Verily all praise is due to Allaah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family
and his Companions, one and all.
To proceed...
No Muslim would ever agree with the mocking,
ridicule, and blasphemous lies directed at our Deen and at our beloved
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Rather the Imaams of Ahlus-Sunnah, the
likes of Maalik, al-Layth, Ahmad, Ishaaq, and ash-Shaafi’ee, have
agreed unanimously that the one who mocks, ridicules, and defames the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has disbelieved, and that the prescribed
punishment for the one who lives in the lands of the Muslims and does that is
death, a punishment that falls under the authority of the Muslim ruler.
There is no
doubt that these types of attacks on our Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will cause anger and make the stomach of
every Muslim turn due to his love for Allaah, His Messenger, and His Deen. But the Muslim who is truthful, sincere, and
just, he doesn’t allow himself to be overcome by emotion and respond to these attacks
with a knee-jerk reaction that entails actions which Allaah and His Messenger
have prohibited. Rather, like in all
matters, he is first and foremost patient, and then he takes those matters back
to the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the understanding of the Companions, and those ‘Ulamaa’
who are firmly-grounded in knowledge. So
he is patient and he plants his feet squarely upon knowledge, and he submits to
what Allaah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) have decreed.
ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ
ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ
ﯽ ﯾﯿ
ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ
ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ
ﰆ ﰇ ﰈ
ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ
ﰌ ﰍﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ
“O
you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger, and
those
of you who have been placed in authority (over you). (And) if
you
differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it back to
Allaah
and
His Messenger, if you truly believe in Allaah and in the Last Day.
That
is better and more suitable for final determination.” [1]
And al-Haafith
Ibn Katheer mentions that “those of you who have been placed in authority
(over you)”, according to Ibn ‘Abbaas, Mujaahid, ‘Ataa’ and others from the Salaf
refers to the ‘Ulamaa’. And Ibn Katheer mentions that it is general to
both the rulers and the ‘Ulamaa’.
And of course this means the ‘Ulamaa’ of Ahlus-Sunnah, not those
who ahlul-bid’ah call scholars, the likes of al-Qaradaawee, al-‘Awdah,
‘Abdur-Rahmaan ‘Abdul-Khaaliq, and other than them from the
callers to misguidance.
What has transpired over the past few days in
the lands of the Muslims and other than them as a reaction to the film
attacking Islaam and insulting our beloved Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) - contradicts the guidance and Sunnah of
Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه
وسلم). One should remember
that these types of attacks are not something new. Indeed Allaah mentions throughout the Qur’aan
that His messengers (عليهم الصلاة و
السلام)
were constantly mocked and defamed, that their people called them crazy, mad, and
even labeled them as sorcerers, etc. Allaah
تعالى said:
ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ
ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ
ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ
ﭜ ﭝ
“Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them except that
they said: "A sorcerer or a madman!"
[2]
And this
happened with the Prophets and Messengers from Nooh (عليه السلام) up to His final Messenger, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
In the lifetime of Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) there were those who cursed and insulted
him openly. Ka’b bin al-Ashraf
al-Yahoodee, in al-Madeenah, used to recite defamatory poetry about him and
made explicit poetry about the women of the Muslims. And there was ‘Abdullaah bin Khatal
in Makkah, who had two female singers who he had sing songs making fun of Prophet
Muhammad (صلى الله عليه
وسلم).
As for Ka’b bin al-Ashraf, when he returned
from Makkah to al-Madeenah and began reciting his poetry insulting him, the Prophet
(صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked his Companions, “Who will
deal with Ka’b bin al-Ashraf? For indeed he has harmed Allaah and His
Messenger.” And this was when
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وسلم) was in his dawlah in al-Madeenah and he was the ruler,
and Ka’b bin al-Ashraf was living under his authority in al-Madeenah. But the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) didn’t ask his Companions to punish his
neighbors, companions, or even his family members for what Ka’b bin al-Ashraf
did. Nor did he punish the
representatives of his tribe, Banu an-Nadeer, or randomly target the
Jews of al-Madeenah nor did he boycott their businesses. Any
person of sound intellect would agree that this would be unjust and defies
logic, not to mention the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. Instead he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) -as the ruler - dealt with Ka’b bin al-Ashraf, the one who
caused that harm specifically.
‘Abdullaah bin Khatal was in
Makkah, and he had two female singers who he taught to sing songs making fun of
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وسلم). And at that time, the Prophet
was in al-Madeenah, and was the ruler (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and never did he attack anyone from the kuffaar in
al-Madeenah or any other town or village as retribution for the defamation and insults
of ‘Abdullaah bin Khatal towards him. Nor did he command his Companions to attack
Makkah or its people because of him. Rather he was patient (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and did not oppress, and did not
transgress. He was patient and he was
just (صلى الله عليه وسلم). So when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) conquered Makkah, and he entered Makkah
with his armies, he ordered them not to harm anyone who did not fight them,
except for a small group of people who he named by name (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
From them – and here the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had conquered Makkah, and had might and capability (qudrah)
– from them was ‘Abdullaah bin Khatal and his two
songstresses. He didn’t tell them to kill
Ibn Khatal’s neighbors or his family members. He didn’t destroy the property of the members of his
tribe. Rather he ordered them to kill
‘Abdullaah bin Khatal and his two songstresses.
These are just two examples of how the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) dealt
with those who abused him in his lifetime.
He was aadil (just), and was saabir (patient) - (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
He did not oppress and was not unjust, and these people cursed him,
abused him, mocked him, and insulted him during his lifetime - (صلى الله عليه وسلم)!! So where are the actions of the jamaa’aat (political
groups and parties) and the ignorant folk who’ve been affected by them from the
actions and example of Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?!
Where do you find that the Messenger of
Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his
Companions went to another town and protested, or that they murdered the
innocent, or destroyed or burnt their property to the ground because of what the
likes of Ibn al-Ashraf and Ibn Khatal did in Makkah and
al-Madeenah?!
Rather he was patient and just (صلى الله عليه وسلم)!! And
‘adl (justice) is to put everything in it’s proper place. And what we see from these people in Egypt,
Yemen, Libya, and other places in the Middle East, is oppression, injustice,
and deviation from his Sunnah. And
Allaah said:
ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ
“So
warn those who oppose his command, lest some fitnah befall him or they afflicted
with a painful punishment.” [3]
And what further elucidates the distinction
between the guidance of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and those Muslims who have been overtaken by emotion and
misguidance, is the narration of ‘Aa’ishah (رضى الله عنها), collected by al-Bukhaaree, Muslim, Ahmad and
others, when a group of Jews entered upon the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and said “as-saamu ‘alaykum”
(death be upon you). So ‘Aa’ishah (رضى الله عنها) understood what they said, so she responded: “wa ‘alaykum as-saam wal-la’nah” (and
death and curses be upon you). So the
Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه
وسلم) said: “Take it
easy, O ‘Aa’ishah! Verily Allaah loves
rifq (gentleness and leniency) in all matters.” So ‘Aa’ishah said: “O Messenger of Allaah!
Didn’t you hear what they said?” So he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “I already responded to them (by saying) ‘wa
‘alaykum’ (and upon you, too).”
Our Deen is not based on emotion. Rather the Muslim who truly and sincerely
loves Allaah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will stick to his guidance and his Sunnah:
ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ
ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ
ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ
“Say: if you truly love Allaah, then follow me. (If
you do) Allaah will love you and forgive you for your sins. And Allaah is all-forgiving, most merciful.” [4]
Here are some
points to consider and reflect upon:
- These protests which
have spread throughout the Muslim lands, even to our beloved Kuwait, are a bid’ah,
as the ‘Ulamaa’ of Ahlus-Sunnah like Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Shaykh
al-Albaanee, and Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen have clarified. [5] They are an act of
opposing and contending with the Muslim ruler and are from the way of the Khawaarij. Of course the jamaa’aat as-siyaasiyyah
allow them and promote them as they are means for them to contend with the
Muslim rulers and reach rulership itself.
- We’ve seen how
the emotionally charged youth have taken to the streets in these protests and
clashed with the police, and caused damage to property - not just the property
of the American Embassies - which is in itself an act of oppression - but the
property of the Muslims as well! And
this is supposed to be defense of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)??! It cannot be that the Muslims defend the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) with oppression
when Allaah has commanded us with justice (‘adl):
ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ
ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ
ﮯﮰ
ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ
ﯕ ﯖ
ﯗ ﯘﯙ ﯚ
ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ
ﯟ ﯠﯡ
ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ
ﯥ ﯦ
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allaah and
be just witnesses and don’t let the enmity and hatred
of a people keep you from being just. Be just! That is
closer to Taqwaa.” [6]
al-Haafith Ibn Katheer
said: “Don’t let hatred for a people
cause you to abandon justice towards them.
Rather exercise justice with everyone, whether it be a close friend or
an enemy.”
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah: “for indeed the people did not dispute in the
fact that the end result of thulm (oppression and injustice) is
evil and harmful, and the end result of ‘adl (justice) is good and
noble. And for this it has been
said: Allaah will aid the nation
that is just, even if it is a disbelieving nation, and He will not aid the
nation that is unjust and oppressive, even if it is a believing nation.” [Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa (28/63)]
Then know that
punishing others for the crimes and offenses of another is not justice! Allaah says:
ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ
“No
person earns any (sin) except against himself (only), and no bearer of burdens
shall bear the burden of another.” [7]
- The jamaa’aat
as-siyaasiyyah use these protests and these types of events as a forum and
a podium to spread their doubts and their conspiracy theories amongst the
people and to turn them against their rulers. They spout out anti-American, anti-western,
and anti-Israeli rhetoric and place the blame for the destruction we’ve seen
over the past few days on everyone but themselves. ‘Ali al-Deqbas, head of the Arab Parliament, actually blamed “international Zionism of being behind the unrest and inciting
sedition and hatred of Islam and Muslims in the Middle East in favor of the
Zionist entity”. And the
misguided statements like this are many.
- These protests
– which as the ‘Ulamaa’ have said is a bid’ah – were used as a
cover for those upon the manhaj of the Khawaarij to murder a U.S.
ambassador and three other members of his staff, the murder of non-Muslims who
were given amn (an assurance of safety and protection) and were from a
country that has treaties and agreements with the government of Libya.
The
Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
said: “Whoever – from the Muslims - kills a person who is
under an agreement or treaty (with the Muslims), he will
not smell the Fragrance of Jannah, even though it’s fragrance can be smelled
from the distance of 40 years away.” [al-Bukhaaree]
And in another
narration he said: "The assurance of protection of the
Muslims is one, so whoever betrays the assurance of protection and safety of
another Muslim, then upon him is the curse of Allaah, and (the curse) of the
Angels, and (the curse) of all the people."
al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr (رحمه
الله) explained: "His saying 'The assurance of
protection of the Muslims is one', means that their giving an assurance
of safety and security is correct (and binding). So if one of them gives amn to a kaafir,
then it is haraam upon anyone else to harm him…"
Those non-Muslims
who live and work in the Muslim countries have been given amn (an assurance
of safety and protection), so by attacking them is contending with and opposing
the Muslim ruler, and is an act of treachery and oppression.
Shaykh Taariq
as-Subay’ee explained that if even one of the Muslims gives amn to a
non-Muslim, even if that Muslim is a man or a woman, a free man or a slave, and
even if that is by a gesture, or if a person is given amn by the
authorities of a Muslim land through diplomatic agreements or by giving him a
visa to enter that land – that person has an assurance of safety and protection
from every Muslim. It is totally haraam for
any Muslim to harm him. And the person, - the Muslim -,
who does, falls under the curse of Allaah, the Angels, and all of the people.
- Look to those
at the head of these protests and you’ll see that all of them are from the
heads and supporters of the jamaa’aat as-siyaasiyyah. And the fact that none of the ‘Ulamaa’
of Ahlus-Sunnah have anything to do with this should be another sign for the
person of intellect, just as Ibn ‘Abbaas (رضى الله تعالى عنهما) brought as a proof against the Khawaarij
the fact that none of the Companions were with them, when he said (رضى الله عنهما): Indeed I’ve come to you from the
Companions of Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
and there is not a single one of them with you!
- We see the Muslims protesting, fighting with
the police, destroying property and other than that, all in the name of
defending the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) from this film produced by a man living
in America. What is amazing is that no
one is upset over the masaajid that have graves in them where other than
Allaah are worshipped besides Allaah, like the masjid of al-Badawee, Zaynab, or
al-Hussayn?! The greatest sin
that one can commit is committed in the lands of the Muslims, and the people
are tearing down the American embassy over something they don’t have the
authority or ability to do anything about?!
Allaah
said:
ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ
ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ
ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ
ﮭ ﮮﮯ ﮰ
ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ
ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ
“Verily,
Allaah does not forgive that partners should be set up with him in worship (shirk),
but He forgives what is less than that (from sins) for whomever He wills, and
whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a
tremendous sin.”
[8]
So these Muslims
and these jamaa’aat want to defend Prophet Muhammad(صلى الله عليه وسلم)
– by committing oppression and injustice – but where is the defense of
Allaah and His Tawheed from the shirk committed by
muslims in the lands of the muslims themselves?!
So know that Allaah (تبارك و تعالى) has commanded us with patience and
justice, and forbidden us from injustice and oppression. And there is no justice in the actions we see
from our brothers and sisters in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, and the
other countries that this is happening in. Rather what we see is ignorance, oppression, misguidance,
and deviation from the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
And what benefit
have they brought about?
The producer of
this shoddy film lives in America, and America is a country that has it’s own
laws that it governs it’s citizens by. And
America also has treaties and agreements with almost all of these lands that
their embassies are being attacked in, proven by the fact that they have
embassies there to begin with. So then
this affair is not in the hands of us common folk, and we don’t have the
capability to do anything about it. What
is upon us then is to be patient and cling to the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And
this is a better defense of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) than what we see from the jamaa’aat and those infected
by them!
And it is
important to note that our patience and our clinging to the Sunnah during
situations like this, when we don’t have the ability to change them, is not a
sign of weakness or deficiency. Rather it
is the people of misguidance from the jamaa’aat as-siyaasiyyah that have
duped our youth into thinking that not having the ability to act is the same as
not acting, and this is misguidance and deception.
Ibn Mas’ood narrated that the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was praying by the Ka’bah, and when he
went into sajdah, one of the companions of Aboo Jahl put the entrails of
a camel on the Prophet’s back (صلى الله عليه وسلم) while Ibn Mas’ood looked on.
And Ibn Mas’ood said: “I was
watching but couldn’t do anything about it. If only I had the strength and
ability (to stop them).” [al-Bukhaaree]
This shows us
that in situations when we don’t have the capability to act, due to physical
weakness, lack of strength or capability, or there being something else that
prevents us from doing that, there is no shame or deficiency in that, just as
the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه
وسلم) himself could not aid Yaasir, ‘Ammaar, and Umm ‘Ammaar (رضى الله تعالى عنهم) when he saw them being tortured for their
Eemaan in Allaah. So he said to
them (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “Patience,
O Aal-Yaasir (O family of Yaasir)! For indeed you’ve been promised Jannah.” [9]
What we’ve
written here is not a defense of this film.
We find it just as offensive, appalling, and insulting as everyone
else. Nor is it a defense of America, Israel,
or any other country. Rather it is meant
to be a defense of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and our Deen from those who go beyond the bounds, and
those who play on the emotions of the Muslims and the emotional,
disenfranchised youth, and call them to deviation and misguidance. It is a call to patience, justice, and
sticking to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And
this what was needed to be said and clarified. And Allaah knows best.
‘Ubaadah bin as-Saamit
narrated: “The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) took an oath of allegiance from us to
listen and obey (the ruler) in adversity and prosperity, in pleasure and
displeasure (and even) when somebody is given preference over us, and to not dispute
or contend the authority of those it belongs to, and that we speak the
truth wherever we may be without fearing in the matter of Allaah the blame of
the blamer.” [10]
May
peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family
and his Companions, one and all. And All praise and thanks are due to Allaah, Lord of al-'Aalameen.
Aboo Sufyaan
[5]
Ash-Shaykh,
al-‘Allaamah Ibn
‘Uthaymeen said: “so indeed protests are a newly-invented affair. It was not known during the time of the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), nor in the era of the Khulafaa’ ar-Raashideen, nor in
the era of the Companions (رضى الله عنهم). Then there is in them
from anarchy and disorder what makes them a matter that is prohibited.” الجواب
الأبهر ص 75
[9]
al-Mastadrak of al-Haakim (3/383), al-Hilyah
(1/140), and others. See Saheeh seeratun-Nabawiyyah
of Shaykh al-Albaanee (pg.154-155)
[10]
Muslim and others
* I reviewed the points I wanted to mention here with Shaykh Fawaaz al-'Awadhee, 15 Sept., 2012
* I reviewed the points I wanted to mention here with Shaykh Fawaaz al-'Awadhee, 15 Sept., 2012
