What is the ruling on killing the elderly, women, and children in suicide operations?
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The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : To expand on the question: these operations kill women, the elderly, and children. Is this permissible or not?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, I did not understand you.
The questioner : I am saying, to expand on the question: in this same suicide operation, the elderly, children, and women are also killed.
The Shaykh : This reminds me; I will answer it specifically because this is a matter that requires some detail.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I have taken... and... What I want to say is that we hope, first, that those who carry out these suicide operations are in the path of Allah, and second, you know why I say "first, in the path of Allah"? So that it cannot be said, "By Allah, so-and-so committed suicide; how brave he is," and so on. We hope, first, that each one of them is truly intending the face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Second, and this is the crux of my speech, that they are convinced in the depths of their hearts that this operation is permissible and not forbidden. In that case, they will be raised according to their intentions. Do you understand? After this, I return to explaining the point you asked about. In truth, from the Shari'ah perspective, if the suicide operation is against a group that has transgressed and rebelled against the Muslims, there is no difference between these rebels whether they are old men, middle-aged, young, or women. In that case, fighting this type of enemy is permissible by the Shari'ah because they participate with the adult men and women in fighting. But the truth is that from the grace of Islam and the justice of Islam, it prohibited, first, the killing of women and the killing of monks who confine themselves to monasteries—let us say, in the common expression of today, churches—or who confine themselves to temples, whether they are Jews or non-Jews who do not participate with the fighting Jews. These are those who do not fight Islam; Muslims are prohibited from fighting them. This is from the mercy and ease of Islam, contrary to what you hear now from the ruling of the tyrants (taghut) that they cannot do anything about the one who sacrificed himself in its path to take revenge on the disbelievers and the Jews. They want to take revenge on their families, on those who do not fight, even the women, even the children, and so on. This is a very great difference. And here it is correct for us to say: "This difference between us is sufficient *** And every vessel emits what is in it." This is the difference between Islam, the religion of mercy and peace, in truth. But it is not a religion of submission to tyrants, transgressors, and rebels, and the like. So what I want to say now is that if these operations include those who are predominantly known not to fight, then it should not happen. But if it includes the fighting men and the fighting women—and we know that in the Jewish army, and I do not say the Israeli army, the Jewish army, there are female soldiers, and there occurs between them what you know of open sinfulness and obscenity—then Islam permits, with this condition and this stipulation, including those who do not fight and those who have not reached the age of accountability among the fighters. This is what Islam does not permit. This is the answer to what you asked.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you. May Allah bless you. The majority are media reports from the Jews that women and children are killed.
The Shaykh : You asked, and I had not started, nor had I given permission for the answer. Please, go ahead.
The questioner : To expand on the question: these operations kill women, the elderly, and children. Is this permissible or not?
The Shaykh : Excuse me, I did not understand you.
The questioner : I am saying, to expand on the question: in this same suicide operation, the elderly, children, and women are also killed.
The Shaykh : This reminds me; I will answer it specifically because this is a matter that requires some detail.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I have taken... and... What I want to say is that we hope, first, that those who carry out these suicide operations are in the path of Allah, and second, you know why I say "first, in the path of Allah"? So that it cannot be said, "By Allah, so-and-so committed suicide; how brave he is," and so on. We hope, first, that each one of them is truly intending the face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Second, and this is the crux of my speech, that they are convinced in the depths of their hearts that this operation is permissible and not forbidden. In that case, they will be raised according to their intentions. Do you understand? After this, I return to explaining the point you asked about. In truth, from the Shari'ah perspective, if the suicide operation is against a group that has transgressed and rebelled against the Muslims, there is no difference between these rebels whether they are old men, middle-aged, young, or women. In that case, fighting this type of enemy is permissible by the Shari'ah because they participate with the adult men and women in fighting. But the truth is that from the grace of Islam and the justice of Islam, it prohibited, first, the killing of women and the killing of monks who confine themselves to monasteries—let us say, in the common expression of today, churches—or who confine themselves to temples, whether they are Jews or non-Jews who do not participate with the fighting Jews. These are those who do not fight Islam; Muslims are prohibited from fighting them. This is from the mercy and ease of Islam, contrary to what you hear now from the ruling of the tyrants (taghut) that they cannot do anything about the one who sacrificed himself in its path to take revenge on the disbelievers and the Jews. They want to take revenge on their families, on those who do not fight, even the women, even the children, and so on. This is a very great difference. And here it is correct for us to say: "This difference between us is sufficient *** And every vessel emits what is in it." This is the difference between Islam, the religion of mercy and peace, in truth. But it is not a religion of submission to tyrants, transgressors, and rebels, and the like. So what I want to say now is that if these operations include those who are predominantly known not to fight, then it should not happen. But if it includes the fighting men and the fighting women—and we know that in the Jewish army, and I do not say the Israeli army, the Jewish army, there are female soldiers, and there occurs between them what you know of open sinfulness and obscenity—then Islam permits, with this condition and this stipulation, including those who do not fight and those who have not reached the age of accountability among the fighters. This is what Islam does not permit. This is the answer to what you asked.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you. May Allah bless you. The majority are media reports from the Jews that women and children are killed.
The Shaykh : You asked, and I had not started, nor had I given permission for the answer. Please, go ahead.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.