15 September 2014 – Over the past three weeks, thousands of Muslims attended Hizb ut-Tahrir’s three conferences in London and Manchester titled: Khilafah Conference: Gaza, Iraq, Syria – Our role in shaping our ummah’s future. The conferences were organised to challenge the current false description of the Khilafah and outline the true vision of what the Khilafah Rashidah represents.

In recent weeks the media and Western governments have launched a fully-fledged campaign attacking the concept of the Khilafah (Islamic State) following the false declaration of a Caliphate by the ISIS militia.

Politicians across the world, particularly those in the UK, have attempted to tarnish the noble idea of the Khilafah. Thus the media discusses the Khilafah as a state that lacks mercy, kills minorities and is filled with sectarianism and injustice. Such a state, far from providing stability to the region, would only cause chaos and killings.

Dr Abdul Wahid (Chairman of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s UK Executive Committee), Dr Imran, Kamal Abu Zahra, sheikh Ibrahim An-Nabahani and other members of Hizb ut-Tahrir spoke at the conferences. Some of the main issues addressed at the conferences included:

1. How Western interference such as the 2003 Iraq invasion helped to create a constitution that promoted sectarianism and how the western backed Iraqi government’s sectarianism alienated large parts of the population and gave rise to the current situation.
2. How the Khilafah would deal with sectarianism, national divisions, the Gaza massacre and minorities.
3. The Khilafah on the Prophetic model – understanding the Madinan model.
4. The Prophetic method in establishing the Islamic State – as opposed to violent struggle or failed reformist politics.
5. The role of Muslims in reshaping the Ummah’s future.

Many questions were addressed during the lively question and answer session including: why Hizb ut-Tahrir rejects ISIS’s claim of having established the Caliphate and a thorough look at the Prophet method to establish the Caliphate – which Hizb ut-Tahrir follows.

Speakers showed how the Prophet (saw) explained that leadership is a responsibility and guardianship for its citizens (Muslims and non Muslims), like a shepherd and how in the Khilafah state not even the Khaleefah, is above the law. The Prophet (saw) stated, “…By Allah, even if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad committed theft, Muhammad will cut off her hand!” (Bukhari/Muslim)

The Prophet (saw) taught us that the Khilafah guarantees rights to all its citizens whether Muslim or non-Muslim. With regards to Non-Muslim citizens (Ahl al Dhimma) of the Islamic State he (saw) stated, “He who kills a covenanted person (Ahl al Dhimma) enjoying the oath of Allah and the oath of His Messenger, then he has betrayed the oath of Allah so he shall not smell the scent of Heaven; its scent is found the distance of a seventy year march.” (Tirmidhi)

Indeed the Khilafah Rashidah ordained in the Islamic texts and demonstrated by the Prophet (saw) is a system that would provide stability in a region that has been ravaged by secular dictatorships and failed democracies imposed by Western governments to serve its interests.

Conference attendees were reminded to understand, support and yearn for the return of the Khilafah Rashidah – a great Islamic institution that Allah (swt) ordered.