Ṣāliḥ Āli-Shaykh on Praying for the Absolute Destruction of Jews & Christians
Translator: Harrison
ṢāliḥĀli-Shaykh on Praying for the Absolute
Destruction of Jews & Christians
Question:
We have read a verdict from you published in “al-Da’wah” magazine that one should not pray for the overall destruction of Jews and Christians. Hearing this, we were confused by the seemingly contrasting supplication of prophet Nūh (Noah, peace be upon him ). We hope you will explain this verdict of yours with the evidence.
Answer:
This is similar to the question that was asked when I visited al-Da’wah Publications that publishes “al-Da’wah” magazine. I have mentioned many times in the past that doing such a thing is not in accordance with the fundamentals of our belief and creed. The supplication for the overall destruction of nonbelievers was specific to prophet Nūh (Noah, peace be upon him ). The messengers after him did not pray inclusively for absolute destruction of all nonbelievers. Allah (The Almighty ) said
﴿æóÞóÇáó äõæÍñ ÑøóÈöø áóÇ ÊóÐóÑú Úóáóì ÇáúÃóÑúÖö ãöäó ÇáúßóÇÝöÑöíäó ÏóíøóÇÑðÇ﴾
And Nūh said, “My Lord, do not leave upon the earth a single one of the disbelievers.”
[Sūrah Nūh, 71:26]
Yet, an angel said to prophet Muhammad ( sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) (after being rejected and persecuted by his people), “If you want, I will crush the two mountains upon the people of Makkah.” The prophet ( sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) replied saying
Èóáú ÃóÑúÌõæ Ãóäú íõÎúÑöÌó Çááåõ ãöäú ÃóÕúáóÇÈöåöãú ãóäú íóÚúÈõÏõ Çááåó æó áóÇ íõÔúÑößõ Èöåö ÔóíúÆðÇ
“No, I hope Allah will bring out from their progeny people who’ll worship Allah alone ascribing no partner to Him.”
The prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) also once condemned some of the foremost and harshestof the leaders of disbelief, so the following verse was revealed to him, as is mentioned in“Kitāb al-Tawḥīd”, Allah revealed
﴿áóíúÓó áóßó ãöäó ÇáúÃóãúÑö ÔóíúÁñ Ãóæú íóÊõæÈó Úóáóíúåöãú Ãóæú íõÚóÐöøÈóåõãú ÝóÅöäøóåõãú ÙóÇáöãõæäó﴾
You have nothing to do with the decision, whether He pardons them or punishes them. Indeed, they are the transgressors.
[Sūrah Āli-‘Imrān, 3:128]
The guidance of the prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and his companions regarding their supplications against nonbelievers is that they would only pray specifically against the transgressors and unjust among them, the oppressors, or those who openly wage war against Islam and its people. This is also illustrated in the supplication of ‘Umar when he was in prayer
“Oh Allah, deal with the disbelievers from the People of the Book that hinder others from Your religion and that fight Your righteous servants.”
As for praying against all Jews and Christians for their overall extermination, this is notpermissible in Islam. It is a form of going to extremes in supplication. This is becauseAllah has already informed us that the Jews and Christians will remain until theappearance of the Anti-Christ (al-Masīḥ al-Dajjāl) towards the end of time. So, if someoneprays to Allah for Him to remove all of them now before the Anti-Christ appears, then thisis a contradiction and a form of objection to what Allah has already decreed with Hiswisdom and capability in that He will make them remain until the end of time. For this, ithas never been narrated from anyone of the Salaf, or from the major scholars of Islamthat they supplicated with an overall prayer against the Jews and Christians. Instead,they would supplicate with a specific prayer only against those who fight, wage war, orharm the believers____________________
This fatwá was taken from a book called “al-Fatāwá al-Shar’iyyah fī al-Qadhāyá Al-‘Asriyyah,” a
collection of various rulings by Muhammad Ibn Fahd al-Ḥusayn.
Recorded by al-Bukhārī (no. 3231) and Muslim (1795) from the ḥadīth of ‘Āishah, may Allah be
pleased with her.
Taken from the cassette: Asbāb al-Thabāt ‘alá al-Dīn
source :