Periodical Review: Fatwas – December 2012

This review reports the main fatwas [religious-legal rulings] issued in December 2012, in response to readers’ questions, by Minbar Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, the Web site of Salafist ideologue Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi.

Highlights:

• Sheikh Al-Shanqiti allows the people of Egypt to support candidate Morsi, the representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, for the presidential elections in Egypt. This is due to the contention that he is closer in faith to Islam than his secular opponent, Shafiq, and is therefore deemed to be the lesser evil.
   
• Sheikh Al-Shanqiti allows the Mujahideen to collaborate with non-Islamic groups fighting in Syria against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as this is a Christian government. However, this is seen as an intermediate step, until the Mujahideen are able to join the ranks of groups dedicated the uniqueness of God.
   
• Fulfilling the commandment of Jihad against the enemies of Islam comes before other matters, such as those who have not repaid their debts.