Chapter 18

Whoever denies that which is known from the religion by necessity (al-ma'lum min al-din bi-al-darura), his ruling is that of kufr (disbelief), even if he claims Islam. In such a case, it is permissible to kill him, because there is no excuse for ignorance in such matters, except for one who has recently embraced Islam. Allah the Almighty has informed us of the ignorance of many disbelievers while explicitly stating their kufr. He described the Children of Israel with ignorance, even though no one doubts their kufr. Allah the Almighty said: 'They said, O Musa, make for us a god as they have gods. He said, Indeed, you are an ignorant people.' Thus, we are certain that the majority of Jews and Christians today are ignorant followers (muqallidun), but despite this, we believe in their kufr and the kufr of anyone who doubts their kufr. Allah the Almighty said: 'So remain on a right course and do not follow the way of those who do not know.' The Noble Quran indicates that doubting the foundations of the religion (usul al-din) is kufr and a form of apostasy from Islam. Doubt is defined as vacillation between two things, such as not being certain about the truthfulness or falsehood of the Messenger (peace be upon him), or whether the Resurrection will occur or not, and the like. Or, for instance, not believing in the obligation of prayer, or the prohibition or permissibility of adultery, and so on; this is kufr by the consensus of the scholars. There is no excuse for one in this state on the grounds that he did not understand the proofs and signs of Allah. His excuse is not accepted after the proof (hujjah) has reached him, even if he did not understand it, because the responsibility to seek understanding and knowledge of the proof lies with him. Allah the Almighty said: 'So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.' Allah the Almighty also informed us of the disbelievers that they did not understand what Allah revealed to them through His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah the Almighty said: 'And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord...' ¶

Then he turned away from it and forgot what his hands had put forth. Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance, they will never be guided (1). Thus, Allah Subhanu wa Ta'ala made it clear that they did not understand it, and 'fiqh' linguistically means 'understanding'. He did not excuse them for failing to understand; rather, the Noble Quran explicitly declared their kufr (disbelief). Furthermore, he who believes he is following the truth while he is upon falsehood is a kafir (disbeliever), because he did not pursue the truth with precise investigation. Allah the Almighty said: 'Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers as to their deeds? [They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are acquiring good by their deeds' (2). ¶

Sheikh Abdullah bin Abd al-Rahman Aba Butayn was asked: There is a group of people who do not know faith in Allah in its true sense, nor do they understand the meaning of kufr bit-taghut (disbelieving in idols/tyranny), but they adhere to some of the laws of Islam in a general sense. ¶

As for the details, they harbor hatred and resentment toward the people of Tawhid (monotheism). They perceive them to be in error regarding matters that contradict their customs, desires, whims, and what they have become accustomed to. They believe that everything contrary to their traditions is wrong, because in their minds, everything they are accustomed to is the truth and the religion, even if it is absolute error, and the truth is with the one they deem to be in error. They do not accept the evidence presented to them, nor do they pay attention to it, nor do they refrain from their folly or return from their falsehood. This is because they view the 'true religion' as that which the common masses manifest, even if these masses, along with their leaders—the scholars of evil and the rulers of misguidance—have deviated from authentic Islam. They sometimes openly express hatred and enmity toward the people of truth, labeling them with descriptions of kufr and misguidance out of ignorance or hypocrisy. They are keen to track their faults, capitalize on their slips, and spy on them for the benefit of the people of kufr and misguidance. ¶

(1) Surah Al-Kahf, verse (57). (2) Surah Al-Kahf, verses (103, 104). ¶

He (may Allah have mercy on him) responded by declaring these people disbelievers and outside the fold of Islam for several reasons, which are: First: They did not take the trouble to understand Islam, nor did they submit to Allah or follow His commands and prohibitions. Second: They showed hostility toward the people of truth, despised them, deemed their path incorrect, and considered religion to be merely what the majority of those who ascribe themselves to Islam follow—those who possess neither knowledge nor practice (1). This does not mean that we declare every Muslim who does not understand Islam with the same depth of knowledge as Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) a disbeliever. Rather, if a Muslim possesses the core foundation of Islam that admits a person into the ranks of Muslims, then they are a Muslim, even if they are ignorant of the specifics of certain rulings. It is not incumbent upon the common Muslims, who lack the ability to know the details of what Allah and His Messenger have legislated, to know in detail what those among the scholars and prominent figures of the Ummah whom Allah has empowered with such knowledge know. Instead, they must believe in what the Messenger ﷺ brought in a general and summary manner, act upon it, and if a matter becomes ambiguous to them, they should turn to those who possess knowledge (Ahl al-Dhikr) and ask them about what they do not know. However, if the ignorant person lacks the very foundation that admits a person into the fold of Islam, they are a disbeliever. Their disbelief is due to their turning away from learning their religion; they neither knew it, nor learned it, nor practiced it. Whoever manifests kufr (disbelief) is a disbeliever, and whoever manifests disobedience is a disobedient person. We only declare someone a disbeliever whom Allah and His Messenger have declared as such after the proof (hujjah) has been established upon them (2). The jurists have counted four types of apostasy, including 'doubt' (shakk), and doubt stems from ignorance—the inability to distinguish between the stronger of two evidences: the evidence of affirmation and the evidence of negation. If we were to say that an ignorant person can never be declared a disbeliever, the logical consequence would be... ¶

We do not declare the ignorant among the Jews and Christians, and those like them among the polytheists, as disbelievers (takfir) simply due to their ignorance of the rulings of Islam. However, there is a scholarly consensus (ijma) among Muslims that anyone who does not declare the Jews and Christians as disbelievers, or who doubts their disbelief, is himself a disbeliever. Even if the kufr (disbelief) of some of these individuals is based on ignorance of Islamic law, it is sufficient to establish proof against them that they are aware of the name of Islam and that Allah does not accept any religion other than Islam. After this, it is the individual's own responsibility to seek knowledge of this religion and its attributes; just as one would inquire about right and wrong in matters of their livelihood. Thus, the perpetrator of kufr—whether they are interpreting, exercising ijtihad, mistaken, imitating (taqlid), or ignorant—is not excused. The ruling of kufr and apostasy is not restricted only to those who obstinately reject the truth despite knowing and understanding it; for we cannot recognize an obstinate person until they explicitly say, 'I know this is the truth, but I do not adhere to it, nor do I profess it,' and a person matching this description is rarely found. ¶

Allah the Almighty said: 'Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.' And He said: 'Indeed, he who associates others with Allah—Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.' Thus, Allah, Glory be to Him, did not exempt the ignorant from this, nor did He specify only the obstinate. Therefore, whoever excludes the ignorant, the one who misinterprets, or the one who follows blindly (muqallid) from this ruling has opposed Allah and His Messenger and departed from the path of the believers. Allah also says: 'And even if We had sent down to them the angels [with the message] and the dead spoke to them [in evidence] and We gathered together every [created] thing in front of them, they would not believe unless Allah should will. But most of them are ignorant.' Ignorance is an act of disobedience in minor sins and matters less than kufr; if one who commits a sin out of ignorance repents, the acceptance of their repentance rests with Allah the Almighty. ¶

The Almighty says: 'Allah accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and soon repent thereafter. It is they to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise' (Surah An-Nisa: 17). Mujahid said: 'The ignorant person is he who does not know the lawful from the unlawful, and out of his ignorance commits the forbidden act.' Thus, whoever commits a sin is ignorant regarding it—whether this ignorance reaches the level of disbelief (kufr) or is below it. Everyone who disobeys their Lord is ignorant until they refrain from their disobedience. They are labeled as ignorant due to their sins because they do not discern or follow the truth. Therefore, this action is a sin for which they will be held accountable, unless they repent and reform, for Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. ¶

