Dear Muslims:

The Muslims of today can see that Islam is being demonised today more than ever.
The history of Islam is being re-told by revisionists.
Thus whatever history we have is being taken from us. Islam is always the problem,
Islam is always the aggressor, Islam is always wrong. This constant mantra being
sent out over the airwaves has had an effect.

Some Muslims have left the religion altogether, renouncing it and accepting
secularism as the new opiate of the masses. Others have kept the Islam but it is a
sort of shame that they have, 'Yes I am Muslim (said in a whisper).'

The other small scattered groups that have a constant dedication to Islam are in
danger from both groups, with the youth coming out of this experience or from
immigrant families equally confused.

Thus the only option for us is to regain our history, by telling the truth and by living
the truth that Islam has brought. Some of it could be speaking about what Islam has
done in the past and how Islam was the flagbearer of greatness and civilisation until
it was plotted against, deceived and overthrown.

The next aspect of us regaining our history is to actually stand up and take it. Islam
has never spread and been great without the Shari`a. Therefore, the Shari`a must
come back to all lands. And this will not come without blood, sweat and tears.

The Muslims must be ready to do this at any time. For our dedication in doing this
is what preserves all of what Islam is, the history, the scholars, the fiqh, the creed
and all of those other things that make Islam the fibrant force on Earth and in the
lives of people.

Without dedication and the will to fight, our way of life cannot be preserved. For
nothing is preserved without the struggle in preservation. Taking the time to write it
down, document it and then fight those who seek to erase or dismiss it is a constant
process that will continue until the Day of Resurrection.

For those who are dedicated, they know this and are already working. For those
who do not know this, now is the time to prepare yourself for a war of attrition
against all that is evil. And for those that are obstacles, they are only cannon fodder
for the coming Islamic regimes.

Let us all rise together and let the banner of La ilaha illallah wave unchallenged over
the whole of the globe!

THE IMAAM OF AHL US-SUNNA WALJAMA`AH;
IMAAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL (RH)

It was stated by Imaam `Ali ibn alMadini (RH),

'Allah reinforced this Din with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq the day of the Great Apostasy
(ar-Ridda), and He reinforced it with Ahmad ibn Hanbal the day of alMihna(the
Inquisition).'

The last to come in the era of the mujtahid imaams, Ahmad (RH) was the last of an
era and the end of an age of greatness that we indeed are mournful of missing.

HIS LIFE AND WORKS

The Imaam, Abu `Abdullah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal ibn Hilaal
ash-Shaibaani al-Dhuhli al-Marwazi alBaghdadi was born in Rabi` alAwwaal 164
AH (781 AD).

While his mother was pregnant with him, the family moved from Marw in Iran to
where the imaam was later born in Baghdaad.

He would later be made an orphan by the death of his father. However, he would
receive a first rate upbringing by his chaste mother, Safiyyah bint Maimunah bint
`Abdul Malik ash-Shaibaani (RH). She was from the tribe of `Aamir.

He was indeed related to the Prophet (SAW) through the line of Nizaar. Nizaar
had two sons. One of them was Mudar, and the Prophet (SAW) is from his
lineage.

The other, however was from Rabi`a and the noble Imaam is from that line. So
indeed the imaam had a great mother and a great relation in the form of the Prophet
(SAW).

To continue, with help from Allah and his mother, Ahmad (RH) and her would later
go and stay with his uncle. It would be noticed that at a very young age he had an
interest and inclination towards knowledge.

He decided to first start seeking knowledge in hadith in the year 179 AH when he
was 15 years of age. After seven years of learning, he would later travel to such
locations as Kufa, Basra, Makkah, Madinah, Yemen, Syria and the rest of the
Peninsula.

While in these different lands, he would take knowledge from the scholars of each
land. He was never too busy to go out into the world and seek knowledge. The
first one that he would write down hadith from was Imaam Abu Yusuf (RH), one of
the top students of Abu Hanifa (RH) and the codifier of Hanafi fiqh.

Imaam Abu Yusuf [one of Imaam Abu Hanifa's (RH) top students] was one of
those who taught Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RH) some of his beginning fiqh as
well as hadith, making him Ahmad's first teacher in that subject. But it would not be
long after he left that Imaam's (RH) presence until he would be learning from
Imaam Hushaim ibn Bashir ibn Abi Khazim alWaasiti [d. 183 AH (799 AD)
(RH)], who was very famous in his time.

Imaam Ahmad (RH) said the following

'I first heard from Hushaim in the year 179. And Hushaim is the shaikh of the
scholars of hadith in Iraq in his time. And we remained with him until the year 183
(799 AD)'

'We wrote from him the Book of Hajj which contained some 1,000 hadith, some
tafsir, a book on Qadaa and small books.'

Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RH) also traveled to Yemen once to take knowledge from the
hadith scholar Shaikh `Abdur-Razzaaq ibn Himam as-Sana`aani (RH), the imaam
of ahaadith in Yemen, who helped support Ahmad (RH), who was too poor to pay
for all of his food and lodging.

He would finally travel a total of 5 times to Basra in Iraq and the same number of
time to the Hijaaz in the Peninsula where he would meet Imaam ash-Shaafi`ii at
Masjid ulHaraam. He would also meet him yet again in Baghdaad.

His first trip to Basra yielded fruit in the year 186 AH (802 AD) when he would
meet Sufyaan ibn `Uyainah (RH) in the year 187 AH (803 AD). He also took
hadith from Hushaim and Ibrahim ibn Sa`d (RH). But when he took from `Uyainah,
he benefited quite a great deal.

This is the same Sufyaan ibn `Uyainah (RH), who was one of the scholars and
Imaams from whom the compilers of the Six Sahih collections has transmitted. He
met 86 tabi`in (students of the Sahaaba) and was himself a tabi` tabi`ii (someone
who has learned from one of the students of the Sahaaba).

He lived in Makkah. He was born in 107 AH (725 AD) and died in 198 AH (813
AD). Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RH) was to benefit from the hadith tutelage of Imaam
`Abbaad ibn `Abbaad (RH), Imaam Yahya ibn Abi Za’ida (RH), and their layer.

Thus Ibn Hanbal (RH) was learning from the Sahaaba (RAA) and the students of
the Sahaaba (RAA). How amazing was this honour and great its' reward!

After some time, he went to Kufa then to Ubaadaan in 186 AH, where he would
meet Abu Rabi`a (RH) and take knowledge from him. He then traveled to Waasit
where he would meet Yazid ibn Harun (RH).

He would meet many sparkling personalities in his time, for example besides those
above, while in Makkah, he would meet Imaam `Abdur-Razzaaq as-Sana`aani
(RH) as well as Imaam Yahya ibn Ma`in (RH).

These were the great men of Islam and Ahmad (RH) thrived among them.
Throughout his whole life he would meet great people, but the one with the most
influence on his life would be Imaam ash-Shaafi`ii (RH).

This man, along with the secondary influence of Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn
alHasan ash-Shaibaani (RHM) would help to codify and shape Imaam Ahmad's
(RH) ideas and point him towards what principles he would employ.

For with each person he learned from, not only did Ahmad learn how to be, but he
learned what principles he did not want to ingest for when he taught his own
madhhab and principles.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF AHMAD (RH)

Imaam ash-Shaafi`ii (RAA), the teacher of Ahmad (RAA) remarked, 'Ahmad is
imaam in eight things:

'Imaam in hadith, imaam in fiqh, imaam in Arabic language, imaam in Qur'an, imaam
in abstention, imaam in piety, imaam in religious abstention and imaam in Sunna.'

Al `Allamah Muhammad `Uthmaan adh-Dhahabi ash-Shaafi`ii (RH) praised the
Imaam in the following words, "Shaikh ulIslam, leader of the Muslims in his time,
the muhaddith (hadith scholar) and Hujjat ulIslam (the proof for the religion of
Islam)."

From the chain of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RAA), Imaam alBukhari (RH)
ahaadith two hadiths in his Jaami` us-Sahih, while Imaam Muslim (RH) narrated 22
ahaadith in his collection.

Imaam Abu Dawud (RH) lists 254 ahaadith with a line back to Ahmad. Others
include Mutayyin, `Abdullah ibn Ahmad (RHM), and many other scholars also
testify to the greatness of Imaam Ahmad (RH).

Abu Zur`a ar-Raazi (RH) mentioned that Ahmad (RH) had memorised a million
ahaadith, which he learned with the Imaam according to subject.

Ibrahim alHarbi (RH), one of Ahmad's (RH) students, remarked, "I held Ahmad as
one for whom Allah had gathered up the combined knowledge of the first and the
last."

Abu `Ubaid (RH) said, " Four men have all of the sciences and Ahmad ibn Hanbal
is the most knowledgeable."

Yahya ibn Ma`in (RH) said upon being compared with Ahmad (RH), 'By Allah,
There is no one under the sky as knowledgeable in fiqh as Ahmad. There is no one
in the East or West like him. I shall never in my life compare to him.'

When comparing Imaam Ahmad (RAA) with Sufyaan ath-Thawri (RAA), Abu
Thawr said (RH), ‘Ahmad has more knowledge than Sufyaan ath-Thawri.’

WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF IMAAM AHMAD (RH)?

Imaam Ahmad's (RH) principles of fiqh are based on five principles,

Principle One: The explicit and other texts of the Qur'an. When he found it, he gave
fatwa based on it. And he did not give fatwa that would oppose a general or
explicit text.

Principle Two: What the Sahaaba (RAA) gave as a fatwa. Then when he found a
statement of a part of them as a fatwa and he was not aware of anything opposing
it, he did not take recourse to other than it.

Principle Three: When the Sahaaba (RAA) differed in an issue and there was a
choice in the matter. When this occurred, he gave fatwa to what was nearest to the
Book and the Sunna and he did not leave from their statements.

And if it did not become clear to him conformity in one of the statements to adjust
the difference in it, then he did not judge the statement.

Principle Four: The taking hold of a mursal [narration that does not go back any
further than the second generation after the prophet (SAW)] or weak hadith. When
he did not have anything to go on in a matter, he would take recourse to it. And it is
that which he preferred and gave priority to over qiyaas (analogy).

Principle Five: Qiyaas. This is when he did not have in any issue a text from the
Book, the words of the Sahaaba (RAA) or a narration that is mursal, then this is
the fifth principle from the principles of his fataawa.

He preferred to cease in giving fataawa and instead take recourse and flee to the
evidences that were mentioned before or to what the Sahaaba differed in, or to
what there was no notice of against the narration or statement of one of the
Sahaaba or the Tabi'iin.

STUDENTS OF IMAAM AHMAD:

His sons Saalih (the eldest) and `Abdullah (RHM) were his first two students and
also the ones who wrote down and codified his fiqh. It is interesting for he remains,
with the exception of Imaam ash-Shaafi`ii (RH) as the only Imaam whose fiqh was
written down in front of him by his students in his life.

Imaam Ahmad (RH) also wrote down sections of his own fiqh and his massive
Musnad collection, which also sets him apart from most of the other imaams, with
the exception of again Imaam ash-Shaafi`ii (RAA).

Generally, the other imaams were not able to do this and did not commit their
school of thought to writing. It is amazing that the smallest and last madhhab formed
was the one that the founder of it wrote down mostly with his own hand.

His other students include Abu Bakr alAthram, Muhammad ibn Isma`il alBukhaari,
Muslim ibn Hajjaaj, `Abdul Malik alMaimuni, Abu Bakr alMarwadhi, Harb and
Ibrahim ibn Ishaaq alHarbi (RHM).

ADHERANTS TO THE HANBALI SCHOOL OF FIQH:

Shaikh ulIslam `Abdul Qaadir alJilaani, Shaikh ulIslam Ibn Taymiyyah, al `Allamah
Ibn ulQayyim, Shaikh ulIslam Muwaffaq ud-Din Ibn Qudaamah, Imaam Shams
ud-Din Ibn Qudaamah, al `Allamah Ibn Rajab alHanbali, Imaam Ibn alJawzi,
Shaikh Sabt Ibn alJawzi, Imaam Ibn Abu Ya`la, Shaikh Ibn Muflih, al `Allamah
Abul Wafaa' Ibn `Aqil, Shaikh an-Najjaad and al`Allamah Abul Qaasim `Umar ibn
Hussain alKhirqi (RHM).

Other adherants to this way include:

Shaikh `Abbaad alHanbali, Shaikh ulIslam Muhammad ibn `Abdul Wahhaab,
Shaikh `Abdullah Abu Batin, Imaam Naasir as-Sa`di, al `Allamah Bahaa ud-Din
Abu Muhammad alMaqdisi, al `Allamah `Alaa ud-Din alMarwardi, al`Allamah
alBahuti, Shaikh Sa`d ibn `Atiq, Shaikh `Umar ibn Salim, Shaikh `Abdullah
al`Anqari, Shaikh ulIslam Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, Imaam `Abdul Latif ibn Ibrahim
and Shaikh Muhammad ibn `Abdul Latif (RHM).

MU`TAZILA AND THE ALMIHNA (Inquisition)

In his time, the Mu`tazila movement, which is a group of scholars who began to use
speculative theology, came to power and began to oppress people.

Their power came from the fact that they were able to win the Khalifa of that time
over to the Mu'tazila creed. Imaam Ibn Hanbal (RH) would spend long periods of
time in jail, but he would not give in to the demands of the tyrants. He continued on,
suffering for the sake of Allah (SWT) and championing the belief of Ahl us-Sunna
walJama'ah from its' enemies.

After a long bloody war, the death of one of his best friends and long suffering,
Imaam Ahmad (RH) was victorious over his enemies, released from jail and
exonerated from all of the charges that the previous government had beared against
him.

After that, he lived out his later life respected by the other scholars, those who
were too scared to speak up in the first place and left only the Imaam of Ahl
us-Sunna to defend the truth.

For this contribution, Imaam alMadini (RH) rightly exclaimed,

"Allah reinforced this religion with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq the day of the Great
Apostasy (ar-Ridda), and He reinforced it with Ahmad ibn Hanbal the day of
alMihna (the Inquisition)."

When Imaam Ahmad (RH) died in 241 AH (855 AD), he was accompanied to his
resting place by a funeral procession of eight hundred thousand men and sixty
thousand women, marking the departure of the last of the four great mujtahid
Imaams of Islam."

And may Allah reward him for his contribution to Islam and may he be for as an
example of standing for the truth, even against incredible odds. Amin..

MUSLIMS IN HISTORY
WHO ARE THE REAL FANATICS?

Within the last few years, Muslims have had to face the onslaught of the media with
its' portrayal of Muslims as wild animals and monsters who are intolerant.

But has this been the correct view? How many times have some of us as Muslims
heard this and not even questioned what they have attempted to do to our history
and the minds of those even considering Islam?

NO! History is a witness to the truth of Islam and the way of dealing with others.
While the West still has bloody hands that leave a trail of blood from whatever
country it exits from, Muslims have history as a proof to show the true face of
Islam. A case in point is a town in the country of Syria by the name of Mailula.

Recently, the Pope John Paul II paid a visit there to observe the Christian
community and apologise to the Christians and Muslims there for all of the
intolerance towards the indigenous Christians and Muslims through the centuries.

This little town of Mailula has more to be observed than just the visiting of the
Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. This community dates back some
2,000 years and every single one of those years has been lived out peacefully with
the Muslims of Syria, who make up the majority of the country.

Infact, not only has Islam preserved Christianity for those in that town who want to
practice it, but it has also preserved another thing. The original language spoken by
the Messiah and his students in that area, Aramaic.

For those who have studied archaeology and ancient Middle Eastern civilisation
along with the dead languages (those languages which are no longer spoken today,
such as Sumerian), then this would be a great thing to know that after all of these
thousands of years, Aramaic is still a living language.

It was believed to have died out by many when the Muslims, who were speaking
Arabic, a variant of the language and the sister language to Hebrew, took control of
the region nearly 2,000 years ago. However, there have been scattered
communities found that still speak the language of the Messiah not just in their
liturgy, but in everyday life.

This phenomenon includes the Nasturiyyah of Central and Southern Iraq, once
again another Christian community preserved by the Muslims when Iraq came
under Islamic control.

Another would be the community in Syria that the Pope is set to visit for his 4 day
journey across the Middle East. Indeed, the Muslims have even offered a helping
hand in helping to preserve the language.

The Muslim community surrounding the town have begun to help the community to
begin to write down their language again and to revivify it and the texts in Aramaic
that would have been lost without these efforts.

Originally, Aramaic was written down, but went into decline with the advent of
Arabic in the area. But now the Muslims have helped the people make a return to
reading their holy language and preserving their sacred texts, like the Pashitta, an
Aramaic Bible read by those Christians which differs greatly from the one
commonly known in the West.

Tawfiq `Eid, Cardinal and confessor for the church said that 'the Muslims had
always been tolerant towards the Christians and that they lived together in peace
and harmony.'

The female head of the Talfiq Church, Mother Superior Taha said that Syria 'is an
example that Muslims and Christians live together peacefully, even with the situation
in front of them.'

One can indeed hear the language of `Isa (AS) being spoken in this area. The town
of Mailula is a majority Christian town although most of the country is Muslim, and
there has not been a single outbreak of violence.

But there is also another interesting part to our story. Before this, the Pope had also
stopped in Greece to ask the Greek Orthodox community to forgive him and the
Roman Catholic community for the atrocities that they had committed towards their
church over the centuries.

In 1988, he had come to Morocco, asking the Muslims to forgive him and Roman
Catholics for the Crusades and all of the Christian intolerance there and in Spain
and other regions.

It is amazing that the Muslims are being held by the press and television to be the
villains, when it is indeed the Christian West that has been intolerant and bigoted,
even towards their fellow co-religionists!!!

When the Pope came to Greece to apologise to the Christians there, were the
Muslims involved in all of the centuries of pogroms against those people? No.

When the Pope came to Morocco and saw the Christian and Jewish communities
unharmed, was it the Muslims who were the aggressors? No.

When the Pope came to Spain and saw the demolished masaajid which had been
converted into churches and the Muslims (sometimes called Marranos or Moriscos
in Spanish) who could not practice their faith freely in public and he apologised to
what was left of the Muslim community, was it Islam as the aggressor? No. Infact,
Islam was the victim, as usual.

