(Series of Answers by the Scholar Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut-Tahrir, to the Questions of the Visitors to his Facebook Page "Fiqhi")
Answer to a Question
Clarification of the Concept of Fitnah
To: Nbiha Essam
Question:
Sir, regarding your statement: "Is there not among you a right-minded man who will put an end to those Ruwaybidat (insignificant men), and restore the biography of the Ansar, by giving us Nusrah (material support) to establish the rule of Islam, a Rightly Guided Khilafah on the method of Prophethood...?" I would like to point out the Prophetic Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “When you see the people whose covenants have been corrupted, and whose trusts have become light (diminished), and they were like this,” and he interlaced his fingers. He (the narrator) said: So I stood up to him and said: "What should I do at that time, may God make me your ransom?" He said: “Stay in your house, weep over yourself, control your tongue, take what you know to be right, leave what you reject, mind your own private affairs, and leave the affairs of the public.”
It seems as if there is a contradiction between what the Messenger (saw) commanded and what you are calling us to. May Allah bless you.
Answer:
The Hadith you mentioned was reported in its entirety by Abu Dawud in his Sunan as follows:
"Harun bin Abdullah narrated to us, Al-Fadl bin Dukayn narrated to us, Yunus bin Abi Ishaq narrated to us, from Hilal bin Khabbab Abu al-Ala, he said: Ikrimah narrated to us, Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Aas narrated to us, who said: While we were around the Messenger of Allah (saw), he mentioned the Fitnah, and said:
إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ النَّاسَ قَدْ مَرِجَتْ عُهُودُهُمْ، وَخَفَّتْ أَمَانَاتُهُمْ، وَكَانُوا هَكَذَا
'When you see the people whose covenants have been corrupted, and whose trusts have become light, and they were like this,' and he interlaced his fingers. He said: So I stood up to him and said: 'What should I do at that time, may Allah make me your ransom?' He said:
الْزَمْ بَيْتَكَ، وَامْلِكْ عَلَيْكَ لِسَانَكَ، وَخُذْ بِمَا تَعْرِفُ، وَدَعْ مَا تُنْكِرُ، وَعَلَيْكَ بِأَمْرِ خَاصَّةِ نَفْسِكَ، وَدَعْ عَنْكَ أَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ
'Stay in your house, control your tongue, take what you know (to be right), leave what you reject, mind your own private affairs, and leave the affairs of the public.'"
This Hadith and other various Hadiths concerning Fitnah were revealed for cases where truth is mixed with falsehood such that the truth cannot be identified... So, whoever finds the matter confusing, the Shar'i rule for him is to stay in his house until the truth is distinguished from falsehood, at which point he must follow the truth.
Anyone who contemplates what was mentioned in the Hadith, in both meaning and structure, will see this matter clearly. Look at the phrase "and they were like this" and the narrator's explanation of what was indicated by saying "and he interlaced his fingers," meaning he mixed the fingers of his hands together, indicating the surging of some people into others and the confusion of the matter for them... All of this indicates the confusion of truth with falsehood and their lack of distinction from one another. In this case, as we said previously, the Shar'i rule for the person is to remain seated... until the truth is distinguished from falsehood, at which point he must follow the truth.
Standing with the truth—whether that is through enjoining the good, forbidding the evil, supporting the oppressed, or working seriously and diligently to seek Nusrah from the people of power (Ahl al-Quwwah) to establish the Islamic State in its absence—is a matter mandated by Shar'i evidences, including:
1. Regarding Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil:
وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
"And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful." (Surah Aal-Imran [3]: 104)
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَر
"You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong." (Surah Aal-Imran [3]: 110)
- Ahmad narrated from Abdullah bin Amr: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: "If you see my Ummah fearing to say to the oppressor: 'You are an oppressor,' then they have been forsaken." Abu Dawud narrated that Abu Bakr said, after praising Allah: "We heard the Prophet (saw) say:
إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الظَّالِمَ فَلَمْ يَأْخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، أوشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابٍ
'Indeed, if people see an oppressor and do not take him by his hands (restrain him), Allah will soon encompass them all with a punishment.'"
At-Tirmidhi narrated from Hudhayfah (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said:
وَالَّذِي نَفْسي بِيَدِهِ، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالمَعْرُوفِ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنْ المُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ تَدْعُوْنَهُ فَلا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ
"By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, you will enjoin the good and forbid the evil, or Allah will soon send a punishment upon you from Him, then you will supplicate to Him and you will not be answered."
At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud also narrated from Ibn Mas’ud (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
كَلاَّ، وَاللهِ لَتَأمُرُنَّ بالمَعْرُوفِ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ المُنْكَرِ، وَلَتَأخُذُنَّ عَلَى يَدِ الظَّالِمِ، وَلَتَأطِرُنَّهُ عَلَى الحَقِّ أطْرًا، وَلَتَقْصُرُنَّه عَلَى الحَقِّ قَصْرًا، أَوْ لَيَضْرِبَنَّ اللهُ بقُلُوبِ بَعْضِكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ، ثُمَّ ليَلْعَننكُمْ كَمَا لَعَنَهُمْ
"No, by Allah, you shall enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and you shall restrain the hand of the oppressor and force him to follow the truth, or Allah will strike the hearts of some of you against others, then He will curse you as He cursed them."
Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said:
أفْضَلُ الجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائرٍ
"The best Jihad is a word of justice before a tyrannical ruler."
An-Nasa'i narrated from Abu Abdullah Tariq bin Shihab al-Bajali al-Ahmasi (ra): A man asked the Prophet (saw) while he was putting his foot in the stirrup: "Which Jihad is best?" He said:
كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائرٍ
"A word of truth before a tyrannical ruler."
2. Regarding Supporting the Oppressed:
وَإِنِ اسْتَنْصَرُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَعَلَيْكُمُ النَّصْرُ
"And if they seek help from you for the religion, then you must help." (Surah Al-Anfal [8]: 72)
- Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih from Abdullah bin Umar (ra) that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
المُسْلِمُ أَخُو المُسْلِمِ لاَ يَظْلِمُهُ وَلاَ يُسْلِمُهُ... وَمَنْ فَرَّجَ عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ كُرْبَةً، فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً مِنْ كُرُبَاتِ يَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ
"A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does not wrong him nor does he hand him over... And whoever relieves a Muslim of a distress, Allah will relieve him of one of the distresses of the Day of Resurrection."
He also narrated from Anas (ra), who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:
انْصُرْ أَخَاكَ ظَالِمًا أَوْ مَظْلُومًا
"Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or is oppressed." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, we help him if he is oppressed, but how do we help him if he is an oppressor?" He said: "By restraining his hands."
He also narrated from Al-Bara bin Azib (ra): "The Prophet (saw) commanded us with seven things... [including] supporting the oppressed."
3. Regarding Seeking Nusrah from the People of Power to Establish the Islamic State:
Ibn Hisham narrated in the Sirah: "Ibn Ishaq said: ... The Messenger of Allah (saw) used to present himself during the seasons, when they occurred, to the Arab tribes, calling them to Allah and informing them that he was a sent Prophet, and asking them to believe in him and protect him until he could make clear to them what Allah had sent him with."
Abu al-Fath narrated in Uyun al-Athar: "Qasim bin Thabit mentioned... from Ali bin Abi Talib regarding their departure, he and Abu Bakr, with the Messenger of Allah (saw)... Abu Bakr said: 'From which people are you?' They said: 'From Shayban bin Tha'labah.' Abu Bakr turned to the Messenger of Allah (saw) and said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, these are the nobles among their people.' Among them were Mafruq bin Amr, Hani bin Qabisah, Muthanna bin Harithah, and An-Nu'man bin Shurayk... Abu Bakr said:
'Has it reached you that he is the Messenger of Allah? Here he is.' Mafruq said: 'It has reached us that he mentions that. To what do you call, O brother of Quraysh?' The Messenger of Allah (saw) stepped forward and said: 'I call to the testimony that there is no god but Allah alone without partner, and that I am the Messenger of Allah, and that you shelter me and support me (tansuruni)...' Hani said... and it was as if he wanted Muthanna bin Harithah to join him in the conversation, so he said: 'And this is Muthanna bin Harithah, our elder and our master of war.' Muthanna said: 'I have heard your words, O brother of Quraysh... but we have settled between the two Sirys: Yamamah and Samamah.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'What are these two Sirys?' He said: 'The rivers of Chosroes and the waters of the Arabs... and we have settled upon a covenant taken from us by Chosroes that we would not initiate any matter nor shelter any innovator... So if you would like us to shelter you and support you from the side of the Arab waters, we will do so.' The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'You have not responded poorly since you were eloquent in your truthfulness, but indeed the Deen of Allah will not be supported except by those who encompass it from all its sides...'"
Thus, the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to seek Nusrah from the people of power among the tribes so they would embrace Islam and support him (saw) to establish the rule of Allah among them. They did not respond until Allah willed... so the Messenger (saw) sent Mus'ab to Medina, and the Ansar responded and gave the Messenger (saw) the Second Pledge of Aqaba. Then the Messenger (saw) migrated to Medina and established the state there...
Ibn Hisham narrated in the Sirah: (Ibn Ishaq said: Then Mus'ab bin Umayr returned to Makkah, and those of the Ansar who had become Muslims went out to the season with the pilgrims of their people from the polytheists, until they arrived in Makkah. They made an appointment with the Messenger of Allah (saw) at Al-Aqaba, during the middle of the days of Tashreeq, when Allah willed for them what He willed of His honor, victory for His Prophet, and the glorification of Islam and its people, and the humiliation of polytheism and its people... He said: So we went out asking about the Messenger of Allah (saw)... He said: We entered the Mosque and there was Al-Abbas sitting, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) was sitting with him. We greeted them and then sat with him... Ka'b said: Then we went out for Hajj, and we made an appointment with the Messenger of Allah (saw) at Al-Aqaba during the middle of the days of Tashreeq. He said: When we finished the Hajj, and it was the night for which we had made an appointment with the Messenger of Allah (saw)... He said: We slept that night with our people in our camps until a third of the night had passed. We slipped out of our camps for the appointment with the Messenger of Allah (saw), stealing away like sandgrouse, hiding, until we gathered in the ravine at Al-Aqaba. We were seventy-three men, and with us were two of our women: Nusaybah bint Ka'b and Asma bint Amr...
He said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) spoke, recited the Quran, invited to Allah, and encouraged Islam. Then he said: 'I take your pledge that you will protect me from what you protect your women and your sons.' He said: Al-Bara bin Ma'rur took his hand and said: 'Yes, by Him Who sent you with the truth as a Prophet, we shall certainly protect you from what we protect our own selves (uzurana), so take our pledge, O Messenger of Allah, for we are, by Allah, sons of wars and people of armor, we inherited it from forefather to forefather...' Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: '...I am of you and you are of me. I fight those whom you fight and I am at peace with those with whom you are at peace...'
They said: '...What is for us, O Messenger of Allah, if we fulfill this?' He said: 'Paradise.' They said: 'Stretch out your hand.' So he stretched out his hand and they gave him the pledge.
He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'Disperse to your camps.' Abbas bin Ubadah bin Nadlah said to him: 'By Allah Who sent you with the truth, if you wish, we will certainly fall upon the people of Mina tomorrow with our swords.' He said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: 'We have not been commanded to do that, but return to your camps.')
Al-Bayhaqi narrated in Dala’il al-Nubuwwah: (Al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Ishaq informed us... from Ibn al-Zubayr: Muhammad bin Muslim, that Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari narrated to him... 'He made an appointment with us at the ravine of Al-Aqaba, so we gathered there one by one and two by two until we were all present with him. We said: "O Messenger of Allah! Upon what shall we pledge to you?" He said: "Pledge to me to hear and obey in activity and laziness, to spend in hardship and ease, to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and to speak for Allah without fearing the blame of any blamer, and that you support me when I come to you in Yathrib, protecting me from what you protect yourselves, your wives, and your sons, and for you is Paradise..." So we stood up to him to pledge to him man by man, as he took his condition from us and gave us Paradise in return for that...')
All these evidences, and others like them, mandate not staying seated; rather, staying seated is only in the case of Fitnah when a person does not know truth from falsehood. If he knows it, then his duty is to speak the truth, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, supporting the oppressed, and seeking Nusrah from the people of power to establish the Islamic State "the Rightly Guided Khilafah" through the Shar'i method. If the Khilafah is not present, this is an obligation, and staying away from it is a great sin. If the Muslims, especially the righteous ones, were to sit back from supporting the manifest and known truth and stayed in their homes, corruption would appear, and the people of transgression and falsehood would lengthen their reach and control the necks of the servants, in addition to the fact that staying seated in this case contradicts the Shar'i texts that mandate supporting the truth as we explained above...
This is the meaning of the noble Hadith you asked about, i.e., it is regarding Fitnah when the truth is not distinguished from falsehood... Where is this, O honorable questioner, from our statement: (We direct ourselves to the armies of the Muslims: Is there not among you a right-minded man who denounces the rulers for their betrayal of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers...? Is there not among you a right-minded man who is protective of his Deen and his honor, standing in the face of the enemies of Allah, cutting their ropes and their sticks...? Is there not among you a right-minded man who will put an end to those Ruwaybidat, and restore the biography of the Ansar, by giving us Nusrah to establish the rule of Islam, a Rightly Guided Khilafah on the method of Prophethood...?)
In this case, the truth is clear and manifest; it is a call to support the Deen of Allah, establish the rule of Allah, cut off the roots of the disbelievers, and denounce those who are treacherous to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers... It is not a call to Fitnah, nor a participation in Fitnah; rather, it is a call to the manifest truth, about which no two people disagree and no two goats butt heads. So where is its contradiction to the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (saw)...! Can the call for Muslims to hold onto the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw), to restrain the hands of the oppressors and disbelievers, and to respond to the support of the Deen possibly be in contradiction to what came in the Hadith of the Prophet (saw)?!
So contemplate this matter, may Allah have mercy on you... May Allah grant us all success toward the glory of Islam and the Muslims.
Your brother, Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
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