DEMOCRACY: A RELIGION! Part - 1

Allah says:-And whosoever seeks a way other than Submission to Allah, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the hereafter. Written by: Abu Muhammad ‘Aasim al-Maqdisi Translated into English by: Abu Muhammad al- Maleki Revised by: Abu Sayf Muwahhid In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful All praise is due to Allah. We repent to Him, ask for His forgiveness and we ask Him to protect us from the evil of our own selves, and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide, but whomsoever Allah leads astray, then none can guide him. I bear witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Final Messenger. He is our leader, and our perfect example. May Allah bestow His peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family and his Noble Companions, and upon those who follow the Straight Path, until the Last Day. To proceed; These are a selection of papers that I authored just before the start of the polytheistic, legislative, parliamentary elections -at a time when people were becoming fascinated by democracy. Their fascination was arisen after the defenders of democracy and the defenders of other such false ideologies (who have no religion) defended democracy simply for the sake of it, and they mixed the falsehood with the Truth. Sometimes they call democracy a freedom, or a 'consultation' (this term is explained further on). Sometimes they bring forth arguments that apparently make democracy a valid concept, and they use the story of the judgement of Yusuf (Yusuf) -peace be upon him - with the King as an example. Other times they use the judgement of the Negus as an example - simply to serve their own interests and motives, and to fulfil their own personal agendas. They distort the Truth with Falsehood, and mix the Light with the Darkness, and the Polytheism of democracy with the Monotheism of Islam. But we, with the help of Allah, replied to all of these fallacies, and showed that democracy is a religion . But it is not Allah ’s religion. It is not the religion of monotheism, and its parliamentary councils are just places of polytheism, and safe havens for paganistic beliefs. All of these must be avoided to achieve monotheism, which is Allah ’s right upon His servants. We must destroy those who follow democracy, and we must take their followers as enemies -hate them and wage a great Jihad against them. Democracy is an obvious polytheism and thus a clear disbelief that Allah has warned us against, in His Book. And His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa'sallam) attacked such taghut (false deities) throughout his life. So, be firm -my monotheistic brother -on being one of the Prophet ’s followers and helpers who attacks polytheism and it's people. Set out throughout your life to follow the path of those that apply Allah ’s decree. The Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhi wa'sallam) said about this path: "A group of my people will still apply Allah ’s decree and they will not be harmed by any one who abandoned or contradicted it, until the predestination arrives". I do du'aa that Allah makes both you and me from the people of this group, and I thank Allah, the First and the Last. Abu Muhammad al- Maqdisi ORIGINS AND PURPOSES OF DIVINE CREATION, THE REVEALED BOOKS, THE CALL OF PROPHET IBRAHIM, AND THE FIRMEST OF HANDHOLDS One should know that Allah is the Creator and Originator of every thing and every being. The most important thing that Allah ordained for Adam ’s son to learn and to do, before praying, paying zakat, or any other act of worship, is to believe in the oneness of Allah and to avoid belief in any other deity. It was for this reason that Allah created the creatures, sent the Prophets, revealed the Books, and ordained the Jihad and martyrdom. Because of this, there is enmity between the followers of Ar-Rahman and those of Shaytan, and because of this, the Islamic State and the Khalifah System will be established. Allah said: "I have not created the jinn and men but to worship Me." 1, meaning that our sole purpose of existence is the worship of Allah, alone. He also said: "And verily, We have sent among every community a Messenger saying: Worship Allah, and avoid all other deities" . 2 This belief, that there is no god but Allah, is a basic element of Islam. No call, no jihad, no prayer, no fasting, no zakat, no pilgrimage will be accepted without it. One can not be saved from the fire of Hell without believing in it, because it is the only handhold that Allah has guaranteed His followers, that will lead to Paradise. No other handhold will be sufficient for safety from the fire. Allah said: "Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break." 3. Allah also said: "Those who avoid at-Taghut by not worshipping them and turn to Allah in repentance, for them are glad tidings; so announce the good news to My Slaves." 4 Witness how Allah talks about disbelief in false deities (or taghut), before He talks about belief in Himself. This shows us how He began with a negation of all false deities, before an affirmation of belief in Allah. Allah ordained monotheism with the words ( no god but Allah ) which points to this great principle of the firmest handhold, therefore there is no sincere belief in Allah, without extreme and total denial of other deities. The deities which one must disbelieve in and avoid worshipping, are not simply stones, idols, trees or graves that get worshipped through prostration or invocation - indeed, it encompasses far more than this! It contains every worshipped being (or thing) who accepts to be worshipped, other than Allah, by any act of worship 5. When the created commits an act of aggression against it's own soul, then it exceeds the limits set by Allah, and this includes worshipping deities other than Allah. Acts of worship include prostration, bowing down, invocation, making vows, and slaughtering. Obedience in legislation is also an act of worship. Allah said about the Christians: "They took their rabbis and their monks to be Lords besides Allah". 6 Although they did not prostrate, or bow down to their priests, they followed them and agreed with them in the forbiddance of the permissible and with the enjoining of the forbidden. Allah therefore considered that as making them (their priests) lords and gods, because the obedience in legislation is a form of worship, and must not be for any one except for Allah, since Allah is the only One who can provide legislation. Therefore, anyone who seeks to implement a legislation created by someone other than Allah, is in fact a polytheist. As an evidence for this is the incident which took place during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) between the followers of ar-Rahman and those of Shaytan over a dead goat. The polytheist people wanted to persuade the Muslims that there was no difference between the goat that the Muslims slaughter, and the goat that dies alone or 'naturally'. They claimed that Allah had slaughtered the dead goat. But in reply to this, Allah sent down His Judgement and said: "... if you obey them, you will surely become an idolater." 7 So the word 'deity' includes anyone who makes himself a legislator with Allah, ruler or ruled, a representative in the parliament (the legislative authority), or the persons who select him, because he exceeded the limits. Man was created to be a servant of Allah and Allah ordered him to accept His legislation, but man rejected and exceeded the limits. He wanted to equate himself with Allah, and to participate in the legislation of Allah, which is not allowed for anyone except Allah. If anyone transgresses the limits and does that, he makes himself a legislator, and he will be enacting the role of a deity. His Islam and his monotheism will not be accepted, unless and until he disbelieves in what he did and avoids it, and fights to get rid of its slaves and helpers -i.e. until he knows for certain that democracy is a false ideology. Allah said "... and they wish to go for judgement to the Taghut, while they have been ordered to reject them" . 8 Mujahid said: " The deity... is a Satan in the shape of a human whom people turn to for judgement, and they follow him" . Shaykh-ul-Islam lbn Taymiyyah said: "... for this reason the one who judges without referring to the Holy Book (Qur ’an) is a deity". 9 Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "Everyone who exceeded his limits either worshipped, followed or obeyed -so, the deity of any people is the one who they make a judge besides Allah and His prophet, or worship other than Allah, or follow him without taking any consideration of Allah, or obey him in a matter that is a disobedience to Allah" . He also said: "Whosoever does not judge or turn to what the messengers of Allah brought for judgement is eventually following a deity" 10 One of the worshipped deities nowadays, that every monotheist must disbelieve in -as well as disbelieving in its followers -in order to hold on to the firmest handhold and to be saved from the Hell fire, are the transitory man-made gods and goddesses of the so called legislature. Allah said: "Have they other associates who have prescribed another law for them that has not been dispensed by Allah? But for the decisive word (of Allah) a sentence would have been passed amongst them..." .11 People have followed these legislators and agreed to make their legislation as a right and characteristic for them, for their parliaments, and for their local, regional, and international ruling faculties. They showed through their constitutions, that it is the people who in fact provide legislation. 