Translation: Abu Ubayy Sharif Hamzah
Questioner: Is it proper to carry out protests?
Answer: Is it proper to carry out protests (you asked)? Is it not hooliganism? What is protest? Is that not so? (They call it) "peaceful protest," but thereafter (police) will fire tear-gas canisters (at the people). Later, shots will be fired. But what will be the outcome?
Those who intend to (steal) will start breaking into houses and shops; they will use the opportunity (of that protest) to steal in the society.
Islaam is not in support of protest. Protest is among the ways of revolting against the leaders; it is bad.
At times, three or four of you may start (the protest) peacefully but the end result would be bad.
Therefore as Muslims, let's avoid protest. And Allaah knows best.
What is happening in Syria today, what led to it? It was protest! The one that happened in Iraq, what led to it? It was protest!
What is happening in Libya, what started it?
They tried it in Saudi Arabia; they were silenced.
Once, it starts, the town would be engulfed in tribulations.
You can select professors, medical doctors, engineers, Muslim scholars and clergymen (as the case may be); assemble them and book an appointment with the leaders.
(The selected people) should go and tell them the needs of the people in the society, if the (leader) hears; AlhamduliLlaah and if he fails to (then be patient with him).
But for you to curse him publicly, the repercussion on you will be bad. If he sends his soldiers to you, talk to you and you refuse; it might result into violence such as being dispersed with tear gas canisters and shots. Nobody will dispute this.
Therefore, the fitnah that would occur thereafter, we may not have the power to quench its fire. Why should we not be proactive?
If influential people (in the society) go and meet him (the leader) and he refuses (to listen to the complaints of the people) let them book another time with him. By the time they book up to six appointments, he will listen to about three of the ten complaints brought by the people.
There is no leader that can provide all your needs unless you want to cause chaos in the society.
If the leader refuses to hear (your complaints), be patient with him, be prayerful. Being patient with him is better than fighting.
If you are patient, you will still be able to buy foodstuffs (in the market) , won't you? Pupils will go on memorizing the Qur'an, we will carry on with the five daily prayers (peacefully) but if the society becomes disrupted (as a result of protests), the aforementioned will not be).
That's the reason we will say to those calling us to protests that, if the consequences come, you are the type who will shave his beards; they (the leaders) won't know you are the one that started (the protest) and your trousers usually hang below your ankles.
We (the Ahlus-Sunnah who do not shave beards and whose trousers are above their ankles) are the ones to bear the brunt such as arrests. We therefore do not accept it.
They will lock the mosques and the Arabic schools. So what have you achieved?
You won't get close to the target, let alone assuming it. Please, just teach the people, whatever Allaah has decreed would come to you of the worldly affairs, would. Leave the one you could not get for the Hereafter.
Allaah knows best.
(Source: Q&A segment of Ustadh Qamardeen's monthly lecture at Ijesha market, Lagos).
