: Last man to enter paradise :

Narrated Abu Huraira: Some people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?"

He said, "Do you crowd and squeeze each other on looking at the sun when it is not hidden by clouds?" They replied, "No, Allah's Apostle." He said, "Do you crowd and squeeze each other on looking at the moon when it is full and not hidden by clouds?"

They replied, No, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "So you will see Him (your Lord) on the Day of Resurrection similarly Allah will gather all the people and say, 'Whoever used to worship anything should follow that thing. 'So, he who used to worship the sun, will follow it, and he who used to worship the moon will follow it, and he who used to worship false deities will follow them; and then only this nation (i.e., Muslims) will remain, including their hypocrites.


Allah will come to them in a shape other than they know and will say, 'I am your Lord.' They will say, 'We seek refuge with Allah from you. This is our place; (we will not follow you) till our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes to us, we will recognize Him. Then Allah will come to then in a shape they know and will say, "I am your Lord.' They will say, '(No doubt) You are our Lord,' and they will follow Him. Then a bridge will be laid over the (Hell) Fire." Allah's Apostle added, "I will be the first to cross it. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day, will be 'Allahumma Sallim, Sallim (O Allah, save us, save us!),' and over that bridge there will be hooks Similar to the thorns of As Sa'dan (a thorny tree). Didn't you see the thorns of As-Sa'dan?" The companions said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle."


He added, "So the hooks over that bridge will be like the thorns of As-Sa-dan except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah. These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down in Hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His slaves, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah. We will order the angels to take them out and the angels will know them by the mark of the traces of prostration (on their foreheads) for Allah banned the f ire to consume the traces of prostration on the body of Adam's son.

So they will take them out, and by then they would have burnt (as coal), and then water, called Maul Hayat (water of life) will be poured on them, and they will spring out like a seed springs out on the bank of a rainwater stream, and there will remain one man who will be facing the (Hell) Fire and will say, 'O Lord! It's (Hell's) vapor has Poisoned and smoked me and its flame has burnt me; please turn my face away from the Fire.' He will keep on invoking Allah till Allah says, 'Perhaps, if I give you what you want), you will ask for another thing?' The man will say, 'No, by Your Power, I will not ask You for anything else.'

Then Allah will turn his face away from the Fire. The man will say after that, 'O Lord, bring me near the gate of Paradise.' Allah will say (to him), 'Didn't you promise not to ask for anything else? Woe to you, O son of Adam ! How treacherous you are!' The man will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will say,But if I give you that, you may ask me for something else.' The man will say, 'No, by Your Power. I will not ask for anything else.' He will give Allah his covenant and promise not to ask for anything else after that. So Allah will bring him near to the gate of Paradise, and when he sees what is in it, he will remain silent as long as Allah will, and then he will say, 'O Lord! Let me enter Paradise.' Allah will say, 'Didn't you promise that you would not ask Me for anything other than that? Woe to you, O son of Adam ! How treacherous you are!' On that, the man will say, 'O Lord! Do not make me the most wretched of Your creation,' and will keep on invoking Allah till Allah will smile and when Allah will smile because of him, then He will allow him to enter Paradise, and when he will enter Paradise, he will be addressed, 'Wish from so-and-so.' He will wish till all his wishes will be fulfilled, then Allah will say, All this (i.e. what you have wished for) and as much again therewith are for you.' "

Abu Huraira added: That man will be the last of the people of Paradise to enter (Paradise). Narrated 'Ata (while Abu Huraira was narrating): Abu Said was sitting in the company of Abu Huraira and he did not deny anything of his narration till he reached his saying: "All this and as much again therewith are for you." Then Abu Sa'id said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'This is for you and ten times as much.' " Abu Huraira said, "In my memory it is 'as much again therewith.' " (Book #76, Hadith #577)

A Close Look At The American Society

A Close Look At The American Society

The "value system" of Jews and the traditional value system of America are NOT in line with one another. Jews have long held, and continue to hold a DUAL morality system: One set of values for dealing with other Jews, and another set for dealing with everyone else. In her early years, (most) people immigrating to America wanted ONE thing - the better life that the traditional value system of America promised. And they wanted to BECOME Americans - to ASSIMILATE into our great and highly admired CULTURE as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Jews, for the most part, had NO such desire to assimilate, but wanted only to suck at the tit of America - milking her for what she was worth.

Not being comfortable as a lone non-assimilating minority (which stuck out like a sore thumb), they started pressing SOCIAL issues, intending to stir up the country, and to divide us into a nation or quarreling factions, each group selfishly pursuing their own agenda. The Jews pushed "Civil Rights" (even founded and ran the NAACP) to create racial divisions, "Feminism" to divide the sexes, they pushed the "counter-culture" of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll" of the Sixties and Seventies to separate a generation of children from the values of their parents. Jews pushed the "Great Society" welfare State to further divide the races, create a cycle of poverty, and more importantly, to DESTROY the family unit, creating generations of fatherless youth, shiftless and prone to criminal behavior.

Jews pushed HARD for "Immigration Reform" which saw to it that non-Whites and immigrants from non-European countries were given preference, thus diluting the Whiteness of America, while creating sub-cultures that would almost certainly *never* fully assimilate. New media-driven "hyphenations" began to appear: "African-American", "Mexican-American", "Cuban-American", etc. The cohesion of the country was unraveling, just as they'd planned. Jews attacked religion on the issue of "separation of Church and State", in an attempt to destroy the idea that the US is a "Christian Nation" the intent being to further demoralize the nation. Jews pushed Affirmative Action to give race and gender based preferences to underqualified students and employees, creating tension and animosity between "minorities" and those who were stepped on in the name of *diversity*.

The Jewish media has long pushed interracial sex and marriage, from "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (written by the Jew William Rose, and produced and directed by the Jew Stanley Kramer) to Murray Rothstein's MTV, which shows Black "singers" chanting "Hate Whitey" messages, even as they grope and fondle White girls - a Jewish attempt to inspire race-mixing, and destroy racial identity. And the whole time, even as Jews worked to corrupt and pollute American society, and especially White Gentile who they sought to disempower, Jews have done their best to INSULATE themselves from the fires they started, and whose flames they fanned.

Within their OWN group, race mixing was shunned. In Israel, Jews want nothing to do with "ethnic diversity", or open borders allowing all comers, do they? Israelis have no interest in the "civil rights" of non-Jews, they stress FAMILY VALUES, where here they champion the virtues of single mothers raising children. Jews in Israel want no part of "Freedom of Religion", and have little tolerance for non-Jews "polluting" their religious monoculture. These are a *few* of the "wonderful" things that Jews have done for America. And when these are viewed in contrast to the way Jews choose to live in their OWN culture, any illusion that Jews may have had America's "best interests" at heart quickly vanishes. Jews work to serve the interests of Jews. They always have, and apparently always will.

The way I see it, there is no such thing as an American Jew, a Canadian Jew, an Argentinean Jew, or a French Jew. These are just Jews who *happen* to be living in some country or other - as a temporary matter of convenience. Of course, they'll happily support the interests of their country of residence - provided that these don't conflict with the interests of Jews, which are PARAMOUNT. Admittedly I paint with a broad brush, because certainly MANY Jews didn't support all of the planks in the Jewish platform for the attack on merica - but no more than Jews paint with a broad brush when they decry the Nazis. Certainly not ALL Nazis were in favor of ALL of the things that the Nazis were doing, but that doesn't stop people from being opposed to Nazis or Nazism in general. By the same token, not ALL Jews are in favor of ALL of the things that the Jews have done or are doing to the US, and virtually every country in Europe, but that shouldn't stop *all* thinking Gentiles who care about what is in THEIR best interests from being opposed to Jews and their pernicious machinations.

Addiction

American people are suffering from many types of behavioral and substance addictions today. Alcohol addiction is a major problem in America, and it has left untold misery in its wake. According to statistics from (Government) sources alcohol is involved in:

66% of fatal accidents.
70% of murders.
72% of assaults and robberies.
52% of fire deaths.
50% of problems at work.
60% of suicides.
56-70% of fights and assaults in homes.

Food addiction is becoming recognized as a major problem today, as the majority of Americans are overweight, and an unprecedented number are actually obese. Cigarette addiction is claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people annually, as Americans are finally succumbing to a wide variety of diseases associated with a lifetime of smoking. While some groups of Americans are giving up smoking, other groups, such as women and teens are showing dramatic increases. The death toll just continues to roll. Gambling is quickly becoming the new addiction.

Consider Adult Gambling:

There are many cities in which casinos and gambling are legal. The latest craze is for American Indian reservations to legalize gambling, creating brand new facilities in which people can lose their money. And the crowds filling these gambling halls are enormous. Bingo is sponsored primarily by churches and charitable organizations, Horse racing and Sports gambling is huge business. State lotteries have been conceived as the easiest way for governments to raise money. People who would protest vigorously against increased taxes simply do not mind losing even more money to a government sponsored lottery. Since children learn most effectively from observing role models, we might expect that, with all this gambling going on among the adults, teenagers might be developing this attitude themselves. Such is exactly the case. In high schools, 50% of the kids are now gambling; One in five (20%) has a serious problem-- stealing in order to gamble.

The Drugs of Sorcery

America, as a nation, has certainly embarked upon the usage of drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are now at a high epidemic level in the U.S., accompanied by the corresponding crime rate. The greatest loss, of course, is the human one. America's losses are occurring through several channels:

Drug overdose is killing thousands every year.
Drug dependency is killing family structure.
Drugs drain the nation economically.
Drugs drain the nation's health care system
Drug addicts now are being born from mothers who are addicts, passing the addiction in their womb.
Drug addiction is contributing greatly to the spread of AIDS.

