Covid-19 pandemic brought pain and relief to Kenyans. Pain as a result of the ravage emanating from it spanning from economic shutdown that gave rise to unemployment soaring 5.2 % to 10.4 % (The Star, 01/09/2020), social anguish as relatives lost their loved ones, savings wiped out in the course of seeking treatment and places of worshipping shutdown indefinitely. In addition, the school calendar was slashed leaving education stakeholders including but not limited to parents, students and teachers in total mayhem especially to class 8 and form 4 students since KCPE and KCSE certificates are considered a gateway to world of opportunities. As for the relief it was due to the stop of the political bickering that was growing as a result of the so called proponents and antagonists of the BBI. For the first time the paupers and elites were united in fear for their lives despite their circumstances being different because the poor cannot afford the medical bills while the rich can afford but there was no cure!
As for the Kenyan government Covid-19 was a blessing since it took advantage to satisfy its gluttonous appetite and approached financial institutions at the regional and international level to borrow heavily from them in the pretext of fighting the pandemic.
On the other hand, it plunged further the country into further depth of debts that is approaching Sh.7 trillion soon. For instance, between March and June 2020, Kenya took a total of Sh.410 billion debt approximately Sh136 billion monthly or Sh.4.5 billion daily! (Daily Nation, 09/09/2020). Since, the so called opposition does no longer exist from the moment the handshake took place on Friday, 9 March 2018. Therefore, the Kenyan government implements whatever policy it wishes with no worries since there is no one to account it.
The most deceptive narrative currently being peddled around is that of the so called hustler, led by William Ruto and dynasty, led by Uhuru Kenyatta, Gideon Moi and Raila Odinga groups. The citizens are striving to align themselves with these groups. The most disheartening part is that the groups enjoy support from the so called thinkers and scholars! The unifying factor reminiscent of these two groups is that leaders from both camps are tantamount to wolves who have covered themselves with sheep’s wool in order to prey against the majority unaware citizens who suffer from the UGALI syndrome! The syndrome is dangerous as it is established in the secular capitalist education system upon the principle of not providing opportunities for the masses to think critically without external influence of their future since their lives are made deliberately busy chasing for UGALI to satiate their temporary hunger. Therefore, the two camps are not strangers in the political arena but have reinvented themselves to exploit the masses via tribal cocoons. They are the custodians of the invalid secular (separating religion from state/life) capitalist ideology that is the root cause of the myriads of challenges facing Kenya since the ‘false flag independence’ in 1963. They have strived to implement the secular capitalist ideology and its venomous system including the democratic system of governance responsible for unlimited human freedoms that are causing havoc to humanity, economic system responsible of unlimited taking of interest based loans and exploitative taxation approaches, foreign policy drawn by the colonial masters to protect their interests, education system responsible of building secular identities concerned with sensual gratifications etc.
The said groups are alleging to be calling for change but within the same secular capitalist box that is the source of problems not only in Kenya but globally!
In Islam, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (saw) warned us;
لاَ يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ وَاحِدٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ
“A believer is not stung twice (by something) out of one and the same hole.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6133). As Muslims we have participated in the ‘democratic hole’ of trial and error since 1963 hoping that our dejected situation will change but things are getting harder as days pass such as being oppressed and massacred in pretext of fighting terrorism and extremism etc. Prophet (saw) said:
“الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَ ذَلِكَ أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لاَ يَدْرِي كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ أَمِنَ الْحَلاَلِ هِيَ أَمْ مِنَ الْحَرَامِ فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا اسْتِبْرَاءً لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ فَقَدْ سَلِمَ وَمَنْ وَاقَعَ شَيْئًا مِنْهَا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَ الْحَرَامَ كَمَا أَنَّهُ مَنْ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى أَلاَ وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ
The lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between that are matters that are doubtful (not clear); many of the people do not know whether it is lawful or unlawful. So whoever leaves it to protect his religion and his honor, then he will be safe, and whoever falls into something from them, then he soon will have fallen into the unlawful. Just like if someone grazes (his animals) around a sanctuary (boundary), he would soon wind up in it. Indeed, for every king is a sanctuary (boundary), and indeed Allah’s sanctuary is what He made unlawful.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1205) and Allah (swt) says: إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُۗ
“Indeed, the religion (Ideology) in the sight of Allah is Islam” (Aal-Imran 3: 19).
In addition, He (swt) says:
وَمَن لَّمۡ يَحۡكُم بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ
“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers” (Al-Ma’idah 5: 44).
Therefore, joining these groups or others founded upon the secular capitalist ideology i.e. democratic political parties is out rightly prohibited in the Islamic Shari’ah (Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijma’ Sahaba and Qiyas).
Since these groups are calling for man to be given powers to organize/legislate life affairs either by retaining the current 2010 Constitution or changing it using the BBI or whatever means at their disposal. Hence, making the people sovereign since its creed is secularism.
Certainly, every genuine political activist is aware that these groups are plotting for their selfish interests and those of their Western masters. So, the activists will be looking for a sincere alternative change that will deliver true victory for the people in Kenya and across the world. The only opportunity for salvation is joining Hizb ut Tahrir, an Islamic political party whose ideology is Islam. It is an Islamic party that was founded in 1953 by the scholar, Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani (rahimahu Allah) in Blessed Land of Palestine (where Muslims’ first Qiblah – Aqsa Mosque is located). Its basis was in response to the call from Allah (swt):
َلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ يَد بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَر ۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ ۚ
“And let there be from [arising] from you a nation (party) inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong” (Aal-Imran 3: 104).
Hizb ut Tahrir has only one objective and that is to resume the Islamic way of life via reestablishing the Islamic State of Khilafah (Caliphate) in a nation that meets the prerequisites that include: first-security being in the hands of Muslims and second-the Islamic Shari’ah to be Supreme. Hizb ut Tahrir does NOT use violence or material means to meet its object.
Genuine change and victory is that of being ruled by the legislation from the Creator and Organizer of the universe, man and life. That is not possible in the current status found in secular capitalist states across the world. It is by the embracement of the call for the reestablishment of the Khilafah that humanity will be liberated from daily catastrophes perpetrated by the clutches of the secular capitalist ideology and its toxic systems spearheaded by the Western colonialists led by America, Britain, France and their allies.
The Khilafah will put all blood spillers where they belong into the dustbin of history by revenging on them what they have committed against the Muslims and Islam. Now is the moment to join the efforts that guarantee peace and tranquility. Our living is for the sake of ensuring the name of Allah (swt) is above everything but currently the situation is vice versa whereby Kufr and Kuffar are prevailing over Islam and Muslims. Yet Allah (swt) says: وَلَن يَجۡعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ سَبِيلاً
“And never will Allah give the disbelievers over the believers a way [to overcome them].” (An-Nisa’ 4: 141).
Do not delay, the time for guesswork is finished and now is an opportunity to rewrite the wrongs with good by participating in that which gives life by responding to what Allah (swt) call us to:
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمۡ لِمَا يُحۡيِيڪُمۡۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡمَرۡءِ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَأَنَّهُ ۥۤ إِلَيۡهِ تُحۡشَرُونَ “
“O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messnger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.” (Al-Anfal 8: 24).
Secular capitalist ideology and its systems has miserable failed living things due to its corruption that permeates the land and sea.
This is an opportunity for the people to compete not for world accumulation as we warned by Allah (swt: (At-Takathur 102: 1 – 2). Instead we must race for doing every good especially working for the reestablishment of the Khilafah since it is the moth):
أَلۡهَٮٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ*حَتَّىٰ زُرۡتُمُ ٱلۡمَقَابِرَ
“Competition in [worldly/material accumulation] increase diverts you. Until you visit the graveyards.” (At-Takathur 102: 1 – 2).er of all obligations by responding to Allah (swt) saying:
فَٱسۡتَبِقُواْ ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِۚ
“so race to [all that is] good.” (Al-Mai’dah 5: 48).
It is not a process in futility but rewarding exercise based on a promise from Allah (swt):
وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمۡ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَيَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ڪَمَا ٱسۡتَخۡلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ
“Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He surely grant them succession [to authority/Khilafah] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them” (An-Nur 24: 55).
Furthermore, the Prophet (saw) prophesized about the return of the Khilafah when he (saw) said,
’’ ثم تكون ملكاً جبريا، فتكون ما شاء الله أن تكون، ثم يرفعها إذا شاء أن يرفعها، ثم تكون خلافة على منهاج النبوة، ثم سكت
“………Then there will be a tyrannical rule, it will be there as long as Allah wishes it to be there then Allah will remove it when He wishes to remove it, then there will be Khilafah upon the methodology of Prophethood,” then he remained silent. [Ahmad].
In conclusion, the so called hustler and dynasty groups or others like them are seeking to displease Allah (swt) by maintaining status quo that give legislative powers to man with a limited mind. Instead, we must work for the reestablishment of the Khilafah that will rule humanity based on the Islamic Shari’ah emanating from the Creator and Organizer of the universe, man and life.
Ali Nassoro Ali
Member of the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir