Sheikh al-Qaradagi addressed the militants: “You are pursuing a noble goal, but the error is in the means.” The sheikh did not come to support the government, but to influence it. How can Islamic banks help the Russian economy

Very good advice Sheikh Al-Qaradagi gave to officials, youth and those who are confused in understanding this or that life moment. Here is part of his speech:

It is understandable that many skeptical observers, Muslim or non-Muslim, will say that holding such events is a waste of time and that there is no benefit from them. But I still think that, on the contrary, it is important and necessary to hold conferences of this format. Moreover, when such honored guests and famous Islamic scholars are invited to them.

So, for example, the day before yesterday, on November 15, an important meeting was held in Nalchik, which was attended by Muslims from Azerbaijan, heads of the Muslim Spiritual Directorate of the North Caucasus, Islamic scholars, experts, as well as famous Islamic scholars. A rather rare event for the republic, where relations between the authorities and the Muslim community can hardly be called ideal.

Too few international events are held in the North Caucasus. Meanwhile, the problems of the Caucasus are not exceptional; they are quite widespread in other regions. Here, the experience of Muslim countries in establishing intra-community dialogue can be very useful and productive.

In recent days, Dagestan was visited by the Secretary General of the World Council of Islamic Scholars Sheikh Ali Al-Qaradagi. During the visit, the sheikh held Friday sermons and prayers at the Central Juma Mosque of Makhachkala, a press conference at the National Library, as well as personal meetings with Islamic youth. Journalist Abdulmumin Gadzhiev I attended these events and share my impressions.

The organizers did everything possible to present the sheikh's visit as unconditional support for the policies pursued in the region regarding growing Islamic sentiments. No one knew in advance that Al-Qaradagi was going to come to Dagestan; all the theses with which the sheikh came were reduced to the fight against terrorism and extremism; Only representatives of the official clergy and accredited journalists were invited to the press conference, among whom were not, for example, Abas Kebedov, who was the first to express the idea of ​​​​inviting scientists of the World Islamic Council to the republic (in fact, this idea was stolen from him and transferred to state lines). After all, Kebedov speaks Arabic well and has a desire to talk about the real problems of the republic, which was clearly not part of the organizers’ plans.

Lost in translation

To be fair, it should be noted that meeting him was not as difficult as expected, and the organizers did not set any obstacles for this. However, perhaps the sheikh himself insisted on this.

Why did Al-Qaradagi come?

We conveyed to the sheikh how his visit to us is presented by the official media, and what ordinary Muslims think about it, whom such an approach encourages to doubt and distrust Islamic scholars. The sheikh said that he did not come to support the authorities or law enforcement agencies, that he came to try to influence them, and also to establish contacts with Islamic youth. “I have only two options: either not to come at all, or to come and try to influence the situation, to bring some benefit. We do not depend on anyone and do not have any personal benefit from this.", said the sheikh.

He also understood perfectly well that the conference was mainly attended by only representatives of the official clergy. For this reason, Al-Qaradagi was invigorated and delighted to hear, as he put it, “other voices,” immediately thanking the organizers of the meeting for allowing these “other voices” to attend (albeit with great difficulty). And the questions from “other voices” were as follows:

“Dear Sheikh, what do you think about terror from the secret services? For example, this year alone more than a hundred Muslim young people were kidnapped, killed and imprisoned without trial. Also, hijab is prohibited in our schools. You come to Russia and Dagestan and sit with government officials and official ulama and do not meet with da’vatchiks (leading the call to Islam - editor’s note). Do you discuss these problems with them? May Allah reward you".

The sheikh was also asked about where the boundaries of extremism lie, is the call for the implementation of Sharia, for Sharia courts, extremism, and is wearing a hijab in schools extremism?

Al-Qaradagi replied that he had talked with officials on this topic and noted that one of the main causes of extremism is the terror of the authorities. The sheikh also said that the call for the application of Sharia is not only not extremism, but is also the duty of a Muslim, according to the unanimous opinion of all scientists, noting that such a call should be reasonable, and the establishment of Sharia should be gradual. The translator tried to distort the words of Al-Qaradagi, however the author of the question brought this to the attention of the Sheikh. These questions were completely cut out from the official video reports from the meeting.

It is also interesting that the Sheikh does not consider the forest underground to be “terrorists” and “Kharijites”. Instead, he considers the militants “his sons” and “part of the Muslim ummah,” with whom he differs on the methods of establishing Sharia law. At the same time, the Sheikh calls on all Muslims for unity based on the Koran and Sunnah.

Why was Al-Qaradagi surprised?

The Sheikh was greatly surprised that the Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab(may Allah have mercy on him) is considered by the official clergy of Dagestan to be an English spy. He also said that he noticed how many people do not like Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah(may Allah have mercy on him), to whom he constantly referred in his speeches. The sheikh noted that he loves Ibn Taymiyya very much and draws a lot of useful information from his works. Let me remind you that in the official clergy of Dagestan it is customary to vilify this great scientist, and some even go so far as to accuse him of hypocrisy.

The Sheikh was greatly indignant and surprised at how from the translation of “Al-Wasatiya” Ali Polosina In the text of the Moscow Declaration, entire paragraphs about jihad and the caliphate, written by his hand, were thrown out, and some expressions were greatly distorted.

Al-Qaradagi, remembering the conference in Moscow, especially emphasized that he did not give any fatwas now, and these were just meetings and appeals. Which is at odds with the information disseminated in the media.

Speaking about the relative religious freedom in Russia, the sheikh was not aware of the prohibitions on the hijab.

Thus, as can be seen, the authorities are more interested in justifying their policies with the words of Islamic scholars than in listening and accepting their advice. How else to explain all these countless reports in the official media, presented as during the times of the Soviet Union? Let’s hope that the guests themselves will draw the appropriate conclusions for themselves and change the conditions of their visits to our region.

During the X International Muslim Forum, the correspondent of “Minbar of Islam” talked with the Secretary General of the World Union of Muslim Scientists, doctor, sheikh Ali Muhiddin al-Qaradagi.

Dear Sheikh, in recent years you have been a frequent visitor to Russia. You recently visited Kabardino-Balkaria and Ingushetia, and before that you were in Dagestan. How can you explain your sympathy for Russia, its regions, and the Russian ummah?

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful! Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah! Truly, this is an important question. Yes, indeed, I admire and, for a number of reasons, love the Muslim peoples who live in this country - Russian Federation. Firstly, because these peoples played a huge role in Islamic civilization. This applies to Muslims in the Caucasus, Tatarstan, and any other region of Russia. All of them made significant contributions to the development of Islamic civilization. Secondly, and I say this absolutely sincerely, my respect and love extends not only to Muslims, not only to my brothers in religion, history, and aqida. And there are several reasons for this too. We are all children of Adam. And our Russian brothers - not only Muslims, but also Christians, and representatives of any other religion - are also descendants of Adam. Holy Quran indicates this closeness, this kinship of all humanity. In this sense, you are my relative, because 30–40 generations ago (only Allah knows how many) our ancestors could have met. The Almighty says in the Koran: “O people, we created you from one man and one woman...” We have the same ancestors, which means how can I be hostile to another person for no reason?! The Almighty in Surah “Women” says: “O people! Fear your Lord, who created man from one soul, and from it created a mate, and scattered many men and women, descended from both of them. Fear Allah, in whose name you ask each other, and be afraid of breaking family ties...” The Almighty calls us to try to do what pleases Him, including maintaining family ties. Scientists say that the feeling of kinship is inherent, first of all, in man, because we all originated from one soul. That's why we should love each other. Our master Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to his governor in Egypt. It said: everyone living in Egypt is your brother, either by faith or by his human nature. This is the most important principle that makes a Muslim love another.

The third reason that motivates me to treat Russia with love is that this country is now Russia, and before Soviet Union- has always stood on the side of the Arabs, and above all, in solving the Palestinian problem. And with the help of Russian weapons, we were able to win in 1973, on the 10th day of holy Ramadan. Therefore, Russians are closer to us Arabs than any other people.

And finally, fourthly, as a scientist, as the Secretary General of the World Union of Muslim Scientists, I believe: we need to together try to put the world on the right path, eliminate the causes of sorrows and sorrows, the causes of unrest (fitnah) and wars. Truly, all this is not in the interests of Islam, and not in the interests of Christians, and not in the interests of any religion that respects human dignity. Based on this, I am interested in seeing order and stability in Russia. And not only in Russia. I am not a supporter of unrest. Our religion also calls us to this. Therefore, I, as a Muslim scientist, and like hundreds of scientists who are members of the World Union, stand for stability in this country. Both the Muslim world and Russia strive for development - technical, scientific, civilizational. And every war leads to backwardness, to an increase in problems, and even if it allows us to move forward, it is only in military-technical field. But at the same time, all other areas - technical development, industry - will lag behind. This is not in our interests. Therefore, we have sympathy for Russia.

Your words fully correspond to the title of the X International Muslim Forum in Moscow: “The mission of religion and the responsibility of its followers to the challenges of our time.” Which of the challenges do you consider the main ones for Muslims?

We all face many challenges: clashes, fitna, religious fanaticism, increased terrorism, violence instead of dialogue. These are all challenges. To this should be added the growing dominance of those forces that want to take possession of our lands with their resources - oil, gas, etc. They are not interested in stability and are making every effort to ensure that it does not exist. These forces only benefit from instability; it benefits them. All these problems require solutions. I am convinced that religions can play a big role in this. Representatives of the three main religions - Islam, Christianity and Judaism, as well as other, non-Abrahamic, but traditional religions - must agree on basic value, moral and ethical criteria, universal principles that do not divide us, but unite us. We must articulate these challenges, explain them and, where possible, heal them. After all, many problems today, unfortunately, have acquired a religious overtones. Israel today is actively Judaizing the state. This is a very dangerous thing! After all, Jerusalem is sacred to all religions, not just to the Jews. The Judaization of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is a very big problem! We must face all challenges with reason and common religious principles.

-Is the Islamic world sick today..?

Yes, you're right.

And there are many diseases - ISIS, the exodus of Christians from the states of the Middle East, and the increasing spread of radical views. What are the reasons? Should they be sought outside the Islamic world or within it?

The emergence of ISIS, or the so-called Islamic State, and the activities of other extremist organizations - all this is caused by a number of reasons - both external and internal. I believe that internal reasons include tyranny, a dictatorial form of government, which do not allow society to conduct dialogue. Added to this are economic backwardness, unemployment, and poverty. In addition, there are external reasons. They are aimed at warming up society. Some forces - international ones - for the sake of their own interests provoke chaos and anarchy. Some analysts in the West say that anarchy is destructive for the East, but it allows, makes it possible to dominate, rule in a particular country, plunder it. Today, coalition countries have committed $600 billion to fight ISIS. But what is ISIS? It existed in Iraq, in ar-Ramadi, local tribes armed them, but then expelled them from the country. This was the case 3-4 years ago. ISIS has grown. But who paid for it? It is known who are Arabs and Muslims. Who received this money? This is also known. All this requires from us, scientists, the broadest understanding and analysis.

This year the World Union of Muslim Scientists included 40 Russian muftis, heads of spiritual departments of Muslims from different regions of Russia, and scientists. Are you interested in them being members of the organization you lead?

Yes, and I want to welcome these people. They joined our organization for one simple reason: our World Union of Scientists is an independent structure. His position is absolutely clear. It is not subordinate to any state; we are against the hegemony of any state. On the other hand, the World Union reflects the interests of the entire Islamic world, because its members are 100 thousand scientists living in dozens of countries - from China to Andalusia. The Union has a charter, a program, strategic plans, and they all rely on the middle path, on moderation, on peaceful coexistence, on dialogue as the only means of solving problems. The Union is making every effort to extend this course to moderation, including in Russia, where our brothers live next to Christians and representatives of other religions. Religious diversity is healthy. Civilizations are not created by one people, one religion. Civilizations are created different peoples, representing different religions, but which are in interaction. Therefore, we are glad that Russian Muslim leaders have joined our organization.

The organizer of the forum in Moscow was the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation. How does the World Union of Muslim Scholars intend to cooperate with this structure?

We count on strategic cooperation with the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation, with Russia as a whole, and its religious organizations to implement the ideas that I spoke about above — peaceful coexistence, dialogue, showing true Islam. Everything will help Muslims move forward and achieve progress. We have three main programs in the Union: general program training of scientists, a training program for specialists in Islamic economics and training of scientists specializing in contemporary issues. We need all these programs, the muftis need them to continue moving forward. After all, there is no limit to knowledge, knowledge is endless. So our experience will be useful to our Russian brothers. We are interested in cooperation with the DUMRF in the interests of the peoples living in this territory.

At the forum, a proposal was made to make it a permanent platform for discussing pressing problems of the ummah. Do you support this initiative?

Yes, if the forum becomes a permanent platform, it will benefit both Muslims and non-Muslims. His work will encourage representatives of other religions, including Christianity, to discuss issues that are important to the region. It is necessary that each session of this forum produce results. I am for a permanent forum and for developing its strategic course.

Interviewed by Olga Semina

Newspaper "Minbar of Islam"

Recently, the mechanisms of Islamic banking (non-usurious banking system) are gaining increasing popularity outside Islamic countries. Currently, they are becoming widespread in large financial centers such as London, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. In Russia, this type of banking activity has not yet found understanding among the state in the person of its monetary authorities and legislative bodies. Against this background, the recent initiative of the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church Vsevolod Chaplin to create an Orthodox-Muslim banking system based on a fair approach to the interaction of labor and capital looks very timely. One of the recognized international experts in Islamic economics, Dr. Ali Muhiddin al-Qaradagi, told IslamNews about how this can work in practice.

Dear Sheikh, how do you evaluate the call of the Russian Orthodox Church to cooperate with Muslims in creating a non-usury banking system?

I think this is an excellent proposal. We have always called on everyone, both Muslims and representatives of other faiths, to cooperate in this area, which is based on common principles and common moral values, including the prohibition of usury.

We all need to collaborate in this area. The World Union of Muslim Scientists is carrying out certain activities - we are consolidating investors, sponsors and other interested parties for the development of this project, which is welcomed by both Muslims and Christians.

- How do you see the format of such interaction in Russia?

I think that it is necessary to create a commission in which representatives of Christianity and Islam will take part, and begin to cooperate with international organizations that have gained significant experience in Islamic banking. For our part, we are ready to attract investors from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. First of all, the commission must obtain approval government agencies for activities financial organizations, abstaining from interest relations. Such organizations are already functioning all over the world - in Europe, in Britain, even China is taking steps to open Islamic banking. Therefore, we hope that the Russian authorities will treat this topic with understanding and issue appropriate legislative acts that will legalize Islamic banking in Russia. For example, in the recent past we held a number of conferences in the UK, after which the British government issued laws allowing Islamic banks to operate in the country. Today there are already 7 Islamic banks with a capital of several tens of billions of pounds sterling.

- How can Islamic banks help the Russian economy?

Islamic banks will undoubtedly have a beneficial impact on the development of the Russian economy. This is a new source of foreign investment and investment. It is also worth considering the fact that a huge number of Muslims in Russia do not use banking services due to the fact that they do not comply with Islamic norms. These huge capitals come both from abroad and the money of Russian Muslims, which can be used in the financial sector. To this we can add sukuk bonds, the use of which allows capital to participate in the financing of large and medium-sized projects.

Various formats of bank activities are possible; Islam does not place restrictions in this regard. The state can take part in the activities of a financial institution. This may be general complicity, or it may be private. The general thing is when a group of investors participates, and each investor receives a profit in proportion to the capital invested. An investor can be any individual or legal entity, including the state.

You took part in the interfaith conference in Nalchik along with the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. Do you see the common challenges facing Islam and Eastern Christianity?

We, Muslims, interact with everyone on the basis of piety, as Allah Almighty commanded us: “Help each other in piety and fear of God,” with anyone: with a Christian, with a Muslim or with a representative of another religion, the main thing is that from this cooperation goodness came. And I am convinced that the people closest to us are Christians. This belief is based on the verse of the Quran: “You will certainly find that those who are closest in love to believers are those who say: “We are Christians.” This is because there are priests and monks among them, and because they do not show arrogance” (Meal.82 Ed.) We have to transfer this principle laid down in the Koran to a practical plane, to put it into practice.

Let me ask a question that is not directly related to economics, but is of great concern to Russian Muslims. There is a group of young people calling to join the “jihad in Syria.” They operate on the words of medieval scholars that every Muslim is obliged to participate in hostilities at least once a year. Are these young people right?

Jihad is not the responsibility of an individual or a group of people. Any group has no right to declare jihad, especially one known for its radicalism. In fact, there was great turmoil in Syria. And I do not advise young people to go to Syria, because in the absence of jihad, going there is not a religious obligation - neither individual nor collective.

Basically, jihad is the legitimacy of a full-fledged state with legitimate power and the presence of all other attributes. If the leadership of a Muslim state declares jihad, then it is allowed to take part in it. An example is the entry into world war Ottoman Empire. Because the result of jihad is relevant to the entire Muslim community - either it will be beneficial or harmful.

This term from Muslim law means that in this territory there is no place for armed struggle of Muslims with each other and with government officials. However, the official and unofficial versions of what happened in the republic differ greatly. This material contains a comparison of both versions.

Official information

According to official Dagestan media reports, the conference held in the republic is a continuation of the one that was already held in Moscow in the spring. Let us recall that in May of this year the International Theological Conference “Islamic Doctrine against Radicalism” was held in Moscow.

That event was attended by about 40 foreign Islamic scholars from Arab countries, Turkey, Albania, Afghanistan and the CIS countries. That conference ended with the adoption of the Moscow Theological Declaration, condemning the misinterpretation of the Islamic terms takfir, jihad and caliphate.

This time, the Secretary General of the Union, Sheikh Ali Muhiddin al-Qaradagi, as well as a number of other religious figures flew to Russia: a member of the Executive Committee of the Union, Sheikh Abd ar-Rahman bin Abdallah al-Mahmoud and the executive director of the Union, Maulay Rashid Umri Alavi.

According to republican media, they came to Dagestan at the invitation of President Magomedsalam Magomedov. And, according to him, such a solid delegation of world scientists is visiting the region for the first time in modern history.

Discussion about jihad

Magomedsalam Magomedov, according to official media, expressed confidence that there are no conditions for jihad in Dagestan. In his opinion, it cannot be said that believers are infringed on their rights: thousands of mosques and dozens of Islamic educational institutions, believers go to Hajj, Islamic programs are shown on television...

However, as he emphasized, recently the region “has been faced with manifestations of extremism and terrorism, new dangerous challenges in the spiritual and ideological spheres that threaten the safe and sustainable development of our republic.”

Sheikh Ali Muhiddin al-Qaradagi, in his response, supported the president’s intentions to stabilize the situation in the region and gave some advice to the politicians of the republic and young Muslims prone to radical judgments in Islam, and asked them to adhere to them.

Appeal to the “forest”

Sheikh Ali Muhyiddin al-Qaradagi also said: “Our advice to politicians is this: be patient and actively involve Islamic scholars who are strong in their knowledge in conversations with them. An idea can only be corrected with the help of an idea, or, as they say, a wedge is knocked out with a wedge. And to those young people I would like to advise the following: we, scholars from the World Council of Muslim Scholars, perceive you as our sons. You are pursuing a noble goal, but the means are mistaken. As long as Islam is your source, it is your Shariah duty to turn to the strong and moderate scholars.”

He called on young people to “give up radical beliefs.” “Take advantage of the experience of hot young people in Afghanistan, and finally in Chechnya. Everyone knows that it was their brutal behavior that led to the fall of the Taliban state. All the blood shed in Egypt did not lead to anything noticeable.

Change was achieved through peaceful revolutions carried out in accordance with a moderate peace program. Take advantage of this experience and learn from the denial statements written by radical young people in Egyptian prisons. These statements amounted to 17 volumes. And don’t repeat these mistakes,” said Sheikh al-Qaradagi.

Fatwa to authorities

The main final event of this conference was the adoption of a fatwa that condemns extremism and states that “the Republic of Dagestan is a territory of peace, and there are no prerequisites for waging jihad.”

