It is only the will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى that we are living in the era of the end of times. This is the era which has been surrounded by such a dark night of Kufr that anyone in their right mind would only be shocked to witness it. The land of Allah سبحانه وتعالى is devoid of the rule of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, whilst transgression and oppression is rampant everywhere. But by the Will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, this dark night will end one day; the sun of that day will rise with the re-establishment of Khilafah, bringing glad tidings for those who work restlessly to please their Lord. This call for Khilafah, which once disappeared, is now on the lips of every other person. This is the forgotten call that has reemerged. Alhamdulillah, with the will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the flag bearers of the call for Khilafah are those who have the ability to run this state. They are the people who have not found many supporters, even among their close ones, and yet even their enemy acknowledges their steadfastness and perseverance. And now the time has come for the sun of Khilafah to rip apart all the obstacles of darkness and bring a bright dawn!
Indeed in every path there are milestones and when those walking on a path can relate the beginning of their call, with the beginning of the call of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم; when they are satisfied that their actions are like that of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then they have every right to be hopeful that if Allah سبحانه وتعالى willed, they would achieve what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم achieved i.e. the establishment of the Islamic State; they have every right to be hopeful that Allah سبحانه وتعالى would grant them His promise i.e. the establishment of Khilafah-e-Rashida upon the methodology of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Indeed, there can be no bigger blessing for us if Allah سبحانه وتعالى chooses Hizb ut Tahrir as that group of Muslims for whom there is His promised victory. We hope and pray for the status and honour that every god fearing Mu'min desires for.
This article is a humble attempt to compile some of the aspects of the life of Sheikh Scholar Taqiuddin an-Nabahani (rahimahu Allah) – the founder of Hizb ut Tahrir. Additionally, this article relates of Scholar Abdul Qadeem Zallum (rahimahu Allah) who helped in building the party and was the best successor of Sheikh Scholar Taqiuddin an-Nabahani (rahimahu Allah); as well throwing light on some of the aspects of the life of the respected jurist Sheikh Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah who is successor of Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum (rahimahu Allah), and is thus the current global leader of the party, under whose leadership we strive for the victory from Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
I. Founder of Hizb ut Tahrir - Sheikh Scholar Taqiuddin an-Nabahani (rahimahu Allah)
Taqiuddin bin Ibrahim bin Mustafa bin Ismail bin Yusuf an-Nabahani (founder of Hizb ut Tahrir) belonged to Bani Nabahan and he came from a village by the name of Ajzam in Haifa in Northern Palestine. Sheikh an-Nabahani was born in the village of Ajzam in 1332 Hijri or 1914 CE. His family was known for knowledge, practice of Deen and Taqwa. His father, Sheikh Ibrahim, was a jurist and a scholar of 'Uloom e Sharai in the Ministry of Ma'arif (Knowledge and Arts). His mother was also an expert in 'Uloom e Sharai,' which she obtained from her father Sheikh Yusuf an-Nabahani.
Different narrations mention his maternal grandfather Sheikh Yusuf Nabahani in these words: Yusuf bin Ismail bin Yusuf bin Hassan bin Mohammad Al Nabahani Al Shafii' – his kunya (nickname) was 'Abu al Mahasin' and he was a poet, Sufi and a literary person. He was considered amongst one of the best judges of his time. He served as a judge in the area of Jenin affiliated with Nablus. Afterwards, he transferred to Istanbul where he served as a judge in the area of Kavi Sanjaq in Mosul. Then he was appointed as the head of the royal court in Al-Azqya and Al-Quds. And then he took charge of the Court of Rights of Beirut. He has authored forty-eight books.
Sheikh Taqiuddin's Islamic personality is to a great extent an outcome of his family background. Therefore, he memorized Holy Qur'an at the age of 13 years. He was greatly inspired by his maternal grandfather's knowledge and awareness and he acquired from this ocean of knowledge, as much as he could. From the very beginning, he acquired political awareness especially from those political movements which his grandfather initiated in favor of the Ottoman Caliphate. The Sheikh benefited greatly from the jurisprudence related arguments that were organized by his grandfather Sheikh Yusuf. It was during these conventions that he caught the attention of his grandfather. Therefore, Sheikh Yusuf convinced Sheikh Taqi's father to send him to Al Azhar University to attain knowledge of 'Uloom e Sharaii'.
Attainment of Knowledge:
Sheikh Taqi received admission in the eighth grade in Al Azhar University in 1928 and cleared the exam with distinction in the same year. He was awarded with the certificate of 'Shuhada Al Ghurba'. After this he received admission in the science college which was affiliated with Al Azhar University at that time. He used to keep attending the knowledge conventions of those scholars about whom his grandfather guided him e.g. Sheikh Mohammad Al Khizar Hussain (rahimahu Allah). In the old method of teaching, it was allowed for the students to attend such circles. Sheikh an-Nabahani always remained a prominent student even though he undertook the tasks of studying in Science College and attending knowledge conventions simultaneously. His contemporaries and teachers used to envy him because of his deep thought, learned opinions and his convincing arguments, which he presented in the debates held in Cairo and other Islamic lands.
Sheikh obtained theses degrees: Intermediate from Al Azhar University, Shahada tal Ghurba from Al Azhar, graduation in Arabic language and literature from Cairo, Dar al' Uloom, degree of judgeship from Ma'had al 'Aala – an institute of sharai' courts affiliated with Al Azhar and Shahada tal 'Alamiah in sharia' from Al Azhar (masters degree) in 1932 CE.
Offices held by Sheikh:
Sheikh served in the Sharai' education department of the Ministry of Al-Ma'arif until 1938 CE. Then he was promoted and was transferred to the Sharai' Court and was selected as attorney in the Central Court of Haifa. After that he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Judge. Then he served as the judge of the Court of Ramallah until 1948 CE. After the occupation of Palestine by the Jews, he migrated to Syria but then returned to Palestine in the same year and was appointed the judge of Sharai' court of Al-Quds. Then he served as the judge of Sharia' of High Court till 1950 CE. Afterwards, he resigned from the post of judge and became a teacher at 'Uloom e Islamia College in Oman. The Sheikh (rahimahu Allah) was an ocean of knowledge; he was a master in every branch of knowledge. He was a great Mujtahid and Muhadith.
Books by Sheikh Taqi:
i. Systems of Islam
ii. Structuring of a Party
iii. Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir
iv. The Economic System in Islam
v. The Social System in Islam
vi. The Ruling System in Islam
vii. The Constitution ( The Khilafah State)
viii. Introduction to the Constitution (the Preamble)
ix. The Islamic State
x. Islamic Personality (Three Volumes)
xi. Political Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir
xii. Political Thoughts
xiii. A Warm Call
xiv. Khilafah
xv. Thinking
xvi. Presence of Mind
xvii. Departure Point
xviii. Entering Society
xix. Lislah e Misr
xx. Al Ittefaqiyat as Saniya al Mastiya al Surya wal Yamnia
xxi. Hal Qadeeh Falasteen 'ala Tareeqa tal Amreekya wal Engleezia
xxii. Nazrya al Faragh al Syasi Hol Mashroo' Eezan Hawar
And there are hundreds of other intellectual, political and economic articles as well.
When the publication of his books and articles were banned; consequently, he published some books under the name of other members of Hizb such as:
i. Exemplary Economic Policy
ii. Refutation of Marxist Communism
iii. How the Khilafah was Destroyed
iv. The Rules of Evidences in Islam
v. The Punishment System of Islam
vi. Rules of Salah
vii. Islamic Thought
Before founding Hizb, he wrote two books: Anqaz Falasteen (The Rescue of Palestine) and Risla tal 'Arab (Letter to the Arabs).
His Character and Qualities
Zuhair Kahala, a teacher who was also head of the administration at Islamic Science College, was an employee of the college during the period in which Sheikh Taqiuddin started working in college. He narrates, "The Sheikh was an intelligent, noble and pure hearted man. He had a sincere, dignified and powerful personality. The presence of a Jewish entity in the heart of Muslim ummah saddened as well infuriated him."
