Ice Storm Snuffs Out Liberty's Lamp...!

By Edward W. Miller, MD

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

(Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor)

However it wasn't nature's sleet and snow that on March 6th, tarnished America's image as a champion of liberty and personal freedom, rather, it was an ICE storm (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) blowing straight up from Washington, complete with troops, armed and in uniform, with police cars blocking access roads and helicopters circling overhead. The torrent of public and media response to this sudden armed intrusion into a peaceful New England town serves to remind us that, like tiny European lemmings, which stampede themselves over the cliffs into the sea, we Americans are again being stampeded into self-destructive behavior over such a simple issue as immigration. That inborn suspicion of any human not quite like our tribe has, through the centuries, served as the lever by which politicians have manipulated our attitudes toward foreigners both at home and abroad. At 8:30 AM on March 6th, 2007, some 300 ICE agents and other law enforcement officers raided the Michael Bianca Inc. clothing factory on the New Bedford waterfront, with a warrant charging that the owner Francesco Insole and three managers had encouraged these illegal immigrants to work long hours and there and accept substandard working conditions at the leather goods factory. At least 300 workers were rounded up who could not immediately prove they were in the country legally were initially detained. And most were then transferred to nearby Fort Divans for further processing. As the Boston Globe described the scene (Mar 7th) " a lot of people were screaming and crying," said Tina Pacheco, a supervisor who has worked at the company for 14 years. "They told American citizens to stand in one area and the people without papers to stand in another area. It was terrible, they were crying and didn't know what was going to happen." Witnesses said police guarded exits while other officers grabbed some of the fleeing workers and shouted at them to lie on the ground. Several officers drew their handguns. Workers tried to leave the building, but were brought back inside. The majority of the workers were either Guatemalan or Salvadorian..." Local immigration activists were outraged at the arrests yesterday." "On the eve of federal legislation being introduced to fix the broken system, we should not be using precious federal resources to tear up families and devastate our communities," said Helena S. Marques, executive director of the Immigrant Assistance Center in New Bedford." This has been a total nightmare," Marques said. "I've never seen so much panic." Many of those impacted gathered last night at Our Lady of Guadalupe at St. James Church. Luis Matias came to seek help for the 9-month-old and 3-year-old daughters of his tenant, Rosa Gutierez, 26, of Guatemala, who was taken into custody." It's inhumane to take a mother away from her children," he said. "She's not a criminal." Local citizens expressed concern to ICE officials about the children of these seized employees, most of whom were already in school some time before their parents were arrested. During the raid, workers were processed in the plant cafeteria where many were fingerprinted and photographed on the spot. All who could not show documents or prove legal status in the country were detained. Targeted by ICE, the factory, named Michael Bianco Inc., had an $83 million contract with the US Defense Department to manufacture backpacks for soldiers and marines. During that day, ICE officials fitted at least 60 people with electronic tracking devices and released them to care for children or for health problems. Local officials of the Defense Security Service (DSS), a department controlled by the US Department of Defense (DoD) which monitors security in plants with defense contracts such as Michael Bianco, Inc., had been informed of plans for the raid back in December, but were not involved in the immediate arrests and triage which followed. On March 7, the day after the plant seizure, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick called Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security, under whose Organization ICE has now been placed and demanded that DSS workers be allowed access to the incarcerated workers. Chertoff agreed. However, by the time DSS workers arrived on Wednesday night, 90 workers had already been flown to either of two detention centers in southwest Texas or one in Florida. By March 8, a federal judge who had been called to intervene by either the governor, Congressmen or the local mayor,, ordered the ICE not to move any of the remaining detainees and to give them access to lawyers. The judge also ordered DSS and ICE to work together One of the town locals commented that the people arrested for immigration violations were, in reality, victims of this country's lack of a viable immigration policy, adding "All of them were working and working hard. Some of them had been here for 13 or 14 years..... Whose fault is it that 13 or 14 years have gone by and there is no comprehensive immigration reform yet?" The workers' children were another issue. Many of them, born here in the US, are automatically US citizens. What of their future if one or both parents are deported? Many of the immigrants were forced to borrow heavily, often mortgaging their homes in their native country, just to get here from countries such as Guatemala or El Salvador. The Bush Administration has repeated the same mistake made prior to the New Orleans catastrophe, when FEMA, which had been a well-functioning federal program since it was initiated during the Carter Administration, was placed under the control of Homeland Security. As a result, officials of these two behemoths struggled for power, as no one understood who was in charge, and operations which should have been simple got tangled in such red tape as the world observed during the New Orleans tragedy. Bush repeated the previous mistake by placing our Immigration Service, which had always been a division of the Justice Department, under Michael Chertoff's Homeland Security, and as a result, Chertoff, who spots a terrorist under every bush, now runs Immigration like his private militia. The ACLU has just filed a lawsuit against Chertoff for holding children of undocumented workers with their parents in converted prisons. Over the past two years, a campaign of racism, laced with terrorism threats has been spawned in Washington and its compliant media regarding the millions of illegal immigrants crossing our southern border. This brouhaha has also been encouraged by those Republicans who, upset over Bush's poor showing in the polls, are eager to get their failed Afghan and Iraqi wars off the headlines. Responding to this non-crisis, and to the millions who marched in American cities supporting the immigrants, our President on May 15, 2006 in a rare Oval Office address to the American people outlined "four proposals" he would welcome included in forthcoming congressional bills (then being debated in both House and Senate). (San Francisco Chronicle 16 May 2006) Though both the Senate and House passed their own immigration bills, no consensus has been reached. Senator Dianne Feinstein has been most outspoken on the senate side but Senator Kennedy is coming out with his own version, which Feinstein may or may not approve. Meanwhile Bush has militarized our southern border with 6,000 members of a much-overworked National Guard, while a 700-mile fence is under construction along the California-Arizona border with México since the Senate passed the Secure Fence Act on Oct. 12, 2006. The controversial fence will divide approximately one third of the southern border and is mightily disliked by our Mexican friends. On Bush's recent visit to México, President Mexican President Felipe Calderon, in his public comments pointed out gently, that for the expense of one mile of the Bush wall, his Mexicans could construct 9 miles of badly needed Mexican highway. Fences, border police, ICE raids, Homeland Security personnel, and volunteer militias will not solve our immigrant problem. We Americans might well learn from our European friends, who, before the wealthier EU nations admitted economically-disadvantaged Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland to their Union, invested hundreds of billions of EU dollars to raise the living standards of these poorer four, so that with their EU open border policy, the richer nations would not be inundated with economic refugees. It worked! Just as the EU countries helped their poorer friends, we should invest in the basic economic structure of México. The only thing keeping the wolf from México's door today is the migration safety net, by which in 2005 Mexicans in the U.S. remitted home some $20 billion dollars. We must also either destroy or rewrite NAFTA, which undercuts tens of thousands of Mexican farmers whose livelihood depends on selling their own crops at local markets. Impoverished, they immigrate north to the US. Arthur Daniel Midlands, Inc., which receives 40 percent of its income from US federal subsidies, now accounts for 25 percent of corn consumed in México. When J.B. Penn, US Under Secretary for agriculture, visited India two years ago, he was given a message by India's trade minister, Kamala Nath that Washington should heed. Kamala warned that: "Importing food was as good as importing unemployment," adding: "We can open up markets as requested by Penn, provided the US is willing to provide a visa to every farmer displaced as a consequence of the import of cheaper and highly subsidized food,''(Dec. 13, 2005 NEW DELHI) In addition to taking our Agri-Business millionaires off corporate welfare, we should offer México a Marshall Plan with a government-enforced "living wage" for Maquiladora workers. Socially sensitive foreign investment would, in the long run, prove less expensive in terms of dollars, human lives, and flawed relationships with our southern neighbors, than our hunkering down behind an expensive and failing Maginot Line, supported by voluntary militias and now, a National Guard. The Golden Rule is not only a moral but an economic statement. Americans should turn off the light in Miss Liberty's torch and inscribe in large letters on her base: "I've got mine, to hell with you," until we relearn our lesson.

Why Did Islamic Women Decide to Risk their Lives to Defy General Musharraf in his Stronghold?

Interview with Umm Hasan Principal of Jamia Hafsa, Islamabad, Pakistan

New Trend: Sis. Umm Hasan, I decided to interview you after I saw that the forces opposed to Islam are busy trying to discredit Jamia Hafsa on the Internet. It is obvious that your Islamic university is having a tremendous impact on the situation in Pakistan, located as you are in the capital of Pakistan. BBC interviewed you ....

Umm Hasan: BBC gave a totally distorted picture of our struggle. It said that we wanted to use violence and throw acid on the faces of women who do not wear Islamic covering. That would be totally unislamic and against Shari’a [Islamic Law]. BBC tried to defame us.

New Trend: I have also heard that your university [Jamia] is facing a threat of military action by General Musharraf which could happen at any time. Is that true?
Umm: Yes, Musharraf has prepared a strike force known as Triple One. It is heavily armed. We only have lathis [wooden staves] to defend ourselves, but we will defend ourselves. We have heard that a special gas has been prepared by Musharraf's forces which would put people to sleep.

NT: I don’t think that will be easy for Musharraf. I have read that Islamic volunteers from all over the country are coming to your defense and many have assembled in Lal Masjid which is in the same complex as Jamia Hafsa. But how did all this start? Why are the young women in your care coming out to fight?

UH: Women of Islam have been terrorized by General Musharraf for much too long. We won’t take it any longer. We are sick and tired of his anti-Islam policies and actions. To give you some idea, our university was attacked first by Musharraf in the year 2004 during the night of August 16-17. In the police rampage, our young women were terrorized and attacked by the SWAT teams of Musharraf.

NT: That is indeed shameful!
UH: Then in 2005, in the aftermath of the London bombing of 7/7, after 11 days, Tony Blair called on Musharraf to attack the Madrassas. Hardly had Blair spoken, then on the very next day, July 19, Musharraf’s Special Forces raided Jamia Hafsa. They were shelling us with tear gas and firing plastic bullets at the girls.

NT: You mean right there in Islamabad? What a dastardly act! The general is a bloody coward!
UH: In this attack, Musharraf’s forces injured 150 of our girls. One of them had to spend three months in a clinic. When Musharraf learned that a number of our students were in hospital and were being given oxygen, he ordered that the oxygen be turned off.

NT: What an accursed coward!
UH: The raids of 2004 and 2005 emboldened Musharraf so much, he decided to start demolishing mosques in Islamabad. Hamza masjid was actually demolished along with 8 others. We received notice that Jamia Hafsa, along with another 80 [eighty] mosques and religious schools and establishments, were to be demolished and that we should leave. This was the immediate cause of the uprising of our young women and the occupation of a small library as the symbol of our resistance.

NT: I have read that the occupation of the library and the young women’s open defiance of the regime had good results. The government announced that it would rebuild Masjid Hamza and stop the demolition process. Then why did your struggle continue? I have heard that the young women kidnapped a "madam" who was running a prostitution den.
UH: Let me explain!

NT: Isn’t that a violation of law and due process of law? [Benazir Bhutto's] Peoples Party is making a big noise, calling on Musharraf to crack down on Jamia Hafsa for this "violation of law."
UH: There is no "rule of law" in this country. No woman can appeal to the police for help. Any woman who falls into the hands of the police is liable to be raped or at least assaulted.

NT: What happened in the case of this "madam?" I read somewhere that her name is "Shamim Naqvi" [a Shi'ite].
UH: She is known as "Auntie Shamim." Our girls had been watching her activities for over a month. The neighbors are sick and tired of her procurement of women for men in the government and the crime and noise which goes along with it. She was very confident of her power. She told anyone who objected to the presence of thugs in her area and the activities related to procuring women that she has protection right from the top and that no one will dare to touch her and survive. She was openly working as a procuress. She was increasing her business with government support, even sending girls to other cities.

NT: Then what happened?
UH: Our Islamic girls went to talk to her and begged her to stop her activities, gave her the teachings of Allah and His messenger, pbuh. The Islamic girls reminded her of the Hereafter. Instead of relenting, at this advice she became very angry and took out a knife. She cut one of our Islamic girls. Then the young women picked her up and brought her over. She was kicking and screaming and used her mouth to bite two of the girls. She left tooth marks. She was not hurt and was brought without injury,

NT: All praise belongs to Allah! And then?
UH: She was told that Islamic women mean her no harm and only want to stop her shameful and sinful activities of procurement of women for government officials. At first she threatened and said that she has "long hands" and we will not survive. However, when she realized that the Islamic women were not going to let go easily, she repented and wrote a full confession of her misdeeds.

NT: Who were her clients?
UH: She did indeed have long hands. She gave us the list of her "customers." Among her clients or customers are Shaikh Rasheed and his nephew Rasheed Shafiq.

NT: You mean the Shaikh Rasheed who is the closest publicist of Musharraf? He is Railway Minister perhaps, isn't he? The one who keeps giving press statements about how great Musharraf is ? Are you sure?
UH: The very same. Top government women are also involved in this corruption.

NT: Such as?
UH: Nilofar Bakhtiar and Zubaidah Jalal.

NT: You might get into a lot of trouble. You are mentioning top people including Shaikh Rasheed by name. He is a powerful man, very close to Musharraf. Aren't you afraid?
UH: We have been taking names right from the time "Auntie Shamim" confessed. We want the people of Pakistan to know how corrupt and degraded this government is. Thus when Musharraf tries to get these people "elected," Pakistanis will know who is being "voted" into power. Musharraf is going for new "elections."

NT: You are challenging the power structure. Your girls have long sticks [lathis]; the government has machine guns and tanks. Why do you feel so strong? Who is on your side?
UH: Allah and His messenger, sal Allaho alaihi wassalam, and the believers.

NT: How many young Islamic women are holding on to the library?
UH: 150

NT: What's the total enrollment of Jamia Hafsa?
UH: We have a total of 6,000 female students. Of these, 3,000 are at the middle school and matric level. The rest are at the university level. In addition to regular courses, we teach Hifz Qur'an and at the senior level we teach Fiqh [Islamic Jurisprudence\ and Study of Hadith.

NT: How many of the students are on campus at this time?
UH: About 1,500.

NT: How many teachers?
UH: 175.

NT: Since when have you been the Principal?
UH: Since we began in 1991.

NT: Thank you for the interview. I'll come back to you with more questions. May Allah keep you safe and strong in Islam.

Jewish Professor Says Porn Industry is a Weapon used by Jews Against Gentiles

Jewish Professor of American History at Aberdeen University in UK, Prof. Nathan Abrams. He boasts that Jews were the driving force of the modern pornographic industry and that their motivation is in part to destroy Gentile morals. 

 
The following is an excerpt from one of the new additions to my book, Jewish Supremacism. It offers more powerful evidence that reveals the Jewish extremist war against Gentiles, a struggle that we Gentiles are not even allowed to know about, much less resist. The new edition of Jewish Supremacism will be available for purchase in about three weeks at www.davidduke. com
From the new 2007 Edition of Jewish Supremacism by David Duke
After learning about the inordinate Jewish involvement in organized crime, historical slavery and modern white slavery, it did not surprise me when I began to learn of their domination of pornography. Just as Jewish scholars faithfully recorded the Jewish domination of the African slave trade so they have also documented their prominent role in pornography.
In a respected and scholarly magazine of Jewish intellectuals, (The Jewish Quarterly, winter 2004) Jewish professor Nathan Abrams in an article titled, "Triple Exthnics," proudly documents the leading role of Gentile-hating Jews in pornography.
A story little told is that of Jews in Hollywood's seedier cousin, the adult film industry. Perhaps we'd prefer that the 'triple exthnics' didn't exist, but there's no getting away from the fact that secular Jews played (and still continue to play) a disproportionate role throughout the adult film industry in America. Jewish involvement in pornography has a long history in the United States, as Jews have helped transform a fringe subculture into what has become a primary constituent of Americana. These are the 'true blue' Jews.
Jewish activity in the porn industry divides into two (sometimes overlapping) groups: pornographers and performers. Though Jews make up only two per cent of the American population, they have been prominent in pornography. …
In the postwar era, America's most notorious pornographer was Reuben Sturman, the 'Walt Disney of Porn'. According to the US Department of Justice, throughout the 1970s Sturman controlled most of the pornography circulating in the country. … It was said that Sturman did not simply control the adult-entertainment industry; he was the industry. …
Many are entirely secular, Jews in name only. Sturman, however, identified as a Jew - he was a generous donator to Jewish charities. …
Abrams shows how the corruption and debasement of Gentiles and Christian morality is a primary part of their motivation for intentionally infecting the Gentile community with pornography.
Is there a deeper reason, beyond the mere financial, as to why Jews in particular have become involved in porn? …
Al Goldstein, the publisher of Screw, said "The only reason that Jews are in pornography is that we think that Christ sucks. Catholicism sucks. We don't believe in authoritarianism. " Pornography thus becomes a way of defiling Christian culture and, as it penetrates to the very heart of the American mainstream (and is no doubt consumed by those very same WASPs), its subversive character becomes more charged. …
Extending the subversive thesis, Jewish involvement in the X-rated industry can be seen as a proverbial two fingers to the entire WASP establishment in America. …
Opposition to Jewish extremist subversion of Gentile, Christian or Muslim morality is frequently defined as anti-Semitic "hatred" in the Jewish dominated media. Abrams writing in a Jewish journal for a presumably Jewish audience writes matter-of-factly about the "atavistic hatred" against us by Jewish pornographers and their motivation to "weaken the dominant culture in America by moral subversion."
Jewish involvement in porn, by this argument, is the result of an atavistic hatred of Christian authority: they are trying to weaken the dominant culture in America by moral subversion. Astyr remembers having "to run or fight for it in grammar school because I was a Jew. It could very well be that part of my porn career is an 'up yours' to these people." …
Obviously, there are no articles in the mainstream media exposing Jewish "atavistic hatred" against Gentiles by the promoters of pornographic depravity. Abrams even goes on to talk about the roots of this revolutionary Jewish attack on European values.
Jews were also at the vanguard of the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Wilhelm Reich, Herbert Marcuse and Paul Goodman replaced Marx, Trotsky and Lenin as required revolutionary reading. …
Pacheco was one Jewish porn star who read Reich's intellectual marriage of Freud and Marx. …
In light of the relatively tolerant Jewish view of sex, why are we ashamed of the Jewish role in the porn industry? We might not like it, but the Jewish role in this field has been significant and it is about time it was written about seriously.
Notice that all those mentioned: Reich, Marcuse, Goodman, Marx, Trotsky, Lenin and Freud are Jews. From Freud to Goodman, all represent a Jewish revolution against traditional European values and morality.
When sick Jewish pornographers are part of the brutality of Jewish organized crime, the results can obviously be horrifically tragic for our people. In 2000, a Jewish "Russian" organized crime ring was uncovered that specialized in kidnapping Russian children, some as young as two years old, from parks and orphanages and then subjecting them to rape, torture and murder, all on video tape. These tapes were sold to thousands of Jewish and Gentile perverts all over the world. When police in Italy were frustrated by lack of action by the authorities they released some of the video footage to an Italian network which then showed some of the graphic images hoping to cause public outrage. Instead of outrage against the Jewish murderers the TV producers suffered outrage for showing the disturbing images.
In spite of the horror and obvious newsworthiness of this international Jewish child porn/murder operation, it received little coverage in the media in the United States. When Seth Bekenstein, the ring's American distributor was arrested, there was little publicity, and in spite of being a part of one of the most horrific criminal activities imaginable, he was sentenced to only 18 months on guilty plea.
Porn is no longer 1950s pictures of voluptuous nude women on a deserted beach. It has become permeated with sadism, masochism, scatology, even sexual molestation, rape and murder of young children. I am no prude. I love the beauty of the human body. But, I do think that this kind of sick criminal activity, in which there is so much exploitation, so much degradation, so much catering to the depths of human depravity, should be fought with constitutional law.
Ironically, with Jewish influence over media, societal mores, and government today, it is legal, even chic to make and sell the sickest pornography showing the sick defilement of women. But, if you have unacceptable political opinions about Jewish supremacism, you may find yourself a political and social pariah, or at worst in prison. We live in a Jewish supremacist world where often the sickest porn is legal while political incorrect opinions will land you in prison.

3 March: Dark days for the Ummah since the destruction of the Khilafah

The 3rd of March is a date that is etched into the history of the Muslim Ummah as one of its darkest days ever. It was on this date in the fateful year of 1924 CE that the last vestige of legitimate Islamic rule was ended. The office of Khilifah was abolished by the treacherous Mustafa Kamal and the Muslim Ummah has since then been plunged in to darkness and humiliation. Thus any trace of the Uthmani Khilafah was extinguished as the 101st Khaleefah of Islam, Abdul Mejid II was exiled from the now secular Republic of Turkey.

His banishment from the land of Anatolia with little more than a suitcase and some cash was the beginning of the humiliation that the Muslim world has suffered to this very day. With what was described as the shield of the Muslims by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) - now in exile, the Ummah was set to be subjected to numerous tragedies that would involve against it murderous wars, foreign occupation, economic strangulation, political manipulation as well as a cultural colonialism that sought to distance the Muslim world from the concept of Islamic ruling and the obligation of living under the Khilafah.

With the sole legitimate leadership of the Muslims, the Khilafah, destroyed the lands of Islam were divided in to numerous statelets and disputed territories. These new entities were established along the lines of ethnicity, sectarianism and racism by the colonialist powers of the day in an attempt to ensure that Muslim Ummah would never rise again. Nationalism that was nurtured by the colonialists in the run up to the destruction of the Khilafah helped to ensure that these new entities would remain at loggerheads, never to think of uniting again. In addition, the blessed land of Palestine was occupied, its inhabitants dispersed so as assuage the West’s guilt and a great injustice was committed in establishing the state of Israel. Any attempts to replicate the power of a unitary leadership of the Muslim world were replaced by pathetic and impotent bodies such as Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC). These organisations were designed to perpetuate disunity and division as they preserved the borders and barriers betweens Muslims that the colonialists had established. These states have never had the interests of Islam and the Muslims at heart. This can be seen to this day, as the OIC and Arab League issue countless resolutions on issues such as Palestine and Iraq without ever actually doing anything to change the status quo. These resolutions are but lip service by the insincere leaders of these entities to the cause of Islam, designed solely to pacify their Muslim populations into thinking that Islam cannot solve the Ummah’s problems.

These rulers have committed far more heinous crimes against the Muslims than simply issuing empty resolutions. Western colonialism put in place a motley crew of dictators, monarchs, autocrats and downright puppets that have served their colonial masters in a manner more loyal than their own populations. Successive rulers have betrayed the interests of Muslims. With their brutality and lack of self-respect seemingly having no limits, the Muslim rulers are falling over themselves in an attempt to please. For example, Qatar today hosts the largest airstrip in the Middle East, to be used exclusively by the US Air Force to bomb Muslim lands and control the skies of the Middle East. Bahrain, which previously hosted the naval forces of the British Empire, now serves as the base for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Almost every nation in the Muslim world today has facilitated the military aims of the various colonial at some point. Present day Pakistan, in a clear contradiction of General Musharraf’s own motto of “Pakistan First”, is engaging in a war with his own people whilst compromising the sovereignty of the country in allowing US troops to act with impunity. Deploying his powerful military not to defend Muslims from aggression, he has made the Pakistani Armed forces nothing more than mercenaries. They are forced to act as mercenaries by the regime for some paltry economic aid for a corrupt government whilst the blood and honour of their brothers and sisters is violated on a global scale. Due to these tyrannical rulers the armies of the Muslim world have been held back, shackled to their bases, unable to come to the aid of their brethren in Chechnya, the Balkans, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Iraq or anywhere else that conflict rages.

Since the destruction of the Khilafah in 1924 there has been an assault on the resources in the Muslim lands. Starting with the 100-year contracts signed with western oil companies to drill for oil in the 1930’s, lucrative contracts are being signed by western agencies for natural resources that rightfully belong to the Ummah. The most recent of which have been the colonial style Production Sharing Agreements (PSA’s) for Iraqi oil. These agreements mean that Iraq oil will be privatised, ending up in the hands of foreign, mostly US, oil companies. In addition to this, these agreements spell out that these oil companies will make up to a massive 75% profit on the oil, with 65 of Iraq’s roughly 80 known oil fields being offered to these companies for exploration. In the words of Dick Cheney during his time as Haliburton CEO in 1999 who said, "By 2010 we will need [a further] 50 million barrels a day. The Middle East, with two-thirds of the oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize lies.” Even the wealth that has been generated has not been utilised by the rulers for the benefit of the people or to secure long-term independence and self-sufficiency. A lack of investment in education, employment and technological infrastructure means that billions of dollars are wasted on importing resources, which could be developed at home. It is shocking that Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil producer, can only produce 57% of the nation’s daily petrol consumption due to a lack of refineries.

The Muslim world has indeed seen destruction, devastation and calamity for the past 83 years. However, the signs of awakening for the return of the Khilafah are now clear for all to see. The proof of this can be seen in the growing gulf between the rulers and the ruled; the speeches and Khutbahs in universities and mosques throughout the Muslim world that call for a sincere and rightly guided Khaleefah to lead the Ummah; witness the mass demonstrations against the bombing and killing of innocent Muslims by US and UK forces in Karachi, Jakarta, Hebron, Dhaka and other places; the increasingly brutal methods and oppression that the regimes are forced to use to quell the desire for political change such as in Egypt and Uzbekistan. It can also be seen by the actions of the colonial powers who realise that the rulers they imposed upon the Muslim world have no support and no legitimacy, hence they are forced to resort to occupying Muslim lands and cementing their presence through military bases. The global reawakening for Khilafah can also be seen in the desperate and pathetic attempts by the regimes and their scholars, who they have bought for a cheap price, to malign, slander and attack the idea of Khilafah. They lie by saying that the Khilafah cannot be established in the modern age, that Islam and politics do not mix, that sectarian differences are too great, that the western powers are too powerful and that the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) can never be unified. All of the efforts of the enemies of Islam will be in vain for Allah (swt) has promised the believers that the Khilafah will return on the method of the Prophet and there is no power or might other than Allah (swt).

Islamic State Part 1 - Introduction

[KCom Note: As a feature to celebrate the month of Ramadhan, we present to you dear readers, a serialisation of the book 'The Islamic State' by Taqiuddin an-Nabahani, Hizb-ut-Tahrir. We begin with the Introductory chapter by Dawood Hamdan]

The present generation does not recall the Islamic State that implemented Islam, and those who lived during the last years of the Islamic State (‘Uthmani Khilafah) against which the West had directed its onslaught, had in fact witnessed the remains of a state implementing remnants of Islamic rule. That is why it has become extremely difficult for any Muslim to illustrate the picture of the Islamic rule to minds subdued by the situation, minds which cannot imagine the system of government except through the rotten democratic regimes imposed on Muslim countries.

And this is not the only hardship, rather the hardest task is trying to change such minds which have been seduced by the Western culture. The Western culture was the dagger drawn by the West in the face of the Islamic State, and by which it fatally stabbed her. Then, taking the weapon, dripping with blood, to her sons proudly said to them: I have killed your ailing mother, who deserved to be killed because of her poor guardianship and mismanagement and I have reserved for you the kind of life in which you will relish happiness and prosperity. They then offered to shake the hand of the murderer whose dagger was still stained with the blood of their mother. This, it is claimed, is just what the hyena does to its prey. The prey stands still, stunned and astonished, and does not come back to its senses until it is dealt a hard blow that makes it bleed, or is taken down the valley to be eaten.

So how could such seduced minds realise that the poisonous dagger which killed their mother is the same one that is always threatening their lives and very existence, so long as they hold onto it. That those concepts which they carry, such as nationalism, separating the deen from the State and the anti-Islamic notions are the very poison that this Western culture has brought to them. The chapter about the missionary invasion in this book is full of facts and figures showing clearly and in detail the true intentions of the killer and the true motives behind the crime, listing the means and methods used to carry it out. The only reason was to eradicate Islam, and the most effective weapon was this Western culture which the missionary invasion had brought.

The Muslims were caught unaware of the dangers of such culture, they began resisting and fighting the physical occupation of their lands whilst embracing the Western culture, which was the real reason behind the occupation taking root in their lands. The sad irony is that Muslims, while allegedly turning their backs on the foreigner and fighting the occupation, welcomed the West with open arms and drank from its poison until they collapsed, weary and lifeless; one would think them casualties of war, alas they were in fact victims of ignorance and misguidance.

What do they actually seek? A state based on other than Islam? Or several states on Muslim land? The West, since becoming the effective ruler, has already given them several states; completing therefore its scheme of keeping Islam out of government, dividing the Muslim land and giving the Muslims a trivial and facade rule. From time to time, the West creates for Muslims a new state, and it is more than willing to give them even more as long as they hold on to Western principles and concepts.

The point at issue is not establishing several states, but one single state over the whole of the Muslim world. And not establishing any state, nor a state that calls itself Islamic but rules by other than what Allah (swt) has decreed; nor a state calling itself Islamic and implementing Islamic Laws without carrying Islam as an intellectual leadership. The crucial point at issue is not the establishment of such pseudo-Islamic states, but of a single state which would resume the Islamic way of life based upon the Islamic ‘aqeedah, implement Islam within society after this was deeply rooted in the peoples’ hearts and minds, and would carry the Message of Islam to the whole world.

The Islamic State is not a dream, nor is it a figment of the imagination, for it had dominated and influenced history for more than thirteen hundred years. So, it is a reality, it has always been and always will be. The vital elements of its existence are far greater than can be ignored or fought against by anything or anyone; the enlightened people have adopted it and it is the wish of the Ummah which is eager for the glory of Islam. The Islamic State is not a desire that one aims to satisfy, but an obligation that Allah (swt) has decreed on Muslims and commanded them to execute. He (swt) warned of the punishment awaiting those who neglect this duty.

