Question:

As-Salaamu Alaikum,

I have a comment about one of the pages from the book, Hizb ut Tahrir, which was written in 09/05/1985 that describes the Hizb. On page 20, I have found that the Hizb's method in describing its party makes itself nearer to the level of a deity and maybe this is a reason for the delay in achieving our victory up until now. This is because it states in the book: ‘It has avoided all of the shortcomings and causes that have led to the failure of the movements that were established to revive Muslims by Islam'. Here it (the Hizb) has denied for itself the characteristic of making errors and this characteristic is reserved alone for the Lord of the worlds since every creation errs. However had you stated this and added by the permission of Allah then perhaps this would have been a cause for Allah aiding us. Just as the book states: ‘In fact the Ummah must embrace it and proceed with it because it is the only (al-waheed) party that manifests its idea...' So ‘Al-Wahdaaniyah' (oneness/uniqueness) whilst being tied to specific attributes, I find that they are specific to Allah the Lord of the worlds and that there is no other creation that is unique beside Him. Due to this I view that the wording ‘Al-Waheed' (only) contains some fallacies within it and perhaps has delayed the victory of Allah for us.

Answer:

Wa Alaikumu Salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Baarakatuhu,

It appears that some confusion has occurred with you in respect to the meaning of the quoted text: ‘It has avoided all of the shortcomings and causes that have led to the failure of the movements that were established to revive Muslims by Islam' as found in the profile.

The Hizb has mentioned this in the profile after having listed the reasons for the failure of the movements in the book At-Takattul (Structuring of a Party), in which it states: ‘Upon scrutinizing these movements and their attempts for revival, one can conclude that the causes for their failure (from a structural point of view) are due to the following four factors:

First: The movements were established upon a general undefined idea (fikrah), which was vague, or unclear. In addition, the idea lacked focus, purity, and clarity.

Second: The movements did not define a method (Tareeqah) to implement their idea; rather, they proceeded through improvised and twisted means. Furthermore, their means were undefined and ambiguous.

Third: The movements relied upon individuals who lacked full awareness, and a well-focused determination. Individuals were driven solely by their desire or zeal to work.

Fourth: The individuals carrying the responsibility of these movements did not have a correct bond amongst themselves. They were merely bound by being members in a structure that manifested itself in certain actions and titles'.

After that the Hizb made Ijtihaad and avoided all of those causes. So what is the error in the statement: ‘It has avoided all of the shortcomings and causes..?' And what is the relationship of that with the fact that every created makes mistakes? And that Allah Alone is free of every deficiency?

Now I will ask you: If you were a school teacher and you said to your student after considering her answer: ‘There are shortcomings in your answer like in this and this' and then you specified the shortcomings to her as 1, 2 and 3 etc... Then the student reviewed them and avoided those shortcomings and then returned to you stating that she had avoided all of the shortcomings that you had mentioned and said: ‘O kind teacher, this is my new answer.' Thus has the student characterised herself with the attribute of Lord of the worlds?

As for the other point you raised when you quoted: ‘In fact the Ummah must embrace it and proceed with it because it is the only (Al-Waheed) party that manifests its idea...' I shall quote to you the paragraph that preceded this before discussing the paragraph that you have questioned about.

It is as follows:

‘The party understood intellectually and profoundly the idea and method from the Qur'aan, Sunnah, Ijmaa' of the Sahaabah and Qiyaas (analogy). It didn't take the reality as the source of its thinking but rather the subject of its thoughts as to change it according to the rules of Islam. It committed itself with the method of the Messenger of Allah (saw) in his work to convey the Da'wah in Makkah until he established the state in Madinah. The party made the Aqeedah and what it adopted of thoughts and rules the binding that binds together its members'.

And due to that it was worthy of being embraced by the Ummah and the Ummah to proceed along with it. Indeed it is obligatory upon her to embrace it and to proceed along with it because it is the only Hizb that manifest its idea, foresees its method, understands it issue and commits itself to follow the Seerah of the Messenger of Allah (saw) without deviating from it and without letting anything dissuade it from achieving its aim'. Hizb profile quoted from the book: Hizb ut Tahrir.

You have commented upon the statement: ‘because it is the only Hizb that manifests its idea, foresees its method...' stating that the Wahdaaniyah (oneness/uniqueness) is from the attributes of the Creator (swt).

My honourable sister, this is a different topic as the Hizb does not say that it is unique or alone in every matter but rather it has deduced a thought and method correctly from the Shari'ah evidences in accordance to the principles of Usool. Therefore it is natural that it would manifest this idea that it has deduced. And the discussion is not about a person but rather about a Hizb (party) that has adopted this idea and method. So everyone who manifests/ digests this idea and method; then s/he is from the Hizb and this applies upon her/himself. As such it applies upon the Hizb that has deduced its thought and method to say that it alone is the one that digests it. This is because it is the one that had deduced it, studied it, worked for it and struggled for its sake. So what is the harm in saying that it is alone in digesting this thought? And what is the relationship between this statement and the Wahdaaniyah (oneness/uniqueness) of Allah (swt) Al-Ahad, As-Samad and to whom there is nothing that compares?

I ask Allah (swt) to provide you with the guidance to reach the best of the matter and to open your chest to that which is good and Allah (swt) is the One who guides to the correct path.

Your Brother,

Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah

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