At a time when the Islamic Ummah is reviving from its decline and is demanding an end of Western domination, the Muslim armies are defending the current illegal regimes that were imposed by the Kufr West upon the Islamic Ummah. Instead of standing with the Ummah and its demand for liberation from Western domination through ridding it of these regimes, replacing them with all that Allah (swt) favored the people with, the Deen of Islam and its rule; these armies began to defend these regimes, even if it required them to commit massacres against the Muslim people, who rose up against the treacherous rulers, as is seen in Egypt. Regrettably, the armies seem to stand on the side of Falsehood against the Haq and the Ummah.

In view of this sad picture, with the action of the armies towards the Ummah, which undoubtedly has its causes, we need to evaluate those causes that brought the armies to stand with the tyrants. We must understand if this depressing situation is permanent or only temporary, such that it can be overcome in the coming days, especially in the light of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State, which is coming very soon, Insha'Allah.

As for the causes for the support of the Muslim armies for the pro-Western regimes that govern with Kufr; there are several causes; most notably:

1. The presence of pro-Western high-ranking military leaders aiming to invest their positions in satisfying their egos and amass fortunes. Therefore, they grip onto their positions, dispense of their military honor, in order to maintain their positions. They become Generals for personal wealth rather than weapons and war. Such leaders are not competent to lead the Muslim armies, and they undoubtedly are the cause of dishonoring the Ummah before its enemies. They are the bridge that the West uses to intervene in the affairs of the Ummah, and even control the Ummah, by their guarding the Western regimes that are imposed on the Ummah. Such leaders lead the armies of Muslim countries to protect the thrones of tyrants and the current illegal regimes. And if it happened that they have to lead them in real wars, they lead them in the wars against the Ummah for the benefit of the Kaffir occupiers, such as the armies who were engaged in the war against Iraq with coalition forces from the Western Crusaders. Or in the case of Afghanistan, there was participation of some Muslim armies, such as the Pakistani army, some battalions of the UAE army, and others, to help the crusader coalition forces, led by America, towards the occupation and destruction of Afghanistan. However, if the military leaders were like the leaders of the Muslim armies that history has witnessed, from amongst the Companions (ra) and their successors from those who lived under the rule of Islam for over thirteen centuries, the Ummah would not live in humiliation and weakness. Indeed, there is a big difference between the current rulers leaders and the Prophet Muhammad (saw), the first commander of the Muslim army. When Muslims arranged themselves in rows in Badr, the Prophet (saw) began to straighten the rows with the help of an arrow. Accidentally, he pricked Sawad bin Ghaziyyah in his stomach, trying to push him back, saying, "استو يا سواد" "Sawad. Fall in line." Sawad replied, "O Messenger of Allah, you have hurt me. Allow me retribution." The Prophet (saw) raised his shirt to bare his stomach and said, "استقد" "Go ahead with the retribution." Sawad bent down and kissed it. He (saw) asked, "ما حملك على هذا يا سواد؟" "What made you do that Sawad?" He replied, "O Messenger of Allah. You can see what we are faced with. I thought, ‘Let my final act be that my skin touches yours.'" The Prophet (saw) supplicated for him. Once a Muslim leader was served with good food, the leader asked if soldiers were served with this type of food in the army? They replied no. He said, then do not serve me but with that which you serve the general soldiers.

2. The separation of the Islamic Aqeedah in Muslim armies from the current military doctrine. The doctrine of armies in the Islamic world should be the Islamic Aqeedah, but the military doctrine in the current armies is separated from the Islamic doctrine. Therefore, it's not surprising that the Muslim soldier fights his brother in Islam in conflicts of nationalism, racism or other forms of ignorance. It is as if the Islamic Aqeedah that bonds them has no effect in their actions, their disputes or their fighting. This is why we witness that the Islamic pride does not incite the soldier in the armies of the Muslim world to mobilize, when he hears and sees the woes of his brothers and sisters in different parts of the world, including the country that he is in! Thus, the Muslim soldier does not link the Islamic Aqeedah that binds him and the oppressed, who call him for their rescue. The examples are many, the least of which are not Muslims in Syria, Burma, Palestine, Kashmir and Afghanistan. You do not find the soldier in the Muslim armies linking his Iman, that he connects with his Salah and some other worships, especially the Sunnah Ibaadat, but he does not connect it with his duty of supporting his oppressed brothers and sisters. So despite reading the Ayah

وَإِنِ اسْتَنْصَرُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ النَّصْرُ

"If they seek your help in Deen, helping is obliged upon you." [Surah Al-Anfaal 8:72] However, they do not associate this verse with the duty of their support of their brothers and sisters in Deen. This is even though they have memorized the story of the Muslim woman who sought help crying "وا معتصماه" "O Mu'tasim," and as a response Mu'tasim extending help, freeing her and those who were with her, and opening the lands within which is found Ankara in the course of doing so. However, they read this story only to bask in the glories of their forefathers, but not to follow in their honorable footsteps.

