Terrorism, Suicide Bombings and Hijackers

1. Refuting the Ideas of the Khawaarij - Shaykh Abdullaah al-Ghudyaan
   
   
2. The Bombings that Occurred in London and in Public Places - Shaykh Rabee` ibn Haadi al-Madkhali
   
   
3. Advice to Those Who Think that Suicide Bombings and Killing of Innocents is Permissable - Shaikh Abdul Azeez As-Sa'eed
   
   
4. The Reality of Suicide Bombing - Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan
   
   
5. Clarifying the Salafee Position on Terrorism - Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan
   
   
6. The True Position of Scholars Towards Suicide Bombings - Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan
   
   

Question: What is the distinction between the Salafee da'wah and the 'Aqeedah of the Khawaarij who are giving a very bad image of Islaam and misrepresenting Islaam by suicide bombings in public places? How do we clarify to non-Muslims that this has absolutely nothing to do with Islaam?

Answer: The ‘aqeedah of Ahlul-Sunnah-wal-Jama’ah is presented in a hadeeth of when Jibreel (‘alaihi salaam) came to the Prophet in the form of a Bedouin and said: Inform me about Ihsaan and the response of the Prophet was: To worship Allaah as if you are seeing Him and if you are not seeing Him, know then that He is sees you and the response was: You have spoken the truth. Then he said: Inform me about al-Eemaan and the response was: To believe in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and in Destiny (the Good and the Bad). Jibreel said: You have spoken the truth. Inform me about Islaam. The Prophet said: Islaam is that you bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship other than Allaah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to establish the Salaat, to give Zakaah, to fast in Ramadhaan, and to perform the Pilgrimage for the one who is able to do so. He said: You have spoken the truth. Inform me then about the Hour. The Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said: The one who is being questioned knows no more than the one who is asking. He said: Then inform me about some of the signs. The Prophet said: When you see the slave-girl giving birth to a mistress and you see destitute shepherds naked, barefooted vying with one another in building tall buildings [1] – all the way to the end of the hadeeth. So, Islaam was pointed out as being three different levels – Ihsaan, Eemaan and Islaam.

The Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam taught us that the Jews divided amongst themselves into 71 groups, all of them in the fire except one. The Christians divided amongst themselves into 72, all of them in the fire except one. [2] The Muslims shall be divided into 73, all of them in the fire except one. Those who shall be saved are those who are upon what I am upon and my companions today. [3]

The Deen has a middle way. As Allaah mentions in the Qur’aan:


In this life, we have a hadeeth of what will happen on the Day of Judgment when the Messengers will be questioned, have they conveyed the message and they will say yes. And then the nations will be asked and they will say no. And then the Messengers will be questioned, do you have any witnesses who will testify on your behalf and it will be said yes, the nation of Muhammad sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. And so they will be a testimony that other Messengers conveyed the message and then the Prophet will also be a testimony[4] - and this is what is intended by the ayaah.

As for the Khawaarij, those are the ones who pass the judgment of takfeer because of sins and this is in contrast with the Murji’ah who say that actions are not a part of eemaan and is simply sufficient to have attestation with the heart and that actions are not a part of it. This goes against what the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said when he said: You have to be on what I am upon and my companions – this shows actions. The Khawaarij, on the other hand, say that a person is a kaafir depending on the sins that he commits.

It is not lawful for anyone to transgress against anyone else for any unjust reason. This is something that’s defined in the hadeeth qudsi where Allaah subhanna wa ta’alaa says: I have made oppression haraam to myself and made it haraam amongst you; so do not oppress one another.[5] It is wrong whether it is done between states, or whether it is done between individuals or one group against an individual or an individual against a group of people. It is wrong to transgress on the rights of any individual. Allaah subhanna wa ta’alaa frees himself of oppression, so it is not permissible for anyone to transgress and to violate the rights of others without any just cause. This is Islaamically wrong.


Answered by: Shaykh Abdullaah al-Ghudyaan

Title of Lecture: Explanation of the aayah "...and be dutiful and kind towards the parents"

Date of the Lecture: Saturday, July 16th, 2005

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[1] Reported by Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan (#8)

[2] Reported by Ibn Maajah 2/1322 in Kitaab al-Fitan (#3992), Shaikh Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah) says Saheeh in Jaami' as-Sagheer (#1082) and Silsilah as-Saheehah 3/480 (#1492)

[3] Reported by At-Tirmidhee 5/26 (#2641), Shaikh Al-Albaanee (rahimahullaah) says Hasan in Jaami' as-Sagheer (#5343)

[4] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree in Kitaab al-Anbiyaa (#3161)

[5] Reported by Muslim in Kitaab al-Birr was-Silah wal-Adaab (#2577) part of a long hadeeth

Question: The question is regarding what recently took place of explosions in London, and which has been allegedly attributed to those who claim to be Muslims. However, we have learnt from our Scholars that Islaam is free from, and has nothing to do with such actions. Would you please clarify this?

Answer: What occurred in London of the actions of some of those who claim to be Muslim or adherents to Islaam, is actually something which gives a bad and evil picture of this Deen (Religion). These people are painting a bad and corrupted picture of Islaam to those in the West. We know that in the West there are philosophers and those amongst the Jews who know and recognize that the hearts of the population in the West are turning to Islaam and this is something they are not pleased with. They therefore point out these events in order to increase the enmity between the common people and Islaam.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم warned against these types of actions. Once he saw that a lady was killed in a battle, and he even warned against that. One should not do this to the women, the children or the old people; these innocent individuals should not be harmed. Islaam warns against these things and we already mentioned that Islaam spread because of the good characteristics that people saw in the Muslims. Once when Mu'aawiyyah had a pledge with a State and the pledge was about to be broken he wanted to attack them but some of those around him said: "You have to honor your pledge and your trust."

A Muslim is not one who breaks his trust regarding Muslims or non-Muslims. These types of actions actually turn and twist the picture of Islaam in an adverse way. Islaam and the Muslims are all free of these types of acts. It is something that no Muslim agrees with. What will now happen to the Muslims because of this? The people who did this don't care. They don't show mercy to the Muslims nor do they show mercy to those who are not Muslims. They don't show mercy to the Muslims or the non-Muslims. We ask Allaah for sincerity and to allow us to honour this Deen, and not to disfigure it in the face of those who do not truly know about it."


Answered by: Shaykh Rabee` ibn Haadi al-Madkhali

Title of Lecture: Ad-Da'wah and the Caller to al-Islaam

Date of the Lecture: Saturday July 9, 2005

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Question: We have learnt from our scholars in general, and the one’s in the lands of Saudi Arabia in specific, Islaam opposes and warns against terrorism and suicide bombings, however what is your advise to those who see such cruel actions and the killing of the innocent to be permissible?

Answer: The Shaikh answered: “First of all these actions that they call martyrdom are in reality suicide, as our great scholars have declared, a great Scholar of this time; ‘Abdul Azeez Ibn Baaz and Muhammad Naasiruddin Al-Albaani and Muhammad Saaleh Al-‘Uthaymeen رحمهم الله have all given the verdicts that these are suicide actions and this is in agreement with the Book and the Sunnah.

As for the Book of Allaah, Allaah says:

And in the Sunnah of Prophet, ‘whoever kills himself with something he will be punished with it on the Day of Judgement.’[1] This is our religion, this is our legislation. This person that does the suicide bombings is killing himself with his own hands. He is not being killed by the enemy. This is not the same as the ruling of some of the earlier scholars as some of the ignorant perceive it to be.

The scholars when they ruled it permissible to attack the frontlines of the enemy, or to break into a siege fortress, or today such as parachuting from the planes onto the enemy territories, in these cases when they made this permissible it wasn’t the person killing himself with his own hands and in these pictures there is a chance of surviving. These scenarios all present a chance of surviving and dying, such as one who is sword fighting – there is a chance he may live and a chance he may die; and other such scenarios like this and even if there is a great chance that he will not live, it is such that he did not kill himself with his own hands.

As for these people they killed themselves with their own hands. This is number one. Second, these actions, if they are not in a real and legitimate war are either breaking the contracts, deceiving or lying and are all actions that weaken the Muslims causing them to split and terrorise their ranks. All of this is from what Allaah has prohibited because harming others is not permissible, and in all these scenarios it is not permissible. Spreading corruption on earth in all these scenarios is not permissible. Verily the Islamic legislation has bought forth guidelines for the people in all situations of peace and war, and laid down the foundations, rules and boundaries. The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade his commanders while fighting when he said: ‘Do not steal and do not deceive, do not mess with the dead enemies bodies, and do not kill the young, or the old, or the women.’[2]

So it is the warring army that is fought in the legitimate war, not as some people do in opposition to the Book and the Sunnah of the Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم, by deceiving and lying and oppressing and aggressing, and then after all of this attributing this to Islaam saying, ‘this is Jihad that is struggling in the path of Allaah’. This is all from the false affairs. This is all ignorance. Jihad has its guidelines and its rules and conditions that Allaah سبحانه و تعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم have laid down, and not everyone or anyone can declare it. It is for the people of contracting and making peace, and for the leaders and rulers and the scholars to declare it, and not everyone who claims jihad is a Mujaahid for Allaah’s sake.

So we say in conclusion, it is prohibited for the person to kill himself and this is the rule of Allaah. So whoever said these suicide acts are outside of this general ruling, it is upon him to bring a correct proof. And I do not know of any such proof.”


Answered by: Shaikh Abdul Azeez As-Sa'eed

Title of Lecture: And we did not send you except as a Mercy for the worlds

Date of the Lecture: July 23rd, 2005

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[1] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree in Kitaab al-Adab (#5700) and Muslim in Kitaab al-Eemaan (#110)

[2] Reference Pending

Question: There are some who say that suicide bombing is permissible. What is the proof for this? And how do we refute those who say it is permissible?

Answer: As for killing yourself, in Arabic they call this Istishaadiyyah ( استشهادية ) or (the act of) martyrdom. What they call "martyrdom" is (in reality) killing themselves and it is closer to suicide than it is to martyrdom. It is not permissible that an individual kills himself thinking that by killing himself he is giving victory to that which is haqq. This is not called shahaadah (شهادة - martyrdom) in Islaam, because shahaadah is going out and fighting and dying or being killed in the path of Allaah. But in the Islaamic fiqh (jurisprudence) this is not called shahaadah, where you go and kill yourself and you kill or hurt those around you, this is not called shahaadah in Islaam. Wallaahu musta'aan ( و الله المستعان- And Allaah's assistance is sought).


Answered by: Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan

Title of Lecture: Islaam vs. Terrorism

Date of the Lecture: September 11th, 2004

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Question: It is well know that the Salafi position and the Manhaj-us-Salaf is always against terrorism, but there are some kuffaar (disbelievers) who claim that the Salafi position is always in support of terrorism. So how do we refute this false claim?

Answer: A Salafi is one who holds on to the Book and the Sunnah and upon what the Sahaabah ( الصحابة رضي الله عنهم – the Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. May Allaah be well pleased with all of them) were upon, and those who were after them, and those who were after them, i.e. the Taabi’een and the atba’ Taabi’een ( التابعين and أتباع التابعين ). The Salaf ( السلف -the righteous predecessors) of this Ummah did not accept oppression and transgression. In fact they were upon mercy and ihsaan and justice. And they forbade people from oppressing each other and transgressing each others rights and taking rights from each other. And whoever says something or claims to do something, then it is upon him to present the hujjah ( حجة -the argument) with its proof. It is upon him that he has to establish what he claims with real proof. So whoever attributes this to As-salafiyyah then he has to prove it. As-Salafiyyah is free from terrorism and the terrorists. This is from their own selves. And whoever accuses the Salafiyyeen of being upon this, then it is upon him to have the proof for this. And this is not from Salafiyyah. As a rule, whoever has something to claim then he has to bring forth the proof.


Answered by: Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan

Title of Lecture: Islaam vs. Terrorism

Date of the Lecture: September 11th, 2004

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Question: We know for sure that our Scholars in general and the Scholars in Saudia (Saudi Arabia) specifically warn against suicide bombings. But we see in Western media that some Saudi Scholars support suicide bombings and they (the Western media) use statements of some unknown and disqualified youth to support what they spread in their media. So what is your statement about this?

Answer: In the Kingdom, the Scholars do not agree with these acts. As a matter of fact, when there was some transgression against some of the American compounds, I (the Shaykh حفظه الله) was the first one to speak against this on television and to say that it was something oppressive. However, we know that some journalists in the West may not be aware of the exact specifics and the reality of what is going on, and so it is unintentionally misrepresented; and then there are others who might just be following their desires. So this is something that we need to understand - we do not condone these types of acts. As a matter of fact, in our Deen, even when it comes to taking the life of an animal, Allaah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said,"Verily Allaah has prescribed proficiency in everything that a person does; so when you take the life on an animal it should be done in the best way with gentleness so that it causes no harm."[1] As such, if a person deserves to be executed because of a crime he has committed, then this should be done in the best way possible in order to cause the least amount of harm to the individual.

We know that the Scholars in Saudia are the ones who are adhering to the Qur'aan and Sunnah. How can they then support or encourage these acts of corruption? The people who have these desires will say what they want to say but..



Answered by: Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan

Title of Lecture: Islaam and its relation to Terrorism

Date of the Lecture: August 7th, 2005

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[1] Reported with the following wording in Saheeh Muslim, The Book of Game and Animals that are Slaughtered and Eaten (كتاب الصيد والذبائح وما يؤكل من الحيوان), Hadeeth (#1955). Also found in An-Nawawi's Forty Hadeeth, Hadeeth (#17).

Question: What are the facts which distinguish between the pure blessed Salafi Manhaj and the 'Aqeedah of those who are affected by the methodology of the Khawaarij. We know that these two are totally different things in extreme opposition to one another. However, the Western media does not differentiate between them, so what is your opinion?

Answer: Regarding the Khawaarij, the position of the 'Ulamaa of Islaam from the time of the Sahaabah all the way to the Taabi'een, to this day and time is pretty clear. The Khawaarij have the qualities of violence and passing judgment on individuals, saying that they are disbelievers because of sins they commit, and they view them to be Kuffaar and consider it permissible to spill their blood. However, the 'Ulamaa of Islaam upon the methodology of the Prophet, from the Sahaabah, the Taabi'een and those after them, as well as the four Imaams - Abu Haneefah, Maalik, ash-Shaafi'ee and Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمهم الله do not accept this particular opinion which we find among the Khawaarij.

If the people from the West really want to know the truth, it is possible for them to question Ahlul-'Ilm (the People of Knowledge, the Scholars). Perhaps what occurred with them and their inquisition is something that they probably think is similar to Islaam; and it is not strange that some of them would criticize the 'Ulamaa of Saudia. But for those who intend the truth, it is possible for them to contact the Scholars to ascertain their position, as they do not allow these things nor do they agree with them. The Sharee'ah i.e. the laws and legislation that we have, does not allow you to kill innocent people i.e. a person who is not a combatant in war, the elderly, the young children or the baby who is still suckling. This is something that is not acceptable in Islaam and it is not something that the 'Ulamaa of Islaam accept. However, we know that in the West, very often, sensitivity and the state of fear cause people to say things that have not really been verified. This is not the case for everyone because we know that there are in the West those who would like to learn the truth and who are not governed by their desires. However, as the statement says:'Your love for something blinds you and causes you to be deaf.'


Answered by: Shaykh Saalih al Luhaydaan

Title of Lecture: Islaam and its relation to Terrorism

Date of the Lecture: August 7th, 2005

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This question is also listed under AQEEDAH/EEMAAN (CREED/FAITH)