When there is imperfection in establishment of Islamic rule and sinfulness becomes apparent in the rulers, then the recourse in rectifying that deficiency is found in the two revelations, the Quran and the authentic Prophetic Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم); and this must be based upon the understanding of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) .

Firstly, Muslims should understand that the Muslim rulers, good or bad, are only a product of the society from which they come and they are in authority over the Muslims because the Muslims are deserving of them. The great scholar, Ibn Qayyim has expressed this in very fine words.¹

“And reflect in His, the Most High’s wisdom in making the kings of the servants, their leaders and their rulers to be of the same nature as the actions [of the servants]. Rather, it is as if their actions became manifest in the appearances of their rulers and kings. If they remain upright, then their kings will remain upright, and if they turn away [from uprightness], then they (the kings) too will turn away from uprightness. And if they (the servants) oppress [themselves and others], then their kings and rulers will oppress [them], and if there appears plotting and deception from them, their rulers will behave likewise, and if they (the servants) prevent the rights of Allah that are with them, and become miserly with respect to them (i.e. withhold the rights of each other), then their kings and their rulers will withhold the right that they (the servants) have upon them, and will become miserly with respect to them. And if they take from the one who is considered weak, what they do not deserve to take from him in their dealings (i.e. misappropriate from him), then the kings will take from them (the servants) what they do not deserve to take (from them) and will inflict them with taxes. And everything that they (the servants) take away from the weak person, the kings will take away from them with power, force. So their actions (those of the servants) become manifest in their actions (those of the kings and rulers).

And it is not from the Divine wisdom that the evil doers and sinners are made to be ruled over [by anyone] except by the one who is of their like.

And when the very first band (of Islam) was the best of the generations, and the most pious of them, then their rulers were likewise. And when they became tarnished (i.e. corrupted), the Rulers were made corrupted over them. Thus, the wisdom of Allaah refuses that the likes of Mu’awiyah, and ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul-‘Azeez are put in authority over us in the likes of these times (the 8th century Hijrah), let alone the likes of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. Rather, our rulers are in accordance with our (nature) and the rulers of those before us were in accordance with their (nature).”

Secondly, that any humiliation that has come upon the Muslims is because they earned that humiliation from Allah, the Mighty and Wise. This is proven in numerous texts such as the saying of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم):

“When you [Muslims] partake in usury, and hold on to the tales of cattle, become satisfied with the cultivation of the earth and abandon Jihad, then Allah will send down upon you humiliation; and He will not remove it until you return back to your Religion.”²

Here the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) clearly mentioned that it is Allah who sends down the humiliation³ upon the Muslims due to their transgressions and that it is Allah who will remove the humiliation when the Muslims return to their religion in truth. Note that he did not say, “until you return to fighting or killing” or “until you return the Caliphate” – he mentioned the obligation of returning back to the Religion, and the basis and starting point of the Religion is Tawhid, belief and righteous actions, as occurs in the statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم):

“Islam is to testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except for Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; to establish the prayer; to pay the Zakat (obligatory charity); to fast the month of Ramadan; and to perform the Hajj.”⁴

So we understand from this that if Muslims return back to the methodology of the Prophets, the correct worship of Allah (Tawhid), true belief and action, Allah will surely given them establishment, a just Caliphate, just as He gave it to those who came before them. He, the Mighty and Majestic, stated in the Quran:

“Allah has promised those amongst you who believe and work righteous deeds that Allah will establish them in the earth just as He established those who came before them; He will indeed make firm for them the Religion that He is pleased with; and He will change their state of fear to security; [all this] so long as they worship Me alone and they do not associate anything in worship with Me, and those who disbelieve after that then they are the wrongdoers.”⁵

Footnotes
1 Miftah Dar as-Sa’adah, Dar Ibn Affan Publishing, (2/177).
2 Abu Dawud, as-Sunan, no. 3462, authenticated by al-Albani.
3 So the exaggerated emphasis upon the plots and plans of the Jews, Americans and the ‘Elders of Zion’ is a diversion from the truth that does not deal with the crux of why the Muslims are in such a malaise.
4 Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
5 An-Nur: 55.

Source: The Rise of Jihadist Extremism in the West, Salafi Publications, First Edition, pp.90-93.

Details about the book can be found here: Details about The Rise of Jihadist Extremism in the West