The vital issue for Muslims across the whole world is bringing them back to the Islamic way of life, and the application of Islam in all aspects of their life. This is an Islamic duty that cannot be fulfilled except by returning back the rule of Allah through the establishment of Dar al Islam by the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah, and the appointment of a Khaleefah to the Muslims, who is given the pledge of allegiance to listen to him and obey him on condition of ruling with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and carrying the call for Islam to the world by Da’wa and Jihad.

The duty to establish the Islamic Khilafah can be only accomplished through a group or an Islamic party, which has to be an ideological party, based on the Islamic ‘aqeedah, committed to its work according to the ahkaam shar’iyyah, and following (as model for its re-establishment) the way of the Prophet – peace be upon him and his family – in establishing the first Islamic State in Madinah. The work of the party in its call has to be political in nature; because the establishment of the Khilafah, appointing the Khaleefah and implementing the rule of Allah… are political actions.

This was the reason of establishing of Hizb-ut Tahrir. It was also established in compliance with the words of Allah, the Almighty:

“ولتكن منكم أمة يدعون إلى الخير ويأمرون بالمعروف وينهون عن المنكر وأولئك هم المفلحون”
“And let arise from amongst you a nation (a group) who invites to goodness (khayr), and enjoins the right (ma’roof) and forbids what is evil (munkar), and those are the successful.”

Thus, the verse ordered of establishing at least one group or one Islamic party, whose work is call to Islam (khayr), enjoining the right (ma’roof) and forbidding of evil (munkar). That which is calling, enjoining and forbidding the rulers, is political work.

Hence, Hizb-ut Tahrir is a political party, whose ideology is Islam. It is based on the Islamic ‘aqeedah regarding of all its thoughts and perceptions. It abides in all of its actions and practices by the divine rules ahkaam shar’iyyah. And its work in the call (Da’wah) is political that addresses the actions of the rulers: being inconsistent with Islam, linked (loyal) to the West and are betrayal to the Muslims. Besides, these actions ought to be implementation of Islam in the life of Muslims, and carrying the message of Islam to the world by calling (Da’wah) and Jihad.

When Hizb-ut Tahrir defined its vital issue as bringing back the rule of Allah, and defined its objective as the establishment of Dar ul-Islam by the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah State; it tried to determine the divine method it must follow to realise its objective: which is represented in the method of the Prophet -peace and prayers be upon him and his family – in his work from when Allah sent him as a messenger until he established the Islamic state in the Madinah.

Based on the Seerah of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family in establishing the Islamic state and converting dar ul-kufr to dar ul-Islam, and in transforming the Jahili society to Islamic society, Hizb-ut Tahrir defined its method in three stages:

The first stage: The culturing stage in order to develop people who believe in the Islamic thought upon which the party is built in order to realise its objective. This is similar to that which the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family did, where he used to invite people – and whoever responded positively to him and believed in him and his message he used to link him (to his group) secretly, and was keen to teach him whatever had been revealed of the message of Islam until he had absorbed it.

The second stage: Interaction stage: A stage of interaction with the Ummah so that she adopts Islam, takes it as her own issue and works for its implementation in real life, state and society. In this stage, the party carried out intensive culturing in circles for the development of its own party body and to develop Islamic personalities capable to carry out the call. It also carried out a collective culturing to the masses of people, to create general awareness about its ideas amongst themselves, so as to build up the popular foundation that enabled it to lead the Ummah just as the Prophet – peace be upon him and his family – did in Madinah. The party has also followed the Messenger – may Allah bless him and his family – where it engaged into intellectual struggle by confronting the beliefs, systems and thoughts of kufr, and engaging in the political struggle against Muslim rulers and those behind them of the Western capitalist disbelieving countries. So it exposed the plots and revealed the plans for the sake of liberation of the Ummah. Besides, it adopted the interests of the nation and looked after its affairs in accordance with the provisions of the Sharee’ah.

At this stage, the party performed seeking of support (talab un-Nussrah) of the people of power, just as the Prophet – peace be upon him and his family did – as reported by Ibn Kathir in the Seerah from Ali bin Abi Talib, who said:

“لما أمر الله رسوله أن يعرض نفسه على قبائل العرب خرج وأنا معه وأبو بكر إلى منى حتى دفعنا إلى مجلس من مجالس العرب”

“When Allah commanded His Messenger to present himself to the Arab tribes, he came out – accompanied by me and Abu Bakr – to Mina till we reached one of the councils of the Arabs.” By this seeking of support (talab un-Nussrah) the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, established the Islamic state after taking the covenant (bay’ah) from the supporters (Ansar) to defend this deen regardless of the size of threat that might face them.

The third Stage: This is the stage of taking authority and application of Islam, totally and comprehensively, and carrying it as a message to the world.

Hizb-ut Tahrir works to unify the Muslim lands in the single Khilafah State that combines all Muslims under its leadership in one single Islamic nation (Ummah) that does not distinguish between an Arab and non- Arab, and nor between a black or a white – except by piety.

Hizb-ut Tahrir has worked in Syria since the beginning of its call in the 1950s. It has continued to pursue its call without deviation from the method of the Prophet – may Allah bless him and his family. The difficulties it faced in the days of its call only increased its determination. It suffered a lot from the brutal rule of the family of Al-Assad. It yearns for the victory from Allah alone that opens the hearts and minds of the people of power to support it, after He opened the hearts of Muslims in general to its call. It also aspires to be worthy of this true promise by establishing the rightly guided Khilafah at its own hands, when the Noble Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family said:

“ثم تكون خلافة راشدة على منهاج النبوة”

“Then it would be a rightly guided Khilafah on the model of Prophethood”. It also looks to Allah alone to honour the people of the Sham by making their land the centre abode of the Khilafah as confirmed by the words of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family:

“عقر دار الإسلام بالشام”
“The centre abode of Islam is in the Sham.”