How are they to please their Lord if the ‘izzah in their countries is not for Allah (swt), nor for His Messenger (saw), nor for the believers? How are they to be safe from His punishment if they do not establish a state that would prepare the army for battle, defend the territory, implement Allah’s penal code and rule by what Allah (swt) has revealed? Therefore, Muslims must establish the Islamic State, for Islam would not have an influential existence without it, and their land would not become Dar al-Islam unless it is ruled by that which Allah (swt) has revealed.

The Islamic State is by no means an easy acquisition, nor a question of simply becoming ministers (this applies to both parties and individuals) and becoming part of the present ruling system. The road is embedded with thorns, full of perils, obstacles and hardships, not to mention the non-Islamic culture, shallow thinking and pro-Western regimes which form a formidable obstacle. Those who tread the path of the Islamic call to restore the Islamic State, would in fact be aiming at seizing power in order to resume the Islamic way of life in the Muslim lands, and to convey the Message of Islam to the whole world. That is why they would categorically reject sharing power with anyone, no matter how great the temptation. They would also reject absolute rule unless they were capable of implementing Islam comprehensively, radically and instantaneously.

Finally, this book about the Islamic State is not meant to narrate its history but to explain how the Messenger of Allah (saw) established the Islamic State, and to show how the colonial disbelievers destroyed it. It demonstrates how Muslims should re-establish their State so that the light that guided the world in the darkest of ages returns to enlighten humanity once again.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 2 : The Starting Point and The Structuring Of The Sahabah

The Starting Point

When the Messenger of Allah (saw) was sent to mankind with the Message of Islam, he first invited his wife Khadijah and she believed in him. Then he (saw) invited his cousin ‘Ali and he believed in him. He then invited his servant Zayd, and he believed in him. And then he invited his friend Abu Bakr, who also believed in him. He then began inviting people to Islam, some believed and some rejected.

When Abu Bakr embraced Islam, he in turn revealed his belief to the people he trusted and called towards Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw). Abu Bakr was held in high esteem among his people, they enjoyed his company and always consulted him in many issues. He used his influence to persuade ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, together with Zubayr ibn al-’Awwam, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah to embrace Islam. He brought them to the Messenger of Allah (saw) where they all confirmed their belief and offered prayer.

Then, ‘Amir ibn al-Jarrah (known as Abu Ubaydah) embraced Islam, and so did ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad (known as Abu Salamah) as well as al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, ‘Uthman ibn Maz’un and others. Scores of people then embraced Islam, until it became the talking point among the people of Quraysh.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) at the start of his call would visit people in their homes, telling them that they had been commanded by Allah (swt) to worship Him and to associate none with Him. He (saw) openly invited people to Islam in Makkah, thus abiding by Allah’s command,

"O you wrapped up (in a mantle) arise and deliver the warning." [TMQ 74:1]

After this, the Messenger of Allah (saw) would contact people secretly to teach them Islam and gather them on the basis of the deen.

The Sahabah (companions) used to offer prayers in the hills on the outskirts of Makkah away from Quraysh. Every time someone embraced Islam, Allah’s Messenger (saw) would send him or her someone from those who had embraced Islam earlier to teach them the Qur’an. He (saw) sent Khabbab ibn al-Arrat to teach the Qur’an to Fatima bint al-Khattab and her husband Sa’id. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab once surprised them whilst they held their circle, and he embraced Islam there and then. The Messenger of Allah (saw) realised that this was not enough though, so he set up the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam as the centre of his call, a place from which he taught Muslims the Qur’an and perfected their knowledge of Islam, encouraging them to recite the Qur’an and understand it. Every time someone embraced Islam, Allah’s Messenger (saw) would join him in the house of al-Arqam. He (saw) pursued this task for three years, teaching this group of Muslims, leading them in prayers, and performing tahajjud at night, motivating their souls, strengthening therefore their belief through prayer and recitation, helping them to improve their way of thinking and to reflect on the verses of the Qur’an and the creation of Allah (swt). He (saw) taught them how to endure all hardships by submitting to Allah (swt).


The Messenger of Allah (saw) remained together with his party of Muslims in the house of al-Arqam until Allah (swt) revealed his saying,

"Therefore, expound openly what you are commanded and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah." [TMQ 15: 94]


The Structuring Of The Sahabah

At the beginning of his call, the Messenger of Allah (saw) invited to Islam people whom he felt had the readiness to accept it, regardless of their age, position, race, or origin. He (saw) never selected people, he invited people indiscriminately and then sensed their readiness to accept Islam. Scores of people believed and embraced Islam. He (saw) was anxious to educate all those who embraced Islam and perfect their knowledge of the deen, as well as teach them the Qur’an. These companions formed a group and they carried the message themselves. Their number grew to over forty men and women, they came from all walks of life, though they were mostly young men. There were among them the poor and the rich, the weak and the strong. This group of Muslims who believed in Allah’s Messenger (saw) and pursued the da‘wah were:

1. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (8 years old)
2. Zubayr ibn al-’Awwam (8 years old)
3. Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (11 years old)
4. Al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam (12 years old)
5. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (14 years old)
6. Sa’id ibn Zayd (under twenty)
7. Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (17 years old)
8. Sa’ud ibn Rabi’ah (17 years old)
9. Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (18 years old)
10. Suhayb al-Rumi (under twenty)
11. Zayd ibn Harithah (about twenty)
12. ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (about twenty)
13. Tulayb ibn ‘Umayr (about twenty)
14. Khabbab ibn al-Arrat (about twenty)
15. ‘Amir ibn Fuhayrah (23 years old)
16. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr (24 years old)
17. Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad (24 years old)
18. ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh (25 years old)
19. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (26 years old)
20. Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (27 years old)
21. ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan (27 years old)
22. Abu Hudhayfah ibn ‘Utbah (30 years old)
23. Bilal ibn Rabah (about 30 years old)
24. ‘Ayyash ibn Rabi’ah (about 30 years old)
25. ‘Amir ibn Rabi’ah (about 30)
26. Na’im ibn ‘Abdullah (about 30)
27. ‘Uthman (30 years old)
28. ‘Abdullah (17 years old)
29. Qudamah (19 years old)
30. Al-Saib (about 20, all four being sons of Maz’un ibn Habib)
31. Abu Salamah ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi (about 30)
32. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf (about 30)
33. ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (between 30 and 40)
34. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (37 years old)
35. Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (42 years old)
36. ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith (50 years old)

A number of women also embraced Islam.

After three years, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was relieved and reassured when these Sahabah matured and developed an Islamic culture and when their hearts and minds became filled with nothing but Islamic concepts. He (saw) then became certain that they had acquired a deep understanding of Islam and that their personalities had reached great heights in terms of belief in Allah (swt); only then did his worries ease, for this group of Muslims became strong and capable enough to face society, so he (saw) came out leading his group to confront Quraysh when Allah (swt) ordered him to do so.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 3 : The Launching Of The Call

The fact of the Islamic call was known from the first day the Messenger of Allah (saw) was sent. People in Makkah had known all along that Muhammad (saw) was calling for a new deen, and that scores of people had embraced Islam. They also knew that Muhammad (saw) was gathering his companions and looking after them, and that the Muslims concealed themselves from the rest of Quraysh while they grouped together and learned about their new deen.

People in Makkah were aware of this new call and of those who believed in it, but they never knew where they met nor who they were. That is why when the Messenger of Allah (saw) proclaimed his new belief, it did not come as a surprise. What surprised Makkah was the emergence of the new group of Muslims. The Muslims had gained a great deal of strength when Hamzah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib embraced Islam, followed by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab three days later. Then came the revelation of Allah (swt),

"Therefore expound openly what you are commanded and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah. For sufficient are We unto you against those who scoff. Those who adopt, with Allah another god: but soon will they come to know." [TMQ 15:94-96]

Allah’s Messenger (saw) duly obeyed Allah’s command and revealed his group to the whole of Makkah; he went out with his Companions in two lines, one led by ‘Umar the other and Hamzah. The Sahabah walked in an order that Quraysh had never witnessed before. He (saw) then circumambulated the Ka’bah with them.

This is the stage when Allah’s Messenger (saw) moved with his companions from the secret phase to the open one, from calling and addressing and inviting those whom he felt were ready to answer his call, to addressing all people. The da‘wah then took a new turn, the clash between Iman and Kufr in society began, the interaction between the right concepts and the rotten ones began, setting off therefore the second phase of the da‘wah, i.e. the phase of interaction and struggle.

The disbelievers began resisting and fighting the da‘wah, inflicting in the process all kinds of harm and injury on the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions. This phase was one of the most severe of all; the house of Allah’s Messenger (saw) was stoned and Umm Jamil, wife of Abu Lahab, used to throw impurities outside his home. He (saw) just ignored or removed them in turn. Abu Jahl once threw a ewe’s uterus, slaughtered as a sacrifice to the idols, at Allah’s Messenger (saw). He (saw) bore it all, he would go to his daughter Fatima to clean him and to restore his purity. This only strengthened Allah’s Messenger’s (saw) resolve and made him invite to Islam even harder. Muslims were threatened and hurt, every tribe took it upon itself to torture and persecute its Muslim tribesmen. One of those tribes left their slave Bilal to die on the burning sand with a heavy rock upon his chest simply because he insisted on Islam. Bilal defiantly uttered the words ‘Ahad! Ahad!’ (the One the One) and endured all the suffering for the sake of his Lord. One woman died after being subjected to torture, simply because she would not renounce her new belief and return to the faith of her forefathers.

The Muslims endured the suffering, the torture, the humiliation and deprivation with only one aim in mind, seeking to please Allah (swt).

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 6:The Call In Madinah, The Second Pledge Of Al-‘Aqabah

The Call In Madinah

When the people of the first pledge of al-’Aqabah returned to Madinah and Islam spread to every single household among the Ansar; and they sent a man to the Messenger of Allah (saw) with a letter asking him to send them someone who would teach them the deen and the Qur’an. The Messenger of Allah (saw) never used to leave those who embraced Islam without teaching them the rules and nurturing them with the sound Islamic culture which would enable them to understand Islam and realise its essence, for the Islamic culture is vital to every Muslim, it is a means of strengthening the ‘aqeedah and of understanding the Message of Islam, it is also the guarantee for the consistent application of Islam. Those who embraced Islam had sensed this, therefore they asked for some one to teach them, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr to them. On arrival, Mus’ab lodged with As’ad ibn Zurarah, he then began visiting people in their homes and camps, calling them to Islam and reciting the Qur’an and consequently a man or two would embrace Islam until Islam manifested itself and spread among every household of the Ansar, except the households of Khatmah, Wa’il and Waqif who were from (the clan of) Aus-Allah. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr was teaching them and getting them to recite the Qur’an, and then he wrote to the Messenger of Allah (saw) asking his permission to gather them, Allah ‘s Messenger (saw) granted him permission and wrote back, "Wait until the Jews declare their Sabbath, and in the afternoon, approach Allah with two rak’ahs and then deliver your khutbah." Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr gathered them in the house of Sa’d ibn Khaythamah, they were twelve men and he only slaughtered for them one ewe. Mus’ab was the first in the history of Islam to hold a jum’ah prayer.

Mus’ab continued to go around Madinah calling people to Islam and teaching them the deen. One day As’ad ibn Zurarah went out with Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr to the areas of Banu al-Ashhal and of Banu Zafar (Sa’d ibn Mu’adh was incidentally As’ad ibn Zurarah’s maternal cousin.) They entered one of the gardens of Banu Zafar by a well called Maraq and sat in it, where some of the men who had accepted Islam had gathered together. Sa’d ibn Mu’adh and Usayd ibn Hudayr were at the time leaders of their clan, the Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal, and both followed the polytheism of their tribe. When they had heard about him, Sa’d said to Usayd, "Go to these fellows who have entered our quarters to make fools of our comrades, drive them out and forbid them to enter our quarters. If it were not that As’ad ibn Zurarah is related to me as you know I would save you the trouble. He is my aunt’s son and I can do nothing to him." So Usayd took his lance and went to them; and when As’ad saw him he said to Mus’ab, "This is the chief of his tribe who is coming to you, so be true to Allah with him." Mus’ab said, "If he will sit down, I will talk to him." He stood over them looking furious and asking what they meant by coming to deceive their weaker comrades. "Leave us if you value your lives." Mus’ab said, "Won’t you sit down and listen. If you like what you hear you can accept it, and if you don’t like it you can leave it alone." He agreed that was fair, stuck his lance in the ground, and sat down. He explained Islam to him and read the Qur’an. Afterwards they said, according to what has been reported by them, "By Allah, before he spoke we recognised Islam in his face by its peaceful glow." He said, "What a wonderful and beautiful discourse this is! What does one do if he wants to enter this deen?" They told him that he must wash and purify himself and his garments, then bear witness to the Truth and pray two rak’ahs. He immediately did so and said, "There is a man behind me who if he follows you every one of his people will follow suit. I will send him to you at once. It is Sa’d ibn Mu’adh."

Taking his lance he went off to Sa’d and his people sitting in a meeting place. When Sa’d saw him coming he said, "By Allah, Usayd is coming with a different expression from that which he had when he left you." And when he came up he asked what had happened, he said, "I have spoken to the two men and I find no harm in them. I forbade them to go on and they said to me: We will do what you like; and I was told that Banu Harithah had gone out against As’ad to kill him because they knew that he was the son of your aunt so as to make you appear a treacherous protector of your guests."

Sa’d was enraged and got up at once, alarmed at what had been said about the Banu Harithah. He took the lance from his hand saying, "By Allah I see that you have been utterly ineffective." He went out to them and when he saw them sitting comfortably he knew that Usayd had intended that he should listen to them. He stood over them, looking furious. He said to As’ad, "O Abu Umamah, were it not for the relationship between us you would not have treated me thus. Would you behave in our homelands in a way we detest?" As’ad already had said to Mus’ab, "O Mus’ab, by Allah the leader who is followed by his people has come to you. If he follows you, no two of them will remain behind." So Mus’ab said to him, "Won’t you sit down and listen. If you like what you hear you can accept it, and if you don’t like it you can leave it alone." He agreed that was fair, stuck his lance in the ground, and sat down. He explained Islam to him and read him the Qur’an. Afterwards they said, according to what has been reported of them, "By Allah, before he spoke we recognised Islam in his face by its peaceful glow." He said, "What a wonderful and beautiful discourse this is! What does one do if he wants to enter this deen?" They told him that he must wash and purify himself and his garments, then bear witness to the truth and pray. He immediately did so. Then he took his lance and went back to his people’s meeting place accompanied by Usayd ibn Hudayr. When they saw him coming they said, "We swear by Allah, Sa’d has returned with a different expression from that which he had when he left you." And when he stopped by them he said, "O Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal, how do you rate my authority amongst you?" They replied, "You are our chief, the most active in our interests, the best in judgment and the most fortunate in leadership." He said, "I will not speak to a man or woman among you until you believe in Allah and his Messenger." As a result, every man and woman among the Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal embraced Islam. Mus’ab then returned to the house of As’ad ibn Zurarah and he stayed with him as a guest, and he continued to call the people to Islam until every household of the Ansar had Muslim men and women among them. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr remained in Madinah for one year among the Aus and the Khazraj teaching them their deen and witnessing, with great delight, the growing number of the helpers of Allah’s authority and of the word of truth. He, may Allah be pleased with him, used to knock on people’s doors hoping to contact them and convey the Message of Allah; he used to walk to the fields and contact the farmers to call them to Islam; he also used to confront the leaders and call them to the deen of Allah; he would also perform some deliberate tactics like the one he used with As’ad ibn Zurarah in order to gain access to people and get them to receive the voice of Truth until he managed in one single year to turn the thoughts in Madinah from corrupted idolatry and incorrect emotions to Tawheed and Iman and Islamic emotions that abhorred shirk and turned away from cheating and fraud. As a result of Mus’ab’s activities and the activities of those who embraced Islam, Madinah had been transformed in one single year from a state of shirk to a state of Islam.


The Second Pledge Of Al-‘Aqabah

The first pledge of al-’Aqabah was a good thing and a blessing. This was so because despite the small number of those who had embraced Islam, the efforts of one companion of the Messenger of Allah (saw) i.e. Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr were enough to lead them to change Madinah and transform the existing thoughts and emotions within its society, and despite the relatively large number of those who embraced Islam in Makkah, the people at large remained alienated from them, for the groups did not respond to Islam, and society was not affected by the Islamic thoughts and emotions; whereas by contrast, the majority of people in Madinah embraced Islam and Islam made an impact in the heart of the Madinan society, and the thoughts and emotions were affected. This clearly demonstrates that when individuals who embrace Islam remain alienated from society and the people at large, an impact within society is not generated, nor within the majority of people no matter how strong the belief of these individuals is. It also demonstrates that if the existing relationships between people were affected by thoughts and emotions they would lead to the desired transformation and change no matter how small the number of the conveyors of the message are. This also proves that when the society persists in disbelief, as was the case with the Makkan society, it becomes more difficult to transform, than the society where such erroneous notions are not dominant, as was the case with the Madinan society, even if such notions were present. Therefore, the Madinan society was affected by Islam more than the Makkan society, people in Madinah had sensed the falsehood of the thoughts they were carrying and they had been searching for other thoughts and another way of life. By contrast, the Makkan society was satisfied with its state of affairs and anxious to maintain it, especially the heads of disbelief such as Abu Lahab, Abu Jahl and Abu Sufyan. That is why it took Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr only a short spell to witness the response to the da‘wah, he went on calling people to Islam and culturing them with its thoughts and rules, he would feel the quick response and witness people’s willingness to accept Islam and their enthusiasm to learn and acquire the knowledge of Islam’s rules, and this would make him rejoice; he would witness the number of Muslims grow and Islam spread and this would encourage him to multiply his efforts in the da‘wah. When the season of hajj came, he returned to Makkah and reported back to the Messenger of Allah (saw), giving him an account about the Muslims in Madinah and their growing might, and about Islam and its rapid spread, describing the state of the Madinan society and how people there talked only about Allah’s Messenger (saw), and how Islam occupied centre stage. Mus’ab informed the Messenger of Allah (saw) about the strength of the Muslims and their deterrent might, which made Islam the dominant force in Madinah, he also informed him that some Muslims, whose belief had grown stronger and whose determination to carry the Message and defend the deen of Allah had become greater than ever, would be coming to Makkah that year. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was very pleased with the news brought by Mus’ab and began thinking long and hard in the matter and comparing the Makkan society with that of Madinah. He (saw) spent twelve consecutive years in Makkah calling for the deen of Allah, exhausting all his efforts, devoting all his time and seizing every single opportunity, enduring in the process all types of hardship, suffering and oppression, and despite all that, society in Makkah remained as stubborn as ever and the da‘wah never managed to break through, due to the remorseless hearts and the ruthless feelings of the Makkan people whose idle minds would not break away from the past. The Makkan society was harsh and its aptitude for the da‘wah was negligible due to the deeply rooted idolatrous polytheism within the hearts of its people, for Makkah was the main centre of shirk. In Madinah things were different, hardly one year had elapsed since a group of the Khazraj embraced Islam, and the first pledge of al-’Aqabah took place, then came the efforts of Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr the year after, and this was enough to generate an Islamic atmosphere in Madinah and to pave the way for people to embrace Islam at an astonishing rate. The Message of Allah in Makkah had stopped with those who had embraced Islam, with the persecution and oppression inflicted upon them by Quraysh, but in Madinah, on the other hand, had spread rapidly, with the Muslims there not having to suffer the persecution by the Jews and the disbelievers, this could only help Islam to become deeply rooted in people’s hearts and to pave the way for the Muslims. Therefore, it became clear to the Messenger of Allah that Madinah had more aptitude than Makkah to become the source of the light of Islam. He (saw) therefore thought about emigrating to Madinah and to let his companions join their brothers there, to find sanctuary and safety and rid themselves from the persecution and torture which Quraysh had been inflicting upon them, this would allow them to concentrate on the da‘wah and move towards its practical phase, which is the implementation of Islam and the carrying of its Message with the might and authority of an Islamic state; this was the only reason for the emigration.


It is worth mentioning that the Messenger of Allah (saw) had never thought about emigrating from Makkah simply because of the obstacles the da‘wah was facing, without remaining steadfast and persevering, and without attempting to overcome those obstacles. He (saw) persevered for ten years in Makkah, always focusing his thoughts on the da‘wah. He and his followers endured all types of horror and persecution in the way of the da‘wah. The illtreatment and the resistance by Quraysh never weakened his resolve and determination, on the contrary, his belief in the Message which he brought from his Lord took him to new heights, and the certainty of Allah’s help made him even more steadfast and resolute. Nevertheless, he (saw) realised after those attempts how hard and stubborn the Makkan society was, how shallow minded people were and how ruthless and misguided they were. This meant that the chances of success were slim, and that pursuing the da‘wah there could be a wasted effort, thus it became necessary to move away from such a society and look for another one. He therefore thought about emigrating from Makkah, and that was the only reason for thinking about moving to Madinah, not the hardship nor the persecution. Indeed the Messenger of Allah (saw) had ordered his companions to emigrate to Abyssinia to escape persecution as it is allowed for the believers to move away from places of affliction if they were persecuted because of their deen, although enduring the torture enhances Iman, and the oppression inflames faithfulness and the resistance sharpens the determination. Iman pushes believers to belittle all hardships and sacrifice wealth, honour, peace of mind and even their lives. And although belief in Allah (swt) makes the believer ready to give his life willingly in His way, unabated aggression and the continuity of sacrifice would cause the believer to become exhausted. This is so because his efforts would be diverted towards persevering against and resisting the harm inflicted upon him, rather than towards mobilising his efforts in the da‘wah and broadening his horizons by being allowed to think deeply about the truthfulness of his belief. It was for this reason that the Muslims had no other alternative but to emigrate away from the places where affliction reigned. This was the case when they emigrated to Abyssinia. However, their later emigration to Madinah was prompted by different reasons. They wanted to move with their Message and bring it to life by implementing it in a society, their new society, and then spread it world-wide. It is only in this context that the Messenger of Allah (saw) contemplated ordering his companions to emigrate to Madinah. But before deciding to join them there, he had to first meet the pilgrims coming from that location and confer with the Muslims among them, in order to assess their readiness to protect the da‘wah and to see how far they were prepared to sacrifice themselves in the way of Islam. He (saw) had to make sure that they were prepared to give him the pledge of war, a pledge of fighting that would form the cornerstone of the Islamic State. Thus the Messenger of Allah (saw) waited for the pilgrims; this was the twelfth year of the Message, in 622 CE. The pilgrims were many, among whom were 75 Muslims (73 men and 2 women). One of the women was Nusaybah bint Ka’ab Umm ‘Amarah from Banu Mazin ibn al-Najjar and the other was Asma’ bint ‘Amr ibn ‘Adi from Banu Salamah, known also as Umm Mani’.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) met the Muslim pilgrims secretly and talked to them about a second pledge, which would not be concerned with simply carrying the da‘wah and persevering against aggression. It would be a pledge which would go well beyond that, a pledge with far reaching consequences. It was to be a pledge that would entail forming a force capable of defending Muslims and forming the nucleus that would produce the cornerstone on which to build the foundations of a state with the power to protect it, a power that would remove all material obstacles which stood in the way of the Message and its implementation. The Messenger of Allah (saw) talked to them about the pledge and felt their readiness, and they in turn agreed to meet him at al-’Aqabah during the middle of the days of Tashriq. He (saw) said to them, "Do not wake anyone, nor wait for anyone absent." When a third of the night had passed they went stealing softly to their appointment with the Messenger of Allah (saw) at al-’Aqabah, the two women were also with them. They waited for Allah’s Messenger (saw) until he came with his uncle al-’Abbas, who was at that time an disbeliever, albeit he wanted to give his nephew a firm guarantee. He was the first to speak and said, "O people of Khazraj! You know what position Muhammad holds among us. We have protected him from our own people who think as we do about him. He lives in honour and safety among his people, but he decided to turn to you and join you; so if you think you can be faithful to what you have promised him and protect him from his opponents, then assume the burden you have undertaken. But if you think that you will betray and abandon him after he has gone out with you, then leave him now." They replied, "We have heard what you say. Now you speak, O Messenger of Allah, and choose for yourself and your Lord what you wish." The Messenger of Allah (saw) spoke after reciting the Qur’an and commended Islam and said, "I invite your allegiance on the basis that you protect me as you would your women and children." Al-Bara’ took his hand to give the pledge and said, "We give our allegiance O Messenger of Allah, by Allah we are men of war possessing arms which have been passed on from father to son". While al-Bara’ was speaking Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayhan interrupted him and said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have ties with other men (meaning the Jews) and if we sever them perhaps when we have done that and Allah will have given you victory, you will return to your people and leave us." The Messenger of Allah (saw) smiled and said, "No, your blood is my blood, and what is sacred to you is sacred to me; I am of you and you are of me; I will fight against those who fight against you, and be at peace with those at peace with you." Al-’Abbas ibn ‘Ubadah interrupted and said, "O people of Khazraj! Do you realise to what you are committing yourselves in pledging your support to this man? It means fighting all and sundry; if you think that if you lose your property, and your nobles are killed you will give him up, then do so now, for by Allah it would bring you shame in this world and the next if you did so later; but if you think that you will be loyal to your undertaking even if you lose your possessions and your nobles are killed, then take him, for by Allah it will profit you in this world and the Hereafter." They said that they would accept the Messenger of Allah (saw) on these conditions and then inquired, "What is in it for us, O Messenger of Allah, in return for our loyalty?" Allah’s Messenger (saw) replied confidently, "Jannah." They stretched their hands forth, and he (saw) stretched his hand and they pledged their word by saying, "We pledge ourselves to fight, in complete obedience to the Messenger of Allah, in well and woe, in ease and hardship and evil circumstances; that we would not wrong anyone, that we would speak the truth at all times, and that in Allah’s service we would fear the censure of none." After they gave the pledge Allah’s Messenger (saw) said, "Bring me twelve leaders who have charge of their people’s affairs." They produced nine from al-Khazraj and three from al-Aus. So the Messenger of Allah (saw) said to these naqibs (leaders), "You are the guardians of your people just as the disciples of ‘Isa, son of Maryam, were responsible to him while I am responsible for my people." They went back to their beds and then back to their caravan and returned to Madinah.

Afterwards, the Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the Muslims in Makkah to emigrate to Madinah in small parties, and so they began to migrate either individually or sometimes in small groups. Quraysh by then had heard of the pledge and they attempted to prevent the Muslims from emigrating. They came between husband and wife in order to stop the migration, but the Muslims continued to leave Makkah for Madinah whilst Allah’s Messenger (saw) stayed behind without indicating to anyone whether he would leave or not. There were signs, however, that he (saw) too would leave. Abu Bakr kept asking Allah’s Messenger (saw) for permission to emigrate until he answered, "Don’t be in a hurry, it may be that Allah will give you a companion." Abu Bakr knew then that Allah’s Messenger (saw) wanted to emigrate. Quraysh were very concerned about the implications of the emigration of Allah’s Messenger (saw), especially now that the Muslims in Madinah were many and enjoyed the upper hand. Evidently, their position there would be strengthened by the emigration of the Muslims from Makkah. Quraysh realised that another even more serious potential threat to them was Allah’s Messenger (saw). Should he (saw) join them there, and with the power that they possessed, it could mean the end of them. They therefore thought long and hard about the issue of preventing Allah’s Messenger (saw) from migrating to Madinah. Quraysh began to fear that once the Muslims had become a force to be reckoned with they would come after them and defend Allah’s Messenger (saw), should he decide to stay in Makkah. With such a dilemma confronting them, they finally decided to resort to killing him (saw) so as to prevent him from joining the Muslims in Madinah and in order to avoid all future clashes with the people of Madinah, Islam and Muhammad (saw).

It has been reported in the books of seerah that in the narration of ‘A’isha and Abu Umamah ibn Sahm, it was said that when the seventy-three men present at al-’Aqabah left the Messenger of Allah (saw), having given him the protection, pledging their support; the trials and tribulations of the Muslims in Makkah increased for wanting to leave, Quraysh harassed them and harmed them, they complained to Allah’s Messenger (saw) so he said, "I have been shown the homeland to which you will emigrate, ready."

After a few days he (saw) emerged very pleased and said, "I have been told that you can emigrate to Yathrib, whoever wants to go there can do so." So they began their preparations to vacate the city. When these were complete they left secretly in small groups whilst the Messenger of Allah (saw) stayed on in Makkah to wait for Allah’s permission to emigrate. Abu Bakr kept asking Allah’s Messenger (saw) for permission to emigrate, he (saw) would say to him, "Don’t be in a hurry, it may be that Allah will give you a companion." Abu Bakr hoped that his companion would be Allah’s Messenger (saw) himself.

When Quraysh learnt of the companions’ emigration, and since they knew that Allah’s Messenger (saw) had decided to fight them, they assembled in their council chamber and after a little debate agreed to kill him. Then they dispersed. Jibreel came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and ordered him not to sleep on the bed on which he usually slept. He (saw) did not sleep in his bed that night and it was then that Allah (swt) permitted him to emigrate.

The presence of the forces of Islam in Madinah and the readiness of the people to receive the Messenger of Allah (saw) and establish the Islamic State were the only reasons which prompted him to emigrate. It would be completely erroneous for anyone to conclude or even to entertain the slightest thought that Muhammad (saw) emigrated from Makkah out of fear that Quraysh would kill him. He (saw) never gave the slightest consideration to the repression and harm that befell him and was more than happy to sacrifice his life in the way of Islam. This is a fact. His (saw) emigration to Madinah was simply the selfless pursuit of the Islamic da‘wah and the necessary establishment of the Islamic State to further that objective. It is clear that Quraysh had come to the decision to kill him for fear of his emigration to Madinah where he (saw) would enjoy its protection and power, but Quraysh, despite their efforts, failed in their bid to dispose of him. The emigration, as Quraysh feared, proved to be the turning point in the history of the da‘wah. It moved from the phase of inviting people to Islam, to the phase of establishing an Islamic society, a state ruling by Islam’s authority, inviting for it by means of evidence, proof and persuasion and by the force that would protect it from evil and oppressive forces.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir

Islamic State Part 7: Establishing The Islamic State and The Society, The Preparation For Fighting and The Outbreak Of Fighting

Establishing The Islamic State

The Messenger of Allah (saw) eventually arrived in Madinah and was greeted by a huge number of its people, Muslims, polytheists and Jews alike. They were all eager to witness his awesome presence and he soon came to be surrounded by the Muslims who were all anxious to serve him and to offer him comfort and hospitality. They were ready to offer themselves to him (saw) and to the deen he had brought to them, they were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of the Message of Islam. Everyone wanted the Messenger of Allah (saw) to lodge with him, but he (saw) left the reins of his she-camel free until it knelt by the storehouse of Sahl and Suhayl, sons of ‘Amr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) subsequently bought it and built a Masjid and his houses around it. The building of the Masjid and the houses turned out to be an easy task, they were very modest and cheap to construct. The Masjid comprised of a large courtyard with its walls composed of bricks and soil. One part of the ceiling was covered in palm tree branches and the remainder left uncovered. Part of the Masjid served as shelter to the poor who did not have a home. The Masjid was never lit except during the ‘isha’ prayer, when torches of hay were used to illuminate it.

The houses of the Messenger of Allah (saw) were just as simple and modest as the Masjid itself except that they were more illuminated. Allah’s Messenger (saw) lodged with Abi Ayub Khalid ibn Zayd al-Ansari while the Masjid and houses were being built and he moved in as soon as they were ready. He (saw) thought about the new life that he had sought, the way that the da‘wah had moved from one stage to another, from the stage of culturing through the stage of interaction with the non-Islamic society to that of the eventual implementation of the rules of Islam on people. He (saw) thought about the new era which had dawned moving him away from calling for Islam and enduring aggression towards the phase of rule, authority and the force that was now able to protect and defend the Message of Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) ordered the building of the Masjid from the very first day and it was utilised for salah (prayers), meetings, consultation and a place where he looked after the people’s affairs and from where he judged between them. He (saw) appointed Abu Bakr and ‘Umar as his two assistants, saying, "My two assistants on Earth are Abu Bakr and ‘Umar."

In their response the Muslims gathered around the Messenger of Allah (saw), they would always approach him for guidance and advice in all matters. He (saw) thus performed the duty of the Head of State, the Judge and the Commander-in-Chief of the army. Therefore he (saw) looked after the affairs of the Muslims, settled their disputes and appointed leaders to the army divisions, eventually sending them outside Madinah on military campaigns and missions.

Allah’s Messenger (saw) founded the Islamic State from the very first day he arrived in Madinah and began to structure it by forming the society on a solid foundation as well as by gathering the appropriate force in order to be able to protect the State and convey the Message. With this accomplished, he (saw) could begin to remove the material obstacles that stood in the way of the spreading of Islam.


Establishing The Society

Allah (swt) has endowed the human being with the instinct of survival. One of the features of the survival instinct is for people to gather and live together, so the co-existence of people is a natural human disposition. However, this does not transform them into a society, simply a group, and they would remain a group unless they developed relationships that brought them a common interest and protected them from common threats. Only if such relationships that brought them common interests existed would they then become a society. However, these relationships would not make them a single society unless their viewpoint towards these relationships were united, once their thoughts had become united; and once their approval and disapproval towards these relationships became united when their feelings had become united, including their ways of dealing with problems that inevitably arise. Therefore, it is essential to look into the thoughts and feelings that dominate a society before forming an opinion about it, for they alone can determine and distinguish one society from another. On this basis, let us shed some light on the society of Madinah once the Messenger of Allah (saw) had arrived there.

At the time three groups lived in Madinah; the Muslims (Muhajireen and Ansar), who formed the biggest groups; the polytheists, from the Aus and Khazraj who did not embrace Islam; and a third group were the Jews who themselves were divided into four sections; one inside Madinah who were Banu Qaynuqa’, and the other three outside Madinah, they were Banu Nadir, Khaybar and Banu Qurayzah. Even before Islam the Jews formed their own separate society from that of the society in Madinah. This was so because their concepts and emotions were different, as were the ways by which they conducted their affairs. The result of this was that the Jews were never part of the general society of Madinah even though they lived in and around the city. And as for the disbelievers, they constituted a minority and were overwhelmed by the Islamic atmosphere dominating Madinah. So their yielding to the Islamic concepts and emotions and to the rules of Islam was inevitable even if they did not embrace Islam. The Muhajireen and the Ansar were united by the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Islam harmonised them, thus their concepts and emotions were the same - organising their lives and relationships on the basis of Islam was simply the only natural and inevitable outcome.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) began organising the relationships of the Muslims on the basis of the Islamic ‘aqeedah. He (saw) invited them to form a brethren, a brethren that would have a tangible effect on their relationships between each other in their business dealings and life’s affairs. It was with this policy in mind that he (saw) instituted his brotherhood with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, his uncle Hamzah became the brother to his servant Zayd, and Abu Bakr and Kharijah ibn Zayd became brothers after a similar fashion. He (saw) then invited the Muhajireen and Ansar to form a similar brotherhood, so ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and ‘Utbah ibn Malik al-Khazraji became brothers to each other, as did Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah and Abu Ayub al-Ansari, and ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf and Sa’d ibn al-Rabi’i. This brotherhood had its material effect as well, for the Ansar had shown a great deal of generosity towards their brethren, the emigrants, which made the ties between them all the stronger. The Ansar offered them money and properties and shared everything with them, they traded and farmed together. The traders amongst the emigrants turned their hand to commerce, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Auf used to sell butter and cheese, and others who were business minded did likewise. As for those who did not take up trading they went into farming, like Abu Bakr and ‘Ali who worked the lands given to them by the Ansar. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Whoever owns a piece of land should farm it or give it to his brothers." So the Muslims worked to earn their living. There was, though, a small group of Muslims who had no money, could find no work and had nowhere to live. They were the needy, being neither emigrants nor Ansar. These were the Arabs who came to Madinah and who had embraced Islam. The Messenger of Allah (saw) took them into his care and housed them in the covered part of the Masjid, where they became known as the Ahl al-Suffah. They lived off the wealthy Muslims whom Allah (swt) had provided for generously. By doing so, Allah’s Messenger (saw) managed to stabilise the Muslims’ way of life and determine their relationships with each other on a solid footing. The Messenger of Allah (saw) thus established the society in Madinah on a solid foundation that stood in the way of disbelief and which was able to resist the conspiracies of the hypocrites and Jews. The Islamic society remained united throughout, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) became reassured by this unity among the Muslims.

As for the polytheists, they never produced any lasting effect on the structure of the society. At first they submitted to the Islamic rules and then they waned only to eventually vanish.

The Jews, who were to suffer the same fate, remained always a society apart, different from other societies even before Islam. When Islam’s authority was established in Madinah differences deepened and the need to establish relations between the Muslims and the Jews on a specific basis became a necessity, so the Messenger of Allah (saw) determined the Muslims’ position towards the other members of the society. In the light of this the Messenger of Allah (saw) wrote a document concerning the Muhajireen and the Ansar in which he made an agreement with the Jews establishing them in their religion and their property, and in which he stated their reciprocal obligations. He (saw) began the document as follows, "This is a document from Muhammad the Prophet, governing the relations between the believing Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and fought alongside them. They are one Ummah to the exclusion of all people." He (saw) then mentioned how the relationship between the believers was to be constituted, he also mentioned the Jews during his talk concerning the relations between the believers, he (saw) said, "A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an disbeliever, nor shall he aid an disbeliever against a believer. Allah’s covenant amongst them is one, the least of them is responsible. Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders. To the Jews who follow us belong help and equality. They shall not be wronged nor shall their enemies be aided. The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when believers are fighting in the way of Allah. Conditions must be fair to all." The Jews mentioned in this document were the ones who wanted to become subjects of the Islamic State, it was not addressed to the Jewish tribes living on the outskirts of Madinah. Thus any Jew wanting to become a subject of the State would enjoy the same rights and receive the same treatment, for he would then be considered a dhimmi (people of the covenant). As for the Jewish tribes mentioned in the document, they were referred to in the latter part of the document and included the Jews of Banu ‘Auf and the Jews of Banu al-Najjar and so on.

Their position vis-ˆ-vis the Islamic State was fixed by the document. It was clearly determined that their relationship with the Muslims would be based on the Islamic rule, that it would be subject to the authority of Islam and to safeguarding the interests of the State. Some of the points mentioned in the document were:

1. The close friends of the Jews are as themselves. None of them shall go out except with the permission of Muhammad (saw).



2. Yathrib shall be a sanctuary for the people of this document.



3. If any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise, it must be referred to Allah and to the Messenger of Allah.



4. Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection.

The document of Allah’s Messenger (saw) determined the position of the Jewish tribes neighbouring Madinah. It imposed on them the condition that they were not to go out of Madinah without his (saw) permission, i.e. the State’s permission. They were forbidden from violating the sanctuary of Madinah by war or by helping in a war, they were also forbidden from helping Quraysh or those who helped Quraysh and were bound by the conditions of the covenant to refer any dispute arising about the content of the document to the Messenger of Allah (saw). The Jews agreed to the conditions laid out in the document and all those tribes mentioned in it signed to that effect; they were Banu ‘Auf, Banu al-Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa’ida, Banu Jushm, Banu al-Aus and Banu Tha’labah. Banu Qurayzah, Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa’ did not sign at the time, but did so at a later date, and they all willingly submitted to the conditions laid down in the document. By signing this document the Messenger of Allah (saw) firmly fixed the relationships within the fledgling Islamic State. The relationship between the State and the neighbouring Jewish tribes was also firmly established on a clear and specific basis. In both instances though, it was Islam that would be the judge and arbiter. It was at this stage that Allah’s Messenger (saw) became reassured knowing that the Islamic society was now properly founded and that he was to a certain degree safe from any immediate acts of treachery by the Jews, so he (saw) began the task of removing the material obstacles that stood in the way of the Message of Islam by preparing for war.


