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...It is not permissible to rebel against the ruler, except under two conditions: 1- Blatant Kufr for which they (those who want to rebel) have a proof from Allaah. 2- The power to depose the ruler without an evil worse than that of the ruler resulting. In the absence of these conditions, it is not permissible.

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Even if we were to assume the extreme - that a leader is a disbeliever - does this then mean we can incite the people to oppose him, even if it causes revolt, chaos, and killing? This is definitely wrong.

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The calamities in these past few years have occurred by the hands of these people [the Khawaarij], beginning with the discord of the sacred mosque in Mecca to the dissension in Egypt and the killing of Sadat. Now in Syria and in Egypt and Algeria, everyone witnesses the shedding of blood of many innocent Muslims because of these evils and tribulations and the many resulting calamities. All of this because they opposed many texts from the Book and the Sunnah, the most important of which is:   Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day and remembers Allaah much. (Al-Ahzab, ayah 21) If we really want to establish the rule of Allaah on earth in reality and not just by claim, then do we start by making Takfeer of the rulers while it is not possible for us to confront them, let alone fight them? Or do we start with the same obligation the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) started with? [[url=http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=8&Topic=10712]Tawheed[/url]] No doubt, the answer is: Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day and remembers Allaah much. (Al-Ahzab, ayah 21) But what did the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) begin with? [[url=http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=8&Topic=10127]Tawheed[/url]] It is known with certainty to anyone who has even smelled the fragrance of knowledge that he began with the call and propagation among individuals whom he thought were ready to accept the truth.

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When such a ruling [takfeer] is made against a Muslim leader, then the issue is even greater due to the outcomes of such a ruling like rebelling against them, wielding weapons against them, public chaos and bloodhshed, all of which corrupt the servants and their nation. Because of such outcomes, the Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) prohibited rebelling against them, saying: quote: Unless you see clear and absolute disbelief from them for which you have an evidence from Allaah to support you in that. (Bukhari, Muslim; in hadeeth narrated by 'Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, radiallaahu 'anhu)   - his (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement: Unless you see indicates that mere assumptions and rumors are not sufficient.   - his (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement: disbelief indicates that commiting evil crimes, sins - even major sins - is not sufficient, such as if he is oppressive, drinks alcohol, gambles, and allows himself to commit other forbidden sins.   - his (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement: clear and absolute indicates that an act of disbelief that is not completely apparent and explicit is not sufficient. - his (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement: for which you have an evidence from Allaah to support you in that indicates that there must be an explicit supporting proof in that it is authentic and clear in its evidence. So, a proof having a weak chain of narration is not sufficient, nor is a proof that its evidence is not entirely clear and applicable.   - his (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) statement: from Allaah indicates that regardless of the statement of any scholar - no matter what level he may have achieved in religious knowledge and trustworthiness - if he does not have a clear explicit proof from the Book of Allaah (ta'aala) or the Sunnah of His Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) to support his statement, then it is rejected. All of these conditions show the danger and severity of this matter of takfeer. To summarize, being hasty in passing a ruling against someone as being a disbeliever is a very dangerous issue due to the statement of Allaah: Say (O Muhammad): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawaahish whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge." (Al-A'raf, ayah 33) [Click [url=http://www.salafyink.com/aqeedah/ThinkBeforeYouSpeak.pdf]here[/url] for more on the dangers of speaking without knowledge.]   Second, this incorrect belief (takfeer) frequently develops into other crimes such as further declaring people's blood lawful to spill, violating people's honor, plundering private and public wealth and property, bombing homes and structures, and the devastation of buildings.

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Hudhaifah ibn Al Yamaan (radiallaahu 'anhu) narrated: quote: People used to ask the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) about the good times, but I used to ask him about bad times fearing lest they overtake me. I said: Messenger of Allaah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then Allaah brought us this good (time through Islaam). Is there any bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. I asked: Will there be a good time again after that bad time? He said: Yes, but therein will be a hidden evil. I asked: What will be the evil hidden therein? He said: (That time will witness the rise of) the people who will adopt ways other than mine and seek guidance other than mine. You will know (their) good points as well as (their) bad points. I asked: Will there be a bad time after this good one? He said: Yes. (A time will come) when there will be people standing and inviting at the gates of Hell. Whosoever responds to their call, they will throw them into the fire. I said: Messenger of Allaah, describe them for us. He said: All right. They will be a people having the same complexion as ours and speaking our language. I said: Messenger of Allaah, what do you suggest if I happen to live in that time? He said: You should stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader. I said: If they have no (such thing as the) main body and have no leader? He said: Separate yourself from all these factions, though you may have to eat the roots of trees (in a jungle) until death comes to you and you are in this state. (Collected by Bukhari and Muslim. The wording of the above is that of Imaam Muslim)

