Co operation in Islaam

The importance of cooperation has been mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah numerous times, especially on the good deeds:

 

“The believers – men and women are protectors to one another, they order the good and forbid the evil….” [EMQ 9:71]

 

There are certain issues concerning muslims that are of paramount importance. These issues are issues of life and death, issues that take priority over all other issues, issues that are so important that a muslim can be killed for and should be ready to die for. These issues were termed by the prophet (SAW) as the ‘Vital Issues’ (Al-Qadayah Al-Maseria).

 

The prophet (SAW) said; one drop of muslim blood is worth more than the Kaba’ah and its whole surroundings. This shows us the urgency of these ‘Vital Issues’, so important that muslim blood can be spilt for them. One of the vital issues is the issue of unity amongst the muslim ummah as Allah (SWT) commands the muslims to be united in the Quran:

 

“And hold fast to the rope of Allah and do not be divided amongst yourselves” [EMQ 3:103]

 

Unity is something that is so important that anyone found working against the unity of the muslims should be killed as is reported that Arafaja said he heard the prophet (SAW) say;

 

“Who so comes to you while your affair has been united under one man, intending to divide your staff or dissolve your unity, kill him”

 

What we have to remember is that unity for the muslim ummah is on the basis of Islam and nothing else. Today we see muslims united on the basis of nationalism, patriotism, tribalism, racism, the group you belong to, the imam you follow etc. But what the muslims lack is the political unity, the unity in terms of their leadership, in terms of the comprehensive implementation of their deen. Hence the vital issue for muslims in this day and age is to bring back this unity amongst the muslim ummah. To unite them once again under the banner of Islam as the prophet (SAW) and his companions (RA) did and to implement the Ahkaam (Rules) of Islam comprehensively and to allow them to become the sole reference point in all of our life’s affairs be they political, social, environmental, scientific etc.

 

Due to the obligation of this duty we find many muslim organisations, groups, movements arising working day and night to try and remedy the muslim ummah and to relieve it from this abnormal situation that it has aimlessly fallen into.

 

All of these movements are based on Islam and believe in working for the re-establishment of the Islamic political system to bring about unity amongst the muslims. They may differ in their approach and the method that they adopt but this is no reason for them to disregard one another as Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:

 

“The believers – men and women are protectors to one another, they order the good and forbid the evil….” [EMQ 9:71]

 

Although these groups are sincere in their efforts we can see a major hindrance with regards to the activities of these groups. They call for the same thing, they believe in the same belief yet they seem to be more interested inbackbiting each other, slandering one another and even carrying hatred against each other.

 

Why, you ask yourselves do we see this amongst those muslims who claim to revive and to unify the ummah. Are all of their claims mere rhetoric?Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:

 

“Co-operate in good and piety and do not co-operate in sin and transgression.And fear Allah for Allah is strict in punishment” [EMQ 5:2]

 

Allah (SWT) is commanding the muslims to work together and to help one another in goodness and piety and to abstain from helping each other in sin and transgression. This verse is general (A’am) and applies to all of the muslims at all levels be it individuals, groups, communities, families etc. with or without an Islamic State. This ayah was revealed in 8 Hijri (630 AD) after the conquest of Makkah under the khilafah ruling system. The classical mufassireen/scholars such as Imam Mawardi, Imam Surkusi, Ibn Al-Kathir, Ibn Il-Aqiyya, and many others agreed that ‘bir’ and ‘taqwa’ have the same meaning and refer to all of the ahkam that the shariah legislates (i.e. general) except those specific to the khaliph. In matters which the shariah legislates as being fard/wajib, a muslim individual or group has no choice but to co-operate if asked to do so (i.e. it is obligatory), for example, calling society to Islam, working to establish Allah’s Deen ( Khilafah or Nizam-e-Mustafa), performing Jihad, enjoining the marouf and forbidding the munkar, etc.However, in matters the shariah designates as mandoub it is recommended for him to co-operate but not obligatory, for example picking up litter, building more than one mosque in an 80km radius and so on.

 

This means that it is an obligation upon the muslim groups to help and co-operate with one another in good actions. It doesn’t call for the unification of all groups to become one group. Rather it commands the muslims to support one another in their activities the condition being that these activities are deemed ‘good’ (Bir) in Islam.

 

It is known from the Deen by necessity that it is obligatory upon the Muslims to unify their ranks and their word upon the truth and to co-operate in goodness and piety against the enemies of Islam. It is obligatory to co-operate in that which the shariah legislates as fard/wajib e.g. exposing and challenging man-made law (kufr) in society, calling society to Islam (in the best styles and means) and warning against that which Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAW) have prohibited.

 

In areas where you may differ with one another i.e. difference of opinion based on text (Quran and Sunnah) you can discuss and debate. If the difference involves a particular issue of ljtihaad wherein proofs are deep and detailed – then it is obligatory not to reproach or censure one another. However, if it opposes a clear text of the Quran and the Sunnah, then it is obligatory to correct the one who has opposed the clear texts. The prophet (SAW) said in a Hadith related by Muslim 13138:

 

“Whosoever directs a person to do good, will have a reward similar to the one who does that good”

 

However one should realise that co-operation with a fasiq or fajir muslim (includes sitting, accompanying and dealing with him/her) is forbidden.

 

NOTE: Fasiq is one that does a haram action that contradicts that which is known in Islam by necessity (e.g. drinking alcohol, homosexuality etc.) This is different to a muslim who does a haram action that is not known in Islam by necessity (e.g. insurance, credit cards).

 

Imaam Al-Shaaf’ie in the Book Al-Iqnaa’ Fil-fiqh said: “It is Haram, to co-operate, to sit or to deal with a Fasiq except if you are calling him/her to repent and fear Allah”.

 

Imaam Ghazali, Said: “Accompanying the Fasiq is a sin because the messenger Muhammad (saw) said: Avoid the people of sins (Ahl Al-sou’)”.

 

Imaam Abu Hanifah in the book of Al-Mabsout by Imaam Surkhusi said: “The Messenger Muhammad (saw) said: A man on the Deen of his friend watch out for who his friend is)” He Abu Hanifah comments: “It is Haram to socialise with Muslims dealing with Riba, Khamer, fornication and whosoever is in good terms with them he/she is sinful and not a trustworthy”.

 

Many other scholars comment on this ayah such as Imaam Nawawie, Maqdisi, Ibn Al-Munzer, Imaam Samarqandi, Imam Quraafi, Imaam Abu Yusuf…. Etc.)

 

All of these groups differ from each other in one way or another nevertheless this is no excuse to neglect this duty because Allah (SWT) knows what is best for us and he (SWT) will never burden us with more than we can bear.

 

“And do not be like those who differed and split-up after the clear evidences came to them” [EMQ 3:105]

 

All of those movements that are working for the unification of the muslims through the khilafah should be aware of this duty. We as Followers of Ahlus sunnah wal Jama’ah invite and urge all individual and groups working sincerely for the implementation of Islam to fulfil this verse and to co-operate on issues that we are agreement with and to abstain from slandering, backbiting or co-operating on any haram issues, and let Islam be the driving force and not our whims and desires.

 

The vital issues are issues that all groups agree upon and are the issues that take precedence over others. So we should aid one another in these areas for example; working together and unifying our voices and actions for Afghanistan and Iraq, coming out commanding the good as well as forbidding the evil, doing seminars and lectures highlighting the decline of the Muslims, raising awareness of the Muslim captives, engaging in debates between the kuffar etc. We urge all Islamic movements to abstain from this hindrance of partisanship, bigotry and prejudice and to co-operate on the vital issues to proliferate the return of Islam as a political force. The vital issues are the issues of priority and we need to fulfil them with full awareness and understanding and not to let torture, suffering, boycott, and abuse hinder us in any way as all these are expected due to the nature of the call.

 

“Oh you who believe, answer the call of Allah and his messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life” [EMQ 8:24]