Fatwa on Freemasonry

A Legal Judgement Regarding the Ruling on Membership of the Masonic Movement

(The decision of the Fiqh Academy)

All praise and thanks be to Allaah and may peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the Messenger of Allaah and upon his family and Companions and all those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:

During its first session, which was convened in Makka, on the tenth of Sha’baan in the year 1398 A.H. (15/7/1978 C.E.) The Fiqh Academy looked into the matter of the Masons and their affiliates, and the Islamic ruling on them.

The members of the Academy undertook a thorough study of this dangerous organization, reading what has been written about them, past and present, and the documents and speeches propagated by their members and their leaders which they themselves have published in the magazines which represent them. It became clear to the Academy in a manner that leaves no doubt, from the books and texts they read which follows:

1. The Masonic movement is a secret society which sometimes hides it organization and sometimes reveals it, according to the prevailing conditions of the time and place. However, the true principles upon which this organization is based are secret at all times, the knowledge of which is hidden even from its members, except the chosen few, who reach, through many different experiences, the highest levels.

2. The movement builds a relationship between its members in all corners of the world, based upon a superficial foundation in order to fool the gullible people, which is that of the human brotherhood alleged to exist between all members of the organization, which (supposedly) makes no distinction between different faiths, creeds, ideologies.

3. It attracts those persons who are important to it to join their organization by tempting them with promises of personal benefits, on account of the fact that every Mason is bound to help every other brother Mason, in any corner of the world, to assist him in fulfilling his needs, achieving his aims and solving his problems, and to support him if he has political ambitions, to assist him if he falls into any predicament – whatever it may be, whether he is right or wrong, oppressor or oppressed. This may be concealed, by making it appear that they are helping him when he is on the right, not on the wrong. This is the greatest temptation by which they capture people from all societies, taking from them significant financial contributions.

4. Joining them begins with a celebration for the enrolment of a new member, with certain frightening rituals and formalities, intended to instill fear in the member of what will happen to him if he ever disobeys their directives and orders which are issued to him in sequence.

5. The gullible members are left free to practice their religion and it (the organization) benefits by controlling them and assigning tasks to them, within the limits appropriate for them, and they remain at the lowest level. As for the apostates, or those who are willing to become apostates, they are slowly promoted to higher levels, according to their experience and repeated tests which are given to members, based upon their willingness to serve their plans and their dangerous ideology.

6. Its aims are political and they have a hand – either open or hidden – in most political and military insurrections and major changes.

7. The organization is Jewish in origin and is secretly managed and directed at its highest levels by international Jewry and its activities are Zionist in character.

8. It is, in fact, in its hidden aims, against all religions, its intentions being the destruction of all of them in general, and Islaam in the hearts of its adherents in particular.

9. It concentrates on the recruitment of persons in positions of authority in finance, politics, the community, in science and any other position they can utilize in order to further their power in the community. They have no interest in recruiting those without any power they can exploit, and for this reason, they often concentrate on the recruitment of kings, presidents, important government employees and their like.

10. It has many branches, which bear other names, in order to deceive and divert attention, so that they are able to continue their activities under different pseudonyms, the most well known of which are: The Lions, the Rotary Club, The Leons, and other such evil movements, all of which are incompatible and inconsistent with Islamic tenants.

The strong links between the Masons and international Zionist Jewry has become absolutely clear to all of the people. By such means they have been able to control the activities of many leaders in Arab and other countries in the matter of Palestine, and they have prevented them from carrying out many of their obligations with respect to this most important matter, to the advantage of the Jews and the international Zionists.

For this reason and many other detailed facts concerning the dangerous activities of the Masons, their evil deception and cunning designs, the Fiqh Academy has determined that the Masons are one of the most dangerous, destructive organizations to Islaam and the Muslims. And that whoever joins them, knowing the truth of them and their aims, is a disbeliever in Islaam who should be avoided. And Allaah is the Granter of success.

Director: ‘Abdullah bin Humaid Director of the Higher Judicial Council in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts

Fatawa Islamiyah, vol.1, p.325, DARUSSALAM

http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=304