The Ruling on Calling for Demonstrations

The questioner:
Among the questions that are off-topic, the questioner says: We see in these days, with the arrival of this noble month, some people who claim to be reformers using one of the media outlets to call upon the Muslims in these blessed lands to hold demonstrations and demand their rights as a people, while warning during the demonstration to take some knives or sticks to defend themselves. What is your opinion, and what is your guidance for those who have begun to respond and follow this call?

The Shaykh:
This is a call from the enemy of the Muslims, so the Muslims must beware of it because of the chaos it contains, the destruction it contains, the disunity of the word it causes, and the rebellion against the one in authority. It has great harms. The one who has a right has open courts, and praise be to Allah, to claim his right. He claims his right at the open courts for claims, and no one is prevented from claiming his right through the lawful and appropriate means. As for demonstrations, these are corruption and chaos, and Muslims do not approve of them. They result in evils in the future, and they may develop to the point where blood is shed and property is destroyed, as is the reality in the lands of demonstrations. So it is a great evil, and one must beware of it and not respond to it.
These are among the callers to misguidance; those who call to demonstrations are callers to misguidance. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that there will be in the last of times , so these are callers at the gates of Hellfire. They want to destroy societies and compromise their security and stability, and make them chaos, and spread hatred among them, and spread discord between the subjects and their rulers. So this has harms, and it is not from the work of Muslims nor from the religion of Muslims. Yes.

The questioner:
Some people, O Shaykh, may find this matter appealing because in other countries, these demonstrations have yielded results where their demands were met. That is one aspect. The other aspect is that what is relied upon or based on in these demonstrations is calling for things that, perhaps, are lacking for some people and have not been realized for them. Does this justify gathering, responding, and calling for them?

The Shaykh:
First, our religion, and praise be to Allah, is the religion of Islam. It has secured the interests of the Muslims in this world and the Hereafter, so we refer to our religion. As for the disbelievers, they do not refer to a religion or a law, so they are anarchistic from the start. Therefore, the society of Muslims is not to be compared to the society of disbelievers. Second, if it is said that these demonstrations contain benefits, the harms in them are greater. The scholars have established that warding off harms takes precedence over seeking benefits.
Third, as I mentioned to you, rights are not claimed through chaos and demonstrations, but through lawful means. The doors are open for those who submit complaints of injustice. The courts are open, the Department of Injustice is open, the Shari'ah courts are open, and the police and rights departments exist. So rights have not been lost, praise be to Allah, to the point where chaos is needed. Yes.

The questioner:
Also, in this context, if some people say that perhaps they need to establish their right by paying a bribe or the like, or having a connection and acquaintance, otherwise their matter will not proceed; if their matter is not realized at all, does this also justify going to those places for demonstrations?

The Shaykh:
No, it is not permissible. Demonstrations are not permissible under any circumstances, because even if some benefit is realized in them, their harms and evil are greater. And if the evil of a thing is greater than its good, it is forbidden and not permissible. The evil of demonstrations is greater than their good, if it is said that there is any good in them, although I do not see any good in them at all.