The Ruling of the Shari'ah on Groups, Organizations, and Parties Claiming Affiliation with Islam
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The questioner : Shaykh, just now, when you permitted - Shaykh - the existence of multiple Islamic groups following a single methodology, does not this - Shaykh - open the door to partisanship?
The Shaykh : Partisanship is not part of that Islamic methodology. I gave an example.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Raise your voice.
The questioner : PermittingThe Shaykh : regarding the existence of multiple Islamic groups; does this open the door to following the path of partisanship?
The Shaykh : The answer is no, because I gave a clear and distinct example for it. I said that groups are judged by the same standard as individuals. We said, for instance, so-and-so specializes in tafsir, and another in hadith, and you can list as many specializations as you wish in various sciences, whether they are religious or material, industrial, or similar. These specializations are a collective obligation (fard kifayah); if some people fulfill them, the obligation falls off the rest. If we say this about individuals, does it open the door to partisanship? This is a hadith scholar who has a group, and they dispute with the group of the tafsir scholar who has his own group... and so on, as we mentioned. Of course, this contradicts Islam. But all Muslims should benefit from the tafsir specialist, just as they benefit from the hadith specialist, the jurist, the economist, the political scientist, and so on. Thus, they are all united by benefiting from every specialist, without hatred and without estrangement, because they are all on a single word of agreement. You heard this statement just now, and we said that this ruling we mentioned regarding individuals - which is a truth beyond doubt - is transferred to groups.
Now, to clarify the picture of this clustering: a group of individuals formed a committee in tafsir, a group of those engaged in hadith formed a committee of hadith scholars, and so on for the remaining specializations. Is this contrary to the Shari'ah or in accordance with it? As long as they all do not deviate from the correct scientific methodology, the Book and the Sunnah, and what the righteous Salaf were upon, is this clear up to this point?
The questioner : Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Now, if you allow me, if you allow me, the committees we named as committees are usually composed of five, ten, fifteen, or twenty people. Now, if we expand the circle as much as you can imagine, this committee is composed of thousands of members, okay? Has the situation changed from that of individuals, or from the individual in hadith or tafsir? Basically, a committee we named as consisting of thousands, as long as they all live under what? A single system and a single methodology. The answer is: no, what you feared regarding partisanship and clustering does not result from this. Because if partisanship and clustering enter in, there is then no difference between associations, committees, and individuals; there is absolutely no difference. It is all contrary to this methodology that we assumed they are all living within its circle. Is this clear now? Let us hear what the doctor intended to say.
The Doctor : Is this kind of work obligatory upon Muslims?
The Shaykh : Obligatory.
The Doctor : I am finished, that is all.The Shaykh : It necessitates carrying out work in various Islamic aspects collectively, because the state of Islam and the Muslim community (ummah) do not stand except through such collective activities.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The Doctor : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Partisanship is not part of that Islamic methodology. I gave an example.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Raise your voice.
The questioner : PermittingThe Shaykh : regarding the existence of multiple Islamic groups; does this open the door to following the path of partisanship?
The Shaykh : The answer is no, because I gave a clear and distinct example for it. I said that groups are judged by the same standard as individuals. We said, for instance, so-and-so specializes in tafsir, and another in hadith, and you can list as many specializations as you wish in various sciences, whether they are religious or material, industrial, or similar. These specializations are a collective obligation (fard kifayah); if some people fulfill them, the obligation falls off the rest. If we say this about individuals, does it open the door to partisanship? This is a hadith scholar who has a group, and they dispute with the group of the tafsir scholar who has his own group... and so on, as we mentioned. Of course, this contradicts Islam. But all Muslims should benefit from the tafsir specialist, just as they benefit from the hadith specialist, the jurist, the economist, the political scientist, and so on. Thus, they are all united by benefiting from every specialist, without hatred and without estrangement, because they are all on a single word of agreement. You heard this statement just now, and we said that this ruling we mentioned regarding individuals - which is a truth beyond doubt - is transferred to groups.
Now, to clarify the picture of this clustering: a group of individuals formed a committee in tafsir, a group of those engaged in hadith formed a committee of hadith scholars, and so on for the remaining specializations. Is this contrary to the Shari'ah or in accordance with it? As long as they all do not deviate from the correct scientific methodology, the Book and the Sunnah, and what the righteous Salaf were upon, is this clear up to this point?
The questioner : Shaykh...
The Shaykh : Now, if you allow me, if you allow me, the committees we named as committees are usually composed of five, ten, fifteen, or twenty people. Now, if we expand the circle as much as you can imagine, this committee is composed of thousands of members, okay? Has the situation changed from that of individuals, or from the individual in hadith or tafsir? Basically, a committee we named as consisting of thousands, as long as they all live under what? A single system and a single methodology. The answer is: no, what you feared regarding partisanship and clustering does not result from this. Because if partisanship and clustering enter in, there is then no difference between associations, committees, and individuals; there is absolutely no difference. It is all contrary to this methodology that we assumed they are all living within its circle. Is this clear now? Let us hear what the doctor intended to say.
The Doctor : Is this kind of work obligatory upon Muslims?
The Shaykh : Obligatory.
The Doctor : I am finished, that is all.The Shaykh : It necessitates carrying out work in various Islamic aspects collectively, because the state of Islam and the Muslim community (ummah) do not stand except through such collective activities.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The Doctor : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.