Is establishment of Islām in the requirement of residing amongst the disbelievers only Praying, Fasting, Call to the prayer, etc?

Question:

“O Sheikh Abuu Haatim – may Allaah be generous to you and place on your scale of good, your efforts in uplifting ignorance from the masses – is the following speech and the criterion it mentions regarding the issue of ‘establishing the Islamic symbols (Sha’aair)’ in order to reside in the lands of disbelief too severe:

“Some assume that establishment of Islaam, which is a requirement for residing amongst the disbelievers, is to merely establish the outward/apparent Islamic symbols, such as the: Athaan, congregational prayer, fasting and so on. However, this understanding is incorrect. The required ‘establishment of Islaam’ is to openly make Takfeer (declare someone to be a Kafir) on the disbelievers, demerit their religion, disparage them, disassociate from them, boycott them, to stay far from having any ties with them and relying on them.” [end quote]?

Answer:

“This (what you have quoted) is affirmed by the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is also what the prophets and their followers came with and called to. One cannot establish the religion unless he fulfills that.

Allaah the most high said:

{قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنْكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ…}

‘Indeed there is an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem and those with him, when they said to their people: “Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allaah, we have rejected you, and there has began between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allaah Alone…’
[Suuratul Mumtahinah :4]

This is what the scholars – may Allaah have mercy on them – intend when discussing the conditions of Hijrah (migration) and the matter of establishing one’s religion (in the lands of disbelief), meaning to:

Openly profess Tawheed, bearing allegiance for it and its people, and to openly denounce Shirk and its people, through speech, physical disparity as well as enmity of the heart.

In the Aayah above, Allaah mentions rejecting the people of Shirk before rejection of Shirk itself in order to clarify the reality of the legislated disassociation (Bara’ah), because many who claim disassociation from Shirk never physically disassociate themselves from the disbelievers.

Contrastingly, disassociation from the Mushrikoon (disbelievers) entails disassociating from their Shirk.
This explanation is mentioned frequently in the Qur’an. Allaah the most high said:

{قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ}

“Say (O Muhammad ﷺ) to these disbelievers): “O disbelievers!”

{لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ}

“I worship not that which you worship”
[Suuratul Kaafiruun 1-2]

The virtuous scholar Hamd ibn Ateeq – may Allaah have mercy on him – explained:

“Allaah commands his messenger (ﷺ)
to openly profess to the disbelievers that:
“I am free from your religion, just as you are free from my religion.”
This is to declare to them that they are upon disbelief and that he is free from them and their religion. So whoever follows the messenger ﷺ should also do the same, otherwise he would not be establishing his religion unless he does so. What is more, when the companions – may Allaah be pleased with them all – implemented this and were harmed by the disbelievers as a result, the Prophet ﷺ commanded them to migrate to Abyssinia. Thus, if neutrality towards the disbelievers was something permissible/excusable, they would not have been ordered to migrate to a foreign land.” [end quote]

As for the suggestion that one frees himself from any accountability (in the sight of Allaah) by merely establishing the apparent religious symbols, such as prayer, giving charity, fasting, growing the beard, etc., then this opinion is of one who is either mis-informed or of one seeking to mislead others. This is not the opinion of one who truly understands Tawheed, or of one who understands what the prophets and their followers called to, nor of one who knows the true circumstances which lead to them leaving & migrating and being expelled from their homes and being harmed severely for Allah’s sake.

Even the disbelievers know that in reality a Muslim cannot fully establish his religion unless he upholds the call of Tawheed and maintains Al-walaa’ wal baraa’ (love & allegiance for the people of tawheed and disassociation & enmity for shirk and its people). This is why they so diligently call to freedom of religion and integration. They do so in order to diminish this allegiance and disassociation in the heart of the true believer. For this reason, most of the disbelieving lands do not prevent the Muslims from establishing the religious symbols, such as building masjids, growing the beard, and other that from has been pointed out previously.

The learned scholar, Muhaamad ibn Abdil Lateef Aal-Asheikh – may Allaah have mercy on him – said [Ad-durar As-saniyyah 8/433]:

“Whoever professes that openly, has established his religion and professed his enmity towards them; this is establishment of the religion, unlike what the ignorant ones assume; that if the disbelievers allow him to pray, read Qur’an and busy himself with the voluntary acts of worship, then he has established his religion; this is a grave mistake. Moreover, whoever openly professes his enmity towards the disbelievers and disassociates himself from them, they would not allow him to remain in their midst. They would seek to either kill him or kick him out (of their country) if abled to; as Allaah the most high states concerning the disbelievers:

{وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِرُسُلِهِمْ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكُمْ مِنْ أَرْضِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا}

     ‘And those who disbelieved, said to their Messengers: “Surely, we shall drive you out of our land, or you shall return to our religion.’
[Suurah Ibrahim: 13]

And He the most high says, informing us about the people of Shu’ayb:

{قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يَا شُعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَا أَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي مِلَّتِنَا}

‘The chiefs of those who were arrogant among his people said: “We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu’aib, and those who have believed with you from our town, or you (all) shall return to our religion…’
[Suuratul A’raaf: 88]

And He mentions about the people of the cave, that they said:

{إِنَّهُمْ إِنْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِي مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَنْ تُفْلِحُوا إِذًا أَبَدًا}

‘For if they come to know of you, they will stone you (to death or abuse and harm you) or turn you back to their religion, and in that case you will never be successful.’
[ Suuratul Kahf: 20]

So what is it that caused this enmity between the messengers and their people to intensify, other than them professing disgust towards their religion, discrediting their intelligence and shaming their idols?!” [end quote]

Similarly, the learned scholar, Ishaaq ibn Abdirrahmaan ibn Hassan ibn Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab – may Allaah have mercy on them all – said:

“Ad-Deen is a comprehensive word encompassing all qualities of good; the highest and most valuable quality being: At-tawheed and what it entails. So whoever confines (Ad-Deen) to acts of worship approved by the disbelievers, who may even support him in that, has fallen very short.”

Hence this opinion is from the foulest of ignorances and inaccuracies.

The learned scholar, Hamd ibn Ateeq, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said:

“As far as the issue of establishing the religion is concerned, many assume that: if one is allowed to utter the shahaadatain, offer the prayers in congregation without being harmed, then he has established his religion, despite his residency amongst the disbelievers. Anyone who assumes so has fallen into a grave misunderstanding.”
[end quote]

And he also said:
“…The Muslim cannot truly establish his religion unless he rejects/opposes every (disbelieving) sect accordingly, and professing his enmity towards them; so whoever’s disbelief is down to Shirk (associating partners with Allah), establishing the religion with him would be to profess Tawheed, denounce Shirk and warn against him. Similarly, whoever’s disbelief is down to rejecting the messengership of our prophet, establishment of the religion with him would be to declare Muhammad as the messenger of Allah. Likewise, whoever’s disbelief is due to abandoning the prayer, establishment of the religion with him would be to perform the prayer. And whoevers disbelief is by assisting the disbelievers and obeying them, establishment of the religion with him would be to profess enmity towards him and disassociating from him and the disbelievers…” [end quote]

After quoting the speech of Al-‘Allamah Hamd ibn ‘Ateeq, Al-‘Allamah Ishaaq said :

“So the conclusion is what we mentioned previously, that: the ‘establishment of the religion’ which frees one from accountability (in the sight of Allah) is remaining distinguished from the disbelievers by establishing the correct creed, openly professing it, and distancing oneself from shirk and everything that leads to it. Anyone able to do this, accompanied with having knowledge of the religion with proof and being immune to fitnah (trials), is allowed to reside in the lands of disbelief.” [end quote]

The discourse on this great topic is extensive and there is not ample time here for us to go into detail.
For more clarification, refer back to:

– (‘Sabeelun najaah walfikaak min muwaalaatil murtaddeen walatraak’)
by the honourable scholar, Hamd ibn ‘Ateeq, may Allaah have mercy upon him.

– ‘Ad-durar as-saniyyah’; for the speech of the scholars of Najd. Also refer to some their other works, both the general and independent researches on this topic.

We had previously refuted the incompetency and discrepancy of Ubayd Al-jaabiri in this great affair in our book
(‘Alhujajul kaashifa li fitnatil Jaabiri wa dhalalatihi zaaifah’)
wherein, we explained this issue in greater depth than that discussed here, quoting evidences as well as statements of the scholars.

Likewise, our Sheikh, Yahyaa – may Allaah preserve him – has a valuable treatise on this topic.

Allah is the giver of success.

Answered by:
Shaykh Abu Hatim Yusuf Al-‘Inaabi Al-Jazaa’iree – may Allah preserve him.

Source:
t.me/abouhatem/118
t.me/abouhatem/119

Answered on:
18th, Safar, 1438H.

Translated by:
Abu Huthayfah Saamy Al-Hindi