quesTion about PaLesTin-Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi

aShaykh Yusuf Al Qaradawi
(Egypt / Qatar)

"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."

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 Shaikh 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.