News:

Last week Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei unveiled plans to implement sharia law. He said, "With faith and gratitude to Allah the Almighty, I declare that tomorrow, Thursday 1 May 2014, will see the enforcement of sharia law phase one, to be followed by the other phases."

The plan was immediately denounced by the West and recently famous western personalities have started boycott properties in the West owned by the absolute monarch.

Comment:

Media reports clarified that Sharia law would only be limited to penal matters and that it would be implemented in three stages.  The first stage includes: fines or jail terms for offences ranging from indecent behaviour to failure to attend Friday prayers. The second stage will include: Islamic punishments for theft and robbery, while the last stage will cover Islamic punishments for homosexuality and adultery. The edict also stated that the law would be applied to both Muslims and non-Muslims.

There are three main problems with this announcement. First and foremost, is that Islamic sharia cannot be restricted to mere penal codes. Islam is a complete way of life and the Islamic sharia is responsible for governing all aspects of life, which are more than just criminal matters i.e. it also encompasses social, economic, political, foreign affairs etc. To compartmentalise or secularise Islam is strictly forbidden. Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran:

((وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ))

"Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are Zalimoun (wrong-doers)." [TMQ: Al Maidah: 45]

((وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ))

"Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are Fasiqoon (evil-livers)." [TMQ: Al Maidah: 47]

Incidentally, the Sultan of Brunei quoted these very same verses in the speech announcing the implementation of such punishments. Yet, he remained oblivious to the fact that these same verses also apply to rule by Islam in all aspects of life, and that includes the right of the Ummah to select their ruler and not someone who was imposed upon them by the British.

Second, Islam cannot be implemented in a piecemeal fashion, where the implementation of some rules is delayed. Picking and choosing between the implementation of Islamic rules is a grave sin. Allah (swt) says

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَاء مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلاَّ خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

"Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? But what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life? -and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do." [TMQ: Al Baqara: 85]

Again, Hassanal Bolkiah quoted this verse, but did not choose to ponder on its meaning, as it fully applies on him.

Third, the secularisation of Islam and its gradual implementation will never bring dignity or honour to the Ummah, nor will it grant her peace and security. The only  reason Hassanal Bolkiah and other rulers persist with the gradual implementation of Islam is because it allows them to mollify  the sentiment of Muslims and  maintain the status quo, which is to guard the riches of the Muslim lands for the Kafir colonialist powers.

Besides this, the piecemeal implementation of Islam will never yield the full realisation of Islamic sharia in Muslim lands as it is commonly understood by some. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Taliban in Afghanistan have found this out to their own cost.

All of this gives relentless ammunition to the enemies of the Ummah to point fingers at Islam's inability to solve problems, which again is major exaggeration of reality. When the messenger of Allah (saw) established the first Islamic state in Madina nations embraced Islam, as they witnessed first-hand the complete implementation of Islam working in practice. This was followed by the Khulafah after him (saw).

Hence, Muslims must redouble their efforts to re-establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashida, as the only means to fully realise the complete implementation of Islam, and also to silence the Kafir colonialist. For surely, when the Khilafah "Caliphate" returns, the oppressed people in the West will leave in droves to embrace Islam causing their rulers immense distress and anguish.

Written for The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Abu Hashim