When the Pope visited Egypt and met with Pope Shanouda, was it to a community
'under siege' from Islamic rebels? No. Indeed, the Christians have many successful
positions in the government and society there. Infact, many of the newspapers
distributed there are staffed and manned by the Coptic (called Qibt in Arabic)
Christians.

And now when the Pope has come to Syria, what has he found? He has found
Muslims and Christians living side by side for nearly two millenniums without
internecine warfare and the Christians feeling very confident and comfortable with
their Muslim neighbors.

Indeed it is prudence that is pushing the Pope to go and apologise to Muslims and
Christian communities across the world for the atrocities acted out by his faithful
sheep. It is time that the world faces up to the misanthropic tendencies that
Christianity has aroused in the human soul and put the blame where it lies.

The blame lies on a doomed system (or religion) that brought a bleak outlook to
humanity. It is time the world look forward with a positive push and head towards
the gates of Islam and enter in crowds!! And may Allah guide those on this small
globe searching for the truth and reason for their creation. Amin.

.

FOOT AND MOUTH TERROR;
RURAL REVOLT ON THE HORIZON

With the foot and mouth crisis well over 1500 cases, there still remains to be seen
what the government of Britian is going to do about the curse of Allah that seems to
be raining down on it with every new sunrise.

When the first few case came, the government announced that it was 'under
control.' When it reached 100, they said that it 'had just about peaked' and finally
when it reached 500 cases they said that 'things could be serious.'

But firm warning was given earlier about housing so many animals together in the
same compound, but the warnings went unheeded. There was also the factor of
their attacks on the Islamic state of Afghanistan.

For years, this government has been an active agent in trying to destroy the Shari`a
and Islam in that tiny state. The people of the land of Afghanistan have suffered
more starvation due to the British and U.S. governments than the actual weather
that causes droughts.

And yet Allah did avenge His people. Since the British government took food from
the mouths of the Mujaahidin, then Allah took food from the mouths of the British
people. But Allah did it in the most humiliating way possible.

In Afghanistan, it is the absence of food that is hurting the people. But in Britain, the
food is plentiful, yet it cannot be consumed due to the fear of contamination. Indeed
Allah is the Avenger of those who seek to wrong His slaves and He strikes them
from places that they did not perceive that He would strike from at all.

'We shall punish them gradually, from directions that they do not perceive,' Surat
ulQalam, ayah 44.

And indeed Allah is punishing. He is punishing a people who lie in wait and they
ambush others and send assassins to hurt people for no other reason except that
they say La ilaha illallah. But let us not be unmindful of the promise of Allah when
He says,

'Truly, your Lord waits in ambush over them,' Surat ulFajr, ayah 14.

And ambush is what Allah is doing to these people. For all of their technology,
Allah has wrecked the farming industry of these people, when they refused the
Mujaahidin food. Allah has thrown rural Britain in a state of revolt, with civil war
coming closer anc closer with each passing day.

Allah has infected their cattle, when they have damaged the cattle of the
Mujaahidin. Allah has withheld food from their mouths, when they have deprived
Muslim children in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries of food.

Allah has withheld wealth from their livestock, when they have withheld medicine
and supplies from the Muslims of the Chechen lands, Daghestan, Kashmir and
other places.

Allah has kept them from the meat which they pant after while they have kept the
Muslims in many countries from the basic necessities that they need. Indeed, Allah
has spoken the truth when He said,

'The punishment of your Lord is the most severe. He begins it and then He ends it,
Surat ulBuruj, ayaat 12-13.

So why don't we announce to those who do evil in secret and then feign good
cheer and fair doing in public,

'So announce to them a painful punishment,' Surat ulInshiqaaq, ayah 24.

So indeed Allah, He is punishing these people in ways that they could never even
imagine and as long as they are too arrogant to bend their backs in prayer, as well
as to release our Muslim brothers and sisters from the burden of suffering, it will
continue.

And Allah has spoken the truth when He said,

'Those who hurt and put into pains the believing men and women and they do not
repent afterwards, then they will have the punishment of the Fire, and they will have
the scorching punishment of the Fire,' Surat ulBuruj, ayah 10.

And may Allah continue to avenge His servants whose only desire is to imp

BLOODY ASSASSINATION;
ISRAEL STEPS UP TERRORISM

A member of the jama`ah, Islaami Jihaad, was assassinated by Israeli troops
outside of a market in Bethlehem recently. Upon exiting from the market, the man
was met with a hail of gunfire in which he was sprayed with 20 bullets. May Allah
except him as a martyr in His sight. Amin
This act has been met with condemnation from the international community, to the
point where even George Mitchell, a former U.S. official, has prepared a report
defaming the attack as terrorism.

Goerge Mitchell is also heading a group investigating the human rights violations of
the government of Israel. The group is set to also look into Israel's proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction and its' heavy handedness with protesters from the
Palestinian youth.
We can see even in this that the kuffar are even starting to see the behaviour of the
Jews as reprehensible and without justification.

The Israelis also continue their building of settlements in occupied Palestinian
territories, even though according to international law, it is illegal. The Israelis have
remained heedless of this international law for decades and refuse to accept any
type of compromise on the issue.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said, 'The settlement building will continue on as
scheduled.'

As we had said before in past issues of alJihaad, although Barak and Sharon are
both the same as tyrants, one is worse than the other. It is able to now be observed
the Sharon is far worse than the others and that, as we had said, the Israelis have
finally chosen war over the smoke screen of peace that they had been selling.

The brothers in Islaami Jihaad will retaliate, insha'allah and this act of violence will
not go unchecked. How can it go unchecked, even if one is a member of another
nation?

Here is a man that was assassinated stepping out of a crowded market, with
people going back and forth. One of the bullets could have easily killed a child or a
shop keeper. But assassins place no value on human life, only the attainment of the
objective.

The bullet holes in the door of the market that the brother stepped out of remain as
a reminder that peace is the last thing that this government desires.

In the land where `Isa (AS) taught people Islam and passed through on his way to
the other parts of Palestine, these evil creatures have soiled it with their blood
soaked hands and the wretched sound of their footsteps on the Holy Land.

But those who are addicted to peace with those addicted to war should heed the
ayah carefully,

'The Jews and Christians will never be satisfied with you until you follow their
religion,' Surat ulBaqarah, ayah 12.

May Allah keep us safe from forgetting this ayah and may He keep us close to
remembering Him and the promise of His pleasure.

PERFECTING THE SALAAH;
WHAT ABOUT THE NAWAAFIL PART 2

In our last installment, much fruit was borne out by the presentation of the different
types of salaah and their merits. Now we come to section two of our study. And
we will begin with the first salaah that people can benefit from, that of Istikhaarah.

SALAAT ULISTIKHAARAH (SEEKING THE ASSISTANCE AND
COUNSEL OF ALLAH)

In regards to this salaah, it is narrated from Jaabir ibn `Abdullah alAnsaari (RAA),
'The Messenger of Allah taught us to do Istikhaarah in all matters just as he taught
us the surah from the Qur'an.

He said, "Whenever anyone of you is concerned with some matter, then let him
make two raka`ah outside of those of faridah (the 5 salawaat) and let him say,

Allahumma Inni Astakhiruka Bi `Ilmika wastaqdiruka BiQudratik. Wa As'aluka min
Fadlikal `Azim, fa innaka Taqdiru wa La Aqdir wa Ta`lamu wa La a`lam. Wa Inta
`allaamul Ghuyub

Allahumma In kunta ta`lamu anna haadhal amru khairu liya fi dini wa ma`aashi wa
`aaqibati amri, faqdurhu liya wa yassirhu liya thumma baarik liya fi. Wa in ta`lamu
anna haadhal amru sharru liya fi dini wa ma`ishi wa `aaqibati amri, fasrifhu `anni
wasrifni `anhu waqdur liyal khaira haithu kaana thumma ardini bihi-

Translation: O Allah, I seek the help of your knowledge and your grace. You are
capable and I am not. You know and I do not know. And You know the unseen.

O Allah, You know if this matter is good for me-regarding the thing in question- in
my religion, life and life to come, then make it possible and easy for me. And bless
me in it. But if this matter is evil for me, my religion, life and life to come, then keep
it from me and keep me from it. Make possible for me the good whenever it is to
be found and let me be content with it-then the person may again name their need
or matter that they are thinking about."'

This is narrated by Imaam alBukhaari (RH) and classified as sahih.

Indeed this is the safe method and way to keep our affairs solely for the Lord of all
creation and to keep corruption far from us. There are some who have been taught
that the Istikhaara can only be made once, and that to do so after would be
completely impermissible.

But this is not completely true. Shaikh ulIslam Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) mentions that
this can be done a number of times and sometimes it is better to do this, Majmu`a
Fataawa, Kitaab us-Salaah.

In praise of that salaah, Shaikh ulIslam Ibn Qudaamah (RH) mentioned it, but
without making mention of how many times the prayer may be made for one
matter, alMughni, V. 1.

Likewise, Shaikh ulIslam Muhyi ud-Din an-Nawawi (RH) did not make a specific
rule in his commentary on Sahih Muslim about the number of times Istikhaara may
be made, please see Sharh Sahih Muslim, Kitaab us-Salaah for more details.

The du`aa for the Istikhaara may be made in the salaah or after it, but Shaikh
ulIslam Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) stated his opinion that it is best to do it before taslim,
Majmu`a Fataawa, Kitaab us-Salaah.

This may be to avoid interruption for the one who may try to read it after salaah
and he is beset by visitors. So after he finishes the tash-shahud, it may be more
prudent for him to make the Istikhaara then. And some `ulama have also stated that
it can be made while in prostration as well.

SALAAT UL-HAAJJAH (NECESSITY)

This prayer is done by some due to the narration of `Abdullah ibn Abi Awfaa,
where he said,

'The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,

"Whenever one has a necessity for himself to Allah or to one of the people of
Adam, then let him make wudu, and make his wudu well, then let him pray two
raka`ah, sending glorification on Allah.

"Then let him send peace on blessings on the Prophet (SAW) then let him say

La ilaha illallah alHalim alKarim. La ilaha illallah al`Ali al`Azim. Subhaanallahi
Rabbul `Arsh il`Azim, alHamdu lillahi Rabbil`Alamin. Is'aluka mujibaat rahmatik wa
`azaa'imu maghfiratuk, walGhanimah man kulli birr.

was-Salaamah min Kulli Ithm, La tad`u liya dhamban illa ghafartahu wa la hamman
illa farajtahu, wa la haajah hiya laka radan illa qaadiyatuhaa yaa arham ur-raahimin,

Translation: No one has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the Benign, the
Generous and Noble. No one has the right to be worshipped except Allah, the
Most High the Most Grand. Glory be to the Lord of the Grand Throne, praise be
to Allah, Lord of All Creation. I ask you of the needs by way of your mercy and
magnificence of your forgiveness and the treasure and spoils from every single act
of righteousness,

And the safety from every sin. Do not call me for a sin unless it be the case that
You forgive it, nor any anxiety except that You lift it, nor for any necessity or need
due to You in pleasure except that You grant it, O Most Merciful One,"' Collected
by Imaam at-Tirmidhi (RH) and classified as gharib.

The grading of gharib (strange) could be that the hadith is either rejected or kept,
but it does not mean that it is absolutely rejected. Some have utilised the hadith,
while others narrate it and remain silent.

SALAAT UT-TAWBA (REPENTANCE)

This salaah is known of by the relation of `Ali (RAA) who said,

'Abu Bakr related to me and he spoke the truth, I heard the Messenger of Allah
saying,

"There is not a man who commits a sin, then purifies himself and prays two raka`ah,
then seeks the forgiveness of Allah the Exalted except that He has forgiveness on
him (the sinner).

'Then he (SAW) recited, And those, when they do evil or oppress themselves, they
mention Allah, Surah Aali `Imraan, ayah 135. '" Collected by Imaam Abu Dawud
as-Sijistaani (RH) and classified as hasan gharib (good and reliable but strange in
narration).

The Hanbalis, due to their stance of acceptance of the text in weak hadith and
acting upon them, they have mentioned them in their books of fiqh and salaah. This
is why Shaikh ulIslam Ibn Qudaamah (RH), the Hanbali `aalim, included them even
in his alMughni work on the salaah, V. 1.

While recognising perhaps the weakness in sanad or some factors that weaken the
hadith, if the Hanbalis find a verse to strengthen it, as in the case above or that the
text is sound and that the weakness of the hadith is not due to the fact that the
narrator is a faasiq (sinner) or kadhdhaab (liar), then in most instances, they find the
hadith necessary to be acted upon.

Thus the two salaahs of Tawba and Haajah are accepted by them, even if
weakened by some others. But Istikhaarah is agreed upon in general with
difference in some of the minute details.

And may Allah give us the strength to act on His words and seek His reward with
these salawaat of greatness in which we can get closer to Him and increase our
station in His sight for the Jannah.

.

THE 7 CONDITIONS OF SHAHAADAH;
THE CONDITION OF KNOWLEDGE PART 2

Knowledge, according to the intended meaning of it, is indeed negation and
affirmation, with the negation being of juhl (the kufr ignorance that leads to shirk).
Allah The Exalted has said,

'Know that no one has the right to be worshipped except Allah,' Surah
Muhammad, ayah 19.

And He (SWT) also says,

'Except who bears witness of the truth,' Surat uz-Zukhruf, ayah 86.

This truth is in reference to La ilaha illallah and the verse,

'And they know,' Surat uz-Zukhruf, ayah 86.

is making reference to that they know in their hearts. So it also means that they
speak it with their tongues as well. And He (SWT) says,

'Allah bears witness that no one has the right to be worshipped except Him. And
so do the angels and those firmly established in knowledge. No one has the right to
be worshipped except Him, the All Mighty, the All Wise,' Surah Aali `Imraan, ayah
18.

And He (SWT) says,

'Are they equal those who know and those who do not know? Only the people of
knowledge will remember,' Surat uz-Zumar, ayah 9.

The Exalted One also has mentioned,

'Those who from among His slaves that fear Allah are the `ulama,' Surah Faatir,
ayah 28.

Allah (SWT) mentions,

'And those are the examples that we have given to mankind, and no one will grasp
them with the intellect (`aql) except those who know,' Surat ul`Ankabut, ayah 42.

And it is also mentioned in the sahih hadith from `Uthmaan (RAA) that the
Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,

'Whoever dies and he knows that no one has the right to be worshipped except
Allah, then he will enter the Jannah,' Collected by Imaam Muslim and classified as
sahih.

This general speech sets the need moreover for an explanation and a clarification,
for knowledge is a general attribute, while the knowledge of La ilaha illallah is a
specific attribute.

Imaam Ibn ulQayyim (RH) says,

'Knowledge is what is established on evidence and benefit of what the Messenger
of Allah (SAW) came with, and it [what he (SAW) came with) is the life of the
hearts, the light of the insights, observations and perceptions,

'the cure of the chests (and the hearts that are in them), the exercise of the intellects,
the pleasure and delight of the souls, the joy and intimate friend of the sad and the
lonely, the proof of the confused and the uncertain and the balance and scale by
which words, actions and movements are measured by it.

'And it is the judge that diffrentiates between doubt and certainty, error and truth
and guidance and astrayness. With it (knowledge), Allah is known, worshipped,
mentioned, singled out and glorified.

'And with it comes guidance to the travelers due to it (knowledge). And from its'
path have come those who have arrived seeking after it (knowledge) and from its'
gate have entered those seeking (knowledge and guidance).

'And with it the laws and judgements of the Shari`a are known and it makes the
distinction and distinguishes halaal from haraam. And with it the ties of kinship are
existent and known

'And it (knowledge) is the imaam, while action is the follower of the imaam, it is the
leader, while action is the follower of the leader and it is the friend in strangeness. It
is the conversation in seclusion, the joy in loneliness and the thing that clears doubt.

'Rememberance of it is glorification (of Allah), investigation of it is jihaad, seeking it
is nearness (to Allah) and giving and spending it (knowledge) is sadaqah (charity).
Its' lessons are equal to and the value of fasting and standing (in prayer). And the
need for it is far greater than that of drink and food.

Imaam Ahmad (RAA) said, "People are more thirsty and starved for knowledge
than they are for food and drink. For the man has the necessity for food and drink
once or twice in the day, while he has need for the knowledge by the number of his
breathes that he takes,"' Taken from Madaarij as-Saalikin, V. 2.

Yes, indeed. So the best of what can be sought in the life of this world is
knowledge. And Allah (SWT) had already ordered his prophet (SAW) with the
seeking of increasing knowledge. So The Majestic One mentioned regarding this
matter,

'And say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge,"' Surah Taha, ayah 104.

It is of course knowledge that precedes words and actions. And Imaam alBukhaari
had mentioned a chapter in his sahih under the heading, 'Knowledge is before
words and actions.'

So it (knowledge) is a condition for the authentication and validity of words and
actions. So the two of those (words and actions) have no value except with it
(knowledge). So it (knowledge) precedes the two, for the niyyah (intention) must
have validity in order for the words and actions to have validity.

And Allah has already bore witness of the people of knowledge having fear and
humility from Him, when He said,

'Those who from among His slaves that fear Allah are the `ulama,' Surah Faatir,
ayah 28.

And Allah has already testified and bore witness with them of the most immense,
noble and majestic presence and witness of Himself. And so it is tawhid, as He
says,

'Allah bears witness that no one has the right to be worshipped except Him. And
so do the angels and those firmly established in knowledge. No one has the right to
be worshipped except Him, the All Mighty, the All Wise,' Surah Aali `Imraan, ayah
18.

So Allah begins with Himself, second the angels and the third are the people of
knowledge. And this is the honourable record of most high and the most noble of
stations in His sight!!

And Allah has raised their (the people of knowledge) and made higher their ability
and power when He, the Mighty, said,

'Allah has raised those who believe from among you and those who have been
given knowledge in ranks and stations,' Surat ulMujaadilah, ayah 11.

