Is it permissible to organize the affairs of da'wah through a practical program that includes the scientific, social, financial, and athletic aspects, and is it permissible to appoint a person in charge for each activity?

The questioner : The question, O our Shaykh, is about the written organization of da'wah. That is, is it permissible to organize the affairs of da'wah through a practical program that includes the scientific, social, financial, and athletic aspects, and is it permissible to appoint a person in charge for each activity, such as a cultural officer, a library officer, a financial officer, and so on, for the purpose of arranging and organizing among the brothers working in the city or the region? May Allah reward you with good?

The Shaykh : I do not see, my brother, any objection to such an organization, because every matter truly requires organization. However, in my opinion, such an organization is more theoretical than practical, because such administrative organization requires certain levels and high cultures, especially regarding the Islamic knowledge upon which this organization should be based. For example, you mentioned in your question that this organization includes sports. We know from many Islamic groups that they used to focus on physical sports in various types and forms. I used to read in the magazine of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was published during the time of Hassan al-Banna (may Allah have mercy on him), that they used to hold sports matches between a team of the Muslim Brotherhood and another team of other athletes. I was impressed by them because, at that time, during the break between two stages of the match, in a fifteen-minute break, I think they would perform the 'Asr prayer in this stadium in the sight of the people. It was a great Islamic phenomenon at that time. Today, we no longer see such a phenomenon. The reason is that those in charge of these administrative councils are either not committed to the Islamic rulings, or they are committed to them, even if only to a degree, but with a great deal of ignorance. For example, they say, "By Allah, we can combine the two prayers for the most trivial reasons." This is an example I want to use to draw attention to the fact that such an organization, in principle, cannot be objected to by a pious, knowledgeable Muslim. However, those who want to implement such an organization must have scholars of Islamic law who organize this organization for them in detail so that they do not fall into any of the violations of Islamic law. Do you think this is possible today? Here, as it is said in some expressions of the later jurists: "The Shaykh's donkey stopped at the obstacle." So the conclusion is: theoretically, there is nothing wrong with it; practically, before the existence of scholars who supervise such organizations, what is contrary to the Shari'ah will attach to it. Is the answer clear?

The questioner : Clear, but...

The Shaykh : But what?

The questioner : For example, can the advanced students of knowledge in knowledge perform such an organization for their brothers, even for those who are less knowledgeable than them?

The Shaykh : No, they cannot perform this organization, my brother. It requires, I mean, a certain capacity of knowledge and abilities. Now, for example, take the case of most sports groups. They wear the clothing they call today "shorts," and the best Arabic term is "turban" [note: likely a dialectal or specific term for shorts, or a mistranscription of 'turban' in the sense of a short garment, but contextually refers to shorts that do not cover the thighs], which does not cover the thighs. They follow a school of thought attributed to Imam Malik that the thighs are not part of the 'awrah, in another narration that he divides the 'awrah into two parts: severe and light, so the thighs are with him part of the light 'awrah. We personally do not care about such a jurisprudential term, light 'awrah and severe 'awrah. The important thing is that it is established from the Messenger (peace be upon him) that he said: ; therefore, it is not permissible for a body or a Muslim group to appear in the appearance of a body by which they are not distinguished from other groups who are not Muslims at all, or who are Muslims but, as it is said today, they are geographical Muslims. So such a ruling must be known by these students you are asking about, with awareness and culture and insight, that the thigh is part of the 'awrah, so it is not permissible for such an athlete to submit to the opinions or general sports regulations that impose on every athlete that his clothing be what? Short. And although we have now begun to see some individuals among Muslim athletes, which is also a good phenomenon that promises well in some Arab countries, some of them are bearded and some of them wear long clothing, and they achieve the desire of the so-called athletes that the trousers, if they are loose, may be uncomfortable, I mean, in running and the like. So this covers the 'awrah completely. But this must be a system for the Muslim sports club, or if it is correct to say, even before its time, the Salafi sports club, hehe.