The idea of ​​holding an All-Russian theological conference was first voiced at the Third Congress of the Peoples of Dagestan, and now it has come to life. This is a very important event for the region, the role of which is simply impossible to overestimate, says Minister of National Policy, Religious Affairs and External Relations Bekmurza Bekmurzaev.

This fatwa, according to media reports, “extremely accurately and clearly proclaimed Dagestan Daru-s-salaam, that is, a territory of peace. This means that there is no basis for jihad, killing Muslims and non-Muslims. This fundamental decision must be made and implemented by everyone who considers themselves a Muslim, say scholars.

Describing the fatwa and resolution that resulted from the two-day stay of the ulama, Dagestan theologians claim that this is exactly the document they were waiting for. The fatwa, in their opinion, will be “a response to the actions of a number of extremist leaders who hide behind Islamic slogans,” writes RIA Dagestan.

However, Muslim activists and journalists in Dagestan have slightly different assessments of the conference that took place in the republic. Thus, the author of the “Draft” Abdulmumin Gadzhiev writes on the website Wordyou.ru that the organizers of the event did everything possible to present the sheikh’s visit as unconditional support for the policy pursued in the region regarding growing Islamic sentiments.

“No one knew in advance that Al-Qaradagi was going to come to Dagestan; all the theses with which the sheikh came were reduced to the fight against terrorism and extremism; Only representatives of the official clergy and accredited journalists were invited to the press conference, among whom there was not, for example, Abbas Kebedov, who was the first to express the idea of ​​​​inviting scientists of the World Islamic Council to the republic (in fact, this idea was stolen from him and transferred to the state) . After all, Kebedov speaks Arabic well and has a desire to talk about the real problems of the republic, which was clearly not part of the organizers’ plans,” writes Gadzhiev.

According to him, representatives of Muslim youth had great difficulty in attending the conference and asking questions, which, as he notes, did not find any coverage in the official media. The meeting was presented in the form of a communist congress, at which everyone in turn condemned extremism and terrorism.

Reach Karadaga

Further, narrating his breakthrough to the conference, Hajiyev writes: “We conveyed to the sheikh how his visit to us is presented by the official media, and what ordinary Muslims think about it, whom such an approach encourages to doubt and distrust Islamic scholars.” .

In his words, the sheikh said that he did not come to support the authorities or law enforcement agencies, that he came to try to influence them, as well as to establish contacts with Islamic youth.

He also, according to Gadzhiev, understood perfectly well that the conference was mainly attended by only representatives of the official clergy. For this reason, Al-Qaradagi was invigorated and delighted to hear, as he put it, “other voices,” immediately thanking the organizers of the meeting for allowing these “other voices” to attend (albeit with great difficulty).

And the questions from “other voices” were as follows. What does the guest think about the terror carried out by the security services against practicing Muslims? Does he know about the ban on wearing the hijab in Russian schools? Is it extremism to call for the implementation of Sharia, for Sharia courts, and is wearing a hijab in schools extremism?

The position of the sheikh and the conclusions of the Muslims

Al-Qaradagi, according to Hajiyev, replied that he had talked with officials on this topic and noted that one of the main reasons for extremism is the terror of the authorities. The sheikh also said that the call for the application of Sharia is not only not extremism, but is also the duty of a Muslim, according to the unanimous opinion of all scientists, noting that such a call should be reasonable, and the establishment of Sharia should be gradual.

It is also interesting, the author notes, that the sheikh does not consider the forest underground to be “terrorists” and “Kharijites.” Instead, he considers the militants “his sons” and “part of the Muslim ummah,” with whom he differs on the methods of establishing Sharia law. At the same time, the Sheikh calls on all Muslims for unity based on the Koran and Sunnah.

The sheikh was greatly indignant and surprised at how entire paragraphs about jihad and the caliphate, written by his hand, were thrown out of Ali Polosin’s translation of Al-Wasatiyya of the text of the Moscow Declaration, and some expressions were greatly distorted. Speaking about the relative religious freedom in Russia, the sheikh was not aware of the prohibitions on the hijab.

Thus, Hajiyev summarizes, it is clear that the authorities are more interested in justifying their policies with the words of Islamic scholars than in listening and accepting their advice.

Tamila Shakhbanova
journalist