And in the sahih of Muslim from Naafi` ibn `Abdul Haarith alKhuzaa`ii that `Umar
ibn alKhattaab (RAA) was working in Makkah and that `Umar ibn alKhattaab met
him (Naafi`) in `Asafaan. So he (`Umar) said to him (Naafi`),

'Who did you leave behind with your people?' So he (Naafi`) said, 'Ibn Abzaa
Mawlaa was left behind for us.' So `Umar said, 'You left behind Mawlaa?!'

He (Naafi`) said, 'He (Abzaa) is a reciter of the Book of Allah, a scholar in
inheritance and the compulsory things.' So `Umar said, 'Your Prophet already has
said,

"Truly, Allah raises some people with this Book and others He lays low,"' Related
by Imaam Muslim (RH) and classified as sahih.

And there is the sahih hadith of Mu`awiyah (RAA) where he said, 'The Messenger
of Allah (SAW) said, "Whenever Allah wants good for a person, He gives him fiqh
(understanding) in the religion,"' Collected by Imaam alBukhaari (RH) in Kitaab
ul`Ilm and classified as sahih.

And it is related from Abu Dardaa' (RAA) who said, 'I heard the Messenger of
Allah (SAW) saying,

"Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah makes easy for him the path
to the Jannah. The angels joyfully spread out their wings under the feet of the
seeker of knowledge.

"And all of the world and whatever is in it in the heavens and the Earth seeks
forgiveness for him, even the living things in the water.

"And the preference of the `aalim (scholar or knowledgeable one) over the
worshipper is as the preference for the moon over the other stars. And the `ulama
are the inheritors of the prophets. The prophets do not leave behind a single dinaar
or dirham.

"The only thing they leave behind as an inheritance is knowledge, so whoever takes
hold of it, he has taken hold of a great and abundant fortune,"' Collected by the
Imaam Ibn Maajah, Imaam Abu `Isa at-Tirmidhi, Imaam Abu Dawud, Imaam Ibn
Hibbaan, Imaam alHaakim, Imaam alBaihaqi and Imaam Ibn `Abdul Barr and
classified as sahih.

And the ayaat and ahaadith regarding the virtue, bounty and preference for
knowledge are more than can be recorded and calculated, but this is sufficient,
insha'allah.

So the intent and thing being sought here in the hadith is not knowledge and its'
virtue, but what is being sought here in this chapter is the knowledge of La ilaha
illallah.

And the intent by it (the statement of La ilaha illallah) is what is being ordained from
the orders, prohibitions, boundaries and judgements. And this is what has been
made clear in the first chapter in detail and there is no harm that we summarise or
add to it moreover.

For what this matter (knowledge and La ilaha illallah) centres around, it is
absolutely necessary that this be done so that it might be clarified and made
obvious in the minds and hearts. So it is the rule of the religion and what it is
established on, just as Shaikh ulIslam Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) has said,

"So these rules and things (for understanding La ilaha illallah) are related to and are
pertaining to the establishment of Tawhid and the fundamental and terminating
ingredient to shirk, exaggeration and extremity.

"The more diversity in its' speech (the speech on tawhid) and the more clarity of its'
phrases and explanations, that is just light on top of light!" Majmu`a Fataawa, V. 1.

Yes, indeed. Therefore, the matter is very immense and great. It is imaan or kufr,
certainty or nifaaq (hypocrisy) and Jannah or the Fire.

'A group in Jannah and a group in the scorching Fire,' Surat ush-Shuraa, ayah 7.

And how many from humanity have gone astray as a cause of ignorance of its' (La
ilaha illallah's) meaning from astrayness. So we ask Allah that He give peace, safety
and pardon to us and to you.

So already this great and immense statement (La ilaha illallah) has been established
in the form of negation and affirmation. So godhead and divinity is negated from all
of what is besides Him. And godhead and divinity is affirmed for Him alone,
without partner for Him in it (godhead).

Thus godhead and divinity, its' origin is `ibaadah. It is a name that has gathered in it
all that Allah loves and is pleasing to Him from statements and actions, inward and
outward.

And it is absolutely necessary that two pillars go along with it (`ibaadah), those
being 1) perfection of the love of Allah with 2) perfection of servitude, humiliation
and submissiveness to Allah.

And it is also necessary that it has two conditions fulfilled before those two (the two
pillars) are accepted and they are, 1) sincerity and 2) complete resignation and
following blindly.

And the religion, all of it is `ibaadah by doing what Allah ordered and leaving what
Allah has forbidden from in that matter. Imaam Ibn ulQayyim (RH) says,

"The ordering and the prohibition is that which the religion is and its' reward is on
the Day of Return. And there is no doubt that the `ibaadah (worship) which we
were created for is the pure `ibaadah which does not have any clothing of shirk in
`ibaadah by anything being made equal to Allah, be whatever it may or whoever it
may be.

"The Mighty and Majestic One says,

'Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him at all,' Surat un-Nisaa',
ayah 36.
"So Allah has binded the order together with `ibaadah, which he has made
compulsory by forbidding from shirk, which He has made haraam. And it is the
shirk in `ibaadah. So the ayah above proves that avoiding shirk is a condition in the
validation and soundness of `ibaadah. And Allah the Exalted says,

'And if they associate and set up partners, then all of what they used to do would
be nullified from them,' Surat ulAn`aam, ayah 88.

"And `ibaadah in all of its' forms it only proceeds from a complete heart that has
love, submission, humility and submissiveness, trust and hope, sincere love, honour
and reverence and fear. And all of this is deserved by no one except Allah the
Exalted.

"So whoever changes anything from the `ibaadah of Allah to other than Allah, then
he has already become a mushrik (pagan), even if he is establishing the Tawhid of
Lordship for Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

"It is the same as Allah had judged on the pagans in the time which they were in
and they believed in that Allah was the Creator, the Sustainter and Provider and the
Designer," Qurratu `Auyun alMuwahhidin, V. 1.

So the `ibaadah is not valid or sound unless by complete disassociation from
`ibaadah of all of what is worshipped besides Allah just as He (SWT) said,

'Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him at all,' Surat un-Nisaa',
ayah 36.

Then He (SWT) says,

'And if they associate and set up partners, then all of what they used to do would
be nullified from them,' Surat ulAn`aam, ayah 88.

And whoever says, La ilaha illallah, then it is compulsory that he moreover
commence the denial of rivals, and the rival is the likeness or similitude, or that
which is sought to be a counterpart (with Allah). And Allah (SWT) says,

'So do not make for Allah rivals and you know,' Surat ulBaqarah, ayah 22.

And we had previously mentioned the words of alHaafiz Ibn Kathir (RH) in
regards to this ayah,

'It means, do not associate with Allah in anything from any rivals which they do not
benefit or harm and you know that it is not a Lord to you. And already you know
that which the Messenger is calling you to of tawhid, it is the truth in which there is
no doubt about it,' Tafsir ulQur'an ulKarim, V. 1.

And in the sahih collections of Muslim and Bukhaari is the hadith from `Abdullah
ibn Mas`ud (RAA) where he said, 'I said, O Messenger of Allah, which sin is the
most great and immense?'

'He said, "That you make for Allah a rival and He created you,"' Related by Imaam
alBukhaari (RH) in Kitaab ut-Tafsir and Imaam Muslim (RH) in Kitaab ulImaan
and classified as sahih.

And from Tufail ibn Sakhra it is narrated to the mother of `A'isha (RAA), mother of
the believers,

'I saw a dream in which there came to me a group of Jews. I said, Who are you?
They said, "We are the Jews." I said, You would be a good people if only you did
not say `Uzair is the son of Allah.

'They said, "And you would be a good people if only you did not say what Allah
wills and what Muhammad wills. He said, 'Then I (Tufail) passed by a group of
Christians. So I said, Who are you?

'They said, "We are Christians." I said, Indeed you would be a good people if you
did not say the Messiah is the son of Allah.

'They said, "And you too would be a good people if you did not say whatever
Allah wills and what Muhammad wills." Then after I (Tufail) woke up from what I
was being informed of, I went to the Prophet (SAW) and informed him of it.

'He said, "Is it that anyone informed you of it?" I said, Yes. So he stood and he
praised Allah and sent glorification upon Him. Then he said (to a gathering of
people), "Then what comes next, Indeed Tufail has seen a dream informing him of
what you have been doing.

"And you have been saying words I have forbid you from. So don't say what Allah
wills and what Muhammad wills, but say what Allah wills only,"' Collected by
Imaam Ahmad, Imaam ad-Daarimi, Imaam alBukhaari, Imaam Ibn Maajah and
Shaikh ulIslam alMuhaddith Ahmad Shaakir (RHM) and classified as sahih.

It had also been said to him [the Prophet (SAW)] by a man, 'Whatever Allah wills
and whatever you will.' So he (SAW) said, 'Are you making me a rival with Allah?!
Say whatever Allah wills only,' Collected by Imaam Ahmad, Imaam alBukhaari,
Imaam an-Nisaa'ii and Imaam Ibn Maajah (RHM) and classified as hasan (good
and reliable).

And whoever says, La ilaha illallah, it is compulsory for him to know that it is
disbelief in the Taghut (false gods) and belief in Allah alone. And the Taghut is just
as Imaam Ibn ulQayyim (RH) said,

'It is all of what is gone outside of the boundaries (of tawhid) with by the
worshipper from being worshipped, blindly followed and obeyed. So the Taghut is
every people that make judgement to it (the Taghut) and not to Allah and His
Messenger. Or they worship it instead of Allah.

