Press Reply
How is the Khilafah an ‘illusion’ while it is the Crown of Obligations?!
(Translated)

Brother, Chief Editor of Akhbar Al-Youm Newspaper

Assalam Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

The writer Salah Salih published in his column ‘There are Some Silences’ in your newspaper, Akhbar Al-Youm, issued on Wednesday 9 Jumada al-Akhir 1443 AH, corresponding to 01/12/2022 CE, an article with its title: “Abu al-Dardoq and the Illusion of the Islamic Khilafah.” I hope you publish this reply in your newspaper, and thank you.

We were very surprised, with some regret and sadness, to read this article in a well-known newspaper, under a strange title, in which I find one of the sons of Muslims describing the Khilafah (Caliphate) as ‘illusion’. We were even more surprised that the topic was not about the Khilafah at all, but rather the writer attacked the National Conference, the Party of the former regime as if it calls for Khilafah! Which calls for confusion, as since when has the National Conference party called or was calling for the Khilafah?! And did the National Conference Party implement the Khilafah system during the thirty lean years that it ruled in Sudan?!

The truth says that everyone who is familiar with the culture of Islam realises that the Khilafah is a legal term such as the terms of fasting, prayer, Hajj and others. The Khilafah means that a Muslim succeeds the Messenger (saw) in establishing the religion and the politics of the world, just as a Muslim succeeds the Prophet (saw) in prayer and he prays like his prayer, and he succeeds him in fasting, pilgrimage and others, so he also succeeds him in governance, politics, judiciary, setting up the hudood (limits), wealth, jihad, and raising the banner of Islam. The Khilafah is a general leadership for all Muslims in this world to establish the rulings of the Islamic law and carry the Islamic call to the world. It is also the same as the imamate. It is the same as the imamate, so the imamate and the Khilafah has one meaning, and it is the structure in which the Shariah rulings exists to form the Islamic State. The Khilafah is an obligatory Sharii’ [legal] ruling like the obligation of prayer and fasting, and the obligation does not change according to people’s whims and moods, and the obligation to establish the Khilafah and not delay its establishment is clear in the Islamic law and its texts, Allah the All-Mighty said:

[وَأَنِ احْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتِنُوكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ]

“And judge between them ˹O Prophet˺ by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires. And beware, so they do not lure you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you” [TMQ Al-Ma’ida;49]. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: «كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ، كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ فَتَكْثُرُ»“Banu Isra'il were ruled over by the Prophets. When one Prophet died, another succeeded him; but after me there is no prophet and there will be caliphs and they will be quite large in number.”

How can the Khilafah be an illusion when it is a Sharii’ duty like the obligation of prayer and fasting?!

Rather, the severe threat came to the one who dies and does not have a pledge of allegiance to a Khilafah (caliph) who will establish the religion and implement its law, the Prophet (saw) said: «مَنْ خَلَعَ يَداً مِنْ طَاعَةٍ، لَقِيَ اللهَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا حُجَّةَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ مَاتَ وَلَيْسَ فِي عُنُقِهِ بَيْعَةٌ، مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً»“He who throws off obedience will meet God on the day of resurrection without possessing any plea, and he who dies without having taken an oath of allegiance will die like a pagan.” [Narrated by Muslim]. How can a legal ruling of such importance and greatness be an illusion?!

The Companions (ra) unanimously agreed to establish (confirm) a Khalifah after the Prophet (saw) and were preoccupied with that to the extent that they delayed the burial of the best of Allah’s creation, the Prophet (saw) in reference to the greatness of establishing the Khilafah. They did not bury the Prophet (saw) until after they pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (ra) and filled the vacant position of government after his death (saw). And from it the legally accepted consensus became that it is not permissible for the position of the caliph to remain vacant for more than three days, otherwise the Muslims would be sinful, so can a Muslim after that call the Khilafah an illusion?!

The Prophet (saw) insisted on adhering to the establishment of the Khilafah and following the righteous Caliphs who implement Islam as Islam commanded them until the Prophet (saw) called them the Khulafaa ar-Rashideen (Rightly Guided Caliphs). So every ruler who abides by the conditions of ruling in Islam and pledges allegiance as a Khalifah and establishes Islam as it is, then he is a Khalifah Rashid (rightly guided Caliph). The Prophet (saw) said: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ بَعْدِي عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ»“So you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs) those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly literally with your molar teeth.” After all this, a Muslim can call the Khilafah as an illusion?! It is the greatest rulings of the religion as Islamic scholars called it the crown of obligations. But Imam al-Qurtbi went further, and said in the interpretation of verse 30 from Surat Al-Baqarah:

هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ أَصْلٌ فِي نَصْبِ إِمَامٍ وَخَلِيفَةٍ يُسْمَعُ لَهُ وَيُطَاعُ، لِتَجْتَمِعَ بِهِ الْكَلِمَةُ، وَتَنْفُذُ بِهِ أَحْكَامُ الْخَلِيفَةِ. وَلَا خِلَافَ فِي وُجُوبِ ذَلِكَ بَيْنَ الْأُمَّةِ وَلَا بَيْنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ إِلَّا مَا رُوِيَ عَنِ الْأَصَمِّ حَيْثُ كَانَ عَنِ الشَّرِيعَةِ أَصَمَّ، وَكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَنْ قَالَ بِقَوْلِهِ وَاتَّبَعَهُ عَلَى رَأْيِهِ وَمَذْهَبِهِ

“This verse is the origin in the appointment of an Imam and Khalifah who is heard and obeyed, so people can be united under his word, and to implement the rulings of the Khalifah. There is no difference in its obligation among the Ummah and even between the scholars except what was narrated from the Asam, who from his name was indeed deaf from Sharia (i.e. didn’t understand the rulings of Shariah so he was described as deaf), and similarly everyone who said what he said.” So, after all this, is it possible for a Muslim to describe the Khilafah as an illusion?!

For this to come from a non-Muslim, that is reasonable and understandable because of the hatred of the disbelievers against the religion of Allah the Almighty, who removed the authority from the tyrants in the pre-Islamic era and returned it to those who were the most oppressed people in the land, when the Prophet (saw) established the state of Islam in Medina, he spread justice and security and achieved tranquility and restored rights to those who deserve it. This did not satisfy the enemies of this religion, that equated people and fought racism, regionalism, tribalism, etc.

Allah the Almighty has enjoined the ruler to rule by Islam, and He considered those who do not rule by Islam either an unbeliever if he believes that Islam and its systems are not valid, or an unjust or an immoral person. Allah (swt) said:

[وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ]

“And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the disbelievers.” [TMQ Al-Ma’ida: 44] and He (swt) said:

[وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ]

and He (swt) said: “And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the wrongdoers.” [TMQ Al-Ma’ida: 45].

[وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ]

“And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the rebellious.’ [TMQ Al-Ma’ida: 47].

Faith is denied from those who resort to other than Islam and follow their whims and desires. Allah (swt) said:

[فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجاً مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيماً]

“But no! By your Lord, they will never be ˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly.” [TMQ Al-Ma’ida: 65].

  Muslims have not tasted a life of honour and dignity, nor a decent life, since the disbelievers demolished the Khilafah on Rajab 28, 1342 AH, corresponding to 03/03/1924 CE, despite the weaknesses that were experienced by it as a result of the cunning of the Kuffar and the use of agents from the sons of Muslims a hundred years ago by the British agent Mustafa Kamal. And the case is still evident from the dependence on the Western Kafir colonialist. Humiliation, disgrace, hunger, poverty, wars, tribal and racial conflicts, and the situation of the Muslims will not be changed except by establishing the state that Islam commanded; the Khilafah Rashidah upon the method of the Prophethood.

Hizb ut Tahrir gives the glad tidings to the Muslims and urges them to establish their Khilafah state, and presents the Ummah with a deep and abundant culture that shows how Islam has dealt with issues of political, economic, social and others... The party has drawn up a constitution of 191 articles, drawn from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, the consensus of the Companions and the legal analogy, to manage the affairs of the state. Muslims will not need the laws of the disbelievers, nor the initiatives of their envoys in our countries, nor the interventions of embassies in our affairs to sow sedition, accept remorse and sow discord among the sons of Muslims, as is the case in Sudan, where the conflict between the American and British embassies, in the name of the military on one side and in the name of civil on the other side, despite that they are two sides of the same coin, which is the secular state that fights Islam and takes its rule away from implementation and execution.

In conclusion, we give you glad tidings that the Khilafah has loomed its glad tidings on the horizon, and what remains is only for the people of strength and invincibility to respond, to seize the republican secular system, and to return the authority to the Ummah to pledge allegiance to a man as the Khalifah of the Muslims to establish the religion and implement the law, and to govern the people with Islam, and it is not a false promise. Allah (swt) said:

[وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئاً وَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ]

“Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will certainly make them successors in the land, as He did with those before them; and will surely establish for them their faith which He has chosen for them; and will indeed change their fear into security—˹provided that˺ they worship Me, associating nothing with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this ˹promise˺, it is they who will be the rebellious.” [TMQ An-Nur: 55] and the glad tidings of our beloved Mustafa (saw) who said: «ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ نُبُوَّةٍ»“…Then it will be a Khilafah upon the method of the Prophethood.”

And the final conclusion: Hizb ut Tahrir is the advocate of the Islamic Khilafah, making it its cause in life as the legitimate way to implement the rulings of Islam, and to resume the Islamic way of life. And in order to establish it, the party has adopted from Islam, by the strength of evidence, the systems of life and legislation that address the reality of Muslims, and revives them so that they carry good to the world, and the Khilafah is not mentioned without mentioning Hizb ut Tahrir. Whoever wants to know about the Khilafah, its regulations and legislation, and its ability to solve humanity’s problems, should review nothing but what Hizb ut Tahrir has written. We invite the honorable brother, the author of the article, to visit the party's office and learn about its culture. May Allah help us and you to do that which He (swt) loves and pleases.

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)
Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Sudan