Press Release
Is it Not Enough for this Regime that They Take the Wealth of the People Unjustly, even now they limit their Drinking Water?!
(Translated)

As the Parliaments do within the standing regime in Sudan, the Legislative Council of the Khartoum province pushed through the increase of the price of drinking water by 100%. This where the third degree housing has reached 30 pounds instead of 15, second degree housing has reached 55 pounds instead of 25, and the first degree housing has reached 85 pounds replacing 45 pounds. As for the government, trade and semi-trade sectors, then they have reached three pounds per square meter in the place of two pounds.

These large and exaggerated increases were passed through by those described as representatives of the people without batting an eyelash. It is as if they are equating the condition of the people with their own luxurious condition that came from the Ummah’s wealth (through Haraam). They are not innovators in this though, as the representatives National Parliament passed through increases upon fuel to applause until they became the cause of amusement of the people; all of them, whilst they were the ones who remained silent when the cost of cooking gas was increased threefold. So how can the like of these call themselves representatives of the people? This is whilst in their reality they only represent over the people or rather they only bring them severe punishment:

[أَلَا سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ]

“Certainly, evil is how they judge” [An-Nahl:59].

Is it not enough for this regime that they take the wealth of the people unjustly in every area?! So that now they oppress against them in respect to the water which cannot be done without. That is why Islam made it a general right and public property that none can control over even if he is the ruler. It was related from Ibn ‘Abbaas that he said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

«الناسُ شُرَكَاءُ فِي ثَلَاثٍ فِي الْمَاءِ وَالْكَلإِ وَالنَّارِ وَثَمَنُهُ حَرَامٌ»

“The people are partners in three; in the water, the green pastures and the fire, and their price is Haraam” (Related by At-Tabarani).

Therefore, it is upon the State in Islam is to provide the water to the inhabitants for free and if it wants to take a price it is not permissible to take more than the cost price without profiting like what is happening today. In the case where we know that the water pipes are delivering in origin then all that the state undertakes is its purification and delivery to the people and this definitely does not cost the enormous amounts that are being enforced upon the people.

The rulers of Sudan and other rulers must know that they are going to be standing soon before Allah ‘Azza Wa Jalla; that they will be held account for their actions and that the greatest crime that they will be held to account will be their ruling the people by other than what Allah has revealed, their oppression over them and their devouring of their wealth unjustly. And remember that the Prophet (saw) made Du’aa against the one who does not treat the inhabitants well. He (saw) said:

«اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاشْقُقْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ وَلِيَ مِنْ أَمْرِ أُمَّتِي شَيْئًا فَرَفَقَ بِهِمْ فَارْفُقْ بِهِ»

“O Allah whoever is given authority over any affair of my Ummah and is oppressive over them then be heavy upon him and whoever is entrusted with any affair of my Ummah and then treats them kindly then be kind with him” (Muslim)

The Islamic State, the rightly guided Khilafah "Caliphate" State (Caliphate) upon the path of the Prophethood, which is returning soon Inshaa’Allah, will cut every hand that has spread-out over the wealth of the Ummah in a Haraam manner and it will hold to account everyone who caused hardship and suffering for the Ummah. It will strive, in its view of dealing in the best way with the subjects, to deliver the pure water to all of the people without getting anything in return for that. Indeed, it will make available to them all of the components of a dignified life so that they can flourish on the earth as Allah had intended and so that they undertake their obligations in respect to guiding mankind in compliance to the command of Allah who said:

[هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْكَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ]

“He it is who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Deen of truth so that it prevails over all other Deens and even if the polytheists hate (it)” [At-Tawbah: 33].

Ibrahim Othman (Abu Khalil)
Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Sudan