What is the ruling on seeking the assistance of a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah)? And how do we reconcile the prohibition of seeking the assistance of a mushrik with the story of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the assistance of 'Abd Allah ibn
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on seeking the assistance of a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah)? And how do we reconcile the prohibition of seeking the assistance of a mushrik with the story of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking the assistance of 'Abd Allah ibn Urayqit during the Hijrah?
The Shaykh : The question is general, and in my opinion, it is specific. The question is general regarding seeking assistance, whereas I believe the questioner intends seeking the assistance of mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) in wars and jihad. If that is what is intended, the answer is: The rule is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is established in *Sahih Muslim*, when a man from among the mushrikin came to him wanting to fight with him, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:Sunan Abi Dawud 2732Sahih (Al-Albani) This is the principle. If it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) sought the assistance of individuals from among the mushrikin in some battles or some wars, then this is an exception to the rule. However, we adhere to the rule, and we are not like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who could make exceptions through his ijtihad (independent legal reasoning), in which, if there had been an error, revelation would have descended to clarify the correct ruling.
Therefore, we do not seek the assistance of a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) in jihad. As for seeking assistance in general, as mentioned in the question, if the questioner or questioner intended that, I do not see in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) anything that prevents it, provided that he is seeking his assistance for a matter that is at least permissible.
The Shaykh : The question is general, and in my opinion, it is specific. The question is general regarding seeking assistance, whereas I believe the questioner intends seeking the assistance of mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) in wars and jihad. If that is what is intended, the answer is: The rule is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is established in *Sahih Muslim*, when a man from among the mushrikin came to him wanting to fight with him, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:
We do not want any help from a polytheist.
إنا لا نستعين بمشركTherefore, we do not seek the assistance of a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) in jihad. As for seeking assistance in general, as mentioned in the question, if the questioner or questioner intended that, I do not see in the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) anything that prevents it, provided that he is seeking his assistance for a matter that is at least permissible.