The Task at Hand

A COMPARISON leaving such a group may begin to be treated as if it were an act of apostasy. Given the current situation, our collective organization should aim to unify under a single structure to the best of our ability, ensuring that all religious and community tasks are carried out with shared interests in mind. We should have a Dar al-Qada (Islamic judiciary) and a Bayt al-Mal (Muslim public treasury), through which people can be informed about Shariah matters. Decisions on internal disputes should be made according to Islamic laws, and Zakat and other communal funds should be collected and used collectively. Preaching and outreach efforts should be organized systematically. Oversight of schools, mosques, and cemeteries should be established, and new Muslims should be protected and guided, among other responsibilities. One principle in Islamic jurisprudence states that “in Shariah matters, the decree of a non-Muslim ruler over Muslims may be outwardly enforced but is not valid in essence.” For example, if a non-Muslim ruler annuls a Muslim’s marriage, then even if it is annulled outwardly by law, it is not annulled in reality under Shariah, nor is it permissible for the woman to marry someone else according to Islamic law. If she does remarry, that marriage will be invalid, and in the eyes of Islamic law, any children born from it would be considered