BENEFIT 426: Beware of The Muslim World League

رابطة العالم الإسلامي Mohammed Al-’Issa (Secretary General of the Muslim World League) says: "We will combat the scourge of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hatred, armed with the truth. The Muslim World League is prepared for this battle, and with our partners such as the American Sephardi Federation, we are confident that, with Allāh's permission, we will make progress toward building a brighter future. We fully understand that the path will be difficult, and we recognise that there may be obstacles along the way. However, there is no ambiguity about the direction we are heading in. We at the Muslim World League are proud to shoulder the responsibility—together with our Jewish and Christian brothers and sisters—to build understanding, mutual respect, love, and harmony among our followers." Question: Is the one who says that Jews and Christians are our brothers, and that we are all Muslims and the Qur'ān commands us to love them—does this fall under one of the nullifiers of Islam, specifically the one who does not declare polytheists to be disbelievers, and thus is himself a disbeliever? Sheikh Al-Fawzan responded: "Yes, indeed. Whoever says they (Jews and Christians) are our brothers is an apostate—unless he is ignorant and the truth has not been clarified to him, nor has the proof been established against him. But if he claims to be knowledgeable and aware, then he is an apostate because of that statement. They are not our brothers—they are disbelievers, and we are Muslims, and all praise is due to Allāh. A disbeliever cannot be the brother of a Muslim. They are the enemies of Allāh, and Muslims are the allies of Allāh. How can the enemy of Allāh be a brother to the ally of Allāh? This is a false notion. As for the claim that Allāh commanded us to love them, that is a lie against Allāh. He did not command us to love them. [Allāh says:] 'Do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection' [60:1]. Allāh forbade showing affection to them. However, He did command that we deal with those who treat Muslims kindly with justice and benevolence, as a form of worldly reciprocation. [Allāh says:] 'Allāh does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them' [60:8]. This is a matter of reciprocal kindness in worldly affairs, but it does not imply that we love them. We repay their good behaviour toward Muslims, but we do not love them. There is a clear distinction between the two!"