Ignorance is a quality existing in human life, yet it varies according to individuals and nations. Some ignorance constitutes open disbelief (kufr bawwah), some is a major sin, and some is a minor sin. To rid oneself of ignorance—whether minor or major—a Muslim must take the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as an excellent model in their life. The Almighty says: 'There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often' (Surah Al-Ahzab: 21), and by asking those who possess knowledge and act upon it, as previously clarified. ¶

Based on this, we state that many who claim to be Muslim in our present era, standing in the ranks of tyrants and criminals, supporting them against the truth and its followers, are at risk of leaving the fold of Islam. Even if some of them or others on their behalf excuse their behavior by claiming they are ignorant and do not know the truth and reality, the legal (Shari'ah) obligation upon them is to verify and search for the truth and what is correct. The Almighty says: 'So ask the people of the message if you do not know' (Surah An-Nahl: 43), and says: 'O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate...' ¶

“Lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done, regretful” (Quran 49:6). The Prophet (PBUH) warned the ignorant against remaining in their state of ignorance and urged them to seek knowledge, to shatter the shackles of ignorance, and to knock at the doors of understanding. This is clearly reflected in the narration of Abd al-Rahman ibn Abza from his father, from his grandfather, who said: The Prophet (PBUH) once delivered a sermon, praised certain groups of Muslims, and then said: “What is the matter with people who do not teach their neighbors, do not instruct them, do not admonish them, do not enjoin them [to good], and do not forbid them [from evil]? And what is the matter with people who do not learn from their neighbors, do not seek understanding, and do not accept admonition? By Allah, let a people teach their neighbors, instruct them, admonish them, enjoin them, and forbid them; and let a people learn from their neighbors, seek understanding, and accept admonition, or else I shall hasten the punishment upon them.” He then descended. In this hadith, the Messenger (PBUH) clarified the responsibility of the scholars, just as he explained the duty of those who are ignorant, urging both groups to fulfill their respective obligations. The people of knowledge are to disseminate and clarify knowledge, and the ignorant are to seek them out and learn from them. Through this hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) ordained a warning and deterrent punishment for the failure of either or both parties to fulfill their duty. This indicates that ignorance is not an excuse for abandoning religious rulings or for being exempted from accountability. ¶

Many who identify as Muslims in name, but not in essence, have reached a point where the recognized (ma'ruf) is perceived as denied (munkar), and the denied as recognized; the truth is seen as falsehood, and falsehood as truth. Despite this, out of ignorance or deliberate indifference, they believe they are the true adherents of Islam. The Islam they desire and deem correct is one that does not restrain them from what Allah has forbidden, nor binds them to what Allah has obligated. Thus, you find them opposing every sincere caller to the faith who seeks to return the Ummah to the right path, labeling the callers to Allah with the very vile descriptions they themselves truly deserve. These ignorant people, who are numerous in our present age, are among the most significant factors weakening the bonds of loyalty (muwalat) among Muslims, as they constitute an overwhelming, naive majority in Islamic society. Therefore, we deem it necessary for the Islamic Ummah, and scholars in particular, to address this segment of people with attention commensurate with the scale of the problem, to shield the callers to Allah from their dangers, to guide them toward sound perception, to instill in them righteous understanding, and to shift them from a stance of rejection and hostility toward the religion and its people to a stance of support, loyalty, and advocacy for the truth. ¶

Speaking the word of truth amidst these masses, misled by the enemies of Islam, has become a crime for which one is apprehended and punished. Islamic nations have become ignorant of this religion and have adopted false perceptions of it, due to the efforts of the enemies of Islam inside and outside Muslim lands. They have unraveled the knots of Islam one by one, as Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'The bonds of Islam will be undone one by one when there grows up in Islam a generation that does not know Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) and Shirk (polytheism), and who fall into the very things the Quran faulted and condemned, yet they approve of them, call to them, justify them, and deem them good, while not realizing that these are the very things the people of Jahiliyyah were upon, or something similar, or worse, or lesser.' ¶

Thus, the bonds of Islam are unraveled; the recognized becomes denied and the denied becomes recognized; innovation becomes Sunnah and Sunnah becomes innovation. A person is accused of disbelief for merely practicing faith and purifying Tawhid, and is accused of innovation for purely following the Messenger (ﷺ) and forsaking whims and innovations. ¶

With insight and a living heart, one can see this clearly, and Allah is the One whose help is sought. (1) End quote. This statement has become a tangible reality in our times. The evidence for this is that Islam endured two great trials at the hands of two criminal tyrants: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Despite this, the stance of the ignorant and misled masses regarding their reality was one of absolute support, complete advocacy, and an infatuation with their love to the point of shirk (polytheism). Allah Almighty says: 'And among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.' (2) We mention these two figures as examples of misguided leadership for which the common masses applaud, remain infatuated, and sacrifice their blood, wealth, and everything they possess for the sake of their preservation and survival. They did not know that the Shariah obligation requires them to dismantle these wicked leaderships that are against Islam, and to show them hostility and hatred just as Allah commanded in His Noble Book and upon the tongue of His chosen Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, it is deep, absolute ignorance that has prevented them from knowing the reality of the enemies and the reality of the friends, and it is what has made these ignorant people offer absolute allegiance to the enemies of Islam while waging war against the people of faith. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk knew nothing of the Islam he claimed except that his name was 'Mustafa' in the official state records. In reality, he was a creation of the Jewish Rabbi (Nahum), the executor of the Jewish plan to demolish the Islamic Caliphate. (3) Atatürk was a criminal in every sense of the word, whether in his private life or his public responsibilities. One of his ministers, İsmet İnönü, testified to this when he once said to him: 'Are we to take your orders from the liquor table?' (4) ¶

After this man assumed power and dismantled the Islamic Caliphate, he entered into the Treaty of Lausanne, concluded between him and criminal Britain—the same power that destroyed the Islamic Caliphate and enabled the Jews to occupy Palestine, as is well known regarding the role of Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary at that time. ¶

Britain was represented in the Treaty of Lausanne by Lord Curzon and Rumbold. This treaty comprised four main conditions: First: The abolition of the Islamic Caliphate. Second: Severing all ties with Islam. Third: Expelling and killing those who were zealous supporters of Islam. Fourth: Replacing the Islamic constitution with a secular one.(1) ¶

Ataturk implemented this treaty completely. He abolished the Islamic Caliphate, prohibited the teaching of Shariah subjects, banned Islamic attire, replaced the language of the Quran with Latin script, abolished governance by Islamic Shariah, and replaced it with man-made laws he brought from Europe. ¶

His purpose in all of this was to make Turkey and the surrounding Islamic lands a piece of Europe, to implement the principles of a secular state and governance, and to strip religion of any consideration in any aspect of life. ¶

This person, who committed such acts against the Muslims, still has his statue—which symbolizes betrayal and collaboration with enemies—as the first thing that catches the eye of an arrival at Istanbul airport!! His other statues are spread in every corner and square, and his pictures are sold to tourists as if he were the savior of a nation or a great conqueror, even if he were that, it would not have been permissible. ¶

So how is it for one who is a base traitor? Even more astonishing is the fact that the man-made constitution... ¶

(1) See the previous source, pp. 283-294, and see 'Al-Mukhattatat al-Istiamariya li-Mukafahat al-Islam' (Colonialist Schemes to Combat Islam) by Muhammad Mahmoud al-Sawwaf, p. 128. ¶

In Turkey, even today, the military remains the guardian of Ataturk’s secular, jahili (ignorant) system. No member of the Muslim populace in Turkey can openly criticize this perished tyrant or expose the scandals and disgrace that have remained a secret for over fifty years. ¶

These days, a trial is underway for Dr. Necmettin Erbakan, leader of the Islamic Salvation Party, on charges of attempting to establish an Islamic state in Turkey. The military prosecutor has demanded a 36-year prison sentence for Dr. Necmettin, as well as 17-year sentences for thirty-three members of the Islamic Salvation Party, because they strive to establish an Islamic state—an act viewed as a crime against Ataturk’s secular system (1). ¶

Glorification of this tyrant was not limited to Turkey alone; rather, many writers and those with hired or deceived pens glorify and praise this criminal, as if the destruction of the Islamic Caliphate were a great victory and a manifest triumph. It is no surprise that most who do this view matters through the lens of the Jews and Christians. However, the strangeness lies in those who claim Islam being led to stand alongside the enemies of Islam, while they heap abuse and insults upon the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire—especially Abdul Hamid II, who stood against the Jewish-Crusader conspiracy despite the extreme weakness surrounding the state during his era and the strength of his enemies. He refused with the refusal of a believer proud of his faith in God when 'Karasu' (2)—sent by Herzl, the leader and protector of Zionism—offered him a sum of one hundred million gold liras in the name of a long-term, interest-free loan. ¶

He also pledged, on behalf of the Jews, to build a naval fleet to assist the Ottoman Empire in repelling its enemies, and further promised to construct a university in Jerusalem, all in exchange for ceding a small piece of Palestinian land to the Jews. ¶

Despite his need for money and stability, the Sultan refused and said to the intermediary (Carasso), who was an Ottoman citizen: "Get out of my sight, you pig. I cannot sell a single span of Palestine's land, for it is not mine. It belongs to all Muslims who conquered it with their blood, and they will not give it up unless they spill more blood for it. Let the Jews keep their millions. If my empire is torn apart one day, they might seize it without cost, but as long as I am alive, the incision of a scalpel into my body would be easier for me to bear than to see Palestine severed from my state. This is something that will never happen; I cannot consent to the dissection of our living bodies."(1) ¶

May Allah have mercy on you, Abdul Hamid. History has wronged you, as have the writers who use the works of Jurji Zaidan, Faris Nimr, and Salama Musa as sources for their history and information. Those ignorant people do not realize that all three were raised in the cradle of the Crusades, that they worked for its cause, and that their writings are weapons brandished against Islam and the Muslims. ¶

This position of opposing Abdul Hamid while supporting and championing Ataturk provides a clear picture of how ignorant most members of the Ummah are regarding their true enemies, to the extent that they aid the oppressor against the oppressed, thinking they are doing a good deed. The Muslims have failed to take heed from the results of this stance regarding Ataturk and the crimes and evils that followed. Instead, this event passed with all its great calamities that have burdened and continue to burden the Islamic Ummah to this day, and yet some who claim to be part of Islam still praise this sworn enemy of Islam. ¶

(1) See: Lectures on the History of Palestine, authored by Dr. Ahmad Tarabin. ¶

The second tragedy in which the enemies repeated the stances of Ataturk in the form of another person is the tragedy of the Muslims in Egypt and outside of it. This is the tragedy that the loyal sons of Egypt lived through in regards to their religion and Islam, and which every sincere and zealous believer lived alongside them. This occurred when the grandson of Pharaoh, Gamal Abdel Nasser, conspired with the enemies of Islam and the Muslims, being a double agent for the Americans, the Jews, and the Communists. Khalid Mohieddin—who was among his inner circle—said of him that Abdel Nasser was in contact with the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) through Kermit Roosevelt, the American architect of revolutions in the region. Miles Copeland, Abdel Nasser’s close friend, mentioned this relationship between Abdel Nasser and the American administration, stating about him: 'He does not act, as many think, as a result of self-interest, whim, or any superficial motive. We (we, the men of American Intelligence) drew the path for him, and he walked upon it. The results might have been different had he been prepared in a different manner.' ¶

Dr. Muhammad Sadiq has also pointed to this connection, leaving no room for doubt that Abdel Nasser conspired with the Crusader enemies of Islam to eradicate Islam and the Muslims. Just as Abdel Nasser was an agent for the Crusaders, he was likewise an agent for the Jews, because Judaism and the Crusade work together against Islam and coordinate plans between themselves for the war against Islam and the Muslims. The proofs of Abdel Nasser’s agency for the Jews are as follows: ¶

A: A just man stated, who was one of the heroes of Palestine, whom the Jews knew before the 'child'. ¶

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at the hands of that tyrant/butcher, and what is happening in our present time at the hands of the agents of the Eastern and Western infidels. ¶

Fifth: One of the English magazines, 'New Statesman', published in its issue dated October 2, 1970 — which it draped in black as a sign of mourning for Gamal Abdel Nasser — an article by Mr. Scotsman, who admits that he is a prominent Zionist but mourns Gamal Abdel Nasser for the services he provided to the Jews that are priceless. Allah Almighty spoke the truth when He said: "And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion" (Surah Al-Baqarah: 120). Scotsman adds: "My first meeting with Abdel Nasser was in 1953, which led to a personal friendship that lasted for many years." He then says: "I was a guest at Abdel Nasser's house one night, located next to the barracks (Manshiyat al-Bakri). I felt honored when I sat with him for a private dinner at the kitchen table, rather than on the usual dining room chairs. He invited me to see his daughters in the bedroom after his wife hurried away." ¶

Sixth: It is stated in the memoirs of Moshe Dayan—the former Israeli Defense Minister—that Hassan al-Tohamy told him: "The Egyptian intelligence had an Israeli agent in a strategic position, and he was a high-ranking officer in the Israeli army. He had informed the Egyptians that the war would break out between the 3rd and 6th of June." In response to the question: "Why was the Egyptian Air Force not put on maximum alert? And why was there no concern?" ¶

(1) Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 120. (2) See: Al-Diplomasiyya wa al-Machiavelliyya fi al-Alaqat al-Arabiyya al-Amrikiyya, Dr. Muhammad Sadiq, p. 'Z' of the introduction. ¶

Did the Egyptian leadership have this information? Al-Tahami said: The Egyptian president at the time, Gamal Abdel Nasser, was a partner in the Israeli conspiracy. (1) ¶

Seventh: The AP agency reported from Philadelphia that several American newspapers published a series of statements by Elmore Jackson, an observer for the American Friends Service Committee at the United Nations and a member of the Quaker Church, who said: "The Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, held contacts with the American administration in 1955 through his ambassador in Washington, Ahmed Hussein, for 'reconciliation with the Jews'." Jackson concluded his statements by saying: "Many who placed their trust in the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and were his supporters might be surprised that he undertook these efforts, but the truth is that he did so. The strategy of Jewish policy at that time stood in the way of this." (2) ¶

The role played by Gamal Abdel Nasser in destroying the creed and morality of the Ummah, and handing over vast areas of the land of Islam and the Muslims—including Jerusalem—to the Jews without any price, is a great role that can only be compared to the role played by (Kemal Ataturk) before him. ¶

For both played a tragic role in the history of Islam and the Muslims, and both created a tragedy that no one else in their time and place had created. Both fulfilled for the Jews... their most cherished wishes!!! ¶

The first (Ataturk) brought down the Islamic Caliphate, shattered the Islamic lands into scattered and warring mini-states and emirates, and established the principle of secularism in governance and legislation. ¶

(1) See Al-Mujtama Magazine, Issue 522, 11th Year, 25 Rajab 1401 AH, p. 16. (2) See Al-Islah Magazine, 6th Year, Issue 58, Rabi' al-Awwal 1403 AH, p. 27. ¶

Second: He granted the Jews a sweeping victory and gave them lands and places they never dreamed of reaching with such speed and ease. Sadat followed him, granting the Jews a legal deed of ownership to the lands and sanctities of the Muslims. These are examples of oppressive leaderships that left behind no trace of real nation-building, only repeated defeats in the fields of military, cultural, and moral warfare—all of which have burdened the nation in its present and future. In the concept of those leaders involved in siding with and following the enemies of Islam, 'building' meant spreading moral corruption, social collapse, killing tens of thousands of Muslims in indiscriminate wars, and in horrific prisons and detention centers. The crimes of these people extended beyond adults to nursing infants. We cite one incident out of thousands for those enslaved by the love of Abdel Nasser, so they may see the extent of the compassion and care their beloved showed to the children of Muslims. Abdel Nasser went on a visit to Communist Russia, the primary enemy of Islam, and in order to appease seventeen Jews who were members of the Supreme Soviet (1), while in Moscow, he ordered the arrest of all members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Among the Brotherhood was a noble brother living in Alexandria. The officer tasked with arresting him was named 'Abdel Aziz al-Sawabi,' who arrived with some of his henchmen late at night. He arrested him and his wife, leaving behind three children in the house; the eldest was under five and the youngest was an infant. In the morning, the children woke up to find the door locked and no one with them. At midday, the wife's brother passed by on a fleeting visit and called out to those in the house, but received no answer except for the wailing and screaming of the children. He asked the eldest, 'Where is your mother? And where is your father?' He replied, 'We woke up from sleep and did not find them!!!' (1) See: Al-Kayd al-Ahmar (The Red Conspiracy) / Abdel Rahman Hanbaka, p. 93. ¶

Then, after a great risk, the door was opened, and the three children were found in a state that breaks one’s heart!! This scene and thousands of other sorrowful and tear-jerking scenes exist. Whoever desires more of these images should refer to the detailed books on this subject (1). ¶

This is not strange coming from a person who sold his religion for his worldly gain and was enslaved by a love for position and status, even if it were upon the remains of the innocent and oppressed—those who had no fault other than saying 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remaining steadfast. This was Abdul Nasser's treatment of the children of Muslims, whereas the Zionist Jew 'Scotsman' had a special place in the President’s house (2). Abdul Nasser’s conspiracy with the Jews, Christians, and other disbelievers of the earth is not a matter of surprise. ¶

But the strange thing is that he and his henchmen would do this to the Muslims, and yet we find millions in Egypt and outside it praising this agent, sanctifying him, and granting him the greatest names and the most exalted titles. This is only a result of their ignorance of the facts and their reliance on the means of ignorance and deception, both domestically and abroad, which turned a puppet into the greatest legend and a mouse into a fierce lion, all so that the chapters of the conspiracy could be completed and the role designed by the enemies of Islam could be realized in peace. Sayyid Qutb (may Allah have mercy on him) and other eminent scholars were martyred, and we did not see or hear any protest or denunciation from the misguided millions who marched demanding the survival of Abdul Nasser after his humiliating defeat, at a time when the masses should have done exactly the opposite. But who is there that understands, or who other than the Arabs would applaud a defeated leader?!! ¶

(1) See 'The Massacre of the Brotherhood in Tora Prison' by Gaber Rizk; 'The Black Gate' by Ahmed Raif; 'Those Holding onto Embers' by Mohamed Anwar Riad; 'Window to Hell' by various authors; and 'The Little Pharaohs' by Dr. Gaber Rizk, p. 102. (2) See page 330 of this dissertation. ¶

I am amazed at Egypt, for it denies the lion its due right and prides itself on the cat. Woe to you, O Egypt! If the cat rises and the eagle falls, then bid farewell to the world and its people. ¶

And the poet says: There is no good in a people among whom the noble are humiliated, and the vile among them are exalted and made leaders. ¶

Indeed, one of the severe obstacles facing callers to the faith (du'at) and reformers in this era is those misled masses who live on the fringes of life. They are a powerful weapon in the hands of the enemies of Islam and the proponents of misguidance and deviation. They do not have to struggle much to direct these mobs against Islam and the Muslims; it takes no more than tickling their emotions with money, sex, and idle talk, while poisoning their hearts against the truth and its callers. At that point, this faction becomes a weapon in the hands of the enemies of Islam and the Muslims. The spread of this ignorant, foolish group in most Muslim lands has been one of the most significant reasons for the weakening of alliance and enmity for the sake of Allah (al-wala' wal-bara'). Therefore, every Muslim must contribute to solving this acute and complex problem. ¶

And the solution lies only within the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ). Our role is simply how to make people understand Islam correctly and adhere to it in word and deed. ¶

In my view, the path to making people understand is divided into two parts: ¶

The first part: The role of personal contact in spreading the correct Islamic worldview. If each one of us took it upon ourselves to highlight the concepts of Islam and its just values to the people in every encounter, it would have a profound effect in clearing the darkness of ignorance from the people and correcting their perception of Islam and the goals of the Muslims. ¶

Part Two: This is the role of education and the media in deepening the concept of faith and providing the correct conception of the Islamic religion and its system of life, while elucidating the characteristics that distinguish it from all jahili (ignorant/pre-Islamic) systems. If we could make people care about Islam and its various issues as much as they care about their personal affairs, this would be a beginning of goodness and a path toward reaching the supreme goal of implementing Islam and executing its rulings. ¶

However, with great regret, the majority of people are negligent regarding the concern for the religion and its issues. All that some who associate themselves with Islam understand or care about is the performance of ritual acts of worship, such as prayer, zakat, fasting, and hajj. As for calling to Allah, performing jihad in His path, combating evils that are as apparent as the sun in the brightness of the day, showing allegiance to the allies of Allah, and showing enmity toward His enemies, they are heedless of these and averse to adhering to them. ¶

Among the examples of the ignorance of some Muslims regarding Islam and their incomplete and erroneous conception of it is what Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned, as he says: 'If you were to ask an Indian Muslim about Islam, he would answer you that he praises Allah for being one of those who eat beef. This is all he understands of Islam: that it permits beef as food for people' (1). And this is not true of all Indian Muslims, but the vast majority of them and others in Islamic countries do not go beyond the scope of this limited understanding of the Islamic religion. ¶

And the reason for this, and Allah knows best, is that most Muslims derive their Islam through the imitation (taqlid) of people who are as far as possible from the true Islam in terms of knowledge and practice. This matter is the greatest source of the ignorance prevalent among Muslims. Scholars have differed regarding taqlid into two opinions: ¶

(1) See Al-Iman wa Atharuhu fi Nahdat al-Shu'ub (Faith and its Effect on the Renaissance of Peoples) by Yusuf al-Azm, p. 134. ¶

The First Opinion: The view of a group that negated, rejected, and condemned taqlid (blind imitation). In justifying this, they argued that people fall into one of two categories: ¶

A - The commoner (al-’ammi): It is obligatory for him to learn what is necessary for the uprightness of his religion, and there is no benefit for him in adhering to a specific madhhab (school of jurisprudence). He is like an illiterate person who claims to be a reader when he is not, or claims to be a writer when he is not. Thus, he claims to follow a madhhab while he knows nothing about it, nor can he distinguish between the authentic (sahih) and the weak (da’if). ¶

B - The second person is a faqih (jurist) who is learned in the Book and the Sunnah. It is not valid for him to proceed with any matter without a proof (hujjah) or evidence. ¶

Allah has condemned taqlid and following others without guidance, as He mentioned regarding the disbelievers: "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and indeed, we are, in their footsteps, following." And the Almighty said: "The Day their faces will be turned about in the Fire, they will say, 'How we wish we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.' And they will say, 'Our Lord, indeed we obeyed our masters and our dignitaries, and they led us astray from the [right] way. Our Lord, give them double the punishment and curse them with a great curse.'" Allah has commanded His servants to follow what was revealed to His Messenger, saying: "Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him as allies. Little do you remember." ¶

The Almighty has clarified that those who imitate others without consciousness or reflection will regret it on the Day of Judgment when they see the painful torment. The Almighty said: "And those who were followed will say, 'If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us.' Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire." ¶