Tawheed

The most basic and fundamental belief in Islam is that of the oneness of Allah (swt) At-Tawheed. Muslims must believe that Allah (swt) is one without partners or equals. This must be preserved in all forms of worship, obedience, following and submission in relation to Allah (swt). The importance of Tawheed is emphasized throughout the Quran in numerous verses. None more so than in the verses of Surah Al Ikhlaas (The Sincerity): Say (O Muhammad (saw)): He, Allah is One.Allahus-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him. This surah emphasizes the understanding mankind must have of God, Allah (swt), signifying His supremacy & sovereignty. This understanding has to be upheld by Muslims throughout their lives in order for them to succeed and attain paradise. If individuals fail in doing so then the consequences are severe and ultimately their end abode will be the hellfire. As Allah (swt) warns us: Verily, Allah (swt) forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He (swt) forgives except that (anything else) to whom He (swt) pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah (swt) in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin. [EMQ 4:48] Unfortunately, at present, the Muslims have degraded the understanding of Tawheed to a level of insignificance due to ignorance. Thinking it is sufficient to believe or even say they believe in one God, Allah (swt). However, this is not the correct understanding of Tawheed but a trivial one which in turn has no impact on lifes affairs. This is the very error that nations from the past made, saying they believed in Allah but with no influence on their actions. Even in the time of the Messenger Muhammad (saw), the Quraysh (the disbelievers) believed in the one God, Allah (swt), but it did not affect their ideas or lives. Rather Allah (swt) was ignored in their worship and practices. Allah mentions: And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: Allah. How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allah, Who created them)? [EMQ 43:87] It is essential that Muslims do not commit the same mistakes as those of the previous nations, by disregarding Allah (swt) in their daily lives. Rather they must acknowledge that Tawheed requires more than recognizing one God, Allah (swt). More importantly, it is the manifestation of the oneness of Allah (swt) in every aspect of our lives. And the exclusivity of Allah (swt) must be maintained in all our beliefs, sayings and actions. This is the correct Tawheed that the Messenger (saw) established and is the one we must adhere to. Otherwise we fall into the same trap that the Quraysh did: separating Allah (swt) from our lives and preferring to worship, follow and obey others beside Allah (swt). We as Muslims must ensure that Tawheed, the exclusive worship of Allah, is not just confined to our hearts but is evident in our sayings, actions, practices and worship at all times. Using it as a criterion upon which our judgments, opinions and laws are based. In addition we must work to establish Tawheed in our societies just as the Messenger (saw) did, in the form of the Islamic state.

Al Walaa Wal Baraa

One of the strongest concepts in Islam is to love for the sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allah. This is known as al walaa wal baraa. The Prophet (saw) said regarding this; The strongest bond of eemaan is to have allegiance and closeness and enmity and dissociation for the sake of Allah; and to love and hate for the sake of Allah. [Albani] It is part of our eemaan to build bonds based upon belief (aqeedah). Allah demands that our relationship with people is determined upon the following:

Al Walaa:
Verily, your Wali (Protector or Helper) is Allah, His Messenger, and the believers... [EMQ 5:55] And He says: The believers, men and women, are Auliya (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin (on the people) Al-Maruf (all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (all that Islam has forbidden)... [EMQ 9:71] Our love, support, help, alliance, etc. should be reserved only for Allah, Islam, the Messenger and the Muslims. As Muslims we need stand for the truth and the carriers of the truth. Always remaining with the believers and never turning are back to them.

Al Baraa:
O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (disbelievers) as friends, showing affection towards them... [EMQ 60:1] And He says: O Prophet! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe against them, their abode will be Hell, and worst indeed is that destination. [EMQ 66:9] Our hate, animosity, disassociation, etc should be reserved only for the falsehood and those that carry it. Indeed we do not make it personal nor are we allowed to oppress people. Rather we do it as an act of obedience. It is important for us as Muslims to maintain our walaa and baraa as Allah warns us repeatedly in the Quran; O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya, then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the wrongdoers. [EMQ 5:51] Allah has made clear distinctions between mankind, dividing them into the camp of eemaan and the camp of kufr. It is important that the Muslims uphold these principles in their belief and actions at all times.

