Question 525 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 6

Ahmed al-Hasan Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them peace. The prohibition on selling weapons to the opponents is a matter that the family of Muhammad (a) explained, and it occurs when the Riser from among them (a) appears. Thus, this qualification-‘the sale of weapons becomes forbidden’-in the narration of the Yamani is an explanation for those who comprehend their words (a) that the Yamani is himself the Riser. In their traditions, they restricted the prohibition on selling to the event of open separation when the Riser emerges. Now they say that when the Yamani emerges, the sale of weapons becomes forbidden. It therefore becomes clear that the Yamani is himself the Riser. By his words, ‘When the Yamani emerges, the sale of weapons becomes forbidden to the people and to every Muslim’ (^[13]), the Imam (a) intends to explain that the Yamani is himself the Riser, upon whose appearance and the occurrence of open separation the sale of weapons becomes forbidden. This is in addition to the explanation in the narration showing that the Yamani is the Riser and one of Allah’s proofs, as I have explained previously. These are some narrations explaining that the prohibition on selling weapons occurs only when the Riser emerges and when open separation and war arise between him and his enemies: Hind al-Sarraj said: ‘I said to Abu Ja‘far (a), “May Allah set you aright. I used to carry weapons to the people of Syria and sell them to them. When Allah made this matter known to me, I became troubled by that and said, ‘I will not carry them to the enemies of Allah.’” He said, “Carry them to them, for through them Allah repels our enemy and your enemy”-meaning the Romans-“and sell to them. But when war is between us, do not carry them. Whoever carries to our enemy a weapon by which they seek assistance against us is a polytheist”’ (^[14]). Abu Bakr al-Hadrami said: ‘We entered upon Abu Abdullah (a), and Hakam al-Sarraj said to him, “What is your view concerning one who carries saddles and their equipment to Syria?” He said, “There is no harm. Today you are in the position of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (s); you are in a truce. But when open separation occurs, it becomes forbidden for you to carry saddles and weapons to them”’ (^[15]). Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. Ahmed Alhasan Mid-Sha‘ban, 1431 AH