PART ONE: REASONS FOR JIHAD


Praise be to Allah Whom we praise, and from Whom we seek help and forgiveness.  We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the evil consequences of our bad deeds.  Whomsoever Allah guides, none can lead astray and whomsoever He leaves to stray, none can guide him aright.  I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, Who has no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.
 
O' Allah!  There is nothing easy except that which You make easy, and You make that which is difficult easy when You will.
 
Anybody who looks into the state of the Muslims today will find that their greatest misfortune is their abandonment of Jihad due to their "...love of this World and hatred of death... ".11 Because of that, the tyrants have gained dominance over the Muslims in every aspect and in every land.  The reason for this is that the disbelievers only stand in awe of fighting.
 
"So fight in the Path of Allah - you will be held accountable only for yourself - and incite the believers. It may be that Allah will subdue the might of the disbelievers, and Allah is Mightier in Power and Severer in exemplary punishment." [Quran 4:84]
 
We then are calling upon the Muslims and urging them to proceed to fight, for many reasons, at the head of which are the following:
 
1.    In order that the disbelievers do not dominate.
2.    Due to the scarcity of men.
3.    Fear of the Hell-Fire.
4.    Fulfilling the duty of Jihad, and responding to the Call of the Lord.
5.    Following in the footsteps of the Pious Predecessors.
6.    Establishing a solid foundation as a base for Islam.
7.    Protecting those who are oppressed in the land.
8.    Hoping for Martyrdom and a High Station in Paradise.
 

1. In order that the disbelievers do not dominate


In the noble verse of the Quran, we find:

"And fight them until fitnah (polytheism) is no more, and the Religion is
entirely for Allah.  But if they desist, Allah sees what they do. "
[Quran 8:39] 

So, if the fighting stops, the disbelievers will dominate, andfitnah, which is Shirk (polytheism), will spread.


2. Due to the scarcity of men

The crisis of the Muslim World is the lack of men who are competent in bearing responsibility and meriting trust, as has been reported in Saheeh AlBukhari:

"People are like a hundred camels out of which you can hardly find one suitable to ride."  12

This means that the ultimate in moderation regarding things of this World and in longing for the Hereafter is as scarce as a mount.  It has been narrated that Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) told the cream of his companions:

"Wish!"
and so each of them wished something, and then they said,
"Wish, O'Commander of the Believers!"
Umar then said,
"I wish that I could have this house full of people like Abu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah."

The men who know are few; those who act are even fewer.  Those who perform Jihad are rarer and more scarce, and those who remain steadfast on this Path are hardly sufficient to be mentioned.

Many a time have I looked in on a gathering for Quranic recitation,comprising Arab youths who came to the Land of Honour and Glory - by which I mean the Land of Afghanistan.
Power on the back of distinction does ride,
And distinction comes about through night journeys and vigilance.
I am saying that I have looked at the countenances of the youths, seeking one among them proficient in the rules of Quranic recitation so that I could put him in charge of the group, but I did not find a single such person.  Thereupon I could well say, "How our people have served us!", which are the very words that the Prophet (SAWS) said when seven youths of the Ansar were killed in front of him on the Day of Uhud.  We are saying that our learned brethren and mature propagators have not come to us.  On the contrary, some of them even advise those who come forward to sit complacently in their own countries, even if they could not say a word against the injustice of the oppressors and the tyranny of the occupiers.  And some of them give verdicts without knowledge, saying, "The Afghans are in need of money and not in need of men".  As for me, through the course of my day-to-day life for this Jihad, I have found that the Afghans are in severe need of money.  But their need for men is more severe, and the need of propagators is even greater.  I reaffirm this while living my eighth year amongst the Mujahideen.

If you have any doubt about what I am saying, then come with us.  We will pass through Afghanistan so that you can see for yourself an entire regiment in which not a single person among them is proficient in the recitation of the Quran.  Then move on with me to another regiment so that you can be convinced that there is nobody in it who knows how to perform the funeral prayer, on account of which they are forced to carry their martyr long distances in order to find somebody to pray over his body.