'Or they follow it without clear insight from Allah or they obey it when they don't
know that obedience is only to Allah,' I`laam ulMuwaqqi`in, V. 1.

And whoever says, La ilaha illallah, then it is compulsory for him that he should
know that the judgement is for Allah alone and that no single individual, group,
majlis (assembly) or state has the right to legislate for humanity besides Allah,
Mighty and Majestic.

So indeed the creation is not for anyone but Him. And He has not partner in it and
He is the One who gives sustenance to people and when He, Glorified and Exalted
be He, is the establisher of the existance of this very being and He makes easy its'
matters. He does not have any partner in that.

So He alone is the possessor of the right in legislation and judgement and it is not
acceptable at all that there should be any partner whatsoever for Him in this issue!

And whoever says, La ilaha illallah, it is compulsory for him to know that the great
requirements are the love and allegiance to Allah and His Messenger and
disassociation and emnity from shirk and the pagans.

And whoever says, La ilaha illallah, it is compulsory for him to know that the
Majestic Names and Perfected Attributes are what Allah has established for
Himself and what has been established for Him by the most knowledgeable of
people, His slave and His Messenger, Muhammad (SAW).

And the believers have faith in all of them (the attributes), so it is compulsory for us
that we believe in them without tahrif (corrupting them from their words and
meanings), without ta`til (rejecting all of them at once), without takyif (trying to
explain how and interpreting them), without tamthil (likening Allah with something of
His creation).

Exalted and Majestic is our Lord from any rival, equal, co-partner, likeness or
resemblence to creation!!!

"There is no thing like Him, and He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing," Surat
ush-Shuraa, ayah 11.

Do I not say to you, my dear brother, that La ilaha illallah is the root and core of
the religion and what it is established by, the head of its' order, the remainder and
longstanding of the pillars of the religion, that which all compulsory acts are derived
from and that which all acts and ways are perfected and acted by?!

Absolutely, for the universal religion and methodology is what leads to the perfect
way. This is the word of tawhid and it is its' meaning and its' importance. So know
that this is the bliss of this life and the Hereafter. And the bounty, pleasure and
virtue is in the Hand of Allah, END OF PART 2.

RETURN OF THE TYRANT SERIES;
THE UNSTABLE COLONEL ALQADDAAFFI

In our other tyrant series biographies, we have covered the evils of others and their
danger to humanity by their actions and their own destructive policies. But I believe
that this biography is the only one where it can be shown that the actual tyrant is
more dangerous to himself than to others.

I believe that after reading about Mr. ALQaddaaffi, you will come to perhaps the
same conclusion or maybe not far from it. For to be crazy or an oppressor is one
thing, but to actualLY prove to be more of a harm to yourself than others is indeed
even more worrying.

Our story starts in 1942, the year of the birth of a youth named Mu`ammar
alQaddaaffi. He came from a family where his mother was a Berber and his father
an Arab. He was born in the BAnghaazi area of desert and was raised for the most
part in a tent.

He lived in the village of Sabha and his family lived under the yoke of the then
colonial power, Italy, which was so brutal and harsh with the people, many fled
back in the desert, preferring the heat and deprivation to chattel slavery.

Those who resisted Italian hegemony were crushed with great force, for example
the grandfather of alQaddaaffi, who was killed by Italian troops in 1911 as a
warning to anyone who would speak out or not act according to the government.

This would have a profound effect on the life of the family of the budding youth,
who would grow later too see the Italians as a force to be removed. But during this
time, alQaddaaffi was living in ease in Libya. But then came WWII.

Young Mu`ammar missed most of those developments living in the desert. He
missed the life and times and jihaad of Shaikh `Umar Mukhtaar, the famous Libyan
mujaahid who resisted Libyan oppression and colonial presence in the area.

He missed Mussolini declaring that Libya would be one of the new capitals of the
great state of Fascism. And he missed how the people had been forced to learn
Italian as a lingua franca and the woman had been subjected to mass rape.

But news still traveled by word of mouth and the young man was being groomed to
hate the West. He was taught the rudiments of reading and writing at home,
although he did not appear at first to be great educational material.

In 1949, another thing happened that would later shape the life of alQaddaaffi. The
newly formed United Nations declared that Libya was independant after WWII
and was no longer under the control of Italy or any other country (in theory).

The Libyans were jubilant but not for long. Shortly after the announcement, Idris
alMahdi as-Sanussi declared himself the new head and king of Libya, ending the
brief 45 seconds of freedom that the Libyans atleast thought they had from
servitude to tyrant regimes.

In 1956, however, the King decided to break from the grasp of the British and join
the Arab League, inspired by the rhetoric of Arab Marxist Gamaal `Abdun-Naasir.

Most Arabs by this time had hear a lot about the Pan-Arabist ideology that Naasir
preached and many were supporive of it, hoping for an Arab dominated world, or
atleast the Middle East and Africa.

Confidence lifted even more when in 1959, oil was discovered in Libya and wealth
began to pour in from the investors. But little changed in the Libyan society. many
people were still teaching Italian in the schools, although the Qur'anic Arabic still
had a titular importance since the demolishing of the Khilaafa system from the years
1919-1924.

As the television and radio came in, Libya began to change and people were
desiring the change that they saw happening across the Arab world and in other
countries.

It was at this time in 1959, at the age of 16, a young alQaddaaffi was enrolled in
and was attending the University of Libya. While there, he had some of the same
type of 'awakenings' that Joseph Stalin had claimed. Both were raised in rural
environments and in semi-religious environments.

But once they traveled out into the city, both would stumble upon the works and
documents of the Marxist movement, which was in vogue in the life of both men.
So alQaddaaffi continued on with his studies and began to read the history and
political science of Marxist thought.

Although impressed, he rejected communism as being impure and began to seek to
develop his own form of philosophical thought in much the same way that Karl
Marx and Friedrich Engels developed theirs.

What was fascinating is that he had at this age a fanatical hatred for the Jews but
must have overlooked the fact that the movement that he now espoused and
claimed for himself was created and thought up in the think tanks of the Jews
(Joseph Stalin had this same paradox in his political ideology).

Time would go very fast for the excitable youth and in 1964, he graduated from the
University with a diploma from the Faculty of Law (which is the study of the Italian
law ruling Libya at the time). Not long after, he decided to join the Military
Academy in Banghaazi (MAB).

While at the military academy, some of the characteristics that he would later show,
such as quick temperment, unpredictable violent behaviour and all the like had been
identified and seen by other officers, but amazingly, in 1965, he graduated.

After being commissioned and given a place in the Libyan army, in 1965, he was
sent to do more training in the Special Forces academy, Sandhurst, in Great
Britain.

This is also the same academy where the late King Hussain of Jordan (also a
known CIA operative), lovingly called by his colleagues there, 'the brazen hussy,'
also graduated from.

Infact, many other tyrants also trained there. Tyrants such as Gamaal
`Abdun-Naasir (Or Uwais Maurice, his real name) of Egypt, Muhammad Ahmad
Anwar as-Sadaat, Muhammad Nageeb, Haafiz alAsad and Saddam Hussain of
Iraqi fame in recent years.

While in Britian, he studied intently the science of war and tactics so that he could
prepare for what he had been dreaming of since his early youth, the overthrow of
the Libran government.

After his return to Libya from the land of fish and chips, Mu`ammar alQaddaaffi
was given the job of being Adjutant of the Signal Corps in 1969. This brought him
in the top ranks of the then king, Idris I, who was getting involved with the British
more heavily every year.

With his supporters in the army, every day they thought and devised plans on how
to overthrow the government. Eventually, they would come to a game plan and
they would wait as a tiger does before pouncing on its' prey.

The time to strike came on September 1, 1969, when he and his gang overthrew
King Idris's regime and occupied the Royal Palace, the government offices, the
television, the radio and the newspapers.

He was thrown into the world stage as the 27 year old upstart colonel who
overthrew a government. It was at this time he became famous.

He then took hold of the oil wealth and began to use it to fund Arab, not Islamic,
guerrilla movements. As chairman of the Revolutionary Common (or conman)
Council, he was supreme dictator. He declared Libya an Arab republic.

Those calling for Shari`a were silenced, Qur'anic Arabic ceased being taught in
schools and broken Arabic dialects were used in the newspapers and television.

Islam was dying. For all of his rhetoric, if one goes to Libya today, many people
still speak only Italian and broken Arabic. Thus the revolution was a changing of
tyrants, not of evil to good. The next step was that he began to fund movements
like the Irish Republican Army, the Moro Islamic Front and many others.
Revolution was all that was on his mind.

Not satisfied with terrifying and terrorising us physically, alQaddaaffi put pen to
paper and decided to write his famous Kitaab alAkhdar (the Green Book), which
is the equivilant of Joseph Stalin's, Selected Works, Karl Marx's, Communist
Manifesto or Mao Tse-Tung's, Red Book, but it is not the same in content.

