What is the ruling on brothers taking on matters for which they are not qualified, and scholars describing them as not understanding reality and having no concern other than correction?
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'Abd al-Malik: There is a well-known issue today among the youth, which is their taking on many matters they are not capable of handling, which are actually for the great scholars, such as political issues. They describe the scholars in this regard as lacking understanding of reality and lacking political knowledge. On one hand, and on the other hand, I know among these people those who form large groups in the following way: they assign a large group of youth to collect the daily and weekly newspapers and magazines for him, and they read them, and they may contain indecent images, but in the name of the benefit of the da'wah (calling to Islam), they read them. Then they collect for him everything in them, and he comments on and analyzes them in a general lesson. He is, of course, not one of the mujtahids (scholars qualified to derive rulings) of the Ummah. So what is your opinion, first, about this approach, meaning transmitting news through these newspapers? And what is your opinion about the issue of understanding reality or political understanding? Is it for the scholars or for the students of knowledge? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I see that the main problem is the loss of these leaders of correct Islamic jurisprudence. We know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), by the explicit text of the Noble Qur'an, was sent to the unlettered people. When these unlettered people knew Islam, understood it, and worshipped Allah with it, they became the rulers of the world. So politics is not achieved by studying facts and realistic politics in the European materialist way, because that student would then not differ from any disbeliever student, except in that he is a scholar of the Book and the Sunnah on one hand, and then he possesses the ability to handle the affairs of the Ummah on the other hand. So regarding that action I described earlier, we say this is a necessity. But the reality of those who engage in politics in the manner I exemplified earlier is that they are far, far away from understanding the Book and the Sunnah. And we have been frank with many of our Algerian brothers who visited us here after returning from Iraq, and we told them frankly: We hear that the Algerians number about thirty million, is that so, or twenty million?
Another questioner : 26 million.
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : 26 million.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. Let us say 25,000, 25, what, million? Okay, we told them: These people, their elders and young ones, their men and women, may be exposed to some physical illnesses. Are they not in need of doctors to treat them? They said, of course: Yes. Is this number of millions satisfied with one hundred doctors? They said: No. One thousand doctors? They said: No. So you are in need of thousands of doctors due to the large number of your people. They said: Yes. We told them: So how many scholars do you have for 25 million Muslims to treat your ignorance or psychological illnesses? They said: We do not have any. So these people have no business with political work, no business with party grouping, no business with opposing the oppressive, unjust, tyrannical power, if we do not say disbeliever. We said this before the event happened, but as it is said, "The advice of one with a short opinion is not obeyed." So the event happened, unfortunately, and to this day our Algerian brothers contact us. I believe there is sincerity in them and there is foolishness, no offense intended. There is sincerity in them and there is foolishness. What can we do? They ask me, what can we do?
Ali: The same thing we have been saying for a long time.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. I tell them, what do I want to say to you? What can you do with your hands? I have no answer. What can you do? They said: Nothing. So we say: Nothing.
Another questioner : That is the answer.
The Shaykh : That is the answer. The point is, and this is related to what I mentioned earlier about what our brother al-Rabi' mentioned regarding the return or others, that they want to engage in this kind of work, politics, I mean. I believe that this will make their fate the fate of the Muslim Brotherhood and the fate of the Nahda in your country and others, yes, the Front, yes. So this is my answer: Knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah is what produces men who will save the Ummah from the pit they have fallen into.
The Shaykh : I see that the main problem is the loss of these leaders of correct Islamic jurisprudence. We know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), by the explicit text of the Noble Qur'an, was sent to the unlettered people. When these unlettered people knew Islam, understood it, and worshipped Allah with it, they became the rulers of the world. So politics is not achieved by studying facts and realistic politics in the European materialist way, because that student would then not differ from any disbeliever student, except in that he is a scholar of the Book and the Sunnah on one hand, and then he possesses the ability to handle the affairs of the Ummah on the other hand. So regarding that action I described earlier, we say this is a necessity. But the reality of those who engage in politics in the manner I exemplified earlier is that they are far, far away from understanding the Book and the Sunnah. And we have been frank with many of our Algerian brothers who visited us here after returning from Iraq, and we told them frankly: We hear that the Algerians number about thirty million, is that so, or twenty million?
Another questioner : 26 million.
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : 26 million.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is it. Let us say 25,000, 25, what, million? Okay, we told them: These people, their elders and young ones, their men and women, may be exposed to some physical illnesses. Are they not in need of doctors to treat them? They said, of course: Yes. Is this number of millions satisfied with one hundred doctors? They said: No. One thousand doctors? They said: No. So you are in need of thousands of doctors due to the large number of your people. They said: Yes. We told them: So how many scholars do you have for 25 million Muslims to treat your ignorance or psychological illnesses? They said: We do not have any. So these people have no business with political work, no business with party grouping, no business with opposing the oppressive, unjust, tyrannical power, if we do not say disbeliever. We said this before the event happened, but as it is said, "The advice of one with a short opinion is not obeyed." So the event happened, unfortunately, and to this day our Algerian brothers contact us. I believe there is sincerity in them and there is foolishness, no offense intended. There is sincerity in them and there is foolishness. What can we do? They ask me, what can we do?
Ali: The same thing we have been saying for a long time.
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. I tell them, what do I want to say to you? What can you do with your hands? I have no answer. What can you do? They said: Nothing. So we say: Nothing.
Another questioner : That is the answer.
The Shaykh : That is the answer. The point is, and this is related to what I mentioned earlier about what our brother al-Rabi' mentioned regarding the return or others, that they want to engage in this kind of work, politics, I mean. I believe that this will make their fate the fate of the Muslim Brotherhood and the fate of the Nahda in your country and others, yes, the Front, yes. So this is my answer: Knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah is what produces men who will save the Ummah from the pit they have fallen into.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.