What is the ruling on joining a group called (the Gathering Party) in Yemen, on the pretext that this group wants to reform the conditions?

The questioner : We are suffering from a problem, O our Shaykh, in Yemen; we are suffering from the problem of political parties.

The Shaykh : This is a problem for the entire Islamic world.

The questioner : Yes, exactly.

The Shaykh : Have you not heard of the National Charter here?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : I have heard of it.

The questioner : By Allah, just a little bit.

The Shaykh : Your turn is coming if you do not precede us.

The questioner : The only problem is that the youth are throwing things at each other, as we say, meaning the Salafis, and there is a second group, all of whom are beloved ones, meaning brothers in Allah the Mighty and Majestic, but there is a conflict. Some of the brothers want to correct the conditions in the country, so they found a party established among us called the Gathering Party. This party gathered a group of good youth and also gathered a mixture of innovators. So, Shaykh Mubarak, may Allah reward him with good,

The Shaykh : Amen.

The questioner : If you listen to him, he is the Salafi present in the North, following the Salafi methodology, so he issued a fatwa regarding these parties, and a conflict arose among the youth. So, a group of youth knew that I was traveling to Jordan, so they said to me, "Speak to the Shaykh if you meet him: is it possible for us to join this party or not?"

The Shaykh : The Gathering Party.

The questioner : The Gathering Party, so we need a fatwa from you on this matter, meaning.

The Shaykh : We are talking about this topic; do you not have tapes?
Abu Layla : Many.

The Shaykh : We have recorded tapes on this topic.

The questioner : They just want our conditions in the country; they tell you, "We know that party affiliation is not permissible, and this..."

Another questioner : There is a Yemeni brother who came to us, and I discussed party affiliation with him, O our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.

The questioner : But they want, under the existing conditions, to desire to change through a party they join for the sake of change. They tell you, "The Shaykh does not understand our conditions in Yemen." They want a specific fatwa.

The Shaykh : "A style we know from Akhzam," they also said this in Algeria.

Another questioner : And in Sudan.

The questioner : So we want, meaning, such and such, meaning we want a definitive fatwa from you so that I can go and inform the people there.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : So, praise be to Allah who guided us on the last day, and I am traveling tomorrow.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.

The questioner : On the last day, by Allah, from there, and my intention was to meet you, and praise be to Allah, the intention was good.

The Shaykh : Welcome, my brother. Our answer is that political parties in the lands of Islam are truly not permissible.

The questioner : They are not permissible.

The Shaykh : Political parties in the lands of Islam are truly not permissible, because Allah says: So there is only one party, and you can understand from my previous words regarding the Salafi call, and why we say the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the one Salaf, the righteous Salaf, so that the Muslims are one party and on one methodology. Therefore, there is no party affiliation in Islam, especially since the Lord of all creation says in the Qur'an: I am truly not Yemeni, nor did I come to Yemen, but I know that the disease of the Islamic Ummah in all lands of Islam is one, and it is their distance, as you heard just now, from the side of the scientific methodology: how do they know the error from the truth? How do they know the correct creed from the false creed? It is on the methodology of the righteous Salaf, and they are far from it. Then, many of them perform righteous deeds, but they do not seek the Face of Allah, as I was explaining in the second speech. So now, the ailment in the Islamic lands is one; there is no difference between here and Syria, and Algeria, and Tunisia, and Libya, and Morocco, and then return to the East; the cause is one, and it is their distance from following the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and what the righteous Salaf were upon. Now I say that this Gathering certainly was not established on the basis of the Book and the Sunnah first, and then certainly, secondly, it was not established on the basis of the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf, correct?

The questioner : Correct.

The Shaykh : So, I am not Yemeni, but I know that this is the reality in Yemen. Why? Because the disease is one in all lands of Islam, like this. Therefore, this Gathering is not approved Islamically, because it is a name; this Gathering was not established on a Sharia basis, but it was established like the Gathering around the National Charter. It is a gathering, but in its reality, it is a division, as Allah the Exalted said: And therefore, although I did not hear the words of our brother Shaykh Mubarak, I believe that the methodology is one, and it is that it is not permissible to join a party that does not call to the Book and the Sunnah and the methodology of the righteous Salaf, even if it is an Islamic party. How, and it may be Ba'athist, and it may be Communist, and it may be atheist, and so on. This is not permissible at all. Therefore, you convey this word, and religion is sincere advice. We command them, whoever among them is eager to follow the Book and the Sunnah, to adhere to this methodology. It is not upon them to establish the Muslim state overnight, because this is not possible. Rather, it is upon us to proceed and continue in what we are doing, and the rest is upon Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. I often mention, on this occasion, Imru' al-Qays and his poetry, although he was from the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, but he was a man who appeared to be intelligent; I do not say wise, he was intelligent, when he said:
"My companion wept when he saw the road ahead of him, and he was certain that pursuers were behind Qays.
"So I said to him: Do not weep, O your eye, for we are only trying for a kingdom, or we die and are excused."
Do you see where the correct understanding is? "We only try for a kingdom, or we die and are excused." And this is a man from the pre-Islamic age of ignorance with no religion. What did he ask for? To reach the kingdom, so either he reaches it, or he is excused. We are better; we are walking together on a straight path. And if we reach the goal that every Muslim seeks, which is establishing the rule of Allah on earth, establishing the Muslim state, then praise be to Allah, and that is what we desire. Otherwise, we will have an excuse with Allah the Mighty and Majestic, because we are walking in the path. As for the other people, they want to reach the top of the pyramid in one jump. This is contrary to the Sunnah of Allah in His earth, in His creation, and in His Shari'ah. This is the answer, meaning, to your question.