In the Green Book, it sets out his philosophy and the way that Libyans need to see
the world and how they should view things. Very little Islam is inside. The book
was taught in schools and to this day it is still taught before the Qur'an is even
opened.

There are such tantalising statements of kufr inside of it as,

'Allah is my Lord, Muhammad (SAW) is my Messenger, the Arabs are my
UMMAH, the Muslims are my brothers, the Noble Qur'an is my Shari`a and the
Green Book is my EVIDENCE!'

Other patriotic tidbits include,

'Defence of the homeland is my duty, attaining greatness is my way and revolution
is my banner,' Mu`taqadi, Class 4, Lesson 2.

Other inspiring bits of poetry include his cursing of the non-Arabic Africans due to
the fact that they are lazy in his estimation. He makes up for it, though, by asserting
that it must be the heat that is causing it, please see Kitaab alAkhdar, V. 1.

His other achievements are the building of an artificial dam that burst and spewed
water and flooded many of the towns in the region, complete destruction of the
social system where people live under a type of hostage situation in their own land,

the destruction of the Arabic language, declaring that Muhammad (SAW) made a
mistake when he pronounced certain verses from angel Jibril (AS) with the word
Qul (say), fostering illiteracy and turning over two Muslims too be tried by the
kuffar for a crime that one of them is maintaining that he is innocent of completely.

Yes, this is that Lockerbie incident that many people by now have come to see as
the crown of alQaddaaffi's terrorist efforts. It is believed that this operation was
launched as a retaliatory measure after the United States bombing his palace (or
should we say the former King's?) in 1986, in which is adopted daughter was killed
and he himself was injured.

To this day, the dashing colonel does not sleep in the same place for two days in a
row, but is always on the move. Indeed his life is filled with excitement and stardom
while his people starve.

His life was also filled with fits of anger and hatred for those who opposed him.
Originally, Naasir of Egypt had called him 'my son' and used to treat him with great
honour, but after his death, relations cooled between the two countries. This was
due to the fact that there was great tension between Sadaat and alQaddaaffi.

Infact, so much hatred did he have for Sadaat, that when the 1973 Ramadaan war
started, the colonel stated on the radio that his sympathies were with the Israelis
and that he hoped that the Egyptians were defeated.

He organised huge rallies against the Egyptians and even slandered Syria as being
racist for not letting the dark skinned, Libyan Arabs into the Arab Union at first.
Many Egyptians who had teaching positions in Libya were taken hostage and some
were kept from leaving.

Things gradually worsened as alQaddaaffi sent tanks to the border near Egypt and
threatened warfare with the country at the same time that they were engaged in
combat with the Israelis.

As a warning, the government of Egypt did a surgical strike to teach the unruly
colonel a lesson. After the bombing alQaddaaffi said that he no longer wanted to
be part of the Arab union and that infact his people had changed their minds and
now they are Africans!

This was met with laughter by the international community, but alQaddaaffi's stunts
continue further. At one point, to show the government of Egypt in 1978 that he
had just as much power as the other states, he attempted to annex Chad, just south
of Libya.

Again, the dictator was met with humiliation. The bedouins of Chad rode their
camels and defeated alQaddaaffi's inept army of tanks with stick and blowguns.
They were offered to read alQaddaaffi's Green Book and act on it, but they said
that they already had one Green Book, the Qur'an!

When he met Fidel Castro, he made a complete fool of himself, mistaking the
Cuban strongman for a Brazilian and many other nationalities except what he was in
actuality.

He also came to the unaligned nations conference, a function put together by those
states that do not want to be a part of the UN or do not want to exercise its'
policies. Qaddaaffi came to the event with 10 camels and demanded that they wait
for him while he milks them, so that he can have fresh Libyan milk for the
conference.

With every possible movement, the man has done some sort of damage. Once,
while being interviewed as a Muslim statesman by a young aspiring Muslim
reporter, he was asked what he thought of the then President of the United States,
Ronald Reagan.

The reporter may have been hoping for a reply expressing the tyranny of the United
States and the evil of its' foreign policy, but the international community received
something much worse. Rather than eloquence, alQaddaaffi resorted to his normal
charm and remarked,

'I will piss on him!' So much for charm! Indeed many of his actions have not only
been bizarre, but have been questioned as to what purpose were they conducted
for in the first place.

The Black September attack still was not linked to any Islamic motive and the
move was conducted during the Olympics, which have exactly what to do with the
jihaad against the kuffar or the apostate regimes (which he is part of anyway)?

Others in the past and today have sought refuge from the self-destructive outbursts
of Colonel Mu`ammar. King Faisal (d. 1972) of the Peninsula would not allow his
visits and viewed him as a pariah and good for nothing. Sometimes people speak
truth and they do not know it.

He had committed that he would give $1 Billion to Louis Farrakhan to raise a 1
million strong black army to take over the United States, but when asked to
produce the funds for this venture, it seems the revolution was a little bit overdrawn
at the bank. Since then, Farrakhan has become very elusive in regards to
comments about the Libyan leader.

Even the very family of Colonel alQaddaaffi has sought refuge from his rantings and
banterings.

One son, as-Sa`di, plays football and has achieved a status all his own as an
international sportsman. This is even though he is set to be the next ruler by his now
aging father. The other son, Saif ulIslam, who is involved with the Mujaahidin in the
Philippines has been in the islands for more than 6 years and has had little contact,
if any, with his father.

Just about the only people that cannot escape alQaddaaffi are those who cannot
escape to another country and have to quietly bear this slow torture. There is one
thing that is known in the Muslim world. The rulers there are president for life. They
either rule until they die in bed, or the bullet interrupts their tenure.

Let our sincere hope be that the latter occurs in Libya, for the Libyan people have
had enough, Islam has had enough, the Qur'an has had enough, Muslims have had
enough and the world has had enough of the spectre that represents Colonel
Mu`ammar alQaddaaffi.

LIARS IN FOCUS;
THE U.S. GOES ABOVE THE LAW

No more than a few weeks ago, the United States brought upon itself
condemnation from the international community when it refused to honour the arms
pact that they would no longer be constant in their proliferation of and manufacture
of missile technology.

Most nations would say that they did not understand the law, or that they were not
a signatory to the treaty in question. But this is not the way of the bold and
self-righteous United States.

Instead of atleast trying to be humble about their violation of international law, the
United States president said that the arms pact that was signed with the then Soviet
Union was when there were two superpowers.

But now that the United States is the only superpower, then the arms pact has since
become obsolete. What a clever way to renege on international law and your word
which you were supposed to be duty bound to keep.

But it does not stop here. They United States is also consuming more oil and
natural resources than it ever has before. For those who don't know, the U.S.,
although only 2% of the world's population, consumes over 60% of the world's
natural resources.

So the U.S. is consuming more oil than it ever has before, which is causing higher
demand. This higher demand, even with the increase of oil production, is simply not
enough to meet the demands of the United States, the country that is engorging
itself with most of the world's energy.

This demand and lack of supply has thus led to grave consequences for the country
hailed by some as 'the land of the free and the home of the brave.'

There are the blackouts taking place in California due to the energy crisis, and
these are spreading to other cities. Vice-President Dick Chaney said that there
could be more if the demand is not met. So in order to meet the demand, VP Dick
Chaney has proposed using the oil that was on reserve in the state of Alaska.

This means that soon the U.S., with the blessing of Vice-President Dick Chaney,
will be drilling in one of the wildlife refuges in Alaska. This has met with fierce
opposition from the conservationists and environmentalists in the United States.

But the United States is continuing in spite of all of that. These demands of energy
must be met as soon as possible, they prattle on.

When told that they are ruining the environment, Mr. Chaney quiped, 'The U.S.
economy comes before the environment.'

This speech may seem shocking to some, but it is not the first time this has
happened. When reminded of the Kyoto Global Warming Package that the United
States has been persued to sign, President George Bush, Jr. scoffed at it, saying
that the United States could not possibly be a direct cause of environmental
trouble.

And anyway, he reasoned, we still have a long way to go before that happens.
Thus if it is not to take place in his time, he is happy with it. This is typical rhetorical
from the U.S., a country known for its' irresponsible and pompous behaviour.

Whenever any one of these tyrannical nations makes a law, the Muslims are subject
to it, and when they fail to follow suit they are punished with sanctions. But when
one of their own tyrants rebels, they are merely lightly rebuked and asked to
reconsider.

The United States makes its' own rules and plays by them and will obey no law,
except of its' own making. It is not only above the law, in its' own eyes, it IS the
law, abrogating or interpreting international law to suit its' own whims.

The U.S. is not concerned with the blood of the Muslim children of Iraq which it is
killing to get free oil, or the animals and life it is set to destroy in Alaska to get free
oil. Nor is it even concerned with the sky and the Earth that it is destroying with the
emission of so many excess fluorocarbons.

Rather the only concern is for the short-term, which is to live as loose and carefree
as possible and then on the way out of life, leave it to the next people to be
responsible for. Live fast and die young. This is why Islam and the law of Allah
must rule the Earth.

Islam must make a stand, before the kuffar make this Earth a graveyard for
themselves and us. Let us stand for the truth and remove fabricated Shari`a and
implement the true one before it is too late.

