Press Release
The Call to Participate in Western Elections is a Call to Assimilate into Kafir Western Societies, and to Prevent the Conveying of the Message of Islam to the Entire World
(Translated)

In every election that takes place in the West, whether it is a presidential or parliamentary election, many activists in the Muslim communities in the West raise their voices, calling for participation in the local elections in those countries. These activists, including sheikhs and officials of Islamic centers, carry out what resembles an election campaign, urging the community to vote for a certain party or candidate. They do not call for abstaining from voting, even if the candidates are not to the liking of these “sheikhs,” emphasizing the necessity of participating in the elections, and voting, even if the Muslim voter leaves his ballot paper blank. These “sheikhs” say that merely participating in the elections is a religious and “national” duty, as they claim. This leads us to believe that the target of this call is the Muslims themselves, not their votes, and the extent of their influence. They have reached the point of claiming that the Muslim communities, even if their numbers are small, constitute the balance in deciding the electoral results, at times. As much was stated in a deceptive report published by Al Jazeera Arabic on the occasion of the American elections, under the title “Muslims decide the outcome of the elections in seven states.” Although the report states that “Muslims in the United States are a relatively small population, numbering about 3.5 to 4 million, out of a population of 336 million,” it added that “their influence in the presidential election is expected to be significant, especially in the decisive states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, which are states where the support of the two major parties, Republican and Democratic, is very close.”

First: Muslims are surprised by such a call in Western countries that rule by other than all that Allah (swt) has revealed, and are hostile to Islam and Muslims, locally and globally. We do not find even a semblance of a Shariah evidence for these fatwas, that contradict the basics of Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence). Among those basic principles is that an election is a delegating agency (wakaala) contract between the voter and the elected. So how can these “sheikhs” permit a Muslim to delegate a kafir to rule by other than all that Allah (swt) has revealed, ruling only in the interest of his country?! How can they permit this when the ruling of the kafir is consistent with the constitution, laws, and policies of his country, which are always at the expense of the Islamic Ummah and its interests wherever they may be?! The strangest thing is that if you remind them of this axiom, they ignore it and justify their claim by saying, “We elect the lesser of two evils,” or as one of them said, that people have a choice between “Abu Jahl and the firewood carrier,” whilst calling for a third, obscure candidate who has no chance in the elections. What is also strange is that when these “sheikhs” use what they think is a Shariah ruling, the rule of “the lesser of two evils,” they ignore that some ulema, who adopted this rule, stipulated that a Muslim must be coercively forced into one of the two evils. It is not permissible for him to choose between two evils while he is at ease, meaning that he is not forced or compelled to do so. Therefore, we do not find a Shariah justification for calling for participation in Western elections, even within their adoption of this ruling. We call on all Muslims residing in the West, headed by the “sheikhs” and officials of Islamic centers, to fear Allah (swt). We call on them not to delegate those who rule them with kufr, and be agents in implementing the West’s projects to plot against Muslims, and kill them all over the world. We call on them not to listen to fatwas that contradict Islamic law of Allah (swt). We call on them not to rely on the world and the comfort of life, and not to be intimidated by the imaginary carrot and stick policy. Allah (swt) said,

[أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَنْ يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا]

“Have you O Prophet not seen those who claim they believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They seek the judgment of false authorities, which they were commanded to reject. And Satan only desires to lead them farther away.” [TMQ Surah An-Nisaa 4:60].

Second: Participation in Western elections is an acceptance of the kafir secular system. It is the Shariah duty of Muslims living in the West to call Westerners to comprehensive Islam, to carry it as a message of mercy to all humanity, and to make the Dawah to all of Islam, not just to part of it, to individual ritual worships alone. The Dawah to Islam must be a Dawah to the way of life, ruling, economy, and all aspects of life. This is the meaning of the Dawah to Islam, especially since the West is living in a state of civilizational collapse. The West is in dire need of a civilizational alternative that will save the Westerners from the corruption of secular civilization that has made Western peoples miserable. The Western civilization has become a curse domestically, and a curse on the peoples of the world, including the Islamic Ummah. That is, the Dawah to Islam must be a Dawah for the great Islam to replace the Western civilization, with its order based on unjust secularism. This necessarily requires Muslims in the West to declare their disbelief in the secular system, and to present Islam as a civilizational alternative to Western society, including presenting that to candidates for political posts, and not to elect any of them, no matter how much he lies and deceives the people that he will serve them and their interests! The Messenger of Allah (saw) said,

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ، لاَ يَسْمَعُ بِي أحد من هذه الأمة لا يَهُودِيٌّ، وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ، ثُمَّ يَمُوتُ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ إِلاَّ كانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النار»

“By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one from this Ummah, neither Jew nor Christian, hears of me, and then dies without believing in that with which I was sent, except that he will be among the Companions of the Fire.” [Ahmad]

Third: The union of Muslim diaspora communities in the West, under an Islamic umbrella, and their carrying of Islam as a message of guidance and mercy, is what makes them contribute positively to Western societies. The conveying Islam is a heavenly message for the West, especially to the peoples oppressed by the handful of capitalists, who rule them for financial benefit, as owners of giant transcontinental companies. Carrying the message to them is a Shariah duty, and not participating in their way of life, that has made them miserable and brought upon them the Wrath of Allah (swt). The union of Muslims also protects them from any conspiracy or plot by those who conspire against them and Islam. The Messenger of Allah (swt) said,

«عليكَ بالجماعةِ فإنَّما يأكلُ الذئبُ منَ الغنمِ القاصيةَ»

“Stick to the congregation, for the wolf only eats from the sheep that are far away.” [Narrated by Ahmad]. So when the ten million Muslims in America, for example, have a representative for them, and from them, this representation makes them a force that cannot be underestimated. Then, their rights cannot be neglected, especially if their demands are Shariah legitimate and just. This is such as demanding their legal rights as citizens, whether they participate in the elections or not. This is also such as their demand not to provide the Jewish entity, with the weapons with which they kill our brothers in Gaza.

Fourth: We call upon Muslims in the West to be true ambassadors of Islam and Muslims. Let the biography of the Companions who migrated to Abyssinia, including Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (ra) be a source of inspiration for them. Let them not to integrate and dissolve into Western societies, practicing Western political ways that deny them the attribute of carrying the Dawah that is for all people. We call upon them to be distinguished and contribute positively in those societies, by working hard to bring people out of the worship of the leaders of money, and to enter the Deen of Allah (swt) in droves. This is by Dawah to Islam as a belief and a comprehensive way of life for all aspects of life. In this way they will clear their conscience towards the people of the country among whom they live, so they will not be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection for their failure to deliver the Message to them. In this way they will please their Lord by carrying His Message, in the manner that pleases Him. In this way they will protect themselves and future generations from dissolving into the life of kufr and its ways. Allah (swt) said,

[ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ ضَلَّ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ]

“Invite all to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and kind advice, and only debate with them in the best manner. Surely your Lord alone knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is rightly guided.” [TMQ Surah An-Nahl 16:125].

The Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir