bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk [Interviewer] In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. May peace and blessings be upon our beloved guide, Muhammad and upon his noble and virtuous family and companions. May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you. This is the exalted salutation of Islam, and at the same time, this is also the title of this interview which is being presented by Pakistani Television, which continuously propagates a call to peace as well as a halt to terrorism, extremism, and radicalism. We are honoured to host at this pleasant and auspicious moment a most distinguished luminary in the Islamic and Arab world, the eminent scholar, Shaykh ‘Abdallah bin Bayyah. Welcome Sayyidi 0.44 [Shaykh bin Bayyah.] Welcome [I.] I pray Almighty God grants you good health and long life. [Sh.] Likewise, I pray God grants you good health. [I.] If I may begin by focusing on your current book concerning terrorism. If you would kindly elaborate on the timing of the book, its location, its point of origin, and the message which the book hopes to convey? Moreover, does the book specifically discuss the case of Pakistan? [Sh.] All Praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds. We send peace and blessings upon our liege-lord Muhammad and upon his noble family and companions. The book comprises a lecture that I had delivered in the Islamic Conference Organisation, at the central location of the organisation in Jeddah, focusing on the issue of terrorism in the year 2004. Of course at that moment in time, the war in Iraq was widespread and quite complex and hadn’t yet come to an end, just like the war in Afghanistan and everything negative seemed to be emanating from and therefore laying the blame upon Islam. At the time, we were engaged in a series of lectures as part of a Jurisprudence Convention. I presented this lecture in the introduction to the Islamic Conference Organisation. I delivered this lecture at that time so as to provide a clear and unequivocal statement regarding the standpoint of Islam to violence generally speaking, or towards what may be described as terrorism which is sometimes referred to as transgression in the Shariah or sometimes as unjust combat, or as spreading iniquity in the world. These are all constituent terms of a general nomenclature that are subsumed within the sphere of what we understand as terrorism in the world today. The book is a participatory attempt to expound the authentic Islamic perspective to both Muslims and the Western world and therefore we published the book in two languages – Arabic and English we distributed it in the West so that the leaders in the West and those in positions of responsibility could read it and examine it and clearly examine the standpoint of Islam regarding peace. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk As you mentioned, “Assalamu ‘alaikum” or ‘peace be upon you’ is the salutation of Islam. The Prophet, peace be upon him, would encounter the Arabs greeting one another with ’good morning’ and he said Almighty God has exchanged your greeting for that which is superior and that is the salutation of Paradise: “Assalamu ‘alaikum.” So he, peace be upon him, brought peace, he introduced peace to people who didn’t know peace. They were a people accustomed to warfare and to internal discord in all corners of the Arabian peninsula [I.] Yes, and indeed peace (al-Salaam) is also one of the exalted beatific names of Almighty God. [Sh.] Yes, Peace (al-Salaam) is a name of Almighty God and He, glorified and Exalted is he, is peace and he calls to the Abode of Peace, that is to Paradise. It is the salutation to Paradise and it is the greeting of Muslims amongst themselves whenever one meets another, he greets him with peace. [I.] So, this is the manner by which we interact with the world – through peace, tranquillity, mercy, and compassion. Through all of these concepts which we extract from the Glorified Quran and the virtuous Prophetic Sunnah. I pray God Almighty accepts this noble endeavour of yours Sheikh and accepts this as part of the balance of your good deeds. The Prophet, may Peace be upon him, his family and companions, has a multitude of characteristic titles and descriptions. Is it possible, not from an objective of contriving a new innovatory term, but rather for purposes of categorisation or when engaging in dialogue with the Western world – Is it possible to describe the Prophet peace be upon him, as a “Peace-maker?” [Sh.] Most certainly, the Prophet peace be upon him, was a peace-maker in the world and he shall be a peace-maker on the Day of Judgment. And the Abode of Peace which he calls to is Paradise. The verse: “O you who believe, embrace peace in your entirety.” This is the invitation of the people and the Muslims to embrace peace. Also there is the verse, “Do not say to anyone who offers you a salutation,” and in a different reading “who offers you peace, ‘you are not a believer!,’ coveting the perishable goods of this life.” The Noble Quran brought an end to, or if you will, closed the avenues of war. War is the coveting of booty and material possessions “Do not say to anyone who offers you a salutation,” and in a different reading “who offers you peace, ‘you are not a believer!,’ coveting the perishable goods of this life.” It closed the avenue of war for the sake of one’s tribe or clan, or tribal solidarity in the pre-Islamic Jahilliyah period. The Quran shut out all the avenues of war, even to the extent that war for the sake of opposing someone’s religion and indeed it is correct to say that one must not engage another in war on the basis of his religion. Rather you fight him on the basis of enmity and this is clarified by the Quranic verse: “Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits” and so from this we understand that fighting is based upon enmity and hostility against those who fight you. In the same way, fighting is also permissible to uphold freedom of bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk religion, as is clear in His Divine speech: “Permission is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged; and Allah is indeed Able to give them victory. Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: ‘our lord is God’ so these definitive verses are the ones which clarify those other verses that discuss fighting. The Prophet peace be upon him, is the embodiment of peace, extending peace even to animals and beasts of burden. It is narrated by Ibn Ishaq that the Prophet peace be upon him, once stopped a soldier about to harm a dog that had crossed the path of his army on the day of the (Meccan) victory. and the victory by the way brought about peace. and so he peace be upon him, protected the dog and her offspring so that nobody would bring any harm to them. This was a mercy to animals and so what then would be your opinion with regards to man and the progeny of Prophet Adam peace be upon him, in Islam? Therefore the peace which descended upon the Earth was a universal peace – for humans, and animals, and birds, and for all created beings on the face of the Earth. [I.] Yes indeed…Sheikh you mentioned the subject of the Meccan Victory, would you also kindly allow us to discuss the viewpoint of this subject in light of the verse: “Verily we have granted you a clear victory,” which was revealed in the Treaty of Hudaybiyah at a time of peace and not during a period of fighting. This was also true of Makkah in that it was taken without any recourse to fighting. [Sh.] Regarding the Treaty of Hudaybiyah, the Prophet peace be upon him, said: “By God, if they ask me to anything that respects the ordinances of God then I will accept it from them.” He peace be upon him, accepted all the terms in order to sign and confirm the treaty. So the signing of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah was a victory because it was a victory by way of peace and not by way of the sword. It was a key to the call of Islam and to eliminate discord. Thus, it was for this reason that the Prophet peace be upon him, signed the treaty despite these conditions. And clearly the Meccan people understood this. They said: “We don’t acknowledge the appellations al-Rahman (The Beneficent) and al-Rahim (The Merciful) so we want to write simply “In the Name of God who…” and the Prophet peace be upon him, agreed to this and said therefore “Write, In the Name of God who…” Then they said “We don’t acknowledge you as the Messenger of God. If we had acknowledged you as the Messenger of God then we would have followed you.” So the Prophet peace be upon him, said: “Erase that which you find unacceptable.” So the Prophet peace be upon him, accepted all the non-Muslims’ terms and conditions including their rejection of him in order to prevent bloodshed and to safeguard sanctity and reverence. Therefore the Treaty of Hudaybiyah was an example for the love of peace. When the Prophet peace be upon him, came to Makkah and the men of Quraysh approached him, they saw that he had no fighting force with him and that he hadn’t come to fight them. On the contrary, he had come because the entire land had become peaceful thus he came to affirm the sense of peace in Makkah they (the Quraysh) had by now come to assume a state of rebelliousness. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk Therefore when after that, the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Makkah for the Meccan Victory, the Quraysh gathered before the Ka’bah silent with apprehension and fear. He said to them, “Go, you are all free.” He peace and blessings be upon him, didn’t force them to embrace Islam, he merely said to them “Go…you are all free men.” He allowed them to leave as free men. Hence, he didn’t force Islam upon them. And they all returned to their homes. Amongst them were both Muslims as well as non-Muslims He did this to ensure that the non-Muslims would eventually embrace Islam based on sincere conviction of faith. This is something patently clear in the conduct of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, [I.] Yes…from this perspective Sheikh, how do we in this age of ours approach the world and respond to the lie and falsity that Muslims hate peoples of other religions? How do we dispel or disprove this falsity? [Sh.] It suffices us to review the history of Islam All throughout Islamic history, Muslims have been propagators of peace and have never extirpated an entire community at any moment in time. Annihilation of humans or human enmity has never existed in the history of Islam. Yes, we do have Tamerlane, but he wasn’t a Muslim in the real sense of being a Muslim and his destruction occurred within the Muslim World. Then there is the reign of al-Ghaznavi, a sultan who ruled in Afghanistan, and who didn’t perpetrate the complete annihilation of other peoples. So we have at times witnessed in history, an oppressive ruler has come to destroy a community of people. However such an absolute extirpation of peoples has never existed in the history of Islam, whereas in other histories and other religions, we find complete human annihilation has occurred. Therefore we must bring people to evaluate human history What was the role of Muslims in bringing peace? The Muslims would sign peace treaties with whoever desired peace. As a result, their wars were defensive in nature. There was no such thing as the United Nations. Today, the global state of affairs has changed – at the very least it has developed piecemeal. There was no such thing as nations dependent on a charter. The Muslims consistently endeavoured to secure a treaty and to secure peace. It was because of this that Umar, God be pleased with him, used to say “Do not pass beyond those borders which are marked by the seas. He used to say “would that they leave us!” and they didn’t cross to Cyprus during the caliphate of Umar. It was only after the death of Umar that ‘Uthman and Mu’awiyah led the Muslims’ passage to Cyprus so we see that the Muslims didn’t wish for war with anyone. They would detest war. The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, once said: “The most repulsive of names is war.” That is, even the very name of war is repulsive. This is because they had a set of negative words in their vernacular which they would refrain from using. You see because Almighty God had brought at end to fighting for the Muslims God suffices for the believers as they loathe fighting. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk This is because killing and fighting is a loathsome matter in Islam. It should only transpire as a matter of necessity, as in Jihad – a necessary measure of self-defence and it too has its conditions Its conditions which are to be met by a state, a government, or a principality which has a ruling authority, and this ruling government could harm by way of Jihad as a means of self-defence so this would be a lawfully permissible war in accordance with all appropriate criteria. Perhaps you may wish to examine the United Nations charter to consider what is the relationship of the charter with that of the Islamic standpoint on Jihad? Article 51 which states that a sovereign nation is entitled to undertake measures to defend itself and to combat any hostility against it. Therefore, the Islamic community never allowed the killing of people based on religion. Do not kill a person because of his religion, this was declared by Shaykh Taqi al-Din, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (Rh). He made this abundantly clear when he said fighting (the enemy) is not to occur in account of disbelief. [I.] Indeed, in his work Wasaaya lil-bu’uth, (Counsel for delegations) he stated: “Do not destroy any trees, do not maim or mutilate, do not kill a child.” [Sh.] Yes, do not kill a youth, or a woman, or an elderly person, and do not uproot a fruit-bearing tree, and do not harm bees or in another narration, date-palm trees. As narrated by Imam Malik in his Muwatta, the ten conditions that were made incumbent on the people by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. So their wars, if they are to be labelled as wars were for the purpose of guiding people, and to bring an end to enemies of Islam perpetrating aggression. Fundamentally, as a response to people of hostility and aggression and this is what is stated by Ibn Taymiyyah in his book Tahrir va Tanwir (Liberation and Illumination). The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, never set out to engage in combat except on the basis of hostility, or anticipated hostility. Therefore, if you acknowledge that the Arabian peninsula was surrounded by powers intent on the destruction of Islam. And that the Arabian tribes desired the complete destruction of Islam, then these responsive actions were lawfully permissible within specific boundaries. Namely, when Almighty God says: “Do not commit transgression.” For verily God does not love those who transgress, fight for the cause of Almighty God and for those who are oppressed.” Thus, fighting is for the defence of the oppressed, to save the oppressed, to form a response to hostility and for the sake of upholding freedom of religion. So these are the precepts which permit fighting in Islam [I.] Sheikh, if the prophet peace and blessings be upon him, were with us today in this age, and if his Sunnah was existent and present right before us. Then what would it be possible to say about the inclination to killing in the name of Islam? [Sh.] It is imperative for us to understand that the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, enjoined upon his community in the Farewell pilgrimage not to fight with one another. This in-fighting that we are observing in Pakistan, in Somalia, and in many bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk parts of the Islamic world. The Prophet peace and blessings be uon him, said in his final sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage said “woe unto you.” which we use as an admonition at a time such as this “Don’t return to how you were,” He said: “Do not return to disbelief, killing one another after I am gone.” So this is a warning against these internal conflicts which are we are currently witnessing [I.] “Or to bewilder you with dissension and make you taste the tyranny one of another.” [Sh.] Yes…therefore this in-fighting is not Jihad and because of this, we stated in our distributed work that those who perpetrate this internal fighting and who truly desire paradise should note that they have deviated from this path. This isn’t the correct path to attain paradise. Rather we must reconcile people. These groups who are fighting one another, Almighty God says: Reconcile them. “Then make peace between them. And if one party of them does wrong to the other, fight those who do wrong till it returns to the command of God; “then, if it return, make peace between them justly,” The advice to reconcile is repeated again. “And act equitably. Indeed God loves the equitable.” Therefore, it is justice and peace which must govern the Islamic Ummah. And we must have education. This is not something that we direct solely to these groups but to governments as well. These ruling bodies must strive to produce a text that invites people to peace, to unity, to compromise, and to forgiveness so as to direct this education and culture because a culture of killing, in-fighting, overpowering others, and hostility is an evil culture which we must eliminate from the life-blood of this Ummah. We must also strive to understand others and to teach others humanity [I.] Yes, and we are in this way looking to induce a coexistence of peace and religion between nations. We are, after all, children of Adam (As) as our Master and Imam, Ali (Ra) said: “The other is a brother unto you, either in religion or equal to you in creation.” [Sh.] Yes indeed, well said. [I.] Sheikh, if we may return to the subject of Pakistan This state which was founded upon religion principles Throughout its history, it has been with the Ummah on the problems of Iraq, Gaza, and so on Why have certain voices now come out and started to say that the Islamic Ummah has become part of these terrible negative events currently afflicting Pakistan. [Sh.] The problem of Pakistan cuts into the heart of every Muslim Pakistan is a great nation. It mustn’t become a failed state. All the people of Pakistan must understand this reality that this great country mustn’t reach such an outcome. 17.58 We must all look to create a vision for Pakistan, so that peace prevails among the people of Pakistan. Because if peace doesn’t prevail in Pakistan, then this will be the most significant form of assistance to Pakistan’s enemies, and consequently therefore Pakistan will be destroyed by the hands of its people to the benefit of its invading enemies. This is something I urge upon every son of Pakistan; to lay down his arms for the sake of Almighty God. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk Just as I said many years ago to those in Algeria to lay down their arms for the sake of Almighty God [I.] Indeed, this is a splendid concept. [Sh.] One mustn’t follow the path of war. If you are suffering from oppression, then likewise what is worse than this oppression which you are now in turn inflicting upon other people? [I.] Yes, when two Muslims fight one another, both the killer and the killed are condemned to the Fire. [Sh.] Yes, especially if you proclaim another to have left the fold of Islam calling him a disbeleiver and you fight him. Proclaiming another to be a disbeliever, is a step towards the path of killing and is the prelude to killing. Only something patently clear causes a Muslim to become a disbeliever and it is impermissible to kill him or to fight him in this way. [I.] Contemplation (Tafkir) is better than Takfir (calling someone a disbeliever)! [Sh.] Yes [I.] Indeed Sheikh, if we may further benefit from your honoured presence here by discussing the ongoing dangerous and damaging events namely the explosions which have come about recently and which continuously persist in Pakistan. Are they to be categorised within the scope of Jihad or that of terrorism? [Sh.] These are not categorised within Jihad. These are regrettably classified as killing and transgression. It is transgressive killing. To display hostility, to emigrate to Pakistan and effect the killing of the elderly, the young, and women. This is something completely prohibited by the Shariah and all believers in Islam who desire paradise, must not embark upon this path. This is the path of oppressors. The path of killing and not the path of the Friends of God nor those who strive for the sake of Almighty God. [I.] I see Sheikh, therefore you call for words to take the place of violent blows. So that we engage one another in dialogue That is to say discussion instead of disorder, so that we sit down and talk to one another. [Sh.] Indeed, what I call for is expressed by the Quranic verse: Restrain yourselves, and establish the Prayer, and give the alms. That the Muslims should lay down their arms and that they converse with one another and engage in dialogue in order to resolve their problems. That man swallows and restrains his anger when he is angry. [I.] For the sake of God. [Sh.] Yes, for the sake of God. To be patient in the face of oppression even if he is oppressed, otherwise the consequences will be very destructive. This nation affects bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk every Muslim. This is a great nation and it is a place of refuge for Muslims. When we see it today on the verge of collapse, on the brink of the abyss, This is a terrible calamity. We urge the Muslims to resist this, (we urge) the scholars, the thinkers, and those with wisdom to collectively work toward and offer a proposal that will solve the problems of Pakistan. Because this (killing) is not permissible at all and thus we are in need of their help to achieve . We are under their direction As this isn’t permissible at all – for factions to fight one another and for the government to engage in war with its own countrymen and its coreligionists. All of this is transgression and is impermissible. In reality, the killer and the killed are both in the Hell-fire as is indicated by the Hadith literature. Thus I advise all Pakistanis, by way of your work here, to think deeply and to restrain themselves. Just as it is declared in the Quran: “Did you not look to those to whom it was said: Restrain yourselves, and establish the prayer, and give the alms?” Therefore they must lay down their arms so that Pakistan lives on and doesn’t die. Islam is an invitation to life; “O you who believe! give your response to God and His Messenger, when He calls you to that which will give you life.” It isn’t a call to an abased sword, or a hastened spear or a perpetual war. This is not the invitation of Islam. Every Muslim must endeavour to oppose the proliferation of war. We must be prudent and adhere to a degree of responsibility, otherwise the consequences will be destructive. This will be the case for everyone I am sorry to say, and not solely for that of a specific faction. [I.] I see…Sheikh, what then is the ideal conduct to adhere to when the Muslim encounters a Western armed force? Without mentioning names in the region of India, Pakistan, in Greater Syria and in the Islamic world, what is the action facing these Muslims when face-to-face with these Western forces that have come to our lands? This poses great problems It poses problems such as: What are the relationships of the governments with these (Western) forces? Are they invited on the part of the government to repel a specific threat? or has this power come of its own accord for the purpose of killing and destruction? and in all of this, there are specific regulations. Therefore, the scholars there and around the world must study every situation individually, and endeavour to provide a ruling for every situation after identifying the situation in its entirety and presenting an examination of it. [I.] Yes, therefore when the ordinary Muslim finds in his personal opinion that his government doesn’t apply Islamic Shariah education – What therefore is the standpoint which he should adopt in relation to this government? Doesn’t Islam call for peace and effecting what the Muslim needs by way of peace? Why are these revolts and daily uprisings occurring? [Sh.] If the government doesn’t apply the Shariah rulings and the divine ordinances, it is not permissible to fight it. It is not a disbeliever government. We have already examined this problem and publicized our findings. This isn’t disbelief. Disbelief has to