Some argue for the permissibility of seeking assistance from polytheists by citing the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking protection from the Najashi and his uncle Abu Talib
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The questioner: In order to seek assistance as well, they bring up the example of Dr. al-Bouti in "Fiqh al-Sirah," but I read a commentary on it that hinted at the issue in my research; which is the issue of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking protection from the Najashi and his uncle Abu Talib, and so on; these are the things that were reported.
The Shaykh: The Messenger’s seeking protection from what?
The questioner: From his uncle Abu Talib, from the Najashi, and so on; do these not fall under this category?!
The Shaykh: The category of what?
The questioner: Seeking assistance as well?
The Shaykh: His intention is seeking assistance in fighting.
The questioner: In fighting.
The Shaykh: Of course, otherwise you would extend the matter to wearing a tight-sleeved Roman tunic; so then ... .
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh: This is an expansion that is not praiseworthy and not reasonable.
The questioner: The evidence from the hadith is: or only in the matter of fighting.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: I think you know that the Arabs were not a group of civilized, cultured people; meaning, they did not have— as they say in the language of the present age— culture and civilization. Therefore, for example, their currency was not minted in their own land, you know ... So the money, dirhams, and dinars that they dealt in are— also— from seeking assistance from polytheists!
The questioner: Far-fetched!
The Shaykh: But it was said: The drowning man will cling even to the threads of the moon!
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh: These are the people whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) tested twice; once when they hastened the matter before its time and were tested with its deprivation.
The questioner: Some of the Hanafis.
The Shaykh: No, but the Sufis.
The questioner: No!!
The Shaykh: Yes, it is a Sufi wisdom.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The important thing, and the other time when they realized their mistake, they were under the rain, they went under the gutter, they went to seek assistance from the disbelievers who were fighting them in one country, so they became seeking assistance from them in another country; this is a strange affliction!! They need, as we said earlier: The drowning man will cling even to the threads of the moon; they need to gather from here and there until what? To remove this danger they fell into; and therefore I say, in such an occasion, I actually said it and in others like it: Sometimes, when I find such independent legal reasoning from a group of followers who have not practiced independent legal reasoning in disputed issues, and the evidence in them is what? It is scattered and spread out, and all you have to do is if you enter— for example— a place with[Ar-Rahman 55:52] is to choose, meaning, and how easy is the choice! They come and exercise independent legal reasoning on issues that no one has spoken about!! So at that time I say: I am almost inclined to the saying that the door of independent legal reasoning is closed!! [Everyone laughs!].
And this is one of the wonders of matters; these people abandon independent legal reasoning and fight those who are engaged in discernment in the religion, then they come and exercise independent legal reasoning on matters for which Allah has not sent down any authority.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: O Most Gentle!
The Shaykh: The Messenger’s seeking protection from what?
The questioner: From his uncle Abu Talib, from the Najashi, and so on; do these not fall under this category?!
The Shaykh: The category of what?
The questioner: Seeking assistance as well?
The Shaykh: His intention is seeking assistance in fighting.
The questioner: In fighting.
The Shaykh: Of course, otherwise you would extend the matter to wearing a tight-sleeved Roman tunic; so then ... .
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh: This is an expansion that is not praiseworthy and not reasonable.
The questioner: The evidence from the hadith is:
We do not seek assistance from a polytheist against the polytheists
لا نستعين بمشرك على المشركينThe Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: I think you know that the Arabs were not a group of civilized, cultured people; meaning, they did not have— as they say in the language of the present age— culture and civilization. Therefore, for example, their currency was not minted in their own land, you know ... So the money, dirhams, and dinars that they dealt in are— also— from seeking assistance from polytheists!
The questioner: Far-fetched!
The Shaykh: But it was said: The drowning man will cling even to the threads of the moon!
The questioner: Allah is the Greatest!
The Shaykh: These are the people whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) tested twice; once when they hastened the matter before its time and were tested with its deprivation.
The questioner: Some of the Hanafis.
The Shaykh: No, but the Sufis.
The questioner: No!!
The Shaykh: Yes, it is a Sufi wisdom.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes.
The important thing, and the other time when they realized their mistake, they were under the rain, they went under the gutter, they went to seek assistance from the disbelievers who were fighting them in one country, so they became seeking assistance from them in another country; this is a strange affliction!! They need, as we said earlier: The drowning man will cling even to the threads of the moon; they need to gather from here and there until what? To remove this danger they fell into; and therefore I say, in such an occasion, I actually said it and in others like it: Sometimes, when I find such independent legal reasoning from a group of followers who have not practiced independent legal reasoning in disputed issues, and the evidence in them is what? It is scattered and spread out, and all you have to do is if you enter— for example— a place with
of every fruit, two kinds.
مِنْ كُلِّ فَاكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِAnd this is one of the wonders of matters; these people abandon independent legal reasoning and fight those who are engaged in discernment in the religion, then they come and exercise independent legal reasoning on matters for which Allah has not sent down any authority.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh: O Most Gentle!
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.