Text copied Link copied

Al-Fatawa – home

﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

Scholar
Search mode

What is the advice for Muslim minorities in Western countries?

Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Another questioner says: May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, His Excellency Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz:
First: I testify to Allah that I love you for His sake, and I ask Allah to prolong your life and make you beneficial to all Muslims.
Second: Our community currently needs sincere, continuous action, not just a lot of talk and sermons. So what are the means and ways you see and propose that the centers abroad should undertake so that the Muslim minority in Western societies becomes a Qur'an that moves on the earth and calls to the correct Islam? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
First: May Allah love you for the sake of which you loved us, and make us, you, all our brothers, and all the listeners among those who love one another for the sake of Allah . It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Allah says on the Day of Resurrection:
Where are those who have mutual love for My Glory's sake? Today I shall shelter them in My shadow when there is no other shadow but the shadow of Mine.أين المتحابون بجلالي اليوم أظلهم في ظلي يوم لا ظل إلا ظلي
Sahih Muslim 2566
It is also authentically reported from him (peace be upon him) that he said:
Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. They are: (1) a just ruler; (2) a young man who has been brought up in the worship of Allah, (i.e. worship Allah (Alone) sincerely from his childhood), (3) a man whose heart is attached to the mosque (who offers the five compulsory congregational prayers in the mosque); (4) two persons who love each other only for Allah's sake and they meet and part in Allah's cause only; (5) a man who refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for an illegal sexual intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah; (6) a person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given (i.e. nobody knows how much he has given in charity). (7) a person who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears.سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله إمام عادل، وشاب نشأ في عبادة الله، ورجل قلبه معلق بالمساجد، ورجلان تحابا في الله اجتمعا على ذلك وتفرقا عليه، ورجل دعته امرأة ذات منصب وجمال فقال إني أخاف الله، ورجل تصدق بصدقة فأخفاها حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه، ورجل ذكر الله خاليا ففاضت عيناه
Sahih al-Bukhari 1423
It is agreed upon that it is authentic.
As for the second question: that is specific, but sermons, lectures, books, and articles that are published are all means to the action I mentioned. So a good, successful sermon or article, if it is published, distributed, or broadcast, Allah benefits with it whom He wills. Allah has prescribed sermons, books, and advice so that people may benefit from them, so that people may seek help through them, so that they may understand their religion, and so that they may be encouraged to do what is required of them and what is asked of them.
It is obligatory upon scholars, Islamic centers, Islamic associations, and everyone who has the ability to benefit the servants of Allah to represent this through action, not just words. Words benefit in their place, but the more important thing is action. Prescribed words are required, such as the remembrance of Allah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, seeking forgiveness, and supplication are required. But what relates to action, what is required is action:
Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
[Al-Saff:3] So action is necessary in matters that relate to action, such as prayer, fasting, jihad, Hajj, zakah, and other forms of action. So words are necessary in their place, and action is necessary in its place. Among the characteristics of the hypocrites is that they say what they do not do. So it is not permissible for a Muslim to say what he does not do; rather, he says and he does. He is sincere in his speech and sincere in his action. And it is upon the Muslim rulers, wherever they are, to concern themselves with the command of Allah. For the great essence of a ruler's authority over Muslims is that he directs them to the religion, obligates them with the command of Allah, helps them in the obedience of Allah, and prevents them from what contradicts the Shari'ah of Allah. This is the intended essence of authority, the intended purpose of authorities, whether the authority is a monarchy, a presidential presidency, an emirate, or other such names. The intended purpose of authorities is to establish the command of Allah on the earth of Allah. The intended purpose is to establish the command of Allah on the earth of Allah; to direct people to good, to obligate them with what Allah has made obligatory, to prevent them from what Allah has forbidden, and to establish the hudud upon them in what Allah has obligated to be established. This is the obligatory duty.
My advice to all my brothers, in every place, in Islamic centers, in Islamic associations, in institutes, in schools, in whatever work they are in, and wherever they are, my advice to everyone is to fear Allah, to adhere to the command of Allah, to concern themselves with directing the servants of Allah to the religion of Allah, and to be callers to good and callers to guidance. It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer.من دل على خير فله مثل أجر فاعله
Sahih Muslim 1893a
And he said to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when he sent him to Khaybar to call the Jews:
for by Allah, 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.فوالله لأن يهدي الله بك رجلا واحدًا خير لك من حمر النعم
Sahih al-Bukhari 3701
And Allah says in His great Book:
And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims."وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
[Fussilat:33] And He says, Exalted is He:
The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُولَئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
[At-Tawbah:71] And He says, Exalted is He:
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
[Aal 'Imran:104] So He made them the people of success, restricting it to them; because of the greatness of what they did in calling and enjoining good and forbidding evil. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ
[Aal 'Imran:110].
This is the duty of Muslims: calling to good and enjoining good and forbidding evil, wherever they are. And by this, a person becomes among the best of the community. By this, the believing man and the believing woman become among the best of the community through this noble work: calling to Allah, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and standing firm on the truth. And Allah is the One to be asked for help.
Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

Similar fatwas