One Year After the Great Victory, Has Syrian Decision-Making Been Liberated or Fallen into the Trap of Containment?
(Translated)

Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 580 - 31/12/2025
By: Ustadh Ahmed Al-Soufi (Abu Nizar Al-Shami)

These days mark the first anniversary of one of the most significant events in the history of modern Syria. It is an event that had always seemed impossible to every Syrian: the anniversary of the fall and flight of the Syrian tyrant, Bashar al-Asad, and the desertion of his soldiers, and the triumphant entry of Syrians into Damascus and Saydnaya Prison. While the squares resound with joy and the recollection of moments of glorification and prostration in gratitude to Allah (swt) for the end of the ordeal that afflicted the people of Syria and Lebanon alike, a profound and fundamental question arises, posed by sincere observers: Has the revolution achieved its desired Quranic victory, or have the tentacles of the international octopus succeeded in containing this tide, and steering it along paths drawn by the major powers?

The most prominent and undeniable achievement is the removal of the boulder that had been weighing down the Ummah, represented by the head of the regime. This fall, which occurred in the “Battle to Deter Aggression,” was not a coincidence, but rather the result of immense popular pressure and revolutionary fuel that had accumulated over fourteen years, until the tide reached Damascus in just eleven days.

However, this military success faces a delicate balance of legitimacy and political expediency. Victory, in the Quranic and Prophetic sense, means the supremacy of the Word of Allah (swt). Herein lies the divide; while the Syrian street chanted slogans like “Our leader forever is our master Muhammad (saw)” (قائدنا للأبد سيدنا محمد) and “The Ummah wants an Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate),” الأمة تريد خلافة إسلامية) those zealous for the Deen in ash-Sham and elsewhere believe the new leadership has begun to lean towards the American counter-revolution, which seeks to contain the revolution and strip it of its Islamic identity, as has been its practice since the early days of the blessed revolution.

The Three Constants: Where Do We Stand in Relation to Them?

The fate of the Syrian revolution today can be measured by three constants that the revolutionaries have upheld since day one:

1. Overthrowing the regime in its entirety, including all its pillars and symbols: Fair-minded observers agree that the goal was not merely the exit of the head of the regime, Bashar al-Assad, but the complete dismantling of the system. However, the reality today indicates that many judicial, educational, and political structures remain intact, and the true state apparatus of the old regime is being protected from falling into the hands of the sincere. The regime's political structure has remained, and the country continues to be ruled by oppression, contrary to the aspirations of all those who sacrificed so much to see this duty fulfilled in Syria.

2. Ending the influence of foreign powers: Syria today suffers from a breeding ground for international and regional influence, from America and Russia to Iran and Turkey. Undoubtedly, a weak state that lacks an independent project does not negotiate, but instead makes concessions. This is evident in the political courting of the international order and adherence to outdated international agreements, such as the 1974 Disengagement Agreement. It goes without saying that the Western powers do not wish Syria well. On the contrary, they Western powers have been constantly warning against the radical Islamists coming to power. Everyone knows that the West supported Assad and prevented his downfall on several occasions. In fact, it was America that brought Russia, Hezbollah, and others into Syria to protect its influence and prevent the rise of Islamists to power there. So how can the West be a loyal ally and trusted by the new leadership when it is one of their most bitter enemies?

3. Implementing Shariah and Establishing the Khilafah (Caliphate): This is the constant that constitutes the West’s greatest nightmare. The West, through Lavrov and its leaders, has repeatedly expressed its fear of the wrong hands, the Islamists, coming to power. Today, there is significant concern about the changes to the educational curriculum, the reduction of Islamic education classes, and the persecution of Dawah carriers and mujahideen in prisons, just as the previous regime did.

The Dilemma of Wisdom and Ideology:

Some respond to these concerns by advocating a policy of gradualism, or a cunning approach, drawing inspiration from the Prophet's example of patience during times of weakness. However, this reasoning faces sharp criticism. While the Prophet (saw) in Makkah did not bear arms, he refused to compromise or enter into a political partnership with the Dar al-Nadwa, which ruled by other than the Shariah Law of Allah (swt).

The Prophet (saw) also vehemently rejected accepting conditional or incomplete ruling governance, insisting that the state he assumed be fully independent legislatively and subject exclusively to the Shariah Law of Allah (swt). He (saw) then implemented the Islamic system immediately, radically, and completely, shattering the idols of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) and ending its era forever.

Political acumen does not mean surrendering to Western influence or accepting secularism under the guise of necessity. The real danger lies in the new leadership becoming a caretaker government for the West, implementing the decisions of the international order and courting the Jewish entity to ensure its survival. It is a betrayal of the blood of hundreds of thousands of martyrs.

The Identity of Ash-Sham: Has it Changed?

Despite the attempts at obfuscation and concealment practiced by political forces and mercenary media, the identity of ash-Sham remains unbreakable. The chants that emanated from Daraa, Homs, Ghouta, and even the heart of Damascus confirm that the true driving force of the street was, and remains, the masjid.

The events of the past year have confirmed that the Ummah has rediscovered its identity through the bitterness of bombardment, hunger, and displacement, and that this identity, forged in blood, cannot be erased with the stroke of a pen, or by a backroom security agreement. The Syrian street today is watching, and it possesses the awareness to distinguish between the sincere, and those who are trying to lead it into the fold of normalization and surrender.

A Message to the People of ash-Sham: Protect your Deen

In conclusion, this is a warning cry from a sincere guide who does not deceive his people:

The true battle today is the battle of awareness. The end of these great sacrifices cannot be a return to the embrace of the criminal and tyrannical international order. Instead, the revolution must be resumed to reclaim our stolen legislative and decision-making independence.

What is required today from the people of ash-Sham, its ulema, and Dawah carriers is to raise their voices in rejection of all Western proposals, to hold fast to the Rayah banner of Islam, and not to be deceived by Islamic appearances that justify ruling by other than all that Allah (swt) has revealed with flimsy pretexts. Ash-Sham, the heartland of the abode of the believers, is a trust placed upon the shoulders of its sons, and its glory will only be achieved through its Deen, which granted it victory on the battlefield and, by the permission of Allah (swt), will grant it victory in the arena of ruling governance and politics.

The anniversary of the tyrant’s fall is not merely a celebration of a past event, but a starting point for confronting a new international tyranny that seeks to hijack the revolution. Will the people of Syria succeed in reclaiming their ash-Sham and restoring it to its former purity?