Eemaan
The greatest blessing that Allah can bestow upon someone is eemaan. The magnitude of this blessing can be understood from the examples Allah gives of the one who has eemaan over kufr (disbelief) as mentioned in the Quran: Not alike are the blind (disbelievers) and the seeing (believers). Nor are (alike) the darkness (disbelief) and the light (belief). Nor are (alike) the shade and the suns heat. Nor are (alike) the living (believers) and the dead (disbelievers). [EMQ 35: 19-22] The difference between the believers and disbelievers is immense. Once this fact has been comprehended then the believers should understand how important it is to protect and nurture eemaan. In order to preserve our eemaan we need to understand what eemaan is in order to be able to protect and build upon it. One of the greatest mistakes in its understanding is to limit Eemaan to faith or belief, which does not encompass the full meaning. This will lead to people being neglectful by disregarding their sayings and actions in relation to eemaan. The correct understanding of eemaan comes directly from the Prophet [saw]: Ibn Maajah, narrated by Imaam Ali (ra), that the messenger Muhammad (saw) said: Eemaan is conviction in the heart, testifying by the tongue and acting upon the pillars of the actions. The greatest scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah walJamaaah understood Eemaan to be three elements which can never be separated belief, sayings and actions - making eemaan a more comprehensive term including all affairs of the deen from the foundations to the supplementary issues. The vastness of eemaan was emphasised by the Messenger (saw) as he said: Imaan is seventy-some branches or sixty-some branches. The most virtuous of them is the statement: Laa ilaaha ill Allah. The lowest of them is to remove a harmful thing from the walkway. And shyness is a branch of Imaan. The hadith gives an example of all three elements of eemaan- testification of the tongue, deeds of the limbs and actions of the heart and because of this, eemaan will increase by goods deeds and decrease by the bad deeds. Knowing there is no separation between the inner (heart) and outer (sayings and actions) will cause people to be more cautious in how they conduct themselves as it will have impact on their eemaan. This is evident in the following hadith: When the servant performs a sin a black spot appears on his heart, and if he seeks forgiveness this black spot is removed, and if he returns to sin the black spot grows until his heart becomes black, and this is the Raan about which Allah spoke: Nay! But on their hearts is the Rn (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn. [EMQ 83:14] Separating Eemaan from actions (Irjaa) will open the doors to one of the greatest diseases in the Muslim Ummah. Believing in the separation of Eemaan from actions will allow people do whatever they want thinking that it will not affect their Eemaan. Therefore, a believer, not only needs to ensure that their belief is free from any shirk, kufr or hypocrisy, but also their saying and actions as they are all related to Eemaan.

Shirk: The Ultimate Crime

Amongst mankind there are those that commit the most horrendous crimes and sins. Oppressing and doing transgression against themselves, others and/or society. But one crime that is overlooked by many, even though it is the worst crime that anyone can commit, is the crime of shirk. Shirk is to associate or redirect what belongs to Allah towards others, such as worship, obedience and submission. The severity of this crime can be understood if we put it into the perspective of who the crime or injustice is against. This is because even though crimes such as adultery, rape and murder are evil crimes they violate rights of others, whereas shirk is a crime against our creator, Allah. It is for this reason that shirk is the worst crime that anybody can commit as it directly infringes on the rights of Allah and challenges what Allah has set as our purpose of life, as mentioned; And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). [EMQ 51:56] The crime of shirk opposes the very reason for our existence, denying Allah His rights and it is for this reason the Messenger Muhammad said it was the gravest sin; Abdullah reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (saw): Which sin is the gravest in the eye of Allah? He (saw) replied: That you associate a partner with Allah (despite the fact) that He has created you. He (the reporter) said: I told him (saw): Verily it is indeed grave [Bukhari] The severity of the sin is further demonstrated by Allah (swt) refusal to forgive anyone for committing shirk, as mentioned; Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin. [EMQ Surah An-Nisa 4:48] Any form of shirk committed without repentance in this life will never be forgiven by Allah on the Day of Judgment. This is the sheer magnitude of shirk and it is because of these reasons that the believers should know and fear committing shirk. Even the messengers used to ask Allah for protection from committing shirk: And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. [EMQ 14:35] Furthermore the Messenger (saw) feared that his Ummah may fall into the error of shirk; The thing that I fear for you the most is minor shirk. The companions asked: O Messenger of Allah, what is minor shirk? He replied: Showing off (ar-riya), for verily Allah will say on the day of resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, Go to those whom you were showing off to in the world and see if you can find any reward from them. With all this warning against the evil crime of shirk, still we see it has become an established reality of our societies; with the majority turning to other than Allah in worship, following and obedience; with the leaders of the world, whether in the Muslim or non-Muslim lands, establishing the rule of man rather than the rule of Allah, leading to oppression and tyranny being widespread and worst of all the punishment of Allah waiting in the hereafter. And unfortunately, many of the Muslims have been manipulated into accepting these ideas of shirk. And Allah (swt) speaks about those that claim to be believers: And most of them believe not in Allah without committing shirk. [EMQ 12:106] This means in belief they accept Allah as their Lord, Creator and Legislator but when it comes to their actions they associate with Allah (swt). To know of the dangers of shirk should be of primary importance. We should realise that it is the crime of shirk which has led to the destruction of nations.

Trials of the Grave

Allah (swt) says, Every soul will taste death. [EMQ Anbiyaa 21: 35] Death is unavoidable. There is nothing more certain in life than its inevitable end. Whether it is 60 years away or 60 seconds away, all life must eventually end except for Allah who is alive and will never die. This marks the stark contrast between The Creator and His creation, The Creator is eternal, has no beginning or end, is The First and The Last and He is The one who created life and death in order to test you all, and bring to light who is best in deeds among you. [EMQ Mulk 67: 2] This test of life is for all of us, young and old and we will never know beforehand when it will end. Death comes without appointment and without announcement. Upon death, pass or fail, the results of your test will immediately shape your treatment for the rest of eternity. The Grave Upon death, the soul is taken from the body by the Angel of death and every soul will enter a grave shouting either lamenting for their wealth and family left behind or reciting the testimony of faith (That there is none worthy of worship but Allah). It is in this grave, in the Barzakh (a place for all souls to remain until the day of judgement), that the soul will be visited by the two angels Munkar and Nakeer. The Questioning The two angels will visit every person and ask three questions, Who is your Lord?, What is your Deen? and Who is your messenger? The believers will answer correctly and a call from heaven will order that they be shown a gate to paradise and his/her eternal place therein. The disbeliever or the sinner however, will not be able to answer and so will be hit on the head with a hammer that could crumble a mountain and will be shown a gate to hellfire and shown his/her place therein. The Pressing Then all people will be pressed in their graves. For the believers, the pressing will be like a mother pressing her child to her chest, while the disbelievers and sinners will be pressed until their bones interlock. The Punishment/Rest All inhabitants will then face either punishment in the grave without rest, or rest without punishment until the day of judgement. The believers will rest, while the sinners and disbelievers will be punished in the grave. Aisha (ra) said: One old woman from the Jews of Madinah said: the people of the graves will be punished in their graves. I did not believe her. She went out and the Prophet (saw) entered. I said: One old woman from the Jews of Madinah said: the people of the graves will be punished in their graves. Is that true? He (saw) said: that is true; the people will be punished in the graves severely, until their punishment can be heard by all the animals. I never saw him make Salah after that except to seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. [Bukhari 1306 and Muslim]

Who Are Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah?

The prophet (saw) said, My Ummah will be divided into 73 sects, all of them are destroyed and one will be saved. They asked, Which is the saved sect O messenger of Allah? he said, What I and my companions are upon. [ibn Majah] This saved sect is the standard by which everyone should be weighed against. If all other sects, creeds, beliefs and interpretations of Islam are misguided and destroyed and only the creed and understanding of the prophet and companions are saved, there is no doubt that any Muslim who seeks salvation must emulate them in their beliefs, understandings and Manhaj (path and methodology). The authenticity of their understanding has been praised and attested in the Quran, The foremost to believe from the Muhajireen and the Ansaar, and those who follow them correctly, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him (swt), and we have prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow, they will live there forever. That is a great success [EMQ 9:100] The prophet (saw) and his companions were those that came to the people while they were corrupted and called them to reform and return to Allah. They face challenge and confrontation and were seen as something strange, the way the prophet (saw) said, Islam started as something strange and will return as something strange so Tuba (a place in Jannah) is for the strangers (al-Ghurabaa). [Musnad Imam Ahmad] After this original strangeness, there will inevitably be a second strangeness when people have neglected Islam and start to see it as something strange again. In that time there will always be a portion of believers who are al-Ghurabaa calling people to reform and reviving the Aqeedah, Sunnah and Jihad of the prophet and his companions. When the companions asked, Who are al Ghurabaa, O messenger of Allah? he replied, those who reform others when the people have become corrupted. [Musnad Imam Ahmad] These are the followers of the saved sect, Ahl Al Sunnah Wal Jamaah. They have also been described as AlTaaifah al-Dhaahirah and Al-Taaifah Al-Mansoorah. That is because they will always be that small portion of the Ummah that will continue to dominate and come out with the Truth, defending and fighting for it with their words and their swords. The prophet (saw) said, There will always continue a portion of my Ummah that are defending the Truth and it does not harm them whoever blames them until the day of judgement. [Muslim] This is clearly evident in the history of the Ummah of Islam, after the companions, we saw their followers from Ahl Al Sunnah Wal Jamaah rising in every era to revive the Ummah and to refute every innovator and every tyrant. Great scholars such as Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who revived the Aqeedah of the Salaf about the Quran when people said it was created; Sheikh ul Islam ibn Taymiyyah who revived the Aqeedah of the Salaf and revived the jihad when Crusaders, Tatars and Faatimis started to invade the Muslims; Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab who revived the Sunnah when people were embroiled with Bidah and many other scholars and Mujahideen who revived this Ummah when they were corrupted. It is incumbent on all Muslims today seek out and cooperate with this portion of the Ummah who are striving for the Deen of Allah today, reviving the Aqeedah, Manhaj, Understanding and example of the prophet (saw) and his companions in this strange time when the people have left the Sunnah of the Messenger (saw) and followed innovations and desires, when the rulers have dismantled the Shariah of Allah and replaced it with the law of man and when the nonmuslims have invaded the lands of the Muslims and continue to occupy, fight and murder the Ummah of Muhammad (saw).

