Discussion on the pledge of allegiance to rulers.
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The questioner : The Shaykh : Rabie in Medina sends you his greetings.
The Shaykh : And upon you and him be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. What is his news?
The questioner : By Allah, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Okay.
The questioner : His activity is wonderful, what Allah willed, in authorship.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. May Allah keep us in good health with our eyes, our hearing, and our strength as long as we are alive, and make it the inheritance from us.
The questioner : Amen.The Shaykh : Rabie and the brothers in Libya in Medina, some of the students of knowledge wrote me a paper, but I printed it on the issue of the pledge of allegiance. They ask about a caliph or a king, or whoever conquers a country, saying that the righteous predecessors used to show loyalty to whoever conquered a country so that there would be no chaos if there were no authority. We said, if Allah wills, we will look into this matter. There is a book titled "Dealing with Rulers" by 'Abd al-Salam Burjis, and we also have a cassette with us. It establishes that the righteous predecessors used to pledge allegiance to rulers and to whoever conquered a country... If Allah wills, we will benefit from you.The Shaykh : A caliph or king, or anyone who takes control of a country, people say that the righteous predecessors used to show loyalty to whoever took control of a country so that there would be no chaos if there were no authority. We said, if Allah wills, we will look into this matter. There is a book titled "Dealing with Rulers" by 'Abd al-Salam Burjis, and we also have a cassette with us in which he proves that the righteous predecessors used to pledge allegiance to the rulers and to whoever took control of a country... If Allah wills, we will benefit from you.
The Shaykh : In your question, regarding loyalty and the pledge of allegiance, do you consider them to be the same, or do you distinguish between them?
The questioner : I am speaking only about the pledge of allegiance.
The Shaykh : I say, in your statement, do you mean the pledge of allegiance?
The questioner : The pledge of allegiance, yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for their loyalty, we have no doubt about that. As for the pledge of allegiance, I do not know. If you are reporting from some of them that the predecessors did that, then we are with the predecessors in what is mentioned, for example, in what you or they mention.
The questioner : For example, Imam Ahmad pledged allegiance to the caliph.
The Shaykh : A questioner and an authority? No, that doesn't work. I said I don't have it, so say what you have. You can ask me again. A questioner and an authority? No, that doesn't work. If I had known, I would have mentioned it to you. And we always circle around the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[Al-Isra 17:85] And knowledge, as you know, is of two kinds: knowledge that is stated in the Book of Allah and revealed in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And with the scholars' care for these two kinds of knowledge, a care without parallel in the world, yet a scholar may miss something of it. So what can be said about the sayings and actions of people? That is an ocean with no shore. Therefore, I said earlier a general statement, and we always and forever profess to Allah that if the predecessors did that, then we follow them. But I do not remember. Do you remember?
The questioner : The book "Dealing with Rulers" by 'Abd al-Salam Burjis, and this cassette also speaks about several issues and matters where the predecessors used to pledge allegiance to rulers. This is the cassette, and the book is well-known, "Dealing with Rulers." If I do not know, perhaps you have it; send it with me, but I lost this cassette.
The Shaykh : We will listen to the cassette, if Allah wills. Now, anything else?
The Shaykh : And upon you and him be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. What is his news?
The questioner : By Allah, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Okay.
The questioner : His activity is wonderful, what Allah willed, in authorship.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah. May Allah keep us in good health with our eyes, our hearing, and our strength as long as we are alive, and make it the inheritance from us.
The questioner : Amen.The Shaykh : Rabie and the brothers in Libya in Medina, some of the students of knowledge wrote me a paper, but I printed it on the issue of the pledge of allegiance. They ask about a caliph or a king, or whoever conquers a country, saying that the righteous predecessors used to show loyalty to whoever conquered a country so that there would be no chaos if there were no authority. We said, if Allah wills, we will look into this matter. There is a book titled "Dealing with Rulers" by 'Abd al-Salam Burjis, and we also have a cassette with us. It establishes that the righteous predecessors used to pledge allegiance to rulers and to whoever conquered a country... If Allah wills, we will benefit from you.The Shaykh : A caliph or king, or anyone who takes control of a country, people say that the righteous predecessors used to show loyalty to whoever took control of a country so that there would be no chaos if there were no authority. We said, if Allah wills, we will look into this matter. There is a book titled "Dealing with Rulers" by 'Abd al-Salam Burjis, and we also have a cassette with us in which he proves that the righteous predecessors used to pledge allegiance to the rulers and to whoever took control of a country... If Allah wills, we will benefit from you.
The Shaykh : In your question, regarding loyalty and the pledge of allegiance, do you consider them to be the same, or do you distinguish between them?
The questioner : I am speaking only about the pledge of allegiance.
The Shaykh : I say, in your statement, do you mean the pledge of allegiance?
The questioner : The pledge of allegiance, yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. As for their loyalty, we have no doubt about that. As for the pledge of allegiance, I do not know. If you are reporting from some of them that the predecessors did that, then we are with the predecessors in what is mentioned, for example, in what you or they mention.
The questioner : For example, Imam Ahmad pledged allegiance to the caliph.
The Shaykh : A questioner and an authority? No, that doesn't work. I said I don't have it, so say what you have. You can ask me again. A questioner and an authority? No, that doesn't work. If I had known, I would have mentioned it to you. And we always circle around the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
وما أوتيتم من العلم إلا قليلاThe questioner : The book "Dealing with Rulers" by 'Abd al-Salam Burjis, and this cassette also speaks about several issues and matters where the predecessors used to pledge allegiance to rulers. This is the cassette, and the book is well-known, "Dealing with Rulers." If I do not know, perhaps you have it; send it with me, but I lost this cassette.
The Shaykh : We will listen to the cassette, if Allah wills. Now, anything else?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.