When the Prophet Muhammad migrated to Madina he was surprised to find the Jewish community fasting on a day known as ‘Ashura’, which fell in the Arabic (later Islamic) month of Muharram. During his life in Makkah, the Prophet used to observe a fast on this day. When he asked them why they fast on this day, the Jewish community replied that it was in celebration of Moses’ deliverance from Pharoah. The Prophet told his community that they too were believers in Moses and were deserving of commemorating the momentous occasion of his deliverance. Without questioning the authenticity of the date, despite the Hebrew calendar being different to the Arabic, the Prophet accepted their reason and instructed his community to observe the fast too. Acknowledging a sacred event is not related to the time of its happening as much as it is related to its meaning, which is to celebrate it in joy of God’s favours and love for the righteous.

A: All praise be to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, his family and companions.

The conference did not exclude those you mentioned from the Ahl as-Sunna. What is being spread are mere rumours that were accepted without verification. The Ahl al-Hadith are included among the Asha’ris and Maturidis who both conjoin the two options of tafwid (consigning the knowledge of what is really meant by scriptural expressions to Allah) and ta’wil (figurative interpretation). The way of the Ahl al-Hadith is tafwid. When the conference organisers saw the spread of lies that the conference had removed the Ahl al-Hadith from the Ahl as-Sunna, the Ahl al-Hadith were ascribed to the Asha’ris and Maturidis.

As for ibn Kathir and Dhahabi, they were Asha’ris and not Atharis.

Q: Second, this difference continues from the first century, from the era of Muqatil and the era of the trial of Baghdad (between ibn Abi Qasim and the Hanbalis) to our time. What is the correct method of solving it?

A:  The correct method is to accept its existence as a manifestation of acceptable diversity within the framework of the Ahl as-Sunna, and work to reject insularity from any direction.

Asha’ris and Maturidis constitute more than 95% of the scholars of the Sunna. Despite this, there continue to be pulpits that speak about them as being sects countervailing the Ahl as-Sunna!

This is distortion, an overturning of the scales and insularity.

Q: Third, although the Shaykh wanted to speak about this matter in general, the conference was held under the patronage of a controversial ruler. What is the wisdom in dealing with these rulers and what is the proper approach? What are the reasons of those who disapprove of these interactions?

A: There is no one today who is not considered controversial, be it a ruler, scholar, journalist or someone else!

Chechnya is a Muslim republic. The Russian Federation has 28 million Muslims. Therefore, a sane person cannot conceive boycotting educational and awareness activities because of the position of its President.

The critics founded the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) in Britain at a time when it was bombing Iraq. And everyone holds conferences for Muslims in America at a time when the government of the occupying entity strikes the people of Palestine with US Apache helicopters.

Holding a specific conference in a country does not mean approval of its policies.

As for the President of Chechnya, he has saved his people and rebuilt his country after war destroyed it.

Chechnya and the rest of the republics of the Caucasus have witnessed tragedies, partly caused by the presence of the Khawarij of this time; the Takfiris (those who declare other Muslims apostates) who kill people in the name of the Ahl as-Sunna. Therefore, the scholars of these lands decided to invite those they deem close to their disposition to clarify the difference between the Ahl as-Sunnah and the Khawarij Takfiris. And the disposition of the people of the Caucasus is Sunni, Asha’ri, Shafi’i and Sufi.

In Dagestan, 54 of its scholars of the Sunna who were Asha’ri, Shafi’i and Sufi, were killed in the past 15 years. The last of them was killed a few months ago at the door of his mosque as he headed for the Fajr prayer. Before him, the Mufti was killed as he headed for the Friday sermon.

All of these crimes were perpetrated in the name of the Ahl as-Sunna. Therefore, there was need to clarify who the Ahl as-Sunna are.

All praise is for Allah.

Our master Muhammad ﷺ said: “The performance of `umrah is an expiation for the sins committed between it and the previous `umrah; and the reward of hajj mabrur is nothing less than Paradise.”

The Mother of the Believers, Sayyidatuna Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “O Messenger of Allah, us women consider jihad to be the best of actions. Should we not perform jihad?”
He replied: “No. Rather, the best form of jihad is hajj mabrur.”

What is meant by the term hajj mabrur which is the best form of jihad and the reward for which is Paradise?

A variety of answers have been given in response to this question.

In one hadith the Prophet ﷺ said that it is: “Giving food and spreading peace.”

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said it is: “`Ajj (yelling) and thajj (flowing),” meaning raising one’s voice saying ‘labbayk’ and slaughtering the sacrificial animals in order to feed the pilgrims.

Another opinion is that the pilgrim does not detract from his hajj by committing any sins.

Other opinions are that it is an accepted hajj or one in which there is no ostentation or reputation-seeking or one in which the person performing it abides by all the rulings.

There is no doubt that all of these definitions are backed up by scriptural references as well as having a linguistic basis. Therefore it is possible to summarise the meaning of hajj mabrur in three points:

1. Sincerity

The bare minimum level of sincerity needed in order for your hajj to be mabrur is that you seek Allah’s pleasure alone in performing it. There must be no ostentation or reputation-seeking in it.