The Drug Traffickers, the Banks and the White House

If the major US banks are the financial engines which allow the billion dollar drug empires to operate, the White House, the US Congress and the law enforcement agencies are the basic protectors of these banks. Despite the deep and pervasive involvement of the major banks in laundering hundreds of billions of dollars in illicit funds, the “court settlements” pursued by US prosecutors have led to no jail time for the bankers. One court’s settlement amounted to a fine of $50 million dollars, less than 0.5% of one of the banks (the Wachovia/Wells Fargo bank) $12.3 billion profits for 2009 (The Guardian, May 11, 2011). Despite the death of tens of thousands of Mexican civilians, US executive branch directed the DEA, the federal prosecutors and judges to impose such a laughable ‘punishment’ on Wachovia for its illegal services to the drug cartels. The most prominent economic officials of the Bush and Obama regimes, including Summers, Paulson, Geithner, Greenspan, Bernacke et al, are all long term associates, advisers and members of the leading financial houses and banks implicated in laundering the billions of drug profits. Laundering drug money is one of the most lucrative sources of profit for Wall Street; the banks charge hefty commissions on the transfer of drug profits, which they then lend to borrowing institutions at interest rates far above what – if any – they pay to drug trafficker depositors. Awash in sanitized drug profits, these US titans of the finance world can easily buy their own elected officials to perpetuate the system.

Mental illness or distress

Most people today understand that millions of Americans are suffering from some form of mental illness or distress. Of course, when someone does begin to suffer mental and emotional distress, they are far more open to the temptation of substance of lifestyle addiction.

In this country, killing has reached unprecedented levels. "A violent crime is committed (in America) every 5 seconds...In a typical year: There are 8.1 million serious crimes like murder, assault, and burglary. BUT:

Only 724,000 adults are ever arrested.
Only 193,000 of them are convicted.
Only 149,000 of them go to prison.
And, 36,000 serve less than a year (in prison).
If all this isn't enough, the 8.1 million crimes, above, represent only 50% of the actual crimes committed. The rest are never reported to the police."

Sexual lust

Americans today are caught up in a frenzy of sexual lust, on a wide variety of fronts. Our mass media -- TV, newspapers, magazines, and movies -- have been pumping sexual sin into the minds and hearts of Americans since the end of World War II; however, since the early 1980's, depiction of sexual sin have reached ever-increasing levels of frequency and stark reality. The predictable change in attitudes and values among the population has occurred, as many, if not most, young Americans have adopted the attitude that any sexual action is OK to do as long as it feels good.

Of course, our school systems have gotten into the act also, as they have continuously taught that there are no absolute right or wrong and that sex between students is inevitable. This entire process of eroding the traditional values system of the population of America began in 1963, when the Supreme Court ruled that prayer could no longer be said in public schools. The resulting change in behavior is startling, to say the least:

Pregnancies to girls 10-14: +553%
Suicide Rates for 15-24 year-olds: +102%, 20-24 year-olds: +98%
School dropouts: +650%
Divorce: +140%
Violent Crime: +160%
Sexually transmitted Diseases: +148%
Alcohol Consumption per person: +24%

The Epidemic Of Prescription Drug Overdose Deaths According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, more than 6 million Americans are currently abusing prescription drugs—that is more than the number of Americans abusing cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants combined. With more current users, we can expect the mortality rates from prescription drug overdose deaths to continue to rise.

Children Of The Corn: GMOs Don’t Qualify As Food There has been a concerted national effort by citizens to have the US government label GMOs. Opposing it are government intent not only to keep them unlabeled in the US but efforts at the international level by the US government to remove all labeling of GMOs through Codex. The problem is that Codex applies to food, and GMOs don't qualify.

GMO Study: OMG, You’re Eating Insecticide… Most Americans remain blissfully unaware (or don’t care) they are eating genetically-modified (GM) organisms every day. Passivity and blind faith in the USDA, FDA and EPA have largely contributed to this attitude. Perhaps that will change now that a new study reveals an insecticide produced in GM corn actually gets absorbed into the human body. If you haven’t been paying attention to your food lately, biotechnology giants such as Monsanto thank you for that. Because behind your back, they’ve succeeded in replacing 86% of US corn with their patented insecticide-producing “frankencorn”.

Germany To Scrap Nuclear Power By 2022 Germany on Monday became the first major industrialised power to agree an end to nuclear power in the wake of the disaster in Japan, with a phase-out to be completed by 2022. Chancellor Angela Merkel said the decision, hammered out by her centre-right coalition overnight, marked the start of a "fundamental" rethink of energy policy in the world's number four economy. "We want the electricity of the future to be safer and at the same time reliable and affordable," Merkel told reporters as she accepted the findings of an expert commission on nuclear power she appointed in March in response to the crisis at Japan's Fukushima plant. "That means we must have a new approach to the supply network, energy efficiency, renewable energy and also long-term monitoring of the process," said Merkel, whose popularity had suffered over her previous pro-nuclear stance. The commission found that it would be viable within a decade for Germany to mothball all 17 of its nuclear reactors, eight of which are currently off the electricity grid. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen announced the gradual shutdown early Monday after seven hours of negotiations at Merkel's offices between the ruling coalition partners. He said the decision was "irreversible". Seven of the reactors already offline are the country's oldest, which the government shut down for three months pending a safety probe after the Fukushima emergency. The eighth is the Kruemmel plant, in northern Germany, which has been offline for years due to repeated technical problems. Six further reactors are to be shut down by the end of 2021 and the three most modern would stop operating by the end of 2022. Monday's decision, which could run into legal challenges from energy companies, means Germany will have to find the 22 percent of its electricity needs that were covered by nuclear power from other sources. Italy scrapped nuclear power in 1987, one year after the Chernobyl disaster, while neighbouring Switzerland said last week it would phase out atomic energy by 2034.

May 29, 2011

UNJUSTMEDIA

Hundreds of women report rapes by Qaddafi forces

Saturday, 28 May 2011

At first, the responses to the questionnaire about the trauma of the war in Libya were predictable, if tragic: 10,000 people suffering post-traumatic stress, 4,000 children with psychological problems. Then came the unexpected: 259 women said they had been raped by militiamen loyal to Muammar Qaddafi.

Dr. Seham Sergewa had been working with children traumatized by the fighting in Libya but soon found herself being approached by troubled mothers who felt they could trust her with their dark secret.

The first victim came forward two months ago, followed by two more. All were mothers of children the London-trained child psychologist was treating, and all described how they were raped by militiamen fighting to keep Qaddafi in power.

Dr. Sergewa decided to add a question about rape to the survey she was distributing to Libyans living in refugee camps after being driven from their homes. The main purpose was to try to determine how children were faring in the war; she suspected many were suffering from PTSD.

To her surprise, 259 women came forward with accounts of rape. They all said the same thing.

"I was really surprised when I started visiting these areas, first by the number of people suffering from PTSD, including the large number of children among them, and then by the number of women who had been raped from both the east and west of the country," Dr. Sergewa said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Rape has been a common weapon of war throughout the ages, most recently in conflicts from the Balkans in Europe to Sri Lanka in Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa, where Congo has been described as the epicenter of sexual crimes.

Across the world, rape carries a stigma. But it can be a deadly one in conservative Muslim societies like Libya, where rape is considered a stain on the honor of the entire family. Victims can be abandoned by their families and, in some cases, left in the desert to die. Speaking to a journalist is out of the question.

Dr. Sergewa's questionnaire was distributed to 70,000 families and drew 59,000 responses.

"We found 10,000 people with PTSD, 4,000 children suffering psychological problems and 259 raped women," she said, adding that she believes the number of rape victims is many times higher but that woman are afraid to report the attacks.

The women said they had been raped by Qaddafi's militias in numerous cities and towns: Benghazi, Tobruk, Brega, Bayda and Ajdabiya (where the initial three mothers hail from) and Saloum in the east; and Misrata in the west.

Some just said they had been raped. Some did not sign their names; some just used their initials. But some felt compelled to share the horrific details of their ordeals on the back of the questionnaire.

Reading from the scribbled Arabic on the back of one survey, Dr. Sergewa described one woman's attack in Misrata in March, while it was still occupied by Qaddafi's forces.

"First they tied my husband up," the woman wrote. "Then they raped me in front of my husband and my husband's brother. Then they killed my husband."

Another woman in Misrata said she was raped in front of her four children after Qaddafi fighters burned down her home.

"She ran away with her children and tried to escape to the port, but then they started shelling the port. In the chaos, she was separated from the children," Dr. Sergewa said.

"She was distraught when I interviewed her, not knowing if her children were dead or alive. I wish I knew the end of her story, but I don't know what happened to her."

Doctors at hospitals in Benghazi, the rebel bastion, said they had heard of women being raped but had not treated any. The first international airstrikes on March 19 saved the city from falling into the hands of Qaddafi forces who were advancing in columns of tanks.

However, a doctor in Ajdabiya, 100 miles (150 kilometers) south of Benghazi, said he treated three women who said they were raped by Qaddafi fighters in March when the town was invaded.

"These women were terrified their families would find out - two were married, one was single," Dr. Suleiman Refadi said. "They only came to me because they also were terrified that they may have been infected with the AIDS virus." He said they had tested negative but doubted they would return for follow-up tests.

