Islam Against Terrorism V133

Preface

al-Hamdu-Lillaahi Rabbil-'Aalameen was-Salaatu was-Salaamu 'alaa Ashrafil-Anbiyaa.e wal-Mursaleen, waba'd: as-Salaam 'alaykum wa-Rahmatullaahe wa-Barakaatuhu, Fatwa-Online is pleased to present a collection of the statements of the most Senior Scholars of Islam of ourtime regarding the important issues concerning terrorism, hijacking, suicide bombings and similar evil acts. Many inaccuracies have been published in the media about Islam and terrorism, and it is hoped that thispublication will go towards correcting these and many other inaccuracies that exist today. This publication is intended as a reference to all those seeking clarification on the position of Islam towardsterrorism, and in this regard I encourage everyone, in particular the media, to freely copy-and-paste thisinformation in their publications. Much time and effort has gone into preparing this publication for FREE distribution and hence it is anticipatedit will prove to be of immense value to the Muslims and non-Muslims alike, inshaa.-Allaah. Therefore, whoeverfinds any typographical mistake(s) in the following work, then please write to me (at my email address)indicating the mistake(s) and its place. {Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error...}, [Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 286] I thank all those who will point out these mistakes with the intention of seeking Allaah's Pleasure, and ofcorrecting this publication. Indeed, Allaah is Surety over what I say. May Allaah humble us all to make this effort pure, seeking His Face alone. Certainly to Him is our return. {Our Lord accept from us, certainly you are the All-Hearing and All-Knowing}, [Soorah al-Baqarah,Aayah 127] {Our Lord forgive me and my parents, and the believers on the Day when the reckoning will beestablished}, [Soorah Ibraaheem, Aayah 41] «With the assistance of Allaah the Most High, and all Praise be to Allaah by whose favour goodworks are accomplished», [Ibn as-Sunnee in A'maal al-Yawm wal-Laylah; al-Haakim declared it Saheeh1/499; al-Albaanee declared it Saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami' 4/201] wa Billaahit-Towfeeq... Abu 'Abdullaah Mohammed Akhtar [email protected] of the Faculty of Sharee'ah (Islamic Law )Islamic University of MadeenahMadeenah, Saudi Arabia Visit us at: http://www.fatwa-online.comMirror site: http://www.efatwa.comEmail us at: [email protected] Visit our other sites: Thinking about making Hijra?http://www.hijra.net Thinking about getting married?http://www.smatch.net Some of the Students from the Islamic University of Madeenah present:

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Afghanistan

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh asks all the Muslims to support their brethren inAfghanistan... Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, the muftee (one qualified to pass fatwa) of Saudi Arabia and the headof the Council of Senior Scholars and The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa hasasked (Monday 15 October 2001) all the Muslims in Saudi Arabia, both the nationals and non-nationals, tosupport their refugee brethren in Afghanistan by offering assistance and donations at this time in which theyare experiencing extreme difficulties. The Shaykh went on to say that the Islamic relief efforts currently offered to our brethren in Afghanistan areindeed most noble acts, and in which there is much good. And it does not come as any surprise to theleadership that much importance is given by the efforts of the Muslims to their brethren throughout the needyMuslim world. We ask Allaah to assist them and grant them success. The Shaykh stressed the importance of donations to our brethren in Afghanistan to aid them, and requestedfrom both the (Saudi) nationals and non-nationals that they dig deep into their pockets to provide help andassistance for them in their time of need. He added that the reward for this act is extremely high consideringthey (the Afghanis) are eligible for assistance. The Shaykh finally stressed upon all Muslim leaders and callers to Islam to encourage the Muslims in thisnoble act to assist their brethren in Islam, and he asked Allaah to aid anyone who carries out this act and toreward them plentiful.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

The ruling regarding rape victims and their offspring From: 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah ibn Baaz To: The noble brother - A.K.A.J. - may Allaah facilitate for you your affairs as-Salaamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullaahe wa Barakaatuhu, to proceed: Your correspondence reached me consisting of: Your question about the children of the women who were raped in Bosnia and Herzegovina and your need forbeneficial (Islamic) books. It pleases me to send you a copy of my book «Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah» and«al-'Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah» and the book «Fat.h al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed» and «al-Usoolath-Thalaathah» and «al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah» and «at-Tahqeeq wal-Eedhaah» - it is hoped Allaah willcause you to benefit from them (inshaa.-Allaah). As regards the issue concerning the children, then it is obligatory upon the Muslims to take charge/custodyof them and bring them up with Islamic manners, and not leave them for the Christians and other than them,as Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says: {The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa. (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of oneanother...}, [Soorah at-Towbah, Aayah 71] and He (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «The Muslims in their mutual love, kindness and compassion, are like the human body where whenone of its part is in agony the entire body feels the pain both in sleepness and fever», [al-Bukhaareeand Muslim] ...as their ruling is that of orphans (without fathers), and Allaah has legislated kindness and charity to theorphans specifically. I ask Allaah for you and for all the Muslims that he facilitates the affairs and guides to all that is good. was-Salaam 'alaykum wa Rahmatullaahe wa Barakaatuhu Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 8, Pages 265

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Chechnya

Donate money to Muslims in Chechnya or go ahead and perform first Hajj Question put to our Noble Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen after Fajr in al-Masjid al-Haraam inMakkah on Tuesday 27 Ramadhaan 1420/ 4 January 2000 If someone has saved up money to perform their very first Hajj, would it be better to donate this money to ourMuslim Brothers and Sisters in Chechnya or go ahead and perform the Hajj? The Noble Shaykh (hafitha-hullaah) briefly responed by saying it is better to perform the (first) Hajj which isobligatory upon the person.

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Hijacking and kidnapping

Hijacking planes and kidnapping From that which is known to everyone who has the slightest bit of common sense is that hijacking airplanesand kidnapping children and the like are extremely great crimes, the world over. Their evil effects are far andwide, as is the great harm and inconvenience caused to the innocent; the total effect of which none cancomprehend except Allaah. Likewise, from that which is known is that these crimes are not specific to any particular country over andabove another country, nor any specific group over and above another group, rather it encompasses the wholeworld. There is no doubt about the effect of these crimes; so it is obligatory upon the governments and thoseresponsible from amongst the scholars and other than them to afford these issues great concern, and toexert themselves as much as possible in ending this evil. Shaykh Ibn BaazKayfa Nu'aalij Waaqi'unaa al-Aleem - Page 108-109

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Iraq

Makkah Imam Urges Iraqis to Cool Their Guns Sheikh Saleh Al-Taleb, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, yesterday (Friday 24 February 2006)condemned the attacks on mosques in Iraq and warned against flaring up inter-Muslim violence in thecountry. "It is not in the interest of Iraqis to rush to blame people, or take revenge," Al-Taleb said in his Friday sermonwhich was televised around the world. Iraq has seen reprisal attacks and around 200 deaths after the bombing of a major religious site in Samarraon Wednesday raising fears of a civil war in the country. Al-Taleb condemned the Samarra bombing and the revenge attacks that followed saying, "These are conflictswhose fire is lit by criminals." "How can an attack on the graves of believers be avenged with attacks on the houses of God? How can aviolation of tombs of the Prophet's descendents be met with burning the Book of God, killing Muslims andpreventing prayers?" he told hundreds of thousands worshippers gathered in the huge mosque complex. The imam said the attacks will serve only to provoking an all-out civil war in the country and the rush forretaliation is not to the benefit of an already weak Iraq. He pointed out that the perpetrators of the attacks are not known and therefore counterattacks againstgravesites and mosques serve no other purpose than making innocents suffer. Al-Taleb said that Iraqis at this critical stage should exhibit restraint to bring forward the interests of thepublic. He urged the Iraqi people to stay away from anything that would weaken their country. "Your brother Muslims around the world are urging you to put down your weapons and settle this matterpeacefully," said Al-Taleb. Wednesday's bombing, which destroyed the famous dome of the 1,000-year-old mausoleum where two ninthcentury Shiite imams were buried, prompted global condemnation and appeals for calm.

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Iraq

Makkah Imam Takes US to Task on Iraq The imam at the Grand Mosque in Makkah yesterday (Friday 9 April 2004) lambasted the United States andits allies in Iraq for double-speak. "Although they claim they are the advocates of reform and freedom, they are in fact the forces of destructionand devastation," Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim said in an apparent reference to the US-led occupation forces inIraq. Delivering his Friday sermon to thousands of faithful who packed the large mosque complex, the imam askedhow missiles and machine guns could bring peace and freedom to the people of Palestine and Iraq. "Theypromise them a comfortable life built on torn bodies...They want us to believe that destruction is reform, killingis life, disorder is order and injustice is justice," he added. The imam slammed the United States also for using its veto against UN Security Council resolutionscondemning Israel's occupation of Palestine, contrasting the international outcry over the killing of foursecurity contractors in Fallujah with the relative silence meeting Israeli actions in the occupied territories. "How can they consider the killing of four individuals a major crime and ignore the killing of a whole nation?"Shuraim, one of the imams at the Grand Mosque, asked. The imam said the Islamic world was passing through a difficult phase. "The Muslim nation finds no refugefrom the injustice of the tyrant and international terrorism," he said.

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Iraq

Shaykh Rabee' bin Haadee al-Madkhalee speaks about the Attack on Iraq Shaykh Rabee' bin Haadee al-Madkhalee speaks about the Attack on Iraq From a cassette recording (26/1/1424H) of an answer of the Shaykh to a question concerning the crisis (ofthe Attack on Iraqi) – transcribed by Khalid adh-Dhafayree. Question: There has been much questioning of the position of the "adherents to the way of the piouspredecessors" towards this crisis, is it permissible to supplicate against the Disbelievers in the likes of thesecircumstances? Response: Yes, it is permissible to make supplication against the Disbelievers in these circumstances andothers. Supplication is made for their guidance, and supplication is made for their destruction when they donot seek guidance. So we ask Allaah that prevents the harm of the Disbelivers, especially in thesecircumstances, we see oppression and transgression, which exceeds the lowest limits [of what can bedefined as] transgression and wrongdoing. So we ask Allaah that He turns their plot back upon them. Man, as it is said, is a commodity, it is necessary that he gather something of the news. However, I hold thatthe youth should not be completely engrossed and waste their time in what does not benefit them, and whichdoes not bring back any benefit to the Ummah. Because all they can do is just listen, then what do they doafter that? So they take a part o f this news, and then call upon Allaah, the Blessed and Almighty, that Hegives relief to the Muslims, and that He removes this affliction. And my advice in regard to this, to theMuslims in general and to [the people of] Ìraaq specifically, is that they return to the Book of Allaah and tothe Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu àlayhi wa sallam), for by Allaah, there is no exit for themfrom these tribulations, trials, calamities and the transgression of the Disbelievers upon them, and by Allaahnothing will stand in the face of them, except that that they adhere to the Book of Allaah, and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger (àlayhi as-salaatu was salaam). And there is no exit for the Muslims from the continuoushumiliation except when they are truthful in their aqeedah, and in their manners and in all of their actions.They are truthful with Allaah, they are truthful to Allaah, obedient to Him, obedient to His Messengers,respectful to His teachings that are in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of Allaah's Messenger. But as forwhen they turn away, and fall short, and when they have beliefs that clash with the beliefs of the Prophets,[and] Shirk is spread in the lands of the Muslims, and misguidance and deviation in the morals and mannersand other such tribulations, all of which obligates the anger of Allaah and obligates the domination of theenemies of Islam upon those Muslims, those about whom the saying of the Messenger (àlayhi as-salaatuwas-salaam) holds true, "The nations are about to call each other and set upon you, just as diners set uponfood." They said: "Will it be because of our small number that day, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said:"Rather, on that day you will be many, but you will be like ghuthaa (scum, foam), like the ghuthaa on theriver". This is the reality of the Muslims, so are they prepared to leave this ghuthaa'iyyah? For by Allaah,[leaving this ghuthaa'iyyah] is not by battle-cries, nor by demonstrations, and by crying and nor by any ofthis. Rather, it is (by way of) our being truthful with Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and that we acquaintourselves with all earnest, with the methodology of the Prophets, and with the speech of Allaah and theSunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu àlayhi wasallam), so we believe what it contains of beliefs upon theway of the Messenger of Allaah and His Noble Companions, not upon the way of the Rawaafid (Shiàh), andnor upon the way of the Khawaarij, and nor upon the way of the Ba'thees (Socialists) and nor upon the way ofthe Philosophers, and nor upon the way of any astray sect. But rather upon the way of the Messenger(àlayhi as-salaatu was salaam), the way that is comprised in the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, and [theway that] the Noble Companions guided themselves, by this guidance, and [the way of] whoever followedthem until this day of ours. This is the path to rescue in the world and the hereafter, and this is the path of deliverance, this is the boat ofdeliverance. And by Allaah, the time has come for the Palestinian society to return to Allaah, and the Iraaqeesociety, and all of the [Muslim] societies, for them to return to Allaah, with a complete and serious return.And it is of the utmost imperative upon the callers, those who raise the slogans that doe not benefit theMuslims, that they are truthful to Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted and that they give sincerity of purpose toAllaah, and His Book and His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and their general folk, that they givesincerity of purpose to them and call out to them to return to the Book of Allaah and that they satisfy theMuslims with [the fact] that there is not deliverance or rescue from the anger of Allaah, His punishment, andempowerment of their enemies upon them in this life, except by a serious return to the Book of Allaah, and

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the Sunnah of His Messenger (àlayhi as salaatu was salaam) and to what the Pious Predecessors (mayAllaah be peased with them) were upon. This is the path to deliverance, by Allaah, not by the United Nations, which has been unsuccessful, and norby the Security Council, and nor by the Union of Arab States, and nor other than it, and nor by mere slogansor ideologies, or calls, or slogans, or the cries of the Soofiyyah, or the Rawaafid nor other than them. But that which will save them and will remove them from the destructive calamities, is that they return to theBook of Allaah and to the Sunnah of His Messenger, just as he (àlayhi as salaatu was salaam) said, "Whenyou deal in 'eenah transactions, and are satisfied with cultivation, and hold on to the tails of oxen [andabandon Jihaad] then Allaah will impose a humiliation upon which that He will not remove up until you returnto your deen". I hope that you understand this Prophetic advice, it is not the advice of Rabee`, this is the advice of theMessenger of Allaah, the Naasih, the Ameen (Sincere Advisor, Trustworthy One), who does not speak withhis desire, the one who is Ra'oof and Raheem, as his Lord described him. So if you desire deliverance in thisworld and the hereafter, and rescue, and (imposing) humiliation upon the Disbelievers, and (acquiring)strength, honour for Islam and the Muslims, then Allaamah Rabee' on Current Events in Iraaq by Allaah, thepath to strength, deliverance and honour in this world and the hereafter is by returning to Islam and holdingfast to it. So I ask Allaah that He grants success to the Muslims, those who are guided and those who are astray anddeviated amongst them, from amongst the astray sects in whatever land from the various lands, that theyshow earnest in returning to the Book of Allaah, and taking from this (Prophetic) text and its likes, that directthem to what which will rectify them in their world and their hereafter. I ask Allaah that He grants success tothe leaders of the Muslims, their callers, and the students of knowledge in leading these poor societies to theshores of safety, and to the banks of deliverance. And that is in abundance in the Book of Allaah and theSunnah of His Messenger. I ask Allaah that He actualises this soon rather than later, verily our Lord is theone who hears the supplication, and prayers and salutations upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon hisfamily and companions.

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Iraq

Shaykh 'Ubayd al-Jaabiree on the Position Towards Iraq Shaykh 'Ubayd al-Jaabiree on the Position Towards Iraq From a Paltalk Session today 31/03/2003 at 8:30pm UK Time Question: O esteemed Shaykh, what is happening now (in Iraaq) so what is the position of the Muslimtowards this trial, and is there a Jihaad, and are do those soldiers who are in the Gulf have the ruling of beingmujaahideen, and may Allaah reward you. Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiree: I dont know why this question (is asked) when, when we have just ended thespeech with what I consider to comprise the answer to it and to its likes. However, despite this, just so that itis said, that Ubayd has neglected some of the questions. So I say: Firstly, not all of the Iraaqi society is Muslim. Rather, amongst them is the Marxist, amongst themis the Ba'athist Heretic, and amongst them are numerous orientations. And there are Muslims amongstthem... And amongst them are the Raafidah. And the positions of the Scholars towards the Raafidah is well known,amongst them are those who declared them Disbelievers. Secondly, we have Rulers and those who have authority, and it is obligatory to give them hearing andobedience, and around our rulers are those who have knowledge, and experience, and speciality in thepolitical affairs. So we do not undermine them, and we have already mentioned previously that the generalaffairs are not for just any person. Rather, they are for whom? For those in authority. And as it is appropriate, I also say that those who call to cutting off from the products of America and Britainand others, then those people have a resemblance to the Raafidah. Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentionsin Minhaaj us-Sunnah, in the first volume, and I believe it is page 38, "From the stupidity of the Raafidah isthat they do not drink from the river that was unearthed (i.e. dug out, like a well) by Yazeed". So thoseHarakiyyoon and Hizbiyyoon, have resembled the Raafidah. And what an evil model (that is). And the mostrepugnant for a person that his model, and way is that of the Raafidah. Thirdly, the banner of fighting in Iraaq, who is carrying it? It is carried by Saddaam Hussain at-Takreetee, andhe is the leader of the Ba'athi Party in his land...and the Ba'athi Party, is secularist, disbelieving, heretical. Itsfoundation is upon mixing and not differentiating between a Sunni Muslim, Guidance from the ScholarsConcerning Iraaq and between the Jew, Christian, Communist, and others. They are all the same, equal. Andfor this reason, their slogan is, as their poet has said: I believe in, -- (Shaykh Ubayd): I seek refuge in Allaah --I believe in al-Ba'ath as the Lord which has no partnerAnd in Arabism as a religion, which has no other (religion) This is their religion, qawmiyyah (nationalism) and shu'oobiyyah, and their religion is not Islam. So built uponthis, the one who fights under the banner of the Iraaqi government, then he is fighting under a banner ofdisbelief. And we do not dispute that the people of Iraaq have the right to defend themselves. They can defendthemselves, their blood, their honour and their wealth, they can defend those who transgress upon them,whether America or Britain or other than them. So it is obligatory upon us, the community of Muslims that we ask Allaah in our supplication that He deliversthe Muslims amongst the people of Iraaq. So whoever said O Allaah save the [Iraaqi Society]1 , then he haserred. This supplication of his reaches even the Marxist and the Communist. And the Ba'ath Party is at thefront of the [supplication of the] one who supplicates for the Iraaqi society (in general). No, but supplicate toAllaah that He delivers the Muslims amongst the people of Iraaq. And that he relieves them of their distress.This is what I can add now.

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Iraq

The Imaams of Makkah and Madeenah call for immediate halt to war in Iraq... The imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah yesterday (Friday 28 March, 2003) called for an immediate halt tothe war on Iraq as people across the Gulf prayed for the victory of the Iraqi people against the US-Britishaggressors. "This unjust war must stop immediately. If it continues, it will only fuel hatred and conflicts" between nations,said Dr. Saleh ibn Abdullah Humaid, who is also chairman of the Shoura Council. Delivering his Friday sermon to more than 500,000 faithful thronging the large mosque complex, SheikhHumaid urged the international community to stand by the Iraqi people. "Truth and justice demand that westand by the Iraqi people," he added. In his televised address, Humaid said that launching the war on Baghdad was a grave mistake. "This is a lostwar and there will be no winners," the imam said. Humaid also urged world leaders to respond to the calls for peace by taking effective steps to end the US-ledwar. "Our world today is in need of justice, charters and clear agreements, which should be followed by everycountry without exception. "There must be good intentions and sincere cooperation for the welfare and happiness of all," he said. The Haram imam urged Muslims to unite and avoid differences to confront the challenges facing them. "Wehave to achieve real freedom by restricting our worship to God alone," he added. Dr. Humaid stressed that the Islamic nation would not have been affected by foreign attacks if internalwrangling had not weakened it. "Muslims can regain their power by strengthening their faith in God andimplementing the Shariah." He cautioned the public about the media war launched by sections of the Western media organization andurged them to distinguish between truth and rumor. "Enemies spread false reports to create chaos andconfusion among Muslims, create fear, destroy their morale and weaken their self-confidence," he added.Humaid urged Muslims to learn from the present crisis and stand united. Saudi Arabia has opposed the US-led war on Iraq and called for an immediate end to it. The Kingdom has also rejected a military occupation of Iraq and has warned that a continuation of the warwould affect Saudi-US relations. Security measures in the Kingdom have been beefed up, with police patrols guarding main streets,government institutions and shopping malls. The Haram imam also condemned the killing of innocent people in Iraq by the Anglo-American forces."Bodies are shattered and dismembered, many people have lost their loved ones, many are missing. There isdestruction everywhere," he said. Sheikh Salah Al-Bedair, the imam and khateeb of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, prayed for "our weakMuslim brothers in Iraq and for the destruction of the aggressors." Bedair referred to reports of Muslim women, children and the elderly being killed and injured in Iraq and urgedMuslims all over the world to pray for their brethren in Iraq.

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Iraq

Clarification from the Council of Senior Scholars regarding the incidents in Iraq The Committee of Senior Scholars calls the children (i.e. people) of the Kingdom to support their Leadership. Riyadh: A clarification was issued yesterday from the Council of Senior Scholars regarding the recentincidents (in Iraq) and this is the text of it: "Clarification from the Council of Senior Scholars" All praise is due to Allaah, the One, the Unique, the Creator of the creation, the Lord, the Self Sufficient, theSender of the Messengers as a mercy to the human beings. And may prayers of blessing and peace be uponour Prophet Muhammad, the Imaam of mercy, who was sent with the guidance, and who was commandedwith justice and clarifying the truth. He was the caller to mercy and kindness. And may these same prayersbe upon his family and his companions, all of them. To proceed: Verily the person in our Islamic homeland - as well as the people who love peace in every placein this world - it hurts him to see the carrying out of this war in Iraq, due to his understanding andcomprehending that the wars do not leave behind them anything other than destruction, and that there is novictor in a matter of loss. So everyone in this world will be afflicted by its effects and will live its griefs in theabsense of judging according to intelligence and wisdom. And verily every believer upon this earth from thosewho judge by their intelligence, and express their anxiety and concern about the establishment of this war, hecalls upon the Islamic Ummah, and the nations, and the countries who love peace and who adhere to thefundamentals of justice, to make haste in working to stop it as a mercy to all of humanity, and due to respectfor the covenants, and protecting humanity from the spread of the chaos of wars which do not leave anythingother than destruction in the buidlings and structures, and death for the people. The wars make the womenbecome widows, and the old people mourn and the children frightened. At the same time it kindles in the soulthe tendancies of enmity and hatred between the countries of the world and their people. And verily when we announce this clarification to all of the children of the Kingdom, it is so that we call themto gathering around their leadership which has exherted much effort in the way of preventing Iraq and itspeople from this war since its warning signs first appeared on the horizon. And they (the leaders of SaudiArabia) are not being pacified and nor will they ever be pacified until they find and honorable way of containingthe incident with attempts. We hope for their success in averting the horrors of war from the area. And whathas come in the statement of the Custodian of the Two Sacred Sanctuaries (i.e. King Fahd) and his brother,the successor to the leadership (i.e. Crown Prince 'Abdullaah) - may Allaah preserve them - regarding thismatter is in no need of any explanation or clarification. Likewise the position of the Kingdom in opposition tothis war is clear and announced publicly to all. And we remind ourselves and all of the children of the Ummah, to adhere to Fear of Allaah (i.e. obeying Hiscommands and avoiding His prohibitions), and staying away from division, and differing. Rather they shouldstand together in one rank, acting according to the statement of Allaah, the Most High: {And hold steadfast, all of you, by the Rope of Allaah, and do not be divided}. And His statement: {And do not dispute among yourselves, or you will fail and lose your strength}. And this is a divine command that is obligatory upon everyone in all circumstances. And in the time of trialsand calamities it is even more obligatory and more binding. And from this is the spreading of rumors that aretargeting the matter of our religion and our tranquility and safety. And from this is the attempt of those whotheir souls have made it fair seeming to them, from those with weak souls, to attack the unity of our countryby speech or action. It is obligatory upon the Muslim who feels protective honor in the situations of trial andmajor events which relate to the Ummah in general, to fear Allaah regarding his nation, and he should not behasty. Rather he must use deliberation and gentleness, and he must refer the affairs to their proper people. Allaah, far removed is He from imperfections and Most High is He, said:

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{And when there comes to them a matter of safety or fear, they broadcast it. And if they hadreferred it back to the Messenger and those in authority among them, then those who could extractthe truth of it amongst them would know it}. They would emphasize the neccessity of confirming information and the obligation of seeking shelter withAllaah in both speech and action. May He preserve the safety of our Kingdom in its relgious matters and itsworldly matters, and may He give its rulers firmness upon the truth, and may He protect the lands of theMuslims in general. And it is a duty upon the rest of the people of knowledge in this Kingdom and in every place to make clear tothe people the effects of the evil trials and their wicked results. And they must encourage the people to seekshelter and refuge with Allaah with supplications, and requesting from Him that He removes the harm, andpressing upon Him - Magnficent is His Majesty - to do this and supplicating for this in abundance. Theyshould ask Him for forgiveness and expiation of sins. For indeed it is He Who said: "And when My servantsask you concerning Me, indeed I am Near. I answer the supplication of the supplicator when he calls uponMe. Indeed this clarification is only to emphasize what the government of this land is upon and its scholars and itspeople, of rejecting the war. And Allaah is the One Who Assists, and He is the Most Able, the One withPower over every matter. We ask Him by the magnificence of His Qadr to extinguish this war with His Mercy,and that He covers the inhabited lands with peace. The control of every affair is in His Hand and unto Him isthe final affair. May Allaah send Salaah upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions,and may He send upon them an abundance of Salaam. The Council of Senior ScholarsThe President of the Board'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Abdullaah ibn Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh

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Iraq

The position of the Muslims regarding the crisis in Iraq...1 Shaykh Zayd ibn Muhammad ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee was asked: "And the second question O Shaykh, it is: What is our position, or the position of the Muslims in general withregards to the fitnah that has occurred recently in Iraq in these days?" The Shaykh responded: "It is upon the Muslims to beseech Allaah the Mighty and Majestic so that He raises Islam and the Muslims,so that He raises the Religion, and so that He raises the Magnificent Book, and so that He raises the purifiedSunnah and so that He raises the status of knowledge and the Scholars. And so that He grants relief and away out from every fitnah (trial, tribulation)".

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Iraq

The position of the Muslims regarding the crisis in Iraq...2 Shaykh Ahmad an-Najmee was asked... "O Shaykh what is the position of the Muslim from that which occurred in Iraq? And have you any advice forthe Muslims in general and those living in the west specifically?" The Shaykh responded: "The reality is that this matter is saddening. And there is no power nor might except by Allaah. And theMuslims do not have any strength in their hands, and they do not have anything in their hands (at all). Sothere is nothing upon them except to supplicate for those weak ones who are being slaughtered. As forSaddaam Hussain, then he is a Socialist Ba'thist - and refuge is with Allaah and his creed is evil. However,he has harmed the Muslims, those who are being slaughtered for nothing they have done. So there is nothingupon them except to supplicate for them, and there is no doubt that supplication has its role (and effect), andAllaah, the Sublime and Exalted, is the one in whose Hands all the affairs lie."

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Iraq

The position of the Muslims regarding the crisis in Iraq...3 Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. What is obligatory upon the Muslims is to make recourse to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and to ask Himto protect the Muslims and that He wards off the evil from them, and that suffices the Muslims against the evilof their enemies and their plots. Just as it is obligatory uopn the Muslims to return backto their Lord, and thattheir reflect upon their conditions and about what has led them to this humiliation. And that every single individual returns back to check his own soul, and to check his adherence to his deen,and that he aids Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, as it relates to himself, so that Allaah, the Mighty andMajestic may aid him against his enemy, and this is a vital matter. And it is not befitting that we occup the Muslims away from this mighty objective, which is checking the soul,and aiding Allaah the Mighty and Majestic in regards to one's soul, so that the aid of Allaah, the Mighty andMajestic, for the Ummah can be actualised. Just as it is obligatory upon everyone to return back to the Scholars and to revolve around them, and to takewhatever they direct towards, because they are the most knowledgeable of that by which Allaah, the Mightyand Majestic, rectifies the Ummah, and they are most precise, most understanding and their directions ofadvice are better and safer. And it is not permissible to aid the Kuffar in this matter, and as for the ruling concerning what has happened,then this is for the Scholars, and there is detail to his saying (i.e. the questioner's), "a nullifier from thenullifiers of Islam, or not", because applying a nullifier to a specific individual has conditions that arenecessarily required, and this matter returns back to verifying the base, origin (of the ruling), and explainingthe condition of the person, so that a judgement can be passed upon him that is appropriate and befitting tohis situation. And Allaah knows best. Shaykh Sulaymaan ar-Ruhaylee

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Palestine

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan advises regarding Palestine... Earlier this evening (Sunday 14 April, 2002) Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan, via his open question-answersession on PalTalk, was asked about the position of a Muslim concerning what is happening now to ourbrothers (and sisters) in Palestine, with respect to supplication, giving wealth or making jihaad with them. So he replied: "It is obligatory upon the Muslims to make supplication for their Muslim brothers and to assistthem with wealth. To assist them with wealth and supplication, this is what is obligatory, and this is what willbenefit them." Then the Shaykh was asked, "May Allaah be benevolent to you. And this questioner says, "What is theruling pertaining to demonstrations, and are they considered to be from jihaad in the path of Allaah?" So he replied: "There is no benefit in demonstrations. Rather they are confusion. They are from confusion,disorder. And what harm will be done to the enemy if the people demonstrate a street amongst the streetsand raise their tongues?! Rather, this is from the matters on account of which the enemy actually rejoices,and so he says that he has harmed them and cause damage to them, so the enemy rejoices with this. Islam is a religion of sanctity, and religion of tranquility, a religion based upon knowledge, it is not a religion ofconfusion and noise. It is a religion that aims to bring about tranquility and sanctity, alongside the working ofbeneficial and praisworthy deeds, such as aiding the Muslims and supplicating for them, and providing themwith wealth and weapons. This is praiseworthy, and also arguing for their case with the nations, so that theoppression can be raised from them. And that the nations are asked, those who claim democracy forthemselves, they should be asked to give those Muslims their right, and the right of a human is what theythemselves boast about! However, in their view the human is the disbeliever, and as for the Muslim in theirview, he is not a human but a terrorist. They call the Muslims "terrorists". And the disbeliever is the one whohas rights, in their view! So it us upon the Muslims to traverse upon the manhaj of Islam in the likes of these affairs and other thanthem. Islam did not come with demonstrations and clangor, and raising of the voices, or destruction of thestate properties, or transgression. All of this is not from Islam, it does not benefit, rather this harms theMuslims and does not harm the enemy. This harms the Muslims and does not harm their enemies. Rathertheir enemies rejoice with this, and he says, "I have affected them, I have made them angry, and I haveaffected them."

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Palestine

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh: "Indeed waging war against the weak Muslims in Palestineis (Israeli) terrorism and oppression"... Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, the muftee (one qualified to pass fatwa) of Saudi Arabia and the headof the Council of Senior Scholars and The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawamentioned in the khutbah of 'Arafah (Thursday 21 February, 2002) that what is going on in Palestine is(Israeli) terrorism. Summarily therefore, the Shaykh began by advising the congregation of pilgrims to fear Allaah in secret andopenly and to soley single Him out for worship, in addition to establishing the pillars of the religion andholding steadfast to the clear path of Allaah and adhering to the Sunnah of His (final) chosen Prophet(Muhammad) (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) in all their actions and speech. The Shaykh explained that Allaah's purpose in creating the Jinn and mankind was so that they wouldsincerely worship Him alone, having clarified for them all affairs of the religon (of Islam) so that they can seekguidance from it. And He has given the servant (of Allaah) a choice (free will), just as he has clarified all thatrelates to the religion in terms of interacting with others and establishing justice, thus paving the righteousway for mankind. The Shaykh added that the religion of Islam has commanded respect for the rights and preservation of peoplein terms of wealth, property and the self, and it has commanded peace(making) at (times of) war, as well asthe prohibition of killing women and children, stressing that Islam is far removed from terrorism, and thatascribing terrorism to Islam is a major injustice. The Shaykh continued by saying: "Indeed waging war against the weak Muslims in Palestine is (Israeli)terrorism and oppression". The Shaykh stressed that: "Indeed the resentment of the enemies (of Islam) is because the religion of Islamis the seal (finality) of all the religions, and that its people are the best of people to come forth..." explainingthat: "the religion of Islam has given (each and) every person their rights and has honoured them by freeingthem from the worship of (false) gods to the worship of the (true) Lord (Allaah) of the servants (of Allaah)". The Shaykh explained that: "the enemies of Islam offer a false culture and civilisation which (negatively)differentiates between mankind, and nullifies (all) agreements, offering all types of weaponry to destroymankind". The Shaykh mentioned that: "today the Muslim Ummah was passing through a severe phase which requiresit to take a close look (at itself) so that it can become a single Ummah defending and protecting it's'aqeedah". The Shaykh expressed: "that which has befallen the Ummah today is as a result of sins and weakness ofeemaan (faith) in addition to the presence of partisanship (tahazzub) and (much) differing in the religion; andthe last of the Ummah will never be corrected except by that which corrected the first of the Ummah".

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Palestine

Concerning Palestine, Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen advises... We are advised by authentic sources in Qaseem, that earlier this afternoon (Friday 13 October, 2000), Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen delivered the Jumu'ah khutbah where he spoke about the situation our Muslimbrothers and sisters in Palestine are facing. Briefly, the Shaykh advised the Muslims to donate money to ease the hardship of the Palestinians, with thestrict condition that any such donations are passed on to those whom you know will permit it to reach theintended Muslims. Finally, in addition to remembering the Palestinian Muslims in our prayers, we ask all our Muslim brothersand sisters to remember the noble Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen in their prayers also, and that Allaah(Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) grants him better health and makes easy for him his affairs, aameen.

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Palestine

Concerning the Peace Treaty [The Following questions and answers are taken from at-Tawheed magazine (vol. 23; no. 10), which were afurther clarification by the noble Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz (hafitha-hullaah) about the original set ofquestions concerning the Peace Treaty with the Jews, which first occurred in al-Muslimoon magazine (21stRajab 1415H)] Editor's introduction The main purpose for presenting this particular fatwa (legal ruling) of Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz(hafitha-hullaah) is to show precisely what was said by him concerning this issue, and the principles uponwhich the fataawa was based - remembering: that if the ijtihaad of the Shaykh is correct, then he is rewardedtwo-fold from Allaah, and if he has erred, then he has a single reward - as he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam)said: «When a judge judges and strives and is correct, then he has two rewards. If he judges and strivesand errs, then he has a single reward», [al-Bukhaaree (13/318) and Muslim (no.1716)] The text of the questions and answers Question: Some people have understood from your answer to the question about the peace with the Jews -and it was the first question in the discussion - that a peace treaty or truce with the Jews, who have seizedland and committed oppression, is unrestrictedly permissible; and that it means we may have love andaffection for the Jews. It also means that we may not include anything which will cause hatred for them, ordissociation from them, in the educational curriculum in the Islamic lands, nor in sources of information -claiming that peace with them means this, and that after the peace treaty they are no longer enemies whomwe believe to be our enemies, and because the world today lives in a state of harmony between nations andof peaceful co-existence - therefore it is not allowed to spread religious hatred between the nations. So wehope that you will clarify this matter. Response: The reply is: that a peace treaty with the Jews, or with other kuffaar (disbelievers), does not meanhaving love for them, nor taking them as friends and allies. Rather it means only peace between the two sidesand that each of them will not harm the other, and other things such as buying and selling and exchangingambassadors; and other dealings which do not mean love for the kuffaar or taking them as friends and allies. And the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) established a peace treaty with the people of Makkah; andthat did not mean that they loved them or took them as friends and allies, rather the enmity and hatredremained between them until Allaah made easy the conquest of Makkah in the year of conquest - and thepeople entered Allaah's religion in crowds. Likewise the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) established a peace treaty with the Jews of Madeenahwhen he emigrated to Madeenah - and it was not restricted by any time limit. So this did not necessitate loveof them, nor affection for them. Rather, he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) used to have dealings with them,speaking to them, calling them to Allaah and encouraging them to enter Islam. Furthermore, when he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) died, his armour was held in pledge by a Jew for somefood which he bought for his family. Then when the tribe of an-Nadheer acted treacherously he (sal-Allaahuàlayhe wa sallam) banished them from Madeenah. And when Quraydhah broke their treaty; supporting the Unbelievers of Makkah on the Day of al-Ahzaab infighting against the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) - then the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam) fought them, killing the combatants from them and taking their women and children captive - afterSa'd Ibn Mu'aadh - radiyallaahu 'anhu - was appointed judge in their matter and gave that judgement. TheProphet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) informed that his judgement had indeed agreed with the judgement ofAllaah from above the seven heavens. Likewise was the case with the Muslims from the Companions andthose who came after them, it occurred many times that peace treaties were established between them andthe kuffaar - Christians and others - but that never meant that they had affection, love or friendship with them,as He - the Most Perfect - says:

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{Indeed, you will find the strongest amongst people in enmity to the Believers to be the Jews andthe polytheists}, [Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 82] He - the Most Perfect -- says: {Indeed, there is for you an excellent example in Ibraaheem, and those with him; when they saidto their people: Verily we are free from you and what you worship besides Allaah. We haverejected you, and there has started between us and yourselves enmity and hatred forever - unlessyou truly have eemaan (faith) in Allaah and worship Him alone}, [Soorah al-Mumtahinah, Aayah 4] And He - the Most Perfect -- says: {O you who Believe! Do not take the Jews and Christians as intimate friends and protectors, theyare but intimate friends and protectors to each other. And whosoever turns to them for this, is surelyone of them. Indeed Allaah does not guide a people who are wrong-doers}, [Soorah al-Maa.idah,Aayah 51] And He - the Mighty and Majestic - says: {You will not find any people who believe in Allaah and the Last Day loving those who opposeAllaah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, their sons, their brothers or theirrelatives}, [Soorah al-Mujaadilah, Aayah 22] And the aayaat with this meaning are many. The fact that a peace treaty with the kuffaar - be they Jews or other than them - if it is called in order to attainbenefit or because of need, then this does not mean affection or love for them, nor friendship and allegiancewith them. Thus, when (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) conquered Khaybar, he established a peace treatywith the Jews of Khaybar on the basis that they would take care of the palm trees and crops belonging to theMuslims and half the produce would then be for them and the other half for the Muslims. So they continuedupon that in Khaybar and he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) did not lay down any time limit, rather he(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «We will leave you upon that for as long as we wish» ...and in another narration: «We will leave you upon it for as long as Allaah leaves you upon it» So they continued upon this until 'Umar - radiyallaahu 'anhu - banished them. And it is related that 'Abdullaah Ibn Rawaahah - radiyallaahu 'anhu - that when he estimated the amount dueto them for one year, they said: You have estimated unjustly. So he - radiyallaahu 'anhu - said: "By Allaah! My hatred for you and my love for the Muslims does not lead me to treat you unjustly. So if youwish you may take the share that I have estimated for you, and if you wish then we will take that share'' [Compare this with the saying of Hasan al-Bannaa - as occurs in at-Tareeq ilal-Jamaa'atil-Umm (p. l32) - thathe said at a party gathering: "The movement of al-Ikhwaan is not directed against any 'aqeedah (beliefs) fromthe differing 'aqeedahs, nor any religion from the various religions, nor any of the differing groups and parties.Al-Ikhwaanul-Muslimoon do not hate the foreigners (i.e. the non-Arabs) who settle in the Arabic and Islamiclands, and they do not hold any evil towards them - even the Jews who live in the land. Rather, there isnothing between us and them except good relations"] So all of this shows that peace treaties and truces do not necessitate love, friendship and affection for theenemies of Allaah - as is thought by some of those who have little knowledge of the pure Sharee'ah rulings.Therefore, it will be clear to the questioner and others, that peace with the Jews - or other disbelievers - doesnot mean that we change educational curriculae, nor any other dealings relating to loving and friendship andallegiance - and it is Allaah who grants success.

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Question: Does an unrestricted peace treaty with the enemy mean that we concede to them Palestine - theland of the Muslims which they have seized. And that it has now become a permanent land, by right, for theJews due to the agreement made by the United Nations - which represent the nations of the earth. Then theUnited Nations will seek to punish any nation which tries to restore this land, or fight the Jews who are in it. Response: The peace between the leader of the Muslims in Palestine and the Jews does not mean that theJews will permanently own the lands which they now possess. Rather, it only means that they would be inpossession of it for a period of time until either the truce comes to an end, or until the Muslims becomestrong enough to force them out of the Muslim lands - in the case of an unrestricted peace. Likewise, it isobligatory, when we have the ability, to fight the Jews until they enter into Islam or give the jizyah (a tax leviedon those who are permitted to live under the protection of a Muslim state) in servility. [However, it occurs in Hadeethul-Jareedur-Raayatil-Qatariyyah (no. 4696), that Yoosuf al-Qaradaawee - one ofthe leaders of the present-day modernist movement - said: ''Indeed we do not fight the Jews due to 'aqeedah,but rather because of land!''] The same applies to the Christians and the Magians, as Allaah - the Most Perfect - says in Soorahat-Towbah, Aayah 29: {Fight against those who do not believe in Allaah and the Last Day, nor forbid that which has beenforbidden by Allaah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge Islam, the religion of truth, from amongstthe People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and Christians), until they pay the jizyah with willingsubmission and feel themselves subdued} It is also established in the Saheeh of al-Bukhaaree that he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) took the jizyahfrom the Magians. Therefore they have the same ruling as the Ahlul-Kitaab (the People of the Book) withregards only to the jizyah - if they do not accept Islam. However, as for the allowance of their food and theirwomen, then that is particular only to Ahlul-Kitaab, as is stated in the text of the Book of Allaah - the MostPerfect - in Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 55]. And al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer (d.771H) (rahima-hullaah) states whatwe have said relating to the peace treaty in tafseer (explanation) of the saying of Allaah - the Most High - inSoorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 61: {But if they incline to peace, then you also incline to it, and put your trust in Allaah. Indeed He isthe all-Hearer, the all-Knower} Question: Is it permissible to build upon the peace treaty with the Jewish enemy by allowing them what istermed normalization of relations; and allowing them to take economic benefit from the Islamic lands andother spheres which will give them great benefit and increase their strength and establish them further uponthe Islamic lands which they have misappropriated; and the Muslims can open their markets for them to selltheir goods, and that they must open economic foundations - such as banks and businesses in which theJews have a share along with the Muslims, and that they must likewise share the water sources such as theNile and the Euphrates - even though they do not flow through Palestine? Response: The peace between the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Jews does not necessitatewhat the questioner mentioned with regards to the rest of the countries. Rather, each country sees what isbeneficial So if it sees that it is beneficial for the Muslims in its land to have peace with the Jews and toexchange ambassadors and to engage in trade and other dealings which are considered lawful by the pureSharee'ah of Allaah, then this is alright. However, if it sees that the benefit for it and its people lies in cutting-off from the Jews, then it should act asthe Sharee'ah requires and benefit necessitates Likewise, with regard to all the rest of the kaafir lands - theirruling being the same as the Jews in this matter. So what is obligatory upon everyone who is in charge of the affairs of the Muslims -whether he is a king, andAmeer or a President of a Republic: - is that he takes care of what is beneficial to his people and allows whatwill be beneficial to them, from those matters which Allaah has not forbidden in His pure Sharee'ah, and thathe prevents other than that with any kaafir state, acting upon the saying of Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic: {Indeed, Allaah does command you to render back the trusts to those to whom they are due},

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[Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 58] {So if they incline to peace, then you too incline to peace}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 61] And following also the example of the (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) in the peace treaties he made with thepeople of Makkah, and the Jews in Madeenah and in Khaybar. And he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said inan authentic hadeeth: «Each one of you is a responsible guardian and each one of you will be asked about those he isresponsible for. So the ruler over the people is a responsible guardian and will be questionedconcerning those he is responsible for; and the man is the responsible guardian over the people ofhis house and will be questioned about those he is responsible for, and the woman is theresponsible guardian in the house of her husband and will be questioned about those she isresponsible for; and the slave is a responsible guardian over the wealth of his owner and will bequestioned about his responsibility. Indeed, each of you is a responsible guardian and will bequestioned about what he is responsible for», [al-Bukhaaree (13/100) and Muslim (no.1829]] And Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - says in His Noble Book: {O you who Believe! Do not betray Allaah and His Messenger, nor knowingly betray those thingsthat have been entrusted to you}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 27] So all of this is with regards to when one is unable to fight the disbelievers, or unable to make them give thejizyah, if they are from Ahlul-Kitaab. However, when one does have the power to fight jihaad against them,then what is required is to call them to enter into Islam, or be killed, or to pay the jizyah - if they are from itspeople. In this case it is not permissible to seek peace with them, nor to abandon fighting and the jizyah.Rather, seeking peace is allowed when there is a need or necessity; when you are unable to fight them orenforce the jizyah upon them - if they are from its people, as Allaah - the Most Perfect, the Most High - saysin the aayah that has already preceded: {Fight against those who do not believe in Allaah and the Last day, nor forbid that which has beenforbidden by Allaah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge Islam, the religion of truth, from amongstthe People of the Book (i.e. the Jews and Christians), until they pay the jizyah with willingsubmission and feel themselves subdued}, [Soorah at-Towbah, Aayah 29] {And fight them on until there is no more fitnah and the Religion is made purely for Allaah}, [Soorahal-Anfaal, Aayah 39] And the action of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) with the People of Makkah on the day ofHudaybiyyah; and on the day of the Conquest; and also with the Jews when he came to Madeenah showswhat we have said. We ask Allaah to guide the Muslims and to grant them every good; and that He puts theiraffairs in a good state, granting them knowledge and understanding of the Religion. And that He places thebest of them in charge of them, correcting their leaders and helping them to fight jihaad against the enemiesof Allaah in the way that is pleasing to Him. Indeed He is the One to grant that, and the One having full powerover it. And may Allaah's praises and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his Family,Companions and followers.

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Palestine

The type of Jihaad in Palestine Question: What is the Islamic Sharee'ah perspective of the current jihaad of the Palestinians; Is it jihaad inthe Path of Allaah, or jihaad for the sake of land and freedom? And is jihaad for the sake of land (andfreedom) considered as jihaad in the Path of Allaah? Response: It has been confirmed to us by trustworthy and reliable witnesses that the Palestinian intifaadhah(uprising) and those who have stood forth in this are from the most dedicated Muslims there, and that theirjihaad is (an) Islamic (one). This is because they are oppressed by the Jews, and that which is obligatoryupon them is to protect their religion and themselves and their families and children and to drive out theirenemy from their land with all they are able to of strength. And these trustworthy and reliable (witnesses) who joined (the Palestinians) in their jihaad and assisted themin that have informed us of their (the Palestinians') Islamic enthusiasm and their abidance to applying theIslamic Sharee'ah amongst them. So that which is obligatory upon the Islamic countries and the rest of theMuslims is to assist and support them so they can be free of their enemy, so as to return to their land, inaccordance with the saying of Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala): {O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are close to you, and let them findharshness in you, and know that Allaah is with those who are pious}, [Soorah at-Towbah, Aayah 123] And His (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) saying: {March forth, whether you are light (being healthy, young and wealthy) or heavy (being ill, old andpoor), strive hard with your wealth and your lives in the Path of Allaah. This is better for you, if youbut knew}, [Soorah at-Towbah, Aayah 41] And His (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) saying: {O You who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful torment} {That you believe in Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam), andthat you strive hard and fight in the Path of Allaah with your wealth and your lives, that will bebetter for you, if you but know!} {(If you do so) He will forgive you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow,and pleasant dwelling in Gardens of 'Adn Eternity ['Adn (Eden) Paradise], that is indeed the greatsuccess} {And also (He will give you) another (blessing) which you love, help from Allaah (against yourenemies) and a near victory. And give glad tidings (O Muhammad sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) tothe believers}, [Soorah as-Saff, Aayaat 10-13] And the verses with this meaning are many. And it is authenticated from the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) that he said: «Make jihaad against the mushrikoon with your wealth, your selves and your tongues (speech») And because they are oppressed, then it is upon their Muslim brethren to aid them against those whooppress them, as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «A Muslim is the brother of a(nother) Muslim; he does not oppress him and nor does he hand himover (to the enemy»), its athenticity is agreed upon by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. And his (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) saying: «Assist your (Muslim) brother if he is the oppresser or the oppressed», it was asked:

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"O Messenger of Allaah: (we understand about) assisting him when he is oppressed, so how do we assisthim when he is the oppresser?" He (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «Restrain him from oppressing (anyone), for that is asssiting your (Muslim) brother». And the ahaadeeth regarding the obligation of jihaad in the Path of Allaah and assisting the oppressed anddeterring the oppresser are very many. So we ask Allaah to grant our mujaahideen brethren victory in the Path of Allaah over their enemies inPalestine and elsewhere, and to unite them upon the truth and to grant all the Muslims the ability to assistthem and to stand firm against their enemies and to forsake the enemies of Islam wherever they may be andto descend upon the evil-doing and criminal people/nation (much) suffering, (that) which does not cease,indeed He is the All-Hearing. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 4, Page 295Majallah ad-Da'wah published 09/08/1409 A.H. PLEASE NOTE: Terrorism is haraam in Islam, and this fatwa does not in any way or form imply it'spermissibility or acceptance. Rather, it provides a qualified Islamic legal ruling to oppose those who havecaused oppression by occupying Palestinian land.

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Palestine

The Palestinian Issue Question: What is the way to proceed regarding the Palestinian issue, which has, as the days pass,escalated in terms of complexity and violence? Response: Certainly, the Muslim(s) feel much pain and great sadness at the deteriorating situation inPalestine, with matters going from bad to worse, escalating in complexity as the days pass, such that it hasreached where it has (today). This is due to the differing (occurring) between the neighbouring countries, andtheir lack of united resistance against their enemy, and (likewise) their lack of adherence to the Sharee'ahwhich Allaah has linked to victory (and success). (This is also in addition to) the enemy vowing to oppose(the Palestinians) and remain upon the (Palestinians') land. And this entails great danger and adverseconsequences. The neighbouring countries need to rush to unite in their resistance (against the enemy) and adhere to theSharee'ah in confronting this issue, which concerns them and all of the Muslim world. And that which is worth mentioning here, is that the Palestinian issue is an Islamic issue from the beginning(right through) to the end. However, the enemies of Islam have strived immensely to distance it (this issue)from the Islamic path and convey to the non-Arab Muslims that this is an Arab issue, and that it does notconcern the non-Arabs. It appears they have succeeded in this to a certain extent. This is why I feel it is notpossible to reach a solution regarding this issue unless it is deemed an Islamic issue, and the Muslimssupport one another in salvation, and make jihaad against the Jews in an Islamic manner, until such time theland (of the Palestinians) is returned to its (rightful Palestinian) owners. (In addition to) the trespassing Jewsreturning to their (own) lands where they came from, thereby leaving the true Jews to remain in their landsunder the rule of Islam, and not communism and nor secularism. Thereby, truth shall prevail and falsehoodwill be abandoned, and all rightful owners shall return to their lands under Islamic rule, and not under anyother (rule). And Allaah is the Expounder of Success. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 1, Page 277 PLEASE NOTE: Terrorism is haraam in Islam, and this fatwa does not in any way or form imply it'spermissibility or acceptance. Rather, it provides a qualified Islamic legal ruling to oppose those who havecaused oppression by occupying Palestinian land.

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Terrorism and Suicide bombings

Grand Mufti Condemns Militants The Kingdom’s Grand Mufti Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, who also chairs the Senior Commissionof ulema (religious scholars), condemned criminal acts perpetrated by militants. He also called on Saudicitizens to report any suspicious activity to the security forces, and warned them not to hide militants. The Grand Mufti described Al-Qaeda as enemies of Islam, the nation, and its economy, and urged allMuslims to unite and combat all crimes. He also praised security forces for their efforts. Source: http://www.saudiembassy.net/2006News/News/NewsDetail.asp?cIndex=6330

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http://www.saudiembassy.net/2006News/News/NewsDetail.asp?cIndex=6330


http://www.saudiembassy.net/2006News/News/NewsDetail.asp?cIndex=6330



Grand Mufti Tells Militants to Surrender Saturday 10 September 2005: Saudi Arabia's grand mufti yesterday called upon Al-Qaeda militants in thecountry to repent and surrender to the authorities. He also praised Saudi security forces for launchingpre-emptive strikes to foil terrorist attacks. In a statement following Tuesday's anti-terror operation in Dammam, which led to the killing of fivemost-wanted terrorists, Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh urged citizens, including imams, to extend fullcooperation to security forces in the fight against terrorism. "Parents must inform police if their children persist to follow the deviant ideology even after they were givenadvice by themselves as wells as Islamic scholars," he said, adding that such steps are imperative to protectthe country from terrorist operations.

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Grand Mufti and Others Denounce London Bombings Saturday 9 July 2005: The Kingdom's grand mufti yesterday strongly denounced the deadly blasts thatrocked London, saying Islam strictly prohibits the killing of innocent people. He also censured the terroristsfor tarnishing the image of Islam by attaching their heinous crimes to the religion. The explosions that ripped through central London's transport system on Thursday, "targeting peacefulpeople, are not condoned by Islam, and are indeed prohibited by our religion," Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aalash-Shaykh said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. "Attributing to Islam acts of individual or collective killings, bombings, destruction of properties and theterrorizing of peaceful people is unfair, because they are alien to the divine religion," said the mufti, who alsoheads the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars, Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority. "Islam is a religion of reforms and righteousness. It envisages the progress of humanity and takes it fromdarkness to light. It also calls for respecting agreements and prohibits their violation," the mufti said referringto accords binding governments. "Causing corruption on earth is one of the biggest crimes in Islam," heexplained. Sheikh 'Abdul 'Azeez said respectable Muslim scholars all over the world have stated that such outrages bearno relation to Islam. Sheikh 'Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a senior Saudi scholar and a Shoura member, said there was nojustification, whatsoever, for the killing of innocent people. Speaking to MBC television, he urged all membersof the Muslim community in Britain to cooperate with British authorities in tracking down the criminals behindthe attacks. Shaikh 'Abdul 'Azeez Bin Abdullah Al-AsShaikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the Committeeof Senior Ulema [religious scholars] and Chairman of the Department of Scientific Research and Ifta[guidance], today condemned the terrorist bombings in London and issued the following statement: "Killing and terrorizing innocent people and the destruction of property are not condoned by Islam. Attributingall these horrific incidents to Islam is unjust. Muslims should tell the truth and unveil falseness, and inform allpeople that Islam is a religion of righteousness, betterment and progress. Islam is the final revelation thatAllah chose for humankind to guide it from darkness to light. Allah said: "This day, I have perfected yourreligion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." Our religion urges us to fulfill our obligations and prohibits us from abandoning such obligations. Allah said: {O you who believe! Fulfill your obligations.} The unjust killing of a human being in Islam is forbidden. Allah said: {And kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden except for a just cause.} Corruption on earth is considered a major sin in Islam. Allah said: {And of mankind there is he whose speech may please you in this worldly life, and he calls Allah towitness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most quarrelsome of the opponents. And whenhe turns away from you, his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the cropsand the cattle, and Allah likes not mischief. And when it is said to him 'Fear Allah,' he is led byarrogance to more crime. So enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest.}

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Grand Mufti denounces the killing of Egypt's envoy to Iraq Friday 8 July 2005: Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of theCommittee of Senior Ulema [religious scholars] and Chairman of the Department of Scientific Research andIfta [guidance], today issued the following statement in response to the killing of the Egyptian envoy to Iraq: Praise be to Allah, and prayer and peace upon his last Prophet. We ask Allah to preserve our religion andbless us by adhering with it to the apparent and hidden truth and keep us sane and protect us from the evilsof ourselves. We heard with great pain what happened to the Egyptian envoy to Iraq, and since this incident was falselyput in a religious context we would like to present the truth, and hope that Allah will guide by it the hearts ofthose who deviated from the righteous path. Killing of the souls that Allah prohibited is a greater crime and one of the greatest sins, as Allah says: {And kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause,} ...and Allah also says: {Because of that we ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not inretaliation of murder or to spread mischief in the land, it would be as if he killed all mankind.} What happened to the Egyptian envoy, as he was kidnapped and killed, is considered spread of mischief inthe land which Allah prohibited. Allah says: {And of mankind there is he whose speech may please you, in this worldly life, and he calls Allahto witness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most quarrelsome of the opponents. Andwhen he turns away from you, his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy thecrops and the cattle, and Allah likes not mischief. And when it is said to him "Fear Allah," he is ledby arrogance to more crime. So enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest.} It is, therefore, clear that this action is prohibited and is among the great sins, and even worse is to relate itto religion. That is a major crime and deceit using the name of Allah, as Allah says: {Verily, those who invent lies against Allah will never prosper.} This statement is to present the truth and advise the nation. We ask Allah to preserve our religion and peace,to keep us sane and guide us to understand our religion and adhere to the deeds of our Prophet and to saveus from the apparent and hidden temptations of sedition. Aameen.

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Saudis Stand United Against Terrorism Monday 7 February 2005: A nationwide anti-terror campaign was launched on Saturday as officials,intellectuals, students and the general public vowed to stand by the government in its efforts to stamp outterrorism. The campaign, coinciding with the Counterterrorism International Conference in Riyadh, aims atincreasing public awareness of terrorism and deviancy. All governorates, ministries and government departments are taking part in the campaign, which aims toisolate the remaining elements who support the terror network. Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, the Kingdom's grand mufti, said Islam, which calls for the protectionof a man's life, family, wealth, honor and intellect, totally rejects terrorism. "If a person kills a believer, hispunishment is hell," the mufti said, quoting a Qur'anic verse. He also pointed out that the protection ofnon-Muslims living in a Muslim country was the responsibility of the country's government. Al-Asheikh said terrorists who cause corruption on Earth by carrying out killings and destruction deservetough punishment as the Holy Qur'an directs. In a similar statement, Saleh Al-Asheikh, minister of Islamic affairs and endowments, called upon religiousscholars, intellectuals, academics and writers to stand with the government in its fight against terrorism andextremism. The Islamic Ministry has planned a variety of programs in support of the anti-terror campaign. "We have setup a team to carry out a number of programs, including lectures and seminars, to educate the public on thedanger posed by deviant groups," the minister said. Friday sermons delivered by prayer leaders (imaams) in many of the Kingdom's mosques focused on theneed to confront terrorism. "Fighting terrorism is a joint responsibility," Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid, one of the imams of the Grand Mosque,said in his sermon. Bin-Humaid, who is also chairman of the Shoura Council, said terrorist actions committedby Al-Qaeda cells in the Kingdom benefited only the enemies of Islam. He reminded scholars, teachers,writers and imams of their responsibility to guide youth and protect them from deviant thought. Sheikh Abdul Bari Al-Thubaity, the imam of the Prophet's Mosque in Madeenah, said Islam had nothing to dowith terrorism and condemned those who fish in troubled waters and work to tarnish the image of Islam andMuslims. "Islam is a religion of mercy and benevolence. It is a religion of construction, not destruction," the SaudiPress Agency quoted him as saying.

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250 Talked Out of Terrorism Monday 7 February 2005: Saleh Al-Asheikh speaks to the media at the Counterterrorism InternationalConference in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has been successful in changing the idological thinking of more than 250 Al-Qaedasympathizers, the Kingdom's Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh said yesterday. "We have reached out to them and have succeeded in convincing more than 250 to change their ways," hesaid, speaking of his ministry's counterterrorism program conducted over the Internet. The program includesdirect counseling as well as a hotline for families who are worried that their sons may be drawn toward theAl-Qaeda terror network. "We conducted a dialogue with 800 of them and more than a quarter were convinced. We are continuing ourefforts with the rest," he told delegates attending an international counterterrorism conference. "The Internet isa fertile field. We have used many Islamic and cultural sites to increase awareness of the dangers ofterrorism." Since a triple suicide bombing in Riyadh in May 2003, the Kingdom has cracked down on Al-Qaeda militantsand the religious scholars who have publicly supported them. It has also waged a media campaign to turnSaudis against violence and to persuade parents to be more aware of signs that their sons are being drawn tomilitants, either in Saudi Arabia or in Iraq. Militants have also made extensive use of the Internet and there are at least two Al-Qaeda-affiliated webmagazines which have prompted alarm among some security experts who say militants are turning the webinto a virtual classroom. Saudi Arabia is currently hosting an antiterrorism conference including security and intelligence experts frommore than 50 countries who have been asked to set out strategies for combating terrorism. Crown PrinceAbdullah, who opened the conference on Saturday, has called for the establishment of an antiterrorismcenter. The crown prince's proposal has been warmly welcomed by most delegates at the conference. However, USHomeland Security adviser Frances Townsend told reporters that "the center would not end the need forbilateral exchange of information." But anything done to increase intelligence sharing in the fight againstterrorism is a "net gain," she added. Al-Asheikh said his ministry operates a hotline for anyone who wants guidance. "If there is a father who doesnot know how to solve a problem with his son, there is a direct line to the ministry." The minister said his ministry had instructed preachers 25 times over the past three years to devote entiresermons to condemning terrorism. Over the past year, religious scholars from the ministry have held severalweeks of contacts with "terrorists" in order to show them their errors, he said. "Most have wanted to continue(the contact) because we do not approach this in a condescending way," he said, describing the contact as"one-to-one." It was not clear if he was referring to face-to-face meetings or only exchanges over the Internet. Al-Asheikh, who was one of the main speakers on the second day of the conference, also emphasized theneed to solve Middle Eastern problems as a way to reduce the appeal of terrorism. "People cannot ignore what is going on in Iraq and Palestine as these issues arouse the feelings andemotions of Muslims around the world," he pointed out. He said that convincing extremists not to cross the line into terrorism is not an easy task. "There are twoways of dealing with them; one is by opening a dialogue and trying to reason with them and the other is byusing force," he added. Al-Asheikh said the true Islam, which Saudi Arabia promotes, is a great distance from what the extremistsbelieve in. "Islam is a religion of peace and prosperity; it teaches us ethics and morality," he said, adding that

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a Muslim must be loyal to his country and his country must be able to trust him. The minister noted that when Osama Bin Laden was in Saudi Arabia prior to 1998, he cooperated with theSaudi government as well as with the Americans. "When Osama announced his war against Saudi Arabiaand the humanity at large, the government decided to withdraw his Saudi nationality," Al-Asheikh said,describing Bin Laden as the head of terrorism. Saudi scholars have issued statements and edicts defining and condemning terrorism. "The Prophet said thatthose who injure non-Muslims in a Muslim land will not have a chance of coming close to Heaven,"Al-Asheikh said. He said his ministry planned to continue its dialogue with extremists. "We do not intend to discuss theirbeliefs with them since we find them completely wrong. On the other hand, we try to dissuade them frominvolving themselves in terrorist attacks." Al-Asheikh denied allegations that the Kingdom's religious establishment was against reform. "That is nottrue. The religious establishment agrees with many of the reforms," he said, adding that reform must beimplemented gradually. "We will not accept any pressure from outside," he said.

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Makkah Imam Urges Muslims to Shun Terror Wednesday 8 December 2004: As millions of faithful marked 'Eed al-Adhaa yesterday, Muslims were warnedagainst heeding militant calls to wage terrorist attacks in the name of Islam. The warning came, amid a surge in militant attacks in Muslim countries and beyond, from SheikhAbdulrahman Al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, while addressing Haj pilgrims in a customary'Eed sermon. The imam also advised Islamic scholars to preach moderation to confront this "rotten"phenomenon. "Islam is the religion of moderation. There is no room for extremism in Islam," he said. He called on Muslims to "protect non-Muslims in the Kingdom and not to attack them in the country oranywhere. Islam is a religion of peace that abhors attack on innocents." Militants were using misguidedinterpretations of Islam to justify violence, he added. "Because Muslims have strayed from moderation, we are now suffering from this dangerous phenomenon ofbranding people infidels and inciting Muslims to rise against their leaders to cause instability," Al-Sudaissaid. "The reason for this is a delinquent and void interpretation of Islam based on ignorance...faith does not meankilling Muslims or non-Muslims who live among us, it does not mean shedding blood, terrorizing or sendingbody parts flying." Al-Sudais warned that extremism would ruin the Muslim nation, adding: "This phenomenon has expanded somuch that scholars must confront it with concrete proof from Islam to protect our youth from its stench androttenness." He added: "One of the main issues that needs to be tackled in principle is reform". He criticized dissidentSaad Al-Faqeeh who is calling to rebel against the government in order to create disunity among the people.He described him as a reckless adventurer who is obsessed with publicity.

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Grand Mufti condemns attack on U.S. consulate Wednesday 8 December 2004: The Kingdom's Grand Mufti, Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh,condemned and denounced the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah on Monday 6th December2004. In a statement published in the Jeddah-based Al-Madinah newspapers today, Al Al-Sheikh said that attackingthe U.S. consulate, throwing explosives, killing and wounding innocent people, and undermining stability andsecurity utterly contradict the teachings of Islam. He said that all citizens and residents in the Kingdom are entitled to peace and security under the law, andno religious scholar could condone such criminal, terrorist attacks on innocent people. Source: SPA

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Makkah Imam says "Nip Terror Groups in the Bud" Saturday 24 July 2004: The imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais saidhere yesterday that terrorism and extremism must be stopped and the organizations that promote terrorshould be dismantled. Delivering his Friday sermon, the imam said militant groups had unleashed a war on religious values, and thismust be stopped. He said such terror groups should be nipped in the bud. "This should be one of our major priorities in order topreserve the nation against trials and strife," he told thousands of worshippers. "Some of our sons were brainwashed and became tools in the hands of deviants to commit violence andpractice terrorism. They took the path of extremism, destruction and explosion. They tried very hard todamage the fabric of the society and sought violent means to change the social system," he said. Al-Sudais expressed the fear that such groups would ratchet up their attacks not only physically but also onideologies. The next stage would witness a war on religious values using their extremist thoughts, he said "We have to overcome these negatives and to rebuild," Al-Sudais said. He called on the nation to be honest,to abide by the precepts of their religion and to make sure of the safety of their country. "We should bevigilant and counter such extremist thoughts, he said. "Thank God that the symbols of terrorism are falling down like tree leaves during fall time. We remind thosethat still sympathize, or harbor these people that they are committing a crime against their religion, theirnation and their country," said Al-Sudais. "A Muslim returning to the right path, even if it is a small step toward it, will face God's mercy on the Day ofJudgment, but not those whose hands are covered with blood. "The rulers of this country offered that chance to these people with a one-month amnesty, so that thesepeople return to the right path. Those that gave themselves up have found peace and forgiveness," he added. "Those still sticking to the wrong path will only harm themselves, their family and their society," he said.

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Public Urged to Inform on Terrorists - Grand Mufti Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority yesterday (Friday 4 June, 2004) issued a fatwa, or religious edict,calling on citizens and expatriates to inform on suspected extremists engaged in terrorist activities. The committee that issues religious rulings, headed by Grand Mufti Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh,"urges citizens and (foreign) residents to inform on anyone planning or preparing to carry out an act ofsabotage," the Saudi Press Agency reported. The aim is to "protect the people and the country from the destructive effects of such actions and to shieldthe planners themselves from the consequences of their actions," the fatwa said. The committee condemned the recent attacks in the Kingdom and urged extremists to "fear God Almightyand come to their senses." It said it issued the edict in response to inquiries about "the appalling events of the past few weeks," whichhave seen an escalation in the terror campaign blamed on Al-Qaeda sympathizers. Some 85 people have been killed and hundreds injured in a wave of violence which began in May 2003. In one of the bloodiest episodes, 22 people were killed when gunmen went on a shooting rampage and seizedhostages in Alkhobar last weekend. Yesterday's edict reinforces repeated calls by Saudi officials on the population to inform on terror suspects,coupled with warnings that those who turn a blind eye to terrorist activities will be seen as accomplices of theextremists. Authorities have promised large financial rewards for those who help catch most-wanted militants or thwartattacks.

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Haram Imams Denounce Terrorist Attacks The imams of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madeenah yesterday (Saturday 8 May, 2004) denouncedrecent terrorist attacks in the Kingdom and said the terrorists were playing in the hands of Islam's enemies. "Our hearts tremble... from these criminal acts in Riyadh, from what followed in Yanbu... because theyclaimed sacred lives," said Dr. Osama Khayyat, an imam at al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah. Delivering his sermon to the thousands of faithful who thronged the mosque for the Friday prayer, the imamreiterated that Islam prohibits the killing of innocent people. The imam was referring to the killing of five Western engineers and a National Guard officer in the latestterrorist attack in the industrial city of Yanbu and the suicide bombing of a security forces building in Riyadh,which killed six people, including four security men and a young girl, and wounded 145 others. The imam accused the perpetrators of the attacks, suspected sympathizers of the Al-Qaeda terror network,of being stooges of Muslims' enemies. "In truth, who benefits from these actions? The Muslims or theirenemies?" asked Khayyat. "How can a reasonable person become a willing tool in the hands of his enemies and the enemies of hiscountry and the (Islamic) nation?" he asked, urging worshipers to denounce violence and stand united againstthis "grave danger." In Madeenah, his words were echoed by Sheikh Hussein Al-Asheikh, one of the imams of al-Masjidan-Nabawee, who also said the main purpose of the Sharee'ah was to assure the happiness of the whole ofmankind. "Islamic teachings aim to achieve lofty and noble goals...every activity of a Muslim should conform to theobjectives set by his religion." "The criminal actions that took place in the Kingdom are despicable. They violate the orders of God and theteachings of His Prophet...They will only serve the interests of our enemies," he added.

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"Crush Terror Mercilessly" - Grand Mufti Saudi Arabia's grand mufti yesterday (Saturday 31 January, 2004) reiterated Islam's total opposition to terrorand called upon the world's decision-makers and politicians to do justice to the Islamic nation. Delivering his annual sermon to nearly two million pilgrims who had assembled on the plain of Arafat, Shaykh'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh emphasized that terror and violence must be "mercilessly" crushed. "Is it justice to blame a nation on the basis of the opinion of its rivals and enemies, ignoring the greatness ofthat nation, its roots, rulers, scholars and books?" the mufti asked. "Islam has forbidden violence in all itsforms. It has forbidden hijacking airplanes, ships and other means of transport and has forbidden all acts thatwould undermine security," he told the faithful. "God says the penalty for those who fight God and His Prophet and spread violence and terror is to be killed,crucified or have their hands and legs chopped off," he said. The mufti added, "Islam has also called for the killing of anyone who attempts to undermine legitimate rulersor divide Muslims." He then questioned why Islam was branded by some as a religion of terror given its strong opposition toterror. "You must know Islam's firm stance against all these terrible crimes which have been attributed to it.The world must know that Islam is the religion of peace and mercy and goodness; it is the religion of justiceand guidance. It is a religion that prohibits all forms of injustice and the shedding of blood without genuinereason," he explained. "Islam has made the fulfillment of treaties and pledges compulsory and has given importance to protectingthe blood of allies," he said. Sheikh 'Abdul 'Azeez, the Kingdom's highest religious authority, said a true Muslim who intended to serveIslam would never try to undermine the Ummah. "Jihaad does not mean shedding the blood of Muslims orkilling peaceful people or destroying their properties," he said and urged Muslims to act prudently and wiselyand not be driven by emotions or passions. "Jihaad was made lawful not to shed blood or to take revenge but as a kind of worship of God and one of thereligious duties for defending the Islamic nation," he pointed out. The mufti urged those who raise the slogan of jihaad to consider carefully for a time if what they were doingwas really in accordance with the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Jihaad has a wide meaning in Islam,he said. Calling people to God's message, promoting good relations between Muslims and carrying out one's dutiesare part of jihaad. He condemned the attitude of some extremists who brand others infidels or enemies ofGod. The mufti repeated his strong opposition to women mixing freely with men. "Women should be grateful for therespectful role accorded to them by Islam as mothers," he said. "Their dialogue must remain from behind theveil," he said. Sheikh 'Abdul 'Azeez highlighted the significance of 'Arafah prayers. "'Arafah Day is the most blessed day ofthe year as God forgives the sins of a large number of people on that day." He urged Muslims to strengthen their faith in God and live in accordance with His teachings for success inthis world and the hereafter. Islam is a complete way of life and is suitable to all times and places. "If anyoneaccepts something other than Islam as his religion, it will not be acceptable," the mufti said quoting from theQur'an. Saudi authorities took unprecedented security measures to protect the pilgrims who flocked to 'Arafah for theclimax of the Hajj.

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Makkah Imam Equates Riyadh Bombing With Israeli Terror Saudi Arabia's Islamic affairs minister and imams of the two holy mosques have condemned (Friday 14November, 2003) Saturday's terrorist bombing at Al-Muhaya compound in Riyadh as a gruesome crime andlikened it to Israeli terror against the Palestinians. The bombing of a residential compound in the capital last Saturday, which killed at least 18 people andinjured 120 others, violates the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan, Islamic Affairs Minister SalehAl-Asheikh said. "It is in itself a big crime and would have been tantamount to declaring war on God and the Prophet if it hadtaken place in any other month. But it becomes the worst of crimes when it is committed in the holy month,"the minister said. Dr. Saleh Bin Humaid, the imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and chairman of the Shoura Council,compared the actions of the suspected Al-Qaeda bombers who carried out the attack last week to Israeliterror in Palestinian territories. In his Friday sermon to over one million faithful who thronged the large mosque complex, the imam said theterrorists who bombed the Riyadh compound were seeking to sow strife among Muslims. "Are the terrorism of Israel and the terrorism of those (militants) coordinated?" Dr. Humaid asked. "Is thepurpose to kill more Arabs and Muslims and create more violence and instability?" "It is inevitable that we should draw comparisons between the women and children who are being killed inPalestine and the homes that are being razed and the women and children who were killed in Riyadh whilethey were in their homes," the imam said. Many of the casualties in Riyadh were women and children and the attack shocked Muslims worldwide. Dr. Humaid urged everyone in the Kingdom including security forces and the media to combat terror andextremism. In his sermon at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, Sheikh Hussein Al-Asheikh said Muslims all over theworld were shocked by the Riyadh terrorist bombing. "Pen and tongue will be unable to give an exact pictureof that tragedy and the impact of that gruesome crime," he said. The Muslim world as a whole wasunanimous in condemning the Riyadh bombing, he added. In his statement, Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh said killing an innocent person, especially abeliever, without any reason was one of the biggest crimes in Islam. "Protection of a person, his property anddignity are among the main objectives of Shariah," the minister said. Al-Alsheikh urged all Muslims to stand united in the fight against terrorists. "It is the duty of every scholar andpreacher, student, khateeb and imam of mosques and all other Muslims to work together against thiscommon enemy. "This is a flagrant act of hostility and a war against Islam and its followers in the home of Islam in the monthof the Holy Qur'an," he said. "Muslims must weep when they see this assault on sanctity, these people who do not heed the holy month,and when they see the fundamentals of Shariah violated," the minister said. "God has given the utmost importance to security. It is a great blessing. God has promised that He will givebelievers peace and security after they lived in fear," he said quoting a verse from the Qur'an. "Worship of God, the spreading of the truth, the implementation of Shariah, the establishment of justice... canonly flourish in safety and security. It is therefore the duty of every Muslim to protect them," the ministeradded.

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"Don't Abuse the Concept of Jihaad" Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority urged Muslims yesterday (Thursday 21 August, 2003) to shunextremism and avoid waging unjustified jihaad as the Kingdom cracks down on militants. In a lengthy statement, Grand Mufti Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh told Saudis to listen to theirreligious authorities and ignore fanatical interpretations of Islam. "One of the fallouts from extremism in understanding Islam is that some people call for jihaad for the sake ofGod without justification," Sheikh 'Abdul 'Azeez said. "These people raise the banner of jihaad to draw the young into their ranks and not to fight for God," headded. Militants like Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden have often called for jihaad against countries they consider"infidel" such as the United States, urging his followers to target Western interests in Saudi Arabia andabroad. Other militants have also used Islam as a rallying cry, justifying attacks by saying they are doing God's will. "Young Muslims must try and better themselves and their country but not through violence, because Islam isnot a violent religion, it is a merciful religion," he said. "A Muslim must understand his religion. It is the duty of the young and the whole Muslim world to know thatviolence is not a way to achieve reform," Al-Sheikh said. The grand mufti emphasized that the struggle against a perceived evil should not lead to a greater evil. "The Prophet (peace be upon him) told us to combat evil. But there is a general rule to look at bothadvantages and disadvantages. And if fighting an evil leads to a greater one, then that fight is forbidden," hesaid. The grand mufti said one of the reasons some people attacked and frightened others was ignorance. "Ignorance is a killer disease because a person thinks that he is right when he is wrong," he said andstressed the importance of right guidance. "One of the reasons also is mistrust of our scholars. It is people'sduty to trust their scholars and leaders," he said. Last week, the Kingdom's highest Islamic authority denounced terror attacks in the Kingdom, describingthem as "serious criminal acts," and pledged its full support for the government. "Acts of sabotage such as bombings, murder and destruction of property are serious criminal acts and anaggression against innocent people... which warrant severe and deterrent punishment," the Council of SeniorIslamic Scholars said in a statement. The 17-member council, headed by the grand mufti, declared its support for the actions being taken by thestate to track down terrorists in an effort to shield the country from their actions. The Islamic body had called on the Saudi people to "stand behind the country's leadership and theirscholars," at these difficult times in the fight against "evildoers." The statement dubbed "misguided and ignorant" those who claim that terrorism was part of jihaad, or holywar. It said people who provide shelter to suspected militants were committing a "grave sin."

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Council of Senior Scholars Back Government Crackdown on Terrorists The Kingdom's highest Islamic authority yesterday (Sunday 17 August, 2003) denounced terror attacks in theKingdom, describing them as "serious criminal acts," and pledged its full support for the government. "Acts of sabotage such as bombings, murder and destruction of property are serious criminal acts and anaggression against innocent people... which warrant severe and deterrent punishment," the Council of SeniorIslamic Scholars said in a statement. The 17-member council, headed by Grand Mufti Sheikh 'Abdul 'Azeez Al-Sheikh, declared its support for theactions being taken by the state to track down terrorists in an effort to shield the country from their actions. The scholars' statement followed media reports that 10 suspected militants were arrested in the southern cityof Jizan after police raided their hideout on Friday. The Islamic body called on the Saudi people to "stand behind the country's leadership and their scholars," atthese difficult times in the fight against "evildoers." The statement dubbed "misguided and ignorant" those who claim that terrorism was part of jihaad, or holywar. It said people who provide shelter to suspected militants were committing a "grave sin."

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Imaams of Makkah and Madeenah condemn "heinous crime" At Friday (Friday 20 June, 2003) sermons in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah the imams of the GrandMosque and the Prophet's Mosque slammed the "heinous crime" committed by a group of terrorists inMakkah last week, which resulted in the killing of two police officers and five members of the group and thediscovery of huge quantities of weapons and explosives. Imams throughout the Kingdom condemned the incident as unacceptable and urged the authorities to takethe necessary measures to end such activities and punish those behind them. The imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Sheikh Osama Khayat, said no true Muslim would condonewhat happened in Makkah and earlier in Riyadh, where innocent lives were lost and the security and peace ofpeople shattered. "This is a terrorist act that neither God nor the Prophet nor any good Muslim would accept. To commit such acrime in the holiest place on earth adds to the gravity of the act, and it must be rejected by everyone. Thoseindividuals have turned Makkah into a haven for manufacturing and stashing of weapons and other means ofdestruction. They went further in their plot and booby-trapped copies of the Holy Qur'an to cause death bytargeting anyone coming close to the Holy Book," the imam said. In Madinah, Sheikh Abdul Bari Al-Thubaiti, who led Friday prayers at the Prophet's Mosque, said Islamrejects any kind of violence and aggression and that the incidents that took place in Riyadh, Makkah andMadinah were a great sin. "One stands perplexed before this chain of sad events that has not spared the holiest places, where everyoneshould feel safe and secure," Al-Thubaiti said. "Islam totally rejects all such acts where sacred places are desecrated and innocent people killed andthreatened. Those behind such acts are driven by deviant thoughts that should not be allowed to flourish inthis sacred land," he added.

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Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan on the Riyadh Bombings Saturday 31 May 2003: Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan on the Khawaarij, the Bombings (in Riyaadh) and theSanctioning of the Hypocrites. Alhamdulillaah was Salaatu was Salaamu àlaa Rasoolillaah, wa baàd: This is an excellent statement fromShaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan in which he exposes the ideology of the Khawaarij and its effects upon the societyand the land, and also the Hypocrites who lurk in the midst and who only reveal their true colors followingcertain events and incidents, and who desire evil for Islam and its adherents. And both of these groups, theKhawaarij and the Munaafiqeen, along with a third group which are those who flee the lands of the Muslimsand seek the protection of the Mushriks in their lands, such as the likes of al-Mas'aree an Sa'd al-Faqeeh,and who then plot against the Muslim lands, then they are all harmful to the Ummah, and they need to beexposed and warned against. Collectively, they constitute the animal that the Kuffaar ride upon in order toharm Islam and the Muslims…Here are the words of the Shaykh, published a few days ago. AT-TAFJEERAAT WA TAHLEELAAT AL-MUNAAFIQEEN All praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all the Worlds, and salaat and salaam be upon the trustworthyProphet, our Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, his companions and [all] those following them ingoodness, until the Day of Judgement. To proceed: Verily, when the shocking event occurred, the event of the bombings in the city of Riyaadh undertaken by theviolent and barbarious (savage) hands, in the capital of the land of tawheed, they turned upon the religion, andupon humanity (by way of this act of theirs), and the Kuffaar have taken them as riding animal in order toattack Islam and the Muslims. And this action of their was a result of their ignorance, their being deceivedand their evil nurturing, and their breaking off from the society and their turning away from learning thebeneficial knowledge, and taking it from those who (truly) possess it, and also restricting themselves to theirown faulty understandings and their stagnant views. And their affair in this matter, is the affair of the Khawaarij Renegades, those who killed the two RightlyGuided Caliphs, Uthmaan and Alee (radhi-yallaahu 'anhumaa), and also their concern with killing Muàawiyahand Àmr bin al-Aas (radhi-yallaahu 'anhumaa), and killing others from the leaders of the Muslims. I say that when this repugnant action occurred in these days of ours, the Hypocrites took a deep breath andmade a sigh, and they carried the responsibility of this action upon the religion, and that it (i.e. Islam) was thereason for their transgression (i.e. that of the Khawaarij), upon the Muslims and upon humanity as a whole.And they said, may Allaah make them ugly, that this action of theirs (i.e. of those Khawaarij) was due to theirembracement of the views of Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh ul-Islam Muhammad binAbdul-Wahhaab, and other than them both from amongst the Scholars of Islam. This is how they lie in wait with pessimism and ascription of evil to Islam and for the Scholars of Islam, justlike Aal Firàwn, those about whom Allaah said: {And if evil afflicted them, they ascribed it to evil omens connected with Mûsa (Moses) and thosewith him} (Soorah Al-A'raf, Aayah 131). And just like the Mushriks, they also ascribed the occurrence of evil to Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam), just as Allaah said about them: {...But if some evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you"} (Soorah An-Nisa, Aayah 78) ...and just as the Hypocrites said in the expedition of the confederates (al-ahzaab), when the Muslims wereafflicted with whatever afflicted them of hardship and severity, just as Allaah said about them: {And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubts) said: "Allaah and HisMessenger promised us nothing but delusions!} (Soorah Al-Ahzab, Aayah 12) ...and just as they said on the day of (the battle of) al-Badr, concerning the Muslims:

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{These people (Muslims) are deceived by their religion} (Soorah Al-Anfal, Aayah 49) ...and they also said, on the day of Uhud: {If we had anything to do with the affair, none of us would have been killed here} (Soorah Aali Imran,Aayah 154). So the saying of these Hypocrites (in our times) concerning these events is nothing but the statement of theirpredecessors in the events that occurred previously, and every nation has an inheritor. Certainly, the religion of Islam prohibits transgression in all of its types and its manifestations, Allaah,(Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said: {And transgress not. Verily, Allaah does not like the transgressor} (Soorah Al-Ma'idah, Aayah 87) ...and He said: {And let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety,and fear Allaah} (Soorah Al-Ma'idah, Aayah 8). And those subverters, vandals, they took their destructive ideology from the ideology of the KhawaarijRenegades before them who unleashed it upon Islam, and they took it from the callers of misguidance, thosewhom the Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) described as «Callers at the gates of Hellfire, whoever obeys them, they will throw him into it», so it is was said,«Describe them to us O Messenger of Allaah», he said: «They are a people of our skin (i.e. lineage) and they will speak with our tongue...». And these Hypocrites have requested the abolition of the necessary allegiance (al-walaa) and enmity,disavowal (al-baraa), both of which are from the strongest handholds of Islam, and they requested theabolition of the commandment to good and forbiddence of evil, both of which comprise the guarantee of themaintanenance and lasting of the Islamic society, and they also requested the abolition of jihaad in the pathof Allaah, which is the peak of the matter of Islam, and they also requested that the methodologies (of Islam)be purified from any resemblances of loving necessitated by the Sharee'ah, and they called to allegiance (i.e.loving) of the Disbelievers and the Pagans, and to the absence of differentiating between them and theMuslims. So what means of deliverance then have they left for the Muslims? Indeed, they did not say these repugnant sayings except because they are restricted and confined by Islamand its people, and when the chance became available to them, they began to reveal the enmity and jealousythey had towards Islam and the Muslims, just as Allaah said concerning them: {But surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech! And Allaah knows all your deeds}(Soorah Muhammad, Aayah 30). However, their affair will be just like the affair of their predecessors, that of humiliation, lowliness, and they donot harm except themselves: {Say: "perish in your rage. Certainly, Allaah knows what is in the breasts (all the secrets)} (SoorahAali Imran, Aayah 119). And certainly, the severe hardships and afflictions do not increase the Muslims except in steadfastness intheir religion, and following their Prophet and their Scholars, the Imaams of Guidance, and the Illuminators ofthe darkness, such as Shaykh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh ul-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahhaab,both whom those Hypocrites have made as examples of extremism and exaggeration, and in such a waybecause of their blindness, they considered the sources of good and guidance to be sources of evil andbeguilement, just like their predecessors were pessimistic towards the Prophets (ascribing evil outcomes tothem), and to their followers.

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And say [those of] sore eyes,the sun has eyes also,

you see them when it disappears and when it risesAnd pardon those eyes whose light Allaah has taken away

So they do not contract and they do not comprehend… And indeed, it is from the blindness of insight (i.e. intellect and understanding) that person believe falsehoodto be truth and truth to be falsehood, and we invite these people to repent and return to their guidance and towithhold their tongues, otherwise they will not be harming except themselves, and Islam has a Lord that willprotect it and the Scholars have a Lord that will aid them: {They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allaah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of allPraise! Who, to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allaah is Witnessover everything} (Soorah Al-Buruj, Aayaat 8- 9). And it is not a departure – O noble reader – that there should be found some coarseness in my speech, forverily the speech of those people is more coarse, and the author (of those words) is more unjust, and Allaahis sufficient for us, and how excellent a one is He to place trust in. And indeed from that which expands the chest and gives satisfaction and rest to the heart is the answer givenby the esteemed Ministor of the Interior (Hafitha-hullaah) to one of these people, when this person suggestedthat the Committee for the enjoinment of good and forbiddence of evil be abolished, so he (Hafitha-hullaah)replied that commanding of the good and forbiddence of the evil shall remain in his land as long as Islamremains, and he (Hafitha-hullaah) gave an upright, straight answer and was correct and successful in thisdefinitive answer. For verily this state was built upon Islam and its foundations, and amongst them is thecommanding of good and forbiddence of evil, and there is no continuance for this state except withthecontinuance of its foundations that it is built upon. O Allaah protect for us our religion and our security, and our firm establishment in our lands, and do notempower over us due to our sins those who do not fear you and who will not show mercy to us, and save usfrom the evil of the tribulations, those which are apparent and those that are hidden, and protect those inauthority over us, and grant them success in that in which their rectitude lies, and the rectitude of Islam andthe Muslims. O Allaah, whoever intends evil for us, and for Islam and for the Muslims, then occupy him withhis own self and throw his plot back at him, indeed you are powerful over everything, and salaat and salaambe upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions. Written by Shaykh Saalih Ibn FowzaanThis was published in al-Madinah newspaper (of Al-Madinah an-Nabawiyyah) on its online website.

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The Council of Senior Scholars on the Riyadh Suicide Bombings Sunday 18 May 2003: All Praise is for Allaah Alone, may the Salaah and Salaam be upon the last Prophetand his family and Companions. To proceed: The Council of Senior Scholars held a special sitting in Riyadh, Wednesday the 13th of Rabee' Al-Awwal,1424, about the explosions that occurred in the city of Riyadh on Monday, the 11th of Rabee' Al-Awwal,1424, regarding what took place of the killing, destruction, terrorizing, and damage inflicted upon people,(both) Muslims and other than them. And it is well known that the Sharee'ah of Islam came to protect the five necessary things and prohibittransgression against them, and they are: 1) the religion,2) life,3) wealth,4) honour, and5) intellect. And the Muslims do not differ over the prohibition of transgression against persons who have a right to beprotected. The people who have a right to be protected, according to the Religion of Islam, are: Muslims - It is never permissible to transgress against any Muslim person or to kill one without right.Whoever does this has committed a major sin, one of the huge kabaa'ir! And Allaah the Most High has said: {And whoever kills a Muslim intentionally, then his recompense is Jahannam, he will reside therefor an extensive amount of time, and Allaah's Anger and Curses are upon him, and He hasprepared a great torment for him...} ...And He Subhaanahu has said: {And due to that we prescribed for the Children of Israa'eel that whoever kills a person, not as arecompense for his killing of another, or to spread corruption on earth, then it is as if he has killedall of mankind...} the verse Mujaahid said, may Allaah have Mercy on him, «by his sin (meaning: "His sin is as heavy as the one whohas actually killed all of mankind), this shows the severity of killing a person with no due (legal) right» And the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «The blood of a Muslim that bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped (in truth) exceptAllaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah is not permissible (to spill), except in three cases: 1)recompense for killing someone else, 2) stoning the adulterer, 3) the one who leaves his Deen,abandoning the jamaa'ah» [Agreed upon (Bukhaaree and Muslim)] This is the version of Bukhaaree. And the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «I have been ordered to fight the people until they testify that there is no deity worthy of worshipother than Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, establish the prayer, and payzakaat, and if they do this, then their blood and money shall be protected from me, except by anIslamic right, and their account will be with Allaah» [Agreed upon, from the hadeeth of Ibn 'Umar, mayAllaah be pleased with him] And in the Sunan of An-Nasaa'ee, on the authority of 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr, (radhi-yallaahu 'anhu), the Prophet(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «The cessation of the dunyaa (world) is less significant to Allaah than the killing of a single Muslimman (i.e. person»)

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And one day, Ibn 'Umar looked to the House, or the Ka'bah, and said: «How great you are, and how great isyour sanctity, and the believer is even greater in sanctity to Allaah than you» (Meaning that the haram is safeand protected from fighting and bloodshed, and the believer has even more right to be safe and protected frombloodshed) All of these texts and others show the serious reality of the sanctity of a Muslim's blood, and the prohibitionof killing a Muslim for any reason other than what has been mentioned in the Sharee'ah's texts, so it is notpermissible to transgress against any Muslim without right... Usaamah bin Zaid reported, "Allaah's Messenger sent us towards Al-Huruqa, and in the morning we attackedthem and defeated them. I and an Ansari man followed a man from among them and when we overwhelmedhim, he said, "La ilaha illal-Lah." On hearing that, the Ansari man stopped, but I killed him by stabbing himwith my spear. When we returned, the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) came to know about that andhe said: «O Usaamah! Did you kill him after he had said "La ilaha ilal-Lah?" I said, "But he said so only tosave himself." He kept on repeating that so often that I wished I had not embraced Islam beforethat day» [Agreed upon, and this is the wording of Bukhaaree.] This shows, with the greatest of indications, the sanctity of life. This was a mushrik man, and they weremaking jihaad, on the plains of battle (fighting), and when they overwhelmed him, and gained power over him,he spoke with (the utterance of) Tawheed, and Usaamah bin Zaid killed him, holding that he only said it inorder to prevent his own death, and the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) did not accept his excuse,and his interpretation (of the situation). And this is from the greatest of (affairs) that indicates the sanctity ofthe blood of the Muslims and the mighty crime of the one who violates it. Just like the blood of the Muslims is prohibited, then their wealth is also protected by the saying of theProphet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam): «Your blood and your properties are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, inthis (sacred) town (Mecca) of yours, in this month of yours» Reported by Muslim, and this speech wassaid by the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) in the khutbah of the Day of 'Arafah, and both Bukhaareeand Muslim reported its like regarding the Day of An-Nahr. From what has preceded, the prohibition of killing the soul that has been protected without any due rightbecomes clear. Also from the lives that are protected in Islam, are the lives of 1) those (non-Muslims) who are given agreements (guarantees),2) the dhimmees, and3) those who seek protection (from the Muslims). From 'Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Aaas (radhi-yallaahu 'anhumaa) from the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam) who said: «Whoever killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims, shall not smell the smell of Paradisethough its smell is perceived from a distance of forty years» [Related by al-Bukhaaree] And to whomever the wali ul-amr allows entry (into the land) with the covenant and promise of ensuring hissafety and security, then his life and wealth are protected, it is not permissible to harm him, and whoever killshim, then he is as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «...he will not smell the smell of Paradise...» And this is a very severe warning for the one who turns uponthose who have been given agreements. And it is known that the custody (protection) of the people of Islam is a single entity (i.e. a collective whole,equal), the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said:

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«The blood of the Believers is equal (one to another), and the least of them strives for theirprotection...» And when Umm Haani (radhi-yallaahu 'anhaa) granted sanctuary (i.e. protection, on account of a benefitarising from that) to a man from the Mushrikoon in the year of the conquest, and when 'Alee bin Abee Taalib(radhi-yallaahu 'anhu) desired to kill him, she went to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam), andinformed him (of that) so he (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «We have granted sanctuary to the one you have granted sanctuary O Umm Haani» reported byBukhaaree and Muslim. The intent here is that the one who entered (the land) with an agreement of personal security, or who had apledge from the one in authority, due to a maslahah (benefit) that he (the one in authority) saw (in giving thisperson that pledge), then it is not permissible to turn upon him and nor to transgress upon him or his wealth. When all of this has become clear, then what occurred of the bombing incidents in the city of Riyadh is aprohibited matter that the religion of Islam does not affirm, and its unlawfulness has come from numerousangles: 1) That this action is a transgression upon the sanctity of the land of the Muslims, and frightening of thosewho are secure and safe therein2) That it contains the killing of lives that the Islamic Sharee'ah protects3) That it is causing corruption upon the earth4) That it contains destruction of wealth and belongings that are protected And the gathering of the Council of Senior Scholars explains this matter in order to warn the Muslims fromfalling into the destroying prohibited matters, and in order to warn them from the plots of Shaytaan, for henever ceases to work upon the servant until he enters him into the things that destroy, either with extremism,exaggeration in the religion or with disaffection towards it, and fighting against it, and refuge is with Allaah.And Shaytaan does not care by which of the two he can triumph over the servant, because both of thesepaths, that of extremism and that of disaffection are from the paths of Shaytaan that make a person fall underthe wrath and punishment of ar-Rahmaan. And what was done by those who performed these actions, of killing themselves by blowing themselves up,then that enters into the generality of the saying of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam): «Whoever killed himself in the world with anything, then Allaah will punish him by that same thingon the Day of Judgement», reported by Abu Awaanah in his Mustakhraj from the hadeeth of Thaabit binad-Dahak, (radhi-yallaahu 'anhu). The Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «He who commits suicide by stabbing himself with an iron (blade) shall that have that iron (blade)in his hand, and he will thrust it into his body in the fire of Hell, remaining therein forever (in thatstate), and whoever took poison and killed himself, then he will drink it in the Fire of Hell,remaining therein forever (in that state), and whoever threw himself off a mountain and killedhimself, then he will be falling in the Fire of Hell, remaining therein for ever (in that state») And thisis also in Bukhaaree with something similar. Then let everyone know that the enemies, from every angle, have designated today the Islamic Ummah fordomination. They (the enemies) rejoice with all the ways that justify this domination for them, over the peopleof Islam, and (which justify) humiliating them, and taking advantage of their resources and riches. Hence,whoever aided them in their goal, and opened up avenues amongst the Muslims and in the Muslim lands forthem, then he has aided in (bringing about) harm upon the Muslims and in dominating their lands. This isfrom the greatest of oppression. It is obligatory (upon all) to be concerned with the Sharee'ah knowledge that is founded upon the Book andthe Sunnah in accordance with the understanding of the (Pious) Predecessors of the Ummah, and thisoccurs in the schools, universities and the mosques, and the media of information. Just like it is alsoobligatory to be concerned with commanding the good and prohibiting the evil, and giving mutual advice upon

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the truth. This is because the need, rather the necessity, calls to this now more than any time that haspassed before. And it is upon the Muslim youth to have a good opinion of their Scholars and to take fromthem so that they come to know that what the enemies of the religion are striving towards is revilementbetween the Ummah's youth and (revilement) of the Scholars and (revilement) between them and the Rulers,so that their strength weakens, and therefore, taking control over them (as a result) becomes easier. Hence,it is obligatory to be aware of this. May Allaah protect everyone from the plot of the enemies, and it is upon all the Muslims to have fear of Allaahin the secret and in the open, and to make a sincere, truthful repentance from all sins. For no calamity hasdescended except due to a sin, and no (calamity) has been raised except due to repentance. We ask Allaahthat He rectifies the condition of the Muslims, and distances the lands of the Muslims from every evil anddislikeable thing, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his companions. The Council of Senior Scholars The Head of the gathering, Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-ShaykhSaalih bin Muhammad al-LahaydaanAbdullaah bin Sulaymaan al-Munee'Abdullaah bin Abdur-Rahmaan al-GhudayaanDr. Saalih bin Saalih al-FawzaanHasan bin Ja'far al-'AtameeMuhammad bin Abdullaah as-SubayyilDr. Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin Ibraaheem Aal ash-ShaykhMuhammad bin Sulaymaan al-BadrDr. Abdullaah bin Muhsin al-TurkeeMuhammad bin Zaid as-SulaymaanDr. Bakr bin Abdullaah Abu Zaid (was not present due to illness)Dr. Abdul-Wahhaab bin Ibraaheem as-Sulaymaan (was not present)Dr. Saalih bin Abdullaah al-HumaydDr. Ahmad bin Sayr al-MubaarakeeDr. Abdullaah bin 'Alee ar-RukbaanDr. Abdullaah bin Muhammad al-Mutlaq

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Regarding suicide bombings Question: Are suicide operations (bombings) permissible? And are there (any) conditions for the acceptabilityof these actions? Response: Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says: {And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you. And whoever commits thatthrough aggression and injustice, We shall cast him into the Fire, and that is easy for Allaah},[Soorah an-Nisaa, Aayaat 29-30] So, it is not permissible for a person to kill himself, rather, he must protect himself in the full meaning of theword. And this does not prevent him from killing in the Path of Allaah and making jihaad in the Path of Allaah,and if he is open to being killed and martyred (therein) then that is good. However, if he opens himself to being killed (in other than the Path of Allaah) then this is not permissible. In the time of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam), one of the brave (fighters) was fighting alongsidethe Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) and then he was killed. So the (other) companions said: «None of us fought as courageously as so-and-so» So, the Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «He is in the Fire (of Hell») ...and that was after he was injured and before he died. And this (matter) was difficult for the companions (tograsp). So one of the men followed the injured man and saw him place a sword on the ground – raising itsblade and then impaled himself upon the blade, entering his chest and dying (as a result). So this man (returned) and said: «The Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) has spoken the truth» ... and they knew the Messenger never spoke from his whims and desires. (So) why did he enter the Fire having done this action? Because he killed himself and was not patient (atwhat had befallen him); so it is not permissible for a man to kill himself. Shaykh Saalih Ibn Fowzaanal-Amaliyaat al-Istish.haadiyah – suwaruhaa wa ahkaamuhaa – Page 85

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Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh says suicide bombings are un-Islamic... "Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, has asked the people (Saturday 21April, 2001) to desist from denouncing any Muslim as kaafir. The matter should be left to competent religious scholars, the mufti said. Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez also said suicide bombings have no basis in the Sharee'ah as it is another form ofkilling oneself. Hijacking planes and frightening passengers are also against the Sharee'ah, the Shaykh added. At the same time, he said fighting the enemy was necessary".

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Concerning suicide bombings In his explanation of Riyaadhus-Saaliheen (Volume 1, Pages 165-166), whilst giving some points of benefitfrom the hadeeth of Suhayb, Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen said: "That Allaah¹s Messenger, (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam), said: «There used to be a king amongst those who came before you, and he had a sorcerer. So when hegrew old he said to the king: "I have become old so send a boy to me so that I can teach himsorcery?"» ...the hadeeth. (refer to Riyaadhus-Saaliheen - hadeeth no.30 for full text). Fourthly: That it is permissible for a person to expose himself to danger for a matter of general benefit to theMuslims, because the boy indicated to the king the way in which he would be able to kill him, and whichwould lead to his demise, which was that he should take an arrow from his quiver ? etc. Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah) said: «Because this was a Jihaad in Allaah¹s cause, which caused a whole nation to truly believe, and he did notreally lose anything, since although he died he would have to die anyway, sooner or later». But as for what some people do regarding activities of suicide, tying explosives to themselves and thenapproaching disbelievers and detonating them amongst them, then this is a case of suicide and Allaah¹srefuge is sought. So whoever commits suicide then he will be considered eternally to Hell-Fire, remainingthere forever, as occurs in the hadeeth of the Prophet, (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam). (i.e., his, (sal-Allaahuàlayhe wa sallam), saying: «and whoever kills himself with an iron weapon, then the iron weapon will remain in his hand, andhe will continuously stab himself in his belly with it in the Fire of Hell eternally, forever and ever».Reported by al-Bukhaaree, no. 5778 and Muslim, no. 109, in the Book of Eemaan.) Because this person has killed himself and has not benefited Islam. So if he kills himself along with ten, or ahundred, or two hundred other people, then Islam will not benefit by that, since the people will not acceptIslam, contrary to the story of the boy. Rather it will probably just make the enemy more determined, and thisaction will provoke malice and bitterness in his heart to such an extent that he may seek to wreak havocupon the Muslims. This is what is found from the practice of the Jews with the people of Palestine so when one of thePalestinian blows himself up and kills six or seven people, then in retaliation they take sixty or more. So thisdoes not produce any benefit for the Muslims, and does not benefit those amongst whose ranks explosivesare detonated. So what we hold is that those people who perform these suicide (bombings) have wrongfully committedsuicide, and that this necessitates entry into Hell-Fire, and Allaah¹s refuge is sought and that this person isnot a martyr (shaheed). However if a person has done this based upon misinterpretation, thinking that it ispermissible, then we hope that he will be saved from sin, but as for martyrdom being written for him, then no,since he has not taken the path of martyrdom. But whoever performs ijtihaad and errs will receive a singlereward (if he is a person qualified to make ijtihaad)." Shaykh Ibn 'UthaymeenRiyaadhus-Saaliheen - Volume 1, Pages 165-166

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Attacking the enemy by blowing oneself up in a car Question: What is the ruling regarding acts of jihaad by means of suicide, such as attaching explosives to acar and storming the enemy, whereby he knows without a doubt that he shall die as a result of this action? Response: Indeed, my opinion is that he is regarded as one who has killed himself (committed suicide), andas a result he shall be punished in Hell, for that which is authenticated on the authority of the Prophet(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam). [«Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the Fire of Hell,wherein he shall dwell forever», [Bukhaaree (5778) and Muslim (109 and 110)]]. However, one who is ignorant and does not know, and assumes his action was good and pleasing to Allaah(Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala), then we hope Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) forgives him for that which he did outof (ignorant) ijtihaad, even though I do not find any excuse for him in the present day. This is because thistype of suicide is well known and widespread amongst the people, so it is upon the person to ask the peopleof knowledge (scholars) regarding it, until the right guidance for him is differentiated from the error. And from that which is surprising, is that these people kill themselves despite Allaah having fordbidden this,as He (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) says: {And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allaah is Most Merciful to you}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 29]. And many amongst them do not desire anything except revenge of the enemy, by whatever means, be ithalaal or haraam. So they only want to satisfy their thirst for revenge. We ask Allaah to bless us with foresight in His Deen and action(s) which please Him, indeed He is allPowerful over all things. Shaykh Ibn 'UthaymeenKayfa Nu'aalij Waaqi'unaa al-Aleem - Page 119

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Committing suicide Question: What is the ruling regarding suicide in Islam? Response: Suicide is when a person kills himself intentionally by whatever means. This is haraam andregarded as amongst the major sins, and likewise included in the general statement of Allaah (Subhaanahuwa Ta'aala): {And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrathand the Curse of Allaah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him}, [Soorahan-Nisaa, Aayah 93]. And it is established from the Sunnah on the authority of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) whosaid: «Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished in the Fire of Hell,wherein he shall dwell forever», [Bukhaaree (5778) and Muslim (109 and 110)]. In reality, the one who commits suicide, generally does so because of his desperate situation, either as adirect result of an act of Allaah or a human being. So you find him unable to cope with that which has afflictedhim, and in actual fact he is like one who is calling for help from the scorching heat of the fire. So he hasprogressed from that which was tough (bad) to that which is worse. And if he was patient, then Allaah wouldhave assisted him in dealing with the difficulty. Shaykh Ibn 'UthaymeenKayfa Nu'aalij Waaqi'unaa al-Aleem - Page 120

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WTC - New York, USA - 9/11

Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee speaks about current affairs... After praising and thanking Allaah and sending prayers and peace upon the Messenger, Shaykh Saalihas-Suhaymee said: The correct and upright Islam is a religion which has finalised all other religions (i.e. is the seal of all otherreligions) and it is a complete religion for all affairs of life. Allaah has decreed happiness and success for theone who abides by and applies it, in this life and next. {Thus We have made you [true Muslims - real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true followers ofProphet Muhammad and his Sunnah (legal ways)], a Wasat (just and balanced) nation, that you bewitnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad) be a witness over you}, [Soorahal-Baqarah, Aayah 143] Hence, Islam is a balanced and moderate way, and it does not enter into negligence on the one hand and norexaggeration or extremism on the other. It is balanced in between and the Muslim nation is also balancedand upon a middle course. Thus, Islam is balanced in everything, in its creed, in its worship, and it is far removed from both shortcomingand exaggeration. Likewise, in its economy it is also balanced in between those who wish to confiscatemoney by every right and between those who wish excessive liberalism and encourage it to be given inabundance (above and beyond what is appropriate). In addition, Islam encourages equity and justice amidstboth Muslims and non-Muslims. {Verily, Allaah enjoins al-'Adl (i.e. justice) and al-Ihsaan (good conduct), and giving (help) to kithand kin: and forbids al-Fahshaa. (i.e all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience ofparents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right, etc.), and al-Munkar(i.e all that is prohibited by Islamic law), and al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression), He admonishesyou, that you may take heed}, [Soorah an-Nahl, Aayah 90] Further, Allaah has also prohibited oppression for himself, and has likewise prohibited His servants fromoppression, [saying, as quoted by the Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) in the Hadeeth Qudsee]: «O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you,so do not oppress one another», [Reported in Saheeh Muslim from Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree] He has also forbidden transgression and aggression and enmity and harm against others, whatever form thismay take. He has also ordered the fulfilment of agreements and obligations and has also forbade the killing ofthose non-Muslims which Muslim countries have agreements with. The Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam) said: «Allaah has forbidden the smell of Paradise for the one who kills a Mu'aahid (one with whom thereis a pact or agreement»). And He also forbade the Mujahideen from killing women, children, the elderly, and the ascetics who aredevoted to worship, as well as forbidding the cutting down of trees and so on – despite the fact that theassociates of these categories of people may be involved in fighting with the Muslims. Based upon what has preceded, then we say that that which we believe and hold as our religion concerningwhat happened to the World Trade Centre in America – and in Allaah lies success – that the terrorist attacksthat took place and what occurred of general (mass) killing, then it is not permissible and Islam does notallow it in any form whatsoever. Islam frees itself from this action, regardless of whether those responsible forit were Muslims or non-Muslims. And none of the scholars who are upon the correct form of Islam, affirm thelikes of these actions. The likes of these actions, in any place or time, which happen here and there, werenever known in Islam, ever. In fact, never since Allaah sent the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) tillthis time of ours. These actions were never known amongst Islam and the Muslims – assassination ofinnocent people and bombings and widespread murder.

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So Islam does not allow them and nor do Muslims perform them, and the true followers of Islam – which isbalanced and moderate – then they free themselves from these actions and from those who performed them,regardless of whether they were Muslims or non-Muslims. This is oppression and Islam forbids it. In this Centre there were none but innocent non-Muslims and Muslims, from all the various parts of the world,of different races. They had material possessions and assets in these buildings, and so all of this isimpermissible and this is oppression upon both Muslims and non-Muslims. Even if people (who wereresponsible) claim that they had valid reasons for perpetrating this, then this is not the correct way. It is obligatory upon the Muslims in this country and elsewhere and upon the students of knowledge toexplain that this action is free from Islam, and that Islam is free from these actions. I request them to makeclear this issue, with certainty and to be truthful when they explain this issue, without compromising thereligion of Islam, and without giving a bad impression of Islam. And we say, to whomever has justice and fairness amongst the non-Muslims, that they should reflect uponthis matter, and not take it out on innocent Muslims and Arabs, for there are millions of them in the UnitedStates. They should also not take anything from the media without question. It is desirable for the Americanpeople to understand that Islam does not support these affairs, and that they should not use the media inorder to ascribe these actions to Islam. And the Muslims in those areas should participate in explaining thatthese affairs are not from Islam. In ending, I hope from the students of knowledge specifically and the Muslims generally that they return tothe scholars in the likes of these affairs, and that they should return to the Muftee of our country, and to whatthey have explained of the freedom of Islam from the likes of these affairs. It is obligatory upon the world tolisten to the word of the Muslims, and to the correct Islam, just like it is upon the students of knowledge inthe West that they strive to explain the correct Islam, balanced between neglect and exaggeration – theIslam that calls to justice and which calls for the removal of oppression. May Allaah guide us to what He loves and is pleased with. Prayers and peace upon the Prophet, his familyand companions. Question: What is your ruling or view on the Taliban? Response: They are a mixture of Soofiyyah and other things, but they are still Muslims, most of them in thatland are Muslims. And we do not say that just because of that it is permissible to raise a war against them.But most of them are not upon the correct 'aqeedah and the correct form of Islam. And what is amazing isthat some people want to help Islam but by not having the correct 'aqeedah they do more harm to Islam. Butwe still do not say that they are Kuffaar. Because Afghanistan is a Muslim country overwhelmingly. As forwhat is happening now of aggression against Afghanistan, we hold it is not from wisdom and it is not correctto do this. Since there is no proof at all. Even some of the so called hijackers, some of them have actuallybeen dead for a number of years [and others alive]. So there is no clarity yet at all. And the Afghanis, they used to fight each other for power and other affairs. But now they must unite togetherand come together and they should unite upon the word of Tawheed and purify themselves. As for whathappened on 11th September then that does not justify in any way, making conquests in the lands of theMuslims.

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The Chief Justice of the Supreme Judiciary Council of Saudi Arabia states: "It is not logical toaccuse the Muslims" The Chief Justice of the Supreme Judiciary Council of Saudi Arabia states: "It is not logical to accuse theMuslims" What Happened in America Is A Crime Rejected By Islam. Statement on the recent terrorist bombings in the United States as reported in Okaz (a leading Saudi Arabiandaily) on Friday, 26 Jumaadaa Al-Akhirah 1422 corresponding to September 14, 2001 The Chief Justice of the Supreme Judiciary Council of Saudi Arabia and member o the Council of SeniorScholars, Shaykh Saalih al-Lehaydaan affirmed that Islam forbids attacks and aggression upon the innocentjust as Islamic law (Sharee'ah) does not allow the shedding of blood except with just cause according toIslamic guidelines and the shedding of blood is not permitted in general. His eminence responded to questions of Okaz regarding the explosions that occurred in the United Statesthat took thousands of innocent civilian lives saying that killing is not permitted unless in time of war and tokill innocent people is among the major sins and the most heinous of crimes. He added that what happened in America was one of the most dangerous crimes and that the religion ofIslam does not condone it nor is it correct for anyone to approve of it. The Chief Justice expressed that the Muslims of America should not be feared stating "I do not believe thatthe United States of America would perpetrate an injustice upon those who have not done any wrong towardsthem nor transgress their rights as that would be illogical". What follows is the text of the interview with Okazwith Shaykh Saalih al-Lehaydaan: Question: How do you view, your eminence, what occurred with the attacks in the United States Of Americafrom an Islamic perspective? Response: Allaah has made Islam to forbid wrongdoing (thulm) and the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam) stated: «Ath-thulmu thulumaat yaum al-qiyaamah (Wrong is multiplied on the Day of Resurrection») And it is related in the authentic hadeeth that Allaah stated: «Oh My slaves, I have forbidden wrong and oppression to Myself and I have made it forbiddenamong you therefore do not do wrong or oppress» Therefore, attacks upon those whom have not attacked you and to kill innocent people who have committedno crime (i.e. against you) is among those things forbidden in Islam because it does not allow the shedding ofblood except for a legally justified reason and it is not permissible to shed blood in general. It is somethingallowed only in the case of war to kill the combatant enemy. As far as attacking even if it is to kill aperpetrator immediately, is not considered among the righteous deeds nor from the permitted acts. On thecontrary it is of the detestable acts because to kill a person who has not perpetrated any crime nor doneanything deserving being killed is considered of the major sins and most heinous of crimes. Accordingly thatcrimes which occurred in America that we witnessed its aftermath in the photographs taken through one ofthe media outlets is no doubt among the most dangerous criminal acts which Islam in no way agrees withand it is not permissible for anyone to condone. It is an abomination. The matter in Islam is such that one may not be treated as a criminal unless that person has attacked andtherefore there may be reprisals or enmity towards him. As far as going about that in such a way that theresult is taking thousands of souls of women and children and those whom are non-combatants and suchthen it is of the evil of acts. The Effects of the Explosions

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Question: What do you see as the effects of these explosions upon the Muslim in the U.S.? Response: As far as the Muslims, the U.S. is cited as a land that acts according to the rule of law and ifsuch is the case then that law is what should prevail over the desires of the American people. If then a personobeys the law reasonably and it is the character of that reason based law not to punish anyone for other thanthe crime they commit, then it is not correct nor should it occur that those who are reasonable will to do anyharm towards him - neither the Muslim in America or the non-Muslim Arab or any other nationality or anyother religion. It is deeply rooted in those who use intellect and reason that the perpetrator of a crime bearsthat crime himself. If one perpetrates a crime let not his crime be cause to make others into criminals whohave not done so. I do not expect that that the US nor the Americans will not commit a wrong against whohas done no wrong or to attack whom has not attacked them because that is against reason. America andthe American people must necessarily be among the most advanced of nations in what it does and what lawsit makes for people. Muslims Rejection of What Occurred Question: Your eminence, the enemies and detractors of Islam have pointed the harshest allegations towardsArabs and Muslims. How would you comment? Response: In any case the type of people and the masses who do not judge according to reason point tothose who have perpetrated no crime and to those who reject the crime. This is not at all reasonable. This Is No Argument Question: There are those who commit crimes and attribute themselves to Islam. What is the effect of this? Response: As I stated, the perpetrator of a crime is alone responsible for his crime. If a person commitssome thoughtlessness or stupidity and then does a criminal act, even if they are Muslim and even if he praysand fasts, his deed is not an argument for those who wish to wrong Islam. Question: What would you like to comment on additionally dear Shaykh with regards to the matter of theseexplosions? Response: That those upon whom this disaster has fallen would reflect and think about the favors that theyenjoy such as security, comfort, wealth and power that was considered unequalled. If they would think aboutthis they would find that it was only due to the favors granted by Allaah upon them. These favors cannot becompared to this great disaster that has befallen them. Hardships as great as they may be are little incomparison to the favors that Allaah has granted to people.

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Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh says attacks are an "oppression, injustice and tyranny"... Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh, the muftee (one qualified to pass fatwa) of Saudi Arabia and the headof the Council of Senior Scholars and The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa has said(Monday 17 September, 2001) that: "The explosions which have taken place in the United States of Americaare but a strike of oppression, injustice and tyranny - (all) which are not in agreement with the Sharee'ah ofIslam." And his excellency said: "Indeed, these dangerous incidents have done away with thousands of lives, thatwhich is not in agreement with the Sharee'ah of Islam, and it is not from this religion which strongly opposeshostility and hatred which are not legally justified as a form of hostility and hatred." And he said: "Indeed, Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) has commanded (us with justice, and upon this theheavens (and the earth) were created, and He has prohibited oppression fro himself, and has made itprohibited between His servants (mankind)". The Shaykh went on to clarify that: "These incidents which have occurred in the United States and that whichare similar to these incidents are as a result of hijacking airplanes and terrorising the peace, unjustly killingpeople - (and all of this) is nothing but oppression and tyranny". And he added that: "The Muslim scholars should explain the truth in such situations and clarify for the worldthe Islamic position, and that the religion of Islam does not endorse such acts". The full text of the official statement of Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh has just been received, asfollows: All praise is due to the Lord of the Worlds, the successful end is for the pious, and prayers and peace beupon the noblest of Prophets and Messengers, and upon his family, and his companions. To proceed: Due to abundant questions and enquiries that have been brought to us concerning what has happened in theUnited States of America a few days ago, and concerning the Sharee'ah position towards it, and wehther thereligion of Islam affirms the likes of these actions or not, I say, seeking aid and assistance from Allaah, theUnique, the Overpowerer, that Allaah, free is He from all imperfection, has bestowed uopn us the favour of thisIslamic religion and has made it a complete legislation, a perfect and all-inclusive one which is beneficial forall times, and places and all situations, for all individuals and groups of individuals. It invites towardsrectification and uprightness and justice and goodness, and also the removal of Shirk (paganism,associationism, ascribing false partners with Allaah), and evil, oppression, injustice and deceit. And it is from the greatest of favours of Allaah upon us, we the Muslims, that He has guided us to thisreligion, and has made us its followers and helpers. Hence, a Muslim is cultivated by the legislation of Allaah,a follower of the Sunnah (the way) of the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam), and one whoremains upright and steadfast upon this religion - he is the one who will be the saved Muslim in this life andthe Hereafter. As for what has happened in the United States of America of very dangerous occurrences, on account ofwhich thousands of souls have passed away, on account of actions that the Islamic Sharee'ah (legislation)does not sanction, and which are not from this religion, and these actions do not agree with the spirit andfoundations of the legislation from numerous angles: The first: Verily, Allaah, free is He from all imperfections, has commanded justice, and is based upon justicethat the Heavens and the Earth stand (i.e. operate, exist), and it is on account of this justice that theMessengers were sent and the Books were revealed. Allaah the free from all imperfections, said: {Verily, Allaah commands with justice and benevolence, and the giving of near relatives (in charity)and He forbids from obscene and evil deeds, and oppression. He cautions you, that perchance youmay remember}

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And He also says: {We have indeed sent Messengers with clear proofs and we have revealed with them, the Bookand the Balance, so that the people may abide by justice} And Allaah has judged and decreed that one soul cannot bear the burden of another soul, this due to theperfection of Allaah's justice, free is he from imperfection. He said: {And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another} Indeed, Allaah, free is He from all imperfections has forbidden oppression on His own self, and He has alsodeclared it forbidden for his servants, as he has said in the Hadeeth Qudsee: «O My servants, indeed I have forbidden oppression upon Myself and I have also made it forbiddenamongst yourselves, hence to not oppress each other» And this is general for all of the servants of Allaah, both the Muslims amongst them and the Non-Muslim, andit is not permissible for any one of them to be unjust to another, and nor for him to oppress him, even if it is inthe presence of hate and dislike. Allaah, free is He from all imperfections says: {O you who believe. Be of those who stand up to Allaah, as witnesses of justice. And let not thehatred of a people make you swerve away from justice towards them. Verily, be just and that iscloser to piety} Hence, even hatred and dislike do not permit the commission of injustice and oppression, from a legislativepoint of view. Based upon what has preceded, it is obligatory for all of us to know - both states and societies, Muslims andNon-Muslims, a number of important matters: 1) That these matters that have taken place in the United States and whatever else is of their nature of planehijackings and taking people hostage or killing innocent people, without a just cause, this is nothing but amanifestation of injustice, oppression and tyranny, which the Islamic Sharee'ah does not sanction or accept,rather it is expressly forbidden and it is amongst the greatest of sins. 2) That the Muslim who learns the details of his religion, and who acts upon the Book of Allaah and theSunnah of His Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) does not allow himself to fall into the likes of theseactions, due to what they contain of exposing oneself to the wrath of Allaah, and then what results from themof harms and corruption (upon the earth). 3) It is obligatory upon the Scholars of the Muslim Ummah that they explain the truth concerning the likes ofthese affairs (i.e. terrorist attacks) and that they make clear to the world at large that the Sharee'ah of Allaahand the religion of Islam does not sanctino these types of actions, ever. 4) It is upon the media outlets and whoever is behind them, from amongst those who make accusationsagainst the Muslims and who strive to revile this noble and upright religion, and describe it with that which itis free from, all in order to kindle tribulation and to harm the reputation of Islam and the Muslims and toseparate the hearts and constrict the chests - it is obligatory upon them to restrain from this misguidanceand to realise that every sane and just person knows of the details of Islam, and knows that it is not possiblefor him to describe it with these descriptions, and that he cannot make these types of accusations against it,this is because on account of the passing of history, the nations have not known the followers of this religion,and its adherents except to be those who fulfil their rights (due to others) and their absence of injustice andoppression. And what has preceded is in explantion of the truth and to remove any confusion, and I ask Allaah that heinspires us with that which contains our guidance, that he guides us to the ways of Islam, and that Hestrengthens His religion and makes high His word, indeed He is the Most Kind, the Most Generous, andprayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions.

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Shaykh Saalih al-Lehaydaan says deadly attacks in USA are a "terrible crime"... Shaykh Saalih al-Lehaydaan says (Friday 14 September, 2001) deadly attacks in USA are a "terriblecrime"... The deadly attacks in the United States are a "terrible crime" which Islam does not accept and no one shouldapplaud them, the head of Saudi Arabia's Islamic judiciary said in comments published Friday. "Killing a person who has not committed a crime is one of the major sins and terrible crimes... Whathappened in America is... undoubtedly a grave criminal act which Islam does not approve of and no oneshould applaud," Shaykh Saalih al-Lehaydaan mentioned. al-Lahaydaan, who is also a member of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia, said Islam strictlyforbids bloodletting and does not condone the killing of innocent people, especially in a collective manner. Several Islamic groups and organisations have condemned Tuesday's attacks in New York and Washington,describing them as a "horrible and hideous act." Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest sites, has condemned the jetliner suicide bombings and offered to helpin the hunt for the perpetrators.

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Miscellaneous

Those who exploit the religion for their own advantage Question: There are those who exploit the religion for their own advantage, specifically during the Gulf conflict(of 1991). So what is your advice regarding that? Response: That which is obligatory upon all the Muslims is to fear Allaah, and to have sincerity (of worship) inAllaah, and not to do the actions of the hypocrites, whereby they exploit the religion according to theirdesires; this is how the hypocrite behaves. He turns to the religion when he has a need, and this is abhorredand not permissible. So the hypocrite is worse than the kuffaar (disbelievers), which is why Allaah, The MostHigh, says: {Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire;}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 145] So that which is obligatory is to be firm upon the religion in adherence to Allaah and His Messenger, and notbecause of (some) worldly desires. From amongst the traits of the hypocrite is his being firm upon the religionand making this apparent (for all to see) for his worldly benefit and needs. And if his needs are satisfied, herejects the religion, and this (action) has no basis in the religion because he is a hypocrite, and the hypocriteis worse than the kuffaar, and refuge is sought in Allaah (from this evil action), as He, The Most High, says: {Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find forthem.}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 145] ...and He, The Most High, says: {They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allâh curse them! How are they denying (ordeviating from) the Right Path?}, [Soorah al-Munaafiqoon, Aayah 4] And from their attributes (as) Allaah has mentioned them in His Great Book, in His statement: {Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allâh, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they standup for As-Salât (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do notremember Allâh but little. (They are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these norto those;)}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayaat 142-143] So the "muthabthib" [one who is "sometimes here and sometimes there"] is the one who is undecisive -sometimes with the Muslims and sometimes with the kuffaar. And such a person is with the kuffaar if theyare victorious and he finds therein (some) benefit (for himself) and sometimes (he is) with the Muslims if theyare victorious and he finds therein (some) benefit (for himself). So he is a "muthabthib", void of any firmness (in his position) and void of any foresight, rather he is (always)with the one who triumphs and the one with whom he sees (for himself) some worldly benefit. So if he seesbenefit (for himself) in being with the kuffaar, then he is with them (joins ranks with them), and if he seesbenefit (for himself) in being with the Muslims, then he is with them (joins ranks with them). He is void of any(real) sincere goals and void of (any) firmness in (his) faith - this is the state of the hypocrite, we ask Allaah toprotect us from evil and harm. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 6, Pages 214-215, Question No.6

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Miscellaneous

Protecting your country is a form of jihaad Question: Your children (figuratively) at the front lines are asking you, noble Shaykh, whether they will get thereward of those who fight in the way of Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala). As you know, they are facing anenemy that has not only consistently broken all treaties, but has also shown lack of any humanity. They alsoask "Defending one's country, honour or land - are these considered jihaad?" They further ask you to advisethem with anything you may deem pertinent. Response: The Book and the Sunnah clearly establish that the one who fights in the front lines is fighting inthe way of Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala), provided that his intention is sincerely for Allaah (Subhaanahu waTa'aala) alone: {O you who believe! Endure and be more patient (than your enemy), and guard (your territory bystaioning army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you), and fearAllaah, so that you may be successful}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 200] The Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «Guarding the front lines for a day and night in the path of Allaah is better than fasting and praying(at night) for a month. If he dies, the deeds that he used to do continue for him, and He willcontinue to receive his sustenance, and he will be safe from the trials (of the grave»), [transmitted byMuslim - No.1913] He (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) also said: «Guarding the front lines in the way of Allaah is better than the world and what is in tit; the area inParadise equal to a whip that one of you has is better than the world and what is in it. An afternoonthat a servant spends in the way of Allaah, or a morning, is better than the world and what is in it»,[transmitted by al-Bukhaaree - No.2892, and Muslim - No.1881] In Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, it is recorded that the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «Whoever's feet become dust-covered in the path of Allaah, Allaah will make the Fire (of Hell)forbidden to him», [transmitted by al-Bukhaaree - No.907] There is no doubt that protecting one's religion, self, family, wealth or country - all of these are among thelegislated types of jihaad. Whoever is killed in such cases, while being a Muslim, he is included under thedescription "martyr" due to the saying of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam): «Whosoever dies protecting his religion, he is a martyr; whosoever dies protecting his wealth, he isa martyr; whosoever dies protecting his family, he is a martyr; and whosoever dies protecting hisblood (his life), he is a martyr», [transmitted by at-Tirmidhee - No.1421, Abu Daawood - No.4772,an-Nasaa.ee - No.4100 and Ibn Maajah - No.2580] We advise you, defenders of the front lines, to fear Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala), to purify your intention forHim in all of your actions, to pray your five prayers in congregation, to remember Allaah (Subhaanahu waTa'aala) frequently, to be steadfast in obedience to Allaah and His Messenger, to strive toward unity, to avoiddisunity, to have patience which will bring tranquility, to think well of Allaah, and to beware of disobeying Himin any way. From the most comprehensive of Aayaat concerning what we have mentioned is the saying of Allaah inSoorah al-Anfaal: {O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a firm stand against them andremember Allaah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful. And obeyAllaah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and yourstrength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allaah is with the patient}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayaat 45-46]

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May Allaah correct your steps, make you steadfast in His religion, aid you and those with the truth, and withyou disgrace the falsehood and its people. Indeed, the affair belongs to him, and He is All-Capable. Shaykh Ibn BaazFataawa Islamiyyah - Volume 4, Page 259

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WORSHIP | Jihaad | Miscellaneous |

Those who exploit the religion for their own advantage Question: There are those who exploit the religion for their own advantage, specifically during the Gulf conflict(of 1991). So what is your advice regarding that? Response: That which is obligatory upon all the Muslims is to fear Allaah, and to have sincerity (of worship) inAllaah, and not to do the actions of the hypocrites, whereby they exploit the religion according to theirdesires; this is how the hypocrite behaves. He turns to the religion when he has a need, and this is abhorredand not permissible. So the hypocrite is worse than the kuffaar (disbelievers), which is why Allaah, The MostHigh, says: {Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire;}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 145] So that which is obligatory is to be firm upon the religion in adherence to Allaah and His Messenger, and notbecause of (some) worldly desires. From amongst the traits of the hypocrite is his being firm upon the religionand making this apparent (for all to see) for his worldly benefit and needs. And if his needs are satisfied, herejects the religion, and this (action) has no basis in the religion because he is a hypocrite, and the hypocriteis worse than the kuffaar, and refuge is sought in Allaah (from this evil action), as He, The Most High, says: {Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find forthem.}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 145] ...and He, The Most High, says: {They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allâh curse them! How are they denying (ordeviating from) the Right Path?}, [Soorah al-Munaafiqoon, Aayah 4] And from their attributes (as) Allaah has mentioned them in His Great Book, in His statement: {Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allâh, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they standup for As-Salât (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do notremember Allâh but little. (They are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these norto those;)}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayaat 142-143] So the "muthabthib" [one who is "sometimes here and sometimes there"] is the one who is undecisive -sometimes with the Muslims and sometimes with the kuffaar. And such a person is with the kuffaar if theyare victorious and he finds therein (some) benefit (for himself) and sometimes (he is) with the Muslims if theyare victorious and he finds therein (some) benefit (for himself). So he is a "muthabthib", void of any firmness (in his position) and void of any foresight, rather he is (always)with the one who triumphs and the one with whom he sees (for himself) some worldly benefit. So if he seesbenefit (for himself) in being with the kuffaar, then he is with them (joins ranks with them), and if he seesbenefit (for himself) in being with the Muslims, then he is with them (joins ranks with them). He is void of any(real) sincere goals and void of (any) firmness in (his) faith - this is the state of the hypocrite, we ask Allaah toprotect us from evil and harm. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 6, Pages 214-215, Question No.6

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Miscellaneous

Someone who dies fighting the spread of drugs Question: There is no doubt that the Office of Drug Enforcement struggles to stop the means by which thepoison of drugs enters this pure country. Despite continued attempts by drug traffickers, by the help of Allaahand the efforts of the drug-prevention officers, the attempts of the drug traffickers fail at every turn. Myquestion to you, O honoured Shaykh, is: If an officer is killed in a raid on a group of traffickers, is he amartyr? And what about those who help those officers to find the hideouts of traffickers, what is their reward? Response: Without a doubt, fighting intoxicant and drug traffic is one of the greatest forms of jihaad in theway of Allaah. Individuals in the society helping in its prevention is one of the most important obligationsbecause it is for the benefit of the society and because its spread and proliferation is deterimental, and if hisintention was good, he died a martyr. And whosoever helps to stop these traffickers and informs theauthorities about them then he will be rewarded for that as one who struggles in the way of the truth, and inthe cause of benefit for the Muslims, and protecting their society from harm. So we ask Allaah to guide those drug dealers and to protect them from the evil of their own selves as well asfrom the plots of Shaytaan. We also ask Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) to help the agencies that fight thespread of drugs and to make them victorious over the party of Shaytaan. And He is the Best to ask. Shaykh Ibn BaazFataawa Islamiyyah - Volume 4, Page 263

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Miscellaneous

Being prepared for the enemies of Allaah Question: No doubt the enemies of the Muslim Ummah are waiting for a suitable opportunity to overcome andrule them. So what are the ways in which this can be prevented? Response: That which is obligatory upon the Islamic nations is to prepare for the enemies of Allaah and towarn against their deception, and to adhere to the religion of Allaah and be firm upon the truth and haveconsideration for the promise (of Allaah to the believers) always, and do not be negligent nor be at peace withthe (evil) plans of the enemies, as Allaah The Mighty and The Majestic says in His Noble Book: {O you who believe! Take your precautions...}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 71] And He, The Mighty and The Majestic, says: {And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes,missiles, artillery, etc.) to threaten the enemy of Allaah and your enemy, and others besides whom,you may not know but whom Allaah does know}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 60] So that which is obligatory upon the Islamic nations, Arabs and non-Arabs, is to consider the promise (ofAllaah to the believers) and to be upright upon the religion of Allaah and His Sharee'ah. And the best ofconsiderations is to be upright upon the truth and be firm upon it, and adhering to Allaah and His Messengerin all affairs, and ruling by His Sharee'ah. This is the major (spiritual) consideration. Then there is the material and physical consideration, (that being preparing) a good army, and (acquiring)appropriate weapons at the time according to their strength and ability, as Allaah has commanded them with(only) that which they are able, whereby he says: {And make ready against them all you can of power...}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 60] So all (Islamic) nations should exert themselves in acquiring appropriate weapons at the time, andconscientiously try to produce weapons or (if not) buy them. Concerted efforts must be made to prepare goodMuslim soldiers at a time of ease and comfort, such that if times of difficulty were to come, then it (theIslamic nations) would have sufficient forces. And the greatest and most important affair is correcting oneselfby fearing Allaah and being upright upon His religion, and to abandon sins, and to be sincere to Allaah inworship, and to forbid joining partners in worship (shirk) with Allaah; such as maintaining ("spiritual") ties withthe dead, and seeking their assistance and make vows in their name and the like - so all of this isassociating partners in worship (shirk) with Allaah. So maintaining ties with the dead and asking them forvictory over the enemies or curing the ill, then all of this is regarded as major shirk (rendering the perpetratorout of the fold of Islam). So it is obligatory upon all (Islamic) nations to devote their attention to this matter, and to direct its youth tosingling Allaah out for worship (tawheed) with sincerity, and to abandon associating partners in worship(shirk) with Allaah The Mighty and The Majestic, and for everyone to be upright upon the religion of Allaah,and warn against sins, and return to (putting into practise) the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) in all affairs, as He, The Most High, says: {O you who believe! Obey Allaah and obey the Messenger, and those of you (Muslims) who are inauthority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, ifyou believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination},[Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 59] So He, The Most High, has obligated upon the believers the referral of all affairs of dispute to Allaah and HisMessenger, meaning: to the Noble Book, that is the Qur.aan, and to the Sunnah of the Messenger(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam). So that which the Book and the authentic Sunnah has guided to, then it isobligatory to take it. He, The Most High, says: {And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allaah}, [Soorah ash-Shooraa, Aayah 10]

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...and He has obligated upon them adhering to the walee al-amr (the one in command, the ruler), in (all)affairs of good; as the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «Indeed adhering is in (all) that is good» ...so it is obligatory upon the (Islamic) nations - between them - if there is any dispute, to refer it to Allaahand His Mesenger and the Sharee'ah ruling, while at the same time itself being upright upon the religion ofAllaah, and to direct its army and its citizens to be upright upon the religion of Allaah, and this is the path tovictory, the path to happiness, and the path to honour and nobility, and the path to protection against theenemies wherever they are, and however they are. So when they (the Islamic nations) have become uprightupon this (path) and have remained patient upon it, then Allaah is enough for them against the evil of theirenemies and grants them a better result against their enemies, as He, The Mighty and The Majestic, says: {If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if youremain patient and become al-Muttaqoon (the pious), not the least harm will their cunning do toyou. Surely, Allaah surrounds all that they do}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 120] And He, The Mighty and The Majestic, says: {...and (as for) the believers it was incumbent upon Us to help (them)}, [Soorah ar-Room, Aayah 47] And He, The Mighty and The Majestic, says: {Allaah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He willcertainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those beforethem, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosenfor them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear(provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. Butwhoever disbelieved after this, they are the Faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)}, [Soorahan-Noor, Aayah 55] ...and the aayaat with this meaning are many. And I beseech Allaah to grant all the Muslims success and guidance, and to correct the affairs of the leaders,and to assist them in all that is good, and to grant them understanding of the religion and firmness upon it(aameen). Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 6, Pages 211-214, Question No.5

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Miscellaneous

Seeking and accepting help from the kuffaar Question: What is the ruling regarding seeking and (then) accepting help from the kuffaar? Response: This depends (on a number of issues). If there is no risk that seeking or accepting their help will have a harmful impact on the religious commitmentof the one who asks for or accepts their help, then there is no harm in that. However, if there is any riskinvolved, then it is not permissible to ask for their help or to accept it - (this being) in accordance with theSharee'ah evidences which indicate that it is obligatory to avoid (all) that which Allaah has forbidden and tokeep away from that which will earn the wrath of Allaah. It was reported that the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) accepted gifts from some of the mushrikoonwhilst not from others. The wisdom behind that was what we have (already) mentioned (above), as wasstipulated by the scholars. And Allaah is the Expounder of success. And with Allaah lies all success and may Allaah send prayers andsalutations upon our Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) and his family and his companions. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 8, Pages 432, Question No.3

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Miscellaneous

The ruling regarding boycotting American products Question: "Oh noble Shaykh, in the newspapers these days it is written that there is a call to boycott theAmerican products, and to stop the buying and selling of these products. Also, from this is the claim thatappeared in one the newspapers that the 'Ulamaa. (scholars of Islam) have called for the boycotting of theseproducts and that this is something that is obligatory upon every individual Muslim, and that buying even asingle one of these products (produced in America) is forbidden, forbidden (haraam, haraam), and that theperson who does this has done a major sin (Kabeerah), and that he is helping these people (the Americans)and helping the Jews in their fighting against the Muslims. So I hope from your eminence that you can givesome clarity regarding this matter due to there being a need for that. And is a person rewarded (by Allaah) forthis action (of boycotting American goods)?" Response: Firstly, I request a photocopy of this statement in specific from the newspaper that is mentionedhere by the questioner. Secondly, this is not correct. The scholars have not given a fatwa (religious verdict) declaring the goodsproduced by America to be forbidden (haraam), and the goods from America are still being imported and soldin the market places of the Muslims (i.e. in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and these products that you buyfrom America are still available. There has been no religious verdict issued against this. Cutting off relationsand boycotting is not to be done unless there is a decree issued by the Muslim authorities. If the authoritiesissue a decree calling for the prohibition (of particular goods) or boycotting a country from among the manycountries, then it is obligatory to boycott that country. However, in reference to individuals who want to do thisor they give religious verdicts that this is something forbidden, then this is a declaration of forbiddance thatAllaah has not allowed. It is not permissible to do this. Yes. Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan

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Miscellaneous

The obligation upon the Muslim Scholars Question: What is the obligation upon the Muslim scholars with regards to facing the trials and calamitiesthat have befallen the Islamic world? Response: From that which there is no doubt about is that sins, and being far removed from the correctIslamic 'aqeedah (beliefs) – in both sayings and actions – are from the greatest reasons for bringing aboutcrisis and calamities that have befallen the Muslims. Allaah – the Mighty and Majestic – said: {Whatever of good reaches you, it is from Allaah, and whatever of evil befalls you, it is fromyourself}, [Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 79] Allaah – the Most Perfect, the Most High – also said: {And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. Yet Hepardons much}, [Soorah ash-Shooraa, Aayah 30] So Allaah is Most Forgiving and the Most Merciful to His servants, sending to them clear signs and warnings,in order that they may turn back to Him in tawbah (sincere repentance) and that He may forgive them. Sowhen a person turns to Allaah and draws closer to Him by an arm's length, then Allaah draws closer to himby two arms length. For indeed Allaah – the Most High – loves those of His servants who turn to Him intawbah (sincere repentance) and is happy with that, whilst He, the Majestic, Most High, remains absolutelyself-sufficient of His servants. The obedience of the obedient ones does not benefit Him, nor do the sins of thesinful ones harm Him. Rather, He is Most Kind, Ever Merciful to His servants. And He grants them the abilityto do acts of obedience and to leave acts of disobedience. So these crisis and calamities are none other thana warning to His servants, in that they should turn back to Allaah in repentance and obedience, and Heinforms them of this by way of testing them. Allaah – the Most High – said: {And certainly We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruit. Butgive glad tidings to those who have sabr (patience); those who, when afflicted with a calamity, say:Indeed to Allaah we belong, and to Him we shall return. They are those for whom are the salawaat(blessings and forgiveness) from their Lord, and His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones},[Soorah al-Baqarah Aayah 155] And Allaah – the One free from all defects – said: {Evil has appeared upon the land and the sea, because of what the hands of men have earned.That Allaah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they mayreturn to Allaah in repentance}, [Soorah Room, Aayah 41] And Allaah – the Most High – said: {And We shall test you by way of evil and good, and to Us you will return}, [Soorah al-Anbiyaa.,Aayah 35] And Allaah – the Most Perfect – said: {And We tested them with good blessing and evil calamities, in order that they may return to theobedience of Allaah}, [Soorah al-A'raaf, Aayah 168] And there are many other aayaat with similar meanings. So the obligation upon the leaders of the Muslims – the Scholars, rulers, and other than them – is to haveconcern for the various afflictions and calamities that occur, and to remind and admonish the people, and toexplain to them what they have fallen into. Also, those in authority – from the Scholars and rulers – shouldset a good example of righteous conduct, and should discuss the reasons as to why Allaah is angered andgives retribution; and they should seek to cure this with tawbah (repentance), istighfaar (seeking Allaah'sforgiveness) and correcting their affairs. The rest of the Ummah will then follow them in this, since the

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guidance of the Scholars, and the wisdom of the rulers – and both being correct and upright – has one of thegreatest affects with regards to the fulfillment of responsibilities. The Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «Each of you is a guardian, and is responsible for those whom he is in charge of. So the ruler is theguardian and is responsible for his subjects; a man is the guardian of his family and is a guardianfor those under his care; a woman is a guardian of her husband's home and is responsible for thoseunder her care; a servant is the guardian of his master's wealth and is responsible for what is underhis care. So each one of you is a guardian for what is under his care. So each one of you is aguardian and is responsible for what he is entrusted with», [transmitted by al-Bukhaaree (13/100) andMuslim (no. 1829)] However, when the Muslims become accustomed to sinning and being contented with it, and those who wieldauthority and power do not try to prevent them, then the anger of Allaah will quickly descend upon theUmmah. And when His anger occurs, and His punishment takes place, then it covers both the sinful andobedient, and the protection of Allaah is sought from this. About this Allaah – the Most High – said: {And beware of the fitnah (trial and discord) that does not affect in particular only those amongstyou who are wrong-doers}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 25] Likwise, the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) said: «When the people see an evil, and they do not try to change it, then Allaah will cover them all withpunishment from Himself», [transmitted by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2168), who authenticated it] Allaah – the Most Perfect – said: {Indeed Allaah will not change the condition of a people until they change the condition ofthemselves}, [Soorah ar-Ra'd, Aayah 25] So the Scholars will be thoroughly questioned infront of Allah with regards to them giving knowledge andguidence to the people, and explaining to them what is correct and what is wrong, and also clarifying thebeneficial from the harmful. So we ask Allah that He favours all the Muslims and grants them the ability to be ability to be obedient totheir Lord, and to cling to the guidance of their Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam), and thatHe grants their leaders the ability to fulfill their duties, and that He reaches their Scholars the ways ofguidance , so that this all may traverse its path and direct the Ummah to it, and that He guides the misguidedMuslims and corrects their affairs. Indeed He is the Guardian over this, and the one having power to do this. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 4, Pages 134-135, Question No.1

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Miscellaneous

The enemies of Allaah are very eager to enter into the lands of the Muslims Question: The enemies of Allaah are very eager to enter into the Muslim lands by various methods. So whatefforts do you believe should be exerted in order to put a stop to this surge that has threatened the Islamicsocieties? Response: This is not something strange coming from the callers to Christianity, Judaism, or other religionsof kufr (disbelief). Since Allaah, the Most Perfect – and to Him belongs all praise – has informed about this inHis clear Revelation, when He said: {Never will the Jews and the Christians be pleased with you until you follow their ways of life. Say:Indeed the Guidance of Allaah, that is the only true guidance. And if you were to follow their falsedesires after what you have received of the knowledge of Revelation, then you would have neithera guardian, nor any helper against Allaah}, [Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 120] Allaah – the Most Perfect – also said: {And they will never stop fighting you, until they turn you away from your Religion, if they can},[Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 217] This is why they utilise every possible means to penetrate into the Muslim lands, and use various methodsand tactics to achieve this. One of their methods is to plant the seeds of doubt and uncertainty into the mindsand thoughts – and they continue to do so without easing up, nor becoming weary – utilising the church tospread their hatred and enmity, and directing their efforts through it. Therefore, it is obligatory upon the leaders and scholars to exert every possible effort in cautioning anddirecting the Muslim children, and to oppose the efforts of the enemies of Islam with countermeasures. Forindeed the Ummah of Islam is an Ummah that has been entrusted with a responsibility of carrying thisReligion and conveying it to others. So when we – in the Islamic societies – are determined to arm our sonsand daughters with correct knowledge, and true understanding of the Religion; beginning this process at anearly age, then we will never fear the enemy – by the permission of Allaah. Thus, as long as we continue tocling to the Religion of Allaah, glorifying and venerating Him, following His Sharee'ah (prescribed laws), andfighting those who oppose Him, then the opposite will happen; it will be the enemies of Allaah who will fearthe Muslims. Allaah – the Most Perfect, the One to Whom belongs all praise – said: {O you who believe! If you help Allaah by acting upon what you have been commanded with, thenAllaah will plant your feet firmly by giving you victory over your enemies}, [Soorah Muhammad,Aayah 7] Allaah – the Mighty and Majestic – also said: {But if you have sabr (patient perseverance) and have taqwaa (piety) ny doing what Allaah ordersand refraining from what He refraining from what He has prohibited, then no harm will theircunning plots be to you at all. Indeed Allaah encompasses everything by His Knowledge}, [SoorahAal-'Imraan, Aayah 120] And there are plenty of other aayaat with a similar meaning. So the most important factor in stopping thisattack is to prepare a generation that truly knows and understands the realities of Islam. This can beachieved by giving them the correct guidance and cultivation at home, and by utilising the various means ofeducation in order to help the society. Add to this the role of guiding, which is the duty of those in authority,and their duty of being constant in doing beneficial acts, being constant in reminding the people with what isof benefit to them, and doing that which cultivates the correct Islamic 'aqeedah (belief) in the people: {Indeed in the remembrance of Allaah do the hearts truly find tranquility}, [Soorah ar-Ra'd, Aayah 28] And there is no doubt that negligence is one of the causes that lets the enemies of Islam into the Muslimlands – along with their ideological attack – which gradually distances the Muslims from their Religion, stepby step. So with this, evil will increase amongst them and they will be affected by the false ideologies of their

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enemies. And Allaah – the One free from all defects, the Most High – ordered the Believers to have sabr(patience), to call to patience, and to strive in His Path using every method at their disposal; as He – theMost Majestic, Most High – said: {O you who Believe! Persevere and be more patient, and guard your territory by stationing armyunits permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you, and have taqwaa of Allaah(by doing what He orders and keeping away from what He prohibits)in order that you may besuccessful}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 200] And Allaah – the Most Perfect – said: {And those who strive hard in our cause, we shall surely guide them to Our avenues. Indeed Allaahis with the doers of good}, [Soorah al-'Ankaboot, Aayah 69] I ask Allaah by His Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes that He improves and corrects the affairs of theMuslims, and that He grants to them the understanding of the Religion, gathers the word of their leaders uponthe truth, and improves and corrects their close advisors. Indeed, He is the Most Kind, Most Generous. Andmay Allaah extol and send abundant blessings of peace upon our Leader and our Prophet, Muhammad, andupon his Family, his Companions, and his true followers. Shaykh Ibn BaazMajmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah - Volume 4, Pages 137-139, Question No.3

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Miscellaneous

Concerning Jamaa'atul-Jihaad and co-operation with them Question: Concerning Jamaa'atul-Jihaad (the group which partakes in bombings, hijackings, terrorism andother evils) and co-operation with them? Response: ...they are not to be co-operated with, nor are they to be given salaams to. Rather, they are to becut off from, and the people are to be warned against their evil. Since they are a fitnah (tribulation/trial) andare harmful to the Muslims, and they are the brothers of Shaytaan (Satan, Devil)! Shaykh Ibn BaazFrom the taped cassette (no.11), recorded in the month of Dhul-Hijjah 1408 A.H. (1987C.E.) at'at-Tawiyyatul-Islamiyyah

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Miscellaneous

Refuting Ahlul-Bid'ah is considered as jihaad Question: Is the statement of one who says that: "Whoever refutes the Ahlul-Bid'ah is considered a mujaahidin the Path of Allaah" - is this statement correct or not? Response: Yes. The one who refutes the Ahlul-Bid'ah (people of innovation) is a mujaahid, and there is nodoubt about this. Since when Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was told about a man who fasts, and offers salaah,and gives in charity, and performs the i'tikaaf, and does (other) good deeds, and was (then) told about a manwho refutes the innovators - implying which of the two was better? He (Imaam Ahmad) said: «Whoever offers salaah and fasts and gives in charity and performs i'tikaaf, then (all of) this is for himself, andas for he who refutes the innovators, then this is for (the benefit of) the people». So there is no doubt that whoever refutes the innovators is better, and the statements of the 'ulamaa.regarding this are many. Shaykh Ahmad an-Najmeeal-Fataawa al-Jaliyyah 'anil-Manaahij ad-Da'wiyyah - Page 24, Question 29

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Madeenah.Com

Shaykh Fowzaan advises the Muslim Ummah At this present time (today), the Muslims are suffering from evil attacks from the overpowering enemy (forces)from all sides, from the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, the war in Palestine, (and) the war in Lebanon.And that which we hear and read from our preachers (khateebs) and writers (journalists), all of it iscondemnation of the actions of the enemies. And there is no doubt in (any of) these issues. However, are thedisbelieving enemy affected by these raised voices? The disbelievers, from long ago, have wanted to wipe outIslaam from existence, as Allaah (Ta'aala) says: {And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (IslaamicMonotheism) if they can}, [Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 217]. But the issue is, what have the Muslims prepared in response to them and in preventing their attacks? Indeed it is obligatory upon them, firstly, to: Look at their current state in terms of their religion and theiradherence to it, for indeed that which has afflicted them is as a result of negligence in (practising) theirreligion. And in a narration (it is said): ((If the one who knows Me is disobedient to Me, I will cause the onewho does not know me to overpower him (in authority))). And what happened to the Banee Israa.eel(Israelites) when they left their religion and caused mischief on the Earth, Allaah caused them to beoverpowered (in authority) by the disbelieving Magians (fire worshippers) and: {they entered the very innermost parts of your homes} as Allaah has mentioned at the beginning ofSoorah al-Israa., Aayah 005]. And Allaah threatened them, that if they were to return (back) to their ways, then He will punish them. So it isimperative that we assess our current affairs and rectify that which is corrupt from our affairs with regard tothe religion, for (certainly) the Sunnah of Allaah does not change. And Allaah (Ta'aala) says: {Verily, Allaah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change theirstate (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient toAllaah). But when Allaah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, and they willfind besides Him no protector}, [Soorah ar-Ra'd, Aayah 11] Secondly, it is (incumbent) upon us to prepare ourselves with that which we can confront our enemies with,as Allaah (Ta'aala) says: {And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war (tanks, planes,missiles, artillery) to threaten thereby the enemy of Allaah and your enemy, and others besidesthem, whom you may not know, (but) whom Allaah does know}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 60]. And that is by putting together (preparing) armies and (acquiring) suitable weapons and (thereby attaining)defensive strength/power. Thirdly, the unification of the Muslims upon the (firm) belief of Tawheed and ruling in accordance with theSharee'ah (of Allaah) and (firm) adherence to Islaam in all our affairs from (our) dealings and (good) mannersand ruling by the Book of Allaah and commanding the good and forbidding the evil, and calling to (the Path of)Allaah upon (sound) knowledge, insight and sincerity. Allaah (Ta'aala) says: {And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allaah (i.e. this Qur.aan), and be not dividedamong yourselves}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 103] and He (Ta'aala) says: {and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs, and bepatient. Surely, Allaah is with those who are as-Saabiroon (the patient)}, [Soorah Al-Anfaal, Aayah 46] So it is not possible to unite whilst there are differences in 'aqeedah and in (our) aims and goals, until the'aqeedah is correct and the goals are one (namely) for the victory of the Truth and the raising of the Word of

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Allaah (above all else); If only the preachers and advisors in their speeches and advice would concentrate onthese issues (just) as they are (concentrating on) criticising the attacking enemy. The evil aims of the enemy must be explained (exposed), and that the weakening of the Muslims and thegrabbing of their wealth and possessions are not (the) only intended (aims), rather, on a major level it isintended to corrupt their 'aqeedah and (cause) their turning away from their religion until they have destroyedthem to pieces. And this is what I wished to warn about with regards to this catastrophe." Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan http://www.alfawzan.ws/AlFawzan/MyNews/tabid/87/Default.aspx?more=454&new_id=19 Translated by: Abu 'Abdullaah Mohammed Akhtar Chaudhry

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http://www.alfawzan.ws/AlFawzan/MyNews/tabid/87/Default.aspx?more=454&new_id=19


Madeenah.Com

Terrorism Draws Great Harm Upon the Muslims Terrorism only causes Muslims living in their own countries to be killed as you are now witnessing. This isnot from the affairs of Da'wah, nor is it from the affairs of Jihaad. Likewise bombings and causing destruction,this only draws great evil upon the Muslims as is now happening... Shaykh Saalih ibn FowzaanFataawa al A-imah - page 65 Translated by: Abu ‘Abdul Waahid, Nadir Ahmad

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Madeenah.Com

Hijacking planes and blowing up buildings Question: Is it permissible to hijack planes, blow up buildings and carry out revolts [against the government]?Is this considered to be from the essence of Islaam that one loves to act upon? Benefit us, may Allaahreward you. Response: These affairs are from the destruction that Islaam prohibits, and it draws a lot of evil upon theMuslims because the non-Muslims make this a reason to attack the Muslims and annihilate them. It is theseactions that the Kufaar have taken as grounds to dispraise Islaam as being a religion of terrorism, they saythis because of such activities. Islaam prohibits Bombings, destruction and hijacking planes because it causes harm to the Muslims before itdoes to other than them, and because it is a form of harm that does not contain any benefit. Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaanal-Ijaabaat al-Muhimmah fil-Mashaakil al-Mudlahamah - page 81 Translated by: Abu ‘Abdul Waahid, Nadir Ahmad

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Madeenah.Com

al-Luhaydaan witnesses 9-11 After clarifying Islaam's Stance towards terrorism, the Shaykh continues... ...Due to this, what I witnessed being broadcast in the media, the collisions that caused those towers tocollapse. The people’s reaction was as if it were the Day of Resurrection, their fright was the fright of theestablishment of the Hour (Day of Resurrection). People running here and there were in plain shock. Those who carry out such crimes are Islaamicaly considered to be the most dangerous of criminals, theworst of them in acts. Whoever believes that a Muslim scholar, one who is knowledgeable of the objectives ofthe Islaamic legislation, knowledgeable of the meanings of the Qur-aan and the Sunnah of the Messenger(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), would permit such acts, has indeed thought evil. It is not befitting for a Muslim to rejoice over the misfortunes of others, even if it were an enemy who wrongedthem. Oppression is unacceptable [in Islaam] and personal transgression/revenge against those who do notdeserve punishment is forbidden, a terrible affair. So how about these events that we witnessed, events that cause fear by merely viewing them, how can it besaid that Muslims approve of such activities?! Shaykh Saalih ibn Muhammad al-LuhaydaanChairman of the Higher Judiciary Council of Saudi ArabiaFataawa al-A-imah - page 57A Portion of a statement given by the Shaykh on Saudi National Television after witnessing the 9/11 WorldTrade Center incident. Translated by: Abu ‘Abdul Waahid, Nadir Ahmad

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Preface

The Evils of Terrorism Author: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhaab al-'Aqeel- Professor of 'Aqeedah at the College of Da'wah, Islamic University of Madeenah Translation: AbdulHaq ibn Kofi ibn Kwesi ibn Kwaku al-Ashanti This lecture was given on Saturday August 20th 2005 via tele-link at Masjid Ibn Taymeeyah (Brixton Mosque,London) and was translated at the masjid by Umar al-Jamaykee (a graduate of the Faculty of Hadeeth(Prophetic Traditions) Sciences, Islamic University of Madeenah).

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The Evils of Terrorism[1] - Lecture

As mentioned in the introduction and in order to make it clear, Islam is free from terrorism and corruption.Islam is established upon mercy, justice, mutual love and concern with rectifying the earth and its people,Islam therefore forbids corrupting the earth and its people. Then we mentioned the excellent interaction that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) had with thepeople, from the kuffaar (disbelievers), such as the people of the book such as Jews and Christians. TheProphet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) interacted with people with justice, mercy and loving good for thepeople. In all of the battles that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) participated in was in order tospread this goodness, mercy, justice and love amongst the people, therefore, Islam is free from this call toterrorism. As for the term terrorism in the Arabic language 'irhaab' this is a new term which is not found within theclassical Arabic dictionaries at all. Rather it has only surfaced in the modern era due to some people utilisingit as a specific method yet with unlegislated means, such as violence, killing, breeding fear and its like.Some of these dictionaries mention that the 'terrorist' is: one who utilises violence and terrorism in order toestablish his own rule. Terrorism is the terror that is caused by those groups or individuals who resort to killing and wreaking havocand destruction. Terrorism is therefore, according to the contemporary compilers of modern Arabicdictionaries, killing akin to the riotous killing that is mentioned within the texts of Shar'eeah. As the Prophet(sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) mentioned with regards to the signs of the end of time, the spread of 'al-Harj'(riotous killing). The meaning of 'al-Harj' is killing and the increase of the spilling blood, which is all from the signs of the endof time. To the extent that the one killing will not know why he is killing and the one that was killed will notknow why he/she was killed. Islam is free from this riotous killing, free from this terrorism and free from thiskind of corruption. Terrorism is established upon destruction of properties such as factories, farms, places of worship, trainstations, airports and the likes; Islam is clearly free from such actions that are based upon corruption and notupon rectification. Terrorists usually say that they are going against the state in which they are based within. This is like themafia or other criminal organisations that are based on killing people, causing fear and taking their monies.Such criminal organisations have leaders, deputies and individuals that are responsible for establishingregulations for the organisation and individuals responsible for carrying out attacks, and all of them areterrorists causing corruption on the earth. However the ugliest face of terrorism is that which is established in the name of religion, all of the religionsfrom the Prophets (peace be upon them) are free from such terrorism, even if some of the followers of theProphets participated in such terrorist activities, but the Prophets are free from such corruptions. The terrorists are in need of doubtful proofs for their methodology especially those who attribute themselves tothe Prophets (peace be upon them), they claim that the Prophets ordered them to commit terrorism. Many ofthose who commit acts of terrorism from those who attribute themselves to the religion of the Jews claim thatMoosaa (Moses) commanded them to do terrorism or that the other Prophets from the children of Israa'eelordered them to do terrorism yet this is a lie.[2] As Moosaa (peace be upon him) and all of the Prophets fromthe children of Israa'eel (peace be upon them) never ever ordered people to commit terrorism. Likewise, those who commit acts of terrorism and attribute themselves to Eesaa (Jesus) claim that thegospels sanction terrorism and the use of it over the enemy.[3] I have some texts which I have gathered fromother sources wherein such terrorists (in the name of Jesus and Christianity) claim that the gospel allows it,however the time does not allow for me to mention all of this here. The important matter for us to mention is that Eesaa was sen with mercy like all of the Prophets, peace beupon them, and it is not possible that they ordered people to commit acts of terrorism. Likewise, those who attribute themselves in this era from the people of corruption, bombing and takfeer within

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the Muslim countries and the non-Muslim countries, need certain texts from the Qur'aan and sunnah for themto refer. They claim that such texts lead to terrorism but they are lying about this as the Prophet(sallallaallaahu alayhi wassallam) is totally free from terrorism. For that reason, the Muslim scholars havedenounced all acts of terrorism that are committed by those who associate themselves with Islam. The Muslim scholars denounced the attacks on the world trade buildings in New York and made clear thatthose who committed the act were criminals and that they had nothing to do with Islam and that they merelykilled themselves, and whoever kills themselves intentionally will be in hellfire killing themselves, and Allaah'srefuge is sought. Similarly, the Muslim scholars denounced the terrorist attacks committed by those who associatethemselves with Islam that took place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The scholars also denounced theterrorist attacks committed by those who associate themselves with Islam that took place in Sharmash-Sheikh in Egypt. The scholars also denounced the terrorist attacks that took place on the tube stationsin London, they denounced this and made clear that Islam has nothing to do with such actions and that Islamis free of them. The doubts of the terrorists, with regards to their twisting of the texts, are with the verse from Soorah al-Anfaalverse 60 wherein Allaah says: {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you mayterrify the enemy of Allaah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know (but)Allaah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allaah will be fully repaid to you, and youwill not be wronged.}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 60] The verse that comes after it explains it perfectly, wherein Allaah says: {And if they incline towards peace, then incline to it also and rely upon Allaah. Indeed, it is He whois the Hearing, the Knowing.}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 61] This verse explains the initial verse perfectly, as Allaah within this verse explains the condition of the Muslimswith non-Muslims. The first state is one of war, and war is usually not between individual Muslims and individual kuffaar, no! Waris between the armies of the Muslim state and the armies of a disbelieving state and we should not beashamed of this at all. All of the Prophets (peace be upon them) fought and prepared armies, and people up until this day havearmies and prepare military strength. All of the great states in every time and place have prepared armies andhave obtained a variety of weapons in order to frighten people. Obtaining weapons is a defensive andpreventative method not an offensive method, as if the enemy knows that you have a number of devastatingweapons he will not even consider to go to war against you. Rather the great states, past and present, have been concerned with forming armed groups in order tofrighten their enemies such as the Warsaw pact,[4] NATO[5] and other large alliances that are formed bylarge states in order to gain power and secure itself from its enemies. The Islamic state has the same concern as all states past and present, yet it is upon an Islamic state not onindividuals to do this. The verse is directed to an Islamic state: {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power}, [Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 60] This is for an Islamic state. Is it permissible for any individual within a major state to store or possess massweapons in his house? The answer is clearly no; it is not permissible according to the customary laws of thatstate rather it is for the state to possess such weapons. Likewise according to the contemporary regulationsthere are certain weapons that are prohibited for states to possess as such weapons cause indiscriminatedestruction upon crops and vegetation.[6] This can be seen with the current prohibition of nuclear weaponswhich cause devastation and serve no benefit in armies possessing them. Also the verse says to an Islamic state that it is incumbent upon yourselves to be ready and be strong so

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that the enemy will fear you and will not even think about going to war against you. As if you are weak theenemy will easily be able to gain power over you and if you are strong, the enemy will fear you. This verse isdirected to an Islamic state not individuals as every state today possesses weapons and power and guidesits borders and keeps its affairs from its enemies and manufactures weapons. In the same way, an Islamicstate guides its borders and affairs. In terms of defining an enemy the first type are those who take its peopleand if kuffaar war against an Islamic state then it is incumbent, upon an Islamic state not individuals, to armitself with necessary weapons. As for the terrorist tribulations in the current era, then those people are not an Islamic state and they are alsonot those to whom the verse in the Qur'aan is directed to those who are the leaders of states, not individualswho live within a state. those individuals have to listen to the ruler of the Muslims and obey him and not fightanyone except with the rulers permission andauthorisation. If the ruler of the Muslims has made agreements with disbelieving nations, such as Britain, America andFrance then it is not permissible for us to fight against a state that the leader of the Muslims has madeagreements with. This is the case even if some aspects of the conditions of agreement seem oppressive onus, as the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) made an agreement with the kuffaar of Makkah even thoughsome of the companions felt that some of the conditions were against the Muslims and hard on them, but theProphet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) commanded them to listen and obey, and thus the companionslistened and obeyed.[7] As for those Muslims who are living within the kuffaar states then the Divine Legislation, intellect andcustoms indicate that it is not permissible for a Muslim that has entered a disbelieving country to cheatthem.8 Rather it is for every Muslim within such disbelieving countries to respect the agreements andpromises that were made in order to enter and live in the country. Indeed, it is upon such a Muslim, according to the intellect and the Divine Legislation, to show thanks andgratitude to the people of such a country and to be good with them and be merciful with them and be kindwith them and thank them for allowing them to live amongst them in their country. These disbelievers have allowed them to enter the country and have allowed them to seek Islamic knowledgeand have allowed them to study and have allowed them to work and conduct business within their countries.It may even be the case that some Muslims take monies from the kuffaar countries (such as social benefitsand welfare state handouts) or utilise a card under their sponsorship or obtain a passport from them in orderto travel the world mighty and honoured under their sponsorship. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam)said: "Whoever does not thank the people has not thanked Allaah." Therefore those who have entered kuffaar countries should indeed show gratitude to them for allowing them toenter their countries. As now they have money and honour and if not for the kuffaar and the police withinthose countries maybe his money would have been taken or he would have been killed or his honour wouldhave been disrespected. However, the laws and organisation of those kuffaar countries, and we do not saythat all of what is in them is true, we rather just emphasise this point alone, have allowed them into thecountry and as a result such Muslims should fear Allaah and be grateful for that good by keeping to theirpromises and agreements with such kuffaar.[9] The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) when he made an agreement with the kuffaar of Makkah andsome people became Muslims after the agreement and rectification, the Prophet still had to fulfil theagreement and send them back to their people such as the case of Aboo Jandal.[10] Look my noble brother at the justice of Islam and to the strength of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam)in adhering to agreements. So in our discussion of the kuffaar countries, we mainly cover two matters: FIRST: The Islamic state, like a kuffaar state, has to arm itself with weapons and defend itself. This is for astate and not for us individuals within an Islamic state who have to listen to the ruler and obey. SECOND: If we are in a kuffaar country we have to fear Allaah and thank such states for providing us withgood such as entering their countries.

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The verse in al-Anfaal is for the Muslim states not for individuals to carry out and Muslim states today armand prepare themselves and prioritise such matters as all states do. Indeed, they even purchase weaponsfrom kuffaar states from the west and east in order to gather weapons and empower itself and to guard itsborders as much as it is able to. For this reason, the land of Islam has been protected on many occasionsfrom the plans of the kuffaar, and all praise is due to Allaah. For example, we are now in conflict with thestate known as 'Israel' and we have been for over fifty years, thus it arms itself and empowers itself viapurchasing weapons from the east and west[11] and thus we also purchase weapons from the east and westand there is no shame in this. No Muslims or kuffaar have said that you should not arm yourselves; onlysome states that aligned themselves with Germany during the Second World War are prohibited from armingthemselves to a considerable extent such as Japan and Switzerland according to the laws, as they have aprior experience with exploiting armaments. There is no shame in a Muslim state in purchasing weapons but what is a problem is to establish tribulationssuch as the mafia, highway robbers or terrorists, who kill, devastate and cause corruption. Going back to the verse then, it is a command for an Islamic state and not for individual Muslims within astate as individual Muslims are under the jurisdiction of the Islamic state. If the leader of the Muslims hasmade an agreement with other states then it is not permissible at all for us to wage war against the citizensof such states. It is not permissible for a Muslim to fight the kuffaar with whom the leader of the Muslims hasan agreement. So with this may Allaah preserve and protect you, Allaah has legislated laws and regulations for Muslims tointeract with non-Muslims. We find that these regulations are clear and with no doubts within them. As for those bombers that you have over there who terrorise the people then it should be known that suchpeople not only wreak havoc over there but also in Makkah, Madeenah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhiwassallam), Riyadh, Khobar, Shaam, Egypt and not only the Christian countries. Terrorism has no religion and no country, rather it is based on kindling tribulations and is concerned withwreaking havoc on the earth or has other goals, whether economic or political, we do not know. However, wesay that terrorism is always associated with wreaking havoc and corruption, and Allaah commandedrectification and forbade corruption and Islam came with rectification and to prevent corruption. Therefore, the verse in al-Anfaal is not an evidence for terrorism as all of the commentators of the verse havenoted that it is directed to the leaders of the Muslims. All of the Muslim states today strengthen themselves,which a natural human phenomena, and have armies in order to defend themselves from any enemies and sothat the enemy will know that they are strong. Have you ever seen anyone enter into a Lions den? No, this isnot possible as it is strong. But the home of a gazelle, rabbit or pigeon is easy to enter upon, but the Lion'sden is not as easy because it is strong. Even though it is not necessary for the lion to attack people as it eats whatever suffices it from the forest.Islam and the Muslims, past and present, are free from terrorism and have rejected those who supportterrorist atrocities in the Muslim countries, in America, in Britain and in other countries and have stated thatsuch people have merely killed themselves which is not permissible in Islam and that whoever intentionallykills themselves is in the hellfire for eternity. As for the spurious evidences that terrorists utilise then they are indeed many and the most importantevidence that they use is the verse from al-Anfaal, yet Allaah says after it: "And if they incline towards peace, then incline to it also and rely upon Allaah. Indeed, it is He who is theHearing, the Knowing." {al-Anfaal (8): 61} Therefore the Muslim countries are at peace with all of the nation states of the world in the east and the west,with the exception of Israel and we ask Allaah to suffice the Muslims from its evil. [1] This lecture was given on Saturday August 20th 2005 via tele-link at Masjid Ibn Taymeeyah (BrixtonMosque, London) and was translated at the masjid by Umar al-Jamaykee. [2]This has also been attested by some Jewish writers such as Israel Shahak in his book Jewish History,

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Jewish Religion – The Weight of Three Thousand Years (Pluto Press). He notes how the Talmud mentionsthat if a Jew passes near an inhabited non-Jewish dwelling, he must ask God to destroy it, whereas if thebuilding is in ruins he must thank the Lord for his retribution on the 'Gentiles'. (p. 93 – quoting the TractateBerakhot, p.58b) furthermore, Shahak notes Rabbi Shabbtay Kohen (mid 17th century), Siftey Kohen onShulhan 'Arukh, 'Yoreh De'ah', 158: "But in times of war it was the custom to kill them with one's own hands,for it is said, "The best of gentiles, kill him!"." Siftey Kohen and Turey Zahay are the two major classicalcommentaries on the Shulhan 'Arukh. (Shahak, pp.76 and 113). Michael Hoffman on his website thatdiscusses Jewish affairs notes that according to Jewish teachings non-Jewish women are "Niddah, Shifchah,Goyyah and Zonah (menstrual filth, slaves, heathens and whores)." [Translator's Note] [3] Christian groups such as the Catholic IRA in Northern Ireland and its offshoots such as the Real IRA havesanctioned terrorism. On the side are the Protestants in Northern Ireland with many of the Ulster basedpro-British unionist groups which have also participated in terrorism. In Spain, the Basque separatist groupEta are well known for their terrorism which they justify in the name of nationalism and religion. Also in LatinAmerica there are a number of terrorist cells that operate under the banner of Christianity. Also in Europe theneo-Nazi groups who also perform a number of terrorist activities under the pretext of preserving Anglo-saxonChristianity and European heritage. From the mushriks there are the likes of the Aum cult of Japan whocommanded chemical attacks upon the Japanese tube network in the 1990s and also in Sri Lanka the TamilTigers terrorist group. [Translator's Note] [4] The Warsaw Pact, also known as the 'Warsaw Treaty', was a military alliance of the Eastern Europeancountries (the Eastern Bloc) who intended to organise against the perceived threat from NATO. The Pact wasprompted by the integration of a 're-militarised' west Germany into NATO via the ratification of the ParisAgreement. The Warsaw Pact was drafted by Nikita Krushchev in 1955 CE and singed in Warsaw. It came toan end and 1991 CE and was dissolved in Prague. [Translator's Note] [5] The North Atlantic Trade Organisation, sometimes referred to as the 'North Atlantic Alliance', the 'AtlanticAlliance' or the 'Western Alliance'. It is an international organisation for defence collaboration and wasestablished in 1949 CE. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO [6] In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) forbade the use of 'scorched earthpolicies' wherein crops, vegetation and livestock were destroyed, burned or devastated. The kuffaar also claimto prohibit such weapons that cause such indiscriminate destruction yet the reality is that it has mainly beenthe kuffaar nations who have utilised such weapons of 'mass destruction' such as on Hiroshima, Nagasaki,Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Depleted Uranium was used for the first time on Iraq during the first gulf warand it has a radioactive future of 125,000 years, like the effects of Agent Orange (which was used onVietnam) its effects on populations and on future generations are devastating. [Translator's Note] [7] The Shaykh (hafidhahullaah) is referring here to the Hudaybiyah Treaty which was made between theMuslims and the polytheists of Quraysh. When the mushrikeen of Quraysh witnessed the determination ofthe Muslims to risk their lives, properties, wealth and families for their faith in order to spread it peacefully,they realised that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) and his followers (radi Allaahu'anhum) could not be bullied or frightened by mere scare tactics. Therefore, a treaty of reconciliation andpeace was made between the Quraysh and the Muslims. The clauses of the treaty were:• The Muslims would return and come back in the following year (7 AH) but they would not stay in Makkah formore than three days and without arms except those concealed;• War activities were to be suspended for ten years, during which both sides will live in security with neitherside waging war against the other;• Whoever wishes to join Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) was free to do so and likewise whoeverwished to join the mushrikeen of the Quraysh was also free to do so;• If anyone from the Quraysh joins Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) without his parent's orguardian's permission, he should be sent back to the Quraysh, but should any of Muhammad's followersreturn to the Quraysh, he was not to be sent back. (Safiur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar(ar-Raheequl-Makhtum) Darusalam, 2002, p.403) The treaty was significant in that the Quraysh began torecognise the Muslims legitimate existence and began to deal with them on equal terms. Safiur-Rahmanal-Mubarakpuri notes in his biography of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) pp.407-408:"The Muslims did not have in mind to seize people's property or kill them through bloody wars, nor did theyever think of using any compulsive approaches in their efforts to propagate Islam, on the contrary their soletarget was to provide an atmosphere of freedom in ideology or religion:

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO


{Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve.}", [Soorah al-Kahf,Aayah 29] the Muslims, on the other hand, had the opportunity to spread Islam over areas not then explored.When there was the peace agreement, war was abolished, and men met and consulted each together, nonetalked about Islam intelligently without entering it; within two years following the conclusion of the treaty,twice as many people entered Islam than ever before. This is supported by the fact that the Prophet(sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) went out to al-Hudaybiyah with only 1400 men, but when he set out to liberateMakkah, two years later, he had 10,000 men with him. [Translator's Note] [8] This is for those Muslims who have entered a non-Muslim country and also those Muslims who were bornand raised within non-Muslim countries. [Translator's Note] [9] This is one of the areas in which the takfeerees and jihaadees contradict themselves. For they argueabout the evil of a Muslim ruler due to a perceived allegiance to the kuffaar and their ways, yet they do theevery same, if not worse, by: running to kuffaar countries, consuming large sums of kuffaar state benefithandouts; taking welfare allowances from "HRM's" benevolence; paying all required taxes; sending theirchildren to kuffaar hospitals and entertainment centres and the likes, yet do not also see all of this has"loving the kuffaar" or as emphasising the weakness of the Muslims!? Indeed, many of them even claim thatwhat they do is merely part of their "jihaad efforts"!!? [Translator's Note] [10] Aboo Jandal (radi Allaahu 'anhu) was brutally chained and was suffering great hardship and oppression.The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) and the companions (radi Allaahu 'anhum) tried to secure hisrelease but Aboo Jandal's father Suhayl was unyielding and would not hand Aboo Jandal over due to thetreaty which had been agreed between the Prophet and the mushrikeen of Quraysh. Aboo Jandal (radiAllaahu 'anhu) did not want to remain with the mushrikeen yet the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) hadto honour his word and adhere to the agreement. [Translator's Note] [11] Time Magazine (August 24 1998, vol. 152, no.8, p.12) noted once that: Israel is an undeclared nuclearpower that is thought to have over 200 warheads it was also active in the production of plutonium and highlyenriched uranium, the makings of nuclear bombs. Israel wishes to maintain a certain ambiguity around itsnuclear status. [Translator's Note]

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Preface

With Which Intellect and Religion can Suicide Bombings and Destruction be Considered Jihaad? Author: The Muhaddith of al-Madeenah, al-'Allaamah 'Abdul-Muhsin Ibn Hamad al-'Abbaad Translation: Maaz Qureshi Version 1.0 An explanation of the Islamic Rulings on Suicide Bombings, Terrorism and Killing Innocent Muslims andnon-Muslims

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Introduction

The praise is for Allaah. We praise Him, seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaahfrom the evils of our own selves and from evils of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides, then there is nonethat can misguide him, and whosoever Allaah misguides, then there is none that can guide him. I testify thatthere is none worthy of worship besides Allaah alone, without any associate. And I testify that Muhammad isHis servant and Messenger. O Allaah, send peace, salutations and blessings upon him, his family, hisCompanions and whosoever traverses his path and is guided by his guidance until the Day of Judgement. Toproceed:

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Satan Misleads the Muslims by way of Negligence and Excessiveness

So Satan has two entranceways upon the Muslims, through which he carries out the task of misleading themand misguiding them. One of these entranceways is that when the Muslim is from amongst the people ofnegligence and disobedience, Satan beautifies disobedience and desires for him, so that he remains far awayfrom Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Indeed, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) said: «Paradise is surrounded by adversity, and the Fire is surrounded by desires (shahawaat).»[2] The second entranceway of Satan is that when the Muslim is from amongst the people of obedience andworship, he beautifies excessiveness and extremism in the Religion for him, in order to corrupt his Religion. [2] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6487) and Muslim (no. 2822).

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Quranic Verses and Prophetic Statements Warning Against Extremism in the Religion

Indeed, Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, {O people of Book! Do not go to extremes in your Religion, and do not speak about Allaah, exceptthe truth.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah 171] And Allaah said, {Say: O people of the Book! Do not exceed the limits in your Religion other than the truth, and donot follow the vain desires of people who went astray in times gone by, and who misled many, andstrayed themselves from the Right Path.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah 77] The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: «Beware of al-ghuluww (extremism) in the Religion, since those who came before you were onlydestroyed due to extremism in the Religion.»[3] [3] Saheeh: Related by Ahmad (1/215, 347), Ibn Maajah (no. 3029) and an-Nisaa'ee (5/268). StatedShaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in Iqtidaa'us-Siraatil-Mustaqeem (p. 106), 'Its isnaad is saheeh according tothe condition of Muslim.' And Imaam al-Albaanee agreed in Silsilatul-Prophetic Statementsis-Saheehah (no.1283).

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Faulty Understandings Occur as a Result of Following Desires and Not Returning Back to thePeople of Knowledge

So from amongst the plots of Satan upon these extremists is that he beautifies for them the following ofdesires, obeying their leaders and evil understanding. And Satan causes them to abstain from referring backto the people of knowledge, so that the people of knowledge will not be able to enlighten them and guidethem towards the correct view. As a result of this, they remain in their error and misguidance. Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, {And do not follow desire, since it will mislead you from the Path of Allaah.}, [Soorah Sa'd, Aayah 26] And Allaah said, {And who is more misguided than the one who follows his own desire without guidance fromAllaah?}, [Sooratul-Qasas, Aayah 50] And He said, {Is it then the one to whom the evil of his deed is made to seem good? Indeed, Allaah misguideswhomsoever He wills and guides whomsoever He wills.}, [Soorah Faatir, Aayah 8] And He said, {Is he who is upon a clear proof from his Lord, like those for whom their evil deeds that they do arebeautified for them, while they follow their own desires?}, [Soorah Muhammad, Aayah 14] And He said, {It is He who has sent down to you the Book. In it are the Verses that are entirely clear, they are thefoundations of the Book, and there are others that are not entirely clear. So as for those who havea deviation in their hearts, then they will follow from it that which is unclear, seeking discord andan interpretation.}, [Soorah Aali-'Imraan, Aayah 7] There occurs from 'Aa'ishah (radiyallaahu 'anhaa), that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) recited thisaayah and said, «"When you see those who follow that which unclear from it (the Qur'aan), then those are the oneswhom Allaah has mentioned. So beware of them.»[4] And the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)said, «Whosoever Allaah desires good for, He grants him understanding of the Religion.»[5] So the wording of this hadeeth proves that a sign of Allaah desiring good for the servant is that He grants himunderstanding of the Religion. And the understanding of this hadeeth includes proof that whosoever Allaahdoes not desire good for, then he will not attain understanding of the Religion. Rather, he will be afflicted by apoor understanding of the Religion. [4] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 4547) and Muslim (no. 2665). [5] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 71) and Muslim (no. 1037).

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Ibn 'Abbaas Debates the Khawaarij Concerning their Faulty Understanding, and TwoThousand from Amongst them Repent

And from the evil understanding of this Religion is that which was attained by the Khawaarij[6] who revoltedand fought against 'Alee (radiyallaahu 'anhu). This was because they understood the texts of the Sharee'ahwith an erroneous understanding, which contradicted the understanding of the Companions (radiyallaahu'anhum). Due to this, when Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa) debated them, he clarified to them thecorrect understanding of the texts. So there returned from amongst them those who returned, and theremainder of them did not return back from their misguidance. And the story of his debate with them hasbeen recorded in the Mustadrak (2/150-152) of al-Haakim (d.405H), and the isnaad is saheeh upon thecondition of Muslim (d.261H). In it is the statement of Ibn 'Abbaas, "I have come to you from the Companionsof the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), from the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, so that Imay inform you of what they say. They are well aware of what they say, as the Qur'aan was sent down uponthem. And they are more knowledgeable concerning the revelation than you, and it was revealed amongstthem. And none of them are amongst you." So some of them said, 'Do not argue with the Quraysh (i.e. sinceIbn 'Abbaas is from the Quraysh), since Allaah says, {Rather, they are a quarrelsome people.}, [Sooratuz-Zukhruf, Aayah 58].' Stated Ibn 'Abbaas, "And I have come to a people whom I have not seen anyone more severe in striving hardthan them. Their faces have become pale from staying up late at night, it is as if their hands and feet do notdeter them." So there remained those who remained. So some of them said, 'Let us speak with him and letus see what he says.' 'I said, 'Inform me of that which you harbour against the son of the uncle of theMessenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and his son-in-law, the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar.' Theysaid, 'Three issues.' I said, 'What are they?' They said, 'As for the first of them, then he ('Alee) has allowedmen to judge in the affair of Allaah, yet Allaah the Exalted says, {The judgement is for none but Allaah.}, [Soorah Yoosuf, Aayah 40] So it is not for men and it is not for judges.' So I said, 'This is only one issue.' They said, 'As for the otherissues, then he fought his enemies, yet he did not take any prisoners or war booty. So if those whom hefought were disbelievers, then their imprisonment and war booty has been made lawful. And if they werebelievers, then fighting them is not permissible.' I said, 'These are only two issues, so what is the third?' Theysaid, 'Indeed, he erased the title, 'Leader of the Believers' from himself, so therefore he is the leader of thedisbelievers.' I said, 'Do you have anything besides this?' They said, 'This is sufficient for us.' So I said tothem, 'Do you hold that if I recite to you from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger(sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), that which refutes your statement, that you will obey?' They said, 'Yes!' So Isaid, 'As for your statement that he has allowed men to judge concerning from the affair of Allaah, then I shallrecite to you that which shows that Allaah relegated His judgement to men concerning the price of fourdirhams, concerning a rabbit and its like from game. So Allaah said, {O you who believe! Do not kill game whilst you are in a state of ihraam.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah95] Up until He said, {…as judged by two just men from amongst you.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah 95] So I implore you by Allaah: Is the judgement of men with regards to a rabbit and its like from game better, ortheir judgement concerning their blood and reconciliation between them?! And you must know that if Allaahhad wished, He would have judged and not relegated that to the men. And Allaah the Mighty and Majestichas said concerning the woman and her husband, {And if you fear a breach amongst the two of them, then appoint two arbitrators, one from hisfamily and one from hers. And if they both wish for peace, then Allaah will bring about theirreconciliation.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah 35] So Allaah made the judgement of the men a tradition to be believed in. So do you leave this?" They said,'Yes!' He said, "As for your statement that he fought and he did not take prisoners, nor did he take war booty,then do you revile your mother, 'Aa'ishah? Then you must declare her lawful in that which you have declared

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lawful with regards to other than her! So if you were to do that, then you would become disbelievers, as she isyour mother. And if you say, 'She is not our mother,' then you have disbelieved. Since, Allaah says, {The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.},[Sooratul-Ahzaab, Aayah 6] So you are revolving around two positions of misguidance. Regardless of which of them you adopt, you haveadopted misguidance." So they began to look at each other.' 'I said, 'Have you left from this?' They said, 'Yes!''And as for your statement, that he erased the title of 'Leader of the Believers' from his name, then I shallcome to you with one whom you are pleased with and I shall see you. Indeed, you have heard that on the dayof al-Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) made a treaty with Suhayl Ibn 'Amr and AbaaSufyaan Ibn Harb. So the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said to the Leader of theBelievers ('Alee), "Write O 'Alee: These are the terms of peace agreed upon by Muhammad the Messenger ofAllaah." So the pagans said, 'No, by Allaah! Had we known that you were the Messenger of Allaah, we wouldnot have fought you.' So the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "O Allaah! You knowthat I am the Messenger of Allaah. Write O 'Alee: These are the terms of peace agreed upon by MuhammadIbn 'Abdullaah."[7] So by Allaah, the Messenger of Allaah was better than 'Alee, yet he was not removed fromProphethood when he erased the title from his name." Stated 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa),"So two thousand of those people repented, and the rest were killed upon misguidance."[8] So in this story, two thousand from amongst the Khawaarij repented from their falsehood, due to clarificationand elucidation which emanated from Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa). So in that is proof that there is inthe referring back to the people of knowledge, security from evils and tribulations. Indeed, Allaah the Mightyand Majestic said, {So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.}, [Sooratun-Nahl, Aayah 43] [6] The Khawaarij were the first sect in Islam to split away from the way of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) and his Companions. They arose in the caliphate of 'Alee, making khurooj (rebellion) against him,before the arbitration between him and Mu'aawiyah (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa). From their false 'aqeedah (creed)is: allowing rebellion against the legitimate Muslim ruler – whether pious of wicked, and declaring a Muslim tobe a kaafir (disbeliever), due to commission of a major sin. They were described by the Prophet (sallallaahu'alayhi wa sallam) as the Dogs of the Hellfire. Refer to al-Maqaalaatul-Islamiyyeen (1/168) of Abul-Hasanal-Ash'aree, al-Bidaayah (8/22-44) of Ibn Katheer and Fathul-Baaree (12/282-302) of Ibn Hajr. [7] Related by al-Bukhaaree (5/303-304) and Muslim (12/134-138), from the hadeeth of al-Baraa' Ibn 'Aazib(radiyallaahu 'anhu). [8] This incident has been related by 'Abdur-Razzaaq in al-Musannaf (no. 18678), Ahmad (1/342), Aboo'Ubayd in al-Amwaal (no. 444), an-Nisaa'ee in Khasaa'is 'Alee (no. 190), al-Fasawee in al-Ma'rifahwat-Ta'reekh (1/522-524), Aboo Nu'aym in Hilyatul-Awliyaa' (1/318-320), al-Bayhaqee in as-Sunanul-Kubraa(8/179), Ibn 'Abdul-Barr in Jaami' Bayaanul-'Ilm (2/103-104), Ibnul-Jawzee in Talbees Iblees (p.91-93),Abul-Farj al-Jareeree in al-Jaleesus-Saalihil-Kaafee (1/558-560) and Ibn Katheer in al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah(7/281).

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A Group that was Interested in an Opinion of the Khawaarij Repents from their Falsehoodafter Listening to Jaabir Ibn 'Abdullaah

And from that which proves that referring back to the people of knowledge is better for the Muslims in theaffairs of their Religion and their worldly life is that which is related by Muslim in his Saheeh (no. 191), fromYazeed al-Faqeer who said, "I used to have an interest in an opinion from amongst the opinions of theKhawaarij. So we went out in a group possessing great number. We wanted to perform the Hajj (pilgrimage),then we went out to the people. He said, 'So we passed by al-Madeenah when Jaabir Ibn 'Abdullaah(radiyallaahu 'anhu) was speaking to the people – whilst sitting up against a post – about the Messenger ofAllaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam).' He said, 'So when he mentioned the people of the Hellfire, I said tohim, 'O Companion of the Messenger of Allaah! What is this that you are speaking about? Allaah says, {Indeed, whomsoever You enter into the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him.}, [SoorahAali-'Imraan, Aayah 92] And, {Every time they wish to be taken out from there, they will be placed back therein.},[Sooratus-Sajdah, Aayah 20] So what is this that you are saying?' He said, 'So he said, 'Do you read the Qur'aan?' I said, 'Yes!' He said,'So have you heard about the station (maqaam) of Muhammad ('alayhis-salaam), meaning, that in which hewill be resurrected?' I said, 'Yes!' He said, 'Indeed, it is the praiseworthy station of Muhammad (sallallaahu'alayhi wa sallam), with which Allaah will take out those whom He will take out.' He said, 'Then he describedthe placing of the Bridge (as-Siraat) and the passing of the people over it.' He said, 'And I feared that I wouldmemorize that.' He said, 'Not to mention that he alleged that a people will be taken out of there after abidingtherein.' He said, 'Meaning, they would be taken out of it as if they were the wood of the ebony tree.' He said,'So they would enter into a river from amongst the rivers of Paradise. So they would bathe in it. So they would come out as if they were white paper.' So we returned and said, 'Woe to you! Do you hold thatthe Shaykh would lie upon the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)?!' So we repented. ByAllaah, every one of us abandoned the Khawaarij, except one man, or as Aboo Nu'aym has stated." AndAboo Nu'aym is al-Fadl Ibn Dakeen, he is one of the men in the isnaad. Indeed, Ibn Katheer (d.774H)mentions in his tafseer of the statement of Allaah the Exalted in Sooratul-Maa'idah, {They will long to get out of the Fire, but never will they get out from there.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah,Aayah 37] He mentions this hadeeth of Jaabir according to Ibn Abee Haatim and Ibn Mardawayh and other than the twoof them. So it proves that this group was afflicted by amazement at an opinion of the Khawaarij, whichcontained takfeer of the one who commits a major sin and holding him to be in the Fire forever. So when theymet Jaabir (radiyallaahu 'anhu) and he clarified the affair to them, they adopted that which he had directedthem to, and they abandoned their previous false understanding. So they abandoned the Khawaarij whomthey had given importance to after the Hajj. So this is from the greatest points of benefit that the Muslimattains benefit from, by returning back to the people of knowledge.

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Young Age is a Cause for Faulty Understanding

And that which additionally proves the danger of extremism in the Religion, deviation from the truth andopposition to that which Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah are upon is the statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu'alayhi wa sallam), from the hadeeth of Hudhayfah (radiyallaahu 'anhu), «Indeed, what I fear for you most is a man who will recite the Qur'aan, until his pleasure from thatcan be seen. He will be destruction for Islam, he will discard it and fling it behind his back. He willstrive against his neighbour with the sword and charge him with Shirk.» I said, "O Prophet of Allaah!Which of them is more worthy of being charged with Shirk, the one making the charge, or the one beingcharged with it?" He said, «The one charging with it of course.»[9] Young age is a most likely cause for poor understanding. That is proven by what is related by al-Bukhaaree inhis Saheeh (no. 4495), with his isnaad leading to Hishaam Ibn 'Urwah, from his father, that he said, "I said to'Aa'ishah, the wife of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), and I was young in age at that time, 'Do yousee the statement of Allaah the Blessed and Exalted, {Indeed, as-Safaa and al-Marwah are the symbols of Allaah. So it is not a sin upon him whoperforms Hajj or 'Umrah to the House to offer circumambulation between them.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah,Aayah 158] So I do not see that there is any sin upon someone who does not offer circumambulation between them.' So'Aa'ishah said, 'No! If it were as you say, then it would have said that there is no sin upon the one who doesnot perform circumambulation between them. Indeed, this aayah was revealed concerning the Ansaar, as they would praise Manaat. And Manaat was putbeside a place called Qudayd. So they had a problem with offering circumambulation between as-Safaa andal-Marwah. So when Islam came, they asked the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) aboutthat. So Allaah revealed, {Indeed, as-Safaa and al-Marwah are the symbols of Allaah. So it is not a sin upon him whoperforms Hajj or 'Umrah to the House to offer circumambulation between them.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah,Aayah 158]." And 'Urwah Ibnuz-Zubayr was from the best of the taabi'een, he was one of the seven fuqahaa' (jurists) ofal-Madeenah at the time of the taabi'een. Indeed, the excuse for his faulty understanding at the time that heasked the question was that he was young in age. So this clarifies that young age is a cause for faultyunderstanding, and that returning back to the people of knowledge results in goodness and security. [9] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree in at-Taareekh, Aboo Ya'laa, Ibn Hibbaan and al-Bazzaar. Refer toas-Saheehah (no. 3201) of al-Albaanee.

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With Which Intellect and Religion can Suicide Bombings and Destruction be ConsideredJihaad?

After this introduction, which mentions that Satan enters upon the people of worship by corrupting theirReligion through excessiveness and extremism in the Religion, as occurred with the Khawaarij and the groupthat was interested in their opinion. And we mentioned that the path to security from the fitan (trials,tribulations) is by returning back to the people of knowledge, just as those two thousand people fromamongst the Khawaarij returned after debating with Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa), and as the large leftthat which it had previously given attention to from falsehood, by returning back to Jaabir Ibn 'Abdullaah(radiyallaahu 'anhumaa). After this introduction, I say: the night does not resemble the day! Indeed, that which has occurred fromsuicide bombings and destruction in the city of ar-Riyaad and whatever was discovered as a result of thatfrom weapons and explosives in Makkah and al-Madeenah in the earlier part of this year, 1424H, then it is allthe end result of being misled by Satan and his beautification of excessiveness and extremism for those whowere responsible for that. So these events that have occurred are from the most disgraceful of crimes andcorruption in the earth. And what is more disgraceful is that Satan beautifies these events as Jihaad for theone who carries them out. So with which intellect and Religion can suicide, killing of Muslims and thoseunder protection by treaties, terrorizing those under security, turning women into widows and children intoorphans and the destruction of buildings along with whatever is inside them be considered Jihaad!? Indeed, I saw that I should mention that which is possible from the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, at theadvent of previous laws, concerning the grave affair and danger of killing. And I felt that I should mention thetexts of the Book and the Sunnah about the Muslim committing suicide, as well as killing other Muslims andthose who are protected by treaties, whether intentionally or mistakenly. I have done that so as to establishthe evidence and clarify the goal, so that whosoever chooses destruction thereafter can be destroyed uponclear proof, and so that whosoever chooses life thereafter can live upon clear proof. And I ask Allaah the Mighty and Majestic to guide those who have been misguided, to the correct path, andto take them out of the various types of darkness and bring them into the light and so that the Muslims canguard themselves against the most evil of evils. Indeed, Allaah is All-Hearing, the Answerer.

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What has come Concerning the Grave Danger in the Affair of Killing in the Ancient Laws

Stated Allaah the Mighty and Majestic concerning one of the children of Aadam, {So the self of the other encouraged him, and made fair-seeming to him the murder of his brother. So he murdered him and became one of the losers.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah 30] And Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, {Due to that, We ordained for the Children of Israa'eel, that if anyone killed a person not inretaliation for murder, or to spread corruption in the land; it would be as if he had killed all ofmankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved all of mankind.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah,Aayah 32] The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «No one kills another person out of transgression, except that the burden for that falls upon the firstson of Aadam, because he was the first one to begin the practice of killing.»[10] And Allaah theMighty and Majestic said about His Messenger, Moosaa ('alayhis-salaam) that he said to Khidr, {Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Indeed, you have committed an evilthing!}, [Sooratul-Kahf, Aayah 74] And Allaah said about him, {The man from his party asked him for help against his foe, so Moosaa struck him with his fist andkilled him. He said, "Indeed, this is the work of Satan, since he is a plain misleading enemy." Hesaid, "My Lord! Indeed, I have wronged myself, so forgive me." So He forgave him. Indeed, He isthe Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.}, [Sooratul-Qasas, Aayahs 15-16] And there occurs in Saheeh Muslim (no.2905), from Saalim Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Umar, who said, 'O people ofal-'Iraaq! How do you ask about the minor sin whilst you are committing the major sin?! I heard my father,'Abdullaah Ibn 'Umar (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa) saying, 'I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) say, «Indeed, the fitnah (trial, tribulation) will come from here.» And he pointed with his hand towards theeast. «And you will be striking the necks of each other.» And Moosaa killed a person from amongst people ofFir'awn by mistake, so Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said to him, {Then you killed a man, but We saved you from great distress and tried you with a heavy trial.},[Soorah Taa Haa, Aayah 40]."' And the statement of Saalim Ibn 'Abdullaah, 'How do you ask about the minor sin whilst you are committingthe major sin,' points out that which occurred from his father, as is related in Saheehul-Bukhaaree (no.5994),that a man from amongst the people of al-'Iraaq asked him about killing mosquitoes. So he said, 'Look at thisone! He asks me about killing mosquitoes whilst they have killed the son of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhiwa sallam). And I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) saying, «They are my two sweet basils in this world.» He was referring to al-Hasan and al-Husayn (radiyallaahu'anhumaa). And Allaah the Exalted said, {And We took your covenant, "Do not shed the blood of your people, nor turn your own people outfrom their dwellings." Then, you ratified this, and you shall bear witness to it.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah,Aayah 84]

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And Allaah the Exalted said, {And We ordained therein for them, "Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth fortooth, and wounds equal for equal." However, if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, itshall be for him an expiation.}, [Sooratul-Maa'idah, Aayah 45] [10] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 3335) and Muslim (no. 1677).

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What has come Concerning the Muslim Committing Suicide, Intentionally orUnintentionally

Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, {O you who believe! Do not eat up wealth amongst yourselves, except that it be a trade amongstyou, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allaah is Most Merciful to you. Andwhosoever commits that through aggression and injustice, We shall cast him into the Fire. And thatis easy for Allaah.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayahs 29-30] And the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «Whosoever kills himself with something in this world, then he will be punished with it on the Dayof Judgement.»[11] From Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu), that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «Whosoever kills himself by throwing himself off a mountain, then he will be in the Fire of Hell,throwing himself into it, abiding therein forever. And whosoever kills himself by drinking poison,then his poison will be in his hand in the Fire, and he will be drinking it in Hell, abiding thereinforever. And whosoever kills himself with a weapon of iron, then his weapon of iron will be in hishand, and he will be stabbing himself in the stomach whilst abiding eternally in the Fire.»[12] And there occurs in Saheehul-Bukhaaree (no.1365), from Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) who said, 'TheProphet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «The one who strangles himself will be strangling himself in the Fire, and the one who stabshimself will be stabbing himself in the Fire.» So this hadeeth additionally occurs in the Musnad(no.9618) of Imaam Ahmad and other than him. And in it is the addition, «And the one who kills himself by taking a dive from a high place, shall be taking a dive in theFire.»[13] From al-Hasan who said, 'Jundub (radiyallaahu 'anhu) related a hadeeth to us in this mosque. So we did notforget, and we did not fear that we would forget. And we did not fear that Jundub would lie upon the Prophet(sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). He said, 'There was a man who sustained a wound, so he killed himself. SoAllaah said, 'My servant hurried to bring death upon himself, so I have declared Paradise unlawful forhim."'[14] And Ibn Hibbaan relates in his Saheeh, Mawaaridudh-Dhamaan (no.763), from Jaabir Ibn Samurah(radiyallaahu 'anhu), "A man sustained a wound. So he took his sword and stabbed himself with it. So theProphet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) did not pray over him." Stated al-Albaanee about it inSaheehut-Targheeb (no.2357), "It is saheeh due to other than itself." As for someone committing suicideunintentionally, then he is excused, not disparaged, due to the statement of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, {And there is no sin upon you if you make a mistake therein, except in regard to what your heartsdeliberately intend.}, [Sooratul-Ahzaab, Aayah 5] And His statement, {Our Lord! Do not take us to account when we forget or fall into error.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah, Aayah286] And Allaah said, Indeed, I have responded.[15] [11] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6047) and Muslim (no. 176), from the hadeeth of Thaabit Ibn Dahhaak(radiyallaahu 'anhu). [12] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 5778) and Muslim (no. 175). [13] Refer to Silsilatus-Saheehah (no. 3421) of Imaam al-Albaanee.

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[14] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 1364) and Muslim (no. 180). [15] Related by Muslim (no. 126).

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What has come Concerning the Killing of a Muslim, with Just Cause, or Without Just Cause

The killing of a Muslim can occur with just cause, or without just cause. It can occur with just cause in theform of retribution and prescribed punishment. And killing without just cause can occur intentionally, orunintentionally. Indeed, Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said concerning killing that occurs intentionally, {And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the wrathand the curse of Allaah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.},[Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah 93] And Allaah said, {And those who do not call upon any other deity besides Allaah, nor do they kill the life that Allaahhas declared unlawful, except for just cause, nor do they commit illegal sexual intercourse, andwhosoever does this shall receive the punishment. The torment will be doubled to him on the Dayof Resurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace; except those who repent and believe and dorighteous deeds. For them Allaah will change their sins into good deeds. And Allaah isOft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.}, [Sooratul-Furqaan, Aayahs 68-70] And Allaah the Exalted said in Sooratul-An'aam and al-Israa', {And do not kill anyone that Allaah has forbidden, except for a just cause.}, [Sooratul-Israa', Aayah33] and [Sooratul-An'aam, Aayah 151] And Allaah said in Sooratul-An'aam, {And do not kill your children due to poverty. We provide for you and for them.}, [Sooratul-An'aam,Aayah 151] And Allaah said in al-Israa', {And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, killingthem is a great sin.}, [Sooratul-Israa', Aayah 31] And Allaah the Exalted said, {Indeed, they have lost who killed their children, from folly, without knowledge, and they havedeclared unlawful what Allaah made lawful forthem. They have invented a lie against Allaah. Theyhave indeed gone astray and were not guided.}, [Sooratul-An'aam, Aayah 140] And the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «The first of affairs to be judged between the people on the Day of Judgement are those involvingthe spilling of blood.»[16] Indeed, the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) further asserted this when he spoke during the FarewellSermon about the sanctity of the blood, wealth and honour of the Muslims by likening them to the sanctity oftime and place. So from Abee Bakrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) who said, 'The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) delivered a sermon to us on the Day of Sacrifice. He said, «Do you know which day this is?» We said, "Allaah and His Messenger know best." So he remainedsilent until we thought that he might give it another name. He said, «Is today not the Day of Sacrifice?» We said, "Yes!" He said, «Which month is this?» We said, "Allaah and His Messenger know best." So he remained silent until wethought that he might give it another name. So he said, «Is it not Dhul-Hijjah?» We said, "Yes!" He said,

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«Which city is this?» We said, "Allaah and His Messenger know best." So he remained silent until wethought that he might give it another name. He said, «Is this not the Sacred City (Makkah)?» We said, "Yes!" He said, «So your blood, your wealth and your honour is sacred for you, like the sanctity of this day of yours,in this month of your, in this city of yours, until the day that you shall meet your Lord. Have I notconveyed the message to you?» They said, "Yes!" He said, «O Allaah! Be a witness. So let the one who is present, inform the one who is absent. Perhaps theone to whom it is conveyed may understand it better than the audience that is present. So do notreturn to being disbelievers after me by striking the necks of one another.»[17] From Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who said, «Remain far away from the seven grave sins.» We said, "O Messenger of Allaah! What are they?" Hesaid, «Shirk with Allaah, magic, declaring a person whom Allaah has declared unlawful, except with justcause, consuming interest, consuming the wealth of an orphan, fleeing on the day of a militaryexpedition and falsely accusing chaste, believing, neglectful women.»[18] From Ibn 'Umar (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa) who said, 'The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)who said, «The believer shall not cease to be remain within the vastness of his Religion, as long as he doesnot spill blood that has been declared unlawful.» And Ibn 'Umar said, "Indeed, from amongst the criticalaffairs from which there is no escape is when one falls into the spilling of unlawful blood in other than itsproper place."[19] Stated 'Ubaadah Ibnus-Saamit (radiyallaahu 'anhu), 'We were with the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhiwa sallam) in a gathering, so he said, «Take an oath of allegiance to me that you will not associate anything with Allaah, you will notcommit zinaa (adultery, fornication), you will not steal, you will not kill a person whom Allaah hasdeclared unlawful, except with just cause. So whoever from amongst you remains loyal to this,then his reward is with Allaah. And whosoever falls into anything from that, then he is punished forit, then it will be expiation for him. And whosoever falls into something from that, but Allaahconceals it for him, then his affair rests with Allaah. If He wishes, He will pardon him, and if Hewishes, He will punish him.»[20] From Ibn 'Umar, from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who said, «Whosoever carries a weapon against us, then he is not from amongst us.»[21] From 'Abdullaah Ibn Mas'ood (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa) who said, 'The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhiwa sallam) said, «The blood of a Muslim person who testifies that there is no deity worthy of worship besides Allaahis not lawful. Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allaah, except to one of three: [i] a life for a life; [ii] theone who has committed zinaa (adultery, fornication); [iii] and the one who has left his Religion andabandoned the Jamaa'ah (united body of Muslims).»[22] And there occurs from him also, that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «Cursing a Muslim is disobedience, and fighting him is disbelief.»[23] From Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu 'anhu), that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,

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«The most hated of people to Allaah are three: [i] a heretical disbeliever inside the haram; [ii] theone who seeks to bring a tradition of jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic times of ignorance) into Islam; [iii]and the one who seeks the blood of another person without just cause, so that he can spill hisblood.»[24] And Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, {O you who believe! The law of equality in punishment (al-Qisaas) is prescribed for you in case ofmurder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killeris forgiven by the brother of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness andpayment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness. This is alleviation and amercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits, he shall have a painfultorment. And there is the saving of a life for you in al-Qisaas - O men of understanding - that youmay become from amongst the pious.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah, Aayahs 178-179] And there occurs in the Saheeh of al-Bukhaaree (no. 6896), from Ibn 'Umar (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa), 'A youngboy was murdered, so 'Umar said, 'If all the people of San'aa' had participated in his murder, I would havekilled all of them." And Mugheerah Ibn Hakeem related from his father, "Indeed, four people killed a youngboy, so 'Umar said…" And he related a similar statement. And there occurs in the Saheeh of al-Bukhaaree (no. 7152), from Jundub Ibn 'Abdullaah (radiyallaahu 'anhu),who said, "Indeed, the first thing the human body will purify is its stomach, so whoever can manage to onlyeat that which is lawful, then let him do so. And whosoever does as much as he can so that nothing intervene between him and Paradise, except ahandful of blood that he has spilled, then let him do so." Stated al-Haafidh (Ibn Hajr) in al-Fath (13/130), "Andit has come in marfoo' (raised) form from at-Tabaraanee as well, by way of Ismaa'eel Ibn Muslim, fromal-Hasan, from Jundub. And its wording is, 'You know that I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhiwa sallam) saying, «There will be nothing else to prevent one of you from entering into Paradise, but he will see it asa handful of the blood of a Muslim that he murdered without just cause.» So even though this has notbeen mentioned as being clearly raised to Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), it must be ruled as marfoo',because he (Jundub) would not speak from his own opinion. And it is a serious threat against killing a Muslimwithout just cause." And the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «Whosoever revolts against my Ummah, striking its righteous and its disobedient ones, notexcluding the believer and not honouring the treaties of those under protection, then he is not fromme and I am not from him.»[25] And the following Prophetic Statements have not been mentioned in the Saheehayn. They are from that whichis mentioned by al-Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, and they have been authenticated by al-Albaaneein Saheehut-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (1/629-634): From al-Baraa' (radiyallaahu 'anhu), that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «The ending of the world is not worth as much to Allaah as is the killing of a Muslim without justcause. And even if all the people of the heavens and the people of the earth were to participatetogether in the killing of a believer, Allaah would enter all of them into the Fire.» From 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Amr (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa), that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «The ending of the world is not worth as much to Allaah as is the killing of a Muslim man.» And from Buraydah who said, 'The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «The killing of a believer is greater to Allaah than the ending of the entire world.» From Abee Sa'eed and Abee Hurayrah (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa), from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu'alayhi wa sallam) who said,

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«If all of the people in the heavens and all the people in the earth were to participate together inspilling the blood of believer, Allaah would certainly enter them all into the Fire.» From Abee Bakrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who said, «If the people of the heavens and the earth were to come together to kill a Muslim, Allaah wouldcertainly enter all of them upon their faces into the Fire.» From Mu'aawiyah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) who said, 'The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, «Allaah forgives every sin by which He is disobeyed, except the man who dies as a disbeliever, orthe man who kills a believer intentionally.» From Abud-Dardaa' (radiyallaahu 'anhu) who said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) saying, «Allaah forgives every sin that He is disobeyed with, except the man who dies as a polytheist, orthe one who kills a believer intentionally.» From Abee Moosaa (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who said, «When Iblees sends out his soldiers, he says, "Whosoever betrayed a Muslim today, I will place thecrown upon him." He said, "So this one comes and says, "I did not leave him until he divorced hiswife." He says, "I suspect that he will marry." So this one comes and says, "I did not leave him untilhe was undutiful to his parents." So he says, "I suspect that he will be dutiful to them." So this onecomes and says, "I did not leave him until he committed Shirk." So he says, "You, you!" So this onecomes and says, "I did not leave him until he killed." So he says, "You, you!" And he placed thecrown upon him.» And from 'Ubaadah Ibnus-Saamit (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) who said, «Whosoever kills a believer and rejoices (aghtabata) in his killing, then Allaah will not accept fromhim expenditure, nor equity.» It was related by Aboo Daawood, then he relates from Khaalid Ibn Dahqaan,'I asked Yahyaa Ibn Yahyaa al-Ghassaanee about his statement, "aghtabata (rejoices)", so he said to me,"Those who kill in times of tribulation. So one of them kills another, and he holds himself to be uponguidance, he does not need to seek forgiveness from Allaah; meaning, for that action." And from Abee Sa'eed (radiyallaahu 'anhu), from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) who said, «A neck will come out of the Fire, so it will say, "I have been delegated over three today: [i] overevery obstinate oppressor; [ii] whosoever associates another deity along with Allaah; [iii] andwhosoever kills a person without just cause." Then it will turn upon them and fling them into thethrongs of the Fire.» As for killing a believer unintentionally, then Allaah has obligated compensation and retribution for it. Allaahthe Exalted said, {It is not for a believer to kill another believer, except that it be by mistake. And whosoever kills abeliever by mistake, then he must set free a believing slave and a compensation must be given tothe family of the deceased, unless they remit it.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah 92] Up until He said, {And whosoever finds this beyond his means, then he must fast for two consecutive months, inorder to seek repentance from Allaah. And Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah92] [16] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6864) and Muslim (no. 1678).

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[17] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 67, 1741) and Muslim (no. 1679); further support for this also occurs in thehadeeth if Ibn 'Abbaas (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa) as related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 1739), and in the hadeeth ofIbn 'Umar (no. 1742), and in the hadeeth of Jaabir as related by Muslim (no. 1217). [18] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 2766 and Muslim (no. 145). [19] Both of these narrations have been related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6862-6963). [20] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 18) and Muslim (no. 1709), and the wording is from Muslim. [21] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6874) and Muslim (no. 171). [22] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6878) and Muslim (no. 1676). [23] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 48) and Muslim (no. 116). [24] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 6882). [25] Related by Muslim (no. 1848).

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What has come Concerning Killing the One Under Protection of a Treaty, Intentionally or byMistake

The killing of a dhimmee (free non-Muslim), mu'aahad (ally) and musta'man (one who is under protection) isunlawful. Indeed, a severe threat has been mentioned concerning that. Indeed, al-Bukhaaree relates in hisSaheeh (no. 3166), from 'Amr Ibn 'Abdullaah (radiyallaahu 'anhumaa), from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) who said, «Whosoever kills a person who was a mu'aahad, he will not be able to smell the fragrance ofParadise, even though its fragrance can be smelled for the walking distance of forty years.» This ismentioned by al-Bukhaaree in the book of al-jizyah (taxes for disbelievers) under the chapter, "Chapter: Thesin of the one who kills a mu'aahad who has not committed any crime." And he mentions it in the book ofcompensations, under the chapter, "Chapter: The sin of the one who kills a dhimmee who has not committedany crime." And it also occurs under the wording, «Whosoever kills a person who was mu'aahid will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, even thoughits smell can be found for the walking distance of forty years.» Stated al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr in al-Fath (12/259), "Likewise, he brought the chapter heading of the dhimmee, yethe mentioned the mu'aahid. And in the chapter heading of al-jizyah (taxes for non-Muslims), he brought thewording, «Whosoever kills a mu'aahad…» as is apparent in the narration. So the intended meaning of this is thatwhosoever has a treaty with the Muslims, whether it be by agreement of a jizyah, or a truce with a Muslimruler, or protection from a Muslim." And this hadeeth is related by an-Nisaa'ee with the wording: «Whosoever kills a person from amongst the people of dhimmah (protection), then he will not findthe fragrance of Paradise, even though the fragrance of Paradise can be found for the walkingdistance of forty years.» And he also relates it (no. 4749) with a saheeh isnaad, from a man from amongstthe Companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu'alayhi wa sallam) said, «Whosoever kills a man from amongst the people of dhimmah, then he will not be able to find thefragrance of Paradise, even though its fragrance can be found for the walking distance of fortyyears.» And from Abee Bakrah (radiyallaahu 'anhu) who said, 'The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhiwa sallam) said, «Whosoever kills a mu'aahad at other than his time, then Allaah has made Paradise unlawful forhim.»[26] And the meaning of "at other than his time" refers to him being killed at other than the time at which itbecomes permissible to kill him, such as when there is no treaty of protection; this was stated byal-Mundhiree in at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (2/635). Then, he said, "This is related by Ibn Hibbaan in hisSaheeh. And he says it with the wording, «Whosoever kills a person who was under protection, with other than its due right will not smell thefragrance of Paradise, even though the fragrance of Paradise can be found for the walkingdistance of forty years.» And al-Albaanee said about this narration, "It is saheeh due to other than itself." As for killing the one under protection unintentionally, then Allaah has obligated a compensation andretribution for it. Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said, {And if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensationmust be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And whosoever finds this beyondhis means, then he must fast for two consecutive months, in order to seek repentance from Allaah.And Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.}, [Sooratun-Nisaa', Aayah 92] And I say in conclusion: Fear Allaah – O youth – with regards to yourselves. Do not become prey for Satan.

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He gathers up for you the dishonour of this worldly life and the punishment of the Hereafter. And fear Allaahwith regards to the Muslims, from amongst the elderly, the middle-aged and the youth. And fear Allaah withregards to the Muslim women, from amongst the mothers, daughters, sisters, maternal aunts and paternalaunts. And fear Allaah with regards to the elderly who ware bowing and the babies who are breastfeeding.And fear Allaah with regards to the spilling the blood of the innocent and the wealth of the unlawful. {So fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah, Aayah 24] {And fear a day when you shall be brought back to Allaah. Then every person shall be paid whathe earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.}, [Sooratul-Baqarah, Aayah 281] {On the day when every person will be confronted with all the good he has done, and all the evilhe has done, he will wish that there were a great distance between him and his evil.} [SoorahAali-'Imraan, Aayah 30] {The day when a man shall flee from his brother, and his mother and his father, and from his wifeand his children. Every man, that day, will have enough to make him careless of others.}, [Soorah'Abasa, Aayah 37] Awaken from your slumber and become attentive from your heedlessness. Do not be the riding animal forSatan to cause corruption in the earth. And I ask Allaah the Mighty and Majestic to grant the Muslims understanding of their Religion, and tosafeguard them from the misguidance of tribulations (fitan), whatever is apparent from them and whatever ishidden. And may the salutations, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon His servant and Messenger,Muhammad, upon his family and all of his Companions. [26] Saheeh: Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 2670) and an-Nisaa'ee (no. 4747) with a saheeh isnaad. Andan-Nisaa'ee adds the statement, "He will not be able to smell its fragrance."

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8th Century (700H-799H)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah All praise is for Allaah Lord of the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam), his pure family, his companions and all those who strive to follow in their footsteps till the last day.To preceed : Many people today accuse some of the greatest scholars of Islam of blasphemy and kufr (disbelief). One whois frequently attacked is Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah - rahima-hullaah -. In actual fact he is slandered andlied against. People say things about him which he never said... in actual fact things which he was totallyagainst!! These people who do should fear Allaah, and remember that they should be just and judge a manwith justice and from knowledge, rather than judging him from ignorance and heresay ! subhaan-Allaah, IbnTaymiyyah used to strive for the upliftment of the sunnah, and for the defence of this deen from those who inignorance are changing it. And it was he who led the people to fight the tyrant tartars and it was he whosuffered the darkness of the jails of Egypt so that Islam can be lifted, and it was he who used to pray toAllaah to guide those who are misguided. Therefore let there be a warning to those who blemish his name - asevere warning indeed- that they may not slander him, for a scholar's flesh is poisonous. Many people accuse Ibn Taymiyyah of Likening Allaah to the creation.....this a big lie and slander...and thesepeople should fear Allaah, and take account of the evil their tongues utter before its too late. Inshaa.-Allaahbelow are some quotes from the writings of the noble Shaykh which clarifies his position beyond doubt onthis issue. And those who after reading this still utter salnder and lies agianst the Shaykh, then all that canbe said about them is that they have an illness in their hearts, and we pray to Allaah that He cures them ofthis disease. In "al-'Aqeedatul Waasitiyaah " Ibn Taymiyyah - rahima-hullaah - says:"from faith (eemaan) is acceptance (eemaan) of what Allaah has ascribed Himself in the scripture as well aswhat the messenger r ascribed to Him. [This creed] prevents any attempts at altering the sacred texts(tahreef), and rules out stripping Allaah of his tributes (ta'teel) or asking questions), concerining their modality( takyeef..ie ..ascribing a "howness", or attempting to understand them analogicaly (tamtheel). Indeed [theahlus-sunnah] hold that: There is nothing like unto Him (Allaah); [that] He is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing One (Qur.aan 42:11). They do not negate what Allaah has attributed Himself, nor do they alter the meaning of His words on thesematters, nor subscribe to heretical notions regarding the divine names (asmaa') and manifestations (aayaat).They do NOT (!!!) seek to explain His attributes (sifaat) or COMPARE THEM with those of HIS CREATURES,for He (Allaah) has no namesake (samiy), no equal, no peer (nidd) and, therefore, He, the One free of allimperfections and Most High, does NOT befit of being compared to His creatures." Ibn Taymiyyah says in at-Tadmuriyyah (p20):"It is a must to affirm that which Allaah affirms for himself , whilst NEGATING ANY likeness to Him to Hiscraetion..... whoever says His Knowledge is like my knowledge, His Power like my power, or Love like mylove, or Pleasure like my pleasure, or Hand like my hand, or istawaa (ascending) like my ascending-- then hehas resembled and likened Allaah to His creation. Rather, it is must to affirm (Allaah's Attributes) without anyresemblance, and to negate (what Allaah negates for Himself), without ta'teel (divesting Allaah of any of Hisaffirmed Attributes)." Ibn Taymiyyah wrote in Majmoo-al Fatawaa (5/262):"Whosoever considers the Attributes of Allaah to be like the attributes of creation- such that the Istawa(Ascending) of Allaah is like the ascending of the creation, or His nuzool (descending) is like the descendingof the creation, or other than that-- then he is a DEVIATED INNOVATOR." So people please read and pay heed to the words of the noble scholar !!!! This is enough proof for those that are just and who are sincerely seeking the truth ...and Allaah knows best. Taqi.ud-deen Abul-'Abbaas Ahmad Ibn 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn 'Abdus-Salaam Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harraaneeal-Hanbalee, was born on Monday the 10th of Rabi' al-Awwal 66l A.H./22nd of January 1263 C.E. at Harraan

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(northern Iraq) into a well known family of "mutakallimoon"(theologians). His grandfather, Abu al-BarkatMajd-ud-deen ibn Taymiyyah (d.653 A.H./1255 C.E.) was a reputed teacher of the Hanbaleete school and his"Muntaqa al-Akhbaar (selections of prophetic sayings) which classifies such Ahaadeeth upon which Islamiclegislation is based, is even today regarded as a very valuable work. Likewise, the scholarly achievements ofIbn Taymiyyah's father, Shihaabuddeen 'Abdul-Haleem Ibn Taymiyyah (d.682 A.H./1284 C.E.) were widespread. This was the time when the Tataar hordes under Hulagu Khaan were inflicting their barbaric onslaughtthroughout the world of Islam - especially the mesopotamium region. Ibn Taymiyyah was only seven when theTataars launched their attack on Harraan. Consequently, the populace left Harraan to seek refuge elsewhere.Ibn Taymiyyah's family proceeded to Damascus in 667 A.H./1268 C.E. which was then ruled by theMamlooks of Egypt. It was here that his father delivered sermons from the pulpit of the Umayyad Mosque andwas invited to teach Hadeeth in the mosque as well as in the Daarul-Hadeeth 'Assaakuriyyah in Damascus.These discourses were attended by a large number of students as well as by the scholars. Damascus wasthe center of Islamic studies at that time, and Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah followed in the footsteps of his fatherwho was a scholar of Islamic studies by studying with the great scholars of his time, among them a womanscholar by the name Zaynab bint Makkee who taught him hadeeth. EducationFrom his early childhood, Ibn Taymiyyah was an industrious student. He fully acquainted himself with all thesecular and religious sciences of his time. He devoted special attention to Arabic literature and gainedmastery over grammar and lexicography. Not only did he become an expert on the great Arab grammarianSeebawayh's al-Kitaab which is regarded as the greatest authority on grammar and syntax, but he alsopointed out the errors therein. He commanded knowledge of all the prose and poetry then available.Furthermore, he studied the history of both pre Islamic Arabia and that of the post-Islamic period. Finally, helearnt mathematics and calligraphy. As for the religions sciences, Ibn Taymiyyah studied the Qur.aan, Hadeeth and Sharee'ah. He learnt theHanbalee fiqh (law) from his own father and then became a distinguished representative of the Hanbaleeschool of law. He is reported to have acquired his knowledge on Hadeeth in Syria like Ibn 'Abduddayaam.Another of his teachers was Shamsuddeen 'Abdurrahmaan al-Maqdisee (d.682 A.H./1283 C.E.).Thus IbnTaymiyyah received a thorough grounding in the Sihaah Sittah and the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad. Ibn Taymiyyah had great love for tafseer (Qur.aanic exegesis). He read over a hundred commentaries of theQur.aan. He completed his studies when he was a teenager and at age 19 he became a professor of Islamic studies.Well versed in Qur.aanic studies, Hadeeth, fiqh, theology, Arabic grammar and scholastic theology, etc., hestarted giving fatwas on religious legal matters without following any of the traditional legal schools, theHanafee, Maalikee, Shaafi'ee and Hanbalee. He defended the sound prophetic traditions by arguments which,although taken from the Qur.aan and the Sunnah, had hitherto been unfamiliar to people of his time. Thefreedom of his polemics made him many enemies among the scholars of the traditional Orthodox Schools,who falsely accused him, of all kinds of heretical beliefs. Among them was the famous Muslim medievaltraveler, Ibn Batutah, who visited Damascus while Ibn Taymiyyah was in jail. This did not hinder Ibn Batutahin testifying in his book that "he witnessed Ibn Taymiyyah on the pulpit saying, 'every night Allaah descendsto the lower heaven like my descent', and he descended one step down the pulpit". From reading this'aqeedah we learn that Ibn Taymiyyah accepted the attributes of Allaah without questioning (bi-laa kayfa). When Ibn Taymiyyah lost his father in 682 A.H./1283 C.E. at the age of twenty two, he succeeded at the'Assaakuriyyah. He began to teach "Tafseer" at the Umayyad mosque and in 695 A.H./1296 C.E. he beganto teach at the Hanbaleeyyah in Damascus. Soon he became prominent among the leading scholars of Syriaand also became immensely popular with the masses. The Mongol ThreatIn the meanwhile, Iraq, Iran, and Khuraasaan continued to smother under the cruel domination of the Tataars.The Mamlooks who were ruling over Egypt, Syria and the Hijaaz (Arabian peninsula) attempted several timesto capture Iraq but failed each time. When it was learnt that the Tataars were planning to conquer Damascus,the Mamlook Sultaan, al-Maalik an-Naasir Muhammad bin Qalawoon left Egypt with a powerful army to checkthe advance of the Tataars.

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The two forces met in a bloody battle in 699 A.H./1299 C.E. but the Sultaan was defeated and he returned toEgypt. Now Damascus lay open before the Tataar forces led by Ghazzaan, also known as Mahmood, thegreat grandson of Ghengis Khaan. Consequently, all the nobles including the religions scholars, judges,administrators and traders fled from Damascus where total chaos and anarchy held sway in the face of theTataar invasion. At this critical moment Ibn Taymiyyah and their remaining notables decided to lead a delegation to meetGhazzaan and pursue for peace of the city. Accordingly, the delegation led by Ibn Taymiyyah met Ghazzaanat Nabak (near Damascus) and he agreed to grant amnesty to the people of Damascus. News of the Tataar army advancing towards Syria again reached Damascus in 702 A.H./1303 C.E. Delay inthe arrival of Sultaan Qalawoon from Egypt caused panic among the people, many of whom began toabandon their homes for safer places. When Ibn Taymiyyah saw this, he began to urge the people to defendthemselves and their city, thereby arresting the exodus. He also went personally to appeal to the Sultaan tospeed up his journey to Damascus. At last the Muslim forces of Egypt and Syria encountered the Tataar forces at Thaqab during Ramadhaan 702A.H./1303 C.E. and after a bloody conflict the Muslims defeated and dispersed the Tataar armies. Jihaad Against HereticsIbn Taymiyyah's fight was not limited to the Soofees and the people who followed the heretical innovations; inaddition, he fought against the Tataars who attacked the Muslim world and almost reached Damascus. Thepeople of Syria sent him to Egypt to urge the Mamlook Sultaan, the Sultaan of Egypt and Syria to lead histroops to Syria to save it from the invading Tataars. When he realized that the Sultaan was hesitant to dowhat he asked of him, he threatened the Sultaan by saying: "If you turn your back on Syria we will appoint aSultaan over it who can defend it and enjoy it at the time of peace". He was present at the battle of Shaqhabnear Damascus against the Tataars which took place during the fasting month of Ramadhaan and gave afatwa to the army to break their fast in order to help them against their enemy, as the Prophet Muhammad(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) did during the battle of the liberation of Makkah. The Muslims won the battleagainst the Tataars and drove them away from Damascus and all Syria. Ibn Taymiyyah's courage wasexpressed when he went with a delegation of 'ulamaa. to talk to Qazan the Khan of the Tataars to stop hisattack on the Muslims. Not one of the 'ulamaa. dared to say anything to him except Ibn Taymiyyah who said:"You claim that you are Muslim and you have with you mu'adhdhins, judges, Imam and Shaykh but youinvaded us and reached our country for what? While your father and your grandfather, Hulago, werenon-believers, they did not attack the land of Islam, rather, they promised not to attack and they kept theirpromise. But you promised and broke your promise." Once the Tataar threat was eliminated, Ibn Taymiyyah again devoted himself to his mission of his intellectualpursuit and teaching. At the same time, he continued to wage Jihaad against the heretical sects like theBaatinites, Ismaa.eelites, Haakimites and Nusayrites living in the hilly tracts of Syria who had invited theCrusaders and the Tataars to invade the Muslim lands, helped these invaders against the Muslims and lootedand plundered the weak and defenceless population. Ibn Taymiyyah personally led expeditions against thesesects. Religious Condition Of The MuslimsApart from the external threats mentioned above, Islam was also confronted at this time with internal dangers.There were Baatinites (an extremist Sheeite sect which confronted the Muslim Government at that time) andtheir followers, the Assassins (Hasheeshiyoon). Their creed was a mixture of Magian dogma and Platonicconcepts which could easily sow the seeds of intellectual dissension and spread irreligousness and apostasyamong the simple minded people. Then there were Muslims who, under the influence of the polytheisticbeliefs and customs of the non-Muslims with whom they had free associations, began to glorify their saints(highly pious Soofee personalities - Walee-Allaah) as the Jews and the Christians were doing. Further more,some Soofee's orders like the Rifaa'iyyah had adopted certain neo-Platonic and Hindu doctrines whichbecame so confused with the true Islamic beliefs that it became almost impossible to distinguish one fromthe other. In the wake of crusaders, some Christians were emboldened to censure Islam and criticise the Prophet intheir speeches and writings. In the intellectual circles of the Muslims there was stagnation and rigidity in theirtheological disputations and in their approach to the re-interpretation of the Sharee'ah. There was continuouspolemical wranglings between the 'Asharites and Hanbaleeites. Finally, some of the philosophers, influenced

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by the theories of Plato and Aristotle, began to spread their agnostic ideas and concepts in total disregard tothe teachings of Islam. These were the conditions pertaining to the time of Ibn Taymiyyah and which he had to contend. IbnTaymiyyah formed a society along with his students and followers to renounce the polytheistic cults,un-Islamic cults, un-Islamic influences and heretical beliefs and practices among the Muslim masses. As aresult of his enthusiastic and zealous reformative activities and condemnation of heresies, un-Islamicinnovation and practices at the visitation of graves of saints, he earned the displeasure of certain sectors ofthe population. Nonetheless, his popularity among the Muslim masses increased tremendously. All this jihad against the enemies of Islam did not help Ibn Taymiyyah with the 'ulamaa.. The authorities puthim in jail many times until he died in jail because of his daring and free progressive opinions on many legaland social issues which angered his opponents, the followers of the Orthodox Schools of law. However when Ibn Taymiyyah had the chance to punish his opponents among the 'ulamaa. who caused himall kinds of trouble and put him in jail many times, he showed the utmost of magnanimity and forgave themwhen the Sultaan an-Naasir Qalawoon gave him the chance to do so. He said: "If you kill them you will neverfind 'ulamaa. like them." The Sultaan said: "They harmed you many times and wanted to kill you!" IbnTaymiyyah said: "Whoever harmed me is absolved, and who harmed the cause of Allaah and His Messenger,Allaah will punish him." The Muslim historians, like adh-Dhahabee, Ibn Katheer, Ibn al-'Imad al-Hanbalee and many others praised IbnTaymiyyah and considered him one of the greatest scholars of Islam of all time. He fought heretical innovations in religion which were wide spread during his time all over the Muslim world,especially certain acts and beliefs of some Soofee orders, like saint worship and visiting saints' tombs, andthrowing themselves in the fire. His attack on the Soofees caused him a lot of trouble with the authoritieswhose leaders were under the influence of certain soofee leaders. As a result of Ibn Taymiyyah's popularity, some influential religions scholars became jealous of him and evenannoyed because he challenged the Qaadhee's on juridical matters. They therefore sought ways and meansto discredit him in the eyes of the Government and the people. Ibn Taymiyyah rejected the teachingsexpounded in the al-Futuhaat al-Makkah ("the Makkan Revelations") and Fusoos al-Hakeem ("The Mosaic ofWisdom") of Shaykh Muheeuddeen ibn al-'Arabee (d.638 A.H./1240 C.E.) the most respected Soofee andteacher of tasawwuf - as incompatible with the teachings of the Qur.aan and the Sunnah, thereby earning thewrath of the Soofee's, and by being outspoken on Government policies, he earned the hostility of thegovernment. Consequently he was summoned to Egypt in 705 A.H./1305 C.E. When Ibn Taymiyyah arrived in Egypt, he was asked to attend a meeting of theologians, jurists and the chiefsof the state. During the session certain charges were levelled against him relating to his concepts of thenature and attributes of Allaah. He was not allowed to defend himself and was promptly imprisoned for about16 months. While in prison, he diverted the attention of his followers from indulgence in frolics andamusements to a sense of piety, discipline and temperance. A number of prisoners became his devoteddisciples on their release. After Ibn Taymiyyah was released from prison in 707 A.H./1307 C.E. he decided to remain in Egypt for awhile. Soon he began to deliver lectures in various Mosques and educational institutions before selectgatherings of scholars, jurists and theologians. However, Ibn Taymiyyah's views on pantheistic monoism,intercession, etc were not received kindly and numerous complaints were made against him to the Sultaan.The religions scholars to whom the complaints were referred could not find any fault with Ibn Taymiyyah.However, as the administration was growing weary of the charges brought against him, he was detained for awhile but was soon released on the unanimous request of the religions scholars. But when Sultaan Qalawoonabdicated in favour of his viceroy Baybaan al-Jashnikeer in 709 A.H./1309 C.E., Ibn Taymiyyah was exiled toAlexandria where, inspite of his internment, he earned himself a respectable position in the Academic andliterary circles. Soon though Baybaan abdicated and Sultaan Qalawoon returned to Egypt and ordered IbnTaymiyyah. Return To DamascusIn Cairo, Ibn Taymiyyah had busied himself in his teachings and reformative activities for about 3 years. Atthe same time, he acted as adviser to the Sultaan and was instrumental in having several important reforms

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introduced in Egypt and Syria. Several royal edicts were issued on his advice in 712 A.H./1312 C.E. Hevisited Jerusalem in the same year, then went for Hajj (pilgrimage) and eventually returned to Damascus in713 A.H./1313 C.E. From now onward he devoted his attention primarily to juristic problems though hecontinued teaching. His chief disciple was ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d.751 A.H./1350 C.E.) who was chieflyresponsible for spreading his ideas. The Question Of Three Talaaq'sIbn Taymiyyah like his forefathers was a Hanbaleeite and his legal opinions conformed to that school, thoughnot exclusively. He often rejected the Hanbaleeite view just as in some matters he expressed disagreementwith all the four principal juridicial schools. One such case in which he differed with them was in regard to therepudiation of one's wife by three divorces given at one time. The issue was whether a divorce pronounced thrice at the same time took legal effect or not. This issueraised the following considerations: • whether revocation of such a divorce was possible or not.• whether the three sentences of divorce would be counted as one revocable pronouncement (talaaq) or takenas an irreversable separation.• whether the wife so divorced could return to her husband or not without a halaalah (i.e until his divorced wifewas married to another man who, in turn, after the consummation of the marriage, divorces). All the earlier jurists and traditionalists, likewise a good number of the Prophet's companions were of the viewthat such a pronouncement, although being repugnant to the law as well as irregular and sinful, would beregarded as an implied divorce with legal effect. As against that Ibn Taymiyyah firmly held the opinion that thethree sentences of divorce spoken at the same time should be regarded as one revocable divorce. The view ofIbn Taymiyyah happened to be against the official view which naturally brought him in conflict with the 'ulamaaon one hand and with the government on the other. Consequently, the theologians tried to prevent him from expressing further legal opinion on such matters. Infact, a royal edict was issued from Cairo in 718AH/1318AD forbidding him from giving legal opinions in suchcases. Initially Ibn Taymiyyah abided by the edict but later again began giving legal judgment on this issue as hedecided that it was improper for him to desist simply for fear of the government. As a result in 720 A.H./1320C.E. he was detained in a citadel for just over five months till he was released on direct orders from Cairo. The Final YearsBetween 721 A.H./1321 C.E. and 726 A.H./1326 C.E. Ibn Taymiyyah devoted himself to teaching in theMadrasah Hanbaleeyyah and his own Madrasah Qassaaseen and revising some of his earlier works. In 726A.H./1326 C.E. his adversaries again conspired to have him imprisoned. Here he continued writing hisexegesis of the Qur.aan as well as treatises and monographs on various issues. Ibn Taymiyyah died in jail in Damascus on the night of Sunday-Monday 20th Dhul-Qa'dah 728 A.H./26-27September 1328 C.E. at the age of 67, and is buried in the cemetery of the Soofiyyah in Damascus. The people of Damascus, who held him in great honor, gave him a splendid funeral and an estimated 200,000men and 15,000 women attended his funeral. He was buried at the Soofee cemetery in Damascus where hismother was buried. Character And AchievementsIbn Taymiyyah occupied a highly honorable place among his contemporary religions scholars due to hisprodigious memory, intellectual brilliance, encyclopedic knowledge and dauntless courage. He is describedas a great orator, brave and fearless, resolute, disciplined, very pious, resigned and contended, noble andforgiving, just and ever determined. Ibn Taymiyyah's reformative endeavors and literary pursuits cover a vast field which can besummarised as follows:1 revival of faith in and adherence to "Tawheed"(oneness of Allaah).2 eradication of pantheistic beliefs and customs.3 criticism of philosophy, syllogistic logic and dialects in order to demonstrate the superiority of the Qur.aan

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and the sunnah.4 extirpation of un-Islamic beliefs through refutation of Christianity and Sheeism.5 rejuvenation of Islamic thought and its related sciences. The total number of Ibn Taymiyyah's works is 621 though many of his writings have been lost.Some of Ibn Taymiyyah's writings dealing with the themes are listed below:1 al-Jawaab as-Saheeh liman baddala Deen al-Maseeh (an answer to the criticism against Islam by theChristians).2 Radd 'ala al-Mantiqiyyeen (a refutation of the philosopher).3 Kitaab as-Siyaasah ash-Shar'iyyah (deals with political theory and government in Islam).4 Minhaaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah (a refutation of Sheeite beliefs written in response to Minhaajal-Karanmah of Ibn al-Mutahhir al-Hillee).5 Ziyaarah al-Quboor (a criticism of saint-workshop, intercession, superstitious beliefs).6 Majmoo'at ar-Rasaail al-Kubra (this book contains articles on various subjects).7 Majmoo'at al-Fataawa (a collection of opinions on various issues).8 Majmoo'at ar-Rasaail wa al-Masaail (contains articles and legal opinions on various issues).9 Majmoo'at Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (contains discussion on Islamic jurisprudence and legalopinions enunciated by Ibn Taymiyyah). ConclusionTo include in the words of Mawlaana Abu al-Hasan 'Alee Nadawee who has paid a glowing tribute to IbnTaymiyyah as follows:"Ibn Taymiyyah interpreted the Qur.aan and Sunnah, established the superiority of Islam over heresy,Philosophical concepts and other faiths and contributed to a genuine revival of religion after a deep study anddeliberation that was necessary for lighting the religions and intellectual waywardness of the time. Seeking tosurpass his opponents he mastered the methodology employed by them to attack Islam. In fact, his learning,his erudition, his intellectual attainment and his mental grit always left his adversaries spell bound"(*1) Little wonder then that Ibn Taymiyyah's contemporary and succeeding scholars have acclaimed him withsuch complimentary remarks as "The master spirit of the age", "The crown of scholars", "Last of theEnlightened scholars", and "A sign among the signs of God". (*1) A. H. A. NADAWEE, Saviours of Islamic spirit, Vol. 2, Academy of Islamic research and publications,Lucknow, India, 1974, p24.

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Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq Ibn 'Afeefee Ibn 'Atiyyah He was born in the year 1323 A.H./1902 C.E. He studied his primary education, then secondary education and then further studies. In completing hisstudies he was examined and awarded with an international (recognised) certificate in 1351 A.H./1930 C.E.He then undertook specialised studies in fiqh and usool al-fiqh, and after being examined, was awarded acertificate. All these studies were in al-Azhar University (Egypt). He was appointed a teacher at the Educational Institute, which was a branch of al-Azhar University, andtaught there for many years. He was then transferred to Saudi Arabia for teaching in the year 1368 A.H./1947C.E. So he was appointed a teacher at the Daar at-Tawheed in Taif, then after two years was transferred tothe Educational Institute in 'Unayzah in the region of Qaseem in Muharram of the year 1370 A.H./1949 C.E. He was then transferred to Riyadh towards the end of Shawwaal in 1370 A.H./1949 C.E. for teaching at theEducational Institute, which was a branch of (the efforts of) Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Aalash-Shaykh. He was then transferred for teaching at the faculties of Sharee'ah and Language, later beingappointed the principal of the Higher Institute of the Judiciary in 1385 A.H./1964 C.E. He was then transferred to the General Presidency of the Departments of Islamic Research, Fataawa, Da'wahand Irshaad in 1391 A.H./1970 C.E. and was appointed Deputy Head of the Permanent Committee for IslamicResearch and Fataawa, as well as being made a member of the Council of Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Allaah had endowed him with the gift of strong memory and observation and understanding of oneself.He dedicated his efforts to seeking knowledge outside the corridors of al-Azhar University and concernedhimself with the knowledge of the Arabic language, tafseer, al-usool, 'aqaa.id and fiqh. Such was hisknowledge, that if someone was to speak to him about any of these subjects, then the listener would think hewas a specialist in the field spending all his time on it! He paid special attention to studying the conditions of the (many different) sects. These matters made thestudents of knowledge approaching him all the time and listening to him, such that any people benefitted fromhis knowledge. He also used to supervise some students in the preparation of their theses at the Masters degree andDoctorate levels, whilst also taking part in the (university) committee discussing theses. He gave lessons to the students of knowledge in the masaajid according to that which was possible and usedto give lectures and take part in the work of the da'wah centres at the time of Hajj.

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Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan Abaa Butayn He was the Imaam, the Scholar, the Jurist, Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Sultaan Ibn Khamees. Like his predecessors, he assumed a kunyah,Abaa Butayn. He was born in the city of Rowdhah, in the region of Sudeer, in the month of Dhul-Qa'dah 1194 A.H./1773C.E. He was brought up in that city and studied with its scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Tarraadad-Dowsaree. He then travelled to Shaqraa., in the region of Washm, where he studied tafseer, hadeeth, fiqh and Usoolad-Deen with its Judge, 'Abdul-Azeez al-Husayyin. He also studied with the noble Shaykh Hamd Ibn NaasirIbn 'Uthmaan Ibn Mu'ammar at-Tameemee, author of the book, al-Fawaakih al-'Athaab. Earnestly he worked hard, becoming an Imaam from amongst the Imaams of knowledge of his time, suchthat the author of as-Suhub al-Waabilah is quoted to have said about him: "The scholar of his region, of thethirteenth century (hijree) without dispute." He was appointed the judge of Taif and later the region of Qaseem for several years. Many people acquired knowledge from him, graduating and having benefitted from him. He was a forbearingteacher, not getting bored nor weary. With a skillful hand, he wrote many good and valuable (knowledgeable) books. He summarized Ibnal-Qayyim's book, Badaai' al-Fawaa.id. He wrote invaluable notes to the book Sharh al-Muntahaa in avoluminous book. He wrote a notes to the book Sharh ad-Durrah al-Mudiyyah, the explanation of the bookSharh Aqeedah as-Safaaraynee. He has also written Kashf Talbees Dawood Ibn Sulaymaan Ibn Jarjees,Intisaar li-Hizb Allaah al-Muwahhiddeen. He has many fataawa printed with the works of the scholars of Najd,called ar-Rasaa.il wa Masaa.il an-Najdiyyah. He passed away on 7th of Jumaada al-Oolaa 1282 A.H/1861 C.E.. It was said (in the book), as-Suhub al-Waabilah, "...and with his death the attainment of the methodology ofImaam Ahmad was lost, for he was a master in it. For in its analysis, he certainly reached the goal."

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Shaykh Abu 'Abdullaah 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir Aal Sa'dee He was the Shaykh Abu 'Abdullaah 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Naasir Aal Sa'dee from thetribe of Banee Tameem. He was born in the city of 'Unayzah, in the region of Qaseem, on the 12th of Muharram in the year 1307A.H./1886 C.E. His mother passed away when he was four years old and his father passed away when hewas seven years old. He memorised the Qur.aan and mastered the science of its recitation before he reached the age of 11 years.He then engaged himself in seeking knowledge, studying with the scholars of his city and those who visitedit. From amongst his famous teachers were: Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn Muhammad Ibn Haasir, Shaykh MuhammadIbn Abdul Kareem ash-Shibil, Shaykh Saalih Ibn 'Uthmaan, the judge of 'Unayzah and Shaykh MuhammadShanqeetee, a resident of Hijaaz, and other than them. However, whoever said his teachers were IbnTaymiyyah and his student Ibn al-Qayyim, then indeed they spoke the truth, for he was certainly anenthusiastic student of their works. A major characteristic he had was his noble manners. He was extremely humble with the elders and theyoungsters. He would talk to all individuals according to his level of understanding and according to thatwhich was good for him. He was indifferent and aloof from the splendor of this world and the temptations oflife. He did not care for rank, power nor glory. He wrote many books, some of which are: Tafseer al-Qur.aan in eight volumes, Haashiyah Fiqhiyyah,Deewaan Khutab, al-Qawaa.id al-Hisaan, Tanzeeh ad-Deen, Radd alaa al-Qaseemee, al-Haqq al-Waadhihal-Mubayyin, Bahjatu Quloob al-Abraar, ar-Riyaadh an-Naadhirah, and other than them. He continued to live a gratified and praiseworthy life until he passed away on the 24th of Jumaadaath-Thaanee in the year 1376 A.H./1955 C.E.

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Shaykh Haafidth Ibn Ahmad al-Hakamee His Birth and Early Childhood Shaykh Haafidth ibn Ahmad ibn 'Alee al-Hakamee (rahima-hullaah) was one of the notable scholars from theKingdom of Saudi Arabia, and one of the most famous of those who lived in the 14th (hijree) century to comefrom the southern region of the country (i.e. Tuhaamah). Shaykh Haafidth was born on the 24th of Ramadhaan, 1342 A.H. (1924 C.E.) in a coastal village calledas-Salaam which lies just southeast of the city of Jaazaan. When he was still just a small boy he moved tothe city of al-Jaadi' which is close to the city of Saamitah because his father found that farmland and pastureswere better there. However, his immediate family continued to commute between the two cities due toextenuating circumstances. The young Haafidth was raised under the good and righteous guardianship of his father who taught himmodesty, purity and good character. Before reaching the age of maturity, he worked as a shepherd herdinghis fathers' sheep, which were the most important form of wealth to his family as well as the rest of thepeople in the society in those days. However, Haafidth differed from the other boys in his village because ofhis intelligence and his ability to memorise and understand quickly. He learned to write while he was still asmall boy and he memorised the entire Qur.aan by the time he was twelve years old. Seeking Knowledge and Religious Studies When the young Haafidth reached the age of seven years, his father put both him and his older brotherMuhammad [He is now one of the well respected scholars in the southern part of the Kingdom of SaudiArabia. His efforts in Da'wah and Islamic teaching have had a tangible effect on the entire region. He has beenthe head of the Islamic Institute in Saamitah for the last 20 years. He assumed the position after his brother -who was the first head of the institute - left the position. I ask Allaah to extend his life, and grant him goodhealth, and make success always his ally, and that the Muslims continue to benefit from him. Ameen] intoQur.aan memorisation school in the city of al-Jaadi'. There he read juz Amma and juz Tabaarak (30th and29th parts of the Qur.aan) to the teacher and afterwards he and his brother finished learning to read the entireQur.aan with the proper rules of recitation in just a few months and shortly thereafter he completedmemorising the Qur.aan in its entirety. Next he concentrated on his writing skills until he perfected them and was able to copy the Qur.aan withexcellent handwriting. At the same time he and his brother were busy reading and memorising books of fiqh,inheritance law, hadeeth, tafseer, and tawheed under the tutelage of their father since there was no one elsesuitable or trustworthy enough to teach them. In the year 1358H (1940) Shaykh 'Abdullaah ibn Muhammad ibn Hamad al-Qar'aawee [Shaykh 'Abdullaahal-Qar'aawee was born in the year 1315 A.H. in the city of 'Unayzah in the area of al-Qaseem and he died inthe year 1389 A.H. in the city of Riyadh (rahima-hullaah). Great credit goes to him for the growth anddevelopment of knowledge and literature in the southern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Tuhaamahand 'Aseer). There were many positive results and great improvements in the religion, society, and culture ofthat area and its youth due to his call to Da'wah at-Tawheed] travelled all the way from Najd to the city ofTuhaamah in the southern part of the Kingdom after he heard about the level of ignorance and the spread ofinnovation in the region - which (eventually) becomes the condition of every area that has only a few peoplecalling to Allaah's religion (Islam) or no one at all to set the affairs straight. Shaykh al-Qar'aawee vowed toshoulder the responsibility of calling to the True Religion (of Islam) and correcting the corrupt beliefs inaqeedah and the superstitions that were stuck in the minds of the ignorant people in the region. In 1359H (1941) Haafidth ibn Ahmad's older brother Muhammad went to Shaykh Hamad al-Qar'aawee with aletter from the both of them requesting some books on Tawheed and expressing their regret at being unableto come (and study with him) because they were busy serving and seeing to their parents needs. They alsorequested that the Shaykh visit their village so that they might listen to some of his lessons. Shaykhal-Qar'aawee accepted their invitation and went to their village where he met the young Haafidth and got toknow him very well and saw in him promising signs of excellence and intelligence - which turned out to be avery accurate evaluation.

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Shaykh al-Qar'aawee remained in al-Jaadi' (their village) a number of days teaching, and a group of elders aswell as some youth from the local people attended the lectures. Amongst them was the young Haafidth whowas the smallest of them in age, yet the fastest of them in memorising and understanding the informationgiven. Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee said about him: "And thus it was that I stayed a number of days inal-Jaadi'. Haafidth attended the lessons and if he missed anything then he would get it from his classmates.He is like his name Haafidth (which means: one who memorises), he preserves things (accurately) by heartas well as with his note taking. I used to dictate to all of the students and then explain the lesson and theolder students used to ask him if they had trouble understanding something or (if they missed) writingsomething in their notes." [This quote was taken from a short autobiography of the life of Shaykhal-Qar'aawee.] When Shaykh al-Qar'aawee was ready to return to the city of Saamitah - which by this time he had alreadymade his dwelling place and the center for his da'wah activities - he asked the young Haafidth's parents topermit him to employ someone to herd their sheep on Haafidth's behalf in exchange for their permission thatHaafidth and his older brother return with him to Saamitah so that they might seek knowledge thereunderneath his tutilage. But Haafidth's parents refused the Shaykh's request at first, insisting that theiryoungest son remain with them because of their great need for him. However, Allaah decreed that the life ofHaafidth's mother would end during the month of Rajab in the year 1360H (1942), so Haafidth's father thenallowed him and his brother Muhammad to study with the Shaykh two or three days a week and then returnto him. Haafidth began to study in Saamitah with the Shaykh who would dictate lessons to him after which he wouldreturn to his village. Haafidth was an inspired student who understood and memorised everything that he reador heard. Sadly his father did not live long after that as he died on his way back from Hajj in the same year 1360 A.H.(1942 C.E.). After that, Haafidth was able to study and gain knowledge (full time) so he went to his Shaykhand stayed with him, always learning and benefiting from him. Haafidth proved to be an exceptionally giftedstudent who learned very quickly. He was also very good at poetry and prose and he (eventually) authoredmany books in the major categories of Islamic knowledge. When Haafidth was only nineteen years old, Shaykh al-Qar'aawee asked him to write a book about Tawheedand the 'aqeedah of the Pious Predecessors, that would be easy for students to memorise, and that wouldalso demonstrate just how much he has benefited from his reading and studying. The young Haafidthresponded by writing a treatise in didactic prose entitled: «Sullam-ul-Wusool ilaa 'Ilm-il-Usool fee at-Tawheed»which he completed in the year 1362 A.H. (1944 C.E.), and which met with the avid approval of his teacher aswell as the other prominent scholars of his time. He followed this work with other writings also in didactic prose on tawheed, hadeeth terminology, fiqh,principles of fiqh, inheritance law, seerah of the Prophet, and others, all of which were originally publishedwith the help of King Saud ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez. It becomes clear for us through what Shaykh Haafidth al-Hakamee left behind for us from his writings that hewas profoundly affected by reading books that were written by the scholars of the early generation of Muslimsabout tafseer, hadeeth, fiqh, and principles of fiqh, Islamic manners, Arabic language and grammar. Asregards 'aqeedah, he was obviously very influenced by the writings of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and hisfamous student Ibn-al-Qayyim. Some of His Other Achievements When Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee realised the superiority of his student Haafidth, he appointed him as ateacher for the other students and they benefited greatly from his lessons. In 1363 A.H. (1945 C.E.) Shaykh al-Qar'aawee selected Haafidth to be the director of a school in Saamitah,which was the first and the largest of all of the schools that Shaykh al-Qar'aawee established for the studentsof knowledge in the southern region the kingdom. Haafidth was also made regional superintendent for all ofthe schools in the neighbouring villages and townships. Shaykh al-Qar'aawee went on to enlarge the schools in Tuhaamah and 'Aseer and he eventually established

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at least one school in every village in the south that taught Islamic studies. He appointed his students asteachers and administrators for these schools however, when Shaykh al-Qar'aawee had established literallyhundreds of schools in the southern region he took his first student, Haafidth al-Hakamee, as his assistantwhilst travelling and supervising the schools. Shaykh Haafidth travelled to many places in order to fulfill his responsibilities with Shaykh al-Qar'aaweeincluding as-Salaamah al-'Ulyaa and the city of Beesh, Umm al-Khashab in northern Jaazaan. Afterwards, hereturned to Saamitah again as director of the schools in the region in order to help his Shaykh administer themany schools that he had established so that the important improvements brought about by this da'wahmight continue. Most of Shaykh Haafidth al-Hakamee's time was spent trying to uplift the youth in his area and benefit themwith his knowledge as much as he could. Some of his students are now renowned scholars in their own righthaving taken positions as judges, teachers, and preachers everywhere in the southern region of the kingdomand elsewhere. In 1373 A.H. (1955 C.E.) a high school was opened in Jaazaan, the capital city of the southern region, andShaykh Haafidth al-Hakamee was chosen to be its first director in the same year. Then in 1374 A.H. (1956C.E.) a scholastic institute was opened in Saamitah by the General Directorate of Colleges and Institutes andShaykh Haafidth al-Hakamee was chosen to be its director as well. Shaykh Haafidth performed hisadministrative duties extremely well in addition to teaching some classes where he was known to give thestudents knowledge above and beyond the limited curriculum of the institute either himself or through some ofthe other in the institute. His Death Shaykh Haafidth al-Hakamee remained as the director of the scholastic institute in Saamitah until heperformed Hajj in the year 1377 A.H. (1958 C.E.). After completing the rights of Hajj, Shaykh Haafidth died inthe city of Makkah from a sudden illness on the 18th of Dhul Hijjah, 1377 A.H. (1958 C.E.) while he was stilla young man of only 35 years. May Allaah, the Exalted, have mercy upon him.

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Shaykh Hamood ibn 'Abdullaah at-Tuwayjiree His name and Lineage The Shaykh's full name was Abu 'Abdillaah, Hamood bin 'Abdillaah bin Hamood bin 'Abdir-Rahmaanat-Tuwayjiree, from the tribe of Bakr bin Waa'il Batn from Rabee'ah in Saudi Arabia. He was born in the city ofAl-Majma'ah on Friday, the 15th of Dhul-Hijjah 1334H (October 15, 1916) and his father died in the year1342H (1924) when he was eight years old. His Educational Studies As a boy, Hamood at-Tuwayjiree began reading at the hand of Shaykh Ahmad As-Saani' in the year 1342H,just days before the death of his father. He learned, at the Shaykh's hand, the fundamentals of reading andwriting and he memorised the Qur'aan at the age of eleven. He also learned from the book "Al-Usoolath-Thalaathah" by Shaykh Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Wahhaab (rahima-hullaah). He began learning the book"Al-Fiqh al-Akbar" with Shaykh 'Abdullaah bin 'Abdil-'Azeez Al-'Anawee, the judge of Al-Majma'ah and hadmastered it by the age of 13. He learned many sciences and arts by his thirties: Tafseer, Hadeeth, Tawheed,Fiqh, (Arabic) Language, History, Literature and others. He had committed to memory a number of Islamictexts. He earned an ijaazah in narrating the Saheeh books, the Sunan and the Masaaneed as well as relatingthe books of Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah and his student, Ibn Al-Qayyim, and in teaching the Hanbaleemadh-hab as well as all of the books of authentic narrations (marwiyaat li-kutub al-athbaat). Additionally, hestudied at the hand of the jurist, Al-'Allaamah Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Muhsin Al-Khayyaal, the judge ofMadeenah, in grammar and Al-Faraa'id. He also studied under his eminence, Shaykh 'Abdullaah binMuhammad bin Humayd (rahima-hullaah), a judge of Al-Majma'ah, in language and Al-Faraa'id. His Positions and Efforts in Da'wah The Shaykh became a judge in Raheemah and Ra's At-Tanoorah in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia inthe year 1368H (1949) for six months. He then took over a judgeship in Az-Zulfi in 1369H (1950) until the endof 1372H (1953) until he took an excuse from judging. He was asked to work for many academic associationsand was asked to teach in Al-Ma'ahad Al-'Ilmiyyah Ibbaan then in the college of Sharee'ah, then in the IslamicUniversity in Madeenah, then to work for Daar-ul-Iftaa, but he refused all of that in order to be free to study, doresearch, and write. The Shaykh continued in his pursuit of knowledge and in its dissemination through many writings, which werewidely accepted by scholars and students of his time. His writings were highly acclaimed by scholars suchas Shaykh Muhammad bin Ibraaheem Aali Shaykh (rahima-hullaah), Shaykh 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad binHumayd (rahima-hullaah), Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdillaah bin Baaz (rahima-hullaah) and Shaykh'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee. The Shaykh wrote on diverse topics in 'Aqeedah, Ahkaam, Adaab and Sulook. His Written works He opposed every one of he atheistic modernists and rebutted them with his pen in defense of the Sunnahand sound 'Aqeedah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. And his refutations were published in booklets, articlesand in national and international journals. The Shaykh has over fifty writings, forty of which have beenpublished such as: 1) "Encirclement of the Jamaa'ah by what will come from Trials, Slaughter and Signs of the Hour" 2) "The Conclusive Refutation against the Sinful Criminal" (Rebuttal of those who attack SaheehAl-Bukhaaree) 3) "Severe and Sharp Finish to those who would oppose the Book, the Sunnah, the Consensus and theTraditions" {Rebuttal of those who have permitted interest in the banks) 4) "Affirmation of Allaah being High Above His Creation" 5) "A Heated Word on Ordering the Good and Forbidding the Evil" 6) "The Belief of the People of Faith regarding the Creation of Adam upon the Image of Ar-Rahmaan" 7) "Clarification and Explanation of those matters which many fall into regarding the confusions of theMushrikeen" 8) And the work presently in hand

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The Shaykh also provided commentary to many books. His Students His students were few because of his involvement in the work previously described. However, some of themwere 'Abdullaah Ar-Roomee, 'Abdullaah Muhammad Hamood and Naasir At-Tareeree. The Shaykh's sons:'Abdullaah, Muhammad, 'Abdul-'Azeez, 'Abdul-Kareem, Saalih and Ibraaheem learned from him, continuedmany of his works and are versed in all of his works. His Character and Manners The Shaykh was known for his high and noble character. He spoke softly and with wisdom and he was notoverly talkative, but rather full of ideas and serious thought. He was also gentle, mild-tempered and one whowould sit with his children and the members of his household. He was easy with them without makingdistinctions between them and always applied fairness between male and female. His fairness was such thatupon his death none of his children could say which from among them was more beloved. His kindness andcompassion to the young and the womenfolk was evident in his speech and behavior. He loved to offer advice through practical example in speech and deed. He never withheld advice or shunnedconsultation even with the youngest of his children and many times he changed what he was writing, or left amatter that he was attending to, or took up what he had left off, based upon such consultation or advice. Healways upheld Allaah's limits whenever he found proof from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) and never put before them the word of a friend or the opinion of a scholar. Hewas as was said of Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee – that when he was convinced of a proof from the Sunnah ofMuhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) he would never leave it for what may have been said by people.He always turned to the truth and stopped at that. He would talk every step to rectify what he saw that mayhave been in error when shown what was correct. The eminent Muhaddith, Shaykh MuhammadNaasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee mentioned his love for the Shaykh, his admiration for him, and praise for him. Shaykh at-Tuwayjiree was intense in his anger for the sake of Allaah upon learning of anyone openlydisobeying Allaah and His Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) or opposing the Sunnah or spreadinginnovation. He was very strong for the truth and no amount of disparagement from the people of innovation andvain desires could deter him, and he would fight them with his tongue and his pen. The Shaykh wasextremely self-reliant and would not ask for help even from those closest to him. His Worship The Shaykh was always in worship of Allaah, spending his days in study and research until the sunset anduntil the night and he would sometimes stay up after 'Ishaa. completing what he had started during the day.This is how he spent his final days. He would take a light nap after Dhuhr prayer. He would spend the finalthird of the night in Tahajjud whether traveling or at home and did not leave this practice even during hisillness until - he was unable to stand and he never left the Witr until his dying day, may Allaah have mercyupon his soul! The Shaykh took to heart the advice of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) to his Companions(radhi-yallaahu 'anhum) and never neglected fasting three days of each month until the time he was unable todo so due to illness near the end of his life. He fasted regularly during the first ten days in Dhul-Hijjah, sixdays in Shawwaal or 'Aashooraa and other times. He was also regular in doing Hajj and 'Umrah and would goon 'Umrah every year especially in Ramadhaan. He would take half of the year in Makkah with his sons. Hewould constantly recite the Qur.aan in any condition – even when working he would be reciting; And he wouldalso complete the Qur.aan every seven days except in Ramadhaan when he would do so every three days.He would recite nearly four 30ths (ajzaa) in his nightly standing in prayer. His Illness and Death His final illness began during the last three years (of his life), however he concealed this up until the last yearwhen it became intensified. He was hospitalised three times and the last time just two days before his death.In his final illness he was patient and content with that which Allaah had decreed for him until he passedaway in the final hour of Tuesday, 5th of Rajab 1413 (December 30, 1992). May Allaah grant him the widest

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mercy and give him the best abode in Paradise and put him in the company of the Prophets, the Siddiqeen,the Martyrs, and the Righteous. Aameen. The prayer for him was made after Salaat az-Zhuhr on Wednesday, 6a.m. of Rajab, 1413 (December 31,1992) in Masjid Ar-Raajihee in Riyaadh and he was buried in An-Naseem graveyard. His funeral was attendedby masses who filled the masjid and every street and path leading to it along with many callers, scholars,and notables with Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdillaah bin Baaz leading the prayer. Shaykh at-Tuwayjireewas eighty-seven years, six months and twenty days old at the time of his death. From Allaah we come andto Him do we return.

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Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh He was Abu 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibraaheem Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Ibn 'Abdul-Lateef Ibn 'Abdur-RahmaanIbn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh. He was born in Riyadh on the 17th of Muharram in the year 1311 A.H./1890 C.E. He was raised in a righteous environment in Riyadh, under the guidance of his father, Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn'Abdul-Lateef. Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem, completed the memorization of the Qur.aan at the age of11 years. He lost his sight when he was 16 years old. However this did not hinder his determination (to seekknowledge), rather, he continued to attend the lectures of the scholars of his time. He studied with his father and his uncle, Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-Lateef, who was a famous scholar ofhis time, in Najd. Whilst in the company of his father and uncle, he memorised several texts in Islamic Lawand the Arabic language. He also studied fiqh and mustalah al-hadeeth (science of hadeeth) with ShaykhSa'd Ibn 'Ateeq, and studied the various aspects of the Arabic language from Shaykh Hamad Ibn Faaris. He undertook several government appointments, in addition to his efforts in teaching, passing fatwa and givingkhutbah, such as Head of Academic Institutions, Head of the Judiciary, Supervisor of the Islamic University ofMadeenah, at al-Madeenah an-Nabawiyyah, Head of Academic Institutions for girls, and other (such)positions. Several senior scholars graduated from having studied with him, amongst them: Shaykh 'Abdullaah IbnHumayd, Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz and Shaykh Sulayman Ibn 'Ubayd, and other than them. Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem passed away on Wednesday 24th of Ramadhaan 1389 A.H./1968 C.E. atthe age of 78 years. He left behind a large collection of fataawa and treatises that have been printed in several books and journals.

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Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen Ibn Muhammad al-Mukhtaar al-Jaknee He was born in 1325 A.H. / 1897 C.E. He memorised the Qur.aan when he was 10 years old with his uncle, 'Abdullaah Ibn Muhammad al-MukhtaarIbn Ibraaheem Ibn Ahmad Nooh al-Jaknee. He studied tajweed and the art of writing the 'Uthmaanee mushaf with his cousin, Muhammad Ibn Ahmad IbnMuhammad al-Mukhtaar. He studied the basics of Arabic grammar such as al-'Aajaro Meeyah, the Prophet's (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam) life history and the history of Arabian decent with his aunt. As for the other fields of knowledge such as fiqh, tafseer, hadeeth, Arabic grammer, usool al-fiqh and poetry,then he studied with the most renowned scholars of the land, and all of them were from the tribe of al-Jaknee.Amongst them were:Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih (popularly known as Ibn Ahmad al-Afram);Shaykh Ahmad al-Afram Ibn Muhammad al-Mukhtaar;Shaykh Ahmad Ibn 'Umar;Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Mood;Shaykh Muhammad an-Nimah Ibn Zaydaan;Shaykh Ahmad Faal Ibn Aaduh. He completed teaching the tafseer of the Noble Qur.aan twice in al-Masjid an-Nabawee, and as such hisstudents numbered many, such that there exact number remains unknown. However, the following are a few:Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz regularly attended his lessons in tafseer in al-Masjid an-Nabawee when hewas head of the Islamic University;Shaykh 'Atiyyah Muhammad Saalim, the one who completed the writing of the Shaykh's tafseer Adwaa.al-Bayaan, after the Shaykh's death;Shaykh Bakar Ibn 'Abdullaah Abu Zayd;His son, Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee;His other son, Shaykh Muhammad al-Mukhtaar Ibn Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee. The Shaykh wrote a number of books which were distinguished by the strength of evidence he applied, theclarity of his message and methodology, and the originality of thought so evident, along with the precision ofArabic grammar. So from amongst his works are the following:Adwaa. al-Bayaan fee Eedhaah al-Qur.aan bil-Qur.aan;Aadaab al-Bahth wal-Munaatharah;Daf'u Eehaam al-Idhtiraab 'an Aay al-Kitaab;Alfiyah fil-Mantiq;Khaalis al-Jamaan fee Dhikr Ansaab Banee 'Adnaan;Man'u Jawaaz al-Majaaz fil Munazzal lit-Ta'abbud wal-I'jaaz;Muthakkirah Usool al-Fiqh;Manhaj Aayaat al-Asmaa. was-Sifaat;Rajz fee Furoo' Mathhab Maalik Yakhtass bil-'Uqood min al-Buyoo' war-Ruhoon;Sharh Maraaqee as-Sa'ood;Nathm fil-Faraa.id. As for his manners, then they were those of a man, a scholar who practiced what he preached, and he neverpermitted anyone to backbite in his gathering. He was most noble and apathetic to what the life of this world had to offer. His was always truthful in speech,and most sincere - always prepared to change his point of view if presented with evidence. He sought importance in seeking knowledge, and all fields of knowledge were just a means, as for the Bookof Allaah, then it was the goal. It was witnessed by those who frequented his lessons that his knowledge of the Book of Allaah was so

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strong and vast, that should anyone mention to him an aayah, then he would immediately respond with theaayah before and after it. He died in 1393 A.H. / 1972 C.E.

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Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaykh He is the noble Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Lateef Aal ash-Shaykh. Hewas born in Riyadh in 1362 A.H./1941 C.E., and since his birth he suffered from weak eyesight, until he losthis sight altogether in 1381 A.H./1960 C.E. He began seeking knowledge by studying the Noble Qur.aan at Masjid Ahmad Ibn Sanaan, and memorisedthe Qur.aan when he was 12 years old. He then sought knowledge from some of the scholars in theirgatherings. In 1375 A.H./1954 C.E. he transferred to the Imaam ad-Da'wah Institute where he graduated fromthe Faculty of Sharee'ah in 1383 A.H./1962 C.E., and he used to attend some of the gatherings of thescholars in their masaajid. He began his active religous life after graduating from the Faculty of Sharee'ah in 1383 A.H./1962 C.E.,whereafter he worked as a teacher at the Imaam ad-Da'wah al-'Ilmee Institute until 1392 A.H./1971 C.E. Hethen transferred to teaching at the Faculty of Sharee'ah (at the University of Imaam Muhammad) in Riyadhand continued there until 1412 A.H./1991 C.E. He was then made a member of the Council of Senior Scholars in 1407 A.H./1986 C.E., whereafter he wasmade a member of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa, where he was appointeddeputy to the grand muftee of the Kingdom (Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz) in 1416 A.H./1995 C.E. He was the imaam for Jumu'ah prayers at the Masjid of Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-Lateef since 1390A.H./1969 C.E., later transferring to being imaam at the Central Masjid of al-Imaam Turkee Ibn 'Abdullaah in1412 A.H./1991 C.E. He became the imaam and khateeb at Masjid Namirah on the Day of 'Arafah in 1402A.H./1981 C.E. Whilst at the Faculty of Sharee'ah he used to supervise some university theses, and take part in thesesdiscussions/debates. Since 1414 A.H./1993 C.E. he has taken part in responding to questions on the radio program "Noorun'alad-Darb". He also used to hold lessons in the Central Masjid of al-Imaam Turkee Ibn 'Abdullaah. He takes part inseminars and lectures alongside his work in the field of da'wah in Riyadh and Taif.

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Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Baaz Abu 'Abdullaah Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan Aal-Baaz was born in the city ofRiyadh in Dhul-Hijjah 1330 A.H./1909 C.E. He memorized the Qur.aan in his early age and then he acquired knowledge from many of the great scholarsof the Kingdom. Some of his teachers were Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdul-Lateef Aal-Shaykh, Shaykh Saalihibn 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal-Shaykh and the eminent Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aal-Shaykh who, in histime, was the Muftee of Saudi Arabia. Shaykh Ibn Baaz accompanied the eminent Shaykh and learned fromhim for about ten years. Thus he gained his religious education from the family of Imaam Muhammad ibn'Abdul-Wahhaab. Afterwards Shaykh Ibn Baaz was appointed as a Justice and he worked for fourteen years in the judiciaryuntil he was deputed to the education faculty. He remained engaged in teaching for nine years at RiyadhIslamic Law College, Riyadh Religious Institute. Then he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the IslamicUniversity, al-Madeenah; but shortly afterwards, he was made the Chancellor with all the administrativepowers. Later he was appointed President of the General Presidency of Islamic Research, Ifta, Call andPropagation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He held the position of Grand Muftee of Saudi Arabia, the Presidency of many Islamic Committees andCouncils, the prominent among these being: Senior Scholars Committee of the Kingdom, PermanentCommittee for Islamic Research and Fataawa, the Founding Committee of Muslim World League, WorldSupreme Council for Mosques, Islamic Jurisprudence Assembly Makkah; and the member of the SupremeCouncil of the Islamic University at al-Madeenah, and the Supreme Committee for Islamic Propagation, untilhe passed away on Thursday 27 Muharram 1420 A.H./May 13 1999 C.E. May Allaah (Subhaanahu waTa'aala) have Mercy upon his soul, aameen. For more about the noble Shaykh, kindly refer to Jewels of Guidance The Shaykh's official website: www.binbaz.org.sa

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http://www.fatwa-online.com/jewelsofguidance/ibnbaaz/index.htm

http://www.binbaz.org.sa/




Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin Ibn Hamad al-'Abbaad I am the one in need of Allaah, 'Abdul-Muhsin ibn Hamad ibn 'Abdul-Muhsin ibn 'Abdullaah ibn Hamad ibn'Uthmaan Aal-Badar; and the family of Aal-Badar is from Aal-Jalaas from the tribe of 'Unzah which is one ofthe tribes of al-'Adnaaniyyah and my great-grandfather 'Abdullaah added the name 'Abbaad and some of hischildren later became known by this name. My mother was the daughter of my paternal uncle - AbuSulaymaan ibn 'Abdullaah Aal Badar. I was born just after Salaat al-'Ishaa. on a Saturday night corresponding to the 3rd of Ramadhaan 1353 A.H.in the city of Az-Zulfah which is 300 kilometres north of Riyadh. I learnt to read and write from the noble teachers 'Abdullaah ibn Ahmad al-Munee' and then Zayd ibnMuhammed al-Munee'fee and then 'Abdullaah ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Ghayth under whom I completed theQur.aan and then Faalih ar-Roomee. When the elementary school was established in az-Zulfah in 1368 A.H, I transferred there to the second year(level). When I completed my elementary studies in 1371 A.H, I then transferred to the Ma'had al-'Ilmee inRiyadh the following year. I then transferred to the faculty of Sharee'ah. During my final year at the faculty, I was appointed a teacher at the Ma'had al-'Ilmee in Buraydah on 13thJumaada al-Oolaa 1379 A.H. Then at the and of the academic year, I returned to Riyadh to sit my final examsat the faculty. Allaah blessed me by my graduating (with the highest grades) and I came first from amongstall my fellow students who were 80 (in total) - and who were the fourth set of graduates from the faculty ofSharee'ah. As such, I also came first in (all) the three previous years. When I recieved my certification fromthe Ma'had al-'Ilmee in Riyadh in 1380 A.H, I turned to teaching at the Ma'had al-'Ilmee in Riyadh. When al-Jaami'ah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic University) in Madeenah was established, Allaah blessed me bybeing amongst those who were selected to teach there by the noble Shaykh, Muhammed ibn Ibraaheem Aalash-Shaykh. The first faculty which was established was the faculty of Sharee'ah which began classes onSunday 2nd Jumaada ath-Thaaniyah 1381 A.H. - and from the favours of Allaah upon me was that I was thefirst to teach a lesson on that day. From that day until now I have taught at the University and there is no-oneat the University who has taught there longer since it was established other than me. On 30th Rajab 1393 A.H I was appointed a deputy to the president of al-Jaami'ah al-Islamiyyah after beingselected by King Faysal for this post. I was one of three who was proposed by the noble Shaykh'Abdul-Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah ibn Baaz who was then the president of the University. I remained at this post until 26th Shawwaal 1399 A.H whereby I asked him to excuse me after I felt an urgewithin myself during the first two years of these six years when I was second-in-charge; and when the nobleShaykh 'Abdul-Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah ibn Baaz transferred to the presidency of the Department ofKnowledge-based Research and Legal Rulings, I became first in command. And during those six years, I wasonly able to teach 2 lessons a week to the fourth year students at the faculty of Sharee'ah. During this time, Ifelt an enormous responsibility and a heavy burden (due to my position as president of the University) that Iexerted myself - such that I hope it counts much with Allaah - and in those six years I was able to overseethe implementation of a new policy at the University whereby it changed from being a government entity to aninstitution and then the establishment of the Department of Higher Studies for both Masters and Doctorateprogrammes and the establishment of the faculty of the Noble Qur.aan and Islamic Studies, the faculty ofHadeeth and Islamic Studies and the faculty of Arabic Language. During this time, the size of the land granted for the University increased many-fold.The University completedarchitectual plans for the new faculties, granting them the highest priority, increasing the number of studentsat the University to 20,000. These plans incorporated all the needs of this large number in terms of the(different) faculties, the departments and centres, student accomodation and services and other than these.During this time, the University printing press was also established. My first trip outside the city of az-Zulfah was to Makkah to perform Hajj in 1370 A.H. and thereafter to Riyadhto seek knowledge at the Ma'had al-'Ilmee.

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I still possess my notebooks of the different years of my elementary studies starting from the second yearand they are the most beloved and precious of all that I possess. The first book I ever had in my personal library was a copy of «Buloogh al-Maraam» of al-Haafiz Ibn Hajaral-'Asqalaanee. I acquired it before I began my elementary studies, whereupon I have written in my ownhandwriting the date of 6th of Muharram 1368 A.H. And from the most beloved of all things to me is my immense love for the companions of the Messenger ofAllaah (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) and radhi-yallaahu 'anhum, and my hatred for those who hate them.Allaah has blessed me with sons and daughters, and I have named four of my sons the names of therightly-guided Khulafaa. after having named one of them after the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam). And I named some of my daughters the names of the Mothers of the Believers, after having namedone of them Faatimah, the leader of the believing women. And this is some of what I recall about myself, which I have penned just as a reminder of the blessings ofAllaah, and how short I fall and what little I have done (in this life) for the Hereafter. I ask Allaah to grant mesuccess in being truthful in speech, and sincere in my actions and to attain beneficial knowledge and actionsin accordance to it, indeed He is the All-Hearing and Responding. .......... Note: I, Abu 'Abdullaah, had been searching for the biography of the noble Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaadfor some time now. Finally, I approached the Shaykh himself to see if he could direct me to any source. Hesimply refused, saying "...there is no need, there is no need". I persisted, saying that this is only to informthe English-speaking Muslims of the scholars of our time, whereupon he still insisted: "...there is no need". Ithen decided to approach his son, Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq al-'Abbaad who directed me to the only publishedsource where the Shaykh's biography is written, namely the book: «ar-Radd 'alaa man Kaththababil-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah al-Waaridah fil-Mahdee». Since this book is now out of print, I had beensearching for it for a while when I received a copy on Sunday 3 November 2002, and in my excitement topublish the noble Shaykh's biography, I set about translating it immediately. Finally, the Shaykh penned his biography above back in the year 1402 A.H., some 20 years ago, and still tothis day he is driven to the University to teach tawheed to 3rd year students at the Faculty of Sharee'ah - Ibear witness to this since I am very fortunate to have him teach our class also. It must be noted, that theShaykh has long passed compulsory retirement age, however, he still chooses to teach at the Universitywithout pay. May Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) bless our noble Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaad andincrease him in good health, aameen.

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Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan Aal Ghudayyaan He was born in 1345 A.H./1934 C.E. in the city of az-Zulfee. He studied the basics of reading and writing, when young, with 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez as-Suhaymee,and 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Ghayth, and Faalih ar-Roomee. He also studied the basics of fiqh,tawheed, Arabic grammar and faraa.id with Hamdaan Ibn Ahmad al-Baatil. He then travelled to Riyadh in 1363A.H./1952 C.E., and in 1366 A.H./1955 C.E. he enrolled into al-Madrasah as-Sa'oodiyyah al-Ibtidaa.iyyah(previously known as Madrasatul-Aytaam) and graduated from there in 1368 A.H./1957 C.E. He was then appointed a teacher in al-Madrasah al-'Azeeziyyah, and in 1371 A.H./1960 C.E. he enrolled intothe Educational Institute. During this period he studied with Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Aalash-Shaykh. He also studied fiqh with Shaykh Sa'ood Ibn Rashood who was the (grand) judge of Riyadh, andtawheed with Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn Sulaymaan, and Arabic grammar and faraa.id with Shaykh 'Abdul-LateefIbn Ibraaheem. He then continued his studies until he graduated from the Faculty of Sharee'ah in 1372A.H./1961 C.E. He was then appointed head of one of the courts, and then later transferred to teaching at the EducationalInstitute in 1378 A.H./1967 C.E. In 1380 A.H./1969 C.E. he was then appointed a teacher at the Faculty ofSharee'ah, and in 1386 A.H./1975 C.E. he was transferred to passing fatwa at the Daar al-Iftaa. In 1391 A.H./1980 C.E. he was appointed a member of The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research andFataawa in addition to member of the Council of Senior Scholars. He studied with a number of scholars in differing fields, and from amongst the well-known (in addition to thosewho have preceded) are:Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Baaz (rahima-hullaah) with whom he studied fiqh;Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Khulayfee with whom he also studied fiqh;Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Rasheed with whom he studied fiqh, tawheed and faraa.id;Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee with whom he studied usool al-fiqh, sciences of the Qur.aan,and tafseer;Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Afreeqee with whom he studied mustalah and hadeeth;Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee;'Abdul-Fattaah Qaaree al-Bukhaaree with whom he studied the Qur.aan in the recitation of Hafs 'an 'Aasim, towhich the chain of transmission reaches the Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam). In addition to what has preceded of his work, from 1389 A.H./1978 C.E. to date he has been a teacher of fiqh,usool al-fiqh, al-qawaa.id al-fiqhiyyah, mustalah and hadeeth, tafseer and it's sciences and 'aqeedah. He has also been teaching fiqh in organised gatherings/lessons most days of the week, according to hisschedule of many duties, after maghrib and after 'Ishaa. Sometimes he will teach after fajr and also after 'asr. From 1395 A.H./1984 C.E., in addition to his work with The Permanent Committee, he gave lessons tostudents of knowledge in higher studies at the University of Imaam Muhammad and the Faculty of Sharee'ahin fiqh, usool al-fiqh, al-qawaa.id al-fiqhiyyah. He was also involved in supervising a number of theses at theMasters degree and Doctorate level, whilst also taking part in the (university) committee discussing theses.During this period, many students studied with him. When Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Humayd died in 1402 A.H./1991 C.E., he was undertook to giving fatwa on theradio programme "Noorun 'alad-Darb".

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Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Hasan al-Qu'ood He was born on the 17th night of Ramadhaan in 1343 A.H./1922 C.E. in the town of al-'Areeq which is knownas Waadee Hu'aam, which happens to be one of the Waadee's of Yamaamah. He was brought up by his noble parents in affluent surroundings. He studied the basics of reading and writingfrom the Mushaf with Muhammad Ibn Sa'd Aal Sulaymaan. He later memorised the Qur.aan and sometreatises of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Imaam Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhaab with the judge of histown, at that time being Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Ibraaheem Aal 'Abdul-Lateef. After this, his desire to seek knowledge became stronger, so on the 27th of Safar 1367 A.H./1946 C.E. he lefthis affluent surroundings, he travelled to Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Baaz who was in the regionof Kharj. He remained with him for 4 years, not including breaks to return home to visit his parents whomused to assist him financially whilst he travelled seeking knowledge. He studied a number of works with Shaykh Ibn Baaz from the major books and other than them from thebooks of hadeeth and fiqh. During his time with him, he memorised a number of treatises including Bulooghal-Maraam, and he was very keen in seeking knowledge based upon authentic proofs. When the Educational Institute opened in Riyadh at the beginning of 1371 A.H./1950 C.E. he transferredthere and later graduated from the Faculty of Sharee'ah in 1377 A.H./1956 C.E. From amongst his teachers there were:Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz;Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee;Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee;Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Afreeqee. On the 4th of Jumaada al-Oolaa in 1375 A.H./1954 C.E. he was appointed a teacher at the EducationalInstitute, and then on the 9th of Jumaada al-Oolaa he transferred to the Minsitry of Education and workedthere as an inspector of religious studies for secondary schools. On the 8th of Dhul-Qa'dah 1380 A.H./1959 C.E. he transferred to the Court of Grievances and worked there asa member of the judiciary. On the 1st of Rabee' ath-Thaanee 1397 A.H./1976 C.E. he was made a member of the Permanent Committeefor Islamic Research and Fataawa, arising from his appointment to the Council of Senior Scholars. On the 1st of Muharram 1406 A.H./1985 C.E. he retired. He still partakes in educational activities and passes fatwa, and assists the University of al-Malik Sa'ood bygiving levtures to students in higher studies in the department of Islamic Education. On the 20th of Sha'baan 1378 A.H./1957 C.E. he was appointed the imaam and khateeb of the Jaami'al-Masheeqeeq in Riyadh. On the 1st of Muharram 1391 A.H./1970 C.E. he was appointed the imaam and khateeb of the Jaami' ofal-Malik 'Abdul-'Azeez, a post which he still holds to date. He has a number of publications to his name, amongst them a collection of his khutbah's put together in 4volumes.

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Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Humayd He was born in the city of Riyadh in Ramadhaan in the year 1329 A.H./1908 C.E. Losing his sight in his infancy, he was nonetheless brought up with good manners. He memorised the Qur.aan by heart whilst he was young whilst also actively and patiently seekingknowledge. He studied with the shaykhs of Riyadh and those who visited the city. He excelled in many fieldsand his shaykhs noted his brilliance. So he studied with many shaykhs, amongst them:Shaykh Hamad Ibn Faaris (rahima-hullaah), with whom he studied the sciences of the Arabic language andhadeeth;Shaykh Sa'd Ibn Hamad Ibn 'Ateeq (rahima-hullaah), with whom he studied the principles of the religion andit's various branches;Shaykh Saalih Ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh (rahima-hullaah), with whom he remained close to; hestudied the principles of the religion and it's various branches, hadeeth and tafseer;Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdul-Lateef Aal ash-Shaykh (rahima-hullaah), with whom he studied and remainedclose to;Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh (rahima-hullaah), with whom he studied and remainedclose to for a long time and used to seek his counsel in judiciary matters; Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh appointed him a teacher for beginners and his assistant,so whenever he was absent he would cover for him. In 1357 A.H./1922 C.E. King 'Abdul-'Azeez (rahima-hullaah) appointed him a judge in the region of Sudayr. In 1363 A.H./1928 C.E. he was appointed a judge in the region of Buraydah and the surrounding areas. In 1377 A.H./1942 C.E. he asked to be excused from the post of judge, and sought leave to increase in hisworship and teach the people. The General Presidency for the Supervision of Religious Affairs at al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah) was thenset up and King Faysal (rahima-hullaah) chose him to head the supervision of religious affairs at al-Masjidal-Haraam, as well as teaching there and passing fatwa. As a result Allaah caused the ummah to benefit fromhis knowledge. In 1395 A.H./1974 C.E. King Khaalid (rahima-hullaah) appointed him head of the Senior Judiciary Committee,member of the Council of Senior Scholars, head of the Jurisprudence Committee, and member of theFoundation Committee for ar-Raabitah al-'Aalam al-Islamee. He died on Wednesday 20 Dhul-Qa'dah 1402 A.H./1981 C.E. and his janaazah prayer was performed inal-Masjid al-Haraam where many were in attendance.

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Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Sulaymaan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Munee' Descending from the tribe of Banee Zayd, he was born in Shaqraa., which is the capital of the region ofal-Washm on 15th of Sha'baan 1349 A.H./1928 C.E. He graduated from his preliminary studies from Madrasah Shaqraa. In 1365 A.H./1944 C.E. He then graduated from the University of Imaam Muhammad Ibn Sa'ood in 1377 A.H./1956 C.E. He attainedhis Masters at the Higher Institute for the Judiciary, which is part of the University if Imaam Muhammad IbnSa'ood in 1389 A.H./1977 C.E. He worked as a teacher at Madrasah Shaqraa. for 3 years beginning in 1369 A.H./1948 C.E., then a teacherat the Educational Institute in Shaqraa. in 1375 A.H./1954 C.E. He then worked as the curator for Daaral-Kutub as-Sa'oodiyyah in 1377 A.H./1956 C.E. And in the years 1390-1394 A.H. (excluding 1393 A.H.)/1969-1973 C.E. he was appointed for judicial work inthe Council of Knowledge and the Higher Council of the Judiciary. Then, in 1396-1397 A.H./1975-1976 C.E. he worked as general deputy to the general head of IslamicResearch, Fataawa, Da'wah and Guidance. And at the end of 1397 A.H./1976 C.E. he was appointed a judge in the western region of Makkah, and hestill remains in that post to date. He is also a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research andFataawa, the Higher Committee for Endowments and also the Higher Committee for Daar al-Hadeethal-Khayriyyah in Makkah. He has a number of books to his name, in addition to taking part in public religious services such as providingfataawa on television and the radio programme "Noorun 'alad-Darb". He also supervises some students in the preparation of their theses at the Masters degree and Doctoratelevels, whilst also taking part in the (university) committee discussing theses.

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Shaykh Ahmad ibn Yahya an-Najmee His Name and Lineage He is our noble Shaykh, the 'Allaamah, the Muhaddith, the Faqeeh, the present Muftee of the district ofJaazaan and the carrier of the Flag of the Sunnah and hadeeth in it - Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Yahyaa IbnMuhammad Ibn Shabeer an-Najmee Aali Shabeer from Banee Hummad, one of the well known tribes of thedistrict of Jaazaan. His Birth The Shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, was born in the village of Najaamiyyah on the 22nd of Shawaal of1346H and was raised in the house of his two righteous parents - which have no equal in comparison. Due to this, his parents both made a pledge to Allaah by him that they would not burden him with any type ofworldly jobs, and Allaah made what they wished come true. They would both constantly keep guard of their son to the point that they would not even let him playamongst the children. When he reached the age of puberty, they entered him into the schools of the village,where he learned to read and write. He learned to recite the Qur'aan in the national school before the comingof the Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee, rahimahullaah, three times, the last of which occurred in 1358H whenhe remained there. He first read the Qur'aan to Shaykh 'Abdu Ibn Muhammad 'Aqeel an-Najmee in 1355H. Then he read it toShaykh Yahyaa Faqeeh 'Abasee, who was from Yemen and who had come to Najaamiyyah and stayedthere. Our Shaykh studied under him in the year 1358H. But when Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee arrived atNajaamiyyah, there occurred a debate between him and this teacher concerning the issue of Allaah's Rising -for he was 'asharee. So Shaykh al-Qar'aawee defeated him and he fled from the town after that. {And so the roots of the people who did wrong were cut off - all praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds},[Soorah al-An'aam, Aayah 45] His Educational Upbringing After their 'asharee teacher left, the Shaykh, along with his two paternal uncles, Hasan Ibn Muhammadan-Najmee and Husayn Ibn Muhammad an-Najmee, began to frequently attend Shaykh al-Qar'aawee'sclasses for some days in the city of Saamitah, but this did not last. This was in the year 1359H. In 1360, inthe month of Safar to be exact, our Shaykh joined the Madrasah Salafiyyah and recited the Qur'aan, this timeunder the order of Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee (rahima-hullaah) to Shaykh 'Uthmaan Ibn 'UthmaanHamlee (rahima-hullaah). This was such that he recited the entire Qur'aan to him with tajweed andmemorised the books "Tuhfatul-Atfaal", "Hidaayatul-Mustafeed", "Thalaathatul-Usool", "al-'Arba'eenan-Nawawiyyah" and "al-Hisaab." And he perfected the discipline of handwriting. He would sit in the study circle, which Shaykh al-Qar'aawee had set up there, until the time when theyounger students departed after the Salaat az-Zhuhr. Then he would attend the circle for the elder students,which Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee was in charge of personally teaching. So he would sit in this classfrom after the Salaat az-Zhuhr till the time of the Salaat al-'Ishaa.. Then after praying ('Ishaa.), he would returnto his town of Najaamiyyah with his two uncles (Hasan and Husayn). After four months, Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee granted him permission to to be part of his study circle forelder students, which he taught himself. So he read to the Shaykh the following books: "ar-Raheebah"concerning Laws of Inheritance, "al-Aajroomiyyah" concening Arabic Grammar, "Kitaab at-Tawheed","Buloogh al-Maraam", "al-Bayqooniyyah", "Nukhbat-ul-Fikr" with its explanation "Nuzhat-un-Nadhr","Mukhtasaraat fee Seerah", "Tasreef al-Ghazee", "al-'Awaamil fee an-Nahw", "al-Waraqaat" concerning thePrinciples of Fiqh, and "al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah" with its explanation from Shaykh 'Abdullaahal-Qar'aawee - this was before they had seen its explanation from Ibn Abil-'Izz al-Hanafee. He also studiedparts of the book "al-Alfiyyah" of Ibn Maalik and "ad-Durar al-Bahiyyah" with its explanation "ad-Daraareeal-Madiyyah" concerning Fiqh - both of which are written by Ash-Shawkaanee, rahimahullaah. This goes as

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well for other books - whether there was in them those which they studied as an assigned subject, like thepreviously mentioned books or what they studied for cultural education in some concise treatises and smallpamphlets or those books, which they would reference when researching such as Naylul-Awtaar, Zaadal-Ma'aad, Noorul-Yaqeen, al-Muwatta and al-Ummuhaat. In 1362H, Shaykh 'Abdullaah, rahimahullaah, distributed portions of the Ummahaat (hadeeth Books) he hadpresent in his library to his students, which consisted of Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, Sunan Abee Dawood, Sunanan-Nasaa.ee, Muwatta of Imaam Maalik. So they (his elder students) began to read these books to him, butthey did not complete them because they had to depart due to a drought. In 1364H, they returned and read them to him. so then Shaykh 'Abdullaah gave him the ijaazah (religiousauthorisation) to report from al-Ummahaat As-Sitt. In 1369H, he studied under Shaykh Ibraheem Ibn Muhammad al-'Amoodee, rahimahullaah, the Judge ofSaamitah at that time, two books - "Islaah al-Mujtami'a" and the book of Shaykh 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan IbnSa'adee, (rahima-hullaah) on Fiqh, which is organized in the form of question and answer, entitled: "al-Irshaadilaa Ma'rifat-il-Ahkaam." He also studied under Shaykh 'Alee Ibn Ash-Shaykh Ziyaad As-Somalee at the order of Shaykh 'Abdullaahal-Qar'aawee, the subject of Grammar, studying the book "al-'Awaamil fin-Nahwi Mi.ah", as well as otherbooks on Grammar and Morphology. In 1384H, he attended the study circles of the Shaykh, the Imaam, the 'Allaamah, the Muftee of the SaudiLands, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh, rahimahullaah, for the length of close to twomonths. In these circles, he taught Tafseer Ibn Jareer At-Tabaree with the recitation of 'Abdul-'AzeezAsh-Shalhoob, with regard to the subject of tafseer. Likewise, in the same year, he attended the gatherings ofour Shaykh, the Imaam, the 'Allaamah, Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn Baaz, rahimahullaah, for the length of closeto a month and a half. This class was on Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and occurred between the Maghrib and 'Ishaa.prayers. His Teachers From what you have read it is clear that his teachers, in order, include: 1. Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn Muhammad al-'Amoodee - the judge of Saamitah in his time2. Shaykh Haafidh Ibn Ahmad al-Hakamee - (rahima-hullaah)3. The Shaykh, the 'Allaamah, the Caller, the Reformer (mujaddid) of the southern part of the kingdom ofSaudi Arabia, 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee - (rahima-hullaah)4. Shaykh 'Abdu Ibn Muhammad 'Aqeel an-Najmee5. Shaykh 'Uthmaan Ibn 'Uthmaan al-Hamlee6. Shaykh 'Alee Ibn Ash-Shaykh 'Uthmaan Ziyaad As-Somalee7. The Imaam, the 'Allaamah, the former Muftee of the lands of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Muhammad IbnIbraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh - (rahima-hullaah)8. Shaykh Yahyaa Faqeeh 'Abasee al-Yemenee His Students Our Shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, has many many students. For whoever spent the amount of time thathe spent in teaching, which is almost half a century, then you can just imagine how many his students willbe. And if we were to list their number, then that would require a large book in itself. So I will only mention ashort example of them, by which one can go by in determining his other students. So from among hisstudents are: 1. Our Shaykh, the 'Allaamah, the Muhaddith, the Defender of the Sunnah, Rabee' Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee2. Our Shaykh, the 'Allaamah, the Faqeeh, Zayd Ibn Muhammad Haadee al-Madkhalee3. Our Shaykh, the Noble Scholar, 'Alee Ibn Naasir al-Faqeehee It is sufficient to just mention these three names here. And this is due to the widespread fame they have inthe circles and gatherings of knowledge, so no one can blame us for doing so.

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His Aptitude and Intelligence, may Allaah grant him success The Shaykh possesses a very high level of intelligence. The following is a story that indicates the intelligenceand good memory he had since childhood: The uncle, Shaykh 'Umar Ibn Ahmad Jardee al-Madkhalee said:"When Shaykh Ahmad would attend classes at the Madrasah Salafiyyahin Saamitah, along with his twouncles, Hasan an-Najmee and Husayn an-Najmee, during 1359 when he was 13, he would listen to theclasses that Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee gave to his elder students and he would memorise them." I say:This is what caused Shaykh 'Abdullaah al-Qar'aawee to let Shaykh Ahmad join his adult classes, which hewould take charge of teaching himself. This was because of what the Shaykh (al-Qar'aawee) saw of hissuperiority, quickness in memorising and intelligence. His Works Our Shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, worked as a teacher in the schools of his Shaykh, 'Abdullaahal-Qar'aawee, as a volunteer. And when the pay positions began, he was assigned the duty of a teacher inhis town of Najaamiyyah. This was in 1367H. Then in 1372H, he transferred to being Imaam and teacher inthe town of Abu Subaylah in Baalhurrath. On 1/1/1374H, when the educational institute in Saamitah was opened, he was assigned the position of ateacher in it until the year 1384H. He resigned from this position with the hopes of getting the opportunity toteach in the Islamic University of Madeenah, so he traveled there. However, certain circumstances took placewhich didn't allow that to occur, so he returned back to his district and Allaah decreed for him to be appointedthe position of religious admonisher and guide for the Ministry of Justice of the District of Jaazaan. So he tookthe role of admonishing and advising in the best of manners. On 1/7/1387H, he returned to being a teacher at the educational institute in the city of Jaazaan at hisrequest. Then at the beginning of the school year of 1389H, he returned to teaching at the institute ofSaamitah. He remained there as a teacher until he retired in 1/7/1410H. Since that time up until the time that I am writing these lines, he has kept himself busy teaching in his home,in his local masjid and in other masaajid of the district, holding weekly classes as well as taking on the roleof providing fataawa (for questions). In doing all of this, he has acted in accordance with the final advice of his teacher, which was to remainconstant in teaching and in taking care of the students, especially the foreign ones among them who left theirfamilies (to study). He had remarkable patience in accomplishing this, so we ask Allaah that He reward himon our behalf. He also abided by his teacher, Shaykh al-Qar'aawee's final advice by continuing in his studies and inresearching and learning from others. This is especially with regard to the sciences and principles of hadeethand Fiqh, for it was such that he surpassed his colleagues and had a powerful command in that matter. MayAllaah bless his life and knowledge and benefit us with his efforts. His Books of Knowledge Our Shaykh, may Allaah preserve him, has written many books, some of which have been printed and somewhich have not. We ask Allaah that He facilitate the publishing of those books so that the benefit from themcan be attained. From his books are: 1. Awdahul-Ishaarah fir-Radd 'alaa man abaaha al-Mamnoo' min az-Ziyaarah2. Ta.seesul-Ahkaam Sharh 'Umdatul-Ahkaam - only a very, very small portion of it was printed.3. Tanzeehush-Sharee'ah 'an Ibaahatil-Aghaanee al-Khalee'ah4. Risaalatul-Irshaad ilaa Bayaanil-Haqq fee Hukmil-Jihaad5. Risaalatun fee Hukmil-Jahr bil-Basmalah6. Fat.hur-Rabb al-Wadood fil-Fataawaa war-Rudood7. al-Mawrid al-Adh'b az-Zilaal feemaa intaqada 'alaa ba'adil-manaahij ad-da'wiyyah min al-'Aqaa'idwal-'A'amaal.

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And there are other beneficial books, which he has presented for the Muslims, may Allaah reward him withthe best of rewards and benefit Islam and the Muslims through him. And may the peace and blessings ofAllaah be on our prophet, Muhammad, his family and Companions, Ameen.

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Shaykh Hammaad ibn Muhammad al-Ansaaree He was Abu 'Abdul-Lateef Hammaad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Hinnah ibn Mukhtaar ibnMuhammad al-Basheer, from the lineage of Qays ibn Sa'd ibn 'Ubaadah al-Khazrajee al-Ansaaree, who wasborn in 1343 A.H. (1924 C.E.) in a town called Taad Makkah in Mali, West Africa. The name Taad Makkahmeans "this is Makkah" since it is surrounded by 4 mountains as Makkah itself is. His family was well knownin Timbuktu which was the capital of the eastern region of Mali. His lineage ends at Banee Naseeral-Ansaariyyeen who were the last to rule Gharnaatah (Granada, Andalus (Spain». His family were known fortheir knowledge, giving fataawa and ajudication before and after the French colonised Mali. His upbringing and seeking knowledge and his Shuyookh The Shaykh was brought up in a house of excellence and knowledge, since his Shaykhs were: 1) His paternal uncle, Shaykh al-Muqri. Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Taqqee al-Ansaaree, who was nicknamed"Teacher of Children" for the time he spent devoted to them and teaching them to recite the Qur.aan. SoShaykh Hammaad began by memorising the Qur.aan when he was ten years old, until he completedmemorising it and reciitng it with tajweed as the age of 15 years. He also studied nahoo and sarf under thetutelage o fhis uncle; 2) His paternal uncle's son, the 'Allaamah of his time - Shaykh Moosaa ibn al-Kisaa.ee al-Ansaaree; 3) His maternal uncle, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad, who was nicknamed "al-Bahr" (the sea) forthe immense knowledge which he had. Shaykh Hammaad studied usool al-fiqh and tafseer under histutelage, as he also studied Imaam Maalik's «al-Muwattaa.» and the Saheeh of both Imaam al-Bukhaareeand Imaam Muslim, as well as the Sunan of Abu Daawood, amongst other works such as «MukhtasirKhaleel» and books of the Maalikee fiqh; 4) Shaykh ash-Shareef al-Idreesee al-Husaynee Hamood ibn Muhammad, under whose tutelage he studiedphilosophy, usool al-fiqh and tafseer. Thereafter Shaykh Hammaad continued studying the major books and also began teaching in the town ofManaaqah, until he made hijrah after the French colonisation of Mali. So when Shaykh Hammaad reached Makkah, he joined the study circles of the 'ulamaa., amongst whomwere: 1) Shaykh Muhammad 'Abdur-Razzaaq Hamzah who used to teach «Tafseer Ibn Katheer»; 2) Shaykh Abu Muhammad 'Abdul-Haqq al-'Amree al-Haashimee al-Hindee, who used to teach the Saheeh ofImaam al-Bukhaaree; 3) Shaykh Hasan al-Mashaat, who used to teach «Sunan at-Tirmidhee»; 4) Shaykh Muhammad Ameen al-Hanafee, who used to teach the Saheeh of Imaam al-Bukhaaree; 5) Shaykh al-'Arabee at-Tabaanee; 6) Shaykh Muhammad Ameen al-Halabee, who used to teach nahoo; 7) Shaykh Haamid al-Fiqhee; ...and other than them from the 'ulamaa. of al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah. His journey to Madeenah Shaykh Hammaad travelled to Madeenah, where he studied in the Daar al-'Uloom ash-Shar'iyyah in 1371A.H. (1952 C.E.) in the faculty specialising in hadeeth. Whilst in Madeenah he studied under many of it's

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shuyookh, amongst them: 1) Shaykh Muhammad 'Abdullaah ibn Mahmood al-Madanee, who was the imaam of al-Masjid an-Nabawee.Shaykh Hammaad benefitted tremendously from Shaykh al-Madanee that he wrote a book about him; 2) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Turkee an-Najdee, under whose tutelage he studied Imaam Maalik's«al-Muwattaa.» and Ibn Qudaamah's «al-Mughnee»; 3) Shaykh Muhammad al-Haafidth ibn Moosaa Hameed under whose tutelage he studied «Sunanan-Nasaa.ee», and thereupon he was granted an ijaazah (permission to teach it); 4) Shaykh 'Umar Baree; 5) Shaykh 'Ammaar al-Maghrabee; 6) Shaykh 'Abduh Khuday'. His return to Makkah After Shaykh Hammaad graduated from Daar al-'Uloom ash-Shar'iyyah in 1371 A.H. (1952 C.E.) he returnedto Makkah where he worked as a teacher in accordance with what his paternal uncle's son - ShaykhIsmaa'eel al-Ansaaree - had written to him, since he too was working as a tecaher there in Makkah. So Shaykh Hammaad returned to Makkah to teach in the first year of a primary school and the second yearof a secondary school, and the third and fourt year of higher studies. Here he met up with Shaykh'Abdul-Lateef ibn Ibraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh and his brother Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem Aalash-Shaykh. Upon visiting them, he found them in the company of thei rbrother Shaykh 'Abdul-Malik ibnIbraaheem Aal ash-Shaykh to whom he was introduced. Later, Shaykh 'Abdul-Lateef suggested to Shaykh Hammaad that he go to Riyadh, whereupon he ordered hissecretary to call 'Abdul-'Azeez al-Lajaawee who was responsible for the teaching staff of all the universities. In accordance with Shaykh 'Abdul-Lateef's request, Shaykh Hammaad performed Hajj and then departed forRiyadh, where he began teaching in the Faculty of Sharee'ah. Shaykh Hammaad also taught at the Instituteof Imaam ad-Da'wah in Riyadh, which was setup at that time, and where he remained from 1375 A.H. (1956C.E.) until 1378 A.H. (1959 C.E.). He then returned to the Faculty of Sharee'ah where he remained from 1379A.H. (1960 C.E.) until 1384 A.H (1965 C.E.). In 1384 A.H. (1965 C.E.) he travelled to Madeenah where he transferred to the Islamic University until heretired in 1410 A.H. (1991 C.E.). However, he remained in touch with the Islamic University, where hesupervised Masters and Doctorate students preparing their theses. The Shuyookh who granted him an ijaazah 1) Shaykh 'Ubaydur-Rahmaan al-Mubaarakphooree, who was the author of «Mir'aatul-Mafaateeh SharhMishkaatul-Masaabeeh»; 2) Shaykh 'Abdul-Hafeedth al-Filisteenee; 3) Shaykh Qaasim ibn 'Abdul-Jabbaar al-Andeejaanee; 4) Shaykh Hamood at-Tuwayjaree; 5) Shaykh Abu Muhammad 'Abdul-Haqq al-Haashimee. His travels Shaykh Hammaad had a strong desire to travel to a number of countries, which he did, such that he wasknown to say: «I endeavour to travel the world over, even to China, however, my age has not permitted me todo so». From the countries to which he travelled were: Egypt, Syria, Morocco, India and other than them from

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the European, African and Asian countries. The Shaykh has recorded his travels in his book «ar-Rihlaatal-Ansaariyyah». His teachings In addition to his teaching committments at the Islamic University, Shaykh Hammaad was very conscientiousin teaching the books of the Sunnah and tawheed. Amongst the books he taught were: «Saheeh Muslim», «Saheeh al-Bukhaaree», «Sunan at-Tirmidhee» - which he taught in al-Masjidan-Nabawee, «at-Tawheed wa Ithbaat Sifaat ar-Rabb» of Imaam Ibn Khuzaymah, «Sharh al-'Aqeedahat-Tahaawiyyah» and other than these books. His participation in gatherings of knowledge Shaykh Hammaad was a member of the committee of the Centre for Research into the Sunnah and Seearahof the Prophet in Madeenah. He was also a member of the supervisory committee for administration affairs ofal-Masjid an-Nabawee, which met twice a week. His library Shaykh Hammaad started his library in 1367 A.H. (1948 C.E.), and in the beginning it contained bookscovering all aspects of knowledge. Later in 1373 A.H. (1954 C.E.) he gifted his library to his paternal uncle,and thereafter began to build up his library from new, only this time concentrating on the area of hadeeth. His library grew daily, containing books on hadeeth, 'ilm ar-rijaal (science of the narrators of hadeeth),mustalah (science of hadeeth terminology) and all other aspects of hadeeth and 'aqeedah, in addition toresearch papers from the Islamic University and other universities within Saudi Arabia. Indeed, in building uphis vast collection of books, the Shaykh spared no expense in collecting those books which interested him. He bought the book «Taareekh Damishq» of Ibn 'Asaakir which in itself cost the Shaykh seven thousandriyals (approximately £1,200 / $2,000). Likewise, the book «al-Kaamil» of Ibn 'Adee which he brought overfrom Turkey, cost him one thousand riyals (approximately £180 / $300), and this was at a time when hissalary was only a mere one thousand riyals. The Shaykh kindly kept his library open in the morning and early evening for students of knowledge andresearchers alike, such that after his death, his children agreed to take on the responsibility of running hislibrary and keeping it open to students of knowledge and researchers, just as their father had done when hewas alive. May Allaah reward Shaykh Hammaad for the benefit being sought from his vast library, and hischildren for maintaining it, aameen. Shaykh Hammaad was devoted to collecting books, in particular books on hadeeth and 'aqeedah. Sowhenever a new book was printed he was amongst the frist to get hold of a copy, whether it be in Madeenahor outside Madeenah. And if he heard a new book has been published he will call the publisher or distributorof that particular book and ask them to send him a copy for his ever-growing library. His knowledge of books was so vast, it was as if he was a walking point of reference. So whenever studentsused to visit him, many a time they would begin by asking him about any new publications or whether he hadbought any new manuscripts. His publications Shaykh Hammaad had authored a number of books, some of which were printed and others which remaintranscripts. His poetry Shaykh Hammaad was well known for his mastery of writing poetry. The Shuyookh's praise of him

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Many of the Shuyookh bore witness to his vast knowledge, amongst them were: 1) Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz; 2) Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee; 3) Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah Aal ash-Shaykh - currently the muftee of Saudi Arabia; 4) Shaykh Saalih ibn Muhammad al-Luhaydaan - head of the senior council of judges in Saudi Arabia; 5) Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-'Abbaad - previously the deputy president of the Islamic University ofMadeenah; 6) Shaykh Muhammad ash-Shaathilee an-Nayfar who was amongst the major scholars of Tunisia; 7) Shaykh Muhammad Abu Khubzah who was from amongst the scholars of Morocco; 8) Shaykh Muhammad 'Ataa.ullaah Haneef who was amongst the major scholars of Pakistan; ...and other than them from the scholars of the Islamic world. His students Shaykh Hammaad had many students, amongst those to whom he granted an ijaazah were: 1) 'Attiyah Muhammad Saalim - who studied «al-Aajaro Miyah» and «ar-Rahabiyyah» under him; 2) Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Sa'd as-Suhaymee; 3) Shaykh Dr. Marzooq ibn Hiyaas az-Zahraanee; 4) Shaykh Dr. 'Umar ibn Hasan Fallaatah; 5) Shaykh Dr. Baasim Faysal al-Jawaabirah; 6) Shaykh Dr. Wasee-ullaah 'Abbaas; 7) Shaykh Dr. 'Abdul-'Aleem 'Abdul-'Atheem; 8) Shaykh Dr. Mahfooth ar-Rahmaan Zayn; 9) Shaykh Dr. Falaah ibn Ismaa'eel; 10) Shaykh Dr. Falaah ibn Thaanee as-Sa'eedee; 11) Shaykh Dr. Zayn al-'Aabideen Bilaa Furayj; 12) Shaykh Dr. Sagheer Ahmad; 13) Shaykh Dr. Shamsuddeen al-Afghaanee; 14) Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Haamid ar-Rifaa'ee; 15) Shaykh Dr. Musaa'id ar-Raashid; 16) Shaykh Dr. 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Abdul-Jabbaar al-Firyowaa.ee; 17) Shaykh Dr. 'Alee ibn Husayn ibn 'Alee; ...and other than them from his students.

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His house Shaykh Hammaad used to live in Haarah al-Masaani', in Madeenah, and at that time his house wasoverflowing with students of knowledge and researchers. Later, he had a larger house built in Haarahash-Sharqiyyah. Some time later, his library outgrew this house, and Prince Sultan ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez giftedhim a much bigger house in Hayy al-Faysaliyyah next to the Islamic University. The Shaykh remained in thishouse, as in the previous houses, upon the same pattern of opening the doors of his library to those whowished to seek benefit from his vast collection of books. His illness and death Shaykh Hammaad became ill on the night of 23 Ramadhaan in 1417 A.H. (1998 C.E.) whilst performing hisnight prayers in al-Masjid an-Nabawee. His illness became severe and he died on the morning of Wednesday21 Jumaada Awwal 1418 A.H. after spending nearly eight months in hospital. His funeral prayer was performed after Salaatul-'Asr in al-Masjid an-Nabawee, and he was then buried in thegraveyard of Baqee'. Indeed the masses who turned out for his funeral was a sight; It caused one toremember the saying of Imaam Ahmad who said: «Say to the people of innovation (ahlul-bid'ah): Between youand us are the funerals», implying the great numbers who attend the funerals of Ahlus-Sunnah and the fewwho attend the funerals of Ahlul-Bid'ah. Many attended his funeral from amongst the scholars and the judges and lecturers and teachers from theuniversities along with many students. His children Shaykh Hammaad died leaving one wife and eleven children; Amongst them eight sons, including'Abdul-Baaree and 'Abdul-Awwal who both graduated from the Faculty of Hadeeth (Islamic University ofMadeenah). 'Abdul-Baaree also attained a Masters and now teaches in the Faculty of Hadeeth. As for'Abdul-Awwal, he works as a researcher in the Centre for Research into the Sunnah and Seearah of theProphet in Madeenah. Shaykh Hammaad also left behind 3 daughters. May Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) have Mercy upon his soul, aameen. .......... For more about the noble Shaykh, kindly refer to Jewels of Guidance

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http://www.fatwa-online.com/jewelsofguidance/hammaadalansaaree/index.htm




Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abdullaah as-Sumaalee All praise be to Allaah alone and may the peace and blessing be on the best of His creation, Muhammad,and on his family and Companions. To proceed: Muhammad 'Abdullaah As-Sumaalee was a teacher in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam and in the Daar-ul-HadeethAl-Khairiyyah in Makkah. He was a noble scholar and a knowledgeable Muhaddith. I attended his classes onSaheeh Al-Bukhaaree and other subjects, which he gave in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam during my first years ofseeking knowledge from 1397H to 1398H. I benefited from his knowledge and from his good manners andcharacter. He was highly proficient - specifically in the Science of Hadeeth and it's Terminology. He was wellgrounded and strong in his knowledge of the Science of narrators and chains of narration, as well as otherIslamic sciences and the Arabic language. Allaah granted benefit through his teaching in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam and in Daar-ul-Hadeeth. Many students ofknowledge from various parts of the world came out from him. He, may Allaah have mercy on him, gave greatimportance to rectification and fearing of Allaah along with humbleness, gentle character, abstinence, pietyand a rejection of this worldly life. He would not preoccupy himself with things other than Islamic knowledge,worship and obedience (to Allaah), up until the time He returned to His Lord. May Allaah shower him with Hisvast mercy and contentment, and may He accept him among His righteous servants. And we ask Allaah togive him a high place in Paradise, with the pious. Verily Allaah is the One who hears and answers thesupplications. And may the peace and blessings of Allaah be on our Prophet, Muhammad, his family and his Companions. Stated by Shaikh 'Umar Ibn Muhammad As-Subayyal, Imaam of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (who recently passedaway) His place of birth and his early upbringing The Shaikh, the Muhaddith, Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah Ibn Ahmad As-Sumaalee traced his lineage back tothe village of Amaadin in Ogaden, which is in western Somalia, an area currently being occupied by Ethiopia. Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Sumaalee was born at the beginning of this (20th) century, around 1910or so. This is because the Shaikh remembers seeing the Somali Mujaahid known as Sayyid Muhammad'Abdullaah, and he was a little older by then. And Sayyid Muhammad died in the year 1919. His quest for knowledge He sought knowledge from his early youth since he was seven or eight years old. He began by memorizingthe Qur'aan and read it to Shaikh Hasan. Then he read the book Safeenah An-Najaa, which is a book onShaafi'ee Fiqh to Shaikh 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan 'Awl. Then he read the book Al-Minhaaj, on Shaafi'ee Fiqh, toShaikh Haaj 'Alee Tam'asee. Then after that, he read from the text of Al-Ajroomiyyah to Shaikh MuhammadNoor Hirsee concerning Arabic grammar, as well as its explanation by Al-'Ashmaawee, then Milhat-ul-'Iraab,then Laamiyyat-ul-Af'aal concerning Arabic morphology. After the Shaikh completed his studies with the scholars of his land, he decided to travel to other lands insearch of knowledge, following the way of his pious predecessors (i.e. the Salaf). His first travel was toEthiopia, to the regions known as JakJakaa and Faafan, which took a distance of ten day's journey from hiscountry. At that time he was twenty years old. He studied the book Nadhm Al-'Umarbatee with ShaikhMuhammad Mu'allim Husayn, and he studied Laamiyyat-ul-Af'aal and Milhat-ul-'Iraab with Shaikh'Abd-un-Noor. He also studied the books Qatr-un-Nadaa and Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik with Shaikh Aruboo. Then hestudied the science of Bayaan with Shaikh 'Alee Jawhar and then with Shaikh Hasan Ibn Ash-Shaikh Hasan.His stay in Ethiopia lasted about two years. During his journey back home, the Shaikh became very sick due to the difference of foods between Somaliaand Ethiopia. His paternal aunt tended to him, nursing him. When he recovered from his sickness, hebecame determined to travel again, so his aunt gave him an ox, which he sold and used the money to travelto Djibouti.

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There he read the book Safeenah An-Najaa to Shaikh 'Alee Jawhar but he did not finish it. And his stay didnot last for more than two months, for he traveled by sea towards Yemen. The waves and the currents of thesea threw their ship back and forth until they feared for their lives, and it was such that the Shaikh swore thathe would not ride by sea again. They arrived at the city of Zabeed in Yemen and stayed there for threemonths. There he studied the book As-Safeenah concerning Shaafi'ee Fiqh. Then he traveled to the area ofQatee' and remained there for a month listening to Al-Minhaaj concerning Shaafi'ee Fiqh in the presence ofShaikh Yahyaa, the Muftee of the lands of Qatee'. Then he moved to the city of San'aa and studied thesciences of the Arabic Language there. So he studied the books Qawaa'id-ul-'Iraab, Qatr-un-Nadaa,Al-Jawhar-ul-Maknoon, Al-Alfiyyah and Al-Ashmoonee. He rejected the beliefs of the people of that land,which was Zaydee (a sect of the Shi'ah), and said to them: "I am a Shaafi'ee." But they did not let himcontinue studying his madh-hab. Then, one of the teachers there, Al-Ustaadh Yahyaa Al-'Eesaa advised himto study the Science of Hadeeth. So Shaikh Muhammad began to memorize Buloogh Al-Maraam and memorized 500 hadeeth from it. Then hebegan to study the book Subul-us-Salaam (the explanation of Buloogh Al-Maraam) with one of the well-knownShaikhs. Among his teachers of the Arabic Language in Yemen, were Shaikh Lutfee, Shaikh 'Alee Fiddahand Shaikh Kabasee. Then the Shaikh desired to go to Egypt to seek knowledge, but at that time World WarII started and all of the sea routes were closed. Then the Shaikh met a man that had come from Makkah, so he asked him about how Makkah was. The manresponded to him, saying: "O Muhammad, there is a school in Makkah in which they teach hadeeth. It iscalled Daar-ul-Hadeeth." So the Shaikh was pleased with this and traveled to Makkah from San'aa towardsthe end of 1359H along with other people going to Hajj. Shaikh Yahyaa entrusted the leader of the Hajj tripwith him. So he gave him a riding animal and the journey lasted a month from San'aa to Makkah. He reachedMakkah in 1360H and enlisted in the Daar-ul-Hadeeth school. In Daar-ul-Hadeetth, Shaikh Muhammad Haamid Al-Fiqqee met Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah and askedhim: "Where did you come from O Muhammad?" So he told him: "I came from Somalia in search of the noblehadeeth." So he was greatly impressed and said: "The Khuraafees (a deviant sect) and the followers of (sufi)orders eat and fill themselves, but the students of Hadeeth do not find anything." So he took him to a shelter whose caretaker was from the ashraaf (those whose lineage can be traced backto the Prophet) and said to him: "This person seeks the hadeeth of your forefather." So he would reserve twoloaves of white bread for him every day. The Shaikh continued seeking knowledge in the Haram and in Daar-ul-Hadeeth. He studied under Shaikh'Abd-ur-Razzaaq Hamzah Al-Misree, Shaikh Abu As-Samah, Imaam of the Haram, Shaikh Sulaymaan Ibn'Abdir-Rahmaan Al-Hamdaan, teacher of Tawheed and Hadeeth at Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, Shaikh Abee Sa'eedAl-Pakistani, Shaikh Muhammad Sultaan Al-Ma'soomee, Shaikh Abu Muhammad 'Abdul-HaqqAl-Haashimee, and Shaikh Ibn Maani'. From the most particular of his teachers was Shaikh 'Abd-ur-Razaaq Hamzah, whom he studied and read theSix Books of the Sunnah with, as well as Tafseer Ibn Katheer and Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, but he didn'tcomplete it. Upon seeing the Shaikh's eagerness and great concern for seeking knowledge, Shaikh'Abd-ur-Razaaq Hamzah began to esteem him and love him more than his own children. Shaikh 'Abd-u-Razaaq's method in teaching hadeeth was that he would read the chain of narration and thenask his students about the name, kunyah and laqab of the reporter. So if they didn't know, they would have toresearch it in their books. After studying for two years in Daar-ul-Hadeeth, he was appointed as teacher of Arabic Language, which hewould do while still studying Hadeeth. The Shaikh graduated from Daar-ul-Hadeeth in 1975 and achieved thehigh approval (Ijaazah 'aaliyah) and the degree of Mujtahid in the assigned subjects. Then he was appointedas a teacher in the Islamic University of Madeenah and there a number of students of knowledge studiedunder him. Afterward, he was appointed as a teacher in the Haram of Makkah until the year 1406H when he broke hisleg. But he remained employed as a teacher and was given permission to teach at home. And he wouldteach in his home until the time he passed away.

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His Abstinence and Piety The Shaikh was one who abstained from worldly luxuries, who was careful of what he received and took andwas very modest. He did not know anything of the dunyaa for he had abandoned the worldly life after it hadbeen presented to him. Among the examples of this is the following story. He used to live in one smallapartment, and when it was said to him: "Shall we not look for another apartment for you", he responded bysaying: "Do you want people to say that Shaikh Muhammad is greedy?" And one time when he broke his leg and was not able to go to the Haram to teach, he refused to accept thestipend that he normally would take (for teaching). So Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Subayyal, headof the affairs of the Haramayn, said to him: "The pious and wicked both take this money, and you have moreright to it. So whoever comes to you, then teach him in your home." His students A number of students studied under the Shaikh, the number of which cannot be counted, whether in theDaar-ul-Hadeeth center or in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam or in the Islamic University. His educational gatherings would be constantly frequented and attended by the elite amongst the noblescholars, such as: 1. Shaikh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Subayyal, the head of the affairs of the Haramayn and the Imaam andkhateeb of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam 2. Shaikh Yahyaa Ibn 'Uthmaan Al-Makkee Al-Hindee, from the scholars of Hijaaz 3. Shaikh Muqbil Ibn Haadee Al-Waadi'ee, the Muhaddith of the lands of Yemen, who described his Shaikh inhis book "Al-Muqtarah fee 'Ilm-il-Mustalah" as "the most knowledgeable person about the Science of Hadeethin the area of Hijaaz." 4. Shaikh 'Umar Ibn Muhammad Ibn 'Abdillaah As-Subayyal, Imaam and Khateeb of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam 5. Shaikh Ahmad Wulu Al-Habashee 6. Shaikh Muhammad Hasan Al-Jaysh Those who received an ijaazah (religious certification) from him They are a large number. Amongst the most famous of them are: 'Abd-ur-Rahmaan Al-Hudhaifee, ShaikhAhmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn 'Uthmaan Al-Mani'ee, Shaikh Musaa'id Al-Humaid, Shaikh Rabee' Ibn HaadeeAl-Madkhalee, Shaikh Muhammad Al-Madkhalee, Shaikh Usaamah Al-Qoosee and Shaikh WasiyullaahMuhammad 'Abbaas. The beginning of his terminal sickness and his death The beginning of his last sickness was at the start of the month of Sha'baan, when he began feeling greatsluggishness. On Saturday, he made a lot of supplication, and from his supplications was: "O Allaah, let melive if life is better for me, and let me die if death is better for me." Then on Monday morning, he fainted and was taken to a hospital. The Shaikh regained consciousness thenext day and a large group of his students came to visit him. He made a final request that ShaikhMuhammad 'Abdullaah As-Subayyal lead the prayer over him. Then he fainted again after that and from thenon it was customary that he would recover and then go into unconsciousness again and again for some days.We ask Allaah that He make that as a means of purifying him and raising him in levels. The Shaikh finally died on Sunday night, the 3rd of Ramadaan 1420H. And his Janaazah funeral prayer) wasprayed the next day, Monday, in Al-Masjid Al-Haraam after 'Ishaa. He was buried in the Al-'Adl cemetery, inthe vicinity of his brother (in Islam) Shaikh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdillaah Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy onboth of them.

