Series of Questions Addressed to Scholar Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah,
Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir through his Fiqhi Facebook Page

Question:

As-Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu

I pray that Allah grant you success and bless us with the victory by your hands our Ameer, soon Inshallah, this matter belongs to Allah Alone, and we bear witness you are the best successor to the best predecessors

In the book: Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir on page 73 (English version) it mentions:

"Carrying the Islamic da'wah and the political struggle for its cause can be undertaken only in the society which the party has defined as its area for activity (majal). Hizb ut-Tahrir considers the society in all the Islamic lands to be one society because its entire cause lies in one case, Islam. However it takes the Arab lands that are a part of the Islamic Lands as a starting point. It considers the establishment of an Islamic state in the Arab countries as a nucleus for the Islamic state as a natural step."

It was also mentioned in the book: Structuring of a Party on pages 6 - 7:

"Therefore, it is only natural for the Islamic State to be re-established in the Arab territories, so that it will serve as a nucleus for the Islamic State which will encompass all Islamic lands. Though carrying the Islamic Da'wah in the Arab territories is necessary it is also necessary for the Islamic Da'wah to reach out to the rest of the Islamic world.

Notwithstanding this, initiating the work in the Arab territories does not mean that no work be done outside Arab territories before unifying the Arab territories in the Islamic State. The work must be carried out in the Arab territories to re-establish the Islamic State, then the State will grow and encompass the neighboring territories, regardless of whether they consist of Arabs or not".

Can it be understood from these texts that the target countries we work in to establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" are the Arab countries only, and that the work in rest of the non-Arab countries is for the purpose of carrying the Dawah and not for the establishment of the Islamic State there? Especially after mentioning that the nucleus of the coming Islamic state, soon by the permission of Allah, must be in the Arab countries first and then it expands to the rest of the Islamic countries.

Please explain what is the meaning of these texts specifically, I found some confusion in understanding them.

May Allah Bless you our Ameer and May Allah make us victorious by you and bring the victory by your hands.

Answer:

Wa Alaikum us Salaam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakaatuhu,

It must not be understood from the quoted texts from the two books, Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir and Structuring of a Party, that the work to establish the State is limited to the Arab countries. Both texts mention that it is only natural, in origin the State be established in the Arab countries and not in others, this is because the Arabic language is the language of Islam, it is essential in understanding Islam and carrying out Ijtihad, this is why it is out of priority and proximity that the State be established in the Arab countries, that speak the Arabic language.

But this might not be achieved, and the State may be established in non-Arab countries, since the whole Islamic world is suitable for the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State, even though the priority is for the Arab countries. The Hizb does not limit its work to establish the State in the Arab countries, but it is also working to establish the State in non-Arab countries. The Hizb was founded in Arab countries, and worked there, the Majal (field of work to establish the state) was there initially because this is where the Hizb is and it is the place of their work, but when the Dawah grew outside the Arab countries and found a solid ground outside the Arab world, the Hizb extended its Majal and began to work to establish the Khilafah "Caliphate" in the Muslim countries, whether it was Arab or non-Arab, if the natural state is achieved and it is established in the Arab countries, then all  praise be to Allah, and if it is established in the other Islamic countries  it is also all praise be to Allah.

[وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ]

"And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses" [Al-Qasas: 68]

And we seek assistance from Allah (swt).

Your brother,

Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah

The link to the answer from the Ameer's Facebook page