See No Evil. Hear No Evil?

There is so much evil and sin present today in our societies. Every crime that the previous nations were destroyed for by Allah (swt), and condemned by the Prophets and Messengers is now widespread amongst us. But the only difference is that the believers have become silent over these crimes and choose to ignore them. Wherever there is evil the Muslims pretend that they cannot see or hear any evil taking place. Everywhere we see violations taking place alcohol, gambling, promiscuity, kufr and shirk. Everywhere we hear violations taking place with wars, occupations and oppression against the Ummah. But where is the response from the Muslims? The Ummah have become blind and deaf to all the evil around them, without to realise the severe consequences. In the past Allah (swt) commanded one of the angels to destroy a town because of their evil. The angel asked: My Lord, it has such and such a person who is a zahid- who worships You constantly! Allah said: Begin with him because his face never once became red when he saw evil. In other words, Allahs limits violated never once angered him. Also the Prophet (saw) said: Allah will not punish a society because of the bad deeds of a particular people till the society see the Munkar amongst themselves and they are able to deny it but they dont deny it. If they do this, then Allah (swt) will punish the particular people who have been doing wrong and the society as well For us to return to the status of an honourable Ummah and safeguard ourselves, we need to forbid evil. One of the reasons this Ummah was elevated was because of the attribute of commanding good and forbidding evil, as Allah (swt) says: You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Marf (good) and forbid Al-Munkar (evil), and you believe in Allah (swt). [EMQ 3:110] The fact we dont live under Shariah implies that there is much evil that needs to be forbidden. Oppression and evil is widespread because of man-made law. And it is incumbent upon the Muslims to rise and distinguish themselves from the rest of mankind, by engaging in our duties. Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining AlMaruf (good) and forbidding Al-Munkar (evil). And it is they who are the successful. [EMQ 3:104]

