Some of those who misunderstood the truth of Islam, and the nature of its Shariah rulings say that “the Khilafah (Caliphate) will not come except at the hands of Imam Mahdi and it does not require doing any work.” In fact, this is a destructive and a misleading concept that has turned away many people from the work to establish the Shariah obligation of the Khilafah, putting them in sin, and achieving the goal of the kuffar in delaying the establishment of the Khilafah, and in the dominance of secularism in the Muslim countries. To respond to that, we can say, whilst all Knowledge is from Allah (swt):

1- The work for the establishment of the Islamic state, the Khilafah state, which is the executive entity for the Shariah rulings of Islam and which is a general leadership over all Muslims to govern by Islam domestically and to convey it to the rest of the world by Dawah and Jihad, this work is a great Shariah obligation (Fard) whose obligation has been affirmed in the Book of Allah (the Noble Quran), the Blessed Sunnah and the Unanimous Consensus of the Sahabah (ra). No one would say otherwise except that who is deaf, for he is deaf of the Shariah Law as Imam al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said. The Shariah obligation must have a method for performing it, otherwise, the person is sinful. The obligation in Shariah is not waited upon to happen by itself. Instead the obligation is to be acted upon, for it as the Shariah ordered, whereas the results are in the Hand of Allah (swt) Alone.

2- The method for a Shariah obligation (Fard) comes from the Shariah in the fixed manner of how to perform it. For example, giving Zakat means taking out 2.5% of the money after reaching the quorum (Nisab), and a year has passed over it. Establishing the Shariah ritual prayer (Salah) is by the method in which we perform Salah. Similarly, the method for the obligation of establishing the Khilafah is determined by the Shariah which is the method of the Prophet (saw) in his establishment of the first Islamic state in Medina.

3- Such a Shariah obligation is not carried out in a method other than its Shariah legitimate method. He who performed Salah, fasted Sawm, performed Hajj and gave Zakat had removed these obligations from his neck, but he had not done so for this Fardh (of establishing the Khilafah). Just as paying Zakat does not avail performing the Salah, and absolve of the sin of neglecting it, also performing all the other Shariah obligations does not avail the establishment of the Khilafah, except by performing the Shariah legitimate method to establish it. Just as Jihad does not avail Salah by substitution, it also does not avail the establishment of the Khilafah.

4- The Shariah method of the Khilafah is the method of the Prophet (saw) in the establishment of Dar al Islam (Abode of Islam) in Al-Madina al-Munawwara, and whoever has an evidence for other than this method of work, let him bring it forth on the condition that the method is from the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Prophet (saw) and not according to the whims and desires. And whoever says Khilafah is obligatory (Fard), then the Shariah evidencing obligates him to work for it.

5– Khilafah, when it is established, will be in one country, and then it will expand through unification of other countries, for it will not be established at once throughout all the countries of Muslims. It is a state that implements the Shariah Law and carries it to the world, whatever its name is, or the title of its ruler. The problem is not in its name or the title of its ruler. So, let him be called a Khaleefah, an Imam or Ameer al Mumineen, for what matters is the method of governance, the systems of life and achieving the conditions Shariah in the country, where the Islamic state is established.

6- Khilafah will not descend from the skies upon the wings of the angels. Instead, there will be people who will establish it, assisted by angels sent by Allah (swt) as support. It is the issue of the Ummah and not an exclusive divine right of a particular person. This means that the work for Khilafah is obligatory in itself, as well as being an indispensable necessity to establish other obligations.

7- As for Imam al-Mahdi, when he is the one who has the Khilafah established upon him, then he is a person about whom will not be apparent that he is to be the Khaleefah. People will not know that he is the one concerned except upon his ruling by Islam, and his good implementation of it to achieve justice that removes injustice. People will not be submissive to him just like that, for the people rejected the one who is better than him, our dear Prophet Muhammad (saw), and Imam al-Mahdi is not more honourable to Allah (swt) than the Prophet (saw). Instead, there must be awareness among the Ummah and cohesion of the people of military force and power to support him.

8– The Islamic Shariah did not tie the Shariah rulings of Islam to the presence of a specific person. This is a suspending disruption of the Deen and the Shariah, such as claiming that the establishment of the Shariah obligation of the Khilafah, and that of the implementation of the Deen, is tied to the emergence of Imam al-Mahdi, whilst before that, they are not Shariah obligations!! Therefore, we must work for the Shariah obligation, until we relieve ourselves of the sin of its absence, even if Imam al-Mahdi is the one who will establish it. We are meant to work for the Shariah obligation and not to search for al- Mahdi. Our issue is not the search for someone who is fit for Khilafah, whilst the Khilafah has not been established yet. The issue is building a state and reviving an Ummah, so, before Allah (swt), do such suspending disruptive thoughts to revive the Ummah?

9- The reliance upon the Unseen alone, whilst leaving the deeds required by the Shariah, is not permissible in Islam. Nothing has caused more loss for Muslims, but the metaphysical fatalism that made them fail to do what they are obliged to do by Shariah. So, has our thinking become like that of the superficial and dervish who abandon Shariah?! Were it not these irresponsible thoughts that contributed to the eradication of the Ottoman Khilafah?!

10– It is also stipulated in the Usul that Hadeeth reports (Akhbar) that do not include an contextualization (qareenah) to indicate a Shariah command, they remain mere Akhbar that do not require doing any action. The authentic Ahadeeth regarding the Imam al-Mahdi did not include any qareenah to indicate a command except for following and obeying al-Mahdi, whilst this is pursuant to his appearance.

11- There is a Hadeeth of the Prophet (saw) that indicate that al-Mahdi will come after the death of a Khaleefah. This would mean that the Khilafah will be established before Imam al-Mahdi and that he is not the one who establishes it initially. It was narrated by Umm Salamah (r.a) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, يَكُونُ اخْتِلَافٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِ خَلِيفَةٍ فَيَخْرُجُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، فَيَأْتِي مَكَّةَ، فَيَسْتَخْرِجُهُ النَّاسُ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ كَارِهٌ فَيُبَايِعُونَهُ بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَالْمَقَامِ، فَيُجَهَّزُ إِلَيْهِ جَيْشٌ مِنَ الشَّامِ، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانُوا بِالْبَيْدَاءِ خُسِفَ بِهِمْ، فَيَأْتِيهِ عَصَائِبُ الْعِرَاقِ وَأَبْدَالُ الشَّامِ، وَيَنْشَأُ رَجُلٌ بِالشَّامِ، وَأَخْوَالُهُ كَلْبٌ فَيُجَهَّزُ إِلَيْهِ جَيْشٌ، فَيَهْزِمُهُمُ اللَّهُ، فَتَكُونُ الدَّبْرَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَذَلِكَ يَوْمُ كَلْبٍ، الْخَائِبُ: مَنْ خَابَ مِنْ غَنِيمَةِ كَلْبٍ، فَيَسْتَفْتِحُ الْكُنُوزَ، وَيُقِسِّمُ الْأَمْوَالَ، وَيُلْقِي الْإِسْلَامُ بِجِرَانِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ، فَيَعِيشُ بِذَلِكَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ أَوْ قَالَ: تِسْعَ سِنِينَ “Disagreement will occur at the death of a Khaleefah (Caliph) and a man of the people of Madinah will come forth flying to Makkah. Some of the people of Makkah will come to him, bring him out against his will, and swear allegiance to him between the Corner (ar-Rukn) and the Maqam (of Ibrahim). An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from ash-Sham, but will be swallowed up in the desert between Makkah and Madinah, and when the people see that, the righteous people (abdaal) of ash-Sham and the best people (asaaib) of al-Iraq will come to him and pledge the Bayah of allegience to him. Then will arise a man of Quraish whose maternal uncles belong to Kalb and send against them an expeditionary force which will be overcome by them, and that is the expeditionary force of Kalb. He will then govern the people by the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) and establish Islam in the earth. He will remain seven years, then die, and the Muslims will pray over him.”‏ (Reported by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, and al-Haythami mentioned it in Majma’ al-Zawaid, and said, the transmitters are sound and authentic.)

The narrators of the hadeeth and its commentary agree that the Khaleefah mentioned in this hadeeth is Imam al-Mahdi, for at the beginning of the hadeeth, he (saw) said: «اخْتِلَافٌ عِنْدَ مَوْتِ خَلِيفَةٍ» “Disagreement will occur at the death of a Khaleefah”, meaning that the Khilafah exists before the appearance of Imam Mahdi.

The word Khaleefah in the previous hadeeth is a Shariah term that cannot be voided except by a contextualization (qareena). This Sharaih term makes the meaning of the Khaleefah to be that of the ruler who assumes the general leadership over all the Muslims through a Shariah Bayah pledge of allegiance, given by them to rule by Islam and to carry Islam to the world through Dawah and jihad. It is not true what some people argue that the death of the Khaleefah means the death of a ruler from amongst today’s rulers who do not rule by Islam, and have neither a Shariah Bayah of allegiance, nor general leadership over all Muslims.

12- Merely waiting delays the emergence of the Khilafah, and gives thousands of opportunities for the oppressors and the kuffar to undermine Islam and its people. Thus, the Kuffar, the hypocrites and the oppressors support the thought that Khilafah will only be during the time of Imam al-Mahdi, and this is a sedating and misleading concept that puts many Muslims to sleep from amongst both the Shiah and Sunni!!

The Shiah Muslims are waiting for al-Mahdi to emerge from his absence, and some Sunnis are waiting for his appearance between Ar-Rukn and al-Maqam. Therefore, whoever does not arise to establish the obligation, gifts to the kuffar, whether knowingly or unknowingly, a service that they have always worked to perpetuate among Muslims. He also contributes to the default false assertion that secularism is the solution. Indeed, he even follows their secular claim that Khilafah is only a personally religious state and its post is theological!!
There are Prophetic Ahadeeth that have been revealed to indicate that Khilafah will be on the Method of the Prophethood and that it will come to be, by Allah’s Permission, and it obligates at-tasdeeq (attestation).

Among these Ahadeeths are the following:

1- Thawban (r.a) said, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, إِنَّ اللَّهَ زَوَى لِي الْأَرْضَ، فَرَأَيْتُ مَشَارِقَهَا وَمَغَارِبَهَا، وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي سَيَبْلُغُ مُلْكُهَا مَا زُوِيَ لِي مِنْهَا “Allah drew the ends of the world near one another for my sake. And I have seen its eastern and western ends. And the dominion of my Ummah would reach those ends which have been drawn near for me” (Narrated by Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah). The words of the hadeeth, «وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي سَيَبْلُغُ مُلْكُهَا مَا زُوِيَ لِي مِنْهَا» “And the dominion of my Ummah would reach those ends which have been drawn near for me,” have not been achieved so far, since Muslims have not yet conquered the eastern and western ends of the earth and this will be in the future, referring to the establishment of a Muslim state to open the eastern and the western ends of the earth.

2- On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (ra) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) إِذَا تَبَايَعْتُمْ بِالعِينَةِ، وَأَخَذْتُمْ أَذْنَابَ البَقَرِ، وَرَضِيتُمْ بِالزَّرْعِ، وَتَرَكْتُمُ الجِهَادَ، سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ ذُلًّا لَا يَنْزِعُهُ حَتَّى تَرْجِعُوا إِلَى دِينِكُمْ “If you are conducting business, holding the ears of your oxen, and are satisfied by engaging in farming alone, whilst you have abandoned the performance of Jihad, then Allah will make disgrace and humiliation dominate over you, and this will not be removed until you return to your Deen.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood). The saying, حَتَّى تَرْجِعُوا إِلَى دِينِكُمْ “until you return to your Deen” means to return to work by the Deen and assuring its arbitration in your life affairs. Thus, it is also a glad tidings of the Messenger of Allah (saw) that Muslims will return to their Deen, after they have left its arbitration.

3- It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Qaabeel that he said: We were with ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and he was asked which city will be conquered first: Constantinople or Rome? So ‘Abdullaah called for a sealed trunk and he said, “Take out a book from it” Then ‘Abdullaah said, بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَكْتُبُ، إِذْ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أَيُّ الْمَدِينَتَيْنِ تُفْتَحُ أَوَّلًا: قُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةُ أَوْ رُومِيَّةُ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: مَدِينَةُ هِرَقْلَ تُفْتَحُ أَوَّلًا يَعْنِي قُسْطَنْطِينِيَّةَ “While we were with the Messenger of Allah (saw) writing, the Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked, which of the two cities will be opened first, Constantinople or Rome? He ﷺ replied, “The city of Heraclius will be opened first”, meaning Constantinople.” (Reported by Ahmad). The Messenger (saw), when asked about the opening of the two cities of Constantinople, the current Istanbul, and Rome, the current capital of Italy, he did not reject the conquest of Rome, but said that Constantinople will be opened first. This indicates that Rome will be opened after Constantinople. Since Rome is not opened by Muslims until today, this hadith gives glad tidings for the Muslims that they will open the capital of Italy. It is not conceived that the Muslims will open it without the return of the Khilafah which resumes Jihad for the sake of Allah (swt) and the conquest of countries.

4- Nu’man bin Bashir narrated on the authority of Hudhayfah (r.a) who said, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, تَكُونُ النُّبُوَّةُ فِيكُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ، فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا عَاضًّا، فَيَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً، فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةٌ عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ “Prophethood will last with you for as long as Allah wants it to last. Then there will be Khilafah according to the Method of Prophethood, and matters will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it as He wishes to end it. Then there will be a rule of dynasty, and matters will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it, as He wishes to end it. Then there will be an oppressive, forceful rule, and matters will be as Allah wishes them to be. Then Allah will end it as He wishes to end it. Then there will be a Khilafah (Caliphate) on the method of Prophethood.” Then he (saw) fell silent”

This hadeeth indicates that the Khilafah will be established after the dynastic and oppressive rules, and that the Khilafah will be on the method of the Prophethood. That is, it was described by what the Khilafah at the times of the Khulafaa Rashidoon (Rightly-Guided Caliphs) was described, and so it will be, with Allah’s permission, the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood.

Thus, Khilafah is obligatory by the Shariah, it was a reality and had filled the pages of history. The West fears its return and tries to delay it. So, how can it be that the Western research centres are warn of its imminent arrival, with the Ummah marching towards it, while some Muslims are neglectful of the Shariah obligation? By Allah, we must not neglect from the Shariah deeds, such that we perish with an evidence against us.

Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower.

Our Lord, grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in Your promise.

And may Allah’s blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and Companions (ra).

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Abdul Mu’min Az-Zayla’i
Head of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Yemen