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The
obligation upon the Muslim Scholars
Question:
What is the obligation upon the Muslim scholars with regards
to facing the trials and calamities that have befallen the
Islaamic world?
Response:
From that which there is no doubt about is that sins, and
being far removed from the correct Islaamic 'aqeedah
(beliefs) – in both sayings and actions – are from
the greatest reasons for bringing about crisis and calamities
that have befallen the Muslims. Allaah – the Mighty and
Majestic – said:
{Whatever
of good reaches you, it is from Allaah, and whatever of evil
befalls you, it is from yourself}, [Soorah
an-Nisaa., Aayah
79]
Allaah
– the Most Perfect, the Most High – also said:
{And
whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what
your hands have earned. Yet He pardons much}, [Soorah
ash-Shooraa, Aayah
30]
So
Allaah is Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful to His servants,
sending to them clear signs and warnings, in order that they
may turn back to Him in tawbah (sincere repentance) and that
He may forgive them. So when a person turns to Allaah and
draws closer to Him by an arm’s length, then Allaah draws
closer to him by two arms length. For indeed Allaah –
the Most High – loves those of His servants who turn
to Him in tawbah (sincere repentance) and is happy with that,
whilst He, the Majestic, Most High, remains absolutely self-sufficient
of His servants. The obedience of the obedient ones does not
benefit Him, nor do the sins of the sinful ones harm Him.
Rather, He is Most Kind, Ever Merciful to His servants. And
He grants them the ability to do acts of obedience and to
leave acts of disobedience. So these crisis and calamities
are none other than a warning to His servants, in that they
should turn back to Allaah in repentance and obedience, and
He informs them of this by way of testing them. Allaah –
the Most High – said:
{And
certainly We shall test you with something of fear, hunger,
loss of wealth, lives and fruit. But give glad tidings to
those who have sabr (patience); those who, when afflicted
with a calamity, say: Indeed to Allaah we belong, and to Him
we shall return. They are those for whom are the salawaat
(blessings and forgiveness) from their Lord, and His Mercy,
and it is they who are the guided ones}, [Soorah
al-Baqarah Aayah
155]
And
Allaah – the One free from all defects – said:
{Evil
has appeared upon the land and the sea, because of what the
hands of men have earned. That Allaah may make them taste
a part of that which they have done, in order that they may
return to Allaah in repentance}, [Soorah
Room, Aayah
41]
And
Allaah – the Most High – said:
{And
We shall test you by way of evil and good, and to Us you will
return}, [Soorah
al-Anbiyaa., Aayah
35]
And
Allaah – the Most Perfect – said:
{And
We tested them with good blessing and evil calamities, in
order that they may return to the obedience of Allaah},
[Soorah
al-A’raaf, Aayah
168]
And
there are many other aayaat with similar meanings.
So
the obligation upon the leaders of the Muslims – the
Scholars, rulers, and other than them – is to have concern
for the various afflictions and calamities that occur, and
to remind and admonish the people, and to explain to them
what they have fallen into. Also, those in authority –
from the Scholars and rulers – should set a good example
of righteous conduct, and should discuss the reasons as to
why Allaah is angered and gives retribution; and they should
seek to cure this with tawbah (repentance), istighfaar (seeking
Allaah’s forgiveness) and correcting their affairs. The
rest of the Ummah
will then follow them in this, since the guidance of the Scholars,
and the wisdom of the rulers – and both being correct
and upright – has one of the greatest affects with regards
to the fulfillment of responsibilities.
The
Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) said:
((Each
of you is a guardian, and is responsible for those whom he
is in charge of. So the ruler is the guardian and is responsible
for his subjects; a man is the guardian of his family and
is a guardian for those under his care; a woman is a guardian
of her husband’s home and is responsible for those under
her care; a servant is the guardian of his master’s wealth
and is responsible for what is under his care. So each one
of you is a guardian for what is under his care. So each one
of you is a guardian and is responsible for what he is entrusted
with)), [transmitted by al-Bukhaaree
(13/100) and Muslim
(no. 1829)]
However,
when the Muslims become accustomed to sinning and being contented
with it, and those who wield authority and power do not try
to prevent them, then the anger of Allaah will quickly descend
upon the Ummah.
And when His anger occurs, and His punishment takes place,
then it covers both the sinful and obedient, and the protection
of Allaah is sought from this. About this Allaah – the
Most High – said:
{And
beware of the fitnah
(trial and discord) that does not affect in particular only
those amongst you who are wrong-doers}, [Soorah
al-Anfaal, Aayah
25]
Likwise,
the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam) said:
((When
the people see an evil, and they do not try to change it,
then Allaah will cover them all with punishment from Himself)),
[transmitted by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2168), who authenticated
it]
Allaah
– the Most Perfect – said:
{Indeed
Allaah will not change the condition of a people until they
change the condition of themselves}, [Soorah
ar-Ra’d, Aayah
25]
So
the Scholars will be thoroughly questioned infront of Allah
with regards to them giving knowledge and guidence to the
people, and explaining to them what is correct and what is
wrong, and also clarifying the beneficial from the harmful.
So
we ask Allah that He favours all the Muslims and grants them
the ability to be ability to be obedient to their Lord, and
to cling to the guidance of their Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu
`alayhe wa sallam), and that He grants their leaders the
ability to fulfill their duties, and that He reaches their
Scholars the ways of guidance , so that this all may traverse
its path and direct the Ummah
to it, and that He guides the misguided Muslims and corrects
their affairs. Indeed He is the Guardian over this, and the
one having power to do this.
Shaykh
Ibn Baaz
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 4, Pages
134-135, Question No.1
..........
Translated
by: Maaz Qureshi
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