The Shaykh’s remarks on the Muslim’s stance regarding what he may be afflicted with by some governments, such as shaving the beard and the like.

The Shaykh: That is, up to the end. These people are not psychologically prepared for jihad in the path of Allah, truly. This jihad, which they say about us in Syria, that they put blood in the hand of the Muslims. These people are not prepared for this jihad, as evidenced by the fact that it is less of a trial and less of a calamity for him to disobey his Lord while shaving his beard. For what? So that his commercial dealings go well? Let your commercial dealings go well while you are mindful of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Keep this noble verse always before your eyes: ; so, in brief, we do not issue a fatwa to anyone, even if he is in the army here, that he should shave his beard. If they are going to shave it for him, let them shave it for him. But if he shaves it with his own hand, no, because if he shaves it with his own hand, he has disobeyed his Lord. But if it is done to him, then it is not his doing, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will reward him with good for his patience. That is what we say. As for one who is afflicted with committing a forbidden act, we tell him to consult his own self. The well-known verse is: , , up to the end. Who judges that so-and-so is in dire necessity and ate forbidden meat, such as pork or carrion? It is he who judges, not the mufti. The mufti gave the ruling in advance based on the noble verse: . But who wants to apply the verse? The mufti applies it to himself if he is not afflicted. But it is the Muslim who has to apply it. If the Muslim, this means that every Muslim must have general Islamic awareness such that he does not make a pressing need a dire necessity. Dire necessities permit the prohibited, so he builds the ruling of dire necessity on the ruling of pressing need, and this is not permissible. So we issue the fatwa like this: dire necessities permit the prohibited. But is there a dire necessity for shaving the beard in any way, for any trial of the trials? The answer is no. Why? What will they do to you? Like what they did to you, or more? They will torture you, interrogate you, imprison you, and so on. Then either you remain, God forbid, imprisoned, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , or how many days will they imprison you? Then they will say goodbye to you, as they did to you. But if you yourself are violating the Shari'ah because of your rebellion against people, as the common saying goes: "An eye that resists its exit," they will say you are such a thing, or not?

The questioner: Approximately the same.

The Shaykh : Approximately.

The questioner: May Allah reward you with good. Now, Egypt itself, the four Upper Egypt governorates—Qina, Sohag, Asyut, and Minya—have become military barracks at their entrances, and there are attacks on people in their homes now.

The Shaykh: Allah is the Greatest!

The questioner: So a message came to me that I am forbidden to descend from their plane, a message to descend this month... He says, do not descend; the matters will become clear to you after that... I said, I am descending. He said... from the airport, and then they ask about you. This thing we have tried, but I want to tell something before the brothers, by the grace of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), that happened to me, meaning.
Al-Halabi: Because of the conference that was held in Egypt.

The questioner: Now, Egypt itself is a flame of fire in the Upper Egypt governorates, refuge to Allah, killing of the police... if they suspect you, likewise the shaykhs... police assassinations on the highways and...

The Shaykh: This is an Islamist, this is Islam.

The questioner: This is what is happening.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.

The questioner: What happened to me, my Shaykh, before this time, was that I had a reserve obligation in the army, I did.

The Shaykh : There.

The questioner: In Egypt, yes. So after I came out of the army, I started to grow a beard and I know the religion to the extent I can and I apply it to myself, by the grace of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), to the extent I can. So two times ago, it was supposed that the state would detain me. The first time, they left me with them... fifteen hours.

The Shaykh : What are you?

The questioner: And I am leaving from here...

The Shaykh: What did they say to you?

The questioner: They left me with them for fifteen hours.

The Shaykh: What did they say to you?

The questioner: Detention with investigation and harshness and so on, until I said to them, write me a statement that I am forbidden to enter Egypt and I will return from here, and I signed it. So I left after fifteen hours... fifteen hours with them and tired... and so on. As you know, when I arrived there, I had a reserve obligation to go to the army a second time, and it ended in a period of fifteen hours. If I had gone to the army, shaving the beard would have been necessary. And in my heart, Allah knows that, I said, I will not shave my beard until they shave it. This involves a military trial, my Shaykh, that you do not go like that, they do not accept you, they tell you to go and put you in a military trial where you are imprisoned for one or two years, as... for them and as they see fit.

The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.

The questioner: So, glory to Allah, during those fifteen hours, our Lord Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) removed all this from me.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.

The questioner: ... So I said, this is a favor from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), despite the sins, refuge to Allah...

The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah.

The questioner : Praise be to Allah.

The Shaykh: You call to prayer.
Al-Halabi : If Allah wills.