The Ruling on Armed Work in Algeria

The questioner : A second question on the political scene, Shaykh, if you please, specifically regarding Algeria. What is your opinion on the Algerian Islamic movement that has been going on for more than two years? These are the group of Abbas Madani and his followers. I mean, look at them and the ruling of the Islamic Shari'ah, the ruling of the law regarding them. Is it permissible?

The Shaykh : No, it is not permissible, it is not permissible. It is a mistake. We spoke with the authorities before this fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) occurred. We spoke with them and said to them, O people, our Lord said: . So any Islamic sect or group that wants to confront a ruler who rules by other than what Allah has revealed must prepare for this encounter. Today, there is no such preparation in the Islamic countries. Preparation is of two kinds, one of which is more important than the other: psychological preparation.
The second preparation is material, as Allah the Exalted said: We must observe here in the saying of Allah the Exalted, "And prepare for them," to whom is the address directed? Initially, it was for the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the believers, do you see? And consequently, for those who follow in their footsteps. Are we walking in their footsteps? The answer is no, the answer is no. Why? Because first, among the characteristics of the believers is that they are one hand. Are the Muslims today one hand, or are they more divided than ever?
And among that is that they be united in tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and this is above all else, starting from the saying of Allah the Exalted: Not all Muslims are united in tawhid in this country, let alone in other countries like Syria and Egypt, and so on. Mosques are built on graves; this contradicts tawhid. The Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "Among the worst of people are those whom the Hour overtakes while they are alive, and those who take the graves of their prophets as mosques." Today, here in Syria and in Egypt, the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the righteous are built upon with mosques. They worship Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in them and contradict His saying in the Noble Qur'an: Now, Allah is called upon in the House of Allah.
Other than Allah is called upon in the House of Allah, in which none other than He should be worshipped. How are these the ones who were addressed by the saying of Allah the Exalted, "And prepare for them"? No. And therefore, we always say, and forever, that there must be a group of Muslims who have fulfilled the duty of purification and education. They have fulfilled the duty of purification and education. By purification, I mean stripping the minds of Muslims of every belief that contradicts the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Unfortunately, Abu al-Mundhir, at that time, he started swearing by other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Why? Because the society he lives in is like this. This one swears by his father's head, this one swears by his beard in Syria, maybe he doesn't even have a beard, but it is like this imitation and this is the norm. Abu al-Mundhir must have heard one day his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And he said (peace and blessings be upon him): Disbelief, shirk (associating partners with Allah), shirk, disbelief.
What is in my feeling and my conscience? This is a statement that has no materiality, it has no taste. I mean, even though it contradicts the Shari'ah, if we do not live in an Islamic atmosphere at all, for this reason we say that purification is necessary, then combining education with purification. I know his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): And why do I swear by my father despite that? Because I am not raised in an environment that helps me be raised on Islam, even though I know that whoever swears by other than Allah has committed shirk. And by that, infer that I know the Messenger ordered the beard to be grown, so I shave my beard. I know he said, "Whoever cheats is not one of us," so I cheat. I know, I know, but there is no action. So purification and education are necessary.
It is correcting concepts, because there are things people understand contrary to the legal reality, and there are other things they understand correctly but they contradict them. You do not find, for example, a Muslim man who is ignorant that eating riba (usury or interest) is haram (forbidden), but nevertheless he engages in riba. You do not find a Muslim who has not heard one day his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): "May Allah curse" You will find questions day and night: "I am an employee in the bank, is my salary permissible?" I tell him this hadith and the noble verse: The Islamic society today means it is far from Islam, in knowledge and in action. And therefore, the work of our Algerian brothers, like the work of our Syrian brothers who were the cause—yes, they were the cause—of the destruction of thousands, not only of men and youth, but also of women and children, and the demolition of mosques, and the delay of the da'wah (calling others to Islam) backward, and so on. Before them? The group of al-Jihadiyyin in Makkah al-Mukarramah, and so on. Like them, the group of al-Jihad, the group of al-Hijrah and al-Takfir (declaring someone a disbeliever) in Egypt. All these events occur, and those who carry them out reap nothing but thorns, but harm, but the destruction of Muslims without any notable benefit. Shaykh, I asked you because I received news that he was in contact with you, meaning they asked you, it is no longer... And every night, our brothers, these ones, they come to us every night. Questions come to me every night. I mean, in the Baghdad conference, they telegraphed the Algerians. And these are the ones we advised, because O people, focus on education and upbringing. And this revolution, you cannot benefit from it anything. Now they ask us, "What do we do?" They are chasing us. And if they see a bearded youth, they shave his beard. Well, what do we do for you? What will come out of us now? We are working after we warned you to say, "Now work on yourselves, education and teaching, and so on." Now, the disbelievers, these rulers, are not uprooting them. Have you seen them?