The first and the foremost thing that should be kept in mind is that 'Khilaafah' , according to the definition of Arabic dictionaries and according to its usage by authentic Arabic writers means the same as what we, in the English language, imply by the words 'Government' and 'Rule'. For explanation of the stated meaning of the word, please refer to my previous responses on the topic. If anyone wants to refute the stated meaning of 'Khilaafah' , he should at least provide a refutation of the citations of the sources of Arabic language, as given in my previous responses. You have asked about the correct interpretation of Aal Imraan 3: 104. To fully understand the correct meaning of the verse, it is important to bear in mind that it is revealed after the establishment of the first sovereign Muslim state of Medinah . After the establishment of the Muslim state, a number of directives concerning the collectivity were given by the Qur'an. All such directives were to be implemented by those in charge of the affairs of the Muslim collectivity. The referred verse entails one such directive. The verse reads as: There should be a group among you, which calls to virtue - enjoining good and forbidding evil - and [whoever makes this arrangement,] it is they who shall be successful. [ Aal Imraan : 104] As should be clear from the above translation, the verse is actually directing the Muslims to form a group, bestowed with administrative authority [1] , for the said purpose. On the basis of this verse, we may infer that according to the Qur'an, an Islamic state, besides the department of police, the military etc. should have a department for the said purpose. The implication and the addressee (i.e. the Muslim collectivity) of this verse is quite clear. I really do not know how can the verse be taken as a directive for the common Muslims to form a group for the reestablishment of the 'Khilaafah' , especially if one keeps in perspective the fact that the verse was revealed after the establishment of the Muslim state in Medinah. You have cited: "Of a surety, the life and death issue of the Muslim Ummah is the complete implementation of the Deen of Islam This is an incorrect generalization. Every individual is responsible for carrying out the deeds that the Shari`ah has made obligatory upon him. A child is not responsible for the well being of his family. However, when this child grows up to become a father, he is now made responsible for the well being of his family. Similarly, it is only when a person becomes the head of the Muslim collectivity that he becomes responsible for implementing the collective laws prescribed by the Shari`ah . Others, who have not attained this position of authority, are not responsible to implement the collective laws of the Shari`ah. On the contrary, they are responsible only for carrying out the responsibilities imposed upon them by the Shari`ah , according to their own respective positions and status. You have asked whether the interpretation of Aal Imraan 3: 110, as given in the cited portion is correct or not. In my opinion, it is not correct. The cited author has generalized the verse for the whole Muslim community for all times to come, whereas, in my opinion, it is only a statement of fact, referring only to the companions of the Prophet (pbuh). The verse reads as: You are the best group raised for [the guidance of] people - [as] you enjoin good; forbid evil, and [truly] believe in God. A deliberation on these words will show that they are actually a statement of fact, not a directive. It does not say that if you 'enjoin good; forbid evil and believe in God', you shall then become the 'best group'. It only states that you ARE the best group, due to the referred qualities. The verse obviously relates only to the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), as has also been interpreted by Khateeb al-Baghdaadi , Ibn Al-Salaah and the other Muhadditheen . You have cited: "Without doubt, it is an obligation (fard) upon the Muslims to carry the da'wa for Islam..." The obligation of Da`wah , as stipulated in the Shari`ah , varies according to the abilities, opportunities and the positions of the individuals. The Shari`ah does not impose a standard obligation of Da`wah upon all individuals [2] . You cite: ... and similarly it is an obligation (fard) upon the Muslims to work to establish the Khilafah . The so-called obligation of working for the establishment of the 'Khilaafah' is a self-imposed obligation, not supported by the Qur'an and the Sunnah . Let us take a look at their arguments to support their claim. You have cited: In fact, this is the most important obligation (fard) , for it is the Khilafah that is the only method for implementing the entirety of the laws of Islam. It is in the presence of the Khilafah that the laws of Islam are implemented and it is in its absence that they are suspended." I have already shown the shallowness of this line of reasoning. In one of my previous responses, I have written: It is important to understand that the promulgation and implementation of collective laws, as for instance that of punishing the guilty of a society - as stipulated in the Shari`ah - are the obligation not of the common Muslims but of their rulers. The Shari`ah directs a Muslim ruler to implement certain laws. No responsibility is placed on the shoulders of a common Muslim in such matters. Thus, the argument: Because it is obligatory upon Muslims to implement certain laws, which can only be implemented through a certain kind of ruler (which you prefer to call 'Khaleefah'), as a result, the establishment of the particular kind of rule (which you prefer to call 'Khilaafah') is also obligatory is completely invalid. In fact, I cannot think of any obligation of a common Muslim, which is dependant on the establishment of a particular kind of rule. To understand the stated point that the implementation of the Islamic laws relating to the collectivity of Muslims is the responsibility of the rulers and not of the common Muslims, it is important to appreciate that there are certain responsibilities that the Shari`ah imposes upon individuals only when and if the individual in question attains a certain position with reference to others (whether a group or an individual). Consider the following points: If a person's parents are alive, the Shari`ah directs the person to deal with them in the best of manners; If a person's wealth exceeds a certain limit, the Shari`ah directs the person to pay a certain percentage of that wealth as Zaka'h ; If a person lives in a neighborhood of others, his presence must not be a source of disturbance for others; If a person gets married and has children, he becomes responsible for the moral, physical and spiritual well being of his family; and If a person is made in charge of the affairs of a Muslim collectivity, the Shari`ah directs him to judge among people with justice and to implement certain laws for the purification of the said collectivity. In each of the above cases, the directive of the Shari`ah is conditional upon the situation and circumstances of the individual. In each of these cases, the directive is not an obligation upon any individual unless the respective condition is satisfied. Moreover, it would not be indicative of a person's good sensibility and understanding, if he were to say that for all such directives of the Shari`ah , which are conditional upon a person's circumstances, the efforts to fulfill the specified conditions are also obligatory upon the person, thus: Because the Shari`ah has directed us to deal with our parents in the best of manners, therefore a person must try to keep his parents alive; Because the Shari`ah has directed us to pay a certain percentage of wealth as Zaka'h only after the wealth exceeds a certain limit, therefore a person must try to earn wealth in excess of the specified limit; Because the Shari`ah has directed us to be good to our neighbors, if we are living in a neighborhood, therefore every person must live in a neighborhood; Because the Shari`ah has directed a person to arrange for the moral, spiritual and physical well being of his family after he gets married, therefore, every person must get married; and Because the Shari`ah has directed us to judge among people with justice and to implement certain laws in the society, if we are made in charge of the affairs of the society, therefore, we must try to take the charge of the affairs of a society. ... The foregoing discussion should clarify that, according to the Shari`ah , the implementation of any specific laws are not an obligation upon the common Muslims. They are an obligation upon the Muslim rulers. If the Muslim rulers do not implement the laws specified by the Shari`ah , they shall be held accountable for their avoidance of doing so, in the hereafter. Nevertheless, such an avoidance on the part of the rulers does not place any responsibility on the common Muslims. In fact, I cannot think of any obligations imposed by the Shari`ah , upon the common man, which the common man cannot fulfill, irrespective of the kind of rule that he is living under. You cite: The second is the Shari`ah principle, "That which is necessary to achieve an obligation is in itself an obligation"." This argument has also been analyzed in the above-cited portion of my previous response. There is no reason to repeat it. You cite: The above stated Shari`ah principle is also clear, in that Allah (swt) has declared it haram for the Muslims to rule according to the systems of kufr , and has made ruling according to the Shari`ah an obligation (fard) . Allah (swt) states: "And whosoever does not judge according to whatever Allah has revealed, such are the disbelievers" [TMQ Al-Maida: 44] He (swt) goes on to say: "And so judge between them by that which Allah has revealed" [TMQ Al-Maida: 49]" It is quite reasonably derived from the cited verses that it is an obligation upon the Muslim rulers to decide according to what God has revealed. If the rulers refuse to judge according to the clear directives of the Shari`ah , their refusal would obviously amount to effective rejection of God's revelation [3] . However, the point which needs to be established separately is that when the rulers do not judge or refuse to judge according to the Shari`ah , then it becomes obligatory upon their Muslim subjects to overthrow the government and snatch power from them. The fact that the rulers, who do not judge or refuse to judge according to the Shari`ah are guilty of not fulfilling their obligation, does not by itself imply that, in such a situation, it becomes an obligation upon the Muslims to snatch power from them and to overthrow them. You cite: "As the present rulers do not judge according to what Allah (swt) revealed, but rather judge according to the system of kufr , and indeed make excuses in order not to rule by what Allah (swt) revealed, it is an obligation (fard) to remove them and take away the ruling from them..." The author's conclusion: "it is an obligation (fard) to remove them and take away the ruling from them" , is completely unfounded and baseless. There is not a single instance, in which the Shari`ah makes it obligatory upon the Muslims to 'remove' the rulers (whether Muslims or non-Muslims) and to 'take away the ruling from them' . The Qur'an has ordained the Muslims to patiently persevere in obeying their Muslim rulers and not to refuse obedience toward them. It is clear from Al-Nisaa 4: 59 that obedience toward the rulers, as long as they remain Muslims, is a religious obligation upon Muslims. The Prophet (pbuh) has also been ascribed to have said that even though the ruler is guilty of acting against the clear directives of the Shari`ah , as long as he is not guilty of manifest and unequivocal rejection of faith, all Muslims must remain obedient toward him [4] . The Prophet (pbuh) has also been reported to have said that it is the responsibility of the rulers to decide among his subjects according to the Shari`ah , while it is the responsibility of the subjects to steadfastly persevere in being obedient toward him. On the Day of Judgment, the leaders as well as the subjects shall be held answerable for their own respective responsibilities. Thus, even though the leaders do not fulfill their responsibilities, the subjects should steadfastly fulfill their responsibilities and, thereby, secure their own success in the hereafter [5] . It is quite surprising that even in the face of these clear directives of the Shari`ah , people can have the courage of declaring the 'removal' of and the 'taking away of power' from the rulers to be obligatory upon the Muslims. This 'obligation', as should be clear from the foregoing explanation is not only alien to the Qur'an as well as to the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh), but is also contrary to the directives entailed in these sources. I hope this helps. February 17, 2001 [1] The addition of the words "enjoining good and forbidding evil" after the words "Calls to virtue", clearly evidences the fact that the recommended group is not merely to propagate and disseminate the teachings of Islam, but also to extract obedience, in all such cases where the Shari`ah has allowed the extraction of obedience from the people. [2] For details, please refer to one of my earlier responses titled: " The Responsibility of Da`wah (Propagation) ". [3] For further details, please refer to one of my previous responses titled: " The Position of the Rulers, Who do not Judge According to the Shari`ah ". [4] Reference is to those narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), in which he is reported to have directed Muslims to remain obedient toward their rulers even if they do not follow the directives of the Shari`ah . The Muslims have been directed to remain obedient toward their ruler even if they do not like him, even if he unjustly prefers others over them, even if he is guilty of general injustice, even if he refuses the legal and moral rights of the subjects, even if he does not offer prayers at their prescribed timings and even if he is a Faajir (disobedient). Obviously, all these qualities are clearly against the stipulations of the Shari`ah , yet the Prophet (pbuh) has directed the Muslims to steadfastly remain obedient toward their rulers. [5] Muslim , Kitaab al-Imaarah , No. 3433. Answer published by Moiz Amjad Discussion(s) regarding this Question Further exchanges on Khilafah & the Need to Establish it