Islam's Reformers .pdf

stated that religious men’s getting involved in politics would bethe same as holding burning fire.It is idiocy to stand against power, to revolt against thegovernment, since it is to throw oneself into danger, which isharâm. It is not permissible for a Muslim visiting non-Muslimcountries to harm unbelievers’ property, lives or chastity. Onecan receive benefit from unbelievers by pleasing them. It ismore important to observe the rights of dhimmîs, unbelieversliving in dâr al-Islâm, and of the harbîs, unbelievers coming asguests, tourists and merchants to the Muslim country, than it isto observe Muslims’ rights. It is worse to attack or even tobackbite and slander them than it is to attack Muslims. Muslimsare never idle. They become powerful by studying religious andscientific knowledge hard. Thus, they become victorious anddominant. For a Muslim, jihâd does not mean to rise in rebellionagainst the government but to spread the religious knowledge.Ibn ’Âbidîn wrote, “Certain sins become mubâh(permissible), and even fard (obligatory), under the oppressionof a sultân or another cruel ruler who employs coercivemethods, such as threats of death, imprisonment and torture, toget you to commit those sinful acts. It is sinful to disobey hiscommandments.” It is written on the 91st page of Berîqa, “Ahadîth says, ‘Obey your commanders!’ Even if yourcommander is the most inferior one among you, it is wâjib toobey his orders agreeable with Islam. A sinful command shouldnever be obeyed, regardless of whose command it is; yet it willbe obeyed if disobedience causes fitna, for, as written inAshbâh, it is permissible to commit minor harm in order toescape grave harm. It is wâjib to do the mubâh commanded bythe ruler.” ’Abd al-Ghanî an-Nablusî wrote on the 143rd page ofal-Hadîqa, “It is not wâjib to obey a sultân’s commands if theyreflect his personal thoughts and predilections. If he is unjust,coercive and oppressive, however, it becomes a necessity toobey also his orders and prohibitions disagreeable with Allâhuta’âlâ’s rules. In fact, if the sultân commands that those whodisobey him should be killed, it is not permissible for anybody tothrow himself into danger. Detailed information on this subject isgiven in my commentary to Hadiyyatu ibni ’l-’Imâd and in thebook al-Matâlib al-wafiyya.”Ibn ’Âbidîn wrote in the subject on ‘Bâghî’: “When Muslimsfreely perform ’ibâdât and live in peace in a country, it is not- 221 -