What is the ruling on mixing with the Rafidah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : An oath.
The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : O Shaykh, I am coming from the Eastern Region, from Dammam, and I work in the Civil Defense in Dammam. About ninety percent of those who work with me are Rafidah. We mix with them in eating, drinking, working, and living. They pray with us in the mosques. So I do not know what is the ruling on our mixing with them, O Shaykh, and eating with them, and sharing in the internal work regarding the job?
The Shaykh : These Rafidah say that they are Muslims, is that not so?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Correct, what is it?
The questioner : They claim that they are Muslims.
The Shaykh : Okay, and you are a Muslim, is that not so?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Call them to the Islam that you see is the truth. It is obligatory upon you to call them to the Islam that you see is the truth.
But without being harsh with them regarding what they are upon that contradicts Islam. Call them to Islam. Say: This is the Book of Allah, not a single letter has been subtracted from it, and not a single letter has been added to it. These are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, these are the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and so on.
And when a person calls to Allah with sincerity and clarifies the truth, it will bear fruit, and there will be benefit in his calling.
As for coming to a person and attacking the innovations he is upon, or the disbelief he is upon, while he claims that this is zeal and that he is a caller to Allah, nothing will result except an increase in enmity and hatred. And no one is more wise than Allah, as Allah Mighty and Majestic said:[At-Tin 95:8], and He said to us: [Al-An'am 6:108].
So it is obligatory upon you to call them to the correct Islam, without exposing what they are upon of false creed, until they become accustomed to it and accept itSahih al-Bukhari 3701.
The questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, they pray with us in the mosques.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, this is what is required. If they pray with us in the mosques, let the imam of the mosque take a book that contains knowledge of the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The questioner : Excuse me, O Shaykh, they pray on mats and papers and on a manufactured clay!
The Shaykh : It is not our concern regarding them. These are secondary issues; if they are not accompanied by a belief of shirk, they are secondary issues.
The questioner : Okay, do we allow them to pray with them?
The Shaykh : Do not argue in this place; the time is short. There are people now, for example, who do not raise their hands when bowing, nor when rising from it, nor when standing up from the first tashahhud. And there are people who raise their hands in every lowering and raising. And each claims that he is upon the truth. So secondary issues are easy.
The point is that hearts should be united upon the truth, and that the closest path leading to that should be taken. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he called people to the Islamic religion, first attack them with what they were upon of falsehood?
He called them to Islam first.
So the truth is, I do not deny it; rather, I prefer that a person have zeal that drives him to hate everything other than the truth. But I want him to have wisdom in calling to the truth. After that?
The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : O Shaykh, I am coming from the Eastern Region, from Dammam, and I work in the Civil Defense in Dammam. About ninety percent of those who work with me are Rafidah. We mix with them in eating, drinking, working, and living. They pray with us in the mosques. So I do not know what is the ruling on our mixing with them, O Shaykh, and eating with them, and sharing in the internal work regarding the job?
The Shaykh : These Rafidah say that they are Muslims, is that not so?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Correct, what is it?
The questioner : They claim that they are Muslims.
The Shaykh : Okay, and you are a Muslim, is that not so?
The questioner : Correct.
The Shaykh : Call them to the Islam that you see is the truth. It is obligatory upon you to call them to the Islam that you see is the truth.
But without being harsh with them regarding what they are upon that contradicts Islam. Call them to Islam. Say: This is the Book of Allah, not a single letter has been subtracted from it, and not a single letter has been added to it. These are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, these are the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and so on.
And when a person calls to Allah with sincerity and clarifies the truth, it will bear fruit, and there will be benefit in his calling.
As for coming to a person and attacking the innovations he is upon, or the disbelief he is upon, while he claims that this is zeal and that he is a caller to Allah, nothing will result except an increase in enmity and hatred. And no one is more wise than Allah, as Allah Mighty and Majestic said:
Is not Allah the most just of judges?
أليس الله بأحكم الحاكمينAnd do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge
ولا تسبّوا الذين يدعون من دون الله فيسبّوا الله عدواً بغير علمSo it is obligatory upon you to call them to the correct Islam, without exposing what they are upon of false creed, until they become accustomed to it and accept it
if one man is guided on the right path (i.e. converted to Islam) through you, it would be better for you than (a great number of) red camels.
ولأن يهدي الله بك رجلا واحدا خير لك من حُمر النّعمThe questioner : O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, they pray with us in the mosques.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, this is what is required. If they pray with us in the mosques, let the imam of the mosque take a book that contains knowledge of the biography of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
The questioner : Excuse me, O Shaykh, they pray on mats and papers and on a manufactured clay!
The Shaykh : It is not our concern regarding them. These are secondary issues; if they are not accompanied by a belief of shirk, they are secondary issues.
The questioner : Okay, do we allow them to pray with them?
The Shaykh : Do not argue in this place; the time is short. There are people now, for example, who do not raise their hands when bowing, nor when rising from it, nor when standing up from the first tashahhud. And there are people who raise their hands in every lowering and raising. And each claims that he is upon the truth. So secondary issues are easy.
The point is that hearts should be united upon the truth, and that the closest path leading to that should be taken. Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he called people to the Islamic religion, first attack them with what they were upon of falsehood?
He called them to Islam first.
So the truth is, I do not deny it; rather, I prefer that a person have zeal that drives him to hate everything other than the truth. But I want him to have wisdom in calling to the truth. After that?