Question
The bombing incident that previously occurred in al-Ulya is not unknown to you, resulting in the loss of lives among the covenanted (non-Muslim residents under protection) and others. It was carried out by those who are young in age and foolish in mind. You are well aware of the gravity of this act, how it violates the command of Allah and His Messenger, disregards Sharia evidence, dismisses the opinions of senior and deeply-grounded scholars, and constitutes defiance and rebellion against the ruler. Now, another bombing has occurred in Al-Khobar. Is there a word from you to clarify the religion of Allah Almighty regarding this, and to warn against this dangerous slope taken by a group of youth—who are few, praise be to Allah? Their actions are derived from the behavior of the Kharijites (members of the deviant al-Khawarij sect), though they themselves may not know that what they are doing matches the actions of the Kharijites. Could you please clarify the religion of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, on this matter?
Answer:
By Allah, there is no doubt that this act is something no one approves of. Every sane person, let alone a believer, rejects it, because it goes against the Book (the Qur’an) and the Sunnah, and because it harms the image of Islam both internally and externally. Everyone who hears this news will attribute it only to those who adhere closely to Islam, saying: “These are the Muslims, this is the character of Islam,” while Islam is completely innocent of it. In reality, these individuals have harmed Islam above all else. We ask Allah Almighty to judge them with His justice for this immense harm.
They have harmed their fellow committed Muslim brothers. When people—even Muslims—imagine that such acts come from someone who claims to be a Muslim and claims to possess protective zeal for Islam, they will detest anyone with this character, and they will assume that this is the behavior of every committed Muslim. It is well known that this does not represent anyone among the committed Muslims at all. The truly committed Muslim is the one who adheres strictly to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.
It is not hidden from any of us that Allah Almighty has commanded the fulfillment of covenants and contracts, saying: “And fulfill every covenant. Verily, the covenant will be questioned.” [Al-Isra: 34]
It is also not hidden from us that the Messenger ﷺ said: “Whoever kills a Mu’ahad (a non-Muslim under a covenant of protection) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
And it is not hidden from us that he ﷺ said: “The protection granted by Muslims is one and equal, given by the least of them. Whoever betrays a Muslim in his oath of protection, upon him is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all of mankind.”
Furthermore, it is well known to us that granting safety, security, or protection can be done by any individual Muslim—even if they are not the ruler, and even if it is a woman. The Prophet ﷺ said: “We grant protection to whomever you have granted protection, O Umm Hani.”
So how then when this security is granted by the rulers themselves?! Doing this is the ultimate defiance of Allah and His Messenger, and outright opposition to Allah and His Messenger. Thirdly: Even if we assume the worst-case scenario—that the country to which the victims belonged is a state hostile to Islam—what is the fault of these individuals? These people came by order of their government, not by their own choice. Some of them might have even come reluctantly and had no intention of aggression. Moreover, what is the sin of the Muslims living there?Several Muslims of this country were killed, and a number of them were injured—including children, elderly women, and old men—while safe in their homes at night, sleeping in their beds.
For this reason, this is considered one of the most heinous crimes. However, by the power of Allah: “Verily, the wrongdoers will never succeed.” [Al-An’am: 21]}} They will be uncovered, if Allah wills, and they will face their punishment. Nevertheless, it is the duty of seekers of Islamic knowledge to clarify that this ideology is a wicked one—the ideology of the Kharijites, who deemed the blood of Muslims permissible while refraining from the blood of idolaters. These individuals are either ignorant, foolish, or full of malice. They are ignorant: because they do not know the Sharia. The Sharia commands the fulfillment of covenants, and the most faithful religion regarding covenants is the religion of Islam, praise be to Allah.
They are foolish: because this incident will result in evils and corruption that only Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, knows. This is by no means a means of reform, even if “they say: ‘We are only peace-makers.’“ [Al-Baqarah: 11]
Rather, they are the actual corrupters. Or they are full of malice: against this country and its people. For we do not know, praise be to Allah, any country that implements Islam the way this country does. Are there not graves being worshipped instead of Allah in other Islamic countries today? Are there not brothels? Is there not fornication? Is there not sodomy? Is alcohol not sold openly in the markets? Do their rulers not explicitly declare that they govern by secular laws rather than the Book and the Sunnah? So what do these perpetrators want? What do they intend by this act of theirs? Do they want reform?
By Allah, they are not reformers; they are corrupters. But we must realize how recklessness and zeal—which is actually a blinding dust, not true zeal—can lead a person to this extreme. Undoubtably, this also constitutes harm—in the fourth or fifth degree—to this country and its people, as well as the terrorization of peaceful residents. Everyone wonders in astonishment how this could happen in this secure land! We ask Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, to disgrace them, and to enable the authorities to uncover them and whoever planned these crimes, so that the judgment of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, may be executed upon them.