"Don’t Abuse the Concept of Jihaad"

RIYADH, 22 August 2003 — Saudi Arabia’s highest religious authority urged Muslims yesterday to shun extremism and avoid waging unjustified jihaad as the Kingdom cracks down on militants.

In a lengthy statement, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh told Saudis to listen to their religious authorities and ignore fanatical interpretations of Islaam.

“One of the fallouts from extremism in understanding Islaam is that some people call for jihaad for the sake of God without justification,” Sheikh Abdul Aziz said.

“These people raise the banner of jihaad to draw the young into their ranks and not to fight for God,” he added.

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 and abroad.

Other militants have also used Islaam 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 Islaam is not 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 that violence 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 both advantages and disadvantages. And if fighting an evil leads to a greater one, then that fight is forbidden,” he said.

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 and stressed the importance of right guidance. “One of the reasons also is mistrust of our scholars. It is people’s duty to trust their scholars and leaders,” he said.

Last week, the Kingdom’s highest Islaamic authority denounced terror attacks in the Kingdom, 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 an aggression against innocent people... which warrant severe and deterrent punishment,” the Council of Senior Islaamic Scholars said in a statement.

The 17-member council, headed by the grand mufti, declared its support for the actions being taken by the state to track down terrorists in an effort to shield the country from their actions.

The Islaamic body had called on the Saudi people to “stand behind the country’s leadership and their scholars,” 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 holy war. It said people who provide shelter to suspected militants were committing a “grave sin.”

Indeed Allaah (swt) does know best and we should be cautious about who we label as grave sinners and who we don't. Remember that nobody is free of faults, and also remember that much false information is spreading around so we cannot know for sure the true intentions or actions of various people.

And lastly remember that being a ruler of a country is no easy job, those people will be accountable for their responsibilities and we will be accountable for ours, so lets concentrate on our own problems rather than try to expose the downfalls of others.

Jazakallahu Khayr,

salam..
i'm new here..could anyone tell me the status of a suicide-bomber?do their action ie bombing themselves at public places are considered as jihaad?
Allah doesnt allow us to perform suicide, but in this case, can it b called as jihaad fi sabilillah?
really need an answer.thanx

Not suicide bombing again? lol. Sorry, it is just that, recently, we have had a "discussion" on this topic and there remains a 50-50 divide. I don't know the topic off hand (as in, i cant give you the link of the top of my head) but if you use the search facility, you should be able to find it.

Suicide bombing is against Islam because of many factors, the first one being obvious that your killing yourself in which the person will not gain any benefit and the 2nd is the fact that when one does blow him/her self up they do not have control over what will get caught up in the attack e.g a innocent child may be walking past and could get killed or even a innocent women or senior.. even the killing of a plant or insect. All that is forbidden in Islam.

Theres a previous post on this forum regarding suicide bombing. http://www.islamicboard.com/showthre...uicide+bombing

I agree. But sadly not everyone does...
(psst, the link dont work, bro)

The scholars all say that suicide bombing is haraam. This is their agreement, the only Muslims who say otherwise are the laymen.

If we wish to discuss suicide bombing we can do so here:
http://islamicboard.com/showthread.php?t=3227

Hey Khilji do you think Bangladesh can be called an Islamic country ?How many here actually follow the hijab concept?And there are so many extremists in this country.........Ahmadiyyas getting killed in the name of Islam.........

Assalamu alaikum,

I dont know if suicicdde bombing is considered jihad or not but I do know that Islam was spread by the sword.

"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 and abroad."

First, wouldnt the US fall under the catagory of infidel? Second, to his credit, Osama Bin Laden didnt want the US to be allowed entrance into Saudia back when the conflict with Kuwait was going on and the US established "temporary" military presence "to aid Saudia." He knew then that they weren't going to leave. The Saudi Royal family/government are literally puppets for the US and I wouldnt be suprised if this speech was faxed from Bush's speech writers.

"“A Muslim must understand his religion. It is the duty of the young and the whole Muslim world to know that violence is not a way to achieve reform,” Al-Sheikh said."

When the prophet Muhammad brought brought Islam to to Sahaba they became first victorious over themselves (jihad anas) and then in thirteen years the Muslims ruled the world, but not by peace treaties islam was spread by the sword.

"“Acts of sabotage such as bombings, murder and destruction of property are serious criminal acts and an aggression against innocent people... which warrant severe and deterrent punishment,” the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars said in a statement."

What about Falestine? Iraq? and countless other examples I could list here? Muslims are supposed to peacefully stand by and accept this? Muslims should defend their brother and sisters in Islam. Those who side with the non-believers against heir Muslim brother will stand with the non-believers on the day of judgment.

Remember what Allah said: The believers are nothing else but brothers.” (49:10) .

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it." [Bukhari]

I have included sections of the letter of the Imam of the God-fearing, Ibn Taymiyah to the King of Cyprus and also the url where you can read it entirely.

"This nation is one the middle way in matters of purity and impurity, in matters of lawful and prohibited, and also in matters of morals. They have neither relied solely on harshness or on tenderness. Instead, they treated the enemies of Allah with severity and those who rely on Him with mercy, and they speak of the Messiah that which the Lord and the disciples of the Messiah say of him. They neither follow the innovations of those who surpassed the limit of his admiration, nor those who had neglected him completely.

In the Seerah of the Prophet of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him), many examples are to be found of his equitable and honourable treatment towards the Christians. Whoever embraced Islam from amongst them became one of Muhammad's (saw nation with all subsequent obligations and responsibilities. He indeed is liable to be rewarded twice, one for his faith in Jesus and the other for faith in Muhammad (peace be upon him). He who did not believe, on the other hand, was liable to be fought, as Allah instructed,

"Fight against those who - despite having been vouchsafed revelation - do not believe either in Allah or the Last Day, and do not consider forbidden that which Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of tru [Which, Allah has enjoined upon them] till they [agree to] pay the jizyah with a willing submission, and feel themselves subdued". (9:29)

I ask you, Oh King! Has the Messiah, or indeed did the disciples after him, call for the struggle against our nation? How could you then make lawful the spilling of blood, seizure of women and confiscation of land without any justification? Does he not know that we have a great number of protected people of dhimmah resident in our lands, under our authority, protected and safe?

How is it then that our Muslim brothers are treated in a way that is unacceptable to people of religion and honour? I do not, however, accuse the King, his brothers and family directly, as I know of the hospitality and good spirit that Abul-'Abbas was received with and his acknowledgement and praise of it. Yet, are not our Muslim prisoners jaild at his pleasure and under his rule? And have not the commandments of the Messiah and the rest of the prophets prohibited acts of castigation and enjoined acts of good will? Furthermore, how can the treacherous way our prisoners were captured be justified and treachery is forbidden in all religions, sects and wise ways. How can you render lawful for yourselves an act of deceit? Are you not afraid that Muslims will reward you in a similar way, and Allah will be their helper and guide?"

http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=5394

May Allah (swt) forgive me if I have mis-stated anything here I have been Muslim for almost 4 years and am always surprised by how calmly Muslims in the US react to the wrong doings against their Muslim sisters and brothers in other countries, and even the Muslim sheikhs here in the US being arrested one by one for not submitting to the wants on the ruling govt.

I agree with you on this brother Hash.Non-Muslims were allowed to live by their own law yet things got wrong when a non-Muslim did something wrong that is a criminal act.

Assalamu alaikum brother Hash,

Thanks for the correction. Just so I can make sure that I understand it correctly, when the Islamic lands conquered lands they did it by the sword right? Islam is a peaceful and just religion and those who lived in an area ruled by Islamic law were allowed to practice their religion and treated fairly, unlike our brothers and sisters in Falestine. But in order for islam to rule there were battles fought, (which is why I said that islam was spread by the sword). I was taught that many of the people who lived in the areas conquered by the Muslims did in fact accept islam as their din because they saw that islam was a fair and just religion.

i guess what I am trying to ask is that shouldnt we, as muslims, consider the kufar our enemy? Shouldnt Jihad be declared against any country that is not ruled by islmaic law?

I thought there were reasons Islamic empire expanded but they the non-Muslims weren't forced to follow Islam.

akhee, where do u get ur info from

i doubt you have ever been saudi hence what u r sayingf is from ur ignorance

and no shaykhs are torturd except those khaarijees who tell ppl, to bomb the muslim lands and kill the leaders

all praise is for Allaah the dawah of the khawarij is not allowed to spread in many muslim lands

unfortunately the west have realised this too late, their mentiality was "as long as it doesnt happen in our back yard its ok"

now its time for the west to stop the spread of this destructive, corrupt kharijee dawah

One of the deviant groups of this era who have certain characteristics of the Khawaarij are the fake so called 'Salafis' (spubs/troid etc.) who fulfill the criterion of the Hadeeth of leaving alone the pagans/Mushriks.