In this regard the Prophet ﷺ said: “Actions are only by intentions. Each person shall only have what he intends.”

You can elevate your intention by intending sincere repentance such that your spiritual state becomes higher after hajj. Up until very recently, people considered hajj to be a means of being elevated from one spiritual state to a higher spiritual state. After hajj you should no longer be neglectful of your obligations nor persistently commit minor sins or any major sins.

The highest level of sincerity during hajj is that nothing other than Allah enters your heart. This is a precious gift and a lofty station which is not easily attained. However, gifts such as these constantly flow forth from the treasure troves of Allah’s bounty. He is the Most Generous and He does not turn away those you place their hopes in Him.

2. Wholesome Provision

The pilgrim should not fund his hajj with money that is not pleasing to Allah. This includes money spent on food, clothing, transport and other expenses incurred during the hajj as well as the maintenance of dependents left behind such as his wife and children.

The bare minimum in order for your hajj to be mabrur is that your money should not be from an unlawful source such as theft, bribery, fraud, usury or that is wrongly taken from others.

In a hadith it is mentioned: “If a man leaves for hajj with money which is pure, places his foot on the stirrup [of his riding animal], and says labbayk Allahumma labbayk , a caller from the heavens will call out: ‘labbayk wa sa`dayk. Your provision is lawful, your riding animal is lawful and your hajj is mabrur with no sin.’ But if a man leaves his home with filthy provision, places his foot on the stirrup and says ‘labbayk Allahumma labbayk’ a caller from the sky will call out: ‘la labbayk wa la sa`dayk. Your provision is unlawful, your spending is unlawful and your hajj is not mabrur.’”

If you perform hajj with money which is filthy

Then you have not performed hajj – only your camels have

Beyond this, the pilgrim may reach a high level of scrupulousness such that he stays away from any doubtful sources of wealth and chooses only the best and purest of his wealth with which to perform hajj.

3. Excellent Performance

The pilgrim should perform the rites according to the rulings of the Sacred Law whilst safeguarding his heart and limbs from everything that is not pleasing to Allah. He should busy himself with remembering Allah and not fall into argumentation or foul speech.

The bare minimum in order for the hajj to be mabrur is to fulfil the integrals and obligatory elements of the hajj as well as to abstain from the things that invalidate it and the things that are prohibited during it. Along with this, the pilgrim should do his utmost to say ‘labbayk’ and generally remember Allah in abundance, to feed people and interact with them in the best way.

The pilgrim can then seek to perfect his hajj by avidly performing its recommended acts, following the example of the one who said ﷺ: “Learn your rites from me directly.” He should abstain from disliked things and perform the rites with the utmost attention to detail. He should not waste his time in superfluous permissible speech but rather should be preoccupied with remembrance of Allah, recitation of the Qur’an, supplication, pleading with Allah and reflection. His heart should be in a constant state of humility which is then reflected in his appearance and his interaction with others.

It is in this way that the hajj will be mabrur the reward for which is Paradise. The bounty of Allah is vast and unlimited and He is the Most Generous.

O Allah, protect the pilgrims who are coming to Your House and accept their rites for indeed they have come by Your bounty to receive Your bounty. Bless the good amongst them and accept the wrongdoers by their virtue. Return them to their homelands safely. Give us a great portion of what You pour into their hearts. Do not deprive us of the opportunity of performing hajj and visiting your Prophet, the Beloved, the Chosen One ﷺ.

Translator’s note: based on the above, the term hajj mabrur could be translated as ‘a complete and accepted hajj.’

Daesh, the Arabic name for the group known as ISIL, not only refers to this takfirist movement but signifies an ideology of distorted ideas and actions. The actions of ISIL have religious, political, societal and economic consequences that extend far beyond the atrocities that it commits.

The repugnant manner in which ISIL applies Sharia not only shatters the sanctity Muslim populations feel for sacred law, but distorts the true understanding of the law itself. Hardline secularists take advantage to malign Sharia, while more sections of society begin to agree with their assertions.

ISIL’s actions also amplify divisions across sectarian, ethnic and ideological lines. We are threatened with devastation should the cries for division and revenge continue to be heard.

Just as unbridled capitalism undermines the middle class in favour of the extremes of abject poverty and obscene wealth, ISIL corrodes the intellectual middle class to the benefit of both religious and secular fundamentalism.

The extremists have also had a profound effect on black market economics. They squander Arab natural resources and leak oil to the black market at very low prices. Furthermore, its actions drive the black market for stolen goods.

It has also promoted the illegal arms trade in the region. All of this has a negative impact on local economies.
ISIL has managed to shift large numbers of western public intellectuals, commentators, analysts and opinion makers towards the melting pot of anti-Islamic discourse. Beforehand, there was a receptivity towards Muslim issues of justice, persecution and the legitimate grievances that exist in the region.

