Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to Questions from Visitors to His Facebook Page "Fikri"
Answer to a Question
To: Mohammad Zaghal
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh,
Our honorable Sheikh, may Allah protect you and support you with the people of His victory.
The question relates to the subject of "Values" mentioned in the book Concepts (Mafaheem):
Does working for the Khilafah, such as attending halaqat (study circles) and carrying out dawah work, achieve a humanitarian value or a spiritual value?
Similarly, do the actions of the State achieve a spiritual, humanitarian, moral, or material value?
May Allah bless you and benefit us with your knowledge.
Imad al-Zaghal Abu Muhammad
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuh,
*First: As mentioned in your question, the subject of values was addressed in the book Concepts of Hizb ut-Tahrir (Mafaheem). I will quote some of what was mentioned in the book to help clarify the question and provide an answer. The book Concepts of Hizb ut-Tahrir states the following:*
[... Regarding the intent of an action, every actor must have a purpose for which they perform the action. This purpose is the value of the action. Therefore, it is inevitable that every action has a value that the human observes and seeks to achieve when performing the action; otherwise, it would be mere futility. A person should not perform actions in vain without a purpose; rather, they must observe the achievement of the values of the actions they intended to perform.
The value of an action can be a material value, such as commercial, agricultural, and industrial activities and the like; the purpose of performing these actions is to obtain material benefits from them, which is profit, and it is a value of significance in life. Or the value of the action can be humanitarian, such as saving a drowning person or aiding the distressed; the purpose of these is to save a human being regardless of their color, race, religion, or any consideration other than humanity. Or the value of the action can be moral (khuluqiyah), such as truthfulness, honesty, and mercy; the purpose of these is the moral aspect regardless of benefits and regardless of humanity, as morality may be practiced toward non-humans, such as kindness to animals and birds. A material loss may result from a moral action, but achieving its value is mandatory, which is the moral aspect. Or the value of the action can be spiritual, such as acts of worship (ibadat); the purpose of these is not material benefits, nor humanitarian aspects, nor moral issues, but the purpose is merely worship. Therefore, its spiritual value must be observed exclusively, regardless of all other values.
These are the values for all actions, and they are what a person works to achieve when performing any of their actions.]
Second: It also states in the book Concepts of Hizb ut-Tahrir, pages 30-34 (Word file):
[The measurement of human societies in their worldly life is based on these values, and according to the extent they are achieved in society, and what ensures their realization in terms of prosperity and tranquility. Therefore, a Muslim must exert their utmost effort to achieve the intended value of every action they perform when carrying it out and undertaking it, so that they contribute to the prosperity and elevation of society, and simultaneously ensure their own prosperity and tranquility.
These values are neither superior to one another nor equal in their essence, because there are no characteristics between them to be taken as a basis for equating them or preferring some over others; rather, they are results intended by the person when performing the action...
People who are dominated by spiritual feelings and possessed by an inclination toward them, while neglecting the material value, prefer the spiritual value over the material value. They thus devote themselves to worship and renounce matter. Consequently, they stall life because it is material, causing its material backwardness, and the level of the society in which they live declines due to them, because of the laziness and lethargy that spreads within it.
People who are dominated by material inclinations and possessed by desires, while neglecting the spiritual value, prefer the material value and devote themselves to achieving it. Consequently, they have multiple ideals, and the society in which they live becomes disturbed, with evil and corruption spreading within it.
For this reason, it was a mistake to leave the estimation of these values to the human; rather, values must be estimated by the Creator of the human, who is Allah. Therefore, it was necessary for the Sharia (Islamic Law) to be what determines these values for the human and determines the time for performing them, and according to this, the human takes them.
The Sharia has clarified the treatments for life's problems through Allah’s commands and prohibitions, and it has obligated the human to proceed in this life according to these commands and prohibitions. It also clarified the actions that achieve the spiritual value, which are the acts of worship (ibadat) that He made obligatory or recommended. It also clarified the traits that achieve the moral value. It left the human to achieve the material value necessary to satisfy their necessities and needs, and what is above necessities and needs, according to a specific system He clarified for them, and He ordered them not to deviate from it. The human has nothing to do but work to achieve these values according to Allah’s commands and prohibitions, and to estimate them by the measure clarified by the Sharia...] End quote.
Third: As for the role of the State in achieving these values, to answer that, we clarify the following matters:
The value of an action is the purpose for which the actor performed the action. Thus, value is the intent of the action, and the one who has an intent for the action is the human—i.e., the specific individual such as Muhammad, Zainab, Fatima, and Khalid. When they perform an action, they intend to achieve a specific value from their work. If Muhammad engages in trade, he intends to achieve a material profit, which is a material value. If Zainab performs prayer, she intends to achieve a non-material value, which is the spiritual value. If Fatima is truthful, she intends to achieve a value which is the moral value. If Khalid aids a distressed person, he intends to achieve a value which is the humanitarian value... Thus, value is the specific individual's intent for performing the action. That is, the one who performs the action with the intent of achieving a value is the human (the individual), as stated in the discussion of values in the book Concepts, that values are performed by the individual as "so-and-so" and "so-and-so," and not by the State.
Referring back to what was mentioned at the end of the citation from the book Concepts in point two:
"(For this reason, it was a mistake to leave the estimation of these values to the human; rather, values must be estimated by the Creator of the human, who is Allah. Therefore, it was necessary for the Sharia to be what determines these values for the human and determines the time for performing them, and according to this, the human takes them.
The Sharia has clarified the treatments for life's problems through Allah’s commands and prohibitions, and it has obligated the human to proceed in this life according to these commands and prohibitions. It also clarified the actions that achieve the spiritual value, which are the acts of worship (ibadat) that He made obligatory or recommended. It also clarified the traits that achieve the moral value. It left the human to achieve the material value necessary to satisfy their necessities and needs, and what is above necessities and needs, according to a specific system He clarified for them, and He ordered them not to deviate from it. The human has nothing to do but work to achieve these values according to Allah’s commands and prohibitions, and to estimate them by the measure clarified by the Sharia...)" End quote.
- Here, the task of the State emerges: to regulate these values according to the rules of Sharia, and the human has nothing to do but work to achieve these values according to Allah’s commands and prohibitions... in all types of values: spiritual, moral, humanitarian, and material.
This is the task of the State and its role in regulating the individuals' achievement of values according to the rules of Sharia, whether the value is spiritual, moral, humanitarian, or material... It uses the necessary methods of regulation, such as guidance or clarification according to the rules of Sharia. If guidance and clarification do not suffice to correct a violation of Sharia in the individuals' implementation of these values, and punishment is required, it does so. This is to ensure that individuals apply these values according to Allah’s commands and prohibitions...
This is what I find most correct in this matter, and Allah is All-Knowing and All-Wise.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
26 Jumada al-Akhirah 1443 AH
Corresponding to 29/01/2022 CE
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