Can a Muslim be a freemason?

Question:

As-salamu `alaykum. Although I have heard and read that Muslims should not join Freemasonry, I need to ask what happens if we do. I became a Freemason six years ago. It has not interfered with my religious practices, nor has it made me perform any blasphemous acts. All it has done for me is reinforce in me the strict morals and ethics that Islam has forever taught me. Am I wrong to be a member of this organization? If so, could you please explain to me why? Your answer will be extremely appreciated by many confused fellow Muslims who have either joined me or are contemplating the move. Thank you!

Answer :

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner! Thank you very much for your good question that reflects a true search for knowledge. May Allah increase you in knowledge and grant you success in this world and in the afterlife.

In the first place, we would like to note that a Muslim should show loyalty only to Allah, his Creator and Sole Protector. His first priority should be his religion and the interests of his faith, since it is that faith only that makes his life brighter. A Muslim should never affiliate himself with any organization that works for the destruction of his religion; rather, he should regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as sources of his conduct.

No other thing deserves more trust than these two. Almighty Allah says: "O ye who believe, obey Allah and the Messenger when He calleth you to that which quickeneth you, and know that Allah cometh in between the man and his own heart, and that He it is unto Whom ye will be gathered." (Al-Anfal: 24)

Coming to the question in point, the prominent Muslim scholar Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a Senior Lecturer and Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, answers:

"As far as I know, Freemasonry is a secret organization whose beliefs and practices are totally kept confidential except from those who are initiated into it. They have levels of secrets which are not divulged to those who are at lower levels. A Muslim should never fall prey or give allegiance to something which cannot be scrutinized by the firm criteria of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Whoever joins Freemasonry is like a person who writes a blank check; by doing so he agrees to give allegiance blindly to an authority to comply with their wishes no matter what they are.

No Muslim can surrender his will unconditionally to anyone but Allah. If anyone has done so, he is guilty of the most blatant violation namely shirk (associating partners with Allah). Allah says: “Do they have partners beside Allah who shall prescribe for them rituals that Allah has not sanctioned.” (Ash-Shura: 21)"

Delving into the core of Freemasonry and its nature, we would like also to cite the following:

"The Society of Freemasons is a secret organization with aims which are never officially declared in public. It engulfs itself with a thick curtain of secrecy to the extent that any new recruit gives a most solemn oath not to reveal its secrets. He is made fully aware that he reveals these secrets at peril to his life. Admission to the society is not open to everyone. In fact, the Society of Freemasons recruits its members after careful study of their characters and positions. It also tries hard to enlist in its membership kings, presidents, ministers, leading politicians and highly influential people. Such people are given honorary membership that keeps them at the periphery of the society, which means that they do not share in its decision making and they are not let into its secrets. Only those who are prepared to work with dedication for the aims of the society are made aware of these secrets. This, too, after they have passed certain tests and been promoted from one degree to another in the hierarchy of the society.

What attracts people to join the Freemasonry is the assurance of mutual help which its members pledge themselves to give on joining. A Freemason is expected to give unlimited support to other members of the society. Members have certain signs by which they come to know each other, such as the way they shake hands with other people and certain additions in their signatures on letters, etc. In countries where Freemasonry is well established, this can be of great advantage to any member who shows dedication to the cause.

A number of people have written about the secret aims of the Society of Freemasons. These were largely ex-members who left the society after finding that they could not reconcile themselves to its aims and purposes. The majority of these cases were in countries where the society was not able to promote itself well, which, in turn, limited its membership. This forced it to promote certain members to higher degrees, which enabled them to know more of the secrets of the society. Through such people we know that the society has a very strict hierarchy that keeps members at a low degree until they have passed a very severe test of loyalty and dedication. We also know that the society serves the aims of world Jewry and derives its name from that particular purpose. A “mason” is a builder, and the Society of Freemasons aims to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem after destroying Al-Aqsa Mosque because the Jews allege that the mosque has been built on the site of the destroyed temple.

Everything that furthers the interest of the Jews and promotes their position in the world is undertaken by the society. The cover of absolute secrecy and its strict hierarchy enables it to make use of the positions and influence of its non-Jewish members to serve the Jewish cause. We have to understand that many of its members work for the society trusting that they only serve the causes of liberty, equality and justice. They remain unaware that they simply serve the cause of giving the Jews supremacy in world affairs. Freemasonry has over the years earned itself a number of enemies, most notably the Catholic Church.

In view of all this, there is no doubt that if a Muslim joins the Society of Freemasons, he contravenes the teachings of Islam. The aims, policy and practices of this society are against the principles of Islam and violate its laws. For example, Islam believes in maintaining justice among all people, regardless of race, color, family, position or creed. A Muslim must be fair to all people. Islam forbids favoritism, nepotism and discrimination on any basis. Freemasons favor one another on the basis of membership of their society.

Islam respects other religions. Freemasonry deceives its members into thinking that they further the cause of a better humanity when they are actually furthering the interests of those who seek to give the Jews supremacy over all peoples of the world. Islam is the final message from Allah to man. It is the religion that supercedes all past divine messages, including Judaism.

Freemasonry seeks to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque in order to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in its place. How can a Muslim, then, join such a society?

Islam believes in open methods and declared aims and orders its followers to be always truthful and to follow a straight path. Freemasonry shrouds itself in secrecy to cover its wicked practices. If its aims were truly to promote a better humanity, it would have come out into the open and declared its aims and policies. Only evil cloaks itself in secrecy because it wants to hide its repugnant nature."

Allah Almighty knows best.

Source: islamonline.net