Similarly, in the face of demonisation and fearmongering, Muslims citizens in the West have had to move from a position of claiming their rights as citizens to a position of defending their right to exist alongside their fellow citizens. Islamophobia is on the increase.
ISIL has also harmed the public image of Islam in the world. The natural spread of Islam has been negatively affected. Many Muslims have left their religion altogether while a greater number have left religious practice.

It has irretrievably damaged the Palestinian cause and guaranteed protection for Israel’s oppressive policies against the Palestinian people. ISIL has ensured that the Israeli state emerges from these events as the chief beneficiary.

Although these are all outcomes of ISIL’s actions, the prospect for more is possible as long as it and other takfirist movements remain.

The case will become graver yet after ISIL ceases to exist. The fallout from the group’s inevitable demise will see thousands of former members and hundreds of thousands of sympathisers in despair from their delusion that ISIL had reestablished the caliphate system. The deaths, injuries and destruction that will ensue as a result of fighting ISIL will add even more consequences to our list. We must reflect upon this.

Knowing this, is there still room for anyone to remain silent over addressing the danger of takfirist ideology? If we maintain silence today is it akin to complicity in the crimes of takfiri movements? Do religious leaders have any doubt that the offence of remaining silent renders them as being among those who conceal knowledge and testimony, and those who are on a path to losing the reality of faith?

Can we continue to allow impressionable young men and women to hurry off and join these groups or defend and justify their crimes?
We are at a very critical juncture in the history of Islam. There is no precedent for the spectacle that is created around the atrocious crimes, killings and murders of takfirist movements. The perpetration of their crimes in the name of religion and the potential to publicise them far and wide through media and online social networking sites is unprecedented.

An acute necessity exists for the creation of a collective front composed of religious leaders, state institutions, mass intelligentsia, media and business people to face this imminent danger immediately.

* Article published on The National

We live in a time of struggle. Things happen fast and one event quickly follows another. This leads to an imbalance, impairs people’s judgement and clouds their vision. People are in dire need of some quiet time in which to stop and reflect. They may then attain a moment of truthfulness and Allah will in turn bless him with some insight.

Away from the noise and the disputes, someone who reflects will find that the calamities of the Arab world can be attributed to three diseases.

1. Sectarianism (For example: Sunni versus Shia, Christian versus Muslim)

The roots of this disease lie in what our the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ called: “The disease of nations.” He said: “The disease of previous nations has crept up upon you: envy and hatred. Truly, hatred is a razor: it shaves away not a person’s hair, but their religion.”

The remedy lies in spreading peace and love, as mentioned at the end of the same hadith: “I swear by the One in Whose hand my soul lies, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not inform you of something which enables you to attain this? Spread peace among yourselves.” (Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Abu Ya’la)

2. Racism (Arab versus Persian, Kurd versus Turk, white versus black)

The roots of this disease lie in what the Prophet ﷺ called: “The rallying cry of the Age of Ignorance.” A dispute took place between some of the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Helpers (Ansar) and each side called for support from their respective group. Another dispute took place between members the Aws and the Khazraj, the two tribes which made up the Helpers and each side called for support from their respective tribe. The Prophet said ﷺ: “Is this the rallying cry of the Age of Ignorance while I am amongst you? Leave this, for it is repulsive!” (Bukhari)

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I once traded insults with a man. I insulted him by mentioning his mother, who was not an Arab. He complained about this to the Messenger of Allah. He said ﷺ: ‘O Abu Dharr, you are someone who still possesses some of the qualities of the Age of Ignorance!’” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Imam Ibn Hajr and Imam al-Nawawi mention that the man who Abu Dharr insulted was the Companion Bilal bin Rabah. His mother’s name was Hamamah and she was Nubian.

The remedy is in making God-consciousness (taqwa) the criterion in judging a person’s merit. The Prophet ﷺ said: “An Arab only has merit over a non-Arab through taqwa.” (Grading: sahih. Found in Ahmad and others)

3. The relentless pursuit of worldly things (i.e. wealth, power, dominance over others)

The roots of this lie in what our Master ﷺ called feebleness (wahn). He said: “Allah will surely cast feebleness into your hearts.” Someone asked: “What is feebleness?” “Love of worldly things and hatred of death,” he replied. (Grading: sahib. Found in Abu Dawud)

The Prophet ﷺ also said: “This material world is sweet and lush and Allah is placing you in it to see how you act. So beware of the material world.” (Muslim)

The Prophet ﷺ said: “I swear by Allah that I do not fear that you will commit polytheism after I have gone. I fear rather that you will compete over it [the material world].” (Bukhari)

The Prophet ﷺ also said: “I swear by Allah that I do not fear poverty for you. I fear rather that the material world will be opened up to you as it was opened up to those before you and that you compete over it as they competed over it and it destroys you as it destroyed them.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ warned us about what these sicknesses will lead to:

1. Tribulations

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Rush to perform good works before tribulations come like part of a dark night. A man will be a believer in the morning and become a disbeliever by the evening or he will be a believer in the evening and will become a disbeliever by the morning. He will sell his religion for some small worldly gain.” (Muslim)

2. Widespread killing

The Prophet ﷺ said: “I swear by the One in Whose hand my soul lies, the world will not end before people experience a time in which the killer will not know why he killed and the person killed will not know why he was killed.” Someone asked: “How will that be?” He said: “There will be killing: both the killer and the person killed will end up in the Fire.” (Muslim)

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Just before the last hour there will be killing. You will not be killing polytheists but rather you will be killing each other, to the point where a man will kill his neighbour, his brother, his uncle or his cousin.” The companions asked: “Will we still possess our intellects at that time?” He said: “The intellects of the people of that time will be removed. All that will remain will be the dregs of society. Most of them will believe that they are fighting for a cause but in reality have no cause [to fight for].” (Grading: sahih, in Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Abi-Shayba)

3. Conspiring of Others against Muslims

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Other nations will soon summon one another to attack you just as people invite others to share their dish.” Someone asked: “Will that be because of our small numbers at that time?” He replied: “No, you will be numerous at that time, but you will be like particles of waste that are seen upon a torrent. Allah will remove fear of you from the hearts of your enemy and cast feebleness into your hearts.” Someone asked: “What is feebleness, O Messenger of Allah?” “Love of worldly things and hatred of death,” he replied. (Grading: sahih, in Abu Dawud)

Analysis

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ informed us that the roots of these calamities lie in diseases in the souls of individuals. The severe consequences of these diseases are like branches which spring forth from these roots. May Allah cure the Ummah of these diseases.

Allah Himself alludes to this in the Qur’an in Surat al-Shams. Firstly, He swears by things which have an effect upon our cosmos: the sun, the moon, the day, the night, the heavens and the earth, then He swears by the human soul as if to say that this too is one of the forces that has an influence in our lives. In the response to these oaths ‘success’ and ‘failure’ are made dependent upon how man deals with his own soul. Allah says: Truly he who purifies it, succeeds, and he who corrupts it, fails.

The Quranic remedy and solution to these calamities is purification of the soul. What we need today is the courage to confront this reality. We must not allow our lower selves which command us to commit evil to make light of this reality. We must not let ourselves flee from confronting it under the pretext of being too preoccupied with solving the seemingly greater problems of the ummah.

May Allah implant taqwa in our souls and purify them; He is the best able to purify them and He is the soul’s Guardian and Master, the Possessor of Majesty and Generosity

If you think you act for Islam know that your actions are far removed from Islam. If you have demands related to your rights know your actions are an obliteration of what rights are. And if you perpetrated these actions to demonstrate your strength then know that your actions – aggressing upon innocent women and girls – show absolute weakness.

2. To the Nigerian Government:

If you have political issues or interests at stake in this issue it is amoral and not humane that you should enroach upon the lives, rights, freedom and honour of the kidnapped girls to pursue them. Amnesty International has revealed that Nigerian security forces received multiple advanced warnings about Boko Haram’s armed raid but failed to act.

3. To Religious Scholars and Leaders:

It does not befit us to react and respond to problems only when they reach us through western or eastern news outlets. We must be resolute in addressing this particular issue. We should not suffice ourselves with knowing that Islam prohibits such a thing and think that is enough. No. We should have a clear role in shedding light on the danger of such crimes – not to defend our religion but to fulfil the duty that God has enjoined upon us in such circumstances.

#BringBackOurGirls

Of CAR’s population of more than 4.5 million, around 50 per cent are Christian, 25 per cent hold indigenous beliefs and the remainder 25 per cent are Muslim.

An armed alliance of militias called “Seleka” was formed, mainly of younger Muslims who hold extreme views towards the majority Christian population. In retaliation, an armed militia called “Anti-Balaka” was formed, consisting of younger Christians who hold similarly hostile and extreme views towards the Muslim minority.

Seleka came to power by seizing the capital and effectively deposing the Christian president, Francois Bozize, who himself assumed power by overthrowing the president before him. As Mr Bozize began to sense the threat being posed to his seat of power by the Muslim Seleka rebels, he began inciting the Christian Anti-Balaka militias against Muslims and calling for their killing, falsely claiming that the Seleka were immigrant Arabs who wanted to destroy churches and rule the country.

Seleka removed Mr Bozize only after the French withdrew their support for him after his regime’s financial corruption was exposed, in particular that Mr Bozize gave Chinese companies concessions for oil exploration and opened it up for competition, thus inflaming the anger of the French.

Mohammad Michel Djotodia, Seleka’s leader, assumed power and dissolved the group. But he was unable to rein it in. Many ordinary young Muslims joined Seleka and began hostilities against Christians and churches. They would arrogantly boast about their rule over the country and how they will turn it into a Muslim country, despite their scant devotion to the dictates of Sharia. They operated as gangs.

Local Muslim scholars strongly rejected Seleka’s hostilities towards Christians. Imam Omar Kobine Layama, president of the Central African Muslim community, stood firmly against their criminal activities. Seleka’s leadership threatened Imam Omar and he was exposed to harm but he continued to insist that Christians and their churches be protected. He joined together with the Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonne Nzapalainga, to call for peace. They went on a tour of European countries to address politicians on the necessity of bringing stability to the country and preventing the armament of the Muslim and Christian militias.