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They do not say to the people 'come to the hellfire!' They say: 'come towards progression and civilization (as opposed to the old lifestyles), towards development and conformity with the nations. Do not remain old fashioned and rigid.' The meaning of this is: abandon your religion and go along with the people. These ones are callers to the gates of hellfire. They call them (the Muslims) to desert their religion and affiliate themselves to the disbelievers. This is the call to the hellfire; because the hellfire is a promise for the disbelievers. So, they call the people to that which the people of hellfire are upon, from amongst the disbelievers, the idolaters and the atheists. How numerous are these callers in the Islaamic World today! Wa laa hawla Wa laa quwwata illaa billaah. Therefore, we must issue severe warning against them. Why? Because they call us to the hellfire, and Allaah (Jalla Wa 'alaa) said about the disbelievers (what means): Those (Al-Mushrikoon) invite you to the fire, but Allaah invites (you) to Paradise and Forgiveness by His Leave. (al-Baqarah, ayah 221) And He (subhaanahu wa ta' aalaa) said about shaytaan: ...He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the fire. (Fatir, ayah 6) And the believer amongst the people of Fir'awn said: "And O my people! How is it that I call you to salvation while you call me to the fire." (Ghafir, ayah 41) And how did he call them to the Paradise, and how did they call him to the fire? "You invite me to disbelieve in Allaah and to join partners in worship with Him of which I have no knowledge; and I call you to the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving!" (Ghafir, ayah 42) This is the difference between the callers to good and the callers to evil. Indeed, the callers to good invite to Allaah ('Azza Wa Jal), His Religion and Paradise. And the callers to evil invite to the hellfire. They (the callers to evil) do not say to the people: come to the fire!! They say: come to Paradise, these are the actions of the people of Paradise, this is good, this is development, this is rectification, this is and this isı. and they beautify that for the people. Therefore, the Muslims must be cautious of these ones (the callers to the gates of hellfire). Indeed, they have become numerous in this time, and Allaah knows best whether they will increase more and more in the future. They may be facilitated with tools (of misguidance) not possessed by the previous callers to misguidance, and given firm support through such (Satanic tools) that would rapidly reach the people, and the suggestion of the seducer and the falsifier will be adorned and made to appear as something good to the people in any place, whilst it is something evil. This is from the height of fitnah. Whosoever responds to their call, they will throw them into the fire. [Meaning:] WHOEVER RESPONDS TO THEM - by complying, believing and assisting them - will be thrown into the fire by them. As for the one who does not comply with them, [instead, he] opposes and openly rejects what they are upon, then indeed they will not harm him. Allaah (Jalla Wa 'Alaa) said (what means) in the Qur`an: "And verily this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become Muttaqoon (pious)." (Al-An'aam, ayah 153)   The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), whilse explaining this ayah, drew a straight line and said: this is the path of Allaah. Then, he drew lines to the left and right (of this straight line) and said: these are the other paths, and on every path is a devil calling the people to it. (Ahmad 1/435) This is a depiction of the callers to misguidance, their methodologies and objectives. It has been thoroughly illustrated for us- that indeed whatever opposes the Straight Path is a path leading to Jahannam (hellfire). Whoever abandons the Straight Path is heading towards the Jahannam (hellfire), even if he regards himself civilized, progressive and open minded. So, I (Hudhaifah) said: "O Messenger of Allaah, describe them for us."   Look at these amazing questions from this honorable sahaabi (companion). The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) paused, but he (still) asked him, and the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) answered him in detail and with clarity. He (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: they will be a people having the same complexion as ours and speaking our language.   This is Calamity!! Indeed, they are close to us. They are from our community and country. Had they been foreigners - had they been from America or other than it - the affair would have been easy. However, the problem is that they are the son (or sons) of so and so. And it may be that they say, "I am a scholar, and I have with me shahaadaat 'ilmiyyah (i.e. proofs/certifications of my being a carrier of knowledge) and I am, and I am...."   They are from us and they speak with our tongue. They are Arabs like us; rather they possess eloquence. When they write, or deliver a speech, or a lecture, they speak with our tongue just as Allaah said concerning the hypocrites: ...And when they speak, you listen to their words... (Al-Munafiqoon, ayah 4) They possess eloquence that grabs the attention/overwhelms the listener. The listener listens to them because of their eloquent speech. The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: Indeed some eloquent speech has the influence of magic (e.g., some people refuse to do something, and then a good eloquent speaker addresses them and then they agree to do that very thing after his speech). (Bukhari Vol 7. Hadith No: 5146) They speak with our tongue (i.e. the Arabic tongue). Had they spoken with a foreign language or the language of the Persians, there would not have been inclination towards them. However, the problem is that when they speak with eloquent speech/good style of speech, the people are lured towards them. This is from the height of fitnah. Hudhaifah said: "O Messenger of Allaah, what do you suggest if I happen to live in that time? (i.e. the time of the callers to the gates of hellfire). He said: You should stick to the Jama'ah (the main body of the Muslims) and their leader.   Therefore, in this is a clarification regarding what the Muslim must do with the appearance of these Fitan and evils that call the people to deviation, decadence agreement with the disbelievers, and abandonment of Islaam and its rulings. Indeed, the Muslim is not deceived by them; rather he stays with the Jama'ah of the Muslims. He sticks to the Jama'ah of the Muslims and does not segregate from them, neither by way of opinions nor beliefs nor statements. He is not deceived by speech and what is falsely made to seem desirable; rather he looks at what the Muslims are upon. The Prophet (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: My ummah will not agree upon misguidance.   And he (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: Upon you is to stick to the Jama'ah, for indeed the Hand of Allaah is over the Jama'ah. (Tirmidhee) So be with the Jama'ah of the Muslims. The Muslims cannot be a Jama'ah except if they have a ruler who is obeyed. And there is no Jama'ah except with a leader, and there is no leader except that he is to be listened to and obeyed. And due to this Allaah (Jalla Wa 'Alaa) said (what means): O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (An-Nisa`, ayah 59)   And he (Ta'aala) said (what means): When there comes to them some matter touching (public) safety or fear, they make it known (among the people). If only they had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have understood it from them (directly). Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allaah upon you, you would have followed Shaitan (Satan), save a few of you. (An-Nisa`, ayah 83) Therefore, in this is evidence for the means to safety from Fitan: Indeed that is adherence to the Jama'ah of the Muslims and their leader. This is safety from Fitan, Bi idhnillaah (By Allaah's Permission). As for the one who isolates (himself) from the Jama'ah of the Muslims and follows the callers to misguidance; indeed he will be destroyed alongside the destroyed ones. Therefore, there is a guaranteed safety in sticking to Jama'ah of the Muslims and their leader, Bi idhnillaah (By Allaah's Permission). He (Ta'aala) said (what means): And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination. (An-Nisa`, ayah 115) And he (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: Upon you is to stick to the Jama'ah, for indeed the Hand of Allaah is over the Jama'ah. And whoever isolates himself from the Jama'ah will be isolated in the fire.   And he ('alayhis salaatu wassalaam) said: I enjoin upon you to have fear of Allaah, and to listen and obey even if a slave is placed in charge over your affairs. For indeed whosoever lives long amongst you will see a lot of differences, so stick to my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided khulafaa after me. So, whoever wants to save himself at the time of these Fitan and evils, then he should not move away from what the Muslims and their leader are holding onto; rather, he must exercise patience along with them. And even if he is afflicted with difficulties, he still exercises patience until Allaah (Jalla Wa 'Alaa) brings about solace. This is the path to safety from Fitan. He (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: Stick to the Jama'ah of the Muslims and their leader. I (Hudhaifah) said: What if they have no (such thing as the) main body and have no leader? This honorable sahaabi (Hudhaifah) did not stop asking the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) questions that have great benefits for the Ummah (clarified by the Messenger, salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). He (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: Separate yourself from all these factions though you may have to eat the roots of trees (in a jungle) until death comes to you and you are in this state. In this is evidence regarding the abandonment of the groups that are in opposition to what the Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) came with, and what the salaf of this ummah and their Imaams were upon, and what the Jama'ah of the Muslims are upon. That is because when the Jama'ah of the Muslims is no longer (present) - wa laa hawla walaa quwwata illaa billaah - and then what should the Muslim do? He should isolate himself from all these sects, because they are all deviated sects and callers to the gates of hellfire. He should stick to the Jama'ah of the Muslims if he finds them. And if not, then isolate yourself even if you are alone. Be firm upon the truth - even if you are alone. That is why [Ibn Mas'ood, radiallaahu 'anhu] said: 'The Jama'ah is the one upon the truth even if he is alone. This is the Jama'ah, and the Jama'ah is not the numerous groups, rather it the one upon the truth.

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The Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: This Ummah will divide into 73 sects, all of them in the hellfire except one. He was asked, "Which one is that, o Messenger of Allaah?" He (salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: That which I and my companions are upon. [Abu Dawud, Ibn Maajah, Ahmad, Ad-Daaramee]