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