POST #41 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

The Jihaad of the Tongue vs. the Jihaad of the Belly and the Pocket


“…So those who wish to interpret and change Jihaad so that Jihaad becomes that one sits with one leg on the other and writes a few words on a paper, or that he speaks a few words on the pulpit, and at the end of the month its dirhams are more than its words…then this is not Jihaad. Jihaad of the tongue is considered Jihaad only if there is a danger to one’s self or family. If there is a danger upon you, and you speak, then this is Jihaad. As for you not speaking except with that which pleases the ruler, and if it doesn’t please the ruler then you do not speak with it, then this is not Jihaad, ever. This is the Jihaad of the belly; the Jihaad of the pocket.

As for the greatest Jihaad being a word of truth in front of an tyrannical ruler, then this is true! The leader of the martyrs is Hamzah, and a man who stood up to a tyrannical ruler and prevented him (from his tyranny) and was killed because of this (as in the hadeeth of the Prophet (saws))! As for speaking about the Nusayriyya (a heretical sect in Syria) in Jordan because the Jordanians hate Haafidh al-Assad, and to consider this Jihaad? This is not Jihaad. There is no problem with this, you can call it knowledge or what you like, but this is not Jihaad. You speak about the Shee’ah when the rulers want you to speak about them, but when they make peace with Iraan you stop speaking about the Shee’ah? No, this is not Jihaad, this is not Jihaad. And we fear that this is not repented for, because it contains showing off (riyaa’); it is not sincerely for Allaah.

That you speak at the time that you are obliged to speak the truth whether or not your ruler is pleased, then this is Jihaad!

As for speaking against and attacking the Communists during the time of Sadat because he differed with the Communists and expelled them from Egypt, but during the days of ‘Abdin-Naasir before him Communism was the Religion of Allaah, then in the days of Sadat after him Communism became atheism and disbelief? And both (rulings) are from whom? The scholars (of the government). The University of al-Azhar used to come out everyday with the program called ‘Socialism and Life’ and say that Socialism is the Religion of Allaah. So when ‘Abdin-Naasir died and Sadat came and expelled ‘Ali Sabri and the Communists and expelled the Russians, then (only) Communism became atheism and disbelief. A fatwaa was issued around 1958 or after it that peace with the Jews was disbelief, then a fatwaa was issued when Sadat went (to Jerusalem to make peace) that “if they lean towards peace, then lean towards it.” How is this? Is this how we make Jihaad for the sake of Allaah? Or (instead) is it Jihaad for the sake of our pockets and our bellies?

Al-Qaddhaafi has altered the Sunnah since ten years ago, and nobody spoke about this or made takfeer of him. However, when he spoke some words that were hurtful to some people, that is when the fataawaa began pouring forth against al-Qaddhaafi that he was a disbeliever because he rejected the Sunnah and the rejecter of the Sunnah is a disbeliever. This fatwaa is not for Allaah. It is for who? The ruler. Not for Allaah.

If there is a conflict between one country and another, you find the scholars of those countries waiting to speak about the belief of the other country, or about it’s evils, or its treachery, or its misguidance, or its dealings with the Jews or other than this… no, no, no. This is not the best Jihaad; neither is it the best Jihaad nor the least Jihaad. This is eating rice. Eating stew! This is the Jihaad of stew! This is licking the pots and pans!"

(from a lecture entitled ‘as-Sabr ‘alar-Ribaat’)

POST #40 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Mothers: Producers of Heroes

“...Mothers play a great role in building a generation. The better a mother is at raising her children, the more successfully the Ummah is built and the more successful it is at producing heroes. You hardly ever see a great man except that a great woman is behind him who left some of her traits in his personality by way of the milk from which he was fed and the warm embrace in which he sought refuge.

Most men find it hard to remove these shining images from their minds that they retain of their mothers. These outstanding images that ran through his veins from a young age remain engraved in his mind, and he cannot help but to remember them with veneration and pride. He recalls the simple, clear words that his mother left his spirit with, and these words grow to become milestones on his path and guiding lights on his quest.

He cannot help but to place himself under the vast shade that his mother provided for him throughout the long course of his life, nurtured by the pleasant emotions and mixed with the eternal days of his life. These realities grow in his spirit and become an inseparable part of his personality that he cannot let go of without letting go of his humanity.

This is why preserving this affection and repaying this kindness with kindness is an obligation in Islam that is directly partnered with Tawhid: {“...and your Lord ordained that you worship only Him, and that you treat your parents with excellence...”} [al-Isra’; 23] And disobedience to them is directly partnered with kufr.

Respect for mothers occupies a very high position on the ladder of Islam, and is very heavy in its scales. It is reported in the ‘Sahih’ that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, who is most deserving of my kind treatment?” He replied: “Your mother.” The man asked: “Then who?” He replied: “Your mother.” The man asked again: “Then who?” He replied: “Your mother.” The man asked again: “Then who?” He replied: “Your father.”

I once said to Ibrahim al-Akhdar – the imam of the Haram in Makkah – “Why do you prevent your sweet voice from being heard by the Muslims who come from everywhere to hear it? How can you request to return to Madinah when some people say that hearing you recite the Qur’an is like hearing it descending fresh from the heavens?”

So, he replied: “My treasures in this world are my grandmother and mother, and I must fulfill my responsibilities to them and treat them well. Nobody can do this but me.”

I said: “Why don’t you bring your grandmother here?”

He said: “She refuses to leave Madinah out of fear that she might die outside of it, and her greatest wish is to be buried in the graveyard of al-Baqi’.”

And indeed, Ibrahim actually left the Haram in Makkah and went back to leading a small mosque in Madinah, sticking to the Paradise that is at the foot of his mother and grandmother...”

[‘Majallat al-Jihad’; #36, Rabi’ al-Awwal 1408]

POST #39 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

True Men Are Known in Times of Hardship:

"...Those who gave Bay'at ar-Ridwan beneath the tree at Hudaybiyah were 1,400 men. When was this? It was in Dhu al-Qi'dah 6 AH. When the treaty was solidified and Quraysh stood aside and held back from fighting the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم), only then did people begin entering Islam, as they had previously been afraid of Quraysh. So, Quraysh had a treaty with the Messenger of Allah and held back from fighting him, and waves of people saw this as their chance to become Muslims even if Quraysh didn't like this. So, they became Muslims. Those who came did so 21 months after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. What happened after this? The conquest of Makkah. Those who came to conquer Makkah with the Messenger were 10,000. This means that how many people had become Muslim in the time leading up to this? At least 8,500 or 8,600 in the two years of peace had decided to enter Islam.

Why? There are people in society who like you. However, they will not dare to help you if the government is angry with you. Isn't this so?

Believe me, during the time that Egypt was unleashing its wrath on Sayyid Qutb and his family, nobody was able to lend them even a single dirham at a time when the women in the family could not even afford the cost of their weekly visits to Sayyid and Muhammad Qutb. They wouldn't dare. I heard them saying: "The people have cut themselves off from us. We went to some people to borrow money from, our friends. They said "We don't know you. Don't come to us, and we won't come to you.""

...So, as a da'i, if you stand up to the government, the only ones who will stand by you are those who are ready for death or some sort of sacrifice. True men are known in times of hardship. No da'i will stand by you unless he is willing to give up his family, children, wealth, and job...So, nobody will stand by you in harsh circumstances except true men, and they are few - men who live by their beliefs and have principles they stick to.


When the Messenger made the pact with Quraysh, over 8,500 became Muslim in the less than two years that followed. And when Quraysh was defeated in Ramadan of 8 AH and Hawazin was defeated after them in Shawwal of 8 AH, only then did the delegations begin coming to Hunayn from all corners of the Arabian Peninsula to enter Islam in waves: {"When the victory of Allah and the conquest comes, and you see the people enter Allah's Religion in waves."} [an-Nasr; 1-2]

So, during difficult circumstances in which you are confronting the massive jahiliyyah around you, don't expect people to accept your call. None will accept it except those are are prepared to sacrifice everything they own, even their lives.

Quraysh and Hawazin were finished in the 8th year AH. Two years later, in the 10th year AH, the Prophet made Hajj along with 124,000 people. How many were there during the conquest of Makkah? There were 10,000. This means that in the two years between the two, there were 114,000 who became Muslim. However, the core of this society and its essence and foundation and nucleus was the mere thousand who participated at Uhud or the 1,400 who witnessed Bay'at ar-Ridwan. These, if they were to have been removed them from the picture, the entire society would've collapsed.

Because of this, the governments are smart when they fight Islam. They are very smart. They don't come and kill everyone and have this held against them. Rather, they come and remove the five, six, or seven leaders who are the nucleus and essence and solid foundation and kill them off. While they only took out six, they really took out an entire ummah by taking out these six! {"Indeed, Ibrahim was a nation unto himself..."} [an-Nahl; 120]

And how often is one man equal to a thousand * And how often are a thousand men equal to none..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 50-54]

POST #38 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Our Inner vs. Outer Condition:

"...And the believer - subhan Allah, glory be to You, O Lord - is liked by everyone no matter what.

Why?

The believer isn't fake. There is nothing you can hold against him. What he does in secret is what he does openly. There aren't secret acts and public acts. He doesn't have a personality in secret and a different one in public. They are both the same. So, if you were to peek into his life when he's alone, you'd find him even better than he is in public. If you were to see him at home at night, you'd find him either praying, sleeping, eating suhur, or reciting the Qur'an. There is nothing you can hold against him. There is no girl he has snuck in to commit indecent acts with, nor does he have stolen money that he is counting.

His outer condition is like his inner condition. In fact, his inner condition is even better than his outer, and the early Muslims would say 'O Allah, make our inner condition better than our outer condition, and make our outer condition good.' There is nothing you can hold against him. He has inner confidence, is sure of himself, and is relaxed.

As for the hypocrite, he fears that everyone will discover his faults and that they are privy to his sins. This is why it's as if the suspicious person wants to tell people 'Take me away, take me away.' Why? He is filled with faults, and he suspects that this person knows of them, that person found out, etc. So, his whole life is full of anxiety and constriction.

As for the believer, 'Umar bin al-Khattab nullified his ablution while on the pulpit. He said: "O people, I've passed gas, and I am going to make ablution and return." He is sure of himself. So, why would he care what people think? On a day other than Friday, he ascended the pulpit and gathered the people and said: "O people, a few years ago, I used to herd sheep for people in Makkah for a few copper coins." So, 'Abd ar-Rahman bin 'Awf took him aside and said to him privately: "Commander of the Believers, you did nothing but belittle yourself in front of everyone." So, 'Umar said: "That was exactly my intention. I felt impressed with myself, and therefore wanted to humble myself in front of everyone.""

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 489]

POST #37 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

The Muslim Knows the Way:

"...We are living a blessing.

One of us is raised from childhood to know that, for example, the unrestrained glance is forbidden. So, for the rest of his life, the unrestrained glance is forbidden, seclusion with the opposite gender is forbidden, adultery and fornication are forbidden, interest and usury are forbidden, speaking badly about others behind their backs is forbidden, etc. That's all it takes! So, a personality is developed that is mature and balanced, thanks to its Lord.

However, in America, one day, it's OK to drink alcohol, the next day it isn't. Sometimes, the government allows alcohol, and at other times prohibits it. Sometimes, it penalizes those who sell it, and it doesn't at other times. No. Alcohol is forbidden in Islam, and we learn this from when we are two years old, and we learn that it is objectionable from that point onwards. Everything that is forbidden in Islam is inherently objectionable, and everything that is permitted is acceptable and there is no problem in doing it. Because of this, we have the hadith: "If you have no shame, do what you wish," and this has two possible interpretations. The first is that if something you want to do doesn't contradict the Shari'ah, do it. The second interpretation is that the person with no shame will do whatever he wants.

So, we're truly relaxed. It's enough that we know the way. The European, what is his path? Where is he going? For us, everything is solved mentally and spiritually. We know our path, its start, its purpose, and its end:

Where did we come from? Allah Created us.

Where are we going? He will cause us to die, and then gather us on the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt.

Why did He Create us? Only to worship Him.

Who controls the Universe? The kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth belong to Allah.

The God we worship is Dominating, Colossal, Wise, Merciful, Generous to His slaves. In Europe, what do they have? Who do they deal with? Who do they turn to? Who do they rely on? What do they fortify themselves with? What do they seek refuge with? The concepts of Satan, the Jinn , God, the Hereafter, etc. - all of these things have been wiped from the dictionary of the West. The traveller's check, the value of the mark, the value of the dinar, the value of the dollar - this is their life.

Because of this, a person who lives without a set of rules will oppress others when given the chance. He will cheat people out of their wealth when given the chance. He will fornicate when given the chance. He will steal when given the chance..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 505-506]

POST #36 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Ghayrah for Islam Has Become a Deficiency:

“…It is a disaster that your heart dies without you noticing. It is as if you say: ‘O Lord! How often I rebel against You without you punishing me for it!’ And He replies: ‘How often I punish you without you even noticing! Haven’t I removed the life from your heart?’

The death of the heart, the lack of reaction to the Shar’i texts, that your face doesn’t become red for the sake of Allah…that’s it. Your heart is dead. It no longer pumps blood. In fact, this has now become something shameful. It has now become blameworthy for one to have zeal and to react strongly when he sees some corruption or evil in front of him. This is now considered a deficiency of the many deficiencies that can exist in one’s character. People will say that you are a poor guy who is quick to get charged up, or that you are passionate, or that you are zealous, or that you are rash, or that you are a fundamentalist, etc. Yes! It is now something blameworthy!

…Yes, and this is why we now use these terms without realizing what we’re saying. This person is too simple-minded, this person is too passionate, that person is a fanatic, easily charged up, zealous, etc. And is this religion given victory by mere reason, or is it given victory by zeal and passion? Reason tells you: how can you stand against Russia? Malik bin Nabi said that the index finger of Bilal that was raised to the sky saying ‘Ahad, Ahad (He is One, He is One)’ was not the voice of reason. Rather, this was the voice of emotion, because reason would tell him to deceive Umayyah bin Khalaf and then come at night and renew his Islam at night with Muhammad.

Someone once said to me: “Brother, we shouldn’t be so open with everything we say. I sat for two years in an office without my coworker knowing my mindset.” So, I said to him: “May Allah ease your affairs. This means that for two years, you didn’t speak a single word commanding good or forbidding evil because if you had spoken, he would have known your mindset?” And he considers this to have been cleverness on his part!

The cowards think that cowardliness is intelligence * This is the deception of the wicked soul…”

['Fi Dhilal at-Tawbah'; p. 223]

POST #35 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

If You See Him Accepted By Them:

"When will they accept you? Either you abandon your faith or they abandon their sin, and this won't happen. If they abandon their sin, this means they become Muslims, and the conflict cools down. And if you abandon your Islam, you have committed shirk. So, the conflict continues: {"...Do you criticize us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to us and to those before us, and that most of you are rebellious sinners?"} [al-Ma'idah; 59] So, their sin and our faith is the reason.

So, if you see America or Russia or Britain or the criminals and tyrants in the Islamic world - if you see them pleased with someone, you should doubt this person's Islam and his faith. Understood? This is because Allah has set down a rule that does not change, and this rule says: {"And the Jews and Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their way..."} [al-Baqarah; 120]

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 22]

POST #34 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Living Together:

"You cannot live alone. Do not live alone, as the wolf eats up the lone sheep, and Satan is close to the one who is alone and is farther from two who are together. So, if you live somewhere, live with at least one other person, and this one person should be righteous.

Friends are like a row of connected test tubes: if liquid overflows in one tube, the excess flows into the other tubes until there is an equal amount of liquid in all the tubes. Likewise, if you live with corrupt people, they will take away many of your good deeds, and you will decrease and decrease and decrease until you are all equal in status. You will definitely end up like these interconnected test tubes. A group of friends are all like each other, and the longer the friendship lasts, the closer the character and manners of each person in the group will be to the others. Do not believe that a good person can live for long with a corrupt person, unless the corrupt person improves and follows the example of the good person.

This is why you should look for the good people, and a friend is like a chain: he will either drag you into Paradise or drag you into Hell. He will either cause you problems or he will help you solve your problems...

After this, work on guarding your tongue, because most of the torture in Hell is because of the tongue: "And will people be dragged on their faces into Hell because of anything other than what their tongues have brought forth?"

After this, work on making good use of your time. Do not waste your time. Always try to bring about some benefit from your social gatherings. So, if you see people talking about food, drink, telling jokes, etc., tell them: 'Guys, I read a story today to tell you about something that happened in Syria, or something that the Afghans did,' or say: 'What do you think about this hadith? I read the tafsir of this verse to tell you about,' etc. Benefit them in this gathering, and occupy them with something that will benefit them. Sit down together and read the Qur'an, read the biographies of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and the Companions, a simple explanation of the Qur'an such as 'Tafsir al-Jalalayn' - a simple, general explanation - and read a simple book of Fiqh, especially regarding how to pray. Read the entire section on how to pray, such as 'Fiqh as-Sunnah.' Read in detail how to make wudu', because it doesn't make sense to sit for thirty years not knowing the proper way of making wudu', performing prayer, etc. - you pray while not knowing the fundamentals of the prayer and wudu', and you do not know the details of optional fasting, etc. So, do all of this combined with good friends and a pure, truthful intention.

And stay away from women (and likewise, women should apply the same for men), as this is the source of all tribulation for those at your age, and in fact for those at any age. Stay from women who are forbidden for you. It is an obligation for you to stay away from them. Of course, all of the women in this land are forbidden for you. It is forbidden for you to look at them, it is forbidden for you to sit with them, it is forbidden for you to chat with them, and it is forbidden for you to be alone with them. The heart cannot bear these things because the glance is one of Iblis's poisonous arrows. Whoever lowers his gaze from what Allah has forbidden will be given a sweetness by Allah that he will feel in his heart. But to look, to continue looking, and to allow this arrow to strike you in the heart - not just an arrow, but a poisonous arrow that poisons your heart - to let an arrow strike you day after day after day, this will make your heart weak and unable to face the problems of life. This is why you find a person who is drowning in desires to be weak-hearted...As for the heart of the believer, his heart is strong and he isn't affected by anything. His heart is strenghtened by worship, and therefore does not become scared or shaky. As for the heart of the sinner, you see it shaking. Why? Because the arrows have killed him just like someone who has an ulcer in his stomach and cannot eat because of it.

Work for Allah and stick together, and the more you work for Allah, the more your souls will become strong and rise, and you will ascend rapidly upon the path of those who are ascending towards Allah. I advise you to recite the Qur'an everyday, because the Qur'an is like water for a plant. It is the life of the heart, and the water and life for the heart is the Qur'an..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 5/35-36]

POST #33 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

How the Believer Relaxes:

"...The stronger a person's connection with his Lord becomes, the more he will feel relaxed. This is why they said to Ibn al-Mubarak: "Who are the kings?" So, he replied: "Those who abstain from the worldly pleasures." They asked him: "Who are the lowest of people?" He replied: "Those who eat with their religion," meaning they are hypocritical with the people. So, they do this for a bite of food or a badge of honor, or any other worldly gain. They asked him: "Who are the lowest of the low?" He replied: "Those who ruin their religion in order to gain wordly benefit for others."

One of them would describe himself, saying: "We are in such a state of happiness that if the kings and their sons knew of it, they would fight us with swords over it." So, our happiness is greater than the happiness of the kings! And if they knew of this happiness that we had, they would fight us with weapons for it!

When Ibn Taymiyyah came into conflict with the ruler, the ruler said to him: "I know that you see the people gathering around you, and this made you greedy for my kingdom." So, Ibn Taymiyyah replied: "Listen! By Allah, I would not pay a single dirham for your kingdom!" Not a single one! But, the ruler is fearful for his throne, and Ibn Taymiyyah is relieving him by telling him that he would never buy his kingdom...

This is all the result of the happiness and honor that they were immersed in. Of course, the people of the dunya do not understand any of this. They only understand things in the context of the world they are living in, the cars they drive, the money they have, etc...

Then, in addition to the happiness that immerses such a person...why does a person become relaxed? A person becomes relaxed as the result of worship, because this fills the empty space inside. That empty space that is reserved specifically for worship becomes filled with it. So, a person becomes relaxed when he fills himself with worship, just like when a motor is filled with oil..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 5/26-27]

POST #32 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

How Islam Came To Afghanistan:

"...So, this area that we are in, Afghanistan, was subject to Persian Magian rule...Badakhshan, the northern provinces, Juzjan, etc. all the way to Takhar and Herat. Khurasan was part of the Persian empire, and Bukhara and Samarqand were all part of the Persian empire. How did 'Uthman conquer it?

Do you not see me guided after I was misguided * And I became a soldier in the army of Ibn 'Affan?

So, all of these areas were conquered in the era of 'Uthman, and 'Abd ar-Rahman bin Samurah conquered Kabul during the era of either 'Umar or 'Uthman. In the 'Sunan' of Abu Dawud, it says: "'Abd ar-Rahman bin Samurah narrated to us in Kabul." So, 'Abd ar-Rahman bin Samurah conquered Kabul during the era of 'Umar or 'Uthman, may Allah be Pleased with them both.

None of the populations that were conquered by the Muslims ever rebelled or resisted them except the people of Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan are very stubborn, and it is not an easy task to make them submit. So, the Muslims conquered it during the era of 'Umar, and this was followed by a rebellion from some of the tribes and the expulsion of the Muslims, and the Muslims had to return later on and conquer Afghanistan a second time.

If the Afghans become convinced of an idea or belief, they are known to cling to it very tightly and spread it. This is why they carried the religion of Buddhism and the people of Afghanistan adopted it. There was no way to change them - Buddhism, that was it, and this is why there is a huge statue of Buddha still standing in Bamyan today.* They are the ones who spread Buddhism in the region - to Pakistan and India. The Afghans are the ones who spread it...some tribes became convinced of this belief and began spreading Buddhism.

Islam then came, they became convinced of Islam, and they spread it throughout the region. So, most of these areas adopted Islam through them, and Mahmud al-Ghaznawi invaded India seven times. He entered it and demolished their statue, Shamnama, and after this, the Afghan people adopted the Hanafi madhhab..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 141-142]
[*] Obviously, that changed in March of 2001.

POST #31 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Why the People of the Book Are Mentioned So Much in the Qur'an:

"...Really, the one who follows the Noble Qur'an finds that the pages dedicated to the People of the Book are greater than their size and influence in the Arabian Peninsula. So, what is the secret behind this disproportional focus on them?

Allah Knew that after the idolaters were pushed out of the way of the spread of this call, the People of the Book would in the future take their place as the lump in the throat standing in the face of this religion. And Allah Knew that the Jews would head all efforts in fighting and opposing this religion since their days in Madinah all the way to the Day of Resurrection. Because of this, we have these long pages focusing on the People of the Book.

In truth, after polytheism was eradicated from the Arabian Peninsula, issues began with the People of the Book, and wars ensued with the People of the Book, and battles continued with the People of the Book, and the majority of battles that the Muslims fought were against the Romans. The Persians were finished after the defeat of Kisra, after the battle of Nahawand that was commanded by an-Nu'man bin Muqrin. The Persian state was finished, and this was prophecized by the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) when he sent a letter to Kisra and a letter to Heraclius, and Kisra tore up his letter, and the Prophet said: "May Allah tear up his kingdom," and he said: "If Kisra is destroyed, there will be no Kisra after him." The Persian empire was unable to stand up in front of the Muslims for more than ten years or so.

As for the Romans who have been fighting the Muslims since the days of Yarmuk until today, they escaped to Constantinople and took it as a base from which to fight this religion, and they stood as a preventative barrier to the spread of this religion. In Rome, the Western Church was the Pope's base, and Charles Martel stood in the face of this religion in the Battle of Tours in Europe after he had killed 'Abd ar-Rahman al-Ghafiqi in the Martyrs' Court in France. So, the advance in Europe was halted until the Turks came once again and conquered Constantinople, and the battles started all over again. Muhammad al-Fatih came and conquered Constantinople and began to initiate another conquest within Europe. With this, he faced immense challenges from the People of the Book, while the idolaters - the Persians and Magians - are for the most part finished..."

POST #30 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

What Goes Around Comes Around:

"...Whenever I look to the effects of Ibn Taymiyyah and the effects of Sayyid Qutb on Earth, I come to realize the meaning of {"A good word is as like good tree whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches reach to the sky, giving its fruit at all times by the Leave of its Lord..."} [Ibrahim; 24]

Ibn Taymiyyah died in prison in the year 726 H. His books were burned up, and he and Ibn al-Qayyim were paraded around the streets of Damascus with the neighborhood children mocking and clapping behind them. Ibn Taymiyyah would sometimes write in prison, so they took away his pen and paper. So, he began writing on the walls of his cell using a rock. This treatise of 'al-Hamawiyyah' or 'at-Tadmuriyyah' was copied down from the walls of his prison cell. Ibn Taymiyyah died in 726 H, and the the scholars who competed with him thought that they were finally rid of him. He died in 726 H, and after exactly four centuries, someone emerged in the belly of the Arabian Peninsula who loved the boks of Ibn Taymiyyah and learned from them, and he was Shaykh Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab. Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab was expelled from ad-Dar'iyyah to here and there, to Iraq, etc. Afterwards, he returned, and Allah softened the heart of Muhammad bin Sa'ud towards him and he agreed to aid his mission, and he did so.

The whole world went crazy, and they moved Ibrahim Basha the son of Muhammad 'Ali Basha, and a Syrio-Egyptian army moved to tear apart this da'wah and wipe it out from Najd, and they took its leader 'Ubaydullah bin Sa'ud and imprisoned him. Afterwards, the people thought that this da'wah was finished. About fifty years ago, one of Muhammad bin Sa'ud's sons, 'Abd al-'Aziz, took over as leader. During the days of 'Abd al-'Aziz, the people would wander from place to place until they could find just a tiny date to eat. One of the inhabitants of Najd told me: "One day during the famine, we would dig up ant hills and collect and eat the wheat that the ants would gather. We were unable to eat dates on a daily basis, and we'd have to eat the date one day, and suck on the seed of that date the next."

They would also take the vines on which the dates grew and wash them. So, the people of Najd would all come with their containers and vessels to collect some of the wash of these date vines. Allah then Willed that petroleum would be discovered inside the Arabian Peninsula, and this country began printing the books of Ibn Taymiyyah - printing and distributing, printing and distributing - and not a single library in the world was left except that it contained Ibn Taymiyyah's books. Today, if you wish to silence someone, you simply say 'Ibn Taymiyyah said such and such,' and the person is silenced: {"A good word is as like good tree whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches reach to the sky, giving its fruit at all times by the Leave of its Lord..."}

Sayyid Qutb was the same way. He was executed in prison, not in the street. They executed him inside the prison in a dark room, and nobody knows where his grave is until now. His own family doesn't know where he is buried. One of his old friends said to me: "If only we knew where his grave is so that we can visit him..." So, I said to him: "His Lord does, you don't need to know." The day that Sayyid was executed, six to eight thousand copies of 'Fi Dhilal al-Qur'an' were burned in the main streets, in other words 64,000 volumes of the book were burned. Anyone in Egypt who was found possessing any of Sayyid Qutb's books - especially 'Ma'alim fit-Tariq' - was sentenced to ten years in prison. Sayyid's books were treated like opium! They were actually like opium! They were warned against in the same way that marijuana was warned against.

