If Saudi Arabia invites me to join their ranks, what should I do?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling if I am asked to go to Saudi Arabia due to my previous job? How does it work? Do I comply or not? What is the religious ruling?
The Shaykh : A good question. Were you a soldier?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Are you being called to perform the same job?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, there is no objection, provided the previous condition is met: that you are not rebelling against your Muslim brothers, meaning you do not repeat the Iraqi rebellion against Kuwait.
The questioner : Frankly, it is difficult for me to understand.
The Shaykh : What is difficult? Understanding? Why? Now you have returned to your job and position, Kuwait has returned to its people, the Iraqi armies have exited Kuwait in one way or another, and Kuwait has become independent as it was before. So, if you are ordered, as a member of the Kuwaiti army, to attack an Islamic country, it is not permissible. Do you understand me?
The questioner : I understood.
The Shaykh : As for defending your country, you have received the answer that it is permissible. Is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear, but there is a point I would like to point out. In Saudi Arabia, there are disbelievers, and if I want to join, I must be with them, among them. So I need the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding my joining Saudi Arabia. Is it permissible for me to join them, even though I was with them before, but not with the Americans? The Americans were not present then.
The Shaykh: I understand you.
The questioner : And now you have realized that the Americans are present. So, is it permissible for me to go if I am asked, or not?
The Shaykh : The answer does not vary. It is permissible with the previous condition, meaning: if the Saudis want to fight the Iraqis to make them leave Kuwait, this is permissible. But it is not permissible for the Saudis and Kuwaitis to attack the Iraqis in their own country, Iraq. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh : That is, everything has limits. Fighting the rebel aggressor to remove him from his country is permissible. But when you say you want to join the Saudi army which is with the Americans, you must reject in the depths of your heart being a soldier with the Americans. Rather, you intend to be a soldier with the Muslims who want to repel the rebel from Kuwait, and nothing else. They do not demand, for example, as America declares, that they want to destroy Iraq.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : That is it. The important thing is repelling the rebellion, which is obligatory[Al-Hujurat 49:9] But if the matter turns out that you are directed by the orders of the disbelieving army, which is the American army, and these orders do not stop at the religious limits I mentioned to you just now, then it is not permissible for you to be a member of this army. Perhaps it has become clear to you.
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : A good question. Were you a soldier?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Are you being called to perform the same job?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, there is no objection, provided the previous condition is met: that you are not rebelling against your Muslim brothers, meaning you do not repeat the Iraqi rebellion against Kuwait.
The questioner : Frankly, it is difficult for me to understand.
The Shaykh : What is difficult? Understanding? Why? Now you have returned to your job and position, Kuwait has returned to its people, the Iraqi armies have exited Kuwait in one way or another, and Kuwait has become independent as it was before. So, if you are ordered, as a member of the Kuwaiti army, to attack an Islamic country, it is not permissible. Do you understand me?
The questioner : I understood.
The Shaykh : As for defending your country, you have received the answer that it is permissible. Is that clear?
The questioner : It is clear, but there is a point I would like to point out. In Saudi Arabia, there are disbelievers, and if I want to join, I must be with them, among them. So I need the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding my joining Saudi Arabia. Is it permissible for me to join them, even though I was with them before, but not with the Americans? The Americans were not present then.
The Shaykh: I understand you.
The questioner : And now you have realized that the Americans are present. So, is it permissible for me to go if I am asked, or not?
The Shaykh : The answer does not vary. It is permissible with the previous condition, meaning: if the Saudis want to fight the Iraqis to make them leave Kuwait, this is permissible. But it is not permissible for the Saudis and Kuwaitis to attack the Iraqis in their own country, Iraq. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
The Shaykh : That is, everything has limits. Fighting the rebel aggressor to remove him from his country is permissible. But when you say you want to join the Saudi army which is with the Americans, you must reject in the depths of your heart being a soldier with the Americans. Rather, you intend to be a soldier with the Muslims who want to repel the rebel from Kuwait, and nothing else. They do not demand, for example, as America declares, that they want to destroy Iraq.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : That is it. The important thing is repelling the rebellion, which is obligatory
And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah
و إن طائفتان من المؤمنين اقتتلوا فأصلحوا بينهما فإن بغت إحداهما على الأخرى فقاتلوا الّتي تبغي حتّى تفيء إلى أمر اللهThe questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.