What is the ruling on voting for the best of the candidates for parliament?

The questioner : Excuse me, Professor, a follow-up on the brother's remarks regarding scholars or preachers entering the National Assembly!

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Of course, regarding the Muslim Brotherhood, is this ruling now also applied to the one who votes?

The Shaykh : Ah, there is a difference here for us.

The questioner : Ah, go ahead.

The Shaykh : I was also asked this question today, because it is the time of the upcoming elections.

The questioner : Exactly, yes.

The Shaykh : Hmm, a questioner asked me: Should I vote for some of the Muslims, the Islamists, that we know? I said: First, advise the one who runs to be a member of parliament to not throw himself into the fire; he may respond and he may not, and that is not your concern: . If he responds, good; if he does not respond, you vote for the one whose evil you think is less than the evil of others. This is from the perspective of a very important jurisprudential and usuli principle: "Repelling the lesser of two evils by repelling the greater of the two evils." That is, if a Muslim falls, and he must fall, into a calamity from among two calamities, he chooses the lesser over the greater. Where is this taken from? From the like of the saying of Allah, the Exalted: , All of this is forbidden, so it is not permissible for a Muslim to eat from it, not even a single bite. But if he is compelled, then he must choose one harm from two harms: either he faces death and perishing from hunger, or he eats bites that sustain his back from this that is forbidden. From here the jurists took that very great principle, and this solves many problems: that if a Muslim must fall between two calamities, he chooses the easier of them. But it is not permissible for him to intend the calamity and bring it about, for example, as many people do today by saying to you: I pay every month, for example, the rent of the house, sixty or seventy dinars, less or more, and so on, so I want to build a house, yes?

The questioner : Hello.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: And upon you peace.

The questioner : How is our Shaykh doing?

The Shaykh : You are welcome.

The questioner : O Shaykh, I am the same person who called a little while ago!

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : How are you, if Allah wills?

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.

The questioner : I am in need of you, O Shaykh!

The Shaykh : There is no power or strength except in Allah. My brother, do not come to me. I told you: I have no time. Did you forget?

The questioner : No, I did not forget, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Then why do you return and ask the same question?

The questioner : Because I am in need, in urgent need, I mean, O Shaykh. The matter is not an argument, but I want to take from you.

The Shaykh : I have no free time, I have no free time. Take my methodology from my books.

The questioner : I am trying, but I am not reassured, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : I have no free time. Peace be upon you. This is like many others, O Professor. He is not the only one.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes, by Allah. Allah is the One to be sought for help.

The questioner : It is always like this...

The Shaykh : I have approximately clarified that if a person falls between two calamities, he chooses the lesser of them. But perhaps the calamity regarding parliament needs clarification: Without a doubt, if we do not vote for the righteous among those who have nominated themselves, the parliament will be of the wicked. And these righteous ones will try to reduce the evil, but they will not change the system and the constitution; that is an illusion. But from the perspective of: "O my Lord, some evil is easier than some," only from this perspective.