BOYCOTT!!!

Bismillah

This post is not the one I wanted to originally write BUT it's as important to me as the other post I'm working on. On to it then!

When Muslims all over the world claimed that our daily needs are of Jewish production therefore boycotting them is the most rational thing to do, I kinda went absolutely bonkers since I am unable to go through one week without my sumptuous large French Fries from good ol' Mickey D's (McDonalds), I can't go through a day without my Johnson&Johnson's baby bath (it just smells so darn good) and I definitely cannot go through my life without at LEAST wearing one article of clothing from Banana Republic (deliciously comfortable!)

So, I did the most rational thing anyone in my position would do.

I continued indulging on my fries, I continued making myself smell babylicious with Johnson&Johnson's baby bath and I continued wearing my awesome clothes from Banana Republic.

Then a tirade of emails from my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters opened my eyes to everything else that are of Jewish production. Disney (!!), Sara Lee (chocolatey heaven), Maggi mee (MY CURRY! MY LAKSA!), Nestle (NESTUM!!!), Kleenex (tissue...WHAT IF I NEED TO BLOW A SNOT!!), Kotex (!! what the what the how the what the how what the...!!!) Marks and Spencer (seriously? You expect me not to go there to get all my oversized jeans and clothes and delicates??!! REALLY??!!) and some others that I coincidentally don't even use ANYWAY.

And all I could see were the horrifying images of dead babies, wounded babies, babies that have been shot in the stomach, bloodied from head to toe, scarred left to right...babies...

:: a moment to shudder ::

It didn't, however, stop me from smiling at the golden arches that welcome me to the warm hug of fries, nor did it stop me from drinking my cola and it definitely did not stop me from applauding Nokia for creating such brilliant commercials for their equally brilliant phones.
Although it DID make me feel guilty that I was funding the killings of babies. BABIES!!! (images flood in brains)

YET, it didn't occur to me that there are justifications to my actions. Yes. I finally don't have to feel guilty about killing babies. I even found out that I WASN'T KILLING BABIES!!!! (silent victory chair dance)

Rasulullah was in the trading business with mushrikeens (those who are not in faith (of Islam, of course)) and as we all know, the Jews are not of Islamic faith.

RASULULLAH! The perfect example we follow in our every day lives! He funded the Jews! FOR HIS FAMILY'S NEEDS!

He accepted gifts from the Jews and his shield was even put up as collateral on loan when he died.
The basic principle of doing business (ie cramming mouth with sinfully delicious fries which McDonald's provides which the Jews support) with the Jews is PERMISSIBLE!
It is the physical selling of weapons of war that is haram.

Ah yes, to those who believe that by buying Jewish products we are actually funding their weapon buying, I have this to put your mind at ease (?).

Why do we automatically assume that our money goes to the funding of the war against Islam?
Rasulullah taught us to respect those who are not Muslims and isn't giving the benefit of the doubt to those who are not Muslim a form of respect?
Why can't we assume (or give the Jews the benefit of the doubt) that they use our money to build schools? To build roads? To help those who are injured? To fund a hospital?

This might sound naive and all and some of you might think that I'm doing this just so I can continue eating my french fries without guilt consuming my every fibre.

Partly that's true but mostly this is just to educate those who can't see beyond what they were taught to think.

Yes, boycott is legislated. However, it is only permissible to boycott on TWO ocassions.

To quote Shaykh 'Ubad Al-Jaabiree;
Boycotting remains (legislated) until the Day of Standing, without a doubt.

Boycotting is of two types:

[A] A boycott that leads them to the boycott of the corruption of a specific individual due to his innovations and disobedience. This type is for the senior scholars, the imaams.

[B] Also there is also hajr wiqaa'ee (self-protective boycotting). Hajr wiqaa'ee is when you, by your own self, boycott an innovator. You know that he is an enemy to the Sunnah and its people. And you know that his usool (foundations) are not upon the Sunnah. Then you may boycott him on your own - you do not visit him or invite him to visit you, you do not sit where he sits, you may do this.

(www.bakkah.net)

Thus I conclude this post. I hope you have read this with an open mind for I wrote this with an open heart.

Every good that came of this is from Allah the All Mighty and what bad that comes out of this is by my hands alone.

Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin