What is the ruling on joining the army and the police for those who are committed to the religion, while bearing the harms associated with it?

The questioner : This is a question I asked at the beginning of my presentation, regarding joining the army and the police.

The Shaykh : Entering what?

The questioner : The army and the police.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : I discussed this with some people, and they raised the point that everyone makes, which is that a fatwa is supposed to correspond to reality, meaning we should find a practical solution. For example, if we forbid joining the army and the police in general, and the righteous people leave, and those who seek jihad and the like leave, and then Israel or any other country attacks us, how would the solution be? This is a point that is often raised, so I wanted the answer to provide a remedy for reality.

The Shaykh : There is no problem with providing a remedy for reality. The question is whether the remedy is achieved by disobeying Allah or by obeying Him. There is no disagreement between two people that reality must be addressed, but the disagreement is whether it is permissible to address reality by contradicting the Shari'ah. In other words, is there in the Shari'ah what is known among Europeans as "the end justifies the means," whether in action or in speech? Is there such a thing in the Shari'ah? Of course not. There is nothing in Islam... From reality, we see that the girl, and even the boy, due to the mixing of the two sexes in receiving medical lessons, what is the solution to the problem? The doubt arises as I mentioned. If Zayd, who is enthusiastic about his religion, prevents his wife, and 'Amr prevents his sister, and the third prevents his daughter, and so on, who will step forward to solve this problem, or in other words, to fulfill this collective obligation? We say: Do not fear. Do not imagine that all Muslims, or all those who are committed, will hold this opinion. You will find many people who say this is rigidity and extremism. If we do not send our women, sisters, and daughters, the sinful women will take over the matter. I say: Let it be so, because the Shari'ah that forbids the mixing of women and men does not forbid the mixing of committed women with Muslim women who disobey Allah in some matters, including this issue. Meaning: If we have female graduates in medicine from those who issue fatwas permitting mixing to achieve this collective obligation, we will have dozens, or even hundreds, of female doctors. These female doctors will be the ones to teach our daughters and women, whom we are jealous of and do not allow to study medicine in this mixed society. I apply the same logic to the previous question. If we, who are committed to the rulings of the Shari'ah with precision, refrain from entering these societies on the basis of a clear evidence from the Shari'ah, but not all Muslims will adopt this idea. You will find most scholars telling you, "It is fine, and dire necessity permits the prohibited," and so on. So they will step forward, and this is the reality of the majority of Muslims to fulfill this collective obligation. And thus, the problem you described, as if the entire Muslim society adopted this opinion and the whole army became non-Muslim, is all imagination within imagination. Therefore, we say in the conclusion of the answer: If we hold fast to our creed, it does not mean that others will also do so. But we advise that the end does not justify the means, and that repelling harm takes precedence over seeking benefit. I do not think anyone would disagree with this as a known principle of jurisprudence, unless they turn a blind eye to these harms and assume that the Muslim society has no strength except by learning through these methods that contradict the Shari'ah. This is my answer.

The questioner : Yes, but I am conveying what others say.

The Shaykh : I know. And the one who conveys disbelief is not a disbeliever, and the one who conveys an error is not in error. Yes.

The questioner : Yes, he says, for example, if I were dismissed, reality shows that the army improves greatly with the presence of the committed brothers. For instance, prayer in the army and the like has become widespread, as evidenced by... And regarding the police, the number of praying people has become very large... If these people, who are the righteous members of the police and the army, leave, Muslims will enter, but they will be open sinners. It is hoped that these people will remain in their positions serving the Muslims, because the goal is not achieved without the presence of people like them. They say, what is the realized harm? For example, the beard in a state of emergency; sometimes they are deployed against Muslims and arrest them. They say there is nothing more than this. We look at the benefit that returns to the Muslim society.

The Shaykh : Is there nothing more than this?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : There is preventing them from praying at their times.

The questioner : Now, I mean.

