Haitham al-Haddad – Islamic Scholar Answers Muslim Student Protest Faqs
AI: Summary ©
Representatives from ISOC warn against protesting and calling for civil engagement, as it could lead to war of fatwas and prevent progress on Islam. The speakers stress the importance of enrolling in Islam to establish justice and achieve the fullest possible results, and emphasize the need to be at the forefront to stop evil and encourage others to participate in stopping its consequence. The conversation also touches on the global picture of resistance and authoritarianity, the importance of protecting one's rights and being mindful of one's actions, and the need for activism and support for students and Muslims.AI: Transcript ©
Students have been all over the news in
the last few weeks. You gave your support
to them a few weeks ago, in the
US the students in US. And since then,
their protests have spread spread like wildfire. We've
seen encampments spreading across the UK and even
Europe.
We've had a few calls with ISOCs, different
Islamic societies,
putting their questions to you and questions are
still coming in from students. So we wanted
to take this opportunity, Shay, to answer some
of their questions, to get your advice, particularly
from a Shariah lens. Because, mashaAllah, the good
thing that we've seen is the the students,
the Muslim students have a zeal, you know,
to do things the proper way.
They're sending in lots of questions. So,
I want to get some of your invaluable
advice here. So first first of all, sheikh,
what
what would you say are the Muslim students
responsibilities right now? If you're a student you're
Muslim student in the UK, for example, or
in Europe or whatever, wherever you are in
the world, what is your duty as a
student?
Okay.
Let me start in in a, academic way,
in a structured way. I know that many
of the young people,
they wouldn't like this, method.
However,
let me talk to students, university students. They
are academic. They understand.
They should
understand
any
matter, based on a certain framework, not just,
they want just a quick fatwa.
Call the sheikh. What do you think of
protest? What do you think of incumbents? And
they might call,
a scholar from a country that does not
allow any,
civil engagement.
And then, obviously, that scholar will say, no.
This is haram, or they might say, well,
but there is a level of Iftilaat, free
mixing. No. It is haram. Don't participate in
this. Or maybe they call other scholar who
says that, oh, this is not the method
of the Salaf, the early scholars, the Sahaba,
they didn't do that. No. This is a
very shallow.
That method is a very shallow method, and
actually,
it increases the problem rather than it solves
the problem. And then
see, I really want to warn our students
upon doing that because then it will be,
like a war of fatwas.
Some students call,
these scholars, and these scholars
support what they do. And the other students,
they will say no. We called the other
scholars, and the other scholars said yes. And
then they say, oh, who are the biggest
scholars? These are the senior scholars. Some other
people say say, no. These are sellouts,
and and, no. You cannot rely on them,
etcetera. So Your your sheikh versus my sheikh
kind of thing. Yeah. Exactly. Your sheikh versus
my sheikh. No. This will not solve the
problem. This will not,
you know, help our students to understand
that situation. Let us start
if from a very,
basic level.
Now my dear brothers,
my dear sisters, Allah
created us to
worship him.
This is clear
that we have sent our prophets to call
people to,
Tawhid. Allah
also says, wanakalaquljin,
I have not created jinn and ins except
to worship me. Now
my dear brothers, my dear sisters, worshiping Allah
is of 2 types.
Listed
acts of worship, which revolves around the 5
pillars. The prophet
said, Quran is built on 5 pillars, shahadatin,
salah,
then zakah, siam, and Hajj. So these
Ibadat
are the listed heavily regulated
Ibadat.
Then
anything
that,
meets the higher aims and objectives of Sharia,
the entire life is a rebada
for us. Now
here,
another
important
verse that is maybe as equal as wamakhlaqul
jinnawil insa
illa liabudun,
as equal as,
that verse or maybe
similar to it.
We have sent
the prophets. See? Allah
is making it clear that the purpose of
the messages
of the prophets is what?
Liya ommann nasubulqas
in order for people to establish
justice.
Now we have Ibadah and establishing justice.
Okay.
Are they the same or are they different?
Obviously,
they are the same. But maybe there are
2 phases for one coin.
If you understand about comprehensively,
you will be able to establish justice comprehensively.
If you want to establish justice comprehensively,
then you need to submit to Allah
And that's why we find in the Quran
that Allah,
commanded us to establish justice in many verses.
One verse in
Surat An Nisa,
Oh, you who believe, establish justice
and stand for
Allah. Similar verse is found in Surat al
commands you to fulfill the rights of people
and
when you rule or when you,
judge something, just judge it according to justice.
Allah says in the Quran,
justice and do ihsan
and look after
our close relatives, and he,
prohibits
indecency. He prohibits
injustice
and, wall. Even Mas'ud radiAllahu ta'ala anhu said
this is the most comprehensive
term on the Quran.
Now this summarizes what Muslims,
should do in this life. Worshipping Allah,
Okay. In its broader sense
and with,
giving attention to the 5,
the the the 5 pillars of Al Islam,
and in the meantime,
establishing
justice.
That's why we were commanded,
we were commanded to enjoin the good and
forbid the evil. Allah in fact, called us
the best of nation because
we enjoin the good and forbid the evil.
You are the best nation in joining you
are the best nation ever raised to mankind
because of what because you enjoying the good
and forbid the evil so
what students
should do? They should worship Allah and
They should make sure to establish justice.
They should make sure to enjoy the good
and forbid the evil. They should make sure
that whenever they see injustice
taking
place in the world,
they should participate
in stopping that. This is our function, my
dear brothers and sisters,
as Muslims. This is the overarching
principle.
Now, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil
differs from one country to another country, from
one situation to another situation, cut it short,
these days.
So there are some acts that help in
in joining the good and forbidding the evil,
such as participating in demonstrations,
petitions,
writing,
lobbying, political
lobbying,
influencing judiciary,
talking to people,
coming on social media
using the different media platforms
to air your views.
Okay? So this is an intrinsic
part
of our job as Muslims,
my dear brothers, my dear sisters.
And therefore,
yeah,
therefore, that if there is any injustice that
is taking place in the world,
our Shabbat, our students, they should be the
forefront.
We as Muslims in general should be at
the forefront
to stop that injustice.
Whether this injustice is taking place against Muslims
or against non Muslims,
we should be at the forefront.
Our students
should be also,
maybe,
it should be more
at the forefront.
Now
my dear brothers and sisters, doctor Salman, all
of us know the level of injustice that
is taking
place against our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
Many people think that this started in October
7th. No.
This started
70 something years ago. In fact, some others,
they say it started before that, before,
Belfort's declaration,
okay,
in 1917.
So,
the the the the this injustice
and,
that's why
that's why this injustice that is taking place,
the occupation,
and the the genocide
and the massacres that are taking place
by the,
Zionist forces, the Zionist occupation
against our brothers and sisters and Gaza is
the peak of that.
Okay?
So this is
this is just in a very simple way
that there is there are atrocities. There is
a genocide
that is taking place against Muslims in Gaza.
What am I what are we going to
do? Yes. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasabi wasalam
said in the hadith that Allah
on the day of resurrection will say to
the person, will say to every single one
of us, I became ill, you did not
visit me. I became hungry, you did not
help me, which means,
Yeah, and then the man would say how
how do you become illia? How do you
become illia Allah? How do you become?
How do you how do you need help?
You Allah and then Allah jalala will say
didn't you know that my slave so and
so
wants
help and you didn't help him? You could
have done this.
Moreover, my dear brothers, my dear sister,
this if if this is just,
we are talking about the people of Gaza,
let alone that this is
we forgot
the,
element of that they are Muslims
defending
their iman,
their aqeedah, their Islam.
Yeah? Because if they were to be,
living under the,
Zionist occupation,
we know that what the Zionist occupation
is doing to them. So they are defending
their deed. They are defending their land. They
are defending their honor. They are defending their
lives.
Okay? So
they the least
they,
deserve from us is to stand next to
them by all means
to support them as much as
we can as simple as this
now,
defending them takes different forms.
Yeah. As we said in joining, for in
joining good and forbidding evil takes different forms.
Just before I move to
the the the I mentioned the different forms
that defending them takes.
But
I also want to say that,
they are brothers and sisters, please, we need
to understand. It is very unfortunate that some
non Muslims
understood this more than Muslims.
They understood this, especially the
university students, and then we will talk about,
university
students.
They understood
that the people of Gaza
are standing
against the global
coloni
colonization,
a global,
against the global imperialism,
against the global injustice,
a global,
against the global
hegemony and control
of,
human beings, of,
of,
minorities.
They are standing
for those who want to decide for themselves,
for those who want to divide, to live
their life according to what they want without
harming others, according to their own dignity,
and
and using,
living on their land, using their resources. So
the the Gaza became an icon of
resisting the global
injustice.
Yeah. This is this is how we should
understand it. And it is very unfortunate
that
the,
the western many western media outlet, they are
yesterday the,
the article of BBC,
okay, about the incumbent,
the incumbents.
They were talking about
the the
the war,
Israel
launched against Hamas,
and they are trying to make it as
a war between Hamas
and
Israel, and Israel
waged this war against Hamas
because Hamas
have killed 1200
people from them and took,
200 plus a captives.
So,
the the the the point here is
that,
Russia became an icon
for
resistance.
Resistance against this global hegemony,
global injustice.
Now
this makes it
this compels us
more and more to
stand for this
and to support those who are,
helping the people in Ras'ah.
Why?
Okay, beside the fact that they are our
brothers and sisters,
but we as Muslims
suffered a lot from this,
imperialism, global imperialism.
We suffered a lot from,
colonization.
We suffered a lot from,
those superpowers that are taking advantage
against,
less
powerful or powerless,
nations.
So
we suffered a lot. We suffered in Afghanistan.
We suffered in Yemen. We suffered in Sudan.
We suffered in
in so many places, so many in East
Turkestan,
we suffered in so many places.
So now the people of Gaza, they are
resisting
this. We should be among the
people, the first people to support them. Yeah.
Mhmm. Not just that. I mean,
just for 100 of years. I mean, lots
of people are calling,
what's happening here is is the last surviving
European colony in the Middle East. It's the
last
so it's within that
that, broader narrative of white supremacy and European
colonization.
Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.
And that's why. Yeah. And, you know, that's
why, you know, if we move to the
the,
students,
to be honest with you, I would like
to call them as teachers.
Yeah. Seriously.
Because
they
understood
the purpose of universe
of universities,
of these educational
institutions
more than others have understood it. What is
the purpose of universities? What is the purpose
of these educational institutions?
The main purpose of these educational institutions
to educate people. To educate people to do
what?
To live in dignity.
To preserve their own rights. To maintain
human rights. For the world to live in
peace, to egg to coexist
peacefully,
and also
to stand any injustice, to to stand against
any injustice, to stand against genocide,
Against,
masking. Against,
massacres.
So those students have really understood
their purpose as a students.
They understood the purpose of universities,
and that's why they are doing whatever they
are doing.
Yeah. So let's get to some of the
questions,
explicitly. I mean, well, that that that's that's
a very useful introduction in terms of how
we should be thinking. But,
like you mentioned,
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says,
So Allah commands justice
and, Ihsan, but he also, you know, forbids
lewdness and and,
you know, immorality. He's done a lot.
In this and the injustice. Yeah.
So
lots of questions come
from students about there being certain, you know,
fascia,
certain, you know, alcohol or haram things that
are happening at demonstrations. So they might feel
someone might tell them or they might feel
themselves that, you know what? I shouldn't be
held. This is something haram.
How should they,
navigate that? What should be going through their
minds? And is this something
Yeah. Yeah. Good. Good. See, the the the
the problem is,
you know, many Muslims,
they made to think in a very micro
way.
Yeah. And when people think in,
a very micro way, they wouldn't be able
to understand the bigger picture
my dear brothers and sisters
now
Islam
in general is at threat
Yeah?
If if
the,
Zionist
project
won
this war. What will happen? They will proceed,
and they will impose
their agenda
in all Arab countries including
Saudi Arabia.
And then all of us will suffer the
consequences
of that. All of us will suffer. Which
consequences?
The,
ideological
consequences.
So the very whole,
Aqeedah of Muslims
now
is under threat,
my dear brothers and sisters.
Okay? So this is one thing. The other
thing is
that
if,
the Zionist project
won, then
so many Western countries,
they will promote
their values more and more. And they will
say that, oh, actually,
we
we won because
our values
are the best values for humanity.
And this is what Allah says in the
Quran. In 2 verses, He said, as a
dua,
the believers should say,
The Ben Kathir. What did he say about
this? He said, oh Allah,
don't make us as weak
Muslims
and don't make the disbelievers,
overwhelm
us,
win over us.
What will happen?
They will think that they won over us
because they are what? They believe in the
truth,
and we are on the falsehood.
That will stop them from accepting Islam. So
the the physical defeat
has so many,
so many
ideological
consequences,
my dear brothers and sisters.
Our values
our values
will be they are under threat now. Okay?
They are threatened now and there will be,
more,
if, what is it?
More under threat,
if if something happened to
and
and this this Zionist project
won. So
therefore,
my dear brothers and sisters,
we should look at
this
war or invasion
or occupation of Gaza from this perspective.
Let alone
what I have said in the,
just just a few minutes ago that the
Gaza
is becoming an icon
for those who want
to fight
against a global injustice,
against
a global, colony.
So now my dear brothers and sisters,
this is a situation of emergency.
Yeah. This is a situation of Barura. And
we all know that Allah
gave certain rulings for Durura.
Allah says, ilhaman,
feminine turrahirabbahim
walaadin.
Ilhamuqturutumilay.
The principle of daroorah. Yes. The Quran is
focusing on the principle of eating
haram,
meat or haram food
in situations of necessity
or emergency
situations,
but
the Quran is using this as a sample
of
emergency,
the impact of emergency
or ruling. So emergency,
necessity
will relax
certain
rulings.
And my dear brothers and sisters,
See once we say relaxing certain rulings.
I'm not saying that go and drink and
dance with them. I am saying that
don't look at what is happening now and
your engagement,
and don't measure things
according to what you read
about the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in Medina.
What
happened to the or what was happening in
Medina and,
during the time of Sahaba,
which is the
puritanical
virgin of Islam.
Yeah, don't compare our situation now with that
situation.
Otherwise,
you will not be able to understand so
many things. You will not be able to
engage. You will not be able to do
anything because
everything around us, not here in the UK,
but even in Muslim countries,
everything
from that perspective, if you look at it
from that perspective,
will be considered
around. So what to do? Only that. We'll
be we'll be not faithful to what Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala might want in a particular
situation by trying to
copy
one one situation. It might not be the
the relevant fatwa
in in another situation.
Yes. And this
this
actually makes the deen of Allah Jala'ala irrelevant.
Yeah. Irrelevant. Why? Because you cannot apply it
and then you yourself will say to yourself,
well, the deen of Allah is cannot be
implemented now.
It is not because of the deen of
Allah cannot be implemented now. No. The deen
of Allah
can be implemented,
at any time at any point.
Do you believe in some elements of the
book and you don't you disbelieve in others
can should be implemented
anywhere,
anytime.
So many verses that command us to rule
by the law of Allah,
but Allah
is the one who
revealed
this book to be applicable,
to be implemented
in all circumstances.
So,
this is something that is so crucial.
So we should do not look yeah. Yeah.
And what I am saying here is first
of all, let us change
the glasses
that we are looking at things.
Yeah. A mindset.
A mindset.
If we don't change that mindset,
we will be struggling.
Yeah. And Also, don't don't look at the
obstacles
that might be in a in in the
way. But I think the the the what
is what does Allah want you to do?
What's the most urgent thing right now? Exactly.
This is another important point. I I I
would like to comment on that. But just
before that, I was saying that once you
change your mindset,
my dear brothers, my dear sisters, they'll then
you will understand things correctly.
And be careful. I'm not we are not
saying that, okay. For the brothers, yeah, let
us go and, and and have parties.
Tonight, they are have they are having parties.
They are drinking. They are Yeah. And,
just participate in that for our sisters to
go and intermingle
with the boys and maybe they they will
maybe commit something around no. We are not
saying that. But what we are saying is
that,
first of all, it change your mindset.
Number 1. Number 2, the point that you
have mentioned, which is look at success before
obstacles.
Now when we
want to participate,
when we want to do something, we will
find 100 ways in order to,
avoid the Haram. So,
and many brothers
many brothers have said that
we went to the,
people
in
Oh, sorry. Yeah. Yep.
Yeah. They said we have we went to,
the students who are in charge of those,
movements and those,
activities.
And we said to them, we are Muslims,
and we cannot participate in. We,
appreciate if you don't
drink alcohol,
if you don't do this and that, and
they were welcomed.
They were welcomed and appreciated.
Yeah. Especially when you show that you really
want to do something and you supported them.
You are not just coming for kalam, for
just talking. So when there is a will,
there is a way. There is a way.
Exactly. When there is a will, there is
a way. And Muslims,
my dear brothers and sisters,
Muslims as leaders
should not always think of,
obstacles.
Yeah.
We always say that
leaders think of success.
Leaders think of goals
before they think of
the obstacles.
Because if your mindset is to think about
obstacles, you will not achieve anything. Mhmm. Yeah.
Doctor. Lachashic, there's there's a there's a slightly
related question, which is
so, okay, so you talked about what's might
might be happening there. Some people might be
playing music, inappropriate music, or,
you know, drinking or free mixing inappropriate slogans.
That's stuff that's happening there, and you can
you can, you know, if you're there, if
you're at the table, you can try and,
you know, carve a space which is
free from some of these things and and
tell them, for example, you know, don't don't
drink here or don't do this here or
whatever. And and we found that normally they,
they they they're happy to accommodate. But what
about when it comes to the people that
you're Yeah. Yeah. You know, one one point
about this, doctor Salman. We really need to
blame ourselves because if we don't take the
initiative, if we don't fill the vacuum, other
people will will will fulfill the vacuum. Okay?
Will fill the vacuum, will fulfill the needs.
And then once we try to follow-up, then
we are too late. The, the the the
scene has been set. Okay? So we should
not blame others when they take initiatives
according to their own terms.
That's why we always say brothers and sisters,
Muslims should take initiative.
Muslims should be brave.
The prophet salallahu alayhi wasallahu alayhi wasallam
as Anas Abraham Malik described him. He said
that he used to be the most generous
person
and the bravest person.
Okay? And we are not saying, by the
way, that, okay, go break the law,
the the the cause harm to other people.
Vandalize the, okay. No.
You, we are civilized people. We can do
participate in these protests,
in these,
incumbents.
We can,
we can
raise our concerns about
the,
the contribution of the university
in the
researches that are taking place, you know, by
the Zionist states, the support of the genocide,
the the different types of investments.
Okay?
And it has been proven that these movements
have
been successful
Okay, and and they worked
it worked. Yeah. Yeah.
Before we get on to that sheikh So
what what about so there's some questions coming
about,
okay, there are people there who are, you
know, who we disagree with. There might be
people with different ideologies
and LGBT groups and feminists and secularists or
whatever. Any, lefties that, you know, you might
agree with them on something, but you disagree
with them on other things. Yeah. What's your
view on that in terms of not just
being there, but actually being
promoting and being joint ventures with, like, Islamic
societies and stuff like that. Yeah. See, first
of all,
the brothers in another country, they asked me
about the same thing. I said, brothers and
sisters,
their presence,
okay, the presence of certain
ideological
groups,
social groups that we disagree,
fundamentally
disagree with. Yep.
Their presence there.
That we it is not in our hand.
Yeah?
And it doesn't mean that we are endorsing
Those ideologies with a political ideology social ideology,
etcetera. It doesn't mean that. Okay? And,
the the the we can agree.
We can agree
with the,
also the organizers
that, you know, this issue is,
bit sensitive for us. So let us have
a way where we can come up with
common terms.
Okay?
And and that's it.
We cannot do anything with it. It is
there.
Yeah. It is everywhere.
It is protected by law.
You disagree with it ideologically,
it doesn't mean that
they will not be there. Okay.
And and by the way, here, you know,
I was,
let me mention this. Okay. I was
in a Muslim majority country.
Yeah. Last week or maybe 2 weeks ago.
And,
we were in a university
in one of the if not the biggest
university
in that country. I don't want to name
it. I passed by
I was with some brothers. We passed by
an incumbent
as well
in front of
what
the director's office.
So I started to film it.
Yeah. I thought that they are protesting,
against against,
the Zionist state.
They are pushing their
university as we are doing here in the
UK or as people are doing it
in, in America. Students are doing it in
America. And
then while I was filming them, a lady
came or a young girl came, and
she was speaking that language.
And,
I understood it from the brothers that she
is objecting with filming. So I said to
her, do you speak English? She said little
bit. I told her that you are in
a public place.
Okay? We should film you. She said, no,
we don't want any problems with the University
and
what I asked the brothers, what are those?
They are not,
in support of Palestine.
They told me, look, And then there was
the LGBTQ,
flap.
Yeah.
They said that they are supporting this and
they are supporting,
having concerts in the university.
The university
used to have some of these big concerts,
not the LGBT
one, but just general musical,
concerts,
dancing, etcetera.
The university, for some financial reasons and security
reasons,
stopped doing these concepts. So those students
are protesting
against the
university.
They don't want to be filmed. They don't
want their identities to be, you know, disclosed
to the media.
Anyway,
many of them, they look like, you know,
the lefties and some of them hippies and
etcetera.
So,
I I,
a group of of them of,
boys and girls, they were surrounding me and
they were we started a discussion.
So,
I said to them, do
are all of you belong to this country?
So one of them, he said, no. I
don't belong to this country. I belong to
other ethnicity. I said, but that ethnicity
is the same as,
this country. So, anyway, I told them I
am, you know, a doctor,
from,
the UK, and I would like to engage
with you in a discussion. They said, yeah,
you are most welcome. I extended
hands to,
to shake hands with the men, of course.
And,
they they were smiling. We left, and I
was about to go back to them. The
brothers with me, they told me that, oh,
Sheikh, Wallahi, this is amazing because if it
was for us, we would just engage with
them in in a physical fight. I said,
no, no, no need.
Don't think.
Yeah. Don't think that,
even if they are
marching for LGBTQ,
that they
are like this themselves. But they believe
that this,
the LGBTQ,
etcetera,
is a minority that needs to be supported,
and we need to support them. Themselves, maybe
they don't do the acts, the prohibited
Islamic,
the prohibited acts from an Islamic perspective.
What I want is that the brothers,
ancestors,
even those who are
marching,
and supporting LGBTQ,
still
you can engage with them in a civilized
discussion.
Many of them, they just joined,
these groups because they found that they want
to defend any minority.
And,
the only people who are defending,
these minorities are the lefties,
and
that's why they ended up in the under
the same banner.
Yeah.
So we are confident of who we are.
We are confident of what we are about,
of what of our values.
Okay? So we can still engage with those
people in a very civilized discussion.
Even even doing kind of joint platform, joint
events?
No. Joint joint platforms,
joint events because it has some other
negative consequences,
we we don't need to do that. Okay.
We need to do that. But we can
engage with them,
with some discussions. And see, I say my
dear brothers and sisters,
after Gaza, we need to change the way
we do dawah.
Okay? Why is this? Because it has been
proven
that
the vast majority of
young people, especially young people, when they see
the truth, they are willing to accept it.
Okay? And they are not quote unquote evil.
Yeah. They are decent people. They want to
stand for justice
and
so they have right over us as Muslims.
They have right over us to,
pass the message of al Islam
to them
and to see them along with us in
Jannah.
They I believe that this is obligatory. So
our language, our discourse, the way we approach
them, we approach that,
should be different after Gaza. I, myself,
I force myself to change,
to,
be more understanding
of the young people,
to be, more accommodating
of the young people.
You might,
I
fundamentally
disagree
with,
with with certain ideologies, with certain
social norms.
Yeah. But that doesn't mean that I cannot
engage with them, does not mean that I
feel that they are evil people
and,
we cannot engage with them except,
in in except after we like, you know,
using a harsh language
against them, etcetera.
I think, yeah, I myself, I am saying
it openly. I have to,
I am
trying to change. I'm forcing myself to change
because
the post razda is not like,
before. Right? It was all. So so Creole.
Yeah. I've heard I've heard you, also say
that the reason why lots of people,
young people who are,
you know, pro justice and and want to
speak out against injustice. The reason why they
gravitate to the left is because the Muslims
are absent in these spaces.
Exactly. Exactly vacuum.
Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. So there was a vacuum.
They filled it. And as I always say
that don't blame others when they jump to
fill to,
fill any gap. Yeah?
Mhmm.
As simple as this. So, Shif, in terms
of that that point you mentioned about
joint events and,
kind of promoting something, because this is something
that Islamic societies are asking as well. So
are you saying that you don't think Islamic
societies should
join officially these encampments? What if they're just
No. No. No. No. No.
No. No. I'm not saying this. I'm not
saying that they cannot enjoin,
join these encampments.
I'm saying no, they should be
They should join.
Okay?
They should join and even if it means
officially putting your logo there
They they should join. They should
show their presence.
Okay? They should,
put their,
banners.
But I am saying that
they can have an agreement with other,
groups,
yeah,
to to maybe,
remove those,
banners that might cause,
they they might, you know, embarrass the Muslim
community. They might cause harm for the Muslim
community.
Yeah. They can do that. I am saying
that there is a way to talk to
them.
Even even I am saying that if there
is, like,
a big gathering
and there are certain
ideological group, social group that
they have their own banners that we
fundamentally disagree with, and then we can have
our own,
camp there. Okay?
In another place,
and we can have our own banners.
That this is what I'm saying. That doesn't
mean that I am endorsing them. They are
not in or they are endorsing me. We
are endorsing
the purpose, which is what? To support
our people in Gaza. To put pressure. Okay?
To put pressure on universities
to,
what is it? To to divest? Divest. Yeah.
Divest
in,
their agreements
with the Zionist,
the Zionist entity.
And many universities,
many universities
including Cambridge, maybe you have heard the news
yesterday,
the Trinity College in Cambridge,
they agreed to negotiate something with the students.
That, you know, they agreed
they, voted to divest from all arms companies.
Okay. Yeah. So this is this is really
this is in of itself is a victory
brothers and sisters.
Yeah. And once we want to achieve that
victory,
minor things can be overlooked
brothers and sisters. And Allah tells, the
one who was,
who done something,
who was involved in something haram. Not because
he wants to do the haram. Yeah.
He is not
intending
the Haram. He's not in favor of Haram
and he's not complicit with the Haram. Yeah.
What he done it or he participated in
something
where there is a haram because
of necessity,
because of,
Barua. Yeah? And imagine,
I think,
the
branch of
trinity in,
in Ireland, I think. Was it in Ireland?
You know, I was reading a lot about
that. I I I got they,
they,
or one of the universities
in line on Ireland, they cut ties,
Okay with,
the israeli,
Universities
and they are the students in America. Wallahi,
to be honest with you, these
students, they should be saluted.
As I said, they are the teachers.
Yeah? And they are the future of this
world.
And that's why
my dear brothers and sisters, please please
wake up wake up the whole world.
They we have millions of Muslims who have
been targeted.
Their Aqeedah is being targeted.
Our ideology,
our Islam our Islam is under threat.
Thousands of people have been killed,
and their land will be confiscated
from them. And we are still
arguing whether
attending demonstrations
is halal or haram. Can we attend demonstrations
or not? This is
micro thinking.
Yeah?
Mhmm. In,
a context where
where macro threats
are taking place against the Ummah, you know
micro thinking
in,
facing
facing macro threats. This is this is madness,
my dear brothers and sisters. So when those,
when those universities
put
pressure on the Zionist estate,
this is a big achievement. And that's why
I am really proud of those students who
are,
who who are, you know, participating
in these
incumbents,
in these demonstrations,
and protesting
until they see,
a level of justice taking place. Yeah. I
mean, I think it was Norman Finkelstein. He
said,
the only reason that Biden even changed his
tune now in terms of pausing some shipments
to or weapons
to the Zionist entity is because of the
students at Columbia
and you know different, universities
in the in the us
This is a high possibility
see see brothers
and sisters. Please wake up. The whole world
is at shock
You know even us
Yeah, we were shocked
that this z generation
or the TikTok generation and yeah? They have
been brainwashed,
but it has been proven that they are
not
fully brainwashed.
Yeah. This is a shock. And who?
Has ever
thought that
there will be people
academic people
in the heart of America,
the elite people,
the elite students in Columbia University
and here
in LSE
and TOWAS and many other universities
and even in France, they will
openly,
yeah, they will openly
be until the Zionist
state.
Talking
about the,
Israel aggression,
massacre,
genocide.
We have never ever thought of this and
I,
as one of the the thinkers have said
that if Palestinians
worked maybe for the last 50 years to
achieve this, they wouldn't be able to achieve
it. But of course, Allah
is the best planner. Yeah. So, Sheikh, you
mentioned,
there's so many ways to enjoying good forbid
the evil. There's so many ways to,
you know, speak out against what's happening to
brother and sister in Gaza. Why not why
not just avoid these incumbents? If there is
something,
dodgy happening next to them, what some people
might say, well, I can do other things.
I can write a letter. I can, you
know, post things online. I'm not gonna go
to those. Yeah. See. See. To be honest
with you,
doctor Salman,
those people who want to do something, they
will not be critical
in joining this incumbents.
It is actually the passive people.
Mhmm. Yeah?
The passive people. Because as I said, this
is what I'm trying to focus on. It
is a mindset.
If you have a negative mindset
Quietism.
Quietism.
Quietism.
Yeah. This is this is the mindset
because they don't want to say anything. I
met a brother and he was saying that
no, they actually, you know, I asked some
of the shukha and they said make dua.
Yeah. And make dua and give saluqa. I
said, Khabibi,
look at the Seerah of the Prophet Sallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam. What his Seerah? Yeah. In in
the Madani Sira, was he making dua?
Only
Yeah. Was not he engaged in the battle
of Badr Uhud, 20 some,
scholar said 25
battles?
Wasn't he talking to the leaders of the
nations, the,
Roman Empire to the Persian Empire?
Yeah.
Was he the prophet
just making dua and giving Sadaqa?
Is this what Allah told
us to do? No way.
This is a very passive
un Islamic way and Allahadillahualla
said,
Prepare.
Yeah.
So
any any
power is needed.
Okay? Beside, we are not saying that don't
make dua, don't go to salah, don't give
sadaqa. No. We said beside that,
we need activism.
Activism activism
is a form of enjoying the good and
forbidding the evil. If you see
a person
* a lady. Yeah.
And what are you going to do? You
will say, you Allah, stop him from the
* her. You Allah, stopping stop,
from him. Stop him from * her. You
might be sinful.
You might be sinful. You might be making
dua and sinful because of that. Because dua
at that time is not
the what Allah, the Allah, the Allah,
wants it from you at that time. This
Quran said that if you were fasting
and you saw a person and you want
to,
to help him, you cannot help him except
by breaking your fast. You must break your
fast in order to save his life.
Okay. This is our deen. Our deen is
the deen of activism.
Why we were the best of nations?
Because of just because we pray and we
make dua. No. Allah
mentioned the first qualities.
Yeah. And that's why see why I'm mentioning
these things because many of the young people,
they cannot think
but in a micro way,
and they are unable to understand
the bigger picture. They cannot understand
the bigger obligation
that Allah
obligations that Allah
obliges us to
do. And by the way, you know, I
I mentioned to some brothers. I said, now
in Makkah
in Makkah,
was there shirk
in Mecca?
Were there idols in Mecca?
Were people worshiping other than that in Mecca?
Sirrah
doing tawaf,
okay, based on shirk in Makkah.
Yes or no, doctor Osama? Yeah. Could prophet
salallahu alaihi wa sallam witness all of these
things or not?
Of course. The prophet the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam. The,
the, the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam
could have taken an act and destroy all
these idols. Yes or no?
Yeah.
But he didn't do that.
Yes or no?
Okay? The prophet
in Makkah
participated
with his uncles and some of the dignitarians
in something called Al Fazool,
Al Fazool treaty.
Yeah? Al Fazool treaty where some of the
dignitarians
came and they took, like, an agreement or
a treaty to stop injustice that is taking
place or that might take place against
the experts or the foreigners
who come for Hajj in Makkah.
The prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam didn't say
that unless they become Islam, unless they destroy
the idols, I cannot participate
in this,
kind of treaty
and agreement.
Yeah.
The and the Prophet
was participating
also,
in the story of Abu Jal, the prophet
went to Abu Jal, and
he commanded him, he threatened him that he
has to give that,
that that poor person his right. Allah
also says
in in Surat al Muqaffifeen,
doctor Salman.
This Surah is a Makki Surah where it
was revealed in Mecca.
Mecca, where the Muslims?
Majority, no.
Majority,
no. The system. The system. Was it an
Islamic system?
No.
No. Okay. It was actually
a system that is Islamophobic,
if we want to to use this expression.
Yet Allah, Adalai Wa'ala
revealed
certain rulings
regarding what? Regarding the cheating and dealing with
people
unjustly.
Yeah. We cannot say unless people
endorse the aid, we cannot
participate in joining the good and for or
forbidding the evil.
Like Shoaib alayhi salaam, you would say,
you will essentially
people. Shoaib
alaihis
salam. Exactly.
Was
commanding people or calling people to,
to donate and in the meantime, he said
Don't cheat.
Don't cause harm. Don't cause injustice.
Yeah.
So what what I'm getting here is even
if you
do if somebody does I will end someone
shouldn't look in the micro only. They should
should look at the bigger picture. But even
if you look at individual rulings and so
forth, include this as well into your
calculation
that not doing something, not joining these incumbents
might be a greater harm, might be a
greater,
you know, sin
on you
if you have an ability to do something
and you're and you're and you're,
drilling and adding to Or or you didn't
do it. Yes. Exactly.
Exactly.
See, the issue is,
you need to look at it from different
angles. If you are unable to look at
it from a macro
perspective or all angles, look at it from
different angles, and you will see that it
is not as you are
imagining it that, oh, yeah, but if there
is,
free mixing there. Okay. There are I was
saying yesterday on Islam Channel. I said, okay,
brothers
and sisters in these demonstrations,
you know,
there are so many Muslims who have, you
know, clean shape. They they they don't grow
their beards.
Okay?
Yeah. Now we know that growing the beard
is the practice of the prophet, salallahu alaihi
wasalam. The prophet, salallahu alaihi wasalam say, grow
your beard, etcetera.
Okay? Can we say in that, well, we
cannot participate with them unless they grow their
bills?
Can we say that?
Okay. We cannot participate with sisters
unless they were proper hijab.
Yeah. We cannot brothers and sisters don't think
in this
idealistic,
unrealistic
way.
Mhmm. Yeah? And even
sorry. It is even not idealistic.
But you know the leader from Quran.
No Dalir from Quran and Sunnah that you
cannot
do this. Okay? Now some people say, I
disagree with okay.
Not wearing hijab and not shaving your beard.
Yeah. But that doesn't mean that they are
still
trying to participate in enjoying the good and
forbidding day even. Okay? And
we say that the whole Ummah is in
need of the whole Ummah brothers and sisters
now.
Mhmm. Yeah. In fact,
the Ummah is in need of those who
share with the Ummah. Yeah.
Key
aims and objectives
of Sharia such as establishing,
justice and stopping injustice.
Mhmm. This is linked to another question, Sheykhin,
which is,
do we have to make ink card of
every mon card if you see these things
happening? Exactly. Do we have to speak out
against that at that time? Who said that
we can
we should do I nqaar of every single
monkah. I mentioned
the prophet
was witnessing the idols worshiping worshiping Mecca. Yes
or no?
Yes. Yeah. People were there. Worshiping idols. No
need to mention any other, you know, mukas.
This is halakh. This is Al Kufu al
Akbar.
Mhmm. Yeah?
And the prophet
because he was
enjoining the good and forbidding the evil indirectly.
Yes. It is a a broader strategy, you
could say. A broader strategy.
Exactly. Exactly.
So that strategy
will end up in stopping
worshiping idols.
And many of the young brothers and sisters,
they want a quick fix a quick fix.
Yeah?
They think in a very micro way, just
in a tunnel way, one way,
okay, in joining the good and forbidding the
evil is this way. You see a person,
you just go and check. Yeah. This is
Haram. This is I cannot do this. Okay.
I cannot stand with you, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
It won't work. We should be careful though,
Sheikh, that we don't paint the brothers and
sisters in the
in the ISOCs all like that. I mean,
although there might be some voices like that,
I mean, we're still positive. It doesn't go
I have to say that the vast majority,
I'm really very proud
of our brothers and sisters
in in in general, the young brothers and
sisters. Yeah? I'm really proud of them. Most
of them are participating in this. Most of
of them are supporting.
And,
most of them are supporting those students. I
would like just to add a few points
that,
you know, we should support those students, Muslims
and non Muslims. We should support them politically.
Yeah. We should speak about,
what they,
are doing. Let the whole world know what
they are doing. They are not breaking the
law. We should also support them even financially,
you know, they might need food.
Okay. I heard you that the food,
some,
camps, they,
stopped them from going out or coming in.
And the brothers, they are smuggling the food
through the, you know, the defense.
Yeah. Okay. No tunnel. It's okay. Through the
fence. What can they do? Yeah.
Do they need,
maybe their bones to be charged? Maybe
support them. And even, you know, we should
show some of the elderly people going,
speaking to them, showing them Yeah. Support, maybe
preparing some food, Yani. And and I heard
that in in America,
some of the Palestinian
families are providing, you know,
some Palestinian
food,
makluba and others for,
those students, which is a good, you know,
a good just.
Okay? So so,
something like this has to be done, my
dear brothers and sisters. Yeah. I wanted to
ask you actually about this. I mean, we
spent too much time on the on the
FIP, than than I would like to have,
but I think it's important because people are
people are asking these questions. But in summary,
don't look at the
the kind of
micro rulings
or micro haram that might be present incidentally.
You're not going for that purpose. You're going
for a much more important purpose. And if
you don't go, you you know, it's a
it's a it's a bigger evil, it's a
bigger harm. As you said, Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala might take us to account for inaction
in certain times of acute crisis like this,
Lesser of 2 evils, that kind of thing.
But in terms of practical advice now,
one of the questions is,
do
the students, should they do they need permission
from their parents? And what can,
what advice do you have to their parents?
Because a lot of people might be afraid
that,
I would like to do this, but I
don't know what what my parents think, and
there might be a a risk of us.
See, let us be here. Okay.
Some, people, did ask me this question. I
said to them,
you are a goody goody goody. You don't
do anything without the permission of your father.
Come on, man. When you when this came,
you started to say, well, what about my
father's permission?
You find you can if there is a
word, there is a wisdom. Okay? Let me
just not get into that. Go and speak
to your father. And here, I would like
to say to parents,
support your children.
Okay? Support your children. The prophet
said that,
aid your brother whether he is an oppressor
or he is, oppressed.
How to support him when he is an
oppressor? By stopping him from oppression.
Yeah, because he is oppressing someone so and
then whatever it is he if he is
oppressed
then support him They are doing this my
dear parents
so you should support your children
and you should
be proud of your children and that they
are building the future of our Ummah,
my dear brothers, my dear sisters. Yeah. So
participating
in those,
supporting,
those,
incumbent,
students.
Socially,
politically,
financially,
etcetera. In order for them to continue.
Yeah? Legally.
Legal, of course. Yeah. Of course. Of course.
Because, Roshay, the reason I mentioned that is
one one of the questions that we've gotten
is
pay maybe a sensitive one, and that is,
some encampments that have been there for a
few weeks,
there there's a sense of restlessness that, you
know, the point the whole point of it
is to cause
discomfort and cause some disruption.
You mentioned, you know, they're not breaking the
law. Should they break the law? Maybe certain
things,
you know,
not necessarily breaking the law, but breaking the
rules of the university.
Right? So So this is not with the
university.
You know?
See see, the
the students,
I believe, yeah, that they are mature enough
to have the best judgment.
Okay?
So I I don't like to get into
these things,
but they should not
harm anyone.
Yeah. They should not vandalize.
They should not,
break them. Main laws that, you know, protect
the the,
what is it? The the, peaceful,
setup of of the state of of the
people.
Okay? So Public safety.
Public
safety, etcetera. And they are not doing that.
They are not doing that. Maybe they are
breaking
maybe certain
rules. Okay? And these rules are not,
big enough.
Okay? Or the or they are not key
rules.
This is, you know Like disturbing graduation ceremony
or, you know This is yeah. This is
maybe I think this is, Yani,
all,
come under
legal protesting.
Okay?
Legal,
civil engagement.
Yeah. So these students, they are mature enough
to have the best judgment. We say in
general,
don't break the law. Don't vandalize. Don't cause
harm to yourself, to others. These are,
our universities. You are going to study in
those universities.
Other people are benefiting,
the universities
and and,
you know,
yeah.
Yeah. So, you know, the students should make
their own choices. They should consult with each
other and look all And they have
and even there are some, you know,
there are some teachers who are, you know,
supporting them. Yeah. There are some teachers.
So those teachers are mature enough to,
to have the right decision. Okay? Have the
right consultations. It's not up to me while
I am here. Okay? Are they radical enough
to, you know,
get the other students with this?
Yeah. No. I I don't call this as
radicalization.
I just say that they are
just human beings acting,
calling
to their human nature
as a human being. When you see injustice
taking place, you will do something.
They have not been,
sterilized.
They have not been pacified.
This is why the world
is shocked. Okay?
Yeah. Because they thought that, oh, we have
domesticated
them. We have controlled them. We have,
what is the word? This generalized
them. So they cannot do anything except what
the state,
wants from them. Yeah. Otherwise,
they are acting as just simple human beings.
Yeah.
Yeah. And and,
they're they're making us all proud.
What I I I don't want to kind
of focus too much on the FICC, but
this question has been coming a lot as
sisters want to be part of this as
well as much as possible.
What do you say,
what's your advice to them? Is it the
same as your brothers or sisters, if they
can if they can find,
you know, an environment
that there is a good level of protection
and,
for the sisters
and a good level of modesty,
and their parents allow them to to do
that and I encourage the parents to be
lenient,
okay, and consider it.
I think, yeah, why not? Sister, this is
the game.
One sister asked me, I said, masha'Allah, sister,
again, again, you you are very goody goody.
You do
whatever you want to do. You travel to
other countries even without Bahram when with your
friends. When it came to,
participating
in
in something that is,
really,
that helping to enjoying the good and forbidding,
The evil you started to be, you know,
worried about about it. Of course, I'm not
saying that they should be,
they should risk their ima, they should risk
their,
dignity, they as a sister, they should risk
their safety. No. But if there is a
will, there is a way. Yeah. And one
of the brothers, Usad, Abu Hanifa, he said,
he's been at these some of these incumbents
as well, and some of the other Asat
asatida and the mashaikh. They've been saying that
every situation is different. Every university
Exactly. Is different. It depends,
you know, you know, the salah and the
the kind of safe spaces and the spirit
areas for sister sisters. Yeah. You know, some
one thing that's common across everything is the
is the fact that the more Muslims are
there, and the earlier Muslims get there, the
more,
you know, these symbols of Islam will be
respected.
Exactly. Exactly.
And this is our cause. And this is
brothers call and sisters, come on. We are
the ummah of enjoining the good and forbidding
the evil. Yeah. We are we were selected
by Allah Jala'a for this and then
we
are the last people to do this. Let
alone that these
we are supporting the cause, the very,
cause for ourselves as Muslims in in in
Gaza, in Palestine.
Zakmahan,
Sheikh, I've taken a lot of your time.
I think we've gone through pretty much all
of the questions. We we can advise some
of them as well.
Yeah. We've got a lot of, a lot
of respect, and we're very proud for, of
all the students.
Definitely.
I'm really, very
proud,
very proud of those
students. I talk about them,
in front of, you know, I'm traveling a
lot these days. I'm talking about them,
in front of all people from all countries,
And everyone is really proud of, you know,
in particular,
British and American students. Yeah. Muslims and non
Muslims. Yeah.
And we all have an, a duty to
support them as much as as much as
you can. Yeah. You know, helping out offering
water, food, tents,
helping,
especially if you're a lawyer, you've got some
you can give legal advice. You can if
they get in trouble,
they get kicked out, you can help help
them and, you know, offer pro bono advice
and so on. Most of the community is
coming together. So we really do look forward
to, you know, the impact they're having. Alhamdulillah,
it's having a big impact.
You know, we're seeing,
you know, a domino effect of of, you
know,
defense so called defense companies being
divested by the permission of Allah, alhamdulillah.
So my quick trip I I advise
them, alhamdulillah, they are doing that to be
united. Okay?
To be careful not to,
be played on and and just going against
each other. They should be very careful and
remain united,
remain mature, consult.
Okay?
Do things in a measure way.
Jazakmah keran, Sheikh,
for for all your time. We'll let you
go now, inshallah. Jazakmah keran.
And to you for watching at home. If
you like this podcast, give a like and
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didn't cover that you you still have. Let
us know in the comments below. And, that's
it from me and the Assam Tuncian team.
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