The Khilafah is an Obligation before and after the Revolutions

(Translated)

Although Allah (swt) obliged upon us the establishment of the Khilafah (caliphate), which is the general leadership of all Muslims in the world to establish the rules of Islamic (Shariah) law and to carry the Islamic call to the world, and although the period that Shar’ allowed us to remain without a Khaleefah (caliph) is only three days, and not more than that, yet we are still, for nearly 100 years, governed by secularism under man-made systems from the French and English laws and from human minds, while Allah’s laws are not applied in real life.

O Muslims: The establishment of a Khaleefah is an obligation on all Muslims in all countries of the world. Its establishment is a duty and there is no choice in it and it cannot be compromised. Neglecting it is one of the greatest sins that deserves Allah’s most severe punishment, just like the obligation of prayer and zakat and other obligations. It is an obligation not linked to the revolution of Ash-Sham or other revolutions of the Muslim countries, but rather it is an obligation before and after the revolutions. It is the greatest of obligations, rather, it is the crown of obligations.

Evidence for the obligation of establishing the Khilafah (caliphate) is available in the Qur'an, Sunnah and the consensus of the companions.

From the Book, Allah’s saying addressing the Prophet (saw):

﴿فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ﴾

“So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth” [Al-Ma’ida: 48].

Allah (swt) says:

﴿وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ﴾

“And judge, [O Muhammad], between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations and beware of them, lest they tempt you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you.” [Al-Ma’ida: 49]

And from the Sunnah, what is narrated by Muslim from Nafi’ that he said: Umar told me: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: «مَنْ خَلَعَ يَدًا مِنْ طَاعَةٍ، لَقِيَ اللَّهَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا حُجَّةَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ مَاتَ وَلَيْسَ فِي عُنُقِهِ بَيْعَةٌ، مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً»“Whoever removes his hand from obedience (to the ruler) will meet Allah with no proof for himself, and whoever dies without the pledge of allegiance (to the ruler) upon his neck dies a death of jahiliyya”

The Prophet (saw) obliged on each Muslim to have a Bay’ah (pledge) on his neck, and he described the one who dies without the Bay’ah on in his neck that he died the death ignorance (jahiliyya). The presence of the Khaleefah (caliph) is what makes a Bay’ah (pledge) on the neck of every Muslim, and the Bay’ah is given only to the Khalifah. Also Muslim reported from Al-A’raj from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (saw) that he (saw) said: «إِنَّمَا الْإِمَامُ جُنَّةٌ، يُقَاتَلُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ، وَيُتَّقَى بِهِ».“The Imam is a shield, behind whom you fight and protect yourself”

As for the consensus of the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, they agreed to the necessity of establishing a successor (khaleefah) to the Messenger of Allah (saw) after his death. They agreed to establish a successor to Abu Bakr, then to Omar, then to Uthman after the death of each one of them. The confirmation of the companions' consensus on the establishment of a khalifah became clear from delaying the burial of the Messenger of Allah (saw)after his death; they became busy with establishing a successor to him although burying the dead after his death is an obligation imposed. The greatest obligation of the Khilafah is what made the companions leave the Messenger of Allah (saw)lying in bed two full nights, while they were working on the obligation to establish a successor.

All the Companions have agreed throughout their lifetime that the Khaleefah  should be appointed, and although they sometimes disagree on the person who was elected as a Khaleefah, they have never differed on the appointment of one, neither at the death of the Messenger of Allah nor at the death of any of the caliphs. Even when it was clear that Umar (ra) was approaching his death from the stab, he nominated six of the senior Companions; they were Uthman, Ali, Talha, Az-Zubair, Abdul Rahman bin Auf and Saad bin Abi Waqas, and recommended that if they did not agree on the caliph in three days, then the one objecting should be killed. And thus he instructed fifty Muslim men led by Abu Talha al-Ansari to carry out the killing of the one who objects.

O Muslims in Ash-Sham: Since the fall of the Khilafah, we are living the direst situation, a direct occupation of the kafir colonialist, in addition to the agent rulers who are more oppressive than their colonial masters towards the Muslims, and the leaders of factions whom we see following the line of their predecessors. And the truth is that if we had a Khilafah state then the monstrous capitalism would have not engulfed Muslims and human life for a century.

O Muslims in Ash-Sham. The victory of the revolution and its success in getting rid of the tyrant of Ash-Sham and its secular spiteful regime are bound inevitably by our return to Allah, seeking victory, help and support from Him alone, and carrying out his commands and abstaining from his prohibitions. Especially after we have been attacked by the whole world, we say: the one who has Allah on his side, who has the power to stand against him? And the one who does not have Allah by his side who has the power to be with him? We in Hizb ut Tahrir will remain the faithful advisors to the people of our Ummah, we say the truth, fearing Allah alone. Therefore, we are subjected to campaigns and waves of questioning, slander and accusations all the time, the onslaught of the secularists after the last Idlib demonstration is not the last that we will see. However, this only increases our strength and resolve by Allah’s grace, and adhering to the truth that we are following, rejoicing in Allah’s promise of victory and empowerment. O people of Ash-Sham! Come together and hold an agreement between you to establish the Khilafah on the Method of Prophethood, and make a pledge with your Lord to worship him and do not worship anything with him and to establish his law and do not fear anyone but Him (swt). Allah is the Owner of Sovereignty, He gives sovereignty to whom He wills and He takes sovereignty away from whom He wills.

﴿عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنْظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ﴾

“Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and grant you succession in the land and see how you will do.” [Al-A’raf: 129]