The Battle of Talas took place in 751CE between the Abbasid Caliphate and the Chinese Tang dynasty. In the aftermath of the battle a number of Chinese soldiers were taken as prisoners of war back to Iraq. Among these was one Tu Huan, who remained a prisoner until 762. He narrates a graphic account of life in the Islamic State.
”The Ottoman Empire lay at our feet dismembered and impotent, its capital and Caliph at the mercy of our guns.” [Harold Nicolson][1] The 28th Rajab 1442AH (Friday 12th March 2021) marks the centenary anniversary of the Caliphate’s (Ottoman Empire) formal abolition in Turkey in 1342H/1924 CE. The magnitude of this event and its effect on the problems facing the Muslim world today cannot be underestimated. After 100 years without a central Islamic authority to implement, protect and propagate Islam it’s important to reflect back on the result of the Caliphate’s destruction.
BY MAZHAR KHAN 673 years, after Salahudeen liberated Palestine, the european crusaders returned. Not only to occupy Palestine but to to remove the Islamic Caliphate and the leadership of the Muslim world. 1442 (2021 CE) marks a hundred years in the Islamic lunar calendar since the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate.
BY TAJI MUSTAFA Pardon criminals? Obama and Clinton did it. Yes, Trump is doing it. There is a way to commit the ‘perfect crime’ in America. No it’s not to kill, rape or murder and not get caught. It’s OK to get caught, just make sure you know a president who can pardon you afterwards or commute your sentence.
These are extracts from the book “Accountability in the Caliphate” by AK Newell. It should be noted that the Caliphate is an ideological Islamic State. This means all elements of the state work towards achieving Islamic objectives not material objectives. Before any of the state accountability mechanisms take effect the Caliph is restrained by his Islamic belief and taqwa. Secular democracy emanates from the belief that religion should be kept separate from politics. The ruler in a democratic system is therefore not restrained from tyranny by fearing God or divine accountability. With this fundamental aspect of accountability missing i.e. consciousness of God (taqwa) the ruler in a democratic system is prone to tyranny if he isn’t restrained by the mechanisms of government.
There is no concept in the Caliphate of a ‘pardon’ for crimes committed and where a sentence has been passed as exists in the west. The US constitution allows the President to Pardon all crimes except impeachment.
Sheikh Abu Iyas Mahmoud bin Abdul Latif al-Uweida from Jordan answers this question. He says, There are no clerics in Islam like those found in Judaism and Christianity. Every Muslim is commanded to carry the call of Islam, spread it, guard it, and abide by its rules. The ulema (scholars) and fuquhaa (jurists) are only there to teach people about Islam. They have no religious powers like those of the Jewish and Christian clergy, such as accepting the repentance of penitents, granting forgiveness, baptizing followers, legislating, and so on.
Sheikh Abu Iyas Mahmoud bin Abdul Latif al-Uweida from Jordan answers this question, in relation to a question put to him about employing a foreign Christian live-in maid. He says,
BY ABU YUSUF الٓمٓ غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ “Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated” (Ar-Rum, 30:1-2) Most commentators of the Qur’an when explaining this verse mention that the Muslims were hoping for the Romans to be victorious over the Persians, because the Romans were people of the Book whereas the Persians were mushrikeen like Quraish.
The bay’a (pledge of allegiance) is a ruling contract that governs the relationship between the Muslims and the head of the Islamic State. This is shown in the sunnah where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took bay’a on ruling not belief because bay’a was only taken from mature Muslims.
