Shaykh Abd al-Aziz bin Baz, Rahimahullah, who was the most well wishing to the Ummah was asked,
QUESTION: Is
it permissible to cooperate with the Islamic groups active in the
field? To what extent is cooperation permissible? Please advise, may
Allah reward you with the best!
ANSWER: It
is permissible and even obligatory to cooperate with all Muslims in
righteousness and piety as much as possible because Allah (Glorified and
Exalted be He) says:
"Help
you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and
piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression." (Surah
Al-Ma'idah, 5:2)
And:
"By
Al-'Asr (the time). Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe
and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and
recommend one another to patience." (Surah Al-'Asr, 103)
It is cooperating in righteousness and piety
and enjoining one another to adhere to the truth and showing patience
to clarify the rulings of Shari'ah (Law) and warn against
Bid'ah (innovations in Islam) and to make clear the sound creed followed
by the Salaf (righteous predecessors of the Ummah (nation based on one
creed), the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and those who
followed them in righteousness.
Cooperation
and recommendation is to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong
and to abandon those worthy to be abandoned because Allah (Glorified and
Exalted be He) says:
"The
believers, men and women, are Awliya' of one another; they enjoin
Al-Ma'ruf , and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar ; they perform as-Salah,
and give the Zakat, and obey Allaah and His Messenger. Allah will have
His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (Surah
At-Tawbah, 9:71)
And:
"Those
among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue
of Dawud (David) and 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was
because they disobeyed (Allaah and the Messengers) and were ever
transgressing beyond bounds. They used not to forbid one another from
Al-Munkar (wrong, evil-doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they
committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do." (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:
78)
The Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
The
similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection,
fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole
body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever.
The Prophet (Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam) also said:
Islam
is based on advising one another. Upon this we said: For whom? He
replied: For Allah, His Book, His Messenger and for the leaders and the
general Muslims. (Related by Muslim in his book of Sahih (authentic)
Hadith).
There are many Ayahs and Hadiths to the same effect.
Imam Ibn Baz, al-Fatawa, 28:248.
