It goes without saying that a ruler is held in a high esteem by Shari`ah (Islamic law) and is burdened with a great responsibility. Moreover, a just ruler is the most likely person to be admitted to Paradise. Listing seven categories of persons who will be shaded by Allah's shade on the Day of Judgment when there is no shade but His, the Prophet (peace be upon him) started with a just ruler. Undoubtedly, a ruler's justice and righteousness does not only benefit him alone or a limited group of individuals but also benefits the Ummah (nation) as a whole.

Therefore, it is a must upon sincere persons to advise rulers and those in authority to do that which they should do and direct them toward that which might reform them and their subjects. In this regard, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Religion is Sincerity.” The Companions asked: “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and the leaders of Muslims and to the common Muslim.” [Sahih Muslim]. The Hadith indicates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) began with the leaders of Muslims, for their righteousness or corruption will reflect on the Ummah.

Accordingly, I felt it obligatory on me to send this sincere message to all Arab and Muslim rulers feeling certain that Allah will convey it on my behalf to good-heated rulers in the hope that Allah might set right our affairs.

The reason behind sending such a message is the sixty first anniversary of the declaration of the Zionist entity sate in dear Palestine. Since common Muslims should have a role in liberating Palestine, Muslim rulers, with greater reason, should have much greater roles. Actually, one's share of responsibility is determined in proportion with one's position. In my opinion, being a leader is more burdening than honorary. I ask Allah to guide you, reverend Arab and Muslim rulers, and us to the right path.

Your Excellency and Highness, you certainly know about the painful situation the Blessed Land pass by. You ultimately know the dilemma our Ummah experiences seeing aggressing Zionists dominating the first of the two Qiblahs (direction of Prayer), the third Holy Sanctuary (after Mecca and Medina) and the starting point of Allah's Messenger's ascension to the Heavens, i.e. Al-Aqsa Mosque. Years passed and we still see no more than destroyed houses, demolished lands, profaned inviolabilities, thousands of martyrs, ten thousands of captives, hundred thousands of those besieged and starved, and millions of homeless persons. The question is: Till when should we remain under subjugation? Is not there any way to liberate the Blessed Land? Is not there any means to get back rights to those deserving? Some people might view it a very complicated issue and thus we may differ on the solution so confusingly that we may suggest hundreds or even thousands of solutions to find out that they are all in vain and fruitless. Therefore, there has to be a stance to reconsider the whole matter.

Honorable rulers, I have read history and deduced lessons wherefrom. In many occurrences, Muslims passed by such deteriorating situation many times. I could see how many Muslim countries were occupied before and how many calamities took place. I could also notice that there was only one way out, which, if sought as was sought by our antecedents, will lead to honor and glory just as it led them. Hence, I felt it is a duty on me to give you the following advices, raising the slogan raised by prophets, "I am an honest advisor to you".

First: It is inevitable to put into force the Shari`ah (Islmaic Law). Indeed, Allah has bestowed on you independent rule in your countries. Thus, it is unacceptable on your part that your reaction to His favor be non-enforcement of His Laws. I swear by Allah you are greatly accountable for performing such a responsibility. Moreover, it is your first priority. Anyway, Shari`ah does not only stand for Islamic penal code. Rather, it means enforcing that which Allah requires us to do in all wakes of life, including political, economic, information, military, judiciary and signing treaties fields. In this regard, Allah (may He be Exalted) said, " Nothing have we omitted from the Book" [Al-An`am, 38].

Furthermore, it is not logically farfetched to put Shari`ah into force. Actually, many non-Muslim intellectuals testify to the magnificence and splendor of the Shari`ah. However, I assure those who fear of global mighty nations – USA being the foremost – that Allah never forsakes those who have recourse to Him and that you, by enforcing Shari`ah, deserve His support and help. Being as such, no whatever power on the Earth can stand in your way. In brief, stick to the Qur'an and Sunnah if you seek glory in this life, in the Hereafter or in both of them.

Your Excellency and Highness, we can achieve no victory unless supported by Allah, something which is contingent upon our will. Allah (may He be Exalted) said, "O you who believe! If you will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly." [Muhammad, 7]. According to the Qur'anic verse, Allah asked us, as a first step to achieve victory, to aid Allah's Cause, which can be done through enforcing His Laws. To this effect, Allah (may He be Exalted) said, "But who, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than Allah?" [Al-Ma'idah, 50].

Second: Holding scholars in a high esteem.

We need not mention scholars' position as to the Ummah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) described them as the heirs of prophets thus conferring on them honors never conferred on any other people. Accordingly, if you aspire for glory and honor, you have to hold scholars in a high esteem consulting them and acting upon their advices. Undoubtedly, innumerable unsolvable problems could only be solved by a sincere scholar waiting for no extolment and desiring for no authority or wealth.

By holding scholars in a high esteem, we do not mean that they are worthier of leading the Ummah than you. We unarguably know that politicians and rulers have a leadership vision scholars do not have. We also know that they are more vested in administrative, systematic, negotiating and military affairs. What we hope is cooperation and integration between scholars and rulers, which will have unimaginable fruits and far-reaching glory.

As a matter of fact, Your Excellency and Highness, many scholars in the Muslim Ummah are, unfortunately, restricted and thus cannot convey their advices to the common people, not to mention to their rulers. Furthermore, a good deal of scholars are jailed guiltlessly and now sank into oblivion. So, fear Allah regarding the scholars of the Ummah, for they are the torch bearers without whose words the Ummah will certainly go astray.

Third: Multi-dimensional separation among Muslims is ultimately an essential reason behind the dilemma, the Palestinian Cause being the core thereof, the Ummah experiences.
In other words, Palestine may not be liberated when we are so torn apart. Therefore, you should proceed to unite and join forces, for actually Allah's Hand is with collective efforts as provided for by our generous Prophet (peace be upon him). Priority is to be given to internal unity within each country, i.e. a ruler settling disputes with his people and starting to join all forces in his country in the interest of the society as a whole. In fact, there is no reason for internal conflicts we see in all countries having the effect of marginalizing effective powers and excluding beneficial figures, which in turn results in huge harm to the individual and the community.

After setting right internal affairs exploiting all powers within it, let us unite with neighboring countries, making special reference to Egypt, KSA, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Surrounding dear Palestine, unity of such countries powerfully will have a great effect on the Zionist enemy. Thereafter, the frame of unity should extend to include all Arab countries. Although there is already an Arab League, it is a too weak organization to have influence on universal balance of power. Amazingly, this looks very strange taking into consideration the great capacities of Arab countries. We are aspiring for an EU-like or even a better unity.

Actually, we have more constituents of unity than they have and thus we should be more cohesive than they are. In a subsequent step, unity should be much more expanded to include all Muslim entities. No doubt, such will be a wonderful unity that joins all Arab countries in addition to Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria and other Muslim countries. It will not be bad to firstly form a confederate unity keeping intact the system of each country and the system of leadership it has, which is to be a step toward comprehensive unity. Let it be our objective now to free open joint borders, to annul custom and economic restrictions, to abide by decisions agreed on by united countries and to stand seriously by such oppressed countries as Palestine, Iraq, Sudan and the like.

Fourth: Entitling fit persons to positions of power and authority:

Nations decline and fade away when power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, which stands for losing honesty as stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Therefore, Your Excellency and Highness, you are to re-estimate your retinues and ministers, through whose righteousness the whole Ummah will be righteous, if Allah so wills. Moreover, appoint for your service not only trustworthy persons but also those experienced. To this effect, Allah mentioned strength prior to honesty in the Qur'anic verse that reads, "truly the best of men for you to employ is the (man) who is strong and trusty" [Al-Qasas, 26]. So, let these two characteristics, i.e. powerfulness in one's specialization and trustworthiness, be the criteria for appointing those of authority in your countries, which will secure great stability in the country and will incur much benefit on you. This is in addition to causing Divine Satisfaction which will grant you happiness in this life and in the Hereafter.

Dear respectable leaders, many leaders go astray as a result of their consultants' going astray. Furthermore, a righteous ruler might turn into the contrary if he does not choose fit helpers and employees, which is your ultimate responsibility. In fact, you have a free choice, either to choose good or bad persons. In this regard, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Every ruler has two kind of retinues; one enjoins him to do good and forbids him from doing evil and the other will not fail to corrupt him. Thus, whoever is guarded against the evil of the latter will prosper. Moreover, he will belong to the category whose advices he follows."

The Hadith clearly indicates that corrupt retinue do neither love the ruler nor love good for him, but seek only their own interests. Moreover, they do not care if their ruler is harmed in case it turns to be good for them. Accordingly, a leader who chooses a righteous retinue benefits himself in the first place. Besides, there is a serious warning at the end of the Hadith, i.e. the phrase "he will belong to the category whose advices he follows". Correspondingly, you should consider who your retinue are if you want to recognize your inner self or know how your reckoning before you Lord will be on the Day of Judgment. If they are pious, righteous, knowledgeable and experts, you will be as such, if Allah so wills. However, if they are corrupt and corruptive who seek only to increase their wealth and influence, you have to proceed to change them so that they might cause you no harm in this life or in the Hereafter.

Fifth: The Palestinian Cause is not a national cause belonging to Palestinians alone.
This is an issue that you have to bear in mind and upon which a course of action is based. We, Muslims, are required to free occupied Muslim lands everywhere, which is as an Islamic fundamental as offering Prayers and observing fast. Therefore, everyone will be asked by Allah on this issue in proportion with their share of responsibility and capabilities. Unarguably, you bear great responsibilities and have great capabilities and thus have to be up to our expectations.

Moreover, Palestine is not only a Muslim land but also the thermometer of this Ummah's faith. Thus, the more we concern for it, the firmer in belief we are. On the other hand, we will neglect all other causes if we neglect it. Furthermore, Palestine has always been motivating Muslim peoples and uniting the righteous. So, be in the forefront of the righteous so that honor in this life and in the Hereafter might be conferred on you.

It is thus meaningless to offend Palestinians reminding them of our favor of helping them, for it is a foremost fundamental and duty. Dear rulers who are jealous for their religion, countries and honors, you should adopt the Palestinian Cause in its entirety offering support for it in all fields and providing its people with economic, social, political and military help. You should also provide them with complete media support, stand by them in political circles and unite its factions in one entity headed by those elected freely by Palestinians. In addition, you are to back all individuals, authorities, organizations, states and governments who seek to support the Palestinian people.

Sixth: History proves Jihad, struggle and bloody strife to be the only solution to free Palestine.
 As for us, Muslims, we have no way but Jihad to expel occupiers and give usurped rights back. Undoubtedly, usurping armies may be compelled, rather than convinced, to depart, especially Zionists who understand no other language. Hence, you must support striving factions in Palestine, specifically Hamas, Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, as well as all those who have rightful vision of the Cause. Furthermore, war is the only way to glory and dignity and thus may not be feared. We will by no means die before our moment of death prescribed by Allah. Moreover, your peoples will not feel angry for destruction of some establishments or homes.

I dare swear by Allah that Muslim peoples feel burning desire for a day when they carry their weapons and fight against Zionists regardless of how huge sacrifices may be. Furthermore, you are to be prepared well for such a memorable day equipping your armies with latest weapons and equipments. Bearing in mind that the world is becoming an open weapon market, you should depend on more than one arming source that might give you up at any given moment. Moreover, you have to obtain nuclear weapons that is owned by the Zionist enemy. It is unfair that they freely own them while we are prohibited to do so.  Number of army's soldiers has also to be increased in order to frighten Allah's enemies. Furthermore, you should raise the budget's share assigned to armies, for whose leadership you should appoint experienced and trustworthy persons. Besides, you should plant in your soldiers' souls aspiration for Paradise, for they, thus motivated, will sacrifice there lives in the battlefield so willingly. By then, they will be undefeatable, for actually soldiers who love death just as their enemies love life will never be defeated.

Dear leaders, I am not a destruction or ruin propagator. I only call you to honor and glory, which is proved by history and reality and admitted by Muslims and non-Muslims. No doubt, If we are unable to defend ourselves, we should not hold usurpers accountable.

Seventh: Those among you who recognized the legitimacy of the Zionist entity have to immediately withdraw such a recognition.
Unquestionably, this is a testimony for which we will be held accountable before Allah. Allah the Almighty said, "And establish the witness for Allah" [Al-Talaq, 2]. It is thus totally unjust to bear witness that Yafo, Haifa, Akko, Ashkelon and other Palestinian cities belong now to Jews. The fact that former rulers committed the fault of recognizing the Zionist entity does not justify you to commit the same error. Actually, all countries of the world reexamine their covenants and treaties and annul that which conflicts with their national security through universally-acknowledged mechanisms. In this regard, jurists view that international treaties are political in the first place, in the sense that decisions about them are more dependent on nations' policies and security than on international laws. Moreover, the whole world knows that Zionists usurped the Palestinian lands. However, they keep silent either on account of fear of the USA or Jews or because they see the right owners of the land do not advocate their rights. As for us, we fear none but Allah, Who is stronger in our hearts than the USA, Jews and the whole creation. Assuring you and all Muslims, Allah said in His Glorious Book, "That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, but those who reject Allah have no protector." [Muhammad, 11].

You should never accept to have embassies representing an entity that exceeded all injustice limits. Moreover, you should never have commercial or diplomatic representation centers for them, nor should you receive their tourists, merchants and actors in addition to any other form of representation. Be sure that you will be held in a higher esteem by your peoples in case you follow these steps.
You certainly know that ErdoÄŸan's stance toward the Zionist president Shimon Perez in Davos Economic Forum was highly praised. If Allah so wills, you will be even more highly praised and will be further supported by your Lord, whose Laws you applied and for Whose sake you worked.

Eighth: You should adopt strict stance in international authorities, the UN being the foremost. You all know that it became an injustice-backing entity, in which there is no place except for the strong. United together, you constitute a not-to-be-sneezed-at power. Therefore, do not accept injustice and do not yield to threats. It is not the end of the world that Muslims withdraw from this entity at all if it continued to serve Zionist interests at the expense of those of Muslims. Actually, we do not refuse to cooperate with the world's countries in achieving justice, truth and virtue. However, it is inevitable to oppose, trying to change the situation, fettering Muslim nations with unjust laws and unfair rules. Do not forget that the whole story started with the unjust Palestine Partation Resolution issued by the UN in 1947, in which the UN dare not condemn Jews in spite of their flagrant usurpation of rights and even violations of the UN laws.
The same should also apply to other international political, economic or military entities, bearing in mind that you are not few in number but too much. "Be not weary and faint-hearted, crying for peace, when you should be uppermost: for Allah is with you, and will never put you in loss for your (good) deeds." [Muhammad, 35].

Ninth: Dear leaders, reexamine education curricula in your countries. Being the basis for forming the next generation, you have to entrust them to knowledgeable and righteous scholars to form. Actually, corruption of such curricula indicates decline of the Ummah. In such curricula, stress should be placed on pointing out who the true friends and enemies are. Moreover, special attention should be paid to our thorny issues, the Palestinian Cause being at the head. The true story of such an issue should be explained to our young boys and girls so that they might know in detail who their enemy is. Our children should also study the history of the Prophet's dealing with Jews and should go in the depths of similar events in history, such as Crusades, Tatar wars and European colonization. Furthermore, they should study similar experiences in the world such as liberation of Vietnam, liberation of Korea and liberation of Latin American countries and such like experiences.

As known to you, planting the love and fear of Allah and the feeling of being monitored by him should be the core point in education curricula. By doing so, people's enthusiasm for work will be worked up, for they are more likely to be self-motivated than be motivated by a policeman watching them or being whipped. By then, people will work in order to save themselves and then their society.

Curricula should also be based on the highest scientific universal levels. We want our children to be brought up in such a balanced and integral manner as to promote the whole Ummah. In addition, we should be informed that a victory may not be achieved by a retarded generation, when we are the Ummah of knowledge whose constitution (the Qur'an) started with the word "Read". Therefore, we have to be up to this position Allah predestined for us.

Tenth: Dear leaders, you should pay a special attention to mass media systems in your countries. Actually, any educational, street-based, institutional or authoritative reform you make, may be destroyed in a moment by the media.
Thus, you should have a purposeful righteous information seeking to reform and rectify the Ummah not to corrupt and mislead it. In this regard, it is unacceptable on your part, having complete authority, to allow licentiousness and profligacy having the effect of corrupting the youths' minds and making them low-ambitious.

Furthermore, mass media should concentrate on keeping the Palestinian Cause live in the hearts of your peoples. To do so, terminology stressing and affirming our rights should be used. Thus, the term "Israel" should be replaced with "the usurping Zionist Entity", the term "Palestinians killed" should be replaced with "Palestinian martyrs" and the term "resistance individuals" should be replaced with "Mujahids" (fighters in Allah's Cause). Actually, usage of such and similar terminology has a great effect on people's thought and enthusiasm. In brief, we want a serious information fitting the great value of the Muslim Ummah. Viewing education as the first tool to form generations, information is the integrating tool for such formation. Therefore,  you should take it into consideration paying to it a great attention.

Thus far, I have stated my ten-point advice.

Your Excellency and Highness, Allah has conferred upon you a great honor of being the leaders of the best Ummah raised up for mankind. So, do not feel satisfied with insignificant objectives and inferior hopes. Rather, be keen to make use of your lives, authorities and capabilities in raising high the status of your Ummah, bearing in mind that life, regardless of how seemingly long it may be, is short and that sovereignty, regardless of how seemingly endless it may be, has an end. Moreover, know that the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it, and that you will be returned to Allah.

So, each of you should prepare an answer for the questions of the Possessor of the kingdom on the Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who brings to Allah a clean heart.

Please, dear reverend rulers, bear in mind that I was only motivated by worrying about you and wishing that you prosper to advise you. `Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You are not good if you do not give it (advise), and we are not good if we do not hear it." I think I have quoted to you my advise whole-heartedly wishing it to reach your hearts. O Allah! I have conveyed the message. O Allah! Be witness!

I ask Allah that you magnanimously accept advise, to reform your deeds, to grant you righteous retinue and to bestow on you the bounty of loving the Qur'an and following the best of people Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Allah is the Knower of intentions and it is He Who guides to the right path.

We ask Allah to glorify Islam and Muslims.

By: Dr. Ragheb ElSergani

https://islamstory.com/en/artical/3407490