Shadee Elmasry – Should Muslims Be Involved in Politics

			How should we approach taking
positions in politics? If we know
		

			that politics involves bad
character, bad virtues, etc?
		

			That's a beautiful question. And
it is a question that comes from a
		

			good place. But for the most part,
I think that when we look into our
		

			theological tradition, when we
look into the spirit of the
		

			Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu,
alayhi, salam, and even the Koran
		

			itself, we have examples of use of
it sit down, for instance, taking
		

			up a position as Minister of
Finance in the UK Government, and
		

			then also using his position to
then bring his brother and then
		

			using even some type of political
maneuvering and tactics with his
		

			brothers, you know, placing the
gold copper grill in their in
		

			their bags, so he can ensure that
they will return not giving his
		

			identity away.
		

			Billy, there's all types of
political maneuvering that he
		

			uses, which for us to consider is
that just as the Prophet Muhammad
		

			sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
that, you know, when it comes to
		

			politics, when it comes to war,
right, that there is a level of
		

			deception that is required, but
but the key I think, for us is
		

			oppression, that you are sincere
in your engagement that you are
		

			using some level of
		

			tactic or maneuvering, but
ultimately you're doing it for
		

			kind of the good cause or the
greater cause. And it is kind of
		

			dirty, but everything has some
type of dirt in it, hence why we
		

			pays a cat on our money.
		

			Even our money has some level of
well, you know, what is this thing
		

			actually worth? This thing is the
work that I actually put in value
		

			that this thing, what is the level
of goodwill and sincerity that I
		

			have towards this work that I'm
earning this money, there's always
		

			a level of potential harm, if not
just worldliness. And so we kind
		

			of pay off any potential harm
through Zakat and it's ultimately
		

			beneficial to everyone. But we
know that the Prophet Muhammad
		

			Sallallahu
		

			restricted some of his Sahaba from
engaging in politics without the
		

			alongside the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
		

			said that he considered him kind
of weak, and that he would not be
		

			able to kind of endure the strain
and the stress of power. And we
		

			know that when two men had come to
the Prophet Muhammad salallahu
		

			alayhi salam as authentically
related in Buhari, that they came
		

			to him asking for positions of
power. And he said to them, that
		

			anyone who asks for a position of
leadership will not have it given
		

			to them. So we do know that some
people in a sense are built for
		

			it. And it also requires a great
level of training in order to
		

			withstand those things. But
ultimately, as long as we return,
		

			US power dollar to tell in Dober
then we pray that Allah subhanaw
		

			taala, forgive us. But it's not
easy. It's not easy at all. But
		

			you have to do what you can from
where you are, and not just
		

			fantasize about an ideal world,
but you do what you can from where
		

			you are, it'd be a great book or
even a PhD thesis for someone to
		

			write because there's so much
material on how to rule principles
		

			we could say, you talked about
setting the use of that's one of
		

			the best is your you have a
prophet and a non believing
		

			country. So then you have of
course the Sierra then you have,
		

			of course, the qualifier, Russia,
Dean, then you have of course, all
		

			of the few verses here and there
regarding the behavior of
		

			different kings in the Quran, such
as medikit Saba, the queen, queen
		

			of saba. So there are a lot of
principles that people can draw.
		

			And I think the best summaries and
you met you touched on it is that
		

			the politics of the Muslims is the
politics of the oppressed, whoever
		

			is oppressed at this given time in
in regarding the priority and the
		

			definition give it about
oppression in the Quran and
		

			Hadith, right, so not anybody, as
Prophet use of brothers came
		

			crying, they were guilty. Next
time they came bold, they were
		

			innocent. So not anyone who cries
oppressed, is oppressed, oppressed
		

			by the standard of the shittier.
And of course, the priorities
		

			there are we have a fifth of
priorities. A couple of years ago,
		

			there was an oppressed gorilla who
was killed there are oppressed
		

			humans who are killed. So what's
the what's the priority? You
		

			remember her rhombi
		

			right. Okay. So then so you have
there in a case where we have to
		

			have ask what are our priorities
right? Something could be
		

			oppression, but it's maybe level
15 on our priority.
		

			Right other things are or not