Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (8/80)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

If someone were to ask: Are they prevented from constructing and beautifying their buildings, placing decorations in them, and the like?

The answer is: As for the interior, they are not prevented. As for the exterior, that is subject to the ruler’s discretionary judgment. If he considers that, by displaying their dwellings in such a manner while the homes of the Muslims around them are inferior to them, this would constitute a source of pride for those disbelievers, then he may prevent them. For although this is not a tangible elevation, it is a symbolic elevation, and so they are prevented. But if he considers that people do not care about this or attach any weight to it, then he should leave them as they are.

It may be understood from the author’s words, “from raising a building above that of a Muslim,” that if they acquire it from a Muslim while it is already higher, they are not prevented from retaining it. However, the correct view is what we stated earlier: they are prevented, so it must either be demolished or the sale rescinded.

“And from openly displaying wine, pork, bells, and publicly reciting their scripture. If a Christian becomes a Jew, or vice versa, he is not to be permitted to do so, and nothing is accepted from him except Islam or his former religion …”

His statement, “and from openly displaying wine and pork,” means that they are prevented from openly displaying wine and from openly displaying the consumption of pork, because these are forbidden among the Muslims; thus, they are prevented from doing so. However, if they drink it in their homes, produce it in their homes, and do not sell it openly, we do not prevent them.

The same applies to pork, because they believe that wine and pork are lawful. Thus, we do not interfere with them in their religion; but openly displaying what is forbidden among the Muslims is itself forbidden.

His statement, “and bells and publicly reciting their scripture”: a bell is something used to produce sound when they perform the rites of their religion. If they have a loud bell whose sound can be heard by people, we prevent them from making it audible. What is meant is preventing the sound from being made public, not preventing the display of

فإن قال قائل: هل يمنعون من تشييد بنيانهم، وتحسينه، ووضع الزخارف فيه وما أشبه ذلك؟ الجواب: نقول: أما من الداخل فإنهم لا يمنعون، وأما من الخارج فهذا يرجع إلى اجتهاد الإمام، إن رأى أنهم إذا أظهروا منازلهم بهذا المظهر، وبيوت المسلمين حولهم دون ذلك وأن في ذلك افتخاراً لهؤلاء الكفار فله أن يمنعهم؛ لأن هذا وإن لم يكن علوّاً حسيّاً فهو علو معنوي فيمنعون، وإن رأى أن الناس لا يهتمون بذلك ولا يقيمون له وزناً فليبقهم على ما هم عليه. ويفهم من كلام المؤلف في قوله: «ومن تعلية بنيان على مسلم» أنهم لو ملكوه من مسلم عالياً فإنهم لا يمنعون، لكن الصحيح ما قررناه أولاً أنهم يمنعون، فيُهدم أو يفسخ البيع. وَمِنْ إِظْهَارِ خَمْرٍ وَخِنْزِيرٍ، وَنَاقُوسٍ وَجَهْرٍ بِكِتَابِهم وَإِنْ تَهَوَّدَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ أَوْ عَكْسُهُ لَمْ يُقرَّ وَلَمْ يُقْبَلْ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ الإِسْلَامُ أَوْ دِينُهُ ...... قوله: «ومن إظهار خمر وخنزير» أي: يمنعون من إظهار الخمر ومن إظهار أكل لحم الخنزير؛ لأن ذلك عند المسلمين حرام، فيمنعون منه، أما لو شربوه في بيوتهم أو صنعوه في بيوتهم ولم يبيعوه علناً فإننا لا نمنعهم. وكذلك يقال في لحم الخنزير؛ لأنهم يعتقدون أن الخمر حلال، وأن لحم الخنزير حلال، فلا نتعرض لهم في ديانتهم، لكن إظهار ما هو ممنوع عند المسلمين ممنوع. قوله: «وناقوس وجهر بكتابهم» الناقوس هو شيء يصوَّت به عند أداء شعائر دينهم، فإذا كان لهم ناقوس قوي الصوت يسمعه الناس فإننا نمنعهم من إظهاره، والمراد إظهار صوته لا إظهار