The Story of Abu Basir and His Fighting Against the Imam

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah preserve you. Who can answer regarding the story of the Companion Abu Basir in Sahih al-Bukhari and other sources, from the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “And if he is asked, he is forbidden.” Mas'ar ibn al-Harab, and the Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) was exposed during the exit circumambulation, which is an indication of the disbelievers following without an imam or an army.

Answer:
The Messenger did not approve of this for them; this was an action on their part. The Messenger did not approve of it nor give them permission for it. Rather, this was an action on their part to save themselves, only to save themselves. They did this to save themselves from the disbelievers. A Muslim does what saves him from the oppression of the disbeliever; there is no doubt about that. So they did this in order to escape from the disbelievers. And this was not by the permission of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because they were not under the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); they were under the authority of the disbelievers. So they did this in order to save themselves.