Islam does not deny ownership of material or property, however it also does not allow humans to dictate the way it is acquired and used. Life in the Khilafah will offer a dramatic change in the way material is viewed

In Islam wealth is a trust from the Creator. Consequently it is Allah (swt) alone who decides what can and cannot be bought and sold. This is unlike the situation today where the rights and wrongs of a society are at the mercy of market forces and the laws of supply and demand and where commercial viability of a product takes precedence over the detremental effects on society that are produced as a result of the product’s existence. Such is a world where business interests fund or lobby the ‘guardian angels’ of democracy - the politicians.

Accordingly, we see that Britain’s richest man has based his fortune on pornography. There is no care for the damaging effects of pornography and other forms of exploitation of man and woman. The unwanted eyes when walking the streets; the unwanted attention at work; rape. Instead, concern for humans is viewed in economic terms primarily.

This is not so in Islam, where ‘honour’ is a vital issue. There will be no advertisements using the sexuality of men and women for the hard sell, no ‘top-shelf’ magazines, no pornographic videos and no cybersex would be found in the Islamic State.

Similarly, no regard would be made for the commercial success of alcohol consumption, or the potential success of legalising other types of drugs, as is being discussed today. In Islam public consumption of intoxicants is forbidden, killing from the root the plethora of problems that things like alcohol contribute to: domestic violence, crime in general or the drain on health resources (self-help groups, victim support groups, medical services etc.). There would be no pubs, no drunkards and no ‘drink-driving’ under the Khilafah.

Nationalism is so deeply etched into our world, that it even causes suffering within a nation state. The present system enforces colour bias by dividing the community into an ethnic majority and minority. By offering community services, like centres on the basis of race and nationality or by organising events like Asian festivals and Black cultural evenings, divisions are further ingrained into the thoughts of people. Again this is accepted blindly, but why should we need to state our ethnic origin when filling in forms? In fact, this encourages a subtle form of racism, whether in the form of discrimination or so-called positive discrimination, as it creates a colour conscious society.

In Islam such apartheid is prevented. For in the Khilafah, once citizenship is granted, the Muslim or non-Muslim is not viewed as a minority or a majority. All the systems of Islam will ensure this. So jobs are offered on suitability not ethnicity. Schools will work to ensure racism is put to rest. Organisations calling to race or nationality will be illegal.

This is a far cry from the myth of beheading of infidels, for under Islam the non-Muslim as a dhimmi (a non-Muslim citizen of the Islamic State), is a protected citizen, whose belief, property and honour is secured. Muhammad (saw) said in one hadith, “Whosoever harmed a dhimmi has harmed me.”

Borders between peoples have become a fact of life of our times. This is a fact that is blindly accepted. From childhood we are presented with a divided world, where the map is a mosaic of different colours representing separate Nation States. In adulthood this is reinforced as we unquestioningly accept the need to apply for visas when making the Hajj to Mecca, or visiting relatives in Tajekistan, or when we are told that only an Iranian can be the leader of the so called ‘Islamic’ Republic of Iran. This issue is further emphasised when for example, we see on the television that according to international law, Muslims from Pakistan are ‘foreigners’ in Somalia.

Yet it is this self-same fact of today’s world order that leads to immeasurable misery. In this world of divided nations, jealousies emerge and damaging competitions appear. Europe is scarred by wars ravaged as one nation seeks to dominate others. The world nations struggle with each other, and new nations have their bloody birth within other nations. The world is full of divided nations even if we bestow on them the token title of ‘United Nations’.

Allah (swt) says,

“O human beings! We created you from a pair male and female, and We fashioned you into tribes and races that you may recognise each other, indeed the best amongst you is the one who is most conscious of Allah.” [TMQ 49:13]

In the framework of the Khilafah, Islam questions the issue of divided nations. For in the Khilafah, Muslims and non-Muslims that accept to live under the ideology of Islam would never be divided on racial grounds. This seems strange in a world where those in the West who share a love for democracy find themselves divided as a myriad of competing nations and races.

Under Islam the world has witnessed, and Inshallah will witness again, a land without borders. Peoples of different races will be standing together as one. Under Islam there was no Israel to fight Egypt, there was no Iran to fight Iraq or vice-versa - all these lands were one land.

All over the world humanity is witness to the dynamic growth of Islam. In land which previously formed the bedrock of the Khilafah (the Islamic State), there is a deep hunger to see the return of that same system. In the Muslim world, this desire is manifest as the intellectual struggle of the Muslim masses against the tyrannical puppets that presently plague us. On lands yet to experience the Khilafah, Islam is blooming, with a new generation of converts.

Today Islam is the fastest growing belief in the West. Yet many questions arise in peoples minds about the world order that Islam offers to Muslim and non-Muslim alike, the answers to which are shrouded by the veils of a distorted history and that of the propaganda espoused by the media machine of the existing World Order. The clear understanding of Islam is clouded by images of harems, beheading of infidels, guntoting mullahs and the like.

In this section, turn aside these veils and experience the wonders of a world under Islam.

The above steps taken by the Prophet (saw) were not actions restricted only to himself. They were for his companions and are for the sincere Muslims of today to emulate. During history a number of scholars have tackled the problem of how we should respond were we not to have the Khilafah and have no Amir/Khaleefah.

- Imam Baghawi (circa 600 Hijri) said that if there was no Khaleefah then the Muslims must follow the method of Muhammad (saw) in establishing the State in order to bring it back.

 - Imam Juwainy (4th century Hijri) also mentioned this methodology.

- Sheikh Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, is one of the prominent scholars in the post decline of Khilafah (post 1924) period to elaborate upon this detailed methodology, furthermore in his book 'The Ruling System' he states:

“... the establishment of one Khaleefah is an obligation on all Muslims, this has been confirmed in the hadith; it has been narrated on the authority of Nafi‘a that he said, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar told me: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “...Whoso dies while there was no bay‘ah on his neck dies a death of the days of Ignorance (jahiliyyah)”. ”

To avoid being sinful for living without the authority of Islam in our midst it is vital that all capable Muslims work to establish the State.

The Islamic group(s), whose existence is necessary if we are to follow the way established by the Prophet (saw) 1400 years ago, should not be a violent movement bent on terrorist tactics, or a charity that props up the corrupt system, never touching the thoughts of the people or systems ruling over them. The sharp Islamic party of today must emulate the deep culturing process, the open challenge to all kufr thoughts and laws, and work to build support for such a call not only amongst the masses but amongst that small band of key people of support like the military that have the reigns of power and ultimate political revival within their grasp. Only when this methodology of the Prophet (saw) is followed, will the actions be accepted by Allah (swt), Inshallah. Allah (swt) says,

“O you who believe, if you help Allah, Allah helps you and consolidates your foothold.” [TMQ 47:7]

This political work to re-establish the Islamic State and resume the Islamic way of life must be undertaken in the Muslim countries where Islam ruled before. This is the case as today, the work is not to bring about the State for the first time, as it was in the time of the Prophet (saw), but to resume the ruling by Islam that had already existed for hundreds of years. In these places, the corrupted thoughts that pervade the minds of the Ummah must be changed to Islamic thoughts, based solely on the Islamic ‘aqeedah.

The holders of nussrah (i.e. the armies and the influencial people) must be approached and convinced of the duty and need to resume the Islamic way of life, and both the Islamic Ummah and the armies within it, must work to overthrow the current corrupted Muslim regimes, who rule by non-Islam and pander to the whims of the disbelievers, thereby freeing the Muslim lands from the influence of the kuffar and allowing Allah’s (swt) deen to be dominant once more.

Once this is done in any part of the Muslim world, and the Khilafah is re-established, the remaining Muslim lands can again begin to be reunited under one leadership, by a process of merging the Muslim lands such that they are absorbed by the expanding frontiers of the State.

For Muslims living outside the Muslim world, it is still an obligation and just as vital to work with the political movements who have this aim. For such people their focus would be in being active among the Muslim communities, wherever they are, to culture them with this political call of Islam, and to aid the work in the Muslim world as much as they can.

By these means, the whole Islamic Ummah, wherever they are, can be revived and can contribute to this vital work - the resumption of the Islamic way of life, that Allah (swt) has laid as a divine duty upon her.

The Prophet (saw) did not only call to Islam and attack the corrupt systems and beliefs around him, but he also actively worked to establish the State by approaching those with the authority to rule, those who were in positions of authority or could hand him authority - this is known as nussrah (support) and is a critical issue for the Islamic movement today. While the Prophet (saw) was preparing society with his open call, the actual influential people in Madinah facilitated the birth of the Islamic State there naturally, without the need for a coup d’état, which may have been needed in different circumstances. Many fail to recognise that the triumph which resulted after the Hijrah came at the end of a long struggle, one that will be necessary if we are to taste the same victory. Allah (swt) says,

“Do they think they will be left to say: We believe without being tested? Surely We had tested those who came before them. Surely Allah will know who are faithful and who make a lie.” [TMQ 29:2-3]

Whilst the message of Islam was reaching wider and wider audiences the actual land (dar) which the Prophet (saw) needed to launch the system and from which he could carry it to mankind through invitation and jihad eluded him. He (saw) spent time approaching directly the heads of tribes and those in power around the Arab peninsula, asking directly for the support to rule by Islam. Islam could never be limited to a belief system and a few individual religious rituals; those that believed in it had to rule by it. Allah (swt) says,

 “If anyone rules by other than what Allah has revealed, they are disbelievers.” [TMQ 5:44]

Many tribes were approached by the Prophet (saw) who was often accompanied by Abu Bakr (ra) who was an expert on the various tribes and their genealogies. One example suffices to prove this point. The bani (tribe) Amir ibn Sa‘ssah were approached and after many discussions ranging over Islam to their military strength it was determined that this tribe was sufficiently strong to be a launching point for the new state, and they were prepared to support the Prophet (saw), however they put one condition in querying whether they would have the authority (rule from their tribe) after the Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) did not accept support from them and responded that “Allah gives the authority where He wills” and could not accept any compromise in the deen even at a time when he and his companions were facing great hardship.

When the unequivocal support did come from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj from Yathrib (Madinah) the Prophet (saw) showed clearly the importance of getting the power and authority for Islam. At the second pledge of ‘Aqabah, late into the night he (saw) asked for twelve naqeeb (leaders) from them to come forward as it was they that were going to ensure the handing of power to him with full conviction in him and his message.

When the Prophet (saw) did complete the Hijrah to Madinah, and was given the full authority, the forces of the previous tribal leaders were seen out in force the very next morning to defend their new leader and the new Islamic State. Even ‘Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salool later labelled as the head of the hypocrites of Madinah recognised that power had been taken through proper preparations when he jealously said, “This has been planned in the night.”

The Prophet (saw) proved that there could be no state without authority and there could be no authority without building the support from those that could deliver power. It would be nice to think that in today’s world the Ummah would come out on mass in the streets demanding the implementation of Islam and that the corrupt regimes will lay down and pass the power on, but in the absence of such a natural birth it is likely that the State will need the assistance of a sincere following from those of influence like the army.

The open challenge to the kufr system that was initiated by the Prophet (saw) was waged for nearly 10 years until an Islamic State was established in Madinah. The location of the State wasn’t known to the Prophet (saw), nor was the time of it’s establishment, there was only a complete submission towards this goal and a clear cut method which was followed to achieve the victory that Allah (swt) had promised.

The famous du‘a that the Messenger of Allah (saw) made when returning from Ta‘if summarised his attitude and commitment to the call:

 “O Allah! To you I proclaim my weakness, little resource, and lowliness before man. O Most Merciful! You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom would You confide me? To one afar who will misuse me? If You are not angry with me I care not. Your favour is wider for me. I take refuge in the light of Your countenance by which the darkness is illuminated, and the things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest Your anger descend upon me or Your wrath light upon me. It is for You to be satisfied until You are well pleased. There is no power and no might save in You.”

The Prophet (saw) had travelled alone to Ta‘if to invite them to Islam and to ask for support in establishing the Islamic State; he was rejected outright and even children were sent to stone him until the blood ran to his feet. He (saw) did not mind, his sole concern was to adhere to the methodology set out for him and his group (companions) to establish Islam. “If you are not angry with me I care not” - meaning no matter what the kuffar felt or how they responded, the Prophet (saw) was solely concerned with following the Islamic way as he was guided to by Allah (swt). And yet some Muslims today at the slightest problem retreat to their homes and refuse to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) in going to the people on mass to invite them to the deen and to establish Allah’s law.

The open stage was characterised by certain key points:

1. The Muslims worked hard to propagate the call of Islam publicly - the address to the tribes of Quraysh at Mount Safa was one example, and the demonstration of the Prophet’s group in encircling the Ka‘aba which came after Allah’s command to “go and proclaim openly” was another. Quraysh were shocked; Ibn Abbas (ra) narrated that they had never before seen such a demonstration.

2. The call was controversial and challenging. The nature of change in society requires that opposing thoughts must be broken down and thoroughly refuted in order that the way be cleared for the Islamic thought and way of life to come forward. The nature of the Qur’anic ayat that were revealed during the Makkan period pointed the way and challenged the shallow unthinking minds of Quraysh to wake up and consider what it was they worshipped, who they followed as leaders, how they bought, or how they married. In short the whole way of life was pointedly attacked, and furthermore the Muslims of today are mistaken if they think that change will come without there being a rigorous intellectual attack upon Capitalism, Communism, or any other false ideology.

Not only was their belief in idols attacked, but the Prophet (saw) launched an intellectual onslaught on every aspect of their way of life:

Their political system and leaders were attacked:

“May the hands of Abu Lahab perish: Doomed he is. His wealth and his gains shall not avail him. He shall be plunged in a flaming fire...” [TMQ 111:1-3]

Their economic system was attacked:

“Woe to the defrauders, who take in full what they buy, and who reduce the weight when they sell.” [TMQ 83:1-2]

 Even their social customs were attacked:

“You shall not kill your children for fear of want. We will provide for them and for you.” [TMQ 17:31]

Always the challenge linked the people back to the ‘aqeedah, imploring them to adopt Islam and reject the corruption around them. These ayat and the vigorous passing of the Islamic call created great controversy, hardship and ultimately raised the profile of the Muslims in the whole of the Arab peninsula. The false gods, systems and creeds of today must also be exposed and the message of Islam must be prominently brought forward, especially so in the Muslim world, where the work to re-establish the Khilafah is occurring.

The Muslims didn’t lose any opportunity to pass culture to the people and invite them to Islam. This open call forms the main approach for the Islamic movement today, and indeed must be carried out in the Muslim countries, to undermine completely the false ideas and concepts which have polluted the minds of the sincere Islamic Ummah.

To change a people requires an intellectual elevation; people act based upon the beliefs they carry. To change a society requires a change in their beliefs, relations and the system governing them. The Prophet (saw) and his companions targeted this specifically, but to achieve the victory would require a supreme effort against great difficulty. The loss of many early Muslims through torture and oppression bears testimony to the difficulties they faced.

To prepare them for the struggle, the Prophet (saw) cultured his companions deeply; this formed what was known as the cultural or first stage. They used to study late into the night not only the belief but also a unique way of learning and thinking. To refer solely to Islam for all matters and to develop a deeply creative political mentality. That the Prophet (saw) could develop so many great companions with such strong statesmanlike qualities was a great tribute to their commitment and approach to Islam.

Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr was just one example of those that were so developed and had such a startling affect in Madinah in only one short year, prior to the establishing of the State there. After a period in which the culture was well ingrained within the Muslims of the group and the personality was totally Islamic, the command came that they should approach the da‘wah in a most public and challenging manner. This was critical in order to confront the corrupt systems and thoughts dominating the society of the time, the same kufr thoughts dominating the world today. Allah (swt) says,

 “Therefore, proclaim that which you are commanded, and turn away from the polytheists. Verily, We are sufficient unto you against those that scoff.” [TMQ 15:94-95]

Allah (swt) commands in surah al-Imran:

“There should be from among you an Ummah (band(s) of people) inviting to the good (khayr), commanding what is right (ma‘ruf) and forbidding what is wrong (munkar). Those are they who are the successful.” [TMQ 3:104]

The word Ummah in this ayah does not refer to the global body of Muslims most commonly used but a political movement. Imam Qurtubi in his book, ‘Tafseer Ahkam al-Qur’an’ defined the word Ummah in this verse as a group or band or party, as the verse states ‘min kum’ (among you) and the group is from amongst the total Ummah. The requirement is a fard of sufficiency as there should always be such a group, or groups as the verse states ‘Those are they who are successful’ and does not refer to the group in the singular. The functioning of the group must be for the same purpose as Muhammad’s (saw) companions with the same intention and with the same approach, i.e. to invite to Islam comprehensively (call to al-khayr), and aiming to look after the affairs of the people, which is the meaning of politics. Imam Fairuz al- Abadi said that looking after the affairs of the citizens means ordering and forbidding them (commanding ma‘ruf and forbidding munkar). Therefore the group(s) must be political in nature.

Our methodology for revival should follow the example of the Prophet (saw); no other example exists for the establishment of the Islamic State, and furthermore this is of the actions which are fard (compulsory) as Allah (swt) commands:

“So judge between them by whatever Allah has revealed and follow not their vain desires, diverting you from the truth that has come to you.” [TMQ 5:42]

The command to rule or judge by Islam is repeated many times in the Qur’an and is indicated to be compulsory through the practice of the Messenger of Allah (saw). This is not a preferable (mandoub) matter but an issue of life and death for the Ummah as can be seen by the disastrous consequences we live in without the Khilafah (Islamic State).

In summary the Prophet (saw) undertook several key steps to establish the first Islamic State:

1. He (saw) formed a political group (the companions).
2. His companions were well cultured and developed in a strong Islamic personality.
3. They actively interacted with the society, not militarily but intellectually and politically to bring down the existing corrupt system through building a strong public opinion for Islam.
4. He (saw) approached the tribes and influential people in order that they support him (saw) and his group and to actually transfer power from the existing system.

Any serious attempts at revival must be based upon this methodology; it is from the Sunnah and not from man’s mind or imagination.