Qaddafi's fighters were forced out of Ajdabiya weeks ago and the town now is largely deserted but for the rebels.

In a highly publicized case in Libya, Iman al-Obeidi burst into the hotel housing foreign journalists in Tripoli in March and accused pro-Qaddafi militiamen of gang-raping her because she is from rebel-held eastern Libya. Her anguished disclosure was captured by Western cameras and shown around the world.

Earlier this month, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Luis Moreno-Campo, said he has "strong evidence" of crimes against humanity committed by Qaddafi's regime, including serious allegations of "women arrested and gang raped."

One of Libya's leading psychiatrists, Dr. Ali M. Elroey, told the AP that he has set up three mobile teams to treat trauma victims of the war in their homes or in temporary shelters: one for PTSD, one for other psychological problems and one for rape survivors.

Dr. Elroey said they need to reach out to people in their homes because the stigma associated with psychiatric care is leaving large numbers of patients untreated.

His outpatient clinic at Benghazi's psychiatric hospital has treated more than 600 patients in two months, many responding to radio and newspaper advertisements offering psychiatric help for war trauma. He said most were women, though none had acknowledged being raped.

Dr. Sergewa said she has interviewed 140 of the rape survivors in various states of mental anguish, and has been unable to persuade a single victim to prosecute. None would speak to the AP about her ordeal, even with a promise to hide her identity.

"Some I diagnosed with acute psychosis; they are hallucinating," Dr. Sergewa said. "Some are very depressed; some want to commit suicide. Some want their parents to kill them because they don't want their families to bear the shame."

Some already have been abandoned by their husbands and fear seeking treatment could get them ostracized or cast out of their communities. Others have kept the rapes a secret for fear of retribution from spouses. "They fear their husbands will take them out to the desert and leave them there to die," Dr. Sergewa said.

It is likely more rapes could occur as the conflict drags on, Dr. Sergewa said.

"They are using rape not just to hurt women but to terrorize entire families and communities," Dr. Sergewa said. "The women I spoke to say they believed they were raped because their husbands and brothers were fighting Qaddafi.

"I think it is also to put shame on the tribes or the villages, to scare people into fleeing, and to say: 'We have raped your women,'" she said.

Dr. Sergewa says women will continue to be targets of the militiamen, and this makes it all the more urgent to finish her study and get it published.

"We must throw light on what is really happening in Libya and fight to bring justice for these women, to help heal them psychologically," she said.


(Associated Press writer Mike Corder contributed to this report from The Hague.)

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/05/28/150901.html

** Ya ibnii - fil jannah **

An uncle, left, prays over the body of one and a half year-old Mohsen Ali al-Sheikh, who was killed by a gunshot during clashes between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces earlier in the day,

Misrata, Libya Friday, May 27, 2011.

*Nasheed * في ليل هان بسكون

في ليل هان بسكون.mp3

Ya Ikhwati : With English Translation

Key quotes from Obama's Middle East speech

WASHINGTON | Thu May 19, 2011 1:43pm EDT

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama addressed the convulsive events sweeping North Africa and the Middle East and offered a glimpse of a U.S. peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians in a speech Thursday.

Following are some of the key passages of the 45-minute speech:

OSAMA BIN LADEN

"Bin Laden was no martyr. He was a mass murderer who offered a message of hate - an insistence that Muslims had to take up arms against the West, and that violence against men, women and children was the only path to change. He rejected democracy and individual rights for Muslims in favor of violent extremism; his agenda focused on what he could destroy - not what he could build."

ON UPRISINGS THAT BEGAN IN TUNISIA WITH A VENDOR'S DEATH

"The story of this Revolution, and the ones that followed, should not have come as a surprise. The nations of the Middle East and North Africa won their independence long ago, but in too many places their people did not. In too many countries, power has been concentrated in the hands of the few. In too many countries, a citizen like that young vendor had nowhere to turn - no honest judiciary to hear his case; no independent media to give him voice; no credible political party to represent his views; no free and fair election where he could choose his leader.

"... But the events of the past six months show us that strategies of repression and diversion won't work anymore. Satellite television and the Internet provide a window into the wider world - a world of astonishing progress in places like India, Indonesia and Brazil. Cell phones and social networks allow young people to connect and organize like never before. A new generation has emerged. And their voices tell us that change cannot be denied."

US POLICY TOWARD THE EVENTS

"The United States opposes the use of violence and repression against the people of the region. We support a set of universal rights. Those rights include free speech; the freedom of peaceful assembly; freedom of religion; equality for men and women under the rule of law; and the right to choose your own leaders - whether you live in Baghdad or Damascus; Sanaa or Tehran. And finally, we support political and economic reform in the Middle East and North Africa that can meet the legitimate aspirations of ordinary people throughout the region. ... It will be the policy of the United States to promote reform across the region, and to support transitions to democracy."

LIBYA

"Now, time is working against Gaddafi. He does not have control over his country. The opposition has organized a legitimate and credible Interim Council. And when Gaddafi inevitably leaves or is forced from power, decades of provocation will come to an end, and the transition to a democratic Libya can proceed."

SYRIA

"The Syrian people have shown their courage in demanding a transition to democracy. President Assad now has a choice: he can lead that transition, or get out of the way. The Syrian government must stop shooting demonstrators and allow peaceful protests; release political prisoners and stop unjust arrests; allow human rights monitors to have access to cities like Dara'a; and start a serious dialogue to advance a democratic transition. Otherwise, President Assad and his regime will continue to be challenged from within and isolated abroad."

IRAN AND YEMEN

"Our opposition to Iran's intolerance - as well as its illicit nuclear program, and its sponsorship of terror - is well known. But if America is to be credible, we must acknowledge that our friends in the region have not all reacted to the demands for change consistent with the principles that I have outlined today. That is true in Yemen, where President Saleh needs to follow through on his commitment to transfer power."

BAHRAIN

"The only way forward is for the government and opposition to engage in a dialogue, and you can't have a real dialogue when parts of the peaceful opposition are in jail. The government must create the conditions for dialogue, and the opposition must participate to forge a just future for all Bahrainis.

EGYPT AND TUNISIA

"First, we have asked the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to present a plan at next week's G-8 summit for what needs to be done to stabilize and modernize the economies ofTunisia and Egypt. Together, we must help them recover from the disruption of their democratic upheaval, and support the governments that will be elected later this year."

ISRAEL AND PALESTINIANS

"So while the core issues of the conflict must be negotiated, the basis of those negotiations is clear: a viable Palestine, and a secure Israel. The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.

"As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself - by itself - against any threat. Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism; to stop the infiltration of weapons; and to provide effective border security. The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state. The duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated."

*Source : http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/19/us-obama-mideast-quotes-idUSTRE74I63A20110519

Pakistan Taliban warns of retaliation

Al Jazeera obtains exclusive video that shows the group vowing revenge for bin Laden's death.

The Pakistani Taliban have issued their first videotaped message since Osama bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals earlier this month.

In the exclusive footage, obtained by Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, the group is shown vowing revenge for the al-Qaeda leader's death.

Torture in the Saudi Prisons

As Related by a Muslim Prisoner

The following is the story which was told to us by a youth, a trustworthy veteran of the Afghan war, who was incarcerated at Ar-Ruwais Prison in Jeddah and whom Allah saved.

Kabul fell, and the fires of fitna and disagreement alit between the various Mujahideen factions.
We held our hands back from participating in such a diatribe and dark fitna. I went back to the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) seeking safety and tranquility. I looked for treatment for the amputated leg which I lost during the Afghan Jihad. I stayed in Jeddah. I lived close to the hospital in a small apartment caring about nothing except treating my leg and healing my wounds.

After the Riyadh bombing (of a U.S. training facility November 1996), I was awakened by strong knocking on my door. I stood on my canes running to open it only to see it knocked down. The knockers burst into the apartment. I thought they were thieves. I yelled at them: "Who are you? What do you want from me?" They were eleven, members of the Mabaheth (Saudi Security). They overcame me, searched my apartment and turned it upside down after they had hand-cuffed me for about two hours. All that time they were searching, they did not leave anything or anywhere but searched, including the pipes in the bathroom. Then, they took whatever they willed of books and tapes and took me with them, tied. The trip took eight months of misery and agony.

I never thought anyone could find such a treatment of humiliation in the land of the two holy shrines. The car stopped in front of a large building. I knew it was ar-Ruwais Prison where the central Mabaheth of Jeddah is located. We passed a large gate and the car made a tour of the compound as if they wanted to give me a tourist flavor of the courtyard of this complex, which was expanded as of late to be able to service the victims of increasing and continuous security raids.
Inside the compound, I was hosted by prison guards who did the routine "check-in" procedures from changing clothes to holding my personal belongings. I was taken to a small cell not exceeding 1.5 m in length by 1.0 m of width. I stayed there for 3 months. I was not there for long after my arrival when I was taken to Office No. 1. There I met the interrogator, "Abu Nayef" and who was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He was promoted, I believe, for his commitment to humiliating the servants of God and his creative methods in their torture. I discovered later, that the "Abu Nayef" stop was a first-stop, a low-ranking interrogation, but he is committed to doing this 'routine' himself. He then gives the case to a subordinate, following the case himself, or seeking the advice and directives of his boss, the prison director, Zagzoug.

I stood in front of him, hand-cuffed. Two subordinates were standing next to him. Their faces had no expressions except those of fear and enmity. He asked me: "Were you the one who set up the Riyadh Bomb?" I denied any connection to the bombing. It was the truth - I knew nothing of the bombing except what I read and heard in the media.

They started beating me savagely. No place in my body but must have received its share of beating and ache during the session. My clothes were all torn. All this and my hands still handcuffed. I was half-naked. Their appetite for torture was opened. Seeing the state I was in, now using whips and tools I have never seen in my life. Hours of beating later they were asking the same question again and again: "Why did you bomb Riyadh?" I could do nothing but deny the charges. I did not do it. I was dizzy and eventually passed out for what they served me. Every time I passed out, they would throw water at me to wake me. I could no longer stand, I fell on the floor. Had it not been the case that they were bored and exhausted of torturing this soul they would have finished me that day. They ordered guards to take me to the cell. Two guards threw me there. I was like a dead corpse. I could no longer move.

They took me the next day again for interrogation. They asked me the same question again and again. Each time I denied, they whipped me. They improved their torture methods this time. I was tied by the arms to the back hanging from a metal bar like a feast's beast ready for roasting. The interrogation is now a special torture scene. They hit me with whips and sticks all over. Sometimes they did it all as one group. Sometimes they took turns. They were making Jihad in the way of Sultan and competing as to who will skin me first. It was all licit in their eyes. I could not stand to any of their plots. I was hanging in the air. My head was in suspension too. Earth was turning. My soul was about to come out seeking the help of its Creator against these beasts.

I was in a better shape than other prisoners. Some had no clothing left during the torture or "roasting" feasts. They were fondling with his private parts and inserting in his rectum whatever they willed.
All of this and they were laughing as if they were feasting on a camp fire.
The second day I was taken to my cell. I was in a worst state than during the party of the previous day. The feasts and parties continued later on until the "Abu Nayef" was tired. He took me to his boss Zagzoug. He had a worse tongue, and a Kufri speech. He cursed Shariah, Deen and its people. He cursed the Scholars and the righteous ones. I remember how he dealt with Deen and how he described Shar` (Islamic law), with the worst of words, which, by Allah, hurt me more than what came upon me in my physique of torture. I felt helpless to champion God in a time he likes my championship. He was, with all this, threatening to rape me.
After the interrogators felt that I was a helpless case, for I had no connection to the Riyadh bombing, they started to force me to confess that I was of the people of Takfir, those who not only say that our leaders are disbelievers, but thwho go to the point of claiming that Ulema and society as a whole is in a state of disbelief. They wanted to force me to confess to having targeted with armed action some specific civilian targets.

I knew later when I was taken to the collective cell that all the youth that were under incarceration were forced to confess to Takfir and armed action. This is with respect to Saudi citizens. As to non-Saudis they were asked to confess to one of two things: either they worked for the intelligence services of their home countries or supporting armed struggle back home. Anyone who thought that either option would save him of torture was fooled.

I realised after having been moved to the collective cell that the number of prisoners of conscience was overwhelming. It is as if any youth who displayed some degree of religiosity was incarcerated at ar-Ruwais prison. I discovered that for some youth, their wives were also incarcerated. They were being interrogated by savage beasts. I was filled with rage and helplessness. These interrogators have no moral or ethical standards to entice them not to target these ladies. I could only seek God's help to protect and save them. Some prisoners told me they were threatened to bring their womenfolk to rape if they did not confess. I discovered also that several prisoners were gathered in one room, naked, all tortured as the others watched to further humiliate and degrade them. I also came to know that the Gehenna to which I was exposed was nothing compared to what others have seen.

There were those who saw their toe and finger nails removed. There were those who were deprived of sleep for consecutive days. I still remember the sight of a prisoner who was forbidden sleep for 9 days. They whipped him everytime he sat or tried to sleep. His torturers were taking roles to make sure he does not sleep. They were on a "Jihadist" crusade to forbid him from sleeping lest the country will be lost!! The poor man lost his nerve and started to hysteric cry he still suffers from.

In the collective cell, I saw and heard what no one could ever believe. In the concentration camp I saw a group of Mujahideen; those no one in Arabia could point at except by way of honour and respect for their dedication and courage in the way of God. I saw the famed Hassan al-Srihi (of the 'Lion's Den' Operation in Afghanistan) who was brought from Pakistan and delivered to the Regime. He was exposed to the worst of torture by the Sultan's Servants to confess to the Riyadh Bombing. Despite the fact that no connection has been established as to his association with the bombing, whether close or far, he is still in prison. No one championed him in the outside world, nor did the authorities do justice to him.

I knew from my stay there that Palestinian Professor Muhammad Yusuf Abbas who was Shaikh Abdallah Azzam's caliph at Maktab Khadamat al-Mujahideen was there.

Abu Abdelaziz 'Barbaros', the man who was at the forefront of Jihad in Bosnia, who is now almost fifty years old, who sacrificed much in performing the duty of Jihad in Allah's sake, was also there.

I knew from my stay that there was a special cell called: "The Trouble-Makers' Cell" prepared especially for those who do not cooperate with the interrogators. The cell is situated outside the main building at Ar-Ruwais Complex in the burning sun. It had a bath which did not have an exit. Therefore all excrements remained on the spot bringing in insects and the worst of odors. This is for those that pass by it, what about those who live in it? This reminds me of another problem from which we all suffer. That of bathrooms. The ratio of restrooms to prisoners is small. We had to stand in line to relieve ourselves. We got accustomed to relieving ourselves at the collective cell.

This is what I heard of eye witnesses and what I saw of physical and emotional scars in me that still haunt me. Even after having been moved to the collective cell. I was not spared the torture scenes. Each of us was taken twice a week at least to the "roasting" feasts. During each torture session the interrogators create new stories, new allegations, from running a weapons' smuggling ring, to armed operations to connections with 'x' or 'y' to Takfir.

Despite all this, the plots of torturers and servants of the Sultan and their hopes are doomed to failure. It is through trial and through sufferance that God's victory comes about and His Powers are displayed. It is in these times that the sublime Sakinah and tranquility despite adversity comes. It is through this that we get assurance that God's Promise will be fulfilled and His Will shall come to pass as decreed. I never heard anyone regret one day he spent in Jihad, or consider Jihad as being the source of the hurt they were subject to at the hands of those who do not fear Allah. Some have displayed the best of examples of resistance and strength. Hassan al-Srihi was the talk of everyone: how under torture he kept on reading Qur'an and making Zikr. He stayed in such a state until the torture ended.

I felt reassured after I saw him. After all that I saw, the confessions people saw on T.V, or those that were publicised in the printed media were nothing but coerced confessions and the work of interrogators who force their victims to sign whatever they write. If you see those subject to such dehumanising conditions there is no way one can believe what the authorities claim.

I ask The Almighty, in all His Powers, to remove this adversity imposed on the people of the land of the Haramayn, for it is now a prison for any one seeking reform, or supporting the law of Shar`, when once, this land was a place of refuge for those oppressed. I ask him to give victory to Muslims in general, and the people of the Peninsula in particular, to give them victory over those who wronged them and to consider what we have been subject to, me and my brethren, as bounties in our favor on the day we meet Him. Amen.

Make Duas

your bro: Abu Al Muhand

Akbil Ya Mujahid : Live

Ruling by KUFR is KUFR! – Ibn Taymiyyah

Sheikh Al-Islam, Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah, Rahimahullah
Majmoo’ al Fatawa, 28/524:
“And it is known by necessity from the deen of the Muslims, and the agreement of all the Muslims, that whoever permits the following of a deen other than Islam or following a Shari’ah other than the Shari’ah of Muhammad (SALLAAHU ‘alahi wa sallam), then he is a kafir, and it is like the kufr of one who believes in part of the Book and disbelieves in part of the Book, as ALLAAH said (the meaning of which is):
«Indeed those who disbelieve in Allaah and His Messengers, and wish to distinguish between Allaah and His Messengers, and say we believe in some and disbelieve in some, and wish to take a way between that, all those are the kafiroon in truth, and WE have prepared for the kafireen a humiliating punishment. » An-Nisa’ 150-151 “
Majmoo’ al Fatawa : 28/544-545-546:
“Fighting the Tartars, those who came to the land of Shaam is wajib according to the Book and the Sunnah, for indeed ALLAAH said in the Qur’an (the meaning of which is) :
«And fight them until fitnah is no more, and the deen becomes all for ALLAAH» Al-Anfal:39.
And the deen means obedience, so if some of the deen belongs to ALLAAH and some to other than ALLAAH, fighting becomes wajib, until the deen becomes all for ALLAAH, and thus ALLAAH said (the meaning of which is):
«O You who believe, fear ALLAAH, and leave off what remains of riba (usury) if you are believers; if you do not do so, then take note of war from ALLAAH and HIS Messenger. » Al-Baqarah 278-279.
And this ayah was sent down concerning the people of Taa’if when they entered into Islam, and adhered to salah, siyam, but they refused to leave off riba, so ALLAAH declared that they are warriors against ALLAAH and HIS Messenger.
Then if it was wajib to make jihad against all these warriors against ALLAAH and HIS Messenger, what then of one who leaves many of the laws of Islam or most of them, like the Tartars ? And the ‘ulema of the Muslims have agreed that when a refusing faction (Taa’ifah Mumtani’ah) refuses some of the obligations of Islam openly without any doubt, then it is wajib to fight it; if they profess the Shahadatayn and refuse salah, or zakah, or siyam in the month of RamaDaan, or Hajj to the ancient house, or judging between them with the Book and the Sunnah, or prohibiting indecencies, or drinking, or marriage with close relatives (maHaarim), or make lives and wealth permissible without justice or riba (usury) or gambling, or jihad against the kuffaar, or imposing jizyah on the people of the book, and similar to that from the laws of Islam, then they are to be fought for that until the deen becomes all for ALLAAH.
And it is established in the two Saheehs when Omar debated with Abu Bakr about those who refused zakah, Abu Bakr said to him: ‘How can I not fight one who leaves the rights which ALLAAH and His Messenger have made obligatory, like zakah, even if they have accepted Islam ‘ And he said to him: ‘Indeed zakah is from its rights; by ALLAAH if they refuse me an inaq (rope for tying a camel) which they used give to the Messenger of ALLAAH (SALLAAHU ‘alaihi wa sallam) I will fight them for witholding it.’
Omar said: ‘Then there was none other except that I saw ALLAAH had expanded the breast of Abu Bakr to fight, and I knew that it was the truth.’
And it is established in the SaHeeH from more than one source that the Prophet (SALLAAHU ‘alaihi wa sallam) mentioned the khawarij, and said about them: ‘One of you would look down at his salah compared to their salah, and his siyam with their siyam, and his recitation with their recitation; they will recite the Qur’an but it will not travel beyond their throats, they will pass through Islam as an arrow passes through the game; wherever you find them, fight them, for indeed in their killing will be a reward from the ALLAAH for whoever kills them, on the day of Judgement. If I were to catch them, I would kill them like the killing of ‘Aad.’
And the salaf and Imams are in agreement upon the fighting of all these, and the first of those who fought them was ‘Ali bin Abi Taalib (Radi ALLAAHU ‘anhu), nor did the Muslims cease fighting them in the early period of the khilafah of Bani Umayyah and Bani ‘Abbas, even though with oppressive amirs- Hajjaj and his type were amongst those who fought them- thus all the Imams of the Muslims have ordered fighting them. And the Tartars and those similar to them, are greater in their departure from the Shari’ah of Islam than those who refused zakah, and the khawarij from the people of Taa’if, those who refused to leave off riba.
So whoever doubts in fighting them, then he is the most ignorant of people about the deen of Islam, and whenever it becomes wajib to fight them, fight them, even if they have with them those who have been forced, in accordance with the Muslims.”

What Negates Islam

~ Chapter 8 of the Book, entitled: 'Al Wala' wa'l Bara' Authored by: Muhammad Sa'eed Al Qahtani ~

A Summary of What the 'Ulamaa Say

The 'Ulamaa have mentioned ten actions that negate Islam. These are:
First, associating other dieties with the worship of the One God Who has no partners. Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He Wills sins other than that...}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 116)

Second, relying on an intermediary between oneself and Allah (Ta'aala) when seeking intercession.

Third, refusal to condemn the kufr of those who rely on other deities instead of Allah (Ta'aala), or doubting that they are disbelievers, or approving of their religion, is itself disbelief.

Fourth, belief that there is a more perfect guidance than that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), or that there is a form of governance that is preferable to this, such as someone who prefers the rule of tyrants to that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam).

Fifth, dislike of any part of the Revelation, even though one may act upon it, is disbelief. Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down (this Qur'an and Islamic Laws); so He has made their deeds fruitless.}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 47: Ayah 9)

Sixth, disparaging any part of the Deen or any aspect of reward or punishment:

{Say: 'Was it at Allah and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons signs, Revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking?' Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had Believed.}(The Noble
Qur'an, Surah 9: Ayat 65-66)

Seventh, practising magic, either black or white, is proof of disbelief:
{...but the shayateen (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down at Babylon to the two angels, Harut and Marut, but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, 'We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).'}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 2: Ayah 102)
Eighth, helping and assisting the disbelievers in overcoming the Muslims:

{And if any amongst you takes them (as Auliya' [friends, protectors, helpers]), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 51)

Ninth, belief that it is not necessary to follow the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), and that it is permitted to step outside the Law of Allah (Ta'aala), as al Khadir did when he exceeded what had been revealed to (Prophet) Musa ('alayhee salaam). This is disbelief.

Tenth, wilful neglect of Allah's Deen, neither learning it nor acting upon it. Allah (Ta'aala) says:

{And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat of his Lord, then turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 32: Ayah 22)
No distinction is made as regards these actions in terms of intention, whether a person is joking or serious or even acts out of fear. The only excuse is compulsion. These ten actions are extremely dangerous and exceedingly common. Every Muslim should beware of them and feel a real fear in his heart of even drawing near them. (1)

We will now take a closer look [Insha' Allah] at two of these matters which are particularly relevant to our discussion, because of the significance and the proximity of the danger that they represent, and because this will clarify matters regarding political legitimacy, loyalty and opposition.

The first matter is the disbelief of someone who maintains that some other guidance is preferable to that of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), or that some system of governance other than that which he established is better:

Ruling by Other than What Allah has Revealed

The marginalisation of the Sharee'ah, its disappearance from the mainstream of Islamic life and its replacement by laws formulated by ignorant humans is a modern heresy that has arisen during the last few centuries of the life of our Community. This has happened despite the fact that Muslim societies had for centuries sheltered under the protection of the Sharee'ah, which provided for everyone's security, whether the governor or the governed. Although some people were disobedient, some more than others, nevertheless the guiding principle, both in public and private life alike, was provided by the Sharee'ah.

Similarly, the continuation of the Jihad, the pushing back of the frontiers of disbelief and the raising up of the Word of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) throughout the world, carried on over and above this.
Thus the charge that the Sharee'ah, that Islamic Law, is deficient, reactionary, and incompatible with progress in the modern world, is something that could not have been made until the rise of European colonialism and the resulting forgetfulness of the Muslims: they forgot Allah (Ta'aala) and so He made them forget their own souls.

We find, however, much guidance in the Qur'an and in the Sunnah that clearly speaks about the governance of the Community. This most surely constitutes a part of our Belief, and is one of the most essential elements of our 'Aqeedah.

Allah (Ta'aala) says:
{And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are kafirun (disbelievers.)}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 44)
and:

{And whosoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, such are the dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 45)
and:

{And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed (then) such (people) are the fasiqun (the rebellious i.e. disobedient to Allah).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 47)

And He (Ta'aala) says:

{Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance? And who is better in Judgement than Allah for a people who have firm Faith.}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 50)
and:

{But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 65)
and:

{Or have they partners with Allah (false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not ordained?}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 42: Ayah 21)

And He (Ta'aala) says in Surat an Nur:
{ They (hypocrites) say: 'We have believed in Allah and in the

Messenger, and we obey.', then a party of them turn away thereafter,
such are not Believers. And when they are called to Allah (i.e. His Words, the Qur'an) and His Messenger, to Judge between them, lo! a party of them refuses (to come) and turns away. But if the truth is on their side, they come to him willingly with submission. Is their a disease in their hearts? Or do they doubt or fear lest Allah and His Messenger should wrong them in Judgement. Nay, it is they themselves who are the dhaalimun (polytheists, hypocrites and wrong-doers). The onlysaying of the Faithful Believers, when they are called to Allah (His Words, the Qur'an) and His Messenger, to Judge between them, is that they say: 'We hear and we obey.' And such are the successful (who will live forever in Paradise).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 24: Ayat 47-51)

And He (Ta'aala) says in Surat an Nisaa:

{And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right Path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the Believers' Way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayah 115)

Then Allah (Ta'aala) exposes the claims of those who say they are Believers, but who prefer to be ruled by disbelievers:
{Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down beforeyou, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to the taghut (false judges) while they have been ordered to reject them. But Shaytaan wishes to lead them far astray. And when it is said to them:

'Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger',you see the
hypocrites turn away from you (O Muhammad) with aversion.}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 4: Ayat 60-61)

One of our 'Ulamaa summed this up nicely when he compared the person who wishes to substitute secular law for the Sharee'ah to a beetle that loves the smell of urine and faeces but hates the fragrance of roses and musk. (2)

And He (Ta'aala) says:
{Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), they will be among the lowest (most humiliated).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 58: Ayah 20)

The worst form of dispute is to oppose Allah and His Messenger and to turn away from the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala), and the Sunnah of His Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam). The humiliation that the Muslims are today experiencing throughout the world is only a natural consequence of their having abandoned the Sharee'ah. Muslims today are numerous but they are like flotsam on a full tide. They have been seduced by the basest of nations and conquered by the most degenerate of people.
Indeed, the words of the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), have come True: He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) said:
'These nations will call one another to invade you as people call one another to come and eat from one bowl.' Someone asked: 'Will it be because we are so few?' He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) replied: 'Indeed no, in these days you will be many but you will be like flotsam and jetsam on the sea, for Allah (Ta'aala) will strip fear of you from the breasts of your enemies and He will cast Al Wahn into you.' They said:'What is Al Wahn?' He (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) said: 'Love of the world and a distaste for death.' (3)
A large part of the imbalance in Muslim life today is due to the handiwork of men who, disguised as scholars, have persuaded people to substitute human speculation for the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala). Surely they will carry the full burden of their actions, and also that of those whom they have led astray, until the Day of Resurrection. Islam will not be sullied by them. May Allah (Ta'aala) preserve the 'Ulamaa from among our rightly guided predecessors who guarded the gates of Islam so that none of its enemies could penetrate beyond them.
Ibn Katheer discusses the condition of the Muslim Nation in the days of the Tatars. Discussing in his tafseer the ayah: {Do they then seek the judgment of (the days of) ignorance? } (5: 50), he says,

'The Law of Allah (Ta'aala) encourages whatever is beneficial and discourages whatever is detrimental. Allah (Ta'aala) has rejected all who would depart from it, and who accept the views, opinions, and conventions determined by men without any support from the Sharee'ah.

