The Taliban Government |
When the Ulama of Afghanistan raised the flag of jihād 4-5 years ago, not only did the west become surprised but the Muslims, world-wide, also became anx-ious and perplexed. Yet the Qur’ān clearly states, "If you believe, you will be assisted." Within a short span of time, this minor group achieved astounding success. |
| Recent History |
| Twenty years ago when Zahir Shah openly invited the communists of Russia to propagate their ideologies and the Muslim youth began discard-ing their Islāmic beliefs and adopting socialist ideas, the Ulama and the learned scholars saw the future becoming extremely bleak. When Zahir Shah failed in his nefarious attempts, he was removed from office and an irreligious person, General Dawūd was instated in his place to uproot Islām. Upon witnessing this, the Ulama of Afghanistan turned to their teachers, Mufti Mahmūd, Allamah Binnori, Moulana Abdul Haq and their alma mater, Darul Ulūm Deoband for a religious decree. The decree, of opposing the enemies of Islām was issued and the Ulama promptly began a regional struggle. |
Subsequently Nūr Muhammad Tarakay assassinated President Dawūd and openly began preaching communist beliefs. This delicate situa-tion spurred the scholars to announce the jihād and they practically partook in it. Tarakay could not combat them and consequently Hafīzullah Amīn was used to kill him and he was appointed the new leader. Hafīzullah Amīn allowed the Russian forces to enter Afghanistan to oppose the Ulama. In this manner, the students of Dīn, the Ulama and those with strong Islāmic beliefs began the jihād directly against the Russian and Afghan communists. The Russians broke all previous records of oppression and barbarity. 1.8 million Muslims were martyred while more than one million Muslims were forced to flee. Millions had to leave their homes. Sacrifice on such a gigantic scale has not been witnessed in recent history. |
| Sacrifices |
| You will be surprised to note that the financially impoverished Ulama and students of Dīn were the ones who made the sacrifices. People of other professions like businessmen, engineers and medical doctors all fled to other countries to seek refuge. Allāh Ta'āla accepted the sacrifices of these Mujahidīn and the super power Russia, which never suffered any previous defeat after entering any country, was forced to flee. As they fled, they left huge arms caches for the local communists to finish off the Mujahidīn but it was in vain. Hafīzullah Amīn was killed and Barbrak Karmal fled to Russia. Dr. Najībullah sought asylum at the UN. |
Afghanistan was now in the hands of the Mujahidīn while Kabul fell in the control of Ahmed Shah Mas’ūd. At the completion of the vic-tory, the Ulama and students returned to their respective institutes and left the administration of the country in the hands of the leaders of the differ-ent Mujahidīn groups. Unfortunately the leaders failed dismally in adminis-tering the country. Instead, a civil war broke out among the different factions with each one trying to get a grip on the reigns of power. Each faction con-trolled certain sections of the country. Separate governments fragmented the country. Kabul itself had more than four governments. Peace talks and negotiations failed and each group began fighting the next. The war between Hikmatyar and Mas’ūd reduced Kabul to ruins. A similar situ-ation occurred in the other cities. The Ulama remained impartial in all these battles. Pakistan tried several times to reconcile the factions. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia invited the leaders to Makkah and they reconciled in the Kaabah by placing their hands on the Qur’ān but violated their pledges the moment they stepped outside. The leaders forgot the twenty-year struggle to emancipate the country. They for-got the 1.8 million martyrs and the one million that left their homes. Oppression ensued and people began to hate the word ‘jihād. The name ‘mujahid’ became a swearword. This situation distressed the Ulama. The masses resorted to the Ulama to stop the carnage and anticipated a solu-tion. The settlement was not to mere-ly form another group to fight for power. The Ulama pondered over their responsibility and realised it was their compulsion to prevent the dis-senters. This would be termed a Sharī’ jihād on condition that it was not for the aim of gaining power but to stop the dissension and institute the Law of Allāh in the country. |
A group of only forty Ulama and stu-dents initiated the jihād from the Pakistani border near Chaman against the dissenters in the bordering areas of Afghanistan at Sinbukduk. These were the very same Ulama and stu-dents that had participated in the jihād previously under the seven different political groupings but now they were independent of those parties. Very shortly they achieved victory in Sinbukduk and Kandahar. The latter city became the headquarters of the Taliban. At the very inception the Taliban announced the implementa-tion of Islāmic laws and formed a model Islāmic government in the province of Kandahar. |
The crime rate dropped to such an extent that people began to leave their shops open when proceeding for salāh. Observing this situation, the people of the other provinces began inviting the Taliban to apply Islāmic laws in their areas as well. Within the remarkable period of one year, in some areas by means of jihād and in others by means of inviting the Taliban, an Islāmic government was established. On seeing this, the Ulama and students from the other political parties left those parties to join the Taliban. The other factions became void of Mujahidīn. In this manner the Taliban captured Kabul and twenty-seven other provinces of Afghanistan. Now only the communist forces of General Abdul Malik, General Nadir Jafari, leader of the Agha Khanis and the Hizb Wahdat controlled three provinces in the north while Ahmed Shah Mas’ūd rebelled in the Panjsher valley. Besides these few battle fronts, In the other provinces a woman or child could carry thousands of rupees or gold and travel without anyone even lifting their gaze. |
| Sharī‘āh Laws |
| Thus far the injunctions of the Shariat have been implemented. The penal codes of punishment (hudūd) as well as other laws of mutual dealings have been implemented in totality. A woman cannot emerge from the home without hijāb. Capital punish-ment has been implemented. In short, un-Islāmic laws and activities have been abolished. Every governor is answer-able for the implementation of Islāmic laws. Such an Islāmic government was only observed in previous centuries. The West, Iran and India oppose the Taliban government because It is a true Islāmic government. The Muslims, world-wide, should support the Taliban to achieve a true Islāmic state. Materially they possess very little and it is the duty of all Muslims to assist them in their needs. |
(An eye-witness account by Moulana Jamīl Khan, The Daily Jang corre-spondent in Karachi who recently vis-ited South Africa with Mufti Nizamuddīn Shamzi) |