What is your opinion of the means adopted by some Islamic groups, such as parliamentary elections?
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The questioner : What is the opinion of the honorable Shaykh regarding the da'wah methods that some Islamic groups advocate, such as parliamentary elections, political demonstrations, distributing secret pamphlets, and other such methods? There are also da'wah methods involving dramatic performances and anthems.
The Shaykh : I think we have spoken about this before in past gatherings, and it is possible to take the answer from what was said earlier in this gathering just now. Because engaging in the da'wah to make people understand Islam, so that these people realize that Islam is not built on slogans or on pamphlets that are distributed. I am truly impressed by a phrase from one of the Islamic preachers of the present era, whom we know to be of great virtue because he called Muslims to Islam, even if with a limited and deficient concept, and it was up to his followers to complete his da'wah. He said this to his companions, but they did not heed his advice: "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you on your land" "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you on your land" This is, in my view, the height of wisdom. To the extent that if there were revelation after the Messenger of Allah, I would say: This is from the inspiration of the heavens! Because he tells all people: Before you call people to political action, to a bloody revolution, or to what resembles such political actions, you, above all else, "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts", and then do not concern yourselves with this political work to the extent of rushing matters. Among the transmitted sayings of wisdom is also: "Whoever hastens a matter before its time is tried with its deprivation" This is what happened to some Islamic groups whose leader was this one who uttered this wisdom, "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you on your land". They opposed him in this and wanted to establish the state of Islam through a bloody revolution, so the price was that this man's blood was shed on the ground in vain. Why? Because they hastened the matter before its time, so they were tried with its deprivation. This is wisdom, but it is profound wisdom. Why? "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts" This requires many things that these people do not care about. The first of these is establishing the Muslim state in the hearts, which means correct knowledge. If you want to understand, you must understand the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah), as we mentioned earlier. If you want to pray, you must know how the Messenger of Allah prayed, and so on. These people do not understand any of this at all. Therefore, they cannot establish the state of Islam in their hearts, so that Allah the Exalted would reward them by establishing the state of Islam on their land. Therefore, one who lacks a thing cannot give it.
One of the wonders is that this word which was directed to them, we are acting upon it, while they are turning away from it. This is among the wonders found in this time. We understood this wisdom and applied it practically. We believe that Allah the Exalted said:[Muhammad 47:7] and we cannot deserve victory from Allah while we do not know Allah, we do not know what Allah has made lawful, we do not know what Allah has forbidden, we do not know how to worship Allah, we do not know how to perform Hajj to the House of Allah, and so on. How, then, can the state of Islam be established on the earth while we have not established the state of Islam in the heart? This is impossible. Therefore, we must work for Islam as our righteous predecessors worked, without shouting, without slogans, and without political action, because this political action, first of all, divides the Ummah. This is the greatest proof. Look at some of the Islamic parties: how they turn away from one another, how they cut ties, and how they do not recognize other Muslims, even though they share in the word "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." But this division is a natural matter, because, unfortunately—and this is a lesson for whoever takes heed—they agreed on the word "La ilaha illa Allah" but differed in its understanding. So their difference in understanding led to their difference in reality, to their turning away from one another, and to their cutting ties. Therefore, the cure is two words that I mentioned ten years ago. The principle upon which all Islamic da'wahs should be established and upon which the honor of the Islamic Ummah should be realized is based on two words, which are: "Purification and education", "Purification and education". That is: It is necessary that the aspirations of the scholars and the rulers who care about what the scholars care about, and who help them in spreading this knowledge, should unite. The scholars must be concerned with purifying Islam from the various types of fabrications and conspiracies that have entered it. There is no one, even among the common people, who does not know that there are weak and fabricated hadiths. Where are the scholars scattered throughout the Islamic world who warn the different peoples about weak and fabricated hadiths so that they may be cautious of them? There is nothing of this except white spots in a black crowd. What effect does it have? Nothing at all. Likewise, the reform of beliefs, as we mentioned earlier. Where are the preachers of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in the correct scientific sense? I know of preachers of tawhid today, but these preachers must be at a level worthy of them. They must be from the people of knowledge, not just students of knowledge. Where are those who interpret the Qur'an with a correct interpretation, removing from it weak and fabricated hadiths, and the rejected Isra'iliyyat (narrations from the People of the Book), and the interpretations of the people of opinion from the Jahmiyyah and the Mu'attilah? Where are those who come to the books of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) in their various schools and orientations and purify them from the ideas, opinions, and acts of worship that contradict the correct Sunnah? None of this exists. Therefore, we said that reform is based on two words: purification, of which we have understood something of its meaning, and education, meaning: It is necessary to educate Muslims in the correct Islam, because mere education, which they call "ilm al-suluk" (the science of conduct),
The Shaykh : I think we have spoken about this before in past gatherings, and it is possible to take the answer from what was said earlier in this gathering just now. Because engaging in the da'wah to make people understand Islam, so that these people realize that Islam is not built on slogans or on pamphlets that are distributed. I am truly impressed by a phrase from one of the Islamic preachers of the present era, whom we know to be of great virtue because he called Muslims to Islam, even if with a limited and deficient concept, and it was up to his followers to complete his da'wah. He said this to his companions, but they did not heed his advice: "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you on your land" "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you on your land" This is, in my view, the height of wisdom. To the extent that if there were revelation after the Messenger of Allah, I would say: This is from the inspiration of the heavens! Because he tells all people: Before you call people to political action, to a bloody revolution, or to what resembles such political actions, you, above all else, "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts", and then do not concern yourselves with this political work to the extent of rushing matters. Among the transmitted sayings of wisdom is also: "Whoever hastens a matter before its time is tried with its deprivation" This is what happened to some Islamic groups whose leader was this one who uttered this wisdom, "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you on your land". They opposed him in this and wanted to establish the state of Islam through a bloody revolution, so the price was that this man's blood was shed on the ground in vain. Why? Because they hastened the matter before its time, so they were tried with its deprivation. This is wisdom, but it is profound wisdom. Why? "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts" This requires many things that these people do not care about. The first of these is establishing the Muslim state in the hearts, which means correct knowledge. If you want to understand, you must understand the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah), as we mentioned earlier. If you want to pray, you must know how the Messenger of Allah prayed, and so on. These people do not understand any of this at all. Therefore, they cannot establish the state of Islam in their hearts, so that Allah the Exalted would reward them by establishing the state of Islam on their land. Therefore, one who lacks a thing cannot give it.
One of the wonders is that this word which was directed to them, we are acting upon it, while they are turning away from it. This is among the wonders found in this time. We understood this wisdom and applied it practically. We believe that Allah the Exalted said: