The Arabic language is one of the cornerstones of Islam, as we have heard today from our brother, so I do apologize in advance that this is one of the many areas of Islam I’ve yet to master. Islamically, I am very young, having reverted in 2003. And while I have much to learn I can identify with the frustrations shared by young Muslims today. I know 9⁄11 had a huge impact on the world, but it wasn’t really the start of something. It was the continuation of a legacy of US imperialism and its fear of Islam.
Just over ten years ago, fit, young Muslims across the globe flooded into Bosnia to help their brothers and sisters fight for their survival against the Serbs who were carrying out a genocide sanctioned by the silence of a watching world. The jihad brought together Muslims from all nationalities, status and culture. All were united ; even those who could not travel to fight helped in other ways such as fund-raising, public awareness events and demonstrations. The impact was to stop the genocide. Western intervention, when it happened, came only after it was apparent that that the Bosnian Muslims were heading for victory. The establishment of an Islamic state deep in the heart of Europe was simply too much to bear and so the West intervened. This is not my conclusion, but US President Bill Clinton admitted it in his autobiography.
This fear of Islam has now evolved in the last 10 years to such an extent that the blood of our brothers and sisters is now flowing like rivers across Chechnya, Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and we saw recently what happened to Lebanon. I have walked through many of those killing fields and let me tell you the twisted, blown up limbs of our Muslim brothers and sisters look exactly like those pulled from the rubble of the Twin Towers.
Yet the message of today is quite clear. Muslim blood is a cheap commodity. Meanwhile tens of thousands of innocent Muslims continue to be tortured in far away dungeons and cages in Guantanamo Bay, Bagram airbase in Afghanistan, Abu Ghraib, Diego Garcia and ghost prisons throughout the world. Others are tortured in Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria and even here in Egypt. Brothers are being tortured at the behest and request of the United States.
So what sort of message does that send out to our young people ?
They read about the heroic exploits of Salahudddin Ayyoubi, Khalid bin Walid, Tariq bin Ziad and listen intently to stories of courage and bravery about our beloved Prophet Muhammad.
Do you know, five years ago I had never even heard of the Prophet, but now I would give my last drop of blood to protect his name, his honour and his memory. Even in death he continued to show how strong he was by uniting the Ummah in protest at those vile cartoons from Denmark. Our modern-day heroes include those two sixties martyrs, Malcolm X and Sayyid Qutb, both whose writings have helped define me as a Muslim. These are the sort of role models and influences our youth need to follow, but instead they receive confused and mixed messages.
One minute they are told to fear no one but God Almighty, while the next minute they are told to dilute their Islam and keep their heads down. Since the events of 9 – 11, there has been an unrelenting campaign launched to change Islam into something more palatable to Western society. The vision is a secular and cultural Islam at peace with the world through her submission to her oppressors rather than to God Almighty ; an Islam devoid of jihad, shariah and khilafah ? The very things we are commanded by God Almighty to implement in order to establish Allah (T)’s deen on this earth. And it is in evidence everywhere I look. Hijab are being ripped off the heads of my sisters in Tunisia, France and Turkey. Sisters in Holland and Germany are also in the firing line.
Amd in Britain, we have Jack Straw, the former British Foreign Secretary who questioned the veil ? I am not having a white, middle-aged man telling me how to dress. Keep out of my wardrobe and that of every sister on this planet. I pick up the newspapers in Cairo today to discover the Minister of Culture has called the wearing of the veil a regression. How dare he say that ? Why are the men in Egypt standing by and doing nothing to silence him ? He is insulting the honour and dignity of every Muslim woman who chooses to cover. Farooq Hosni is a disgrace to Islam. What sort of message does he send out to our young people with his weasel words ? The niqab, like the veil, like the hijab has become a symbol of a rejection of those negative Western lifestyles like drug-taking, binge-drinking and promiscuity. It is a statement telling the West we don’t want to be like you.
These Arabs who choose to be more western than Westerners make me laugh. Do they realize how pathetic they look in the eyes of the rest of the world ? This Minister should be sacked from his post for dishonoring every sister who chooses to cover. I suppose he hides behind such descriptions as moderate ? Again, what sort of message does that send to our young people ? If we ask them to be moderate does that not suggest that there is something wrong with Islam that it needs to be toned down, diluted ? The last time I came to Cairo, I was called an extremist by none other than the Sheikh of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Tantawi. The reason for this ? Because I would not shake his hand. What is a moderate and what is an extremist ? I really don’t know. I am a simple Muslim. I follow no scholars or sects, I merely follow The Prophet and the Sunnah. Does that make me an extremist ?
I once said being a Muslim is a bit like being pregnant. You are or you are not. Whoever heard of anyone being moderately or extremely pregnant ? Islam has been under attack for 1400 years and we should have learned by now to put our trust in no one but Allah (T). Yet there are those who continue to kiss the hand which slaps them. I am afraid that we can no longer put our trust in to someone just because they might wear Islamic dress or have a long beard ? I notice quite a few long beards in here today, but I am not referring to you, brothers. There are those Muslim leaders who claim to guide and protect us but not all of them have our interests at heart. Our young people are going to have to be very discerning since the events of 9⁄11, Bali, Madrid and the London Bombings, to name a few.
There are individuals who for years rallied the masses to stand up for justice and support mujahideen groups around the world and now some have become embarrassingly silent while others condemn armed jihad, portraying mujahideen as terrorists and extremists who follow a distorted version of Islam. In some ways we are all to blame. Our greatest shame has been our silence while martyrdom operations in Palestine and other occupied lands have been condemned as acts of terror as witnessed in 9⁄11 and the July 7 bombings. Our young people have to be taught that what is happening in Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Iraq and Afghanistan is legitimate resistance against a brutal military occupation, while crimes like 9⁄11 and the London bombings are blatant terrorism. Equating the two only betrays our brothers and sisters who have no other option but to fight or face being wiped off the face of this planet.
The new slaves of the West criticize Islamist parties and governance by Shariah. Even student and youth movements which consistently campaigned for Palestine and Iraq have suddenly lost their tongues in a bid to be seen as “moderate”.
In Britain we have an invasion of what I call the “Happy Clappies”. They are being flown in by the Government from the US, Canada, Yemen and Mauritania to preach a diluted form of Islam. They are poisoning the minds of our youth and we should be very wary before the Happy Clappies spread across the world. They attack Wahhabi groups in the most cynical manner. Some even misuse nasheeds, and I am deeply afraid that the Happy Clappies are infecting our nasheeds with the excesses of western pop culture.
The end result of all this has been a dilution of the deen of Allah (T), a weak and pacified Islam willing to accept the status quo in which Muslims are oppressed and subjugated ; an Islam in which Muslims are content to sing and dance the night away to nasheeds, to concentrate on bettering their life in the West and to condemn the actions of their brothers and sisters who courageously resist occupation and oppression with whatever they have. Even making du’a for them now has become a crime. How long before we are told not to even pray for the mujahideen ?
One of the greatest military general the world has known, Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, the liberator of al-Quds, was once asked why he didn’t smile. He answered back that how could he smile while he knowing that Masjid al-Aqsa, remained under Crusader occupation. I wonder what he would make of the state of the world today. I wonder what advice he would give our youth ? This is a world where Arab leaders belly-danced shamelessly in front of America while handing Iraq over on a plate. The same Arab leaders look the other way as our beautiful Palestine is continually raped and sodomized, and that other great daughter of the Arab world, Lebanon — Where was the Arab world when she was so brutally assaulted ? And the war drums are beating again. Not only is the whole world watching, but so are our children, our youth, and our future. We must nature them, and inspire them with tales of the Prophet (P) and the Sahaba.
As long as the Ummah continues to throw up figures like Khalid bin Walid, Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, Sayyid Qutb and Malcolm X, all is not lost. The more we are oppressed by the tyrants, the more we will fight back. That is the nature of Islam. And this is the Islam our youth need to follow, be guided by and inspired. Farooq Hosni and his ilk are pale imitations of real men. They have castrated themselves in a pathetic attempt to become more Western than the Westerners. He will be consigned to the history books with barely a sentence while the courage and heroic resistance of our brothers and sisters will go down in chapters.
A rapidly increasing number of Muslim youth are now realizing that no matter how hard they compromise their deen to blend in with the wider society, when things go sour, they will be treated with suspicion. The more we are told to forget shariah, khilafah and jihad, the more Muslims will pay the blood price to uphold these values. The jihad we are witnessing in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir and Chechnya is something noble, a just war against injustice and tyranny. The actions of the jihadists pose absolutely no threat to the West or Western lifestyles and their resistance is not only justified but embraced and encouraged by international law.
The real religious extremists who pose the greatest threat to radicalizing our youth are the Christian Fundamentalists in the White House and Downing Street. Bush and Blair have become al-Qaeda’s finest recruiting officers. More and younger Muslims are waking up with the realization that it is not terrorism or extremism that is being targeted but Islam itself. It is up to the Ummah to lead and inspire our youth, just as the Prophet (P) led and inspired millions and continues to do so.
And the first lesson we must teach our youth is to fear none but Allah (T).
Comments
13 responses to “Our Allegience Is Only To Islam”
“Why are the men in Egypt standing by and doing nothing to silence him?”
Why are muslims so concerned with silencing people its his opinion, yes the west is responsible for most of the problems in the world, our culture of “drug-taking, binge-drinking and promiscuity.” as yvonne put is not to be emmulated but the west is not the only place where these kinds of activities take place. The west like other cultures also has a good side like democracy and freedom of thought whatever you believe about the west being anti muslim it still remains as one of the most accepting continents in the world unlike the east. According to yvonne the wearing of the veil is to show you dont agree with the so called western way- wow there’s me thinking it was religious. she just proves a thought i have maintained for a long time that the wearing of the niquab is political. as with most eliments of islam nowadays everything seems to be for show.
if you want to see persecution look into how christians are treated in the East, unlike muslims who in Britain are allowed to build mosques and practise your religion freely, in the east christian are killed and refused basic human rights but i dont suppose yvonne cares about that.
I swear she only became a muslim because she was about to be killed by the taliban… she’s just jumping on the band wagon.
The topic in this discourse is a somewhat continuation of the discussion in the previous discourse on Jihad. My intention here, Insha’Allah(God Willing) is to prove once again, as I feel I did in the Jihad discussion, that Terrorism is an act outside True Islamic Teachings. Whereas the Jihad document dealt with past history, this document will deal with modern history to only a small extent, as I do not wish to become repetitive.
What is terrorism exactly ? The Canadian Winston Dictionary defines terrorism as follows ;
“…to fill with great alarm and fear ; reduce to a state of terror ; to govern by methods which arouse terror…”
We have seen throughout history many examples of terrorists and terrorism, for instance, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the New England Witch Hunts, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, the IRA, the Ku Klux Klan, Timothy McVeigh, David Korresh and Milosovich, just to name a few. The evil actions of those mentioned speak for themselves, with the crimes they perpetrated against humanity. Sadly, today, terrorism continues at a feverish pace, with no end in sight. Another sad fact is that the word “Terrorism” has somehow become synonymous with the word “Muslim”. The religion of Islam is being presented by certain media and religious groups as a religion of war and violence. The term “Islamic Fundamentalists” seems to be the in vogue catch phrase when it comes to describing the actions of a misguided few. However, when one examines the true meaning of the word “Fundamentalist”, you will realize that the Fundamentals of Islam do not conform to the actions of terrorists. Quite the contrary, Islam is a religion whose fundamental teachings pertain to peace and understanding and it is these True Qur’anic teachings that I wish to explore here, Insha’Allah(God Willing). It is sad to think that whenever a crime is committed by a Muslim, the religion of Islam is put on trial. If we were to follow that analogy, and considering that, with the exception of Lenin, Stalin and Pol Pot, all the above mentioned individuals and groups were Christian or from a Christian background, is it right to blame all Christians and the religion of Christianity for the crimes committed by these terrorists ? And considering that the fathers of communism were all Jewish or of a Jewish background, would it be proper and fair to blame all Jews and the religion of Judaism for the evils of communism ? No, it is not right and just the same, to blame all Muslims and the religion of Islam for the crimes committed by terrorists is equally wrong. My wish, Insha’Allah(God Willing), is to show that terrorism is a concept that is non-conforming with The Holy Qur’an and the religion of Islam. I have no wish to get political or to discuss politics. I have no desire to become specific in regards to recent world events. My purpose here, Insha’Allah(God Willing), is to present Islam as a religion that does not preach terrorism.
Now, what exactly is a just fight ? Is there such a thing as a just fight ? Do we not have the right to defend ourselves in the face of tyranny, oppression and suppression ? If one wishes to do you or your loved ones harm, would you not defend yourself and your loved ones ? Would you not be willing to give your life in order to save the life of the one you love ? Your wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, father, child and maybe even your pet. It is a natural instinct we all have, the instinct to protect those whom we love. Even to defend one’s land and home is equally justified. The concept of “Turn The Other Cheek” is just not a practical teaching, especially in today’s world. Allah(swt) knows this, He created us, so He knows what is in our hearts. Allah(swt) says in The Holy Qur’an ;
“Permission to fight is given to those on whom war is made, because they are oppressed. And surely Allah is able to assist them ; those who are driven from their homes without a just cause except that they say, ‘Our Lord is Allah’.”
Surah Al-Hajj:39 – 40
Allah(swt) also says ;
“And strive hard for Allah with due striving.” Surah Al-Hajj:78
No rational thinking person can find fault in these Words of Almighty God. It is the duty of all of us to fight for what is right and just. However, it is important that we do not transgress the bounds as Ordained by Allah(swt);
“And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you but be not aggressive. Surely, Allah loves not the aggressors.” Surah Al-Baqarah:190
What we are Commanded by Allah(swt) is to fight only those who fight you. This is not terrorism, this is self defense. Who can argue with this ? In self defense, there are also guidelines to follow. Allah(swt) tells us ;
“But if they desist, then surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful.” Surah Al-Baqarah:192
“And if they incline towards peace, incline thou also towards it, and put thy trust in Allah. Surely, it is He Who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” Surah Al-Anfal:61
Allah(swt) also tells us ;
“So, if they withdraw from you and fight you not, and offer you peace, then Allah allows you no way against them.” Surah Al-Nisa:90
Now I ask ; how does this sound like the teachings of terrorism ? We are told by Allah(swt) that we have every right to defend ourselves, but at the same time, we are commanded to cause no mischief. We are commanded by Allah(swt) to cause no war, for Allah(swt) hates war. Allah(swt) tell us ;
“Whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land. And Allah loves not the mischief makers.” Surah Al-Ma’idah:64
The act of self defense is to extinguish aggression, not add to it. We are even told by Allah(swt) not to hold any ill feelings towards those who made war against us. Allah(swt) says ;
“And let not hatred of a people, because they hindered you from the Sacred Mosque, incite you to transgress.” Surah Al-Ma’idah:2
Now, how can anyone interpret these passages as the teachings of terrorism ? As Muslims, we are forbidden to even take our own lives. Allah(swt) tells us ;
“And kill not yourselves. Surely Allah is ever Merciful to you.” Surah Al-Nisa:29
In light of these passages from The Holy Qur’an, one can easily see that terrorists are acting outside the True Teachings of Islam. These suicide bombers are acting outside the Deen of Allah(swt).
The only proof text those who oppose Islam have, and I do mean the Christian Evangelists, is a passage of The Holy Qur’an taken completely out of context. It reads as follows ;
“…slay the idolaters, wherever you find them…” Surah Al-Tauba:5
The above passage in question deals purely with the defensive battles Prophet Muhammad(saas) and his companions(ra) had to deal with in the face of the Quraysh tyranny. When read in its proper context, the message is clear and yet Christian Evangelists never cease to use this passage to spread the lie that Islam preaches violence and murder. What the Christian Evangelists fail to realize is that one can easily do to certain passages of the Bible as they do to The Holy Qur’an. I give you the following examples ;
a) Deuteronomy 7:1 – 6 (Wholesale Genocide)
b) Numbers 31 (Slaughter of the Midianites)
c) 1 Samuel 15 (Slaughter of the Amalekites)
d) Psalms 137:9 (Blessed are the baby killers)
e) Matthew 10:34 (Jesus came to “Bring a sword, not peace”)
f) Luke 12:53 (Jesus says he came to “Bring fire, not peace”)
g) Luke 19:27 (Jesus says in a parable, “All those who did not want me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence)
h) Luke 22:36 (Jesus tells his followers to “Purchase Swords”)
i) John 2:15 (Jesus attacks people with a whip in the Temple)
If we were to follow the same criteria as the Christian Evangelists do, as pertaining to certain passages of The Holy Qur’an, we can also do the same with the Bible and claim that all crimes against humanity committed by those who profess the Christian faith were acting in accordance with the teachings of their faith. However, it would be wrong to do so as we would be lowering ourselves to the level of these liars. As Muslims, we must set a better example than that.
No greater man to obey the commands of Almighty God than Prophet Muhammad(saas). Prophet Muhammad(saas) has been wrongly accused of acts of terrorism by certain religious leaders both past and present. They have no evidence to substantiate their false claims other than the evidence that they themselves fabricate. I would like to share with you now some examples in the form of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad(saas) which show the compassionate nature of this True Prophet of Almighty God.
As narrated by Saheeh Muslim #1744 and Saheeh Al-Bukhari #3015, when Prophet Muhammad(saas) and his followers(ra) were defending themselves against the aggression of the Quraysh, he would prohibit the Muslims from killing women and children, as well as from causing plunder.
We also find narrated in Saheeh Muslim #1731 and Al-Tirmizi #1408, Prophet Muhammad(saas) saying, “…Do not betray, do not be excessive, do not kill a new born child”. This runs in sharp contrast with what is relayed in the above mentioned Biblical passages, most notably Numbers 31.
Prophet Muhammad(saas) also said, as narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari #3166 and Ibn Majah #2686 the following, “Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with Muslims shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise…”.
Prophet Muhammad(saas) had also forbidden punishment and torture as was narrated by
Abu-Dawood #2675.
Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari #6871 and Saheeh Muslim #88, Prophet Muhammad(saas) listed murder as the second of the major sins. The first, of course, is associating partners with Almighty God.
We also find narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari #6533 and Saheeh Muslim #1678, Prophet Muhammad(saas) warning us that on the Day of Judgement, “The first cases to be adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgement will be those of bloodshed”. This means both killing and injuring.
Now I ask ; does this sound like the teachings of a terrorist ? Can anyone possibly interpret these words as condoning terrorism ? Quite the contrary, these are words that can easily be used to condemn terrorism. So compassionate was Prophet Muhammad(saas) that he even encouraged Muslims to be kind to animals and not hurt them. When Prophet Muhammad(saas) was marching towards Mecca with his 10,000 followers, they came upon a dog who had just given birth to a litter of puppies. Prophet Muhammad(saas) placed a guard, Ju’ayl of Damr’ah, over the dog and her litter of puppies to ensure that they would not be harmed in any way. Incidentally, this is also the event in which Prophet Muhammad(saas) forgave all those who had made war against him and the early Muslims, which further refutes the accusation of him being a terrorist.
As narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari #2365 and Saheeh Muslim #2422, Prophet Muhammad(saas) said, “A woman was punished because she imprisoned her cat until it died. On account of this, she was doomed to Hell”.
We also find narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari #2466 and Saheeh Muslim #2244 the following by Prophet Muhammad(saas), “A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well, he descended into it, drank his fill and came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst. The man said, ‘This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt’. So, he went down into the well again, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. So, Allah thanked him and forgave his sins.” The Prophet(saas) was asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?’ The Prophet(saas) said, ‘There is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human’”.
A similar story is related about a Jewish harlot who had done the same act of kindness to a dog and Allah(swt) forgave her of all her sins. Additionally, while taking the life of an animal for food, Muslims are commanded to do so in such a manner that causes the least amount of fright and suffering to the animal as possible. As narrated in Saheeh Muslim #1955 and Al-Tirmizi #1409, Prophet Muhammad(saas) said, “When you slaughter an animal, do so in the best way. One should sharpen his knife to reduce the suffering of the animal”.
These examples are a far cry from the portrait painted of Prophet Muhammad(saas) and true Muslims as bloodthirsty, ravenous terrorists. On the contrary, this shows the kind hearted nature of Prophet Muhammad(saas) and that he could never have preached terrorism nor acted as a terrorist.
In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of defenseless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the bombing, maiming and torturing of innocent men, women and children, much like what is going on in parts of the world this very day, are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam and True Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness, as proven by the examples listed in this chapter and the vast majority of Muslims have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the Laws of Islam.
May Allah(swt) guide us all to the truth, Insha’Allah(God Willing).
HeiGou is an extreme anti-islamic nutjob who pretends to know Islam. He used to rant & rave on other websites inc. the Guardians comments pages.
He is utterly blind to the bias that emanates from his society towards us. His fanaticism has convinced him that HE is the innocent victim & Muslims are the evil perpetrators of violence. As he says above
“You all have chosen violence as your path and it will only be resolved through violence.”
Who started the violence?? Who occupies whom?? Who has the most armaments??
I agree that it will eventually be resolved only through violence.
Abdul Mutalib said on 7 December 2006:“I offer no example. And I can say for sure you have never been there before. You say, Bush et al go out of their way to claim they are not fighting Islam but people who distort the message. Does he know about Islamic teachings in the first place ? Muslims know how these types of people go extra length to annihilate Islam. The only thing is that the Muslims don’t have effective means to respond. We differ in our thinking and chances is that it not reconcilable.”
Of course not because you have none. I have looked at the Western media for bias and God knows I have had these sorts of conversations before. I assure you, you will not find evidence of what you claim. What Bush knows is irrelevant. What counts is what he is trying to do and it is not fight Islam. Your claim is simply paranoia. Bush is not trying to destroy Islam and you can provide not one shred of evidence that would even suggest so. “Muslims” don’t know any such thing by the way. Muslims only have themselves to blame if they have no effective means of responding. The world is an open place to anyone with a message or a product people want. I agree it is not reconcilable. You all have chosen violence as your path and it will only be resolved through violence.
HeiGou :
I offer no example.
And I can say for sure you have never been there before.
You say, Bush et al go out of their way to claim they are not fighting Islam but people who distort the message.
Does he know about Islamic teachings in the first place ?
Muslims know how these types of people go extra length to annihilate Islam. The only thing is that the Muslims don’t have effective means to respond.
We differ in our thinking and chances is that it not reconcilable.