The Ruling on Entering Parliaments and the Danger of Parliamentary Work to the Salafi Call
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The Shaykh : This is the leaning that Allah forbade His Prophet from in the previous verse: [Al-Isra 17:74] This is the greatest leaning. If Allah warns Muslims against taking disbelievers as allies and threatens them, saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:51] What is greater than taking them as allies than for you to join this system which you are obligated to fight, and for you to enter it and revolve in its orbit under the claim that I want to bring them out of the path to the straight way? And among the wonders of things is that one of their leaders came to me less than a month ago, and a discussion took place between us regarding some points we take issue with our brother Abd al-Rahman, this is Abd al-Khaliq, among which is his statement of the permissibility, indeed the obligation, of entering parliament.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. I said to him, this brother who came to me, what do you say? Perhaps you have heard that some Palestinian Muslims are members of the Jewish parliament, the one they call the Knesset.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : He said, yes, I have heard of this. I said, what is your opinion? Is it permissible for these people to enter the Jewish parliament with the intention of converting it and changing its course? He fell silent. I almost exploded with anger, even though I think I control my nerves in such matters. I said, what is wrong with you, why are you silent? Is it permissible or not? This is a precise jurisprudential issue, not a clear-cut matter. I barely got out of him that it is not permissible, by force. I said, well, what is the difference between the Jewish parliament—no offense, for the land is inhabited—and the Kuwaiti parliament, or the Syrian, or the Jordanian, or whatever, all of which are parliaments established on other than what Allah has revealed? I gave him some examples, and some Islamic parliamentarians enter in one way and exit in another. They enter in Arab dress with a Prophetic beard, and they exit as modernized. Did you enter as modernized, or do you become modernized?!
The student : My Shaykh, and some of them before they enter.
The Shaykh : Oh, I know.
The student : Did the news reach you about that man whose beard, what Allah willed, now he wants to run for office, he did it, meaning.
The Shaykh : ... meaning.
The student : ... the signal is yes.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. The point is, political work today in the Salafi groups is dangerous, and the reason is that, yes, we, the group of the Salaf al-Salih, have a culture.
The student : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on you, and we have good Salafi awareness, but the truth is we do not have a society raised on pure Islam in practical upbringing. So many of us are still in their old misguidance in terms of behavior and dealing with people, and so on, especially in the homes, with women, with daughters. And so, until this small Salafi society develops and knowledge is coupled with action, or action with knowledge, this requires a long time and a very, very great struggle. So the haste of some Salafis with such organizations before they mature in understanding Islam and applying it in all aspects of their lives means it will sweep them into political work that diverts them from what they were aiming at.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and Allah's mercy and blessings. Turn off the light, Abu 'Umar.
The student : Dim the light.
The Shaykh : Leave the light on the front, a small light is enough. What is this second light?
The student : Behind me, the rear car light, a second car's rear light.
Another student: For the women.
The Shaykh : Where are the women? Oh, well, for the women, there is no objection, that is fine for us.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student : They are placing them in an area that is frightening.
The Shaykh : This is injustice, for this Messenger recommended gentleness with young girls.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct, and I want to propose a suggestion to Abu 'Umar, but let him come.
The student : Abu 'Umar.
The Shaykh : No, no, let him finish his work, I am not in a hurry. This light, my brother, leave it as it was, that hour does not come in our eyes.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : Turn it off, we do not need it for us, yes, but just like this.
The student : There is a suggestion, Abu 'Umar.
The Shaykh : No problem, his turn is coming, look, now your benefit, and come back later.
The student: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : You wanted to leave.
The student : No, no, there is nothing, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
you would have almost inclined to them a little.
لَقَدْ كِدْتَ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًاAnd whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them
وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْThe student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings. I said to him, this brother who came to me, what do you say? Perhaps you have heard that some Palestinian Muslims are members of the Jewish parliament, the one they call the Knesset.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : He said, yes, I have heard of this. I said, what is your opinion? Is it permissible for these people to enter the Jewish parliament with the intention of converting it and changing its course? He fell silent. I almost exploded with anger, even though I think I control my nerves in such matters. I said, what is wrong with you, why are you silent? Is it permissible or not? This is a precise jurisprudential issue, not a clear-cut matter. I barely got out of him that it is not permissible, by force. I said, well, what is the difference between the Jewish parliament—no offense, for the land is inhabited—and the Kuwaiti parliament, or the Syrian, or the Jordanian, or whatever, all of which are parliaments established on other than what Allah has revealed? I gave him some examples, and some Islamic parliamentarians enter in one way and exit in another. They enter in Arab dress with a Prophetic beard, and they exit as modernized. Did you enter as modernized, or do you become modernized?!
The student : My Shaykh, and some of them before they enter.
The Shaykh : Oh, I know.
The student : Did the news reach you about that man whose beard, what Allah willed, now he wants to run for office, he did it, meaning.
The Shaykh : ... meaning.
The student : ... the signal is yes.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. The point is, political work today in the Salafi groups is dangerous, and the reason is that, yes, we, the group of the Salaf al-Salih, have a culture.
The student : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : May Allah have mercy on you, and we have good Salafi awareness, but the truth is we do not have a society raised on pure Islam in practical upbringing. So many of us are still in their old misguidance in terms of behavior and dealing with people, and so on, especially in the homes, with women, with daughters. And so, until this small Salafi society develops and knowledge is coupled with action, or action with knowledge, this requires a long time and a very, very great struggle. So the haste of some Salafis with such organizations before they mature in understanding Islam and applying it in all aspects of their lives means it will sweep them into political work that diverts them from what they were aiming at.
The student: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and Allah's mercy and blessings. Turn off the light, Abu 'Umar.
The student : Dim the light.
The Shaykh : Leave the light on the front, a small light is enough. What is this second light?
The student : Behind me, the rear car light, a second car's rear light.
Another student: For the women.
The Shaykh : Where are the women? Oh, well, for the women, there is no objection, that is fine for us.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student : They are placing them in an area that is frightening.
The Shaykh : This is injustice, for this Messenger recommended gentleness with young girls.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct, and I want to propose a suggestion to Abu 'Umar, but let him come.
The student : Abu 'Umar.
The Shaykh : No, no, let him finish his work, I am not in a hurry. This light, my brother, leave it as it was, that hour does not come in our eyes.
The student : ... .
The Shaykh : Turn it off, we do not need it for us, yes, but just like this.
The student : There is a suggestion, Abu 'Umar.
The Shaykh : No problem, his turn is coming, look, now your benefit, and come back later.
The student: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : You wanted to leave.
The student : No, no, there is nothing, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Go ahead.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.