Shari'ah Politics versus the Politics of Deceit: On Political Negotiations and the Syrian Revolutionالسياسة الشرعية وسياسة المكر: حول المفاوضات السياسية والثورة السورية

Questioner: May Allah be good to you. What is your view of one who says that the Syrian revolution cannot succeed unless it is accompanied by political negotiations?

First, politics is of two kinds, because we must understand the concept and meaning of politics, since in people's minds there is [only] one kind of politics. True politics was discussed by Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Turuq al-Hukmiyyah — Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, discussed Shari'ah politics (al-siyasah al-shar'iyyah) in the introduction. Politics is part of the religion — Shari'ah politics is part of the religion. Shari'ah politics is putting the truth in its proper place: wherever the truth is put in its proper place, there is politics.

As for the politics that has become well known now, it is the politics of the newspapers and papers: this is a politics of cunning, a politics of deception, a politics of cutting people off from the Shari'ah rulings, a politics of giving precedence to reason over the text, giving precedence to opinion over evidence, politics (audio unclear) upon personal interests. This politics is not tied to the religion of Allah or His law, nor is it tied to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ. These people set out from (audio unclear) their minds; they do not set out under the banner of a vision — a comprehensive Shari'ah vision. That is why they incline to reason — or reason is what they worship — and not the text.

Another class may not be secularists — may not be secularists. They may affiliate themselves with Islam, or call themselves Islamic political analysts, but they too lack evidence, because they set themselves up as analysts and spokesmen in the name of Islam. Or one calls himself an expert on Islamic groups, while in fact he does not originally understand the school of Ahl al-Sunnah — so how [could he understand] the school of the other groups? He has deficiency, and when you hear him speak you see the deficiency plain upon him. (audio unclear) He read a newspaper, read a magazine, read a page or two about this group, and read al-Mawsu'ah al-Muyassarah, and so set himself up as an analyst and an expert on groups! Does what he read represent all of these groups? Is the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah confined to a page or two? Did he read all the works of the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah? And if he read, did he read the works of the imams of the Salaf, or did he read the works of the Jahmiyyah and the Murji'ah? Moreover, this (audio unclear) is built on many matters and numerous tools. Not everyone who reads becomes a scholar, and not everyone who memorizes a text becomes a mufti.

Yes, we are in a reality where this exists, but it is a bitter reality, not a praiseworthy one: one who has no understanding and no knowledge takes it upon himself [to address] the issues of lawful and unlawful and the fateful issues of the Ummah. This exists. So the press has come to lead society and lead the people — writers who are known neither for knowledge (many of them are unknown) nor for religion either. Many of them have not known how to reform themselves, so how will they reform others? As Ibn 'Abbas said concerning the People of the Book: "How can they guide you when they themselves have gone astray?" How can this astray one guide the Muslims, when he does not know the path of truth nor the straight path?

True politics, then, is putting the truth in its proper place. If this is what is meant, then yes — nothing can be established on anything other than this politics, and this is what the Prophet ﷺ built his call and his life upon. When the Prophet ﷺ was unable to establish a state in Makkah — the people did not respond to him and resisted him — and he saw that in Madinah there was support, and that it was an abode of (audio unclear) and protection, he ordered the emigration to it. Had Madinah not been an abode of (audio unclear) and protection, the Prophet ﷺ would not have emigrated to it. This is part of Shari'ah politics: because it was an abode of (audio unclear) and protection, the Prophet ﷺ emigrated to it, and this was the very truth, because (audio unclear) does only what is true, and Allah, majestic and exalted is He, permitted him to do so and commanded emigration to this abode, so that it would become the stronghold of the Muslims and the launching point for conquering other lands and establishing the complete Islamic state.

From this abode the Prophet ﷺ raided Quraysh; from this abode he raided (audio unclear); from this abode he conquered the Arabian Peninsula; from this abode armies were equipped to raid Persia, as in the expedition of Mu'tah. From here Abu Bakr set out to fight the apostates and to fight the Romans; from this abode 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, set out to conquer the other kingdoms; and from this abode — 'Uthman conquered Cyprus under the command of Mu'awiyah.

(audio unclear) this politics is something indispensable in jihad, in fighting, in conquering lands, and in calling to Allah, majestic and exalted is He. A person cannot stand firm without a clear politics and clear landmarks. But as I told you, politics is not cunning and hypocrisy — showing people one thing and concealing other things; this is a cunning man. And some of them are (audio unclear): once with you, once with others, most like the steed of Imru' al-Qays: "advancing, retreating, all at once." Once you see him advancing, praising a certain faction, and once you see [him doing] the opposite and cursing them. Once he praises them, once he reviles them — and they have not changed! Once he praises a state, and when it falls (audio unclear), and once the opposite. The likeness of such a person is one without religion. Is this politics of cunning a praiseworthy politics? It is not correct to say (audio unclear) that this politics is praiseworthy, nor is it correct to say that ideas changed (audio unclear). This is not a new faction that emerged, such that he issued a ruling upon its appearance; these existed before he was born — has he only now come to know them?

We must distinguish between the politics of cunning, deception, and hypocrisy, and the politics of Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah: Shari'ah politics, the politics of clarity, so that [a person] is upon a clear way. But yes, some people may (audio unclear) in his issue; desire may drive him to overstep, and this is not accepted from him even if he is clear. Allah, majestic and exalted is He, [says]: "(audio unclear) a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to God-consciousness." So he should be clear, and (audio unclear) removing a thing whose [place] would be taken by something worse than it. You remain upon this evil until (audio unclear) what is better than it. Let not your hatred of it drive you to remove it so that one more wicked than it takes its place.

So he sets out from this starting point: that he be sincere to Allah, mindful of benefits and harms, with the ability to weigh benefits and harms from the perspective of the Shari'ah, with Shari'ah politics and far-sightedness. For some people do not see beyond where their feet stand, while a group look ahead to the future from afar — from millions of kilometres. That is why the Prophet ﷺ used to give his Companions glad tidings of victory; (audio unclear) today or tomorrow, and some of them (audio unclear): "The Prophet told you — that's it." But when the Prophet ﷺ told them that they would go to the House and circumambulate it, and then the Prophet ﷺ went and made a truce with the disbelievers of Quraysh — as in the well-known [hadith] in the Sahih — 'Umar was saying, "(audio unclear) tell us, O Messenger of Allah, that we would go and circumambulate it?" He said, "Did I tell you that [it would be] this year? You will come to the House and circumambulate the House. I did not tell you this year."

Just as he used to foretell (audio unclear) the conquests, and some people are hasty — likewise, some people undertake a matter for Allah, in [seeking His] pleasure, but imagine that if they undertake it they will be victorious immediately; and when he is not victorious immediately, he turns back on his heels and makes concessions. This one is ignorant of the laws of Allah in creation (al-sunan al-kawniyyah). He thinks that victory is always tied to him [personally]; he does not know that victory is tied to an entire Ummah — meaning that you offer yourself, and one day you may die, and victory comes in the future, not in the present. And he understands nothing of victory except military victory, while the victory of principles is among the greatest kinds of victory. But is there military victory at all without the victory of principles? And so, do the Muslims today achieve victory without tawhid and creed — gathering upon misguidance?

If the bond of the Muslims is not creed and pure tawhid — upon loyalty and disavowal (al-wala' wa al-bara'), upon soundness of direction, upon clarity and the absence of ambiguity, and upon presenting the religion of the messengers as it truly is — then upon what [will they gather]? This is not your father's religion, that you hide it from so-and-so; nor is it your father's company, that you offer sales and discounts. This is the religion of the Lord of the worlds. Allah says to His Prophet: "Say: Indeed, I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day." People accept from one who is clear, and they do not accept from the ambiguous player of games. So when the Muslims gather upon the bond of creed and clear tawhid, they are victorious. Without tawhid there is no victory — without tawhid there is no victory. The Muslims are not given victory through shirk, nor through disbelief, nor while they are allies of the tyrants (tawaghit) and the criminals. They are given victory by being one Ummah upon "there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah." Allahu akbar.

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