Explanation of the author's statement: "And they hold that performing Hajj, jihad, congregational prayer, and the festivals with the rulers is valid, whether the rulers are righteous or wicked."
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The Shaykh : He (may Allah have mercy on him) then said: "And they hold that performing Hajj, jihad, and congregational prayer". In my view, the leadership of Hajj and the correct position is to perform Hajj.
"And they hold that performing Hajj and congregational prayer, Hajj, jihad, and the festivals with the rulers, whether they are righteous or wicked". May Allah have mercy on them. The people of the Sunnah differ completely from the people of innovation. They hold that performing Hajj with the ruler is valid, even if he is among the most wicked of Allah's servants. In the past, people would appoint a leader for Hajj, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr as the leader of Hajj in the ninth year of the Hijrah. People continued to do this, appointing a leader for Hajj who would guide them; they would depart when he departed and stand when he stood. This is the prescribed practice because Muslims need an imam to follow. If every person were to do as he pleases, it would lead to chaos and disagreement, as is the case now. They hold that performing Hajj with the rulers is valid, even if they are wicked, even if they drink intoxicants during Hajj. They hold that performing Hajj with them is valid. They do not say: "This is a wicked imam, we do not accept him," because they hold that obedience to the one in authority is obligatory, even if he is an open sinner, on the condition that his sin does not lead him to open disbelief, for which we have proof from Allah. In that case, there is no obedience to him, and he must be removed from the leadership of the Muslims to the extent possible. But wickedness short of disbelief, no matter how great, the leadership remains valid and obedience is obligatory in matters other than sin.
This is in contrast to the Khawarij, who hold that there is no obedience to the imam or ruler if he is disobedient, because one of their principles is: "That a major sin takes one out of the religion".
And in contrast to the Rafidah, who say: "That there is no imam, and that the Muslim community, since the disappearance of the one they claim is the expected imam, has no imam and does not follow an imam, but rather dies the death of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance". From that time until today, they die the death of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, because whoever dies without the pledge of allegiance to an imam in his neck dies, and his death is the death of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance.
And they say: "That there is no imam except the expected imam, and there is no jihad or Hajj with any ruler, because the imam has not yet come".
But the people of the Sunnah and the community say: "We hold that performing Hajj with the rulers is valid, whether they are righteous or wicked". Performing jihad with the ruler, even if he is an open sinner. Yes, even if he is an open sinner. They perform jihad with a ruler who does not pray the congregation with them, but he prays in his tent. And if he does not pray the congregation, when he orders them to do something, they must obey him, or not? They must. The people of the Sunnah and the community hold this view. And where are the people now? Their ruler does not pray with the congregation. The people pray, and he is playing chess with his people. And when he gets up from the chess, they get up to pray. Do they consider this a ruler or not? Yes, they consider this a ruler because he has not abandoned prayer, but he has sinned by abandoning the congregation and sinned by committing the wrong of playing chess, although there is scholarly disagreement regarding chess. In fact, you may be surprised how the state of the people of the Sunnah and the community has reached this point, and you may ask where is their zeal? But the people of the Sunnah and the community have a far-sighted view. They see that disagreements in these matters lead to great trials.
What opened the door to trials, fighting among Muslims, and disagreement in opinions, except rebelling against the imams since the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)? The community is divided, not only in the bloody conflict between them, but also in the intellectual and doctrinal conflict. The sects emerged, and the Khawarij, the Mu'tazilah, the Jahmiyyah, the Rafidah, and other innovations, so the community disintegrated. For this reason, the people of the Sunnah and the community hold that it is obligatory to perform Hajj and jihad with the rulers, even if they are what? Even if they are wicked. Okay, what if they are adulterers? Yes. Suppose their ruler secludes himself with a woman in his tent and commits adultery with her and exposes her, but he does not believe that adultery is lawful. He is a ruler, a ruler, and obedience to him is obligatory. But this does not mean that the people of the Sunnah and the community hold that the ruler's action is not wrong. No, they hold that it is wrong, and that the ruler's commission of wrong may be more severe than the commission of wrong by the general public. Why? Because the ruler's commission of wrong entails two great dangers:
The first danger: people following his example, for as it is said: people are on the religion of their rulers and kings.
Second: if the ruler commits a wrong, he will be less likely to change this wrong in his mind, is that not so? Because it is known that the soul cannot accept that it commits a wrong and then forbids people or punishes them for committing this wrong. So these are two great dangers in the rulers' commission of wrong.
But the people of the Sunnah and the community say: even with this matter that entails these two dangers, or others, it is obligatory for us to obey our rulers, even if they are sinners. So we perform Hajj, jihad, and congregational prayer with the rulers, even if they are wicked. I mean, our ruler prays Friday prayer with us while he is a sinner, an open sinner, who drinks intoxicants, for example, and commits adultery, may Allah protect us, and oppresses people with their money. Do we pray behind him or not? We pray behind him, and the prayer is valid. The prayer is valid. In fact, the people of the Sunnah and the community hold that Friday prayer is valid even behind an innovator, if his innovation does not reach disbelief. They pray behind the people of innovation because they hold that disagreement in such matters is evil.
But is it befitting for the ruler who leads Friday prayer to commit these wrongs? The answer is no, as we mentioned a little while ago. Also, performing the festivals with the rulers. The rulers lead the people in the festival prayer. One says, "By Allah, I am not going to pray today. So-and-so will lead us. I am not going to pray because so-and-so stays up at night, listens to songs, and plays chess. I am not going to pray behind him." We say: you have strayed from the path of the people of the Sunnah and the community. The people of the Sunnah and the community pray the festivals behind the rulers, even if they are wicked. For this reason, he said: "With the righteous, the rulers, whether they are righteous or wicked". And through this gentle, calm path, it becomes clear that the Islamic religion is a middle ground between those who exaggerate in it and those who neglect it.
I mean, some people of zeal may say: how do we pray behind these people? How do we follow them in congregational prayer, Hajj, jihad, and the festivals?
We say: yes, because they are our imams, and we owe them what? Obedience and submission, in compliance with the command of Allah:[An-Nisa 4:59] And if we were to refrain from following them and from being led by them in these matters, we would break the bond of obedience, and breaking the bond of obedience is no small matter.
"And they hold that performing Hajj and congregational prayer, Hajj, jihad, and the festivals with the rulers, whether they are righteous or wicked". May Allah have mercy on them. The people of the Sunnah differ completely from the people of innovation. They hold that performing Hajj with the ruler is valid, even if he is among the most wicked of Allah's servants. In the past, people would appoint a leader for Hajj, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed Abu Bakr as the leader of Hajj in the ninth year of the Hijrah. People continued to do this, appointing a leader for Hajj who would guide them; they would depart when he departed and stand when he stood. This is the prescribed practice because Muslims need an imam to follow. If every person were to do as he pleases, it would lead to chaos and disagreement, as is the case now. They hold that performing Hajj with the rulers is valid, even if they are wicked, even if they drink intoxicants during Hajj. They hold that performing Hajj with them is valid. They do not say: "This is a wicked imam, we do not accept him," because they hold that obedience to the one in authority is obligatory, even if he is an open sinner, on the condition that his sin does not lead him to open disbelief, for which we have proof from Allah. In that case, there is no obedience to him, and he must be removed from the leadership of the Muslims to the extent possible. But wickedness short of disbelief, no matter how great, the leadership remains valid and obedience is obligatory in matters other than sin.
This is in contrast to the Khawarij, who hold that there is no obedience to the imam or ruler if he is disobedient, because one of their principles is: "That a major sin takes one out of the religion".
And in contrast to the Rafidah, who say: "That there is no imam, and that the Muslim community, since the disappearance of the one they claim is the expected imam, has no imam and does not follow an imam, but rather dies the death of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance". From that time until today, they die the death of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, because whoever dies without the pledge of allegiance to an imam in his neck dies, and his death is the death of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance.