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.......... Footnotes [1] Translator's Note: Ogaden is a large area of land in west Somalia that borders with Ethiopia. It was takenover by the Ethiopian government and to this day is occupied by their forces. There is still fighting going onbetween Somalis and Ethiopians with regard to liberating Ogaden. May Allaah assist the Muslims there. [2] Translator's Note: Shaikh Ibn 'Abd-ir-Razaaq Hamzah was born in 1311H and died on 1392H (1893 -1972). He was born in a small lightly populated village in Qalyubiyyah (a province) in Lower Egypt). Hestudied there in Al-Azhar University and then traveled to Saudi Arabia in 1344H. He was put in charge ofgiving the khutbah and leading the prayers (Imamate) in the Prophet's Mosque in Madeenah. Then he movedto Makkah and was appointed a teacher in Hadeeth and Tafseer. He specialized in Hadeeth and its sciencesand was in charge of printing a number of books, such as Ikhtisaar 'Uloom-il-Hadeeth of Ibn Katheer,Mawaarid-udh-Dhamaan of Al-Haithamee and Al-Kabaa'ir of Adh-Dhahabee. He also wrote books, a majorityof which were refutations of some books, such as his works: Dhulumaat Abee Rayaa, which is a critique ofthe book "Adwaa 'alaa As-Sunnah An-Nabawiyyah" of Mahmood Abu Rayya in which there is disparaging ofthe Sunnah and some Companions. Another book he wrote was Ash-Shawaahid wan-Nusoos, which is acriticism of the book "Al-Aghlaal" by 'Abdullaah Al-Qaseemee. And he also wrote "Al-Muqaabilah bainaAl-Hudaa wad-Dalaal." He died while in Makkah.

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Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Amaan Ibn 'Alee al-Jaamee He was born in 1349 A.H / 1927C.E. as indicated in his official papers. The Shaykh was raised in a village by the name of Tughaa Taab in Habashah where he studied the NobleQur.aan. After he completed this, he began studying the books of Fiqh of the Shaafi'ee madhhab. He alsostudied Arabic in the village with Shaykh Muhammed Ameen al-Huraree. He then left the village for another,where he met with another student, Shaykh 'Abdul-Kareem, with whom he later made hijrah to Saudi Arabia.They both then proceeded to Shaykh Moosa and studied under him «Nuthum az-Zuhd» of Ibn Raslaan. Theythen studied «Matan al-Minhaaj» under Shaykh Abaadir, inclusive of many other fields of knowledge. He then had a desire to travel to the Holy Land of Makkah to seek knowledge and perform hajj. So the two ofthem left al-Habashah (Ethiopia/Eritrea) and travelled to Somalia from where they boarded a ship heading forAden, Yemen. There they faced much danger and difficulties both on land and at sea. So they travelled byfoot and fasted the month of Ramadhaan in this state until they reached Saudi Arabia. They passed Saamitah and Subyaa and Abee 'Areesh until they were granted permission to enter Makkahand all this whikst travelling on foot. After the Shaykh performed Hajj in 1369 A.H, he began seeking knowledge in the knowledge circles inal-Masjid al-Haraam, amongst them the circles of Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq Hamzah (rahima-hullaah) andShaykh 'Abdul-Haqq al-Haashimee (rahima-hullaah) and Shaykh Muhammed 'Abdullah as-Soomaalee andother than them. Whilst in Makkah, he came to know his excellency Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz, whereupon heaccompanied him on his journey to Riyadh when the Educational Institute was opened. This was in the early1970's C.E. / 1370 A.H. Amongst those who befriended him through his secondary education at the Educational Institute was thenoble Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin ibn al-'Abbaad al-Badar and the noble Shaykh 'Alee ibn Mahnaa who laterbecame a judge at the major Sharee'ah court at Madeenah. The Shaykh also attended the many circles of knowledge in Riyadh. He benefited and was affected by his excellency, the Muftee, the Faqeeh Shaykh Muhammed ibn Ibraaheem'Aal-ash-Shaykh (rahima-hullaah). He also adhered to being in the company of the noble Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-'Afeefee (rahima-hullaah)just as he did so with his excellency Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz, whereby he benefited immensely fromthe Shaykh's vast knowledge and his noble manners and characteristics. Likewsie, whilst in Riyadh, hesought knowledge under the noble Shaykh Muhammed al-Ameen al-Jaknee ash-Shanqeetee (rahima-hullaah)and the noble Shaykh and Muhaddith Hammaad al-Ansaaree (rahima-hullaah) and the noble Shaykh'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee (rahima-hullaah) under whom he was influenced by his teaching methods. As hewas influenced by the noble Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sa'dee (rahima-hullaah) whom he did not studyunder, however they wrote to each other. He also studied under the noble Shaykh Muhammed KhaleelHarraas (rahima-hullaah) and the noble Shaykh 'Abdullah al-Qar'aawee (rahima-hullaah). Having graduated from his secondary studies at the Educational Institute, he proceeded to the faculty ofSharee'ah from where he graduated in 1380 A.H. He then obtained a Masters in Sharee'ah from the Universityof Punjab in 1974 C.E and a doctorate from Daar al-'Uloom in Cairo. The Shaykh had attained a high regard amongst the people of knowledge whereby he was well-spoken of andvery trustworthy, such that Shaykh Ibn Baaz interceded on his behalf to Shaykh Muhammed Ibraaheem toappoint him as a teacher at the Educational Institute in Saamitah in the region of Jaazaan. Additionally, from that which bares evidence to his thorough knowledge and 'aqeedah and respect amongstthe people of knowledge is that when the Islamic University of Madeenah was established he transferred thereto teach after Shaykh Ibn Baaz selected him.

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And it is known that the Islamic University of Madeenah was set up to propagate the pure and correct'aqeedah of the Pious Predecessors and the University appointed him in charge of 'aqeedah at the Faculty ofSecondary Education and then, later, at the Faculty of Sharee'ah because of his strong knowledge of'aqeedah. Upon the death of the Shaykh, Shaykh Ibn Baaz wrote of him:"He was known to me for his sound knowledge and correct 'aqeedah and his activeness in the field of da'wahto Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) and warning against the innovations and deviation. May Allaah forgive himand grant him an abode in Paradise and make noble his offspring and join us all in His Noble House(Paradise). Indeed, He is the All-Hearing and Near (with His Knowledge)." (9/1/1418 A.H.) And Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbaad al-Badar, a teacher at the Prophet's Masjid, said:"I came to know Shaykh Muhammed Amaan Ibn 'Alee al-Jaamee as a student at the Educational Institute inRiyadh and then at the faculty of Sharee'ah in Riyadh and then as a teacher at the Islamic University ofMadeenah in the Faculty of Secondary Education and then in the faculty of Sharee'ah. I knew him to havecorrect 'aqeedah and sound foresight and he strove in inviting to the 'aqeedah of the Pious Predecessors andwarning against innovation and this was via his lessons and circles (of knowledge) and his books againstinnovation. May Allaah forgive him and have mercy upon him and reward him well." Shaykh Saalih Ibn Fowzaan wrote:"Shaykh Muhammed Amaan as I knew him: Indeed the teachers who possess certificates of highereducation are many, however, there are very few amongst them from whom benefit (knowledge) can besought. Shaykh Muhammed Amaan al-Jaamee, he is from amongst those few scholars who have striven hardwith their knowledge for the benefit of the Muslims and their guidance in da'wah (calling) to Allaah upon(correct) knowledge by way of his teaching in al-Jaami'ah al-Islamiyyah and al-Masjid an-Nabawee and byway of his travels inside and outside the Kingdom, giving lessons and lectures, calling to tawheed andpropagating the sound 'aqeedah, guiding the youth of the Ummah to the manhaj of the Pious Predecessorsand warning against innovations and misguidance. And whoever does not personally know him, then will come to know him by way of his beneficial books andmany (audio) cassettes which incorporate an abundance of knowledge and immense benefit. He was consistent in his good actions until he died. And he has left knowledge with which benefit is sought,from his students and books. May Allaah have mercy upon him and forgive him and reward him for that whichhe knew and acted upon with much good. And may Allaah send prayers and salutations upon our ProphetMuhammed and his family and his companions." From amongst his many students are: The noble Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umayr al-Madkhalee;The noble Shaykh Zayd Ibn Haadee Madkhalee;The noble Shaykh 'Alee Ibn Naasir Faqeehee;The noble Shaykh Muhammed Ibn Hamood al-Waa.ilee;The noble Shaykh 'Abdul-Qaadir Ibn Habeebullaah as-Sindee;The noble Shaykh Saalih Ibn Sa'd as-Suhaymee;The noble Shaykh Faalih Ibn Naafi' al-Harbee;The noble Shaykh Saalih ar-Rifaa'ee;The noble Shaykh Falaah Ismaa'eel;The noble Shaykh Falaah Ibn Thaanee;The noble Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn 'Aamir ar-Ruhaylee. ...and many others. The Shaykh was known to mix very little with the people, except in that which was good. So most of his timeand days was allocated for and his way in this was well known. If he left the house to go to work to theUniversity, he would return straight back and then later proceed to al-Masjid an-Nabawee to teach after 'Asr,and then after Maghrib and then after 'Ishaa. and then after Fajr. And like this he would continue until he wasbed-ridden due to the severity of his illness.

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The Shaykh was also very careful with his tongue and never backbit nor slandered nor talked evil aboutanyone. Rather, he did not permit anyone in his company to speak ill of another and further, did not permitthe spreading of false speech and people's defects to him. If any of his students fell into error, he would request the audio cassette or book (within which the error hadbeen recorded) and would either listen or read. If it became apparent that an error had been made, he wouldapproach the one who had erred in the most befitting manner and advise him. There were amongst the people few who would curse him and speak ill of him, and he would simply forgivethem and say:"I hope Allaah does not enter anyone into the Fire (of Hell) because of me." He used to mention in his gatherings and circles (of knowledge) that he had forgiven everyone and requestedthose in his gatherings to spread this of him. The Shaykh was also one who was concerned about his students, not just during the lessons, rather he usedto attend their gatherings and used to ask about the state of their affairs and used to assist them in eitherterms of advice or finance. During the final stages of his life, the Shaykh became gravely ill and was confined to his bed forapproximately one year, patient at what had befallen him. On the morning of Wednesday 26 Sha'baan 1416 A.H, the Shaykh passed away. The funeral prayer wasperformed over him after Salaat az-Zhuhr on the same day and he was buried in the graveyard of al-Baqee'al-Gharqad in Madeenah. Many attended his funeral, amongst them the scholars, the judges from theSharee'ah courts, the students of knowledge and other than them. With his death, the Ummah was at a loss of the likes of those scholars who acted upon their soundknowledge. So we ask Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) to forgive him and have mercy upon him and bringforth for the Ummah more scholars who act upon their sound knowledge, aameen.

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Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee He was born in the city of Ashkodera, then the capital of Albania in the year 1332 A.H./1914 C.E. into a poorfamily. His father al-Haaj Nooh Najjaatee al-Albaanee had completed Sharee'ah studies in Istanbul andreturned a scholar to Albania. After Albania was taken over by atheism the family made Hijrah to Damascus.In Damascus Shaykh al-Albaanee completed his initial education and was then taught the Qur.aan, Tajweed,sciences of Arabic language, fiqh of the Hanafee madhab and further branches of the Deen by variousShaykhs and friends of his father. He also learnt from his father the art of clock and watch repair - and became highly skilled in that and famousfor it and derived his earnings through it. He began to specialise in the field of Hadeeth and its relatedsciences by the age of 20 - being influenced by articles in 'al-Manaar' magazine. He began to work in this field by transcribing al-Haafiz al-Iraaqee's monumental "alMughnee 'an-hamlil-Asfaarfil-Asfaar fee takhreej maa fil-lhyaa minal-Akhbaar" and adding notes to it. He delved further into the field of Hadeeth and its various sciences despite discouragement from his father.Furthermore, the books he needed were not to be found in his father's library which was composed mainly ofvarious works of Hanafee Fiqh - and since he could not afford many of the books he required he would borrowthem from the famous library of Damascus - "al-Maktabah adth-Dthaahiriyyah" or sometimes from booksellers. He became engrossed with the science of Hadeeth to the extent that he would sometimes close up his shopand remain in the library for up to twelve hours - breaking off his work only for prayer - he would not even leaveto eat, but would take two light snacks with him. Eventually the library authorities granted him a special room to himself for his study and his own key foraccess to the library before normal opening time. Often he would remain at work from early morning until after'Ishaa. During this time he produced many useful works - many of which are still waiting to be printed. The Shaykh faced much opposition in his efforts to promote Tawheed and the Sunnah but he bore this withpatient perseverance. He was encouraged by some of the noble Shaykhs of Damascus who urged him tocontinue, amongst them Shaykh Bahjatul Bayjaar, Shaykh 'Abdul-Fattaah -the imam, and Towfeeqal-Barzah-rahimahumullaah. After some time he started giving two weekly classes attended by students of knowledge and universityteachers - in which he taught various books of 'Aqeedah, Fiqh, Usool and Hadeeth sciences. He also began organised monthly journeys for Da'wah to the various cities of Syria and then Jordan. After a number of his works appeared in print the Shaykh was chosen to teach Hadeeth in the new Universityin Madeenah, Saudi Arabia, for three years from 1381 to 1383H where he was also a member of theUniversity board. After this he returned to his former studies and work in "al-Maktabah adth-Dthaahiriyyah" leaving his shop inthe hands of one of his brothers. He visited various countries for Da'wah and lectures - amongst them Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, the Emirates,Spain and England. He was forced to emigrate a number of times moving from Syria to Jordan, then Syriaagain, then Beirut, then the Emirates, then again to 'Ammaan, Jordan. His works - mainly in the field ofHadeeth and its sciences number over 100. His students are many and include many Shaykhs of the present day amongst them:Shaykh Hamdee 'Abdul-Majeed, Shaykh Muhammad 'Eed 'Abbaasee, Dr. 'Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar,Shaykh Muhammad lbraheem Shaqrah, Shaykh Muqbil ibn Haadee al-Waadi'ee, Shaykh 'Alee Khushshaan,Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zaynoo, Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan Abdus-Samad, Shaykh 'Alee Hasan'Abdul-Hameed al-Halabee, Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee.

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The Shaykh passed away on Saturday 22 Jumaadaa ath-Thaaniyah 1420 A.H. / 2 October 1999 C.E. He was87 years of age. May Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) have Mercy upon his soul, aameen. For more about the noble Shaykh, kindly refer to Jewels of Guidance

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Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih Ibn 'Uthaymeen Abu 'Abdullaah Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen at-Tameemee an-Najdee was born inthe city of Unayzah, Qaseem Region on 27th Ramadhaan 1347 A.H./1926 C.E. in a famous religious family. He received his education from many prominent scholars like Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sa'dee, ShaykhMuhammad Ameen ash-Shanqeetee and Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz. When he entered into teaching, a great number of students from inside and outside Saudi Arabia benefitedfrom him. He had his own unique style of interpretation and explanation of religious points. He was fromamong those scholars who served Islam without any type of religious prejudice and kept themselves awayfrom the limitations of blind-following. He was distinguished in his great exertion of effort in religious mattersand analogical deductions which clearly prove the religious understanding he possessed, and the correctusage of the principles of religion, he adopted. In giving religious verdicts, like Shaykh ibn Baaz, his Fataawa were based on evidence from the Qur.aan andSunnah. He had about fifty compilations to his credit. He taught Religious Fundamentals at the Sharee'ahFaculty of Imaam Muhammad ibn Sa'ood Islamic University, Qaseem Branch. He was also a member of theCouncil of Senior Scholars of the Kingdom, and the Imaam and Khateeb of the big Mosque of Unayzah city. The Shaykh passed away on Wednesday 15 Shawwaal 1421 A.H. / 10 January 2001 C.E. He was 74 yearsof age. May Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) have Mercy upon his soul, aameen. For more about the noble Shaykh, kindly refer to Jewels of Guidance The Shaykh's official website: www.ibnothaimeen.com

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Shaykh Dr. Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umayr al-Madkhalee He is the Noble Shaykh, the Scholar of Hadeeth Rabee' Ibn Haadee 'Umayr al-Madkhalee. He comes fromthe well-known tribe of al-Madaakhalah from the province of Jaazaan to the south of Saudi Arabia. It is one ofthe tribes of Banee Shabeel, and Shabeel was the son of Yashjub Ibn Qahtaan. He was born in the village of al-Jaraadiyah, which is a small village to the west of the town of Saamitah at adistance of three kilometers. He was born in 1352 A.H./1931 C.E., and his father died approximately a yearand a half after his birth. So his mother (rahima-hallaah) brought him up. She supervised him and gave himthe best of upbringings, teaching him praiseworthy manners of truth and trustworthiness. When he reached the age of eight years, he joined the circles of knowledge in his village and learnt to readand write. And from those under whom he studied were Shaykh Shaybaan al-'Areeshee and also al-QaadheeMuhammad Ibn Muhammad Jaabir al-Madkhalee, and also Muhammad Ibn Hussayn Makkee from the town ofSibyaa. He studied the Qur.aan with Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Jaabir al-Madkhalee, as he alsostudied with him tawheed and tajweed. He later studied at the Madrasah in Saamitah. And from those underwhom he studied were: Shaykh Naasir Khaloofah Tayaash Mubaarakee (rahima-hullaah), the well-renownedscholar from the major students of Shaykh al-Qar'aawee. Under him, he studied Buloogh al-Maraam waNuzhatu an-Nadthar of al-Haafith Ibn Hajar (rahima-hullaah) then he joined the educational institute inSaamitah and there studied under esteemed scholars, the most renowned of them was Shaykh Haafith IbnAhmad al-Hakamee (rahima-hullaah) and also his brother, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Hakamee. Healso studied under the Noble Shaykh and Scholar of hadeeth Ahmad Ibn Yahyaa an-Najmee(hafidha-hullaah), and also studied 'aqeedah under the Noble Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Amaan Ibn 'Aleeal-Jaamee (rahima-hullaah). He also studied fiqh (Zaad al-Mustaqni') under Shaykh Muhammad SagheerKhamees and many others under whom he studied Arabic language and poetry. In 1380 A.H./1960 C.E. hegraduated from the educational institute in Saamitah and in 1381 A.H./1961 C.E. he joined the Faculty ofSharee'ah in Riyaadh and continued there for a period of a month or two, then the Islamic University ofMadeenah opened and he transferred to Madeenah and joined the Faculty of Sharee'ah and studied there forfour years and graduated in the year 1384 A.H./1964 C.E. with excellence. From those under whom he studied whilst at the Islamic University of Madeenah were:Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Baaz (rahima-hullaah), he studied al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaawiyyah underhim;Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah), he studied hadeeth and the science of thechains of narrations;Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaad (hafitha-hullaah), he studied fiqh (Bidaayatul-Mujtahid) for three years underhim;Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee (rahima-hullaah), he studied tafseer and Usool al-Fiqh underhim for four years;Shaykh Saalih al-'Iraaqee (rahima-hullaah), he studied 'aqeedah under him;Shaykh 'Abdul-Ghaffaar Hasan al-Hindee (hafitha-hullaah), he studied the science of hadeeth with him. After he graduated, he worked as a teacher in the Islamic University for a while, then he joined theDepartment for Higher Studies at Umm al-Quraa University in Makkah where he continued his studiesattaining a masters degree in hadeeth in 1397 A.H./1977 C.E.. In the year 1400 A.H./1980 C.E. he attained adoctorate from Umm al-Quraa University, also with excellence. He then returned to the Islamic University as a teacher at the Faculty if Hadeeth. He taught hadeeth in all it'sforms and sciences and became the head of the Department of the Sunnah at the Department for HigherStudies a number of times at the rank of chairman. The Shaykh (hafitha-hullaah) excels in much humility with his brothers, students, and visitors. He is humblein his housing, dress and transportation; he does not seek nor like luxury in any of these. He is also always cheerful and open, with boredom not striking any of his sittings. His sittings are filled withreadings of hadeeth and the Sunnah and warnings against innovations and their perpetrators, such that onewho sees him and does not know him feels nothing more concerns him than this. The Shaykh loves thestudents of knowledge and honours them and gives to them in charity and seeks to have their needs met to

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the best of his ability both physically and financially. His house is always open to the students of knowledge such that no day passes whereby he tucks into hisbreakfast, lunch or evening meal by himself, and his students call upon him. He is from the most enthusiastic of callers to the Qur.aan, the Sunnah and the understanding of the PiousPredecessors. He is full of a sense of honour and intensity over the Sunnah and the understanding of thePious Predecessors. There are very few comparable to him in this issue in our time and he is from thedefenders in our time of the path of the Pious Predecessors day and night, inwardly and outwardly. The Shaykh has written many books, and all praise is for Allaah, as he has frequently broached manysubjects which required attention, particularly the issue of refuting the perpetrators of innovations and desiresin our time. Amongst his numerous books is that entitled: "The Methodology of the Prophets in calling toAllaah - that is the way of wisdom and intelligence" which is available in the English language. Amongst the many scholars who have praised the Shaykh are:Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah) who mentioned on the tape "Liqaa. Abeeal-Hasan al-Ma.rabee ma'a al-Albaanee" about him and Shaykh Muqbil Ibn Haadee al-Waadi'ee: "Without adoubt we praise Allaah the Almighty Who has, for this pure and upright da'wah to the Qur.aan and theSunnah upon the methodology of the Pious Predecessors, made use of numerous callers from differentIslamic lands who uphold the collective obligation which very few do so in the Islamic world today, notably thetwo Shaykhs (Rabee and Muqbil), the callers to the Qur.aan and the Sunnah and that which the PiousPredecessors were upon and wagiing war against those who oppose this correct methodology…" The Shaykh further adds: "So I wish to say, that which I have seen of the writings of the Shaykh Dr. Rabee,then it is beneficial and I do not recall having seen anything wrong or outside of the methodology which wehave come together upon with him, and him having come together upon with us…" He also mentions on the tape "al-Mawaazanaat Bid'atul-'Asr": "And in short, I say that the one who carriesthe banner of al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel in this present day and age in truth is our brother (Shaykh) Dr. Rabee, andthose who refute him do not refute him upon (sound) knowledge - never…" Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Baaz (rahima-hullaah) who mentioned on the tape "Tawdeehlil-Bayaan" about him: "So the explanation which has been issued by us, it's intention was the call of all, allthe callers and the scholars to the constructive criticism…and the intention was not our brothers the peopleof Madeenah from the students of knowledge and the teachers and the callers, and nor was the intentionother than them in Makkah or Riyaadh or in Jeddah. Rather our general intention was our brothers thewell-known Shaykhs in Madeenah of whom there is no doubt, they are the people of sound 'aqeedah and fromthe Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, such as: Shaykh Muhammad Amaan Ibn 'Alee, Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee,Shaykh Saalih Ibn Sa'd as-Suhaymee, Shaykh Faalih Ibn Naafi', Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Haadee - all of themare known to us in uprightness and knowledge and sound 'aqeedah…" He also mentions on the tape: "al-As.ilah as-Suwaydiyah": "Indeed Shaykh Rabee' is from amongst thescholars of the Sunnah". Shaykh Ibn Baaz also permitted Shaykh Rabee' to teach in his masjid (Masjid Ibn Baaz) in Makkah. Hislessons still continue to this day, and this is evidence enough that the Shaykh died and he was pleased withShaykh Rabee' and that which he was upon in creed and methodology. Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen on the tape "al-As.ilah as-Suwaydiyah" said: "…as for ShaykhRabee, then regarding him, I do not know anything but good, and the man is an upholder of the Sunnah andan upholder of Hadeeth" He was asked on the tape "Kasf al-Lathaam 'an Mukhaalif Ahmad Salaam": "What is your advice for the onewho forbids (listening to) the tapes of Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee with the claim that they stir up fitnah andwithin them is praise for the rulers in the Kingdom and that his praise, i.e. Shaykh Rabee's praise for the rule,is hypocrisy?" The Shaykh responded: "Our opinion is that this is incorrect and is a major error, and ShaykhRabee' is from amongst the scholars of the Sunnah and the people of good and his 'aqeedah is sound and hismanhaj is correct…"

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Shaykh Dr. Saalih Ibn Fowzaan Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Fowzaan on the tape "al-As.ilah as-Suwaydiyah", aftermentioning Shaykh Rabee' along with a number of other scholars he said: "…and they are from amongst thedistinguished scholars who have much experience in da'wah and refutation against those who desire to takethe path of the da'wah outside it's correct path, so it is obligatory to circulate their tapes because indeed inthem there is great benefit for the Muslims" Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Subayyal (General President of the Affairs of al-Masjid al-Haraam (Makkah) andal-Masjid an-Nabawee (Madeenah), and the Imaam and Khateeb of al-Masjid al-Haraam) was asked about hisopinion regarding whoever forbids (listening to) the tapes of the well-known scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah such asShaykh Muhammad Amaan al-Jaamee (rahima-hullaah) and Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee(hafitha-hullaah), whereby he says that tapes of the Shaykh stir up fitnah. So the Shaykh responded: "Look!These two scholars (their tapes) are amongst the best tapes, they call to the Sunnah and holding firm to theSunnah, however, none speaks about them (in this manner) except one who follows his desires, and thosewho speak most about them are the people of partisanship who associate themselves with a group fromamongst the groups, they are the ones who forbid these things. As for these two scholars well-known for theirholding form to the Sunnah and their sound 'aqeedah upon the methodology of the Pious Predecessors, thenthey are amongst the best of people" The Shaykh's official website: www.rabee.net

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Shaykh Dr. Saalih Ibn Fowzaan Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn Fowzaan He is the noble Shaykh Dr. Saalih ibn Fowzaan ibn 'Abdullaah from the family of Fowzaan from thepeople/tribe of ash-Shamaasiyyah. He was born in 1354 A.H./1933 C.E. His father died when he was young so he was brought up by his family.He learnt the Noble Qur.aan, the basics of reading and writing with the imaam of the masjid of the town, whowas a definitve reciter. He was the noble Shaykh Hamood Ibn Sulaymaan at-Talaal, who was later made ajudge in the town of Dariyyah (not Dar'iyyah in RIyaadh) in the region of Qaseem. He later studied at the state school when it opened in ash-Shamaasiyyah in the year 1369 A.H./1948 C.E.He completed his studies at the Faysaliyyah school in Buraydah in the year 1371 A.H./1950 C.E. and wasthen appointed an infant school teacher. Then he joined the educational institute in Buraydah when it openedin the year 1373 A.H./1952 C.E., and graduated from there in the year 1377 A.H./1956 C.E. He then joinedthe Faculty of Sharee'ah (at the University of Imaam Muhammad) in Riyaadh and graduated from there 1381A.H./1960 C.E. Thereafter he gained his Masters degree in fiqh, and later a Doctorate. from the same faculty,also specialising in fiqh. After his graduation from the Faculty of Sharee'ah, he was appointed a teacher within the educational institutein Riyaadh, then transferred to teaching in the Faculty of Sharee'ah. Later, he transferred to teaching at theDepartment for Higher Studies within the Faculty of the Principles of the Religion (usool ad-deen). Then hetransferred to teaching at the Supreme Court of Justice, where he was appointed the head. He then returnedto teaching there after his period of headship came to an end. He was then made a member of the PermanentCommittee for Islamic Research and Fataawa, where he continues to this day. The noble Shaykh is a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, and member of the Fiqh Committee inMakkah (part of ar-Raabitah), and member of the Committee for Supervision of the Callers (du'aat) in Hajj,whilst also presiding over (his main role) membership of the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research andFataawa. He is also the imaam, khateeb and teacher at the Prince Mut'ib Ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez masjid inal-Malzar. He also takes part in responding to questions on the radio program "Noorun 'alad-Darb", as he also takes partin contributing to a number of Islamic research publications at the Council for (Islamic) Research, Studies,Theses and Fataawa which are then collated and published. The noble Shaykh also takes part in supervisinga number of theses at the Masters degree and Doctorate level. He has a number of students of knowledge who frequent his regular gatherings and lessons . He himself studied at the hands of a number prominent scholars and jurists, the most notable of whom were:The noble Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baaz (rahima-hullaah);The noble Shaykh 'Abdullaah ibn Humayd (rahima-hullaah);The great Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee (rahima-hullaah);The noble Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq 'Afeefee (rahima-hullaah);The noble Shaykh Saalih Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sukaytee;The noble Shaykh Saalih Ibn Ibraaheem al-Bulayhee;The noble Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Subayyal;The noble Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Saalih al-Khulayfee;The noble Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn 'Ubayd al-'Abd al-Muhsin;The noble Shaykh Saalih al-'Alee an-Naasir; He also studied at the hands of a number of scholars from al-Azhar University (Egypt) who specialised inhadeeth, tafseer and Arabic language. He has played a major role in calling to Allaah and teaching, giving fatwa, khutbahs and knowledgeablerefutations. His books number many, however the following are just a handful which include Sharh al-'AqeedatulWaasitiyyah, al-irshaad ilas-Saheehil-I'tiqaad, al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhee, Foods and the Rulings regarding

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Slaughtering and Hunting, which is part of his Doctorate. They also include at-Tahqeeqaat al-Mardiyyah ininheritance which is part of his Masters degree. Further titles include Rulings relating to the BelievingWomen, and a refutation of Yoosuf Qaradaawi's book al-Halaal wal-Haraam. The Shaykh's official website: www.alfuzan.com

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Shaykh 'Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad Bakar Fallaatah He was the faqeeh, the muhaddith, the mufassir, the noble Shaykh 'Umar ibn Muhammad ibn MuhammadBakar al-Fallaanee, popularly known as Fallaatah. And al-Fallaanee refers to the tribe of al-Fallaanah, whichis well-known and widespread in most of Western Africa. And according to some historians, his lineage goesright back to 'Uqbah ibn Naafi' or Ibn 'Aamir or Ibn Yaasir, however, it is most probably another 'Uqbah and notthe great companion of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) who conquered Africa. His birth He was born in 1345 A.H. (1925 C.E) near Makkah, during his parents hijrah from Africa which took themapproximately a year. Regarding this, the Shaykh mentions: "Allaah willed for them to begin their journey andthey were two, and when they completed their journey they/(we) were three". His education In 1346 A.H. they moved to al-Madeenah an-Nabawiyyah, where he grew up and began his education withwhat were known in those days as al-Kuttaab, by the name of Muhammad Saalim, under whom hememorised the first few chapters of the Noble Qur.aan. Later, he entered the Daar al-'Uloom ash-Shar'iyyah in Madeenah and studied there until he wasapproximately 7 years old. There, he graduated from his primary education and completed the memorisationof the Qur.aan. His work In 1365 A.H. (1945 C.E.) he taught at the Daar al-Hadeeth. In addition to this, he taught the the Daar as-Sa'oodiyyah in 1373 A.H. (1953 C.E.) as he was appointed anassistant to the principal. In 1375 A.H. (1955 C.E.) he taught hadeeth and it's fundamentals in al-Ma'had al-'Ilmee until 1378 A.H. (1958C.E.) In 1377 A.H. (1957 C.E.) the Daar al-Hadeeth was placed under his principalship. In 1385 A.H. (1965 C.E.) he was appointed assistant secretary of the Islamic University of Madeenah. In 1395 A.H. (1975 C.E.) he was appointed general secretary of the Islamic University of Madeenah. In 1396 A.H. (1976 C.E.) he was appointed an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Hadeeth as well asmaintaining his position as general secretary of the Islamic University of Madeenah. Later, he became the principal in charge of the Centre for Da'wah Affairs at the Islamic University ofMadeenah. In 1406 A.H. (1986 C.E.) he was appointed principal in charge of the Centre for the study of the Sunnah andthe Prophetic Seerah at the Islamic University of Madeenah, which was actually setup by the Shaykhhimself. After he retired, he went back to the Daar al-Hadeeth. His efforts at Daar al-Hadeeth Daar al-Hadeeth was setup by one of the scholars from India by the name of Shaykh Ahmad ad-Dahlawee(rahima-hullaah) who was a scholar from amongst the Ahlul-Hadeeth, who opened up the Daar al-Hadeeth in1350 A.H. (1930 C.E.) by permission of King 'Abdul-'Azeez (rahima-hullaah).

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A kind donor from India by the name of Shaykh Muhammad Rafee' (rahima-hullaah) donated a building for theDaar al-Hadeeth which was near the al-Masjid an-Nabawee. It was named Maktabah Ahlul-Hadeeth and alsoMadrasah Daar al-Hadeeth. While the Shaykh was teaching at the Daar al-Hadeeth in 1367 A.H. (1947 C.E.) he also attained a highercertificate. He was close to his Shaykh, the great noble Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Ifreeqee, who took over principalshipof the Daar al-hadeeth after Shaykh Ahmad ad-Dahlawee (rahima-hullaah) died in 1375 A.H. (1955 C.E.). Andwhen Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan al-Ifreeqee (rahima-hullaah) died in 1377 A.H. ( 1957 C.E.) Shaykh 'Umarassumed principalship of the Daar al-hadeeth thereafter. And when the project of the extension of al-Masjid an-Nabawee began, the Daar al-Hadeeth had to beknocked down to make way for the necessary extension, and appropriate compensation was paid to thoseresponsible at the Daar al-Hadeeth. With this money, Shaykh 'Umar strived hard to find an appropriate pieceof land to buy and build the new Daar al-Hadeeth and the Maktabah. Finally he purchased a piece of land andin 1413A.H. (1993 C.E.) work began on building the new Daar al-Hadeeth and was completed in 1417 A.H.(1997 C.E.). The new Daar al-Hadeeth incorporated a school, a library (Maktabah Daar al-Hadeeth), a masjid,a department for hadeeth, a large lecture theatre which could hold a thousand students, housingaccomodation for students, a business centre, housing accomodation for visitors and a car park. When the building was finally finished, it was something of a sight, so much so that it won a prize for itsdesign. And the Shaykh was extremely attached to the Daar al-Hadeeth and held it very dear to him, and used toextend much assistance to it. His Shuyookh The Shaykh said: "I met more than seventy scholars at the masjid of the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu'alayhe wa sallam) and they were in truth inheritors of the Prophet". The Shaykh, the muhaddith Muhammad Ibraaheem al-Khatanee, who was a student of the muhaddith,Shaykh Muhammad 'Abdul-Baaqee al-Ayyoobee al-Madanee. He studied under him at the Daar al-'Uloomash-Shar'iyyah. Shaykh 'Ammaar al-Jazaa.iree, under whom he also studied at the Daar al-'Uloom ash-Shar'iyyah. Shaykh Yoosuf ibn Sulaymaan al-Filisteenee, under whom he also studied at the Daar al-'Uloomash-Shar'iyyah. Shaykh Saalih az-Zughaybee. Shaykh Muhammad 'Alee al-Harakaan, who was previously the assistant secretary of the Muslim WorldLeague. He studied the majority of «Saheeh al-Bukhaaree» under him, along with it's explanation, «Fat.hal-Baaree». And this was while he was teaching in al-Masjid an-Nabawee. Shaykh As'ad Muhiy ad-Deenal-Husaynee, under whom he read the Noble Qur.aan, thereby furtherstrengthening his memorisation. Shaykh Muhammad Jaatoo al-Fallaanee, under whom he studied a number of texts of the Maalikeemadhhab, and some their explanations. He also studied ad-Dimishqee's explanation of «Mukhtasir Khaleel»,along with some of «Aqrab al-Masaalik», and then completed the rest under Shaykh 'Ammaar al-Jazaa.iree. The Shaykh, the muhaddith Muhammad ibn Ahmad as-Soodaanee al-Madanee, under whom he studiedsome books of poetry and Arabic grammer and some aspects of Usool al-Fiqh. The Shaykh, the muhaddith Muhammad al-Haafidth ibn Moosaa Humayd. The Shaykh, the muhaddith 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Yoosuf al-Ifreeqee, who had a tremendous effect on his

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personality, such that there became a great similarity between them, as Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaadmentioned in his lecture about Shaykh 'Umar. He studied «Buloogh al-Maraam» under Shaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan along with «Subul as-Salaam» and somemajor books of hadeeth such as «al-Muwatta,» of Imaam Maalik, and also in tafseer and the science ofhadeeth, while also hearing him respond to the questions of the people seeking fataawa. The Shaykh, the muhaddith Saalim ibn Ahmad Baajnidaan al-Hadramee, the renowned muhaddith fromIndonesia May Allaah have mercy upon all of the deceased amongst them. His teaching in al-Masjid an-Nabawee The Shaykh began teaching in al-Masjid an-Nabawee in 1370 A.H. (1950 C.E.), when he had attained apermit to teach from the Presidency of Judges of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Shaykh thereby taught forapproximately 49 years in al-Masjid an-Nabawee, and his teaching place used to be very close to what ispopularly known as "Riyaadh al-Jannah" (the Garden of Paradise) which is the area stretching from theProphet's house (current resting place) to his mimbar. Many students of knowledge used to attend his lessons, as well as the visiting pilgrims. And many of hislessons were recorded and are available free of (recording/copying) costs from the recording library inal-Masjid an-Nabawee. As an example, his explanation of «Saheeh Muslim» strecthes to 817 audiocassettes, and that is a complete recording of the Shaykh's explanation. And his explanation of the «Tafseerof Ibn Katheer» stretches to 720 audio cassettes, but this is incomplete. And his explanation of «Sunan AbeeDaawood» stretches to 576 audio cassettes, and this is also incomplete. In total, all his audio cassettesamount to approximately 2,253. His manners The Shaykh was of excellent manners, and was very concerned about the benefititng and assisting theMuslims. He was extremely humble and noble to his guests as he would greet them with a cheerful face,enticing the guests to feel full of cheer as a result. He used to enjoy assisting the people, whethe rold oryoung, considering he was himself worthy of receiving assistance because of his position and knowledge andold age. So as a result of his impeccable manners, he was loved by those who knew him and those who didnot. And Shaykh al-Albaanee praised him much for his good neighbourly conduct and his impeccable goodmanners when he was a neighbour of Shaykh 'Umar during the time he spent teaching at al-Jaami'ahal-Islamiyyah (Islamic University) in Madeenah. [Note from Abu 'Abdullaah: Having been taught Arabic grammer by Shaykh 'Umar's son 'Abdul-Haadee;Shaykh 'Abdul-Haadee once mentioned to us in class that the Shaykh did not permit the television insidetheir home, saying "Why should I invite Shaytaan into my house and force the angels to depart?"] And the Shaykh was extremely wise in his opinions and sharp-witted at the many issues which peoplebrought to his attention, as those who spent time with him in his tent during Hajj and the different da'wahcentres he would visit would well know. In conclusion to all this, Dr. Marzooq az-Zahraanee, who was previously the principal of the Centre forProphetic Studies mentioned: "The Shaykh was complete in his manners, complete in his uprightness,complete in his manhaj and complete in his taqwa...". And the Shaykh was blessed with impeccable manners as has been mentioned, even when he faced thosewho disliked him for his manhaj or manner, and he was able to affect them with his good manners in such away that they would correct their ways and ahere to the true path and manhaj, which is based upon the NobleQur.aan and the authentic Sunnah according to the understanding of the pious predecessors. And all thiswas whilst he was teaching in al-Masjid an-Nabawee. His 'aqeedah and manhaj

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The Shaykh adhered steadfastly to the Noble Qur.aan and the authentic Sunnah as understood by the piouspredecessors and he invited to this path with wisdom and maturity. He also used to encourage others tounderstand the evidences, and used to detest the opposing manaahij. His Hajj journey The Shaykh was blessed to have performed Hajj a great number of times, with his first ever Hajj being in 1365A.H. (1945 C.E.), and from that time until 1418 A.H. (1998 C.E.) he performed Hajj every single year exceptonce when he was ill. So he performed Hajj a total fo 53 times, as he also performed 'Umrah a great numberof times too. May Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) accept from him, aameen. His travels The Shaykh travelled to many countries for da'wah purposes, either with the Islamic University or to setupSummer camps. From amongst the countries he visited were: Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, India,Pakistan, and many African countires. The Scholars praise of him Amongst the many shcolars who praised him were: Shaykh al-Albaanee, who praised him much for his good neighbourly conduct and his impeccable goodmanners and knowledge, such that when in 1395 A.H. (1975 C.E.) Shaykh al-Albaanee was asked as to whoshould be referred to when seeking fatwa, Shaykh al-Albaanee advised that Shaykh 'Umar should be referredto for all fatwa-seeking questions. Also, Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin al-'Abbaad described him as: "...a great man, a rightly-guided scholar, one whopossessed noble manners and praiseworthy characteristics. And that he was upon the manhaj of the piouspredecessors adhering to what was transmitted from Allaah and His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wasallam)." And Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin mentioned that since he first met Shaykh 'Umar way back in 1381 A.H. (1961C.E.) love had entered into his heart for Shaykh 'Umar. His death The Shaykh had great desire to die in Madeenah, and Allaah permitted his wish to be met as he died inMadeenah on Wednesday 29 Muharram 1419 A.H. (17 March 1999 C.E.) after having received medicaltreatment and returning from Riyadh just a day before his death. The Shaykh was 74 years of age. His funeralprayer was performed after Salaatul-'Asr and he was then buried in the graveyard of Baqee', near al-Masjidan-Nabawee. Many attended his funeral from amongst the scholars and the judges and lecturers andteachers from the universities along with many students, and pilgrims and those who simply loved him. May Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) have Mercy upon his soul, aameen. The Shaykh left behind him one wife, seven sons: Dr. Muhammad (a member of the teaching staff at theIslamic University of Madeenah), 'Abdur-Rahmaan (a member of the teaching staff at the Primary schoolwithin the Islamic University), 'Abdul-Haadee (a member of the teaching staff at the Arabic Language Institutewithin the Islamic University), 'Abdul-Kareem, 'Abdur-Razzaaq and Anas, and two daughters. The Shaykh bequeathed his entire library to Daar al-Hadeeth, and his bequest was carried out after his death.

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The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa A Royal Decree, number 137/1 and dated 08/07/1391 A.H. / (29/08/1971 C.E.) was issued for theestablishment of the Council of Senior Scholars. Whereby, under section four it mentions:"The Permanent Committee has been left the task of selecting its members from amongst the members ofthe Council (of Senior Scholars) in accordance with the Royal Decree. Its aim is to prepare research papersready for discussion amongst the Council (of Senior Scholars), and issue fataawa on individual issues. This isby responding to the fatwa-seeking public in areas of 'aqeedah, 'ibaadah and social issues. It will be called:The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fataawa (al-Lajnah ad-Daa.imah lil-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyahwal-Iftaa.)" Further, it is mentioned in section eight of the attachment to the Royal Decree:"No fatwa will be issued by the Permanent Committee until the majority of its members have absoluteagreement concerning it. Such, that the number (of scholars) studying each fatwa is no less then threemembers (of the Committee). And if there exists an equal voice (differing in opinion), then the decision of theHead (of the Committee) will take precedence." The current members of the Permanent Committee include:Head: Shaykh 'Abdul 'Azeez Aal ash-Shaykh;Deputy Head: Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Ghudayyaan;Member: Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Qu'ood;Member: Shaykh 'Abdullaah Ibn Munee';Member: Shaykh Saalih Ibn Fowzaan;Member: Shaykh Bakar 'Abdullaah Abu Zayd. Amongst the members who have passed away include:Shaykh Ibraaheem Ibn Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh;Shaykh 'Abdul 'Azeez Ibn Baaz;Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq Ibn 'Afeefee. From amongst the rules (applied) in forming the (Permanent) Committee was the importance attached to themajority view (of the Committee), and no doubt this gives each fatwa an element of knowledge-basedstrength, for certainly exchanging views simplifies (the task of) arriving at that which is correct. Notingtherefore, the path which the Committee has taken is selecting the opinion(s) which are based upon daleel(proof) in addition to the daleel from the Sunnah being from authentic ahaadeeth. The Noble Shaykh 'Abdul'Azeez Ibn Baaz has assisted in this issue from his (vast) knowledge of hadeeth. Likewise, as has Shakyh'Abdur-Razzaaq Ibn 'Afeefee's (vast) knowledge of the various groups and differences in 'aqeedah that we havetoday, added an element of knowledge-based strength to each fatwa.

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The Muslim's Creed

Question No.1Why has Allaah created us? AnswerTo worship Him alone and to worship no other besides Him. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And I have not created Jinn and human beings except they should worship Me}, {Soorahadh-Dhaariyaat, Aayah 56] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The right of Allaah upon slaves is to worship Him and not to associate partners with Him»,Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.2How should we worship Allaah? AnswerAs Allaah and His Messenger commanded us. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Himalone}, {Soorah al-Bayyinah, Aayah 5] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever does any deed (in religion) which our matter in not in accordance with, it will not beaccepted», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.3Should we worship Allaah with fear and hope? AnswerYes, we worship Him with fear and hope. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And invoke Him with fear and hope}, {Soorah al-A'raaf, Aayah 56] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«I beseech Allaah to grant me Paradise and I seek refuge in Him from Hellfire», [Transmitted by AbuDaawood] Question No.4What is Ihsaan (perfection in worship)? AnswerIhsaan is to be conscious that Allaah sees us during worship. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Who sees you (O Muhammad) when you stand up (alone at night for Tahajjud prayer)}, {Soorahash-Shu'araa, Aayah's 218] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Ihsaan is to worship Allaah as if you are seeing Him, yet truly He is seeing you», [Transmitted byMuslim] Question No.5Why did Allaah send the Messengers?

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AnswerTo call mankind to His worship and to reject the worship of anything besides Allaah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And verily We have sent among every nation a Messenger (proclaiming) worship Allaah alone andavoid Taaghoot (false deities)}, {Soorah an-Nahl, Aayah 36] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The prophets are brothers and their faith is one», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.6What is meant by (Tawheed) oneness of Allaah? AnswerIt means devoting worship to him alone like supplication, vow, judgment. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{So know (O Muhammad) that there is no God except Allaah}, {Soorah Muhammad, Aayah 19] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Let the first thing you invite them to do is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped butAllaah», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.7What is the meaning of there is no God but Allaah? AnswerIt means there is no deity that truly deserves to be worshipped except Allaah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{That is because Allaah, He is the truth and that is which they invoke besides Him is al-Baatil(falsehood, Satan, and all other deities)}, {Soorah al-Hajj, Aayah 62] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever says there is no God except Allaah and rejects whatever is worshipped besides Allaah,his property and blood become sacrosanct and his reckoning with Allaah , the Mighty and Exalted»,[Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.8What is meant by oneness of names and attributes of Allaah? AnswerTo confirm the names and attributes as Allaah described them in His Book and as His Messenger describedthem in authentic Sunnah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{There is nothing like unto Him and His the All-Hearer, the All-Seer}, {Soorah ash-Shooraa, Aayah 11] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Allaah descends each night to the first heaven», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.9What is the benefit of monotheism (oneness of Allaah) to the Muslim? AnswerRight guidance in this world and salvation from eternal punishment in the Hereafter. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan

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{It is those who believe (in oneness of Allaah) and confuse not their belief with Thulm (wrong) byworshipping others besides Allaah) for them (only) there is security and they are guided}, {Soorahal-An'aam, Aayah 82] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The right of worshippers upon Allaah is that He will not punish those who worship none besideHim», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.10Where is Allaah? AnswerAllaah is over the Throne which is above the seven heavens. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{ar-Rahmaan (The Merciful) Istawaa (rose over) the Throne}, {Soorah Taa Haa, Aayah 5] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Allaah wrote out in a book with Him over the throne that His Mercy preceded His Wrath»,[Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree] Question No.11Is Allaah with us by His entity or knowledge? AnswerAllaah with us by His knowledge, He hears and sees us. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{He (Allaah) said: Fear not, verily I am with you both, Hearing and Seeing}, {Soorah Taa Haa, Aayah46] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«You call upon the one Who hears, Who is near and is with you», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.12What is the greatest sin with Allaah? AnswerIt is the major Shirk (polytheism). Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Verily whoever sets partners with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden paradise for him and the Firewill be his abode}, {Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 72] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The Prophet was asked : what is the greater sin , he said: To ascribe partners to Allaah eventhough he created you», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree] Question No.13What is the major shirk (polytheism)? AnswerIt is to devote any forms of worship to one other than Allaah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Verily Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him in worship, but He forgivesexcept that to whom He pleases}, {Soorah an-Nisaa., Aayah 48] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah

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«The greatest sins are polytheism etc.», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.14What is the harm of major shirk? AnswerThe reason for eternity in Hellfire. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Verily whoever assigns partners (commits Shirk) to Allaah, Allaah makes it impermissible for himto enter al-Jannah}, {Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 72] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever died while joining partners with Allaah (commits Shirk) enters Hellfire», [Transmitted byMuslim] Question No.15Are good deeds of any benefit to one who worships others besides Allaah? AnswerNo, good deeds are of no benefit to those who worship others besides Allaah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, all that they used to do would have been ofno benefit to them}, {Soorah al-An'aam, Aayah 88] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Who ever does any deed in which he associates partners with Me, I reject him and his Shirk»,[Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.16Does Shirk exist among Muslims today? AnswerYes, it does exist. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And most of them believe not in Allaah except that they attribute partners (unto Him)}, {SoorahYoosuf, Aayah 106] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The doom Day will not occur until some tribes of my Ummah (Islamic nation) have joined theidolaters and they will even worship idols», [Transmitted by at-Tirmidhee] Question No.17What is ruling concerning praying (supplicating) to other than Allaah like the dead? AnswerPraying to them is a major Shirk. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Invoke not with Allaah another ilaah (God) Lest you be among those who receive punishment},{Soorah ash-Shu'araa, Aayah 213] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever dies having called upon partners besides Allaah shall enter Hellfire», [Transmitted byal-Bukhaaree] Question No.18

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Is supplication a form of worship? AnswerYes, supplication is worship. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And your Lord said: Invoke Me, I will respond to your invocation}, {Soorah Ghaafir, Aayah 60] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Supplication is worship», [Transmitted by at-Tirmidhee] Question No.19Do dead hear our supplication? AnswerNo, they do not hear. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{But you can not make hear those who are in graves}, {Soorah Faatir, Aayah 22] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Allaah Has assigned angels to inform me of my nation salutation», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.20Do we seek help from those who are dead, or from those who are not present? AnswerNo we do not seek help from, we rather seek help from Allaah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Remember when you sought help of your Lord, and He answered you}, {Soorah al-Anfaal, Aayah 9] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«O Ever-Living, Self-Subsistent, upon Him all subsist, I seek help through Your Mercy», [Transmittedby at-Tirmidhee] Question No.21Is it permitted to seek help from any other besides Allaah? AnswerNo, it is not permitted. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help}, {Soorah al-Faatihah, Aayah 5] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«If you ask, ask of Allaah, if you seek help seek help of Allaah», [Transmitted by at-Tirmidhee] Question No.22May seek help from the living? AnswerYes, in the matters in which they are able to help. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Help one another in al-Birr and at-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness)}, {Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 2] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Allaah helps the worshipper as long as the worshipper helps his brother», [Transmitted by Muslim]

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Question No.23Is it allowed to make vows to other than Allaah? AnswerNo, it is not allowed to swear oaths except in Allaah's Name. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{O my Lord I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services}, {SoorahAal-'Imraan, Aayah 35] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever vows to obey Allaah should obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Him should notdisobey Him», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree] Question No.24Is it allowed to sacrifice in any name besides Allaah? AnswerNo, it is not allowed. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)}, {Soorah al-Kowthar, Aayah 2] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Allaah curses whoever sacrifices and slaughters in any name other than Allaah», [Transmitted byMuslim] Question No.25Is it permitted to circumambulate the graves of pious men? AnswerNo, it is not allowed. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And circumambulate the Ancient House (the Ka'bah in Makkah)}, {Soorah al-Hajj, Aayah 29] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever circumambulate the House (Ka'bah) seven times and prays two rak'ah», [Transmitted byIbn Maajah] Question No.26Is it allowed to pray while the grave is in front of you? AnswerNo, it is not allowed. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{So turn your face in the direction of al-Masjid al-Haraam}, {Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 144] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Don't sit on the graves and do not pray towards them», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.27What is the ruling in Islam concerning the practice of sihr (black magic/sorcery)? AnswerThe practice of sihr is considered an act of disbelief.

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Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{But the Devils disbelieved, teaching men sihr (magic and such things)}, {Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah102] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Avoid seven destroyers: Shirk, sihr…», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.28Should we believe the claims of fortunetellers and soothsayers? AnswerNo, we should not believe them. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghayb (unseen)}, {Soorah an-Naml, Aayah 65] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever goes to a fortuneteller or soothsayer, and believe what they say, has disbelieved in whathas been revealed to Muhammad», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.29Does any one have the knowledge of the (unseen)? AnswerNo one but Allaah alone has the knowledge of the unseen. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And with Him are the keys of Ghayb (unseen), none knows them but He}, {Soorah al-An'aam, Aayah59] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«No one has the knowledge of the unseen except Allaah», [Transmitted by at-Tabaraanee] Question No.30By what sources do the Muslims govern? AnswerMuslims govern by laws laid down in the Qur.aan and authentic Ahadeeth. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And so judge (you O Muhammad) between them by what Allaah has revealed}, {Soorah al-Maa.idah,Aayah 49] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Allaah is the judge and to whom is the return», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.31What is the ruling in Islam concerning applying non – Islamic laws? AnswerIt is an act of disbelief. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And whosoever does not judge by what Allaah has revealed, such are the disbelievers}, {Soorahal-Maa.idah, Aayah 44] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«When the leaders do not rule by Allaah's Book (Qur.aan) and choose the good from that whichAllaah has revealed, Allaah will cause conflict among them», [Transmitted by Ibn Maajah]

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Question No.32Is it permitted to swear by other than Allaah's Name? AnswerNo, it is not permitted. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Say: Yes! By my Lord you will certainly be resurrected}, {Soorah at-Taghaabun, Aayah 7] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever swears by anyone other than Allaah, has associated partners with Allaah», [Transmittedby Ahmad] Question No.33Should we wear good luck charms (like amulets or talismans)? AnswerNo, we should not wear them. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And if Allaah touches you with harm none can remove it but He}, {Soorah al-An'aam, Aayah 17] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever wears an amulet has committed Shirk», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.34Through what may we seek intercession with Allaah? AnswerBy His Names and Attributes. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And (all ) the most beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them}, {Soorah al-A'raaf,Aayah 180] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«I ask you by all your names, with which you wave named your self», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.35Does any supplication to Allaah require a human intermediary? AnswerNo, prayer does not require a human intermediary. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And when my slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then I am indeed near (to them byMy knowledge)}, {Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 186] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«You pray to the one who hears all and He is near and He is with you», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.36What is the mediation (waasitah) of the Messenger? AnswerThe mediation of the Messenger is the transmission of Allaah's Message. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan

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{O Messenger (Muhammad) proclaim what has been sent down to you from your Lord}, {Soorahal-Maa.idah, Aayah 67] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Oh Allaah, have I proclaimed your message? Oh Allaah bear witness. (In response to thestatement of the Sahaabah, "Indeed, we bear witness that you have proclaimed the message.")»,[Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.37From whom may we seek the Messenger's intercession? AnswerFrom Allaah alone. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Say: To Allaah belongs all intercession}, {Soorah az-Zumar, Aayah 44] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Oh Allaah grant to him (the Prophet) intercession for me», [Transmitted by at-Tirmidhee] Question No.38How do we demonstrate our love for Allaah and his Messenger? AnswerBy obeying and following their commands. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Say (O Muhammad to mankind) if you really love Allaah then follow me, Allaah will love you},{Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 31] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«None of you have perfect faith until you love me more than your parents, children, and allmankind», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.39Should we be excessive in our praise for the Messenger? AnswerNo, we should not be excessive in our praise to him. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Say I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your god is one ilaah (Allaah)},{Soorah al-Kahf, Aayah 110] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Do not exaggerate in praising me, I am only a slave. So say Allaah's slave and Messenger»,[Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree] Question No.40Who were the first creation? AnswerFrom human being was Adam and from things was the pen. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Remember when your Lord said to the angels truly I am going to create man from clay}, {SoorahSa'd, Aayah 71] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah

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«The first thing created by Allaah was the pen», [Transmitted by at-Tirmidhee and Abu Daawood] Question No.41From what was Prophet Muhammad created? AnswerHe was created from Nutfah (drops of semen - male and female discharges). Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{It is He Who created you (Adam) from dust, then from a Nutfah}, {Soorah Ghaafir, Aayah 67] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«In every one of you, all components are created together in your mother's womb by 40 days»,[Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.42What is the status of jihad for the sake of Allaah in Islam? AnswerIt is obligatory with lives, wealth and speech. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{March forth , whether you are light (being healthy, young and wealthy) or heavy (being ill, old andpoor) strive hard with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allaah}, {Soorah at-Towbah, Aayah41] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Fight against the polytheisms with your wealth, lives and speech», [Transmitted by Abu Daawood] Question No.43What is Walaa (friendship and loyalty)? AnswerWalaa (friendship and loyalty) is love and help of the faithful believers. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{The believers men and women are Awliyaa (helpers, supporters friends and protectors) of oneanother}, {Soorah at-Towbah, Aayah 71] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The faithful believers are as a brick structure, each supporting the other», [Transmitted by Muslim] Question No.44Is seeking the friendship and help of disbelievers permitted? AnswerNo, it s not permitted. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And if any amongst you take them as Auliyaa then surely he is one of them}, {Soorah al-Maa.idah,Aayah 51] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«The people of such and such clan are not my supporters (Awliyaa)», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaareeand Muslim] Question No.45Who is Walee (friend)?

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AnswerA Walee is a true believer, who fears Allaah very much. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Verily, Awliyaa of Allaah no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve}, {Soorah Yoonus,Aayah's 62-63] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«My only Walee is Allaah then the most pious among the true believers», [Transmitted byal-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.46Why did Allaah reveal the Qur.aan? AnswerSo as to apply it to our daily life. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord}, {Soorah al-A'raaf, Aayah 3] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Read Qur.aan and apply it, do not make your living from it», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.47Is the Qur.aan alone sufficient for us without the Hadeeth (statements, actions, tacit approvals of theProphet)? AnswerNo, it is not sufficient. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And We have sent down unto you (O Muhammad ) the reminder and the advice (the Qur.aan) thatyou may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought},{Soorah an-Nahl, Aayah 44] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Indeed I have been given Qur.aan and along with it that which is like it», [Transmitted by AbuDaawood] Question No.48Should we give priority to other opinions over the Word of Allaah and His Messengers? AnswerNo, we should not. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Oh you who believe, do not be forward (hasten not to decide) in the presence of Allaah and HisMessenger}, {Soorah al-Hujuraat, Aayah 1] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«There is no obedience to the creatures if it means disobeying the Creator», [Transmitted by Ahmad] Question No.49What should we do if we differ in the religious matters? AnswerWe should refer to holy Qur.aan and authentic Sunnah. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan

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{And if you differ in any thing amongst yourselves, refer back to Allaah and His Messenger}, {Soorahan-Nisaa., Aayah 59] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«I am leaving two things with you, you will never go astray if you hold fast to them, and they areAllaah's Book and the Sunnah», [Transmitted by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.50What is (al-bid'ah) innovation in religion? AnswerIt is any thing not based on evidence from Islamic law. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Or have they partners with Allaah who have instituted for them a religion which Allaah has notallowed?}, {Soorah ash-Shooraa, Aayah 21] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever adds something new in our matter (Islam), it will not be accepted», [Transmitted byal-Bukhaaree and Muslim] Question No.51Is there good innovation (bid'atun hasanatun) in religion? AnswerNo, there is no good innovation in religion. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour on you, and have chosen foryou Islam as your religion}, {Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 3] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Beware of new things (in the matters of religion) for every new thing is innovation, everyinnovation is heresy and every heresy leads to Hellfire», [Transmitted by an-Nasaa.ee] Question No.52Is there such a thing as Sunnah Hasanah in Islam? AnswerYes, there is Sunnah Hasanah are good deeds (such as giving charity). Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{And made us leaders of the Muttaqoon (the pious)}, {Soorah al-Furqaan, Aayah 74] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Whoever introduces a good practice into Islam, will have the reward for it and the reward of thosewho follow his practice thereafter, yet they will lose nothing of their reward», [Transmitted byMuslim] Question No.53Is it enough for a person to reform himself? AnswerNo, it is a duty on him to reform his relatives also. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{Oh you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire}, {Soorah at-Tahreem,Aayah 6]

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Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«Verily Allaah will ask every shepherd about his flock. Did he protect it or lose it?», [Transmitted byan-Nasaa.ee who declared it hasan] Question No.54When will Muslims be victorious? AnswerWhen they apply Qur.aan and Sunnah (fully) in their lives. Evidence from the Noble Qur.aan{O you who believe! If you help in the cause of Allaah, He will help you, and make your footholdfirm}, {Soorah Muhammed, Aayah 7] Evidence from the authentic Sunnah«There will always be a victorious group from my nation», [Transmitted by Ibn Maajah] Shaykh Muhammad ibn Jameel Zeenoo

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Understanding Islam

1) The deen (religion) of Islam: It is the way of life that Allaah sent the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahuàlayhe wa sallam) with. By it, Allaah terminated the validity of all other religions, perfected this religion forHis worshippers, completed His favour upon them and has chosen only this religion for them - no otherreligion will be accepted by Him from anyone. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said: {Muhammad is not the father of any man amongst you. Rather he is the Messenger of Allaah andthe khaatim (last and final) of the Prophets}, [Soorah al-Ahzaab, Aayah 40] {This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosenfor you Islam as your religion}, [Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 3] {Indeed the religion with Allaah is Islam}, [Soorah Aal-'lmraan, Aayah 19] {Whosoever seeks a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him, and in theHereafter he will be one of the losers}, [Soorah Aal-'Imraan, Aayah 85] And Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) obligated all of mankind to take Islam as their religion. So Allaah said,whilst addressing His Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam): {Say: O mankind! Indeed I have been sent to you all as the Messenger of Allaah; to Whom belongsthe dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped except Him; it isHe who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allaah and His Messenger - the Prophet who canneither read nor write - who believes in Allaah and His Words. So follow the Messenger of Allaahso that you may be rightly-guided}, [Soorah al-A'raaf Aayah 158] And in Saheeh Muslim (1/93), from Abu Hurayrah radhi-yallaahu 'anhu that Allaah's Messenger (sal-Allaahuàlayhe wa sallam) said: «By Him in whose Hand is the life of Muhammad! There is no one from this nation, be he a Jew ora Christian, who hears of me and then dies without believing in the Message that I was sent with,except that he will be one of the Companions of the Hellfire». And eemaan (faith) in the Prophet implies: affirming that which he was sent with, along with acceptance of itand submission to it. Without these two matters, mere affirmation is not sufficient. This is why even thoughAbu Taalib (the Prophet's uncle) affirmed what was sent to the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wasallam) and that Islam was the best of religions, yet he did not accept his message nor submit to it; and thushe did not have eemaan, in the Prophet (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam). 2) The religion of Islam contains all that was beneficial from the previous religions. It is suitable forimplementation in any age, anywhere and by any nation. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said, whilstaddressing His Messenger (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam): {And We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before ittestifying to the truth contained therein whilst exposing the falsehood that has been added therein},[Soorah al-Maa.idah, Aayah 48] That Islam is suitable for implementation in any age, anywhere and by any nation does not mean that itbecomes submissive to nations - being altered and changed by them - as some people falsely think. Butrather it means that whenever it is truly adhered to then it brings benefit and goodness to that nation, as wellas reforming and correcting it - in whatever age or place. 3) The religion of Islam is the religion of truth. It is the way of life that Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala)guaranteed His help and victory for those who truly adhere to it, and that He would make it dominant over allother religions. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said: {It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that it may prevail

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over all other religions, even if the pagans detest it}, [Soorah at-Tawbah, Aayah 33] And Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said: {Allaah has promised to those amongst you who truly have eemaan (true faith and belief) and actin obedience to Allaah and His Messenger, that He will grant them rulership upon the earth, just asHe granted it to those before them, and that He will establish their Religion for them and grantthem the authority to practice their Religion which He chose and ordered them with. And He willcertainly change their situation to one of security, after their fear. Providing that they worship andobey Me, not associating anything else in worship with Me. Then, whoever rejects this favour bydisobedience to their Lord - then they are the rebellious transgressors}, [Soorah an-Noor, Aayah 55] 4) The religion of Islam is a complete religion comprising both 'aqeedah (beliefs) and Sharee'ah (laws). It commands them with tawheed (to single out Allaah alone for worship) and prohibits them from shirk(associating partners with Allaah in that which is particular to Him). • It commands them with being truthful and prohibits them from lying. • It commands them with 'adl (justice) and prohibits them from injustice and oppression. • It commands them with fulfilling trusts and prohibits them from acting treacherously. • It commands them with keeping promises and prohibits them from breaking them. • It commands them with kindness and good treatment of parents and prohibits them from disobedience tothem in that which is not sinful. • It commands them with joining the ties of relations and prohibits them from severing them. • It commands them with good treatment of neighbours and prohibits the causing of harm to them. In short, Islam orders all that is good, from manners and morals, and prohibits all that is evil from it. Likewise, it orders all actions which are righteous and good and prohibits all actions that are evil and harmful. Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala) said: {Indeed Allaah enjoins upon you justice, kindness and the giving of good to relatives and nearones. And He prohibits you from all shameful and evil deeds, oppression and transgression. ThusHe admonishes you, that you may take heed and be reminded}, [Soorah an-Nahl, Aayah 90]. Shaykh Ibn 'UthaymeenSharh Usool al-Eemaan - Pages 4-7

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The Qur.aan and Noah's Ark

Martin Wroe, LONDON - Noah's Ark has been found on the Turkish-Iranian border, 32 kilometres from MountArarat, according to the leader of a team of scientists that has been investigating the site for six years. The Turkish government is so convinced by the findings that, after years of intransigence, it has designatedthe site one of special archaeological interest and agreed to its excavation next summer. The remote site contains a buried, ship-like object, resting an altitude of 2,300 metres. At 170 metres longand 45 metres wide, it conforms almost exactly to the 300 cubit by 50 cubit boat that God told Noah to build,according to Genesis 6 in the Bible. On surrounding terrain, the American and Middle Eastern scientists have identified huge stones with holescarved at one end, which they believe are "drogue-stones," dragged behind ships in the ancient world tostabilise them. Radar soundings indicate unusual levels of iron-oxide distribution. Salih Bayraktutan, head of geology at Turkey's Ataturk University, estimates the age of the 'vessel' at morethan 100,000 years. "It is a man-made structure and for sure it is Noah's Ark." The site is directly below themountain of Al Judi, named in the Koran as the Ark's resting place. David Fasold, an American shipwreck specialist with no religious affiliation, has led the investigation. He sayssubsurface radar surveys of the site have produced "very good pictures." "The radar imagery at about 25metres down from the stern is so clear that you can count the floorboards between the walls." He believes the team has found the fossilised remains of the upper deck and that the original reedsubstructure has disappeared. But the findings have infuriated the scores of Christian Ark-hunters who travelto Turkey, convinced the Ark will only be found on Mount Ararat. Fasold, who calls himself an "Arkologist," also argues that it was not a great flood that pushed the Ark intothe mountains. He says it was "an astronomical event causing a tectonic upheaval, a tidal bore causinggravitational pull in the ocean waters that forced the boat into the mountains." Some of Fasold's team of geophysicists and geologists are reserving final judgement until the excavation andcarbon-dating. But in a British TV series on the environment next month, team member Vendyl Jones, aMiddle East archaeologist and inspiration for film character Indiana Jones, says it is "between maybe andprobably" that they have found Noah's Ark. The Observer newspaper, 16 January 1994 Prologue: The Quranic verse detailing about the resting place of the Noah's Ark is found in Chapter Hood,verse 44 (Qur.aan 11:44). The verse says: {When the word went forth: "O earth! swallow up thy water and O sky! withhold (thy rain)!" and thewater abated and the matter was ended. The Ark rested on Mount Judi and the word went forth:"Away with those who do wrong!"} The 49th verse of the same Chapter says: {Such are some of the stories of the Unseen which We have revealed unto you: before this neitheryou nor your people knew them. So persevere patiently: for the end is for those who are righteous}

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What is Islam?

The word "Islam" is an Arabic word that means "submitting and surrendering your will to Almighty God". The word comes from the same root as the Arabic word "salam", which means peace. Unlike the names used for other religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, the name for thereligion of Islam was both revealed by God and carries a deep spritual meaning - only by submitting one's willto Almighty God can one obtain true peace both in this life and in the life hereafter. Islam teaches that allreligions originally had the same essential message - which was to submit whole-heartedly to the will of Godand to worship Him and Him alone. For this reason, Islam is not a new religion but is the same divinely revealed Ultimate Truth that God revealedto all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

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Who are Muslims?

The Arabic word "Muslim" literally means "someone who submits to the will of God". The message of Islam is meant for the entire world and anyone who accepts this message becomes aMuslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from thetruth, since in actuality over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims,there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and fromMorocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groupsand nationalities. From the very beginning, Islam had a universal message for all people. This can be seen in the fact that someof the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad were not only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans andByzantine Romans. Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience to the revealed will ofAlmighty God. A Muslim is a person who freely accepts to base his beliefs, values and faith on the will of Almighty God. Inthe past, even though you don't see it as much today, the word "Mohammedans" was often used as a labelfor Muslims. This label is a misnomer and is the result of either wilful distortion or sheer ignorance. One of thereasons for the misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that Muslims worshipped theProphet Muhammad in the same way that Christians worship Jesus. This is absolutely not true since aMuslim is not permitted to worship anyone or anything besides Almighty God.

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Who is Allaah?

Very often one will here the Arabic word "Allaah" being used in regards to Islam. The word "Allaah" is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God, and is the same word used by Arabicspeaking Christians and Jews. If one were to pick up an Arabic translation of the Bible, one would see the word "Allaah" being use where theword "God" is used in English. Actually, the Arabic word for Almighty God, "Allaah", is quite similar to theword for God in other Semitic languages - for example, the Hebrew word for God is "Elah". For various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jewsand Christians. This is certainly not the case, since the Pure Monotheism of Islam calls all people to theworship of the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all of the other prophets. However, even thoughJews, Christians and Muslims worship the same God -since there is only one God - their conceptsconcerning Him differ in some significant ways.

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Who is Muhammad?

The last and final prophet that God sent to humanity was the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad explained, interpreted and lived the teachings of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad is the greatest of all prophets for many reasons, but mainly because the results ofhis mission have brought more people into the pure belief in One God than any other prophet. Even though other religious communities claimed to believe in One God, over time they had corrupted theirbeliefs by taking their prophets and saints as intercessors with Almighty God. Some religions believe their prophets to be manifestations of God, "God Incarnate" or the "Son of God". All ofthese false ideas lead to the creature being worshipped instead of the Creator, which contributed to theidolatrous practice of believing that Almighty God can be approached through intermediaries. In order to guardagainst these falsehoods, the Prophet Muhammad always emphasised that he was only a human-beingtasked with the preaching of God's message. He taught Muslims to refer to him as "the Messenger of Godand His Slave". To Muslims, Muhammad is the supreme example for all people - he was the exemplary prophet, statesman,military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbour, husband, father and friend. Unlike other prophets and messengers,the Prophet Muhammad lived in the full light of history. Muslims don't need to have "faith" that he existed andthat his teachings are preserved - they know it to be a fact. Even when his followers only numbered a fewdozen, Almighty God informed Muhammad that he had be sent as a mercy to all of mankind. Becausepeople had distorted or forgotten God's messages, God took it upon Himself to protect the message revealedto Muhammad. This was because Almighty God promised not to send another messenger after him. Since all of God's messengers have preached the message of Islam - i.e. submission to the will of God andthe worship of God alone - Muhammad is actually the last prophet of Islam, not the first.

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What are the teachings of Islam?

The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Unity of God. This means to believe that there is only one Creator and Sustainer of everything in the Universe, and thatnothing is divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Him. Truly believing in the Unity of God means much more than simply believing that there is "One God" - asopposed to two, three or four. There are a number of religions that claim belief in "One God" and believe that ultimately there is only oneCreator and Sustainer of the Universe. Islam, however, not only insists on this, but also rejects using suchwords as "Lord" and "Saviour" for anyone besides Almighty God. Islam also rejects the use of allintermediaries between God and Man, and insists that people approach God directly and reserve all worshipfor Him alone. Muslims believe that Almighty God is Compassionate, Loving and Merciful. The essence of falsehood is the claim that God cannot deal with and forgive His creatures directly. Byover-emphasising the burden of sin, as well as claiming that God cannot forgive you directly, false religionsseek to get people to despair of the Mercy of God. Once they are convinced that they cannot approach Goddirectly, people can be mislead into turning to false gods for help. These "false gods" can take various forms,such as saints, angels, or someone who is believed to be the "Son of God" or "God Incarnate". In almost allcases, people who worship, pray to or seek help from a false god don't consider it to be, or call it, a "god".They claim belief in One Supreme God, but claim that they pray to and worship others beside God only to getcloser to Him. In Islam, there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the created. There is noambiguity in divinity - anything that is created is not deserving of worship and only the Creator is worthy ofbeing worshipped. Some religions falsely believe that God has become part of His creation, and this has ledpeople to believe that they can worship something created in order to reach their Creator. Muslims believe that even though God is Unique and beyond comprehension - He has no "Son", partners orassociates. According to Muslim belief, Almighty God "does not beget nor was He begotten" - neitherliterally, allegorically, metaphorically, physically or metaphysically - He is Absolutely Unique and Eternal. Heis in control of everything and is perfectly capable of bestowing His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness towhomever He chooses. That is why is called the All-Powerful and Most-Merciful. Almighty God has createdthe Universe for man, and as such wants the best for all human beings. Muslims see everything in theUniverse as a sign of the Creatorship and Benevolence of Almighty God. Also, the belief in the Unity of God isnot merely a metaphysical concept. It is a dynamic belief that effects ones view of humanity, society and allaspects of life. As a logical corollary to the Islamic belief in the Oneness of God, is its belief in the onenessof mankind and humanity.

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What is the Qur.aan?

It is the final revelation of the will of Almighty God's to all of mankind, which was conveyed through the AngelGabriel, in Arabic, to the Prophet Muhammad in its sounds, words and meanings. The Qur'aan, sometimes spelled Koran, was relayed to the Prophet's companions, which they memorisedverbatim, and which has been publicly and continually recited by them and their successors until the presentday. In short, the Qur'aan is the book of guidance from God par excellence. The Qur'aan is still memorisedand taught by millions of people. The language of the Qur'aan, Arabic, is still a living language to millions of people, so unlike the scriptures ofother religions, the Qur'aan is still read in its original language by countless millions of people. The Qu'raan isa living miracle in the Arabic language; and is known to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact.God's final revelation to mankind, the Qur'aan, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23years. The Qur'aan, in contrast to many other religious books, was always thought to be the Word of God bythose who believed in it, i.e. it wasn't something decreed by a religious council many years after beingwritten. Also, the Qu'raan was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities duringthe life of the Prophet Muhammad. The entire Qur'aan was completely written down in the lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions ofthe Prophet memorised the entire Qur'aan word-for-word as it was revealed. So unlike other scriptures, theQur'aan was always in the hands of the common believers, it was always thought to be God's word and, dueto wide-spread memorisation, it was perfectly preserved. In regards to the teachings of the Qur'aan - it is a universal scripture, and it is addressed to all of mankind,and not to a particular tribe or "chosen people". The message that it brings is nothing new, but the samemessage of all of the prophets - submit to Almighty God and worship Him alone. As such, God's revelation inthe Qur'aan focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Unity of God and framingtheir lives around the guidance which He has sent. Additionally, the Qur'aan contains the stories of theprevious prophets, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus; as well as many commands and prohibitionsfrom God. In modern times in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and "politicalcorrectness", the Qur'aanic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that isgripping the world today.

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How Do Muslims View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life and the Life Hereafter?

In the Holy Qur'aan, God teaches human beings that they were created in order to worship Him, and that thebasis of all true worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islamic encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouragedin all human affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for Godalone and in accordance to His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility,sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islam condemns pride andself-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness. The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to beinherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith andaction go hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is one's deeds and actions. However, humanbeings have also been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being ascreated by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently "corrupt" or in need of repair. This is because theavenue of repentance of always open to all human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner morethan one who does not sin at all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear ofGod as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much thatGod will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In light of this, Islam teaches that: only the misguideddespair of the Mercy of their Lord. Additionally, the Holy Qur'aan, which was revealed to the ProphetMuhammad, contains a great deal of teachings about the life hereafter and the Day of Judgement. Due tothis, Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions intheir earthly lives. In judging human beings, Almighty God will be both Merciful and Just, and people will onlybe judged for what they were capable of. Suffice it to say that Islam teaches that life is a test, and that allhuman beings will be accountable before God. A sincere belief in the life hereafter is key to leading awell-balanced life and moral. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes human beings tobecome more selfish, materialistic and immoral.

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Misconceptions About Women in Islam - Why Two Women Witnesses?

A question that repeatedly arises is that concerning the 'position of women in Islam'. Muslim scholars havebeen able with great success - despite the onslaught of distortion and mis-representation - to demonstratethe true position of Muslim women; especially of women's liberation in the advent of Islam. The Islamic rulingon issues such as inheritance, the right to earn, the right to own property etc. have reinforced this positionand have been prescribed by Allaah - the One True God - long before western nations even thought of suchconcepts! The issue of two women witnesses in place of one man is the concern of the present treatise. As will becomeclear to the sincere and objective reader, the intellectual status of a Muslim woman is neither marred nordegraded by the commandment that if two Muslim male witnesses are not available then one Muslim maleand two Muslim females should be invited to witness. Rather, this injunction is in perfect harmony with thenature and psychology of the woman as will become evident through quotations from psychologists,psychiatrists and medical research. The passage of the Qur.aan (Soorah al-Baqarah, Aayah 282) in which the above-mentioned requirement ismade has usury, capital and debtor difficulties as its theme. Allaah grants guidelines in matters relating tomonetary obligations. Then business transactions are dealt with. In this section, the requirement to commitall transactions into writing is stated most emphatically: {Reduce them to writing...} The section after this describes the responsibility of the scribe, or in modern parlance, the person responsiblefor drawing up the agreement. The following section describes the responsibility and the obligation of theperson incurring the liability. The section after this explains how if the party that is liable cannot effectivelydraw up the contract - out of being deficient or weak mentally, or being unable to dictate - then his or herguardian should help draw out the contract and choose two suitable witnesses to observe. It must beunderstood that this situation arises if it is not possible for the liable party to draw out the contract byhim/herself. The condition to put things into writing is still supreme. The next section then explains that two men should be called to witness and if two men are not available: {And if there are not two men...}, then a man and two women. The legislation then continues and reminds most emphatically that one should not be complacent aboutputting ALL agreements into writing - no matter whether these agreements are major or minor as this is moreJUST in the sight of Allaah and more reliable as evidence. The passage of the Qur.aan further explains thatfor practical reasons it may not always be possible to commit on-the-spot agreements into writing. In thiscase, it is also recommended that it be witnessed. The section which follows then lays down the guidelineswhich should be followed in the event that no witnesses are present. The purpose in giving the above outline is to draw attention to the fact the question of women witnessesrelates, in this instance, to commercial agreements and is not a STATEMENT ON THEIR STATUS. Let's look at the section under investigation in more detail. Allaah said: {And get two witnesses of your own men, and if there are not two men then a man and two womensuch as you choose for witnesses - so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her...}, [Soorahal-Baqarah, Aayah 182] A number of questions (as well as eyebrows!) are raised when this section of the passage is read. Thequestions often posed include: * Do women have weaker memories than men?* Why should two women be needed in the place of one man?* Are women inferior to men? One must remember that Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) was neither a physiologist, apsychiatrist and nor a surgeon. He was an illiterate and could neither read nor write. He passed on the

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revelation exactly as he received it. Allaah, the Creator, with His infinite wisdom gave the directives bestsuited to humankind. He is the Creator, therefore, He knows man better than a man himself. In this scientific age we can explore the significance of this legislation. A great deal has been discoveredsince the early days of Islam. And each day of advancement brings about a better understanding of the thelast and final revelation from the Creator, Allaah to the creation, humankind. As women, we are aware of the cyclical psychological strains that a woman has to encounter every month.The symptoms during early pregnancy, ante-natal and post-natal depressions, the phenomenon ofmenopause, the physiological and psychological problems due to infertility and last but not least thepsychological problems faced after miscarriage. It is under these situations that women can experience extraordinary psychological strains giving rise todepression, lack of concentration, slow-mindedness and SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS. Let us examinethese episodes in a bit more detail and with medical references from the scientific world. PMT is an umbrellaterm for more than 140 different symptoms and there is a lot of evidence that it causes a lot of unhappiness inmany women, and consequently, to their families. Psychiatry in Practice, April 1983 issue states: "Forty percent of women suffer from pre-menstrual syndromein some form and one in if our women have their lives severely disrupted by it. Dr Jill Williams, generalpractitioner from Bury, gives guidelines on how to recognise patients at risk and suggests a suitabletreatment."[1] In the same issue, George Beaumont reporting on the workshop held at the Royal College of Obstreticiansand Gynaecologists in London on pre-menstrual syndrome, says: "Some authorities would argue that 80percent of women have some degree of breast and abdominal discomfort which is pre-menstrual but that onlyabout 10 percent complain to their doctors - and then only because of severe tenderness of the breasts andmental depression... Other authorities have suggested that pre-menstrual syndrome is a new problem, regularovulation for 20 years or more being a phenomenon caused by 'civilisation', 'medical progress', and an alteredconcept of the role of women."[2] In its examination of the occurrence of physical and psychological change during the period just prior to theonset of menstruation we read in Psychological Medicine: "Many studies have reported an increasedlikelihood of various negative affects during the pre-menstrual period. In this affective category are manyemotional designations including irritability, depression, tension, anxiety, sadness, insecurity, lethargy,loneliness, tearfulness, fatigue, restlessness and changes of mood. In the majority of studies, investigatorshave found it difficult to distinguish between various negative affects, and only a few have allowed themselvesto be excessively concerned with the differences which might or might not exist between affectivesymptoms."[3] In the same article dealing with Pre-menstrual Behavioural Changes we read: "A significant relationshipbetween the pre-menstrual phase of the cycle and a variety of specific and defined forms of behaviour hasbeen reported in a number of studies. For the purpose of their review, these forms of behaviour have beengrouped under the headings of aggressive behaviour, illness behaviour and accidents, performance onexamination and other tests and sporting performance."[4] The lengthy review portrays how female behaviouris affected in these situations. In 'The Pre-menstrual Syndrome', C. Shreeves writes: "Reduced powers of concentration and memory arefamiliar aspects of the pre-menstrual syndrome and can only be remedied by treating the underlyingcomplaint." This does not mean, of course, that women are mentally deficient absolutely. It just means thattheir mental faculties can become affected at certain times in the biological cycle. Shreeves also writes: "Asmany as 80 percent of women are aware of some degree of pre-menstrual changes, 40 percent aresubstantially disturbed by them, and between 10 and 20 percent are seriously disabled as a result of thesyndrome." Furthermore, women face the problem of ante-natal and post-natal depression, both of which cause extremecycles of depression in some cases. Again, these recurring symptoms naturally affect the mind, giving rise todrowsiness and dopey memory. On the subject of pregnancy in Psychiatry in Practice, October-November 1986, we learn that: "In an

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experiment 'Cox' found that 16 percent of a sample of 263 pregnant women were suffering from clinicallysignificant psychiatric problems. Eight percent had a depressive neurosis and 1.9 percent had phobicneurosis. This study showed that the proportion of pregnant women with psychiatric problems was greaterthan that found in the control group but the difference only tended towards significance."[5] Regarding the symptoms during the post-natal cycle Dr. Ruth Sagovsky writes: "The third category ofpuerperal psychiatric problems is post-natal depression. It is generally agreed that between10 to 15 percentof women become clinically depressed after childbirth. These mothers experience a variety of symptoms butanxiety, especially over the baby, irritability, and excessive fatigue are common. Appetite is usuallydecreased and often there are considerable sleep difficulties. The mothers lose interest in the things theyenjoyed prior to the baby's birth, and find that their concentration is impaired. They often feel irrational guilt,and blame themselves for being 'bad' wives and mothers. Fifty percent of these women are not identified ashaving a depressive illness. Unfortunately, many of them do not understand what ails them and blame theirhusbands, their babies or themselves until the relationships are strained to an alarming degree."[6] "... Making the diagnosis of post-natal depression is not always easy. Quite often the depression is beginningto become a serious problem around three months postpartum when frequent contact with the health visitor isdiminishing. The mother may not present with depressed mood. If she comes to the health centre presentingthe baby as the patient, the true nature of the problem can be missed. When the mother is continuallyanxious about the baby in spite of reassurance, then the primary health care worker needs to be aware of thepossibility of depression. Sometimes these mothers present with marital difficulties, and it is easy to muddlecause and effect, viewing the accompanying low mood as part of the marital problem. Sometimes, only whenthe husband is seen as well does it become obvious that it is a post-natal depressive illness which has led tothe deterioration in the marriage."[7] Again there is a need to study the effects of the menopause about which very little is known even to this day.This phase in a woman's life can start at any time from the mid-thirties to the mid-fifties and can last for aslong as 15 years. Writing about the pre-menopausal years, C.B. Ballinger states: "Several of the community surveys indicate asmall but significant increase in psychiatric symptoms in women during the five years prior to the cessationof menstrual periods... The most obvious clinical feature of this transitional phase of menstrual function is thealteration in menstrual pattern, the menstrual cycle becoming shorter with age, and variability in cycle lengthbecome very prominent just prior to the cessation of menstruation. Menorrhagia is a common complaint atthis time, and is associated with higher than normal levels of psychiatric disturbance."[8] On the phenomenon of menopause in an article in Newsweek International, May 25th 1992, Dr. Jenniferal-Knopf, Director of the Sex and Marital Therapy Programme of Northwestern University writes: "...Womennever know what their body is doing to them... some reporting debilitating symptoms from hot flashes to nightsweat, sleeplessness, irritability, mood swings, short term memory loss, migraine, headaches, urinaryinconsistence and weight gain. Most such problems can be traced to the drop-off in the female hormonesoestrogen and progesterone, both of which govern the ovarian cycle. But every woman starts with a differentlevel of hormones and loses them at different rates. The unpredictability is one of the most upsetting aspects.Women never know what their body is going to do to them..." Then there are the psychiatric aspects of infertility and miscarriage. On the subject of infertility, Dr. RuthSagovsky writes: "Depression, anger and guilt are common reactions to bereavement. In infertility there is theadded pain of there being nobody to grieve for. Families and friends may contribute to the feeling of isolationby passing insensitive comments. The gynaecologist and GPs have to try to help these couples against abackdrop of considerable distress."[9] On the subject of miscarriage the above article continues: "Miscarriage is rarely mentioned when consideringabortion. However, miscarriage can at times have profound psychological sequelae and it is important thatthose women affected receive the support they need. Approximately one-fifth of all pregnancies end inspontaneous abortion and the effects are poorly recognised. If however, the miscarriage occurs in the contextof infertility, the emotional reaction may be severe. The level of grief will depend on the meaning of pregnancyto the couple."[10] Also, the fact that women are known to be more sensitive and emotional than men must not be overlooked. Itis well known, for example, that under identical circumstances women suffer much greater anxiety than men.

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Numerous medical references on this aspect of female behaviour can be given but to quote as a specimen,we read in 'Sex Differences in Mental Health' that: "Surveys have found different correlates of anxiety andneuroticism in the two sexes. Women and men do not become equally upset by the same things, and beingupset does not have the same effect in men as in women. Ekehammer (1974; Ekehammer, Magnusson andRicklander, 1974) using data from 116 sixteen-year-olds, did a factor analysis on self-reported anxiety. Of theeighteen different responses indicating anxiety (sweating palms, faster heart rate, and so on) femalesreported experiencing twelve of them significantly more often than males. Of the anxiety-producing situationsstudied, females reported experiencing significantly more anxiety than males reported in fourteen ofthem."[11] It is in light of the above findings of psychologist, psychiatrists and researchers that the saying of Allaah, theExalted: {And get two witnesses of your own men, and if there are not two men then a man and two women such asyou choose for witnesses - SO THAT IF ONE OF THEM ERRS, THE OTHER CAN REMIND HER...}, [Soorahal-Baqarah, Aayah 182] ...can be understood. One must also bear in mind that forgetfulness can be an asset. A woman has to be putup with children presenting all kinds of emotional problems and a woman is certainly known to be moreresilient than man. The aim of presenting these research findings on a number of aspects related with thetheme is to indicate that a woman by her biological constitution faces such problems. It does not howevermake her inferior to man but it does illustrate that she is different. Viewed in this way, it can only lead one tothe conclusion that Allaah knows His creation the best and has prescribed precise laws in keeping with thenature of humankind. Allaah, the Creator is - as always - All-Knowing and man (or the disbeliever in Allaah and the final, perfected,revealed way of life, Islam) is - as usual - either ignorant and arrogant. Footnotes [1] Psychiatry in Practice, April 1993, p.14. [2] Psychiatry in Practice, April 1993, p.18. [3] Psychological Medicine, Monograph Supplement 4, 1983, Cambridge University Press, p.6. [4] Psychological Medicine, Monograph Supplement 4, 1983, Cambridge University Press, p.7. [5] Psychiatry in Practice, October-November, 1986, p.6. [6] Psychiatry in Practice, May, 1987, p.18. [7] Psychiatry in Practice, May, 1987, p.18. As has been mentioned above the Prophet Muhammad(sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) was neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist. Rather, he merely conveyedthe truth that was revealed to him. It is in the context of this quotation and the one before it that the followingsaying of the Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu àlayhe wa sallam) can be understood: «Treat your women kindly. The woman has been created from a rib, and the most curved part of arib is its upper region. If you try to straighten it you will break it, and if you leave it as it is, it willremain curved. So treat women kindly» And in another narration: «If you try to straighten her you will break her and breaking her means divorce», [Reported byal-Bukhaaree and Muslim]. This is very important advice for the man - for him to have patience and not to try to 'reform' the behaviouralpattern of the woman during these times i.e. 'to straighten her'. He will not be able to do that, as it isbiological in origin. Instead, he should maintain and protect his relationship with her by showing kindness.

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[8] Psychiatry in Practice, November, 1987, p.26. [9] Psychiatry in Practice, Winter, 1989, p.16. [10] Psychiatry in Practice, Winter, 1989, p.17. [11] Katherine Blick Hoyenga and Kermit T. Hoyenga in 'Sex Differences in Mental Health', p.336.

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Misconception: The Islamic Threat

In recent years, a great deal of attention in the media have been given to the threat of "IslamicFundamentalism". Unfortunately, due to a twisted mixture of biased reporting in the Western media and theactions of some ignorant Muslims, the word "Islam" has become almost synonymous with "terrorism".However, when one analyses the situation, the question that should come to mind is: Do the teachings of Islam encourage terrorism? The answer: Certainly not! Islam totally forbids the terrorist acts that are carried out by some misguided people. It should beremembered that all religions have cults and misguided followers, so it is their teachings that should belooked at, not the actions of a few individuals. Unfortunately, in the media, whenever a Muslim commits aheinous act, he is labeled a "Muslim terrorist". However, when Serbs murder and rape innocent women in Bosnia, they are not called "Christian terrorists",nor are the activities in Northern Ireland labeled "Christian terrorism". Also, when right-wing Christians in theU. S. bomb abortion clinics, they are not called "Christian terrorists". Reflecting on these facts, one couldcertainly conclude that there is a double-standard in the media! Although religious feelings play a significantrole in the previously mentioned "Christian" conflicts, the media does not apply religious labels because theyassume that such barbarous acts have nothing to do with the teachings of Christianity. However, whensomething happens involving a Muslim, they often try to put the blame on Islam itself - and not the misguidedindividual. Certainly, Islamic Law (Sharee'ah) allows war - any religion or civilisation that did not would never survive - butit certainly does not condone attacks against innocent people, women or children. The Arabic word "jihaad",which is often translated as "Holy War", simply means "to struggle". The word for "war" in Arabic is "harb",not "jihaad". "Struggling", i.e. "making jihaad", to defend Islam, Muslims or to liberate a land where Muslimsare oppressed is certainly allowed (and even encouraged) in Islam. However, any such activities must be done according to the teachings of Islam. Islam also clearly forbids"taking the law into your own hands", which means that individual Muslims cannot go around deciding whothey want to kill, punish or torture. Trial and punishment must be carried out by a lawful authority and a knowledgeable judge. Also, whenlooking at events in the Muslim World, it should be kept in mind that a long period of colonialism ended fairlyrecently in most Muslim countries. During this time, the people in these countries were culturally, materiallyand religiously exploited - mostly by the so-called "Christian" nations of the West. This painful period has notreally come to an end in many Muslim countries, where people are still under the control of foreign powers orpuppet regimes supported by foreign powers. Also, through the media, people in the West are made to believe that tyrants like Saddam Hussein in Iraqand Moamar Qaddafi in Libya are "Islamic" leaders - when just the opposite is true. Neither of these rulerseven profess Islam as an ideology, but only use Islamic slogans to manipulate their powerless populations.They have about as much to do with Islam as Hitler had to do with Christianity! In reality, many MiddleEastern regimes which people think of as being "Islamic" oppress the practice of Islam in their countries. Sosuffice it to say that "terrorism" and killing innocent people directly contradicts the teachings of Islam.

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Misconception: Muslims Worship a Different God

First of all, there is only One God who created the Universe and all of mankind. Throughout history, people have created false gods in their minds and come up with false ideas aboutAlmighty God, but regardless of this there is still only One True God - and He alone is worthy of worship.Unfortunately, some non-Muslims have come to incorrectly believe that Muslims worship a different God thanJews and Christians. This might be due to the fact that Muslims sometimes refer to God as "Allaah", but alsobecause over the centuries there have been many lies and distortions spread by the enemies of Islam. Inactuality, Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus --- the same God as Christians andJews. The word "Allaah" is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God and it is the same word that Arabic speakingChristians and Jews use to refer to God. If you pick up an Arabic translation of the Christian Bible, you willsee the word "Allaah" where "God" is used in English. For more information on the word "Allaah", please referto the article: Who is Allaah? But even though Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in the same God, theirconcepts about Him differ quite a bit. For example, Muslims reject the idea of the Trinity or that God hasbecome "incarnate" in the world. Also, the teachings of Islam do not rely on or appeal to "mystery" or"paradox", they are straightforward and clear. Islam teaches that God is Merciful, Loving and Compassionate and that He has no need to become man (nordo humans need for Him to). One of the unique aspects of Islam is that it teaches that man can have apersonal and fulfilling relationship with Almighty God without compromising the transcendence of God. InIslam there is no ambiguity in Divinity, God is God and man is man. Muslims believe that God is the "MostMerciful", and that he deals directly with human-beings without the need of any intermediary. Actually, thephrase "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful" is one of the most repeated verses in the HolyQur.aan. Additionally, the pure and straightforward teachings of Islam demand that Almighty God beapproached directly and without intermediaries. This is because Muslims believe that God is completely incontrol of everything and that He can bestow His Grace and Mercy on His creatures as He pleases - noAtonement, Incarnation or blood sacrifice is necessary. In summary, Islam calls people to submit to the OneTrue God and to worship Him alone without any partners.

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Misconception: Muslims Worship Muhammad

According to Islamic belief, the Prophet Muhammad was the last Messenger of God. He, like all of God's prophets and messengers - such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus -- was only ahuman being. Christians came to the mistaken assumption that Muslims worship Muhammad by formulating an incorrectanalogy - they worship Jesus so they assumed Muslims worship Muhammad. This is one of the reasons thatthey called Muslims by the incorrect name "Mohammedans" for so many years! Muhammad, like Jesus, never claimed divine status. He called people to worship only Almighty God, and hecontinually emphasised his humanity so that people would not fall into the same errors as Christians did inregards to Jesus. In order to prevent his deification (being referred to as a god worthy of worship), the ProphetMuhammad always said to refer to him as "the Messenger of God and His slave". Muhammad was chosen to be God's final messenger, to communicate the message not only in words but tobe a living example of the message. Muslims love and respect him because he was of the highest moralcharacter and he brought the Truth from God - which is the Pure Monotheism of Islam. Even when Islam wasin its very early stages, God revealed that Muhammad "was sent as a mercy to all of mankind" - thusinforming us that the message of Islam would become very widespread. Muslims strive to follow the greatexample of Muhammad, peace be upon him, but they do not worship him in any way. Additionally, Islam teaches Muslims to respect all of God's prophets and messengers - but respecting andloving them does not mean worshipping them. All true Muslims realize that all worship and prayer must bedirected to Almighty God alone. Suffice it to say that worshipping Muhammad, or anyone else, along withAlmighty God is considered to be the worst sin in Islam. Even if a person claims to be Muslim, but theyworship and pray to other than Almighty God, this cancels and nullifies their Islam. The Declaration of Faith ofIslam makes it clear that Muslims are taught only to worship God. This declaration is as follows: "There is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God,and Muhammad is the Messenger and Servant of God".

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Misconception: Islam is a Religion Only for Arabs

The fastest way to prove that this is completely false is to state the fact that only about 15% to 20% of theMuslims in the world are Arabs. There are more Indian Muslims than Arab Muslims, and more Indonesian Muslims than Indian Muslims! Believing that Islam is only a religion for Arabs is a myth that was spread by the enemies of Islam early in itshistory. This mistaken assumption is possibly based on the fact that most of the first generation of Muslimswere Arabs, the Qur.aan is in Arabic and the Prophet Muhammad was an Arab. However, both the teachingsof Islam and the history of its spread show that the early Muslims made every effort to spread their messageof Truth to all nations, races and peoples. Furthermore, it should be clarified that not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs. An Arab canbe a Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist - or of any other religion or ideology. Also, many countries that somepeople consider to be "Arab" are not "Arab" at all, such as Turkey and Iran (Persia). The people who live inthese countries speak languages other than Arabic as their native tongues and are of a different ethnicheritage than the Arabs. It is important to realise that from the very beginning of the mission of Prophet Muhammad, peace be uponhim, his followers came from a wide spectrum of individuals; there was Bilaal - the African slave; Suhayb - theByzantine Roman; Ibn Saylam - the Jewish Rabbi; and Salmaan - the Persian. Since religious truth is eternal and unchanging, and mankind is one universal brotherhood, Islam teaches thatAlmighty God's revelations to mankind have always been consistent, clear and universal. The Truth of Islam ismeant for all people regardless of race, nationality or linguistic background. Taking a look at the MuslimWorld, from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Malaysia to Afghanistan is enough to prove that Islam is a Universalmessage for all of mankind, not to mention the fact that significant numbers of Europeans and Americans ofall races and ethnic backgrounds are entering the fold of Islam.

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Misconception: Islam Degrades Women

Even though many aspects of Islam are misunderstood by non-Muslims, the ignorance, misinformation andincorrect assumptions that are made in regards to Islam's treatment of women are probably the most severe. Numerous verses of the Qur.aan make it clear that men and women are equal in the sight of God. Accordingto the teachings of Islam, the only thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their level ofGod-consciousness. Due to this, many people are surprised to find out that Islamic Law guaranteed rights towomen over 1400 years ago and that women in Europe and America only obtained their rights recently. Forexample, Islam clearly teaches that a woman is a full-person under the law, and is the spiritual equal of amale. Also, according to Islamic Law, women have the right to own property, operate a business and receiveequal pay for equal work. Women are allowed total control of their wealth, they cannot be married againsttheir will and they are allowed to keep their own name when married. Additionally, they have the right to inherit property and to have their marriage dissolved in the case of neglector mistreatment. Also, Islam does not consider a woman an "evil temptress", and thus does not blamewomen for the "original sin". Women in Islam participate in all forms of worship that men participate in.Actually, the rights that Islam gave to women over 1400 years ago were almost unheard of in the West untilthe 1900's. Less than fifty years ago in England and America, a woman could not buy a house or car without theco-signature of her father or husband! Additionally, Islam gives great respect to women and their role insociety; it gives them the right to own property, marry who they want and many other rights. Also, it shouldbe mentioned that the Prophet Muhammad's mission stopped many of the horrible practices in regards towomen that were present in the society of his time. For example, the Qur.aan put an end to the pagan Arabpractice of killing their baby daughters when they were born. Additionally, Islam put restrictions on the unrestricted polygamy of the Arabs of the time, and put many lawsin place to protect the well-being of women. Today, most of the so-called reforms in the status of womencame about after the West abandoned religion for secularism. Even those in the West who claim to follow theso-called "Judaeo-Christian tradition" really follow the values of Western liberalism, but just to a lesser degreethan their more liberal countrymen. If women in the Muslim World today don't have their rights, it is not because Islam did not give them to them.The problem is that in many places alien traditions have come to overshadow the teachings of Islam, eitherthrough ignorance or the impact of Colonialisation.

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Misconception: Muhammad Wrote the Qur.aan

In addressing this misconception, it is interesting to note that no other religious scripture claims to be thedirect word of Almighty God in total and as clear and as often as the Holy Qur.aan. As the Qur.aan clearly says: "if had been written by man, you would have found many discrepanciestherein". At the time the Qur.aan was revealed, the Arabs recognised that the language of the Qur.aan was unique andthat it was distinctly different from the language normally used by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be uponhim. The Arabs of that time, by the way, were known for their beautiful poetry and Muhammad was known tobe an illiterate man! The Qur.aan clearly says that Muhammad was unable to read and write, so if this wasn't true, certainly hiscontemporaries would have protested and rejected him. However, there are no reports of this. Certainly therewere people who rejected Muhammad's message, just like other prophets were rejected, but none for thisreason. On the contrary, Muhammad, peace be upon him, had thousands of loyal followers and the results oftheir efforts spread Islam from Spain to China in just over a century! It is also interesting to note that even though the Qur.aan is not poetry, the Arabs more or less gave upwriting poetry after it was revealed. It could be said that the Qur.aan is the piece of Arabic literature parexecellance, and Muhammad's contemporaries realised that they couldn't out do it. Additionally, it is easy to prove that Muhammad did not possess a great deal of the knowledge which isexpounded in the Qur.aan: such as knowledge of historical events, previous prophets and naturalphenomenon. The Qur.aan says in several places that Muhammad and his people did not know these things,so again, if this wasn't true, certainly his contemporaries would have rejected his claims. Suffice it to say thatnot only is the Qur.aan the most memorised and well preserved scripture on earth, it is also unequalled ineloquence, spirtual impact, clarity of message and the purity of its truth.

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Misconception: Islam was spread by the sword

Many non-Muslims, when they think about Islam, picture religious fanatics on camels with a sword in onehand and a Qur.aan in the other. This myth, which was made popular in Europe during the Crusades, is totally baseless. First of all, the Holy Qur.aan clearly says "Let there be no compulsion in religion". In addition to this, Islam teaches that a person's faith must be pure and sincere, so it is certainly notsomething that can be forced on someone. In debunking the myth that Islam was "spread by the sword", the(non-Muslim) historian De Lacy O' Leary wrote: "History makes it clear, however, that the legend of fanaticalMuslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is oneof the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever accepted." (Islam at the Crossroads, London,1923, p. 8.). It should also be known that Muslims ruled Spain for roughly 800 years. During this time, and up to whenthey were finally forced out, the non-Muslims there were alive and flourishing. Additionally, Christian andJewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such asEgypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan all have Christian and/or Jewish populations. If Islamtaught that all people are supposed to be killed or forced to become Muslims, how did all of thesenon-Muslims survive for so long in the middle of the Islamic Empire? Additionally, if one considers the small number of Muslims who initially spread Islam from Spain and Moroccoin the West to India and China in the East, one would realise that they were far too few to force people tobecome converts of a religion against their will. Additionally, the great empire and civilisation established bythe Muslims had great staying power, its citizens were proud to be part of it. The spread of Islam stands in contrast to the actions of the followers of Christianity, who since the time of theEmperor Constantine have made liberal use of the sword - often basing their conduct on Biblical verses. Thiswas especially true of the colonisation of South America and Africa, where native peoples weresystematically wiped-out or forced to convert. It is also interesting to note that when the Mongols invaded andconquered large portions of the Islamic Empire, instead of destroying the religion, they adopted it. This is aunique occurrence in history - the conquerors adopting the religion of the conquered! Since they were thevictors, they certainly could not have been forced to become Muslims! Ask any of the over one billionMuslims alive in the world today whether they were forced! The largest Muslim country in the world today isIndonesia -- and there were never any battles fought there! So where was the sword? How could someone beforced to adhere to a spiritually rewarding and demanding religion like Islam?

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Misconception: Muslims Hate Jesus

Many non-Muslims are surprised to find out that according to Muslim belief, Jesus, the son of Mary, is one ofthe greatest messengers of God. Muslims are taught to love Jesus, and a person cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth andmiracles of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. Muslims believe these things about Jesus not because of the Bible or any other religion, but simply becausethe Holy Qur.aan says these things about him. However, Muslims always emphasise that the miracles ofJesus, and all other prophets, were by "God's permission". This having been said, many Christians feel to notbelieve that Jesus is the "Son of God", "God Incarnate" or the "Third Person" of the Trinity. This is becausethe Qur.aan clearly says that Almighty God does not have a "Son" --- neither allegorically, physically,metaphorically or metaphysically. The Pure Monotheism of Islam rejects the notion of "defining" God (which is basically what the "Doctrine ofthe Trinity" does), saying that someone is "like" God or equal to him, or praying to someone else besidesGod. Also, Islam teaches that titles such as "Lord" and "Saviour" are due to God alone. In order to avoid misunderstanding, it should be clarified that when Muslims criticise the Bible or theteachings of Christianity, they are not attacking "God's Word" or Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. From theMuslim point of view, they are defending Jesus and God's Word, which they have in the form of the Qur.aan.Muslim criticism is targeted at writings that some people claim are God's word, but Muslim's simply don'taccept their claim that they are really God's word. Additionally, Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and the Atonement are criticised by Muslims preciselybecause they did not originate from Jesus, peace be upon him. In this way, Muslims are the true followers ofJesus, peace be upon him, because they defend him from the exaggerations of the Christians and teach thePure Monotheism that Jesus himself followed.

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Misconception: Islam is Fatalistic

Most Muslims find it rather odd that their religion, which strikes a beautiful balance between faith and action,could be accused of being "fatalistic". Perhaps this misconception came about because Muslims are taught to say "Praise be to God!" wheneveranything good or bad happens. This is because Muslims know that everything comes from Almighty God,who is the All-Knowing Sustainer of the Universe, and that since a Muslim should rely completely on God,whatever happened must have been for the better. However, this does not mean that Muslims are not taughtto take action in life, quite simply the opposite is true. Islam requires not only faith, but action -- such as regular prayer, fasting and charity. To be more precise, inIslam actions are part of one's faith. Islam totally rejects the extreme beliefs of some religions that teach thatyou shouldn't go to a doctor when sick, but only pray for God to heal you. Islam's outlook is very positive,since it teaches that human beings can take positive action in this life. This was certainly what was taught byProphet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to his followers - since they obviously took the action of spreadingIslam from Spain to Morocco in a very short period of time. Even though Islam teaches that God knows what human beings will do before they do it, human beings stillhave free will. Certainly God, who is All-Knowing and All-Wise, knows what is going to happen to everyone before ithappens -- to deny this would be a denial of God Himself. However, if human-beings did not have free will, itwould be ridiculous and un-just for God to demand that they do certain things and believe certain things. Farfrom being "fatalistic", Islam teaches that a human-being's main purpose in life is to be God-conscious. Dueto this, Muslims worry less about material matters and view their earthly life in a proper perspective. This isdue to the fact that Islam clearly teaches that if people worship and depend on Almighty God alone, then theyhave nothing to worry about - since God wants what is best for them. True freedom, from the Islamic perspective, does not mean aimlessly following all of your human desires forfood, drink, wealth and sex. On the contrary, freedom means being able to control one's base desires andfulfilling them in a proper and legal way. This brings one's desires in tune with what God wants for us - onlythen is a person truly free!

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Misconception: The Earth is flat

Question: The following letter reached the program (broadcast program) from Kenya, sent by our brother, thestudent, Ibraheem Muhammad Al-Awwal. The brother says, "I heard the program Nurun 'alad-Darb (A Lightupon the Path) and I benefited greatly from it. Therefore, I wanted to send these questions to you all becausetheir topics are very perplexing to me. The first is: Is the earth round or flat?" Response: According to the people knowledge (scholars of Islam) the earth is round, for indeed Ibn Hazm anda group of other scholars mentioned that there is a consensus (unanimous agreement, Ijmaa') among thepeople of knowledge that it is round. This means that all of it is connected together thus making the form ofthe entire planet like a ball. However, Allaah has spread out surface for us and He has placed firm mountainsupon it and placed the animals and the seas upon it as a mercy for us. For this reason, Allaah said: {And (do they not look) at the Earth, how it was made FLAT (Sutihat)}, [Soorah al-Ghaashiyyah, Aayah20] Therefore, it (the Earth) has been made flat for us in regards to its surface, so that people can live on it andso that people can be comfortable upon it. The fact that it is round does not prevent that its surface has beenmade flat. This is because something that is round and very large, if it is made flat (its surface), then itssurface will become very vast or broad (i.e. having a flat appearance). Yes." Shaykh Ibn Baaz

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