Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to the Questions of his Facebook Page Followers
Answer to a Question
To Riyadh Abu Malik
The Question:
May Allah bless you, Sheikh, and grant you success. I have a question, if you would be so kind: Is Hizb ut-Tahrir considered Ash’ari in the matter of Aqeeda (creed), or does it have its own understanding regarding the matter of creed? With thanks.
The Answer:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Before answering your question directly, I would like to emphasize the following:
First: The Reality of Hizb ut-Tahrir:
Hizb ut-Tahrir has defined itself as follows: "It is a political party whose ideology is Islam. Thus, politics is its work, and Islam is its ideology. It works within the Ummah and with it, so that the Ummah takes Islam as its cause, and to lead it to restore the Khilafah and the ruling by what Allah has revealed to existence. Hizb ut-Tahrir is a political bloc, and not a spiritual, academic, educational, or charitable bloc. The Islamic idea is the soul for its body, its core, and the secret of its life." According to this definition, Hizb ut-Tahrir is not an intellectual school, a theological sect, or a jurisprudential madhhab. Rather, it is a political party that adopts the issues of the Ummah, defends them, and works to establish Islam in the reality of life and preserve it after its establishment. It believes in the Islamic Aqeeda and considers everyone who believes in the Islamic Aqeeda as a brother:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ
"The believers are but brothers." (Quran Al-Hujurat [49]: 10)
And it discusses any point of disagreement with them in the best manner.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has adopted thoughts, rules, and opinions that are necessary for it to carry out its work, and included them in its books and publications. However, it did not research every single issue and every single idea, and it did not adopt in many issues, especially in the topics of theological research (kalam) and worships (ibadat), because that is not required for its work as a political party seeking to revive the Ummah and establish the Khilafah State, based on the Ummah’s thought and sensation. For example, it adopted in the subject of the infallibility (* عصمة*) of the Prophets and Messengers, and it adopted in the subject of the ijtihad of the Prophet ﷺ because of its impact on legislative understanding. But it did not adopt in many other issues that the scholastic theologians (ulama al-kalam) delved into.
The Party has strictly adhered to the strength of the evidence (quwwat ad-daleel). This is evident in its constant keenness to review its culture and adoptions and to rely on the strength of the evidence. It has corrected and amended its books in a progressive manner accordingly. It did not cling to any opinion once its evidence was proven weak or once the evidence of another opinion was proven weightier. Rather, it left the opinion whose evidence was proven weak and took the opinion whose evidence was proven strong. This is clear in the various corrections and amendments to the Party’s books, as well as in the complete reviews of its books that it conducts from time to time.
Second: Some Muslims have given specific names to the intellectual schools and madhhabs that differed in matters related to the branches of the Aqeeda and scholastic issues, such as Ash’arism (attributed to Imam al-Ash’ari, may Allah have mercy on him), Maturidism (attributed to Imam al-Maturidi, may Allah have mercy on him), Salafism, and others. They applied the term "Aqeeda" to their opinions, saying: the Ash’ari Aqeeda, the Maturidi Aqeeda, the Salafi Aqeeda, and so on. They even referred to the texts and books of certain scholars as "Aqeeda", such as: Al-Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah (attributed to Imam at-Tahawi), and Al-Aqeedah al-Wasitiyyah (referring to a treatise written by Imam Ibn Taymiyyah for the people of Wasit), etc.
The truth is that applying the word "Aqeeda" to all of that is not accurate and is misplaced; it creates confusion and division among Muslims. This is because the position of the madhhabs regarding matters related to theological research is not the Aqeeda itself. Rather, the Aqeeda is the Islamic Aqeeda established in the Shari’ah by definitive (qat’i) evidences, and it is not permissible to differ in this. Consequently, there is no such thing as an Ash’ari Aqeeda, a Salafi Aqeeda, or a Tahawi Aqeeda. Instead, there is only one Islamic Aqeeda that unites all Muslims everywhere, regardless of their different madhhabs and opinions. There are different opinions among the madhhabs and intellectual schools like the Ash’aris, Maturidis, Salafis, and others in research related to branch issues other than the Islamic Aqeeda, and each group has its opinion which does not take them out of the Aqeeda of Islam.
Third: The methodology followed by the Party in adopting thoughts, rules, and opinions is to take the opinion based on the strength of the evidence, whether the evidence is rational or narrated, without regard to who said it. Therefore, Hizb ut-Tahrir has adopted in some matters of the branches of belief things said by the Ash’aris, and it has adopted other things said by others. In Shari’ah matters, it has taken opinions from the famous jurisprudential madhhabs and others without being restricted to a specific madhhab.
Therefore, it is not said of Hizb ut-Tahrir that it is Shafi’i or Hanafi, for example, nor is it said to be Ash’ari or Salafi, nor Maturidi or Mu’tazili. It is not said to be from the school of Ra'y (opinion) or the school of Hadith, etc. It is none of those things; rather, it is a political party whose ideology is Islam. It takes opinions based on the strength of their evidence according to a solid methodology adopted in its books, regardless of who voiced them. In its opinions, there is some of what the Ash’aris said, some of what the Salafis said, and some of what other schools said, all based on the strength of the evidence, and not out of commitment to the opinions of one of those schools or following its methodology, thought, or opinions. It does not recognize the disputes that occurred among Muslims in the past; rather, it considers Muslims as one Ummah despite their different madhhabs and paths. It calls them to respond to it and work with it to establish Islam, carry the Da'wah, and unite the Ummah under the banner of the Islamic Khilafah.
I hope this answer is sufficient. Allah knows best and is most wise.
Your brother, Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
17 Dhu al-Hijjah 1442 AH Corresponding to 27/07/2021 CE
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