As for the juristic details of the Jihad, such as the distribution of booty and treatment of prisoners of war, these matters have arisen in many regiments.  Due to ignorance about them, however, they were forced to pass them on to an area in which there was a scholar or scholars who could give their decisions according to the Islamic Law.  You will become aware, on account of the profound sips left by the Arab youths of modest education (possibly not even surpass] g secondary school), of the severe need for propagators, Imams, reciters of the Quran and religious scholars.  We mention, by way of example, and by no means exhaustive at that, the brothers, Abdullah Anas, Abu -jdujanah, Abu Asim and Tahir; there are many others besides them.  If I were to tell you about Abu Shuaib, the illiterate Arab, and the meaningful impressions he left behind in the entire province of Baghlan, you would stand speechless and astonished, dumbfounded and in unceasing wonder.

We still have hope for the brothers who have not been able to escape from the cage of communal practice, and who have not shaken off the accumulations of custom.  Those who have not cast off from their shoulders the traditions of defeated generations due to the pressure of profound reality and before the evil, scheming onslaught of the Orientalists.  I am telling these brothers that if they have not come out to us themselves, then at least those whose souls are fluttering over the Land of Jihad should pray that they reach it with their bodies.

We told one of the staff of Ahmad Shah Masood - the most brilliant commander in Afghanistan, without dispute 13:

"Tell us about Abu Asim, the reciter of the Quran, who was martyred amongst you in Andarb?

He said:

"I have not seen anybody comparable to him in dignity, disposition and sedate, tranquil conduct.  Because of this, none of us used to speak in his presence, nor stretch out our feet, let alone joke or laugh."

What, then, will you say, brother, if I inform you that Abu Asim only had a secondary school education, and was not more than 23 years old, but that he had memorised the entire Quran?

So, now has come the time of true men, and this is a place not for words but for action.
Forget about the plundered vaults,
Tell me instead about the mounts. 14
Surely, weighty matters and grave, painful disasters have befallen the Muslims.  So stop talking about food and styles of speech, and instead, tell me about this important matter and what the Muslims have prepared for it.

Matters which, were they to be contemplated by a child,
The child's appearance would become that of one aged.


3. Fear of the Hell-Fire

Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, says:

"Unless you march forth, He willpunish you with a severe punishment, and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at alL And Allah has power over all things."
[Quran 9:39]

Ibn Al-Arabi said 15:

"The severe punishment in this life is through the occupation of the enemy, and in the Hereafter by the Hell-Fire."

Al-Qurtubi said:

"It has been said that what is meant by this verse is that going outfor Jihad is
compulsory in times of need, of advent of the disbelievers, and of severe furore of fighting."

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says:

'Those whose souls the Angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves - they (the Angels) say (to them),
    'In what state were you?'
They reply,
    'We were weak and oppressed in the land' .
(The Angels) say,
    'Was not Allah's Earth spacious enou h for you to. emigrate therein?'
Then, the abode of those people shall be Hell - how evil a destination! Except for such weak and oppressed men, women and children who were neither able to come up with a stratagem (to emigrate) nor shown any way (to do so) - those Allah will surely pardon, and Allah is Most Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving." [Quran 4:97-99]

Al-Bukhari has narrated, through his sound chain of narration, that lkrimah said 16:

"Ibn Abbas informed me that people from among the Muslims were with the polytheists, swelling their numbers, during the time of the Prophet (SAWS). Arrows which were shot would come and hit some of them, killing them, and then Allah revealed (the verses meaning), "Those whose souls the angels take while they are wronging themselves..."

Thus, the believers in Makkah who were clinging on to their religion and had not emigrated went out on the Day of Badr out of shame and fear of the disbelievers, so that the ranks of the disbelievers were swelled.  Then some of these Muslims were killed, and according to Al-Bukhari's narration, they deserve Hell.

What then do you think about the millions of Muslims who are being humiliated with dreadful persecution, and are living the lives of cattle? They cannot repel attacks on their honour, lives and properties.  Nay, such a man cannot even have his own way in growing his beard because it is an obvious sign of Islam.  Nor, in fact, is he free to have his wife wear the long garments required by Islam because it is a crime for which he may be seized anywhere and at any time.  Nor can he teach the Quran to three Muslim youths in the mosque because it is an illegal gathering according to the law of the ignorant.  Nay, in some of the countries which are called Islamic, he cannot even have his wife cover her hair, nor can he prevent the intelligence officers from taking his daughter by the hand in the depths of night, under the cover of pitchdarkness, to wherever they wish.  Can he refuse a coirumand issued by the evil authorities in which he provides a cheap sacrifice on the altar of the whims of this tyrant?

Are these millions not living lives of despicable subjugation, and do the angels not take their souls while they are wronging themselves?  What then will be their reply when the Angels ask them:
 
    "What was the matter with you?"

Will they not say,

    "We were weak and oppressed in the land"?

Weakness is not an excuse before the Lord of the Worlds.  In fact, it is a crime making the one committing it deserving of Hell.  But Allah has excused those of advanced years, the small children, and the women who neither find any scheme for liberation, nor know the path to the Land of Honour, nor are able to emigrate to the land of Islam or to arrive at the base for Jihad.
 
I shall turn my face away from a land which has
Made my tongue ineffective and locked up my heart,
A man's clear resolution and common sense
Dictate that he turn away from the sun's glare.

Jihad and hijrah 17 to Jihad have a deep-rooted role which cannot be separated from the constitution of this religion.  A religion which does not have Jihad cannot become established in any land, nor can it strengthen its frame.  The steadfast Jihad, which is one of the innermost constituents of this religion and which has its weight in the Scales of the Lord of the Worlds, is not a contingent phenomenon peculiar to the period in which the Quran was revealed; it is in fact a necessity accompanying the Caravan which this religion guides.

Sayyid Qutb says 18 , interpreting this verse:

"If jihad had been a transitory phenomenon in the life of the Muslim Ummah, all of these sections of the Quranic text would not be flooded with this type of verse!  Likewise, so much of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) would not be occupied with such matters.

If Jihad were a passingphenomenon ofislam, the Messenger ofallah (SAWS) would not have said the following words to every Muslim until the Day of Judgement, 'Whoever dies neither havingfought (in Jihad), nor encouraging himself to do so, dies on a branch of hypocrisy.' 19

Allah, the Flawless, knows that this is a thing that kings hate!  And He knows that the associates of the ruler will inevitably resist it because it is a way other than theirs.  It is a manner different from their own, not only for a fixed duration, but today and tomorrow and in every land and in every era!

Allah, the Flawless, knows that Evil is a braggart and that it is not possible for it to become fair Nor will it allow Good to rise in whatever safe, wellestablished ways that the latterfollows, because the very growth of Good is a risk to Evil.  The very existence of Truth is a danger to Falsehood.  And, no doubt, Evil will turn to hostility; and certainly, Falsehood will defend itself by attempting to kill the Truth and suppress it by force.  This is a natural disposition, not a temporal matter!  It is nature, and not a transient condition.

Hence, certainly there must be Jihad ... assuredly in every form Unquestionably, it should begin in the realm of ideas, and then appear in and pervade the world of truth, reality and experience ... Undoubtedly, armed Evil must be taken on by armed Good ... Falsehood strengthened by numbers must be confronted by Truth garbed with preparation ... otherwise it would be suicide, or jest not befitting Muslims.
 
I blame not the invader when he uses force or prepares,
For his way is to seize, and our concern must be to prepare.

 
4. Responding to the Call of the Lord

Allah, Most High, says:

"March forth, whether light or heavy, andfight with your wealth and your lives in the Path of Allah; that is better for you, if only you knew. [Quran 9:41]

Al-Qurtubi has quoted ten different reports for the interpretation of "light" and "heavy":

1.    Narrated from Ibn Abbas: 'youthful and mature'.
2.    Narrated from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah: 'eager and uneager'.
3.    "Light": 'rich'. and "heavy": 'poor'.  Reported by Mujahid.
4.    "Light": Mouthful's and "heavy" : 'old'.  Reported by Hasan Al-Basri.
5.    'Busy and unoccupied'.  Reported by Zaid bin Ali and Al-Hakam bin Utaybah.
6.    "Heavy" is the one with family, and "light" is the one with no family.  Reported by Zaid bin Aslam.
7.    "Heavy" is the one with some work which he dislikes abandoning, and "light" is the one without any work.  Reported by Ibn Zaid.
8.    "Light": 7nfantry'. and "heavy": 'cavalry'.  Reported by Al-Awza'i.
9.    "Light" are the ones who rush to the war like the vanguard (the foremost rank of the army).
10.    "Light": 'brave, and "heavy": 'cowardly'.  Reported by Al-Naqqash.

The correct interpretation, in our understanding, is that people have been ordered as a whole.  That is, "Go forth, whether the activity is light for you or heavy." It has been narrated that Ibn Umm Maktum came to the Prophet (SAWS), and asked him, "Do I have to do battle?"

The Prophet said, "Yes," until Allah Most High revealed the verse meaning, "There is no blame on the blind."

These reports are only to illustrate "light" and "heavy", and a sensible person does not doubt that the conditions in which we are living, in Afghanistan and Palestine - nay in the major part of the Muslim World -- fall under the jurisdiction of this verse.  There is agreement among scholars of Tafseer, Hadith and Usool (religious principles) that when the enemy enters an Islamic land or a land that was once part of the Islamic lands, it is obligatory on the inhabitants of that place to go forth to face the enemy.

But if they sit back, or are incapable, lazy, or insufficient in number, the individual obligation (Fard Ain) spreads to those around them.  Then if they also fall short or sit back, it goes to those around them; and so on and so on, until the individually obligatory (Fard Ain) nature of Jihad encompasses the whole world.  At that time, nobody can abandon it, just like Salah and Fasting, to the extent that the son may go out without the permission of his father, the debtor without the permission of the one he owes, the woman without the permission of her husband, and the slave without the permission of his master.  The individually obligatory nature of Jihad remains in effect until the lands are purified from the pollution of the disbelievers.  However, a woman going out on a journey must have a mahram (male relative whom she is forbidden to marry).

I have not found (in my modest experience), any book of Fiqh, Tafseer or Hadith which does not document this condition.  None of the Predecessors have said that this condition is one in which Jihad is Fard Kifayah, nor have they said that the permission of parents is necessary.  The sin is not lifted off the necks of the Muslims as long as any area of land (which was once Muslim) remains in the hands of the disbelievers, and none are saved from the sin except those who perform Jihad.

So, everyone not performing Jihad today is forsaking a duty, just like the one who eats during the days of Ramadan without excuse, or the rich person who withholds the Zakah from his wealth.  Nay, the state of the person who abandons Jihad is more severe.

As Ibn Taymiyyah says,

'As for the occupying enemy who is spoiling the religion and the World, there is nothing more compulsory after Iman (Faith) than repelling him." 20

And the clear truth which cannot be avoided is contained in the words of Abu Talha when he recited (the words meaning) at the age of 80 years old,

"Go forth, light and heavy,"

He then said,

"Young and old, Allah has not accepted the excuse of anyone.  Hey, son, Prepare me (for Jihad), prepare me!

His son said,

"May Allah have mercy on you!  You did battle along with the Prophet (SAWS) until he died, and together with Abu Bakr until he died, and the same alongside Umar until he died, so now we will do battle on your behalf.

But Abu Talha said,

"No, prepare me.

So he went out for Jihad, and died at sea, and they did not find an island on which they could bury him until seven days later, at which time they buried him there.  His corpse had not decomposed, may Allah be pleased with him.

Al-Qurtubi says 21

"When Jihad becomes individually obligatory because of the domination of the enemy over apiece of land, or by their occupation of apart of the Islamic heartland, then at that stage, it is obligatory on all the inhabitants of that land to goforth (andface the enemy).  They must go out light and heavy, young and old, each according to hislher capability; those with theirfather's permission, those without theirfather's permission and also those withoutfathers.