be a clear course of action that renounces Islam. When the non-application (of Shariah laws) is not accompanied by bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk renunciation of Islam, meaning that you declare Islam to be bad…rather at the same time, if this non-application of Shariah law is possibly due to weakness, or as a result of fear or some form of prudence – Then all of this does not place the Muslim within the scope of disbelief. All the scholars, right from the era of the Abbasids to the present day have explained the Quranic verse: “Whoever fails to judge by what God has revealed then they are unbelievers.” the scholars said this is: Disbelief beneath the status of disbelief proper and sinfulness beneath the status of sinfulness proper and that this doesn’t take one outside of the fold of Islam. Many of our brothers who are part of this movement do not know of this interpretation [I.] They haven’t understood this interpretation [Sh.] Yes, they haven’t comprehended this interpretation and have accused people of infidelity. They grew up in a colonised country. After being colonised, this land endeavoured but was unable to become strong in its religious faith, and thus sometimes didn’t arrive at a specific (Shariah) ruling in which case such people who oppose this then call for fighting. Fighting doesn’t resolve the problem. Come let us engender a state of being until we reach a level of consensus and then apply the rulings of our Shariah. I do not endorse proclaiming Takfir based on non-application of the Shariah. On the contrary, I say all the scholars from the time of the Abbasids to the present day have stated It isn’t disbelief that should lead to killing people. This therefore is a grave error in interpretation which is quite prevalent amongst people who cite Ibn Taymiyyah. Ibn Taymiyyah has a statement regarding this and he says “these people are not disbelievers.” and he also said it is disbelief beneath disbelief and sinfulness beneath sinfulness. This statement is readily available. However, such people are actually citing another statement of his concerning the Tatars or the Mongols. And this statement has a different context and doesn’t apply to this context. Therefore, all of our brothers and our youth must understand this and know that the crime of killing is much worse than the non-application of the Divine Law. That you deem regional fighting to be permissible on the premise that the ruling authority hasn’t implemented a specific level of the noble Shariah. This (status quo) reflects an absence of the Shariah law and is not tantamount to infidelity. The Divine injunctions can only be effected by a Shariah legislative authority. Okay, so as long as this (problem) is not examined by a competent Shariah legislative authority, who then will apply the injunctions? Who is responsible for the application of these laws? Such a Shariah legislative authority doesn’t exist – our brothers in Somalia declare “apply the laws,” but who can apply these laws? The land remains in a state of bloodshed And (there is the question), why is it impermissible to apply the laws in a land of war? Because the people are not living in peace. This is apparent from the Hadith literature about cutting the hands in war. If the people are engaged in an attack or a war, then the injunctions don’t apply to us. Umar, may God be pleased with him, postponed applying the injunction concerning Ramaada. Thus the commander of the faithful said: “There is no punishment until the people agree upon a ruler or an leader.” and so these are the principles which the people may not understand. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk We must endeavour to advocate a call to contemplation, to a competent authority, and to evidential proofs, so that we find a solution to our problems and that we don’t attempt to constantly resolve our problems by way of the sword and through use of weapons. Because weaponry in this age has become highly destructive. It has begun to kill tens of if not hundreds of children and women and so we must understand that the situation today has changed greatly. And that wars today can no longer be considered in the same frame as the wars of the past. Past wars might have caused the death of a person or a score of twenty in a long war, but now, wars can kill thousands and millions. This is iniquity on an immense scale. People must reflect upon this and work to restore order and success, Truly God is the patron of success. [I.] Indeed Shaykh, I pray to Almighty God that peace develops more so than war. At present, with regards to those who undertake these explosive operations, do we proclaim disbelief upon them? or declare this to be a level of sin? Bearing in mind how often the Khawarij (early Mulsim sect) were proclaimed to be disbelievers in early Islamic history. There were people then who pronounced disbelief upon them... [Sh.] No, the Khawaarij, who turned away from Ali (Ra) were not called disbelievers by him and he didn’t pronounce Disbelief upon them. He said: “Our brothers have wronged us, they are people of transgression.” They (the Khawaarij) failed to acknowledge and take heed of the injunction not to fight with other Muslims. From the outset, Ali (Ra) sent Ibn Abbas to talk to them, and to discourse with them. And so dialogue commenced with the entreaty that they must lay down their arms so that the people can talk to one another and so that the people come to reach an agreement. To refuse the laying down of arms and attempting to reach a judgment by means of fighting doesn’t solve any problems. On the contrary, the problems of the Islamic world multiply and engender further problems. Therefore we must always avoid looking for a judgement through recourse to arms. [I.] Indeed Shaykh, according to your description of Pakistan as one of the places of refuge in this large Islamic world, what is the importance of the propagators of Islam, the advisers, and the reformers in this sphere? What is their fundamental, essential, and dedicated role in the promotion of peace? [Sh.] It may be that they haven’t quite reached the desired extent, There may be shortcomings and unfavourable circumstances. But despite this, voices from various directions, in unison with the Muslim world at large, have begun to gain ascendancy in urging people to restrain themselves and to stop this shedding of blood which doesn’t help anyone and that they look at the outcomes . What will be the outcome for this country after 10 or 20 years of this conflict? What will become of Pakistan? This is a significant problem and we must all think about this. It is impermissible for us to continue in this abyss which has no apparent end. [I.] How do we convince the ordinary person that making peace in his home, his work, in his surroundings, and in society at large is something simple. It isn’t difficult That you behave peacefully in your society. This is a simple matter. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk [Sh.] This is education that we must propagate in the home, in the school, in the university and everywhere else. This should also be undertaken in the mosques. Mosques specifically must spread this instructive message to denounce the sin of killing and to denounce the bearing of arms, because the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited this. He who bears arms is not one of us. He eliminated the bearing of arms and this was a great liberation. Namely, the removal of arms upon the people. [I.] Shaykh, seeing as we currently in the midst of blessed days marking the birth of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him,, I’d like to end our discussion with this question: through reference to the noble Prophet’s peace and blessings be upon him, birthday, How must we – and we are enjoying a holiday to mark the occasion of the Prophet’s birthday with celebration, happiness, and so on – How should we employ this noble and gracious day in the direction of propagating powerful moral concepts to oppose wars, fighting, and discord? [Sh.] I believe it is a gracious and blessed occasion, and we must call Muslims to it. And call upon them to stop perpetrating the greatest crime of all and that is killing. This is a gracious occasion. This must be an occasion to mark tolerance, reconciliation, and love. If we respect ourselves and we reconcile and forgive one another, then others will respect us. They (others) will say that these people are tolerant of one another and are at peace with each other, so there’s no need for us to interfere in their affairs. I believe that our good conduct will cause those people from Western societies, who are accusing people (in Muslim lands) of perpetrating oppression, I believe our conduct and unanimity will cause them to leave us be. And to declare that we have no business here. (saying:) These people are at peace with each other and so we have no need to interfere. However, the problem is that because of our bad conduct, we grant others the opportunity. And so this is a course of action that is reprehensible from two perspectives; The first is because of in-fighting, and the second is that it grants others the opportunity to interfere, As we say, it is forbidden, both the means and the outcome. We are perpetrating wars from within, we are affording others the opportunity to interfere and to fight in our lands, and to attack us with fighter aircraft. If we were in agreement and united in following a singular path and upon the way of education and in reforming our lands and our homes, then nobody would be able to enter in our affairs. However, people interfere when they see cracks and fissures in our societies, and perpetual fighting amongst ourselves. At that point then they declare that this (military intervention) is the only way we can deal with such a country. Therefore it is our good