News & Comment
Who will be protecting Islam after the 14th General Elections?

News

The 14th General Elections of Malaysia will be held on the 9th of May 2018. This is following the announcement made by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak concerning the dissolution of parliament on Friday 6th of April 2018, more than two months before the end of his five-year term, paving the way for the elections. Common in any democratic country, this marks the beginning of vicious electoral campaigns by both the government and the opposition parties. As a Muslim majority country, Islam is among the issues heavily discussed.

Unfortunately, the role of Islam, especially in ruling, within a democratic framework, is very often misunderstood and consequently misconceptions of Islamic politics proliferate. It is even not too farfetched to say that in the nuance of the democratic election campaign, Islam seems to degrade to a tool in attaining deviant objectives for many political parties. Never has anyone from any parties brought up issues of who will be protecting Islam after the elections. In fact 28th of Rajab passed without many noticing the significance of the date. Indeed, who will be protecting Islam now that the real protector is gone?

Comment

In the ‘election campaign celebration’, many Muslims in Malaysia are oblivious of one of the saddest days ever recorded in the history of Islam. On the 28th of Rajab, the Muslims had lost the shield that had safeguarded and protected them and they had lost the institution which had preserved their highest dignity. It is from this loss that the Islamic Ummah begins to face countless sufferings and miseries; Muslim blood are shed everywhere and the earth has never been dry from the tears of the Ummah. Remembrance of 28 Rajab is not an anniversary ‘celebration’ of the fall of the Caliphate (Khilafah) but is a reminder to Muslims that on that date, the Islamic political umbrella, a da’wah carrying institution and a mercy to the world, had disappeared. Commemoration of 28 Rajab is also not intended to lament the fall of Khilafah, but to remind the whole Muslim Ummah of their obligation to re-establish this Ummah-unifying political institution that had made them the best nation ever to be created for the mankind.

The Khilafah had vanished 97 years ago and as Muslims we desire not to forever grieve over this loss, in fact, we are obliged to never keep silent and give up. Instead we are compelled to seriously work to ensure her return. We yearn to rewrite the history of the world by restoring this great political institution of Islam. Every Muslim is obliged to work to re-establish the Khilafah by following the footsteps of the Prophet (saw) and his Companions (ra) who have surrendered and sacrificed their lives in the path of Allah (swt) to establish the Islamic State of Madinah in order to implement the Deen of Allah (swt) in its entirety. Allah (swt) obliges every Muslim to implement His law wholly and there is no other way to realize this except with the establishment of an Islamic State (Khilafah).

With Muslims in Malaysia preoccupied over the elections, we are actually moving further away from the real solution – the re-establishment of the Islamic State. The work to re-establish the Khilafah requires a deep sincerity and immense sacrifice of every da'wah carrier. We have to endure the thorns along the way of da’wah the same way our predecessors had experienced. This struggle requires the sacrifice of every Muslim's time, property and even lives. However, the heavy burden of working to re-establish the Khilafah will certainly be lighter if this noble endeavor is carried out together.

Let us rush to carry out this noble work of re-establishing the Khilafah Rashidah that will restore our glory and restore the shield and unity of all Muslims under one ruling system. Abandon the colonial system that has been enforced over us for over 50 years. Let us act swiftly to fulfill the noble struggle of re-establishing the shield of the Ummah. Do remember that our victory in re-establishing the Khilafah is not a dream nor is it a fantasy, rather, it is a promise that had been articulated by our Prophet (saw)

«ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ» 

...then there will be a Khilafah on the method of the Prophethood” [Narrated by Ahmad].

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Dr. Muhammad – Malaysia