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View Full Version : Please help me understand this! (Abuz-Zubair?)


ibnYaseen
5th May 2007, 06:19 PM
I read this (http://abuqutaybah.blogspot.com/2007/04/mukhaalafatul-kuffar.html) on Abu Qutaybah's blog, and hope brothers here can help me understand this properly, in relation to the current realities and proper context according to our present time and place (i.e. the West and UK more specifically).

I came across the following words of Sheikh ul Islam ibn Taymiyyah and I thought I would share them with you. It raises some important and controversial issues that need to be discussed more in our communities by those qualified to do so:

"To be at variance (mukhaalafah) with them (i.e disbelievers) should not happen except when the religion is dominant and manifest…When the Muslims were at first weak, being at variance with them was not legislated, but when the religion became complete and dominant, it was then legislated. The similitude to that is like today; thus if a Muslim was in daar al harb (land of war) or in daar al kufr which was not daar al harb, he would not be commanded to be at variance with them in their outer appearances/manners (al hadiyy adh-dhaahir) due to the harms that would result in that. In fact it could be recommended or even obligatory for him to agree at times with their outward appearances since that would entail religious benefit; from calling them to the religion and looking into their internal affairs to inform the Muslims about them, or to repel their harm that would face the Muslims and other matters that have good purposes behind them.

As for Daar al Islam & Hijrah by which Allah honored the religion by it, and placed on the disbelievers' humiliation and the jizyah; mukhaalafah was then legislated. If it is therefore apparent that the matter of differing and agreeing with them differs according to time and place, the reality of the ahadeeth about this matter becomes apparent."

From Iqtidaa Siraat al Mustaqeem (1/418-419), Maktabah ar-Rushd, (1404h.)

Abu Ilyas
5th May 2007, 06:31 PM
I read this (http://abuqutaybah.blogspot.com/2007/04/mukhaalafatul-kuffar.html) on Abu Qutaybah's blog, and hope brothers here can help me understand this properly, in relation to the current realities and proper context according to our present time and place (i.e. the West and UK more specifically).

How far do we take this?

Clothing?
Beard?
hijab?

ibnYaseen
5th May 2007, 06:33 PM
Those are precisely the kind of questions floating around in my mind after reading that.

ibnYaseen
5th May 2007, 06:40 PM
Also, this passage seems incorrect to me according to my very limited knowledge: "When the Muslims were at first weak, being at variance with them was not legislated, but when the religion became complete and dominant, it was then legislated."

According to how I understand the Seerah and Islamic history, the Mecca time period never saw the Muslims dominant nor manifest in society and also the deen was not completed, yet despite this the command from Allah swt came ordering the Muslims to openly declare their Islamic/beliefs and call upon society as a whole to the truth. I always thought the religion was completed when the State was established in Medina, where the Muslims had security, dominance, etc. So, I find that contradictory, according to my very limited and weak knowledge. Because in the Mecca time period the Muslims was a clear minority, open to hostility, attacks and persecution by the Kuffaar majority, despite this Allah swt ordered them to declare their deen openly.

Your thoughts ikhwaan?

Abuz Zubair
5th May 2007, 07:41 PM
I don't think the mukhalafa here applies to things that are explicitly obligated in the legal texts, such as growing the beard and the veil for women.

It is most probably referring to the difference in customs and attire that was enforced between the Muslim and the non-Muslim communities.

But it is still a very interesting quote. I myself don't know of the practical solid maxims regulating the topic of tashabbuh.

stani
6th May 2007, 07:33 PM
[QUOTE=Abuz Zubair;26331]I don't think the mukhalafa here applies to things that are explicitly obligated in the legal texts, such as growing the beard and the veil for women.

QUOTE]


This is how a student of knowledge explained this to me.

but others use this to get away with alot i.e. growing the beard

sunnih
6th May 2007, 09:08 PM
Assalamu alaikum.

Indeed these words of sheikh ul-islam Ibn Taymiyah are being missinterpreted by those who like to find any excuse to free themselves from the obligations as the brothers have mentioned. The truth is that such is not the intent of the words of the sheikh and if you read them carefully you will not fail to see that. First of all when we compare the first period to now it is not the same as first we are not in a state of being persecuted as they were and we are not in such minor numbers. Indeed the principles and laws of the west although they go against the sharia to some extent do provide some sort of protection for the apearances of the muslims as this comes under their principle of "freedom of choice". Therefore to compare the situations is wrong just like anyone can not fail to admit that in that time they were not allowed to have masajids and pray but in our time this is not the case. So from this point of view how can anyone compare that period with ours?! Also the sheikhs says to agree at times so this does not find excuse to do this all the time. Also he says: due to the harms that would result in that so if there is no harm such is not the case. As far as now it has not been widwspread harm for the muslims based on their appearances therefore such is not the case. In individual cases there have been some cases but this remains individual therefore the dealing with it can be done in individual cases and there is no need to generalize such happenings. Also this is to be seen after all the possible precautions have been taken and there remains no way of avoidance. Also the status of those whom he mentions are of various degrees such as callers, spies and general masses. Therefore each has its ruling based upon that. So as brother Abu Zubayr has rightly mentioned, the droping of the mukhalafah is not to be understood as anything that is textually obligated such as not hanging crosses around your neck, celebrating cristmass, shaving the beards and removing the veils. It can be accomodated in those matters that fall within the allowed as far as possible and only when there is no way out on avoiding these matters and you can not make hijrah then these matters come into effect, but the individual cases are not generalized but are dealt with individually. So where is the justification from these words?!

alkathiri
7th May 2007, 12:45 AM
Assalamualaikum warahmatullah

Interesting because the first thing that comes to my mind is beard.
Lets not our thoughts run wild on this issue..:D