah (saw).
2- However, if it is asked: What is the method (tariqah) of establishing the Khilafah? Is it demonstrating? We say no... Is it lectures? We say no... Is it conferences? We say no... Because these and their like are public opinion actions carried out in the stage of interaction, and they are not the method of establishing the state. Rather, the method of establishing the state is that which we mentioned at the beginning and ends with the actions of seeking support (nusrah) and establishing the state.
This is the subject and perhaps it is clear now. Therefore, there is no contradiction between what exists in our books and our actions. Our statement in our books that conferences, marches "demonstrations," and seminars... are not the Shari'i method explained with evidences for establishing the state... this statement is correct. Likewise, our statement that these are public actions carried out in the stage of interaction if we are able to do them in their proper manner... this statement is also correct. There is no contradiction between the statement in the books and the action we perform... it is only necessary to read these words in our books in the context in which they were used, read with a conscious mind and enlightened insight, and matters will become clearly evident by the permission of Allah...
There remains a matter that was not mentioned in the question but may occur in the minds of some: Then why did the party not hold a conference or a march in previous years?
The answer to this question is clear from what preceded: we do not carry out public opinion actions such as a march or demonstration and the like unless we are able to lead it in an open, announced manner, with our banners and slogans, and without mixing with other banners and slogans where the "rope is mixed with the halter" (chaos), and that the time and place for holding it are suitable according to the purpose we seek... If that is possible, we carry out this action, and if we are unable, we do not.
For your information, we had previous attempts in the sixties when Bourguiba visited Jordan calling for peace with the Jews. The party, during the era of Abu Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him), organized delegations, some of which were like a march, and they went out to the Prime Minister in Amman, and in Jerusalem to its governor, and in Hebron to its governor... and I was with those in Hebron, and thus I will convey what I witnessed:
The party ordered the shabab and their supporters to gather at a certain hour "ten in the morning" in the main street in the city of Hebron, then we would go out to the governorate "the building" which is now demolished. When we were in the street, the security leaders came and a discussion and argument took place... The point is, we were not able to go out on foot, but we were allowed to go out in vehicles. So we rode in cars and buses and went to the building and our number was large... we performed the task and returned... Thus, the matter is that such actions, if we are able to lead them alone and we see it as appropriate, we do them. If we are not able to lead and control them, or we do not see it as appropriate in a certain circumstance, we do not do it.
This is like establishing a media office; it is among the public opinion actions—if we are able, we do it, and if we are not, we do not. For example, it was not possible during the era of the founder to announce an official spokesperson for us, so we did not. In the era of the second Ameer, he tasked me to be a spokesperson in Jordan, so I became a regular guest of the prison; hardly would I come out until I returned... but now, praise be to Allah, we have established more than one office... and all of them are public opinion actions. But if someone asks: Is the establishment of a media office the method for establishing the Khilafah? The answer is no.
And now, back to the beginning, we ask:
Are lectures among the public opinion actions that we perform in the stage of interaction? The answer is yes.
Are conferences among the public opinion actions that we perform in the stage of interaction? The answer is yes.
Are marches "demonstrations" that we lead with our arrangements among the public opinion actions that we perform in the stage of interaction? The answer is yes...
Is the establishment of media offices among the public opinion actions that we perform in the stage of interaction? The answer is yes.
But if we asked:
Are lectures the method of establishing the state? The answer is no.
Are conferences the method of establishing the state? The answer is no.
Are marches "demonstrations" the method of establishing the state? The answer is no.
Is the establishment of media offices the method of establishing the state? The answer is no.
It is clear that the first questions are about public opinion actions in the stage of interaction, and the second questions are about the method of establishing the state. They are two different matters, not one matter, and each matter has its own answer. There is no contradiction between the two matters nor between the two answers...
We ask Allah (swt) that this matter has become clear, without ambiguity or obscurity, for everyone who seeks the truth so that they may realize it and act upon it. As for those who seek falsehood, further explanation or clarification does not benefit them, because they did not seek falsehood in order to know the truth; they are two things that do not meet. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
Link to the answer from the Ameer’s page on Facebook
Link to the answer from the Ameer’s website
Link to the answer from the Ameer’s page on Google Plus