Ruling on elections & voting. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Hizaam

بســـم اللــه الرحــمــن الـرحـــيــم

📩 Question:

A brother from Somalia says, what is the ruling on casting votes using election cards; because some of the heads of ikhwanul Muslimoon have issued Fatwas permitting this, saying, 'means are judged according to their intended goals'?

📝 Answer:

Elections and voting are not from the religion of Islam. They have nothing to do with our Sharee'ah. Rather, they are part and parcel of democracy; which is promoted by the enemies of Islam; this filthy doctrine which falls contrary to the religion of Islam; which calls for freedom of religion and freedom of beliefs; and which the enemies of Islam wish to compel Muslims to abide by, in order to spread their falsehood. 

Democracy means referring judgment to the people. The people govern themselves through what they deem to be right or wrong. This means, judgement rests with the people - not the Book of Allah, or the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. 

However, Allah the Almighty says: 

{وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡ فِیهِ مِن شَیۡءࣲ فَحُكۡمُهُۥۤ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّی عَلَیۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَیۡهِ أُنِیبُ}

˹Say to the believers, O Prophet,˺ “Whatever you may differ about, its judgment rests with Allah. That is Allah—my Lord. In Him I put my trust, and to Him I ˹always˺ turn.”

[Surat Ash-Shura 10]

And Allah the Almighty says:

{یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوۤا۟ أَطِیعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِیعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِی ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنكُمۡۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِی شَیۡءࣲ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡیَوۡمِ ٱلۡـَٔاخِرِۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِیلًا}

"O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution.

[Surat An-Nisa' 59]

And Allah says:

{إِنِ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِۖ یَقُصُّ ٱلۡحَقَّۖ}

"Judgment is for Allah alone" 

[Surat Al-An'am 57]

And Allah, the exalted, says:

{أَفَحُكۡمَ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِیَّةِ یَبۡغُونَۚ وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حُكۡمࣰا لِّقَوۡمࣲ یُوقِنُونَ}

"Is it the judgment of ˹pre-Islamic˺ ignorance they seek? Who could be a better judge than Allah for people of sure faith?"

[Surat Al-Ma'idah 50]

And Allah, the mighty and majestic, says:

{فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا یُؤۡمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ یُحَكِّمُوكَ فِیمَا شَجَرَ بَیۡنَهُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا یَجِدُوا۟ فِیۤ أَنفُسِهِمۡ حَرَجࣰا مِّمَّا قَضَیۡتَ وَیُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسۡلِیمࣰا}

"But no! By your Lord, they will never be ˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly." 

[Surat An-Nisa' 65]

And Allah the Almighty says:

{أَلَیۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَحۡكَمِ ٱلۡحَـٰكِمِینَ}

"Is Allah not the Best of judges?" 

[Surat At-Tin 8]

However, (according to democracy) judgement rests with the people; and it doesn't matter if they are wretched, disbelievers, Muslim, ignorant, male or female; all of them are equal. 

And Allah the Almighty says:

{قُلۡ هَلۡ یَسۡتَوِی ٱلَّذِینَ یَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا یَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ}

"Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Are those who know equal to those who know not?” None will be mindful ˹of this˺ except people of reason." 

[Surat Az-Zumar 9]

And He, the Almighty, said:

{أَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ كَٱلۡمُفۡسِدِینَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَمۡ نَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡمُتَّقِینَ كَٱلۡفُجَّارِ}

"Shall We treat those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the same as those who do mischief on earth? Shall We treat those who guard against evil, the same as those who turn aside from the right?" 

[Surat Sad 28]

And He says:

{وَلَیۡسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلۡأُنثَىٰۖ}

"And the male is not like the female" 

[Surat Aal-E-Imran 36]

So what does this have to do with the religion of Allah? This has nothing to do with the Sharee'ah. Whoever says that this is from the religion of Islam is being deceptive towards Islam and the Muslims. 

The ikhwanul Muslimoon are a calamity for Islam and the Muslims. They have not benefitted Islam with any good since their establishment. They have become a (useful) means for the enemies of Islam, and a step ladder for kings, presidents, politicians, disbelieving parties, etc. So they can't be trusted with the religion of Allah. 

