Calls for the Destruction of the U.S.
"Allah wreak vengeance on the Jews and the Americans"
is a common theme heard in PA sermons, as with Sheikh Ahmad Abd-Al-Razek's sermon on October 4, 2002. [1] Frequent
calls for the destruction of the main allies of the U.S. - Britain and Israel - are also heard. As Sheikh
Ibrahim Madhi stated, "Allah willing, this unjust state will be
erased - Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United States,
will be erased; this unjust state, Britain, will be erased." [2]
Themes of Arab hatred of the U.S. within sermons often
have Islamic historical undertones. For example, the leading Palestinian
religious figure, Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories
Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri, stated in a sermon on PA radio, "Allah, destroy
the U.S., its helpers and its agents. Allah, destroy Britain, its helpers
and its agents. Allah, prepare those who will unite the Muslims and
march in the steps of Saladin. Allah, we ask you for forgiveness before
death, and mercy and forgiveness after death. Allah, grant victory to
Islam and the Muslims…" [3] The U.S.
and its allies are also commonly referred to as Christian and Jewish Crusaders who must be fought. For example, Dr. Ahmad Abu
Halabiya, speaking at a mosque named after UAE President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, stated, "Allah the
almighty has called upon us not to ally with the Jews or the Christians,
not to like them, not to become their partners, not to support them,
and not to sign agreements with them… Allah, deal with the Jews, your
enemies and the enemies of Islam. Deal with the Crusaders, and America,
and Europe behind them…" [4]
2003: The Year the American Crusader War Against
Islam Began
In the year 2003, a common theme which emerged in
PA sermons is that the U.S has begun a Crusader war against the Arabs. Sheikh Muhammad Abu Al-Hunud stated in a sermon on March 28,
2003, "If, God forbid, something happens to Iraq,
the aggression and the Crusade will turn tomorrow against the Koran…
God forbid, his second assault is on the Koran,
[he wants] to change verses and to mess with Allah's book, to Americanize
the region, Americanize the religion, Americanize the Koran, Americanize
Muhammad's message… To my brothers in Iraq, to the President of Iraq,
to the Iraqi leadership, to the Iraqi people… Strike, my brother; may
your right arm, oh proud Iraq, be strong… strike Allah's enemies with
it. Strike with it the enemies of humanity… from the pulpits of Al-Azhar and other mosques around the world, that any Muslim who does not stand
by Iraq and support it against the American-British-Crusaders cruel
attack… Allah, grant victory to the Iraqi army… Allah, defeat America
and its allies… Allah, purify the Islamic soil from the American and
British treason and defilement… Allah, make their possessions a booty
for the Muslims, Allah, annihilate them and their weapons, Allah, make
their children orphans and their women widows…" [5]
Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris also frequently states
that the battle between Muslims and the U.S. is a religious war that
has its roots centuries ago. In a sermon on September 5, 2003, he stated,
"If we go back in the time tunnel 1400 years, we will find that history
repeats itself… Byzantium represents America in the west… America will
collapse, as Byzantium collapsed in the west… The Prophet [Muhammad]
could, by means of unbroken ranks, conquer Byzantium, the greatest power
compared to today's America - and this without a single martyr falling
from among the Muslims… The Prophet could, by means of the unity of
the Muslim ranks and its awakening, defeat the America of that time,
as we will defeat America as long as it supports our enemy, as long
as America insists on being against our people and against our cause
and our holy places, and against our people and our leadership… Indeed,
we consider America to be our No. 1 enemy… America is our No. 1 enemy,
and we see it as our No. 1 enemy as long as we learn from the lessons
of the Battle of Tabouk [which took place in October 630 AD]
:'Make ready for them whatever you can of armed strength and of mounted
pickets' [Koran 8:60]. We are prepared and ready, but victory is from
Allah…" [6]
On another occasion, on March 21, 2003, Sheikh Mudeiris
called President Bush a "dwarf" and a "Pharaoh"
who would be defeated in Iraq: " …Allah drowned Pharaoh and those who
were with him. Allah drowns the Pharaohs of every generation. Allah
will drown the little Pharaoh, the dwarf, the Pharaoh of all times,
of our time, the American President. Allah will drown America in our
seas, in our skies, in our land. America will drown and all the oppressors
will drown. Oh, people of Palestine, Oh, people of Iraq. The Crusader, Zionist America has started an attack
against our Iraq, the Iraq of Islam and Arabism, the Iraq of civilization
and history. It opened a Crusader Zionist war against Iraq. If Iraq
is defeated, if the nation [of Islam] is defeated in Iraq - this will
be our last breath of life... This is a Zionist Crusader war. It is
not I who say this, it was the little Pharaoh [Bush] who announced it
when he stated that this was a Crusader attack… You all know about the
slap in the face which Iraq gave America at the time of the first invasion,
when Iraq gave a knock out [punch] to America, the result of which was
that Pharaoh the father [George Bush, Sr.] lost the presidency.
This is a mark of shame on this family and therefore Pharaoh the son
returned to power in order to take revenge. The only way to remove the
shame is to topple down the Iraqi regime… This is also a religious war.