None should linger behind from going out either to fight or to increase numbers, even if the inhabitants of that area are weak, until they know that they have amongst them the capability to withstand the enemy and repel them.

In the same way, it is also compulsory for everybody who knows of their weakness against the enemy, and knows that he couldjoin them and help, to go out, for the Muslims are all a single hand against the enemy.  This is the status of Jihad until the inhabitants of the area have managed to repel the enemy that descended upon the land and occupied it, at which point the obligation is waivedftom the others.

If the enemy comes close to the Land of Islam (Dar-ul-Islam) without actually entering it, it is also necessary that the people should go out to face them until the Religion of Allah prevails, the territory is protected, its heartland is safeguarded, and the enemy is subdued.  There is no disagreement regarding any of this.

How beautiful are the verses of the poetic genius Al-Ja'di in addressing his wife who wishes that he would sit with his family:

She spent the night sitting, reminding me of Allah
While tears abundantly down their channels did run.
Dear woman!  The Book of Allah has taken me forth,
Averse.  Shall I then forbid Allah from what He has done?
If I return, then the Lord of Creation shafl have returned me;
If I meet my Lord then in my place marry another man.
I was not lame nor blind that He should excuse me,
Nor weak from any illness causing incapacitation.


5. Following the Pious Predecessors

Jihad was a way of life for the Pious Predecessors (Salaf-us-Salih), and the Prophet (SAWS) was a master of the Mujahideen and a model for fortunate, inexperienced people.  When there was fierce fighting, they used to stand resolutely by the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) lest he be closest to the enemy.

The total number of military excursions which he (SAWS) accompanied was 27. He himself fought in nine of these; namely Badr, Uhud, Al-Muraysi, The Trench, Qurayzah, Khaybar, The Conquest of Makkah, Hunayn and Taif.  This is according to those who consider that Makkah was conquered by force.  He sent out a total of 47 attachments.  It has also been said that he participated in the fight against the Banu Nadir 22 . This means that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) used to go out on military expeditions or send out an army at least every two months.

The virtuous Companions continued upon the path of the Noble Prophet (SAWS), for the Glorious Quran had brought up this generation with an education of Jihad.  They had been bathed in Jihad and cleansed of engrossment in worldly matters, just as a wound is bathed in water.

It has been narrated that Aslam Abu Imran said 23:

"In Constantinople, a man of the Emigrants (Muhajireen) attacked the enemy ranks until he hadpenetrated them and was killed Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari was with us.  Some people said, 'He has contributed to his destruction with his own hands.'
Upon this, Abu Ayyub said:
"We are more knowledgeable about this verse, for it was revealed in our midst.  We accompanied the Messenger of Allah (SAWS), and we witnessed events with him and assisted him.  Then, when Islam had spread andprevailed, a group of us Ansar (Helpers), brought together by our mutual bonds of love, gathered one day and said, "Allah has honoured us with the companionship of His Prophet (SA WS) until Islam has spread and its adherents have become many.  We used to prefer him over ourfamilies, possessions and children, but now the war is over, so we will return to our wives and children and remain with them.' Then the verse was revealed 'And spend in the Path of Allah, and do not contribute to your destruction with your own hands.'[Quran 2:195] So, the destruction lay in remaining with one's family and wealth and abandoning Jihad."

lkrimah has narrated about Damrah bin Al-Ays, who was one of the weak, sick and oppressed Muslims in Makkah, that when he heard what Allah had revealed about Hijrah he said: 'Take me out!' So a stretcher was brought for him and he was put on it and was taken out. He died on the way at Tan'eem, about 2km from  Makkah. 24

At-Tabari has reported that Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad was seen at a moneychanger's table in Emessa.  He was leaning on the table due to his corpulence, and somebody said:

'Allah has excusedyou (from Jihad)!
Whereupon he said,
"The Surah of dispatchment 25 has reached us, (Allah said): 'Go forth, light and heavy.'

Az-Zuhri said:

"Saeed bin Al-Musayyib went out for Jihad, he was blind in one eye, and somebody told him, 'You are an invalid,'but he said,

'Allah has called forth the light and the heavy.  If I cannot fight, I will increase our numbers and guard possessions."

