20 Ramadan, the Liberation of Makkah and the End of Oppression

O Muslims!

It was in Ramadan, 8 AH, that the heads of oppression, the Quraysh, were finally defeated. The Prophet (saw) entered Makkah victorious, and purified Al-Kaaba ash-Sharif of idols, having recited,

[وَقُلْ جَاءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْبَٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًۭا] “And say: Truth has come and Falsehood has vanished. Surely! Falsehood is ever bound to vanish.” [TMQ Surah Al-Isra:81]. And this clear victory came after the Muslims had spent many years exposing oppression, patiently doing good deeds. It is this patient Dawah to Islam that is a clear direction for us today.

O Muslims! Before oppression ended in Makkah, the Muslims exposed the oppression by the Quraysh of the wealth of the people.

In the era of the Prophet (aws), the Muslims exposed the injustice of riba (interest). Allah (swt) said,

[وَمَا آتَيْتُم مِّن رِّبًا لِّيَرْبُوَ فِي أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ فَلَا يَرْبُو عِندَ اللَّهِ] “And whatever you give in riba (interest) to increase the wealth of people will not increase with Allah.” [TMQ Surah Ar-Rum: 39] So, today, let us expose the oppression of the Western financial colonialism, which has impoverished most of humanity through loans on interest. It has reached a point where most of the taxation in the country is used just to pay the riba, without any impact on the principle on the loan. Indeed, this oppression means there is no hope of ever breaking the beggar’s bowl, whilst the people are crushed by increasing taxation.

In the era of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims exposed the oppression of the cheating in the markets, where the Quraysh had one standard for themselves and another for all others. Allah (swt) said,

[وَيْلٌ لِلْمُطَفِّفِينَ * الَّذِينَ إِذَا اكْتَالُواْ عَلَى النَّاسِ يَسْتَوْفُونَ * وَإِذَا كَالُوهُمْ أَوْ وَزَنُوهُمْ يُخْسِرُونَ] “Woe to those who give less than due measure * who, when they take a measure from people, demand full measure * but when they give by measure or weight to them, give less than due.” [TMQ Surah Al-Mutafafoon 1-3]. And today, let us expose the oppression of the Western market colonialism. Let us expose the opening of doors for the Western multinationals to control the wealth of other nations. Let us expose the unjust practices including the privatization of energy and minerals, securing the dominance of the US dollar in international trade, and oppressive tariff regimes. Let us expose how people live in severe hardship, even though there is huge wealth under their very feet!

In the era of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims exposed the injustice of the hoarding of wealth, where the Quraysh withheld wealth from other people. Allah (swt) said,

[وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ] “And those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the cause of Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment.” [TMQ Surah At-Tawbah 34]. So today, let us expose the immense wealth disparity between the Global North and the Global South, where most of the world is drowning in poverty, whilst a few nations usurp wealth unfairly. And let us expose the oppression of the peoples by their own elites, where most of the wealth of the country is in the hands of a small elite.

O Muslims! Before oppression ended in Makkah, the Muslims exposed the oppression by the Quraysh of women and children.

In the era of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims exposed the oppression of women in the society, including forcing women into prostitution. Allah (swt) said,

[وَلَا تُكْرِهُوا فَتَيَاتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَاءِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَ تَحَصُّنًا لِّتَبْتَغُوا عَرَضَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا]

“Do not force your girls into prostitution for your own worldly gains while they wish to remain chaste.” [TMQ Surah An-Nur: 33]. So today, let us expose the oppression of women today at a time of the Epstein scandal and human trafficking of women and girls, who are abducted, raped and forced into prostitution. Let us expose an unjust social system where the beauty of a woman has been made into a commodity for sale, whether in prostitution or pornography. Let us expose an unjust system in which the relationship between men and women has been sexualized, instead of being a relationship of chaste co-operation.

In the era of the Prophet (saw), the Muslims exposed the injustice of killing the unborn female children. Allah (swt) said,

[وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ] “And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for you and for them.” [TMQ Surah Al-Anaam: 151]. So, today, let us expose the abortion of living souls, and that which leads to it, where news of a healthy pregnancy is met with sorrow, instead of joy. Let us expose that most of the abortion in the world is not because of rape or medical compulsion, it is because of social reasons. Let us expose that in many cases the woman must either raise the child on her own, without a husband to financially support her, or abort the child.

O Muslims! The Islamic Ummah is the best nation brought to humanity. Allah (swt) entrusted the Islamic Ummah with the risaalah message of Truth and justice. The Islamic Ummah has a responsibility to convey the message to all of humanity. So let each of us carry the Dawah to Islam. Let us carry the Dawah to Islam to our families, friends, neighbours, colleagues and communities. Let us carry the Dawah whether we are in the Muslim World, or outside the Muslim World. Let the brothers carry the Dawah to Muhammad and Peter, whilst the sisters carry the Dawah to Fatima and Jane. Let us not consider any action in this Dawah as a waste of time, even if it were a single word, or a conversation of a few minutes. Indeed, Allah (swt) said, [وَاصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ] “Be patient, for indeed, Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good.” [TMQ Surah Hud: 115].

So, let us carry the Dawah until it pleases Allah (swt) to grant us nasr and end the oppression within the Muslim World, through the tamkeen of the Deen, as a state and ruling governance.

Thus, Hizb ut Tahrir invites you all, regardless of your race, Islamic school of thought, gender and age, to study Islam with it, and carry the Dawah to Islam.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Musab Umair – Wilayah Pakistan