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Does Fiqh of Minorities Justify Un-Islamic Stances?

09 February, 2018
Q My question is related to the social and political pressures that Muslim organizations and councils in the West may face. Under those pressures may Muslims, according to Fiqh of minorities, have a license to make statements that do not really reflect the Islamic point of view? For example, a Canadian Islamic organization made a statement which did not directly condemn homosexuality in Canada.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.


In this fatwa:

1- Living in the West in peaceful coexistence with non-Muslims requires Muslims to respect the laws of the land.

2- However, under no circumstances even Fiqh of Minorities should a Muslim call for or support vice or immorality.

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3- As Muslims, our role is to be faithful and loyal, working toward presenting the message of Islam in the best way to all peoples of the world.


In response to your question, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Ash-Shinqiti, Professor of Political Ethics and Religions History at Qatar University, states:

I tend to disagree with your point. Muslims have made very clear statements from the Islamic perspective regarding homosexuality. But what happens is that the discourse is sometimes different because you have to respect the law of the land and speak to people with the language they understand.

The problem happens when Muslims, for example, support a certain candidate or a party that apparently defends the rights of people and their civil liberties but at the same time respects the people’s right to practice homosexuality.

So, when we support or vote for a certain party, our stance is always multipurpose. It does not support those wrong actions in any way.

It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah may strengthen this religion [Islam] through a sinful person.” (Al-Bukhari)

So, our main goal is to support Islam and Muslims’ civil liberties and religious rights, not every goal of a specific party.

Almighty Allah knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.