Ibn Uthaymin
Junior member
Question:
A sister from New York wrote about her personal experience and sadness. We are also very saddened about her situation and we ask Allaah سبحانه و تعالى to bless her and deliver her out of her problems and shower His Rahmah upon her and may Allaah Jalla wa alaa jalla jalaalahu wa azza shanahu remove from her life all what bothers her and grant her peace and happiness. May Allaah سبحانه و تعالى increase her in knowledge and sabr.
She continues and says: She is seeking clarification about what she heard about Saudi Arabia and she says (my parents) they tell me how poor workers are treated by their bosses there (Saudis and otherwise) and they say that the khateebs can give khutbah about tawheed and bid'ah but they do not talk about mistreatment of the poor labourers. Since you are Senior Scholars in Saudia, can you please tell me why my heart is bleeding now. Why in Saudia they are so keen to observe hijaab and modesty but yet what our religion stands for: justice for the poor and mercy to the servants and labourers, is ignored. I implore you to please teach the people there about this. Teach them that the weak and poor although they do not have a voice, they are their Muslim brothers and they will have their justice on the Day of Judgement. Our Muslim Ummah is being destroyed or will be destroyed because each Muslim subgroup has chosen to adopt certain principles within Islaam some only the ebaadaat (acts of worship), some only the akhlaaq (أخلاق manners), some only the social justice and reform within society.
Answered By: Shaykh Salaah Muhammad Aal Shaykh
I'm very sad to hear this question but it is true; I cannot say it is not true. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم says Oppression will be darkness on the Day of Ressurection.� [1] When I said it's true, it's not totally true and I'll explain. Oppression is darkness on the Day of Judgement and I will be there on the Day of Judgement, I will be there khasamhum.� That is like a man who took an ajeer (أجير employee) i.e. he had a worker who did the work but he did not give him his money, the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم will be his khasam (خصم argue on his behalf) on Yawmul-Qiyaamah. I agree we should not have dhulm (ظلم oppression) as our Islaam is complete regarding our relation with Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and our relation with other people and our relation with ourselves. We should fulfil all those aspects.
We have to know though, that sins are different. There are sins that will take you into kufr (disbelief) and shirk and out of Islaam, and there are sins that will get you into the kabeerah (major sin) which might put you into the Hellfire. Then after that Allaah سبحانه و تعالى knows how many will go to Heaven. The kabeerah are sins like zinaa (fornication, adultery), oppression etc. If he is a Muslim and he dies upon tawheed then his end is certain (i.e. he will eventually enter the Jannah) but will be punished (for the major sin), or if Allaah سبحانه و تعالى chooses, then probably by His Mercy He will forgive it. And there are small sins, so we have to distinguish between them.
In all of our Muslim countries and societies there are differences in the misbehaviour by Muslims. Some behaviour will lead to kufr and out of Islaam, and some behaviour will lead to the kabeerah and committing acts of oppression and doing bad deeds the kabaair (major sins), and some of these bad deeds are small. We try to implement Islaam entirely, but we should also distinguish between the different sins and really know the consequences of each kind of sin.
Saudi Arabia is like all the Muslim countries, it has good people and it has bad people. And yes, there is some oppression, probably in some workplaces, but there are laws. If those people go to the law, hopefully they will get their rights (fulfilled). There is oppression even from the workers to the bosses, i.e. the employees don't do their work etc. If we were perfect we would be leading the world, that's why Muslim countries are not leading, they are not in the front seat because they have missed many things in the issues related to justice. Like Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said: Allaah سبحانه و تعالى might give the leadership etc. to the kaafir country if they are just.�
Yes there is some injustice and hopefully it will go. And I think that the Ulamaa' make a lot of effort to let the people know about these problems and try to solve it. If you hear the khutub in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the big masjids they try to do this. Alhamdulillaah we see many good things from the people in Saudi Arabia, whether Saudis or non-Saudis. When there are problems around the world they try to give money and women come with their gold, and even poor people come and give their money. There are good things and there are bad things. Inshaa Allaah all Muslims in all countries will try to reach a state such that they fulfil their Islaam and do their best to be good Muslims so that the leadership of humanity returns to them. This is good for all humans if Muslims really lead the world, it is good for all humanity, Muslims and non-Muslims.
Also I have to say something we Muslims should not make our Islaam and our beliefs related to someone like if this person is good I'll be good, if this Aalim is good, I will be good, if this country is good I'll be good, if they are bad I'll be bad. Islaam is so clear Alhamdulillaah and so good, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said I have left you upon that which if you hold onto it you will not be misguided the Book and my Sunnah.� We don't have to follow this person or this country etc. We have to follow Qur'aan, and those people who go back to the Qur'aan and Sunnah they will return to the correct Islaam and the right deeds.
It is not an excuse to divert from the right path because an individual has diverted. So, if you believe in him when he is good, then for some reason he changed and Shaitaan got to him and he diverted from Islaam or does bad deeds, then you follow him, this is not an excuse. Alhamdulillaah in Saudi Arabia are so many good things, and yes, there are some bad things and hopefully Inshaa Allaah Saudi Arabia and all the Muslim countries and all the Muslims all over the world will return to Islaam and be truly good Muslims in all aspects of Islaam in relation to God and worshipping Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and in relation to themselves and in relation to others and in relation to their families. Wallaahu A'lam.
A sister from New York wrote about her personal experience and sadness. We are also very saddened about her situation and we ask Allaah سبحانه و تعالى to bless her and deliver her out of her problems and shower His Rahmah upon her and may Allaah Jalla wa alaa jalla jalaalahu wa azza shanahu remove from her life all what bothers her and grant her peace and happiness. May Allaah سبحانه و تعالى increase her in knowledge and sabr.
She continues and says: She is seeking clarification about what she heard about Saudi Arabia and she says (my parents) they tell me how poor workers are treated by their bosses there (Saudis and otherwise) and they say that the khateebs can give khutbah about tawheed and bid'ah but they do not talk about mistreatment of the poor labourers. Since you are Senior Scholars in Saudia, can you please tell me why my heart is bleeding now. Why in Saudia they are so keen to observe hijaab and modesty but yet what our religion stands for: justice for the poor and mercy to the servants and labourers, is ignored. I implore you to please teach the people there about this. Teach them that the weak and poor although they do not have a voice, they are their Muslim brothers and they will have their justice on the Day of Judgement. Our Muslim Ummah is being destroyed or will be destroyed because each Muslim subgroup has chosen to adopt certain principles within Islaam some only the ebaadaat (acts of worship), some only the akhlaaq (أخلاق manners), some only the social justice and reform within society.
Answered By: Shaykh Salaah Muhammad Aal Shaykh
I'm very sad to hear this question but it is true; I cannot say it is not true. The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم says Oppression will be darkness on the Day of Ressurection.� [1] When I said it's true, it's not totally true and I'll explain. Oppression is darkness on the Day of Judgement and I will be there on the Day of Judgement, I will be there khasamhum.� That is like a man who took an ajeer (أجير employee) i.e. he had a worker who did the work but he did not give him his money, the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم will be his khasam (خصم argue on his behalf) on Yawmul-Qiyaamah. I agree we should not have dhulm (ظلم oppression) as our Islaam is complete regarding our relation with Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and our relation with other people and our relation with ourselves. We should fulfil all those aspects.
We have to know though, that sins are different. There are sins that will take you into kufr (disbelief) and shirk and out of Islaam, and there are sins that will get you into the kabeerah (major sin) which might put you into the Hellfire. Then after that Allaah سبحانه و تعالى knows how many will go to Heaven. The kabeerah are sins like zinaa (fornication, adultery), oppression etc. If he is a Muslim and he dies upon tawheed then his end is certain (i.e. he will eventually enter the Jannah) but will be punished (for the major sin), or if Allaah سبحانه و تعالى chooses, then probably by His Mercy He will forgive it. And there are small sins, so we have to distinguish between them.
In all of our Muslim countries and societies there are differences in the misbehaviour by Muslims. Some behaviour will lead to kufr and out of Islaam, and some behaviour will lead to the kabeerah and committing acts of oppression and doing bad deeds the kabaair (major sins), and some of these bad deeds are small. We try to implement Islaam entirely, but we should also distinguish between the different sins and really know the consequences of each kind of sin.
Saudi Arabia is like all the Muslim countries, it has good people and it has bad people. And yes, there is some oppression, probably in some workplaces, but there are laws. If those people go to the law, hopefully they will get their rights (fulfilled). There is oppression even from the workers to the bosses, i.e. the employees don't do their work etc. If we were perfect we would be leading the world, that's why Muslim countries are not leading, they are not in the front seat because they have missed many things in the issues related to justice. Like Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said: Allaah سبحانه و تعالى might give the leadership etc. to the kaafir country if they are just.�
Yes there is some injustice and hopefully it will go. And I think that the Ulamaa' make a lot of effort to let the people know about these problems and try to solve it. If you hear the khutub in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the big masjids they try to do this. Alhamdulillaah we see many good things from the people in Saudi Arabia, whether Saudis or non-Saudis. When there are problems around the world they try to give money and women come with their gold, and even poor people come and give their money. There are good things and there are bad things. Inshaa Allaah all Muslims in all countries will try to reach a state such that they fulfil their Islaam and do their best to be good Muslims so that the leadership of humanity returns to them. This is good for all humans if Muslims really lead the world, it is good for all humanity, Muslims and non-Muslims.
Also I have to say something we Muslims should not make our Islaam and our beliefs related to someone like if this person is good I'll be good, if this Aalim is good, I will be good, if this country is good I'll be good, if they are bad I'll be bad. Islaam is so clear Alhamdulillaah and so good, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said I have left you upon that which if you hold onto it you will not be misguided the Book and my Sunnah.� We don't have to follow this person or this country etc. We have to follow Qur'aan, and those people who go back to the Qur'aan and Sunnah they will return to the correct Islaam and the right deeds.
It is not an excuse to divert from the right path because an individual has diverted. So, if you believe in him when he is good, then for some reason he changed and Shaitaan got to him and he diverted from Islaam or does bad deeds, then you follow him, this is not an excuse. Alhamdulillaah in Saudi Arabia are so many good things, and yes, there are some bad things and hopefully Inshaa Allaah Saudi Arabia and all the Muslim countries and all the Muslims all over the world will return to Islaam and be truly good Muslims in all aspects of Islaam in relation to God and worshipping Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and in relation to themselves and in relation to others and in relation to their families. Wallaahu A'lam.