It has been narrated 26 that somebody saw, in the battles of the Levant 27 , a man whose eyelids were sagging over his eyes on account of old age, and so he told him:

    "O'Uncle, indeed Allah has excused you from Jihad."
But the man said,
    "O'My Nephew, we have been ordered to go forth light and heavy."

Then there is Ibrahim bin Adham, who, when he perceived that he was dying, said, "String my bow for me." He died while it was in his hand, and he was buried on one of the Roman islands 28. And Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, who used to traverse 2600 km travelling or riding his beast, in order to fight in the Path of Allah in the seaports of the Muslims.  And then there is Zuhayr bin Qumayr Al-Maruzi who said 29 , "I have been wishing for meat for forty years, and I will not eat it until I enter Rome, and then I will eat it out of the booty of Rome." Urwah bin Al-Ja'd, the Judge of Kufa, used to have in his house seventy horses appointed for Jihad.30

And then there was Muhammad bin Wasi, a devout worshipper and a  Muhaddith 31 , who also participated in military expeditions and in guarding the frontline.  Commander Qutaybah bin Muslim Al-Bahili said of him, "That the finger of Muhammad bin Wasi' points to the sky in battle is more beloved to me than 100000 renowned swords and strong youths 32.  Ahmad bin Ishaq As-Salumi says 33, "I know with certainty that I have killed 1000 Turks with this sword of mine.  Were it not an innovation, I would have ordered that it be buried with me."

Then there is Abu Abdullah bin Qadus.  He acquired such a reputation on account of the large number of Christians he killed in Spain that when a Christian used to try to make his horse drink, and it would not advance to the water, he used to say to it, "What's the matter with you?  Did you see Ibn Qadus in the water?" 34 Badr bin Ammar killed a lion with his whip and thus he was praised by Al-Mutanabbi in the following couplet:

Does he sully the lion with his whip?
For whom then are you saving the burnished sword?

There is also Umar Al-Mukhtar, of whom Girasiyani, the Italian Commander, says, "He plunged into 263 battles with our forces over twenty months.  His total battles numbered one thousand."

And then there is Sheikh Muhammad Farghall.  The English in Al-Ismailiyyah used to declare a state of emergency in their camps whenever Farghali entered the city, and they offered £50 000 to anybody for him, dead or alive.

Yusuf Talat used to be called "Butcher of the English" on account of the large numbers of them that he killed in the Suez Canal.  Jamal Abdul-Nasir executed both of them to please his American masters.

Muhammad Baana, one of the general staff of Ahmad Shah Masood, told me once that he and his company destroyed 400 transport vehicles while they were crossing the Salang Highway.  The Russians call him "The General".  He captured 200 Kalakovs and 200 Kalashnikovs, and Muhammad Baana told me that he once destroyed 150 tanks in one operation.


6. Establishing a solid foundation as a base for Islam

Establishment of the Muslim community on an area of land is a necessity, as vital as water and air.  This homeland will not come about without an organised Islamic movement which perseveres consciously and realistically upon Jihad, and which regards fighting as a decisive factor and as a protective cover.

The Islamic movement will not be able to establish the Islamic community except through a common, people's Jihad which has the Islamic movement as its beating heart and deliberating mind.

It will be like the small spark which ignites a large keg of explosives, for the Islamic movement brings about an eruption of the hidden capabilities of the Ummah, and a gushing forth of the springs of Good stored up in its depth.  The Companions of the Prophet were exceedingly few in number compared to the troops who toppled the throne of the Persian Chosroes and overthrew the Caesar of Rome.

Nay, the tribes that apostatised from Islam in the days of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq were dispatched by Umar bin Al-Khattab, after they had announced their repentance, to fight against the Persians.  Talha bin Yhuwailid Al-Asadi, who had laid claim to prophethood before, became one of the most outstanding and revered heroes.  Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas chose him for the important task of reconnoitring for information about the Persians, in which he showed outstanding courage.

There are the handful of military officers, some of whom may think that it is possible for them to carry out a collective Muslim effort - this is a kind of fantasy or delusion, reminiscent of the past.  It will be no more than a repetition of the tragedy of Abdul-Nasir with the Islamic Movement once again.

The popular Jihad movement with its long path of effort, great sacrifice and serious losses, purifies souls so that they tower above the lower material world.  Important matters rise above petty disputes about money, short-term desires and inferior provisions.  Malice disappears and souls are sharpened; and the Caravan moves on from the foot of the mountain up to the lofty summit, far away from the stench of clay and the struggles of low ground.  Along the path of Jihad, the leadership is categorised, abilities become manifest from the offerings and sacrifices, and men come forth with bravery and service.
Do not think glory to be a wine-skin and a songstress,
For glory can come only through war and severe fighting.

When important matters are the only concern, souls are uplifted above minor
issues, and important things occupy people's hearts and hopes.

When you embark on an honourable venture,
Be not content with aiming below the stars.
For the taste of death in a paltry matter
Is like the taste of death in a significant matter.
The cowards will see cowardice as reason,
And that is the treachery of the depraved disposition.
 
The nature of societies is precisely that of water.  In stagnant water, water moss and decayed matter float on the surface, whereas flowing water will not carry scum on its surface.  Similarly, the leadership of a stagnant society cannot fulfil its responsibility because leadership emerges only through movement, sacrifice, service and offering.  Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali emerged as outstanding individuals through great feats and excessive sacrifices.

Thus Abu Bakr was not in need of election propaganda when the Ummah reached a consensus to elect him.  No sooner did the soul of the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) ascend to meet his Lord than were all eyes turned to the open position; apd they found none better than Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Ummah which performs Jihad pays a high price, and so it harvests ripe fruits.  It is not easy to lose something which was won through sweat and blood.  Those who sit at the helm of leadership of people by the power of the first announcement of a military revolution accomplished behind the scenes in one of the offices of mediation can easily lose everything.
Whoever seized a land without war,
It is easy for him to surrender that land.
The Ummah of Jihad, which is led by extraordinary people who emerged through the long Jihad movement, will not easily lose command, nor serve as easy prey for collapse.  It is also not easy for its enemies to make it harbour suspicions about its heroes' excursions.  The Jihad movement familiarises the Ummah with all its individuals, informing it that they have contributed to the price paid, and have participated in the sacrifice for the establishment of the Islamic State.  Thus they will be trustworthy custodians of this new-bom State which will relieve the entire Ummah from the agony of its labour-pains. Without a doubt, the Islamic State will be born, but birth cannot be accomplished without labour, and with labour there must be pain.


7. Protecting the oppressed in the land

Among the incentives for the Islamic Jihad is the without protection of those who are weak and oppressed in the land, and lifting injustice off them.

"What is the matter with you, that you fight not in the Path of Allah, while the weak and oppressedfrom among the men, women and children who are saying, 'Our Lord!  Take us out of this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from You one who will protect us, and give us from You one who will help us!" [Quran 4:75]

How can there be relaxation, and how can the Muslims be calm, When the Muslim women are with the oppressing enemy?

The Islamic jurists are in consensus that Jihad becomes Fard Ain (an individual obligation) both physically and by material support, when a Muslim woman is taken captive.  In Al-Bazzaziyyah, it is reported,

"If a Muslim woman is taken captive in the West, it becomes obligatory on the people of the East to rescue her."
I wish that, even if they will not protect the religion,
At least, they would fight defending the women's honour.
Even if they are not interested in Jihad's reward,
They could, at least, come and fight to win booty.

Once I was with Hikmatyar 35 in Logar (a province of Afghanistan), when he struck a serious blow to the Communist headquarters of the province.  The children of the province shouted, and the tongues of the women were ftill of prayers for Hikmatyar.

Are Muslim women being taken captive in every land?
Shall the lives of Muslims then be comfortable?
Do Allah and Islam not have the right
That every youth and aged one for it should fight?