When Sayyid Qutb was executed, the 'Voice of the Arabs' broadcast that he had been executed because he wanted to kill Umm Kulthum and destroy charitable organizations and the radio stations that broadcast the Qur'an, and because he had contacts with Western intelligence, that he was an American agent, a Western agent, etc. So, the announcer on the 'Voice of the Arabs' show, Ahmad Sa'id - I heard him myself, and may he go to Hell, and what an evil destination - would say regarding Sayyid Qutb: "To Hell, and what an evil destination."

That generation began asking itself: 'Who is this man who was executed? What is this book 'Ma'alim fit-Tariq' and this book 'Fi Dhilal al-Qur'an' that he was sentenced for?' So, everyone began looking for these books to read them. This happened to the point that a failing Christian publishing company in Beirut was advised by other Christians: "If you want to save your company, print 'Fi Dhilal al-Qur'an.'" Yes, and he did so, and in the same year that Sayyid Qutb was executed, the book was printed seven times. Seven times! And during his life, it was only printed one and a half times - they did not even complete the second printing. Everyone who read Sayyid Qutb's books returned to Allah and was affected by him, and the curse of Allah came down on those who had prevented people from reading them before. While they used to pound and whistle and jump up and down in the streets while his books were being burned, you now do not find a group of Muslims on Earth except that his books are with them, as they have been translated into almost every language..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 242-243]

POST #29 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Knowledge and Hydrocephalus:

"...Allah's way of building the human soul is to develop it gradually, just like a building. You build a building floor by floor, placing one brick over the other, etc. until the human soul is fully built.

The human soul cannot be built overnight, it cannot be built overnight. It needs a long time to be built...build it gradually, just like the body grows gradually. When a person is born, he is half a meter tall, for example. One day, he will be seven years old, and one day he will be seventy-five years old. He will grow from being a meter tall to being a meter and a quarter tall, etc. When he gets to be twenty years old, he will be between 170 to 175 centimeters tall.

The human soul is exactly like this when it comes to gradually growing in the religion. This is why the Lord of Honor would reveal the Qur'an one, two, or three verses at a time and would require them to act upon those verses. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah would take one, two, or three verses - never more than ten at a time - and then go act on them. They would then come back, learn some more, and go act on what they learned. As Ibn Mas'ud said: "We learned knowledge and action with the Qur'an."

Therefore, it is very dangerous for you to have a lot of knowledge while having only a modest level of action. The one who hears you thinks to himself 'Ma Sha' Allah!' He hears you talking about this verse from the Qur'an, this hadith, the hadith being authentic, the hadith being weak, 'Aqidah, Islamic history, the Khulafa', 'Umar said this, Abu Bakr said that - may Allah be Pleased with them all. However, you are ten centimeters when it comes to action, and when it comes to knowledge, you are over three meters. There is no balance! This is a disease. Having a lot of knowledge without action is a disease just like having a lot of action without knowledge.

There is a disease in the medical field known as hydrocephalus. It is when someone's head becomes so enlarged that his body is unable to carry it. I saw someone with his head like this, his body was thin, and his knees were unable to support his head. It could not! This is what many people look like: they learn a lot of knowledge - they memorize, they do not learn - they memorize. However, his head is poised like this while his body and limbs cannot support it. The size of a person's head must be consistent with the size of his body. Otherwise, he will be considered diseased if any part of his body grows larger while the rest of his body doesn't grow. If the medicine he takes all goes to one part of his body - for example, it all goes to his nose - his nose will become bigger than the rest of his head, and he will be deformed!

So, the Religion of Allah is a gradual divine method of developing the human soul just like this. Just like a medicine dropper administers the medicine gradually, they would take two verses or two ahadith, and they would go act upon them just like this..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 3/182-183]

POST #28 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Knowledge and Hydrocephalus:

"...Allah's way of building the human soul is to develop it gradually, just like a building. You build a building floor by floor, placing one brick over the other, etc. until the human soul is fully built.

The human soul cannot be built overnight, it cannot be built overnight. It needs a long time to be built...build it gradually, just like the body grows gradually. When a person is born, he is half a meter tall, for example. One day, he will be seven years old, and one day he will be seventy-five years old. He will grow from being a meter tall to being a meter and a quarter tall, etc. When he gets to be twenty years old, he will be between 170 to 175 centimeters tall.

The human soul is exactly like this when it comes to gradually growing in the religion. This is why the Lord of Honor would reveal the Qur'an one, two, or three verses at a time and would require them to act upon those verses. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah would take one, two, or three verses - never more than ten at a time - and then go act on them. They would then come back, learn some more, and go act on what they learned. As Ibn Mas'ud said: "We learned knowledge and action with the Qur'an."

Therefore, it is very dangerous for you to have a lot of knowledge while having only a modest level of action. The one who hears you thinks to himself 'Ma Sha' Allah!' He hears you talking about this verse from the Qur'an, this hadith, the hadith being authentic, the hadith being weak, 'Aqidah, Islamic history, the Khulafa', 'Umar said this, Abu Bakr said that - may Allah be Pleased with them all. However, you are ten centimeters when it comes to action, and when it comes to knowledge, you are over three meters. There is no balance! This is a disease. Having a lot of knowledge without action is a disease just like having a lot of action without knowledge.

There is a disease in the medical field known as hydrocephalus. It is when someone's head becomes so enlarged that his body is unable to carry it. I saw someone with his head like this, his body was thin, and his knees were unable to support his head. It could not! This is what many people look like: they learn a lot of knowledge - they memorize, they do not learn - they memorize. However, his head is poised like this while his body and limbs cannot support it. The size of a person's head must be consistent with the size of his body. Otherwise, he will be considered diseased if any part of his body grows larger while the rest of his body doesn't grow. If the medicine he takes all goes to one part of his body - for example, it all goes to his nose - his nose will become bigger than the rest of his head, and he will be deformed!

So, the Religion of Allah is a gradual divine method of developing the human soul just like this. Just like a medicine dropper administers the medicine gradually, they would take two verses or two ahadith, and they would go act upon them just like this..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 3/182-183]

POST #27 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Study Subjects That Will Change the World:

"...Look at these Ba'this. Here is Michel 'Aflaq (Christian co-founder of the Ba'th Party), who ruled two significant portions of the Arab world. He positioned himself upon the throne of 'Umar bin 'Abd al-'Aziz (i.e. Syria), and he now positions himself upon the throne of Harun ar-Rashid (i.e. Iraq).

Michel 'Aflaq obtained the post of Minister of Education in Syria for a few months - he was just a minister - and he took the Ba'this and sent them to study in La Sorbonne (a university in Paris). What did he send them to study? Philosophy, psychology, history, social sciences, economics, politics - not medicine or engineering - because these are the subjects that change societies, and these are the subjects that change mentalities. As for the professor in the college of engineering, what will he change? He will keep teaching the same theories of engineering. As for history, you can paint it as you wish, and you can distort the events that you want and paint what you wish in a good light (i.e. you can affect what you are teaching).

And they actually did this, and they came back and took over the University of Damascus. They occupied the position of guiding a generation. So, you do not find them directing their little pigs except to study the social sciences, and they never enter the colleges of science. Why not? Because when it comes to the colleges of science, if a Christian studies chemistry, will it change anything? N2 + HCl will always equal N2Cl + H2. Will this formula ever change? It will never change. Hydrogen sulfate with the Ba'this is H2S04, and with the Muslims it is also H2S04. Will they bring about a new law of chemistry? They will not bring about a new law of chemistry.

As for history, building your mind, building your character, look at the Jews. The Jews in America and outside of America occupy positions in Eastern studies, Islamic studies, Arabic language studies, history, economics, etc. You find Henry Kissinger and Safroni - two Jews, and the Jews respect them - if anyone in the world wants to be respected, they say that they studied with Kissinger or Safroni. Many ministers in the Arab world studied under him, yes! In our lands, one by one. Over twenty ministers graduated from the same university, and the Jews sent them back after having wiped out all the Islam that was in their conscience with bleach...they send him back to his country with letters of recommendation from the university and its professors, along with any articles he had written - articles in the Times about economics and the Arab mind - he writes a few articles and becomes a minister in his country!

As for us, we want the Muslim doctor, the Muslim lawyer, the Muslim engineer - what will he do all day behind the bricks, the cement, and the laborers? A laborer who works with cement from dusk till dawn - do you think he will have time to listen to anything you have to say? He is simply looking to put food on the table. He is not in the mood to listen to what you have to say. He is simply looking to put food on the table. You have ruined it for yourself, except if you wish to build houses with Islamic designs. This is another story! If you want to design windows with Islamic designs and to put on them Andalusian embroidery, this is another story. Maybe we can benefit from your embroidery, if Allah Wills! The door is on the right and the exit is on the left...maybe, if Allah Wills, we can benefit from your knowledge!

