Boycotting products and companies supporting Israel

25/01/2009| IslamWeb

 

Question:

 

We decided a long time ago to boycott all the products and the companies who help our enemies the Israelis. The problem is that sometimes these products that we are boycotting are on sale and they cost cheaper than the others. Nevertheless, we buy the more expensive ones just to avoid giving our money to kill our brothers and sisters in Palestine. My question is: Are we wasting our money by buying more expensive products to avoid helping the enemies?

 

Fatwa:

 

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

 

 

 

 

Islamicly, being wasteful is to spend money inappropriately such as in prohibitions or exaggerating in permissible matters. If a person spends all his money appropriately, he is not considered as being extravagant.

Ibn Mas'ood may Allah be pleased with him, said regarding the interpretation of the Quranic verse (which means): {But spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.} [Quran 17:26], saying: "Wasting wealth means spending money inappropriately."

 

Ibn Jareer also reported that Ibn Mas'ood may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'We, as companions of the Prophet used to consider that wasting one's wealth (or being extravagant) is to spend one's wealth inappropriately."

 

Moreover, Ibn 'Abbaas may Allah be pleased with him, interpreted the Quranic verse (which means): {Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils…} [Quran 17:27], saying they are those who spend their wealth inappropriately. [Ibn Jareer, Al-Bayhaqi, and Al-Bukhari]

 

In addition to the above, Ash-Shaafi'ee said: 'Being extravagant and wasteful is spending one's wealth in other than its proper channel and there is no extravagance when spending it is in common good.' Al-Qurtubi after quoting Ash-Shaafi'ee said that this is the opinion of the majority of scholars.

 

Therefore, it becomes evident to us that boycotting the goods of the enemy, and buying other goods even with a more expensive price is not considered as wasting, because boycotting the goods of the enemy is a common good and spending on this is not considered as wasting. 

 

Lastly, we draw the attention of the questioner that the Muslims should know that the greatest means of victory over the enemy is to obey Allah and his Prophet and to abide by the legislations of Allah. It is not correct for a Muslim to be negligent regarding obligations and transgress the limits of Allah, then expect victory only by boycotting the goods of the enemy and of those who help him, leaving aside the principle and abiding by one of its branches. This is a mistake that many Muslims make.

 

Allah Knows best.

 

Fatwa answered by:The Fatwa Center at Islamweb