Part 1
The following is the extract of some of audio-fatwas (Islamic explanations) of the ruling of seeking help from kuffar by one of best and renowned contemporary Islamic scholar Sheikh Naasirrudin al-Albaani. Known to many as the Muhaddith (Islamic scholar of traditions of the prophet) of our time. He even taught at Medina University and he has done a massive work in hadeeth sciences that led him into classification process of thousands of ahadeeth based on their authenticity.
When asked about the ruling of Muslims seeking help from kuffar he said;
“And therefore we say about this without any doubt or hesitation that Islamic history has nothing to do with this (seeking aid from kuffar) at all and that it’s the worst fitnah (test/trial) to ever strike the Islamic Ummah in its entire history. As for the reason of the entrance of these Crusaders into the Islamic countries it’s not because of the war between kuffar and the Muslims but the reason is the call of Muslims to those kuffar so they can help them against the transgressors. Without doubt this is only an attempt to cure a disease with an even stronger one and this isn’t correct except only one madhab (way) and it’s the madh’hab of Abi Nawash, {a famous poet who lived in the time of Khalifa Abbas(who says)}; “And cure me with that which is a disease itself”. In fact what we hear nowadays makes me wonder and I hope that what we hear isn’t really true, because the Islamic jurisprudence based on verses of the Noble Qur’aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) and the right derivation makes it impossible to accept the justifications that we hear from some of the respected Sheikhs in these countries about asking the help from those kaffir Christian Crusaders. The meaning of their words returns to what some fuqahaa (scholars of fiqh) said in their principles, even though they did not mention that, but we can understand that they are referring to what some of the scholars of Usool have said: “ If a Muslim is between two evil deeds then he shall choose the lesser harmful for him”. They see as asking help from Crusaders less harmful, and we are not saying lesser khair but lesser harmful than the attacking of Iraqis on the Saudis. And we see their point as unacceptable by both text and the Islamic Fiqh, because the Iraq attack never took place, like it did against Kuwait. Therefore the principle that says “if a Muslim is between two evils then he shall choose the lesser harmful for him” can not be used in this prospective or place. Because what these Sheikhs call the greater evil, the Iraq attack, never took place as they thought it would in order for them to turn to the lesser evil of asking the kuffar for help or Protection!
As for the texts, it’s very clear, as it has been shown in more than one authentic hadeeth of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) where he has said , “I don’t seek help from polytheists (disbelievers)” and the reason of this hadeeth is known in (Saheeh Muslim) and others, and another narration by Al Hakim in the book of Mustadrak “that the polytheists wanted to fight on the Muslim side against other polytheists, so the prophet (PBUH) asked them “ Did you embrace Islam? They said no we did not. Then he (PBUH) said we don’t seek the aid of polytheists against other polytheists.” This Fiqh ruling is established by he who speaks not from his desires, but only out of revelation; the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). And it’s not like other rules that can be taken with or not, as they are some rules by the Hanafis, and disagreed by the Shafiis and vise versa. But this rule was placed by the prophet (PBUH) with a very clear direct text; “we don’t seek help from polytheists (disbelievers).”
Therefore the meaning of a thing being a rule is that it must be abided forever, except for accidental situation in which the rule isn’t contradicted, but only makes a certain specialisation. And those who think it’s permissible to seek protection from Americans or British or others, they see that this alliance has its fundamentals in some partial incidents in the sunnah of Muhammad (PBUH), so they think these incidents are exceptions in the rule. But we say responding to that claim; a fundamental rule is if a hadeeth of the prophet (PBUH) contradicts with his actions, then if we can’t reconcile between both, then the hadeeth of the prophet (PBUH) takes precedence to his actions, but if they reconcile then it’s better and more useful.
These partial incidents that those who justify this horrible thing (of seeking help from kuffar) refer to, are nothing but only parts that can not be compared to the disasters that have reached to the Saudi lands in specific and all Islamic countries overall. And it is fair enough that every Muslim even if that he is not a scholar should compare what the prophet (PBUH) has done in such partial incidents and the huge disaster that hit the Muslims today.
To be continued…
