There are many issues related to Jihad that concerns the Muslims, specifically in an age when the the word Jihad itself is being mis-used and abused (by two extreme groups on the right and left). We hope that this becomes beneficial for the readers.
Contents
Introduction
The call of the prophets and messengers
When does Jihad become obligatory?
Lessons from the prophet’s life in Makkah
Lessons from the prophet’s life in Madina
A glance into our history
Contemporary Matters
Solution: Seek knowledge
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Praise be to Allaah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no one worthy of worship but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. To proceed:
Indeed the best speech is the speech of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (S). And the worst of matters are those innovated by the people, and every innovated matter is a bid’ah and every bid’ah is astray, and every going astray is in the fire.
I seek refuge in Allah, the all hearing, the all knowledgeable from Shaytan, the cursed one.
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best..." (Quran 16:125)
I thank Allah that he made me reach this place, and let you all also to attend this place. Allah has kept a reward for us also, hopefully. Allah would surely reward us and bless us all!
But, brother praised me excessively. But I must say that, Alhamdulillah I've been studying since childhood. Alhamdulillah that Allah brought me up in a house hold of people of Quran and Sunnah, who would look upto Quran and Sunnah. And Allah permitted me to study on this. So this is what I'd say.
But the point is that we all must ask Allah and we must implement our knowledge. Orelse it is a big sin upon us. "O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?" (Qur'an 61:12) Allah is scolding us!
The way of obedient servants of Allah is: "Those who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding." (Qur'an 39:18)
Therefore, the purpose of these conferences should be that we remember these things and that we preserve these teachings by acting upon it. We'd certainly forget if we don’t act upon it. Brothers have announced that the topic is "The importance of Jihad in Islam".
I did not wish that this be the topic but actually the word Jihad is being misrepresented, and our youth are affected by this misrepresentation. Due to this, Jihad, which Allah has obligated to defend the Muslims, is being concocted and is being called terrorism. This is the reality..
Our beloved messenger sallahu alayhi wa sallam and all prophets before him, "..messengers have passed on before him" (3:144) And this has been the way of all prophets, Allah ordered all of them, that "worship Allah" (16:36) and "Obey" (4:59)
Worship Allah in the light of my (prophets) obedience. This was the call of every prophet.
The difference between the message of rasoolullah sallahu alayhi wa sallam and the messengers who came before him is that they were sent to just their people. It was possible that at one time there were many prophets, spread in the east and west but limited to their own people only. The rulings of a certain prophet were for his own people, and others did not have to follow him. But it is true that there was no difference among them in case of Tawheed (Islamic Monothiesm), the oneness of Allah, the names and attributes of Allah and Allah's worship and Allah's Lordship; whatsoever Islam has taught us about shirk, there was no difference among any of them. The differences used to be in rulings like the method of worship, method of giving charity or performing the pilgrimage or difference on the qiblah etc. But they were all united on their call to Tawheed.
So our generous prophet sallahu alayhi wa sallam came, and other prophets came before him, only few accepted their message.. Nuh alayhis-salaam kept calling for 950 years. But everyone rejected him except for few people and then he complained to Allah ta’aala also. At the end he complained Allah, to which Allah responded by destroying them completely. "And indeed, every time I invited them that You may forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears, covered themselves with their garments, persisted, and were arrogant with [great] arrogance." (Quran 71:7) At the end he made a dua against them, "And Noah said, "My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant."" (71:26) Dar means house, and dayyara refers to inhabitants. "Indeed, if You leave them, they will mislead Your servants and not beget except [every] wicked one and [confirmed] disbeliever.” (71:27) So this kept on going always, there was always confrontation against the prophets, they were tortured.
The prophets and the people of truth were usually weaker. But when the help of Allah comes, 313 men get victorious over 1,000 strong Makkans. So, Allah has pre destined that the people on the truth will always be few, “And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him.” ( Quran 12:106) And therefore the beloved messenger sallahu alayhi wa sallam has said, “A taifah (group) of my ummah will continue to prevail and they will never be harmed by those who forsake him..” (Ibn Majah) The word "taifah" in the hadith refers to a small group, few people. So in this way, many prophets kept coming, many prophets were martyred as well, Quran and Hadith testify to this.
When does Jihad become obligatory?
Some of the prophets who have been mentioned in the Quran, like Sulayman (alayhhissalaam), the story of Talut and Jalut is also mentioned in the Holy Qur'an that Allah said that he would send him as a ruler, and you battle them. This Jihad, was made an obligation on prophets when they got in power. Those who did not have power were made free from this obligation. So what is Jihad?
That when someone becomes a barrier on the way to truth - No one has that right to stop the truth from spreading, yet if someone becomes a barrier by force, it is then that Allah ta’ala permitted that you fight them, and Allah’s help will be with them. This is the truth about Jihad. Meaning that when we invite other countries to Islam, if anyone becomes a barrier and stops us from proclaiming the name of Allah, then if we don’t have power we shall spend our lives in patience, and if we get the power, we’ll fight them out. This is Jihad!
This right has been given to even a lay-man by Allah ta’ala. All prophets including Musa, Nuh, Isa and rasoolullah had the right that if they have power, then let them fight, let them defend. Some say that wherever you see kufr (or kuffar), then you attack them. But, in general, most scholars have said that we wouldn't fight when no one becomes a barrier on the way to the spread of Islam.
And if someone is creating problems just because he is a Muslim, then if we have power, we will finish of this fasad (mischief). Allah has said, “So, when you meet (in fight Jihad in Allah's Cause), those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives). Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom), or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), until the war lays down its burden…”(Quran 47:4)
See, this is a very important point. We fight them when they fight us. But if they stop, then we also stop. Not that when we get power, then we begin to kill them all one after another. But rather tie them and make your captives, so that they don't attack you again. After that, either free them or take ransom from them. Jihad is different from what Kuffar do. They fight for zulm (oppression). After the war, tie them. And then either free them or take ransom from them. Ransom here means that one captive must pay a certain amount of penalty and he must promise that he never fights back. And this money will be used for religious needs. This is what happened at the time of rasoolullah sallahu alayhi wa sallam at the time of Badr. That he did not begin the attack.
Lessons from the prophet’s life in Makkah
Our beloved messenger and his companions including Ammar’s father, Yasir was killed and his mother Sumayyah was stabbed in her private part. He saw their situation and told them, “Have patience oh family of Yasir, as your destination is Jannah.” (Tirmidhi) Bilal radiyallahu anh's limbs were stretched out and tied to stakes lying flat on hot desert rocks but he would still shout “Ahad Ahad”. So, when Abu Bakr radiyallahu ta’aala anhu passed by, he asked whether why that poor man is being unnecessarily tortured, his master responded saying, “Why don’t you buy him if you really feel sorry for him?!” So he bought him. It has been narrated in Bukhari that Umar radiyallahu ta’ala anu would revere him so much that he would say, “Abu Bakr is our chief, and he manumitted our chief” – meaning Bilal. Later on, he was made the muadhin as well.
So the point is that in-spite of extreme persecution, our beloved did not have power (so remained quite). One more thing that needs to be understood is that some of our youth who are deviated in the name of Jihad, in reality those people could not understand the deen. Their inability to understand the Sunnah has made it easy for the people to deviate them. Few people keep themselves and their boys safe from this, but ask others to go and do this and that, bomb this place, kill such and such people. And due to this, our innocent youth are killed. Whichever country you see, youth are being made use of; those youth who perceive less are being made kharijites (by making them do such things).
At the time of beloved messenger sallahu alayhi wa sallam, Abu Jahal and Abu Umayyah persecuted the Muslims a lot. They would take rest under the shade of the ka’bah in their leisure time and discuss about day to day activities, as it has come in several narrations. Now it was the right time, they could go and attack them easily and at-least kill a few of them! The beloved messenger had enough strength to kill them somehow, or he could at-least order one of those who were being tortured.
When beloved messenger (sallahu alayhi wa sallam) was returning from Taif after they rejected his message and threw pebbles at him. The narration is well known, the angel of Mountain called and then said: “O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I will cause the two mountains to fall upon them.” (Sahih Muslim) Beloved messenger was a mercy to ‘aalameen (Jinn and the mankind). It was Allah who send him: “It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion.” (Qur'an 48:28)
The purpose of sending to was to make this religion victorious, not so that he would fight and become the ruler! No! The angel of Mountain asked to crush them in between the two mountains, but he said, “No, for I hope that Allah will bring forth from their progeny people who will worship Allah Alone, and none besides Him.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Muslim] So he did not ask to kill them, and this is not what the messengers wished for. And similarly, if a person is a scholar, then he should also not wish for anything like this.
If this way of dealing with problems was permissible, then Allah’s messenger would certainly ask the sahaba to kill. These sahaba, Yasir, Ammar, Bilal etc who were tired of the torture would somehow kill two to four of those (disbelievers). But our beloved messenger indulged himself into patience, and asked others also to be patient. He would teach secretly at Darul Arqam, but people reached there also to create problems for him.
At the end, he asked the sahaba to migrate to Ethiopia. There are also many lessons to learn. He sent them to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), where the ruler was a Christian. But what did he say? He said, “He is a just ruler”. The beloved messenger never asked any companion to kill the disbelievers there. Had he asked so, they would not be able to even stay there!
Nowadays you see, you all must have also heard of them, I was myself there in Britan, "ikhwaani", who spread out to Syria and Jordan from Egypt, who want to do islaah (reform) by somehow becoming the rulers. This is also a very important point to discuss, that how to do islah of the ummah. By becoming the rulers or through individual reform?
The way of the prophets and their call was to first call people to tawheed not to somehow take over the land and power. Some people are there in Britain, and the government facilitates them with everything, up-to the extent that if someone doesn’t has anything to eat, he will get something and hopefully he won’t die starving. They go to Hyde park and roads and speak whatever they want. It's very easy to get a bunch of audience there. And they (ikhwaan) say, “We’ll force even the Queen to wear the burka!” (Abu Waleed said - "Queen Elizabeth will wear the Burqa")
Now you contemplate, they are expatriates there. These Egyptians and others ran out of their own lands but now they want the Queen to wear burka there! O servants of Allah, reform yourselves first, for which you are responsible. And do islaah of those around you (neighbors, friends etc) or if someone comes to you to accept Islam, then do your best in Da’wah.
The government there doesn’t even stops you from calling others to deen! But those feeble-minded people do nothing. So, what I am trying to say is that beloved rasoolulah sallahu alayhi wasallam, send the sahaba to migrate to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia) a nation where the ruler, Najashi was a Christian. They stayed there under their rule, in accordance to his laws.
He never disturbed them or stopped them from performing Salah or other religious obligations. Then, the (polytheist) Makkans reached the king with gifts and complained him saying, "A group of our people ran from our town have settled in your land, who follow a religion different from ours and did not accept yours also!” The just ruler, after listening to their points, did not get outraged but he called the Muslims and examined them. Ja’far (radiyallahu anh) spoke without any hesitation, or without twisting the truth, he presented tawheed before him.
We shouldn’t think of the outcome. Muslims must clearly show that they are Muslims openly (publicly). Not that we hide, and choose some other way and then call others to Islam. No! Rather we are Muslims, we must show everyone and whenever it gets the time for Salah, then we perform Wudhu (ablution) and then perform Salah. If we don’t have water, then we must do Tayammum (dry ablution). “All the earth is a mosque, except for toilets and graveyards” (Saheeh Sunan Al- Tirmidhi) Perform Salah wherever the government allows. And this is what Ja’far and his companions would do.
Alhamdulillah, when the King heard Ja’far and saw the Muslims, then he also believed in his heart but did not proclaim it publicly. But when he died, Allah informed the messenger through wahi (revelation), that today the just king, Najashi died, so perform salatul janazah (funeral) for him. He performed Janazah Gaib in three lines in a way that as if the body is in-front of him.
Janazah Gaib is performed in a situation when no one performed the Salatul Janazah for a Muslim. It’s obligatory, if Muslims have performed Salatul Janazah in at-least one land, then it is sufficient. But there is some difference of opinion that if Salatul Janazah is performed in a certain place, then it’s not necessary but it’s permissible, by the will of Allah.
My point is that the beloved messenger send them there and the companions stayed in accordance to the laws and rules. They never did any nonsensical things there like killing or beating someone who does not believes.
Lessons from the prophet’s life in Madina
Then the beloved messenger sallahu alayhi wa sallam migrated to Madina. Now, the Quraishite kuffar planned to send a caravan for trade to Al Sham (today it includes Syria/Iraq/Jordan etc). The profit was ought to be used to somehow remove out Muhammad sallahu alayhi wa sallam from Madina! So the caravan was coming on its way with all the goods filled up, Sa'ad (radiyallahu anh) informed him about this. So he rushed immediately with 313 men, with 70 camels and 2 horses and others walked alternatively, with whatever weapons they had. They were truly ready to give their lives for the beloved messenger (and this deen)!
They went and attacked the caravan whose leader was Abu Sufyan. Why did they attack ? Because they planned to use the profit against the Muslims. Orelse, the beloved messenger would have not attacked them. Please focus as we move forward. Whenever the beloved messenger decided to fight them (Jihad), it was to stop their evil.
Beloved messenger attacked their caravan, but they (kuffar) ran away safely with Abu Sufyan from the (Red) sea side. They escaped far enough, completely out of their reach. Abu Sufyan sent a messenger to Quraish before the attack itself, alerting them and informing them about the attack of Muhammad. But later when the situation got under control, they send a messenger again saying that there is no need for any help. But Abu Jahal and others were stubborn, and saw this attack as an insult that few men from Madina dared to attack their caravan. Now they marched and camped at Badr, slaughtered camels, got drunk, and made the slave girls dance, to impress on the Arabs and make a show of their supremacy. This was their intention – pride, arrogance and show-off.
Then, the messenger of Allah sallahu alayhi wa sallam consulted the companions, Allah says, "Consult them in the matter" (Qur'an 3:159)
When the people of Madina met the beloved messenger at the time of Hajj (before the hijrah – migration), they said that they are of no help whilst he is in Makkah. But if he migrates to Madina, they agreed to defend him the way they defend themselves. They agreed to defend anywhere while staying inside the territories of Madina. This is what they promised the messenger.
Now that the danger was of a battle with a very strong army, the beloved messenger thought to consult them, as they (Ansaar) previously decided to defend him while staying only in the outskirts of Madinah. Abu Bakr (radiyyallahu ta'ala anhu) asked to move forward and fight. And other companions also said the same. But the beloved messenger said, "O people, advise me!" Upon this, Sa'ad ibn Muadh radiyallahu anhu asked, "Do you want us to speak?" If you want our opinion, then we say that if you move forth, we shall also move forth. If you were to ask us to throw ourselves into the sea, we would do that most readily and fight them!” However, Alhamdulillah that Muslims willingly got ready for the battle, just for defense. If Muslims wouldn't move out, they (Kuffar) would encircle the whole Madinah, and the difficulty would increase in that case.
With the help of Allah, he went and did Jihad, he fought them! This was Jihad. Jihad refers to defend Islam from the mischief of enemies. Had the kuffar left, for instance, then Muslims would also return back to Madinah. Abu Sufyan accepted Islam later on, no one has the right to speak evil of him as Islam clears previous sins.
Therefore, whenever the sword of Islam rises, it is to pull down the enemies in the Battle. So that the world gets filled with peace and harmony. Islam is all about Silm (submission) and sulah (agreement). Iman comes from Amn (peace). It seeks submission and agreement (instead of war) with everyone and wants peace everywhere.
Allah ta’ala says, “So when you meet those who disbelieve [in battle], strike [their] necks until..” Strike them when they strike you! “..When you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either [confer] favor afterwards or ransom [them]..” The beloved messenger also made them captives and took ransom from them.
The first aayah revealed in Islam was to teach the religion, the faith: “Recite in the name of your Lord who created you” The very first command was to recite. It has come that only around four people were literate among the Makkans. Others were Ummi (unlettered), they would simply listen and memorize. They did not know to read and write. But those who knew to read or write (among the captives), the beloved messenger gave them choice to take oath to teach ten children per person. And the wealthy ones paid the penalty for ransom. Allah ta’ala said to either confer favor upon them or take the penalty from them. “..until the war lays down its burden..” Do this until the battle finalizes and the weapons are laid down. Until both the groups, you (Muslims) and kuffar calm down. The “weapons being laid down” means that it’s a state of complete peace. And this is the purpose of Islam.
Allah asks us to stop if they put down their weapons even whilst still on their religion. Now that they surrendered, points to the fact that the scope for us to give them Da’wah increases. If they rise to fight, then we’ll fight again! This is the purpose of Jihad!
Without a doubt Jihad is a legal obligation, but it is being misused and misinterpreted. Prophets also did Jihad before this. Read the history of those who are Christians or Jews, their prophets were also asked to do Jihad.
If someone tries to stop the Da’wah forcefully, then you also use your force. But if he retreats, then you also retreat. These are the qawaid (rules) which have always been used by all the prophets.
A glance into our history
You acknowledge that verily Muslims have become weak, so they are not suitable (legit) to perform Jihad. After third/fourth century, Muslims got a little weak. Muslims began fighting among themselves after reaching Andalus, Spain. You must have heard of “Tawaiful – Muluki”. Several kings ruled their respective areas (and fight with each other).
Otherwise, at the time of Haroon Rasheed the whole area, from Qubrus (Lebanon) till China was under Muslims. This incident is well known and often mentioned in History that he left do ablution, so he saw a (watery) cloud passing. So he said, “Shower wherever you want, but I will be the one to collect the benefit (of grain and cereals).” So this big was the rule of this Caliph. The whole earth should be ruled by one caliph for the Muslims. Every state will have its governors, who obey the caliph and should be ready to die on caliph’s command.
But when caliphs multiplied, they began to fight among themselves. This is when Muslims realized (that kuffar have begun to take their lands). If you look into history, the people of France say that it is them who stopped the "flood" of Muslims. After several furious battles, Muslim territory reached Spain. But when they fought among themselves, their power got divided. And it is then that they got a chance to attack Muslims.
There came a time when Muslims were killed publicly, many Muslims ran towards the sea when they couldn’t find any ride and in this way, they died in thousands, as written in the books of history. Today the Muslims there are (mainly) foreigners and the preceding Muslims were forcefully converted to Christianity, they have names like Dawud, Ismael etc. till today.
So the point is that they attacked us when we got weak. Gradually as time passed, Muslims were victorious at times and Christians at other times. At the end, they captured Baitul Muqaddis (Masjid al Aqsa) also from us. Then, Salahuddin Ayyubi freed it after a hundred years, but then Jews overtook it again. What I mean is that Muslims lost the ability to do Jihad because of their weakness. They couldn’t ever get together again!
But due to the oppression upon Muslims, many from among the youth decided to fight back, but they are being arrested (randomly). I wish to express my say while understanding their readiness (to fight), I ask them to control by understanding the sunnah of the messenger. Orelse, the loss will be much more. But they say, “If the youth is left (without Jihad), of what use will be our youth?!”
We are being oppressed in many places, but this does not mean that we fill our thirst for Jihad by somehow killing two to four people (randomly). All this is being done in the name of Jihad, rather this is disadvantageous (or hurtful). History testifies to this.
Imam ibn Taymiyyah was born in 661 and died in 728, and he did Jihad against Tatars. Tatars attacked them at that time, and he himself left with his sword and performed Jihad. Those were days of Ramadan, so people resisted for Jihad (due to fasts), but he asked them to leave for Jihad, and to eat and makeup the fasts later. And he said, “And if a sin fall upon you, then it’s my responsibility (or it’s upon me).” Look, what this great scholar said, taking support of his knowledge (to encourage them). Subhanallah! And he did Jihad, and defeated Ghazan Khan!
So, this was a glance into past. Now I wish to advise our youth who are forced to take such steps because of the oppressors. Realize that the loss is very big (and unproductive). Remain patient, because the beloved messenger said, “Patience oh family of Yasir, for you are destined for Paradise.” (Sahih al-Tirmidhi) Be patient, and Allah would certainly reward us with good for our patience. Because whatever they (youth) are trying is only worsening the situation.
What happened in France (Cartoonist Charlie Hebdo case), now what’s the reality? Muslims are being deluded. They want us to boil in this way (by offending us), and finish us up gradually! This is happening everywhere. There are people caught, who call themselves "Salafi", but ask the youth to go and fight. Thousands are caught and imprisoned due to the sin of one!
I’ve come from Hyderabad just some time back, and I was informed that 1,500 young Muslims of Hyderabad alone, are imprisoned from two to four years and no one is able to do anything. There is a woman, may Allah preserve her, who lives there. Subhanallah I came across for the very first time, that there are such great women! I spoke to her, and she said that she spoke to many high-profiles (concerning the imprisoned youth) agreeing to pay how much ever it costs. She released six hundred of them two to three weeks back, and is trying for rest of them also. They (youth) are imprisoned, but no one is out there to question the cops, “Why (have you imprisoned them)?!” They (cops) acknowledge that the youth have been arrested gratuitously (without any reason). There may be two or three who may be actual criminals, but thousands have been caught because of them.
The recent incident of France.., I spoke yesterday to a friend of mine who has been living there from a long time. He is from Germany and is a scholar as well. I myself stayed there for more than four months for my leg operation, so I am close to many of them there. He informed me that many Muslim youth there wear a thobe and a cap instead of pants, whether casually or even at work. They work at government offices, but wear a thobe and a cap. Subhanallah! So the government made a law, he informed me just yesterday, that these people who wear a thobe and cap are nurturing terrorism. So, they must be taken to a certain place, and put all together in a building, and disciplined. This has become a law, that those who up-bring their children this way will be arrested. This has been announced!
So, he wanted to know my opinion whether to migrate (hijrah) or something else. Now what can he do? He is running to save his deen and Iman; but he is thinking about the obligation on him (as a scholar). He understands Spanish, French, Arabic. So he doesn’t want to go away also (for the sake of Da’wah). I advised him (as the last option) to settle somewhere nearby in the west or the (Arabian) peninsula to let the children grow up, and keep visiting (these countries as well) every two to four months for Da’wah and propagation. They are in absolute despair, that what ought to do?!
He has done a lot for Islam, specially for Salafiyyah. The youth are accepting Salafiyyah in groups. They very quickly understand what the correct deen is. Many of their parents are of “Tijani tasawwuf” aqeedah and do different types of wrong adhkaar, but their children understand (the truth) in the very first discussion and leave (falsehood). This is evidence that they are of pure fitrah. The government observed this, so they came up with such (strict/evil) laws. And the reason for these new laws is the killing of those five to seven locals (in the Charlie shooting).
My point is this, and even Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) has mentioned that whenever something is done due to Amr bil Ma’roof but not in accordance to the Sunnah, constantly applying strictness through sword, then the result was even worse. Subhanallah, there must people at Ibn Taymiyyah’s time also, eight hundred years back that he said that without a doubt, all this results in (more) damage.
So, I want to say that Jihad, which is a legal obligation, is applied in defense when someone becomes a barrier to the spread of the truth. And war is a different case. Wars are fought for dunya; there were wars which lasted for decades just due to a woman; even among the Jews and Christians. So please don’t mis-interpret Jihad.
Contemporary Matters
Afghanistan:
And then the biggest reason for their misunderstanding is that they remain far away from the scholars. Now take the situation of war in Afghanistan, Jihad was without a doubt (Islamically) legal there. Everyone tried their best to remove out Russians. But the very day when Russians began to leave, those fools announced (publicly) which included Afghans, may be Zawahiri, Bin Ladin (rahimahullah) and others also that their next destination will be Palestine. I swear by Allah, I was sitting with my students, and I said at that very moment that they are such big fools and now they’ll fight among themselves.
And that Zionists won’t leave them, they’ll busy them so much that they’ll fight among themselves only and won’t be able to achieve anything. Do Muslims behave in this way?
And that Zionists won’t leave them, they’ll busy them so much that they’ll fight among themselves only and won’t be able to achieve anything. Do Muslims behave in this way?
Take for instance, the beloved messenger decided to take over Makkah. They (Quraishites) were the ones who broke the treaty, and not the beloved messenger. So, he responded to this by attacking them. And he asked them to not forward the news to them, and let not the Makkans know about the attack. The point is, we must act with (dignity and) wisdom.
But they announced it publicly that their next destination point will be Palestine! And results are clear; they kept fighting among themselves, that now Muslims are killing Muslims themselves. Now look at Pakistan or Afghanistan, only Muslims are being killed without any cause. All this is being done thinking that the rule will get into their hands.
They try to come to power, but if they don’t get then they massacre; we don’t know whether how long this will continue. Don’t think that this will end any time soon. If we place this in the light of Shariah/ Sunnah, then it is complete baseless.
They try to come to power, but if they don’t get then they massacre; we don’t know whether how long this will continue. Don’t think that this will end any time soon. If we place this in the light of Shariah/ Sunnah, then it is complete baseless.
Pakistan and Kashmir:
Our brothers (here) may be opposed to this... Mr. Hafiz Saeed met me around twenty years back. In the days of Hajj, I used to sit in the (ifta) rooms for giving Fatawas (verdicts) at Masjid Al Haram. They had arranged six hundred thousand soldiers and they made teams in the name of Jihad. I spoke to Hafiz Saeed, the leader of Lashkarey Taiyeba, and said, “See, what you’re doing is unislamic.” He said (astonishingly), “If we don’t do this then our youth will become futile, of no benefit.” I replied, “Rather you are wasting the youth.” He would get the youth and first teach them tawheed, teach them this deen. This is his merit, Alhamdulillah, and I asked him to continue with this. But sending two to four of them to Cargill or Hargill, this is what is incorrect. Because when we scale this act with Sunnah, then this contradicts it and brings more loss.
Trust me, Kashmiri Hajjis had come and they were asking me for fatawa, so I asked them about their situation in Kashmir. They answered that many of their family members left Kashmir. I asked them, “Why?” So they answered, “To save our dignity.” They said that these people fire one bomb and whether their (Indian army) soldier is killed or not, they (Indian police) come using this reason and kidnap our daughters and we cannot even speak a word! So I told him (Hafiz Saeed) about this, and you can confirm with him if you meet him, he said, “Sacrifice has to be made.” They’ve been working for years, but what happened? Any benefit? Nope.
The Saffron fields there got burnt and have vanished!
(Speaking of the past) Molana Nazir Ahmed Kashmiri used to love us a lot, and would make us laugh a lot. Someone once told him the he wanted to marry a Kashmiri woman. He said, “You cannot tire our daughters because our daughters eat Rotis made of half almond flour and half wheat flour! You cannot be successful; you all aren’t fit for marriage with them.” But now they have become so poor, their saffron and apple fields are all damaged. What I am trying to say is that Kashmir has become ruined, there is nothing left.
And those who do something (bomb) here and there, what’s the result? Sheikh (Hafiz Sa'eed) said, "Sacrifice has to made." Okay but what was the result of the sacrifice? So many fresh young faces have been killed. And at times, they (Indian army) use Lashkarey Taieba’s name and arrest so many of our youth!
My point is that Jihad will be obligated only when we have power. If we don’t have power, then killing few people by deceiving them, this is not at all from the teachings of Islam. We want the youth to understand because this has lead to a lot of loss. This happened because of abandoning (not studying) the sunnah of the messenger. The first sect of Islam was which one? The Khawarij (who revolted due to their igrnorance of sunnah).
Democracy:
There are few people who dislike monarch and consider it (zulm) oppression. Allah ta’aala mentions (in the Qur’an), “And their prophet said to them, "Indeed, Allah has sent to you Talut as a king." (2:247) But they say that monarch is call to oppression, and Democracy should be brought. And many well known speakers and molanas also said so; though not anyone from the Ahlal - Hadith (people of hadith). Despite the fact that democracy is not at all a product of Islam. To this (Allamah) Iqbal, “Democracy is a type of rule where people are counted not weighted!” A farmer’s opinion is equal to Sheikh Ibn Baz’s opinion! His vote is equivalent to Sheikh ibn Baz’s vote. This is not the Islamic way, the beloved messenger said, “Treat the people in accordance to their ranks.” (Sunan Abi Dawood)
But there are few Islamic groups who say that Democratic countries are Islamic. You may know that Molana Maududi rahimahullah; I am specifying by name as clarifying the truth is necessary. They brought Fatima Jinnah also in the name of Democracy. I keep repeating, all deviance come up only by abandoning the sunnah. And by “Sunnah” what I mean is sunnah of the messenger, sunnah of his Sahaba (companions), and even the sunnah of tabieen (followers/students of the companions).
Molana Mauwdudi was asked whether why he wants a woman to be their candidate, though the hadith says, “No people will ever prosper who appoint a woman in charge of them.” (Saheeh Al Bukhari) I was there in the year 1965 at the time of war; then I came here in 1966 but I kept uptodate with each and everything, Alhamdulillah, because in spite of leaving the country... the place where I lived was close to my heart. So, (Maududi) rahmatullah alaih said, “A man is of no merit but that he is a man, and a woman has no demerit except that she is a woman. And this is the reason we’re making her our candidate."
Indeed, Allahuakbar, Assim Haddad (rahmatullahi alayh) was a personality in Makkah who was very efficient activist. He said that Dr. Taqiuddin Hilali (rahmatullah alayh) has been his teacher. He taught Molana Masood Alam Nadvi and even Molana Abul Hasan Nadvi in India. Although my teacher (Dr. Taqiuddin)’s age was 93 at that time, but when I met him when he was ninety. I stayed with him at his home for three years.
When I came to Makkah, Assim Haddad had come to Sheikh (Taqiuddin)’s house for tea. He said very happily, “This time Jamaat e Islam will rule Pakistan.” I said, “Sheikh (Taqiuddin), don’t be deceived by his speech.” Sheikh said, “Why do you speak so harshly against him?” I replied, “Molana Dawud Gaznawi and people from other groups went to Molana (Maududi) and requested to make a coalition (of Islamic groups) against the opposition due to fear of extreme loss.” So the answer that he (Molana Ghaznawi) got from the Jamate Islami speaker was, “You all want to eat the fruits of our hardwork?!” So they (instead of thinking for the general benefit of Islam and Muslims) saw it as their hard-work alone, and now everyone wants to get the profit of their hard-work. And Molana Maududi used to say that they’re trying to deceive him. I was in a hotel with him, but now the hotel has become part of the Masjid al Haram (due to the expansion). I said, “Sheikh wallahi, they won’t achieve anything more than two to four seats.” So sheikh (Taqiuddin) scolded me. But this is what happened at the end (in 1970 election)!
And then, this very Molana Maududi (rahmatullah alayh), what did he do at the time of Khomeini? I want to say these people are just revolution (rebellion/revolt) minded. They follow revolts, whatsoever it is. This is not the Islamic way. He congratulated Khomieni when he won! I still have those old newspapers saved with me. There was a conference of Ikhwanul Muslimeen (Muslim Brotherhood) in Cairo, which included an Indonesian group called “Masyumi Party” and Molana Maududi’s group. These three got together and concluded that the revolution which Khomieni has brought forth is a Islamic revolution and so they must send their delegates there. So they actually send their delegates, congratulating him for “Islamic democracy”.
The clear-sighted people of that time, Shaikh Ehsaan Elahi Zaheer (rahmatullahi alayh), he used to study with me but was a year senior to me at Madina, we have stayed together earlier. He was a very charismatic speaker and excellent thinker as well. He wrote that how shortsighted this group is that they expect the shittes / the rawafid to do something for Islam. They have always tried to drown Islam and wipe out the sunnah. At the end, he composed a rhyme declaring that the future will make that clear what you don’t know. And this is what happened; He came and destroyed the whole area, and began a war without any reason.
Iraq:
And the Iran – Iraq war, my friends Nazzar, Hamadani etc who later died in the same war, told me that Iraqi dates used to be exported everywhere. But (at the time of war), they razed of the Iraqi date palms (that covered the coasts of Basra in the South) to facilitate radar observation. And this is when the poor hard days of Iraq began. He continued this war for eight years without any reason. The Karachi newspaper posted that an astrologist said that (hahha), keep this also in mind, he said that the war will end in a specific month, and will end just like how it began without any reason! (And this is what happened)
So, the point is that there are few pro-revolution minded people who encourage our youth to do this. I know many people whose kids study in Britain and America but they (pro-revolt people) used them and even martyred them! We must do dua, and we must have patience. Look back in history, all through it, there was never any benefit through this.
