Press Release

[يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنْ جَاءَكُمْ فَاسِقٌ بِنَبَإٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أَنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلْتُمْ نَادِمِينَ]
Oh you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest
you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful.” [Al-Hujurat: 6]
Black Chambers and Suspicious Hands Distribute a Letter Filled with Slander
against Hizb ut Tahrir
(Translated)

To every Muslim brother, protective of his Taqwa and defensive towards his Deen, his Ummah and his brothers:

Some suspicious agencies that conspire against Islam and its people, and are working to block the project of political Islam, proceeded spreading a letter full of lies and slander. This letter seemingly introduces Hizb ut Tahrir, whereas its real purpose is to tarnish the image and circulate a false image of the Hizb. This is only being done out of recognition of the Hizb's impact in spreading the Islamic political project in conjunction with the Ummah's blessed revolution, that promises to return the rule of Shariah and to restore the Ummah's coercively removed ruler. Whoever knows Hizb ut Tahrir, knows that it does not carry but a pure Islam, and that it refuses every intruding thought, no matter from which direction it came. Hizb ut Tahrir particularly refuses Western civilization that has affected many political movements, and it gave all its potential in order to resume the Islamic way of life by establishing a Khilafah "Caliphate" State on the method of Prophethood. Today, the leaders of the revolution drawing left and right in search of an Islamic political project for the desired Islamic State in the land of ash-Sham, will not find except what has been prepared by Hizb ut Tahrir for a political project, represented in the draft constitution of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State and a collection of books detailing its systems.

The lies contained in the letter are blatant, to the extent that the one who has only minimal knowledge of Hizb ut Tahrir realizes the falsehood and slander. We thank the brothers who took the initiative to contact us, deploring and clarifying the matter. Unfortunately, some simple-minded Muslims grabbed this letter and repeated its publication, without taking heed of the prohibition of slander by a Muslim against his Muslim brother. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

«بِحَسْبِ امْرِئٍ مِنْ الشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاهُ الْمُسْلِمَ كُلُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ دَمُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعِرْضُهُ»

"It is enough evil for a man to degrade his Muslim brother. Every Muslim's blood, wealth and honor are forbidden to his fellow Muslim."

So we call upon all those who contributed the publication out of ignorance or without ill intent, to erase their mistake by publishing our response, such that they clarify their conscience in front of Allah first, and secondly in front of their fellow believers.

The letter is filled with a number of fabrications, attributing ideas and opinions to the Hizb that have no foundation, bare of any evidence from the publications of the Hizb, and this is enough to refute this letter and disprove it. We challenge the one who wrote this letter and launched it on the means of communication to reveal himself, if he holds himself to be sincere in his claims. We challenge him to bring forward what proves his claims form the Hizb's books and publications, affixed with the Hizb's signature. On top of this, we have attached to this statement a letter that responds as briefly as possible to the fabrications contained in the malicious letter. We have rebutted the letter and corroborated our response with texts from the books of the Hizb itself, exposing the lie and then responding to it.

 Ahmad Al-Qasas
Head of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
in Wilayah Lebanon

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

Proof of the Falsehood of the Malicious Letter that Slanders Hizb ut Tahrir

(Translated)

First lie says: The Hizb omits the spiritual matters and takes an intellectual outlook on them by saying: "There are no spiritual longings and physical tendencies in human being. Rather man has needs and instincts that must be satisfied. If these organic needs and instincts are satisfied with a system from Allah, then they are driven by spirituality. If they are satisfied without a system or according to a system other than Allah's, then this is a merely material satisfaction, resulting in human suffering."

It is clear that the text from the Hizb's culture cited by the author invalidates his claim. The text emphasizes the need for human behavior to be driven by spirituality, i.e. to be based on the realization of the connection with Allah. The Hizb understands the term "spirituality" in this research as the recognition of the link with Allah, which inevitably arises in a Muslim through his Iman in Allah. Accordingly, we cite a text from the Hizb's texts in this regard: "Also all their effort should be built only on this belief and not anything else, because the success of the Da'wah will be through Iman in Allah (swt) and nothing else. The belief in Allah (swt) requires true Tawakkul (dependence) on Him as well as seeking help from Him. Allah (swt) alone knows the secrets and what is hidden, and Allah is the One Who grants the Da'wah carriers success and guides them towards the right path. It is necessary to have strong Iman, and complete Tawakkul in Allah as well as the continuous seeking of help from Him." (Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir)

Second lie: Relating to the torment of the grave and the emergence of Masih ad-Dajjal.

The Hizb views the reports regarding the torment of the grave and on the Masih ad-Dajjal mentioned in the Prophetic Sunnah to be correct, that belief in them is an obligation, and that whoever denies them is undoubtedly sinful. The Hizb's Shabab like all other Muslims worship Allah with the Du'a of the Prophet (saw): "اللهم إني أعوذ بك من عذاب القبر" "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of the grave". However, the Hizb does not pronounce Kufr over the one who denies these reports, because it do not reach the level of definitive transmission as the Qur'an and the Sunnah Mutawatirah (continuously recurrent report). This opinion is not specific to Hizb ut Tahrir. This charge that is promoted against the Hizb is based on slander that has existed for as long as the Hizb has been slandered. The essence of this slander is that the Hizb does not accept the Khabar Ahad (isolated report) and does not take its content, and this is pure fabrication. Hizb ut Tahrir says in the book The Islamic Personality Vol. 3: "The Prophet (saw) would send a single one from the Sahaba out into the lands, calling to Islam, teaching its provisions, narrating the Ahadeeth, as he sent Mu'adh (ra) to Yemen. If action based on a solitary Hadeeth (Khabar Ahad) was not binding, the Prophet (saw) would not have confined himself to sending a single one from the Sahaba, rather he would have sent out groups. The Sahaba have reached a consensus over the action based on a Khabar Ahad."

The Hizb said in the book The Islamic Personality Vol.1: "Kufr is not pronounced over the one denying it, but belying it is not permissible. Because if it could be belied, then the entirety of Islamic provisions taken from presumptive evidence could be belied. This is not accepted by anyone from the Muslims."

Third lie:  The Hizb's leaders do not expose to enjoining the good and forbidding evil, because that would place an obstacle to their current interim work. On top of that, enjoining good and forbidding evil are tasks of the Islamic State when it is established.

This is certainly a lie. Here we will quote passages from a publication issued by the Hizb on 01/07/1989, affixed with the Hizb's signature, entitled: "Forbidding the Evil is an Obligation, and the Use of Physical Force to Remove it is Entrusted in the Ability to do so". In the publication it said: "Enjoining good and forbidding evil is an obligation upon Muslims in all cases, whether there exists an Islamic Khilafah "Caliphate" State or not, and whether the rule imposed on Muslims is the rule of Islam, or the rule of Kufr." And it also contains: "Evil might occur from individuals, groups or the state. Those working to denounce evil and change it are the state, individuals and blocks."

Fourth lie: The Hizb focuses on intellectual and political aspects, neglecting the aspects of Aqeedah and morals. It gives the intellect an excessive importance in building the personality and in aspects of the Aqeedah.

The author supposes that the intellectual aspects are something other than the aspects of Aqeedah, which clearly indicates his ignorance of the meanings of the phrases and terminologies. The core intellectual aspect from which the Hizb nurtures is the Islamic Aqeedah, which is the basis of Islam and the Muslim personality. Numerous are the verses that contain the phrase "they reflect/think". Allah Almighty says:

((كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآَيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ))

"Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought." [Yunus: 24]

As for the intellect, the Almighty says:

((إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآَيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ))

"Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason." [Ar-Ra'd: 4]

Allah dispraises those who do not reason. No two sane beings differ about is that the intellect is the link of accountability and the tool to understand the texts.

As for building the personality, the Hizb views that the one who has an Islamic mentality and an Islamic disposition forms an Islamic personality. We excerpt the following phrases from the first pages of the book The Islamic Personality Vol. 1: "Thus, we find Islam forming the Islamic personality with the Islamic Aqeedah, which forms his mentality and his disposition."; "An Islamic mentality is the one that contemplates on the basis of Islam."; "Whereas the Islamic disposition is one that sets all its inclinations on the basis of Islam." In this research, the Hizb cited his saying (saw): «لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يكون هواه تبعًا لما جئت به» "None of you believes until he adjusts his desires to what I came with."

 Fifth lie: The Hizb's reliance on external factors in accessing power through Talab An-Nusrah (seeking material support), which includes unexpected involvement.

The Talab an-Nusrah as adopted by the Hizb is a request for seeking material support from the people of power among the Muslims, who have become convinced of its project to resume the Islamic way of life by establishing a Khilafah "Caliphate" State. Such as the Muslim soldiers who are willing to turn against the ruler and take away the ruling from him in favor of the Khilafah "Caliphate", and such as the leaders of the armed revolution in Syria today. These are of course not "external factors" in any way, but from the heart of the Ummah and the sons of the Muslims. The Hizb took the term "Nusrah" (victory) and its meaning from the Qur'an and Sunnah. For after the Prophet (saw) sought victory from the tribes Aus and Khazraj and they gave victory to Islam and its Prophet, Allah (swt) called them "Al-Ansar" (the supporters).

 Sixth lie: The reader of the Hizb's thought gains the image that the Hizb's first concern is to reach power, and that it is limited in its goals and constricted to some parts of Islam without others.

The primary concern of the Hizb for which it was established is to resume the Islamic life. Since the Islamic way of life cannot come into being without the application of Islam, and as the full application of Islam does not materialize except in the presence of an Islamic State, the issue of the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State occupies a large portion of the work of Hizb ut Tahrir. It is the major specific step towards the resumption of the Islamic way of life. Therefore, the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State does not amount to "a limitation in goals and constriction to some parts of Islam without others" as claimed in the letter. Rather it is the only practical Shar'i method to implement Islam completely without deficiency. How can this issue then be viewed as a partial goal?!

 Seventh lie: The perception that the phase of culturing will carry them to the stage of interaction and then to the stage of assuming power. This is contrary to the Sunnah of Allah in examining the Dawah carriers and contrary to the reality paved with thousands of obstacles.

This talk is a twist of the words of the Hizb and its curtailment. The Hizb has derived from the Seerah of the Prophet (saw) that the work to change society requires a block that works for change in the three phases mentioned. Each of these stages brings along its costs, hardships and constraints which the Hizb foresaw before it took up work, and from which it suffered what it has suffered since its inception to the present day. Anyone who is further interested in the Hizb's literature, may read any   the books and publications issued by the Hizb on this topic. However, each one of these stages has its obligations, struggles and obstacles that the Hizb anticipated before it launched, and it endured in this what it endured since its launch, to this day. And one should read the books and leaflets issued by the Hizb if they want to review the Hizb literature pertaining to this.

 Eighth lie: The issue of nude pictures.

The book The Penal Code contains: "Anyone who prints or sells or rents with the intention of selling or distributes, or displays any decorated printed material or manuscript, or any picture, or diagram, or any other thing that leads to corruption of morality is punished by imprisonment for up to six months." And in the book The System of Islam, "For example, a photograph by itself is an object of madaniyyah. The Western haDarah considers the photograph of a naked woman that reveals all of her beauties a madaniyyah object consistent with its concepts in life about women. Thus, an individual from the West, views the photograph to be a piece of art which he could take pride in and a piece of art when it accomplishes artistic conditions. However, this object of madaniyyah contradicts with the Islamic haDarah and the Islamic concepts about women, which are considered as an honour that must be protected. Consequently, such photographs are to be prevented, because they provoke the sexual drive which triggers moral laxity in the society."

Ninth lie: The permissibility of kissing a foreign woman with desire or without desire.

It is mentioned in the book The Social System in Islam, which is one of the Hizb's books: "A man kissing a (non-mahram) woman and vice versa is forbidden...even if there was no actual desire in it... This kind of kiss is prohibited even if it was for the purpose of greeting someone on return from a journey as the nature of such a kiss between young men and women is that it acts as a prelude to zina."

 Tenth lie: Saying that it is permissible for the woman to wear a wig and pants.

Also found in the book The Social System in Islam speaking about the obligations of the woman in public life: "The woman has been forbidden from displaying her charms (tabarruj)... and therefore tabarruj is haraam. Consequently, every unusual zeenah which draws the attention of men and reveals the beauty (mahaasin) of the woman is tabarruj if the woman appears like this in the public life, or if she appears like this before non-mahram men in the private life. Like using perfume, make-up, wearing wigs without a khimaar, or wearing trousers without a jilbaab when she goes out into the public life."

Eleventh lie: His saying of the permissibility that the leader in a Muslim State be a Kaffir.