3rd March 1924CE

The 3rd of March 1924 is overlooked by many as an insignificant day of the year. However, this particular day should not be overlooked by the Muslims without serious contemplation. On this day, in 1924, the Khilafah (Islamic State) was abolished by Mustafa Kamal with the help of the British and European collaborators. It was a catastrophic day when the light of Islam was dimmed and its implementation removed from our lives, leaving the Ummah bare and defenceless against the onslaught of the Kuffar. As addressed by the British Foreign Minister shortly before the Second World War: We must put an end to anything which brings about any Islamic unity between the sons of Muslims. As we have already succeeded in finishing off the Khilafah so we must ensure that there will never rise again unity for the Muslims whether it be intellectual or actual unity. Nowadays, the Khilafah and the political system of Islam are under consistent and continuous attack. This attack takes many forms, for example claiming that the Khilafah was full of turmoil or each individual should work on improving himself or Muslims are not ready to accept the Khilafah State or to say Islam did not define a political system, therefore, a monarchy is acceptable, or democracy is Islamic etc. These are just the few points of such attacks. Oh Muslims! We should realise the following: The Khilafah is the means to implement Islam with all of its values, outlook, culture and legislation. This is defined by Allah (swt), the Sovereign. The Khilafah State is not a theocracy nor its society composed of angels. Those who hold the responsibility of implementing the system are not infallible. Allah sent this Deen, knowing that human beings will implement it. Why should anyone assume that the Ummah will not accept Islam? The Ummah is suffering from regimes like Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and others. The Ummah is waiting for the Khilafah. Islam defined details as small as how to enter the bathroom and how to exit, and what Dua to make. How can anyone imagine that Allah (swt) with all of His attributes ignored this vital aspect of governing a society and left it undefined? Some ignorant individuals may claim that Allah left it open because of development of human life and the social changes. This is equal to the claim that Allah, the All Wise, All Knowledgeable, does not know the changes, which will occur in the societies throughout history, and Allah the Sovereign, cannot provide the relevant system without an input from human beings. This means that Allah cannot practice His Sovereignty without sharing it with His own creation. What a ridiculous and Kufr statement to make. Therefore, we should realise that attacking the Khilafah system means no less than attacking Islam. We should know that undermining the Khilafah is no less than undermining Islam. We should know that ridiculing the Khilafah is no less than ridiculing Islam. We must know that working against the Khilafah or against those who call and work to re-establish it, are indeed opposing Islam. This catastrophic day should push us to think more seriously about our responsibility which Allah (swt) has bestowed upon the Muslims, which is to implement Islam in ALL aspects of our lives and carry it to the entire humanity. We call upon the Ummah to begin working for the reestablishment of the Khilafah so that our lands would be transformed into Dar-ul-Islam. Let us move with urgency to re-establish that state, like the one Prophet (saw) did in Madinah. This State will, Insha Allah, implement Islam completely and carry it to the whole world.

Islamic Wealth: The Root of All Good

Have you ever thought about how Allah (God) wants you to deal with day to day business transactions? Its probably not crossed your mind but for Muslims, its a very important topic. Why? Because, being a Muslim is all about submitting to Allah (God) and being mindful of everything that you do (in this life). Allah (God) says in the Quran, And let those who find not the financial means for marriage, keep themselves chaste, until Allah (God) enriches them from His bounty [EMQ 24:33] Imam Shafi, a renowned Muslim jurist understood from this verse that all wealth belongs to Allah (God) and used it to lay down his definition of what wealth is. He said, Wealth is whatever the Legislator (God) permits you to benefit from. Some Muslim scholars embarked upon getting a more precise definition of wealth - to separate the wheat from the chaff - as it were. And one of the most comprehensive definitions can be found from contemporary Muslim jurist, Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad who defined wealth as, Anything tangible (what you can touch) or beneficial with or without material value that is permitted in the Shariah (Islamic law). This definition really singles out what wealth is in Islam. It could be physical, like a laptop or beneficial like a Wi-Fi hotspot that supplies internet; it could also be valuable like a 24ct gold nugget or presumed worthless like organic waste, which in the future could benefit millions as bio-fuel. Most importantly though, is that wealth is only considered real wealth if it is halal (permitted in Islam). Things like stocks and shares and usury (interest) wont be included in this definition and its this part of the definition thats really interesting. Thats because Islam is the only ideology that protects you from dealing with harmful transactions which could not only damage your quality of life but also ruin your chances of receiving Allahs (Gods) Mercy and Guidance. Think about it. How many happy stock brokers or mortgage lenders do you know?

What is the meaning of Jihad?

There is, perhaps, no term today that is more misunderstood than the term jihad. Nowadays, the word jihad has solely come to signify holy war, terrorism, or the mass murder of innocent people. However, what is jihad really about and what is its correct meaning? The term jihad is in fact derived from the Arabic verb jahada, which linguistically means to strive or struggle. In Islam, however, jihad means to exhaust utmost effort striving to please God. This, unsurprisingly, includes fighting, as fighting is a form of struggle. In fact, whenever the term jihad is mentioned in the Quran it means fighting in the way of God (for His sake), and to make His Word the highest. The one who engages in jihad is called a mujaahid; the plural is mujaahideen. Jihad is a very important part of Islam. Unlike Christians, Muslims do not believe in the idea of love thy enemy or turning the other cheek when we are attacked. Instead, we believe in the divine principle, fight those who fight you. This general guideline and rule agrees with our human nature and survival instinct. That is because it is only natural for one to retaliate against aggression and defend ones life, property and wealth from any external attack. Sadly, this basic human right the right to defend oneself is nowadays denied to Muslims by modern-day democracies and so-called free nations, such as Britain and the USA. This is clearly evident in the fact that Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya and Kashmir who are resisting the brutal occupation of their lands are continually branded and portrayed as terrorists and violent extremists by Western powers. On top of this, any Muslim in the West that has the fortitude to condemn the evil actions of Coalition forces is similarly branded as a terrorist sympathiser or accused of glorifying terrorism for believing in the right of Muslims to defend their land from occupation. It is not even allowed for us to discuss the causes of 9/11 or 7/7 in order to gain lessons without fear of being labelled a terrorist fanatic. The irony of this situation is that if tomorrow Britain is under occupation, every Briton would consider it their right, without any question, to fight for their country and defend their land, even if such actions were deemed terrorism by other nations. So, in summary, jihad does not translate as holy war or the killing of innocent people. It is to strive, with utmost effort, to please God and fight in His way. It is famously reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, The best form of jihad is to speak the truth in the face of a tyrant ruler. (Abu Daawud and Al-Tirmidhi) The greatest tyrants today are those who prefer the rule of man over the laws of God (Sharia law). Jihad and the establishment of Sharia law on earth are the only two things which will unite all people, of all races, and rid the world of oppression, poverty and corruption for good.