We would advise our brothers to study Shari'ah, to study literature, to study Arabic literature, to study history..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 317-318]

POST #26 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Test Your Heart:

"...How heavy is the Qur'an upon the immoral fasiq, and how heavy is worship and prayer upon the immoral fasiq hypocrite! The prayer is so heavy upon these hypocrites! You see him sitting and writing in a diary for one, two, or three hours, or standing and talking for one, two, or three hours, and if he stands behind the imam for five minutes, it is as if a mountain has been placed on his chest and heart. The diseases of the hearts, we seek refuge with Allah from them...

Because of this, if you want to test your heart, inspect it and test it out when the Qur'an is being recited - is it heavy upon your heart or not? Test your heart out during worship. Test your heart out when you see the salihin. Test your heart out when you are making your adhkar during the morning hours. Test your heart out when you stand up to pray - do you love to pray? Or is it heavy upon you? If it is heavy upon you, and if worship is heavy upon you, then ask Allah to remove the hardness from your heart and replace it with softness, because this is proof that the jahiliyyah is still entrenched in your heart and soul.

The hardness of the heart...we seek refuge with Allah from the hardness of the hearts. The hardness of the hearts is increased by satisfying the desires - sexual desires, even if by permissible means, and the desire for food, even if by permissible means.

This is why they say that the softness of the heart is achieved in six occasions:

• Praying at night
• Reciting the Qur'an
• Keeping the stomach empty from food
• Befriending the salihin
• Dhikr
• Istighfar during the morning hours

This is why if they felt that their hearts were becoming hard, they would say: "Lead us to those who will lead us to Allah," and the best people are those who, when you see them, remind you of Allah...he whose condition and mannerisms remind you of Allah and whose words cause you to increase in your obedience to Allah, and when you see him you remember Allah.

I used to sometimes lead the people in prayer. So, some youth were behind me, as well as an old man who was over 90 and from the Caucasus, a Chechen. After the prayer was over - I love to recite the Qur'an, firstly because I am in prayer, and by Allah, it is too hard on me to only recite two or three verses - and I know that the people behind me of course do not like too much recitation of the Qur'an. Anyway, after I would finish, the youth would sometimes complain to each other, and I would overhear their complaints. However, this man who was over 90 years old would say: "Increase as much as you can from the Qur'an," and he was over 90!

So, the issue is one of the soul. Once, one of al-Banna's students prayed behind me in Ramadan. So, I used to recite one juz' every night. After the prayer, he would ask: "How much did you recite?" I would reply: "A juz'." He said: "Ya Salam! It went by as if it were a minute," and in the prayer, you are not allowed to sit down. Regardless, this man was deriving enjoyment from the Qur'an! If he had spent the entire night like this, he would not become bored or exhausted. On the other hand you have a man who - subhan Allah - his heart is hard, so the Qur'an affects his heart by making him more exhausted, and it therefore is not softened by the Qur'an, and no matter how much Qur'an you recite to such a person, he will find it very heavy and hard upon him.

Because of this, from the blessings of Allah upon a person is that He makes faith beloved to him and beautifies it in his heart:

{"And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble. But, Allah has endeared faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones."} [al-Hujurat; 7]

This is a blessing from Allah...with this, the person derives pleasure from this hardship and this roughness. Why? For Allah. He tastes its sweetness...the torture is sweetness when it is for Allah...exhaustion is beloved to his heart if it is for the Knower of the Unseen...

Someone once told me - a journalist, Jabir Rizq, he wrote a book - there is a book he gave to Muhammad Yusuf Hawwash, who was executed with Sayyid Qutb. This man had an amazing understand of Islam. He stayed in prison for ten years before they executed him. He was imprisoned from 1954 to 1964, and he was executed in 1966. They had released him for health reasons, and then they brought him back.

Jabir Rizq told me that whenever the torture became too much for him, this man would look to the sky and say: "All of this is nothing when it comes to Your love...all of this is nothing when it comes to Your love," meaning that all of this torture is nothing when it is for the love of Allah."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 485-487]

POST #25 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

A Glimpse at an-Nawawi:

"...It is known that he is from the most knowledgeable of scholars in the history of Islam. I mean, if you were to take the ten most notable scholars of the Muslims throughout history, an-Nawawi would be one of them. He wrote a commentary on 'Sahih Muslim,' and he wrote his book 'al-Majmu'' in Fiqh, regarding which Ibn Kathir said: "Nothing was ever written to match its brilliance." And yes, nothing was ever written like this book.

When you read anything by an-Nawawi, you feel as if you are a plant that is being watered, as he delves deeply into meanings and concepts. Add to this that he abstained from the worldly pleasures, he was a devout worshipper, he would enjoin what was good, and he would forbid what was wrong. He would stand up to the rulers in the peak of their power. One time, the lamp he was using went out, and he lit it with his hand - he continued writing using light that was emanating from his hand!

He came into conflict with Dhahir Baybras, the ruler of Sham and Egypt. Dhahir Baybras requested a fatwa from the scholars that money should be collected in order to prepare an army to fight the Tatars in 658 H. When the Tatars occupied Baghdad and advanced upon Palestine and turned towards Sham, he requested a fatwa while the Tatars were in Palestine that money should be collected to purchase weapons.

Every single scholar issued the fatwa except for an-Nawawi. He said: "I will not provide you with such a fatwa."

Dhahir asked: "Why not? I want to purchase arms for this struggle, and you refuse to issue a fatwa for it? The entire Ummah and Religion will be exposed to loss."

He replied: "Because you came to us as a slave who owned nothing, and I see that you now own gardens, servants, slave girls, silver, and gold. So, if you sell all of these things and still need money after that, I will issue the fatwa you seek."

He said: "Leave Sham."

And he left and went to a small village in Nawa (his hometown). The scholars came to Dhahir Baybras and said to him: "The scholars of Sham are nothing without Muhi ad-Din an-Nawawi." He replied: "Bring him back." They then went to an-Nawawi and said: "Come back, O Muhi ad-Din." an-Nawawi said: "By Allah, I will not go back while Dhahir is in it," and Allah fulfilled his oath: Dhahir died a month later, and an-Nawawi returned to Sham.

This is an-Nawawi, the devout worshipper, the scholar, the zahid, the scholar of Usul, Fiqh, and Hadith. Look at the blessing that is in his books...ya Salam! Look at the barakah: his book 'al-Majmu'' has provided much benefit, his book 'Riyad as-Salihin,' his book of forty Hadith, his book 'al-Adhkar' - you can feel the barakah in his books. No books have been so widely distributed as the books of an-Nawawi..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 67-68]

POST #24 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

His Immense Zuhd:

"...Believe me when I tell you that I hate buying new things, new clothes, etc.

One day, I came home to find new sponge cushions with matching sheets. When I saw them, I lost my mind. I said: "By Allah, women have no religion. This must go...where did this come from?" They said: "It is a gift." I said: "It must leave the house. It cannot remain in the house," and I spoke such words to my wife that she was going to pass out. By Allah, she was going to pass out and lose consciousness, and she began to shake. I began to fear for her sanity, by Allah.

But, believe me, brothers, I did not enter the house. Really, I said: "Where did this gift come from?"

She said: "Why does it matter to you? Your guests are here day and night, coming in and out, and I wash the sheets of these mattresses and change them. I change them everyday because the cotton in these Pakistani sheets gets stuck in the creases of the cushions. I am tired, and I found some gold that I had, which I then spent on this to relieve myself a bit."

I said to her: "While the Mujahidin are dying of hunger?"

She said: "I donated a third of the value to the Mujahidin."

I said to her: "Even then, it cannot remain."

From then until now, believe me when I tell you that I never enter the home and see these except that my chest becomes tight. Believe me, we tried removing them from the home in a way that would not result in her passing out again, and may Allah Forgive us all..."

A footnote to this story says that the Shaykh remained insistent upon this until he finally sold the cushions and sheets to a brother for less than their original price.

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 222]

POST #23 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

His Love for the People of Knowledge:

"...I admit that the gratitude is for Allah firstly and lastly. However, Shaykh Nasir ad-Din al-Albani had a great effect on my thinking, in my beliefs, in clarifying my beliefs, in my extracting the authentic texts, in researching. I cannot write a weak hadith in a single one of my books. So, I am Salafi in my belief and thought..."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 51]

"...So, I presented the fatwa to Shaykh Ibn Baz, and he agreed with it. May Allah bless his life. Shaykh Ibn Baz, Allah has truly given him insight, if He Wills, and Allah Knows best. Allah has benefited Islam and the Muslims through him more than most people, and Allah Knows best. I do not think that anyone on Earth has benefited - other than the rulers, those who possess millions - has benefited the Afghan Jihad like Shaykh Ibn Baz has, yes."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 171]

"...The fourth hadith that was reported by the noble Shaykh al-Albani - I ask Allah to bless his life, and may Allah allow us to benefit from his knowledge - in truth, and in confirming that which is true and admitting that which is good, I am of those who studied at the hands of the Shaykh, and I benefited greatly from him in the areas of 'Aqidah and researching texts - the authentic texts. Because of this, I shudder whenever I come across a weak hadith, as there is no way that I can place a weak hadith in any of my books. I cannot stand to do this! Subhan Allah, I took from him - may Allah reward him - even if I differ from him in many of the Fiqh opinions that he held. I do not agree with most of his Fiqh opinions, as he held many strange positions. However, in terms of Hadith, then I do not think that there is a single man on this Earth who is more knowledgeable in Hadith than him - our shaykh, Shaykh al-Albani. Likewise, ma Sha' Allah on his 'aqidah...

And we add to this that he never befriended or compromised with the tawaghit, nor did he sell out on his religion, nor did he sell the verses of Allah for a small price. Yes, we differ with him in some of his opinions, and I do not accept many of his Fiqh opinions. As for Hadith, then if he tells me that this hadith is authentic, then I do not question it, yes. In truth, he is a Muhaddith; the most well-known living Muhaddith that we know of today, and Allah Knows best. However, this is not the reason that we love him or take from his knowledge of Hadith.

This book of his - 'Sahih al-Jami'' - does not leave my side most of the time; whether I am travelling or at home. I have a copy in my house, and I have a copy here (in the training camp). 'Sahih al-Jami' as-Saghir' is basically a mini-manual of Hadith. I am saying that it is of the best of books after the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Any hadith that might come to mind, you can open up this book and see if it is authentic or not."

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 177]

"As for the noble Shaykh Ibn Baz and Ibn 'Uthaymin, by Allah, I love them from the depths of my heart. I know their virtue in many of the affairs, especially Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz bin Baz. I mean, he had a long hand in many of the affairs of Islam...By Allah, the truth is that I love Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz bin Baz more than I love my own mother and father, and this is what I said to him..."

['al-As'ilah wal-Ajwibah al-Jihadiyyah'; p. 95]

POST #22 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Tawriyah Is Not Allowed When it Comes to Issues of 'Aqidah:

"Some of Sayyid Qutb's students asked him: "Why were you so bold and straightforward in front of the court despite the fact that your neck was between the noose?" He replied: "For two reasons. The first is that we are speaking about issues of belief, and it is not allowed to use deceptive double-talk (tawriyah) when it comes to issues of belief. Deceptive double-talk is not allowed! Deceptive double-talk is not allowed!"

This is when someone says to you: 'What do you think about this ruling?' and you reply: 'By Allah, praise be to Allah, it is good,' while you deceptively intend with your words to say 'You are good,' or 'Some of the people are good' - this type of deceptive double-talk is not allowed when it comes to issues of 'Aqidah.

Because of this, there is a huge difference between the stand of Ahmad bin Hambal regarding the creation of the Qur'an and the stand of others. When they asked one of the scholars - and it is said to have been ash-Shafi'i - "What do you think of this Qur'an? Is it created?" He replied, counting on his fingers: "The Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel, the Qur'an - these four are created," and he meant that his fingers were created. This is deceptive double-talk (tawriyah). What a difference between this stand and the stand of al-Imam Ahmad.

al-Maruzi said that he entered upon Ahmad when they had prepared him to be whipped, and said to him: "O Ahmad! Allah Said: {"...and do not kill yourselves..."}, and these people have prepared you to be killed!" He replied: "O Maruzi! Step outside this prison and tell me what you see." So, he stepped outside to see thousands of people holding papers and pens. He asked them: "What do you want?" They replied: "We await the reply of Ahmad bin Hambal." So, al-Maruzi returned and told Ahmad what he saw, and Ahmad said: "O Maruzi! That I die is more beloved to me than that I betray those people you saw."

So, Sayyid Qutb would say that there is no tawriyah allowed when it came to issues of 'Aqidah, and his second reason was that those whom the people look up to and follow are not allowed to speak a word of kufr. To legitimize jahiliyyah, Socialism, nationalism, etc. is only allowed for the follower {"...except if he is coerced while his heart is secure with faith..."}

As for the one who is followed, this is not allowed for him. The likes of 'Ammar bin Yasir: 'Ammar was a follower, not one who was followed. Would it have been allowed for the Messenger to do what 'Ammar did?"

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 19]

POST #21 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

The Best Way to Deal With the Ignorant:

"...And from the best ways of dealing with the ignorant is to ignore and avoid them. This is because if you debate with them, they beat you, and if you beat them, they will end up hating you and will not admit your being correct. Therefore, ignore them:

{"So, avoid those who turn away from Our Reminder..."} [an-Najm; 29]

{"...So, overlook their faults in a beautiful manner."} [al-Hijr; 85]

Avoid them and do not debate them, because debating them puffs up their chests and increases their confidence, and ash-Shafi'i said: "I never debated an ignorant person except that he won, and I never debated a knowledgeable person except that I won." This is because the ignorant one will deny even the presence of the Sun at noon, and will deny the presence of the Moon on a night when it is full!

So, watch the ignorant die if you avoid them, and be given life if you debate them. It might be that they come to their senses if you ignore them, and will realize their status if you are shown to be above debating and discussing with them - this is if you are sure that he is an ignorant follower of desires, not seeking to admit the truth, and not seeking to follow that which is certain..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 1/301]

POST #20 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Fighting Your Desires:

"...So, fight your desires at a time when you can eat. The soul is never satisfied. Satisfying your desires is like satisfying the thirsty person who went to drink water from the sea - the more he drinks, the thirstier he gets, since the water is salty.

These Romans used to eat all types of food and sweets to the point that they no longer felt the pleasure in eating food. So, they would fast in order to once again feel the taste of their food. Likewise, they drowned in sex to the point that they hated women. So, they would move far away from the cities until they once again longed for women.

The Europeans opened the door of sexuality as far as it could be opened, and sex became as widespread as food, drink, and oxygen. As a result, they now see endless cases of rape, sexually transmitted disease, etc. This is because desires are never satisfied. Whenever you nourish them, they increase in hunger:

And the soul increases in desire when you awaken its desire * And if it is restricted to little, it becomes content

Jabir was once walking to the marketplace. So, 'Umar asked him: "Where are you going, Jabir?" He said: "My soul longed for some meat, and I want to go buy some meat with a dirham." 'Umar replied: "O Jabir! Whenever you have the desire for something, you go out and buy it?"

One time, 'Umar had some food placed in front of him, and he began to weep. It was asked of him: "Why are you weeping, O Commander of the Believers?" He said: "I am afraid that it would be said to me on the Day of Judgement: {"On the Day when those who disbelieve will be exposed to the Fire, it will be said: 'You received your good things in the life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein. Now, this Day, you shall be recompensed with a torment of humiliation because you were arrogant in the land without a right, and because you used to rebel and disobey.'"} [al-Ahqaf; 20]"

Therefore, it should be everyone's goal to be abstinent from worldly pleasures and to fight their desires, since it is impossible for the soul to rise and ascend except if it dominates over its desires and whims. The soul that becomes a prisoner to its desires will never be able to face the enemy on the battlefield. So, if you wish to remain travelling upon the path to Allah, hold yourself back.

Unfortunately, this type of knowledge is not taught in the universities or schools - the knowledge of behavior and conduct (suluk). This knowledge is missing because there are no murabbin, and it is not taught in al-Azhar or other colleges of Shari'ah - the science of behavior and manners, the science of nurturing the soul, the science of tarbiyah.

So, you sometimes find the youth who has memorized much - ma Sha' Allah - from many books and ahadith: he read 'Riyad as-Salihin' from a while back, he studied 'Rawdat an-Nadhir,' he read 'Nayl al-Awtar,' 'Subul as-Salam,' 'Fath al-Bari,' etc. Despite this, you never find him fasting any optional fasts or praying at night. His soul is dead. He prays no optional prayers, and he follows every license of ease (rukhsah) that he comes across. Why? Because his soul is sick. He did not nurture himself. And his desires...I seek refuge with Allah!"

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 1/367-368]

POST #19 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Who Will Step Up to Solve the Problems Of Our Reality?:

"...Who will derive rulings from the texts? There are no brains that can understand the problems of our times, and can then present solutions to these problems...we took the best youth of our society, and we told them that they were not made for this religion. As for the Shari'ah of Allah, we left it for those who do not have the ability to face society, and do not have the ability to lead and guide the Ummah, and this is another deficiency in tarbiyah. Even when it comes to the calls of the various Islamic groups, the manner of tarbiyah is wrong. They ended up sending their youth...one to medical school, another to study engineering, another to study pharmacy...we want a Muslim doctor! We want a Muslim engineer! We want a Muslim pharmacist! However, we do not want a Muslim Faqih!

Look at the youth in the University of Jordan, with their unmatched brains in the schools of engineering and medicine. All day, you have a scalpel with which you open up a stomach and stitch it back up. I said to one of them: "What is your specialty?" He answered: "Childbirth." I said to him: "There is no might nor power except with Allah. You will blind yourself looking at the private parts of women all day while giving birth to them." I said to another one: "What is your specialty?" He said: "The urinary tract." I said to him: "There is no might nor power except with Allah, the High and Mighty."

Yes, it is a must for you to spend your entire life engaged in the necessary and obligatory issues of life. However, who will look in the Book of Allah? Who will derive rulings from it with which to solve the problems of our reality? So, you find that the leadership of the various Islamic groups are not from the scholars. Why not? Because, their brains are not made for leadership! You find that the leader of an Islamic group is either a doctor, or an engineer, or a pharmacist, etc. Such people do not have much knowledge of the Shari'ah. As a result, you find them constantly making mistakes. They have sincerity. However, they did not come across the knowledge of those who came before us. With those who came before us, the best of the society's youth would sit in the mosque and learn the Religion of Allah. For ten years, from sunrise to sunset, he would be sitting in front of his teacher, learning and accepting, while he sees his shaykh sitting in front of him..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 4/334-335]

POST #18 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

The Blindness of the Heart:

"...you deal with Allah as if you are playing with small children...as Ayyub as-Sakhtiyani said: "They try to trick Allah as if they are tricking a young boy."

I often stop at this verse: {"Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees will do so for his ownself, and whosoever blinds himself will do so to his own harm, and I am not a watcher over you."} [al-An'am; 104] and ask myself: 'How can these hypocrites - I seek refuge with Allah from them - have their hearts so blind from seeing, with the Messenger between them, and the light of the Qur'an between them? How can their eyes be so deluded from seeing while the Prophet - this Prophet who receives Revelation - is not given his proper due from them?' And this is for no reason except that the heart is blind, and I seek refuge with Allah.

How can the heart be blind? How is it that the heart can be afflicted with blindness? Because of the abundance of sins. The sins start off small! He emboldens himself in front of Allah with a small sin, which leads him to become even more emboldened, and more emboldened, and Allah lets him be, as the Prophet said: "Verily, Allah leaves the wrongdoer, until He takes him and does not let him go."

Regarding the Children of Israel, He Said:

{"That was because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah, and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds."} [al-Baqarah; 61]

It all began with sins and transgression, and ended with the killing of Prophets and disbelief in the signs of Allah.

Because of this, the Messenger of Allah said: "Allah has cursed the thief whose hand is cut off for stealing an egg." And does one have his hand cut off for stealing an egg? The scholars are agreed that one is not to have his hand cut off for stealing less than three dirhams’ worth, is this not so? Yes! So, how can one have his hand cut off for stealing an egg? Because when he stole the egg, he then stole the chicken. And when he stole the chicken, he then stole a cow. This is how he ends up getting his hand cut off, and such are the sins.

The heart is like glass - do you not see the lamp? The glass lamp, or the windshield of the car…the windshield of the car has wipers and wiper fluid installed for it. So, whenever it becomes dirty, you press the button, and the fluid comes out, and the wipers clean it: "Follow a bad deed with a good deed, and it will wipe it out." However, if you splash into a pit of mud, how can you clean your windshield? If a major sin is drowned out by another major sin, which is itself drowned out by another major sin, the heart will become murky. If the servant commits a sin, it will leave a black spot on his heart, followed by another spot, followed by another spot – until it becomes engulfed in blackness. When the heart becomes black, no light can emanate from it, and none is seen from it, and this is what is meant here:

{"Nay! On their hearts is the covering of sins and evil deeds which they used to earn."} [al-Mutaffifin; 14]

He ends up not being able to visualize things, and one can see nothing from him. He becomes like the lens of a camera: if it is not wiped clean, one can see no pictures from it. Sometimes, he will see things for other than what they are if the dirt and murkiness pile on. So, if they pile on, he will see the good as being bad, and the bad as being good. He has darkened his heart, and has now become unable to distinguish between anything. He has obscured his heart, making it now necessary for his windshield wipers to work continuously, and these wipers will leave the heart clean. However, if the windshield becomes muddy, these wipers will simply spread the mud around. Such a situation requires long term effort, as you would not be able to use the wipers while you are driving. Such a case would require a true and sincere repentance, and a strong return to Allah, and nothing is impossible for you to do.

Many of the people were highway robbers. al-Fudayl bin 'Iyad was a highway robber, and one night, he came up to a house that he wanted to rob, only to find its owner standing up at night in prayer, reciting:

{"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who to be affected by Allah's Reminder and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them, and their hearts were hardened? And many of them were sinners."} [al-Hadid; 16]

He then said: "Yes, the time has come!" And he repented on the wall of the very house he was about to rob, and became al-Fudayl bin 'Iyad, the greatest of worshippers and ascetics, and from the greatest of scholars and Muhaddithin!

…It is within the person’s capabilities to repent. However, he must make his repentance true and sincere! As for one disobeying Allah one day, followed by Allah making him taste the pain of his sin, followed by his repentance at the end of the day, and by morning, he returns to the way he was before repenting? No, no, no…it must be a true, sincere repentance, and the true and sincere repentance means that you a) completely detach yourself from the sin, and b) you make the most intense effort to never return to it again, and c) you truly regret what was done, and d) that you sooner or later patch up the rights of others that you violated. Only then will Allah take your repentance into consideration…"

['Fi Dhilal Surat at-Tawbah'; p. 322-324]

POST #17 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

A Great Responsibility:

"...the Lord of the Worlds has chosen you for this religion, and has chosen you to be the leaders of the world. Likewise, He honored you and chose this religion for you:

{"This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion."} [al-Ma'idah; 3]

Allah the Mighty and Majestic - chose you for this religion, and chose this religion for you to carry to humanity. And Allah Said that the reason you were chosen and honored is so that you would be witnesses upon the people on the Day of Resurrection. This Ummah is going to be a witness over all of humanity! Allah will ask it as He asked the Prophets: 'Did you relay My message? Did you spread My religion? Did you try to save humanity with this mercy that I granted you?'

{"Which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibril) has brought down..."} [ash-Shu'ara'; 193]

...upon the trustworthy heart of Muhammad. And in more than one place in the Qur'an, this verse is repeated:

{"Thus, We have made you a just nation, that you be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger be a witness over you."} [al-Baqarah; 143]

...a virtuous nation, a just nation.

So, the question on the Day of Resurrection will not simply be: 'Did you implement Islam?' Rather, it will be: 'Did you spread Islam on Earth? Did you save the Americans, Russians, British, and French?' Prepare an answer for this question that you will be asked in front of the Lord of the Worlds!

{"He has chosen you, and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship..."} [al-Hajj; 78]

There is nothing there that is heavy, and there is nothing there that is impossible, and there is nothing there that is difficult...

{"...is the religion of your father, Ibrahim. It is He Who has named you Muslims..."} [al-Hajj; 78]

You have been made to carry the name of Islam, and He made you carry this name in order that you be witnesses over the people, and so that the Messenger would be a witness over you...

...and it is a must that we understand our responsibility, our responsibility as Muslims. Our ascription to this religion is a great responsibility in front of the Lord of the Worlds - a responsibility in this world, and a responsibility in the next world. These human beings around us who rise above us, and might possess much more than we do - Allah has made us responsible for them. We are supposed to look after them. We are supposed to be their instructors. We are the ones who are obliged to relay the Message to them. These people will grab our throats on the Day of Resurrection, saying: 'O Lord! Take our right from these people!' So,the Muslim will say: 'O Lord! I do not even know these people, and they have no right over me!' So, one of them will say: 'Nay! You saw me in misguidance, and did not forbid me from it.'

So, before you are grabbed by your throat, take yourself to account before you are taken to account, and weigh your actions before they are weighed for you, and prepare for your Accounting with your Lord, and know that tomorrow, you will be between the Hands of Allah, standing, and being recompensed for your actions..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 2/251-252]

POST #16 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.V

The Battle Between Islam and Jahiliyyah:

"...And all of Islam in Makkah was manifested in this issue: the issue of the battle between Islam and jahiliyyah. There was no fasting, charity, pilgrimage, inheritance, or anything else of the Shar'i mannerisms, such as drinking with the right hand, the details of how to pray, or anything else. All of this was delayed by the Lord of Honor until this believing group was nurtured upon the belief that was settling in the depths of their hearts and running through their veins that there could be no meeting point between Islam and jahiliyyah, and that the fires of this conflict would never be put out so long as there was a truth to uphold, and so long as there was a falsehood that existed, and these two situations can never cease to exist.

This is a battle.

Whoever wishes to understand it clearly as it is, as if he is receiving the Qur'an as it was revealed, and to take part in the battle that it is fighting - the battle that it fought the first time around - he must read 'Fi Dhilal al-Qur'an.' Whoever does not read Sayyid Qutb's tafsir in 'Fi Dhilal al-Qur'an' will not be able to grasp the depths of this battle, for many reasons. From them is the fact that the man who wrote this book was relaying to the people these events from the midst of the conflict, and from the depths of the battlefield. He wrote these words while he was watching the hangman's noose being tightened in front of his very eyes. So, he wrote them while he was free of all fears, and free of all the burdens of the dunya - no job, no wife, no children, no connection to the burdens that pull one to this Earth. He wrote them while he was bidding the dunya farewell, and everyone who reads the tafsir of 'al-Baqarah,' 'Al 'Imran,' 'an-Nisa',' 'al-Ma'idah,' 'al-A'raf,' and walks with them - in the second printing onwards - will realize that the one who wrote these words is not from the people of this world. Rather, he is bidding this world farewell with these words, and is giving it a departing wave with these words.

Because of this, many people read books, read explanations of the Qur'an, read the words of Ibn Kathir, at-Tabari, and other than them, and they are never able - and I am saying this to you as a professor of Shari'ah, and I know more than you, and I understand this issue more than you do - they are unable to understand the Qur'an as it was revealed, nor are they able to partake in the battle for which Allah revealed it - not just in the era of the Messenger of Allah, but in every era, and in every place.

This Qur'an is the Book of Allah that was revealed to fight a battle against the enemies of Allah: {"...and strive against them with it a great struggle..."} [al-Furqan; 52]

And it is a must for the people to understand the Book of Allah, why it was revealed, and with whom these texts are dealing with. And some people think that these texts fought a battle, played their role, and that it is no longer possible to utilize this way of looking at things, or to move forward with these rules to fight the battle of today, which is as if it were the same battle that was fought by the Messenger of Allah.

So, I advise you and myself to read 'Fi Dhilal al-Qur'an.'"

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 3/6-7]

POST #15 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

How to Deal With Allah:

"...many times, I would ask my students: "Who is more powerful: Allah, or America?" Confused, they would answer: "Allah, of course." I would then say to them: "You believe that Allah is more powerful than America?" They'd reply: "Yes," to which I would say: "By Allah, had the Arab governments believed that Allah is more powerful than Israel - which is weaker than America - they would not have abandoned their religion in such a manner, and they would not have had such fear of Israel."

The reason for people's exhaustion and loss is the fact that they do not deal with Allah as if He is a deity. They deal with Allah simply as if He Created this existence, but has no involvement in it. Therefore, they are not affected by any encouragements and admonishments. Had it been the case that we dealt with Allah, feared Allah in our gatherings just as we would fear an intelligence agent, we would pay close attention to every word that came out of our mouths. So, we fear some soldier - this intelligence agent - more than we fear Allah, as the Angels record every single word that we speak. We do not consider this, and we are not afraid when we speak. However, if it were said to us that in this gathering, there is an intelligence agent present, we would pay close attention to every single word that comes out of our mouths. So, fear of a single intelligence agent has become more than it is of Allah.

If we were to deal with Allah as having the same power that the dean of the college has - with his ability to pass, fail, accept, reject as he pleased - our behavior with Him would be quite different, indeed. If we were to deal with Allah as if He were like the ruler of a country who gives visas, money, jobs, provision, etc. - if we were to deal with Allah in such a manner, human beings would look so insignificant in our eyes. If we were to deal with Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - as being the One besides Whom none is worthy of worship, we would be very relieved, as the Salaf would deal with Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - as being the Mighty, the Self-Sufficient, the Concealer, the Able, the Avenger, the Compeller, the Subduer, etc.

A single verse or hadith in their lives would work wonders...

{"And if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches you with good, He is Able to do all things."} [al-An'am; 17]

So, Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - is the One who removes harm, and He is the one who bestows good. Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - is the Provider, as the Prophet said: "No soul dies except that it has obtained all of the provision it was meant to obtain. So, fear Allah, and increase in your requests." When we are sick, for example, the Messenger of Allah said: "No sickness befalls a servant, and he places his hand on the area of pain, saying: 'I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Throne, to cure me,' except that Allah removes his pain, unless it is that of death." If he supplicates seven times: 'I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Throne, to cure me,' he must be cured! So, when we get sick, we traverse the entire land looking for hospitals, doctors, pharmacists, etc., and it never crosses our minds to place our hand on the affected area, and say: 'I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Throne, to cure me.'

Upon leaving our home, it does not cross our minds for a single minute to say: 'In the Name of Allah, I depend on Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah,' to which an Angel would answer us, saying: "You are guided, protected, and sufficed." So, the devils would stand, saying to each other: "What will you do with a man who has been guided, protected, and sufficed?" And you remain in this protection until you return home!

Once, they came to Abu ad-Darda' while he was in the mosque, saying to him: "O Abu ad-Darda'! Your house has been burned down!" He replied: "By Allah, it has not been burned down." They said: "It has been burned down!" He replied: "By Allah, it has not been burned down." They went to see that the fire had consumed everything in the area, and had stopped right at Abu ad-Darda''s house, and he did not even get up to go see for himself. They came back and asked him: "What drove you to insist that it had not been burned down?" He replied: "The Messenger of Allah had taught me some words that, if I say them, I will not be stricken with any harm," - he is secure! - "'O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sadness and grief, and I seek refuge with You from inability and laziness, and I seek refuge with You from cowardliness and stinginess, and I seek refuge with You from being overpowered by debts and men,' so, I made this supplication."

In regards to this same supplication, Abu Umamah narrated: "I was sitting in the mosque, when the Messenger of Allah asked me: "What is wrong, Abu Umamah?" I replied: "I am in distress because of a debt that I owe." The Prophet then told me: "Supplicate with these words ('O Allah, I seek refuge with You from sadness and grief...')." So, I supplicated with these words, and Allah removed my distress, and paid off my debt." That's it! He taught him a few words!

...So, they would deal with Allah from the standpoint of His actually being a deity, and that He is the Self-Sufficient, and that He is the Powerful, and that He is the Generous, and that He is the Mighty, and that He is the Wise, and that He is the Knowing. So, if they wanted knowledge, they would request it from Allah, and if they wanted success, they would request it from Allah, and if they wanted victory, they would request it from Allah. This is how they were always with Allah, and this does not come about except by constantly being connected with Allah - the Mighty and Majestic - the upward connection to Allah, the connection of those who are travelling towards Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Because of this, if you desire happiness, there is no choice but for you to search for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "If you ask, ask of Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah, and know that if the whole world were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would not benefit you except with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if it had gathered together to harm you with anything, it would not harm you except with something Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted, and the pages have dried."

Case closed, and the hadith is authentic. As long as the hadith is authentic, that's it..."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 5/28-31]

POST #14 on various words of advice and stories of remembrance from sheik Abdullah Azzam.

Your Heart is the Pillar of Your Worship

"...the heart is the machine that drives all acts of worship. It is what moves the entire body! As long as the heart is alive, then the limbs will be alive, and the soul will open itself up to worship. However, if the heart becomes diseased, then worship will become too heavy on the soul, leading to it eventually disliking and hating - and we seek refuge with Allah from this - worship. Because of this, Allah - the Glorified and Exalted - said, regarding the prayer:

{"...and truly, it is extremely heavy and hard except on those who are submissive..."} [al-Baqarah; 45]

The prayer is heavy, because one's legs and hands are not what get up for the prayer. What gets up for the prayer are the heart and the soul.

{"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for the prayer, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little."} [an-Nisa'; 142]

Because of this, it is the heart that stands up for worship. The limbs are simply slaves of this heart, carrying out what it commands them. If the heart is alive, then the soul will be alive, and worship will become beloved and sweetened to the hearts and the souls, and they will open up for it.

However, if the heart becomes diseased, then worship becomes too heavy on it. The heart is like the digestive system: right now, the most beloved thing to you is meat. However, if you develop an ulcer somewhere in your digestive system, then the meat - along with its fat and oil - becomes the most hated thing to it, since it is diseased. Sweets are also something that are beloved to the soul. For example, if you were fasting right now and were to break your fast on some desserts, then your soul would become satisfied with that, right? However, if one were to be stricken with diabetes, then he would not be able to handle these sugary foods, even if they were beloved to him.

The heart is like this: it must be strong so that it can handle worship that is strong. The stronger your heart becomes, then throw as much worship upon it as you wish. You would get up to pray at night, and you would cherish this prayer and consider sleep to be your enemy:

{"Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope..."} [as-Sajdah; 16]

He begins to forsake it because an enmity develops between him and his bed. He prays behind the imam, and he says to himself: "If only he would make the prayer longer," so that he would increase in his opening up to this worship, and his tasting of its sweetness.

At times, I would pray a normal prayer with the people behind me, so I would elongate the prayer. The youth would then come to me and say (the hadith): "Whoever leads the people in prayer should go easy on them," - the youth! And there was an old man behind me who was between 90 and 100 years of age - his face filled with light - and he would say to me: "Keep making the prayer long and do not answer them." A man of 90 years getting pleasure out of a long prayer, and a youth of 20, who probably practices karate and judo, cannot handle the same prayer.

Why?

If he went to the soccer field and spent two hours playing there without becoming bored, then why would he become bored from hearing the Qur'an for five minutes? The difference between a short prayer and a long prayer is simply five minutes, so why does he become bored from these five minutes of Qur'an, yet he does not become bored from two hours of soccer? Why does he not get bored from standing for two hours staring at an inflated piece of leather, his heart attached to it?

Because, what stands up to pray is the heart, and what stands up for sports are simply the body and muscles."

['at-Tarbiyah al-Jihadiyyah wal-Bina''; 1/220]