SÜNUHAT 36-41

وَ اَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ1

٭ وَ شَاوِرْهُمْ فِى اْلاَمْرِ2

{In the early period of the Freedom3, I proposed this idea to the Young Turks, but they did not accept it. I proposed it again twelve years later; they accepted it. However, the assembly was abolished. Now I am presenting it once again to the central point of the Islamic world.}

History shows us that Muslims have progressed to the degree that they have embraced religion, and they have declined whenever they displayed weakness in religion. On the contrary, in other religions, whenever the religion was strong, savagery and cruelty emerged among its followers, and whenever it was weak, advancement and civilisation emerged.

The majority of the prophets being sent in the East is an allusion from azalî Qadar that what rules the sentiments of the East is religion. The events that have emerged in the Islamic world today also show that it is this sentiment that will awaken the Islamic world and save it from the present humiliation and degradation.

It has also been established that, despite all the deadly conflicts and collisions, this Islamic state has been preserved by that same sentiment. In this respect, we have a unique feature compared to the West. We cannot be compared to them.

The sultanate and the khilâfah are not separate entities; they are united in essence, but different only in their form. Therefore, our Sultân is both a sultân and a khâlifah, and he is the flag of the Islamic world.

The sultân administers thirty million people in terms of his sovereignty as well as being the place of manifestation for the luminous bond between three hundred million people, and the point of support and help for that luminous bond in terms of his khilâfah. The office of the Grand Vezir4 represents the sultanate, while the office of Shaykh al-Islam represents the khilâfah.

The office of the Grand Vezir relies on three significant Councils (Shûrâ), but this is still not enough. However, amidst such critical, susceptible connections, the number of which currently increased, along with the disastrous confusions in ijtihad, disunity and divisions in the Muslims’ thinking and the terrible decline in morals due to the penetration of corrupt civilisation, the wing of the office of Shaykh al-Islam was left to the judgment of one person.

An individual can resist less against the external influence. Due to being captivated by the external influence, many ordinances of religion were sacrificed.

And when a simple lifestyle, imitation in religious matters and submission prevailed among the majority of Muslims, the office of Shaykh al-Islam would refer to a Council (Shûrâ) or at least to significant figures, such as Qâdî al-‘Askar,5 even though this was not routinely done. Now, even though the simplicity has been gone, and the imitation in religious matters and submission weakened, how can one person be deemed sufficient for making judgment?

Time has shown that the office of Shaykh al-Islam, which represents the khilâfah, is not limited to Istanbul and the Ottomans, but it is a glorious institution encompassing the entire Muslim world. With its current faded situation, it is not even sufficient for the guidance of Istanbul, let alone the vast Islamic world. Therefore, this position should be elevated to a state where the Islamic world can rely on it. It should take the state of being the source as well as being the place of manifestation so that it can truly fulfil its religious duty towards the Islamic world.

We are not in the former times. In the olden days, the judge was a single person. The mufti under that judge could also be an individual like him. The mufti would correct and modify the judge’s ideas but now, it is the time for jamâ’ah. The judge is a firm ma’nawî collective personality who has emerged from the rûh of the jamâ’ah, who listens a little but is also deaf a little; the Councils (Shûrâ) represent that rûh.

The mufti under such a judge must also be of the same kind as the judge, a ma’nawî collective personality born of a high scholarly council so that he can make his words heard by the judge and guide him to as-sirât al-mustaqîm from points related to religion. Otherwise, even if the individual is a genius, he is as small as a mosquito in comparison to the ma’nawî collective personality of the jamâ’ah. Due to remaining so faded, this significant position endangers the knot of life within the Islamic world that resembles a seed.

We can even say that the current weakness in religion, the indifference in the shaâ’er of Islam and the confusions in ijtihad have arisen from the weakness and decline of the office of Shaykh al-Islam because a man outside the office can protect his opinion against the office of Shaykh al-Islam that relies on individuality. However, the word of a Shaykh al-Islam who relies on such a Council (Shûrâ) can either make even the greatest genius give up his ijtihad or prevent his ijtihad from spreading among the ummah and confine it to him.

Anyone capable and qualified can make ijtihad, but his ijtihad can be a law to be practiced when it is accepted by ijmâ’ and jumhur 6. Such a Shaykh al-Islam, who relies on a council (Shûrâ), would be honoured with this mystery in a ma’nawî manner. Just as in the illustrious Sharî’ah, ijmâ’ and the judgment of jumhur were always the sources of fatwas, so now, in the time of confusions of ideas and thoughts, there is an absolute need for such a judgment to settle the disputes.

The office of the Grand Vezir and the office of Shaykh al-Islam are two wings. If these two wings of the Islamic state are not in balance, there cannot be progress. Even if there is, it will cast off the sacred matters of religion for the sake of such a corrupt civilisation.

Necessity is the master of all matters. The need for such a Council (Shûrâ) is intense. If it is not established in the centre of the khilâfah, it will necessarily be formed somewhere else.

Although it is appropriate to establish first some of the affairs, such as the establishment of the Islamic jamâ’ah and the annexation of the foundations to the office of Shaykh al-Islam, which are some of the preliminaries of the Council (Shûrâ), the aim will still be achieved even if we start now and prepare the preliminaries later. The a’yân7 and deputies, whose role in elections is both limited and mixed, may have an indirect influence on this matter only regarding their official duties. However, a pure Islamic Council (Shûrâ) that will undertake this great duty directly and without any intermediaries is necessary.

If something is not used on account of the purpose of its establishment, it becomes idle and does not show the desired effect. Therefore, elevating Dâr al-Hikmah, which was established for an important purpose, from its current level of an ordinary commission, and considering Dâr al-Hikmah as the natural member of the Council (Shûrâ) together with the presidency of the affairs in the office of Shaykh al-Islam, and for now, bringing fifteen to twenty selected ‘ulamâ, who have gained the trust of the Islamic world through their religious life and morals, constitute the basis of this matter of great importance.

We should not be suspicious and distrustful. Religion should not be given as a bribe due to fear. May the curse of Allah be on the adorned, deceitful civilisation that becomes the excuse for weakness of religion! Fear and weakness encourage external influence. A definite benefit should not be sacrificed for an imaginary harm.

وَ مِنَ اللّٰهِ التَّوْفِيقُ

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