FAQ’S - TANZEEM-E-ISLAMI, Pakistan is working to re-establish / re-instate Khilafah by following the methodology of prophet Muhammad (SAWS)

Q 1 : Can you describe Tanzeem-e-Islami’s mission?

تنظیم اسلامی کا پیغام ---خلافت راشدہ کا نظام

Tanzeem-e-Islami’s message – Establishment of the System of Khilafat-e-Rashida.

The stated and declared aim (mission, objective) of Tanzeem-e-lslami is to ”establish an Islamic Welfare State based on just politico-socio-economic order on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Madinah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) in Islamic history, in the context of the modern age.“ Tanzeem-e-lslami is striving towards that goal by pursuing a non- violent, non-militant peaceful protest leading to revolutionary mass movement.

In a nutshell, Tanzeem-e-lslami is neither a religious sect nor a political party in the prevalent sense, but essentially an Islamic Revolutionary Party, whose goal is to establish the system of social justice of the KhiIafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly Guided Caliphate) firstly in Pakistan and then globally.

The crucial paradigm in which the mission of Tanzeem-e-lslami is embedded is to gain the pleasure of Allah (S.W.T) and succeed in the life of the Hereafter.

Q 2 : What is the objective of Tanzeem-e-Islami?

In a nutshell, Tanzeem-e-Islami is neither a religious sect nor a political party in the prevalent sense, but essentially an Islamic Revolutionary Party, whose goal is to establish the system of social justice based upon the principles of the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate) firstly in Pakistan and then in the whole world.

Q 3 : The Muslim Ummah is already fragmented into many groups, parties and sects. By establishing yet another entity, isn’t Tanzeem-e-Islami contributing to the process of internal division?

Tanzeem-e-Islami is neither a religious sect nor a political party in the familiar sense, but essentially an Islamic Revolutionary and revivalist Party, whose goal is to establish the system of social justice based upon the principles of the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate) firstly in Pakistan and then in the whole world. This basic premise has to be expounded in order to fully answer the query.

Tanzeem-e-Islami always encourages people to rise above the sectarian narratives and notions and consider Islam as the Deen that has been revealed by Allah (SWT) unto His (SWT) noble Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH), around fourteen and a half centuries ago. We also consider it counterproductive to view Islam from a myopic lens by breaking it apart into disciplines such as Shariah, Tariqah, Sufism etcetera, because that is the prime reason for the “compartmentalization syndrome” holding back the Muslim Ummah from uniting as an integrated and cohesive body today. It does no service to the cause of establishing Islam as a complete code of life on the same principles as established by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs (RA) that followed. At the same time, we do caution people not to delve into philosophies and theories that are in direct conflict with the edicts of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as they have manifestly been called ‘deviations’ from the right path in the divine scripture.

The only logical reason for the present sorry state of affairs of the Muslim Ummah, in our considered opinion, lies with confusing the concept of Religion with Deen. Islam as a Deen is much more than just debating and even following what people refer to as Shariah & Tariqah, as these are only one portion of Islam (as a Deen). The remaining portion is establishing a Nizaam (system of governance), which can be called Deen (System) or Khilafah (Caliphate), which is based on the political, economic and social principles laid down in the Qur’an and the Sunnah – a genuine Islamic Welfare State based on the principles of universal social justice as defined by the Qur’an and Ahadith, and implemented by the Messenger (PBUH) of Allah in the state of Madinah after the conquest of Makkah. The same Deen was preserved and upheld by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs (RA) after his demise (PBUH).

In fact, the entire life of Late Dr. Israr Ahmad (RAA), the founder of Tanzeem-e-Islami, revolved around the notion of bringing all segments of Muslims (sects, ideologies, peoples), belonging to all schools of religious thought together on a single platform for the unity of the Muslim Ummah, without any discrimination on the basis of their religious inclinations to Fiqh or jurisprudence.

This, in our opinion, can only be done by the narrative presented above and by ensuring the following:

• That we do not make compromises on matters pertaining to Aqeedah (not Fiqh / Jurisprudence).

• That we strictly adhere to the essence of basic Islamic values and diktats, as part of all processes and not be swayed by secular and liberal ideals held by a plethora of modern Islamic scholars influenced by the philosophies of the Modern Western Civilization.

• That the goal of this whole exercise is to find a way to bring back the glory of Islam (Khilafah on the lines of the Prophetic Model) for the pleasure of Allah (SWT) alone and not simply an effort to appease others. It is also not to tell all that we (the Muslim Ummah) are inclusive to the extent that we are willing to adapt the fundamentals of our Deen to the whims of others.

• Beyond that, the success or failure (in this world) of all efforts is solely dependent on the Will of Allah (SWT).

• The real and everlasting reward in the Hereafter; of all efforts is solely dependent on the Mercy of Allah (SWT).

Therefore, Tanzeem-e-Islami is not just another entity contributing to the process of internal division in the already fragmented Muslim Ummah, either on the basis of groups, parties and sects. Rather Tanzeem-e-Islami considers itself to be a platform to unite the fragmented Muslim Ummah on the basis of the agreed upon principles of striving to establish an Islamic State based on socio-politico-economic principles of Islam on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madinah after the conquest of Makkah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs), in the context of the modern age.

In order to grasp the real essence of the Islamic ‘System’ as a whole, the following English translations of the books written by the Late Dr Israr Ahmad (RAA) are very useful:

• The Prophet’s Strategy of Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)

• The Reality of Tasawwuf: In The Light Of The Prophetic Model (https://tanzeem.org/ books/reality-of-tasawwuf/

• Lessons from History (https://tanzeem.org/books/lessons-from-history/)

• Islamic Renaissance: The Real Task Ahead (https://tanzeem.org/books/islamic-renaissance-the-real-task-ahead/)

• Constitutional and Legislative Framework of The System of Khilafah in Modern Times (https://tanzeem.org/books/khilafah-in-pakistan-what-why-and-how/)

These books can be ordered directly by emailing us at markaz@tanzeem.org

Digital copies of Tanzeem books are available on the website: www.tanzeem.org/books

Q 4 : What is the Islamic justification for the claim that one must be part of a jama’ah? Isn’t it sufficient for a Muslim to belong to the global Muslim Ummah (Al-Jama’ah)?

The crux of the issues mentioned in this question are:

1. Is it necessary to be part of a Jama’ah, from an Islamic Perspective?

2. Why is it not enough to be part of the global Muslim Ummah (stated as Al-Jama’ah in the query), instead of reinventing the wheel by creating a new Jama’ah.

The two issues above are interwoven and linked with the person who would lead the Muslim Ummah – The Ameer/Leader.

There is sufficient evidence in the Sunnah and Seerah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the almost 1300-years history of Khilafah that it is necessary for a Muslim to be part of a Jama’ah.

It has to be emphasized that presently there is no practical manifestation of a ‘Muslim Ummah’ or ‘Al Jama’ah’ in the historical and traditional sense of Islam, as the concept of Ummah / Jama’ah by default dictates the presence of an Ameer and we all know that there is no single Ameer for the entire body of Muslims in the world today.

Tanzeem-e-Islami has the stated objective of making concentrated, centralized, and concerted effort to establish the Islamic socio-politico-economic order, on the lines of the one established during the Khilafat-e-Rashida (in toto, initially in Pakistan and then in other parts of the world). In order to achieve this, Tanzeem-e-Islami is following the prophetic model of organization in the form of Bai’yah and well-disciplined party structure (Jama’ah, with an Ameer).

Therefore, it becomes imperative for Muslims to strive for establishing an Islamic State based on socio-politico-economic principles of Islam on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madinah after the conquest of Makkah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs), in the context of the modern age, to put all the required pieces back as a unified whole, so that entire Muslim Ummah be considered as Al Jama’ah.

“It is narrated by Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever sees from his commander anything he dislikes, let him endure it, for indeed the one who departs from the Jama’ah one hand span, then dies, he dies the death of Jahiliyyah.” (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) is also reported to have said, “I order you of five things: to be with Al-Jama’ah, to listen to the leader(s), to obey the leader’s orders, Hijrah, and Jihad.” (Tirmizi)

It is a fact that the ideal form of governance from the Islamic perspective, i.e., Khilafah and a unified Muslim Ummah (Al Jama’ah) does not exist in the present world (ever since the abolishment of the Khilafah in 1924). It, thus, becomes the foremost priority of Muslims to revert to that ideal form and system of governance by forming / joining a revivalist party that is working to re-establish the pure Islamic System mentioned above. The primary and stated goal of that essentially Islamic Revolutionary Party would be to establish the system of Islamic social justice as a reflection of the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate), based on the Islamic ideal of “listen and obey” سمعنا و اطعنا ) to the Ameer, a discipline that can only be achieved by following the Prophetic model of Baiy‘ah.

The Holy Prophet is reported to have said, “Whosoever obeyed the leader (Imam or Ameer), he obeyed me (i.e., the Prophet) and whosoever disobeyed the leader, he disobeyed me.” (Sahih Muslim)

The second of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, Hazrat Umar (RA) is reported to have said, “There is no Jama’ah without an Ameer.”

Q 5 : I have read and pondered over Tanzeem’s literature and I have come to the conclusion that Tanzeem will facilitate me in fulfilling my obligation which are impossible to be fulfilled individually. How can I become member of Tanzeem?

Tanzeem-e-Islami recommends that anyone interested in becoming a member (Rafiq) of Tanzeem-e-Islami does a thorough reading and study of the basic literature of the organization, in order to understand what the Tanzeem stands for, its mission and objectives, its methodology and its requirements from Rufaqa.

Before making the decision to join the Tanzeem, it is important that the basic mission and objective of Tanzeem-e-Islami is reflected upon and pondered, and in case of the need for further explanation the Tanzeem be contacted with pertinent queries. The basic mission and philosophy of Tanzeem-e-Islami are:

In a nutshell, Tanzeem-e-Islami is neither a religious sect nor a political party in the familiar (prevalent) sense, but essentially an Islamic Revolutionary Party, whose goal is to establish the system of social justice based upon the principles of the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate) firstly in Pakistan and then in the whole world. If, after having completed this study, one is convinced that joining Tanzeem would help him achieve his aspirations, then he should take the following steps:

Download Baiyah and Kwaif forms from the website: www.tanzeem.org. Fill in the forms and send scanned copies by email/post/WhatsApp to Tanzeem Office. (email: markaz@tanzeem.org)

Further explanation can be found by reading the following literature:

• Islamic Revivalist Struggle and Main Task Ahead (https://tanzeem.org/books/islamic-renaissance-the-real-task-ahead/)

• Objective and Goal of Muhammad’s (PBUH) Prophethood (https://tanzeem.org/books/muhammad-saww-the-objective-of-his-appointment/)

• The Prophet’s Strategy of Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)

• Process of an Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)

• Islamic Renaissance: The Real Task Ahead (https://tanzeem.org/books/islamic-renaissance-the-real-task-ahead/)

• Constitutional and Legislative Framework of The System of Khilafah in Modern Times (https://tanzeem.org/books/khilafah-in-pakistan-what-why-and-how/) • Bai’yah (https://tanzeem.org/books/baiyah-the-basis-for-organization-of-a-revivalist-party-in-islam/) • The Obligations Muslims Owe to the Qur’an (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-obligations-muslims-owe-to-the-quran/) • Obligations to God (https://tanzeem.org/books/obligations-to-god/) • The Way to Salvation (https://tanzeem.org/books/way-to-salvation-in-the-light-of-surah-al-asr/) • Three Point Action Agenda (https://tanzeem.org/books/3-points-action-agenda-for-the-muslim-ummah/) • Calling People unto Allah (https://tanzeem.org/books/calling-people-unto-allah/) • The Call of Tanzeem-e-Islami (https://tanzeem.org/books/call_of_tanzeem-e-islami/) • The Genesis of Tanzeem-e-Islami (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-genesis-of-tanzeem-e-islami/) • Khilafah in Pakistan (https://tanzeem.org/books/khilafah-in-pakistan-what-why-and-how/) • Lessons from History (https://tanzeem.org/books/lessons-from-history/)

• Islamic Revolutionary Thought and its Decline (https://www.institutealislam.com/islamic-revolutionary-thought-and-its-decline-by-dr-israr-ahmad/) • New literature being published from time to time

These books can be ordered directly by emailing us at markaz@tanzeem.org

The digital copies of Tanzeem books are available on the website: https://tanzeem.org/books/

Q 6 : I have understood the holistic concept of deen presented by Tanzeem and I want to join this organization. But I want to know my duties as a member of Tanzeem and how Tanzeem will help me in fulfilling my obligations towards Allah (SWT)?

It is good that you have understood the holistic concept of Deen and have the desire to join Tanzeem-e-Islami as a member (Rafiq). However, it is important to understand and note that this holistic concept of Deen has not been presented by Tanzeem-e-Islami. In fact, “Iqamatuddin” is not a new or modern term coined by Tanzeem-e-Islami. The Qur’an, Sunnah and Seerah all describe it as the establishment of Khilafah or the Deen of Allah (Wholesome System of Islam, not just religious rituals).

Following are the duties of a member (Rafiq/Rafiqa) of Tanzeem-e-Islami,

1. Continuous endeavor to strengthen and deepen Islamic faith and belief. In order to achieve it, inculcate in himself the habit of reciting more and more Qurán with understanding and thoughtfulness. Attending Quránic lectures with regularity and continuity.

2. Occasional meditation and inner soul searching with regards to whether or not acquiring Allah’s pleasure and success in the hereafter has become one’s sole purpose of life and ultimate aspiration? In addition, like his prayers and sacrifices, has his day-to-day living also become exclusively for Allah (SWT). ان صلاتى و نسكى ومحياى و مماتى لله رب العلمين

If he realizes any shortcomings in this regard, he should consider it his first and foremost obligation to redress it. The reason being that all other vocational (invitational) and Tanzeemi (organizational) responsibilities are mainly dependent upon this purity of intention (اخلاص نيت).

3. A constant effort to keep fine tuning one’s belief and keep refreshing the deep meaning and inevitable end result of Shahadah (Kalma-e-Shahadat). Reading from time-to-time pages 66 to 75 of Taáruf-e-Tanzeem (booklet) is necessary in this regard.

4. Fulfilling one’s obligations (Fard فرائض) and compulsories (Wajibat واجبات), refraining from all forbidden things and acts and staying away from (Makroh-e-Tehrimi مكروه تحريمى ) repulsive disgusts which are close to Haram. Keep all of his finances and social affairs clean from (Makrohat مكروهات ) dislikeables. It should be one’s constant endeavor to keep himself closer and closer to the ways of Prophet Mohammad (saw), ways of Khulafa-e-Rashideen and practices of companions of Holly Prophet (saw). Viewing pages 76 to 78 of Taáruf-e-Tanzeem تعارف تنظيم booklet will be helpful in this regard.

5. One should strive to continuously increase his /her religious knowledge. Try to attend and complete all educational, instructional and training courses/programs arranged by Tanzeem-e-Islami in due course of time.

6. In his individual capacity one should make all possible efforts to become a proselytizer (Daáee داعى ) of Allah (SWT). One should keep in view all the laid down principles and guidelines for a (Daáee داعى ) mentioned in the explanatory section of the Founding Charter of Tanzeem mentioned on pages 31 to 34 of Taárufe Tanzeem تعارف تنظيم booklet.