Islam came to affirm justice on earth:

"We surely sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and We revealed with them the Book and the Balance, that Mankind might establish justice." [Quran 57:25]



8. Hoping for Martyrdom and a High Station in Paradise

It has been reported in the authentic Hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad and AtTirmidhil 36, on the authority of Al-Miqdam bin Ma'd, that:

"The martyr has seven special favours from Allah:
He is forgiven his sins with the first spurt of his blood,
He sees his place in Paradise (before his soul leaves his body), He is clothed with the garment of faith,
He is wed with seventy-two wives ftom the beautiful maidens of paradise, He is saved from the Punishment of the Grave,
He is protected from the Great Terror (of the Day of Judgement),
On his head is placed a Crown of Dignity, a jewel of which is better than the World and all it contains, and he is granted intercession for seventy people of his household.

Al-Bukhari has reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAWS) said 37:

"In Paradise there are one hundred levels which Allah has prepared for the Mujahideen; the difference between every pair of these is like the difference between heaven and earth, so when you ask Allah, ask for Al-Firdous.


9. Indeed Jihad is a shield for the Ummah's honour, and a means for lifting disgrace off them  

An authentic hadith reported by Imam Ahmad, on the marfu' authority of Ibn Umar, states 38

"When people are stingy with dinars and dirhams 39 , and trade in 'Al-Inah' 40 and follow the tails of cows 41, Allah will establish over them a disgrace which He will not remove until they return to their religion."



10. Protecting the dignity of the Ummah, and repelling the conspiracy of its enemies


"So fight in the Path of Allah - you will be held accountable only for Yourself and incite the believers.  It may be that Allah will subdue the might of the disbelievers.  And Allah is Mightier in Power, and severer in punishment." [Quran 4:84]

In an authentic hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawud 42 , on the authority of Thawban, we are told:

"A time will come when the nations (of the world) will surround you from every side, just as diners gather around the main dish.
Somebody asked,

'Oh Messenger of Allah, will it be on account of our scarcity at that time?'He said,

'No, your numbers will be many but you will be scum, like the scum of flood water Feebleness will be placed in your hearts, and fear will be removed from the hearts of your enemies, on account of your love for the World, and your abhorrence of death."


11. Preservation of the earth, and protection from corruption

 
"...Had it not been for Allah's countering some people by means of others, the earth would surely have become full of corruption." [Quran 2:251]


12.  Security of Islamic places of worship

"Had it not been for Allah's countering some people by means of others, surely monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, in which the Name of Allah is remembered much, would have been destroyed." [Quran 22:40]


13.  Protection of the Ummah from punishment, disfiguration and displacement

"Unless you march forth, He willpunish you with a severe punishment, and will replaceyou with anotherpeople, andyou cannot harm Him at all.  And Allah has Power over all things." [Quran 9:39]


14.  Prosperity of the Ummah, and surplus of its resources

"My sustenance has been put under the shadow of my spear."

This is an authentic hadith, reported by Imam Ahmad, on the authority of Ibn Umar 43


15. Jihad is the highest peak of Islam

"The highest peak of it is Jihad," we find in authentic hadith reported on the authority of Muadh bin Jabal 44.  Jihad is also the asceticism of this Ummah as narrated by Imam Ahmad on the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri: "And you should perform Jihad for it is the asceticism of this Ummah." 45


16.  Jihad is the most excellent form of worship and by means of it the Muslim can reach the highest of ranks
 
Al-Fadl bin Ziyad said,

"I heard Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Hanbal while he was talking about the enemy, and he began crying, saying there is no deed of righteousness better than fighting them."

It was reported about him by others, that he said,

"Nothing matches encountering the enemy, and face-to-face combat is the most excellent of deeds. Those who fight the enemy are the ones who protect Islam and its holy places, and what deed could be superior to that?  People are safe while they are in fear, and they have contributed their very lifeblood." 46

In Bukhari appears the following hadith  47:

"In Paradise there are a hundred levels which Allah has prepared for the Mujahideen in the Path of Allah; the difference between every pair of these is like the difference between the heavens and the earth.  So when you ask Allah, ask for AI-Firdous."