The Islamic Aqeedah must be the basis of the military doctrine in the Muslims' armies.  The duty of the Muslim army is to protect the Islamic belief, the Muslims, the Islamic State and to secure the spreading of the message of Islam for all humankind. And the Muslim army must stand against anything that threatens these matters. Moreover the Islamic armies must sacrifice their lives to defend them and to preserve these vital matters.

3. The absence of an Islamic culture in the Muslim armies, rather they are educated with non-Islamic cultures. Consequently these armies are weak before the Kaffir occupiers. The West imposes its culture as a condition to supplying our armies with weapons. It subjects our armies to take courses that glorify and adorn the corrupt Western freedoms and democracy, as well as the fight against Islam under the pretext of fighting terrorism. This has occurred to a point that our armies now target our people and consider us terrorists. So, we find military intelligence targeting those that are committed to Islam and working for the revival of the Islamic Ummah. Yet they do not care about the Western countries' conspiracies against the Ummah. For example, the Pakistani military is cultured to satisfy and please America and serve their interests. So, the Pakistani Army has adopted an internal enemy as defined by America, "political Islam and jihadists." It has considered them as an enemy and neglects the external enemies, America and India. It has started curbing the Mujahideen who resist the American occupation in the region, maintaining that they are terrorists that threaten the "national interests." And in Pakistan also, the military intelligence has started spying on the dawah carriers amongst the military and civilians, who are working hard for the revival of the Islamic Ummah, through the return of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State.

The army must be provided with military education of the highest level, so as to raise the level of thinking as much as possible. In addition, it is a must to educate every person in the military with Islamic culture that enables him to understand Islam, so that the soldier is aware of his real enemy, and fights to defeat them, acknowledging his Shariah responsibility, acting as RasulAllah (saw) said,

"كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَلَى ثَغْرَةٍ مِنْ ثُغَرِ الْإِسْلَامِ، اللَّهَ اللَّهَ لَا يُؤْتَى الْإِسْلَامُ مِنْ قِبَلِك"

"Every man from the Muslims is on a post of the posts of Islam, he has to protect Islam from his post and not allow defeat from his post."

Now, after all of this is there any hope from these armies?

The answer is definitely yes. This is even though the armies of the Muslims in general have failed the Ummah due to the above-mentioned causes, which has humiliated the Ummah before its enemies. However, there are many amongst the Muslim armies who are sincerely waiting for the right opportunity to provide the victory for Islam and Muslims. They know that their soul and rizq is in the hands of Allah (swt) alone. The revival of the Ummah dependents on such men, who are the true descendants of Khalid bin Waleed (ra) who said, whilst he was on his death bed,

لقد شهدتُ مائة زحف أو زُهاءَها، وما في جسدي موضع شبر إلا وفيه ضربةٌ أو طعنة أو رَمْية، ثم هأنذا أموت على فراشي كما يموت العَيْر، فلا نامت أعين الجبناء

"I've fought in so many battles seeking martyrdom that there is no spot in my body left without a scar or a wound made by a spear or sword. And yet here I am, dying on my bed like an old camel. May the eyes of the cowards never rest." Yes, he (ra) was a soldier that deserved to be called the Sword of Allah, the sword that was raised in the face of the Kuffar and the enemies of Islam and Muslims.

We can say that most elements of the armies in Muslim countries carry out the orders with their hearts gripped by pain. They are indeed part of the Ummah. Once they have the right opportunity to free themselves from the agent leaders they will rush to do so.

Hope in the armies is great. The Ummah will not lose hope in the sincere from amongst them. Very soon the Ummah and the armies will be free from the Kuffar West and the Muslims will be pleased by the sincere ones Insha'Allah. RasulAllah (saw) said,

"وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلاَلِ السُّيُوفِ"

"Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords."

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Naseer al-Islam Mahmoud / Wilayah of Pakistan