Al-Albani's and Al-Qaradhawi's Fatwas on Hamas Suicide Bombing

1. Muhammad Nasiruddin al‑Albani: A Clear Rejection of Suicide Attacks

Muhammad Nasiruddin al‑Albani (1914–1999), a prominent Salafi hadith scholar, was emphatically opposed to modern suicide bombings—even when framed as martyrdom operations or kamikaze-style assaults.

In a 2005 translation of his remarks, al‑Albani stated:

“Suicide attacks … are not legislated (in the Sharīʿah), and all of them are unlawful, and they may be from those types (of suicide) on account of which its perpetrator will remain in the Fire forever.”
“These suicide attacks are absolutely not Islamic.”
“What is the benefit in these matters? … These individual undertakings have no (desirable) end result that is for the benefit of the Islamic daʿwah (call), absolutely.”
abuiyaad.com

Furthermore, he emphasized that legitimate resistance occurs “in the path of his land, in the path of his nation,” and not by self‑destructive tactics—reaffirming that martyrdom in legitimate defensive combat differs fundamentally from suicide attacks.
abuiyaad.com

Al‑Albani also rejected the notion that isolated individuals should wage jihad, warning that such acts were akin to suicide rather than sanctioned struggle:

“Individual rebellion is akin to suicide, so it is unlawful.”
رصيف22

2. Yusuf al‑Qaradhawi: Conditional Support Turned Reservation

Yusuf al‑Qaradhawi, a leading Sunni jurist, initially took a markedly different position—granting conditional religious legitimacy to Hamas suicide operations under exceptional circumstances, but later reversed course.

Early Justification under Necessity

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Qaradhawi characterized Palestinian suicide bombings—termed “martyrdom operations”—as legitimate and heroic under Islamic law. He argued:

• Suicide attacks against occupiers were not suicide in the classical sense but self-sacrifice for one’s homeland.
  “They are not suicide operations… These are heroic martyrdom operations.”
  WikipediaDiscover The NetworksMEMRI

• Israel, being a “completely military” society, had no civilians, thus Israeli targets fell under legitimate combatant classification—even pregnant women and unborn children.
  Wikipedia

• When civilians were harmed, it was unintended collateral damage—justified by necessity and military context.
  Religion OnlineWikipedia

• He invoked a juristic principle—“necessity renders the forbidden permissible”—to argue suicide bombings were allowable if no other means of defense existed.
  The Times of IsraelWikipedia

• He explicitly condemned similar tactics outside Palestine, particularly in attacks against U.S. civilians.
  The New ArabWikipedia

Retraction as Context Changed

By November 2016, Qaradhawi publicly retracted his earlier ruling. He stated that the conditions for necessity no longer applied:

“I permitted them because the Palestinians had a need to defend themselves… but now the necessity is over… [they] have acquired other capabilities.”
The Times of IsraelMuslim Brotherhood Watch

He pointed out that new means—such as rockets—provided Palestinians with alternative defense options, rendering martyrdom operations unnecessary.
The Times of IsraelMuslim Brotherhood Watch

3. Comparative Reflection

Scholar	Position on Suicide Bombings	Rationale & Context
Al‑Albani	Completely unlawful	Saw all suicide attacks as forbidden; promoted organized, defensible jihad only. abuiyaad.comرصيف22
Al‑Qaradhawi	Initially conditional support, later retracted	Justified operations under “necessity” against occupation—but revoked as context shifted. WikipediaThe Times of IsraelMuslim Brotherhood Watch

4. Broader Muslim Scholarly Consensus

It’s important to note that al‑Qaradhawi’s initial stance remained controversial among scholars. Many others—like Shaykh al‑Uthaymin and Abdul‑Aziz ibn Baz—unequivocally condemned suicide bombing:

“Suicide missions … are haram; … major sins … this is general in application.”
Muslim Brotherhood WatchSunnah Online

Major institutions like the Muslim World League, organization councils, and scholars such as Wahbah al‑Zuhayli also oppose such acts, emphasizing protection of non‑combatants and classical Islamic warfare ethics.
ResearchGateWikipedia+1

5. Final Thoughts

• Al‑Albani, grounded in Salafi hadith methodology, dismissed suicide bombings outright—viewing them as unjustifiable and spiritually perilous.

• Al‑Qaradhawi, initially leveraging a doctrine of necessity amid occupation, granted conditional religious validation—but eventually withdrew support as strategic circumstances evolved.

Their divergent perspectives reflect broader theological and ethical debates within contemporary Islamic scholarship—balancing principles of self-defense, preservation of life, and evolving geopolitical realities.