The Shaykh : Rather, they may prevent them from praying altogether.

The questioner : They mean that the reality now has become easy, unlike before.

The Shaykh : No, excuse me. We are now... clearly, this reality that is proposed for entry into, before this moderation that you are hinting at is achieved.

The questioner : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : What was this reality like? Is the issue only about shaving the beard? No, the issue is certainly more than that. Many people complain that they miss their prayers. Why? Because the time allotted to them, for example, for training, does not allow them to perform the prayer at its time, even the Fajr prayer sometimes, and so on. But in any case, I do not deviate from my previous statement except with some clarification. These brothers who enter this society, suppose there are a hundred of them, or suppose there are a thousand, do we imagine that they are infallible if they enter this society, where they are exposed to many violations, some of which we hinted at earlier? Will this number, whether it is ten or a hundred, because it is hypothetical, will they all come out of this society safe?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : So this is what I am circling around. I think I would not put my son in this society as long as it is based on contradicting the Shari'ah, and I do not look at the outcome that you are assuming now, because I say this outcome may rest on the shoulders of someone other than my son. I do not want to expose my son to such a harm. Likewise, I do not want to expose my daughter to a mixed gathering in medical colleges on the pretext that we must have Muslim female doctors. Let someone else do this, one who is lenient or tolerant, or who makes an incorrect independent legal reasoning. So this fruit that you are now pointing to, that the situation has changed, we do not deny that the situation has changed. We say, for example, when we address some issues, let us be realistic. The Tabligh group, for example, today, when we say: "My brother, you are on a path that is contrary to the path of the Messenger and contrary to what you declare before your lecture," with a phrase that has become like a revealed verse instead of the sermon of need, "Indeed, praise is to Allah, we praise Him and seek His help," and so on, they say a phrase that whoever memorizes it...
The student : That our prosperity and success.

The Shaykh : What is our success and achievement?
The student : By following...

The Shaykh : By following them, and where is this following? It is nothing but a claim. What will be the response? O Shaykh, it is as if you are not living with us. How many people who used to abandon prayer have started praying? How many drinkers of intoxicants have stopped? How many? I know these facts, but we answered the greatest Sufi deceiver on the face of the earth, who claims perhaps the oneness of existence. You find the simple people gathered around him, worshipping and righteous, who used to fabricate [lies] and not pray, have become what? They pray. This is what we observe. But do we advise that our children and the flesh of our flesh go and frequent these groups? Because there are people who were open sinners and became righteous. No, this applies exactly to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): , and in another narration: . Now, the Tabligh group, their slogan is success and achievement by following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is correct, but they contradict the Sunnah in belief, behavior, and worship because they do not study the Sunnah. But there is a benefit from the Tabligh group that no one can ever deny. Does this benefit justify their continuation in their deviation from the Sunnah? Of course, the answer will be no. This is at least in our understanding. The understanding of others is, "No, as long as there is a benefit, we are proceeding on this path." And so the answer is regarding such issues. As long as there is a benefit from the entry of individuals from... Muslims into any of these communities, then let them enter. This means: Let us ransom some of our people in order to achieve this goal. But this goal can be achieved by following the path of Allah and His Messenger. But you are a people who rush. You say, "How do we learn to use these weapons if we do not enter?" Now, you see a story that is considered a practical answer. Now, the Afghans stood firm against the Russians, who are one of the strongest existing states today. Do you think that the Afghans as a people were trained in weapons? Absolutely not. But our Lord (Mighty and Majestic), if His servants are sincere to Him in following His Shari'ah, and this is among the meanings of His saying (the Exalted): . So we do not want to adopt means that deviate from the Shari'ah in the name of supporting the Shari'ah. And as it was said:
"Sa'd brought it, and Sa'd was wrapped up. This is not, O Sa'd, how camels are brought in."
This is the end of what I have in my answer, and we ask Allah to guide all Muslims to follow the straightest path.