And they say: "That there is no imam except the expected imam, and there is no jihad or Hajj with any ruler, because the imam has not yet come".
But the people of the Sunnah and the community say: "We hold that performing Hajj with the rulers is valid, whether they are righteous or wicked". Performing jihad with the ruler, even if he is an open sinner. Yes, even if he is an open sinner. They perform jihad with a ruler who does not pray the congregation with them, but he prays in his tent. And if he does not pray the congregation, when he orders them to do something, they must obey him, or not? They must. The people of the Sunnah and the community hold this view. And where are the people now? Their ruler does not pray with the congregation. The people pray, and he is playing chess with his people. And when he gets up from the chess, they get up to pray. Do they consider this a ruler or not? Yes, they consider this a ruler because he has not abandoned prayer, but he has sinned by abandoning the congregation and sinned by committing the wrong of playing chess, although there is scholarly disagreement regarding chess. In fact, you may be surprised how the state of the people of the Sunnah and the community has reached this point, and you may ask where is their zeal? But the people of the Sunnah and the community have a far-sighted view. They see that disagreements in these matters lead to great trials.
What opened the door to trials, fighting among Muslims, and disagreement in opinions, except rebelling against the imams since the killing of Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him)? The community is divided, not only in the bloody conflict between them, but also in the intellectual and doctrinal conflict. The sects emerged, and the Khawarij, the Mu'tazilah, the Jahmiyyah, the Rafidah, and other innovations, so the community disintegrated. For this reason, the people of the Sunnah and the community hold that it is obligatory to perform Hajj and jihad with the rulers, even if they are what? Even if they are wicked. Okay, what if they are adulterers? Yes. Suppose their ruler secludes himself with a woman in his tent and commits adultery with her and exposes her, but he does not believe that adultery is lawful. He is a ruler, a ruler, and obedience to him is obligatory. But this does not mean that the people of the Sunnah and the community hold that the ruler's action is not wrong. No, they hold that it is wrong, and that the ruler's commission of wrong may be more severe than the commission of wrong by the general public. Why? Because the ruler's commission of wrong entails two great dangers:
The first danger: people following his example, for as it is said: people are on the religion of their rulers and kings.
Second: if the ruler commits a wrong, he will be less likely to change this wrong in his mind, is that not so? Because it is known that the soul cannot accept that it commits a wrong and then forbids people or punishes them for committing this wrong. So these are two great dangers in the rulers' commission of wrong.
But the people of the Sunnah and the community say: even with this matter that entails these two dangers, or others, it is obligatory for us to obey our rulers, even if they are sinners. So we perform Hajj, jihad, and congregational prayer with the rulers, even if they are wicked. I mean, our ruler prays Friday prayer with us while he is a sinner, an open sinner, who drinks intoxicants, for example, and commits adultery, may Allah protect us, and oppresses people with their money. Do we pray behind him or not? We pray behind him, and the prayer is valid. The prayer is valid. In fact, the people of the Sunnah and the community hold that Friday prayer is valid even behind an innovator, if his innovation does not reach disbelief. They pray behind the people of innovation because they hold that disagreement in such matters is evil.
But is it befitting for the ruler who leads Friday prayer to commit these wrongs? The answer is no, as we mentioned a little while ago. Also, performing the festivals with the rulers. The rulers lead the people in the festival prayer. One says, "By Allah, I am not going to pray today. So-and-so will lead us. I am not going to pray because so-and-so stays up at night, listens to songs, and plays chess. I am not going to pray behind him." We say: you have strayed from the path of the people of the Sunnah and the community. The people of the Sunnah and the community pray the festivals behind the rulers, even if they are wicked. For this reason, he said: "With the righteous, the rulers, whether they are righteous or wicked". And through this gentle, calm path, it becomes clear that the Islamic religion is a middle ground between those who exaggerate in it and those who neglect it.
I mean, some people of zeal may say: how do we pray behind these people? How do we follow them in congregational prayer, Hajj, jihad, and the festivals?
We say: yes, because they are our imams, and we owe them what? Obedience and submission, in compliance with the command of Allah: