The Suspicious Capitalist State in an Islamic Cloak

As the Ummah approaches its general awareness of the inevitability of the return of the Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate), we find some people searching for the savior from the cluster of rulers in charge, searching for who is fit for this task, and they wish that Turkish President Erdogan is the one who is fit for this task. So, they justify all his actions and try to glorify them. They think that he is secretly working for the return of Islam to power, and the resumption of the implementation of Allah's Shariah!

But with the cleverness of the wolf and the cunningness of foxes, Erdogan worked to delude some in indirect ways that the implementation of Islam can only be gradual, in order to avoid the anger of the world that reject the establishment of the Islamic state, and to prevent its surprise attack. We find supporters of Erdogan's approach justifying his application of purely secular laws as being a kind of deception to the West, and that all the actions he is doing are represented by his government that is working behind the scenes to restore Islam to power.

This is what the Jordanian writer, Daoud Omar Daoud, mentioned in an article in “Al-Quds Al-Arabi” entitled: “The Battle of Destiny and the Resumption of Islamic Life,” in which he tried to link Erbakan’s thought and its influence by the thoughts of Hizb ut Tahrir, as he claimed. The ideas of Sheikh Taqiuddin An-Nabahani, the founder of Hizb ut Tahrir, may Allah have mercy on him, is derived from the Quran and Sunnah, and everyone who reads it is affected by it because it is a divine approach that represents the balm for the wounds of this Ummah and the world. There is no doubt about that. However, carrying the thought is difficult because all tyrants of the world want to halt its domination, and wage wars to stop its domination as an executive structure. This is because this thought of Hizb ut Tahrir is unique in seeking to implement Islam as an idea and a method, it will remove them from their roots as soon as it is present on the international scene, embodied in this great Islamic State that applies the rules of Shariah.

Although the writer explicitly said that Erbakan sought to establish an Islamic union, a United Nations organization for Muslims, the establishment of an Islamic military alliance such as NATO, the issuance of the Islamic dinar to prevent the West from plundering us, the establishment of a common economic market, and the abolition of customs, passports and visas between Islamic countries, all the above is an attempt to unite the Muslim countries into a special entity in the form of capitalist entities, as if we do not have a unique Islamic system that is not similar in its structure to any political system, it is the Khilafah (Caliphate) system that Sheikh Taqiuddin, may Allah have mercy on him, detailed in a wonderfully with Shariah evidences in the book, The System of Ruling. Erbakan wanted to establish an Islamic state that is mixed with secularism, in which he applies some Shariah rulings while preserving the form of the capitalist state. However, the establishment of the Islamic state has a clear method in the thought of Sheikh Taqiuddin An-Nabhani, founder of Hizb ut Tahrir, may Allah have mercy on him.

Erbakan's goal in his attempts was to drag the country to accept the secularism that revolves in the orbit of the English. The presence of this man made Muslims participate in the system and accept neutral secularism and accept the democratic process, but when the danger of American influence appeared through him or through the center around him or through luring him, because America supported his strides in Cyprus, the Turkish army, with its subordination to the English, was afraid of Erbakan's tendencies towards America and immediately dismissed his government, which did not last more than 13 months, and forced him to resign. This stage was considered one of the stages of the American failure to transfer Turkey to its grip, and not, as some claim, that he was dismissed for his desire to implement Islam.

With Erdogan coming to power, America was able to snatch Turkey from Britain's grip through fierce political battles, the latest of which was the recent coup that enabled it to eliminate any English presence in Turkey. But there are things on the international scene that has changed between Erbakan's time and Erdogan's time. In the past, America was seeking to draw the Sunnis to its side and remove them from under Britain’s cloak, and today this has been achieved for it, after controlling most of the Islamic countries, especially Saudi Arabia, ending Wahhabism, and changing the loyalty of the rulers in Saudi Arabia to submit to American policy, and this is not hidden from anyone today.

If we take what the writer has said (although it may have some validity) without any prejudice, then there are three possibilities that have no fourth:

1- That what is said about the Turkish president working for the restoration of the Khilafah (Caliphate) and the resumption of Islamic life is true. This is far from the truth. He took power as prime minister since 2003, and after converting the government to the presidential system, he has continued to rule as president of the republic since 2014. We find that all the achievements he made in the Turkish Republic have been accomplished with secularism and he declares it proudly with the loudest voice through his interviews. And this is what he said on Al-Arabiya Channel in an interview with him four years ago when the presenter asked him that many find it difficult to combine Islam and secularism, he replied:

“I find it difficult to explain the understanding of the Islamic world in linking Islam and secularism, since we established our party and defined secularism, and we explained the relationship of Islam and its connection to terrorism, so we distinguished between being Muslims as individuals and the secular system. I am a Muslim who governs Turkey with a secular system, which means tolerance by the state. And the state stands at the same distance from all religions and sects. Is this contrary to Islam?" End quote.

He declares it explicitly that he rules by a purely secular system and has no intention of implementing another system even if he is a Muslim!

On the other hand, more than seven years have passed since he assumed the position of President of the Republic, and every year we find him further from Islam than the year before! In the political aspect, we find planes flying from his land to kill Muslims in Syria, Libya and Iraq, and he is the one who built the separation wall along the border with Syria and kills anyone who tries to bypass it from his Muslim neighbours, applying American dictates to fight Islam and Muslims without hiding behind a mask, but rather he openly declares them. Unfortunately, some people justify what he does with conviction.

As for the economic aspect, we know how he made his last blow to achieve political gains before the elections to strike his opponents, even if this was done by breaking and starving the people. After carrying out the new reforms based on open interest (riba), calling people to deposit their money and withdraw bank loans with interest, in return for guaranteeing them interest-based returns, then we see the prices of everything increase more and more. The tariffs of electricity, gas and fuels have been increased by more than 50%, and the rise of these materials leads to price increase in a terrifying way, that is, he bestows upon them gifts in his right hand and recovers their double with his left hand! Is this how taking care of affairs done?! Or are they special achievements in preparation for the upcoming elections in 2023 to remain in power while America supports him and stands behind him.

After this review, we find that this possibility is far from the truth, but rather Erdogan plays with the feelings of the Ummah's eagerness for the return of Islam.

2- He is a Muslim man who rules by secularism and has no ambition to be a caliph of Muslims, and he does not work to implement Islamic law. Here, too, we find that if this was the case, his actions that he attributes to Islam would have changed, such as his statement: “I will continue my struggle with usury until I rid my people of this great plague,” and his saying: “Usury is the cause, and the effect is inflation.” (Erdogan’s speech on 19/12/2021)

Here a question arises: Why do we witness the West’s distortion of the image of any president who is suspected of being Islamic, and then expel him from power immediately, regardless of the party to which he is loyal to, and this is what happened with many personalities even though they were obeying the international system and implementing orders of America and others, and yet they were excluded, but we do not find that happening to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan?! Why?

You find him climbing platforms that apparently support Islam, and he makes some movements that show Islam, even if little, yet we do not see America working to overthrow him, but rather he receives support after another.

Although if he adopted or implemented the rule by what Allah has revealed, the entire Ummah would have followed him overnight, because of the sincere desire it carries for the return of Islamic rule and the days of glory and honour. The Ummah stands on the side of the one who wants to implement the Shariah and the resumption of Islamic life. It will sacrifice all that is precious for this. If he thought and took one step in this direction, he would have seen with his own eyes this great scene of this benevolent Ummah, but we do not see any American move against him, but rather we see economic, political and military support and international positions that raise Turkey’s status and push it to the ranks of major economic countries.

3- The last possibility, although I hope it is out of the question, because of the great cunning that it carries against this Ummah. The West knows that the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly-guided Caliphate) State, Allah willing, is coming, so they bring a ruling figure close to public minds as being fit to be a caliph, but he is far from that; which is consistent with Erdogan’s persona, and that is for a hidden reason, it may be the safety valve when the real Khilafah state is established, so he also announces the establishment of an Islamic Khilafah and implements the Shariah law, but with the aim of stifling the true Khilafah and distracting attention, this is known to the people and was marketed from before.

The real Caliphate may be new on the scene, and with the existence of explicit texts, including the Hadith of the Messenger (saw): «إِذَا بُويِعَ لِخَلِيفَتَيْنِ، فَاقْتُلُوا الْآخَرَ مِنْهُمَا»“If a bay’ah is given to two caliphs, kill the latter of the two.”

However, the distance of people from Deen over a hundred years and more has left in them a great intellectual weakness and they do not put these texts into practice.

Erdogan’s personality is suitable for this position because of his cunning and slyness, and they trust him very much, as he implements everything that is asked of him accurately, they are confident that he will not establish Islam no matter how pressured he is, as he works to establish secularism, allows Muslims to vent out any pressure and derails their desire for the return of Islam to power. His presence constitutes a safety valve in two respects:

1- His work on merging the idea of secularism with Islam, which he advocates. He considers Turkey an example to follow, which achieves equality, justice, prosperity and a comfortable life.

2- He is fully ready to play roles that are assigned to him to destroy Islam.

O Muslims: The cunning of the West has exceeded all imaginations, it certainly does not ignore such personalities if they are sincere, so do not be deceived by their appearance and be ones with enlightened insight, and be with those who seek to re-implement the Shariah and resume the Islamic life. This obligation has one method, from the Islamic thought itself, which was drawn up by our Noble Messenger and he (saw) showed the clear method that we should follow in obedience to Allah and His Messenger, to establish the state of truth that Allah (swt) promised us and its glad-tidings were given to us by our Messenger (saw) in the noble Hadith:

«ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ»، “Then there will be Khilafah on the method of Prophethood”. So, work with the workers and do not be one of the losers.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Nabil Abdul Karim