Muslims represent a minority in the Zionist entity’s army, and Arabs make up about 21% of the population in the occupation state. The occupation imposes conscription on Druze and Circassians while exempting the rest of the Arabs who hold citizenship in the occupation state from mandatory conscription. However, a number of them choose to voluntarily join the occupying army, most of whom are Bedouins living in Galilee and the Negev, totaling around 1,500 individuals.
One of the main motivations for Bedouin Muslims joining the occupation army is economic hardship and discrimination against Arab minorities. They seek to secure the basic necessities of life, such as housing, employment, and educational opportunities that are unattainable without military service. The Zionist entity strives to incorporate elements of Muslims and Christians into its army to appear before the world as representing all segments of the population. Therefore, the Prime Minister of the Zionist entity accompanied Ashraf al-Bahiri, a soldier from “Israel’s Bedouins” from the town of Rahat in the Negev, and Netanyahu boasted about him before Congress, praising him for killing many Hamas mujahideen on October 7, 2023!
The Ruling on Joining the Occupation Army
A Muslim joining the Zionist entity’s army is prohibited by Islamic Sharia and is considered one of the gravest sins before Allah. It is a betrayal of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers. Allah says, “O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence].” (Al-Anfal: 27) What greater betrayal can there be than a person who claims to be a Muslim joining the ranks of Islam’s enemies, fighting against his own Ummah and believers, aiming to support the disbelievers over the believers for fleeting worldly gains such as money, position, or prestige?!
A Muslim joining the Zionist entity’s army is prohibited by Islamic Sharia and is one of the gravest sins, constituting a betrayal of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.
Belonging to Islam is not merely about uttering the Shahada or performing visible rituals; there are requirements and obligations that come with declaring the oneness of Allah. One of the most important is loyalty to the believers and enmity towards the disbelievers. Allah has clearly revealed the treachery of those who ally themselves with the disbelievers out of fear of Muslim defeat, hoping to secure their safety and ally with them. This is treachery in the heart and disgraceful intent. How do they know that Allah won’t grant victory to the believers, making them regret their betrayal and treachery? Allah says, “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. So you see those in whose hearts is disease hastening into [association with] them, saying, ‘We are afraid a misfortune may strike us.’ But perhaps Allah will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful.” (Al-Ma'idah: 51-52)
Allah has promised disgrace in this world and eternal punishment in the Hereafter for their treachery and betrayal, as He says, “You see many of them becoming allies of those who disbelieved. How wretched is that which they have put forth for themselves in that Allah has become angry with them, and in the punishment they will abide eternally. And if they had believed in Allah and the Prophet and in what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies; but many of them are defiantly disobedient.” (Al-Ma'idah: 80-81)
Those who participate in the Zionist entity’s army, claiming to be Muslims, are considered apostates from Islam by fighting and killing Muslims. This is the view held by Islamic scholars. In “Tafsir al-Tabari” (10/400), it is stated, “Abu Ja'far said: Allah the Almighty means by His saying, ‘And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them,’ whoever allies himself with the Jews and Christians instead of the believers, is considered one of them. It means that whoever allies with them and supports them against the believers, he is one of their people and their religion. This is because no one allies himself with someone else unless he agrees with them and their religion and what they are upon. If he agrees with them and their religion, he has opposed and rejected what opposes them, and his judgment is their judgment.”
Ibn Hazm said in “Al-Muhalla” (11/138), “It is clear that the saying of Allah, exalted be He, ‘And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them,’ means what it says clearly: he is a disbeliever among the disbelievers. This is a truth that no two Muslims disagree upon.”
Ibn Taymiyyah said in the book “Al-Iman” (p. 18), “Allah’s saying, ‘Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them,’ means that He informs in these ayahs that the one who allies with them is not a believer and informs here that the one who allies with them is one of them.”
Those who participate in the Zionist entity’s army, claiming to be Muslims, are considered apostates from Islam for fighting and killing Muslims.
Sheikh Ibn Baz said, “Islamic scholars have unanimously agreed that whoever supports the disbelievers against Muslims and helps them in any way is a disbeliever like them” (Majmoo' al-Fatawa wa Maqalat, 1/274).
Ibn al-Jawzi said in “Zaad al-Maseer fi 'Ilm at-Tafsir” (1/558), “Allah's saying, ‘And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them,’ has two sayings: first, whoever allies with them in religion is one of them in disbelief, and second, whoever allies with them in covenant is one of them in violating the command.”
Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhab al-Taymi listed ten nullifiers of Islam, including the eighth nullifier: allying with the disbelievers against the believers. He said: “Supporting the polytheists and helping them against Muslims, and the evidence is Allah's saying, ‘And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them.’”
Sheikh al-Sa'di referred to this as “complete allegiance,” saying in his tafsir of Allah's saying, “And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them,” that complete allegiance necessitates transition to their religion, and small allegiance leads to more until the person gradually becomes one of them.
However, it is conditional on loving their religion over Islam and being pleased with their corrupt beliefs, which is disbelief by consensus of the scholars. As for supporting them without loving their religion, this is a subject of disagreement whether they are disbelievers or not, though it is agreed upon that it is one of the gravest major sins.
If it is proven that a Muslim joined the disbelieving enemy and fought against Muslims and killed them, he is to be killed because he has killed a Muslim without any just cause. If a Muslim is killed for killing his brother in normal circumstances, then killing him in war is even more obligatory.
If it is proven that a Muslim joined the disbelieving enemy and fought against Muslims and killed them, he is to be killed because he has killed a Muslim without any just cause.
However, espionage by some Muslims for the disbelievers does not necessitate them fallen into disbelief or execution but rather Tazir (punishment).
Judge Abu Yusuf, the companion of Abu Hanifa, answered Harun al-Rashid's question about the ruling on spies, saying: “You asked, O Commander of the Faithful, about discovered spies, who are among the people of dhimma or the people of war or Muslims. If they are from the people of war or the people of dhimma who pay jizya from the Jews, Christians, and Magians, then their necks are to be struck. If they are known Muslims, then inflict severe punishment and lengthen their imprisonment until they repent.” (Al-Kharaj by Abu Yusuf, p. 205-206) Tazir here includes anything less than execution, such as imprisonment, beating, and harm, but they are not to be killed. This is because repentance is more beloved to Allah, and it is better for them to die in obedience than in disobedience.
A Muslim participating in the disbelievers' army is among the prohibitions that are not subject to disagreement and is a crime deserving punishment. It is established among all people that a person joining the enemies of his country and fighting against his own people is considered high treason, warranting severe punishment by law. How then if he betrays Allah, His Messenger, and his religion before betraying his land and honor!
-------------------------------------------------------------
Read the Article in Arabic