Allah the Almighty says:

{وَمَن یَبۡتَغِ غَیۡرَ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِ دِینࣰا فَلَن یُقۡبَلَ مِنۡهُ وَهُوَ فِی ٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرِینَ}

"Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers." 

[Surat Aal-E-Imran 85]

And Allah the Almighty said:

{إِنَّ ٱلدِّینَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمُۗ}

"Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam." 

[Surat Aal-E-Imran 19]

Therefore, elections are part and parcel of democracy, and are founded on it. 

Furthermore, everyone is given a say; the disbelievers, the Muslims, the wretched; although most of them are far from the teachings of Islam. So how can they be given authority to choose the next ruler? The ruler can only be chosen through the legal methods described in the Qur'an and the Sunnah; such as the people of knowledge and understanding coming together to choose a leader based on the qualities mentioned in the religion of Islam.

As for their saying: 'means are judged according to their intended goals', then this principle -according to the jurists- refers to permissible means - not means that have been prohibited by the Shari'ah. So the means may be desirable, or even obligatory; if for example, an obligation cannot be fulfilled except through taking a particular means. 

As far as adopting prohibited means, then Allah the Almighty does not & will not make his religion victorious through polytheism, innovation and misguidance. How can that be if Allah the Almighty said:

{وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمۡ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَیَسۡتَخۡلِفَنَّهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كَمَا ٱسۡتَخۡلَفَ ٱلَّذِینَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ وَلَیُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمۡ دِینَهُمُ ٱلَّذِی ٱرۡتَضَىٰ لَهُمۡ وَلَیُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ خَوۡفِهِمۡ أَمۡنࣰاۚ یَعۡبُدُونَنِی لَا یُشۡرِكُونَ بِی شَیۡـࣰٔاۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعۡدَ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُونَ}

"Allah has promised those of you who believe and do good that He will certainly make them successors in the land, as He did with those before them; and will surely establish for them their faith which He has chosen for them; and will indeed change their fear into security—˹provided that˺ they worship Me, associating nothing with Me. But whoever disbelieves after this ˹promise˺, it is they who will be the rebellious."

[Surat An-Nur 55]

And He said:

{ٱلَّذِینَ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَمَرُوا۟ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَنَهَوۡا۟ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡأُمُورِ}

"˹They are˺ those who, if established in the land by Us, would perform prayer, pay alms-tax, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil. And with Allah rests the outcome of all affairs." 

[Surat Al-Hajj 41]

Therefore, 'means are judged according to their intended goals', is in reference to taking the permissible means; for example, if an obligation cannot be achieved except through a particular means, this means becomes wajib (maa laa yatimmul waajibu illa bihi fahuwa waajib). So the means itself must be permissible; because Allah the Almighty has not made the forbidden, polytheistic, or innovated means a path to good.

{وَلَیَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن یَنصُرُهُۥۤۚ}

"Allah will certainly help those who stand up for Him." 

[Surat Al-Hajj 40]

This is truly a great fallacy. They go as far as deceiving the masses by telling them, if you don't vote, the rule will be in the hands of a disbeliever or the like!! 

So (If they say this to you), you should say:

Firstly: if that's the case, then we don't want to be like them; submitting to democracy like them; believing in it, adhering to it, calling others to it and referring judgement to other than Allah the Almighty. And it's not possible to participate in this unless you are like them. Even if you say, I have a good intention / I'm doing it for a good cause, this is still unacceptable; because a person is treated according to what he makes apparent. 

Secondly: the ikhwanul Muslimoon have been around for decades, close to a century now, yet, until now they're still being used like handkerchiefs and are step ladder for others; (just as the poet says:) 

"by climbing on his shoulders do others attain glory, he is nothing but a step ladder" 

They have much experience, but they don't learn. How distant their minds are from the right path! The enemies of Islam take them as a ladder for their interests and goals, (and once they achieve that) they turn around to kill and slaughter them. But they don't understand. They have no understanding. 

__________

Translated by:

Abu Ishaq Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ba Alawi

...

Original Fatwa:

https://t.me/ibnhezam/1755