12 Therefore, the legislators became gods to every one who obeyed and followed them, or agreed with them in this disbelief and polytheism, just as Allah said about the Christians, when they followed their priests and the anchorites (or monks). The followers of today ’s democracy are worse and more impure than such priests and monks. This is because the priests did not claim to make what they said a law or a legal system, and they did not make constitutions, or books. Neither did they punish those who did not accept or practice what they said. Neither did they use Allah's book to provide evidences for their false deities. If you come to understand this, you should know that the greatest step of adherence to this firmest handhold and the highest step of disbelief in this man-made deity is the Climax of Islam. By this I mean 'The Jihad'. The Jihad against the deity, his followers, and helpers, to try to damage this man- made system, and to try to get the people to turn away from worshipping it and return to the worship of Allah alone. There must be a declaration and an open speech with the truth, just as the prophets did -and we must do this in the same way, and upon the same path - a path that Allah clearly showed us, when He ordained us to take Ibrahim ’s religion and his call as a model. He said: "you have an excellent model in Ibrahim and those who were with him 13 when he said to his people: “We are through with you and those you worship other than Allah. We reject you. Enmity and hate have come between you and us for ever, unless you believe in Allah, the One ”. 14 So the meaning of this saying has become obvious. Consider how Allah started with the enmity before the hate. Enmity is more important, because a human may hate the deity ’s followers, but may not consider them as enemies. So a human will not be doing his duty or obligation, unless he hates them, and takes them as enemies. Consider how Allah mentioned their disapproval of the polytheist people, before the disapproval of what they worshipped, because the first is more important than the second. Many people show disapproval to stones, idols, deities, constitutions, laws, and void religions, but refuse to show a strong disapproval to the slaves, or the helpers of these deities, and void religions. Therefore, such a person will not be fulfilling his duty or obligation. If he shows the disapproval to the polytheist slaves of the deities, it means that he also shows disapproval to their void religions, and whatever it is that they worship. 15 The lowest obligatory step upon everyone, that no one can save himself without, is the avoidance of the deity and avoidance of following him in his polytheism and his falsehood. Allah said: "to every community We have sent an apostle (saying) “worship Allah, and keep away from all other deities "16. And He said: "So shun the abomination of idols, and shun lying speech ".17 And He said about Ibrahim ’s invocation: "...And preserve me and my progeny from worshiping idols". 18 If anyone does not avoid the deity in this world by refusing to worship him now, he will become one of the losers in the Hereafter. Nothing of the religion will be useful or advantageous to him, and he will regret it at the time when the remorse will be useless to him. Then there will be a wish to return to this world to live again. Then they will say that they will avoid false taghut, and will follow the firmest handhold, and will follow this great religion. Allah said: "When those who were followed will disclaim those who followed them, and seeing the torment, all ties between them shall be severed. And the followers will say “Could we live but once again we would leave them as they have abandoned us now ” God will show them thus their deeds, and fill them with remorse, but never shall they find release from the Fire" 19. But it will be too late, there will be no return to this world. So if you want the safety and hope of Allah ’s mercy, that Allah gave the pious people, you must avoid all of the deities. Avoid their polytheism now! Now! No one can avoid them in the hereafter unless he avoids them in this world. But for everyone who supported their void religion and followed them, there will be a Caller in the Hereafter who will say: "He who worshipped anything will follow it. He who worshipped the sun will follow it. He who worshipped the moon will follow it. He who worshipped the deities, will follow them", but those who believed in Allah will be asked: "What are you waiting for? Why do you not follow them?" and they will say: "We are waiting for our God and we are not following them because we did not follow them in the first life when we were badly in need of their money and authority, so how come you ask us to follow them now ?" 20. These are some of the road marks, that Allah said "Gather all the wicked together and their Comrades, and those they had worshipped ". 21 Comrades means: everyone who is like them, their helpers and supporters in falsehood. Then Allah said: "So, they will become partners in punishment. That is how we deal with sinners. They were those who, when it was said to them “there is no god but Allah ” behaved with insolence." 22. Be careful! Do not reject and avoid the monotheistic word. Do not waste what is being implied in that word, and be ever prideful over the righteous word: that is the Oneness of Allah. Do not waste the following of the Truth, do not insist on helping the deities, because you will be with the people of destruction, sharing with them in their end, on the Day of Judgement. You should know that Allah made this pure Deen, the religion of Islam, and that Allah has chosen it for His monotheistic servants. So, everyone who follows it, his work will be accepted, and whoever follows any other religion, then it will be rejected and he will be one of the losers. Allah said: "And Ibrahim left this legacy to his son, and to Yaqub, and said “O, my son, Allah has chosen this as the faith for you. Don ’t die but as those who have submitted (to Allah)" 23. And He said: "The true way with Allah is submission" 24 And: "And who ever seeks a way other than submission to Allah, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the world to come." 25 Be careful not to limit the word 'religion' just to Christianity, or Judaism and so on, because you may follow the other void religions and go astray. It includes every religion, method, judgment system, and law that the creatures follow and adhere to. All of these false religions must be left, and avoided. We must disbelieve in them, avoid their helpers and supporters, and work only for the monotheistic religion: the religion of Islam. Allah said, ordering us to say this to all disbelievers with their different religions : "Say: “O, disbelievers! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship, and I shall not worship that which you are worshipping, Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion." So every religious community within the disbelieving communities that agreed with, met with, or gathered to a system that contradicts Islam, that has become their religion. This may include Communism, Socialism, Secularism, and other such innovated methods, and principles, which men invented with their own minds, and then satisfied these ideas to be their own religions. One of these religions is democracy. It is a religion that is a contradictory to Allah ’s religion. Following this text, there are some brief points that outline the errors of this innovated, invented religion, which many people are fascinated by - including those people who claim Islam is their religion (i.e. claim that they are Muslims). They know that democracy is a religion different from the True monotheistic religion of Islam, and they know it is one of the misguided ways, and that Shaytan stands at every door of these ways, calling to the Hellfire. This is a Reminder to the True Believers, and A Warning to the Negligent, and A Clear Evidence against the Arrogant. And this is an Apology to Allah. Foot Notes: 1 -Surat adh-Dhariyat, ayah 56 (51:56) 2 -Surat an-Nahl, ayah 36 (16:36) 3 -Surat al-Baqarah, ayah 256 (2:256) 4 -Surat az-Zumar, ayah 17 (39:17) 5 - This does not include the Angels, Prophets, or righteous men who were worshipped by people, but who themselves refused the right to be worshipped or to be called a deity (such as Prophet Isa, or Jesus). 6 -Surat at-Taubah, ayah 31 (9:31). 7 -Surat al-An'am, ayah 121 (6:121). 8 -Surat an-Nisa', ayah 60 (4:60). 9 -Majmoo al-Fatawa: part 28, page 201. 10 - Ee'lam al-Muwaqe ’en: part 1, page 50. 11 -Surat ash-Shura, ayah 21 (42:21). 12 -Article (51) of kuwait's constitution says: (The legislative authority is led by the Prince and the Parliamentary Council, according to the constitution)..And article (25) of the Jordanian constitution states: (The legislative authority is under the charge of the King and the Parliamentary Council) and article (86) of the Egyptian constitution states (the parliament is costed to be in charge of the legislative authority). 13 -Some interpreters have said: "those who were with him" means his followers, or the Prophets, who had the same way like Ibrahim's. 14 -Surat al-Mumtahinah, ayah 4 (60:4). 15 -See our book entitled (Ibrahim ’s Religion and the Prophets ’ Call and the Transgressors' Manners to Attack It). Printed by al- Nour for Islamic Massmedia. 16 -Surat an-Nahl, ayah 36 (16:36). 17 -Surat al-Hajj, ayah 30 (22:30). 18 -Surat Ibrahim, ayah 35 (14:35). 19 -Surat al-Baqarah, ayahs 166-167. 20 -Agreed upon. It is part of the hadeeth of the believers ’ seeing of Allah on the Last Day. 21 -Surat as-Saffat, ayah 22 (37:22). 22 -Surat as-Saffat, ayahs 33-35 (37:33-35). 23 -Surat al-Baqarah, ayah 132 (2:132). 24 -Surat aal'- Imran, ayah 19 (3:19). 25 - Surat aal'-Imran, ayah 85 (3:85). -- Al-Furqan Foundation