Reading from the author's text with commentary and collation of manuscripts: "The Fifth Aspect
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: "The fifth aspect: That imitating them in some of their festivals necessitates the joy of their hearts in what they are upon of falsehood, especially if they are subdued under the humiliation of the poll tax and degradation. If they see that the Muslims have become a branch for them in the distinctives of their religion, then that necessitates the strength of their hearts and the expansion of their chests, and it may embolden them to seize opportunities and subjugate the weak. This is also a tangible matter in which no rational person doubts. How can that which necessitates honoring them without cause be combined with the legislation of degradation regarding them?"
The Shaykh : Meaning, along with the permissibility of degradation. And what he said, may Allah have mercy on him, is the reality: that the disbelievers rejoice when the Muslims agree with them in some of their distinctives, and they raise their heads and take pride in it, and they see this as a humiliation for the Muslims. This agreement in language, agreement in history, agreement in customs, in clothing, and in other things—do not think that they look at the matter only materially, but also spiritually. Because the Muslims being their followers and their subordinates, as the Shaykh said, may Allah have mercy on him, undoubtedly gives them pride and raises their heads. If we were to find one of the non-Arabs speaking the Arabic language, we would see that as a source of pride for us, and we would rejoice in it and be pleased with it. They are the same: if they see an Arab speaking their language, and especially a Muslim, they rejoice in this with great joy.
But, with great regret, there is no spirit of pride or interest in such matters in the hearts of many of our people. Now, if you walk in the commercial markets, you find the signboards written in what language? In English. Until you pass by several large commercial establishments that have no signboards written in anything but English. This responsibility first falls on the municipalities. In reality, it is obligatory for the municipalities to follow up with these ignorant people who are unaware of such things and to prohibit these signboards except in Arabic. And we ask: if we investigated the matter, setting aside religion and non-religion, the society now is Arab and English...
The student: Arab.
The Shaykh : Okay, which is more?
The student: The Arabs.
The Shaykh : The Arabs, without a doubt, and the country is an Arab country. So how do you make the signboards in English? For example, this is setting aside the issue of religion and that this harms the creed, because in reality it leads to honoring these people and exalting their language. It is obligatory to remove these things. And if we are compelled in a country where there are many people who do not know the Arabic language, and we are compelled to write, we write a second small signboard that does not equal the Arabic signboard, or we write in the same Arabic signboard, at the bottom, the language of those who are numerous in our country.
Then, the Asian language in many countries now, considering the labor force, is not in English; you find it in Urdu and the like. And yet, no head is raised for it; rather, a head is raised for this language of disbelief, which is the language of the disbelievers. Therefore, it is obligatory for the people of Islam to take pride in their religion, and for their language to have value and for their religion to have value, and not to follow people as they follow, as sheep follow the one who bleats to them. Yes.
The Shaykh : Meaning, along with the permissibility of degradation. And what he said, may Allah have mercy on him, is the reality: that the disbelievers rejoice when the Muslims agree with them in some of their distinctives, and they raise their heads and take pride in it, and they see this as a humiliation for the Muslims. This agreement in language, agreement in history, agreement in customs, in clothing, and in other things—do not think that they look at the matter only materially, but also spiritually. Because the Muslims being their followers and their subordinates, as the Shaykh said, may Allah have mercy on him, undoubtedly gives them pride and raises their heads. If we were to find one of the non-Arabs speaking the Arabic language, we would see that as a source of pride for us, and we would rejoice in it and be pleased with it. They are the same: if they see an Arab speaking their language, and especially a Muslim, they rejoice in this with great joy.
But, with great regret, there is no spirit of pride or interest in such matters in the hearts of many of our people. Now, if you walk in the commercial markets, you find the signboards written in what language? In English. Until you pass by several large commercial establishments that have no signboards written in anything but English. This responsibility first falls on the municipalities. In reality, it is obligatory for the municipalities to follow up with these ignorant people who are unaware of such things and to prohibit these signboards except in Arabic. And we ask: if we investigated the matter, setting aside religion and non-religion, the society now is Arab and English...
The student: Arab.
The Shaykh : Okay, which is more?
The student: The Arabs.
The Shaykh : The Arabs, without a doubt, and the country is an Arab country. So how do you make the signboards in English? For example, this is setting aside the issue of religion and that this harms the creed, because in reality it leads to honoring these people and exalting their language. It is obligatory to remove these things. And if we are compelled in a country where there are many people who do not know the Arabic language, and we are compelled to write, we write a second small signboard that does not equal the Arabic signboard, or we write in the same Arabic signboard, at the bottom, the language of those who are numerous in our country.
Then, the Asian language in many countries now, considering the labor force, is not in English; you find it in Urdu and the like. And yet, no head is raised for it; rather, a head is raised for this language of disbelief, which is the language of the disbelievers. Therefore, it is obligatory for the people of Islam to take pride in their religion, and for their language to have value and for their religion to have value, and not to follow people as they follow, as sheep follow the one who bleats to them. Yes.