What is the connection between Iraq and the Crusaders' wars? Just as
Palestine is sacred so is also the land of Iraq, because the Prophet
said so… America will be destroyed, Allah willing, and Palestine, Iraq,
and the Middle East will become a cemetery for oppressors…" [7]
Shahids & the Rewards of Martyrdom
Sermons often call for Palestinians to become martyrs,
or Shahids. Within the sermons, it is told that those who become
a Shahid feel no pain and receive rewards in the afterlife, such
as 72 black-eyed virgins. Family members of the Shahids are also
praised in sermons. As Sheikh Isma'il Aal Radhwan stated,
"[Even when] a martyr's organs are being chopped off, and he turns into
torn organs that spread all over, in order to meet Allah, Muhammad,
and his friends, it would not be [considered] a loss… This is the honor
given to our martyrs, the martyrs of the Islamic nation, who were killed
due to their loyalty to Allah... The sacrifice of convoys of martyrs
[will continue] until Allah grants us victory very soon. The willingness
for sacrifice and for death we see amongst those who were cast by Allah
into a war with the Jews, should not come at all as a surprise… Oh believing
brothers, we do not feel a loss... The martyr, if he meets Allah, is
forgiven with the first drop of blood; he is saved from the torments
of the grave; he sees his place in Paradise; he is saved from the Great
Horror [of the day of judgment]; he is given 72 black-eyed women; he
vouches for 70 of his family to be accepted to Paradise; he is crowned
with the Crown of glory, whose precious stone is better than all of
this world and what is in it…" [8]
The virtues of martyrdom are the subject of many of Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris's sermons: "Blessings to those who wage
[Jihad] with their body… Blessings to our Shahids who
sacrifice their souls easily for the sake of Allah… B lessings to the
happy Shahids within the entrails of the green bird in Paradise.
Blessings to the Shahids whose sins are forgiven with the first
drop of their blood." [9] On another
occasion, he stated, "Know that a Shahid [who falls] on this
land is considered more than one Shahid someplace else. Yes,
there are traditions that a Shahid here [in Jerusalem] is worth
70 Shahids in a place other than this good land…" [10]
Regarding the rewards of the martyrs, Sheikh Mudeiris
stated in a sermon on May 2, 2003: "No preacher or sermonizer has right
to begin his words without blessing all our Shahids… The Jews
cannot influence the actions of our youth and children. But for you,
Allah has chosen Shahada… Allah had honored our youth… by choosing
you and by choosing from among you the Shahids… Is the Shahid dead like other dead, which requires us to offer condolences and mourn
with his family, friend and relatives? Or is the Shahid enjoying
virtues and the ability to perform miracles, which gives us the right
to congratulate the Shahid and his family?... We have the right
to congratulate the Shahids' families, and not extend condolences
and sorrow of our Shahids, if they [sacrifice themselves] to
Allah… But the Shahid is spared the agony of death. This is one
of the miracles of the Shahid. Is it not enough that the Shahid weds 72 black eyed [virgins]?... When the Shahid sees the grace
of martyrdom and death for the sake of Allah he will wish to return
to this world to be killed in it ten times… The Shahid - is it
enough for him that he does not feel the blow of the sword or the pain
of death or of the killing rather, as one of you feels a [wasp] sting…" [11]
Palestinian Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri also
praises martyrdom in his sermons: "We tell them: in as much as you love
life - the Muslim loves death and martyrdom. There is a great difference
between he who loves the hereafter and he who loves this world. The
Muslim loves death and [strives for] martyrdom. He does not fear the
oppression of the arrogant or the weapons of the blood-letters. The
blessed and sacred soil of Palestine has vomited all the invaders and
all the colonialists throughout history and it will soon vomit, with
Allah's help, the [present] occupiers." [12]
Educating Children to Martyrdom
The concept of educating children to become martyrs
occurs regularly in PA sermons. Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, one of
the most popular Imams, is especially vocal on this issue. During one
sermon, he repeats the following discussion he had with a child who
approached him about becoming a suicide bomber: " A young man said to
me: 'I am 14 years old, and I have four years left before I blow myself
up'… We, the Muslims on this good and blessed land, are all - each one
of us - seekers of Martyrdom… The Koran is very clear on this: The greatest
enemies of the Islamic nation are the Jews,
may Allah fight them… Blessings for whoever assaulted a soldier… Blessings
for whoever has raised his sons on the education of Jihad and Martyrdom; blessings for whoever has saved a bullet in order to
stick it in a Jew's head…" [13] On
another occasion, Madhi stated, " Shame and remorse on whoever refrained
from raising his children on Jihad…
Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake of Allah; blessings
to whoever raided for the sake of Allah; blessings to whoever put a
belt of explosives on his body or on his sons' and plunged into the
midst of the Jews, crying 'Allahu Akbar, praise to Allah, There is no
God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger'… Allah, show us a black
day for the Jews, like the day of 'Aad and Thamud. [14] Allah, turn them into pillage for us. Allah, we strive for
martyrdom for your sake..." [15]
Even if there was only one Palestinian child left,
he or she would sacrifice himself for the sake of Jihad, Madhi
stated in another sermon : "Even if they slaughter all of the Palestinian
people and the only survivors will be one single Palestinian baby girl
and one single Palestinian baby boy, the baby boy will marry the baby
girl and they will give birth to the one who will liberate Jerusalem
from the defilement of the Jews… While they [the Palestinians] sacrifice
the last Palestinian child and the last Palestinian fetus, they [the
Arab nations] will satisfy themselves with victories on the soccer courts…
It was rightly claimed that a thousand verbal shells cannot compare
to one shell made of iron. It was rightly claimed that what was taken
by force will be regained only by the use of force. We must prepare
ourselves in accordance with the religion of Allah and the Law of Allah.
We must educate our children on the love of Jihad for the sake
of Allah and the love of fighting for the sake of Allah." [16]
The importance of educating youth for battle has also
been the topic of sermons by Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris: "And here,
I want to emphasize, oh people of Palestine, that our children, the
fruit of our loins - we must protect them… The children need proper
education because it is they who will lead the struggle after us, on
the day when they will grow up and become strong and we will grow old.
They are our children, who will conduct the battle after us." [17]
On this subject, Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri stated his thoughts on child martyrs, as well as the joy of their mothers:
"I feel the martyr is lucky because the angels usher him to his wedding
in heaven. I feel the earth moves under the occupiers' feet… There is
no doubt that a child [martyr] suggests that the new generation will
carry on the mission with determination. The younger the martyr - the
greater and the more I respect him… They [mothers of martyrs] willingly
sacrifice their offspring for the sake of freedom. It is a great display
of the power of belief. The mother is participating in the great reward
of the Jihad to liberate Al-Aqsa… I talked to a young man… [who] said:
'… I want to marry the black-eyed [beautiful] women of heaven.' The
next day he became a martyr. I am sure his mother was filled with joy
about his heavenly marriage. Such a son must have such a mother." [18]
Antisemitism and Calls to Kill Jews
"Annihilating" Jews by Palestinians becoming suicide
bombers and "detonating" themselves in their midst, and by saving
"a bullet is order to stick it in a Jew's head," are examples of the
many calls for killing Jews in Palestinian sermons. Islamic Hadiths
are often cited as inspiration for such actions. Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi explained, "Palestine will be, as it was in the past, a graveyard for
the invaders - just as it was a graveyard for the Tatars and
to the Crusader invaders, [and for the invaders] of the old and
new colonialism… A reliable Hadith [tradition] says: 'The Jews
will fight you, but you will be set to rule over them.' What could be
more beautiful than this tradition? 'The Jews will fight you' - that
is, the Jews have begun to fight us. 'You will be set to rule over them'
- Who will set the Muslim to rule over the Jew? Allah… Until the Jew
hides behind the rock and the tree. But the rock and tree will say:
'Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, a Jew hides behind me, come and kill
him.' Except for the Gharqad tree, which is the tree of the Jews.
We believe in this Hadith. We are convinced also that this Hadith heralds the spread of Islam and its rule over all the land… Oh Allah,
accept our martyrs in the highest heavens… Oh Allah, show the Jews a
black day… Oh Allah, annihilate the Jews and their supporters… Oh Allah,
raise the flag of Jihad across the land… Oh Allah, forgive our
sins…" [19]
Similarly, Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya stated, "O
brother believers, the criminals, the terrorists - are the Jews… They
are the ones who must be butchered and killed, as Allah the Almighty
said: 'Fight them: Allah will torture them at your hands, and will humiliate
them and will help you to overcome them… The Jews are like a [gas] pedal
- as long as you step on it with your foot, it doesn't move, but if
you lift your foot from it, it hurts you and punishes you. This is the
case of the Jews." [20]
Within sermons, Jews are commonly referred to as the
descendants of pigs and apes, and as calf-worshippers. As Sheikh Ibrahim
Madhi stated, "All spears should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies
of Allah, the nation that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described
them as apes and pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers… Whoever
can fight them with his weapons, should go out [to the battle]; whoever
can fight them with a machinegun, should go out; whoever can fight them
with a sword or a knife, should go out; whoever can fight them with
his hands, should go out; This is our destiny… The Jews have exposed
their fangs. Nothing will deter them, except the color of their filthy
people's blood; nothing will deter them except for us voluntarily detonating
ourselves in their midst. They have nuclear power, but we have the power
of the belief in Allah… We blow them up in Hadera,
we blow them up in Tel
Aviv and in Netanya." [21] On another occasion, Sheikh Madhi added: "Oh beloved of Allah…
One of the Jews' evil deeds is what has come to be called 'the Holocaust,'
that is, the slaughter of the Jews by Nazism. However, revisionist [historians]
have proven that this crime, carried out against some of the Jews, was
planned by the Jews' leaders, and was part of their policy… These are
the Jews against whom we fight, oh beloved of Allah. On the other hand,
[what is our belief] about the Jews? Allah has described them as donkeys." [22]
Re-conquering Palestine
Sermons include calls for the expulsion of Jews from
Israel and for their "return to Europe." According to the sermons, this
will be done by re-conquering Jerusalem, Haifa, Safed, Jaffa, Ramle, and other
Israeli cities and districts such as the Negev and the Galilee. For example, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris stated,
"We love you Jerusalem, We love you Jerusalem, we will return to you
oh Aqsa, and
we will return to you oh Aqsa, we will return to you Haifa and Jaffa,
Lod and Ramle, Nablus from which we were expelled. Oh Safed, oh all cities of Palestine and
its villages, we will return to you with Allah's help. We will return
to Ashdod and Ashkelon,
and Harbiya and Na'aliya and all the cities and villages of Palestine,
