By Ikram Miyundi

It is patently clear from the experiences of those who preceded us and firmly established from our own observations that the success of Islamic governments, as well as democratic and despotic governments, and the prosperity of religious; educational; governmental and other establishments lies in the superiority of its administrative regime in heeding its important elements (lofty aims, the abilities of its leader, having a righteous entourage around him, etc.). Complete victory in this field requires diligent efforts from those heading it to implement decisions issued; established regulations and fixed principles. Attention must also be paid to the impartiality of the administration through the good selection of personnel who are recruited to work there.

I do not intend to list the components of successful administration or to declare the characteristics of an Islamic Administration. What concerns me here is to shed light on the Islamic Emirate’s policy in the realm of administration and coordination despite the difficult circumstances surrounding it connected to its heavy involvement in the Holy Jihad and the bitter war against the Americans and their partners in their repulsive crimes. I also strive to place before you, as Allah enables me, simple information regarding the order of the Islamic Emirate – or the Taliban regime, as they say, so that perhaps it will benefit the readers of our heroic magazine “al-Somood” to ”heal the breasts of the Believers” and “Nor is that for Allah any great matter”.

The loftiness of the desired objective and the sanctity of the anticipated goal - combined with the firm anchoring of this sanctity within those who belong to this administration after they are made fully aware of it - are together a strong factor in successfully achieving the declared and sought-after goal. It is also the secret behind reviving the spirit of altruism, dedication and sacrifice in the spirit of the staff (members). When they are convinced of the importance of their jobs they will compete in rushing to complete their assigned tasks and exert the utmost of their efforts for the sake of achieving the highest objective and sacred goal, because they will see the laudable results and great benefits behind their activities and above the ceiling of their own invaluable works. As Allah Almighty says in this regard: “They are those who, if We establish them in this land , establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: with Allah rests the end (and decision) of all affairs.” (al-Hajj: 41).

Moreover, concern must be paid to attracting trustworthy and competent persons, and choosing specialized cadre; contingent upon piety and impartiality. Specialization without piety corrupts an administration and piety without competence weakens it. In the event of a contradiction, the pious one is given preference, because he is like the shepherd whose legs are tied and is unable to benefit the flock or serve the people. But the corrupt one is a ravenous wolf spoiling the earth and harming others. Preventing damage takes priority among wise men and in any event the selection of righteous people is a strong element of successful administration. This is in accordance with the words of the Almighty: “Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due” (al-Nisa: 58)and “Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” (al-Hujurat: 13).

The capacity of the personality of the leader who directs the people religiously, politically and ideologically is no less important than any of the above. Indeed, it is considered one of the most important elements of successful administration. The leader is the axis around which matters pivot. He employs the community to achieve his goals and directs people to goodness and happiness. He warns them against evil and danger according to his lights. Among the duties of the leader – after trust in and reliance upon his Lord and Creator – is to make a diligent effort in directing the activities of all the employees and volunteers who assist him – in an atmosphere of cooperation – towards the fixed goal. He is also responsible for creating strong feelings among the people to move quiet hearts and slumbering eyes, and energize the human power for self-sacrifice for the sake of achieving high and lofty goals. It is notable that among the qualities of the successful leader are that he is free; male; of sound mind and emotion; with knowledge; vision; strength; courage; wisdom; organizational skills and other qualities mentioned in the books of fiqh and 'aqidah. So seek it where you would expect to find it.

1. After this pleasant introduction, I take you to the subject of this study by saying: In its entire organization, the Islamic Emirate relies on the Book of Allah Almighty and upon the Sunnah of his Messenger (SAW), the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs and the sayings of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. It utilizes the fatwas of the followers and the opinions of mujtahid scholars, may Allah Almighty have mercy on them. The Emirate borrows from the history of bygone nations and its system consists of the components of a successful administration balanced with the sanctity of its goals, the vision of its leader, and the strength of its faith and the qualifications of its workers with regards to piety; devotion; trust; competence, etc.

2. Based on this, the Administrative System of the Islamic Emirate is based upon the principles of the Islamic Caliphate from the era of the rightly guided Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them, in dividing the country into provinces, appointing pious and righteous governors, guiding workers to piety and justice, encouraging the establishment of a religious and worldly policy, tending to the needs of the people, instructing them in matters of religion and encouraging them to make the utmost effort in promoting virtue and preventing vice. Regulations have been drawn up for the guidance of the Mujahideen fi sabeel Allah. Messages are constantly sent for this purpose to guide them; direct their deeds; illuminate their thoughts and have them follow in the footsteps of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, spoke to the people thus, saying ”O people, by Allah I do not send you governors to flog you or take your wealth but I send them to teach you your Religion and the way you should follow (sunnah). If anything other than this is done to anyone, he should refer the matter to me. By Him in whose hand is Umar’s soul, I will provide justice for him.” (History of Islam/Dr. Hasan Ibrahim/part 1, page 455).

Uthman ibn Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to his governors in the provinces, saying: “Allah has decreed the imams to be shepherds, he did not ask them to be tax collectors. When this Ummah emerged, they were created as shepherds; they were not created as tax collectors. Your imams are on the verge of becoming tax collectors and not shepherds. If that happens, diffidence, fidelity and loyalty will be torn apart. The best course is to look to the affairs of Muslims and what is requested of them. Give to them what is their due and take from them what you ought”. (Previous reference/part 1/page 455).

3. The area of our Muslim country of Afghanistan is approximately 650,000 square kilometers with an estimated population of at least 33 million people. The country is divided into 34 administrative units, each named a province such as Qandahar, Helmand, Herat and Balkh province. Moreover, each province is divided into multiple directorates, big and small such as Marjah in Helmand province, Arghandab in Qandahar province, etc. Each directorate contains beautiful areas and numerous villages. There are a total of 400 provinces, while there are tens of thousands of villages.

4. In each village, there is a faithful leader (appointed) by the Emirate and who is responsible for civilian and military affairs. He has around him from 10 to 50 Mujahideen depending on the prevailing circumstances. A new leader is selected from among them if the previous leader is martyred or is unable to continue to lead for any reason. In case of a disagreement, the matter is elevated to the amirs above them. This battalion – called a front – is ready for combat and to fight against the enemy night and day. They are also recourse to which people raise their complaints, whether among themselves or between them and other villages. If the problems are small, they are referred to notables of the tribe for resolution. If the problems are big, then they are elevated to the senior officials in the directorate for a decision to be made in accordance with pure Shari’ah law.

5. Each directorate has a Governor of known piety among the people. He has a deputy with experience in affairs of the region. Under their command work different committees such as: Committee for Arbitration and Settling Disputes; Committee for Education and Development; a Military Commission to manage war issues, etc. The Governor is the commander of the whole village and area leaders in that directorate, and he is responsible for the application of Allah’s Shari’ah there. The appointment and dismissal of the Governor is in the hands of the Supreme Command after consultation with the provincial Governor and the province-level Military Committee. He works under the command of the provincial Governor and is directly responsible for the directorate.

6. Each province of the country is an independent unit with a commander called the Governor. He has a deputy to assist him. The Governor is directly responsible for the Supreme Command of that province and directs its military, civilian, financial and legal affairs. Usually this important post is entrusted to an experienced and capable man; a man of Religion and morality who fears no one in Allah. He is a true and trustworthy, and capable of directing matters. Among his duties is application of Shari’ah laws and statutes; supervision of directorate governors; execution of the war plan; supervision of financial resources and expenditures. Committees with appropriate authorities work with him on the province level, including legal, military and financial committees; an education committee, etc. The appointment and dismissal of the Governor is the responsibility of the Supreme Commander after consultation with the High Shura Council.

7. Above that is the role of the Main Committees with authority at the level of the Islamic Emirate. Each Committee is composed of a number of trustworthy and loyal persons with experience in their assigned occupation. In the current structure of the Emirate, these replace – as circumstances dictate – the old Ministries. They are as follows:

A. The Military Committee: This is equivalent of the Ministry of Defense and coordinates military affairs, including preparing young men for sacred Jihad; arming the Mujahideen with weapons, ammunition and equipment; preparing war plans; issuing orders for battles and attacks on enemy bases, dens of lackeys, etc.

B. Preaching and Guidance Committee: This is composed of the senior scholars and issues fatwas on important matters of fiqh. It also appoints and employs scholars and preachers and provides guidance to the Mujahideen and citizens and gives advice to the commanders and officials.

C. Ministry of Culture and Information: It broadcasts statements of the Amir-ul-Momineen, may Allah Almighty protect him, as well as the decisions of the Supreme Command, the judgments, statements and decisions of the High Shura Council, and publishes magazines and newspapers in different languages. It publishes news of the Mujahideen and their conquests and refutes the claims of the charlatan enemy; revealing his conspiracies and plots; and refuting his propaganda via important websites on the internet.

