Sheikh Muqbil’s Speech On Voting, Elections and Democracy
(includes responses to Sheikh Al-Albaanee, Sheikh Ibn Baaz and Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen)
Translated and compiled by: Abu Yusuf, Sagheer Ibn ‘Abdir-Rasheed Al-Kashmeeree
(Abridged version-full version available on the internet)
The Sheikh (may Allah have mercy on Him) said:
‘Democracy is disbelief (kufr) because it means that the populace rules itself by itself. It means there is no Book and no Sunnah and no Islam and the allowing of fornication and homosexuality…’ (Tuhfatul-Mujeeb, pg. 303)
The Sheikh (may Allah have mercy on Him) said about his previous opinion on these issues:
‘And indeed, since about six or seven years ago I was in the Ad-Da’wah mosque in San’aa and I said: If it has to be done (i.e. elections and voting), then let them choose a righteous man. This was a slip, I seek Allah’s Forgiveness from it. But then, we were not aware of the Taaghootee parliament which has in it the respect of an opinion and the other opinion (against it)…’ (Tuhfatul-Mujeeb, pg. 305)
Question:
The people of elections (i.e. who favour them and call to them) use as a proof (for their view) the saying of Al-Albaanee, Ibn Baaz and Ibn ‘Uthaymeen. So what is your saying about that?
Answer:
… And we say: Indeed, we see that blind following is prohibited. So, it is not permissible for us to blind follow Sheikh Al-Albaanee, and nor Sheikh Ibn Baaz, and nor Sheikh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen…
So, the people of Sunnah do not blind follow. Then we say to the Sheikhs: Indeed these fataawa of yours are very dangerous. Do you not know that Bush [10] – may Allah humiliate him – when he was the president of America he would say that Saudi and Kuwait have not implemented democracy?
So it is upon the sheikhs to turn back from this fatwa. And I call you to witness that I will turn back from any mistake in my books or cassettes or in my call to Allah, The Mighty and The Majestic. I will turn back in good spirit and ease. And there is nothing upon the Sheikhs if they turn back, for indeed it is obligatory upon them because they do not know what is occurring in Yemen and what is circulating in the parliaments and what the corruption is which is occurring because of the elections. Killing and fighting because of the elections, women coming out (of their houses) revealing their beauty and pictures of women because of elections and making the Book and the Sunnah and the religion equal to disbelief because of the elections. And what benefit have these elections brought about?
So, it is obligatory upon these Sheikhs that they turn back (from their fataawa) and we will send to them inshaa’allah, and if they do not turn back, then we call Allah as a witness that we are free from their fataawa because they (the fataawa) are in opposition to the Book and the Sunnah. Whether they are pleased (with this) or whether they will get angry, our honour and our blood is a sacrifice for Islam and we do not care (about what is said) with the praise of Allah…
And we say to the Sheikhs: Did elections take place in the time of the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) when they (the companions) differed about Usaamah Bin Zaid (in that) should he be the leader (of the army) or should other than him (be the leader)?...
… And the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) was truthful when he said: “For a surety you will follow those who came before you exactly to the extent that if they entered into a lizard hole, you would enter into it.”
So, they (elections) are considered as being a division and a dissolving of unity and enmity and hatred…
So fear Allah O Mashaayekh. Do not steer us towards the following of America and to democracy which makes permissible what Allah has prohibited and which has indeed made homosexuality permissible in some of the countries of disbelief and which has made permissible every prohibited thing. So, we are Muslims and with us we have the Book of our Lord:
‘And this is My Straight Path so follow it, and do not follow the (other) paths for they will separate you away from His path.’ (Surah Al-An’aam 153)
So, do we have a religion of the past and a religion of the present time, or is it one religion up until the establishment of the hour? And the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wasallam) said: “There will not cease to be a group from amongst my nation who will be victorious upon the truth. They will not be harmed by those who abandon them until the order of Allah comes and they are like that.”
So perhaps the Mashaayekh will turn back from this fatwa and we will see what the reformers will do. And Allah is the one from whom aid is sought.’ (Tuhfatul-Mujeeb, pg. 314-318)
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Regarding Sheikh Ibn Baaz’s statements on these issues, then Sheikh Muqbil says:
‘And as we have said: Sheikh Ibn Baaz is (sometimes) correct and (sometimes) he makes mistakes. And in the matter of elections, I have refuted him in some cassettes. And I know his status and virtue and that his mistake does not decrease him in his virtue and in his nobility and in his high rank. And we do not blind follow Sheikh Bin Baaz or Sheikh Al-Albaanee. And if we were their blind followers, then we would have blind followed Ahmed Bin Hanbal and we would have blind followed Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (because they were greater than these scholars). However, we see that blind following is prohibited.’ (Nasaaih Wa Fadaaih, pg. 31)
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Sheikh Muqbil also said,
‘We do not blind follow them, we love the Mashaayekh and we do not blind follow them. If they made mistakes (then) we do not follow them in their mistake…when Sheikh Al-Albaanee gave a fatwa for the elections for the people of Algeria, I phoned him and said to him: What is this O’ Sheikh? He said: I do not make elections permissible, rather it is from the angle of the benefit taking precedence over the harm. Anyhow, we have driven (the people) away from this fatwa and from (what) the Sheikh, the Imaam Ibn Baaz, may Allah have mercy on him, (said), for he made it permissible – that’s what they come and say – they lie upon them O’ brothers. They say: O sheikh, there is nothing between us and that we rule with the Book and the Sunnah except these elections. The people are with us and we will succeed and we will take authority and we will rule with the Book and the Sunnah. And the Sheikh says: No problem – and this is overlooked.
And after that, we refuted the two virtuous Sheikhs and we mentioned both of them in more than one cassette. I ask Allah that He Has mercy on them both and that He forgives them both. However, both of them, their intent was good. And assuming that they both made a mistake, then the people of knowledge say: Indeed the virtuous scholar, if a mistake takes place from him, then it is obscure in relation to what he has of virtue – meaning that which he has of virtue outweighs this mistake and it does not affect him. And Allah is the one from whom aid is sought…’
Question 196:
What is your saying about the American elections with proof and detail, for your cassette on elections and likewise the cassette of Muhammad Al-Imaam are present with us. However, when the youth distributed them they said: This is specific for the elections in Yemen…
Answer:
I am amazed at these doubts which they spread, for if they (elections) are prohibited amongst the Muslims, will they be lawful amongst the disbelievers? And the proof is:
‘Is the one who is a believer like the one who is a transgressor? They are not equal.’
(Surah As-Sajdah 18)
…So, elections are considered as bargaining with Islam…’
Question 197:
Is the issue of elections related to Walaa Wal-Baraa (allegiance and dissociation) or Maslaha Wal-Mafsadah (benefit and harm)?
Answer:
It is related to Walaa Wal-Baraa. And which benefit is there in it? In it is the bargaining with Islam and we are able to say: What is it that the Muslims have profited from elections?
(Ar-Rihlatul-Akheerah, pg. 260-261)
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