Some members of the community responded to Imam Omar’s call and 30 of them stood to protect the Catholic church in their neighbourhood in the north of Bangui. They would face up to the armed Seleka militiamen and attempt to convince them that the Islam they claim to follow does not authorise them to attack churches. But they were not strong enough to respond to a group feeling victorious and powerful.

Likewise, hordes of Christians joined Anti-Balaka. Confrontations between the two militias intensified. Fighting between armed groups quickly extended to the killing of unarmed citizens, including women and children.

French troops intervened and tried to disarm the militias. It has been reported that there were some inconsistencies in their approach, tipping the balance in favour of Anti-Balaka, and leading to an increase in the killing of Muslims. The Muslim president resigned and a Christian interim president, Catherine Samba-Panza, was sworn in. She announced her determination to stop the killings and asked the world to support her fight against the crimes being committed against Muslims.

This was the response of the Prophet when he was told that the Jews of Madina fast on the day of Ashura in celebration of Moses’ deliverance from Pharaoh and his people. The Prophet used to fast this day while he was in Makka prior to the hijra. He did not ask about the link between this event and its Arabic date, despite the Hebrew calendar being different to the Arabic. Madina’s Jewish community was naturalised in Arab lands and thus adopted the Arabic calendar. This was sufficient for the Prophet as a reason and he did not ask, “How can we ensure the authenticity of the date? The Jews have corrupted their books so it is not permissible for us to rely on them to determine the correct date for Moses’ deliverance!” The issue of acknowledging this event is not related to the time of its happening as much as it is related to its meaning, which is joy for Allah’s sake and love for His righteous.

Maintaing a connectedness to religious occasions that mark God’s favour upon His righteous servants is authorised in Islam and deeply connected to it. Hajj, the annual pilgrimage, is the fifth pillar of Islam and replete with these meanings. For example, the circumambulation of a House built by Ibrahim and his son Ismail; the walking between Safa and Marwa where Hajar went on her search for water for her infant child; the throwing of stones at the jamarat in Mina where the devil tried to tempt Ibrahim away from sacrificing his son; and the ritual slaughter that marks the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son for God. This is the greatness of our religious rituals; that they are connected to profound meanings and not simply a mere outward performance of the act.

Allah says in the Quran: “And remind them of the days of Allah; indeed, in them are signs for those who are forbearing and grateful.”On the occasion of Jesus Christ’s birth, we feel that we are present in front of a day from among the days of Allah. This day was distinguished by an immense miracle related to his birth. This birth was connected to meanings of peace that we are in dire need of today. Yes, Allah made Jesus Christ a symbol of peace for this world. Did Allah not say upon the tongue of Christ, “Peace was upon me the day I was born, and will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I am raised to life again.”? This alone is sufficient as a reason for our joy on this noble occasion, irrespective of what the exact date is according to us or others and the difference of opinion that exists between the Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant and other denominations. The issue is not about the precise date but the meaning which is indicated by this occasion.

I remind my brothers from among the students of sacred knowledge that the scholars who forbid congratulating non-Muslims on their religious celebrations tied their judgement to the assumption that congratulating affirms certain tenets of belief (held by non-Muslims) that are diametrically opposed to Islam. They anchored their judgement on a widespread understanding and custom particular to their time that congratulating others on their religious occasions is considered an affirmation of their beliefs, hence their edicts made mention of proofs regarding the impermissibility of affirming and esteeming false tenets of belief and not clear and unambiguous proofs that forbid congratulating in and of itself.

Today we can not imagine that congratulating others on their religious occasions affirms their tenets of belief. Islam is well established and knowledge of its core aspects of belief and the points of divergence with other religions are well known. Human beings in general have also matured enough to accommodate co-existence that respects the boundaries of each others’faiths.  A Muslim who congratulates Christians on Christmas does not come close to thinking that this affirms the divinity of Christ or that he is the son of God. Likewise, a Christian who receives the season’s greetings from a Muslim will not be mislead to think that this Muslim has affirmed Christian theology. Similarly, a Christian who congratulates a Muslim neighbour on Eid, or Ramadan or the birth of the Prophet Muhammad knows well that this does not mean he is affirming Islamic belief, nor does a Muslim think that about a Christian who congratulates him/her. Contemporary custom surrounding the Christmas season no longer links congratulating one (by saying ‘merry Christmas’for example) with an affirmation of the belief that Jesus is the son of God. Rather, it is considered a general custom that indicates good inter-human dealing.

A legal principle (qa’ida fiqhiyya)states: “A judgement depends on its cause”(al-hukmu yaduru ma’a ‘ilatihi wujudan wa ‘adaman). The cause which led to some scholars judging the impermissibility of congratulating (the cause was affirmation of the others’religious beliefs) no longer remains and thus its impermissibility also no longer remains. It is important to note here too that Ibn al-Qayyim’s position that the scholars were in agreement over the impermissibility of congratulating others on their religious occasions in not accurate. Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah has mentioned that Imam Ahmad had three opinions on this issue: impermissible, disliked, and permissable. Ibn Taymiyyah adopted its permissibility as was related by Ibn al-Mardawi in ‘Al-Insaf.’^[1]

It is the right of one who does not wish to congratulate others on their religious occasions to not do so, but wrong for them to impose their view upon others as though it is obligatory. To condemn those who do it and doubt their belief (iman) is to reduce the sharia’s greatness and play frivolously with the religion! I urge you: please stop your misuse of this great religion!

In closing, I offer my greetings to our master Muhammad on the birth of Jesus Christ. Yes, I greet the Prophet. Was he not the one who said, “I am more deserving of Jesus son of Mary in this world and the next”

Likewise, I offer my greetings to Muslims, Christians and mankind in general on the birth of Jesus. God granted him a manifestation of His name “Peace”on the day of his birth and made him a symbol for peace.

And I say to our master Jesus Christ: my master the spirit of Allah and His word, peace be upon you the day you were born, the day you die and the day you will be raised to life again.

One of the things Mandela taught his people and the modern world was how the victor should forgive and pardon those who wronged and oppressed him. He showed how a leader can help his people surpass the difficulty of the past to build a common future.

Meanwhile, we as Muslims have forgotten the words of the Prophet, upon him be peace, to the disbelievers of Quraysh who had tormented him and his companions. He said to them when they were completely at his mercy: “Go forth, for you are free.” This was then a cause for them to enter Islam and take part in spreading the lofty values of the religion throughout the world.

Another great principle that Mandela stood for was global humanitarianism. He was not merely concerned with his own people. Rather, he experienced the pain of oppressed people throughout the world regardless of their race, colour, nationality or religion. He supported the Palestinian cause in the international community. He likened the struggle of the Palestinian people to the freedom struggle of black South Africans. The Elders organisation which he brought together issued a statement condemning the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Mandela described the attack on the ‘peace ship’ carrying aid to Gaza as completely inexcusable. He worked to resolve the conflict in Burundi which had led to a vast number of deaths and succeeded in bringing conflicting groups to an agreement. He vehemently opposed the American occupation of Iraq and lambasted U.S. President George W. Bush for his decision, even though in the same year the latter had awarded him the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. He accused Bush of “desiring to plunge the world into a new holocaust” and said that all that Bush wanted from Iraq was its oil. He said that the U.S. had committed more “unspeakable atrocities” across the world than any other nation, citing the atomic bombing of Japan.

Meanwhile, we have forgotten that the Prophet stood up when the funeral procession of a Jewish man passed. When they asked him why he was standing for a Jewish man, he replied: “Is it not a human soul?”  We have also forgotten that he commended the ‘Alliance of the Virtuous’ (Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl), a pre-Islamic pact made to support the oppressed. He said that if he was invited to make a similar pact again he would do so.

Mandela fought against racism, which he regarded as something despicable. He did not only oppose white racial discrimination against blacks, but he taught blacks not to reciprocate by showing racism towards whites. He said: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

We have forgotten that the Prophet refused to consider people wronging us as a justification for showing aggression towards other people of the same race or religion. He did not use the treachery of the Jewish tribes of Banū Qaynuqā` and Banū al-Naḍīr and the Jews of Khaybar as a justification for showing aggression to every Jew living in al-Madīnah. In fact when he died his shield was pawned to a Jewish man in exchange for some food which he had bought from him. Neither did the Prophet refuse to have dealings with the man and nor did he regard it lawful to take the man’s property just because his co-religionists had wronged and betrayed Muslims.

Mandela realised that hatred and racism had been the cause of his 27-year imprisonment. He thus decided to make racism the enemy and not the people who had the misfortune of believing in and spreading racist beliefs. In other words, he declared war on the illness itself and not on those suffering from the illness. He said: “When I was released from prison I realised that if I did not leave my hatred behind me I would remain imprisoned.” He also said: “I knew that people expected me to harbour bitterness towards white people, but I had no hatred for them whatsoever. The hatred that I had for them gradually disappeared during my time in prison, but my hatred for the regime increased. I wanted the people of South Africa to know that I love even my enemies, while I hate the regime that created this enmity between us.”

We have forgotten that the Prophet warned us against hatred and called it ‘the disease of nations.’ He said: “The disease of previous nations has crept up upon you: envy and hatred. Truly, hatred is a razor: it shaves away not a person’s hair, but their religion.”  Likewise we have forgotten the Prophet’s words: “Honour those who sever ties with you, give to those who withhold from giving to you, and pardon those who wrong you.”

Mandela realised the importance of having a sound heart, and that a person’s intellect alone is not capable of managing the affairs of this life if their heart is corrupt. In fact, if a person’s heart is corrupt, their intellect then becomes a cause of corruption on the earth. He said: “A sound intellect and a sound heart are always a great combination.”

We have forgotten that the Prophet said: “In the body is a lump of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt. It is the heart.”

The first house that Mandela entered after spending 27 years in prison was the house of his Muslim friend, Dullah Omar. Dullah Omar was Mandela’s comrade in the struggle and as a lawyer he advised and represented him. The fact that Mandela had attained fame and victory did not cause him to show arrogance to others based upon false religiosity.

We have forgotten that after his victory at the Battle of Badr, our the Prophet remembered Muṭ`im bin`Adī, a man who had not become Muslim but who had protected him from the nonbelievers on his return from al-Ṭā’if to Makkah. The Prophet said that had Muṭ`im still been alive and had he interceded with him on behalf of the nonbelievers who had been taken prisoner at Badr, he would have honoured him by setting them free.  We have also forgotten that the Prophet’s poet, Ḥassān bin Thābit, wrote a poem eulogizing Muṭ`im upon his death.

Mandela fought against those who fought, killed, oppressed and racially discriminated against his people. He took the path of armed struggle when he was forced to do so. However, he did not make killing and bloodshed his methodology. He said clearly after his release from prison: “As long as apartheid is the case, the armed struggle will go on.” As soon as the regime accepted peaceful negotiations, he promised that fighting would stop. When this happened, he kept to his promise. He suppressed the inclination to take revenge and strongly spoke out against violence, saying: “If violence is not firmly and decisively rejected then any hope in progressing towards a new political system with remain shaky.”

We have forgotten that our Prophet rushed to accept the Treaty of al-Ḥudaybiyah, in spite of the unjust conditions contained in it. He accepted these conditions because he knew that if his adversaries from the Meccan Quraysh tribe honoured the treaty, the phase of violent conflict would end and a new phase would begin in which he would be able to peacefully call people to Islam. He firmly defended his position when some of his companions refused to accept the treaty.

We have also forgotten that our Prophet pardoned many of Islam’s most bitter and violent opponents. He had ordered for the worst of them to be put to death even if they sought amnesty by clinging on to the Kabah. However, as soon as he had taken Makkah and these individuals no longer had the opportunity to engage in bloodshed, he pardoned them. Ikrima, the son of Abū Jahl, was among those the Prophet pardoned. When he came to the Prophet wishing to enter Islam, the Prophet welcomed him. Furthermore, he forbade the Muslims from mentioning anything unpleasant about his father so as not to hurt his feelings. This was in spite of the fact that this father, Abū Jahl, was the most vehement of the Prophet’s enemies and the person who played the greatest role in spurring hostilities against the Muslims.

It was due to the aforementioned principles and others that the world respected Mandela and was affected by his life and death. Through embodying these values we can have a true role in benefitting the whole of mankind. Through them we can attain the pleasure of God and be a source of joy for His Prophet. Without these values we will have no value in this life and nor attain a high station in the next life. In closing, let us recall the words God says to His Prophet: “Yours is indeed a tremendous character.”

A shorter version of this article appeared in The National on 12 December. Click here for the link

Shaykh Bin Bayyah expressed his concern over a particular word found in the Arabic printed edition of the fatwa.[i] He requested that it be reviewed for its authenticity as it appeared (linguistically) to be unsuitably placed in the context of the text. Dr. Ahmad al-Raysuni, a member of the Islamic Fiqh Council at the Muslim World League in Makkah, objected, on the grounds that this request will open the door for skepticism and doubt in the traditional sources of knowledge. Shaykh Bin Bayyah’s response was that such a request was sanctioned and reviewing the text to ascertain its accuracy is in fact a service to the Islamic tradition.

Thus, we requested a copy of the only available manuscript of Ibn Taymiyyah’s Compilation of Religious Edicts that is found in the Zahirriya library in Damascus. Upon reviewing the text we found that Shaykh Bin Bayyah’s reservations regarding the word “yuqātal” were correct. The text in question as found in the printed editions of the fatwa reads:

Yu’amal al-Muslimu fi-ha bi-ma yastahiquhu wa yuqātal al-kharij ‘an shariat al-Islam bi-ma yastahiquhu.

“(Mardin is of a third category) in which the Muslim shall be treated as he merits, and in which the one who departs from the sacred law (sharia) shall be fought as he merits.”

Whereas the text in the manuscript read:

Yu’āmal al-Muslimu fi-ha bi-ma yastahiquhu wa yu’āmal al-khariju ‘an shariat al-Islam bi-ma yastahiquhu.

“(Mardin is of a third category) in which the Muslim shall be treated as he merits, and in which the one who departs from the sacred law (sharia) shall be treated as he merits.”

The appearance of this distortion in printed editions of the fatwa over the last 100 years has provided takfirists with one of their most important justifications for the shedding of blood and taking of life. The former mufti of Egypt, Shaykh Ali Gomaa, wrote an article on this issue and the Dar al-Ifta of Egypt issued a related fatwa.

Despite the fact that this amendment ensures Ibn Taymiyyah’s innocence from that which is falsely ascribed to him, the response from takfirists was unsurprisingly vehement. Amidst a relentless campaign to smear the conference and throw accusations at it in its aftermath, takfirists wrote three works refuting the conference’s proceedings. Al-Jazeera, expectedly, was at the head of this smear campaign via its reporting. Its local correspondent used the “low” attendance at the conference to criticise it as not having gained acceptance among the people of Mardin, ignorant of the fact that the conference was specialist in nature and not for public attendance. Likewise, he was oblivious to the participation of local scholars. Some of the attendees who contributed to drafting the conference’s final declaration took part in the smear campaign after having been subjected to criticisms by zealous fanatics.

Despite this, institutions that proclaim to fight terrorism are in a deep slumber and obliviousness to the important outcomes of this conference. Similar is the state of our fiqh councils, faith-based institutions and broadcast and print media.

Thus, the most pressing question today is: are we serious in confronting takfirist thought and ideology? If we are, I propose the following suggestions:

1.That governing bodies and political entities immediately halt dealings and interaction with takfirist ideology as and when it is employed as a tool in balance-of-power politics. At times we see some support it and at others they attack it; at times they will cultivate a fertile climate for its growth and spread to later exploit its use in political trade-offs, not minding therein to fight it (if the trade-off requires). This has been the case in many Arab countries over the last twenty years.

2.That our educational and da’wa faith-based institutions earnestly and publicly oppose this erroneous ideology through the commissioning of sharia-based studies that are strong in their argument and firm in their jurisprudential precision. These studies must tackle those specious issues which takfirists use to mislead our youth and seize their membership and loyalty, turning them into temporal bombs that will eventually explode here and there.

These studies must be widely disseminated, studied and analysed in schools, mosques, and the different media platforms. They must be discussed through dialectic seminars in which the main exponents of this ideology are invited to discern the right from wrong and for the sincere from them return to the truth. The heretics among them must be publicly silenced through argument. Media outlets must not host them alone without also having someone to respond to them.

3. Religious scholars and leaders should openly declare their rejection of this corrupted ideology. They must fulfill their duty to create awareness without hesitance or fear from threats. Allah took an oath from us to clarify the truth and warned those who conceal knowledge; He said: “As for those who conceal the evidences and the guidance We have sent down, after We made them clear to humanity in scripture, God curses them, and those who can curse them.” (2:159). When masses of ulama and faith leaders continuously promulgate the truth, followers and exponents of takfirist ideology will be powerless to respond.

4. We: scholars, intellectuals, governments, organisations and media, must have the courage to acknowledge our own unintended involvement in creating the climate for the spread of takfirist ideology. By being derelict in our duty to educate the youth of this umma in the understanding of their religion they became prey to all who falsely claim jihad in Allah’s way. This is especially the case when we consider the anger people feel at the weakness, defeat, retardation and corruption we live and experience on a daily basis.

5.We must be earnest in working towards the restoration of high regard for time-honoured Sharia seminaries like Al-Azhar in Egypt, al-Zaytuna in Tunisia, al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, the Hadramawt and Levant traditions and the seminaries of Mauritania, the Subcontinent and Sudan. Sufficient support to ensure their financial and administrative independence must be made available. Any attempts by adherents of conflicting persuasions to tamper with these institutions or their time-tested curriculums must be prevented. We must withdraw these institutions from the realm of political competition for power. Their role should be as independent advisors who offer guidance in politics as they currently do with economics, society and other affairs of life.

6.We must stop confining ourselves to quick fix, superficial solutions. For example: (a) yielding responsibility for dealing with extremist and takfirist ideology to the security apparatus alone[ii]; (b) searching for ready-made solutions; and (c) adopting singular, independent options when it comes to decision making regarding the correction of devious thought. These all serve only to increase the complexity of existing dilemmas and corroborate delusions held by the youth.

7.We must dispose of the idea held by some, deluded as it is, that they can possibly derive benefit from the failures of the Islamists. They think they can use these failures to raise a generation of youth who’ll throw religion behind their backs to enter into the melting pot of a Western-oriented paradigm. Followers of this paradigm think that it represents the end of history and that they’ve succeeded in imbuing the world with its hue. They say that to dispute it only leads to the inevitability of the “clash of civilisations.”  Continuing to jog behind this mirage will not bring prosperity to any endeavour. Rather, it will only deepen extremism, religious or non-religious, and add the catastrophe of atheistic extremism to the calamity of takfirist extremism.

8.Paradigms and cultural perspectives that are native to our identity and embrace the variables of our time must be renewed. By such we can proceed to construct a spring from which future generations can be watered and inspired to interact with the wider human community with confidence.

This confidence should free them from the dualism of rigidness[iii] and solubility[iv] towards an eagerness for coexistence that is based on participation and ambition to contribute to the development of human society.

In closing,

I remind myself and all who read the words of Allah of the verse: “And let there be a people among you who invite to good and enjoin what is fair, and forbid what is repugnant; it is they who thrive” (3:104). And the verse: “Do not be like she who breaks what she has spun, after it is strong, into untwisted strands. You exploit your trust to defraud each other, lest one people become more numerous than another. God is only testing you thereby, and will clarify for you on the day of resurrection what you differed about” (16:92).

Oh Allah let us be from those who guide and are guided, and not from those who misguide and are misguided, by Your mercy oh Most Merciful of those who grant mercy.

This article was originally published in Arabic by the author on the ‘El-Watan News’ website: