What is your opinion of the one who says that it is not permissible to fight jihad alongside our Afghan brothers because they are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) or because there are many religious innovations and acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) among them?
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The questioner : What do you say, or what is your opinion, of the one who says that it is not permissible to fight jihad alongside our Afghan brothers because they are mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah) or because there are many religious innovations and acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) among them?
The Shaykh : I say that this claim contains neither knowledge nor reason, for the result of this statement is that there is no jihad in this time in any country of the lands of Islam, because, unfortunately, all, or to use a phrase closer to the truth, the majority of the lands of Islam are like this: Egypt, Syria, and other Arab countries, and leave aside the non-Arab countries, for religious innovations, superstitions, and acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) are widespread in all of them. However, this does not justify our ruling that these peoples are not Muslim peoples, as long as they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The authentic hadith, whose authenticity is known to everyone, and which is in my view mutawatir (mass-transmitted), is:Sahih Muslim 22. These people testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Without doubt, there are deviations among them, as they said and as we mentioned, but this does not remove from us the obligation to support them, especially since they are aware that they cannot repel the evil of the invasion of this atheist disbeliever from their lands. It is our duty to support them and to fight jihad alongside them until the disbeliever is expelled from their lands.
No matter what is said about these lands, there is no doubt that there are among them people of knowledge, virtue, righteousness, mindfulness of Allah, and correct creed, even if they are few, because this small number is a small number in all the Islamic lands. If one adopts this opinion, which we said contains neither knowledge nor reason, it means that the obligation of jihad has fallen off all Muslims today. No fool, absolutely, would say such a thing. Here, we must mention the well-known authentic hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked that Companion who killed the mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) when he said, "There is no god but Allah," and found himself under the blow of the sword. When the Messenger (peace be upon him) asked him why he did that when he had said it, he said, "O Messenger of Allah, he did not say it except out of fear of being killed." He said, "Why did you not split open his chest? Why did you not split open his chest?" We have not split open the hearts of the masses of these people about whom it is said that there is such and such. Yes, we see among them, as we see in other lands as we mentioned earlier, acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and polytheism, but that does not take them out of the circle of Islam. Some of them may be taken out of the circle of faith in the sight of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is different; our measure is not the measure of the Lord of the Worlds, who knows the open and the secret. Therefore, this opinion is one that should be discarded, and it is not permissible to pay attention to it. We must support our brothers there with everything we can, in number and equipment.
Another questioner: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you likewise
The questioner : There is also a question regarding this same topic... the answer to it.
The Shaykh : I say that this claim contains neither knowledge nor reason, for the result of this statement is that there is no jihad in this time in any country of the lands of Islam, because, unfortunately, all, or to use a phrase closer to the truth, the majority of the lands of Islam are like this: Egypt, Syria, and other Arab countries, and leave aside the non-Arab countries, for religious innovations, superstitions, and acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) are widespread in all of them. However, this does not justify our ruling that these peoples are not Muslim peoples, as long as they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The authentic hadith, whose authenticity is known to everyone, and which is in my view mutawatir (mass-transmitted), is:
It has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer, and pay Zakat and if they do it, their blood and property are guaranteed protection on my behalf except when justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah.
أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله فإذا قالوا فقد عصموا مني دماءهم وأموالهم إلا بحقها وحسابهم عند اللهNo matter what is said about these lands, there is no doubt that there are among them people of knowledge, virtue, righteousness, mindfulness of Allah, and correct creed, even if they are few, because this small number is a small number in all the Islamic lands. If one adopts this opinion, which we said contains neither knowledge nor reason, it means that the obligation of jihad has fallen off all Muslims today. No fool, absolutely, would say such a thing. Here, we must mention the well-known authentic hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked that Companion who killed the mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) when he said, "There is no god but Allah," and found himself under the blow of the sword. When the Messenger (peace be upon him) asked him why he did that when he had said it, he said, "O Messenger of Allah, he did not say it except out of fear of being killed." He said, "Why did you not split open his chest? Why did you not split open his chest?" We have not split open the hearts of the masses of these people about whom it is said that there is such and such. Yes, we see among them, as we see in other lands as we mentioned earlier, acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and polytheism, but that does not take them out of the circle of Islam. Some of them may be taken out of the circle of faith in the sight of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is different; our measure is not the measure of the Lord of the Worlds, who knows the open and the secret. Therefore, this opinion is one that should be discarded, and it is not permissible to pay attention to it. We must support our brothers there with everything we can, in number and equipment.
Another questioner: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And you likewise
The questioner : There is also a question regarding this same topic... the answer to it.