The Ummah’s Charter by Al-Khilafah Publications

1. The Ummah believes in Islam as a creed, a system, a distinct way of life and a viewpoint about life. She lives for it in this world and carries it to the world as an intellectual leadership and a universal Message.

2. Islam is the heavenly religion that Allah (SWTH) has revealed to our master Muhammad (PBUH) to organise the relationship of man with his Lord, with himself and with other human beings.

3. Islam is only manifested in the Kitaab and Sunnah.

4. The Kitaab and Sunnah were sent down as revelation from Allah (SWTH) to our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Thus, the Kitaab has been brought through revelation, as word and meaning from Allah; and the Sunnah has been brought through revelation, as meaning from Allah (SWTH), but it was expressed in the Messenger’s own words.

5. It is obligatory on every legally responsible (mukallaf) Muslim to adhere to the Sharee’ah rules in all his actions. It is not allowed that, as a servant of Allah, his actions contradict what has been mentioned in the speech of the Legislator, i.e. contrary to the Sharee’ah rule. He (SWTH) said:

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (PBUH)) judge in all disputes between them.” [An-Nisaa: 65] And due to the saying of the Messenger (PBUH):

“Whosoever does an action which is not according to our teaching then it is rejected.” And due to the saying of Allah (SWTH):

“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad (PBUH)) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it).” [Al-Hashr: 7] Thus, adherence to the Sharee’ah rule is one of the requisites of Imaan. That is why Allah (SWTH) says:

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad (PBUH)) judge in all disputes between them.” [An-Nisaa: 65]

6. The Islamic ‘Aqeedah is the belief in Allah, His angels, Books, Messengers, Day of Judgement and Qadar, whose good and bad are from Allah (i.e. knowledge of Allah).

7. The beliefs are not taken except through certainty (yaqeen), thus the evidence for belief must be Qat’i, because Allah (SWTH) censured those who believed on the basis of Zann (speculation) Allah SWTH said:

“They follow but speculation, and verily, speculation is no substitute for the truth.” [An-Najm: 28] He (SWTH) censured those who follow zann, when speaking about ‘aqeedah, and considered zann as misguidance; so He (SWTH) said:

“And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. They follow nothing but speculations, and they do nothing but lie.” [Al-An’aam: 116] And He (SWTH) did not consider it to be knowledge (‘ilm), so He said:

“While they have no knowledge thereof. They follow but speculation, and verily, speculation is no substitute for the truth.” [An-Najm: 28]

8. The Sharee’ah rules can be taken on the basis of Zann (probability)or Yaqeen (certainty). The singular report (khabar ahad) is considered a proof in all Sharee’ah rules. They must be acted upon, whether they are from the rules of worships (‘Ibadaat), societal transactions (Mu’aamalaat), punishments (‘Uqubaat) etc, because the Messenger (PBUH) said:

“May Allah illuminate the servant who heard my statement, so he memorized, understood it and conveyed it. For it may occur that somebody carries knowledge (fiqh) without being knowledgeable (faqeeh), and perhaps he will carry the fiqh to somebody who is of greater fiqh than him.” The Messenger (PBUH) said ‘servant’ and not ‘servants’. Such a word is generic and can apply to one or more people. So the meaning is that he is praising the single person or persons for transmitting his hadeeth. This is because the Prophet (PBUH), at one time, sent twelve messengers to twelve kings inviting them to Islam. A single messenger was sent to each king. Had the conveyance of the Da’wah by a single person not been obligatory to follow, the Messenger (PBUH) would not be content to send one messenger. The consensus (Ijmaa’) of the Sahaabah has taken place on the issue of acting upon the single report in regards of the Sharee’ah rules.

9. The words ‘Aqeedah and I’tiqaad have one meaning, which is belief (Imaan), Imaan is the decisive belief that agrees with the reality and is based on evidence (al-I’itiqaad al-jaazim al-muTaabiq lil waaqi’ ‘an daleel); all three must be present together: decisiveness, agreement with the reality and being derived from evidence and they must come together in the belief if it is to be Imaan, i.e. ‘Aqeedah. Hence, it is not prohibited to have non-decisive belief in the khabar ahad, because it is not belief (I’tiqaad).

10. The Sharee’ah rule is the speech of the Legislator regarding the actions of people by order (Iqtidaa`), option (takhyeer) and attachment (wadh’) Thus, the speech of the Legislator is the Sharee’ah rule. So that which is not a speech of the Legislator is not a Sharee’ah rule. The ‘rule’ (hukm) is the view pertaining to the action of a man. If this view is from the speech of the Legislator, then it is a Sharee’ah rule. If it is not from the Legislator, then it is not a Sharee’ah rule. Sharee’ah definitions and comprehensive principles are considered Sharee’ah rules, if they have been derived by sound Ijtihaad.

11. The ‘Aqeedah and the Sharee’ah rule are both considered to be a thought. But they differ in terms of what the thought relates to. If it is related to the action of man, then it is a Sharee’ah rule, whether it does or does not include something one must believe in. If it is not related to the action of man, then it refers to the actions of the heart, i.e. it relates to believing or not believing in something. This is from the ‘Aqeedah. With respect to that which has been mentioned in the speech of the Legislator, in terms of thoughts, one needs to look into it: if it requests belief but does not request action, such as the stories and reports of the unseen, then it is part of ‘Aqeedah. If it requests an action, then it is from the Sharee’ah rules. He (SWTH) said:

“Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad (PBUH)).” [Al-Nisaa’: 136] He (SWTH) said: ‘Allah is the Creator of all things.’ [Ar-Ra’d: 16] He (SWTH) said:

“And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma’il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House.” [Baqarah: 127] He (SWTH) said:

“And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver.” [Ad-Dahr: 15] Such Sharee’ah texts and any others which have not requested any actions are from the ‘Aqeedah. He (SWTH) said:

“Then if they give suck to the children for you, give them their due payment.” [At-Talaaq: 6] He (SWTH) said:

“Allah has permitted trading.” [Al-Baqarah: 275] He (SWTH) said:

“Unless they (the women) agree to forego it, or he (the husband), in whose hands is the marriage tie.” [Al-Baqarah: 237] He (SWTH) said:

“There is no Salaah without (reciting) the Opening chapter (Al-Faatiha) of the Book.” He (PBUH) said:

“The two traders (the seller and the purchaser) have the choice (to conclude or cancel the deal) before they departed (from each other).”.

He (PBUH) said:

“When any of you finishes the final tashahhud, he should seek refuge with Allah from four things: from the punishment of Jahannam, the punishment of the Grave, the trials of the living and the dead, and the trials of the Dajjal.” This is beside other Sharee’ah texts that request the performance of some actions that are part of the Sharee’ah rules.

As regards the new thoughts that are not mentioned in the speech of the Legislator, their reality has to be understood, firstly, by those who have the expertise. The Sharee’ah text that relates to that reality or a text which contains an ‘illah related to that type of reality, will be studied and then applied on that reality. If it applies on that reality, then the reality would come under that text. Accordingly, the reality will be given what is in the text, in terms of whether it was a requested action or not. Thus, the reality will be understood, as to whether it is from the ‘aqaa’id (beliefs) or from the ahkaam. It is thus considered as if it was mentioned in the speech of the Legislator, since it had mentioned its ruling. All thoughts are studied in this manner. So, every thought related to the actions of man is from the Sharee’ah rules and every thought not linked to the action of man is from the beliefs (‘Aqaa`id).

12. The Ummah is a collection of people united by a single ‘Aqeedah, from which its system emanates. The Islamic Ummah is united by the Islamic ‘Aqeedah, from which the Sharee’ah rules emanate. Therefore, the Muslims are a single Ummah.

13. The bond which unites the Muslims together is the Islamic ‘Aqeedah. Through this ‘Aqeedah, the Islamic brotherhood comes into existence. He (SWTH) said:

“The believers are nothing else than brothers.” [Al-Hujuraat: 10] The Messenger (PBUH) said:

“The Muslim is a brother of another Muslim.” So by believing in Islam, they become brothers.

14. The bond that unites the people in the state is citizenship and not the Islamic Ummah. The one who carries citizenship will possess all the rights that he deserves and duties he must undertake, even if he is a non Muslim. The one who does not carry citizenship does not have the rights, which the Muslims have, nor are the duties that are imposed on the Muslims imposed on him. This is because the Sharee'ah has guaranteed this to the Zimmis (non-Muslim subjects), due to what has been narrated, that the Messenger (PBUH) said:

“Feed the hungry, visit the sick and ransom the captive.” Abu ‘Ubayd said: “Jihaad is done for their sake and their captives are ransomed. When they are rescued (from captivity), they return, as free, to their protection and covenant; and there are ahaadeeth regarding this issue.” This is because the Muslim who does not travel to live under the authority of the Muslims will not have the rights the Muslims have, nor will the duties imposed on Muslims be imposed on him. This is due to the Hadeeth of Sulayman bin Buraydah:

“Invite them to move from their land to Dar al-Muhajireen (the land of the emigrants); and inform them that if they emigrate they will enjoy the same rights as the Muhajireen, and they will have the same duties as the Muhajireen.” This text stipulates that they must move to dar ul-Islam in order to have the same rights as the Muslims and are bound to the same duties that the Muslims are bound to, i.e. in order that the rules cover them.

15. Citizenship is to be loyal to the state and system and to take Dar al- Islam, which is under the authority of Islam, as a place of permanent residence.

16. Nationalism is evil pride and destructive racism. Islam has forbidden it. He (PBUH) said:

“He who calls for ‘‘aassaabb yyii yyaahh is as if he bit his father’s genitals and do not be embarrassed to say it.” And he (PBUH) said regarding the chauvinism of Jahiliyyah:

“Leave it for it is rotten.” It has been reported in Saheeh Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“And whosoever fights under a blind (rayah) banner (it is not known whether this flag represents the truth or falsehood), gets angry along with his group of people, or calls to a group of people, or supports a group of people, and is subsequently killed because of that, then he is killed as if in the time of jahiliyyah.” When the Kaafir states spread nationalism among the Muslims, they tore up the unity of the Muslims into disparate peoples and races. When Turkish, Arab, Kurdish and Persian nationalism was stirred up amongst the Muslims, the ranks of the Islamic Ummah became divided. This led to Muslim division, break-up of their states and one region being separated from another. Its danger was very destructive to the Islamic Ummah and to the Islamic state. After gaining control of the Muslims, they turned them into nations and dug a trench around each country, which cannot be filled nor a bridge built over it. Between them they built borders like a wall of lead, which made them a Dar al-Harb for each other. Thus, calling to nationalism is a great sin and a terrible munkar (evil). Taking this as a bond was a crime committed against Islam and the Muslims. Nationalism needs to be fought and its call needs to be opposed, just as one would undertake the obligation of Jihad. Similar to the sin and evil of nationalism is the idea of regionalism and sectarianism. All of this leads to the division of the Ummah and subsequently to her weakness. We should treat anyone who calls to nationalism, regionalism and sectarianism as a criminal who deserves the most severe punishment.

17. The whole world, whether it is the Islamic countries or the non- Islamic countries, are either Dar al-Islam or Dar al-Harb/Kufr and there is no third. Dar al-Islam is the land, which is ruled by the authority of Islam and on which the Islamic rules are applied. Its security is the security of the Muslims, i.e. in their authority. As for Dar al-Kufr or Dar al-Harb, they are lands which are not ruled by the authority of Islam and nor are the rules of Islam applied on them. Or, the security is in the hand of people other than the Muslims, i.e. it is not in their authority. This is because adding the word dar to the word ‘harb’, ‘kufr’ or Islam is an addition to ruling and authority and not to the inhabitants or the land. This is because the Messenger (PBUH) was considering the authority and security when he described ‘Dar al-Muhaajireen’, and gave those who moved to it the same rights of the Muslims and he applied on them the same rules applied on the Muslims. Thus, in the Hadeeth of Sulayman bin Buraydah:

“Invite them to move from their land to Dar al-Muhaajireen (the land of the emigrants).” Thus, he ordered that they move from a land, which does not have the authority of Islam over it, to a land that has the authority of Islam. Straight after that He (PBUH) said:

“And inform them that if they do emigrate they will enjoy the same rights as the Muhaajireen and they will have the same duties as the Muhaajireen.” So he made certain rules result from moving. He made moving a condition for having the rights the Muslims have and for having the rules applied on them that are applied on the Muslims. This indicates that the things that are considered when defining a Daar are the authority, rules and security. If they are Islamic, then it will be a Dar al-Islam; if they are Kufr then it will be Dar al-Kufr.

18. It is not for someone who permanently resides in Dar al-Harb or Dar al-Kufr to enter Dar al-Islam without Amaan (pledge of protection), i.e. without special permission to enter, because the Harbi is prevented from entering Dar al-Islam without Amaan (security). As for the one whose land is Dar al-Islam but does not come under the authority of Islam, for instance if he was dissenting from the Khilafah or his country had not been annexed to the authority of the Khilafah, then he will enter without (need of) security, i.e. without permission. The ruling regarding such a person is like the ruling for the one who lives under the authority of the Khaleefah, with no difference between the two.

19. The Islamic lands are the lands that were ruled by Muslims under the authority of Islam and the rules of Islam were applied on them. Whether it was still inhabited by the Muslims such as in the Caucasus, or if the Muslims had been driven out and the Kuffar had made that their homeland, such as in al-Andalus (otherwise known as Spain). These are all considered Islamic lands, as long as they have been ruled by Islam under the authority of Islam and had been ruled by the Islamic ahkaam. This means the rules regarding the lands of such countries remain as they were when they were under the authority of Islam. If the country had been conquered then it is kharaji land like al-Andalus, but if their people embrace Islam over it (without fighting), then it is Ushri land like Indonesia. Also, any land, in which there is a Muslim majority, even if it had not been ruled by Muslims, it will be considered as Islamic land because its people have embraced Islam over it.

20. The unity of the Islamic lands is Fard on the Muslims, because Islam has forbidden more than one Islamic state. So it is forbidden to have more than one Khilafah. He (PBUH) said:

“Whosoever pledged allegiance to a Imam, should give him the clasp of his hand, and the fruit of his hand and shall obey him as long as he can, and if another comes to dispute with him, you must strike the neck of that man.” He (PBUH) forbade the division of the state into two states, since the dispute of another Khaleefah means the dismemberment of a part of the state and the establishment of a second Khilafah. He (PBUH) said:

“When an oath of allegiance (bay’ah) has been taken for two Khaleefahs, kill the latter of them.” He forbade the establishment of two states in the Islamic lands since the bay’ah to two Khaleefah constitutes establishment of two states. These texts are clear in their prohibition of having more than one state. If this happens then it is considered a munkar (evil), which has to be removed; and removing it means unification of the lands.

21. Non-Muslims are addressed by the Islamic rules in terms of the foundations (Usool) and branches (furoo’), since Islam has come for the whole of mankind. He (PBUH) said:

“And We have not sent you (O Muhammad (PBUH)) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind.” [Saba`: 28] This is also because Allah (SWTH) has explicitly commanded them with some of the branches. So the aayaat that command worship include Kuffar, such as when He (SWTH) said:

“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh).” [Al-Baqarah: 21] He (SWTH) said:

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allâh.” [Aali Imraan: 97] This is because if they were not responsible for fulfilling the branches, then they would not have been threatened for not undertaking them. He (SWTH) said:

“And woe to Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists) those who give not the Zakât.”.

Fussilat: 6-7] And He (SWTH) said:

“So he (the disbeliever) neither believed (in this Qur’ân, in the Message of Muhammad (PBUH)) nor prayed!” [Al-Qiyaamah: 31] And He (SWTH) said:

“(And they will say to them): ‘What has caused you to enter Hell?’ They will say: ‘We were not of those who used to offer their Salât (prayers Nor we used to feed Al-Miskin (the poor); And we used to talk falsehood (all that which Allâh hated) with vain talkers And we used to belie the Day of Recompense.’” [Al- Muddaththir: 42-46] This proves that they are commanded with certain orders and prohibitions, which is actually the case for the rest of the orders and prohibitions as well. They are addressed with rules of Islam and commanded with the branches just as they are commanded with the foundations (usool); though they are not compelled to change their beliefs or change the rules, which are part of their beliefs. They are allowed to remain on the rules, which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) approved. This is because He (SWTH) said:

“there is no compulsion in religion.” [Al-Baqarah: 256] And his (PBUH) saying:

“The one who practices his Judaism or Christianity he will not be afflicted for it.” So they are left to believe, worship and undertake any action, which the Messenger (PBUH) allowed such as drinking alcohol or marriage. In these matters we do not oppose them. However, any other matters, such as the ‘Uqubaat (punishments) and Mu’amalaat (transactions) are applied on them just as they are applied on the Muslims, in exactly the same manner. However, an exception is made from this with regards to diplomatic missions. They have what is known as “diplomatic immunity”, because the Prophet (PBUH) said to the two messengers of Musaylamah:

“By Allah! Had it not been that messengers are not killed I would have struck off your necks.”.

22. Those whose fathers had apostatised from Islam but were born after their fathers had become murtadd (apostates), i.e. they were born to fathers who are kafir murtadd. They are considered Kuffar and not murtadd. As for why they are not considered murtadd, this is because they themselves did not commit apostasy; rather the ones who committed apostasy are their fathers. They did not apostatise. As for why they are Kuffar, this is because they are born to Kuffar parents; anyone who is born to Kuffar parents is kaafir. This is due to what Ibn Mas’ud narrated that:

“When the Prophet (PBUH) wished to kill ‘Uqbah Abi Mu’yat someone asked: what about the women and children? He said: the fire.” And in another narration: “The fire is for them and their father.” It has also been established that when the Prophet (PBUH) was asked about invading some of the Mushrikeen (at night) and thus some of their women and children are harmed (or captured), he (PBUH) said:

“they (their women and children) are from them.” Those people whose fathers had become apostates are dealt with on the basis of the religion into which they were born. So if they are Jewish or Christian then they are treated as Jews or Christians, i.e. they are treated as People of the Book. If they became mushrik they are treated as Mushrik, their slaughtered (meat) is not eaten and nor do we marry their women.

23. Capitalism is like communism; both are Kufr. Socialism in all its forms is Kufr. The creed of separating religion from life is Kufr. The creed of dialectical materialism is Kufr. State socialism and agricultural socialism etc are Kufr. Just as Christianity is Kufr, capitalism is also a kufr ideology. Just as Judaism is Kufr, communism is also a kufr ideology. These are kufr millahs and Kufr is one millah. Also all forms of socialism are Kufr.