What is your opinion on students of knowledge participating in associations and charitable projects?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : How do you mean? I did not understand regarding the fasting person.
The questioner : Regarding breaking the fast of the fasting person in Jordan, it was in Jordan...
The Shaykh : I did not understand.
Another questioner : The association is carrying out a project to break the fast of fasting people in Ramadan.The Shaykh : No, the question is particularly repeated, so it is more deserving of attention until it reaches its due.
The questioner : And this institution, O Shaykh, is established for the affairs of Muslims. It has projects; it was originally established to spread tawhid (the oneness of Allah). It wants to spread tawhid in the Islamic world.
The Shaykh : This is the first obligation.
The questioner : When they saw the urgent condition among Muslims and the severe poverty, they presented tawhid on a plate of food, a meal, so that people would accept it.
The Shaykh : But is this application correct?
The questioner : ... we, for example, build kitchens...
The Shaykh : I mean, presenting the oneness of Allah on a plate; is this correct in terms of reality?
The questioner : Perhaps the thesis is otherwise, O Shaykh. For example, we establish one of the restaurants and place a place for teaching next to it. So people, for example in Somalia, where they have a famine, sit to increase their food and also to increase their tawhid.
The Shaykh : Okay, regarding what you asked in your first words, breaking the fast of the fasting person here in Jordan, was it so, meaning was it accompanied by the call to tawhid?
The questioner : Yes, O Shaykh, meaning a quarter of an hour or half an hour before the adhan (the call to prayer), the lessons are held.
The Shaykh : And in which area was this?
The questioner : Last year.
The Shaykh : Where was it in Jordan?
The questioner : It was in Jordan, but they had news of the brothers, the Shaykhs, Brother Ali.
The Shaykh : By Allah, my opinion is that the Muslim group’s engagement in charitable associations diverts them from the first obligation. Because carrying out charitable projects is something that the general people can do, not the specialists. The specialists must do what others cannot do, and they should not descend to do work, even if it is a charitable work, while leaving what is obligatory upon them, or at least what is more obligatory upon them. We have seen many of the brothers whose call was based on the call to the Book and the Sunnah, and especially tawhid, who were occupied with charitable projects instead of following up on the call to which they had dedicated themselves. Therefore, we do not see it for students of knowledge to occupy themselves with such matters, which are considered voluntary (nafilah) and not obligatory (fard). This is what I have regarding what you asked.
The questioner : Okay, O my Shaykh, if the ones in charge, for example, are these students of knowledge, and they only do the supervision, O Shaykh, and they have the lessons in the mosques, and they have the call, and they have the other Islamic activities, but their remaining role is only supervision, and the ones in charge of the work and the guidance and the follow-up are from the general people, but these [students] mean they guide these general people to the right path.
The Shaykh : There is no objection when the matter is as you say. But my intention is to conserve efforts for what is more obligatory for those who are able to do what is more obligatory. That is my purpose. Please, what do you have?
The questioner : Regarding breaking the fast of the fasting person in Jordan, it was in Jordan...
The Shaykh : I did not understand.
Another questioner : The association is carrying out a project to break the fast of fasting people in Ramadan.The Shaykh : No, the question is particularly repeated, so it is more deserving of attention until it reaches its due.
The questioner : And this institution, O Shaykh, is established for the affairs of Muslims. It has projects; it was originally established to spread tawhid (the oneness of Allah). It wants to spread tawhid in the Islamic world.
The Shaykh : This is the first obligation.
The questioner : When they saw the urgent condition among Muslims and the severe poverty, they presented tawhid on a plate of food, a meal, so that people would accept it.
The Shaykh : But is this application correct?
The questioner : ... we, for example, build kitchens...
The Shaykh : I mean, presenting the oneness of Allah on a plate; is this correct in terms of reality?
The questioner : Perhaps the thesis is otherwise, O Shaykh. For example, we establish one of the restaurants and place a place for teaching next to it. So people, for example in Somalia, where they have a famine, sit to increase their food and also to increase their tawhid.
The Shaykh : Okay, regarding what you asked in your first words, breaking the fast of the fasting person here in Jordan, was it so, meaning was it accompanied by the call to tawhid?
The questioner : Yes, O Shaykh, meaning a quarter of an hour or half an hour before the adhan (the call to prayer), the lessons are held.
The Shaykh : And in which area was this?
The questioner : Last year.
The Shaykh : Where was it in Jordan?
The questioner : It was in Jordan, but they had news of the brothers, the Shaykhs, Brother Ali.
The Shaykh : By Allah, my opinion is that the Muslim group’s engagement in charitable associations diverts them from the first obligation. Because carrying out charitable projects is something that the general people can do, not the specialists. The specialists must do what others cannot do, and they should not descend to do work, even if it is a charitable work, while leaving what is obligatory upon them, or at least what is more obligatory upon them. We have seen many of the brothers whose call was based on the call to the Book and the Sunnah, and especially tawhid, who were occupied with charitable projects instead of following up on the call to which they had dedicated themselves. Therefore, we do not see it for students of knowledge to occupy themselves with such matters, which are considered voluntary (nafilah) and not obligatory (fard). This is what I have regarding what you asked.
The questioner : Okay, O my Shaykh, if the ones in charge, for example, are these students of knowledge, and they only do the supervision, O Shaykh, and they have the lessons in the mosques, and they have the call, and they have the other Islamic activities, but their remaining role is only supervision, and the ones in charge of the work and the guidance and the follow-up are from the general people, but these [students] mean they guide these general people to the right path.
The Shaykh : There is no objection when the matter is as you say. But my intention is to conserve efforts for what is more obligatory for those who are able to do what is more obligatory. That is my purpose. Please, what do you have?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.