Why Do We Oppose and Boycott Israel?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Why do we oppose and boycott Israel?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
Our opposition to Israel and the choice to boycott it stems from its continued actions of injustice, oppression, and the unlawful seizure of land and homes belonging to the Palestinian people. These actions conflict with the principles of justice and compassion upheld in Islam.
Allah Most High says:
“Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair. Allah only forbids you from befriending those who have fought you for ˹your˺ faith, driven you out of your homes, or supported ˹others˺ in doing so. And whoever takes them as friends, then it is they who are the ˹true˺ wrongdoers.” [Quran, 60:8-9]
This verse emphasizes that kindness and fairness are to be shown to those who do not oppress or expel others. However, Islam forbids friendship or support for those who commit aggression, forcefully displace others, or facilitate such injustices.
Why We Boycott Israel
Our opposition is rooted in the numerous human rights abuses and international law violations documented in Israeli actions. These include forced evictions, unlawful settlement expansions, and severe restrictions on Palestinian movement and access to basic needs, all of which harm civilians, destroy homes, and systematically violate human rights. Such injustices represent a severe transgression that Islam strictly condemns.
Islamic teachings, as well as international principles of justice, consistently oppose these forms of aggression and displacement, which continue to afflict vulnerable communities. Supporting or endorsing these actions contradicts the principles of justice and compassion that Allah (Most High) commands.
It is important to clarify that Islam upholds the right of all people, including Jews, to live securely and with dignity. This, however, cannot be achieved at the expense of others’ suffering and dispossession. True justice respects the rights of all without allowing any group to oppress or exploit another.
Allah knows best.
May Allah guide us to uphold justice and compassion in all our dealings.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness
