The Overthrow of the Tyrant Bashar is a Victory from Allah (swt). It’s Just the Beginning of Change, Not Complete Change
(Translated)

Joy spread throughout ash-Sham with the fall of the tyrant Bashar, and the liberation of the capital Damascus, after the liberation of all of Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs. The sweet sounds of takbeers rose from the masajid, the courtyards of public squares, the streets and in front of the prisons where the revolutionaries released everyone within them, both men and women. They felt that it is just a dream, and not a reality. The earth almost shook under the feet of the mujahideen and revolutionaries. The people were elated at the fall of the tyrant’s regime that had perpetuated killing, corruption and crime against the people of ash-Sham for painfully long decades. The tyranny gave scenes that souls could not bear, due to their cruelty and brutality against everyone who rebelled against the regime, and wanted to be liberated from its tyranny. However, as Allah (swt) said,

[قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ]

“Say, O Prophet, “O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from who You please. You honour whoever You please and disgrace who You please. All good is in Your Hands. Surely You Alone are Most Capable of everything.” [TMQ Surah Aali Imran 3:126]. Congratulations to the people of ash-Sham over this great victory and clear conquest.

All this is asides from the political analyses over what prompted Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the National Army and the factions to move now, after a long period of aversion from doing so. All this is asides from the lack of response to the continuous calls to open fronts, and liberate ash-Sham, by the sincere Dawah carriers in ash-Sham, over many years. This is all asides from the analysis, even though the analysis is necessary to understand the speed of what happened, as within ten days the revolutionaries and mujahideen were able to achieve this great accomplishment. However, what is more important than analysis now, is what comes after the overthrow of Bashar and his regime.

There is no doubt that America and its tools in the region, such as Erdogan’s Turkey, will be keen to prevent ash-Sham from being liberated from the grip of colonialism. They will use all their resources and capabilities to fool the revolutionaries into accepting a change that does not affect the essence of the state, and the secularism of the regime. This is similar to what America was able to achieve with the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, with the help of the rulers of Pakistan and Qatar. This requires the revolutionaries and mujahideen to be careful regarding the plots and plans that these people are drawing up, to thwart the real process of change in ash-Sham.

Real change must change the reality of ash-Sham as a whole. Real change is the radical change by overthrowing the regime with all its pillars, men, structure and constitution. Real change is by replacing the secular regime with an Islamic system of government, and declaring it a Khilafah Rashidah (rightly-guided Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood. The Khilafah is the state in which the entire state, from top to bottom, is purely Islamic, without filth or impurities, whilst its rulers are from among the khaleel (close friends) of Allah (swt) and His pious servants.

As for accepting a secular state, or a hybrid state of Islam and secularism, it means that the situation will remain as it is. It means yet another entity for Muslims will be added to the 56 existing entities. It means that colonialism, headed by America, will remain dominant over our countries, our wealth, and our decisions. It means that injustice, corruption, and hardship will remain.

America and those with it, especially Erdogan, think that with the tools they have, and the relationships they have woven over the past years, especially after the revolution, with the leaders of the factions, they can limit the change to some details and particulars, from the previous regime. This is without affecting the essence of the state, or the secular system of government. This is even if they have to make the system have an Islamic tinge. This is what the revolutionaries, the sincere and the mujahideen must be careful about.

The sacrifices offered by the revolutionaries and the people of ash-Sham are unparalleled. The injustice, cruelty and criminality they have suffered is beyond imagination. The sacrifices and the patience must not be wasted in the winds, or be lost in the furnace of changes that do not touch the essence of the calamity of the people of ash-Sham and all Muslims. The injustice, humiliation, degradation and torment that befell the Muslims only happened after the Khilafah (Caliphate) was destroyed, and Islam disappeared from life. The calamity and tragedies of the Ummah are caused by the absence of a state for the Ummah. That state is the state of the Khilafah Rashidah (rightly-guided Caliphate) on the Method of Prophethood.

The revolutionaries and the sincere must resolve not to settle down, and not rest, until they declare ash-Sham a second Khilafah Rashidah on the Method of Prophethood. This will not happen without severing all ties with the Turkish regime, the foreign financier, the rest of the region’s rulers and the agents of colonialism. This will not happen without relying instead on the pure hands and clean hearts of the sons of the Ummah and its mujahideen. May Allah bless that mujahid who said after the liberation of Homs, “We will continue until we reach Gaza and declare it a Khilafah Rashidah on the Method of Prophethood.” There are many like him who abound in ash-Sham.

[وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ]

“But it was Our Will to Favour those who were oppressed in the land, making them models of Iman as well as successors.” [TMQ Surah Al-Qasas 28:5]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Engineer Baher Saleh
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir