What is your opinion of the Islamic Group in Egypt?

The questioner : O Shaykh, what is your opinion of the brothers in Egypt who are fighting the people of falsehood?

The Shaykh : What are they doing?

The questioner : They are fighting the people of falsehood.

The Shaykh : There are many sects and groups in Egypt, so which group do you mean?

The questioner : The Islamic Group.

The Shaykh : The Islamic Group whose Shaykh is Shaykh 'Umar.

The questioner : Shaykh 'Umar.

The Shaykh : First, this action they are undertaking is not prescribed, and second, it brings no benefit to the Muslims in general, nor to the Muslims in Egypt in particular. Instead, the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) will remain, and innocent blood will continue to be shed and lives lost without any significant benefit. This uprising is premature and is not permissible in Islam. We always emphasize two things: every Muslim group that is truly seeking reform must begin with "purification and education," not with uprising. Perhaps you understand what is meant by "purification and education"? If so, then adhere to it.

The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, Shaykh 'Umar spoke in the book "The Absent Obligation" and cited the example of Shaykh Hassan al-Banna leading some battalions in jihad in Palestine.

The Shaykh : And Hassan al-Banna is the Prophet of Islam in the last age.

The questioner : No, he cited him as an example.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide Shaykh 'Umar. If he cited him, or if you misunderstood him, I do not know.

The questioner : He is saying, O Shaykh, that it is obligatory to fight the settled disbeliever instead of fighting the external disbeliever.

The Shaykh : O Shaykh, may Allah guide you. There is no disagreement among Muslims regarding the obligation to fight the disbeliever, whatever type he may be; that is not in dispute. But the dispute is: is it permissible to rise up before first preparing spiritually and second preparing materially? Perhaps you understand what I mean?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : So, has the Islamic Group there now completed the duty of purification and education, leaving them with nothing but uprising? By no means, by no means, not as you are promised.

The questioner : The Islamic Group in Egypt always focuses on the issue of education.

The Shaykh : If they focused on it, they would not have risen up.

The questioner: No, I mean...

The Shaykh : If they focused on it, understand what I am saying and do not argue, for the time is not for argument. If they focused on purification and education, they would not have been able to rise up.

The questioner : O Shaykh, please, not the whole group is out, but there is...

The Shaykh : We are talking about those who have risen up.

The questioner : Yes, O Shaykh, not the whole group, not the entire group, but there is a disciplinary operation, like there is a military wing in some...

The Shaykh : O Shaykh, this requires a state. May Allah guide you. It is not a small sect; it requires a state, and you teach this state its Islamic statehood, and the Muslims from all over the world support it. They do not work in secret and in the dark. If there is no room for the call to tawhid (the oneness of Allah), then the secret and the darkness begin from here. But if there is room for the call, as is the case for preparation, then this is the duty in this time. First, this process of purification and education requires decades and hundreds of scholars, if not thousands of scholars. Where are these scholars? Where are they? They do not exist in the world today, except perhaps on the fingers of one hand. So this is a very great error. Therefore, we advise these people and their like not to rush for good and thereby be deprived of it, as it is said: "Whoever hastens a thing before its time is tried with its deprivation."

The questioner : O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : That is enough, O Shaykh. That is enough. Leave the turn for someone else.
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Welcome, Professor. And upon you be peace. How are you? How are you doing?
The student : No, I am fine today.

The Shaykh : May Allah help you, strengthen you, and keep you well. Welcome.
The student : After 'Isha' (the night prayer), I am free today.

The Shaykh : By Allah, I am going to my daughter's place in about an hour.
The student : After 'Isha', I mean.

The Shaykh : I do not know what we will do there, for the two girls are gathered there.
The student : Okay, then I will call you after Maghrib (the sunset prayer).

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good. Welcome.
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The student : Our Shaykh... from Idlib.

The Shaykh : Welcome, welcome. How are you? How are you doing? What did you say?
The student: From whom.

The Shaykh : I have a connection to... (may Allah have mercy on him).
The student : Yes, (may Allah have mercy on him).

The Shaykh : What is your connection to him?
The student : He is a relative of my mother.

The Shaykh : How are his sons?
The student : Praise be to Allah, they are fine.

The Shaykh : And where are they?
The student : Bara' went to Canada to seek asylum and stayed in Canada. Bara', Hassan, and Lu'ay are in the country. Lu'ay is an engineer, and Hassan is an agricultural engineer. He opened the school belonging to the Shaykh.

The Shaykh : And are they comfortable?
The student : Things are going well. Their affairs are good.

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. And when did you come?
The student : By Allah, it has been about a year.

The Shaykh : Ah, you have settled here, meaning.
The student : I settled here, and the circumstances did not allow me to return.

The Shaykh : Good, if Allah wills. May Allah improve the conditions of the Muslims.
The student : Amen, O Lord... so that I can speak to you about a matter, but please finish.

The Shaykh : Good, if Allah wills. Perhaps you can call me by phone.
The student : I called. By Allah, yesterday I passed by you. I did not know, and I suffered a lot before reaching you.

The Shaykh : Yes, yes.
The student : The Shaykh who met me yesterday told me that you would meet me after the prayer.

The Shaykh : No, I mean you call me every night after 'Isha' prayer, from eight to ten, by phone, and ask whatever you wish, and I will answer, if Allah wills. I remember you are from there. Is that clear?
The student : If Allah wills... there is a matter.

The Shaykh : I know, but I do not have room for a private session.
The student : A private session.

The Shaykh : There is no room. The way is to call by phone.
The student : All right, may Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And you too, my brother.
The student : Shaykh, will you answer this paper?

The Shaykh : This is a card. Is there something behind it?
The student : There is none.

The Shaykh : Tell him now that he is in special circumstances and cannot...

The questioner : Please, O Shaykh, peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: And upon you peace.

The questioner : What is your opinion, Your Eminence, about the things happening... like in Egypt.

The Shaykh : Ask your friend here.

The questioner : He is still a questioner, meaning.

The Shaykh: Yes.
The student : The answer has already been given.

The Shaykh : 'Akasha has already asked about it.

The questioner : Okay, please...
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The student : ... the call, meaning we are still calling.

The Shaykh : There are special circumstances. May Allah bless you. The excuse is with the noble people.
The student : No, if Allah wills, the excuse is for seventy, if Allah wills.

The questioner : If you please, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : Okay, if Egypt... it is... how is the situation with it.

The Shaykh : Why does the government not clash with the other groups?

The questioner : It is known that the government...

The Shaykh : Answer the question. May Allah guide you. The known is known, but answer the unknown: why does it not clash with the other groups that call to following the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law), but it does not fight them? Why does it not fight them?

The questioner : ... it fights the other groups...

The Shaykh : You are not entrusted with...

The questioner : Okay, let us suppose, for example, that it is the government...

The Shaykh : No, do not suppose. Speak of facts. Do not talk about obligations or hypotheticals. Think about the question, and think about the answer.

The questioner : Please, O Master, is...

The Shaykh : Did you not suffice with the previous question?

The questioner : Can I ask another question, meaning?

The Shaykh : Oh God.

The questioner : Is it not necessary... for Allah (Mighty and Majestic)?

The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you. If someone else said this? What is purification and education? Is this not for Allah?

The questioner : Purification.

The Shaykh : Is this not for Allah? Is this not for Allah?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : So what is the meaning of this question?

The questioner : This group that the state clashes with focuses on social da'wah (calling others to Islam), individual da'wah, and education.

The Shaykh : O Shaykh, may Allah guide you. There was for you in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a good example. How long did he remain in Makkah while he was the Messenger of Allah? How long?

The questioner : Thirteen years.

The Shaykh : Thirteen years. What did he do? Did he fight the mushrikin (one who associates partners with Allah)?

The questioner : No, the call was secret.

The Shaykh : Have thirteen years passed for you while you are calling?

The questioner : Yes, O Shaykh, more has passed.

The Shaykh : It is not just the Muslim Brotherhood; before them were the groups, the Supporters of the Muhammadan Sunnah, and so on. What was the effect of these calls on the Muslim society? Nothing.

The questioner : Please, O Shaykh, I am responding to you... you are saying what? This group, meaning, is it focusing on the issue of education or not?

The Shaykh : It is not focusing. I know the issue of education. I told you earlier, and you are repeating the words. Education and purification require hundreds, if not thousands, of scholars. Where are they?

The questioner : Okay, if...

The Shaykh : No, do not tell me. Tell me where they are, so that this duty has been fulfilled and nothing remains but fighting?

The questioner : Okay, if the state...

The Shaykh : O brother, answer. May Allah guide you. Are you not arguing?

The questioner : No, by Allah, I am not arguing. We are asking, meaning.

The Shaykh : Answer the question, then. I tell you, education and purification require thousands of scholars. Where are they? You do not answer, so I will answer you. Do you know that there are not...
The student : The ruling on these groups is ... .
Another student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: And upon you peace.
The student : Shaykh, when will you be free, if Allah wills? We will call you; we have some questions.

The Shaykh : I have no free time, praise be to Allah, but I will say this: every night we set aside two hours to receive questions by phone, from eight to ten.
The student : I mean, during that time there is no opportunity except by phone.

The Shaykh : Except by phone.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : But, my brother.