The Ruling on Jihad in the Time of Corrupt Rulers

The questioner : My lord, regarding the events happening in our region. Islamic countries asked their enemies to support them, and the enemies stood against an Islamic state in the event of war. Or, if the Muslims in our country, our rulers or our shaykhs, ordered jihad, ordered us to fight because the enemy is with the Muslims in a certain region, and as you say, Muslims alone, and America attacked, wanting to attack the Muslims it has. So with whom do the rest of the Muslims fight if there is jihad?

The Shaykh : Leave it alone. Why are you carrying this ladder on this device?

The questioner : We must ask about the successful papers.

The Shaykh : I mean, is it permissible for you to ask? Am I not allowed to ask? Tell me.

The questioner : No, it is permissible.

The Shaykh : Yes, I am asking you, I am asking you, and my question is easier than yours. Your question requires a bit of brainwork and knowledge, but my question and your answer are very easy. Now, if I told you there is a sun at my brother’s place, look, there is a sun there, there is a sun here, there is a sun, there is a sun. Is there anything easier than that? So my question to you now: Is there jihad? Is there jihad now?

The questioner : So...

The Shaykh : Leave it alone.

The questioner : Okay, I am not... I am at ease, but our ruler, our ruler conscripted us and said, “Come, to jihad.”

The Shaykh : When your ruler conscripts you, and he will not conscript you, put your feet in cold water, because there is no jihad. This is the answer. It seems you are... I am in disagreement with you. My opinion is that all the rulers are bad.

The questioner : We understand. No, we do not want to avoid it. The soldiers he has, the soldiers he has.

The Shaykh : And look.

The questioner : At that time.

The Shaykh : Now I want to give you a benefit. You say that we understand. Is it enough for you to understand? You need to have faith along with the understanding. This is a statement that we might see like a riddle, do you see? But I will explain it to you. The Jews who were in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), pay attention, this matter has precision. The Jews who were in the time of the Messenger, did they understand whether the Messenger was a truthful prophet or not?

The questioner : Yes, do you understand?

The Shaykh : But they had faith.

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : If it is not enough for us to be understanding and having faith. It is not enough.

The questioner : We have faith. Shaykh, may Allah reward you with good. Do you allow me to speak? Please.

The Shaykh : No, not yet.

The questioner : I have not finished the work yet.

The Shaykh : Because our friend, where do I want to eat? Yes. Come. Professor 'Abd al-'Azim asks me a question, and I tell him, “No, it is not your turn yet. I want to finish.” I apologize to him, and if he calls you...

The questioner : Okay, it is not on you.

The Shaykh : I wanted to tell him that our friend has not yet... How do we prevent him from...? So I say, do not think that a ruler from the rulers will declare jihad, so put your feet in cold water and do not think about it at all. But supplicate to Allah to rectify not only the rulers, but the entire Islamic world or the Muslims. Why? There is a hadith that is famous. And so, as I do often, I will kill two birds with one stone. I will warn that it has no basis from one side, and from the other side, its meaning is mostly correct. What is it? “As you are, you will be ruled over.” Have you not heard this hadith? You must know that this hadith is not authentic, but its meaning, and peace be upon you, its meaning is correct and mostly, Professor, it is not a universal rule, but it is the general case: “As you are, you will be ruled over.” This is expressed by the common proverb. We have this proverb in Syria, and I think we share it with others. Yes, the vinegar worm, what is its perfection? The proverb is from it. Do you see? Ah, in the name of Allah, this is the walking worm, O Shaykh. Walking here. The point. If Allah wills. So I am amazed at some of the enthusiastic youth.
The Shaykh: Who pours all their wrath on the rulers and forgets this reality that the rulers did not come down to us from Mars, but that they are from us and among us? From us and among us. I am 'Abd al-Ma'mur, 'Abd al-Ma'mur in his country. Who? Now the soldiers are with us. Excuse me, brother, but stay with me.
The Shaykh: That we do not come and pour all our curses and all our anger on our rulers and forget what? Ourselves. Because the rulers are from us and among us. And so, when you come to talk about how these rulers are such and such and such, and I agree with you, and I tell you there is no jihad now, and Allah knows best when jihad will be. When will jihad be? When there is an ummah, meaning a group of Muslims who have achieved in themselves the strength of a verse, just one verse, let alone many verses: So is the question now: Do the rulers support Allah? No. Okay, the question now has a bit of danger: Do the peoples in whom the rulers are support Allah? No. So who is going to fight? Tell me. It is without... it is without jihad, it is not a matter of jihad, I mean. Not now. A matter. I told you, at that time, I gave you an example here: Is there a sun? I said to you, “No, is there a sun here?” I said to you, “Yes.” I am asking you: Since the rulers do not... support Allah, and since the peoples do not support Allah, who is going to prepare? Give me the answer. How many cards do we request? I mean, do not get bold with me, do not get bold with me by asking me question after question after question and putting me under the hammer, and I must answer you for every question, and I am asking you just one question, and you do not answer it, even though, as I told you, it is an easy question. Yes, who is going to fight? Now. Please, Professor.