What is the ruling on the military salute and the salute to the flag? Is it a religious innovation or disbelief?
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The questioner : May the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : There has been a lot of talk, O honorable Shaykh, about the military salute and the salute to the flag, with some calling it a religious innovation and others declaring it disbelief. Two months ago, or a few months ago, the National Guard magazine published an issue explaining the military salute, its types, its origins, and its development. Among what it said was: “Since the earliest ages of history, people have distinguished one man from another, and this was manifested by the invention of special methods of saluting, which soon took the path of widespread dissemination. Although the peoples of the world differed in the methods of this salute, they all agreed on the obligation of performing it.”
It went on to say: “And on other occasions, its purpose is to display security, peace, and respect.”
So what is your opinion, O honorable one, regarding this matter? Is it a religious innovation? If it is a religious innovation, is it a cause of disbelief? And if it is a religious innovation, what is the ruling on the one who performs it while being averse to it? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I say: And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. I inform you that saying the greeting when asking a question is not from the Sunnah, because the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the assembly without greeting him. The greeting is for when meeting someone.
As for what concerns the military salute, I say to you, O my brothers, as advice for the sake of Allah: Anything that concerns a responsible authority, asking about it from individuals is out of place. Why? Because that does not benefit anything.
Suppose I said: It is a religious innovation, or disbelief, or open sinfulness, or something similar. Would that be of any use? This does not benefit, except that the one seeking a ruling takes this fatwa and goes to dispute it with the rulers, and he does not benefit from this at all.
I see that if something wrong occurs in any responsible authority, it is not permissible to remain silent about it, because silence regarding what is wrong means: neglecting enjoining good and forbidding evil. But houses are entered through their doors.
So this question is directed to whom? It is directed to the Minister of Defense, or the Minister of the Interior, or the responsible authority, and it is said: If you know that this is forbidden, then fear Allah regarding us. Do not make us bear the burden of the forbidden, so that we sin and you sin. If you do not see this as forbidden, then explain it to us. If the matter is confusing to you:[An-Nahl 16:43].
As for an individual soldier or army member who asks this question, then takes the answer and makes it a drawn sword, brandishing it whenever he wishes, I see that this is not from wisdom, and that it does not benefit anything, nor is it of any use.
So this question should be directed by the sensible among you to the minister in this authority, and it is said to him frankly: We and you are servants of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and you are the one Allah has placed over us, so it is upon you to care for us with the best care and the finest care.
Then we ask him: Do you see that this is forbidden? Then fear Allah regarding yourself, and fear Allah regarding us.
Do you see that it is lawful? Then explain it to us, because it is confusing for us, and because some people—whom I have heard with my own ears—say: The military salute is disbelief, and I seek refuge in Allah from that. They declare as disbelievers those whom Allah and His Messenger have not declared disbelievers. Did this person not know that he will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what he said? Did he not know that the one who calls a man a disbeliever when he is not one is himself a disbeliever? This is how the hadith came from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the matter is not light, meaning that it is wrong for a person to describe someone and say: This is a disbeliever, this is an open sinner.
Who has the authority to judge? I ask you.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Not before the scholars, but Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If Allah declares someone a disbeliever, then he is a disbeliever, and if He does not declare him a disbeliever, it is not permissible for us to declare disbelief based merely on our tastes and desires.
So I say: It is said, for example, to the responsible minister: You see that it is lawful, so explain it to us, because some people have confused us, saying: This is open sinfulness, this is a religious innovation, this is disbelief. So explain. If it is confusing for you, praise be to Allah, the door of fatwa is open, and the state, praise be to Allah, has scholars through whom guidance is obtained, if Allah wills. Ask. If it is said to you: This is permissible, your conscience is cleared. If it is said: It is forbidden, then refrain from it.
This is my answer to this matter.
And I advise every person in these matters not to ask, as an individual from a responsible authority, about the ruling of a general thing. He asks about himself, by himself, saying for example: If I did such and such, I prayed without ablution, I prayed and my clothes were ritually impure, or something similar, he asks. Yes, from here, from the right.
And know, O my brothers, that the question is for everyone, and the answer is for everyone, meaning do not say: We came and we did not benefit. There is benefit, if Allah wills. Yes.
The questioner : We ask about this, O Shaykh? We ask about this?
The Shaykh : About what?
The questioner : About this question.
The Shaykh : No, we are finished with it. I have no answer other than this.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace.
The questioner : There has been a lot of talk, O honorable Shaykh, about the military salute and the salute to the flag, with some calling it a religious innovation and others declaring it disbelief. Two months ago, or a few months ago, the National Guard magazine published an issue explaining the military salute, its types, its origins, and its development. Among what it said was: “Since the earliest ages of history, people have distinguished one man from another, and this was manifested by the invention of special methods of saluting, which soon took the path of widespread dissemination. Although the peoples of the world differed in the methods of this salute, they all agreed on the obligation of performing it.”
It went on to say: “And on other occasions, its purpose is to display security, peace, and respect.”
So what is your opinion, O honorable one, regarding this matter? Is it a religious innovation? If it is a religious innovation, is it a cause of disbelief? And if it is a religious innovation, what is the ruling on the one who performs it while being averse to it? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : I say: And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. I inform you that saying the greeting when asking a question is not from the Sunnah, because the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would ask the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the assembly without greeting him. The greeting is for when meeting someone.
As for what concerns the military salute, I say to you, O my brothers, as advice for the sake of Allah: Anything that concerns a responsible authority, asking about it from individuals is out of place. Why? Because that does not benefit anything.
Suppose I said: It is a religious innovation, or disbelief, or open sinfulness, or something similar. Would that be of any use? This does not benefit, except that the one seeking a ruling takes this fatwa and goes to dispute it with the rulers, and he does not benefit from this at all.
I see that if something wrong occurs in any responsible authority, it is not permissible to remain silent about it, because silence regarding what is wrong means: neglecting enjoining good and forbidding evil. But houses are entered through their doors.
So this question is directed to whom? It is directed to the Minister of Defense, or the Minister of the Interior, or the responsible authority, and it is said: If you know that this is forbidden, then fear Allah regarding us. Do not make us bear the burden of the forbidden, so that we sin and you sin. If you do not see this as forbidden, then explain it to us. If the matter is confusing to you:
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَAs for an individual soldier or army member who asks this question, then takes the answer and makes it a drawn sword, brandishing it whenever he wishes, I see that this is not from wisdom, and that it does not benefit anything, nor is it of any use.
So this question should be directed by the sensible among you to the minister in this authority, and it is said to him frankly: We and you are servants of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and you are the one Allah has placed over us, so it is upon you to care for us with the best care and the finest care.
Then we ask him: Do you see that this is forbidden? Then fear Allah regarding yourself, and fear Allah regarding us.
Do you see that it is lawful? Then explain it to us, because it is confusing for us, and because some people—whom I have heard with my own ears—say: The military salute is disbelief, and I seek refuge in Allah from that. They declare as disbelievers those whom Allah and His Messenger have not declared disbelievers. Did this person not know that he will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what he said? Did he not know that the one who calls a man a disbeliever when he is not one is himself a disbeliever? This is how the hadith came from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the matter is not light, meaning that it is wrong for a person to describe someone and say: This is a disbeliever, this is an open sinner.
Who has the authority to judge? I ask you.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Not before the scholars, but Allah (Mighty and Majestic). If Allah declares someone a disbeliever, then he is a disbeliever, and if He does not declare him a disbeliever, it is not permissible for us to declare disbelief based merely on our tastes and desires.
So I say: It is said, for example, to the responsible minister: You see that it is lawful, so explain it to us, because some people have confused us, saying: This is open sinfulness, this is a religious innovation, this is disbelief. So explain. If it is confusing for you, praise be to Allah, the door of fatwa is open, and the state, praise be to Allah, has scholars through whom guidance is obtained, if Allah wills. Ask. If it is said to you: This is permissible, your conscience is cleared. If it is said: It is forbidden, then refrain from it.
This is my answer to this matter.
And I advise every person in these matters not to ask, as an individual from a responsible authority, about the ruling of a general thing. He asks about himself, by himself, saying for example: If I did such and such, I prayed without ablution, I prayed and my clothes were ritually impure, or something similar, he asks. Yes, from here, from the right.
And know, O my brothers, that the question is for everyone, and the answer is for everyone, meaning do not say: We came and we did not benefit. There is benefit, if Allah wills. Yes.
The questioner : We ask about this, O Shaykh? We ask about this?
The Shaykh : About what?
The questioner : About this question.
The Shaykh : No, we are finished with it. I have no answer other than this.