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]