The Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in parts according to the events and incidents, and each time a verse was revealed, He (pbuh) would convey it at once. If the verse contained a command, He (pbuh) and the Muslims would execute it at once and if the verse contained a prohibition, He (pbuh) and the Muslims would at once refrain and abstain from doing it. The implementation of the rules used to take immediate effect after their revelation, without any delay. The rule that was revealed would become due for implementation and execution the moment it is revealed, whatever the rule was, until Allah (swt) completed this Deen and revealed His (swt) saying; “Today I have completed your Deen for you completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your Deen.” [TMQ Al-Ma’idah: 3]

After the revelation of this verse, the Muslims became under the total obligation to implement and execute all the rules of Islam. Whether these were related to the Aqa’id (doctrines), the Ibadat (worships), the Akhlaq (morals), or the Mu’amalat (transactions). Whether these transactions were between the Muslims themselves, or between the Muslims and the ruler who rules over them, or between the Muslims and other peoples, nations and States. Whether these rules were related to the ruling, the economy, the social matters, or the foreign policy in peace and at war. Allah (swt) says; “Whatever the Messenger brought you take it; and whatever He forbids you abstain from it. And fear Allah, for Allah’s punishment is very severe.” [TMQ Al-Hashr: 7]

This means to take and act by whatever the Messenger of Allahr has brought to you, and abstain and keep away from whatever the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has forbidden you. This is because the relative pronoun “Ma” (whatever) in the verse is of a general form. It therefore, contains the obligation to perform all the duties, and to abstain from and avoid all the prohibitions. The command mentioned in the verse is a decisive request, thus it is obligatory. This is deduced from the following command to observe piety and the threat of severe punishment for He who does not take whatever the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) brought and does not abstain from whatever He forbade. Allah (swt) also says; “And judge between them according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their whims, and beware of them lest they tempt you away from some of that which Allah has revealed to you.” [TMQ Al-’Imran: 49]

This is a decisive command from Allah to His Messenger (pbuh), and to the Muslim rulers after Him (pbuh), confirming the obligation of ruling by all the rules that Allah (swt) has revealed, whether they were orders or prohibitions. This is because the word “Ma” (whatever) is of a general form, meaning that it includes all the revealed rules.

Allah (swt) had prohibited His Messenger (pbuh) and the Muslim rulers after Him from following people’s whims and from yielding to their desires, for He (swt) said; “And do not follow their whims.” [TMQ Al-’Imran: 49]

Allah (swt) also warned His Messenger (pbuh) and the Muslim rulers after Him against falling prey to people’s temptations and from being lured away from the implementation of some of the rules that Allah (swt) has revealed. He (pbuh) was commanded to implement all the rules which Allah (swt) has revealed to him, whether they were orders or prohibitions, without paying attention to what the people want, for He (swt) says; “And beware lest they tempt you away from some of that which Allah has revealed to you.” [TMQ Al-Ma’idah: 49] Allah (swt) also says; “And those who rule by other than that which Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers.” [TMQ Al-Mai’dah: 44] In another verse He (swt) says; “...they are the wrongdoers.” [TMQ Al-Mai’dah: 45] And in a third verse He (swt) says; “...they are the rebels.” [TMQ Al-Mai’dah: 47]

Allah (swt) has labelled in these three verses those who do not rule by all the rules He (swt) has revealed as being disbelievers, wrongdoers and rebels. This is because “Ma” in the verses is of a general form, so it includes all the Shari’ah rules that Allah (swt) has revealed, whether they were commands or prohibitions.

Everything mentioned so far indicates clearly and conclusively, without a shadow of a doubt, that all the Muslims, whether they were individuals, groups or a State, are obliged to implement the rules of Islam as a whole as Allah (swt) ordered, without any delay, postponement or graduation. It also indicates that no individual, group, or a State has any excuse for not implementing the rules of Islam.

The implementation must be complete, comprehensive and simultaneous, and not gradual. The gradual implementation contradicts the rules of Islam totally, and it renders those who implement some of the rules and abandon some of the rules, sinful before Allah, whether they were individuals, groups or a State.

The duty is always and remains a duty and it must be executed, and the prohibition is always and remains a prohibition and it must be avoided. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) rejected the proposal of Thaqeef when they sent a delegation and offered to embrace Islam on condition that they could keep their idol Al-Lat for three years, and would be exempted from Salah. He (pbuh) completely rejected this, and insisted that the idol should be destroyed at once and that they should observe Salah without any delay.

Allah (swt) has made the ruler who does not implement all the rules of Islam, or the one who implements some of them and ignores others, a disbeliever if He did not believe in the validity of Islam, or if He did not believe in the validity of some of the rules of Islam. He (swt) also made Him a Dhaalim (wrongdoer) and a Fasiq (rebel) if He did not implement all the rules of Islam, or if He did not implement some of them without denying the validity of Islam for implementation.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) ordered the fighting and confronting of the ruler with force if He committed an act of flagrant disbelief. In other words, if He were to rule by the laws of disbelief of which there was no doubt, no matter how numerous or little these rules were. This treatment would be as mentioned in the Hadith of ‘Ubadah Ibnus-Samit; “...and not to dispute with the people in authority, He said; unless you witness a flagrant act of disbelief about which you have proof from Allah.” There should be no complacency in the implementation of the Shari’ah rules, nor should there be any gradual implementation of the rules of Islam, for there is no difference between a Wajib and another Wajib, or between a Haram and another Haram, or between a Hukm (rule) and another Hukm. All the rules of Allah are equal, they must be implemented and executed without any delay, postponement or graduation, and otherwise the saying of Allah (swt) would apply to us when He (swt) says; “Then it is only a part of the Book that you believe in and do you reject the rest? But what is the reward for those among you who believe like this but disgrace in this life and on the day of judgement they shall be consigned to the most grievious chastisement.” [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 85]

There is no excuse whatsoever therefore for any State in the Islamic world today to not implement Islam under the pretext that it could not implement it, or claiming that the situation is not favourable for its implementation, or that the world opinion would not accept its implementation, or that the superpowers would not allow it, or any other excuses and weak arguments that carry no weight at all. Whoever hides behind such excuses should know that Allah would not accept these from him.