20 Muharram 1423 AH
4 April 2002
Question: Are we allowed to buy items from Israeli
sources, even though this money may be used to help the
Jewish "war machine"?
Answer by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:
It is Jihad to liberate the Islamic lands from those who
attack or conquer them. These are enemies of Islam. This
Jihad is an absolute obligation and a sacred duty; firstly
on the people of that land. If the Muslims of that land
can't offer sufficientresistance, then Muslims of
neighboring countries are obliged to assist. If this is
still not sufficient then all the Muslims of the world must
assist.
Palestine is the land of the first Qiblah of the Muslims,
the land of Isra' and Mi`raj, the land of Al-Aqsa and the
blessed territory. The conquerors are those with the
greatest enmity to the believers, and they are supported by
the strongest state on earth - the USA, and by the world
Jewish community.
Jihad is obligatory against those who take land and expel
the inhabitants, spill the blood, violate the honor, destroy
the houses, burn the fields, and corrupt the land. Jihad is
the first obligation of all obligations, and the first duty
of the Ummah. Muslims are commanded to do this, first those
from the land in question, after that their neighbors, and
finally all Muslims. We must all be united against the
aggressors. We are united in Islam, including unity of
belief in the Shari`ah, unity of belief in the Qiblah, and
also united in pain and hope. As Allah Almighty says:
"Verily this Ummah of yours is one Ummah." (Qur'an, 21:92).
Allah Almighty also says: "Surely the believers are a single
brotherhood." (Qur'an, 49:10). There is a Hadith of the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that states: "The
Muslim is the brother to the Muslim, he can't oppress him,
he can't give him up, he can't let him down." [Transmitted
by Muslim].
Now we see our brothers and children in Al-Aqsa and the
blessed land of Palestine generously sacrificing their
blood, giving their souls willingly in the way of Allah. All
Muslims must help them with whatever power they have. (See
the Noble Qur'an, 8:72).
If people ask in the name of religion we must help them.
The vehicle of this support is a complete boycott of the
enemies' goods. Each riyal, dirham …etc. used to buy their
goods eventually becomes bullets to be fired at the hearts
of brothers and children in Palestine. For this reason, it
is an obligation not to help them (the enemies of Islam) by
buying their goods. To buy their goods is to support
tyranny, oppression and aggression. Buying goods from them
will strengthen them; our duty is to make them as weak as we
can. Our obligation is to strengthen our resisting brothers
in the Sacred Land as much as we can. If we cannot
strengthen the brothers, we have a duty to make the enemy
weak. If their weakness cannot be achieved except by
boycott, we must boycott them.
American goods, exactly like "Israeli" goods, are
forbidden. It is also forbidden to advertise these goods.
America today is a second Israel. It totally supports the
Zionist entity. The usurper could not do this without the
support of America. "Israel's" unjustified destruction and
vandalism of everything has been using American money,
American weapons, and the American veto. America has done
this for decades without suffering the consequences of any
punishment or protests about their oppressive and prejudiced
position from the Islamic world.
The time has come for the Islamic Ummah to say "NO" to
America, "NO" to its companies, and "NO" to its goods, which
swamp our markets. We are eating, drinking, wearing and
riding whatever America produces.
| |
We must all be united against the
aggressors. We are united in Islam, including unity
of belief in the Shari`ah, unity of belief in the
Qiblah, and also united in pain and hope. As Allah
Almighty says: "Verily this Ummah of yours is one
Ummah." (Qur'an,
21:92).
|
| |
`Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "You have
three enemies; your enemy, the friend of your enemy, and the
enemy of your friend". The USA today is more than friends to
our enemy; they would destroy themselves for Israel. The
world wide Muslim Ummah numbering 1.3 billion, could cause
pain to the USA and its companies by boycotting them. This
is an obligation of our religion, and the way of Allah.
Every Muslim that buys "Israeli" or American goods, when
there is an alternative from other countries is committing a
haram act. They are clearly committing a major sin, which is
a crime against Allah's law, which invokes punishment from
Allah, and the contempt of the people.
Our brothers in "Israel" and America are forced to deal
with them and buy their products. Allah does not ask you to
do what you can't do; only what you can.
Allah says: "Fear Allah as much as you are able."
(Qur'an, 64:16).