Saudi Arabia:
We are quite sure that this Kingdom is better than thousand… but many people don’t accept this. But Allah knows, and if you see the services that this Kingdom has given to education, Qur’an, Hadith and Tawheed is nothing compared to eight hundred years of history. And how peaceful this country is! There is no other place similar to this one. A Palestinian asked astonishingly if this is a Islamic rule. He was studying here in the university, and the government was giving him several benefits. But he was ‘ikhwaani’ minded and he used to have weekly meetings. So I sat with him once and he asked me if the rule here (in KSA) is Islamic. I asked him whether what here is not Islamic! At the end, I said (sarcastically) that Yasir Arafat is a Islamic ruler!
The Islamic way is this that even if you are under a Kafir rule, and you are in a minority (or a weak position), then you don’t have the right to betray him or kill his people. And if the ruler is Muslim, let be a fasiq who does not prays and fasts, but permits you to pray and live in peace, then you’re not at all allowed to speak against him. Whether speaking against him or using the sword against him, both is equally prohibited. This is the decision of Qur’an and Hadith.
What happened with Uthman (radiyallahu anh), Muslims are still suffering due to the evil result of whatever happened. The same people, Khawarij came at the time of Ali (radiyallahu anh). Just because of not understanding the Sunnah. A hadith is, “..There will be leaders who will not be led by my guidance and who will not adopt my ways ...... You will listen to the Amir and carry out his orders; even if your back is flogged and your wealth is snatched, you should listen and obey.” (Sahih Muslim) Give them their rights (ie obey them) and ask Allah for your rights. If someone has respect for the beloved messenger, then know that this was his order. All this so that peace remains.
Tunisia and Libya:
And wherever something contradicting to this happened, the evil and problems only increased. Now you know that in Tunisia those people... They say ar-rabi al-arabi – (Arab spring) "Arabic month's flood (of protest) has come", and they protested against the leader and kicked him (Ben Ali) out. People come to meet me in Haram, and they tell me that they used to leave their beards to grow but after him, beard was banned. People in Libya are crying that the Qaddafi's reign was way better. Though was very strict, and if anyone would take cassettes from Saudi. Students take oath and narrate us that the first thing that they used to do when the plane lands is they bring a black plastic bag and collect all the books, even the Quran published by King Fahd printing press and they take away the Siwaak also! And the Musk attar (perfume oil), white one, which they considered it as sign of a “wahhabi”. They collect all this and throw it away in Sea. This was the situation at that time, yet people were at rest (living peacefully).
Someone asked me for a fatawa, just few days back. That he and everyone owns a weapon there. And he was going with his sister/daughter and someone came and kidnapped her. He had the weapon, but he feared that it may be sinful if he used the weapon on him. I said, "Allah's slave, you are a sinner now! How could you control, in spite of having the weapon? You should have hit at that very moment!" This is the situation now in Libya!
Now come and see what is going on in Egypt (hundreds of Muslims have had killed), what is going on in Iraq. So all these protests and all these hunger-strikes, are not at all Islamically correct. The aayah, "Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity" (Qur'an 2:286)
If we have the strength to stand and perform Salah, then we are obligated to stand and perform Salah. But if we don't have the strength, then we perform while sitting and if not even that, then lay down and perform it. The case is same here also. Allah did not ask us to kill people (here and there) and establish Islam. Islam will never be established by killing one or two! So some of our youth, who do blasts here and there, they are being used by manipulative people. They are not religious people. They are either ignorant or non-Muslims disguised as Muslims so that the path to clear-off Islam be made.
You know that because of these people, much of the work that was going on here (in the KSA) is also stopped. Many books are also not being distributed anymore. It's my dua, O Allah give understanding of this deen to our youth.
Solution: Seek knowledge
The biggest means they use is that they keep the youth away from the scholars (by calling them “scholars for dollars” etc). One from among them becomes their "scholar" and they just keep revolving around him.
There was a boy from Burma, who I was explaining in Makkah. I felt pity on him. He was of Burmese nationality (one from among 4,00,000 Burmese Muslims who were permitted to live in KSA). He was teaching few people in Muzdalifah and was asking them to stay away from scholars. I caught and told him that if the government catches him, then it won’t be of any good. I explained and asked him to stop doing this. So he gave me an analogy saying that you don't feed the food of a (thirty year old) man to a month old baby. Now think about it. If you give meat and bread to a month old baby, he would die! This was his comparison. I said, "You pinhead, this is not about meat and food, but about deduction. Qur'an and Hadith can be understood by everyone based on their level of understanding. Everyone can benefit from it." So such youth act like a "Sheikh" and stop others from benefiting from scholars. Know that whichever deviant group/sect that exists, will ask you not to listen to scholars. Because they are wrong.
You must be aware that a group did many conferences in India specifically against Ahlal-Hadith. They disallow children from going to Ahlal-Hadith schools or marrying anyone from Ahlal-Hadith. This is the reason why they want everyone to be away; they don't want others to figure out (the truth).
