A word of advice to some groups in Jordan regarding the Gulf crisis.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, there is a mass mobilization of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the Communists, gathering together with the Democrats and many other sects at the Amman International Stadium. Of course, al-Nabulsi, Ahmad Nawfal, and the group—I don't know—giving these people a word of advice from you, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh : And are they addressing a word from you?!

The questioner: That is to say

The Shaykh : One verse, if they were to pay attention to it, would suffice them from any speech. And is it not clear?

The questioner : Clear.

The Shaykh : But it needs clarification...

Another questioner : That without which the obligatory cannot be completed is itself obligatory...

The Shaykh : That without which the obligatory cannot be established is itself obligatory. Yes.

Another questioner : It does not enter into my brother's question regarding the gathering of so-and-so and so-and-so at the Amman Stadium...

The Shaykh : I mean the gathering...

The questioner : To reach a specific goal.

The Shaykh : I mean, like what Saudi Arabia did?

Another questioner : With the difference of a good intention.

The Shaykh : Yes, how do we know that the intention is good?

Another questioner : It means it is not permissible for us to speak about people whose intentions we do not know.

The Shaykh : No, we do not know. We speak about the Saudis because we do not know what their intentions are.

Another questioner : Allah knows best.

The Shaykh : How do you mean? You see that your enthusiasm has weakened.

Another questioner : No, sir, if Allah wills, it is always strong, but...

The Shaykh : But when we mentioned Saudi Arabia, it seemed as if you stopped for a moment from your original stance, even though here the issue is more complex, because these groups that were referred to, my brother, number fifty people, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a million, or they have not reached that number.

Another questioner : We ask Allah that they reach it.

The Shaykh : You are living in fantasy. We are talking about reality, my brother. These people want to gather in the place the questioner referred to. We say, in sequence, either fifty, or a hundred, or a thousand, or a million. And you say, if Allah wills, they will reach it. If Allah wills, they will become millions, but the important thing is: do you imagine that this gathering will have more Muslims than Saudis in number?

Another questioner : No, of course not.

The Shaykh : So if it is not permissible for us to speak about their intentions, and we did not speak about their intentions, is it permissible for us to speak about the Saudis' intentions? You are finished.

The questioner : You did not elaborate, Shaykh.

The Shaykh : I have no elaboration. And it is not permissible to cooperate with disbelievers and those who associate partners with Allah. And we were speaking about a noble brother here who assumed that we were speaking about their intentions, so he said, "Allah knows best about their intentions." And we say the same as him. But we limited ourselves to a verse in the Noble Qur'an, responding to you within certain limits. Meaning, "cooperate with the truthful." So I wanted to say to the noble brother that we do not doubt that what Saudi Arabia did was a very grave error, but at the same time, we do not know what the intention was? Was the intention really to hand over the country to the disbelievers, so that they would be the masters and the people of the country would be the slaves, or not? Imagine that the salvation from the supposed or imagined Iraqi attack would be by seeking the aid of the disbelievers?

Another questioner : And both intentions are wrong, Shaykh, regarding Saudi Arabia.

The Shaykh : I am not speaking about intentions. Forgive me, you have confused us. You said, "Allah knows best about their intentions," and now you have returned to judging their intentions.

Another questioner : I meant those here with us. It is possible that the scholars in the country cooperate with some people under compulsion, but the goal is known to everyone, of course, that the goal is to reach matters that are in the interest of the Muslims, as we said, "That without which the obligatory cannot be completed is itself obligatory," or the text.

The Shaykh : So, will their intentions be good?

Another questioner : If Allah wills, they will be good...

The Shaykh : Do not say, "if Allah wills," my brother, because you will lose it later. This will is in the hand of Allah. Yes, we know it.

Another questioner : I mean, is it either white or black?

The Shaykh : Yes, we have no middle solutions.

Another questioner : Saudi Arabia harbored a bad intention from the beginning, from the Americans.

The Shaykh : You are contradicting your principle, Professor. I am not saying to you now that you are right or wrong. I am giving you a point, but I do not want a Muslim to say two contradictory things. You are now contradicting your principle. You say, "We do not know their intentions," and now you say, "Saudi Arabia harbored a bad intention."

Another questioner : Not regarding the Gulf issue.

The Shaykh : Also, do not open a second door for us. You are speaking about Saudi Arabia regarding any issue. It does not matter to us. The important thing is that you are speaking about the Saudis that their intention is bad. As for any issue, that is a second discussion. This contradicts your statement, "How do we know their intentions?" I tell you, how do you know? By their actions. Do you agree with me or not?

Another questioner : Who? The Saudis?

The Shaykh : Those about whom you say they harbored bad intentions. From among them?

Another questioner : The Saudis. Over the years, I do not mean the months that have passed, but over the years...

The Shaykh : Excuse me, my brother, do not expand. May Allah reward you. I mean, do not hold me to this. You are honoring us with your presence with us for the first time. Scientific research does not accept this, and this, and this. We have strayed from everything. Rather, we are defining the topic now: Is it permissible for a Muslim to say that such-and-such a group has bad intentions, or is it not permissible? This is a matter in which opinions differ. And although we did not address the topic when we answered with the verse, we did not address the topic of intentions, because the questioner himself did not address intentions, but rather addressed this coalition and this gathering, is that not so?

Another questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : The questioner did not address intentions, but rather addressed the action and this coalition and gathering, and said, "Perhaps you would give them advice." And I heard, I only heard your answer. Your answer was, "We do not know what their intentions are," or "We do not speak about their intentions," is that not so?

Another questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : If we did not speak about intentions, we spoke about actions. And to bring the topic closer to you, we gave you an example of Saudi Arabia. And if you, may Allah protect you, jump like a gazelle...

Another questioner : You strayed from the topic.

The Shaykh : No, you reversed the call. You said their intentions are bad and they harbored bad intentions, and then you entered into an explanation that for so many years, glory be to Allah, how can you say that these intentions are not something we should speak about, and then you come to specify a country that numbers millions? So I entered into the detail that how many of these people are there: fifty, or a hundred, or a thousand, up to a million, and the numbers in between. You, my honorable one, wanted us not to speak about their intentions, and we did not speak about their intentions. How can you then come to speak about the intentions of millions?

Another questioner : I meant the rulers, I did not mean the general public, but...

The Shaykh : When you say "the Saudis," you mean the rulers.

Another questioner : The rulers are from Saudi Arabia, but the rest are the people of the Hejaz.

The Shaykh : How do you mean? It needs explanation.

Another questioner : I mean, there are people among our Saudi brothers from the people of the Hejaz. If you say to him, "You are Saudi," he gets angry and says, "I am not Saudi, I am Hejazi."

The Shaykh : This is new. Do you remember I was telling you months ago, before the crisis, that it is feared that the event will happen in Saudi Arabia and they will divide them?
Al-Halabi: Yes.

The Shaykh : Do you remember?
Al-Halabi : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh : And it has now begun to show signs, but you do not know that some non-rulers supported the rulers?

Another questioner : Of course, it must happen, that is correct.

The Shaykh : Yes, and do you still say you mean the rulers with the bad intention?

Another questioner : Regarding Saudi Arabia?

The Shaykh : Yes, yes. In Saudi Arabia, there are Saudi scholars who support the rulers.

Another questioner : My lord, everyone's reward is on his own side for what he says.

The Shaykh : No, I am not asking you about that. Your speech, when you specified the Saudis, then you specified the rulers. And what is your opinion of those Saudis who support the rulers?

Another questioner : They are certainly wrong.

The Shaykh : No, I am not asking you if they are wrong. I am saying these are wrong and these are wrong and these are wrong, so I am reluctant to say, "These are wrong." You said, "Allah knows best about their intentions."

Another questioner : My lord, may Allah reward you with good. My small mind, if Allah wills, regarding your side, will not be able to comprehend all your speech.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.

Another questioner : After how many sessions like this can we understand?

The Shaykh : There is blessing in you.

Another questioner : I am not a follower of any group, whatever it may be. I am a man seeking the truth.

The Shaykh : That is what I think of you.

Another questioner : May Allah reward you with good. But is it permissible for the brothers to think that I follow so-and-so and so-and-so? That is wrong. I follow the truth in which I am convinced.

The Shaykh : I am just reminding you of your own principle. You contradicted your principle when you started criticizing the Saudis and their intentions. But stick to your principle: do not speak about intentions, for Allah knows intentions best. But speak about actions. Do you have any doubt that what Saudi Arabia did is contrary to the Shari'ah?

Another questioner : No, of course not.

The Shaykh : Well, do you have any doubt about what Saddam did to the Kuwaitis...?

Another questioner : It is aggression, of course.

The Shaykh : Yes, but what was his intention? That is between him and his Lord. What are the intentions of these rulers when they brought the greatest calamity upon their countries? Allah knows their intentions best. What are the intentions of those who want to cooperate with the Ba'athists and the communists, and so on, the atheists? Allah knows their intentions best. But is this action Islamic? Does it befit the Muslim community?

Another questioner : It does not befit the dignity of Islam, of course.

The Shaykh : So, when we start answering regarding actions and say we will argue against them by saying, Allah the Exalted said: Do not go back to saying, "Allah knows their intentions best," because that means you have contradicted your last principle, which you clarified to us, that you do not affiliate yourself with individuals.

Another questioner : I am speaking from the standpoint of my zeal for Islam, and I hope that the dignity of Islam returns. One walks in the street saying, "I am a Muslim who takes pride in his beard, takes pride in his dishdasha, and takes pride in all outward matters, and thereby takes pride in being a true Muslim." This is my standpoint. I am speaking, and perhaps sometimes I go a little beyond the usual in conversation. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. The important thing is that you, my brother, understand what I want.

Another questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : That a Muslim should not be lost, meaning he says, "As for people whose actions are wrong, Allah knows their intentions best," and then he says about other Muslims, "Their intentions are bad because of such-and-such." These are Muslims and these are Muslims, and you should not be biased toward these or those. So why do you say here, "Allah knows their intentions best," and there we do not say, "Allah knows their intentions best"? This is a disturbance we do not like for you.

Another questioner : If Allah wills, I will just clarify one point: that we did not believe, and that the word "Muslims" is elevated a little in this country, regardless of the fact that they are Muslims. It is like what they say, "The drowning man clings to a piece of wood." So if people from here start disparaging them...

The Shaykh : There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

Another questioner : So the Muslim who hopes that Islam will appear with its dignity might be the drowning man who clings to the piece of wood.

The Shaykh : That is our problem today, a big problem, O Professor. And you have finally brought the topic close: the drowning man clings, even to the threads of the moon. But is this in reality or in illusions?

Another questioner : Certainly, illusions.

The Shaykh : We do not like a Muslim to live in illusions. This man who became the Minister of Awqaf, and we hoped he would be better than his predecessor.
[Phone call]

The Shaykh : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh : I referred to a person. You now believe that Iraq was wrong in its aggression against Kuwait, correct?

Another questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : What do you think? Our new minister went and supported Saddam, the aggressor, as you called him, the one who committed aggression? Is this action correct?

Another questioner : No, of course not.

The Shaykh : As for what his intention is, we do not examine his intention.

Another questioner : The point is that I spoke, and the whole topic is what leads to individual actions performed by Muslims now. That a person performs an individual action, goes down to Palestine or goes to a specific place and performs an operation and is killed and gone. These are the causes of the individual operations that are happening now. We do not want individual operations; we want collective operations. That is my intention.

The Shaykh : I am not saying with you that we want collective operations. I am saying this gathering, I am separating it. The groups, I am separating them. I mean, we want to make them one group.

Another questioner : It is necessary, it is obligatory, the saved group.

The Shaykh : Whereas you now, if we want to hold you accountable for your intention, you support the groups. We do not support except one group. [Phone call: Yes]

The questioner : He said that regarding the issue of some groups that deal with democracy and nationalism, and so on, may Allah forgive them. It means that at one time they used to forbid people from dealing with the Shaykh and prevent their students and not have a dual call to Islam, but now they deal with democracy and nationalism. That is the comment.

The Shaykh : We ask Allah for guidance for us and for them.

Another questioner : This is from the category of contradiction that you spoke about recently.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
Al-Halabi : What caused this contradiction in both its aspects is what they call the interest of the da'wah, as described by Shaykh Sayyid Qutb (may Allah have mercy on him) as a taghut.

The Shaykh : Indeed, by Allah. May Allah have mercy on him.