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Introduction to This Book
The Islamic Ummah did not reach the pinnacles of glory in its bygone eras through technological advancements, nor through the strength of its military industries, nor through its sophisticated administrative organization. None of these factors, and others, were the true reason for the Muslims’ dominance and control over the world. Instead, the true source of all this was the great Deen of Islam, the foundation of its lofty intellectual leadership and the firm intellectual ground upon which the Islamic nation was built and its revival established. Those manifestations of civilization, brilliance, and distinction were a natural consequence of this sound renaissance.
The moment the Islamic Ummah abandoned Islam as its foundation, its entity, embodied in the Islamic Khilafah (Caliphate), was lost. Its parts fragmented, its prestige and dignity vanished, and it fell behind other nations and peoples in every respect. It lagged behind, almost to the very end, after having been the leader of the world and the master of the entire world. Therefore, when we examine the issue of information and communication technology in the Khilafah (Caliphate), and other research related to the administrative structure and scientific development of the future state, Allah willing, we do not examine it as a prerequisite for revival, nor as an essential element without which the Khilafah cannot exist. Rather, we examine it as an integral part of the Khilafah’s work in looking after the affairs of the Ummah and as a tool it will need in all aspects of life, including leading the world.
This sector, the information and communication technology sector, was established, nurtured, and its foundations and structures were firmly established by the kafir (disbelieving) West, based on its viewpoint. It was made a weapon of colonialism to plunder resources, extend influence, manipulate minds, cultivate agents, corrupt all aspects of life, and impose its lifestyle, behavior, and morals. Its impact has been more devastating and destructive than that of military weapons.
Given the Khilafah’s need for the information and communications technology sector in all its branches, which have permeated every aspect of life, it was imperative to establish a comprehensive policy within the Khilafah rooted in Islamic Aqeedah (doctrine), and to rebuild this sector from its very foundations, ensuring it is based on the Islamic viewpoint.
This does not mean we will reinvent the wheel, as the saying goes, but instead that we will acquire the fundamentals of its production and manufacture it according to specifications that align with our needs and guarantee our independence and influence, thus preventing our enemies from gaining a foothold through which to infiltrate the Ummah or the state, Allah willing. Let no one imagine that the disbelieving West pursued its path of industrial and technological progress in isolation from the Muslim World and its scientific output, severing all ties and forging its own path, building its foundations and consolidating its power on a foundation of complete separation from the Muslim World and its achievements. The undeniable truth is that the disbelieving West appropriated the works, writings, and inventions of Muslim scholars, obliterating their identity and attributing them to its own people, erasing any connection to the Muslim World. It then presented these achievements to its own people as its own creation, the product of its own labor and research.
Conversely, Muslim scholars attributed every statement to its originator and every research to its author, correcting what was right and clarifying what was wrong. They built upon the work of their predecessors because their research stemmed from their shared Deen as Muslims, thus truly upholding the integrity of knowledge. The Islamic Ummah will, by the permission of Allah ﷻ, return to its former glory as a haven for knowledge and scholars, a center of beneficial sciences, and the focus of the world’s attention. It will restore knowledge to its rightful place of benefiting all humanity, purifying it from the filth of corrupt capitalism, stripping it of the stench of liberalism, and freeing it from the deviations of the wicked and the whispers of devils. The world will then be illuminated by the light of divine Revelation after its vision was obscured by the darkness of ignorance, disbelief, and oppression.
Believing in the return of the Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly Guided Caliphate) on the Method of the Prophethood, and in accordance with the glad tidings of our noble Messenger ﷺ, and in preparation for the great day of victory, Hizb ut Tahrir has published a number of books and publications that clarify the structure of the Khilafah and its state institutions. This is so that the Khilafah, with its institutions and departments, may be understood and comprehensible to the Ummah before it is established before them soon, Allah willing. The Hizb then published the book “The Ruling System in Islam,” followed by “The Institutions of the Khilafah State in Ruling and Administration,” which clarified the structure of the governing apparatus and its evidence, as well as the structure and foundations of the administrative apparatus. They also published “Funds in the Khilafah State,” “Education Methodology in the Khilafah State,” and “Healthcare Policy in the Khilafah State.” Prior to all of this, they published “The Draft Constitution of the Khilafah State,” among many other publications. These publications provide Muslims in general, and those working to establish the Khilafah in particular, with a clear and detailed picture of what the coming Khilafah State, Allah willing, should be. This is because the Khilafah State is a distinct entity in ruling governance and administration, unlike any existing entity in the world today, and bears no relation to them. Its pillars and foundations are built upon and its rulings are established based on Islamic law derived from the Noble Quran and Prophetic Sunnah, and what they indicate through the Ijmaa’a us-Sahaba (Unanimous Consensus of the Companions) and Qiyas (Shariah analogy) based on Illah (Shariah reason). Every aspect of it is built upon the Islamic Aqeedah, firmly established and pure from the defilement of disbelief, its rulings, and its ideas.
Today, with technological advancements reaching advanced levels and information technology (IT) becoming an integral part of daily life, an indispensable tool in government institutions and transactions, and in regulating domestic and foreign relations, and an effective instrument in both peace and war, and a lethal weapon in military conflicts as well as in intellectual and political struggles, it has become imperative for us to clarify the Khilafah’s policy regarding communications and information technology, and to provide a general overview of how information and communication technology will be managed in the Khilafah.
Therefore, this publication is a continuation of previous publications by Hizb ut Tahrir, intended to assist sincere doers of good deeds, on their path to establishing the Khilafah and to aid all Muslims in shaping the image of the coming Khilafah, by the permission of Allah ﷻ.
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