Asharq Alawsat runs this piece on how Saudi clerics are now being targeted by extremists for their lack of sufficient religiosity. Even following a fundamentalist, Salafi strain of Islam is not enough. These complaints are not new—they were used during the 1979 siege of the Grand Mosque at Mecca and they’re a well-rehearsed part of the Bin Laden ideology—but now the extremists are taking action, as noted in yesterday’s arrests of militants in the Kingdom.
Having unleashed a tiger, the ulema are now having to ride it.
Saudi Arabia: Religious Establishment Under Threat
Ali AbdulkhaliqJeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat- The Kingdom’s religious establishment is under threat with yesterday’s announcement of the arrest of six terror cells, one of which was particularly put together for that sole purpose, thus exposing the contradiction of their deviant ideology.
However, the latest terror cells are not the first in Saudi Arabia to target the kingdom’s religious establishment.
The murder of a judge; Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin-Muhammad al-Suhaybani, in 2003 by three individuals persons advocating the takfiri ideology indicated that this view has existed for sometime.
From the onset, the terrorists called the Ulema in Saudi Arabia the “sultan’s ulema” in an effort to justify their criminal intentions.
Foremost of all was the fatwa [religious ruling] of Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh in 2001 in which he proscribed the killing of non-Muslims and residents in Muslim countries which followed threats by Osama Bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaeda organization, against the Americans and British residing in Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, the Saudi mufti’s recent warning to the youths against traveling abroad for the purpose” of jihad in the cause of Allah”, saying suspicious parties were trying to entrap them, pointing out that these (Jihad), “operations that had nothing to do with religion.”
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November:30:2007 - 00:37
Tracking Down the Terrorists is One of the Greatest Forms of Jihad (1)
Question: Noble Shaykh, may Allaah grant you success. We are a group of police officers and we’d like to direct a question to you since we have been entrusted in this country with investigating those who wish to disturb the peace or oppose and reject obedience to the leader of affairs.
And we’ve heard of a religious verdict stating that it’s impermissible to track these people down to pursue them and fight them because they are “Mujaahidoon” (people making religious Jihad), and because they want to expel the nonbelievers who fight Muslims in other countries such as Iraq. So, what is the correct opinion regarding this, may Allaah grant you success.
Answer: May Allaah assist you; you are the ones making Jihad. You all, by this work of yours, are in Jihad. This is because by doing this, you intend to prevent the people of falsehood, secure the peace, and safeguard people’s lives, honor, and wealth. So, you are the ones making Jihad; may Allaah assist you. And the reward of the Mujaahideen will (instead) be written for you and for your compliance and obedience to the leader of the Muslims. This job of yours is a respectable, dignified job, very honorable. So, have no doubt about this.
As for someone who issues a religious verdict that this (what the terrorists do) is Jihad – who says this is Jihad? Are the people who issue such rulings dependable, respectable or are they simply supporters and defenders – ignorant people? They’re definitely not scholars, these people. Has a single, dependable and respectable scholar ever said that this is Jihad? Never. It’s a lie. This (the actions of the terrorists) is not Jihad. Rather, it’s sinning against Allaah and His messenger, a violation and transgression against what Muslims hold sacred, and opposition and rebellion against the obedience to the leader of Muslim’s affairs. All of these things are sins – major sins, may Allaah protect us. So, it’s not a form of Jihad. This is – yes, this is for the sake of Shaytaan (Satan), not for the sake of Allaah because it harms Muslims.
As for expelling nonbelievers – this is not your business. The issue of expelling nonbelievers is a decision for the leader of affairs (ruler, king, president, etc.). He’s the one who establishes a trust between them, allowing them to enter (a country) for some service or benefit the people need, and afterwards he may relieve them when their fixed period of stay ends. As for the messenger saying:
“Expel the Jews from the Arabian Peninsula.” (2)
This is a decision directed towards the leaders (and not every individual). For this reason, none of them ever expelled them except ‘Umar(t) . It’s not for the people to decide and expel them. So, the one with the decision to expelling nonbelievers is the leader of a country’s affairs just as he’s the same one who may allow them to enter the country; this is the responsibility of a leader. And they (non-Muslims) haven’t come here except for our advantage and with valid visas. They’ve come, invited, to fulfill some kind of work whether it be jobs in embassies, companies, or whatever. They’ve come to the Muslims to benefit them. They’ve been given a trust (of safety) – a covenant – and the prophet (alayhi salaam) said:
“Whoever kills someone (a non-Muslim) given a trust or covenant will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise even though its fragrance can be smelled from the distance of forty years away.” (3)
This is a severe threat. So, whoever passes some religious verdict that this (work of the terrorists) is Jihad – he’s no scholar; he’s either a misguided scholar who used to have knowledge or he’s a complete fool who doesn’t know what Jihad for the sake of Allaah even means.
1 This question was answered by Sh. Saalih Al-Fawzaan verbally and the audio clip can be found at:
http://www.fatwa1. com/anti- erhab/Irhabion/Irhabion. html. This particular audio clip is no. 22 in the list.
2 Hadeeth with similar wordings are recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 3053) and Muslim (no. 1767).
3 Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 3166) from the Hadeeth of ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Amr (t).
November:30:2007 - 08:23
Interesting considering Saudi clerics used to be the people most responsible for creating terrorists. What is it about reaping what one sows?