Islam's Reformers .pdf

permissible for them to rebel against the government. If thegovernment oppresses and if opposing this oppression causesfitna, it is not permissible in this case, too. Helping such a ruleris a support given to cruelty. One should not help those whodisobey him, either, for, one should not help in an action that isnot permitted [1] . Those who rebel, for the purpose of seizingpower, against the government that does not oppress peopleare called ‘bâghîs’, and in this case Muslims should help theState against them. For a hadîth declares, ‘May Allâhu ta’âlâdamn him who wakes fitna!’ If the rebels call the governmentand Muslims ‘disbelievers’ and attack Muslims’ property andlives, they are called ‘Khârijîs’. Likewise, today, some peoplecalled Wahhâbîs [2] attack other Muslims and call them‘disbelievers’ because they do not believe as they do. Since thisbehaviour is (one of those acts that are) definitely harâm, theythemselves become disbelievers by doing so. Regardless ofwhether the sultân is fairminded or cruel, it is wâjib to obey hiscommandments agreeable with the Sharî’at. If the Khalîfa is amurtadd or insane or unable to practice Islam he is to bedismissed. If his dismissal would cause fitna and his staying inoffice would be less harmful, he is to be tolerated. If a Muslimassumes the office of Khalîfa by subjugation and force andseizes power, he is to be obeyed. A governor appointed by anon-Muslim government is obeyed if he practises Islamic rules.If he cannot put Islamic rules into practise, or if the governor is akâfir, too, Muslims elect one from among them as muftî or head.The muftî practises Islamic rules. If this is not possible, either,which means a life of slavery, a possible fitna should beavoided. As it is understood from this passage, the fatwâ signedby Shaikh al-Islâm Hasan Hayrullah Effendi under duress forthe dethronement of Sultân ’Abdul’azîz Khân and the fatwâsigned -when the fatwâ officer Hâji Nûrî Effendi refused to signbya bigot threatened with death for the dethronement of’Abdulhamîd Khân II were not mashrû’ (legal). It is written in thetwelfth volume of Türkiye Târîhi (History of Turkey) that these[1] The greatest cruelty is to prevent Muslims from performing ’ibâdâtand from teaching religious knowledge to their children, to causethem to commit harâm and to spoil their îmân.[2] Please see our publications Advice for the Muslim, Endless Bliss,II, 34, and Confessions of a British Spy for details aboutWahhâbîs.- 222 -