Is it permissible for a group of young Muslims in a communist country to strive to remove its ruler, having prepared for this by forming a learned faction among them, thereby strengthening themselves and increasing their numbers through the joining of many people in that country?

Al-Halabi : A question was received from some of the brothers. The questioner asks: What is the legal ruling regarding a group of students of knowledge in a country ruled by a communist system who have spent years preparing the youth in that country to change the disbelieving communist system of governance? They have managed to gather large numbers of youth from various parts of that land, a significant proportion of whom have received good military training and hold the correct creed, and they have prepared weapons of considerable quality. Should they declare jihad against that disbelieving regime, or should they wait while being ruled as disbelievers? And what is the ruling on assassinating the heads of disbelief in that country to ignite the spark of jihad?

The Shaykh : This question represents enthusiasm and fervor placed in the wrong places. No reform, whatever it may be, especially a dangerous revolutionary reform like the one hinted at in the question, can be achieved except by following the method of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). All Muslims follow, or at least are supposed to follow, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in everything, in every movement and stillness. When Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: He intends that he (peace and blessings be upon him) is our model in everything, whether great or small. Likewise, his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying in his sermons, which he would begin with: If this is the case, then every Muslim, or Muslim faction, or Muslim group, if they intend to do something, must place before them the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) regarding that matter they are approaching and about to undertake. Did he (peace and blessings be upon him) do it this way so that they may do it like his action and follow him (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)? This premise must not only be known by the youth, but it must be firmly established, as it is said, in the depths of their hearts. They should not act in any way except in accordance with the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Now, as they say, history repeats itself. We are currently complaining about the injustice of rulers and the tyranny of laws that were taken from the disbelievers who colonized the Islamic lands for a period of time. When they left, they left behind their laws that contradict the ruling of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). The rulers still rule by them, despite their contradiction with the ruling of Allah and His Messenger. We complain of this complaint and are subjected to their judgments that contradict the Shari'ah of Allah. We are wronged, imprisoned, and killed, and so on. These are known trials. We want to be saved from this rule, which is ruling by other than what Allah has revealed, whether it is communist, democratic, or any system that is not the system of Islam. What is the path to salvation? The path to salvation is the path of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived in his call, as you all know, for thirteen years in Makkah under the rule of the tyrant. What did he do? He did nothing except call people to worship Allah alone, having no partner, and to educate them and inform them of the Shari'ah of their Lord. Then, when the pressure on the Muslims there intensified, he ordered them to migrate to Abyssinia because there was a king of Abyssinia who was one of the just kings, known by the name of Ashama. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered anyone who could not endure that unjust rule to leave that rule for that land where there is justice and freedom, and so on. Then there was a second migration to Abyssinia, which has a known history in the biography. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that he himself migrate to Madinah after he had selected men from the people of Madinah who believed in Allah and His Messenger. They had gathered with him in the Pledge of Aqabah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt or knew that a core of believing men had been established in Madinah, he migrated to them. There, this core began to bear its fruit and produce its results, and its call extended to include many of the households of Madinah and its people. Then the battles took place between the Muslims, who were raided in their home in the Noble City of Madinah, by the polytheists who came from Makkah to Madinah to eliminate this call, and so on, of the known biography. Now, we are amazed at these youth who contradict the method of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and hasten matters by anticipating things before the time for jihad, which is inevitable one day, comes. But this jihad must have prerequisites. The first of these is the correct understanding of Islam, a correct understanding, and its complete application to these Muslims. When a group of people reaches twelve thousand of these Muslims who have understood Islam correctly and applied it in their souls, then they will not need to revolt; rather, they will be revolted against, as happened with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). They will be pressured, and perhaps they will be forced to migrate... from the end, either to return to their country stronger than they were, or to establish their group and consolidate their gathering in another country. These matters are in the hand of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But the point is that any faction that wants to achieve what is mentioned in the question, namely jihad in the path of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and the elimination of those who rule by other than what Allah has revealed, this must have the correct understanding of Islam and the correct application of this Islam to those who commit to it. In my opinion, this does not exist today, with great regret, in any of the Islamic lands. And that is because if the matter is hidden, it means that the group has not formed and their strength has not appeared. Otherwise, why are they working, as it is said, on a moonless night? And why are they not seeking the help of other Muslims who may meet them on their straight line in acting upon the correct Islam? Perhaps you remember some groups that arose to carry out such a purpose in some Islamic countries. Then the outcome of their affair was that the call regressed. The last thing that happened in Syria, for example, and we are from the inhabitants of Syria, after the Syrian revolution rose against the Ba'ath, which undoubtedly means a non-Islamic rule, indeed a disbelieving rule, was that the Muslims in Syria did not know that there was a group working in secret. Otherwise, if they had announced it, the Muslims would have responded to them, whoever wanted the hereafter. What was the result? As you know, this movement was crushed, and the blood of thousands of Muslims, young men, men, women, and children, was spilled, and houses were demolished, even mosques, along with those in them, and so on. Why? Because they did not follow the path of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in establishing the state of Islam. Therefore, I say, in brief, the answer to this question is that we do not advise any revolutionary movement intended to be established today for two reasons. The first reason is that it contradicts the guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The second reason is that such revolutions have been tried and have not succeeded or been successful. Let whoever sees the lesson in others take heed. This is the answer to the question.