Is it permissible to join the army based on this hadith?

The questioner : Final conclusion. May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : Please, go ahead.

The questioner : Of course, now the hadith of Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) has become clear. We can say off the bat that this hadith prevents, for example, joining the army or such matters?

The Shaykh : That is what I told you. More than that, you asked about joining parliaments, so I added to that the joining of other Islamic parties. So when you come and mention the army now, it is all the more so. But when you mention the army, remember with us that in many Arab countries there is what is called compulsory service.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : So when you say you and that includes not joining the army, we say yes, voluntary joining. This, of course, we do not encourage; rather, we forbid it with the strongest prohibition. As for compulsory joining

The questioner : out of necessity.

The Shaykh : You are able to escape from compulsory joining. Also, do not be negligent. Therefore, the legal rulings have limits and details, and the principle is You are able to not serve in any of the armies existing today that contradict Islam in little or much of its rulings, voluntarily.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But when you are unable to leave that country and they drag you into compulsory service, then we say: If it is like 'Adi ibn Hatim al-Tai, regarding whom it was revealed, as came in the books of tafsir: This is an expansion for people so that they are not troubled by what they may be forced, out of necessity, to fall into, which is a violation of the Shari'ah.

The questioner : Even if it is by shaving the beard?

The Shaykh : Subhan Allah. Hold your position. According to the military system, is it voluntary or out of necessity?

The questioner : Out of necessity.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide you. So what does he do? You are saying, even what? Shaving the beard.

The questioner : Yes, he is forced.

The Shaykh : Voluntary or out of necessity?

The questioner : Out of necessity.

The Shaykh : And I have given you the answer. May Allah guide you.

The questioner : Some people distinguish between verbal necessity and actual necessity. Do you see this distinction?

The Shaykh : No, I am not discussing the terms now. What does he do regarding actual necessity?

The questioner : Meaning

The Shaykh : I mean, they came and forced him and shaved his beard. What does he do? What does he do with his hand?

The questioner : No, he does not do this act himself. For example, they say to him, if you do not shave, we will imprison you. So he goes. If he does not shave, what imprisonment? Is this necessity

The Shaykh : So this is another matter. May Allah bless you. I tell people, you do not shave your beard with your own hand. You do not do it yourself.

The questioner : No, my question now, may Allah bless you, is that the one who joins the army says to you, I am forced. Okay, you are forced, what do you do? He goes and shaves his beard.

The Shaykh : I tell you, my brother, advise him that he does not shave his beard with his own hand, but rather they shave his beard against his will.

The questioner : The matter is clear now.

The Shaykh : This is what I intended.

The questioner : Yes, may Allah bless you. May Allah honor you.

The Shaykh : And we have, yes, finish the time. May Allah give you health.

The questioner : I asked you about the Intifada, and you said you do not support it.

The Shaykh : And so it is.

The questioner : But you did not explain to me the reasons. And what increased the need for the question, which increased my need for the question, is that when I went to Makkah to perform 'Umrah, I met Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Baz. I directed to him the same question, on the basis that he would detail for me the matter that you did not detail for me on the phone due to circumstances. So I was surprised by Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz with a completely different answer. He told me, there is no harm, I support this. I was happy and I asked Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen the same question, and he said, I do not support it. I said to him, well, why? He said, due to the lack of ability. I was surprised.

The Shaykh : Due to what?

The questioner : Due to the lack of ability, he said.

The Shaykh : My brother, my answer regarding the issue, which the brothers and our brothers here know, stems from what I always talk about, and perhaps something of that has been mentioned before. It is that we want to resume Islamic life and we want to establish the state of Islam on the face of the earth. What is the way? The way is that we testify to Allah that this Islamic ummah (Muslim community) cannot return to its glory, its majesty, and its state except by resuming Islamic life. Resuming Islamic life requires two fundamental pillars. The first pillar is beneficial knowledge, and the second pillar is righteous action. I allude to both aspects when I explain. It is necessary to have purification and education. I mean by purification what is not difficult for you, if Allah wills, to understand. That we are today in the beginning of the fifteenth century, and our knowledge is not like the knowledge of the Salaf (the earliest generations).

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : The knowledge of the Salaf was pure. No deviation entered it, neither in 'aqidah (creed) nor in 'ibadah (worship) nor in behavior.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But today, all of this has been entered by what is foreign to Islam. And therefore, Islam is the cure, as it was before, so it will be in the future. Islam is what honored the Arabs and saved them from shirk (associating partners with Allah) to tawhid (the oneness of Allah), from darkness to light, from misguidance to guidance. This Islam, with its purity, is what will restore the glory to these Muslims. But if this Islam has been entered by what is not from it, it will not give the fruit that it gave before to those Arabs. Is this clear up to here?

The questioner : Up to here it is clear.

The Shaykh : So it is obligatory upon the scholars of Muslims today, and how few they are, unfortunately, to perform the duty of purification, because this knowledge is the medicine. If something of the disease enters the medicine, it will not give healing. Is this clear?

The questioner : Clear.

The Shaykh : Yes. Therefore, the sincere scholars of Muslims, who know the Book and the authentic Sunnah, must perform the duty of purification.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Whether in what concerns 'aqidah, 'ibadah, or behavior. And this purification is accompanied by education. Is this clear?

The questioner : Clear.

The Shaykh : Now, wherever you look in the entire Islamic world, unfortunately, nothing of this is realized in a group gathered on these two pillars or these two foundations. Is this clear?

The questioner : Clear.

The Shaykh : If this becomes clear to you, on what basis did the Intifada in Palestine stand?

The questioner : Not on 'aqidah.

The Shaykh : This is what I am certain of. That most of the groups there, tawhid (the oneness of Allah) is not thousands upon thousands, and I do not say a million and millions, taught one teaching on this basis of purification and educated one education until they were like the heart of one man?

The questioner : Until now, no.

The Shaykh : Therefore, based on this, I believe that any revolution that stands in any country of the lands of Islam on other than this basis is unsuccessful. And reality is the greatest witness. The fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) that some people established in the Makkah Haram (sacred precinct).

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And the covenant is not far from you.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : These were approximately considered Salafis (a follower of the Salaf).

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : But

The questioner : Students of Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz.

The Shaykh : Yes, but they were not, first, on comprehensive knowledge, and they were not raised. They grew up now in an intellectual renaissance called today the Sahwa (awakening), but there is no education now. Many students of knowledge you find attacking, attacking the writing of treatises, and they are still at the beginning of the path. What is this instead? It shows us that there is no education, no fear of Allah, no distance from riya' (showing off in worship) and love of appearance. And it was said long ago: "Love of appearance cuts off the back," and so on. This needs time. Education means

The questioner: Understood

The Shaykh : After purification, it needs education. As an ummah, as a group, it does not exist today on the face of the earth, and especially in Palestine. They were not afflicted in Palestine by the occupation of the Jews of their lands because they were truly Muslims. And I do not certify others. Every Islamic land, every Islamic people is like this. But every people has its role in the knowledge of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). From this perspective, I say I do not support the Intifada, and I do not support the Syrian revolution that recently stood, just as I do not support the revolution that they stood in the Haram, and those who stood in your Egypt and killed al-Sadat, and so on, and they are still until today. Yes.

Another questioner : In Syria.

The Shaykh : I said Syria. All of this is of no benefit at all. Rather, what is beneficial is that we continue to walk on the correct knowledge. I educate my sons and daughters, and the second and the third and the fourth, and so on. Meaning, history repeats itself. How did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) do it, and we must do likewise.