This was done in the times of the Jahiliyyah, when people ruled by chance and blind conjecture in accordance with their own views and opinions.
So too do the Tatars rule, in accordance with their own royal policy, pronounced by their king Ghingis Khan, which they call the 'Yasaq'. This 'Yasaq' is a hotchpotch of all the rules and systems that he has come across, taken from the Jews and Christians and the Muslims, with many elements added which are based purely on his whims and fancies. This, the Tatars say, is the law of the land to which they give precedence, above the Book of Allah (Ta'aala) and the Sunnah of His Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam).

Whoever amongst them does this is a disbeliever who must be opposed until he returns to the Rule of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) and His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam).

Such a person should not rule even for a day.' (4)

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraheem Al ash Shaykh outlines the ways in which a ruler may commit the greater disbelief (Kufr ul Akbar) that takes a person out of Islam:

If the ruler who rules by other than the Revelation of Allah (Ta'aala) challenges the legal obligation to rule by the Sharee'ah then he is outside Islam. This is the meaning of what has been reported by at Tabari on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (radiallaahu 'anhu), who said that there is no disagreement among the 'Ulamaa about someone who challenges the legitimacy of the Sharee'ah; that this is a fundamental point about which everyone agrees; and that anyone who challenges a fundamental point of
Belief - or even a secondary issue that all the 'Ulamaa are agreed about - or who denies any part of the Revelation out of hand, is a disbeliever and is not a part of this Community. (5)

If such a ruler does not challenge the legitimacy of the Sharee'ah, but believes that he rules by a better system of law than that which the Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) observed, a system which in his opinion is more coherent and more suited to the needs of the people in the face of their changing needs and circumstances, then there can be no doubt that he too is a disbeliever. He has formulated a rule that can never compete with that of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). There is no issue whatsoever whose answer is not contained in the text of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, either explicitly or implicitly; whether or not a person knows this is a different matter.

If a ruler does not believe that what he has is better than the Sharee'ah, but still thinks that it is at least equal to it, then he is like the others. This is disbelief that takes him out of the Community, because it seeks to equate a creature with his Creator. This is also true if someone believes that a ruler has a right to deviate from the Sharee'ah in the way that the three types of rulers outlined above do.

It is even worse still when a person stubbornly supports his own rule in opposition to that of Allah (Ta'aala) and His Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam), aggrandising it at the expense of theSharee'ah. This is what modern secular rulers do, whose recourse is to French, British and American law, or to whatever else they please to choose from non-Muslim systems.

What could be greater disbelief than this? What could be more excessive than this in contradicting the declaration of Faith, 'There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger'? (6)
Finally, there is the disbelief of many chieftains of the tribes and clans of the Bedouins - and others like them - who cling to the tales of their ancestors, to their habits and traditions. These form a kind of inherited common law by which they rule themselves in preference to, and in spite of, the Revealed Law of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala).

Then there is the type of disbelief that does not take one out of the Community, and which Ibn 'Abbas (radiallaahu 'anhu) termed 'a disbelief less than disbelief'. Thus someone who is overcome by his own desires in a particular situation may act contrary to the Sharee'ah, and yet still be aware that he is acting wrongly. He may later reproach himself for his error and failure to follow the guidance of Allah (Ta'aala). Even though this action does not take him out of the Community, it is still a very great sin, greater than fornication or drinking or theft. Allah (Ta'aala) has called this 'disbelief', so it is more grave than other wrong actions which have not been described in this fashion. (7)

It is because of the significance and importance of the matter that we have examined the subject of governance in detail. To ally oneself with a ruler who does not rule by what Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) has revealed, to approve of his rule and the implementation of legislation under his authority - saying this is lawful, without the Permission of Allah (Ta'aala) - is a contradiction of the declaration of Faith. Allah (Ta'aala) is the only God, to whom all devotion from the heart is due, in love, and in awe, and in obedience, and in submission.

Such behaviour is a contradiction of the statement, 'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah', since whoever truly believes this will follow what the Messenger (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) has commanded and leave what he has forbidden and what he has criticised. If people only understood this fact then tyranny could not persist, nor could it establish disbelief and push the Sharee'ah of Allah (Ta'aala) to one side.

The second matter that should be considered in this context is the helping and assisting of the disbelievers against the Muslims.

Helping the disbelievers Against the Muslims
Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala) says:
{And if any amongst you takes them (the Jews and Christians, as Auliya' [friends, protectors, helpers]), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are dhaalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust).}(The Noble Qur'an, Surah 5: Ayah 51)
This is a major contradiction of the declaration of Faith into which many people today have fallen. They are nominally Muslims and still apparently within the fold of the Faithful. And yet, we have come to feel a certain embarrassment when it comes to calling a spade a spade, to saying to the supporters of kufr, 'You are disbelievers!'

Some people even see this as an impertinence in view of the wonder and awe, and the fear and anxiety, that they feel for the enemies of Allah (Subhannah wa Ta'aala). And so the matter of setting the pace, of setting an example, has given way under the weight of their feebleness of faith. They are dazzled by the enemies of Allah (Ta'aala) and long to be like them, even to the point that if they entered the hole of a lizard they would follow them into it.

Footnotes
1) Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab, Mu'alafat, 5/212-214.
2) Abi Hibbatu'llah Isma'il al Khateeb, Tadheer Ahl al Iman 'an al Hukm bighayri ma Anzala'r Rahman, in Rasa'il al Muniriya, 1/139.
3) Abu Dawud, Kitab al Malahim, 4/484, (4297); Mishkat al Masabih; also al Bayhaqi; al Albani classifies it as sahih.
4) Ibn Katheer, Tafseer, 3/123.
5) Tahkim al Qawanin, p.5.
6) ibid. p.7.
7) ibid. p.8.

Formatted and Edited by Abu Suhayb
Due to the inferiority of the original Qur'anic translations in this chapter - which was that of Muhammad Pickthall's - all translations of Qur'anic text have been changed to texts from the: 'The Noble Qur'an': A summarized Version of At-Tabari, Al Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir with comments from Sahih al Bukhari. Summarized in One Volume. Translation by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Deen Al Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
Maktaba Dar-us- Salam: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1995

How Does The Heart Fast

How does the Heart fast?

by Aa'id 'Abdullâh al-Qarnî

‘And if anyone believes in Allah, (Allah) guides his heart (aright)’ (64:11).

The guidance of the heart is the basis of all guidance, the law of all success, the origin of every deed and head of every action. The Prophet saws said:

‘Truly there is a piece of flesh in the body which, if it be wholesome, the whole body will be healthy and which, and if it be diseased the whole body will be diseased. Truly it is the heart.’
Thus the goodness of your heart is the guarantee of your happiness in this world and in the hereafter. Likewise, its corruption is the surest way to destruction, the extent of which only Allah knows.

‘In this, behold, there is indeed a reminder for everyone whose heart is wide-awake - that is [everyone who] lends ear with a conscious mind’ (50:37).

Every creature has a heart. In reality though they are two hearts, a heart that is alive and pulsating with the light of faith. It is filled with intense conviction and God-consciousness. The other is a dead heart, covered and diseased with every wreckage and rubbish.Allah Almighty says concerning the hearts of the foolish folk:

‘In their hearts is disease, and so God lets their disease increase’ (2:10).


‘But they say, “Our hearts are already full of knowledge.” Nay, but God has rejected them because of their refusal to acknowledge the truth: for, few are the things in which they believe’ (2:88).

Allah also says:

‘Will they not, then, ponder over this Quran? — or are there locks upon their hearts?’ (47:24).


‘And so they say, [as it were:] “Our hearts are veiled from whatever thou callest us to, [O Muhammad,] and in our ears is deafness”’ (41:5).

From all these verses we learn that the hearts can become ill, they can be covered, locked and they die. The enemies of Allah have hearts in their bosoms but they do not perceive with these hearts. Hence the Prophet saws used to say:

‘O dispenser of hearts make my heart firm in Your religion.’
The heart of the believer fasts during Ramadan and outside of Ramadan. The fasting of the heart is done by emptying it of all corrupt material such as destructive forms of polytheism, false beliefs, evil suggestions, filthy intentions and degenerate thoughts. The heart of the believer is adorned with the love of Allah. It knows its Lord by His names and His qualities as He has described Himself. This heart explores with a discerning eye the lines of His names and qualities and the pages of Allah’s making in the universe and the books of His creations.The believer’s heart is filled with a brilliant light which does not allow any darkness to remain with it. It is the light of the eternal message, the divine teachings, and the omnipotent laws. To it is added the natural light upon which the servants of Allah were created. Thus two great lights come together

. ‘Light upon light! God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided]; and [to this end] God propounds parables unto men, since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things’ (24:36).

