Chapter 34

Forty-third [provision] on the basis that (freedom of belief is absolute, and the state protects the rites of all religions). ¶

We say to those who advocate for unleashing the tongues of the disbelievers within the Dar al-Islam to attack Islam and its people: You have committed an injustice against your Ummah through this call, whether you are aware of it or not. You have contradicted the command of Allah and His Messenger, the conduct of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the positions of the jurists of Islam. The refutation of this stance can be summarized in the following points: ¶

1. The saying of the Almighty: {And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers}. Even though it is said that this verse was revealed regarding a group of people who embraced Islam, then apostatized, and then some of them returned to Islam later, the verse is broader than that. Therefore, whoever intends or assists in manifesting disbelief through its various rites has sought a religion other than Islam. Furthermore, anyone who believes in the possibility of Islam and Muslims coexisting with disbelief and disbelievers side-by-side on an equal footing has stripped Islam of its most important characteristic: being the sole unique way of life that has no rival within the Dar al-Islam. Islam, by sharing a society under a single leadership with systems of disbelief and misguidance, is considered suspended, as it cannot influence human life unless its effects are instilled into a complete social system within which people live in a clean and luminous framework, free from the interference of the filth and turbidity of Jahiliyyah (ignorance). ¶

2. The saying of the Almighty: {And We have revealed to you the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture}. ¶

the Book and a guardian over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. (1) ¶

(Al-Muhaymin) is one of the names of Allah Almighty, meaning the Watcher, the Controller over all things, and the Preserver of them. (2) In the aforementioned verse (confirming what came before it of the Book and as a guardian over it), it means being superior and elevated over the category of previous scriptures. (3) Hence, this Book must be the final arbiter in every issue, whether the disagreement is in creedal conception between Muslims and others, or the disagreement is among the Muslims themselves. It is the reference to which they return with their opinions regarding all aspects of life. The opinions of men and the claims of claimants have no value unless they have an origin they rely upon from this ultimate reference. (4) ¶

3. The saying of Allah Almighty: "It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although the polytheists dislike it." (5) This verse indicates that Allah Almighty has made the status of Islam elevated, dominant, and overpowering over previous shariahs (legal codes), and Muslims must also be the same. If there is someone in the Abode of Islam (Dar al-Islam) who competes with Islam by calling to other than Islam, this means the failure to manifest the religion of Allah over other false creeds. This implies that any land that permits the call to other than Allah is an Abode of Disbelief (Dar al-Kufr), not an Abode of Islam (Dar al-Islam). ¶

4. Al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave a command... ¶

The Prophet (PBUH) made three testaments at the time of his death: 'Expel the polytheists from the Arabian Peninsula, grant the delegations [the same] rewards as I used to grant them,' and he forgot the third. It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) who said: 'The last instruction of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was his saying: 'Two religions shall not remain in the Arabian Peninsula.'' This hadith and the one preceding it provide explicit evidence that it is not permissible for a polytheist or disbeliever to remain in the Arabian Peninsula, even if they conceal their disbelief and beliefs. For this reason, it is narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) expelled the Jews and Christians from the land of Hijaz to Tayma, Jericho, and the outskirts of the Levant in implementation of the Messenger’s (PBUH) command. Thus, if the presence of a disbeliever is not acceptable within the Peninsula, it is, a fortiori, even less acceptable for them to manifest their disbelief in the general lands of the Muslims. While Islam is tolerant toward non-Muslims by leaving them to their false creeds and religions provided they practice them secretly and cautiously, it cannot tolerate granting them the freedom to propagate disbelief and misguidance through public means. ¶

5- The purpose of Jihad in the way of Allah is for the religion to be entirely for Allah, as the Almighty said: 'And fight them until there is no more fitnah (disorder/polytheism) and the religion is entirely for Allah.' Enabling disbelievers to manifest their disbelief and propagate it with complete freedom renders the religion for both Him and others, which contradicts the principle and objective of Jihad. ¶

6- Among the conditions of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was their statement: '(We shall not desire [to convert others to] our religion, nor shall we invite anyone to it).' ¶

Because the call to falsehood inevitably necessitates disparaging the truth. Allah the Almighty says: 'But if they violate their oaths after their treaty and defame your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief, for indeed, there are no oaths [sacred] to them; [so that] they might cease' (Surah At-Tawbah: 12). ¶

Al-Mawardi mentioned this condition among the obligations incumbent upon the Ahl al-Dhimmah (non-Muslim subjects) toward the Muslim community. ¶

7 - The Imams of the Islamic jurisprudential schools—Abu Hanifah, Malik, Al-Shafi'i, Ahmad, and their followers—have stated that it is obligatory to conceal the devotional rites of the disbelievers, except in remote areas or their own private small villages. ¶

8 - Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: 'The Ahl al-Dhimmah are not permitted to manifest any of the rites of their religion in the lands of Islam; they are forbidden from displaying the Torah, and they shall not raise their voices during recitation or prayer, and it is the duty of the ruler to prevent them from doing so.' ¶

All these evidences point to the fact that the Ahl al-Dhimmah should not be empowered to manifest their disbelief in the Abode of Islam (Dar al-Islam). Today, they have harmed Muslims through infiltration and deception; what would be the case if they were to possess the means of proselytization and media and were openly permitted to do so in the lands of the Muslims? This would result in apostasy and sedition that would baffle even the most sensible person. This is what is happening in our present era, where the unscrupulous have handed over the reins of leadership and guidance to them in most Muslim countries, spreading atheism, proliferating corruption, and rendering the Muslim a stranger. ¶

The laws applied in Iraq and Egypt regarding the rights of the Ahl al-Dhimmah are laws... ¶

This jahiliyyah (ignorance) does not represent the view of Islam, neither in small part nor in large. In fact, what is stated in the twelfth article of the Iraqi provisional constitution—their saying that '(religious) freedom is protected'—and what is mentioned in the Egyptian constitution of 1956 in its forty-third article—that '(freedom of belief is absolute, and the state protects religious rites)'(1)—all these texts are an invitation to permit apostasy from Islam in a sophisticated manner, and an incitement to depart from the path of Allah for anyone who dares to do so. These texts also equate Islam with other false creeds and beliefs, placing Islam on an equal footing with corrupted beliefs that are not embraced by more than one or two percent of people in some Islamic societies. ¶

Enemies of Islam have empowered themselves in Muslim lands through their puppets, those of weak faith, so that they might have a platform to promote their falsehood by all alluring means, according to their vile principle that 'the end justifies the means.' Thus, they established schools for proselytization (tansir) and takfir, founded newspapers and magazines, took ownership of them, and set the plans for their curricula and agendas. If we were to look back at the oldest newspapers and magazines in Egypt and the Levant, we would see that those who supervised and founded them were Christians and their cohorts, such as Al-Ahram, Akhbar al-Youm, and other newspapers and magazines(2). ¶

The matter has transcended the People of the Covenant (Ahl al-Dhimmah) to include the Communists, who deny the existence of Allah, reject all Messengers and Heavenly Books, and deny the Resurrection and recompense. In some lands that were once Islamic, some of them now have newspapers that speak in their name. ¶

(1) See page 626 of this treatise. (2) This was mentioned in detail by Ustadh Yusuf al-Azm in a research paper presented at the First Islamic Fiqh Conference held in Riyadh at the Intercontinental Hotel from 1/12/1396 AH until the end of the eighth day. In it, he discussed in objective detail and precise investigation those who founded newspapers and media outlets in Islamic lands, providing evidence with names and figures. ¶

And adopted their slogan, for the Tunisian Communist Party issued its official newspaper, which had been licensed after it had previously operated in the shadows. This newspaper bears the name 'Al-Tariq al-Jadid' (The New Path), and beneath the title is the image of the hammer and sickle, the official emblem of Communism (1). ¶

This indicates to us that Tunisia is following the same path as Afghanistan when Zahir Shah permitted the existence of the Communists, and we know the fate that befell Afghanistan. Is it intended for Tunisia to be transformed into a country where the name of Allah is not mentioned? ¶

The enemies were not content with this. They proceeded to publish destructive magazines and books and to employ hired pens for their own benefit. They distorted history, especially Islamic history, through their writers who harbor hatred against Islam and the Muslims. They translated books that dismantle creed and morality under the pretext that they are read by non-Muslims. By our call to dry up the sources of disbelief and misguidance and to dam them, we do not intend to restrict people's minds from observing or reading what exists in the world around them; rather, we want evil not to be presented on a golden platter to people who cannot distinguish between the chaff and the wheat. Furthermore, a person's lifespan is short; they cannot read everything written about good and evil to draw a comparison and take a specific position on it. We do not want to occupy them with evil and teach it to them while they have not yet known good or delved deep into it. Islam obligates the parents of a young child, or those responsible for their guardianship, to protect them from dangers until they reach puberty and can distinguish between good and evil. Similarly, the ignorant must be barred from the means of evil until they attain enough Shariah knowledge to distinguish between truth and falsehood. ¶

Therefore, we say that leaving the disbelievers to call to their disbelief through various means... ¶

(1) See Majallat al-Islah, Issue (44), Muharram 1402 AH, Fifth Year, p. 47. ¶

Entry into Islamic lands is a matter prohibited by Islam to protect the Ummah's creed and morality from misguidance and distortion. As for freedom of opinion, the Dhimmi or other disbelievers have no right to choose the Shariah ruler, elect the head of the Islamic state, or participate in his dismissal or removal, because this process is conducted according to the standards and scales of Islam, and they do not believe in them. Therefore, they are not counted in this field, neither negatively nor positively. For this reason, Al-Mawardi stipulated three conditions for the right to choose a Muslim ruler: ¶

First: 'Adalah (probity/justice), encompassing all its requirements, a condition that is absent in a disbeliever. Second: 'Ilm (knowledge), through which one can recognize who deserves the Imamate based on the established criteria, which is also absent in the case of a disbeliever. Third: Wisdom and sound judgment, leading to the selection of the most suitable person for the Imamate, who is most capable and knowledgeable in managing the public interests. ¶

In brief, it is required for those who elect the Muslim ruler that they meet the same criteria required for the ruler himself, such as being a Muslim, sane, and legally responsible (mukallaf). Therefore, it is not permissible for Muslims to seek the opinion of non-Muslims in the matter of electing a Muslim Caliph or in the management of the general affairs of the Ummah. ¶

However, due to the alliance with disbelievers and the humiliating subservience to them by some rulers, as well as by some apostates and hypocrites in the lands of Islam, these individuals have dared to propagate disbelief within Islamic countries. This is done by directing media institutions, educational establishments, and other means to spread disbelief, adorn it for the people, fight against the truth, and distort its features in the minds of the people, until generations have emerged... ¶

The Muslims neither recognize what is good (ma'ruf) as good, nor do they denounce what is evil (munkar) as evil. In fact, the opposite has become the case; for in the minds of many who identify with Islam, what is evil has become good and what is good has become evil, and falsehood has become truth and truth has become falsehood. There is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Almighty. ¶

Second Example: Permitting the learning and teaching of disbelief (kufr) among Muslims. ¶

The fundamental principle in the Islamic methodology is that people should not learn anything in Dar al-Islam (the Abode of Islam) except the Truth. For this reason, we find that Islam requires the Ahl al-Dhimmah (protected non-Muslim subjects) and those under a covenant (ahl al-'ahd) not to manifest the means of teaching disbelief among Muslims, as is clear in the conditions of the dhimma contract and covenants according to the jurists (fuqaha). Indeed, the jurists have agreed upon prohibiting the Ahl al-Dhimmah and those under a covenant from establishing schools of their own within Dar al-Islam. (1) ¶

However, Dr. Abdul Karim Zaidan holds the view that the Ahl al-Dhimmah and those under the same ruling are entitled to establish their own private schools, in which they may teach their children according to... ¶

(1) See: 'Ahl al-Dhimmah fi al-Islam' by Dr. A.S. Tritton, translated by Dr. Hassan Habashi, p. 161. See also: 'Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah' by Al-Mawardi, p. 145. See also: 'Mukhtasar Tafsir Ibn Kathir', Vol. 2, p. 136; and 'Tarikh al-Tabari', Collection 2, Vol. 4, pp. 158-160. See also: 'Sharh al-Shurut al-'Umariyya', authored by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, edited by Dr. Subhi al-Salih, p. 33. See also: 'Ahl al-Dhimmah', Vol. 2, p. 797. ¶

Regarding their religion, it is argued that after the conquest of Khaybar and the victory over the Jews, the Muslims gathered the spoils of war, which included copies of the Torah, and the Prophet ﷺ ordered them to be returned to the Jews (1). ¶

My view and preference on this subject is that it is not permissible to establish private religious schools or curricula for them, whether funded by them or from the Muslim public treasury (Bayt al-Mal), for the following reasons: ¶

First: The argument presented by Dr. Abd al-Karim Zaidan, using the return of the Torah copies to the Jews as proof for the permissibility of establishing schools, is incorrect. He cites this narration from al-Maqrizi, which is a weak (da'if) hadith (2). Some jurists (fuqaha) have permitted the seizure of their books, stating that if they are of benefit, such as books on medicine, language, and poetry, they are considered spoils of war (ghanimah). If they cannot be used, such as the Torah or the Gospel, and if their parchment and paper can be utilized after being washed, they are washed and considered spoils. If they cannot be used, they are not included in the spoils, and selling them is not permissible (3). They did not mention returning them, which indicates the weakness of the opinion suggesting their return. ¶

Second: Even assuming the authenticity of the narration regarding their return, it does not serve as evidence for the permissibility of establishing private schools for the dhimmi to teach their religion. They are only permitted to read their books in their homes and churches privately, without raising their voices; it does not authorize establishing schools for this purpose as a means of manifesting and proclaiming their religion. Islam and the Muslims have granted them freedom of belief and individual education, provided it remains discreet and hidden, rather than them becoming a state within the Islamic state (4). Allama Abu al-A'la al-Mawdudi says on the subject of the education of the dhimmi that they are required to... ¶

They shall accept the general educational system established by the Islamic state for all members of the nation, yet they shall not be compelled to receive Islamic education, and they shall have the right to learn their own religion in their own private places(1). Establishing schools for them and recognizing the teaching of their false beliefs is not permissible, because if this were to occur by the Islamic state, it would be an acknowledgment of the validity of those false beliefs, which is not allowed. This is because collective education is a right and a sphere of authority of the Islamic state, and it is not possible for the state and the Islamic nation to spend or decide to spend openly on falsehood that is known to be false in advance. This is because education is established for the purpose of reform, and the teaching of disbelief results in nothing but corruption. Among the objectives of the covenant of Dhimma (protection) with non-Muslims is for them to mingle with Muslims and feel security and tranquility regarding their lives and wealth among them, all with the hope that the rays of faith might penetrate their souls, dissipating the darkness of ignorance that has veiled the light of certainty from them and distanced them from the straight path(2). Thirdly: One of the Western writers says: (The Khawarij were more inclined towards the Dhimmis than the Ahl al-Sunnah; therefore, they opposed what the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had agreed upon, and permitted the Dhimmis to practice their religion openly)(3). Thus, the requirement of the madhhab (school of thought) of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah is not to enable the Ahl al-Dhimma, and by greater reason the Musta'minin (those granted asylum), to practice their religion openly. This matter was emphasized by Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi, who states: (They are to be prevented from manifesting forbidden acts, beating the church bell, and reading their book aloud)(4). And does the establishment of schools for teaching the Torah and the Gospel not fall under 'reading their book aloud'? And this is not... ¶

Meaning, depriving them of education in Islamic lands. Islam has guaranteed the education of the children of the Ahl al-Dhimmah alongside the children of Muslims; it teaches them the truth and what benefits them in life, without obligating them to study Islamic creed. The universities of Andalusia, which were established by Muslims in Cordoba, Granada, and other cities, taught thousands of non-Muslim youth, whether they were of the Ahl al-Dhimmah or those granted safe-conduct (musta'minun) arriving from across Europe. ¶

Dr. Ahmad Shalaby states: “One of the criticisms leveled against Hisham ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Dakhil in Andalusia was his permission for Jews and Christians to establish schools and places of worship for themselves, and his employment of a number of them in state positions.” ¶

Fourth: Most contemporary writers and speakers, regarding the treatment of the People of the Book, base their arguments on the following text: “Leave them and what they profess.” Even if we assume this narration is authentic and not weak, it cannot be applied as a generalization for everything, otherwise the 'dhimmah' contract would have no meaning. The purpose of the dhimmah contract and the provision of safety for the musta'minun (those granted asylum) is to benefit the Muslims by conveying the call to Islam to these people without fighting, collecting the jizya and kharaj (tribute) from them, and exchanging goods, which builds economic and moral strength for Islam and the Muslims. Furthermore, this provides an opportunity for the disbelievers, when they live among Muslims and witness the methodology of Islam and the Muslims in a practical form, to be inclined towards embracing Islam. The Islamic Shariah's recognition of the Ahl al-Dhimmah and the Ahl al-'Ahd does not in any way mean the validation of all the deviations, distortions, and corrupt concepts contained within their lives, because such absolute validation contradicts the nature of Islam. ¶

The one who has taken upon himself the responsibility of correcting erroneous situations in the entire world, let alone those people who live within it. ¶

The goal of Islam in maintaining a reasonable degree of flexibility in dealing with the disbelievers is intended to bring them out of darkness into light, and from the depths of ignorance into the vastness of the clear, manifest light. ¶

Therefore, when Islam permits disbelievers to live within its society, it considers this as one of the means of Dawah (invitation to Islam), and this method is kinder and more desirable than killing them when they refuse to accept Islam. (1) ¶

Fifth: Among the evidences that can be relied upon and referred to in prohibiting disbelievers from openly learning disbelief within the Dar al-Islam (Abode of Islam) is what is mentioned in the books of some historians: that 'Amr ibn al-'As wrote to Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both) that there was a great library in Alexandria and he was consulting him regarding it. Umar replied to him in a letter saying: "As for the books you mentioned, if they contain what agrees with the Book of Allah, then the Book of Allah is sufficient without them; and if they contain what contradicts the Book of Allah, then there is no need for them." ¶

So 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with him) proceeded and ordered them to be burned. ¶

This narration was mentioned by Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi. (1) ¶

Ibn al-Qifti (1), Abu al-Faraj (2), and al-Malati (3) have also pointed to this. There is a significant dispute between those who affirm this account and those who deny it. In any case, Muslims possess a profound desire to eradicate all traces of shirk (polytheism) and to eliminate every book that distracts or prevents its reader from adhering to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His noble Messenger. As Haji Khalifa (4) mentioned, Muslims burned the libraries of the Persians upon the conquest of their lands. ¶

(1) He is Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Shaybani al-Qifti, a scholar, litterateur, prose writer, and poet. He was accomplished in grammar, linguistics, fiqh, sciences of the Quran, hadith, usul (principles), logic, mathematics, astronomy, geometry, history, and the science of jarh wa ta'dil (biographical evaluation). Born in 568 AH in the city of Qift (Upper Egypt), he grew up in Cairo and traveled to Aleppo, where he served as a minister. He died in Ramadan 646 AH. Among his many works is 'Akhbar al-Ulama bi-Akhbar al-Hukama'. ¶

(2) He is Gregorius Abu al-Faraj ibn Aaron, known as Ibn al-Ibri. Born in 1226 CE in the city of Malatya in Lesser Armenia, he learned Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew in his youth, then engaged in philosophy and theology. He rose through the ecclesiastical ranks until he reached 'Maphrian', one of the highest positions after the Patriarchate. He authored more than thirty books in Arabic and Syriac on philosophy, astronomy, history, grammar, and poetry, including 'Mukhtasar al-Duwal'. ¶

(4) He is Mustafa ibn Abdullah al-Qustantini al-Hanafi, known among scholars as 'Katib Chelebi' and among government officials as 'Haji Khalifa'. A historian and expert on books and their authors, he was well-versed in various sciences. Born in Constantinople in Dhu al-Qi'dah 1017 AH, he held administrative positions in the Ottoman army, undertook numerous travels, and dedicated himself to collecting books and acquiring valuable manuscripts. ¶

Khalifa mentioned this in his book 'Kashf al-Zunun' (1). Burning books was a well-known and common practice in both ancient and modern times, but there is a distinction between the actions of Muslims and others. When non-Muslims burn books—which are sources of thought and opinion—it is often out of vengeance against their enemies, as the Tatars did under the leadership of Hulagu in (656 AH) by throwing libraries into the Tigris River, to the extent that the water changed color from the sheer amount of ink dissolved from the books thrown into it (2). As for the Muslims, they do not act out of vengeance or malice toward their enemies; rather, they do so out of a concern for their safety, striving to protect (the community) from continuing to draw from those polluted sources, erroneous ijtihad (legal reasoning), and misguided, corrupt ideas. Preserving sound perception, upright understanding, and noble morals is more important than preserving physical health. Preventive medicine departments worldwide are dedicated to preventing the causes of illness before they occur by eliminating their sources. Similarly, the causes of diseases of the heart (spiritual/intellectual ailments) must be prevented before they occur, as was done by Abdullah ibn Tahir (3). ¶

In the year (213 AH), Persian books authored by the Majus (Zoroastrians) were destroyed. ¶

If it is established in our view that we must ban books, magazines, and various educational media that do not teach people goodness but instead lead them toward disbelief and its sciences, then it is even more imperative to ban schools and institutes established to teach disbelief in all its forms. This restriction is not limited to the children of the Ahl al-Dhimmah (protected non-Muslim citizens) and the Musta'minun (those granted safety/visa), but it is mandatory to prevent all Jews, Christians, Communists, and proselytizing missions from bringing in any book or books that drip with disbelief and deviation. This applies unless such materials are for the exclusive personal use of the Ahl al-Dhimmah and the Musta'minun, especially if these are their holy books, and provided that necessary measures and guarantees are taken to ensure that these books do not leak into the hands of unsuspecting Muslims. ¶

If the public circulation of books considered authoritative by the People of the Book is to be banned, then it is all the more urgent to ban the opening of schools that teach these trivial and feeble creeds. ¶

But what has become of us, now that there has emerged among us in these days a group of hypocrites who are loyal to the disbelievers, following them step by step (huthw al-qudhdhah bil-qudhdhah)?!! ¶

Some governments have ordered their ministers of education to establish joint curricula between Muslims and non-Muslims by compiling books that include a portion of Islamic teachings alongside a portion of Christian or other teachings. This great betrayal was pioneered by Mustafa Kamal Hilmi, the Minister of Education in Egypt, who outdid his president, Sadat, in showing loyalty to the Jews and Christians and in gaining their trust and affection. There is no doubt that such an act is contrary to what is right from several perspectives. ¶

First: This action equates the Islamic creed with the beliefs of the people of disbelief, which are not permitted to be studied by anyone other than those with knowledge and expertise, and only when there is a need to critique them and expose their flaws. How, then, can these false beliefs be taught to children who understand nothing of true knowledge? ¶

Second: If learning the Torah, the Gospel, and similar beliefs of the disbelievers were permissible or desirable, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would not have become angry when he saw a page of the Torah in the hand of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: 'By Allah, if Moses were alive among you, he would have no choice but to follow me.' If the Messenger (PBUH) forbade Umar—despite his high status in Islam—from such action, how can it be prescribed for those who know nothing of Islam but its name? ¶

Third: If this practice were permissible in the view of the scholars and rulers of Islam throughout history, they would have preceded us in implementing it. ¶

Fourth: The schools opened in Islamic lands without any Shar'i basis for the purpose of teaching Christianity have deliberately included in their curricula attacks on Islam and the person of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). ¶

The Kuwaiti newspaper 'Al-Qabas' published that a book taught at the French school in Kuwait contains grave insults to Islam and attacks the person of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). This is merely one of those missionary institutions spread across most Islamic countries. ¶

Furthermore, some states affiliated with Islam have intentionally pursued this path in their alliance with the enemies of Allah. ¶

In the field of education, some countries have completely eliminated the teaching of Shariah sciences, while others have made the study of Shariah sciences non-essential in their curricula, such that passing or failing in Shariah subjects holds no consequence. This act is disbelief (kufr), because the state of the one who does this is like the one who has paid no attention to Tawhid (the oneness of God), has not learned it, and has not entered into it. He desires to be neither with the Muslims nor with the disbelievers. This stance itself is kufr, because it is the duty of a Muslim to be with the Muslims in word, deed, and belief. Whoever is not so is included under the concept of the saying of Allah the Almighty: 'You will find others who desire to be secure from you and [secure] from their [own] people. Every time they are returned to the fitnah (trial/polytheism), they are plunged back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you overtake them; and those—We have made for you a clear authority against them.' Thus, abolishing the teaching of Shariah sciences is kufr and apostasy from Islam, because the motive for this is to gain the affection of the Jews, the Christians, and the enemies of Islam, and to belittle the status of Islam and Islamic sciences in the eyes of those despicable people. ¶

As for those who do not have minorities of non-Muslims, such as Jews and Christians, we find that they have replaced the study of Islamic sciences with the principles of kufr. Consequently, in some Muslim countries, the children are taught the principles of Marxist communism, some of whose features were formulated by the German Jew Marx and his criminal followers. These Muslim children are also taught socialism, which is a branch of communism. All these various forms of socialism and diverse communist programs are based on denying the existence of God and denying adherence to the Islamic system, both as a creed and as an economic system for life. ¶

Based on this, those who permit the teaching of the principles of kufr and the creeds of misguidance within the House of Islam (Dar al-Islam) and among the Muslims, or who compel Muslims to study them, fall under this same ruling. ¶

These people are not among the Muslims or the people of Islam because they have chosen the alliance of the disbelievers over the alliance of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers; and because they have favored, or lowered, the teaching of kufr (disbelief) to the status of the teaching of Islam. This is contrary to what a true Muslim must uphold. Moreover, whoever commits such an act resembles those Jews who preferred the religion of the polytheists over the religion of the Muslims. Allah the Almighty says: 'And they say of those who disbelieve: These are better guided than the believers as to the way' (An-Nisa: 51). Thus, those who prefer the study and teaching of the principles of kufr and misguidance in their various forms over the methodology of Islam and its valuable sciences fall under those meant by this verse. ¶

The matter was not limited to allowing the teaching of kufr to the disbelievers and those resembling them in Muslim lands; rather, it reached the point of placing educational institutions that nurture the children of Muslims into the hands of the disbelievers, so that they may raise them according to their whims and criminal schemes, at a time when it is possible to place these educational institutions in Muslim hands. The misguided takfiris—i.e., the missionaries, according to their own claims—have established universities and schools that misguide Muslims from their religion within the lands of Islam, such as the American University of Beirut, the college in Baghdad, the university in Sindh, the American University in Cairo, and other American universities scattered here and there. These institutions receive tens of thousands of Muslim children every year, only for them to graduate a few years later with the traces of Islam erased from their minds, except for those whom Allah wills otherwise. ¶

Educational institutions teaching Muslim children anti-Islamic ideologies, funded from abroad! The matter has reached the point where educational institutions are established in Muslim lands for Muslim children, funded by Muslim wealth, yet managed by people who are not Muslims, with the intent of alienating Muslim children from their religion. The newspaper 'Al-Jazirah', in its issue (3174) dated 20 Jumada al-Akhirah 1401 AH, published an advertisement from the Bahrain University College seeking employees, signed by the Dean, Dr. William A. Stewart. Was Bahrain unable to find, among one billion Muslims, a person capable of managing that college other than him? ¶

The answer is known, but blind subservience to the enemies of Islam is what has brought us to this state, and led to the loss of confidence in ourselves and our brothers in Islam, which has caused us to throw ourselves into the arms of our enemies without restraint. ¶

Any fair-minded person who observes the effects of the educational institutions established by the enemies of Islam in Muslim lands, and reads what the enemies of Islam themselves have said about those effects, would advocate for the necessity of ending and liquidating those schools. How, then, can those who were expected to condemn and combat these institutions argue for their permissibility or endorse them? ¶

In conclusion, it is not permissible for a Muslim state to allow the establishment of schools for those of religions contrary to Islam, because this constitutes an open manifestation of their faith, which the majority of jurists have prohibited. However, this does not mean that the Islamic state should compel them to study Islamic sciences. ¶

Professor Saeed Hawwa has expressed the opinion regarding the permissibility of establishing schools... ¶