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"The Politically Aware Muslim" - 5 new articles

1. REFLECTIONS: Unity of The Muslim Ummah
2. Foreign Aid: The Path to Slavery
3. REFLECTIONS: The Muslim Woman�€™s Dress in Public
4. The Blood of the Muslim is Sacred
5. REFLECTIONS: Zakat: Purification of One�€™s Wealth
6. More Recent Articles
7. Search The Politically Aware Muslim

REFLECTIONS: Unity of The Muslim Ummah

As millions of Muslims travel to Makkah this month to perform Hajj, we congratulate them on their journey, and ask Allah (swt) to bless them with the completion of their obligation. May Allah (swt) shower His (swt) rewards and blessings upon them and return them home safely.

The Ibadat of Hajj is an amazing event where millions of Muslims gather from around the world: wearing the same clothes and exerting their effort to fulfill this pillar of Islam. Contemplating upon the Hajj, our attention is drawn to one of the vital issues of this Ummah. Muslims with different backgrounds, from distant places, speaking different languages and of different colours and cultures; all come together to the same place and at the same time to perform an act of worship out of total obedience and submission to the one and only ilah: Allah (swt). As all the differences disappear, Hajj illustrates the unity that Islam naturally brings about to Muslims. Islam makes it an obligation upon all Muslims to unite not just in Ibadat, like Hajj and Fasting, but rather it seeks a true and complete unity of the Ummah in all aspects of life. We will, inshAllah in this issue, shed some light on the type of unity that Islam calls for.

Vital Issues in Islam
A study of the Quran and Sunnah reveals that Islam has identified some issues and made them vital to all Muslims. These issues require the sacrifice of wealth and resources, including the lives of the Muslims themselves. In other words, vital issues in Islam are literally “life and death” issues. Furthermore, the Shariah provides details as to how the Muslims must deal with these issues. One example is the implementation of the rules of Islam. In the following hadeeth narrated by Aisha (ra) Usama Bin Zayd (ra) approached the Prophet (saw) in order to intercede on behalf of a woman (from the elite tribe of Bani Makhzoom) who had committed theft. After Usama (ra) made his request to the Prophet (saw), the colour of the face of RasulAllah (saw) changed, and he said:


RasulAllah (saw) made a clear and strong connection between being lenient in implementing the laws of Allah (swt) and the destruction of previous nations. He (saw) would make no compromise even if his own daughter, Fatima (ra), were to transgress the rules of Allah (swt).

In the story of the apostates during the Khilafah of Abu Bakr (ra) when they refused to pay Zakat, Abu Bakr (ra) said to Umar (ra), “Oh by Allah, if they do not pay even a camel rope (used to tie camels) they used to pay to RasulAllah, I will fight them for it.”. This is despite the fact that most of Arabia apostatized and rebelled against the Muslims who were largely outnumbered by them. Yet, Abu Bakr (ra), with the support of all the Sahabah of RasulAllah (saw), did not accept anything less than the full implementation of the rules of Islam and, as a result, went to war against the rebels. The fact that Abu Bakr (ra) would resort to fighting demonstrates that he understood this issue as a matter of life and death – meaning he saw it necessary to put the Sahabah and the Ummah in harm’s way to end the rebellion.

The stance that RasulAllah (saw) took with Usama Bin Zayd (ra) and the stance that Abu Bakr (ra) took with those that refused to pay Zakat, illustrates that Islam has made the implementation of Shariah a vital issue. The Ummah must make it its highest priority to implement Islam comprehensively, as it is a matter of life and death.

Unity of the Muslim Ummah – A Vital Issue
Islam has also made the unity of the Muslim Ummah and the unity of the Islamic State one of the vital issues; an issue of life and death. This includes the prohibition of having more than one khalifah, the prohibition of dividing the Ummah into more than one political entity, and the prohibition of rebelling against an imam that implements Islam.

First, Islam prohibited the existence of more than one khalifah for the Muslims. That is, the Muslims must only have one state. It has been narrated by Abdullah Bin Amr Bin Ul-Aas (ra) that RasulAllah (saw) said:


Abu Said Al-Khudri narrated that RasoulaAllah (saw) said:


Hence, he (saw) made the unity of the state a vital issue when he prohibited the existence of more than one khalifah for the Muslims and ordered the killing of anyone who attempts to establish a separate rule, unless he retracts.

Second, Islam prohibited the division and fragmentation of the Muslim Ummah. It has been narrated on the authority of Ajrafa (ra) who said: I heard RasulAllah (saw) say:


Furthermore, Ziyad Ibn Alaaqah (ra) narrated that RasulAllah (saw) said:


So, he (saw) made the unity of the Ummah and the unity of the Muslim state a vital issue when he prohibited the fragmentation of the Ummah and ordered the killing of anyone who attempts to divide it, unless he retracts.

Third, a rebellion against the Imam of the Muslims, namely the Khalifah, is forbidden, due to the fact that rebellions lead to the disunity of the Muslims, the shedding of their blood and the squandering of their wealth. Allah (swt) revealed:


Al-Qurtubi in his tafseer states that this is an evidence for the obligation of fighting those who transgress and rebel against the Shariah and a just imam (ruler) while refusing to repent. RasulAllah (saw) said:


Consequently, Allah (swt) prohibited the Muslims from having more than one state or one Khalifah (ruler). Allah (swt) also prohibited the Ummah from rebelling against the khalifah and causing division within the Ummah. Allah (swt) made this unity an obligation and a vital issue when He made it an issue of life and death.

Throughout the history of this Ummah, the Muslims viewed the issue of unity to be the most important and most critical of matters. They never used to be lenient on this issue towards any Muslim whoever he might have been. Ali (ra) was never lenient with Muawiyyah, nor were the Ummayyads or the Abbasids lenient with the Khawarij. Before liberating Al-Aqsa and defeating the Crusaders, Salah-ul-Deen and and his uncle Imad-ul-Deen Zinki worked tirelessly to unite the Ummah.

However, when the Khilafah became weak and the understanding of Islam declined, Muslims kept silent over the breakaway of Islamic lands from the body of the Khilafah. Thus, a wedge was driven between the Muslims and the Khilafah state fragmented into many insignificant countries. This occurred despite the fact that the breakaway of any country from the body of the Muslim state is a vital issue, which stipulates either the repentance of the rebels or the waging of war against them – regardless of the cost in lives or wealth.

Unity According to Islam
Therefore, it should be clear that the unity Islam calls for is a matter of life and death. However, this unity is not the unity of separate Muslim countries where each is ruled by an independent ruler with some form of a union. It is also not a unity based on economics or currency. It is not a unity based on agreements or treaties between separate Muslim countries. All of these are non-Shari’e forms of unity that only serve to distract Muslims from the correct form of Islamic unity. The unity that Islam obliges upon all Muslims is the unity of all Muslim lands under one state ruled by a single Khalifah (ruler). That is “One Aqeedah, One Ummah, One State”. This is the true meaning of Muslim unity that we must adhere to and advocate amongst the global Muslim community. We must elevate the issue of uniting the Ummah from where it is today to where it was during the time of the Prophet (saw) and the generations that followed. As RasulAllah (saw) and his companions did, we must not accept anything less than the comprehensive implementation of this obligation.

Foreign Aid: The Path to Slavery

Elite capitalist nations, such as America, UK and Canada, portray aid packages to Muslim countries as charity. But, in reality, this money is an investment that enables the colonial powers to maintain their influence in the Muslim lands. Foreign aid is a tool of control. We must call on the Ummah to reject the continued subordination of our affairs to these colonial nations. We must call on the people of influence in the Muslim lands to reject foreign aid and set a course that is subordinate to none but Allah (swt).

In October, US President Barack Obama signed into law the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009. The bill, also known as the Kerry-Lugar Bill, promises to send $7.5 billion in “aid” over a period of 5 years. However, the conditions attached to the bill are a cause of concern for many, including the Pakistani army, who see the bill as an infringement on national security.

Foreign Aid: “No Free Lunch”
When analyzing the actions of nations that adopt the capitalist ideology, such as America, it is important to recognize that they do not provide assistance – monetary or otherwise – for free. A closer look at the Kerry-Lugar Bill will reveal that the aid package comes with the following conditions:

1. US can inspect Pakistan’s nuclear programs on demand.
2. Washington must confirm military promotions and appointments made by the Pakistani civilian leaders.
3. Pakistan must accept American and British blame – without dispute – for their failures in Afghanistan.
4. Pakistani military must cease support for extremist and terrorist groups – which include Muslims who resist occupation in Kashmir and Afghanistan – and prevent them from undertaking any operations in neighboring countries.
5. “Pakistani national, regional, and local officials and members of Pakistani civil society and local private sector, civic, religious, and tribal leaders” must implement projects as dictated by the US.
6. Pakistan must change its curricula for Madrassas.

Pakistan is also expected to sacrifice its troops – the sons of this noble Ummah – for the sake of America’s brutal occupation of Afghanistan. This is in addition to the lives that will be lost from America’s bombing campaign conducted by its unmanned drones.

The Kerry-Lugar Bill is not the first foreign aid package sent to Pakistan. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the US alone has sent $16.7 billion from 1946-2007 in economic and military assistance. Despite this “aid” being sent, the situation in Pakistan has not improved.

Where does the money go?
The money sent by the US, UK, Canada and other capitalist nations mostly ends up in the pockets of the multi-national corporations. According to the New York Times, 45% of the aid sent by the Bush administration to Pakistan eventually reached the hands of American private contractors. A similar trend exists in Afghanistan. According to Action Aid, as much as 60% of aid is considered “phantom aid”, which does not even make it to Afghanistan. Instead, it is funneled directly to the bank accounts of American corporations. Aid is also a means to support the puppet government: it was reported in the Telegraph that the Karzai government depends on foreign countries for 90% of its revenues. The bulk of this comes from the US (who pledged about $10 billion in 2008). The article notes that without this money, the Karzai government would not be able to stand against the Taliban. The aid money is used to fund the local puppet government, who in turn implements the foreign policies of the sponsor country. In other words, this money is not intended to help the poor people of Afghanistan. Rather it is being used to prop up the puppet government that is a tool of America.

The arrangement of “paying-off” the local ruling class is routine amongst the colonial capitalist nations. Take, for example, the submarine deal between Pakistan and France. A French company was hired to build submarines for the Pakistani army. In 2002, 11 French engineers who worked for this company were killed in a bomb blast that occurred in Karachi, Pakistan. Initially, the blame was put on Al-Qaeda. However, an investigating judge from France claims that the bombing actually traced back to a deal-gone-sour between the French government and the Pakistani government. The judge alleged that the Pakistani army killed the French nationals because France stopped paying “commissions” to Pakistani army officials on the sale of submarines.

In Egypt, a comparable relationship exists between the country’s ruling elite and their American paymasters. A 2006 article in Al-Ahram Weekly noted that Egypt received $1.3 billion in foreign military financing and $1.2 billion in international military education and training. By paying the army directly, its dependence on America is ensured. Through its training initiatives, America can also recruit agents. The article noted that David Welch, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, saw Egypt as a key tool in America’s foreign policy in terms of exerting American influence in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, and Iran.

America is not alone in using aid to wield their influence in the Muslim lands. Canada partakes in this game as well. In Afghanistan, Canada funnels the aid through non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Oxfam and CARE Canada. The Canadian government does not want to give the aid money to the Karzai regime and prop-up America’s puppet. Furthermore, Karzai is mired in so much corruption that the money will be “diverted” before it is used in the manner that would achieve Canada’s interests in Afghanistan.

Colonialism: Emanating from the Capitalist Aqeedah
The Western nations vying for influence in the Muslim lands is colonialism in disguise. The colonial policy emanates from the capitalist aqeedah, which maintains that the sole criterion for action is “benefit and harm”. According to the capitalist formulation of foreign policy, nations conduct foreign policy by furthering their interests and protecting them abroad. Of course the main interest of the capitalist nations is economic. This means that these nations will compete with each other to access cheap natural resources at the expense of the weaker nations. The Ummah witnessed this policy with the American invasion of Iraq; the invading American army protected the oil ministry, but left the people to fend for themselves. Furthermore, the capitalist economic system depends on the procurement of cheap resources and cheap labor to pad the bottom line of its corporations and drive the stock prices and the stock market indices higher.

When comparing the rulers of Muslim lands and their supporters to the Sahaba (ra), we see a stark contrast. The Sahaba (ra) were loyal to Allah (swt) and RasulAllah (saw). For example, when Ka’ab Bin Malik (ra) was boycotted by the Ummah – by the command of Allah (swt) – he received a letter from a pro-Roman King of Ghassan (who had deep hatred for Islam), inviting him to leave Madinah and live in “comfort and consolation” with the Christians. After reading the letter, Ka’ab (ra) simply burned it. However, today is a different story. We see the rulers and their supporters running after America and Britain in a manner that is void of any izzah (dignity). One wonders how the Ummah fell from such heights of honor and dignity to the current pitiful state.

Intellectual Slavery: How did we get here?
Although the intellectual decline had been in progress for centuries, it was the fall of the Khilafah and the onset of the European occupation that led to the emergence of these tyrants and elites that rule the Ummah today. Through this direct occupation, the Europeans were able to secure the institutions of power. They were able to change the ruling system, the judicial system, the education system, the eco-nomic system and the social system throughout the occupied Muslim lands. These systems – along with the common emotions and common thoughts of the people – are what bind the society together, and, through them, the Europeans were able to corrupt the Ummah. Any Islamic alternatives that were offered by the Ummah during these times of colonial rule were eliminated. For example, in Algeria, scholars attempted to preserve the Islamic culture, heritage and language. However, they were continually harassed, arrested, and persecuted by the French occupation until they were silenced.

The present rulers and intellectuals (e.g. civil servants, educators, etc) grew up in this environment. They were immersed in European thoughts and concepts. They were taught about European history and European wars, but were not taught the Seerah of the Prophet (saw) or the history of the Khilafah. Consequently, they knew more about European philosophers than about Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra), Saad ibn Mua’dh (ra) or the other Sahaba (ra). The colonized personality became the model of their thoughts through the European education system. This vision for engendering a colonized mentality was articulated in 1854 by Mountstuart Elphinstone, who said ”we must not dream of perpetual possession, but must apply ourselves to bring the natives into a state that will admit of their governing themselves in a manner that may be beneficial to our interests…”.

As a result of this process, the ruling class within the Muslim countries today looks solely to America and Europe for solutions – because that is all they are familiar with. It has become natural for these people to have cordial relations with the very enemies that once occupied them! By extension, it is natural for this segment of society to accept the continued intervention of America, Britain, France and other elite capitalist nations, in the affairs of the Ummah – be it through foreign aid, economic assistance or direct intervention.

Political Independence: A Vital Issue for the Ummah
As demonstrated above, “foreign aid” is really a means for the capitalist nations to enslave the Muslim countries, and more importantly, it is haram for Muslim countries to allow themselves to become colonized by other nations. Allah (swt) revealed:


It is important to link the issue to halal and haram, as this is the only criterion that is valid before Allah (swt). Connecting the issue of halal and haram to Allah (swt) and the akhira is a core aspect of dawah as the hukm (ruling) of Allah (swt) is the correct way to measure the issues we face – as opposed to the criterion of “benefit and harm” used by the capitalists.

Once the correct criterion is established, we must also convince the Ummah that such an approach is politically disastrous. We must lobby the people of power and influence them to make themselves independent of foreign aid. We must raise the points and evidences discussed above and demonstrate how this policy leads the country to become subordinate to the capitalist nations. Alhumdullilah, Allah (swt) has blessed the Ummah with the Qur’an and Sunnah, offering comprehensive Guidance in all of life’s affairs and for all times – we do not need their “theories” or “solutions”. Allah (swt) has blessed our Ummah with good people and blessed our lands with tremendous wealth – we do not need their paper dollars that steadily lose their value every day.

Islam was revealed to be a beacon of light for all of humanity. But this cannot happen until the Ummah becomes intellectually and politically independent of the secular-capitalist system, and establishes its thoughts and systems on the guidance of Islam.

May Allah (swt) guide this Ummah, restore our izzah, and grant us a righteous leadership that will implement upon us Islam and rid us of the interference of the colonial powers.

REFLECTIONS: The Muslim Woman�€™s Dress in Public

Lately, the Islamic rulings related to the affairs of Muslim women have seen a lot of interest from the enemies of Islam who are bent on separating Muslims from their Deen. One such ruling under attack is the dress of the Muslim woman in public life. It is incumbent on all Muslims, both men and women, to defend Islam from such attacks. The best way to do so is through the Adila (evidences) that relate to the women’s dress in public life.

Sha’r (Islamic law) has imposed a dress code on the Muslim woman that is specific to public life – she is obligated to wear distinct attire known as the “Jilbaab”. In public life it is not enough for a Muslim woman to cover her Awrah, which is defined by Shar’ as all of her body except the face and the hands. The Jilbaab covers the Awrah and fulfills other re-quirements defined by Shar’ for public life.

Jilbaab: an obligation prescribed by Allah (swt)
Wearing the Jilbaab is not an obligation required by the tra-dition of our forefathers, or a social custom or a right granted to the husband or the father. It is also not a matter of personal choice for the woman, or an expression of modesty. Rather, it is an order from Allah (swt), similar to the order of prayer and the order of fasting. Allah (swt) has revealed:


Thus, the Muslimah wears the Jilbaab in submission to Allah (swt), seeking His pleasure and fearing His punishment:


Wearing the Jilbaab is therefore a Hukm Shari (legal injunc-tion) associated with reward and punishment that is sup-ported by evidences from the Quran and the Sunnah. If the Muslim woman appears in public life without a Jilbaab over her normal clothes, she will be sinful for abandoning an obli-gation from Allah (swt).

What the Islamic attire in public life is not
A variety of common clothing arrangements are often con-fused with the correct Islamic attire for public life because of the misconception that simply covering the Awrah is sufficient in a public place. In truth, these arrangements are not substi-tutes for the Jilbaab and therefore do not absolve the Muslim woman of her obligation to dress correctly in public life. For instance, some women may wear the Khimaar with a long dress or pants, while others may wear the Shalwar Kameez (traditional attire worn as an everyday dress in South Asia). However, both the Khimaar and the Shalwar Kameez are not substitutes for the Jilbaab since they fall short of satisfying the requirements for the Islamic public attire as defined by the Sha’r.

The Jilbaab in the Quran and the Sunnah
The Jilbaab is a loose outer garment which covers the whole body. The authority on the requirement for women to wear the Jilbaab is the Quran itself. In Surat al-Ahzaab the follow-ing verse instructs the Messenger (saw):


In his Tafseer, Al-Qurtubi explained:
“Jalabeeb is the plural of Jilbaab, and it is a garment larger than a Khimaar (headscarf). It has been narrated by Ibn ‘Ab-bas and Ibn Masud that it is a ridaa (large sheet of cloth). It is said that it is a qina’/veil but the correct view is that it is a garment which covers the whole body. It has been reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Umm ‘Atiyyah who asked; ‘O Messenger of Allah! What about one who does not have a Jilbaab?’ He said, ‘Let her borrow the Jilbaab of her compan-ion.’”

Also, In Surat An-Nur, Allah (swt) has commanded the Mus-lim woman to wear the Khimaar:


The Ayat is instructing women to drape their head-coverings (i.e. Khumur) over their necks and bosoms.

The obligation of Jilbaab is also derived from the Sunnah of Rassulallah (saw):

Umm Atiyya (ra) narrated:


A report narrated by Umm Salama (ra):


A report narrated by Aisha (ra):

As has been made amply clear by the cited evidences, the Muslim woman is obligated to wear a Jilbaab which conceals her normal clothes and drapes down until it covers her feet. This is in reference to the lower portion of the woman's clothes. As for the upper portion, she must wear a Khimaar, or something similar, that covers the entire head, the neck and the opening of the garment on the chest. In other words, it is Fard to wear these two pieces of clothes prior to leaving the house. This is because the command to wear these two pieces is general and it will remain so, since there is no evidence to make an exception to it.

It is also stipulated that the Jilbaab is draped down to the floor until it conceals the feet (i.e. they should drape their Jalabib down to the floor) because Allah (swt) says in the Ayah:


It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Umar (ra):

This clearly shows that the garment which is worn over the woman’s normal clothes should be draped down towards the floor until it covers the feet. If the feet are covered by wearing shoes or socks, the garment must come down to the floor but it will not be necessary for it to cover the feet. However, if the feet are not covered by shoes or socks – then the garment must be draped and it must cover the feet.

The Jilbaab must also not be semi-transparent to allow the normal clothes or any part of the Awrah to be seen from un-derneath. Furthermore, it must not become a form of Tabar-ruj (i.e. an attraction to men) and it must not resemble men’s clothing.

In summary, it is not enough for the woman to cover her Awrah in public life. She is obligated to have a wide and loose fitting, i.e. an opaque baggy garment that she wears over her normal clothes in order to appear in public life.

Muslim women steadfast in their Deen
Nowadays we sadly witness assaults on Islamic concepts from all corners, especially on the public symbols of Islamic observance such as the Islamic attire. Enormous pressure is being applied on Muslim women to abandon or compromise on the correct Islamic attire in public life. The Muslim women of today should take guidance from the Muslim women of the past who were praised by the Messenger (saw) and earned the pleasure of Allah (swt). When the verses for covering were revealed they responded immediately without delay by covering their Awrah with whatever material they could find. Safiyyah, daughter of Shaybah, said that Aisha (ra) had mentioned the women of Ansar, praised them and said good words about them. She then said,


The Jilbaab: a matter of concern to Muslim husbands
Allah (swt) has clearly laid a responsibility on the husband to advise and teach the members of his household about the matters of their Deen. Allah (swt) has revealed:


Therefore, the matter of the Islamic attire in public life and the obligation of wearing the Jilbaab must be conveyed by Muslim husbands to their wives and their daughters, and they must show them how to be righteous, so they may all receive the blessing of Allah (swt) and be rewarded, to-gether, with Jannah.

May Allah (swt) make us of those who listen to His words and follow them.

The Blood of the Muslim is Sacred

The news is unfortunately filled with stories of how Muslims are killing Muslims. Most recently, this has occurred in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and also in Palestine. We cannot use violence to resolve disputes with our brothers in the Ummah, as Allah (swt) has made it haram. We must abide by the Shariah when resolving our disputes. Ultimately, we must work to establish the Khilafah and appoint an Amir over us who will implement the justice of Islam. InshAllah, the Khaleefah will be proactive in ensuring our unity and resolving disputes if they are to arise.

The Associated Press reported that fighting between two rival groups in Somalia resulted in the death of 12 people. The article alleges that Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam fought each other for the control of Kismayo; a port city in Somalia.

The breakout of violence in Somalia, where Muslims are kill-ing Muslims, is part of a disturbing trend that we are witness-ing in the Muslim world. In Pakistan, we have seen the fight-ing of the Pakistani army against the Muslims of Swat. In Yemen, we are seeing the reigniting of the war between the northern tribes and the southern tribes. In Palestine, we also see Muslims from Fatah fighting the Muslims from Hamas.

Killing Muslims is Haram
Allah (swt), in the following ayat, has warned us about the consequences of killing Muslims:


And in the following hadith, RasulAllah (saw) makes it clear that killing and abusing Muslims is haram:


RasulAllah (saw) also warned us of the following:


Therefore, engaging in a war with a fellow Muslim with the intention of killing him can be the cause of one’s failure on the Day of Judgment. As it is well known, the killing of a soul is a grave sin in Islam. It was narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


In situations where Muslims are called out by their leaders (whether group leaders or rulers) to fight one another – they must refrain from doing so; for there is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to the Creator. Instead, they should advise such leaders to end the fitnah and stop fighting one another. Furthermore, blaming leaders for one’s actions will hold no weight on the Day of Judgment. Allah (swt) has re-vealed:


Importance of Brotherhood in Islam
With regards to dealing with each other, we must remember that the most important factor is that we are Muslims. Killing a fellow Muslims must not even by an option in our minds when we are dealing with another. Our brotherhood must transcend any other aspect of our identity. Nationality, group, tribe, or even madhab are all secondary to the fact that we are Muslim. When Prophet Muhammad (saw) was granted authority in Madinah, he established an agreement between the Muslims and Jews. Prophet Muhammad (saw) began the document as follows:


On the issue of brotherhood, Allah (swt) revealed:


With respect to the importance of loving one another, it is narrated that Prophet Muhammad (saw) said:


Islam’s Method of Resolving Disputes
The root cause of these disputes is due to the absence of the implementation of Islam by a sincere leadership. The justice and security of Islam would prevent many disputes from occurring in the first place. However, if disputes were to arise the sincere Islamic leadership could resolve them in manner that is based on shariah.

Since Islam is a complete way of life, it has a mechanism to resolve disputes, including disputes between the citizens of the Khilafah and the State, between different Islamic opin-ions, and between different groups. Therefore, the only way to ensure peace among the Muslims is to re-establish the Khilafah, which will prevent such haram from occurring and ensure that the disputes of the Muslims are resolved in a manner that pleases Allah (swt).

In the Khilafah, a special court, the Mahkamat ul-Mazalim (Court of Unjust Acts), resolves disputes between the citi-zens and the Khaleefah. For differences of Sharii’ opinions on specific issues, the Khaleefah has the right to bind an opinion upon the Ummah and preserve the unity of the state. For individuals or groups who disagree with one another, a duly appointed judge arbitrates between them, and they are bound by his resolution. Even in the absence of the Khalee-fah, groups that are fighting with one another must abide by the Shariah and resolve their disputes based on the Quran and Sunnah. Whoever rejects the rule of Allah must be pres-sured by all Muslims to accept it. Allah (swt) has revealed:


As for the struggle to re-establish Islam as a way of life, it has to be according to the example of RasulAllah (saw). His methodology did not involve violence. Consequently, one of the top priorities for those who seek change has to be the avoidance of killing or harming Muslims, as this is the way of RasulAllah (saw). As Allah (swt) has revealed:


The method of the Prophet (saw) to establish the Islamic State was not through military means. Rather, he worked in Makkah to call individuals to Islam and mold them into Is-lamic personalities – people who believed in the Oneness of Allah (swt), would act according to the hukm sharai’ and were motivated by the promise of Jannah. The Prophet (saw) established a group, the Sahabah (ra), that engaged with the society challenging the societal norms, customs and traditions. Within this interaction in society, the Prophet (saw) was ordered by Allah (swt) to seek nusrah and it was with the Ansar that Allah (swt) gave it to him. Since this was RasulAllah (saw)’s method we have no choice but to obey and follow his method.

Divisions in the Ummah: Exploited by the Colonialists
A second dimension to the problem of Muslims fighting Mus-lims is that it makes us susceptible to the domination of the disbelievers. The Europeans and Americans have not forgot-ten the potential of the Ummah. They remember that the Khilafah ruled parts of Europe for centuries and that the Muslims are formidable on the battlefield. Therefore, these nations – America and Europe – will work to ensure that the Ummah stays weak. They will work to disunite the Ummah in whatever way they can. This was prophesized by Prophet Muhammad (saw):


Therefore, we must be aware that the non-Muslim nations will take advantage of the divisions amongst us and use them to gain domination over us. And this is exactly what happened during the colonial era. The Western nations in-vaded Muslim lands in order to impose kufr (Capitalism), to subjugate the people and plunder their resources. This tactic of “divide and conquer” was described by T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. “Lawrence of Arabia”) as follows: “If we can only ar-range that his (Sherif Hussein; who led some Arab tribes in betrayal against the Uthmani Khilafahl) political change shall be a violent one, we will have abolished the threat of Islam, by dividing it against itself in its very heart. There will be a Khalifa in Turkey and a Khalifa in Arabia, in theological war-fare, and Islam will be as little formidable as the Papacy when Popes lived in Avignon.” This policy culminated in the signing of the Sykes-Picot treaty, which divided the Muslim lands amongst the British and the French. This treaty and other Western actions have led to the tragic situation today where the Muslims are divided into 50+ states, which had previously been united under one Khilafah.

After World War II, the Americans took over where the Euro-peans left off. Today, America is unsatisfied with the map drawn by the Europeans and it intends to further break up the Muslim lands. The American plan to divide the Muslim lands was laid out in an article published in the Armed Forces Journal in 2006 ^[1], which divided Iraq, Turkey, Paki-stan, Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim countries into even smaller and weaker states. And we are seeing this plan come to fruition – not just in Iraq, but also now in Pakistan. Further-more, the influential American think tank, RAND, openly at-tacks the concept of Ummah as being a disease calling it “umma-itis". In another report authored by Cheryl Benard, (wife of Zalmay Khalilzad, Bush’s Ambassador to Iraq) RAND has no shame in publicizing its “divide and conquer” strategy, stating: “Support the traditionalists against the fundamentalists: Discourage alliances between tradi-tionalists and fundamentalists”.

As Muslims, we must be aware of these plots – the disbe-lievers are so brazen as to openly declare them! How can we knowingly disobey Allah (swt) and fall into their traps?

May Allah (swt) help us to re-establish the Khilafah, so that we may have a just ruler who will unite us and settle our dis-putes in a manner that pleases Allah (swt).



[1] Blood Borders - Armed Forces Journal, June 2006

REFLECTIONS: Zakat: Purification of One�€™s Wealth

Zakat: An obligation upon the Believers
Zakat linguistically means “the increase”, and it also means “the purification”. It is present in the Shar’a with both meanings be-cause giving Zakat is a cause of blessing for our wealth. Zakat also purifies the soul from stinginess and sin.

It is defined in the Shar’a as a determined right due from certain types of wealth. It is one of the worships (‘Ibadat) and a basic element (Rukn) of Islam – like prayer, fasting and Hajj. Zakat is obligatory upon Muslims only, and is not taken from others. Its obligation is established by the Quran and Sunnah. Allah (swt) says:

The Prophet (saw) sent his companion Mu’ath (ra) to Yemen and said to him: “Inform them that Allah obliged Sadaqah upon their wealth that is taken from their rich and given to their poor.” Harsh punishments are promised to those who prevent and withhold the Zakat. Abu Hurayra narrated that the Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever is given wealth by Allah and fails to pay its Zakat, then his wealth will be presented to him on the Day of Judgment as a bald snake with two spots above its eyes and it surrounds him on the Day of Judg-ment. Then it will hold him by two sides of his jaw and it will say: ‘I am your wealth, I am your hoarded treasure.’” Then he recited:
This was narrated by the five except Abu Dawud.

Who collects the Zakat?
The obligation of collecting the Zakat falls on the Khaleefah. He is also obligated to enforce its payment. For example, when Abu Bakr (ra) became Khaleefah, some tribes refused to pay the Zakat. As narrated in Bukhari, Abu Bakr stated: “By Allah! I will fight those who differentiate between the prayer and the Zakat as Zakat is the compulsory right to be taken from the property (according to Allah's orders). By Allah! If they refuse to pay me even a she-kid [baby camel] which they used to pay at the time of Allah's Apostle. I would fight with them for withholding it.”

Without the Khaleefah, there is no way for the Ummah to en-sure that all those who have wealth are paying their dues. It is another collective obligation on the neck of the Ummah that can only be fulfilled once the Khilafah is re-established. The Khalee-fah is also responsible to ensure that the Zakat goes to the right people (i.e. only the eight categories discussed below).

Who is obligated to pay Zakat?
The Zakat is a personal duty (Fardh ‘Ayn) on every Muslim who possesses the minimum amount of wealth (Nisab) in excess of his debts for the duration of a year. Whenever it becomes obligatory upon the wealth of a Muslim, it cannot be abolished. In other words, we must pay the Zakat even though there is no Khaleefah today.

Zakat is the right of the people who fall within the eight catego-ries. The Khilafah must deposit the money collected into the Bait ul-Mal whenever it becomes due. This is regardless of whether there is a need for it or not. It is a right of the eight categories specified by Allah (swt) in the Ayah:


Zakat is obliged upon the man, woman, child and insane person due to the general form of the sound Ahadith that obliges Zakat without restriction. The Prophet (saw) said:


Zakat is obliged on this wealth if it reaches the Nisab for the du-ration of one year (except for crops and fruits whose Zakat is due the moment they are harvested).

How much is the Nisab?
The least amount of silver upon which Zakat is obliged is five ounces due to RasulAllah (saw) saying, “There is no Sadaqah on anything less than five ounces” (agreed upon). Its amount is counted as 200 Dirhams, since each ounce is 40 Dirhams.

The least amount of gold in which Zakat is obliged is 20 Dinars. If it is less than 20 Dinars, then no Zakat is obliged on it. Ali b. Abi Talib (ra) was reported to have said: “One-half Dinar in every 20 Dinars, and one Dinar (is due) in every forty Dinars.” The Prophet (saw) said:


The weight of the Nisab of gold of 20 Dinars is 85 grams of gold. The weight of the half-Dinar obliged in the Nisab of Zakat is 2.125 grams gold as the Dinar’s weight is 4.25 grams of gold.

Zakat is also due upon today’s “fiat currencies” – currencies which are not fully backed by gold or silver (e.g. the US, Cana-dian dollar, British pound etc). Since this type of currency has been adopted as money used to pay for goods and services they fulfill the role of gold and silver as it was used by RasulAllah (saw) in the Islamic State. Consequently, whoever owns compul-sory currency equivalent to the value of 20 Dinars of gold (i.e. 85 grams of gold; approximately $3,256 CDN) which is the Nisab of gold, or 200 Dirhams of silver (i.e. 595 grams of silver; approxi-mately $377 CDN) over which a year passes, then Zakat is ob-liged upon his/her wealth and he/she must pay 2.5% of this money in Zakat.

Furthermore, Zakat is only due on the wealth that has been saved for a year. No Zakat is obliged on the Nisab of gold or silver until a full year passes over it, where the Nisab is complete from the be-ginning to the end of the year. On the authority of Aisha, she said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say:


As for a person who owns less than the Nisab of gold or silver at the beginning of the year, but then gains wealth to complete the Nisab before the end of the year, his year begins from the time the Nisab is completed, such that when a full year passes, only then is Zakat obliged on it.

It should also be noted that the Nisab is net of any debts out-standing. For example, if one who possesses 1,000 Dinars and owes 1,000 Dinars, or one who possesses 40 gold Dinars and is indebted by 30 gold Dinars, there is no Zakat upon him because he does not own the amount of Nisab. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:


Who receives the Zakat?
Allah (swt) has restricted the recipients of Zakat to eight catego-ries, and only these eight categories. This is something that the mind cannot rationalize, and we cannot use our desires to deter-mine who gets the Zakat we pay. Since our intention is to worship Allah (swt), we do so as He has ordered us to. Zakat therefore cannot be paid to any other group other than the eight mentioned in the Qur’an:


The Poor (Al-Fuqaraa): These are those who don’t receive enough money to fulfill their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. Whoever receives less than what is needed to fulfill their basic needs is considered poor, so Sadaqah is Halal for him/her. He may take from it and he can be given Sadaqah up to the amount that removes his need and poverty. “O Messenger of Allah, what is his richness?” He said: “50 Dirhams or its equiva-lent in gold” (narrated by the five). Whoever owns 50 silver Dir-hams equal to 148.75 grams of silver, or its equivalent in gold, in excess of his food, clothing, shelter and the expenses of his fam-ily, children and servant is considered rich and it is not allowed for him to take from the Sadaqah.

The Paupers (Al-Masakeen): People who do not own any wealth and cannot provide for themselves or their families. The Messen-ger of Allah (saw) said:


Those employed to collect it (Al-Amileen 'alayha): Those employed by the Khaleefah (or Amir) to collect or distribute the sadaqah.

Those whose hearts are to be reconciled (Al-muallafatu qulubuhum): These are certain types of leaders, chiefs, influ-ential people or heroes whose beliefs are not yet settled, where the Khaleefah or his governors see it fit to give them from the Zakat as reconciliation for their hearts, settling their beliefs, utilizing them for the benefit of Islam and Muslims or to influ-ence their communities.

Slaves (Ar-riqah): Slaves can be given Zakat to free them-selves. That is, the Khaleefah can use the Zakat money to buy slaves and set them free.

Debtors (Al-Gharimeen): Payments of these debts may in-clude money paid to resolve disputes between people or blood monies. As for those who bear debts to resolve disputes or to pay blood-monies, they are paid from the Zakat, whether they are poor or rich, the exact amount that they bear of debt without any excess.

In the way of Allah (Fi Sabeelillah): This means spending to facilitate and enhance Jihad. Whenever 'Fi Sabeelillah' is men-tioned in the Qur’an, it means nothing other than Jihad. Zakat is spent for Jihad and its essentials, and it is not limited to any amount. So it is allowed to spend all of the Zakat, or some of it, for Jihad according to what the Khaleefah sees as beneficial for the Zakat beneficiaries.

The Wayfarer (Ibn us-Sabeel): The traveler whose journey has been disrupted by the lack of money, and is therefore un-able to reach his destination.

Can anyone else get Zakat?
No one other than those who fall in the above eight categories is eligible to receive Zakat. RasulAllah (saw), and the rightly guided Khaleefs that came after him, only spent Zakat on these eight categories of people. RasulAllah (saw) did not give Zakat to anyone else. Consequently, Zakat cannot be given to mas-jids, schools, or organizations that do Islamic work. Muslims are encouraged to pay for these, but from the remaining 97.5% of their wealth left over after paying Zakat. Zakat, however, can only be given to the eight categories listed above.

May Allah (swt) purify our wealth and re-establish the Khilafah Rashidah to ensure that the Zakat is collected and distributed according to what He revealed. Ameen.

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