How is jihad to be conducted in Egypt if jihad is an individual obligation upon the entire Muslim community?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Yes, very well, my Shaykh. The day before yesterday, when I mentioned jihad, you said that jihad is an individual obligation upon the entire Muslim community.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, for example, how is jihad to be conducted in Egypt?
The Shaykh : It is to be conducted through purification and training, not by taking up arms, because the Egyptians entered into an experience and did not succeed in it, for they did not act according to the wisdom of Sufism. In Sufism, there is a ruling: "Whoever hastens a matter before its time is tried by its deprivation." It is unjust to say that everything in Sufism and everything the Sufis say is nonsense with no truth to it, for we know that they say "There is no god but Allah." Do we not say it to spite the Sufis? Of course not. And I recall a story, which I believe I read in *Al-Ilm al-Shamikh* (The Towering Knowledge) regarding the preference of truth over fathers and Shaykhs, by Shaykh Salih al-Maqbuli (may Allah have mercy on him). In a chapter of his valuable book, he refuted those who hold to the unity of existence, and in particular the one called Muhyi al-Din ibn Arabi, the negator. He mentioned that it was said to one of them: "We see that this Ibn Arabi sometimes brings forth beautiful words, meaning there is something of truth and wisdom in them." He said: "What prevents that? Sometimes we find intelligence in a donkey; it falls into a pit on a certain road, but when it passes that pit again, it avoids it." So the point is that preparation is necessary; preparation is necessary. Those who did what they did in Egypt and in Syria, in truth, hastened matters.The Shaykh : This Ibn Arabi sometimes brings forth beautiful words, meaning there is something of truth and wisdom in them. He said: "What prevents that? Sometimes we find intelligence in a donkey; it falls into a pit on a certain road, but when it passes that pit again, it avoids it." So the point is that preparation is necessary; preparation is necessary. Those who did what they did in Egypt and in Syria, in truth, hastened matters.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And they did not achieve what is obligatory, at least for the group that intends to perform this duty, namely purification and training.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, what happened to some of our Syrian brothers who came here in the end, when they were weakened and disbelief overcame them and they emigrated here, is that some of our brothers met some of them, and behold, they were associating partners with Allah, calling for aid to the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous ones. So what is the benefit of the jihad of such people if their hearts are in ruins regarding tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? Therefore, purification and training are necessary, and after that comes material preparation. This is what is indicated by His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):[Al-Anfal 8:60] to the end of the verse.
The questioner : But, my Shaykh, regarding the individual obligation, the understanding is that it is upon every individual, whether ignorant or knowledgeable.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And the matter of purification and training does not occur except for a group of those who understand, meaning we can say except for the scholars or the students of knowledge.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So this illiterate man who does not know left from right, how do we say that it is an individual obligation upon him, and he...
The Shaykh : ...is from the da'wah (calling others to Islam), and from the conveying of the message, meaning the scholars and students I mentioned are the ones who call all Muslims to this jihad.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : For it is not hidden from you that if we look at the reality of the Islamic world today, it is not sufficient for a group of them, namely only the scholars and students, to perform this duty. The entire people must be with them. The fact that most of the people have no knowledge does not mean that the scholars do not perform their duty of conveying to them the jihad in the path of Allah. This is not a problem, for in many cases, when jihad is known, especially in the uprisings that occurred on many occasions, you find the common people, meaning they are enthusiastic, and perhaps more so than many of their elites. This... is not a problem. But the problem is finding this core of scholars and students of knowledge. If it is found, the people will follow them, and perhaps that will be soon. And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The questioner : Naturally, we have heard a lot, and the brothers convey a lot from you, especially regarding the fatwas you issued in the Haram. It was conveyed that you disapproved, according to what was conveyed, of the issue of jihad in Afghanistan in this manner. We say now, in many forms of jihad in the world, in the Philippines... Islamic, and there in Eritrea, there in South Africa, in the lands of the earth, there is no place free of a visible group that is upon the truth and raising... jihad in the path of Allah to remove oppression.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I say here specifically, specifying... in Afghanistan or elsewhere.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Am I sinful if I go to jihad under these banners whose commanders have multiplied and whose banners have multiplied between shirk (associating partners with Allah) and superstition? Or is the only condition for any Muslim to go out, when it is established for him, that it be a pure banner of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) under which we submit, and is it permissible for me to jihad under it?
The Shaykh : ...disagreement. If the intention is for the sake of life, it is required that this banner be one hundred percent Islamic. And if the intention is to help the called Muslims, whatever their identities...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ...and whatever their form and knowledge, it is also obligatory. And when we speak in detail about the matter, we mean the fruitful jihad that turns the oppressor back on his heels, like Russia, for example, and behind it America. Even though they appear to be hostile to each other, they are two states agreed upon to eliminate the Muslims as much as they are able to do so. So repelling the aggression of such great powers is not...
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : ...yes, it is not sufficient for a small group... to rise. The Islamic world must rise to repel...
The questioner : So, in summary, jihad in Afghanistan under any banner...
The Shaykh : ...is an individual obligation, we say.
The questioner : It is an individual obligation.
The Shaykh : But preparation is necessary; complete preparation so that we may attain the fruit and not suffer the defeat that... occurred in many lands.
The questioner : ...what Allah willed in Nangarhar, there what Allah willed in the institute or the archaeological school, what Allah willed, and there is no power but with Allah. The brother says in Nangarhar, there is time for jihad and time for studying the science of hadith, the correct science on the Salafi methodology, time here and time there. So we say, if there are among the brothers students of knowledge who spend time in purification and training as well, among the ranks of the mujahideen and in jihad in the path of Allah.
The Shaykh : ...good, but the problem is that the situation you are talking about is not known...
The questioner : ... May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : We will do it, if Allah wills... do you permit us to leave?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, for example, how is jihad to be conducted in Egypt?
The Shaykh : It is to be conducted through purification and training, not by taking up arms, because the Egyptians entered into an experience and did not succeed in it, for they did not act according to the wisdom of Sufism. In Sufism, there is a ruling: "Whoever hastens a matter before its time is tried by its deprivation." It is unjust to say that everything in Sufism and everything the Sufis say is nonsense with no truth to it, for we know that they say "There is no god but Allah." Do we not say it to spite the Sufis? Of course not. And I recall a story, which I believe I read in *Al-Ilm al-Shamikh* (The Towering Knowledge) regarding the preference of truth over fathers and Shaykhs, by Shaykh Salih al-Maqbuli (may Allah have mercy on him). In a chapter of his valuable book, he refuted those who hold to the unity of existence, and in particular the one called Muhyi al-Din ibn Arabi, the negator. He mentioned that it was said to one of them: "We see that this Ibn Arabi sometimes brings forth beautiful words, meaning there is something of truth and wisdom in them." He said: "What prevents that? Sometimes we find intelligence in a donkey; it falls into a pit on a certain road, but when it passes that pit again, it avoids it." So the point is that preparation is necessary; preparation is necessary. Those who did what they did in Egypt and in Syria, in truth, hastened matters.The Shaykh : This Ibn Arabi sometimes brings forth beautiful words, meaning there is something of truth and wisdom in them. He said: "What prevents that? Sometimes we find intelligence in a donkey; it falls into a pit on a certain road, but when it passes that pit again, it avoids it." So the point is that preparation is necessary; preparation is necessary. Those who did what they did in Egypt and in Syria, in truth, hastened matters.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And they did not achieve what is obligatory, at least for the group that intends to perform this duty, namely purification and training.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Therefore, what happened to some of our Syrian brothers who came here in the end, when they were weakened and disbelief overcame them and they emigrated here, is that some of our brothers met some of them, and behold, they were associating partners with Allah, calling for aid to the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous ones. So what is the benefit of the jihad of such people if their hearts are in ruins regarding tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? Therefore, purification and training are necessary, and after that comes material preparation. This is what is indicated by His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
And prepare against them whatever you are able of power
وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍThe questioner : But, my Shaykh, regarding the individual obligation, the understanding is that it is upon every individual, whether ignorant or knowledgeable.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And the matter of purification and training does not occur except for a group of those who understand, meaning we can say except for the scholars or the students of knowledge.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So this illiterate man who does not know left from right, how do we say that it is an individual obligation upon him, and he...
The Shaykh : ...is from the da'wah (calling others to Islam), and from the conveying of the message, meaning the scholars and students I mentioned are the ones who call all Muslims to this jihad.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : For it is not hidden from you that if we look at the reality of the Islamic world today, it is not sufficient for a group of them, namely only the scholars and students, to perform this duty. The entire people must be with them. The fact that most of the people have no knowledge does not mean that the scholars do not perform their duty of conveying to them the jihad in the path of Allah. This is not a problem, for in many cases, when jihad is known, especially in the uprisings that occurred on many occasions, you find the common people, meaning they are enthusiastic, and perhaps more so than many of their elites. This... is not a problem. But the problem is finding this core of scholars and students of knowledge. If it is found, the people will follow them, and perhaps that will be soon. And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The questioner : Naturally, we have heard a lot, and the brothers convey a lot from you, especially regarding the fatwas you issued in the Haram. It was conveyed that you disapproved, according to what was conveyed, of the issue of jihad in Afghanistan in this manner. We say now, in many forms of jihad in the world, in the Philippines... Islamic, and there in Eritrea, there in South Africa, in the lands of the earth, there is no place free of a visible group that is upon the truth and raising... jihad in the path of Allah to remove oppression.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I say here specifically, specifying... in Afghanistan or elsewhere.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Am I sinful if I go to jihad under these banners whose commanders have multiplied and whose banners have multiplied between shirk (associating partners with Allah) and superstition? Or is the only condition for any Muslim to go out, when it is established for him, that it be a pure banner of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) under which we submit, and is it permissible for me to jihad under it?
The Shaykh : ...disagreement. If the intention is for the sake of life, it is required that this banner be one hundred percent Islamic. And if the intention is to help the called Muslims, whatever their identities...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ...and whatever their form and knowledge, it is also obligatory. And when we speak in detail about the matter, we mean the fruitful jihad that turns the oppressor back on his heels, like Russia, for example, and behind it America. Even though they appear to be hostile to each other, they are two states agreed upon to eliminate the Muslims as much as they are able to do so. So repelling the aggression of such great powers is not...
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : ...yes, it is not sufficient for a small group... to rise. The Islamic world must rise to repel...
The questioner : So, in summary, jihad in Afghanistan under any banner...
The Shaykh : ...is an individual obligation, we say.
The questioner : It is an individual obligation.
The Shaykh : But preparation is necessary; complete preparation so that we may attain the fruit and not suffer the defeat that... occurred in many lands.
The questioner : ...what Allah willed in Nangarhar, there what Allah willed in the institute or the archaeological school, what Allah willed, and there is no power but with Allah. The brother says in Nangarhar, there is time for jihad and time for studying the science of hadith, the correct science on the Salafi methodology, time here and time there. So we say, if there are among the brothers students of knowledge who spend time in purification and training as well, among the ranks of the mujahideen and in jihad in the path of Allah.
The Shaykh : ...good, but the problem is that the situation you are talking about is not known...
The questioner : ... May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : We will do it, if Allah wills... do you permit us to leave?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.