Justice Under Islam

If you take a look at how the unique Judicial System of the Islamic State operates, you will see that the courts are not the sole factor in curbing the tide of crime. Rather they are the last line of defence. You would see how the State guarantees your rights, and ensures that justice is the only arbiter in your disputes. Taqwaa - the first line of defence As a Muslim, you would appreciate that your belief in Islam, and the notion of obedience to your Creator, Allah (swt), causes you to behave in a certain way. Your taqwaa (fear of Allah) will motivate you to leave what is prohibited (haraam), and do what is obligatory (fard). Thus, it will automatically help to prevent you and others around you from committing crimes, like thieving, mugging, drug abuse etc. which are all haraam (illegal) in Islam. For the Muslim, the issue thereafter becomes not weighing up the risks of committing a crime for which there is a possibility of being caught. Instead it is a matter of facing punishment in the Hellfire, which Allah (swt), the All-Knowing, All-Seeing, prepares for those who go astray! The pressure of public opinion The second factor concerns the society itself. In the Islamic State you are in an environment which is based around and propagates only the Islamic values and emotions There will be no media influences tempting you away from obedience to Allah (swt), nor will the non-Islamic ambitions held by people around us here, like success at all costs or increasing of status, affect us. You will find yourself surrounded by people who look down upon actions contradictory to Islam and who praise those which accord with it. These will all create a public opinion against committing crime that will act as a check against those who are tempted to do so. Justice in Islam Human beings are limited in knowledge and are fallible. They are prone to error and subject to prejudice. Islam does not leave the legislation of justice to the whims and fancies of human beings as is the case in the West (or in the East). Instead, the permission to make laws is only for Allah (swt), the Creator of mankind and the One who knows human beings the best. Who do you think is best qualified for this task? Allah (swt) says, The rule is for none but Allah. [EMQ 6:57] Thus, you can rest assured that in an Islamic court, factors such as the judge being friends with the accused, or having had a bad day, have no bearing on the severity of the punishment he chooses to administer. If you are a victim of crime and are poor while your opponent is wealthy, this will have no affect whatsoever on the verdict of the court. While you are allowed to appoint a representative to speak on your behalf, there are no vast sums of money at stake. The objective of the courts is solely to establish justice, not to make money. Therefore, it does not matter who presents your case, or how persuasively he speaks, but it is up to the judge to ascertain the facts and evaluate them. In Islam, only definite evidence of guilt is sufficient for the administration of a sentence. Accordingly, there is no concept of a jury, whose members may disagree between themselves on the verdict, purely on the basis of their own personal discretion. Circumstantial evidence, which is inconclusive and subject to different interpretations, is not enough. All evidence is presented to a judge who is expert in jurisprudence, and he imposes punishment according to laws from Islam. Thus only those proven to be criminals are punished. Criminals for whom no conclusive verdict is possible will not escape the punishment on the Day of Judgement.

