What is the ruling on the Palestinians who show affection to the disbelievers? And what is your advice to them?

The questioner : As for the followers of the forty-eight, our Shaykh, what has become of their condition today? The followers of the migration of the forty-eight, when Palestine was occupied, most of them, most of the Arabs and Muslims who were there, most of them now, our Shaykh, have shown affection to the disbelievers, supported them, and aided them. We saw on the screen some of them providing aid at the time when Iraqi missiles were bombing Tel Aviv, and they say, "We are brothers, and we are providing aid, and we do not want the Arabs to harm the Jews, because we live together. There has become affection and love between them, our Shaykh?"

The Shaykh : My brother, the Muslims today, unfortunately, with the severity of the calamities that have befallen them, Allah has spoken the truth: The Muslims today do not know of their religion except purely formal matters, but they are completely far from the Islamic realities. From the realities known to everyone is the saying of Allah the Exalted: except to worship. So wherever a Muslim is able to perform the worship of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) more than in any other place, that is his homeland in which he should settle. He should not cling to his homeland for the reason we mentioned earlier, perhaps. There is a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, perhaps you all know the value of al-Bukhari and Muslim among the scholars of hadith, being among the most authentic books after the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). There is a hadith that says, and I believe many of our brothers present now must have heard this hadith one day, but it did not occur to them that it has any connection to the topic I am now discussing. The text of the hadith is: A Bedouin seeking his opinion, a Bedouin seeking guidance to the path of salvation from this great crime that he had committed, so he asked about the most learned person on earth. To his misfortune, he was directed to a worshipper who was ignorant, not a scholar. But the man was truly determined to return to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). He kept asking, asking. Here is the point now, he came.

The questioner: Allahu Akbar.

The Shaykh : Do you see? Because why was he asking about a scholar, about the most learned person on earth? To guide him to the path of salvation. That first man was ignorant, so he received the consequence of his ignorance: he was killed. When the scholar told him, "You live in a land where shedding of blood is widespread, and you have become accustomed to the nature of these bloodshedders, so leave it and save yourself from it, and go to such-and-such a village whose people are righteous," he set out walking. So he was sincere. So when he was asking the scholars of knowledge, it was not to get a fatwa that suited his desire; no, he was submitting to the command of Allah. So this scholar told him, "Leave the land you are in, because it is an evil land, and go to such-and-such a town, because its people are righteous." Each of the two groups claims it is their right. Why? The first group says, "This man killed a hundred souls, so we must look at his soul with the noose." The second group says, "No, this man repented to Allah (Mighty and Majestic)." So what do we take from this hadith? That the Muslim must choose the land in which he feels he is able to carry out the Shari'ah of Allah more than the land in which he lives. Now, my brothers, let us be frank and advising one another. Until the last few years, I do not say the entry of the Americans into Saudi Arabia, what do you think? Is the hijab of Saudi women better, or the hijab of the Shami, Palestinian, Syrian, and Lebanese women? Say it frankly so we can see.

The questioner : No, no, no.

The Shaykh : I am not answering.

The questioner : In the hijab here...

The Shaykh : No, I will not answer.

The questioner : And in the hijab, not all areas are the same.

The Shaykh : You will not answer.

The questioner : Not all areas are the same.

The Shaykh : You will not answer, may Allah guide you.

The questioner : Not all areas are the same.

The Shaykh : O Shaykh, may Allah guide you, be fair in your search.

The questioner : Correct.

The Shaykh : I am telling you, Saudi women in general and Shami women in general. As for me, I will not say that this is better than that. Yes, but, no, that is not the question. Every question has an answer, may Allah guide you. I am now telling you, here in this group, are there righteous ones among them or not? You will say yes, but there is no one outside who is better than them.

The questioner : Allah knows best.

The Shaykh : No.

The questioner : Allah knows best. I do not know the hearts, only Allah knows. I do not know the hearts.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, may Allah guide you. Who are you? They tell you?

The questioner : Abu Bakr.

Another questioner : What Allah willed.

The Shaykh : Abu Bakr. So you must have a role model in Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).

The questioner : If Allah wills. I know what is in the hearts.

The Shaykh : My brother, may Allah guide you, I am not telling you to reveal the hearts.

The questioner : Are you saying, for example, is there anyone outside who is better than those present? Allah knows best.

The Shaykh : Yes, do you not think that there are outside, these millions of people...

The questioner : Allah created from the nations the righteous and the wicked.

The Shaykh : Look how Abu Bakr changed the words, these millions of people outside.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : There is not one among them who is better than all of this group. What is this talk?

The questioner : I do not know, I do not know, Allah knows best. And I do not know what is outside or not. This good and evil is in the hand of Allah.

The Shaykh : Okay, yes.