DYING IN A STATE OF KUFR;
DOOMED IN THE HEREAFTER

Allah (SWT) says,
'And if they associate and set up partners, then all of what they used to do would
be nullified from them,' Surat ulAn`aam, ayah 88.

Many of us have ran across these ayaat, but our reading of them has merely been
cursory. Many times, in order to understand the impact of what Allah says, one has
to take a step back and look.

Historically, there have been many who have gone to their graves rejecting faith in
Allah, only to meet the terrible punishment of the grave.

They would not be the first and they are certainly not the last. Allah has punished
the rich, the poor, the elderly and the young all together for their crass arrogance in
associating something with Allah, yet there are certain exceptions that we make for
those who we prefer who died upon kufr.

Some cite the fact that they could not be punished, due to the fact that they did not
know anything about Islam. Others assert that the good deeds of the person will be
taken into account by Allah. And still others insist that all that matters is that you
have a good heart.

We intend to investigate these claims and to try to examine the truth in each one, in
order to see whether or not there is any truth in them. We hope that the fruit that
we yield from it is done sincerely and for the sake of Allah.

al`Abbas ibn `Abdul Muttallib (RAA) once asked his nephew, the Messenger of
Allah (SAW), 'O Messenger of Allah! Is there any way that you benefited Abu
Taalib with something? For he used to defend you and become angry for your
sake."

The Prophet (SAW) said, 'Yes, he is the shallow part of the Fire and had it not
been for me, he would have been in the lowest, most deep part of the Fire,'
Collected by Imaam Muslim (RH) and classified as sahih.

There are also other narrations in Sahih Muslim that stress that Abu Taalib has
been given two shoes made of Fire and that they make his brain boil. This is
although this man is the uncle of the Prophet (SAW), but due to refusal to confirm
what his nephew had brought, he left this world to go into a life of eternal
judgement from Allah.

Another example would be involving another close relative of the Prophet (SAW).
A man came to him and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, where is my father?' The
answer was swift and immediate when he (SAW) said, 'He is in the Fire.'

Then the man went away hurt. Then he (SAW) called him back and said, 'My
father and your father are in the Fire,' Collected by Imaam Muslim (RH) and
classified as sahih.

Thus indeed, it did not matter that the son of the man was the Messenger of Allah
(SAW). The point is that the father of the Messenger of Allah died upon kufr.
Shaikh ulIslam Muhy ud-Din an-Nawawi (RH) explains the circumstances,

"Regarding it (the hadith) is that whoever dies upon kufr, then he is in the Fire and
his near relationships do not have any benefit and that whoever dies upon the
condition that the Arabs were upon from idol worship, then he is from the people
of the Fire.

"And no one can take to the reason that it (the death of the person) took place
before the call [of Muhammad (SAW)], for they had already been called by the
da`awa of Ibrahim (AS) and others from amongst the prophets (AS)."

This statement was taken from Sharh Sahih Muslim, V. 3 under the heading, The
Chapter of the Speech that Whoever Died on Kufr, Then He is in the Fire and
There Will Not Benefit Any Intercession of Nearness in Kinship.

Indeed Imaam an-Nawawi spoke rightly when he explained that even if you are the
relative of a righteous man, in fact the Prophet (SAW), and you die upon kufr, this
is of no use to you. There are further examples of people who had close kinship to
the Prophet (SAW) and they died on kufr.

Such personalities include his grandfather, his uncle Abu Taalib, another uncle by
the name of `Abdul `Uzza (also known as Abu Lahab) and his other parent. Yes,
sadly, even the mother of our Messenger died in a state of other than the belief in
Allah.

It is narrated in hadith from Abu Huraira (RAA) that the Messenger of Allah
(SAW) said,

"I was given permission by my Lord that I ask forgiveness for my mother, then I
was not given permission. And I was given permission to visit her grave, so
permission was granted to me," Collected by Imaam Muslim (RH) and classified as
sahih.

Another narration reads,

Abu Huraira (RAA) said, 'The Prophet (SAW) visited the grave of his mother.
Then he cried and he cried due to the condition. So he said,

"I was given permission by my Lord in that I ask forgiveness for her, then
permission was not granted for me. And I was given permission that I visit her
grave. So permission was granted to me, so visit the graves, for truly they are a
reminder of death,"' This is also collected in the Sahih of Imaam Muslim (RH) and
classified as sahih.

Thus we see that even though she delivered him, suckled him, taught him and was
showering him with praise and affection always, she did not recognise the right of
her Lord and died associating with the Creator of all that exists. And her condition
remains as that of the father of the Messenger (SAW).

Shaikh ulIslam Muhy ud-Din Yahya an-Nawawi (RH), had these comments to day
about the above hadith,

"Regarding it (the hadith) is the permissibility of visiting the PAGANS in life and
their graves after death. For if it is permissible to visit them after death, then in life
holds more priority.

"And in it also is the prohibition on asking forgiveness for the KUFFAR." This
statement is taken from V. 7 of Sharh Sahih Muslim. So indeed Allah (SWT) has
forbidden the people of Islam from asking forgiveness for the kuffar.

But some might reason, that this is unfair to judge some kuffar who do good deeds
today by some of the pagans, who did nothing but shirk. There were many good
people from the kuffar who did good deeds and there are some today who mean
well. How can we condemn them?

This question should be answered, and the answer will again come in the form of a
hadith.

The Prophet (SAW) was once asked by `A'isha (RAA), 'O Messenger of Allah.
Ibn Jud`aan was a person who in the Jaahiliyyah (times of ignorance and kufr
among the Arabs) kept family relations and he used to rush to feed the poor. Is that
of any benefit to him?'

The Prophet (SAW) responded,

'No, it is of no benefit to him, for he never said on one day, O my Lord, forgive me
for my sin on the Day of Judgement,' Collected by Imaam Muslim (RH) and
classified as sahih.

So even with all of his good deeds, `Abdullah Ibn Jud`aan was availed nothing by
his deeds. Imaam an-Nawawi (RH) says the following,

'Whatever is done of keeping good relations or feeding the poor and the other
types of honourable traits are of no benefit in the Hereafter for the one who was a
kaafir, for he was not sure of and convinced of the Day of Resurrection.

'He was not sure of it and he was a kaafir in that regard.'

The grand Maaliki imaam, Qaadi `Iyaad (RH) proclaimed,

'The ijmaa` has already been established on that the kuffar don't benefit at all from
their deeds nor is there any bounty or favour established for them. Nor is there any
punishment lightened for them, but some are greater in punishment than some by
the reckoning of their crimes,' both quotes above being taken from Sharh Sahih
Muslim, V. 3.

AlHaafiz, alFaqih Abu Bakr alBaihaqi (RH) announced,

'Already, it has been shown to be permissible from the hadith of Ibn Jud`aan and
what is related from the ayaat and narrations in the nullification of the acts of
goodness of the kuffar when one dies on kufr,' Taken from alBa`ath wan-Nushur.

Indeed, the condition of the kuffar is bleak indeed. But it does not mean that Allah
would never accept for them to be a Muslim. NO! Once a person announces the
unity of Allah, then they are safe from His wrath and whatever evil was before that,
Allah erases it.

This article is in regards to those who feel bashful about staying firm on the eternal
judgement that comes with those who deny the unicity of our Lord and King.

Indeed, this is why Allah has mentioned for us,

'And those that are kuffar, their deeds are like a mirage in the desert. The thirsty
one comes, reckoning that he will have the contentment of water, until he when he
came to it, he found nothing in it. But he finds Allah with him, who will pay him his
due. And Allah is quick in taking account!' Surat un-Nur, ayah 39

Listen to how Allah describes the condition of those who die ascribing partners to
Him in yet another ayah,

'The likeness of those who are kuffar in their Lord, their deeds are like ashes, on
which the wind blows on harshly. They will not be able to get anything from what
they earned,' Surah Ibrahim, ayah 18.

Let those who are Muslims invite those who are kuffar to the truth while they can
take advantage of it. And let those who are not Muslim and yet still live take
advantage of their opportunity to serve Him and not feel safe and at ease from the
Day that they will have to render their accounts to Him.

How humiliating and frightening would it be to be presented your accounts and not
have one good act to vouch for you, when in this life you were deceived into
believing that you were 'a good person without all of the religion.' And may Allah
guide them and make us the examples of Islam to guide them to the truth. Amin.

FINAL NOTE
What Do We Want?

This publication is not aimed at separating or causing too much debate among sincere Muslims. Without news from truthful sources, the only alternative is to take from our enemies; those who enjoin falsehood and forbid truth. Insha'llah, our aim is to provide Islamic education, news and discussion to incite the believers into action. We are working toward the sincere education of Muslims, while continuing to learn and champion the way of the Prophet (SAW) and those Rightly Guided (RAA).

How can you help?

By telling others about this website and helping to distribute this information. Encourage Muslims to ask questions and participate on our discussion board. In addition, be patient with us when we are revising and preparing new content. Get the word out in your community that we are not funded by anyone other than Allah -- alhamdulillah. Thus, our opinions come from our understanding of the opinions of the Siddiqun, not from government scholars, evil rulers, and kuffar.

Finally, make continious du`aa for the Mujaahidin and the Ummah that Allah grant all of us victory and reward.

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