The believer’s heart glows like a lamp, shines like the sun and sparkles like the morning light. It increases in faith whenever the believer listens to the verses of the Quran, it grows in conviction when it contemplates, and increases in guidance when it reflects. The believer’s heart abstains from pride because it breaks its fast. Pride does not reside in the heart of a believer because it is unlawful. The abode and dwelling place of pride is the heart. Hence, if it enters any heart, that person will become afflicted, foolish, arrogant and frivolous.Allah Almighty says in a hadith Qudsi:

‘Pride is my upper garment and grandeur is my lower one, whoever contests with me for them I will punish him.’
The Prophet saws himself said:

‘Whoever shows arrogance to Allah, He will humble him, and whoever is humble to Allah, He will raise him in station.’
The heart of the believer fasts and abstains from egotism. Egotism is when the individual sees himself as perfect, better than others and in possession of good qualities that are not found in anyone else. This is destruction in its most naked form. The Prophet saws said:

‘Three things which are totally destructive: a person’s self-centredness and conceit, his reluctance to obey and his following of his desires.’
The cure for this self-importance is to look at one’s own faults, one’s many shortcomings, thousands of sins and misdeeds that one has committed, wrongs that one has done and forgotten but the knowledge of which are with Allah in a book. For Allah is not led astray nor does He forget.The heart of the believer fasts and abstains from envy because it lowers righteous deeds, puts out the light of the heart and stops its progress toward Allah the Most High. Allah says in the Glorious Quran:

‘Do they, perchance, envy other people for what God has granted them out of his bounty? (4:54).

And the Prophet saws said:

‘Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices one to another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another.’
The Prophet informed one of his companions three times that he would be among the people of Paradise. When he was asked about what was it that earned him a place in Paradise, the man said:

‘I do not sleep with envy, grudge or deceit in my heart for any Muslim.’
Are there any hearts that would, therefore, fast like the learned. The fast of the learned has a yearning for the Most Merciful Lord of the worlds. Their hearts fast at all times and in the early hours of morning they seek forgiveness
.
O Allah guide our hearts to the straight path and make it firm on faith, O Lord of the worlds.

Taken from the Book: Thirty Lessons for those who Fast PDF

Open Letter to Shaykh Bin Baz on the Invalidity of his Fatwa on Peace with the Jews

Open Letter to Shaykh Bin Baz on the Invalidity of his Fatwa on Peace with the Jewsby Osama bin Laden
Written December 29, 1994 while bin Laden was in the Sudan.
Translated by the CTC at West Point Military Academy; minor errors that resulted in poor English, at the fault of the translators themselves, have been corrected to prevent giving an unfairly skewed view of the author.
:Dear Shaykh 'Abd-al-Aziz bin Baz (May God have mercy on him):
Peace be upon you, and God's mercy and blessings. We praise God who sent down the book of clear verses, and who raises up those who bring knowledge. God who makes with them a pact to execute truth and its proof, and who warns them against using it to deceive, or concealing it. Prayers and peace be ypon our master Muhammad who said "The best Jihad is the word of truth in the presence of the unjust Sultan." (A sound Hadith which Imam Ahmad al-Tabarani, Ibn Majah and al-Bayhaqi related).
It is well known to you how God has granted to the People of Knowledge a great place and given them an honourable position.
It is no wonder that the Ulema are the heirs of the prophets and that this religion has been bequeathed to them. They kept from it the distortion of the stupid, the plagarism of the liars, the interpretation of the ignorant and the dilution of the profligate tyrants. They represent the good example and ideal model for the Ummah in taking up the burden of victory for truth and arousing it for high standards.
The true Ulema of the pious ancestors of this Ummah, and their good successors undertook this mission. What was the position of Sa'id bin Jubayr in the face of the tyranny of al-Hajjaj but to proclaim the truth? Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal challenged the tyranny of the rulers and the sultan, and he endured the discord over the creation of the Quran. Was not Ibn Taymiyah and his suffering in prison a victory for the Sunnah and a model for carrying out the duty of helping the truth and its people. These learned Imams made truth triumph and were zealous for the religion. May God have mercy on all of them.
Dear Shaykh: We want to reiterate our previous admonishments about your duty towards the religion, reminding you of your great responsibility, for remembrance benefits believers. We want to remind you at this time in which the liar struts about, and evil prattlers make noise, and the truth is buried alive, and preachers imprisoned and reformers silenced. It is strange that you do not know of this and are silent, especially since your Fatwas and positions have dealt with these matters. We remind you, dear Shaykh, of some of these Fatwas and positions to which you do not pay attention, although the Ummah has persisted for a long time in error, in order that you perceive with us even partially something of the danger of this matter and the bad effects resulting from it.
Some examples for you:
1. No one can be unaware of the extent to which tremendous corruption has spread, including all aspects of life, so that various abominations of which likewise no one can be unaware are diffused everwhere. The advisory notice that the elite Ulema and the preachers of reform presented gave details of this. The most dangerous thing they revealed was the attribution of partners to God represented in legislation and the introduction of positive laws that make forbidden things permissible. Among their most abominable acts is allowing the practice of usury, which is spreading throughout the land. This is done through state institutions and their usurious banks whose towers crowd out the Minarets of the two holy places and the length and breadth of the country swarms with them.
It must be well-known that the organizations and usury laws under which these banks and institutions conduct business are legitimsed by the ruling regime, and authorised by it. Still, all we have heard from you is that usury is haram! You end up deceiving the people by not making a distinction between rulers who merely tolerate usury and rulers who legitimise and legalise usury.
The distinction between the two is very clear. He who tolerates usury is committing one of the greatest of mortal sins. As for one who legitimises interest, he is an apostate and infidel who thereby departs from the religion, because he makes himself an equal to God and a partner with him in allowing and disallowing. We go into further detail in a future study that will be published soon, God willing.
God and his messenger have proclaimed war against the one who tolerates usury without putting an end to it. "If you do it not, take notice of war from God and his Messenger"
Yet we continue to hear your expressions of praise and commendation for this regime which is not satisfied merely with tolerating usury, but has legitimised, legalised and permitted it. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said "Usury is seventy three doors the least of which is like a man marrying his mother.", sound, al-Hakim related it.
Ibn 'Abbas, may God be pleased with him, said "He who lives upon usury, and continues to do, it is the duty of the Imam of the Muslims to call him to repentance. If he ceases, do not behead him." (Related from Jarir, going back to Ibn 'Abbas). This applies to whoever tolerates interest. What can you say about someone legitimises interest and makes it halal.
The country is struggling through economic and political crises, and crimes of various sorts are incredibly widespread. This can only be a punishment from God and part of the war he, praise him, has declared upon those who will not end their tolerance of usury and similar abominations, and eliminate it, for he has ruled against interest. "God will deprive blessings for usury but will give increase for deeds of blessing."
2. When the king hung the cross upon his chest[1] and appeared with it before the world, happy and smiling, you justified his action and permitted him his abomination, and permitted him although this act is clearly infidelity. This is plain from the condition of the one who did it freely.
3. When the attacking Crusader and the Jewish Alliance - in collusion with the regime - decided in the Gulf War to occupy the country in the name of liberating Kuwait, you allowed this with an arbitrary Fatwa which justified this abominable action. This insulted the honour of the Ummah, sullied its dignity, and defiled its holy places, on the grounds of assisting the infidel in a case of necessity, disregarding the restrictions on assistance and the rules on necessity expressed in Islamic law.
4. When the ruling Saudi regime aided and supported the chiefs of Communist, Socialist apostasy in Yemen against the Muslim Yemeni people in the recent war, you kept silent. When these Communists suffered setbacks, you issued - on the recommendation of this regime - a word of advice! Summoning everyone to reconcile and shake hands, considering them all Muslims! Making people think that the Communists are Muslims means sparing their blood. When were the Communists ever Muslims? Aren't you the one who previously issued a Fatwa on their apostasy and the necessity of killing them in Afghanistan? Or is there a difference between Yemeni Communists and Afghan Communists? Are the concepts of the faith and the precepts of Tawhid lost and confused to this extent?
The ruling regime continues to lodge these infidel nations in different cities of the country. We have not heard you disapproving. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said "God curses those who shelter an innovator." Muslim relates it.
5. When the regime decided to attack Shaykh Salman al-'Awdah and Shaykh Safar al-Hawali who proclaimed the truth and suffered for the sake of God, it obtained a Fatwa from you allowing all - the attacks and maltreatment to which the two Shaykhs and the preachers, Shaykhs and youth of the Ummah had been subjected. May God release them and save from them the wrong of the wrongdoers.
There are some other examples that we did not intend to omit, but it would take too much space to mention them. We have in our hands your recent Fatwa about something called slandering peace with the Jews. This is painful to Muslims, since you responded to the political wish of the regime which decided to present to the public a comedy of surrender to the Jews it had previously entered into. Therefore, you issued a Fatwa allowing peace both unrestrictedly and conditionally with the enemy. Who are the Prime Minister of the Zionist enemy and his parliamet that they can be dealt with, and praised, when the Saudi regime announced the result of its intention for further normalisation with the enemy?
It is as if you were not content to open up the land of the Two Holy Places to the Jewish and Crusader occupation forces. You added a third Holy Place[2] by giving a veneer of legitimacy to the surrender documents that the treacherous and cowardly Arab tyrants signed.
These words are a great danger, and a general calamity in that they deceive people and mislead the Ummah in a number of ways, including:
(1) The present Jewish enemy is not an enemy dwelling in his original country, warred on from outside so that peace is permitted with him. Rather he is an enemy desacrating honour and usurping sacred Muslim land which God blessed, and which the Companions irrigated with their blameless blood. They are an attacking enemy, one which corrupts religion and the world.
The words of Shaykh-al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may God have mercy on him, are appropriate. "The attacking enemy who corrupts the religion and the world must, in keeping with the faith, be repelled. There are no limiting conditions. Rather he must be repelled if at all possible." The Ulema, our Companions, and others have stipulated this."[3]
It is religiously required toward Palestine and our oppressed Palestinian brothers, men, women and children who are not able to escape and are not guided. It is Jihad in the way of God, and urging the Ummah to it until Palestine is liberated completely, and returns to Muslim control.
Such Fatwas that forsake Jihad and incline towards the ground dispense with Palestine. These Fatwas acknowledge the enemy's occupation of the holiest of holy places, after the two noble holy places. These Fatwas also apply a veneer of legitimacy to the occupation and forcibly support the efforts of the enemy to strike Islamic efforts that seek to liberate Palestine through Jihad. The operation of the stone-throwing heroes and the Muslim youth of Jihad in Palestine is the only useful way to confront the enemy and guarantee the liberation of Palestine, God willing.
Here we remind you of your previous Fatwas in this regard. When you were asked about the way to liberate Palestine, you said, "I think that it is not possible to solve this issue except by considering it an Islamic issue, and by Muslims standing shoulder-to-shoulder to rescue it. Jihad against the Jews is a Muslim Jihad until the land is returned to its people, and until these Jewish foreigners return to their country."[4]
(2) Assuming that this Jewish enemy is an enemy with whom peace may be made, and there are conditions for it, should the false alleged peace that tyrannical, defeatist governments and organisations make with the Jews be considered a peace which can be made with the enemy?
Everyone is aware that this is not the case. This alleged peace which broken-down rulers and tyrants have stumbled into with the Jews is nothing but a grand betrayal. This is represented in the signing of the surrender documents and the surrender of Jerusalem and all of Palestine by these governments to the Jews, and the recognition of their perpetual control over them.
(3) These apostate rulers who wage war on God and his Messenger have neither legitimacy, nor sovereignty over Muslims. This contrasts with your well-known past declarations that they are infidels. The elite Ulema and preachers have made this clear to you in their earnest appeals to you in the past to refrain from this Fatwa. We will attach a copy of this appeal to remind you and make you aware.
Your Fatwa deceived people with its disgraceful summary and misleading generalization. The Fatwa did not correctly deal with a a just peace, let alone this false peace with the Jews which is a major betrayal of Islam and Muslims. Even an ordinary Muslim would not allow this false peace, let alone a scholar like you who is supposed to be vigilant for the religion and the Ummah.
For any Fatwa that deals with great and serious matters, it is necessary for the Ummah to have knowledge of it in all its dimensions, including the harm and danger which might result. This knowledge is an indispensable part of the conditions for a Fatwa. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim - may God have mercy on him - says "Neither a Mufti nor a judge can reach a correct ruling without two kinds of understanding. The first is understanding of the situation and how jurisprudence relates to it, and learning the facts of what is happening, by evidence, signs, and indications until he comprehends it. The second thing is understanding of the obligation, which is understanding of God's decree by which it is ordained in his book or upon the tongue of his Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then he applies one to the other". A. H.[5]
Since these conditions are necessary for a Fatwa in general, it is certainly so for a Fatwa related to Jihad and peace and the like. Imam Ibn Taymiyah - may God have mercy on him - says "Obligation is to be considered in matters of Jihad according to the opinion of upright men of religion who have experience in what people of this world do, rather than those who mainly look at a matter from the viewpoint of religion. Do not adopt their opinion - not the opinion of religious men who have no experience in the world." A.H. [6]
If the previous Fatwas were issued by someone other than you, let it be said that whoever issued it did so on false pretenses. But if it was issued by you, deficiencies due to gaps in your Sharia knowledge are not the cause of faults in it, but rather a lack of awareness of the true nature of the situation, and of the effects of such Fatwas. If the Fatwa at that time did not take into account the condition, then it was not correct to issue it. This requires the Mufti then to void the Fatwa or transfer it to specialists with knowledge of Sharia, and of the facts of the situation. It is clear that Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal did not proceed with many questions as did Imam Malik when he was asked about readings, he turned to Imam Nafi', may God have mercy on all of them.
Dear Shaykh, our great concern for the condition of the Ummah and Ulema like you is that which impels us to remind you that we consider you and those like you to be above being exploited by the ruling regime so detestably. They threw you into the face of every preacher and reformer. Your Fatwas and positions silenced every word of truth and true Dawah. Our reply was also discussed by the "Advisory", the Committee for the Defense of Legitimate Rights, and others.
Dear Shaykh, you are advanced in years and you were skilled in the service of Islam previously. Fear God and keep your distance from these tyrants and wrongdoers who have proclaimed war on God and his Messenger. Be with the speakers of truth. You have in the pious ancestors of the Ummah and their righteous successors a good example. Among the most prominent characteristics of the true Ulema was keeping distant from Sultans. Imam Abu Hanifah - may God have mercy on him - and others fled from working with the rulers of their age despite the rulers' great probity in religion when compared with the rulers of today, who do not conceal the corruption of their religion and their evil condition. In our time, when the learned Shaykh 'Abdallah bin Hamid - may God have mercy on him - perceived the danger of the path along which the ruling Saudi government was proceeding, and the danger and harm attendant upon it for anyone who participated or became mixed up in it. He immediately escaped with his religion and resigned from the Presidency of the Supreme Court. Imam al-Khatabi - may God have mercy on him - said concerning calling on these rulers, "I wish I knew who calls upon them today and does not correct their lies and who speaks of justice when he sees their councils and who gives andvice and is advised by them?"[7] An authentic hadith states "Who comes to the door of the Sultan is subject to temptation". Beware, dear Shaykh, of inclining to these people in word or deed, "And do not incline to those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you and you have no guardians besides God, then you shall not be helped."
Those who could not proclaim the truth and speak it openly, are not less than those who refrain from speaking other than the truth. He, may God bless him and grant him peace, said "He who believes in God and the last day, let him speak good or let him be silent". (al-Buhayri related it)
Finally we ask that you do find in yourself these words and consider them polite advice. Do not require them to be made secret and not announced.[8] The problem is that there are serious faults, some of them great,[9] for which silence is not allowed nor is disregard permitted.
What we have mentioned to you is well known to the people of knowledge. The elite Ulema and preachers of the Ummah have previously made you aware of this when they presented to you with numerous urgent appeals in this regard. This includes their appeal to you a while ago to refrain from issuing a Fatwa permitting this alleged surrender peace with the Jews, pointing out that it does not fulfill the condition required under Islamic law. They warned of the numerous religious and worldly dangers as a consequence of it. Among the signatories of this urgent appeal were the esteemed Shaykhs 'Abdallah bin 'Abd al-Rahman bin Jabrin, 'Abdallah bin Hasan al-Qu'ud, Hamud bin 'Abdallah al-Tuwayjiri (may God have mercy on him), Hamud bin 'Abdallah al-Shu'aybi, 'Abd al-Rahman bin Nasir al-Barrak, Salman al-Awdah, Ibrahim bin Salih al-Khudayri, 'Abd al-Wahha al-Nasir al-Turayir, Ibrahim bin Muhammad al-Dubian, 'Abdallah bin Hamud al-Tuwayjiri, 'Abdallah al-Jalali, 'A'id al-Qarni and other great men, may God keep them all. You will find the text of their urgent appeal with this letter, God willing.
In the recent Yemen War when the previously mentioned statement was issued by you, fifteen Ulema issued a Fatwa opposing it, explaining the Shari'ah justification in this matter. Among these esteemed Ulema were: "Abdallah bin Sulayman al-Mas'ari, Hamud bin 'Abdallah al-Shu'aybe, 'Abdallah al-Jalali, Salman al-Awdah, Dr. Safar al-Hawali, Dr. Nasir al-'Umar, Yahya bin 'Abd-al-Aziz al-Yahya, Dr. 'Abdallah bin Hammud alTuway jiri and other great men, may God keep them all.
In conclusion, we ask God, may he be blessed and exalted, to show us the truth as truth, and give us the grace to follow it. Show us falsehood to be falsehood, and give us the grace to avoid it. May he establish for this Ummah guidance by which people who submit to him may be honoured and the people who disobey him be debased. May the good be commanded and the bad forbidden. May deception come to an end, and may they be ruled with justice and speaking the truth openly. May the rippling flag of Jihad be raised high so that the Ummah may restore its honour and dignity. May the flag of unity be raised above all the stolen land of Islam beginning with Palestine and continuing to Andalusia, and other lands of Islam lost due to the treachery of rulers and helplessness of Muslims.
We also ask God to look over us and keep evil from us. We ask him to help us to speak correctly and to do right, and to succeed in doing what he loves and what pleases him so that we may be satisfied in life and come to a good end in death. He controls this and has the power to do it. Finally we pray, "Praise be to God, the Lord of Worlds".
Dated: 27/7/1415 AH
On their behalf,
Usamah bin Muhammad bin Ladin
[edit] Notes
↑ During an event with the British Royal Family, King Fahd was seen wearing a white decoration in the shape of a cross
↑ Jerusalem
↑ Juridical Selections, pp 209-210
↑ The Collected Fatwas of Shaykh 'Abd-al-Aziz bin Baz, 1/281
↑ Teaching of Signers, 87/1
↑ Juridical Selections, pp. 211
↑ Book of Seclusion
↑ This is a bit of Arabic wordplay, "Do not require them to be israr, and not ishhar"
↑ More Arabic wordplay, "There are khatir faults, some of them kabir".
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