He was of medium-height, stocky in build, brilliantly active, dynamic man and an articulate debater. He was exemplary in presenting his arguments. He never compromised on what he believed to be Haq. His beard was medium in length with graying hair in it. His personality reflected awe and his conversation influenced others. His arguments used to make others dumbfounded. He strongly disliked aimless struggle, personal attacks and deviation from the interests of Ummah. He despised the fact that people get lost in their personal lives. He was always worried about the Ummah's well being. He was the epitome of this saying of Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم the meaning of which is: ((من لم يهتم بأمر المسلمين فليس منهم)) "Whosoever does not concern himself in taking care of the matters of Muslims is not one of them." He used to repeat this hadith again and again and presented it as evidence. He would express his sorrow on the fact that Imam Ghazali (ra), author of the book Ahya al Uloom, kept himself busy in writing books during the time of crusaders' attacks.
Establishment of Hizb ut Tahrir and its journey:
Sheikh Taqiuddin analyzed the parties, movements and organizations that came into being after 4th Hijri deeply and with great effort. He keenly observed their styles, thoughts, penetration and the causes of failure. As the Sheikh considered the existence of a Hizb to be imperative for the re-establishment of Khilafah, he, thus, studied these parties with this motive. After the abolition of the Khilafah at the hands of the criminal Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, Muslims could not re-establish Khilafah, even in the presence of so many Islamic movements. The occupation by "Israel" in 1948 of Palestinian land and the helplessness of Arabs in front of the Jewish entity with the aid of British sponsored governments of Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, proved to be catalysts for the emotions of Sheikh Taqiuddin. Thus, he started analyzing the causes that would eventually result in the revival of Muslims. At first, Sheikh resorted to revive Ummah and wrote two books: Anqaz Falasteen (The Rescue of Palestine) and Risla tal 'Arab (Letter to the Arabs). Both of these books were published in 1950; these books dealt with only thought, 'Aqeeda and the real message of Ummah i.e. message of Islam stating that it is only Islam based upon which Arabs should seek revival. The message of Arab nationalists differed greatly from the Sheikh's message. The message that Arab nationalists propagated actually widened the distance between Ummah and real message of Islam, whilst engaging it in various western concepts which were opposed to its 'Aqeeda and values. Then the Sheikh scrutinized those concepts, which were the driving force for the Arab nationalists and analyzed all the suggestions that were presented to him in this regard. But he was not satisfied with any of the suggestions.
Before reaching any decision, he contacted all of the scholars that he knew and those he met in Egypt. He presented all these scholars with the idea of creating a political party in order to revive the Muslim Ummah and restore its past glory. For this purpose, he traveled across the land of Palestine and presented the renowned scholars and intellectuals with this thought that had captivated his mind and heart. He arranged seminars for this purpose and summoned scholars from the length and breadth of Palestine. In these seminars, he debated with scholars on the correct methodology for revival and would convey to participants that they were headed the wrong way and their efforts would bear no fruit. The participants of these seminars mostly used to be the office bearers of various Islamic, political and nationalist parties. Also, he undertook detailed conversations on various political issues in the mosques of Al Aqsa, Al Khalil and other areas upon different occasions. He used to explain the reality of the Arab League during these addresses stating clearly that it is a product of western colonialism and this is one of many tools of the West, with its help of which they have kept Islamic lands under their control. The Sheikh would expose the political conspiracies of the West and would tear down the facade from the anti-Islam and anti-Muslim plans of the West. He would arouse the sense of responsibility among Muslims and invite them to create a party purely based upon Islam.
Sheikh Taqiuddin stood as a candidate in the election of House of Representatives; which was an advisory committee only. But due to his strict opinion, political activity, serious struggle towards the establishment of a party based on Islam and strict adherence to Islam, the government caused the results of the elections to be unfavourable for the Sheikh.