The Preparation For Fighting

When the Messenger of Allah (saw) was assured that the Islamic society was set on a solid foundation, and once he had signed treaties with the neighbouring Jewish tribes, he set about preparing the grounds in Madinah for jihad, for it is the duty of the Islamic State to implement Islam in the whole of the land under its rule and to convey the Message of Islam beyond its borders. Conveying the Message of Islam is by no means comparable to missionary work, it instead comprises the inviting of mankind to Islam, culturing them with its concepts and rules, and the removal of any material obstacle that stands in the way of the Message through the employment of a force capable of doing so.

Quraysh had always represented a material obstacle barring the progress of the Message of Islam, a task force thus had to be prepared to overcome it. Bearing this in mind and with the objective of spreading Islam outside Madinah, the Messenger of Allah (saw) began building his army. He (saw) took several deliberate steps by organising some expeditions designed to challenge Quraysh and frighten both the hypocrites and the Jews in Madinah and the nearby surroundings. In four months he (saw) dispatched three units outside Madinah. He sent Hamzah to the sea-shore in the neighbourhood of al-’Is at the head of thirty riders from the emigrants, none of the helpers took part. Hamzah met Abu Jahl ibn Hisham with three hundred riders on the shore and was about to fight him when Majdi ibn ‘Amr al-Juhani intervened between them so the people separated without fighting. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Harith with sixty riders from the Muhajireen, there not being a single one of the Ansar among them. He encountered Abu Sufyan at the head of more than two hundred riders in the valley of Rabigh. Again no fighting took place except that Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas shot an arrow on that day. Allah’s Messenger (saw) also sent Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas with twenty riders towards Makkah, but they returned without fighting. These expeditions helped create an atmosphere of war in Madinah, and they also served to frighten the life out of Quraysh who began to seriously feel the threat coming from Allah’s Messenger (saw). He (saw) did not stop at that, but went out raiding himself. Twelve months after his arrival in Madinah he (saw) went forth on a raid looking for Quraysh and Banu Damrah until he reached Waddan. He (saw) did not meet Quraysh that day, instead Banu Damrah made peace with him. After that the Messenger of Allah (saw) went raiding at the head of a contingent of two hundred riders from the Muhajir and Ansar until they reached Buwat in the neighbourhood of Radwa. They were making for a caravan composed of two thousand five hundred cattle protected by one hundred fighters led by Umayyah ibn Khalaf. But he (saw) failed to intercept the caravan due to the fact that it had traversed a different route than the one normally used. Three months after returning from the expedition to Buwat, Abu Salmah ibn ‘Abd al-Asad was left in charge of Madinah and the Messenger of Allah (saw) undertook another raid at the head of two hundred plus Muslims until he reached al-’Ushayrah in the valley of Yanbu’ where he stopped during the month of Jumada al-Ula and resided until some days of Jumada al-Akhirah had passed. This was in the second year of Hijrah. The reason for his camping there was that he (saw) was waiting for a caravan headed by Abu Sufyan, but once again he missed his target. It was not entirely a wasted effort though, because the Messenger of Allah (saw) gained from his trip a peace treaty with Bani Mudlaj and their allies from Bani Damrah.

He (saw) had only been back in Madinah for ten days when Kurz ibn Jabir al-Fahri raided the pasturing camels of Madinah. Allah’s Messenger (saw) went out in search of him, Kurz being one of the allies of Quraysh. Allah’s Messenger (saw) reached the valley of Safwan in the neighbourhood of Badr, but Kurz escaped him and could not be overtaken. This was the first raid of Badr.

That is how Allah’s Messenger (saw) began defying Quraysh with his army, by roaming the Peninsula and sending out expeditions. Although no fighting took place, Allah’s Messenger (saw) achieved considerable gains which paved the way for still greater battles, since these raids served as military exercises for the Muslim army and prepared them for war. They also sent shivers down the spines of the Jews and the hypocrites of Madinah and discouraged them from entertaining any thoughts about causing trouble. He (saw) succeeded in demoralising Quraysh by defying them whilst boosting the morale of the Muslims a great deal. He (saw) also formed and enforced a blockade on the caravans of Quraysh on their way to al-Sham by signing treaties with the tribes encamped between Madinah and the Red Sea coast, such as Banu Damrah, Banu Mudlaj and others.


The Outbreak Of Fighting

The Messenger of Allah (saw) settled in Madinah, where he at once began to implement Islamic rules on the society. It was at this time that the Revelation concerning legislation descended. He (saw) strengthened the fundamentals of the Islamic State and built the society on the basis of Islam and its systems. He (saw) created a brotherhood amongst the Muslims and it was then that Islam came to life as a rule and as a Shari’ah adopted by a society that took on the task of spreading its Message. The number of Muslims increased substantially and they became a force to be reckoned with, individuals and groups alike embraced Islam every other day, Jews and disbelievers included.

Once the Messenger of Allah (saw) was confident about the status of Islam in Madinah he began to think about spreading the Message outside to the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. However, he knew that Quraysh formed a formidable obstacle in the way of the da‘wah, a material obstacle where the means of persuasive discussion would fall on deaf ears. Therefore, the obstacle would have to be overwhelmed by force. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was unable to remove this material obstacle when he was in Makkah because Islam did not have a State, capable of generating the required material force necessary to cancel out that obstacle. However, since the establishment of the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was able to work to remove such material obstacles by the considerable means that were now at his disposal. With the means to enforce such a policy now available to him, all he (saw) had to do was to prepare the army, build up the war fervour and adopt a new policy to spread the da‘wah. This is the reason why he (saw) initiated expeditions and raids, some of which he took part in personally, so as to defy Quraysh with a show of force.

The last expedition was that of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh which served as an introduction to the battle of Badr. The Messenger of Allah (saw) sent ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh out with a group of Muhajireen during the month of Rajab in the second year of Hijra. He (saw) wrote him a letter, and ordered him not to look at it until he had journeyed for two days whereupon he should act on its instructions, but he should not put pressure on any of his companions. When ‘Abdullah had traveled for two days he opened the letter and read it, this is what it said, "When you have read this letter of mine, proceed until you reach Nakhlah between Makkah and Ta’if. Lie there for Quraysh and find out for us what they are up to." He told his companions about the letter and the task assigned to him, he also informed them about Allah’s Messenger’s instructions not to put any pressure on anyone. They all agreed to continue and so he proceeded with his companions. They traveled together as a group until Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan became separated when they went to look for the camel that they had been riding on in turns and which had become lost. Eventually they were to fall prisoners to Quraysh. ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh camped in Nakhlah watching out for Quraysh and while there one of their caravans carrying merchandise passed by. ‘Abdullah and his companions took council among themselves to decide what to do because this was the last day of the sacred month of Rajab and Allah’s Messenger (saw) had not issued any instructions about fighting. They said to each other, "By Allah, if you leave them alone tonight they will get into the sacred area and will be safe from you; and if you kill them, you will kill them in the sacred month." At first they were hesitant and feared to attack them. Then they encouraged each other and decided to fight. One of the Muslims shot the leader of the caravan ‘Amr ibn al Hadrami and killed him. The Muslims took two prisoners and escorted the caravan to Madinah. When they came to the Messenger of Allah (saw) he said to them, "I did not order you to fight in the sacred month." Then he (saw) retained the caravan and the two prisoners refusing to take anything from them. That was the conclusion of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s expedition whom the Messenger of Allah (saw) had sent to watch Quraysh, but which had instead fought, killed, and imprisoned some of their men and taken the caravan as booty during the sacred month. So what would be the Islamic verdict on this action? This was what concerned Allah’s Messenger (saw) and hence that is the reason why he held the prisoners and the booty in suspense, to wait for the verdict from Allah (swt) on the matter. Quraysh grabbed the opportunity of using the issue as a source of propaganda and scandal against Islam and Muhammad (saw). They trumpeted among all the Arabs that Muhammad (saw) and his companions had violated the sacred month, shed blood, seized properties and imprisoned people. Arguments arose in Makkah between Quraysh and the Muslims who had remained there, in reply the Muslims said that their brothers had attacked the caravan in Sha’ban and not Rajab, but their response was not convincing and failed to quell the propaganda launched by Quraysh against Islam. The Jews took up the argument as well and began disgracing and slandering ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh’s action. The propaganda took its toll on the Muslims, meanwhile Allah’s Messenger (saw) kept silent awaiting the Revelation and Allah’s verdict on the affair until Allah (swt) revealed in surah al-Baqarah, "They will ask you concerning fighting in the sacred month. Say, fighting therein is a grave offence, but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the sacred Masjid and drive out its people therefrom. Tumult and oppression are worse than killing. Nor will they cease to fight you until they turn you back from your deen if they can." [TMQ 2:217]

When this verse was revealed the Muslims rejoiced and Allah’s Messenger (saw) then proceeded to distribute the booty from the caravan and exchange the two prisoners for Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri and ‘Utbah ibn Ghazwan. These verses came as a slap in the face of Quraysh’s propaganda against Islam. The Qur’an answered Quraysh, who had asked you, was not fighting in the sacred month a grave sin, but keeping people back from the way of the sacred Masjid and driving its people away from it was far more serious than fighting and killing in the sacred month. Quraysh’s actions of oppressing the Muslims for their deen by threatening, torturing and persecuting them was far worse than fighting and killing in the sacred month, or any other month for that matter. Quraysh had ceaselessly fought them in an attempt to turn them back from their deen, therefore the Muslims were entitled to fight Quraysh in the sacred month and nothing could be held against them. It was Quraysh who were committing the graver offence by standing in the way of the Islamic da‘wah, by keeping people back from the way of Allah, by disbelieving in Allah, driving out the people of the sacred Masjid and persecuting the Muslims. They deserved to be fought in any and every month, sacred or otherwise. The fight that ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh initiated against Quraysh was therefore neither a disgrace to him nor to the Muslims. Thus the expedition of ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh was a turning point in the history of Islam. It marked a profound change of policy in the way that the Islamic da‘wah was to be conducted. Waqid ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tamimi shot the leader of the caravan and killed him, that was the first blood the Muslims shed in the way of Allah (swt). Until the verses of jihad were revealed commanding the Muslims to fight anytime and anywhere, armed combat during the sacred months had been unauthorised, from that time on though the rules were different. Thus the previous prevention against fighting in the sacred months was abrogated by the generality of the verses of fighting.

Source: The Islamic State Book - Hizb ut-Tahrir