Raziq, one of our commenter-friends, posted this informative analysis of the geo-political and religious dynamics that influenced the ideology of Taqiuddin al-Nabhani, the founder of the Hizb ut-Tahrir.
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The Islamist
Taqiuddin al-Nabhani was an independent thinker and a revivalist. Formerly a Ba’athist (a nationalist Arab Socialist Party), he maintained his Arab centric socialist agenda but presented it in Islamic language by enveloping his Arab super-nation state concept for a super “Islamic” State which must concentrate on the Arab speaking Muslims. He challenged the status quo. He attacked mainstream Islamic beliefs, such as the spiritual dimension of life, as being nothing but a mystic concept influenced by Byzantine beliefs and nothing to do with authentic Islamic teaching, which maintained the that man was purely material in his view.
Some have commented on him being Mutazilite in this regard. The ramification being not recognizing, but rather criticizing the orthodox and Sufi teachings of his heritage such as the famous Sheikh Yusuf al-Nabhani the orthodox Shafi’I and Sufi.
Nabhani was critical of the ‘irrational’ dogma of Sheikh Yusuf and considered along with orthodox Islam’s other beliefs in God ability to intervene in natural laws for the sake of righteous (karamat), and Sufism as a whole – all of which was influenced the Persian and Hellenic culture. He was not afraid to challenge orthodox doctrine, such as the faith in Islamic eschatological beliefs such as purgatory in the grave (Azab ul-Qabr) as being contradictory to Quranic teaching; therefore the masses of literature pertaining to the subject should be rejected as ‘isolated’ reports (khabar ahad).
Nabhani was not afraid to criticize all of the scholarly class, he was famous for damning them all as having abandoned God’s judgment and denied orthodox Sunni belief in infallibility of the Muslim nation and the collective weight as scholars (known as the doctrine of Ijma – or scholarly consensus). He considered this superfluous and all of the scholars of his age not only declined, but sinners who had abandoned the apparently obvious obligation to establish an expansionist Caliphate as they had all rejected this ‘religious duty’ and therefore there was no value to the scholarly class (Ulema). He was not afraid in this regard to issue bold Fatawa (legal edicts), whether it was regarding the Islamic validity of suicide bombing, hijacking Israeli planes, using military force to prevent the independence of countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.
As a Palestinian, a revolutionary ideologue of former Communist mindset, an Arabist and graduate from al-Azhar university – it is easier to understand the influences which made up his originally Arab centric, anti-Israeli, Islamo-communist conception of an Islamist Super-state. His modernist tendencies and criticism of traditional Islamic teaching, and extremist rhetoric and ideology have given rise to many militant extremism movements, not only Palestinian Jihad (Asad Tamimi former leadership member of Hizb ut-Tahrir), Saleh Sirryah of Egyptian Jihad, the assassins of Anwar Sadat the Egyptian president and others.
According to Michel Aflaq (founder of Ba’athism) the best way to unite the Arabs was through their religion and the the best way to take power (nusrah) was through military coups. Nabhani basically mixed these Ba’athist ideas with his interpretation of Islam and created Hizb ut-Tahrir. A movement which wants to come to power through a military coup and impose its version of Islam on everyone. Then it wants to fight a violent Jihad until it has conquered the world, even if millions of Muslims have to die.
So Hizb ut-Tahrir is nothing more than a mixture of Arab Socialism and a medieval interpretation of Islam.
11 Comments
Fantastic and very accurate analysis of one of the Godfathers of Islamism. Interestingly HT has not managed to move on from hins 195os middle east mindset and have added nothing of significance to his original ideas, highlighting the cultish nature of the organisation.
Why won’t HT wont defend its founder?
Abd al-Azeez or any other HT/AM want to take up the challenge?
Great article…this is sure to annoy the HT crew, who wont take up the challenge to defend their founder due to the fact that he is undefendable. It is hard to ignore the fact that Nabhani was heavily influenced by socialism, i mean what is Islamic about military coups? For this reason, amongst many, i believe that HT cannot even call themselves an Islamic party. they are a reinvented Arab socialist party, always have been and always will be.
He wasn’t that bad. He allowed porn as long as it was two dimensional – give him credit for that.
He was also fairly liberal when it came to asking random girls to take off their clothes if you were interested in marrying them. He also had some interesting perspectives on spying on girls that you fancied – all in all quite ok if you are a young lad needing some alternative “islamic relief”….
He also did enjoy a good cigarette – Marlboro or Dunhill depending on the different narrations.
Although his stance on the companions like Muawiyah (ra) being corrupt, and Aisha (ra) as being a rebel (baghiya) are not ones which Muslims like.
He did also not take too well to Sunni beliefs in exchatology and the return of Christ though he did firmly beleive that he would take over the world in the promised Caliphate state….
I suppose he was a bit weird….
Maybe some references would be useful for all of these assertions…
Just read any of his books Fatima and you will see mad quotes about all sorta of things.
These are perfectly acceptable stances (with certain provisions and nuances) from the Shi’a perspective.
Muawiyah was a perfect bastard, answered beautifully by one of the Party of Imam ‘Ali in the following way:
‘Aisha was not a rebel – but she did act in some unfortunate ways towards those who were closer to the Prophet than any others – including her step-daughter, Fatima and her family.
@Desperately seeking : Absolutely rubbish you are talking about!
@Wajid: Can you give reference to a single book of Nabhani which talks about allowing porn or seeing woman naked without Hijaab?
@///he maintained his Arab centric socialist agenda but presented it in Islamic language by enveloping his Arab super-nation state concept for a super “Islamic” State which must concentrate on the Arab speaking Muslims //// Socialist agenda? He has talked about systems of Islam in detail akhi! What are you talking about? As far as Arab Nationalism is concerned, your allegation is again incorrect, Hizb ut-Tahrir is actively seeking to establish Khilafah in countries like Pakistan, Turkey etc.
///Some have commented on him being Mutazilite in this regard. The ramification being not recognizing, but rather criticizing the orthodox and Sufi teachings of his heritage such as the famous Sheikh Yusuf al-Nabhani the orthodox Shafi’I and Sufi./// Then you must read his Book As-Shaksiya Al-Islamiya VOL:1 in which he has established in detail about the incorrectness of Muatazali views. Sheikh was not a Muatazila neither he supported it in any form.
@Writer: It is better you expose the plans of Kuffar and work for the revival of Ummah, instead of forging false allegations about those who are working for the revival of Islam and those who have passed away working…
Wsalaam
Some of the comments and some parts of the article are baseless, I think this is the decline the sheikh was talking about in man. Instead of trying to understand or at least make excuses for fellow muslims, here we are pointing fingers…. Look to your self and ask what am I doing to help the revival of the ummah? Or am I just a dumb muslim who knows nothing and believes the revival will come when usa allows it?
You can find comprehensive proof of his view the quran was created and of his evil views associating Allah with partners Al-Qadaa wal-Qadar. Not to mention his dodgy creed when it comes to ahaad hadith. The man has spawned an orwelian nightmare of a ht super police state imposing their deviant beliefs on the muslim masses. Allah forbid
http://www.asharis.com/creed/articles/cgwhh-the-ashari-creed-and-20th-century-thinkers-and-political-activists-part-1—the-aqidah-of-taqi-ud-din-an-nabahani.cfm