Moroccan preacher Abdullah An-Nahari published a new video on his channel, dedicated to responding to circulating questions following the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, foremost among them the issue of whether it is permissible to pray for him or consider him a martyr.
Sheikh An-Nahari, in his intervention, emphasizes that this issue is a precise legal matter that should not be left to whims or emotions, stressing the need to refer to the Quran and Sunnah and understand the facts on the ground before issuing any religious ruling. He called on those interacting to adhere to the etiquette of disagreement, warning against insults, curses, and intimidation in the name of religion. The preacher explained that the Islamic nation is experiencing a state of confusion and a lack of historical and doctrinal awareness, which makes some clear issues confusing for people, citing prophetic hadiths that warn of the time of "tribulations and years of deception," where those unqualified to speak on public and religious affairs come to the forefront. In a clear stance, An-Nahari stressed that praying for mercy or describing Khamenei as a martyr is not permissible according to Sharia, considering that it falls under speaking about God without knowledge. He explained that the legal ruling, according to his proposal, is not based on emotion, but on the creed to which the person belongs, and the impact of his project on the reality of Muslims. The speaker paused for a long time at what he described as the "doctrinal and intellectual framework" of the Iranian regime, considering that this framework, according to his reading, had a direct impact on bloody events witnessed by several countries, including Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, which, in his view, makes praying for its symbols impermissible. The Sheikh adds, in the same context, that the creed adopted by Ali Khamenei is a corrupt creed in terms of its origins and starting points, because it is based on doctrinal perceptions that contradict the majority of the nation of the people of the Sunnah and the community, whether in the chapter on the Imamate, or infallibility, or religious authority. He affirms that the judgment on individuals is inseparable from the doctrinal frameworks to which they belong, and that the corruption of the creed, according to this proposal, necessarily reflects on the political and religious stances and projects upon which they are built, which, in his view, makes the endorsement of these symbols or praying for them an impermissible matter according to Sharia, because it carries a mixture of right and wrong and deception of the public. The Sheikh pointed out that joy at the demise of the oppressors, as he put it, is mentioned in legal texts and historical biographies, explaining that this joy does not relate to the manner of death or the party that carried it out, but rather to the removal of harm and the lifting of injustice from the people. He cited the sayings of the scholars of the Salaf regarding the destruction of the oppressors and considering it a relief for the nation. In conclusion, Abdullah An-Nahari called on Muslims to be insightful and knowledgeable, and not to be carried away by emotional or media discourse, stressing that such issues must be addressed with knowledge and responsibility, in order to preserve the unity of the nation and prevent further sedition.
