Ash-Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee – hafidhahullaah – was asked thus: "In our country (a young Christian lady blasphemed the Prophet ﷺ and she was killed for this by some overzealous youth; they killed her and set her on fire. Some Muslims praised them (those youths) for this action and requesting their release from the government custody where they were imprisoned for killing (the lady); they (the youths) said they were showcasing their love for The Prophet ﷺ citing the story of the Companion of the Prophet ﷺ who killed his slave girl for blaspheming the Prophet ﷺ."
Ash-Shaykh as-Suhaymee (hafidhahullah) responded:
‘This hastiness is wrong, and it is not permissible. Never!
There is a principle you must implement: ‘If correcting an evil will bring about another greater evil or its equivalent, (then the correction itself) is an evil."
These young people shouldn't have killed the Christian lady considering (another principle) ‘warding off evil takes precedence over bringing benefits.’
The enmity of the disbelievers towards the Prophet ï·º is not strange neither is it new. They disbelieve in him ï·º ordinarily. They do not recognize him ï·º as a Prophet.
So, for us to embark on such action – considering our state of weakness - that will cause retaliatory actions (from the disbelievers) that would bring more harm to Islaam and the Muslims of that country (Nigeria).
I personally see that they have committed and caused another evil act that is going to harm the Muslims there. Let me give a scenario whereby an explosion was made by some Muslims - who were just advocating ignorantly - against the government. The foolish people; they caused for the Muslims retaliatory actions against Islaam and Muslims till date, and restricted the spreading of Islaam.
I was in America before. In the journey, many people accepted Islaam but after bombing happened, many things stopped (like) closing of many Islamic centers; thousands of centers. They were all closed after this incident.
What have these overzealous people gained for not acting with the correct ruling (about the matter) and not referring it to the reliable scholars?
What have they gained for Islaam and the Muslims?
These people had not upheld Islaam or brought goodness for the religion. Rather they have harmed the religion in all ways. The Da’wah of Islam became lax in Europe due to the action of those people.
In this case, there is no benefit in their killing. She was a Christian already who didn't believe in the religion nor in the Prophet ï·º?
What is our gain in the killing? You have committed a sin for bringing harm to the Muslims.
Good! Is it good to do self-explosion in a non-Muslim country? No! I swear it is not permissible, let alone in an Islamic state.
So, the exploder killed himself and whosever kills himself will be punished in the Hell-Fire. The other evil is killing others like women, old people and other people prohibited in the direct Hadeeth of the Prophet ï·º. Thirdly is that these people didn't bring any goodness to the Muslims rather they brought harm to Islaam and the Muslims living there if the non-Muslims retaliate.
As for citing the incident of the Sahaabi, Qa'qa'ah bin 'Amr, by the youth, whereby he aimed at attacking Musaylimah.
Did these people commit suicide? No!
The first thing is that those Muslims (in that war against Musaylimah) did not kill themselves rather the enemies did so, and that was martyrdom, for whosever kills himself is going to be punished in the Hell-Fire.
The second thing is that those Muslims opened the gate of the fortress successfully, some of them became martyrs while others were saved.
While the third thing is that those people were just in a war, they never presented themselves to destruction by opening the gate. Therefore, whosever kills himself, Jahannam is his punishment.
(Answered during the Question-and-Answer Session after the Lesson on Explanation of Manaar Sabeel, 17th May, 2022)
Translated by Aboo Israaeel, Saboor Keudirorunwiyy.
