What is the ruling of the Book and the Sunnah regarding confronting Zionism?

The questioner : One of the brothers asks, saying: Is it possible to subject the issues of the Ummah, represented for example by the current confrontation with Zionism, to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, or to the methodology of the Qur'an and the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : How is it possible?

The questioner : I mean, how do we subject the issues of the Ummah now, for example the confrontation with the Zionist Jews, to the Book and the Sunnah? What is the ruling in this decisive issue, and what are the necessary conditions for applying the ruling of the Qur'an and the Sunnah in our decisive issues, represented for example by the Palestinian issue? We ask that there be a dialogue on these issues, especially since there is a circle around these issues, and since there are opinions being raised, but we do not know if these opinions are derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

The Shaykh : The first question is not very clear.

The questioner : He means, he says, how can we reach a ruling, meaning the ruling of Allah, the ruling of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and not just an opinion, meaning an opinion devoid of evidence, in these decisive issues that are facing us now?

The Shaykh : No, I am trying to understand his phrasing. He said, how do we subject? What does "subject" mean?

The questioner : Do the issues of the Ummah, represented by the confrontation with Zionism, submit to the Qur'an and the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : How do they submit, I mean?

The questioner : How do you mean?

The Shaykh : How do they submit?

The questioner : ... We say the questioner ... .

Another questioner : O Shaykh, I mean, what is it called, if the answer is that everything submits to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, there is no doubt in that, I mean.

The Shaykh: Of course.

The questioner : If the answer is yes, that everything submits to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, then what is the ruling of the Qur'an and the Sunnah in the issue of confronting Zionism? The ruling derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah? There are opinions being raised in the arena, but we do not know if these opinions are personal ijtihad or if they are derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah ... your opinion?

The Shaykh : By Allah, this question seems to be a means, not an end, because it is known to all Muslims that jihad is an obligation that Allah has made obligatory upon Muslims, and that this jihad is divided into two types: individual obligation (fard 'ayn) and collective obligation (fard kifayah). The professor, may Allah reward him with good, addressed this research in some detail in last Friday's sermon, which was good. But I want to say now: the condition of Muslims today is that they are all falling short in performing the individual obligation, because parts of the noble lands of Islam have been attacked by the enemy and occupied, some in the present age and some before that a long time ago. All of this is now under the rule of disbelievers. So it is certainly obligatory that Muslims must perform the individual obligation of jihad to expel these disbelievers from the lands of Islam. The closest thing to our painful reality is first Afghanistan, and second Palestine. So the verses that command us to strive in the path of Allah, and the hadiths that affirmed that, some of which pointed out that the cause of this humiliation that has befallen the Muslims is their turning away from acting upon the rulings of the religion. So I do not think there is disagreement that it is obligatory for Muslims to strive in the path of Allah until they purify these Islamic lands from the filth of those disbelievers. But the real question is: what is the way? What is the way to achieve and perform this obligation? Here I say what I testify to Allah: the correct answer: where do we start? Because as long as there is no disagreement among all the groups that propose solutions, as mentioned in the question, there is no disagreement among them, and praise be to Allah, on the obligation of jihad and the individual obligation of jihad. But the disagreement is truly about where to start and what to do at this moment?
I say a brief answer, and the matter may require some or much detail; I say: in everything that contains the honor of Muslims in this world and the Hereafter. We know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he began calling people to the oneness of Allah, was confronted, opposed, fought, injured, and so on, and his Companions were killed and expelled from their lands. The Messenger (peace be upon him) sat in Mecca doing nothing, not striking, not fighting, not doing anything, but rather he was patient with beautiful patience and called people with all the strength he could. And that was for a period of thirteen years in Mecca. Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, permitted some of his Companions to migrate by informing the Messenger (peace be upon him) of them to Abyssinia. He said to them: There is a righteous man there, so migrate to him. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Mecca to Medina and began there to establish or lay the nucleus of the Muslim state. So it must be realized that the famous historical saying, history repeats itself, is true. We are weak today, we are humiliated, even though our number is large and very large. But this number does not equal strength for many and very clear reasons. The clearest of these reasons is the division of the Muslims, and this is stated in the Noble Qur'an as one of the causes of the weakness of the Muslims, because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says.
The student : And do not dispute.

The Shaykh : No, .
The student : ... .

The Shaykh : No, here it is, These factions, with which every faction is pleased with what it has, are what weaken the Ummah and diminish its power. If the Ummah were on the straight path in this issue, what about the fact that this Ummah is now deviating from Islam in many, many, and very many deviations? , an explicit text that disagreement is followed by failure, and then its fruit is what? Disappointment and loss. Despite the fact that we are, in reality, numerous and very numerous. And this is what the Messenger (peace be upon him) pointed to in the authentic hadith: . They said: Are we few at that time, O Messenger of Allah? He said: . They said: What is the weakness, O Messenger of Allah? He said: . Who among us today can say that we have not been afflicted with this disease of weakness resulting from what? Love of this world and hatred of death. The Messenger (peace be upon him) affirmed that this love of this world is one of the reasons for which Muslims deserve to be subjected to humiliation, and this is the reality. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This hadith, in reality, I gave a long lecture on it in Jordan.
The student : The tape is available.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : The tape is available here.

The Shaykh : It is available, good, in Jordan; and therefore what I want to draw attention to is that in this hadith the Messenger (peace be upon him) described the disease and the cure for the Muslims. When he described the disease, he drew their attention to what would be the effect of this disease if they fell into it, and he said: . Then he described the cure and said: . So the answer: briefly: the solution to the problem that every Muslim feels is not shouting, wailing, crying, and so on, but rather we return to the religion. But which religion are we returning to? Here the effect of the da'wah that we are calling people to appears. We call to returning to the Book of Allah and to the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because the Book and the Sunnah are the explanation of the word "religion" wherever this word is mentioned in the verses of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Here it says: In the Qur'an it says: And in the verse with which we began our previous speech: .
So, it is necessary to return to Islam, but with what concept? Now, the concepts are very numerous; because the Messenger (peace be upon him) advised the community to beware of them through many authentic hadiths, among which he said: To summarize the hadith And in the other narration, the one that clarifies and explains: So, the Muslims today are differing to the greatest extent, following these sects that existed in the early history after the three centuries. If they are differing, and the Messenger makes the cure for this disease that has taken hold of us, which is humiliation and degradation, to be returning to the religion, then with what concept do we understand the religion? With the concept to which pointed, so that we know what the Messenger (peace be upon him) was upon. It is necessary to study a science known as the science of hadith. The science of hadith has two sections: a science concerning the men, knowing the narrators of the hadith, this one is trustworthy, this one is weak, this one is a liar, and this one is a fabricator, and so on. The other section of this science requires knowing the rules of this science, which enable the researcher in it to know the authentic hadith and its weak one, especially since we are now living in a very great heritage of narrations, numbered in the thousands, and by the agreement of all scholars, it contains the authentic, the good, the weak, and the fabricated. We are living in this mixed heritage; we can sift that mixture, the good from the bad. If we want to return to the religion, it remains that we must distinguish the weak from the authentic, stand by the authentic, and act upon it. Where is this action? This action must be performed by the Muslims from a long time ago, but I say that from here one should begin. However, we know that many people have unbridled emotions that they do not restrict with what the Shari'ah and reason both require. The Messenger (peace be upon him) remained for thirteen years under torment and insult, and the like of that, he and his companions, until some people used to ask the Messenger to supplicate for them so that Allah would relieve them. He reminded them of those who were before them, who were taken and the saw was placed on the parting of the head so that he would turn back from his religion, so he was patient until it became two parts on the face of the earth. And regarding that, His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He) was revealed: They say, "We believe," while they are not being tested.
The student: that they be left.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : .

The Shaykh: So, if we are truly to return to our religion, the first step is to understand our religion, and the second step, or perhaps coupled with the first, is to act upon this religion . Do we now understand the religion with a correct understanding? The answer is: No. Do we apply the religion with a correct application? The answer is: No.
But we are clever and brave in criticizing the rulers. Why do they not rule with what Allah has revealed? The answer is easy for me, because we ourselves do not rule with what Allah has revealed. The rulers, as they say in our region of Sham, "the worm is in the vinegar and in it." They did not come down from Mars or come from Europe, and so on. They are all from us and among us. So, when we complain about others and forget ourselves, and if we rectify ourselves, without doubt our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) will support us, because He has promised us that. A verse that everyone knows, with no difference in that between their intellectuals and non-intellectuals, between their scholars and their unlettered people; they all know the noble verse . The true promise of Allah does not fail at all. And you all know that the support of the believer by Allah is not that He sends an army to help against his enemy, naturally, but rather it is acting upon His Shari'ah which He revealed upon the heart of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Are we acting upon it? .