What is your opinion on distinguishing between coercion that compels and coercion that does not compel?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Coercion.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Verbal coercion.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Coercion.
The Shaykh : Coercion?
The questioner : Yes, regarding coercion, for example, the distinction is whether the coercion is compelling or not compelling.
The Shaykh : How is it compelling or not compelling?
The questioner : For example, compelling coercion is when a person is like a tool. For instance, if someone falls on another person and kills him, is this compelling coercion?
The Shaykh : No, this is not coercion. This is not one who was coerced. The one who fell on a person and killed him is not coerced; rather, something happened from him unintentionally. The one who is coerced is like a tool, such as when a large person takes a small person and uses him like a stick to strike a third person.
The questioner : This is the question.
The Shaykh : This action is the action of the striker, not the action of the coerced one. This coerced one did nothing at all, and no movement came from him. He was taken by this large man and used to strike the third person. The ruling here pertains to the striker, not the tool with which he struck.
The questioner : So the striker is liable?
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that the striker is liable.
The questioner : If a person is given a choice, for example, to kill so-and-so or to be killed?
The Shaykh : If an oppressor says to him: "Kill so-and-so, or I will kill you," yes, it is not permissible for him to kill so-and-so. This is because it is not permissible to destroy the life of another to preserve one's own life. Otherwise, it would be permissible for a person who is hungry and fears death to slaughter one of the people he can overpower, especially if that person is fat and young, and eat him. Is this permissible? No, it is not permissible.
Coercion.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Verbal coercion.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Coercion.
The Shaykh : Coercion?
The questioner : Yes, regarding coercion, for example, the distinction is whether the coercion is compelling or not compelling.
The Shaykh : How is it compelling or not compelling?
The questioner : For example, compelling coercion is when a person is like a tool. For instance, if someone falls on another person and kills him, is this compelling coercion?
The Shaykh : No, this is not coercion. This is not one who was coerced. The one who fell on a person and killed him is not coerced; rather, something happened from him unintentionally. The one who is coerced is like a tool, such as when a large person takes a small person and uses him like a stick to strike a third person.
The questioner : This is the question.
The Shaykh : This action is the action of the striker, not the action of the coerced one. This coerced one did nothing at all, and no movement came from him. He was taken by this large man and used to strike the third person. The ruling here pertains to the striker, not the tool with which he struck.
The questioner : So the striker is liable?
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that the striker is liable.
The questioner : If a person is given a choice, for example, to kill so-and-so or to be killed?
The Shaykh : If an oppressor says to him: "Kill so-and-so, or I will kill you," yes, it is not permissible for him to kill so-and-so. This is because it is not permissible to destroy the life of another to preserve one's own life. Otherwise, it would be permissible for a person who is hungry and fears death to slaughter one of the people he can overpower, especially if that person is fat and young, and eat him. Is this permissible? No, it is not permissible.