Education Under the Shariah

In the Islamic State, schools, institutions and universities which were previously set up and run by the foreign imperialists and their agents, such as Aitcheson College, Lahore, St Josephs School, Dhaka, St Johns Institution, Kuala Lumpur etc. will be shut down. These are institutions deliberately set up to indoctrinate young Muslims with non-Islamic ideas to implant in their minds awe of the Western way of life. The Islamic state will have its own media department which it will use to propagate Islam and the Islamic values throughout the world and refute all the lies and misconceptions that have been propagated by the disbelievers. All the latest technological and scientific means of communications, such as satellite, electronic mail, teleconferencing etc. will be tapped, used and explored by the state in its quest to educate the citizens of Khilafah. Foreign media sources like BBC World Service, CNN, Al Jazeera etc., which exist in the Muslim world to confuse, attack and divert Muslims from Islam will be banned. Mass media, TV, Radio, newspapers, books and conferences are the existing means which can be used within the Islamic State. No permission is required to set up any of the above, provided what they propagate is within the bounds of Islam. Today the Muslim world is plagued by astonishingly high levels of illiteracy, e.g. Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Messenger of Allah (saw) tackled head on the issue of illiteracy amongst Muslims. For example, he (saw) made the ransom of each non-Muslim prisoner at Badr to teach ten Muslims how to read. The Islamic state would strive to ensure every Muslim thus turns into either a scholar (mujtahid) or a learner (muttabii). During most of Islamic history, every major city within the Khilafah possessed public and private libraries. Libraries such as Cordoba and Baghdad boasted collections of over 400,000 books. Arabic became the most important scientific language due to translation of works of Aristotle, Plato, Pythagorean School, Greek astronomy, Ptolemy and Euclid. Muslim scholars discussed and refuted many of the ideas of these scholars, e.g. Imam Ghazalis Tahafut al-Falasifah (Refutation of the Philosophers) and Ibn Taymiyyahs Kitaab ul Ibtal (Book of Invalidity). The Muslims use of the Zero, which was previously absent in mathematical sciences enabled great advances, solving problems that for centuries remained unsolved. Muslim mathematicians devised and developed algebra, and the concept of algorithms were thought up (and named after) Al-Khwarizmi, a famous Muslim scholar who lived in the Islamic State. The Khilafah state would ensure the provision of free education to every male and female (Muslim and nonMuslim) at both primary and secondary levels. Education at higher levels would be encouraged and the state would help in funding those who wish to do so as much as possible. Muslim physicians developed many surgical instruments to perform operations, as well as describing countless other aspects of medical science, for example: Al-Razi used alcohol as an antiseptic, and found a treatment for smallpox in the 10th century; Ibn al-Nafis described the minor circulation of blood in the 14th century; the words Retina and Cataract derive from Arabic. Muslims were expert in ophthalmology, and explained the workings of the eye, and devised surgical procedures to remedy cataracts during the 13th century (all CE). The Muslims were the most advanced in the world in fields such as: mathematics, geometry, optics, astronomy, medicine, physics, natural sciences, engineering and many others. The Khaleefah Haroon al-Rasheed would punish parents who had not ensured that their children had learned to read and pronounce Arabic. He also provided financial incentives for any, who would teach, learn, propagate in the various fields.

Gang Life or Islamic Life?

What price tag would you put on your life? 1 million, 10 million, 1 billion? You would probably think that your life is priceless and that no amount of money in the world could be enough, yet so many of us sell our lives so cheap without realising. Your life is the most precious thing to you, it is the one thing that you will defend to death, your life is worth more than any car, diamond or possession in the world, it is worth more than a post code or a gang, yet so many of us are willing to waste it on these things,. For something so insignificant and cheap. Ask yourself are the wheels and the bling really worth throwing your life away? Are you willing to kill or be killed over a postcode? If yes, then what value does your life really have? Have you ever thought that life is more than just guns, gangs, drugs and respect? Do you feel that life has more to offer, that there is a real cause out there which is worth fighting for? Today we are offering you the chance to change your life, to give your life a greater purpose and meaning, to take away from following and obeying other people, to take you out of this prison that you are in and to free you from your difficulties by offering you ISLAM. Islam is the only belief that will give you dignity and respect, it offers to take you away from the worship of money, cars and women to worship only one God, ALLAH. Nothing is worth bowing down to except Allah, the one who created you and gave you life. No cause is worth fighting for and nothing is worth dying for except Him. Think about your situation, dont just follow the crowd or be forced to do what your friends do, be a step ahead and fix yourself before its too late. Join the brotherhood that is over 1 billion people strong, with people who are black, white, Asian, African, European, from all over the world. Join the fastest growing belief in the world and become part of something that is worth sacrificing your life for. Why live life like a zombie? Wake up! Your life has a purpose...embrace Islam

