Is it permissible to refuse food until death in prison?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I would like to ask a question, by Allah.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : Is it permissible to refuse food until death?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Is that the answer, meaning without any explanations or justifications?
The Shaykh : That is the answer; because this is a polytheistic innovation, a habit of the disbelievers who do not submit to the rulings of Allah, who do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. Our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) says:[Al-Baqarah 2:155-157]. The prophets, messengers, and the righteous were imprisoned, so they were patient and were granted the best from the Lord of the Worlds, [An-Nahl 16:126]. As for the disbelievers, they are not patient, and therefore, due to their lack of patience, they commit suicide, as you hear of many incidents occurring in Europe and America, suicide incidents that rarely occur in the lands of Islam. Why? Because the morals of Muslims are not the morals of disbelievers. Muslims believe in the divine decree and destiny of Allah, its good and its evil. Muslims know the saying of the Messenger (peace be upon him): . As for a Muslim intentionally exposing himself to destruction, that is the ultimate ignorance of Islam. If a Muslim is tested unjustly with imprisonment, he should seize the opportunity of his detention in this prison to worship Allah, and to increase in prayer and the remembrance of Allah. As the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "What can my enemies do to me? If they exile me, my journey is a travel; and if they imprison me, my prison is worship and obedience." And so it is with the Muslim. As for a Muslim resorting to a hunger strike until his strength leaves him, so that he cannot stand for prayer, and cannot remember Allah except a little; far be it from Allah that this should be permissible in the religion of Islam! I hope you have understood me, if Allah wills?
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay; is there anything else?
The questioner : I mean, what is currently being done, for example, by the Muslim Brotherhood in the West Bank?
The Shaykh : It is a mistake, my brother, a mistake. This is not permissible. They must be patient and persevere.
The questioner : Is refusing food not permissible?
The Shaykh : Not at all.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
The questioner : Is it permissible to refuse food until death?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Is that the answer, meaning without any explanations or justifications?
The Shaykh : That is the answer; because this is a polytheistic innovation, a habit of the disbelievers who do not submit to the rulings of Allah, who do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden. Our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) says:
(155) And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (156) Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." (157) Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ * الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ * أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَBut if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.
وَلَئِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِلصَّابِرِينَThe affair of the believer is wonderful; if good befalls him, he praises Allah and is grateful, and it is better for him; and if bad befalls him, he is patient, and it is better for him.
عجبٌ أمر المؤمن كله ؛ إن أصابته سرَّاء حَمِدَ الله وشكر ، فكان خيرًا له ، وإن أصابته ضرَّاء صبر ، فكان خيرًا لهThe questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : Okay; is there anything else?
The questioner : I mean, what is currently being done, for example, by the Muslim Brotherhood in the West Bank?
The Shaykh : It is a mistake, my brother, a mistake. This is not permissible. They must be patient and persevere.
The questioner : Is refusing food not permissible?
The Shaykh : Not at all.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.