AN INTERVIEW WITH AL-BASEER NEWSPAPER, 6 DHUL-QA’DAH 1437 AH, 10/15/2007 AD

Note: The translation below may need revision... We welcome any correction by emailing us

Alhayyat Net - Amman Office

Interviewed By: Jassim Al-Shammari. Amman

Q / Your Eminence Dr. Abdul Karim Zidan, may God protect you and take care of you, how do you view your eminence on the current events on the Iraqi arena today ?

The answer: The reality of Iraq is a major event that occurred in Iraq and its people, and we are looking at it in light of the Almighty’s saying: “And whatever calamity befell you, with what you gained your hands and forgive many individuals”, and there is a summary of this truth in Iraq .

What are the divine Sunnahs? They are laws, that is, they are the usual recurring thing. This is a law that does not change. It is the Sunnah and the laws are part of the Islamic religion that was mentioned in Islam and must be known and addressed .

Unfortunately, however, we did not find a book that deals with these issues in detail with Islamic jurisprudence, we must know that no event occurs in the universe from a leaf that falls, rains, and a hurricane, and this is all subject to fixed rules and laws that do not change that there is no such thing in the world as a coincidence .

Coincidence means an event whose cause we do not know. Your coming here is not a coincidence. Rather, it was subject to several divine laws that multiplied and the reasons were numerous until this meeting took place. Not a coincidence .

A coincidence is an event whose cause we do not know, but it has a reason that those who know it know and those who do not know know .

The second thing: These fixed rules are not subject to only material things such as rain and gusts of wind. These are material things that a Muslim and an unbeliever know, and knowledge is an expression that these divine laws to which living and inanimate beings are subject to know the issue of astronomy, stars, humans and plants But there are fixed laws to which individuals and groups are subject to the matter of the astronomy, the stars, the plant man, etc., in their lives, such as their happiness, their sophistication, and their piety. These all have fixed laws that never change, just as the law under which rain falls does not change. But what is the difference ?

The difference is that the physical events such as the growth of plants such as boiling of water at a temperature of 100 degrees and freezing of water at zero degrees. These are fixed laws that we can know and we can know how long it takes for this event to occur and how long it takes for this event to occur. But social laws we know their result, but you do not know when they will occur, and it is unreasonable to put water on the fire and then cool down. These social laws are fixed, but we do not know when they will occur and their result will occur. The weak set the limit on it .

Here we stand when he said : ﷺRather destroy those who were before you, meaning that destruction occurred on previous nations because of this injustice, then this is a law. If injustice spreads and appears in a nation, then that nation will perish. ? How much injustice continues until the result is perdition ?

If you see a nation in which there is injustice from the ruler to the ruled and from oppression among individuals, I definitely know that this ummah has a reason for its destruction. This injustice is how widespread it is so that it can be a cause of perdition, we do not know it So, the more oppression increases, the stronger the cause of perdition, how long will it take for the nation to perish? I cannot know it, but I know our certainty that it perishes, and perishing is either by passing away as it happened to previous nations, or with decay, or the enemy overcomes it and does not exist .

Certainly for the ummah, because of that, there are scholars who said that the just state remains, even if it is an infidel, and the oppressive state is destroyed even if it is a Muslim. The explanation for this matter is clear because the oppressed is like the one standing on fire .

So these divine Sunnahs must be known, “He who does evil is permitted to do it”. This is a law .

  The noble Prophet’s biography when the Prophet arrested a group (thirty more less, I don’t know) and said to them, “Stand on the mountain, and if you see the polytheists striking our backs, do not leave your place, and that was in anyone’s battle.” At first glance the Muslims triumphed and the polytheists withdrew before the Muslims who stood on the mountain looking at what happened On the battlefield, they thought that the battle was over, and some, but many of them wanted to go down and participate with the Muslims in tracking down the polytheists and collecting the spoils, their emir and their leader, he said to them did you not hear what the Prophet said to us and they said to him:The battle was over and the polytheists were defeated, but their emir remained with him and some of the fighters. On the other side was Khalid bin Al-Walid - and on that day a polytheist - on another mountain, and when he saw the mountain and the soldiers on it, when he saw them descending from the mountain, only a few of them attacked them and killed them, and he and his polytheists descended and beat the Muslims on their backs, and that was the cause of defeat. The law here is that they violated the order of the Messenger of God The enemy took advantage of the matter and the defeat took place, so violating the Sharia’s orders represented by what was stated in the Noble Qur’an and the Noble Sunnah is a cause of perdition, and not taking material reasons in terms of important locations and places as the clever Imam sees it, what happened in Iraq is read according to laws Divine Sunnahs, which resulted in not being noticed by many, made this what is happening in Iraq .

But the individuals and groups to inspect what this took place in the country where the shortage? Either because of immorality or disobedience two of these reasons for looser things no doubt where " The Tnasroa God grant you victory " and the support of God to evangelize his religion and the concept of the offense that he would not Anasrk if not help him, and victory Religion is the adherence to it and the call to it, these are the Sunnahs of God. As for you telling me how we are the Muslims of the Jews, how did they take Palestine, you have to look for the reasons for not having the divine victory .

Q / If it is said that our enemies are more than we are fornication and sin, how can we reconcile here between the two cases ?

The answer: The answer to that is that among the things that the divine Sunnah has stipulated, the material reasons must be noticed, and it is not enough to take only religious reasons, which are your belief in the principles of Islam, our evidence for that (and prepare for them what you can from the strength and bond of the horses you fear) The horse's bond is one of the physical strength, just as the (strength) mentioned in the verse includes all the physical forces that terrorize the enemy and do not appear with your faith in your heart while you are only sitting in the mosque .

Verse (O Prophet incited believers to fight. If there are twenty amongst you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred), then says (now tempered God for you, and aware that the weakness in you, it was not a hundred of you will vanquish two hundred Sabira if not a thousand of you, they will vanquish two thousand, God willing, And God be with the patient), then the abundance has an effect and it is a material cause, so the infidel if he has the causes of material strength from the large number, its organization and his weapons, and in return the Muslims have undoubtedly a moral strength, which is faith, but this is not enough if this was sufficient, then God would not have commanded us to prepare the strength that includes As we said all the material forces, and when God called people to jihad, then the infidel took the material causes of all kinds and persevered with them, like the polytheists, they fought in defense of falsehood but took advantage of them. The polytheists went out, prepared and besieged the Muslims in the city with ten thousand fighters, so the material reasons that the infidel hold on to is enormous and mastery in inventing Weapons and other causes of strength, and Muslims have overlooked this material strength and have weakened in material strength . .

Dealing with unseen conversations

Q / How do we deal with hadiths in which things are mentioned in the future ?

Answer : She believes in her then her chain of narrators is correct Q / We believe in it, but how do we deal with hadith that tells, for example, that the ummah is separated ?

Answer : Yes, it does and it does and it will happen .

Q / Do we continue to call for non-division and the necessity of unity with our belief that the ummah will separate into many groups as stated in the noble Prophet's hadith ?

Answer: The occurrence of division between the ummah is a universal matter that enters with the universal will of God from which nothing will ever emerge. As for the matter of unity, which is a religious and religious matter that must be obeyed, it falls within the scope of the commands of the Sharia. He strives to implement what God has commanded with his belief that only what God Almighty wills does not happen (to whomever He desires of you to be straightAnd you do not want it except that God wills, the Lord of the worlds wills) and another example of the universal will of God that nothing goes out of it at all with the presence of the religious religious order and it was mentioned in the noble hadith. The garden tree) or as the Messenger of God said This is undoubtedly occurring, but its occurrence I do not say that I surrendered and I do not fight the Jews waiting for that promised day, which is that the Muslims are fighting the Jews and he says to me the stone: O Muslim, this is a Jew behind me, come and kill him, it is not permissible to abstain from fighting the usurping Jews The land of Muslims relies on the coming of that promised day .

Q / Some people say that your work on monotheism is contrary to the hadith of the Prophet, to separate the ummah into more than seventy sects ?

Answer: We are commanded to implement the Sharia religious order with our belief that it does not happen except what God wills it to happen. But this what we do does not prevent what will happen and what the Messenger Muhammad told us about, because what we do is what we have been commanded by Sharia, and what happens is what God wills for it to happen .

Q / What should the Muslim have in this case ?

Answer: The Muslim should strive to be as God Almighty commanded in terms of his words and actions .

Respect for specialists

Q / Does the concept of material reasons include interference in the competence of the specialists ?

Answer: There is no doubt that what falls within the scope of material reasons that must be taken into account is listening and accepting the opinions of specialists in what they are specialized in from various worldly matters, such as listening and accepting the soldiers and others of the matter of their competing opponents, because what we have said is the principle and the rule. What is required is the observance of the general rules, even if they are disputed sometimes, because what counts is the general recurring year, and it is not rare for it For example, if the military commanders deem it necessary to be fortified, for example in trenches, or to distribute in different places, to other than that required by the rules of combat that the specialists know from among the military, and likewise the following of farmers with specialization in the different agricultural sciences, as well as the obligation to follow the commandments or orders of doctors from Before the patients who treat them, and this does not contradict us even if the specialists erred in some cases .

And in the historical facts in evidence of this matter the withdrawal of Khalid bin Al-Walid - who saved the Muslim army in the Battle of Mu'ta and who was named by the Messenger of Allah. And he succeeded in withdrawing the Muslim army from hundreds of thousands of the Roman army, and this action no one can do .

And he was able to save what was left of his army in his fight against the Romans, as the number of Muslims was few and unable to fight the Romans. ); These material causes must be learned and known .

Get out of that with an important result, which is that the Muslim's faith, blessing Islam, is firmly rooted in his heart independently of the outside. The outside may strengthen it, but it is not permissible to make the events outside the entrance to shake the meanings of faith in it .

Affected by a Muslim’s faith in what is around it

Q / Is a Muslim’s faith affected by what happens to the Muslims by some defeats or weaknesses in which they are ?

Answer : The Muslim’s belief in God, His Messenger, His Books, and other meanings of faith must be firmly established in the Muslim’s heart, apart from the situation of Muslims if they are in a state of weakness and broken before their enemies, because the Muslim’s faith is based on the meanings of Islam and its being the religion of God who is certain that it is from God until it became a measure His certainty in the intuitions, just as the intuitions are not influenced by the outside by what can or are said to affect the belief of man. This is why the honorable companions believed that they were on the truth and that Muhammadwas truly the Messenger of God when they were in Mecca surrounded and afraid until their weakness and fear of the enemy reached their immigration to Abyssinia. On Persia and Rum .

Rather, the believer thinks about the weakness or weakness that befalls Muslims, but he is attested by what God has told of the Sunnahs that they submit to in their victory or loss. That is why God Almighty told about the Companions in Madinah in the battle of the trench (this is what God and His Messenger, and the truthfulness of God and His Messenger ) promised us .

The rule of the meander

Q / What is the ruling Al-Sael ?

Answer : The person who comes with his weapon wants to kill you, and you cannot stop his evil except by killing him, so Sharia permits you to kill him .

Q / What is the legal ruling if a Muslim fails to support his brother despite his ability to do so ?

The answer: It is not permissible for you, if you have the ability and do not pay for your brother, you are responsible for your failure. I told you about paying the swordfish. This permission to kill the sword is not limited to the one who was dealt with it, but rather to someone other than the one who is in contact with him if he sees a wrongdoer who wants to kill this innocent. He terrorizes him. He must do what he can in this situation to terrorize the oppressor and protect the oppressed .

Q / Even if this person is a Muslim ?

Answer : My brother, if Al-Sael is the imam of a mosque and you see him pray with the people, the same ruling applies to him .

Q / The American occupation is clear to everyone, is it permissible for a Muslim to seek his help ?

Answer : A Muslim’s seeking help from a non-Muslim is only permissible if the Muslim has a need for this assistance and on condition that the one who is seeking help while a non-Muslim is under the command of the Muslim .

The duty of Muslims in Iraq

Q / Our Sheikh, what is the legal duty of the Sunnis in Iraq at this stage ?

The answer : This obligation is what the Shari'a instructed them to do, to hold fast to one another, to defend themselves, this is what we are talking about, or to disagree and not agree, this is something else. God Almighty says: They must fulfill this request and waive any other differences that Islam does not command, personal matters and other matters .

I concede to the extent that the Sharia permits me to concede. Ibn Taymiyyah gave us a mercy to God for him as an example, and we measure it by saying that if the imam came to pray with Muslims, and he believes that the Basmalah in the Shafi’i school of thought is that he shows it is not pleased with his heart and shows it like any of the verses, but the imam believes it is better to show it - The scholars differ on this issue - so is it better to show the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, so that others can hear it, or is it better for him to say it himself and not to be heard by others? So if the imam is the best to please it himself, but the Muslims who pray with them see it is better to speak out, he must speak out loudly to compose their hearts, so measure on that the composition of the congregation whenever I can relinquish my preponderant opinion of their preferred opinion to form their hearts really do so .

Q / Who, in your estimation, represents the reference that should be followed for the Sunnis in Iraq ?

Answer : Everyone has knowledge that is not restricted to a person. If there are many scholars in the department, he chooses whoever he deems to be the most knowledgeable or closest to him, etc. He sees him, as the jurists said, when he deports to another country where scholars are asked, or he resides there .

How do we eliminate dispersal ?

Q / How can the division and the difference of spirit be eliminated among the ranks of the Sunnis in Iraq ?

The answer : Here we remind them that remembrance benefits the believers, you remind them of these meanings, and you say to them: We are Muslims, a Muslim is the reference for Islam, and you are a Muslim, your reference is Islam. We leave Islam on the side, I say to him, I have no argument with you, because when you say this and believe that you hardly remain in the circle of Islam, he will be an apostate .

The solution to the Iraqi crisis

Q / If your opinion is assigned to the solution, how do you get out of this overwhelming chaos in the country ?

The answer : We say to them, we go back to Islam, so do you accept my opinion or do you have a different opinion, which is the consultation. My dear brother, God Almighty says to the Prophet (And consult them on the matter) God is great. The Messenger of God, who is supported by the revelation of God, orders him to consult, I mean, listen to their opinions, and say to them, I want to do such-and-such, so how can someone who conferred on his family or a party or such as not consult with his group is not permissible for him to do that, this ruling is like this. I mean, he says to them this way, if you like me to be your president, your prince, and I feel my power, I must accept, so follow the Sharia ruling, I consult my group with what I see, so I discuss them, but the last opinion is mine and not theirs .

Federal rule

Q / And federalism, what do you think of it ?

Answer : This is null and void and the division of the land of Iraq and Islam enjoins the unification of the countries of Islam and not their division .

Advice to all Muslims

Q / One final advice for Muslims everywhere ?

Answer : General advice to all Muslims anywhere, whether individuals, groups, or political or non-political parties, that their reference should be to Islam only, and not anything else, so this reference will be a ruling and comprehensive of all that comes from them in all that they take and leave, make you concerned about your words and your actions with yourself With your family members, with your brothers, with your friends, with the groups you do not reject what you support, each with the permission of the Islamic Sharia that you refer to its understanding, it says to you do so and not do so, as much as he can, nothing deviates from this reference at all that is not permissible at all. And whoever permits himself to depart from this circle and allows himself to do without the Muslim authority, this feared for his faith, he will be an apostate. Commitment to that and implement it, and you must believe in complete faith like your belief that prayer is an obligation. You may be lazy, but your faith remains steadfast because faith is a duty and you are falling short. As for you, you leave prayer and argue about Abandoning it and that there is no need to pray, we seek refuge with God, here is another thing which is apostasy from religion .

May God bless you, His Eminence Sheikh, may God protect you, and bless you with health and wellness .

Answer : God bless you and may God bless you.