RIYADH, 19 October — Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance, Saleh Al-Sheikh, has stated that Muslim scholars have no right to declare jihad, or holy war. He explained that this is the exclusive right of rulers and no one else can make such a decision, a press statement said.
Addressing students, imams and preachers in Riyadh on Wednesday, Saleh Al-Sheikh said that Jihad "is the most exclusive act of a ruler. If any others call for it, we will end up with chaos and anarchy."
"If any one of us calls for jihad without the ruler’s approval, then he is violating the principles of Islam," Al-Sheikh stated.
Making agreements and treaties with non-Muslims is within the legal powers of a ruler, Al-Sheikh stressed.
"Based on consensus and (Islamic) texts, obeying the Muslim ruler is obligatory. Disobeying them is a grave sin," the minister added.
He added that only religious scholars who have a full command of Islam are authorized to provide Islamic interpretations for contemporary events and warned that unauthorized fatwas (rulings by religious scholars) may create disunity in society.
The minister clarified that Islam does not distinguish between a Muslim and non-Muslim when it comes to justice.
"Justice should be adhered to in all situations. The guiding principle should be getting at the truth and undermining falsehood," the minister said.
The injustice and aggression against the Muslims in Palestine and Jewish terrorism against the Palestinians over the past year provide clear examples of American negligence of Muslim issues, but such a situation does not allow Muslims to go beyond the boundaries set by the Shariah, or to defame and vilify Muslim scholars and rulers, the minister added.