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "If I
order you to do something, do however much you can". Muslims
in America must work with companies who are least hostile to
Muslims, least allied to the Zionists. Boycott Zionist
companies as much as you can.
Arabs and Muslims must boycott all companies that are
biased towards Zionism and support Israel, whatever the
national origin of that company (e.g. Marks and Spencer),
and anyone like this who supports the Zionists and helps the
"Israeli" state. The boycott is a very sharp weapon, used in
the past and recently. It was used by the pagans in Makkah
against the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon
him, and his companions. It caused great harm to them; they
even had to eat leaves. It was also used by companions of
the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to fight
against the pagans in Madinah. In recent times we saw
nations use boycotts in their struggle for the liberation
from colonialism. A famous example is Gandhi who asked the
vast Indian nation to boycott English goods, which was very
effective. A boycott is in the hands of the nation and
masses alone. Governments can't force people to buy goods
from a particular country. Let us use this weapon to resist
our national and religious enemy, and make them know we are
still alive, and that this Ummah will not die, God willing.
The boycott has many different effects; it renews the
education of the Ummah in how to liberate themselves from
enslavement to other people's taste. They encourage us to be
addicted to these things of no benefit, indeed they cause us
harm. The boycott is a demonstration of Muslim brotherhood
and unity of the Ummah. It is our duty to say we are not
going to betray our brothers, who make sacrifices every day.
We will not participate in making profits for our enemy.
This boycott is a lesser resistance, which will help the
greater resistance carried out by our brothers in the land
of Messengers, and the fortified frontier of Jihad. If every
Jew in the world thinks himself a soldier, supporting Israel
as much as he can, surely every Muslim using his very soul
and wealth is a soldier to liberate Al-Aqsa. The least [the
Muslim] can do is boycott his [the enemies'] goods. Allah
says: "Oh you who believe, you are protectors of each other.
If you don't do this there will be great division and
corruption.
| |
Our sisters and daughters, who control the
houses, have a role to play in this matter, which
may be more important than the role of the man,
because women supervise the needs of the house, and
buy what must go inside the house. She is on hand to
guide the boys and girls. She plants the Jihadic
spirit in the children, and educates them in what
they must do for their Ummah and its causes, and
what they must do to the Ummah's enemies, especially
in the area of boycott. When the children understand
this they will carry on the boycott
enthusiastically, and later will lead the
parents.
|
| |
If the consumer buying Jewish or American goods is
committing a major sin, surely the merchant buying these
goods and acting as an agent is the greatest sinner. Even if
the company works under a different name, they know they are
deceiving people. The Muslim Ummah all over the world is
being asked to demonstrate its existence, and show its
desire to protect what is sacrosanct. The Islamic Ummah must
know who are its allies, and who are its enemies. The Ummah
is forbidden to give in to weakness, and depression, and
accept the tyrannical peace, which the Zionists want to
impose.
Allah says: "Don't be humiliated and ask for peace, while
you are on the Uppermost and Allah is with you." [Qur'an,
47:35]. Our sisters and daughters, who control the houses,
have a role to play in this matter, which may be more
important than the role of the man, because women supervise
the needs of the house, and buy what must go inside the
house. She is on hand to guide the boys and girls. She
plants the Jihadic spirit in the children, and educates them
in what they must do for their Ummah and its causes, and
what they must do to the Ummah's enemies, especially in the
area of boycott. When the children understand this they will
carry on the boycott enthusiastically, and later will lead
the parents.
I ask all the believers in Allah, Christians and others,
and all the free and noble people in the world to stand
beside us, and support the right and truth against
falsehood, and justice against injustice. Help to victory
the weak, who are being killed every day in the way of
Allah, protecting the Noble Sanctuary.
Also, I request the workers of the Arab and Muslim
countries around the world to support the Palestinians in
the their just cause, and show their anger by demonstrating
against the powerful tyrants, by disturbing their businesses
as much as they can. Finally I ask the wise, reasonable and
experienced in every country to organize cells to build a
boycott, to create alternatives and avoid the negative
things, and carry on educating the masses, until the word of
truth is raised up and falsehood is destroyed. Surely it
will perish.
"Say 'work', surely Allah will see your work and His
Messenger and the believers, you will return to the Unseen
world and witness, and you will know what you were
doing."
"This Fatwa is based on the proofs of the Book and Sunnah
and Consensus of the Ummah." Allah Almighty knows
best.