But it did neither deter the Sheikh from his political activity nor could it weaken his resolve rather he continued with his activities of contacts and debates. His activities resulted in the successful convincing of renowned scholars, judges and political thinkers for the establishment of a political party. Then he presented these high profile people with the framework and thoughts that became the cultural heritage of the Hizb. Some scholars and thinkers accepted his thoughts and provided their consent, thus, his political activities for the establishment of Hizb reached their pinnacle.
The blessed city of Al Quds was the place where foundations for the Hizb were laid; where he was serving in the Supreme Court. At that time, he contacted many important personalities like Sheikh Ahmad Da'oor of Qalqeela, Sayyadan Nimr of Egypt, Daud Hamdan of Ramallah, Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum of Al Khalil (Hebron), Adil al Nabulsi, Ghanim Abdu, Munir Shaqeer, Sheikh As'ad Bewiz Tamimi, etc.
In the beginning, the meetings, held among the founders, were unorganized and were held on a need basis. Mostly, these meetings were held in Al Quds or Al Khalil where the topic of inviting new people to join the Hizb was debated. The center of debates used to be the important Islamic topics necessary for the glory of Ummah. This trend continued till the end of 1952, when these people vowed to establish a political party.
On November 17, 1952, five founding members of Hizb requested the Interior Ministry of Jordan for a formal no-objection certificate in order to establish a political party.
These members were:
1. Taqiuddin an-Nabahani: President
2. Daud Hamdan: Vice-President and Secretary
3. Ghanim Abdu: Treasurer
4. Adil Al Nabulsi: Member
5. Munir Shaqeer: Member
Afterwards, Hizb completed all the legal formalities that were required in the Ottoman law regarding the formation of parties. The Hizb headquarters was located in Al Quds and all the steps taken by this party were correct according to the Ottoman law.
In the publication of 'Basic Ruling System and the Administration Conditions" from Hizb in Issue No. 176 of Al Sareeh Newspaper dated March 14, 1953; Hizb ut Tahrir became a legal party on the said date, corresponding to Jamad ul Awal 28, 1372 Hijri. Thus, on this day, the Hizb was instated with the right to undertake party activities that were according to the Ottoman law of the time.
However, the government asked for all the five founding members and interrogated them and arrested four of them. On Rajab 7, 1372 Hijri corresponding to March 23, 1953, through a statement, the government banned the party and ordered its founders to stop any activities that they are undertaking. On April 1, the banners and posters pasted at its office in Al Quds were removed as part of an implementation of government orders.
However, Sheikh Taqi did not give any significance to this ban and continued his work. He kept propagating the message for which the Hizb was founded. Daud Hamdan and Nimr Misri separated themselves from the leadership role in 1956 and they were replaced by Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum and Sheikh Ahmad Da'oor. These exalted scholars then became the leaders of Hizb and fulfilled their responsibility towards this blessed call.
The Hizb started collective culturing of people in the congregational areas of Al Aqsa mosque in order to revive the Islamic way of life. Due to their amazing activities, the government of time resorted to cheap tactics, so that Hizb might not be able to form themselves into a party and a strong organization. In wake of these circumstances, Sheikh Taqi, left this area near the end of 1953 and twice was not allowed to return.
Sheikh Taqi left for Syria in November 1953, where he was arrested by the Syrian government and was exiled to Lebanon, whilst the Lebanese government did not allow him to enter their land. However, when he asked for permission from the officer in charge at the police station in the valley of Al Hareer to call his friend, the officer permitted him. Sheikh Nabahani called his friend Mufti Sheikh Hassan Al 'Ala and told him of the situation. Sheikh Al 'Ala immediately took action and threatened the Lebanese officers that if they did not let Sheikh Taqi enter the country, he will spread the news that the so called democratic government was not allowing an exalted scholar to enter their land. The Lebanese authorities yielded to this threat and allowed Sheikh Taqi entrance.
Sheikh Taqi indulged himself in the propagation of his thoughts after coming to Lebanon and did not face any notable obstacles in his work till 1958. When the Lebanese government sensed the danger his thoughts posed, they started to tighten their grip on the Sheikh, therefore, Sheikh secretly moved to Tripoli, Lebanon, from Beirut. One of his trusted friends has told us that the Sheikh used to dedicate most of his time to the activities of reading and writing. He used to stay in touch with the world news through radio and issue brilliant political statements. He was pious just as his name meant – Taqi: Pious. He always kept his tongue under control and his gaze low. He was never heard as being abusive towards any Muslim, he was never heard of humiliating anyone, especially those Dai' of Islam who differed with him in Ijtihad.
In Iraq, the Sheikh focused special attention to attain Nussrah. For this purpose, Sheikh himself traveled to Iraq many times with Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum, who was there due to some critical contacts including people like Abdul Salam Arif etc. Amongst these travels included that last journey in which he was arrested in Iraq and was severely persecuted; physically and mentally. But his interrogator failed to obtain their desired information from the Sheikh. He just kept on repeating these words, that he was an old man whose sole purpose to visit Iraq was for treatment. Indeed, Sheikh went there for the treatment of the ailing Ummah i.e. Khilafah. When the Iraqi authorities could not extract any information, out of desperation, they broke his arm and deported him out of their country, whilst he was covered with blood as a result of severe torture. And just when he was deported, Jordanian Intelligence in formed Iraqi Intelligence that this prisoner was actually Sheikh Taqi who was greatly required by the Iraqi Intelligence. But, Alhamdulillah, time was not on their side anymore and Sheikh had gone quite a distance from that place by then.
Sheikh Taqi was absolutely steadfast in his commitment for the establishment of Hizb and was about to reach his desired destination, when he was called for the eternal world.
This great Ummah bid farewell to Sheikh Taqi on Saturday, at Fajar dated 01 Muharram 1398 AH or 11 December 1977 CE. He was indeed a great leader, an ocean of knowledge, undoubtedly the greatest jurist of modern times, revivalist of Islamic thought, the greatest intellectual of 20th century, a true Mujtahid and an exemplary scholar. The Sheikh was buried in Al Ozaayi' cemetery in Beirut. The Sheikh himself could not enjoy the fruit of the efforts that he started and dedicated his life to it. He could not see the Khilafah State for which the Hizb was founded. But he entrusted this responsibility to his successor, a companion, exemplary scholar Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum and met his Creator. Although, the Sheikh could not witness the re-establishment of the state with his own eyes, but his efforts bore fruit and Hizb spread in different parts of the world and his thoughts received acceptance from people all around the globe. Tens of millions people adopted his thoughts and those who had been mentored by him reached every nook and corner of the world. Even today, the dungeons of oppressors of the world are filled with people who carry and call the thoughts propagated by the Sheikh.
II. Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum
The Best Successor for the Leadership of Hizb
His name is Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Bin Yusuf Bin Yunis Bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh Zallum and he was a renowned scholar. He was born in the city of Al Khalil (Hebron) in 1342 Hijri or 1924 CE. His family was known for the practice of Deen. His father was a Hafiz el Qur'an and even during the last years of his life, he would be occupied with the recitation of the Holy Qur'an. His father was a teacher during the time of the Uthmani Khilafah.
His father's paternal uncle, Abdul Ghaffar Yunis Zallum, was a mufti in Al Khalil during the time of the Uthmani Khilafah. The Zallum family is one of the families that are trustees of the Ibrahimi Mosque and thus, this family is one of the servants of Yaqoob (as). This family is entrusted with the responsibility of hoisting the Islamic flag at the minbar on Fridays and various occasions.
The Uthmani Khilafah used to entrust the renowned families of Al Khalil with the responsibility of taking care of the Ibrahimi Mosque and these families used to feel honour and pride in undertaking this responsibility.
The first fifteen years of the life of Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum were spent in the city of Al Khalil. He acquired the basic education from the Ibrahimi Madrassah of Al Khalil and afterwards, his father sent him to Al Azhar so that he may become an expert in Islamic jurisprudence. So, at the age of 15, he left for Al Azhar in Cairo. It was 1939 CE/1361 Hijri when he acquired his first degree from Al Azhar – Shahada tal Ahliya tal-oola (Highest degree). In 1947 CE/1366 Hijri he obtained the degree of Al 'Aliya Li Kuliya tal Sharia' from Al Azhar and then in 1949 CE, 1368 Hijri, he obtained Shahada tal 'Alamiya and specialized in Judiciary which is equivalent to the Ph.D. of modern times.
He organized a group of Muslims during the Israel-Palestine war and left Egypt for Palestine for the purpose of Jihad. But on reaching there, he came to know that the war had been stopped and a ceasefire agreement had taken place. Therefore, his purpose of Jihad could not be met in Palestine. The Sheikh was held dearly in Al Azhar University and was called 'Mulk' (King). He was always a prominent student. He enrolled in the occupation of teaching upon his return to Al Khalil in 1949 CE. He was associated with the Madarassah of Bethlehem for two years. He then shifted to Al Khalil in 1951 CE and became a teacher at Madrassah Usama bin Ma'aqiz.
In the year 1952 CE, Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum had his interaction with Sheikh Taqi which gave way to continuous debates and arguments, with respect to the topic of a Hizb at Al Quds; thus he used to travel constantly to this blessed city for this purpose. Sheikh Zallum joined Hizb from the day the party started its work and in the year 1956, he became a part of the leadership of the Hizb. He was a great orator and people used to love him. On Fridays, he used to preach in the Ibrahimi Yusufiya Mosque and a great crowd would gather to listen to him. Then after Friday prayers, he used to preach in Ibrahimi Mosque where people would also gather to listen to him in great numbers. The Sheikh was nominated as a candidate in the election for House of Representatives in 1954. Similarly, he was a candidate in 1956 but the state rigged the elections and he was declared unsuccessful. He was arrested and was imprisoned in Al Jaffer Al Saharawi where he spent many years, before finally being released with the help of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
May Allah سبحانه وتعالى have mercy on him; he was the right hand of the founding leader. He was an arrow in the quiver of the founder; he used to trust him for high profile expeditions. He never showed any hesitation and always preferred Dawah over his family and luxuries of this temporary world. One day he is found in Turkey, the other day he is present in Iraq, the next day it was Egypt and then to Jordan and Lebanon, so on and so forth. Wherever he was demanded, he used to accompany the Ameer to speak the truth. The expedition of Iraq was a very crucial one and only a true daring man could undertake this responsibility. The Ameer bestowed him with this duty and he accepted the responsibility, under the supervision of Ameer and fulfilled his obligation in a brilliant manner.
At the time of death of the founding leader, the duty of this Dawah was rested upon his shoulders. He carried the burden of this struggle and the Dawah progressed in leaps and bounds. The style of Dawah became clearer, its area of action greatly widened that it reached Central Asia and South East Asia. The echo of this message was even heard in Europe as well.
During the time of this esteemed scholar, the fitna of the Nakitheen (the faction which broke their oath) emerged. Some people were influenced by the whispers of the devils and took advantage of the Sheikh's patience. These people committed a breach of oath; one night, they conspired to lead the party caravan astray and give a fatal blow to the party. It was only with the blessing of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and then with the insightful intellect and perseverance of the Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum that the Hizb was saved from any irreparable damage; rather the Hizb emerged from this crisis stronger and those conspirators achieved nothing but humiliation.
This unwavering scholar continued to be the leader and flag bearer of Dawah till the age of 80 when his intuition about his impending death made him take a decision about this work for which he spent two thirds of his life – 25 years in the capacity of a right hand of the Ameer and almost 25 years in the capacity of Ameer himself. He wanted a satisfactory fulfillment of his responsibility; therefore, he decided to resign from the leadership position and hold elections for the next Ameer which is exactly what had happened. On Monday, Muharram 14, 1424 Hijri or March 17, 2003 CE he himself resigned from the leadership and within a few days after the election of the new Ameer, his soul departed to the eternal world.
Thus, this great ocean of knowledge, the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir, Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum, met his Creator at the age of 80 on Tuesday night dated Safar 27, 1424 Hijri corresponding to April 29, 2003 CE, Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'un. On his death, the number of people that came for condolence in Al Khalil – Abu Gharbiya Al Sha'rawi was an unprecedented sight. People came from various cities and villages. Poets and writers wrote poetry and prose about his life. Condolence messages were received from all over the world on telephone and radio. Numerous condolence messages were received from Sudan, Kuwait, Europe, Indonesia, America, Jordan, Egypt, and other countries. At the same time, a huge crowd gathered in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan.
The Sheikh (raheemullah) was a courageous and bold man when it came to the matter of Deen. He never cared for any reprimand in this regard. He was an extremely active person, who neither tired of his efforts nor despaired. He was an embodiment of disposition and high morals. He kept himself at a great distance from anything that was Haram. He was extremely tolerant, patient and gracious. His close friends mention that he used to stay awake at nights for worship and would weep while reciting the ayat of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. He was extremely steadfast and firm in Dawah. He lived his life in obscurity, oppressive rulers relentlessly pursued him till the moment he died and left this temporary world. Only Allah سبحانه وتعالى can grant him his reward for his struggle. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى shower him with his countless blessings, Ameen.
The following are his books and booklets published by Hizb ut Tahrir during his time:
i. Funds in the Khilafah State
ii. Addition to the Book: The Ruling System of Islam
iii. Democracy is a Kufr System
iv. Sharai' Ruling regarding Cloning and Organ Transplant
v. Methodology of Hizb ut Tahrir to Bring Change
vi. Hizb ut Tahrir
vii. American Campaign to Destroy Islam
viii. The Crusade Attack by George Bush on Muslims
ix. The Crisis of the Stock Market and Related Islamic Ruling
x. The Clash of Civilizations is Inevitable
III. Great Scholar of Islamic Jurisprudence – Ata Abu al-Rashtah
The Current Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir
On Safar 11, 1424 Hijri or April 13, 2003 CE, the head of Deewan al Mazaalim of Hizb ut Tahrir announced the appointment of a renowned jurist, scholar and engineer Ata Abu Rashtah Abu Yaseen as the Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir at whose hands, we hope, that Allah سبحانه وتعالى will bring victory for the Muslims under his leadership. Dawah has certainly climaxed to its peak and the work has been well organized administratively. He has capitalized greatly on the capabilities of Shabab.
Some aspects of the life of Ata Abu al-Rashtah
Ata bin Khalil bin Ahmad bin Abdul Qadir Alkhateeb was born in 1362 Hijri corresponding to 1943 CE in a village Ra'ana of the city of Al Khalil in Palestine. He belonged to a very religious family. In his childhood, he saw with his own eyes the pain of Palestinian people and occupation of Palestine by Jews with the help of Britain and treacherous Arab leaders. This occupation forced his family to move to a refugee camp near Al Khalil.
He acquired his basic and middle level education in the same camp. Then he obtained his matriculation degree from the school named Al Hussain Bin Ali in Al Khalil in 1959 CE. Then he cleared the examination of Al Saniya al 'Ama (as per Egyptian syllabus) in 1960 CE from the institute Al Ibrahimi of Al Quds Shareef. After that he attained admission into the Engineering College of Cairo University in the academic year of 1960/61 and graduated in the year of 1966. He served as an engineer in many Arab countries after completing his education. He has authored a book about Civil Engineering titled Al Wast Fi Hisab Al Kimiyat O Maraqabatal Mabani wat Taraq.
He joined Hizb ut Tahrir whilst he was a middle school student during the mid 1950's. He suffered persecution and imprisonment in the dungeons of the oppressor as punishment for raising the words of truth. He performed all the organizational and institutional duties in the administrative structure. He served as a Daris, Mushrif, Naqeeb of Mahliyya, Member of Wilayah, Mo'atamad, Member of the Office of the Representative of Ameer. On Safar 11, 1424 Hjri corresponding to April 13, 2003 he took charge as the Ameer of the party. He is ever praying to Allah سبحانه وتعالى that He may help him in discharging his duties graciously.
The following is a list of the Islamic books written by him:
Tafseer of Surah e Baqarah 'Al Teeseer Fi Asool at Tafseer'
Drasat Fi Asool ul Fiqha – Teeser at Wusool Ilal Asool
And following are the booklets authored by him:
Economic Crisis, Its Reality and Its Solution from the Islamic Perspective
The New Crusades in the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf
Industrial Policy and Industrialization of the State
During his time, the following books have been published by the Hizb
The Essential Elements of the Islamic Nafsiyya
Political Issues – Occupied Islamic Lands
Addition to the book: Islamic Concepts
The Basis of the Education Policy of Khilafah State
Institutions of the Khilafah State
He is ever praying to Allah Almighty that He grant him the courage to discharge his duties in a manner that Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would be pleased with; he is ever praying that Allah سبحانه وتعالى bestow upon the Ummah the state of Khilafah through his hands; our Lord is All Hearing and will answer our prayers.
The steps taken by him during his time include the warm call made to Muslims on Rajab 28, 1426 Hijri corresponding to September 2, 2005 CE with relevance to the painful incident of abolition of Khilafah 84 years ago. This appeal was initiated in Indonesia, and then it was made on the shores of Pacific Ocean in the East as well as on the shores of Atlantic Ocean in the West at the Friday prayers. This call affected the Ummah greatly. Additionally, he has been actively raising his voice for the Truth continuously at various conferences, seminars and conventions of Hizb ut Tahrir.
The early years of his leadership are full of khair and we pray to Allah سبحانه وتعالى that He may increase His barakah in his leadership. There are clear signs of imminent Nussrah under his leadership with the Will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. We look to him hopefully and we pray that Allah سبحانه وتعالى decrees His victory during his time, Ameen.
The piety of this exalted Ameer is exemplary. He is passionate about his mission and always concerned about fulfilling his obligations in a gracious manner. He has proved his capabilities while he held many offices in the administration of Hizb ut-Tahrir and fulfilled his obligations in the best possible manner. Some of the noteworthy services rendered by him include the ones that he did when held the offices of Representative, Mo'atamad and Assistant to the previous Ameer. This is the reason why he is fully aware of the responsibilities that he carries as the Ameer and perceives them rightly. He monitors all the activities actively, therefore, the Shabab feel his presence in everything that they do; no matter how small or huge the task. This is the way how he is utilizing the full potential of Shabab.
This is the summary of the journey Hizb ut Tahrir that departed from the Al Aqsa Mosque in the mid 1950's; the caravan had just one basic goal in their mind i.e. the re-establishment of Khilafah Rashida. The leader of this caravan was the great scholar Sheikh Taqiuddin Nabahani who continued to lead this caravan till his death. He remained the leader of the party for 25 years. The renowned scholar Sheikh Abdul Qadeem Zallum took charge of the leadership of the party in 1977 after the death of the founding Ameer. During his time, the Dawah of Hizb ut Tahrir flourished greatly. The number of the members of the party increased. The party reached many countries of the world. Thus, Hizb ut Tahrir succeeded in making thousands of people a part of the party. This great scholar left us at the age of 80 after serving as the Ameer of the party for 25 years. After him, another esteemed and qualified scholar, an established expert of jurisprudence, Ata Abu al-Rashtah became the global leader of the caravan of Hizb ut Tahrir. He is working diligently to harvest the benefits sowed during the time of his predecessors.
Such beautiful words have been spoken by a Shab about these three great personalities:
They were three individuals, Allah سبحانه وتعالى chose them for three different purposes:
The first one laid the foundation and organized.
The second one motivated and Dawah flourished.
The third one has prayed for the Nussrah and Allah سبحانه وتعالى will answer his prayers, Ameen.
