The Shaykh’s remarks on one who wants to volunteer in the secular army.

The Shaykh : Frankly, because you, the one who wants to volunteer in the secular army, I explained to you that volunteering is equivalent to performing voluntary acts of worship, and voluntary acts of worship mean performing a worship that is not obligatory, so it is an extra voluntary act. Then I told you that the one who volunteers in the secular army can barely manage to perform what Allah has made obligatory upon him? I said to you, did you not understand, is that not so? So how did you then accuse me, may Allah forgive you, of not answering you? I interpret your words so as not to wrong you. I say: The meaning of your words is that I did not give you an answer that silenced you, meaning this is by way of patching things up. Yes, yes. Now, has something new become clear to you, or has it not? For example, let me give you an example, let me give you an example. Can the soldier in the secular army, first of all, perform every prayer in its time?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : This one who cannot perform every prayer in its time, has he performed the obligatory duty required of him?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : So this is the obligation. What kind of volunteering is this that leads to conflicting with the obligatory prayer?

The questioner : Shaykh, if...

The Shaykh : Look, this answer is the answer of those parties—peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you—this is the partisan answer of one who speaks without knowledge. And we returned to the principle that we all agreed is not an Islamic principle. Do you know what it is? I am speaking and you are writing. You are excused. Ah, did you know the principle that we agreed is not an Islamic principle?

The questioner : The end justifies the means.

The Shaykh : Well done. Do you see how they operate by this principle, which is a disbeliever’s principle: the end justifies the means? If we do not enter the secular army, and if we do not waste the obligatory duties in the path of obtaining an obligation—if it is an obligation, which is doubtful—is this an Islamic law? The end justifies the means. What do we say about a person who stands in prayer at night while people are sleeping? Of course, we say to him, congratulations. But he feels at the end of the night that he has become what? Tired, so he puts his side down and sleeps. He does not wake up until the dawn breaks. Is this person obedient or disobedient? Why do you not speak?

The questioner : Heh.

The Shaykh : Heh, this is a matter as clear as the sun at midday. This one who stood up for the whole night except for a little, then got tired and dozed off, and sleep overtook him, so he slept and dragged it out until the sun rose, and then he got up to perform the Fajr prayer outside its time. Did he obey or did he disobey? I fear for you that you are a partisan.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : May Allah will it, has the answer become clear to you?

The questioner : It has become clear, may Allah will it.

The Shaykh : And you do not want... you wanted to give an example to increase our knowledge with knowledge.

The questioner : ... In addition to that, may Allah will it, it is clear.

The Shaykh : What else do you have?

The questioner : When Iraq invaded Kuwait.

The Shaykh : How?

The questioner : When Iraq invaded Kuwait, it brought with it from Iraq a lot of goods, some of which were stolen, or some of which were sold at prices imposed by the Iraqi government on the Kuwaitis. So a lot of these goods gathered in the markets of Iraq, and the Iraqi buyer is forced to buy from these goods, such as oil and other necessary items. Is it permissible for him to buy that or not?