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Physical Fight
1. In general, when there is a conflict, kindly advise how to determine whether starting a physical fight is compulsory, permissible or impermissible?
2. Kindly also advise regarding a particular situation that I faced: in a car accident, our driver parked the car in the fast lane of the highway and went out to talk to the other driver, leaving the keys of the car still inside. I also got out. Later, I realized that parking the car in fast lane was extremely dangerous and asked the driver to move the car to the other side of the road. However, the driver of the other car suddenly moved towards our car and took away the keys. He refused to return them until the traffic police arrived. I explained that it was necessary to move the car because of huge safety risk, but that did not help. In such a case, if the passengers of the car are very ill or old, they cannot even come out of the car. Moreover, when a large number of people are spotted standing outside the car, there would be a greater chance of being robbed as larger amounts of money can potentially be robbed. In such a situation, when verbal negotiation does not help, should one resort to physical fight in order to snatch the keys from the other driver?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
A Muslim always displays good character and conduct especially in public places. If a Muslim engages in a physical fight in a public place, that would create a bad image for Islam and Muslims.[1]
In the inquired situation, it would be best to consult the police on what should be done as there may be legal implications in moving or not moving the car. Shari’ah recognizes adhering to traffic laws of a country.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ahmad Jafari
Student, Darul Iftaa
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
فتح القدير- مكتبة شاملة (12/373)[1]
وَيَجُوزُ لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يُقَاتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ نِصَابًا وَيَقْتُلَ مَنْ يُقَاتِلُهُ عَلَيْهِ لِإِطْلَاقِ قَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ { مَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ }
رد المحتار- مكتبة شاملة (15/394)
( قوله ويجوز أن يقاتل دون ماله ) أي تحت ماله أو فوقه أو قدامه أو وراءه ، فإن لفظ دون يأتي لمعان المناسب منها ما ذكرنا وقال بعضهم على ماله ( قوله وإن لم يبلغ نصابا ) أي نصاب السرقة وهو عشرة دراهم كما في منية المفتي
النهر الفائق شرح كنز الدقائق (3/197)
ويجوز للإنسان أن يقاتل دون ماله وإن لم يبلغ نصاباً ويقتل من يقاتله عليه لخبر (من قتل دون ماله فهو شهيد)