Imagine Living Under Islam

Imagine living in a society where the state provided free food, clothing and shelter for its people because it believed that it was responsible for its citizens. Imagine a society that is governed by a law that provides absolute justice and agrees with the nature of human beings, not a law which changes from day to day and that suits the desires of a selected few. Imagine a society where the state forbade all immorality and corruption like alcohol, pornography, promiscuity, drugs, gambling, prostitution, lying etc. while on the other hand promoting and encouraging all forms of good such as looking after the old, supporting the weak and oppressed, and dealing with the affairs of people according to the truth. Imagine a society which did not restrict how much you earn but the way you earned your wealth, prohibiting the sale and manufacture of harmful substances such as alcohol and tobacco as well as illicit trades such as gambling, interest based loans and prostitution. Imagine a society where individuals were only punished after it had been proven they had committed a crime rather than chastised without irrefutable evidence. Imagine living in such a society and how happy you would be. Many people may find it hard to believe in a society that has existed like the one mentioned above, but the reality is, that it did exist and that it was an Islamic society; not only did it exist for over 1300 years, but it eradicated poverty and never once faced a single recession; however, one can only truly appreciate the Islamic state if you can grasp the root of its fruits, which fundamentally is its commanding motto: There is none truly worthy of worship, obedience or following except for Allah (God) and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final messenger. One must realise that a societys rules and governance are derived from ideals that are believed in and lived by, and the ideals of Islam are obedience and submission to the One true God alone. To find out more about Islam call the number below or speak to the person who handed you this leaflet.

The Islamic Creed

The Islamic creed is based upon more than just affirming the existence of One Creator. It is a unique set of beliefs that truly preserve the meaning of who God is and how our relationship should be with Him. It is an understanding that has existed since the beginning of mankind, and every time it was distorted or forgotten, God sent a Messenger to remind us again about it, with the final reminder coming with the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). So what is the Islamic creed? In a nutshell, it first demands the rejection of false beliefs that are attributed to God, or which destroy the Oneness of His Names, Attributes and Functions. For example, an individual may believe in one God, but when it comes to His exclusive quality of being able to forgive all sins, he or she may share this attribute with other things, rendering God similar to His creation. By isolating everything that is Godly to God, the Islamic creed allows an individual to appreciate the greatness of who He is; in other words he or she will have no other choice but to conclude that nothing else can truly have His status in anything. Subsequently, if any individual does claim such Godliness, or that it is embodied within creation, then this false belief will have to be shunned, because it diverts the reliance of human beings on to something which has no power to do anything, except with the permission of God; this will cause harm by placing the welfare of mankind into the hands of incompetent men and women. Unfortunately, we live in a time where politicians, soothsayers, priests and rabbis take on the unique qualities of God and where ordinary men and women even deny His existence. This has led mankind to divert their gratitude, hope and reliance to things which do not deserve it, which is why we find the world in so much misery and turmoil. In conclusion, what you will find is that the Islamic creed is the only code of belief that preserves Gods true identity, by not only affirming who He is but also identifying who He is not, and it is for this reason that we ask you to embrace Islam.

The Failure of Man-Made Governments

Whether we look to the east or the west we can see that governments are failing their people. With oppression on a mass scale and exploitation as a way of life, people are suffering on unprecedented levels. When we look to countries like Libya it is easy to say that Gaddafi is a tyrant and bringing misery to his people, but how different is it in the West? When we look at Britain we see the majority of peoples lives are spent in misery as well. Whether the people want to acknowledge it or not their lives are dictated to them and they serve the interests of the elite. The only difference between the east and the west is that in the east the dictators are blatant and open with their oppression, whereas in the west dictatorship and repression is covered up by bureaucracy and intellectual discourse. For example the MPs expenses, where politicians used the system to profit from their positions are similar to the tyrants in the Arabian Peninsula, who lavish themselves whilst their people suffer. Another example is that of the former Prime Minister Tony Blair who invaded Iraq under the guise of WMDs which proved to be completely baseless and false. Yet during the Iraq inquiry he argued his way out of taking any responsibility or guilt just like any oppressor. The key point is that whenever man decides to legislate according to his own opinions and whims it will always lead to oppression and corruption. The only way out for the people, be it in the east or the west, is to turn back to God for the correct solution. God revealed over 1400 years ago a divine way of life, Islam, as a solution for mankind. It is a system of governance which brings about justice and tranquillity for its citizens whether they are Muslims or Non Muslims. Manmade law has failed in every way possible and progression and success will only be achieved in returning to the laws of Almighty God. Capitalism is dying, Communism is dead and Islam is the way forward.