Position of Superpowers: Reading the Global Chessboard and Why the Muslim Ummah Must Be the Player, Not the Pawn
Dear readers, imagine the world as a giant chessboard stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. On this board, there are more than 190 pieces representing every nation. Yet, if you observe carefully, you will discover a heartbreaking reality: more than 50 Muslim-majority countries — stretching from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east — never move of their own will. They are pawns constantly moved, sacrificed, and traded by a handful of Grandmasters sitting behind the board.
These Grandmasters have names you know very well: the United States with 750 military bases in 80 countries, China with the debt-trap Belt and Road Initiative that has ensnared over 150 countries, Russia with its UN veto and military interventions in Syria, and Europe with its neo-colonial legacy that still sucks Africa’s wealth to this day. They control the dollar that is the lifeblood of the global economy, they dictate UN resolutions that determine the life and death of nations, and they — consciously or not — have made Muslim lands the primary battleground for over a century.
The question is no longer whether the Muslim Ummah is being used as pawns. The question is: when will we realize that the only way to stop being sacrificed pieces is to rise and become the player ourselves?
To become a player, you must first know who is sitting at this chess table, how they move, what their weapons are, and why they are so terrified of one possibility: the unity of the Muslim Ummah under the banner of the Khilafah.
Let us dissect the map of global political constellation from the perspective of Mawqif ad-Duwal al-Kubra — the position of great powers — as outlined by Hizbut Tahrir through the book Mafahim Siyasiyah and hundreds of Nashrah (political bulletins) that dissect every move of these major players.
1. Introduction: The Giant Chessboard and Unaware Pawns
Every time you open the news today — the war in Gaza, the crisis in Sudan, intervention in Libya, tensions in the South China Sea, or economic sanctions against nations that do not submit to Washington — you are witnessing a chess game that has been going on for decades. And in every game, Muslim lands are always the first victims.
Iraq was destroyed on the pretext of weapons of mass destruction that were never found. Afghanistan was occupied for 20 years and ended in the humiliating defeat of NATO forces. Syria became an arena for power struggles between the US, Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Libya, once the country with the highest per capita income in Africa, was destroyed into a militia haven. Yemen was bombarded with Western weapons until millions of children starved.
And in every conflict, the rulers of Muslim lands — who should be the protectors of the Ummah — instead became part of the problem. They seek protection from America, invite Russian military, or open wide the door for debt-trapping Chinese investment. They do not realize that seeking refuge with a wolf will not save the sheep.
Hizbut Tahrir has warned of this for decades through Mawqif ad-Duwal al-Kubra analysis. Not to make the Muslim Ummah despair, but so that we open our eyes, recognize who our enemies are, and understand that there is no way out except returning to the system that Allah ﷻ is pleased with: the Islamic Khilafah.
2. What Is a Superpower? Not Just Rich and Strong
In Western international relations theory, the term used is Superpower — a nation that has the power to project its influence across the world. However, Hizbut Tahrir uses more precise terminology: Ad-Dawlah al-Ula (The First State) and Ad-Duwal al-Kubra (The Great States).
This difference is not merely a matter of language. It concerns the very nature of power itself.
A country cannot be called Ad-Dawlah al-Ula simply because it has a large economy or strong military. Saudi Arabia is incredibly wealthy, yet no one calls it a superpower. India has the second-largest military in the world, yet its influence is only regional. Japan’s economy is a giant, yet politically it submits to Washington.
A Superpower (Ad-Dawlah al-Ula) must fulfill three pillars simultaneously:
First, the ability to dictate its political policies across the globe without any other nation being able to prevent it frontally. When Washington says “sanctions,” the entire world must comply — or face economic ruin.
Second, economic dominance that makes other nations dependent on it. The US dollar is not merely a currency — it is a tool of global control. Every oil transaction, every foreign exchange reserve, every international trade must pass through the financial system controlled by the US.
Third, military power capable of intervening on any continent at short notice. The US has 11 active aircraft carriers — each a floating city with 80 fighter jets — patrolling all the world’s oceans. No other nation possesses this capability.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the world entered a Unipolar era — one pole of power. And that pole is the United States. No other nation has even come close to its position to this day.
3. United States: The Sole King on the Chessboard
The United States is not merely a country. It is an empire operating behind the mask of “democracy” and “human rights.” To understand why the US became the sole Ad-Dawlah al-Ula in the modern era, you must understand its three mutually reinforcing pillars of power.
First Pillar: Dollar Hegemony and the Petrodollar System. Since 1971, when President Nixon removed the gold standard from the dollar, the US made a brilliant maneuver: it made an agreement with Saudi Arabia that every oil sale must use dollars. Because the entire world needs oil, the entire world needs dollars. As a result, the US can print as much money as it wants — and other nations must bear the inflation. When the US wants to destroy a nation’s economy, it simply cuts off that nation’s access to the SWIFT system (international payment system) or freezes its dollar reserves. This is not conspiracy theory — it has happened to Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and Afghanistan.
Second Pillar: Global Military Base Network. With over 750 military bases in 80 countries, the US has the capability to strike any target on earth within hours. These bases are not placed randomly — they surround the Muslim World from all directions: from Incirlik in Turkey, Al Udeid in Qatar, Al Dhafra in the UAE, to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Each base is an eye and fist of the empire.
Third Pillar: Control over International Institutions. The UN, IMF, World Bank, WTO — all these institutions are de facto controlled by Washington. Veto power in the UN Security Council ensures that the US (and its allies) can never be held internationally accountable. Meanwhile, the IMF and World Bank become tools to ensnare developing nations with debt whose conditions are always the same: open markets for Western corporations, cut subsidies for the people, and sell natural resources to foreign investors.
This is the true face of the “rules-based international order” always proclaimed by Washington: rules made by the US, for US interests, and enforced by US military.
4. Europe: The Old and Cunning Player
Do not be deceived by Europe’s image as a “civilized” and “democratic” continent. Europe is an old player that has dominated the world for centuries through colonialism, and although colonial flags have been lowered, their grip has never truly been released.
Britain is the most perfect example of this cunning. Outwardly, London appears as Washington’s loyal ally — a NATO member, Five Eyes, and a special partner of the US. Yet behind that, Britain plays its own double game. Through its MI6 intelligence network and diplomatic legacy from the British Empire era, Britain continues to maintain its influence in the Middle East. The Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 — which divided Arab territory into artificial states — was a work of Britain and France. And that legacy of division remains the source of conflict in the region to this day.
France, on the other hand, focuses on maintaining what is called Françafrique — a neo-colonial network in West and Central Africa. France still controls the CFA Franc currency used by 14 African countries, forcing them to deposit 50% of their foreign exchange reserves in the French Bank. France also actively plunders uranium from Niger and Mali to fuel its nuclear reactors, while the people of those countries live in extreme poverty. When the Malian people expelled French military in 2022, it was no coincidence — it was a rejection of colonization that had lasted 60 years.
Germany, although economically the engine of Europe, politically and militarily remains a subordinate dependent on the US security umbrella. But make no mistake — Germany’s economic interests in the Middle East and Africa are no less voracious.
Europe may not be as strong as before, but centuries of experience in the art of divide and conquer (divide et impera) keeps them a very dangerous player on the global chessboard.
5. Russia: A Soviet Legacy That Still Bites
Russia is a shadow of the Soviet Union that once terrified the entire Western world. Its economy — only on par with Texas or Italy — does not make it worthy of being called a serious challenger to the US. Yet Russia holds two cards that keep it relevant: the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and veto power in the UN Security Council.
Vladimir Putin is not an ideologue. He is a pragmatist who understands that Russia cannot compete with the US economically, but can be a “spoiler” that prevents Washington from acting as it pleases. Russia’s military intervention in Syria in 2015 is a perfect example: at a relatively small cost, Russia managed to save the Assad regime, maintain its naval base in Tartus, and force the US to account for Moscow in any Middle East conflict resolution.
Russia also uses energy weapons as political leverage. Russian natural gas was once an extortion tool against Europe — especially Germany, which was heavily dependent on the Nord Stream pipeline. When the war in Ukraine erupted and Western sanctions were imposed, Russia redirected its energy exports to China and India, showing that it cannot be fully isolated.
However, the Muslim Ummah must not forget that Russia is a colonizer that has killed millions of Chechen Muslims, occupied Muslim territories in the Caucasus, and currently supports the Assad regime that has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrian Muslims. Hoping for Russia as a “protector” is a dangerous illusion.
6. China: A Rising Giant with Debt Traps
China is the most serious challenger to US economic hegemony in the last 50 years. With the world’s second-largest economy, largest foreign exchange reserves, and unmatched manufacturing capacity, Beijing has built a foundation that could one day displace Washington from the pinnacle of global power.
However, China’s method differs from the US. If Washington uses military and sanctions, Beijing uses money and infrastructure. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — often called the “New Silk Road” — is the largest infrastructure project in human history, covering over 150 countries with trillions of dollars in investment.
Behind this generosity lies a strategy known as Debt-Trap Diplomacy. China provides large loans for infrastructure projects to developing nations with non-transparent terms. When the country cannot pay — and this often happens because these projects are indeed economically unviable — China takes over strategic assets as payment. Sri Lanka lost Hambantota port. Pakistan is trapped in debt exceeding $30 billion. Djibouti, strategically located at the entrance to the Red Sea, is in the same process.
China also has interests in the Muslim World. Xinjiang — the Uyghur Muslim region in northwest China — has become the site of one of the most brutal human rights violations of the 21st century, with over one million Uyghur Muslims detained in “re-education camps.” And China, which claims to defend developing nations, has never once raised its voice to defend its own Muslim brothers and sisters.
China is not a friend of the Muslim Ummah. China is a player that cares only about its own interests — and if one day it becomes more advantageous for Beijing to sacrifice the Muslim Ummah, it will not hesitate to do so.
7. Visual Analogies: The Ocean and Its Sharks, The Forest and Its Poisonous Trees
To understand these global power dynamics more deeply, let us use two analogies that will help you see the big picture.
First Analogy: The Ocean and Its Sharks
Imagine the world as a vast ocean. The superpowers — the US, China, Russia, Europe — are giant sharks swimming in its waters. They have the size, strength, and predatory instinct that puts them at the top of the food chain. They circle, target prey, and occasionally strike.
Muslim nations today are like a school of small fish swimming without direction. They do not realize that every shark movement creates currents that drag them along. When the US and Russia compete for influence in the Middle East, the waves they create destroy Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. When China and the US compete in the South China Sea, Muslim ASEAN nations are squeezed between them.
The only way for the school of small fish to survive is not to hide behind coral or seek protection among one shark’s tentacles against another. The only way is to become a whale — the largest sea creature that is never prey. A whale does not need to hide from sharks because its size alone is its defense. The Muslim Ummah united in the Khilafah is that whale: 1.8 billion souls, unmatched natural resources, and a strategic position controlling world trade routes. No shark dares attack a whale.
Second Analogy: The Forest and the Big Trees Whose Roots Poison the Soil
Imagine the Muslim World as a plot of land that should be fertile. Upon this land grow giant trees — the US, China, Russia, Europe — whose roots spread deep into the soil and suck all the nutrients. The small trees around them — Muslim nations — wither and die not because the soil is bad, but because all nourishment has been drained by the giant roots gripping their land.
The foolish rulers of Muslim lands think the best solution is to plant their small trees under the shade of giant trees. “Let us seek refuge under the shadow of the US,” says some. “No, better under China,” say others. They do not realize that the more they grow under the giant tree’s shade, the more that tree’s roots suck nutrients from their own soil.
The solution is not to find a protective tree. The solution is to plant a new forest — a forest with strong roots, a sturdy trunk, and a canopy that itself becomes shelter for all creation. That forest is called the Islamic Khilafah.
8. Why the Muslim World Is Always the Chessboard? 3 Strategic Reasons
Dear readers, have you ever wondered why of all regions in the world, Muslim lands are always the battleground? Why not South America? Why not Scandinavia? Why always Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan?
The answer lies in three strategic reasons that make the Muslim World the most prized prize on the global chessboard.
First Reason: Unparalleled Geopolitics. The Muslim World is literally at the heart of the earth. It connects three continents — Asia, Africa, and Europe — and controls the most vital straits and shipping lanes on the planet. The Strait of Malacca sees 40% of global maritime trade. The Strait of Hormuz carries 20% of the world’s oil supply. The Suez Canal is the gateway between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. Whoever controls these points holds the lifeblood of the world economy. And all these points are in Muslim territory.
Second Reason: Monopoly of Natural Resources. The Muslim World holds over 60% of the world’s oil reserves and 40% of natural gas reserves. Africa’s largest gold mines are in Muslim lands. Niger and Mali’s uranium fuel French nuclear reactors. Rare minerals needed for modern technology are scattered from Afghanistan to Sudan. This is not luck — it is a trust from Allah ﷻ that has made Muslim lands the storehouse of earthly wealth. And the superpowers know well that whoever controls these resources controls the world.
Third Reason: The West’s Existential Fear of Islamic Revival. This is the deepest and least discussed reason in mainstream media. The West — particularly the US and Europe — knows well that the Muslim Ummah possesses something no other civilization has: a comprehensive Mabda’ (ideology), originating from the Creator of the universe, capable of uniting billions of people of various races, languages, and cultures under one leadership. If the Muslim Ummah unites in the Khilafah, they will not only become a superpower — they will become a superpower carrying an alternative civilization that challenges the entire foundation of the Western world order. This fear is what drives the West to continually create sectarian conflicts, fund civil wars, and ensure the Muslim Ummah remains divided.
Allah ﷻ has warned us about the permanent nature of this hostility:
وَلَا يَزَالُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَرُدُّوكُمْ عَنْ دِينِكُمْ إِنِ اسْتَطَاعُوا
“They will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they can.” (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 217)
Note the words “laa yazaaluuna” — they will not stop. This is not hostility that can be resolved with sweet diplomacy or smiles at the UN forum. This is hostility inherent in the nature of their ideology that contradicts Islam.
9. The Danger of Seeking Refuge Under the Armpits of Colonizers
One of the most chronic political diseases afflicting rulers in Muslim lands is the belief that they must ally with one of the great powers to survive.
Look at the reality. Some Arab rulers have made themselves America’s “golden children” — providing military bases, buying billions in weapons, and following every Washington directive — hoping their thrones would be protected. The result? When their people demand justice, the same America does not hesitate to sacrifice them. Mubarak in Egypt, Ben Ali in Tunisia, and Saleh in Yemen — all were loyal Washington allies discarded when the people rose.
Other rulers, disappointed with the US, chose to seek refuge with Russia or China. They invited Russian military to Libya and Sudan, opened doors for debt-trapping Chinese investment, and thought they were playing smart. In reality, they merely moved from one trap to another.
Hizbut Tahrir has very strongly warned the Muslim Ummah about the danger of this pragmatic stance. Depending on a disbelieving colonizing state — whoever they are, whether the US, Russia, China, or Europe — is an act of political suicide absolutely forbidden in Islam.
The West and East may compete in economic and influence matters. They may impose sanctions on each other and build conflicting alliances. Yet when faced with Islam, they always unite. They equally oppose Islamic shariah. They equally want to plunder the Ummah’s wealth. And they equally do not want to see the Khilafah rise again.
Allah ﷻ says with a very clear warning:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا بِطَانَةً مِنْ دُونِكُمْ لَا يَأْلُونَكُمْ خَبَالًا وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُ ۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ ۖ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
“O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, for they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will use reason.” (QS. Ali ‘Imran [3]: 118)
This verse is not merely advice. It is a strategic warning from Allah ﷻ about the permanent nature of disbelievers toward the Muslim Ummah. They will never be true friends. The hatred they conceal in their chests is always greater than what they utter with their lips. And history proves the truth of this verse repeatedly.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also gave a warning about the phases this Ummah would pass through:
ثُمَّ تَكُونُ مُلْكًا جَبْرِيَّةً فَتَكُونُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَكُونَ ، ثُمَّ يَرْفَعُهَا إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَهَا ، ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ ، ثُمَّ سَكَتَ
”…Then there will be a tyrannical kingship (Mulkan Jabriyan), and it will remain as long as Allah wills. Then Allah will remove it if He wills. Then there will be a Khilafah upon the method of Prophethood. Then he was silent.” (HR. Ahmad no. 8092)
The phase of “tyrannical kingship” mentioned in this hadith is the phase we are experiencing today — where Muslim rulers prefer to seek refuge with colonizers rather than stand firm with Islam. And the next phase promised by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the return of the Khilafah.
10. The Khilafah: The New Superpower That Will Rise
Dear readers, all this analysis about superpower nations is not to make you despair. On the contrary, it is a roadmap showing us how great the potential of the Muslim Ummah is — and how foolish we have been in letting that potential go to waste through division.
Let us look at the facts honestly.
The Muslim Ummah today numbers over 1.8 billion souls — a quarter of the world’s population. They are spread across more than 50 countries stretching from Morocco to Indonesia, controlling the most vital trade routes on the planet, and holding over 60% of the world’s oil reserves and 40% of natural gas reserves. If all of this were united in one state — the Islamic Khilafah — then in an instant, the Khilafah would become a superpower that not only rivals the US, but surpasses it in legitimacy, social cohesion, and moral strength.
| Potential Aspect | Current Condition (Divided in 50+ Countries) | Potential When United in the Khilafah |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | 1.8 billion divided, fighting each other | Largest population, united under one leadership |
| Military | Large military budgets but uncoordinated, dependent on Western weapons | Largest unified armed forces in the world, independent defense industry |
| Energy & Natural Resources | Oil and gas extracted by foreign corporations, prices set by the West | Monopoly of world energy supply, ability to impose total embargo on enemies |
| Currency | Using fiat vulnerable to inflation, controlled by the US Dollar | Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham — intrinsic currency that collapses Dollar hegemony |
| Geopolitical Position | Strategic straits controlled but not utilized in a unified manner | Full control over global trade routes: Malacca, Hormuz, Suez, Bosphorus |
| Global Politics | Becoming pawns of UN resolutions, submitting to IMF and World Bank | Refusing to submit to secular institutions, dictating a new world order based on justice |
Imagine what happens when the Khilafah announces it will no longer accept the dollar as the currency of oil trade. Imagine what happens when the Khilafah closes all foreign military bases in its territory. Imagine what happens when the Khilafah uses the Dinar and Dirham as international trade currency — currency whose value is real, cannot be printed at will, and immune to artificial inflation.
That is why the West is so afraid of the Khilafah. Not because the Khilafah has nuclear weapons — although it will eventually have them. Not because the Khilafah has advanced technology — although it will eventually master it. The West fears because the Khilafah possesses something that cannot be bought, cannot be bribed, and cannot be destroyed by economic sanctions: faith that unites billions of people under one banner, one leader, and one law — the law of Allah ﷻ.
The Khilafah will not be an oppressive superpower like the US. It will not colonize other nations to plunder their resources. It will not ensnare developing nations with usurious debt. The Khilafah will be a superpower that brings mercy — one that applies Allah’s law with justice, that protects the weak, that guarantees security for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and that brings the world out of the darkness of hegemony into the light of Islamic justice.
And the good news? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has already promised this. Not as an empty dream, but as a reality that will certainly come to pass:
ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خِلَافَةً عَلَى مِنْهَاجِ النُّبُوَّةِ
“Then there will be a Khilafah upon the method of Prophethood.” (HR. Ahmad no. 8092)
Our task today is not to wait passively. Our task is to build political awareness among the Ummah, expose the plots of Islam’s enemies, and strive tirelessly alongside the ideological party working day and night to realize this grand promise.
It is time for the Muslim Ummah to rise from this chessboard. No longer as a pawn to be sacrificed. No longer as a piece to be traded. But as the main player who will lead the world toward the light of Islamic justice.
Wallahu a’lam bish-shawab.
Continue Your Journey:
- Political Awareness (Seeing the world through Islamic glasses)
- Kashful Khututat: Exposing Colonialism (Exposing imperialist plans)
- Islamic International Relations (Foundations of Islamic foreign policy)
- Territorial Status in Islam (The world map according to Islam)
- Military of the Khilafah (Islamic defense strength)