This lie against a party whose cause is the establishment of the Khilafah "Caliphate" state is too absurd to be answered. Nevertheless, we convey what is found in Article 31 of the Draft Constitution of the Khilafah "Caliphate" State that the Hizb assembled: "There are seven conditions needed in the Khaleefah so that the Khilafah "Caliphate" can be contracted to him. They are to be a male, Muslim, free (Hurr), mature (baaligh), sane ('aaqil), trustworthy ('adl) and capable (qaadir)". And these conditions are not only obligatory for the Khalifah, but for anyone who assumes an office of the ruling offices. Therefore, when talking about the Khalifah's assistant it says in the explanation of Article 43: "He must be a Muslim due to His words:

((وَلَنْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا))

"And never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them]." [TMQ 4:141];

Therefore, it is forbidden for a non-Muslim to be a ruler over the Muslims, since ruling is the greatest way over the Muslims". And for a long time the Hizb has addressed the Muslims in Lebanon in its leaflets and letters about the forbiddance of their rulers being Christian.

Twelfth lie: His saying of the permissibility of implementing the plans of the Kaffir states by fighting under the banner of an agent as long as the fighting is against Kuffar.

This talk is chopped pieces of the texts of the Hizb that obligates fighting the Kuffar if they invade a Muslim country, even if the country was under the rule of an agent, as is the case in most Muslim countries today, so it is not acceptable to leave the army of the Jews or America, for example, to invade more of the Islamic lands under the pretext that the ruler of this land is an agent and that he rules by other than what Allah (swt) revealed.

Thirteenth lie: His saying that it is permissible for an Islamic State to pay Jizyah to a Kaffir state.

This issue is found in the books of Islamic Fiqh that are accepted in all sects, and which examined the necessary treaties, and they are based on what the Messenger (saw) did on the day of the Battle of the Ahzab, when he offered the tribe of Ghutfan to leave the Ahzab and return in exchange for a third of the produce of al-Medina, and the agreement would have passed if not for the opposition of Sa'ad bin Mu'ath (ra) and Sa'ad bin Ubadah (ra). Ibn Qudama al-Maqdasi said in Al-Mughani: "As for agreeing to money that we give them, Ahmad has said that it is forbidden, and he is of the Shafi'i sect, because in it is humiliation for the Muslims. And this is in cases other than necessity, because if there is a necessity, which is that there is a fear that the Muslims will be doomed or imprisoned, then it is allowed, because it is allowed for the prisoner to ransom himself with money, so the same here, and because even if giving money entails humiliation, it is allowed to endure it to prevent a greater humiliation, which is killing or imprisonment and the posterity becoming captives of those who cause their captives to become Kuffar".

Fourteenth lie: His saying that waterways including the Suez Canal are public paths that any convoy cannot be prevented from passing.

This issue was written by some authors about the Hizb and is corrupt as they suggest that the Suez Canal is an international waterway and not the property of Egypt, and that it is not allowed for Egypt to prevent the passage of international convoys through it. The reality is that the Hizb speaks about this matter as public property of the citizens, and not the internationalization of waterways. Of what the Hizb has said is in the book The Funds in the Khilafah "Caliphate" State is: "Therefore seas, rivers, lakes, oceans, gulfs, straits, general canals like the Suez Canal, the public parks and mosques are all public property for all the citizens."

Fifteenth lie: His saying that one who marries a permanent mahram is jailed ten years.

The opinion of what the punishment is for one who marries a permanent mahram, even if it is found with a group of scholars, the Hizb has not adopted it. And what is found with the Hizb dealing with a non-permanent mahram, and this is a separate issue, is found in the book The Penal Code with the following text: "Anyone who knowingly marries a non-permanent mahram, such as the sister or paternal aunt or maternal aunt of his wife, is punished by flogging and imprisonment for up to three years". And the punishment in this case is known to the scholars, and is not the opinion of the Hizb.

As for what remains of issues found in the letter, they are too ridiculous to be answered. For example, of them is what deals with acts of worship, and the Hizb has not adopted a particular Ijtihad, so therefore does not compel its members to use a particular Ijtihad in it. Consequently, the talk about the Fatwa of the Hizb stating that prayer is not obligatory for the Muslim astronaut and that prayer and fasting are not obligatory for the inhabitants of the two poles, this talk has no meaning, and does the Hizb even have members on the two poles so as to compel them to follow these fatwas?

We ask Allah (swt) to thwart the cunningness of the plotters, and return them hiding, and that we and our brothers come together on truth, and to reconcile the hearts of the believers, and to humiliate the spiteful who plot against them,

((وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ))

"but the evil plot does not encompass except its own people" [al-Fatir: 43 ].