The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has issued a fatwa (religious ruling) titled “on the 42nd Anniversary of the Occupation of Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque. The fatwa declares that “liberation of all the Palestinian occupied territories” is an Islamic obligation as well as spelling out various actions considered “traitorous to Allah”:
The International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS), which includes in its membership many Muslim scholars and many scholars’ associations in the Islamic world including the Palestine Scholars Association (PSA), is very concerned about the current events taking place in Jerusalem. It is now the 42nd anniversary of the fall of Al-Aqsa Mosque at the hands of the Zionist occupation forces who, since they took control of the holy city, have sought to build their alleged temple. This illegal action exposes Al-Aqsa Mosque to great danger, because of the excavations that have been commenced beneath it, in search of alleged monuments that prove their absolute right to the city.
At this critical time, the IUMS stresses the following Shar`i (legal) principles and fixed rules:
1. Working for the liberation of all the Palestinian occupied territories, especially Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, is a religious obligation of rulers, scholars, and citizens, each according to their abilities and responsibilities.
2. Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem are strongly connected to the Islamic religion. Many Qur’anic verses and prophetic hadiths assert the sanctity of this land and that is it is considered consecrated in Islam, and thus should not be abandoned until the Day of Judgment.
3. Selling, exchanging, or leasing land and houses to the Jews, or committing any other action that facilitates the control of the Jews over the holy city, is religiously prohibited.
4. Political attitudes that tolerate and permit actions that may lead to the Jews having control over the city and Al-Aqsa Mosque (including all its land and buildings, above or below the ground), are religiously prohibited. Moreover, any Muslim who commits or adopts such actions is considered to be a traitor to Allah, the Prophet, and the believers.
5. Invitations that support the internationalization of Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, are also prohibited, as internationalization would mean abandoning Islamic sovereignty over the city and the sanctuaries. In a word, they are rejected tricks.
6. All political, economic, and cultural dealings and all forms of normalization with the Zionist entity are considered to be a form of supporting and sustaining the occupier in its occupation of land and holy places. Moreover, such actions are considered a form of loyalty to the enemy, which is religiously prohibited; as Allah (Exalted and Glorified be He) says, “And if any amongst you takes them as Awliya’ (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), then surely he is one of them.” (Al-Ma’idah 5: 51)
In conclusion, we call on all Muslims, rulers and citizens, to undertake their role, and embark on rescuing Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Blessed Land and freeing them from the clutches of the Zionist occupation. This is a trust, which all of us will be asked about by Almighty Allah on the Day of Judgment, and by the coming generations and history.
The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) was launched on July 11, 2004 in conjunction with a visit by Youssef Qaradawi to London for a meeting of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. Qaradawi is perhaps the most important leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood and the IUMS board of directors is comprised of many leaders of the global Brotherhood.