Why Do We Need Boycott?
Peace be upon you and mercy and blessings of Allah. Why are we talking about boycott again? The truth is that there is more than one reason for this:
- First: The duration has been long, and some people have become lax about the boycott. In Jordan, for example, there are expatriates who return in the summer bringing with them a culture of disregarding the boycott from some of the countries they were in, which affects the resolve of the people of Jordan.
- Second: Some brothers from students of knowledge in the Two Holy Lands, for example, told me that some of their colleagues in the Islamic colleges do not boycott, but rather say that this boycott is not beneficial and has no meaning.
Therefore, we need to renew our determination, respond to the objectors, and clarify that we are the ones who need the boycott more than anyone else; its effect on us may be greater than its economic effect on our enemies. Today, we will focus on the principle of boycott, and we will postpone the discussion about the guidelines that make it more reasonable and sustainable for another time, God willing.
Money: The Backbone of Nations
First, dear guests, money is the backbone of nations. Allah the Almighty says: {And do not give the foolish your property, which Allah has made for you a means of support.} If a man dies and leaves behind one million dinars, for example, it is not permissible to give this money to his young son who does not know how to manage it; because Allah has made money "a means of support" for us, i.e., a backbone for societies.
Much of the oppression of the criminal international system on Muslims, and the Zionist manipulation of the consciousness of peoples and the positions of countries, is done through money. If it is not permissible to waste money by giving it to a Muslim child who does not know how to manage it, then how about giving it to someone who helps your enemy kill your brothers, torture them, and displace them?
Beyond the Economic Impact: Psychological and Social Benefits
Is the boycott really beneficial? And are we required to boycott everything? I do not see the validity of general statements in this regard, but rather a detailed and precise approach is needed. However, I see the principle of boycott as good and beneficial in general.
What is most important to me is not the debate about the direct economic impact (which is not free from exaggerations or naive understatements), but the psychological and social impact on Muslims themselves, and the role of that in instilling:
- Zeal for Islam and its people.
- Anger for the sake of Allah, His Messenger, and the Muslims.
- Loyalty to the believers and disassociation from their enemies.
These great meanings are no longer taught in schools or universities, and it is not permitted to speak about them in many pulpits, and the boycott educates us in these great foundations.
Six Benefits of Boycott for the Muslim
Dr. Karim explains the benefits we gain from the boycott in six points:
- Practical Adoption: Boycott is a behavior that takes you out of the "comfort zone" to bear responsibilities and participate, and this deepens feelings of loyalty and disassociation; for the action engraved on the heart is deeper than the observation and hearing.
- Weaving Continuity: Feelings fade over time, and recalling the subject of boycott when buying your necessities keeps their cause (which is your cause) alive in your being.
- Self-Reformation: Utilizing feelings in the reformation of the self and "self-discipline" and getting rid of behavioral addictions. One of the reasons for our humiliation is our attachment to materialism and consumerist life, and sacrificing some goods is liberation from the slavery of materialism.
- Psychological-Economic Liberation: Liberation from attachment to global brands (franchises), which encourages local industry or purchasing from non-hostile countries. It also makes investors think a thousand times about the historical positions of companies towards the issues of the nation.
- Easy Symbolism: When friends gather and choose alternatives to the boycott, they practice the meanings of dignity, pride, loyalty, and disassociation with a simple behavior that educates the self and the children.
- Feeling with Your Brothers in Gaza: Imagine if your brother in Gaza sees you enjoying a product from a company that boasts of supporting the Zionists who are crushing him! Where is this from the hadith of the Prophet peace be upon him: "The example of believers in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion is like the example of a single body"?
Boycott as a Denial of Evil
One of the greatest religious meanings is the encouragement to deny evil even with the assumption of non-response; because mere social refusal is required by the Sharia. Denial of evil is needed by the "evil-doer" so that he does not continue to commit evil over time under the pretext of futility.
Even denial by the heart (which is the weakest of faith) is an obligation, because your heart needs to hear your denial even if people do not hear it. And boycott is one of the practical means of denying the crimes committed against our brothers.
Therefore, brothers, the boycott must continue, and we must remind Muslims in all countries of its necessity and that they fear Allah in it. Peace be upon you and mercy and blessings of Allah.