Boycotts In Islam

QUESTION:

What is the Shari status of boycotting products made by pro-Israeli companies? We try to avoid purchasing such products, but what do we do if it is gifted to us?

ANSWER:

We haven’t come across any narrations or verses that encourage the boycotting of products (in Islam) so that the Kuffaar may mend their ways and stop persecuting the Muslims. In fact, the Kuffaar forces were the ones that signed an agreement that they will boycott and cut off all ties with Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam, the Banu Hashim, and their supporters, when the Muslims began increasing in number and the ambassadors of the Quraish returned unsuccessful from Ethiopia, as Najashi honoured the Sahaabah Radiallahu Anhum and Hadrat Umar and Hadrat Hamza Radiallahu Anhuma accepted Islam, as a result of which the strength of the Kuffaar weakened. Hence, it seems that this method of punishing a nation or group of people (by means of boycotting them) was adopted by the Kuffaar.

If Muslims didn’t have sufficient manpower to fight the Kuffaar, as was their condition when living in Makkah Sharif, then they were commanded to exercise patience. And when they did have sufficient ability to fight the Kuffaar, as was their condition when they migrated to Madinah Sharif, then they were permitted to fight the Kuffar due to being oppressed. This is the actual way of combating and countering the Kuffaar, and not by boycotting their products.

If 2 billion Muslims in the world boycott their products, then there are another 7 billion Kuffaar to support them and purchase their products. So, boycotting is not the actual solution in trying to rectify the evil ways and oppression of the Kuffaar. Yes, we do agree that it will affect their turnover to some extent, but that is not sufficient to prevent their oppression. Taking to streets, boycotting, handing over letters to the various embassies, haven’t really changed the situation in the past. The actual solution in ridding the bad elements of society is by fulfilling the commands of Allah Ta’ala and refraining from His prohibitions.

However, the Shari’ah does not prohibit us from boycotting Kuffaar products, nor from purchasing from their stores. It is the choice of every individual to decide where he wants to purchase from and from whom he wants to purchase. In fact, we as Muslims should support our stores and manufacturers as far as possible, as it is the Muslims who pay Zakaat, discharge Sadaqah and Lillah, support our Masaajid and Madrassahs etc. We hope that the above explanation clarifies the matter.

البداية والنهاية ط إحياء التراث (3/ 107)

لما مَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى الَّذِي بُعِثَ بِهِ وَقَامَتْ بَنُو هَاشِمٍ وبنو الْمُطَّلِبِ دُونَهُ، وَأَبَوْا أَنْ يُسْلِمُوهُ وَهُمْ مِنْ خِلَافِهِ عَلَى مِثْلِ مَا قَوْمُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا أنهم اتقوا أَنْ يَسْتَذِلُّوا وَيُسْلِمُوا أَخَاهُمْ لِمَا قَارَفَهُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ.

فَلَمَّا فَعَلَتْ ذَلِكَ بَنُو هَاشِمٍ وَبَنُو الْمُطَّلِبِ وَعَرَفَتْ قُرَيْشٌ أَنْ لَا سَبِيلَ إِلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ عَلَى بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَبَنِي (4) عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ أَنْ لَا يُنَاكِحُوهُمْ وَلَا يَنْكِحُوا إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يُبَايِعُوهُمْ وَلَا يَبْتَاعُوا مِنْهُمْ وَكَتَبُوا صَحِيفَةً فِي ذَلِكَ وَعَلَّقُوهَا بِالْكَعْبَةِ، ثُمَّ عَدَوْا عَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ فأوثقوهم وآذوهم واشتد عليهم البلاء وَعَظُمَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ وَزُلْزِلُوا زِلْزَالًا شَدِيدًا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الْقِصَّةَ بِطُولِهَا

فِي دُخُولِهِمْ شِعْبَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَمَا بَلَغُوا فِيهِ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْجَهْدِ الشَّدِيدِ حَتَّى كَانَ يُسْمَعُ أَصْوَاتُ صِبْيَانِهِمْ يَتَضَاغَوْنَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الشِّعْبِ مِنَ الْجُوعِ حَتَّى كَرِهَ عَامَّةُ قُرَيْشٍ مَا أَصَابَهُمْ وَأَظْهَرُوا كَرَاهِيَتَهُمْ لِصَحِيفَتِهِمُ الظَّالِمَةِ، وَذَكَرُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ أَرْسَلَ عَلَى صَحِيفَةِ قُرَيْشٍ الْأَرَضَةَ فَلَمْ تَدَعْ فِيهَا اسْمًا هُوَ لِلَّهِ إِلَّا أَكَلَتْهُ وَبَقِيَ فِيهَا الظُّلْمُ وَالْقَطِيعَةُ وَالْبُهْتَانُ فَأَخْبَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فأخبر بذلك عمه أبو طَالِبٍ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ بَقِيَّةَ الْقِصَّةِ كَرِوَايَةِ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ وَأَتَمَّ.

وَقَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ عَنْ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ: فَلَمَّا رَأَتْ قُرَيْشٌ أَنَّ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ نَزَلُوا بَلَدًا أَصَابُوا مِنْهُ أَمْنًا وَقَرَارًا.

وَأَنَّ النَّجَاشِيَّ قَدْ مَنَعَ مَنْ لَجَأَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَنَّ عُمَرَ قَدْ أَسْلَمَ فَكَانَ هُوَ وَحَمْزَةُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، وَجَعَلَ الْإِسْلَامُ يَفْشُو في القبائل فاجتمعوا وائتمروا على أَنْ يَكْتُبُوا كِتَابًا يَتَعَاقَدُونَ فِيهِ عَلَى بَنِي هاشم وبني الْمُطَّلِبِ عَلَى أَنْ لَا يَنْكِحُوا إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يُنْكِحُوهُمْ وَلَا يَبِيعُوهُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَبْتَاعُوا مِنْهُمْ فَلَمَّا اجْتَمَعُوا لِذَلِكَ كَتَبُوا فِي صَحِيفَةٍ ثُمَّ تَعَاهَدُوا وَتَوَاثَقُوا عَلَى ذَلِكَ، ثُمَّ عَلَّقُوا الصَّحِيفَةَ فِي جَوْفِ الْكَعْبَةِ تَوْكِيدًا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَكَانَ كَاتِبُ الصَّحِيفَةِ مَنْصُورَ بْنَ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ هَاشِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الدَّارِ بْنِ قُصَيٍّ

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Abdul Kader Fazlani

Date: 09 Shabaan 1447 / 29 January 2026

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb