Is it permissible for a Muslim to work as an employee in the agencies of an Islamic government that does not rule by what Allah has revealed?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
We are pleased to meet the shaykh, Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, and we ask him to answer some of the questions that are on our minds.
The first question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to work as an employee in the agencies of an Islamic government that does not rule by what Allah has revealed? Does not his work with them constitute cooperation in sin and aggression, and support for their corrupt agencies? Is not the Muslim required to change what is wrong, not support it? Will not Allah hold him accountable on the Day of Resurrection because he wasted his life and youth in the service of such a government?
The Shaykh : One job differs from another. If the employee is in this state, which was described with two contradictory descriptions—being called an Islamic state and being said to rule other than by Islam—there is a difference between one who works there in a prescribed job, such as being an imam in a mosque, or a mu'adhdhin, or a khatib, or a teacher in one of the schools where he teaches Islam and teaches the sciences they call the linguistic sciences, such as morphology and grammar, and other sciences that help the student of knowledge understand Islam, understand the Sunnah, and understand the Qur'an. There is a very great difference between such employees in that state and others among them who work there in a job that actually helps the state spread what is wrong.
The verse alluded to in the question, which is His saying—Blessed and Exalted is He—:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] does not apply to the first type of employees who cooperate with those who work for Islam, such as teachers, preachers, and mu'adhdhins, and the like. It is not correct for such people to reverse the reality of their matter and say of them: they are cooperating with the state in what is wrong. What wrong is this when they are teaching people Islam? While the other type are those who cooperate with the state in what is wrong. There is no need to give examples for such people, as their matter is exposed and known, like those who, for example, work in one of the banks. It is those about whom it is correct to say: they are cooperating in what is wrong.
In summary, the answer is: We cannot imagine that every job in this state is a job of what is wrong. Rather, some of it is what is right and some of it is what is wrong. So whoever among the employees cooperates with it in what is right is praised and not blamed, and whoever cooperates with it in what is wrong is the one who is blamed and not praised. Therefore, it is not permissible to say that employment is permissible absolutely, and it is not permissible to say that employment is not permissible absolutely. Rather, what must be said is this detail.
And with this, I feel that the employee who works in a job that Islam approves of in this state, I feel that his work does not bear the desired fruit; because it is an individual job that does not have that strong influence in the society governed by this state. For that reason, I see that if there were a ruler who rules by what Allah has revealed, it is obligatory for such employees to be employed in such a state if they find a way to do so. Otherwise, their work in the state that does not rule by Islam, as long as it does not contradict Islam, is not cooperation in what is wrong, but rather cooperation in righteousness and piety.
This is what I have in answer to this question.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I add a correction and say: The question included a rhetorical question, which is his saying: Is not the Muslim required to change what is wrong?
We say: Yes, but this requirement is restricted by the conditions of ability according to the texts and general rules on one hand, and by the specific text on the other hand. As for the general rules, such as His saying:[At-Taghabun 64:16]. As for the specific text, it is the famous, authentic, and established hadith in "Sahih Muslim" from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sahih Muslim 49a. Our observation of this gradual progression that the Lawgiver classified in enjoining good and forbidding evil in this hadith must prevent us from falling into excess or negligence. As for excess, it is overlooking the third and final rank in enjoining good and forbidding evil, which is his saying (peace be upon him) in this hadith: Sunan an-Nasa'i 5008Sahih (Darussalam). This is the third rank.
If we look away from this rank and obligate every Muslim to change what is wrong by the first and second ranks, we have neglected the aspect of this hadith. The opposite side is that we be lenient and not enjoin good by hand, and not even by tongue, on the excuse that we are not able to do so, when we may be able. The least I can imagine of ability right now is to imagine what I pointed to during my previous speech: that the Muslim who lives as an employee in a state that does not rule by what Allah has revealed may be able to be an employee in another state that rules by what Allah has revealed. In that case, it is not permissible for him to make an excuse and say: I am not able to do anything but disapprove and change with my heart. Because in this situation, it is said to him: You are able to enjoin good and forbid evil by the first rank, or at least by the second rank, but not in this job of yours, rather in a job in another state that rules by what Allah has revealed.
Therefore, the Muslim must fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in himself, and not fall into excess or negligence, saying: I am not able, when he is able, but with some new maneuvering. Or he says: Every Muslim is responsible before Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) that he does not change what is wrong with his hand, and not even with his tongue, while he forgets that there is a third and final rank in changing what is wrong.
This is the correction to the previous answer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
We are pleased to meet the shaykh, Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, and we ask him to answer some of the questions that are on our minds.
The first question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to work as an employee in the agencies of an Islamic government that does not rule by what Allah has revealed? Does not his work with them constitute cooperation in sin and aggression, and support for their corrupt agencies? Is not the Muslim required to change what is wrong, not support it? Will not Allah hold him accountable on the Day of Resurrection because he wasted his life and youth in the service of such a government?
The Shaykh : One job differs from another. If the employee is in this state, which was described with two contradictory descriptions—being called an Islamic state and being said to rule other than by Islam—there is a difference between one who works there in a prescribed job, such as being an imam in a mosque, or a mu'adhdhin, or a khatib, or a teacher in one of the schools where he teaches Islam and teaches the sciences they call the linguistic sciences, such as morphology and grammar, and other sciences that help the student of knowledge understand Islam, understand the Sunnah, and understand the Qur'an. There is a very great difference between such employees in that state and others among them who work there in a job that actually helps the state spread what is wrong.
The verse alluded to in the question, which is His saying—Blessed and Exalted is He—:
And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.
وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِIn summary, the answer is: We cannot imagine that every job in this state is a job of what is wrong. Rather, some of it is what is right and some of it is what is wrong. So whoever among the employees cooperates with it in what is right is praised and not blamed, and whoever cooperates with it in what is wrong is the one who is blamed and not praised. Therefore, it is not permissible to say that employment is permissible absolutely, and it is not permissible to say that employment is not permissible absolutely. Rather, what must be said is this detail.
And with this, I feel that the employee who works in a job that Islam approves of in this state, I feel that his work does not bear the desired fruit; because it is an individual job that does not have that strong influence in the society governed by this state. For that reason, I see that if there were a ruler who rules by what Allah has revealed, it is obligatory for such employees to be employed in such a state if they find a way to do so. Otherwise, their work in the state that does not rule by Islam, as long as it does not contradict Islam, is not cooperation in what is wrong, but rather cooperation in righteousness and piety.
This is what I have in answer to this question.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I add a correction and say: The question included a rhetorical question, which is his saying: Is not the Muslim required to change what is wrong?
We say: Yes, but this requirement is restricted by the conditions of ability according to the texts and general rules on one hand, and by the specific text on the other hand. As for the general rules, such as His saying:
fear Allah as much as you are able
اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْHe who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
مَن رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيِّره بيده ، فإن لم يستطِعْ فبلسانه ، فإن لم يستطِعْ فبقلبه ؛ وذلك أضعف الإيمانthen with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart
فليغيِّره بلسانه ، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبهIf we look away from this rank and obligate every Muslim to change what is wrong by the first and second ranks, we have neglected the aspect of this hadith. The opposite side is that we be lenient and not enjoin good by hand, and not even by tongue, on the excuse that we are not able to do so, when we may be able. The least I can imagine of ability right now is to imagine what I pointed to during my previous speech: that the Muslim who lives as an employee in a state that does not rule by what Allah has revealed may be able to be an employee in another state that rules by what Allah has revealed. In that case, it is not permissible for him to make an excuse and say: I am not able to do anything but disapprove and change with my heart. Because in this situation, it is said to him: You are able to enjoin good and forbid evil by the first rank, or at least by the second rank, but not in this job of yours, rather in a job in another state that rules by what Allah has revealed.
Therefore, the Muslim must fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in himself, and not fall into excess or negligence, saying: I am not able, when he is able, but with some new maneuvering. Or he says: Every Muslim is responsible before Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) that he does not change what is wrong with his hand, and not even with his tongue, while he forgets that there is a third and final rank in changing what is wrong.
This is the correction to the previous answer.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.