You spoke of jihad in the presence of a banner, so what do you say if one is called to jihad under a non-Islamic banner against a polytheist enemy?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : O my Shaykh.
"The times have become smooth for us, and the days have smiled" and Allah has realized our hopes in this world.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed!
The questioner : They have said, O my Shaykh, that the Shaykh does not say this, yet you said it in the presence of a banner. What is your opinion regarding it without a banner?
The Shaykh : We have said it.
The questioner : In the presence of a banner.
The Shaykh : We said it, what?
The questioner : Here, O Shaykh, you must know it, and we actually found that the brothers supported this action. So what do you say about it in the case of the absence of a banner?
The student : Absence.
The questioner : Ah, yes, the absence of a banner.
The Shaykh : No problem, my brother, we have released the riddles in threes. Speak frankly.
The questioner : You spoke of jihad, O my Shaykh, in the presence of a banner, and we found that in the actions of the brothers. So what do you say if a non-Islamic banner calls to jihad, meaning a secular banner or a banner of governance... they fought against... so what does it mean regarding the status of our war with this banner against...?
The Shaykh : Now, in your belief, is it Islamic or not?
The questioner : Now there is no banner.
The Shaykh : There is no banner?
The questioner : There is none.
The Shaykh : Fine, those who are fighting in Afghanistan, in the cause of what are they fighting?
The questioner : We learned this recently, but before this discussion, we did not know about a banner.
The Shaykh : Fine, and now are you at the end or at the beginning?
The questioner : Yes, at the end.
The Shaykh : Fine, so when we speak of jihad without a banner or under a non-Islamic banner?
The questioner : Because this matter may be imposed, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May be imposed?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you, if something is imposed on a person, does he have a choice in it?
The questioner : He may have a choice in some of it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If he has a choice, it is not imposed on him. So how do you imagine that from one side you say it may be imposed on him, and from another side you say he has a choice? How is that?
The questioner : He does not have a choice.
The Shaykh : This resembles the question of some of our brothers... who are taken to the army.
The questioner : Exactly.
The Shaykh : By their choice or not?
The questioner : By force.
The Shaykh : By force. So I am amazed at one of them who asks, "They want to shave my beard, what is the ruling?" I say to him, "By your choice or against your will?" He says, "Against my will." Fine, if it is against your will, why do you ask me? But if you have a choice, do not shave it; that is a sin.
The questioner : Here the matter, O Shaykh, is slightly different. The matter here may be that the Haram is under this polytheist banner, or the banner that is not valid, against a polytheist state, and jihad in that region is an individual obligation. If one fights under this banner, he may not fight under this banner, but under a group or alone. So, glory be to Allah, which is better: that he fights under a believing group or alone if he finds none, or joins under this banner?
The Shaykh : My brother, the Islamic banner exists now. Why are you looking in imagination?
The questioner : No, it is not imagination, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Does the Islamic banner exist or not?
The questioner : It exists.
The Shaykh : Does Islamic jihad exist or not?
The questioner : It exists, yes.
The Shaykh : Why do you assume hypotheticals now instead of following reality, if you claim jihad?
The questioner : O Shaykh, reality imposes that, for example, jihad.
The Shaykh : When reality imposes it, we have no choice. That is the meaning of the word. When you say "imposes," it means we have no choice. But now, do you have the choice to fight or not?
The questioner : Yes, we have a choice.
The Shaykh : Why do you not fight? And why do we imagine that it may be imposed on us? When it is imposed on us, for every hour they say in Sham, "Every hour has its angels," meaning at that time it has its ruling. Reality imposes on us at that time, and we give an answer then. But you now impose a hypothetical, while a better hypothetical is standing and existing.
The questioner : This hypothetical, O Shaykh, we did not have it until after what? After the matter was finished.
The Shaykh : No problem, but is it existing now or not?
The questioner : Now the matter is suspended, as you say.
The Shaykh : No, it is not suspended, it has not been suspended. May Allah will that it does not become suspended. As for the disbelievers, they will try. There is no god but Allah.
Yes?
The questioner : O my Shaykh.
"The times have become smooth for us, and the days have smiled" and Allah has realized our hopes in this world.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed!
The questioner : They have said, O my Shaykh, that the Shaykh does not say this, yet you said it in the presence of a banner. What is your opinion regarding it without a banner?
The Shaykh : We have said it.
The questioner : In the presence of a banner.
The Shaykh : We said it, what?
The questioner : Here, O Shaykh, you must know it, and we actually found that the brothers supported this action. So what do you say about it in the case of the absence of a banner?
The student : Absence.
The questioner : Ah, yes, the absence of a banner.
The Shaykh : No problem, my brother, we have released the riddles in threes. Speak frankly.
The questioner : You spoke of jihad, O my Shaykh, in the presence of a banner, and we found that in the actions of the brothers. So what do you say if a non-Islamic banner calls to jihad, meaning a secular banner or a banner of governance... they fought against... so what does it mean regarding the status of our war with this banner against...?
The Shaykh : Now, in your belief, is it Islamic or not?
The questioner : Now there is no banner.
The Shaykh : There is no banner?
The questioner : There is none.
The Shaykh : Fine, those who are fighting in Afghanistan, in the cause of what are they fighting?
The questioner : We learned this recently, but before this discussion, we did not know about a banner.
The Shaykh : Fine, and now are you at the end or at the beginning?
The questioner : Yes, at the end.
The Shaykh : Fine, so when we speak of jihad without a banner or under a non-Islamic banner?
The questioner : Because this matter may be imposed, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May be imposed?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you, if something is imposed on a person, does he have a choice in it?
The questioner : He may have a choice in some of it, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If he has a choice, it is not imposed on him. So how do you imagine that from one side you say it may be imposed on him, and from another side you say he has a choice? How is that?
The questioner : He does not have a choice.
The Shaykh : This resembles the question of some of our brothers... who are taken to the army.
The questioner : Exactly.
The Shaykh : By their choice or not?
The questioner : By force.
The Shaykh : By force. So I am amazed at one of them who asks, "They want to shave my beard, what is the ruling?" I say to him, "By your choice or against your will?" He says, "Against my will." Fine, if it is against your will, why do you ask me? But if you have a choice, do not shave it; that is a sin.
The questioner : Here the matter, O Shaykh, is slightly different. The matter here may be that the Haram is under this polytheist banner, or the banner that is not valid, against a polytheist state, and jihad in that region is an individual obligation. If one fights under this banner, he may not fight under this banner, but under a group or alone. So, glory be to Allah, which is better: that he fights under a believing group or alone if he finds none, or joins under this banner?
The Shaykh : My brother, the Islamic banner exists now. Why are you looking in imagination?
The questioner : No, it is not imagination, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Does the Islamic banner exist or not?
The questioner : It exists.
The Shaykh : Does Islamic jihad exist or not?
The questioner : It exists, yes.
The Shaykh : Why do you assume hypotheticals now instead of following reality, if you claim jihad?
The questioner : O Shaykh, reality imposes that, for example, jihad.
The Shaykh : When reality imposes it, we have no choice. That is the meaning of the word. When you say "imposes," it means we have no choice. But now, do you have the choice to fight or not?
The questioner : Yes, we have a choice.
The Shaykh : Why do you not fight? And why do we imagine that it may be imposed on us? When it is imposed on us, for every hour they say in Sham, "Every hour has its angels," meaning at that time it has its ruling. Reality imposes on us at that time, and we give an answer then. But you now impose a hypothetical, while a better hypothetical is standing and existing.
The questioner : This hypothetical, O Shaykh, we did not have it until after what? After the matter was finished.
The Shaykh : No problem, but is it existing now or not?
The questioner : Now the matter is suspended, as you say.
The Shaykh : No, it is not suspended, it has not been suspended. May Allah will that it does not become suspended. As for the disbelievers, they will try. There is no god but Allah.
Yes?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.