Many youth came to Makkah from Shuaibah (Kuwait), one of whose whole family was into (innovations like) recitation of Fatiha, putting sheets on the graveyards etc. But he repented and informed his family (about his repentance). His family informed about him to a peer (saint) and the peer said that he has become an apostate! The wife was divorced from him. And because he was out (studying in Makkah) for a year, they did not wait for iddah (waiting period) and made his wife marry someone else. And his four kids were given to the maternal grandfather. He came to me and informed about this, and was thanking me that Alhamdulillah he understood the correct deen because of me. And he was crying, but said, "Don't misunderstand why I am crying. I am crying because my wife was getting close to the deen, but they took her away." So there are such strange issues.
They always would want to keep away from you because the speech of Quran and Hadith would surely put effect on the mind. Allah is the witness, that there were two young men who were listening (to my lecture) in the Haram, at the end one of them stood up, put his shirt on his back and asked, "Which Madhab do you follow ?" I replied, "Brother, I do not belong to any madhab, all Imams are my Imam. We judge on Quran and Hadith. So he said, "huh I got it! That's why you read Qur'an and Hadith for every point. You're not from Hanafi Madhab? I answered "No." Wallah, they left after this. He also said, "People stopped (warned) us from coming to you!" Now you see!
Every deviated man would stop you to listen to Qur'an and Hadith. Because the blessing of Qur'an and Hadith is such that it effects the heart. So I want to tell the youth to stick to the senior scholars (Just like how there were senior scholars like Ibn Abbas, Muadh ibn Jabal among the sahaba). Listen to lectures of the senior scholars, everything has become easy nowadays.
People used to travel thousands of miles for one book or Hadith. Molana Abdur-rahman Mubarakpuri was writting the book, "Tuhfatul Ahwazi" (famous Sharh of Sunan At tirmidhi) and he did not have a copy of "Tahzib at-tahzib" (of Hafidh ibn Hajr) and "Saheeh ibn Hibban (of Muhammad ibn Hibban). He would write one complete month (for his book) and then travel (from Mubarakpur) to Patna (approx 250 km) to Molana Shamsul Haqq's library (one of the great Ahlal Hadith schoalrs, author of "Awn Al Mabud", Sharh of Sunan Abi Dawood) and then complete his pending work.
But now you can easily get knowledge through computers (via internet) and cassettes. You take some good Islamic cassettes (Cds' or in your USB drive) and listen to them in your car (when you travel). And take advise from the preachers here, they'll recommend you good ones. Then, you can listen to tafseer as well. Seeking knowledge of the deen has become very easy. But the condition is that you take knowledge from scholars well established in their knowledge.
Without a doubt, you can benefit from the scholars of Saudi Arabia like Sheikh Ibn Baz (rahimahullah). The characteristics of the sahaba quite much matched with Abdullah ibn Mubarak (rahimahullah). And the same goes for Sheikh Ibn Baz. A man (Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah) said, "I looked to the Sahabah and I looked to Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, but I didn’t see a virtue for them over him, except in their companionship of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and their battles with him." The difference between the sahaba and Abdullah ibn Mubarak was that he did not get the companionship of the messenger.
Let people continue saying that the scholars here are Hanbali, but they aren't (generally) Hanbali. Rather they are followers of Qur'an and Saheeh Hadith. If a Hanbali issue comes up to them, they say it's against the proof (Qur'an and Sunnah), so reject it. Read Ash - Sharh al Mumti' of Allamah ibn al Uthaimeen (an explanation of 'Zad al-Mustaqni', well accepted book in the Hanbali madhab). He discussed many issues, and he said (this contradicts the Hadith), so this (Hadith) is to be followed.
So, it has become very simple to gain knowledge. But the condition is that don't follow your desires. Nor make one from your group as your Shaikh. Rather, take from the senior scholars, you'll find them easily.
I feel sorry for few people. There is an individual in Britain. He (wrongly) says that knowledge should not be taken from Molana Zafar ul Hasan. Nor from Molana Anees ur Rehman, who graduated from Jamiah Islamiyah forty years back, a year before me! He has been teaching all his life, and his father was a competent scholar! He told me when I was in Dubai that he is weak in Aqeedah. This is a strange issue! So the point is that few people disguise as Ahlal Hadith to take away everyone from the Ahlal Hadith scholars! Please keep away from such people.
There are shuyukh here (Shaikh Abdussalam Madani, Sheikh Abdul Bari Fathullah, Shk Yasir Al Jabri etc), and Shaikh Abu Adnan (Muhammad Munir) Qamar also stays here right? He stays in Al Khobar. These are knowledgeable scholars here, sit with them, get cassettes from them, listen to their lectures and If Allah wills, he will grant knowledge.
But don't become emotional and get into all these issues which are going on. There were many youth, fresh faces who were living their best days but are no more. Neither did they neither learn anything, nor benefit the Ummah in any way. And they lost their lives also!
I ask Allah to give us understanding of the deen and let us implement Sunnah of the messenger. So that we spend our lives implementing it. And Allah's peace be upon the best of his creation, the generous messenger. I wanted something else to be the topic.
But hahha.. I prepared to speak on the topic, "The evil results of abandoning the Sunnah." So, you'll see that whatever deviancy that comes is not but only due to leaving the sunnah of the Messenger. For this reason, stick on to the sunnah and try your best to implement it.
But hahha.. I prepared to speak on the topic, "The evil results of abandoning the Sunnah." So, you'll see that whatever deviancy that comes is not but only due to leaving the sunnah of the Messenger. For this reason, stick on to the sunnah and try your best to implement it.
Shaikh Wasiullah Abbas
18th Jubail Conference
30th Jan, 2014
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