conduct that will earn the respect of others, and will consequently engender peace in the world. This is what we hope for; namely the proliferation of peace in the world. And that the entire global community endeavours to educate itself irrespective of whether it is Muslim or non-Muslim. So that this gives rise to good relationships between individuals, between societies, between various peoples, and between nation-states. [I.] A final word then Sheikh to end our positive meeting today; Would you kindly offer a message to the good people of Pakistan? [Sh.] My message to these people would be a message of love. They are a people bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk whome love, whom we appreciate, and we ask Almighty God to grant us success and to grant them success. To unite them, to rectify their current state, and to halt these futile wars which do not lead to any good. And which will present an opportunity to the enemies of Pakistan to attack it and engage in armed hostilities with it. Pakistan doesn’t deserve this. It deserves construction and not destruction. It deserves building and not ruination. It deserves peace and security, and doesn’t deserve war and fear. It deserves flourishing growth and not poverty. It deserves all things good and so we call upon the people of Pakistan to save Pakistan. That they unite upon the importance of equality, and that as a result, others will be able to help them. We are all ready to assist Pakistan, when the people of Pakistan come to an agreement and when the Pakistani elite are in unanimity on the importance of equality, exhibiting a contempt for bloodshed and eliminating enmity. May things be done correctly between people of the Muslim community and a vast nation. May the peace and blessings of God almighty be upon you. [I.] And may peace be upon you too Sheikh. May Almighty God reward you. I relinquish all that is empty by my emigration. I will not kill the wrath which is the aggressor . I forgive everything that bites me with my good name. For Your countenance is everything that I do. I turn my face to the one who has honoured me And surrender for the pleasure of my beloved, I hope. With these illuminated words from the eminent scholar Shaykh ‘bin Bayyah, I would like to conclude our meeting and hope that the people of Pakistan and Muslim people all over the world enjoy a life full of goodness, happiness, and peace in this world and peace in the Hereafter. Thank you for listening and until we meet again on another pleasant occasion, I leave you in the care and protection of Almighty God. and may the peace, blessings, and mercy of God almighty be upon you all. bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah Shaykh Abdullah grew up in one of the eastern provinces of the West African nation of Mauritania. From a very young age, he showed extreme gifts intellectually and a profound ability to absorb a lot of information and a lot of the text. During his studies, he memorised an extraordinary number of texts. Then, at a very early age, he was appointed with a group of people to study legal judgements in Tunis and went there for a period of time. When he returned to Mauritania, he became a minister of education and later, a minister of justice. He was also one of the vice-presidents of the first president of Mauritania. However, due to the conditions in Mauritania and the military change of governments that took place, he began to teach, and he ended up going to Saudi Arabia and becoming a distinguished professor at The University of Usul al-Fiqh. The shaykh is presently involved in several organizations in the Muslim world, such as the organisation which is known as Al Majma’ al-Fiqhi, which is comprised of a body of scholars that come together from all over the Muslim world and from all the different madhhabs and different viewpoints; they analyze and study a lot of the modern issues to come up with Islamic solutions to the issues confronting modern Muslims in the modern world. Shaykh Abdullah is also involved in writing. He has written several books and has delivered lectures all over the world. He has expertise in a lot of areas that have been unfortunately ignored by the vast amount of contemporary scholars. One of the areas of expertise that he has is in what is known as fiqh al-aqaliyaat which is the fiqh or juristic rulings related to Muslims living as a religious minority with a dominant alien territory. Because the Muslims tended to prefer hijra to countries where Muslims were the majority, there are not a lot of scholars that work in the area of dealing with how Muslims in minority areas should actually live their lives and how they should behave when confronted with issues that often are in contradistinction to their deen. For full bio visit radicalmiddleway.co.uk bbp.radicalmiddleway.co.uk
Report "Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah - Building Peace in Pakistan [English]"