The spectra of the Syrian political opposition abroad have begun to declare pacts and covenants for the future Syria as they see it. The Syrian National Council and others with it announced in Istanbul yesterday, 27/03/2012, what they called the "National Pact for the future Syria". Before this, on 25/03/2012, the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria announced a similar covenant which they called "the Covenant and Pact".

These pacts have in common the intent that Syria become a democratic state in which people legislate their own laws, permitting and prohibiting as they wish, instead of legislation and the right to prohibit and permit being for the Lord of the people, the Lord of the Worlds. They also intend Syria to be a secular civil state, in which religion is separated from public life. In such a case, Islam would not be the centre of life, the director and base of laws and canons. The flag of truth, the flag of ‘There is no deity save Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', would not be raised. They intend a Syria with man-made laws as a civil republic, not much different from how it is now, except for a change of faces or some cosmetic adornment!

It would not have been surprising had secular opposition parties demanded a secular democratic state, whereby humans legislate and wherein judgment is sought from the laws of East and West, but not the laws of Islam. This would have been understandable had it come from secular movements. However, the painful fact is that it comes from movements branded as being Islamic! So the matter is graver and the danger is greater.

The people of al-Sham did not expend their pure blood, make those great sacrifices, rise up from the masajid shaded by the reverberations of takbeer, raising the call of truth...they did not do all this to return to how they were, ruled by the laws for which Allah (swt) has not sent down any authority! They will not accept that their blood goes to waste or that their sacrifices go in vain. Nay, they will not be content with having other than the rule of Islam, for they are the people of al-Sham, their land is the heart of the abode of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,"

"أَلَا إِنَّ عُقْرَ دَارِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الشَّامُ"، "عُقْرُ دَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ بِالشَّامِ"

"Behold, indeed the heart of the abode of the believers is al-Sham" (Ahmad), and "The heart of the abode of Islam is al-Sham" (Tabarani). This will be a matter of reality by the leave of Allah, in spite of the enemies of Allah and what they desire.

O Muslim in Syria,

It is clearly apparent in these pacts and those from whom they come that they seek to please the West. Hence they do not mention the rule of Islam, in an Islamic land, or the state of Islam, the Khilafah "Caliphate" Rashidah. Thus, there is nothing in these pacts said for the sake of Allah. Rather, it is all so that the West remains appeased! The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

مَنْ أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ فِي رِضَا النَّاسِ سَخِطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وأَسْخَطَ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ أرضاهُ فِي سَخَطِهِ، وَمَنْ أَرْضَى اللَّهَ فِي سَخَطِ النَّاسِ رَضِي اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُوَأَرْضَى عَنْهُ مَنْ أَسْخَطَهُ فِي رِضَاهُ حَتَّى يُزَيِّنَهُ وَيُزَيِّنَ قَوْلَهُ وَعَمَلَهُ فِي عَيْنِهِ

"He who displeases Allah in pleasing the people, Allah will be displeased with him and will make displeased with him those whom he seeks to please through displeasing Allah, and he who pleases Allah in displeasing the people, Allah will be pleased with him and will make pleased with him those whom he displeased through seeking the pleasure of Allah, such that He will adorn him and his word and deed in their eyes." (Tabarani)

Where are these covenants with respect to the covenant of the Prophet (saw) when he came to Madinah wherein he declared,

"الْمُسْلِمُونَ تَتَكَافَأُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ وَيَسْعَى بِذِمَّتِهِمْ أَدْنَاهُمْ، وَيَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَقْصَاهُمْ، وَهُمْ يَدٌ عَلَى مَنْ سِوَاهُمْ"

"The blood of the Muslims is equal; the least and lowest of them can offer their protection and vouch for their security, and they are one body against all others"? (Ibn Majah)

These people, those ascribed to Islam from them in particular, have strayed far from the truth in the adoption of these pacts, to the extent that it is feared upon them what Allah, the Exalted, said,

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آَمَنُوا بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا

"Have you not seen those who claim that they have believed in what was revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They want to take their disputes to the Tāghūt, while they were ordered to reject it. Satan wants to mislead them to a remote wrong way". (al-Nisa': 60)

Hizb ut-Tahrir warns them about the evil they have done, both those who label themselves as secularists and those who label themselves as Islamists. Indeed al-Sham is the heart of the abode of Islam. Its pact and covenant is to rule by Islam. Everything else is scum that passes away in vain, returning to those who adopted it with disgrace in this world and punishment in the hereafter. We warn, more so, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, from the consequence of adopting the rule of Jahiliyya instead of the rule of Islam, for it is a grave consequence which we wish not for a Muslim who reads in the Book of Allah,

{ أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ }

"Is it, then, the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance that they seek? Who is better in judgment than Allah, for a people who believe?" (al-Ma'idah: 50).

We also caution all the Muslims in Syria and say to them: the West is disbelieving, in its civilisation and its systems, and is oppressive in its practices. America, its leader, is not concerned about your dire situation in the least. It is comfortable with all those killed by Bashar the criminal, because this rids for her the sincere amongst you, paving the way for her to establish a new rule. She is the root of the disease, so do not seek from her the cure. Nay, the cure is from Allah, the Exalted, and it only comes from following his revelation with sincerity. He, the Exalted, says,

{وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآَنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا }

"And We send down of the Qu'ran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers; and the disbelievers it increases not, except in loss." (al-Isra': 82).

We also give glad tidings, to the Muslims in general and the people of al-Sham in particular, that the end is for the believers, so let them stay firm on the truth they are upon, and let them continue resonating the call of ‘Allahu Akbar' knocking the ears of the tyrants until the command of Allah comes with goodness and victory, even if the disbelievers and oppressors detest it.

{ إِنَّا لَنَنْصُرُ رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْأَشْهَادُ }

"We will, without doubt, help our messengers and those who believe, in this life and on the Day when the Witnesses shall stand forth." (Ghafir: 51).