Request for Fatwa (Istifta)
What the Ulama (Religious Scholars) opine about the issue of continued involvement of certain groups in insurrectionary acts against the Government and Armed Forces of Pakistan. In the name of implementation of Shari‘ah, these groups allege that the Government of Pakistan and its armed forces are infidels and apostates as they have yet to implement Shari‘ah in its entirety. Basing on this analogy, these groups attract the youth for an armed uprising against the state, terming it as jihad. And during the process, they carry out suicide attacks to target innocent citizens and army personnel declaring these as righteously rewarding activities. In this context, answers to the following questions are required:
- Whether Pakistan is an Islamic state or an un-Islamic state? Further, can a state be declared un-Islamic and its government and armed forces as non-Muslim if Shari‘ah is not implemented in its entirety?
- Under the given circumstances, is armed rebellion against the government or army permissible, in the name of struggle for implementation of Shari‘ah?
- Whether the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah provide any justification for suicide attacks that are being carried out all over Pakistan in the name of implementation of Shari‘ah and jihad?
- If the answer to the above three questions is in negative, then whether the actions taken by the government and armed forces of Pakistan to combat insurrection are permissible according to Shari‘ah? Should the Muslims come forward and support these actions?
- Several armed sectarian clashes are also taking place in our country aiming to impose ones ideology on others by force. Are these activities justified in Shari‘ah?