7. Every Rafique (member) of Tanzeem on one hand will make special effort to read various articles / literature of Tanzeem and listen to important speeches particularly Friday Khutba (sermon) of Amir-e-Tanzeem (Periodicals of Tanzeem “Meesaq” ميثاق and “Nida-e-Khilafat” ندائ خلافت are important sources of information and learning in this regards). On the other hand, he will try to streamline himself in the discipline of Tanzeem with an attitude of submission. Hence, he should attend all gatherings of Tanzeem regularly so that he can be aware of various instructions in time from higher-ups.

8. Always remember the principles and guidelines mentioned in section 8 and 9 of the Constitution of Tanzeem, when it comes to criticism, accountability and disagreement with respect to other Rufaqa and people with responsibilities. The rafique should ensure through meditation and soul-searching that unconsciously and unknowingly, by the whispers of Satan, any ill feeling in his heart may not creep in for other Rufaqa of Tanzeem and especially against the hierarchy of Tanzeem.

9. One should resolve to give some time (at an average 1 and a ½ hour daily) for vocational invitational (Dawati دعوتى ) and Tanzeemi تنظيمى (organizational) activities.

10. He should resolve that every month he will contribute a certain amount as Infaq إنفاق (Charity) in the way of Allah in Baitul Maal بيت المال of Tanzeem as per his capacity. At a minimum, a contribution of 5% of his monthly income is recommended as a target.

The ten qualities mentioned above should be memorized by every Rafique.

Tanzeem-e-Islami assists its members (rufaqa رفقأ / rafiqatرفيقات ) in fulfilling obligations towards Allah (SWT) in the following ways:

1. System of Usra اسرة; Naqeeb نقيبworking as a mentor.

2. Ameer-e-Tanzeem’s أميرتنظيم sermons on Fridays and at other forums; guiding Rufaqa رفقأ regarding current national & international affairs. 3. Weekly & monthly journals for education of Rufaqa.

4. Workshops & courses to improve the Deeni Knowledge of Rufaqa رفقأ and preparing them for their struggle against the current Batil System باطل نظام. 5. Study of Tanzeem’s literature.

6. Training تربيت of Rufaqa رفقأ by encouraging them to benefit from the huge resource of Audio/Visual Material.

In this regard the study of the following literature is very helpful:

• Islamic Revivalist Struggle and Main Task Ahead (https://tanzeem.org/books/islamic-renaissance-the-real-task-ahead/)

• Objective and Goal of Muhammad’s (PBUH) Prophethood (https://tanzeem.org/books/muhammad-saww-the-objective-of-his-appointment/)

• The Prophet’s Strategy of Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)

• Process of an Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)

• Islamic Renaissance: The Real Task Ahead (https://tanzeem.org/books/islamic-renaissance-the-real-task-ahead/)

• Constitutional and Legislative Framework of The System of Khilafah in Modern Times (https://tanzeem.org/books/khilafah-in-pakistan-what-why-and-how/)

• Bai’yah (https://tanzeem.org/books/baiyah-the-basis-for-organization-of-a-revivalist-party-in-islam/)

• The Obligations Muslims Owe to the Qur’an (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-obligations-muslims-owe-to-the-quran/) • Obligations to God (https://tanzeem.org/books/obligations-to-god/)

• The Way to Salvation (https://tanzeem.org/books/way-to-salvation-in-the-light-of-surah-al-asr/)

• Three Point Action Agenda (https://tanzeem.org/books/3-points-action-agenda-for-the-muslim-ummah/)

• Calling People unto Allah (https://tanzeem.org/books/calling-people-unto-allah/) • The Call of Tanzeem-e-Islami (https://tanzeem.org/books/call_of_tanzeem-e-islami/) • The Genesis of Tanzeem-e-Islami (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-genesis-of-tanzeem-e-islami/) • Khilafah in Pakistan (https://tanzeem.org/books/khilafah-in-pakistan-what-why-and-how/) • Lessons from History (https://tanzeem.org/books/lessons-from-history/)

These books can be ordered directly by emailing us at markaz@tanzeem.org

The digital copies of Tanzeem books are available on the website: https://tanzeem.org/books/

Q 7 : Is it possible for someone to participate in Tanzeem’s activities without joining it?

Yes, it is possible for someone to participate in Tanzeem-e-Islami’s activities without joining it in the following ways:

1. Attending Daroos-e-Quran, Daura Terjama Quran during Ramadhan & other programmes of Tanzeem, and inviting friends and family members to these programmes.

2. Participating in the courses offered by Tanzeem to general Public.

3. Participating in the Online courses offered by Tanzeem, to learn about Quranic Arabic language, Understanding Quran, Hadith , and related topics.

Q 8 : What is the Belief System of Tanzeem-e-Islami?

Tanzeem-e-Islami’s beliefs are aligned with those of Ahle-Sunnat wal Jamaat (اہل سنت والجماعت) according to which every sane and adult male or female is bound to declare that

اٰمَنْتُ بِاللّٰہِ کَمَا ھُوَ بِاَسْمَآئِـہٖ وَصِفَاتِہٖ وَقَبِلْتُ جَمِیْعَ اَحْکَامِہٖ اِقْرَارٌ بِۢاللِّسَانِ وَتَصْدِیْقٌ بِۢالْقَلْبِ (ايمان مجمل)

“I believe in Allah, as He is known by his names and attributes, and I accept (to obey) all His commands, pledging with my tongue and testifying them with my heart” (Emaan Mujmal)

اٰمَنْتُ بِاللّٰہِ وَمَلٰٓئِکَتِہٖ وَکُتُبِہٖ وَرُسُلِہٖ وَالْیَوْمِ الْاٰخِرِ وَالْقَدْرِ خَیْرِہٖ وَشَرِّہٖ مِنَ اللّٰہِ تَعَالٰی وَالْبَعْثِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ (ايمان مفصل)

“I believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Judgement Day and in Taqdeer, that all good and bad is from Allah the Most High and I believe in the resurrection after death.” (Emaan Mufassal)

Faith (Emaan) is the foundation of Islam and Emaan Mujmal ( مجمل ایمان) and Emaan Mufassal (ايمان مفصل) above, as transmitted from our forefathers, are apt and comprehensive.

• Allah SWT is a living being present from eternity and will remain eternal. He has no partners in person, in attributes, in rights, in authority and we know Him through His names and His attributes only.

• Angels are honorable beings created by Allah SWT from Noor. They have distinct identities and are not known to be males or females.

• Four of Allah SWT books are well known i.e., Torah was given to Prophet Moses, Zaboor to Prophet Daud (Psalms of David), Injeel (Bible) to Prophet Eisah (Jesus) and Quran was revealed to the last of the Messengers Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which is the last of His books and is fully preserved in its original form.

• The prophets of Allah are the best of Human Beings who were chosen by Allah SWT to convey His message to the mankind. They were free from sins and the best of mankind. Some of them have a higher status in certain aspects while Prophet Muhammad is the last and final Prophet and has the highest status of them all.

• All human beings will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement and presented in the court of Allah SWT for accountability and reward / punishment and as a consequence either enter Paradise or Hell.

• Taqdeer i.e., good and evil being from Allah SWT means that He is absolute in His authority and all that transpires in His creations happens with His permission only.

• Resurrection means when Allah SWT wills, trumpet (صور ) will be blown and the whole system of the Universe will descend into chaos and everyone will fall dead. Then when Allah wills, trumpet (صور ) will be blown a second time and every human who ever lived from Prophet Adam to the last person on earth will be raised again and assembled on the day of judgement.

• No one after Prophet Muhammad PBUH is to be considered a Prophet (Nabi or Rasool) in any sense and / or deemed free from sins. At the same time, no one is to be regarded such that accepting him is essential to the belief for becoming a Muslim. A person having such belief is out of the fold of Islam e.g., Qadianis.

• It is our belief that companions (sahaba) of the Prophet PBUH are best among the Ummah to the extent that no non-sahabi can reach the status of a sahabi. Loving them is part of the faith. While some may have a higher status partially in some facets, the overall gradation is that those who performed Baiy’ah-e-Rizwan are higher in status than all others, then higher than them are those who participated in the Battle of Badr, then the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise in this world (Ashra Mubashara) and then on top are the four caliphs whose status is in the sequence of their caliphates.

Q 9 : Is there no benefit of Belief (ایمان) without good deeds (عمل صالح ) that you people put so much emphasis on good deeds?

Belief (ایمان) is beneficial in this world and the hereafter. A hadeeth says that lack of good deeds in a believing person makes him a sinner and transgressor. People will be sent to hell because of sin and wrongdoings but will be taken out after having completed their punishment. It is reported in a hadeeth that “Allah SWT will order the angels to take out from hell whoever has even a grain of Belief (ایمان) in his heart”. This is the benefit of Belief (ایمان) which will appear in the hereafter. Tanzeem-e-Islami emphasizes good deeds along with Belief (ایمان) so that Muslims completely evade hell since it is a dreadful place even for a short duration let alone longer period. It may be mentioned that Faith and Good Deeds are always mentioned together as an entity in the Quran and only those with both are given glad tidings.

The other reason for us emphasizing good deeds is because this issue is related to the fact that the language of law and jurisprudence and that of preaching, calling people to Allah, sermonizing, lecturing and moralizing are poles apart. The second reason is related to the definition of Belief (ایمان) in which two of the greatest personalities of the Ummah are apparently at odds with each other. Consequently, the greatest jurist Imam Abu Hanifa’s well-known opinion is “that Belief (ایمان) is declaration which neither increases nor decreases” whereas the greatest Hadeeth Scholar Imam Bukhari says “Belief (ایمان) is declaration as well as practice which increases as well as decreases”. The beautiful reconciliation between these two diametrically opposite statements is that the first interpretation is that of jurisprudence and legal Belief (ایمان) which is admitted in this world and on the basis of which a person is considered Muslim or not, whereas the second interpretation is that of the real Belief (ایمان) which will be acceptable in the hereafter. Both interpretations are 100 percent correct in their own way. If this basic fact is kept in view, then several ahadeeth where “Belief (ایمان)” and “Islam” are described as separate entities, this apparent contradiction can be easily understood.

As an example, on the one hand it is being said in the form of a warning and caution thrice that “By God he is not Mo’min. When it was asked who? The reply came “One from whose provocations his neighbor is not in peace”. On the other hand, there is encouragement and motivation in that “If you feel good after doing a good deed and feel regret after doing a bad deed, then you are Mo’min”. Further explanation of this has been made by Dr. Israr Ahmed in one of his writings. He says, “I do not consider it appropriate to reject the profession of Belief (ایمان) by someone, so in my view even a committer of a bigger (کبیرہ) sin cannot be declared a kafir, so there is only one shape of declaring someone kafir i.e. when someone denies a basic tenet of Islam (example Khatm-e-Nabuwwat) or makes an interpretation of it that amounts to denying it. Of course, the matter of hereafter is with Allah SWT. He knows what is in the hearts (عليم بذات الصدور) therefore will decide on the basis of his perfect knowledge. In principle, it can be said that only that Belief (ایمان) will be acceptable which at some level is with confirmation from the heart (تصديق بالقلب) and at this level good deeds form part of the Belief (ایمان).

Q 10 : What is Tanzeem-e-Islami’s position regarding Companions (صحابہ کرام) of the Prophet PBUH?

Tanzeem-e-Islami shares the same opinion about Companions as that of Ahle-Sunnat-wal-Jamaat (اہل سنت والجماعت). Dr. Israr Ahmed, founder of Tanzeem-e-Islami, has expounded this position in detail in his book “Introduction to Tanzeem-e-Islami” under the topic of Faith in Prophethood (ایمان بالرسالت). He explains that the system established by the Prophet PBUH and which remained fully intact during the righteous caliphate is the only true and established interpretation of Islamic System and the Truthful Way of Life (دین حق). In other words, Khilafat-e-Rashida is “Khilafat on the lines of Prophethood” (خلافت علی منہاج النبوہ) and the Four Caliphs Abu Bakr Siddiq R.A, Umar Farooq R.A, Usman Ghani R.A and Ali Haider R.A are all righteous caliphs and on the true path who, after Prophet PBUH, are examples to be followed. In addition, the Companions who had the privilege of the Prophet’s company and received education and training directly from him are, as a group, the best among the whole of Ummah to the extent that no non-companion can ever reach the status of a companion. Their love is part of our faith (ایمان), their respect and reverence is in fact respect and reverence of the prophet PBUH, their disrespect and disdain is disrespect and disdain of the prophet PBUH. There may be aspects in which some of them hold partially higher status than others but as a whole those who took Baiy’ah-e-Ridhwan (بیعت رضوان) hold higher status than other companions, the status of those who took part in the battle of Badar (اصحاب بدر) is one level higher, then higher than them are the ten who were given glad tidings of Jannat in this world (عشرہ مبشرہ). Then from among those ten (10), four caliphs are the highest in rank and their rank is determined by the sequence in the Khilafat-e-Rashida i.e., Abu Bakr RA, Umar Khattab RA, Usman Ghani RA and Ali Murtaza RA, in that order.

Also, all companions are just (عد ول). Any differences among them are due to error in Ijtihad and not due to selfishness. The safest approach regarding their disagreements is to remain silent completely. However, if there is a pressing real need to discuss those, while one can consider one companion’s viewpoint correct compared to the other (due to an error in Ijtehad), it is not allowed to criticize and condemn any of them.

Q 11 : Is Tanzeem-e-Islami a Party or a Sect?

Tanzeem-e-Islami is a principled Islamic Revolutionary Party which calls for unity of the Ummah and is not a religious sect or cult. Our currently known sects are based on fiqh or diverse interpretations in faith. Tanzeem-e-Islami is neither a religious sect nor based on a specific fiqh system (Hanafi, Maliki, Shaafae, Hanbali, Ahle-Hadeeth). Muslims belonging to either of the fiqh systems can join Tanzeem and so can those belonging to all groups of Tasawwaf (Chishti, Qadri, Naqshbandi, Suhrwardi, etc.). Tanzeem is not particularly associated with any of them. Anyone whose goals and objectives are common with Tanzeem, he can join it. Similarly, Tanzeem does not hold any special preference from the two major groups of Hanafis i.e., Deobandis and Barelvis who have minor differences in belief.

It is important to clarify that although Tanzeem calls itself a Jamaat, it does not consider itself “Al-Jamaat”. In our view, “Al-Jamaat” is Ummat-e-Muslima as a whole. Tanzeem-e-Islami is a group of Muslims in which anyone who desires self-reformation and enhancement can join and so can those who want to fulfil their individual religious obligations. On the one hand the members’ mutual cooperation can be a support for each other and on the other, an effective force can be provided for societal improvement.

Tanzeem-e-Islami is also not a political or a reformatory party with a program of partial reformation in the society or which aims to bring superficial political change through electoral politics within the current system. Instead, it is a principled Islamic Revolutionary Party whose mission is to bring about Islamic Revolution firstly in Pakistan, created in the name of Islam, which can result in a complete overhaul of all facets of individual and collective life; and later, Islamic form of government can be established globally.

Q 12 : Does Tanzeem-e-Islami view Deen and Madhhab as same or is there any difference between the two?

In Quran and Hadeeth, the terminology used for Islam is “Deen” and not “Madhhab”. Although in the initial period of our history, the term Madhhab was used as a synonym of Deen in a wider sense. Later this term was used to differentiate various schools of jurisprudence e.g., Madhhab Hanafi, Madhhab Shafaee, etc. There are laws and regulations at individual and collective level in each Madhhab (jurisprudence). Under the influence of western ideologies, when the word religion was translated into Madhhab (مذھب), it limited the meaning of the term. Nowadays it is considered to mean an individual’s personal life which encompasses only three aspects of his life i.e.,

Beliefs, modes of worship, and social customs. People of the west limited their religion to their personal lives. A large majority of Muslims, under influence of the western ideologies, consider Islam to be a religion only in the contemporary sense. They are contented with following a few of Islamic practices at the individual level and forgotten the Quranic dictate of observing all commandments at the individual as well as collective level “ادخلوا فى السلم كافه”. In our view, the major role in bringing about this misunderstanding was played during the period of kingships by the corrupt Muslim rulers and world-loving religious leaders and under a conspiracy, relation of the masses with the Quran was ruptured. This resulted in the concept of Deen gradually becoming narrower and narrower and modes of worship came to be considered as total Deen.

Later, the domination of a large part of the world of Islam by the European nations, struck another fatal blow as a result of which the situation today is that, while as per Allah SWT “Islam is the only Deen” (ان الدين عندالله الاسلام), the dominant view in the world today is that of secularism. As per this view, it is perfectly acceptable to follow any religion in one’s personal life but Allah SWT’s commandments cannot be an authority or guide in the collective life of a society. Collective matters are decided by majority opinion of the masses. In other words, on one hand secularism accommodates all religions at individual level but does not permit the divine guidance to interfere with the laws of the society. Secularism is the worst kind of rebellion by man against Allah SWT in the whole of human history which aims to limit his Greatness and Authority to houses of worship. This clash is only with Islam since all other revealed religions have limited their religions to personal level.

In a state, many religions can be practiced concurrently but only one system can govern collective life. That system will either be God-given in the form of Islam or will be man-made. Therefore, the real target of Secularism is Islam. According to the Quran, it is incumbent upon Muslims to strive to keep Islam intact if already established; and to strive for it if it is not established. Today, since Islam is not established as Deen, we consider it to be Muslims’ primary responsibility to understand the demand of Deen that merely professing the beliefs, following modes of worship and social customs in private lives will not fulfill the complete obligation of following Islam completely. We need to make it our life’s mission to struggle for establishment of Islam and to implement Islamic injunctions in the collective affairs of the society (public life) namely economic, political and social.

Q 13 : Do you think it is important that Pakistan embraces Islam in its politics?

The short answer is yes.

Allah سبحانه و تعالى is the real Ruler and human beings are his Khalifa on this earth. The following verses of the Quran establish that :

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِنْ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلَّهِ أَمَرَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُوا إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ
“Whatever you worship, other than Him, are nothing but names you have coined, you and your fathers. Allah has sent down no authority for them. It is only Allah Who decides. He has ordained that you shall not worship anyone but Him. This is the only right path. But most of the people do not know.” [Yusuf 12:40]

قُلْ إِنِّي عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّي وَكَذَّبْتُمْ بِهِ مَا عِندِي مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ إِنْ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلَّهِ يَقُصُّ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْفَاصِلِينَ

“Say, “I am on clear guidance from my Lord, and you have cried lies to it. That which you demand to be hastened is not up to me. It is only Allah Who decides. He relates the Truth and He is the best of all judges.” [An’aam 6:57]

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“O you who believe, do not proceed ahead of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [Hujarat 49:1]

… وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْكَافِرُونَ

“… and those who do not judge according to what Allah has sent down, they are the disbelievers.” [Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:44]

… وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الظَّالِمُونَ

“…and those who do not judge according to what Allah has sent down, they are the unjust.” [Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:45]
… وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْفَاسِقُونَ

“…and those who do not judge according to what Allah has sent down, they are the sinners.” [Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:47]

أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنْ اللَّهِ حُكْماً لِقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

“Is it, then, the judgement of (the days of) Ignorance that they seek? Who is better in judgement than Allah, for a people who believe? “ [Ma’idah 5:50]
It is therefore clear that it is obligatory to follow Islam in all spheres of life.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ

“O you who believe, enter Islam completely, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Surely, he is an open enemy for you;” [Baqarah 2:208]

In fact, any ‘Muslim state’ has a fundamental obligation to strive and establish the Islamic form of governance. That alludes to the ‘Just Islamic Order‘ by striving to establish an Islamic Welfare State on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Madinah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) in Islamic history, in the context of the modern age.

Pakistan is no exception to the rule mentioned above. In fact, Pakistan is the only country in the modern age that was created on the basis of Islam. Therefore, the raison d’être — the rationale for the creation of Pakistan — was both religious and ideological.

The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said in his speech to the Tribal Jirga made on 17 April 1948

https://united4justice.wordpress.com/tag/muhammad-ali-jinnah-address-to-the-tribal-jirga-at-government-house/ that Muslims should stand united based on the fundamental tenets of Islam, “Whatever I have done, I did as a servant of Islam and only tried to perform my duty and made every possible contribution within my power to help our Nation. It has been my constant endeavor to try to bring about unity among Musalmans, and I hope that in the great task of reconstruction and building up great and glorious Pakistan, that is ahead of us, you realize that solidarity is now more essential than it ever was for achieving Pakistan, which by the grace of God we have already done. I am sure that I shall have your fullest support in this mission. I want every Musalman to do his utmost and help me and support me in creating complete solidarity among the Musalmans, and I am confident that you will not lag behind any other individual or part of Pakistan. We Musalmans believe in one God, one book – the Holy Quran – and one Prophet. So, we must stand united as one Nation.”

Quaid-e-Azam understood that an Islamic social welfare state based on the Islamic principles would be the only viable solution for the country. He also realized the importance of having an economic model that was in consistence with Islamic principles. Quaid’s aversion to the western economic system could be understood from the speech he made during the opening ceremony of the Peshawar Branch of the State Bank of Pakistan in 1948, http://www.jinnahofpakistan.com/2010/04/state-bank-of-pakistan-symbol-of-our.html where he famously said, ”I shall watch with keenness the work of your research organization in evolving banking practices compatible with Islamic ideas of social and economic life. The economic system of the West has created almost insoluble problems for humanity and to many of us it appears that only a miracle can save it from disaster that is now facing the world. It has failed to do justice between man and man and to eradicate friction from the international field. On the contrary, it was largely responsible for the two world wars in the last half century. The adoption of Western economic theory and practice will not help us in achieving our goal of creating a happy and contended people. We must work our destiny in our own way and present to the world an economic system based on true Islamic concept of equality of manhood and social justice.”

Moreover, in his address to the Karachi Bar Association on 25 January 1948 Jinnah said, “…There are people who want to create mischief and make the propaganda that we will scrap the Shariat Law. Islamic principles have no parallel. Today they are as applicable in actual life as they were 1300 years ago.”

https://pakistan.gov.pk/Quaid/messages_page2.html

Therefore, it is not only important, but essential for Pakistan to embrace Islam in its politics.

Q 14 : Can Islam and democracy go together? How?

The table below carries a comparison of the basic philosophy of Democracy vs Islam.

DEMOCRACY ISLAM

1 Government of the People, By the People, for the People, Government of Allah, By the Muslims, For the People

2 Rule of the people, Rule of the Majority Rule of Allah the Almighty

Let us consider the guidance we get from Allah سبحانه و تعالى in this context. Allah سبحانه و تعالى says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

O you who believe, do not proceed ahead of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Hujarat 49:1)

While, the Western constitutional and democratic model works satisfactorily as the basis of organizational structure for community work, institution building, and Da’wah work (propagation of the religion), the model is not suitable for the purpose of establishing a truly revivalist and revolutionary party. The reason is very simple. In order to restore Khilafah (Caliphate) to its zenith, the ‘order’ that destroyed it in 1924 (modern Western democracy/capitalism) will have to be razed to the ground and only then can it be replaced by the pure Islamic System.

Furthermore, the organizational model that we find in the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is based on Baiy’ah (pledge of allegiance).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was a Messenger of Almighty Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) and every command from him had to be followed. He did not need to take Baiy’ah from the Companions رضى الله تعالى عنهمbut the only reason he took baiy’ah was to leave a model for his Ummah. The Caliphs after him continued the same system, and after them almost all of the revivalist movements have adopted the same system of Baiy’ah for the purpose of organization.

In the Western constitutional and democratic model, a number of people who want to achieve the same goals get together and form an organization in which the majority vote is decisive. In the system based on Baiy‘ah, on the other hand, one person gives a call that he is going to initiate the struggle for the revival and establishment of the Deen of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى); he then invites people to join him in this cause (Ref: Surah Al-Saff 61:14). In such a system, the leader (or Ameer) is required to consult with his associates (or rufaqa) but is not bound by the majority decision (Ref: Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:159). The only difference between the Baiy’ah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Baiy‘ah of a leader (Ameer) today, is that while each and every command given by the Prophet (peace be upon him) had to be followed, the leader of a revivalist party shall be obeyed not in an absolute sense but only within the bounds of the Shari‘ah (i.e., fil Mar‘uf).

Without the system of Baiy‘ah, no revivalist party can claim for itself the status of Al-Jama’ah, a term applicable only to the collective organization of the entire Muslim Ummah under a (one) single leader or Ameer.

Although ideal from the Islamic perspective, this unified state of the Muslim Ummah does not exist in the present world, yet we believe that the internal discipline of a revivalist party that is working to re-establish the pure Islamic System ought to be based on the Islamic ideal of “listening and obeying” to the Ameer. We firmly believe that an amorphous (and anonymous!) body of Islamic workers, scattered all over the world and without a well-defined leadership, hardly merits the expression “the Islamic movement.” It is at best a hypothetical entity.

Tanzeem-e Islami is aiming at a concentrated, centralized, and concerted effort to establish the Islamic socio-politico-economic order, on the lines of the one established during the Khilafat-e-Rashida (in toto), initially in Pakistan and then in other parts of the world. In order to achieve this, Tanzeem-e-lslami is following the prophetic model of organization in the form of Baiy’ah and well-disciplined party structure.

It must be understood that our job as a Tanzeem is to strive for establishing an Islamic Welfare State on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Madinah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) in Islamic history, in the context of the modern age.

Since its inception, Tanzeem-e-lslami has categorically declared that its role in the prevalent system of electoral politics would be limited to intellectual critique and opinion sharing only, and that neither would the organization ever practically take part in the prevalent form of electoral politics nor would it allow any of its rufaqa (members) to become part of the electoral process as candidates.

The rationale behind the entire policy stated above is that Tanzeem-e-lslami believes, and has been proven right historically, that an Islamic revolution, revival and change on the lines of the one brought about by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in Madinah and perpetuated during the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate) cannot be achieved in Pakistan, or anywhere in today‘s world for that matter, by the existing process of electoral politics (democracy) or, for that matter even by a dictatorship. Regarding the query, in a democratic society, elections provide an easy opportunity to become part of the status quo and bring cosmetic change in the leadership, but there is no change in the system as a whole.

It must be understood that in a true Islamic Government, there is limited freedom in running the Affairs of the State because an Islamic State is bound by the freedom granted it by Allah سبحانه و تعالى. The hadeeth, as narrated in Musnad Ahmed, clarifies it beautifully.

“The example of a Mo’min and Faith is like a horse which is tied to a post” (Musnad Ahmed).

Such a horse is limited in movement within a circle of radius equal to the length of the rope tying it. Similarly, a Muslim (individual or state) can freely move within the bounds of Shariah but cannot cross the limits.

The essence of this is best captured in the Objectives Resolution which is the preamble to the Constitution of Pakistan and which states “No legislation will be done repugnant to the Quran and Sunnah”.

For the subjects, the guidance is in the following hadeeth in Musnad Ahmad

لاطاعت لمخلوق فى معصية الخالق

There is no obedience to creation in disobedience to the Creator.

This means that if the rulers require the ruled to do actions which disobey Allah سبحانه و تعالى, then they should refuse to obey the rulers.

وَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ

“and those who have responded to their Lord (in submission to Him), and have established Salāh, and whose affairs are (settled) with mutual consultation between them, and who spend out of what We have given to them”, [Ash-Shura 42:38]

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاً

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Then, if you quarrel about something, revert it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is good, and the best at the end.” (AlNisaa 4:59)

Our entire struggle is to tear down the ‘current world order’ based on political, economic and social exploitation, borrowed from the ideology of the modem Western civilization, secularism and capitalism, and replace it with the ‘just Islamic order’ by striving to establish an Islamic Welfare State on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madinah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly Guided Caliphs) in Islamic history, in the context of the modern age. The inability of ‘Islamic parties’ to make any strides towards that was clearly visible in 2002, when almost all religious political parties merged to form an electoral alliance named ”Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal” (MMA), and even though they got many seats in the National Assembly and a majority in the KP (ex-NWFP) Province, so much so, that they were able to form a provincial government there, they were unable to take even a single step towards establishing a genuine Islamic Welfare State either at the federal level or in the KP province. Tanzeem-e- lslami does not want to be a mere cog in the existing machine!

Islam prescribes consultative process at various levels as ’Discuss amongst thyself’ or ‘Amruhum Shura Bainahum‘. There are differences between this consultation and the Democracy as practiced by the West. According to Islam, the Ameer is strongly urged to conduct consultations but is the final authority to make any decision he considers appropriate as long as it is within the ambit of Islam. He is not bound by the majority opinion. In Democracy, on the other hand, the decisions are bound by the will of the majority.

Beyond that, Tanzeem-e-lslami does not romanticize democracy, particularly not the oppressive and farcical version of it that has been introduced by the modern Western civilization. It must be understood that our job as a Tanzeem is to strive for establishing an Islamic Welfare State based on just politico-socio-economic order on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (peace he upon him) in Madinah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) in Islamic history, in the context of the modern age.

Q 15 : Why is Tanzeem involved with politics?

Let me start by explaining the take of Tanzeem-e-Islami on ‘politics’ and ‘political systems‘.
A Muslim has been commanded by Allah سبحانه و تعالى not only to pray and fast, but also to put in practice His injunctions with respect to the social, political, and economic aspects of life. Islam does not allow in the least the modern secular approach in which religion is confined to one’s private life and modes of worship. On no pretext whatsoever — economic stringency, difficulties in interest-free monetary transactions, social pressures to follow extravagant customary un-Islamic practices on weddings and other social occasions — can a true and committed Muslim justify himself in indulging in un-Islamic behavior. This is the basic and foremost lesson that comes out so clearly and emphatically from the following verse of Surah Aal-e-Imran for anyone who aspires to live as a Muslim and die as a Muslim.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ

“O you who believe, fear Allah, as He should be feared, and let not yourself die save as Muslims.” [Translation of Surah Aal-e-Imran; verse 102]

The varying political and social (plus economic) perspectives have changed exorbitantly during the last two centuries or so, with the rise of the modern Western civilization. The change has not stopped, and rather exceeded away from the right path of Islam towards the wrong path of Satan.

Let us also ponder on verse 13 of Surah As-Shura, and Ayah 104 of Surah Aal-e-Imran.

شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِنْ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحاً وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ اللَّهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُنِيبُ

“He has ordained for you of deen what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus – to establish the deen and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allah is that to which you invite them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back (to Him].” (Translation of Surah As-Shura; verse 13)

Thus, verse 13 of Surah As-Shura prescribes for us to establish Islam as the Deen “a code of life based on Quran & Sunnah”.

وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

”And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.” (Translation of Surah Aal-e-Imran; verse 104)

Thus, verse 104 of Surah Aal-e-Imran prescribes that at least a group of people amongst you should be there to call people to “Khair”, promote virtue, and strive to abolish vice. Simply put, it means that if the system is not there, and the whole Ummah is not doing this then at least a group of people amongst you should be on this mission. The word “Ummah” means a group of people with the same objective. So, establishing a party is an edict of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) that is viable only when the main body of the entire Ummah has forgotten its duty.

What Tanzeem-e-Islami means when it mentions ’revolution’ and ’change’ alludes to, when summarized, tearing down the ‘current world order’ based on political, economic and social exploitation, borrowed from the ideology of the modern Western civilization, secularism and capitalism, and replacing it with the ‘just Islamic order‘ by striving to establish an Islamic Welfare State on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Madinah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) in Islamic history, in the context of the modern age. It must be noted that the ’revolution’ and ’change’ starts at home at the individual level and extends through various phases of collectivity, culminating at the level of the entire Muslim Ummah (Al Jama’ah).

It must be understood that our job as Tanzeem is to strive for establishing an Islamic Welfare State as described above, regardless of the prevailing political, economic and social circumstances. We have to do it intelligently and leave the outcome with Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), as He alone is the Decider of all things.

Does Tanzeem believe that undertaking jihad in the way of Allah (SWT) is a fundamental Islamic obligation? If yes, how does it plan to fulfill that obligation?

In order to answer this question in its complete essence it is necessary to start by stating the overall mission and objective of Tanzeem-e-Islami, establishing the methodology of achieving the mission and then move on to explain the Islamic concept of ‘Jihad’.

The stated aim (mission, objective) of Tanzeem-e-Islami is to “establish an Islamic State based on socio-politico-economic principles of Islam on the lines of the one established by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madinah after the conquest of Makkah and succeeded by the first four Khulafa (Rightly-Guided Caliphs), in the context of the modern age.” Tanzeem-e-Islami is striving towards that goal by pursuing a non-violent, non-militant, revivalist revolutionary mass movement.

In a nutshell, Tanzeem-e-Islami is neither a religious sect nor a political party in the familiar (prevalent) sense, but essentially an Islamic Revolutionary Party, whose goal is to establish the system of social justice based upon the principles of the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate) firstly in Pakistan and then in the whole world.

In order to achieve the mission stated above, the only viable methodology to follow is the one pursued by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) during his (PBUH) struggle to establish the Islamic state of Madinah about fourteen and a half centuries ago, with slight adjustments to cater for the political, economic and social ‘ground realities’ of today (the modern age).

It is an irony of history that quite in line with ancient times, in the present-day dominant mindset the secular and religious worlds/spheres are kept apart and thus operate under markedly different rules. The secular world adheres to the paradigm of power, in which domination and control are intrinsic values and effectiveness serves as an overarching criterion. “The end justifies the means” is the guiding principle of the secular world. The religion’s domain is, on the other hand, thought to be a world of sheer spirituality and utter goodness, one completely divorced from the secular world. Religious people are expected to eschew secular injustice and corruption, avoid politics and remain aloof from the state, instead of confronting and overcoming such developments. One is almost compelled to believe that “The City of God” and the ‘city of man’ can never intersect.

These two worlds were brought into a remarkable harmony for the first time under the principles of Islam. It was in the state of Madinah and Rightly-Guided Caliphate that we first encounter a clearer example of polity where metaphysical beliefs and universally proclaimed moral values formed the criterion of political judgment and dispensation.

Tanzeem-e-Islami believes that the greatest need of the Muslim Ummah today is an understanding of the methodology of bringing about a revolution as was brought about by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In order to understand that it is necessary to grasp the methodology, strategy or operational model of the obligation of “Iqamatuddin” — or in other words establishing the supremacy of Islam at the global level, on the basis of the edicts of the Holy Qur’an, the Sunnah and the Seerah.
The Prophet’s (PBUH) Strategy of Islamic Revolution in Arabia comprised the following stages, in brief:

1. Revolutionary Ideology:

The first prerequisite of any revolution is a revolutionary ideology and a revolutionary philosophy that will hit like an axe on the pre-existing socio-politico-economic system, which happens to be the modern Western civilization led Socio-politico-economic system, prevalent today in the entire world. And unless it has the bite to slash through the ‘present’ political system, slash through the ‘present’ economic system and slash through the ‘present’ social system it is not a revolutionary ideology; it is merely a sermon or an academic discourse. In our case as the ideology of the Islamic System is not new, its ‘modern presentation’ will utilize new means and its explanation will have to be according to the modern terminology of the present era as well as compatible with the concurrent level of knowledge and intellectual achievements. This ideology should be spread and made popular and for that, all available means of communication of the present time should be utilized. Formerly one could walk through streets and bazaars gathering people and inviting them to a cause or people would be invited for a dinner and the message would be conveyed to them. But now one can hold assemblies, address meetings and write books. Hence, along with the print media, the electronic media and the social media, all means of communication available should be utilized for publicizing the

revolutionary ideology.
2. Organization:

At the second stage, the people who accept the revolutionary ideology, should be organized as a collective entity. There are two conditions for the formation of this group or party.

Firstly, it should be a well-knit group with very strong discipline because when a confrontation occurs and you enter the field to put an end to the current system, the elite who have interests associated with the existing system, will stand up against you to crush you to ensure the continuity of the system. That is why you will require a military discipline against all odds. Merely a mob will not be able to stand against them, rather what will be required is a strong group which will be organized on the principle of “listen and obey”, with tight discipline.
Secondly, the rank and cadre of its workers within the party would be determined on the basis of their loyalty and commitment to, and sacrifices for, the movement and not because of any other worldly reason.
3. Training (Tarbiyyah)
The third stage is that of training the workers. At this stage the revolutionary ideology should not be allowed to lapse from the minds of the workers of the revolutionary organization for even a short span of time. For it is on this ideology that the whole revolutionary struggle depends. If the revolutionary ideology has unwaveringly and solidly taken root in the mind then the will to act will also be sustained but if that ideology were to fade away from the minds of the workers then the passion to act will also disappear and steam away. Alongside this they should be trained and inured to discipline so that they listen and obey. This is not an easy task; in fact it requires a great deal of fortitude and a strict regime of training and inurement.
The third target of revolutionary training will be to develop a zeal amongst the workers of the party to sacrifice everything for the sake of the revolutionary ideology. A revolution cannot be brought about without this zeal and ardour.
4. Passive Resistance
This is so to speak the 4th stage but is in fact initiated alongside the first stage. Passive resistance means that the workers of the revolutionary movement should remain steadfast to their principle or stand, should not retreat from their stance but should not retaliate in any way to the violence and persecution they face. There is a very logical reason for this. First, conflict is created in a society by these revolutionary people. Otherwise, the people are generally quite content and satisfied with the existing state of affairs. Hence, the scenario is much like you’re throwing a stone in a placid pond and creating a frenzy of waves where there were previously no unrest or disruption. Likewise, revolutionaries raise the voice of dissent against the established system and assert that this system is wrong and that it is an exploitative and repressive system which is creating discrimination among the people.
During this stage or phase, it is likely that the target or focus of persecution will not simply be the Ameer but all workers of the revolutionary movement particularly the weak in the society and the youth from respected families. Now they are physically abused, deprived of food and kicked out of their homes. They are jailed, murdered and made to face the firing squad where hundreds of them are killed. Now, at this point Passive Resistance is required so that all the physical violence and torture is tolerated without any retaliatory action. This is so because initially the number of followers of the revolutionary party is small. If this small group of followers is to retaliate with violence the established order would have the right to crush them, thereby finishing them off. But if they do not retaliate then they will still be made the targets of such violence and persecution, but the authorities will not gain the right to crush them completely. In this manner they will gain time to act so that they can get their message across to the maximum number of people and expand their organizational base. They will only be able to confront the existing system if they have the power to do so and to acquire this power they need time which, Tanzeem-e-Islami refers to as “buying time”. Hence at this stage they should not even raise their hands in self-defense. This mode of action will have a very important consequence for the followers of the movement in that they will gain the sympathies of the public — the silent majority. Gradually, the common man starts feeling that this group is truly being subjected to unjustified and outright cruelty. Hence quite imperceptibly the sympathies of the people are turned towards the revolutionaries, thus exemplifying the wise adage: “He who conquers the hearts is the true conqueror”.
5. Active Resistance
The fifth stage of the Revolutionary struggle is that of putting up active resistance. This is a time for making an extremely crucial decision and a test of the leadership’s intelligence. It is very essential to determine the appropriate time for initiating this phase. If you are not fully prepared and you take the plunge prematurely you will be wiped out. On the other hand, if despite being ready you delay in taking the step, you lose an opportunity. In other words — ‘You have missed the bus’. Hence, whether you lose the opportunity to initiate the forward action for the revolution or take the final initiative prematurely, in both cases you will be unsuccessful. The decision to start active resistance should be made when it is felt that our numerical strength is enough. The meaning of “enough” will be different in different circumstances.
Secondly, at this stage the workers should abide by the discipline to which they have been trained. They should be inured to the principle of ‘listen and obey’ that is to say, they will only act when commanded to act and will stop only when commanded to stop. They should not be the sort of revolutionaries who initially do not act at all and if they do act, they do not stop. Only when these conditions have been fulfilled the Revolutionary Movement can move forward from the stage of Passive Resistance into the stage of Active Resistance.
6. Armed Conflict
After the stage of Active resistance, the sixth and last stage will be that of direct confrontation. That is there will be an actual physical clash between the defenders of the existing system and the revolutionaries. Because when you have started Active Resistance you have basically challenged the whole system. Hence, the dominant repressive system and its custodians will go all out in taking measures to crush the followers of the revolutionary movement. It is at this stage that the revolutionary movement will be put to the test. If the movement has prepared properly for the revolution, the organization and training of the members was done along the right lines and steps were taken timely then this movement will be successful. And if steps were taken in the context of Active Resistance without prior preparation: neither is there a sufficient number of the followers, nor had they been trained or groomed to the discipline of “listen and obey”; the movement will as a natural consequence fail. In other words, after the clash it will be either the throne or the bier, there is no middle position. There can be many forms of this conflict, and it is particularly important to understand that in a country where the ‘status quo’ in conflict with the revolutionary group would also be Muslims, alternative measure (nonviolent and peaceful agitation) have to be explored and used in order to achieve the target.
7. Outward expansion of the Revolution
Apart from the above mentioned 6 stages there is a seventh stage of revolution and it is a litmus test for a true revolution. A true revolution is never limited to the geographical, national or governmental borders. This is so because if the revolutionary ideology is powerful, convincing, strong, logical and rational, it will definitely succeed in gripping the hearts and minds of people everywhere. Hence, a true revolution will always be exported. It can never stay within the geographical boundaries of a particular region or country.
This is the blue-print of the revolutionary process that Tanzeem-e-Islami has gleaned from the life trajectory of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
All of the aforementioned are forms of ‘Jihad’, according to the edicts of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the examples from the Seerah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
They expound various forms of Jihad and also clear the misconception between ‘Jihad’ and ‘Qitaal’ found today. The biggest misconception regarding jihad in the way of Allah (SWT) amongst both the public and the scholars is that ‘jihad’ means ‘war’. Thus, ‘Jihad’ and ‘Qitaal’ have been made synonyms to each other. In lexicon and etymological sense, Jihad is general while Qitaal is specific. Which means that every Qitaal is necessarily a Jihad while every Jihad is not necessarily a Qitaal.
True faith and success in the hereafter both necessitate Jihad in Allah’s (SWT) way. Jihad has many forms as expounded in the Qur’an and the Ahadith. The basic forms of Jihad are as follows:
1. Doing Jihad by spending your wealth for this cause (of Allah SWT) i.e. Jihad Bil Maal and to exhaust your talent, understanding, intelligence etc. in the path of Allah i.e. Jihad Bil Nafs.
2. Doing ‘Jihad bil Qur’an’ or Jihad with the Qur’an spreading the message of the Quran
3. Jihad with the heart (Jihad Bil Qalb), which means hating something (kufr, evil, etc.) intensely with your heart which is in fact also a kind of Jihad.
4. Jihad with the tongue (Jihad Bil Lisan)(using all means of communication, old and new), which means speaking against an evil, which is the next stage.
5. Jihad with the hand (Jihad Bil Yad)(or force), which means using force against the evil and this is the highest stage.
6. ‘Jihad bil-Saif’ or ‘jihad with the sword’, used for Qitaal.
It must be noted that ‘Jihad for survival’, ‘Jihad for rights’ and ‘Jihad against Nafs’ are also sub-categories of Jihad.
However, it is agreed upon by scholars that the highest and most eminent form of Jihad is the Jihad at the ideological and systemic level. In other words, Jihad done for ‘Establishing the Deen’. The method of Jihad used may vary according to the stage in the process of bringing about the Islamic Revolution to eradicate the false system.
In short, Tanzeem-e-Islami firmly believes that undertaking Jihad in the Way of Allah (SWT) is a fundamental Islamic obligation. It understands the various forms of Jihad and the circumstances under which each one of them ought to be employed, as commanded in the Qur’an, Sunnah and Seerah. Tanzeem-e-Islami considers that it is currently at the ‘stage’ of passive resistance, and as such its plans to fulfill the obligation of Jihad are correlated to that stage. Once Tanzeem-e-Islami reaches the latter stages of the ‘The Prophet’s Strategy of Islamic Revolution’, it will use other forms of Jihad, intelligently and perceptively.
In this regard the study of the following literature is very helpful:
• Islamic Revivalist Struggle and Main Task Ahead (https://tanzeem.org/books/islamic-renaissance-the-real-task-ahead/)
• Objective and Goal of Muhammad’s (PBUH) Prophethood (https://tanzeem.org/books/muhammad-saww-the-objective-of-his-appointment/)
• The Prophet’s Strategy of Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)
• Process of an Islamic Revolution (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-prophets-strategy-for-islamic-revolution/)
• Bai’yah (https://tanzeem.org/books/baiyah-the-basis-for-organization-of-a-revivalist-party-in-islam/)
• The Obligations Muslims Owe to the Qur’an (https://tanzeem.org/books/the-obligations-muslims-owe-to-the-quran/)
• Obligations to God (https://tanzeem.org/books/obligations-to-god/)
• The Way to Salvation (https://tanzeem.org/books/way-to-salvation-in-the-light-of-surah-al-asr/)
• Three Point Action Agenda (https://tanzeem.org/books/3-points-action-agenda-for-the-muslim-ummah/)
These books can be ordered directly by emailing us at markaz@tanzeem.org
The digital copies of Tanzeem books are available on the website: https://tanzeem.org/books/

Isn’t there one particular variety of jihad that involves taking part in armed conflict? What is Tanzeem’s position regarding qital (battle) in the way of Allah (SWT)?

In a nutshell, Tanzeem-e-Islami is neither a religious sect nor a political party in the familiar (prevalent) sense, but essentially an Islamic Revolutionary Party, whose goal is to establish the system of social justice based upon the principles of the Khilafat-e-Rashida (The Rightly-Guided Caliphate) firstly in Pakistan and then in the whole world.
In order to achieve the mission stated above, the only viable methodology to follow is the one persued by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) during his struggle to establish the Islamic state of Madinah about fourteen and a half centuries ago, with slight adjustments to cater for the political, economic and social ‘ground realities’ of today (the modern age).

1. Revolutionary Ideology: