Discussion on the ruling regarding accommodating the oppressors and what is permissible to concede in order to ward off their harm

The Shaykh: Rather, it is suitable for discussion. The day before yesterday, a questioner from Algeria asked me. He said to me: "I am an employee of the Endowments, and there is an imam of a mosque, but they are asking him to shave his beard and remove his shirt." He said: "So I argued with them regarding the beard. I asked him: Did they allow you to keep your beard?" He said: "They did not allow it, but I am currently resisting them in this matter. However, I am asking you regarding the shirt." I told him: "Oppose them in the beard and in the shirt." He said: "Even if it leads to my dismissal from this job?" I told him: "Yes, because the beard is an obligatory duty among the obligations, and it is not permissible to accommodate the open sinners and the wicked in shaving it. The garment is not so; you can remove this garment, but you do not have to wear Arab clothing. It is not necessary that you shave your beard and wear trousers, or wear trousers and keep your beard, so that you appear as if you are a European man. It is not necessary that you wear trousers, or the pants, or any local clothing there in Algeria. So, accommodation is possible. This is a general rule: it is possible to accommodate the innovators or the oppressive rulers in matters that are not obligatory upon the Muslims, so they are from the matters of recommended practices, and leniency is possible in them, because one is not held accountable by Allah if he leaves them. But to accommodate them in the obligatory matters, there is no accommodation, even if the great fitnah arises through the pressure of these open sinners or disbelievers. And at that time, Allah (Mighty and Majestic), as He said in the Noble Qur'an: So take the rule and convey it to this questioner: accommodation is possible in what is not obligatory, and it is not permissible to accommodate in what is obligatory. Is that clear?
The student: We return, our Shaykh, to the brother here, because he did not complete his question.

The Shaykh: Yes, but we are thinking now, do you think it is permissible for him to be charged by the minute for this driver?
The student: May Allah accept it from him, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh: All right.