D. The Political Committee: This is equivalent to the Foreign Ministry and is responsible for foreign relations. It makes great efforts to build, expand and develop foreign relations.

E. Education Committee: This committee builds different kinds of schools, and prepares an educational curriculum and selects well known leaders from the provinces and appoints teachers and the administrative apparatus for the schools; all for the purpose of spreading Islamic and contemporary learning; obliterating illiteracy and fighting ignorance in society and educating the developing generation.

F. Financial Committee: This undertakes the development of financial resources for the Emirate, organizes the Expenditures Diwan; monitors banks, etc.

G. Committee for Prisoners and Orphans: This is concerned with affairs of prisoners and orphans; it works strenuously for the release of the prisoners, and to raise their children and the children of the martyrs and helps with the living expenses of their families.

H. Health Committee: This is concerned with treating the wounded and sick Mujahideen, and helps them with their living expenses. It also works to prepare comfortable quarters for them during their convalescence.

I. Committee for Foreign Establishments: This directs them to affected areas and supervises their work and their men up close to ensure that they are not carrying out works that negatively impact our 'aqidah.

8. High Shura Council: This is composed of high-ranking men in the Islamic Emirate. The appointment and removal of its members is carried out by the Amir-ul-Momineen. The duties assigned to the Council include monitoring the situation in Afghanistan; searching for suitable solutions for internal and external problems; guiding the Main Committees at the level of the Islamic Emirate in their work; and issuing statements on international, regional, and internal occasions and drafting regulations and laws in accordance with the Book and the Sunnah.

9. The Supreme Command represented by the Supreme Leader; the Amir-ul-Momineen Mullah Mohammad Omar (Mujahid), may Allah Almighty protect him, who is the direct leader of the Holy Jihad. He is the primary caretaker for all of Afghanistan’s military and civilian affairs and, in his capacity as Supreme Leader of the Mujahideen and Amir-ul-Momineen, he is zealous in the application of Allah’s Shari’ah, starting with himself; his household; his family; soldiers and followers; reporting to his flock and all Muslims in the world as is made patently clear in his sermons and speeches. He strives – following those pious leaders who preceded him – to rule with justice by assigning positions to trustworthy people; carefully selecting his entourage; and choosing the loyal and righteous to accompany him. He closely monitors the actions of his men in high positions and advises them to be pious before Allah in public and private, give their people their rights and avoid causing them any harm.

10. His two trusted deputies act to aid him with devotion and piety. They are his helpers in rolling out the carpet of Allah’s heavenly Shari’ah upon the land of the country. They carry out the experienced leader’s decisions with all faithfulness and honesty without adding or subtracting anything. They are responsible for keeping pace with matters of Jihad and putting the responsible agencies in action. They are also responsible for convening the High Shura Council and consultative councils and organizing all affairs of the Islamic Emirate.

The Last Word

The strong faith of the Leader of the Islamic Emirate in Allah the All-Wise and All-Powerful; in the sanctity of his goal; and its deep roots in the hearts of his workers; and the impartiality of the administration in selecting righteous men is a symbol of heroism; and the secret of the success of the Holy Jihad in the country. This is especially represented in the faith of the heroic leader Mullah Mohammad Omar (Mujahid), may Allah give him victory over his enemies, when he said “No, No” to occupation, relying instead upon Allah Almighty and Omnipotent, despite of the greed of the infidels and their attacks upon the defenseless people. Rather he ordered Jihad against them to defend the Religion and honor, uttering the words of his predecessors: Allah is sufficient for us; He is the best disposer of affairs.

There is no doubt that the Mujahideen are the helpers of Allah. If a Mujahid is not a supporter of Allah, then who is? This is especially true in our modern age when they are led by noble scholars and seekers of Shari’ah knowledge and the righteous from among Allah’s servants. As for the desired goal and objective of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan it is to elevate the word of Allah Almighty and establish an Islamic government by every meaning of the word, and to expel the enemies of Allah; the Americans, from the country. It is for Allah to humble to the depths the word of those who are infidels, to justify the truth and prove falsehood false. It is for Allah to give honor to the holy Jihad, Islam and the Muslims and to humiliate idolatry and the idolaters.

And for this, let those aspire who have aspirations.

Translated From The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan: Al-Somood Magazine Issue #55