we will return to you as conquerors and liberators… If we hold onto
our land, we will return to our country… Moreover, there is no solution
to the Palestinian problem without the return of the refugees. The refugees
were those who were driven out of their homes at gunpoint. They will
return here and we will build our state together." [23]
Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya similarly stated, "We
shall not forget Haifa, and Acre,
and the Galilee, and Jaffa, and the Triangle and the Negev, and the
rest of our cities and villages. It is only a matter of time. The weak
will not remain forever weak, and the strong will not remain forever
strong... If we are weak today … and we are not able to regain our rights,
then at least we have to pass on the banner - waving high - to our children
and grandchildren… Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are,
in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them,
kill them. Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who
are like them… We will not give up a single grain of soil of Palestine,
from Haifa, and Jaffa, and Acre, and Mulabbas [Petah Tikva] and Salamah,
and Majdal [Ashkelon], and all the land, and Gaza,
and the West Bank…" [24]
The sermons of Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi also commonly
refer to this topic. On one occasion, he stated, "Our belief is that
this war, between us and the Jews, will continue to escalate until we
vanquish the Jews and enter Jerusalem as conquerors, [and] enter Jaffa
as conquerors. We are not merely expecting a Palestinian state with
Jerusalem as its capital; we are heralding [the creation of] an Islamic
caliphate with Jerusalem as its capital…" [25] Similarly, he stated in another sermon, "We are convinced of
the [future] victory of Allah; we believe that one of these days, we
will enter Jerusalem as conquerors, enter Jaffa as conquerors, enter
Haifa as conquerors, enter Ramle and Lod as conquerors, the [villages
of] Hirbiya and Dir Jerjis and all of Palestine as conquerors, as Allah
has decreed… 'They will enter Al-Aqsa Mosque as they have entered it
the first time…'" [26]
On this subject, Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri added, "We haven't sacrificed enough yet to be worthy of liberating
Al-Aqsa. To liberate Jerusalem, Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi made great sacrifices
for a long time, and we have to sacrifice until Allah's victory is completed…
Our campaign is definitely religious and emanates from belief, although
we try to avoid this slogan. The current Intifada of the [Arab and Islamic]
world is a religious outburst, because it relates to the Al-Aqsa mosque…
The land of Palestine is not only Jerusalem; this land stretches from
the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea. Naturally, the [Palestinian]
problem relates to all of this land…" [27] On another occasion, elaborating on the borders of a future
Palestinian state and the Jewish residents of Israel, he said, "From
an Islamic point of view, it stretches from the Mediterranean to the
Jordan [River]. It is Palestine in its entirety… all those Jews who
came here from all over the world, must return to the places from where
they came. The Jews from Germany should return to Germany." [28]
On the September 11th Attacks
Conspiracy theories against America and Jews are the
subject of many sermons dealing with the first World Trade Center bombing
in 1993 and the September 11, 2001 attack. Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh
Sabri, speaking about the first attack, stated, "Oh those who pray,
you have brothers wrongly and aggressively jailed in America. They have
been forgotten. They were charged with false claims about the bombing
of the World Trade [Center] in New York. We, from the Al-Aqsa Mosque
and on your behalf, demand the release of these prisoners, who are monotheistic
Muslims." [29] Weeks after September
11th, Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri stated again that Muslims were not
involved, and in fact that Americans were responsible: "Oh Muslims,
oh brothers, believers, everywhere, our Prophet used to deal in Friday's
sermons with current events of his time and I will follow him and also
discuss some religious rulings connected to the current international
events following the [attacks] that took place in America on the 11th of this month. First, there is a religious legal rule that man is innocent,
namely, in Islam, a human being is innocent until he is proven guilty.
It is not allowed to blame a human being and then tell him 'prove you're
innocent.' Therefore we tell America: 'It is forbidden to accuse a person
before the beginning of the investigation.' Until now, the American
administration could not present proof to convict the accused in the
[attacks] in New York and Washington, [because] it is possible that
there are other elements inside America who carried out these [attacks]." [30]
November 7, 2003, Muhammad Jamal Abu Hunoud, Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Mosque in Gaza
"One of the virtues of this month, the month of Ramadan,
is that besides being a month of education, repairing [ones'] manner,
and the month of the Quran, it is the month of Jihad, so that the word
of Allah will reign supreme, the month of the victory and the conquest,
the month of many certain victories of the Muslims since the period
of [Muhammad's] prophecy up to this day. The Muslims were victorious
in all the battles they entered in the month of Ramadan…
"On the 17th of this month in the second year of the
Hijra, the invasion of the great Badr took place. The day of salvation,
the day on which the two camps met, [33] the day Allah strengthened the Muslims and granted them a decisive
victory… On the 20th of the month of Ramadan in the eighth year of the
Hijra was the great conquest of Mecca.
"The Messenger of Allah returned to it [Mecca], together
with his 10,000 companions… [In addition], one of the victories in our
day in the month of Ramadan is the day the Suez Canal was crossed [i.e.
the 1973 War], the day
of the great crossing that shattered the attackers' fortifications and
undermined the existence of those who act with [such] tyranny in the
land [that] their houses are destroyed by their own hands as well as
by the hands of their enemies." [34]
October 31, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris, Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Mosque in Gaza
"Allah made the [month of] Ramadan a period of
trading [between the followers] of His heart. Muslims compete with each
other over prayer and religious study at night, over the fast and the
financial expenses [i.e. charity] for the sake of Allah… [Allah said]:
' O you who believe! Shall I lead you to a commercial deal that
will save you from a painful chastisement? It is that you believe in
Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive for the sake of Allah,
with your properties and your souls: that will be best for you, if you
but knew!' [Quran, 61:10-11]…
"Has the time not come for Muslim servants of Allah
to say: 'We will establish our country in Ramadan'? Has the time not
come for the Muslims to say: 'We will achieve victories in Ramadan as
did those before us'? Has the time not come for Muslims to say: 'We
will achieve victory and liberate the blessed Al-Aqsa in the month of
Ramadan?'
"It is surprising that the soul of a Muslim who says
'there is no God but Allah,' fasts during the day, and prays and reads
the Quran through the night does not call on him to fight the battle
of Jihad in order to liberate the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the land
of Palestine." [35]
September 5, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris, Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Mosque in Gaza
"…Oh believers, shall I guide you to a [commercial] [36] deal that will save you from severe torment? [Koran 61:10]
"I maintain that… a [mosque] preacher or sermonizer
must begin his sermon by saying words of blessing for the Shahids,
the wounded, the detainees, and those expelled from Palestine…
"If we go back in the time tunnel 1400 years, we will
find that history repeats itself. Here the Messenger of Allah calls
to do justice, and he holds on to it by willpower, by determination
and by faith in Allah. He calls to do justice, but he is besieged by
members of his own tribe, the infidel Arabs in the Arabian Peninsula.
Likewise, he was besieged by two powers - Persia in the east and Byzantium
in the west. They have besieged him, and they exactly represent today's
USSR and America. Persia represents Russia in the east, and Byzantium
represents America in the west. And indeed, Persia [collapsed] first
in the east, as Russia fell first here in the east. And thus, if Allah
wills it, America will collapse, as Byzantium collapsed in the west.
"The struggle between truth and falsehood continues,
and it is ancient. There is no escape from [the fact] that victory goes
to the men of truth, even if it takes a long time. This is a matter
of belief to which we hold, because victory belongs to the men of truth,
as long as they cling to their truth, holding on to their unity and
their unity of action. The men of truth will be victorious, with Allah's
help. We will be victorious here in Palestine, as long as the men of
Palestine hold on to their Islamic and national principles, and to unbroken
ranks and their unity of action…
"The Prophet [Muhammad] could, by means of unbroken
ranks, conquer Byzantium, the greatest power compared to today's America
- and this without a single martyr falling from among the Muslims… The
men of Byzantium fled their posts and cities when they heard of the
army of the Prophet, and this is without a single Muslim Shahid falling. The Prophet could, by means of the unity of the Muslim ranks
and its awakening, defeat the America of that time, as we will defeat
America as long as it supports our enemy, as long as America insists
on being against our people and against our cause and our holy places,
and against our people and our leadership. As long as America holds
these criminal opinions, we will defeat it with Allah's help.
"Indeed, we consider America to be our No. 1 enemy,
as long as it supports our enemy. Must we be killed by only American
planes? [Must] our homes be destroyed only by means of American tanks?
Must our enemy control us only by means of American support? America
is our No. 1 enemy, and we see it as our No. 1 enemy as long as we learn
from the lessons of the Battle of Tabouk [which took place in October 630 AD ] :'Make ready for them whatever you can of armed
strength and of mounted pickets' [Koran 8:60]. We are prepared and ready,
but victory is from Allah…"
August 22, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris, Sheikh 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza
"…Muhammad, Allah's Messenger, heralded to
those killed for Allah that they are Allah's most preferred people.
When a man comes to the Messenger of Allah and says, 'Who is the man
most preferred by Allah?' [Muhammad] says: 'A believer who participated
in Jihad with his body and his money for the sake of Allah.'
These are the people most preferred by Allah.
"Blessings to those who wage [Jihad] with their
body and are killed for the sake of Allah. Blessings to those who fight
by means of their money and spend it for the sake of Allah…
"This is the fate that Allah has bestowed upon us,
people of Palestine, that we be worthy of struggling and giving our
souls on this good and blessed land… Blessings to our Shahids.
Blessings to our Shahids who sacrifice their souls easily for
the sake of Allah. Blessings to our Shahids who were burned yesterday
in their cars, at the same hour as the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque was burned 34 years ago…
"Blessings to the Shahids, blessings to the
happy Shahids within the entrails of the green bird in Paradise.
Blessings to the Shahids whose sins are forgiven with the first
drop of their blood, the first for the sake of Allah. Blessings to the Shahids who fell on the blessed land, for whom the struggle for
it is better than this entire world and all that is in it. Blessings
to the Shahids who are happy and exult in the pleasures of Paradise…"
August 15, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris, Sheikh 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza
"…Oh believers, oh beloved of Allah's Messenger, you
who hold fast in the good, pure, and blessed land, on this very day,
the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque was set afire treacherously by treacherous
and oppressing Zionist gangs. On August 21, 1969, Al-Aqsa Mosque was
set afire by a Zionist gang. [37]
"When the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque was burned, on that
day a worn-out old hag ruled the government of the Zionist entity. Her
name was Golda Meir. She ruled this Zionist entity. When she
heard that a gang of Zionists had set the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque afire,
she wrung her hands and began to lament on the bitterness of the fate
of the State of Israel, since she imagined that the Muslims and Arabs
would awaken all at once, immediately, in order to liberate Al-Aqsa
Mosque from the Zionist entity. But as the first day passed, and in
the middle of the second day, when she saw the idleness of the Muslims
and Arabs towards what had happened to their holy of holies, what did
she say? She said: 'If only they [the Jews] had destroyed it.' Thus
said the prime minister of the Zionist entity after she thought that
the State of Israel would disappear, on the day the Al-Aqsa Mosque was
burned.
"Oh Muslims, we are not exaggerating when we say that
the Palestinian people defends the honor of the entire Muslim nation…
Blessings to you, [sons of] the Palestinian people. Blessings to you,
people of Jerusalem, you who sacrifice Shahids in order to preserve
the identity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, and its Islamic and Arabic
identity. Indeed, the presence of the people of Palestine and the people
of Jerusalem is what will protect the existence of the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
because the Al-Aqsa Mosque is subject [to destruction], since that same
worn-out old hag said: 'If only they had destroyed the Al-Aqsa Mosque.'
"They are planning to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque is subject to acts of destruction, planned and organized
in advance. Oh Muslims, Al-Aqsa is in real danger. Tunnels have been
dug underneath Al-Aqsa on the pretext of uncovering the false Temple
of Solomon. Oh Muslims, Al-Aqsa is subject to planned and organized
acts of destruction. It is the people of Jerusalem and Palestine who
protect the existence of Al-Aqsa Mosque, and we are not exaggerating.
We bless you, we bless everyone whose blood flows upon this good and
pure land. If a prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque is worth 1,000 prayers at another
mosque, then know that a Shahid [who falls] on this land is considered
more than one Shahid someplace else. Yes, there are traditions
that a Shahid here [in Jerusalem] is worth 70 Shahids in a place other than this good land… Every wounded person on this land
is comparable to hundreds of wounded [elsewhere]…
"The Palestinian people today need an Omar bin
Al-Khattab, whose soul was inflamed every time he read Surat Al-Israa
[in the Koran], Omar, who, every time he read [the verse]: 'Praised
be He who took his servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant
[Al-Aqsa] Mosque [Koran 17:1].
"Omar felt that Al-Aqsa Mosque was calling for help.
He felt that Al-Aqsa Mosque was seeking his help. And then he amassed
his army and turned from there [Medina] to here [Jerusalem], to Al-Sham
[Syria] and to Jerusalem, with the most prominent of the Prophet's companions,
in order to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He liberated it from the Crusaders
who had defiled it, he liberated it, but gave them [the Crusaders] security,
through what was later called The Pact of Omar.But, notice, oh
worshippers of Allah, the Jews, they are the most wicked creatures on
the face of the earth, while the Crusaders, despite their wickedness,
asked of Omar bin Al-Khattab one condition from among four - not to
permit the Jews to live in Palestine. We want people like Salah Al-Din
Al-Ayyoubi, we want Salah Al-Din to liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
the Al-Aqsa Mosque, that Salah Al-Din liberated when he heard the cries
of the people of Palestine and the people of Syria, when they were massacred
and abused…
"Since Salah Al-Din liberated the Al-Aqsa Mosque and
the land of Palestine, this land has been subject to the greed of invaders,
until the imperialist attack came and Palestine was conquered. It was
conquered by the British, with whom we have relations of blood-vengeance.
Between us and Britain, there is a lengthy reckoning of blood vengeance
which we will never forget, even though politics requires it. Was it
not Britain that gave what it did not possess to those who had no right
to it? Was it not Britain that gave the Jews a right to establish a
state on the land of Palestine and at the expense of the Palestinian
people? There is a lengthy reckoning between us and them.
"Palestine and its holy places are under constant
aggression, and if we have words of reproach, they are directed at the
Arabs and the Muslims… Hasn't the world heard that the Palestinian prisoners
suffer in [Israeli] jails, because yesterday they were served poisoned
meals, which may cause the death of dozens of our imprisoned sons? Your
brothers in the prisons are subject to the ugliest of Zionist attacks.
They are subject to the ugliest of tortures and abuses. You have heard,
and all the world has heard, that two days ago our brothers in the prisons
were served poisoned meals, and more than 50 prisoners are in serious
condition because they were given poisoned food. Indeed, they are subject
to the ugliest of tortures and abuses, but they are steadfast in solitary
confinement. We say to them: Answer the call of your God, oh believers,
gird yourself with patience and adherence to your land, and fear Allah,
so that you will succeed…"
May 2, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris, Sheikh 'Ijlin
Mosque in Gaza
"Oh, you who garrison this good and blessed land.
In light of these abhorrent massacres, in whose shadow we live, as we
have sacrificed over 30 [souls] in the past two days across Palestine,
in less than 48 hours. Under these circumstances of massacres, no preacher
or sermonizer has [the] right to begin his words without blessing all
our Shahids. We do not have the right to [speak] our words without
giving our best wishes to our Shahids in Palestine, blessing
the wounded, the prisoner, and the expelled. Blessing to all the people
of Palestine worthy of receiving the best wishes. The Prophet [Muhammad]
brings you tidings and asks you to accept the blessing since Allah chose
you to defend this land. Allah chose you from among all the peoples
so that you will be the defenders of Palestine…
"The Jews cannot influence the actions of our youth
and children. But for you, Allah has chosen Shahada, in order
to choose from among you the Shahids of the people of Palestine.
Allah chose from amongst us Shahids, as the poet says: He who
does not die by the sword dies in another way. Causes are many. And
the proof of this, as Allah says: 'Death will reach you even in your
beds, those who are destined to die, will be exposed even in their beds.'
That is, they would not die by Shahada. Allah had honored our
youth, our people, and our nation, by choosing you and by choosing from
among you the Shahids, oh people of Palestine. Therefore, you
are worthy to receive a blessing while you cling to this land…
"Is the Shahid dead like other dead, which
requires us to offer condolences and mourn with his family, friend and
relatives? Or is the Shahid enjoying virtues and the ability
to perform miracles, which gives us the right to congratulate the Shahid and his family? The Shahid, of servants of Allah, is not dead
like all the other dead. Nay, we have no right to say about him that
he is dead and this is according to a decision from the seventh heaven
above, by Allah himself, as a privilege for the Shahids. This
is mentioned in two Koran chapters…
"Allah forbids you to say that the Shahid is
dead, saying [in the Koran]: 'Do not say that they who die for Allah
are dead, because they are alive, but you do not notice.' We cannot
imagine that [Shahids'] lives. They leave a wretched, base life
in this world in order to ascend and live, next to Allah, a life that
only Allah knows.
"The Shahids' live next to Allah and they have
the qualities of living people and they are sustained as the living
are in this world. But, oh believers, how great is the difference between
this livelihood and that, how great is the difference between livelihood
in this wretched and lowly world and livelihood that Allah alone, knows
there, near the throne of the Lord. Blessings to the Shahids,
as they are alive, sustained next to their Lord. They are joyful in
this world. But what a difference is there between our joy and theirs!
There is a difference between our mundane joy and their joy there in
Paradise; they are joyful in the grace that Allah has bestowed upon
them. Then they bring good tidings and seek good tidings for their brothers
who have not joined them…
"They do not know the fear of this world, and they
are not saddened, as they were sad in this world. There is no reason
to worry about them, and they are not sad. They are the Shahids.
The Shahids who are in the heavens, next to Allah…
"As the Shahids are indeed in the highest paradise.
The superior qualities and miracles of the Shahids are too numerous
to count, since Allah alone know them. But what do we know of these
miracles- listen to the words of your Prophet when he counts the Shahids virtues. Therefore, we have the right to congratulate the Shahids'
families, and not extend condolences and sorrow of our Shahids,
if they [sacrifice themselves] to Allah…
"Whoever fights so that the word of Allah will be
supreme, fights for the sake of Allah. Therefore, these Shahids,
by Allah, is it not enough for you that [such a Shahid] is forgiven
with his first drop of blood? Is it not enough for you that the Shahid is saved from the agony of death, of which the Prophet said: Death involves
agony from which no one is spared, except for the Shahids. Even
the prophets, the messengers, and the angels, on the day of their death
are not spared this. But the Shahid is spared the agony of death.
This is one of the miracles of the Shahid. Is it not enough that
the Shahid weds 72 black eyed [virgins]? Is it not enough for
the Shahid's family that he vouchsafe for 70 of his relatives?
Is it not enough for the Shahid that they dress him in garments
of glory on the day of resurrection? Is it not enough for the Shahid that his soul lives inside the vitals of the green birds of paradise
circling around the throne of honor? Is it not enough for the Shahid,
that when Allah asks him what his wish is, he will be the only one to
answer; I want to be returned to the world in order to be killed for
You ten times, oh Lord. And Allah will say then: I have already ruled
regarding them and they will not return to this world. When the Shahid sees the grace of martyrdom and death for the sake of Allah he will
wish to return to this world to be killed in it ten times. The Shahid,
oh servants of Allah, dwells in the highest paradise together with the
righteous and the prophets. The Shahid - is it enough for him
that he does not feel the blow of the sword or the pain of death or
of the killing rather, as one of you feels a [wasp] sting as in the
words of the Prophet. This is the grace of the Shahid. The Shahid is in the heavens with Allah. And blessing to our Shahids and
may Allah have mercy on our Shahids and take them under his wing
and avenge their blood…"
March 28, 2003, SheikhMuhammad Abu Al-Hunud, Khalil
Al-Wazir Mosque in Gaza
"… It looks like some of the Muslim leaders forgot
Allah… The power of the infidels does not stem from their weapons and
equipment; their power stems from our obedience to them, from the obedience
of a number of Muslim and Arab leaders to them, [from the compliance
with] their threats, demands, and aggression…
"Civil wars and calamities afflict the nation in order
to distinguish the faithful, the steadfast and the truthful from the
liars, and the hypocrites who sold themselves in slave markets, sold
themselves to the devil and supported the aggression of Allah's enemies…
"The sons of Iraq are slaughtered, Iraq is bombarded;
the sons of Iraq are murdered. [Iraq] is an Arab Muslim country, the
cradle of civilization since the dawn of history, the capital of the
land of Muslim caliphates. The Iraqi people are crying for help… Where
are you, Oh Arabs? Where are you, nation of Islam?... Be free, or die
honorably. The sons of the Arab and Muslim nation are murdered, its
sons are slaughtered, its homes demolished and the Arabs are standing
and watching.
"One of the Arab leaders claims that he opposes the
attack on Iraq while he finances the airplanes of the invading enemy.
Another condemns the attack on Iraq while the attackers use bases on
his own soil to attack Iraq. A third Arab sister [country] openly declares
its enmity towards America, but behind closed doors holds meetings and
strikes deals [with the Americans]. A fourth opens its ports and airports
to enemy ships and airplanes. Is this Islam? Is this the religion?!
"The aggression against Iraq is an assault on international
laws and on religious edicts. The aggression against Iraq is an aggression
against humanity, against values and principles. The aggression against
Iraq is an assault on Islam, the Koran and the message of Muhammad…
If, God forbid, something happens to Iraq, the aggression and the Crusade
will turn tomorrow against the Koran. Prior to the attack on Iraq, Allah's
enemy and the enemy of His Prophet… called to change the religious education
systems in the Arab and Islamic countries. Today, God forbid, his second
assault is on the Koran, [he wants] to change verses and to mess with
Allah's book, to Americanize the region, Americanize the religion, Americanize
the Koran, Americanize Muhammad's message.
"What are you going to do, oh millions of Arabs, oh
Arab leaders? What are you going to do in light of this tyranny and
this aggression? These bullets that are being fired today on the Muslim
people of Iraq will be fired tomorrow on your chests and the chests
of your peoples.
"To my brothers in Iraq, to the President of Iraq,
to the Iraqi leadership, to the Iraqi people, the Iraqi clans, the glorious
women of Iraq, we say: 'Strike, my brother; may your right arm, oh proud
Iraq, be strong. If your arm gets weary, [lift it] and strike Allah's
enemies with it. Strike with it the enemies of humanity, and let them
realize that Iraq's soil is a fire land [for them], and that they will
drown in its waters. The Iraqi soil repels this aggressor, the Iraqi
soil curses him when he steps on it, and the Iraqi people spit in his
face…'
"Trustworthy [Islamic] clerics, from East and West…
came up with proofs from the Koran and the Sunna, and announced them
from the pulpits of Al-Azhar and other mosques around the world,
that any Muslim who does not stand by Iraq and support it against the
American-British-Crusaders cruel attack is a traitor to his religion,
traitor to his nation, traitor to his motherland, and traitor to his
Arabism. Aren't you listening? Did you plug your ears and blinded your
eyes? What happened to you? What is the meaning of this shame?!!
"My brothers in Islam, my brothers in Arabism, the
Prophet said: 'Behold the Arabs from an approaching evil.' This is the
approaching evil. If the Arabs do not wake up and do not return to Allah
- [and] those among our leaders who sold themselves, and I am not saying
all of them - [should know] that what is happening in Iraq is not far
from them. Jobs do not last forever, seats do not last forever, death
will be their lot…
"Allah, grant victory to the Iraqi army…
"Allah, defeat America and its allies…
"Allah, purify the Islamic soil from the American
and British treason and defilement…
"Allah, make their possessions a booty for the Muslims,
Allah, annihilate them and their weapons, Allah, make their children
orphans and their women widows…"
March 21, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris,
Sheikh 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza
"…Allah drowned Pharaoh and those who were with him.
Allah drowns the Pharaohs of every generation. Allah will drown the
little Pharaoh, the dwarf, the Pharaoh of all times, of our time, the
American President. Allah will drown America in our seas, in our skies,
in our land. America will drown and all the oppressors will drown.
"Oh, people of Palestine, Oh, people of Iraq. The
Crusader, Zionist America has started an attack against our Iraq, the
Iraq of Islam and Arabism, the Iraq of civilization and history. It
opened a Crusader Zionist war against Iraq. If Iraq is defeated, if
the nation [of Islam] is defeated in Iraq - this will be our last breath
of life... It was only natural that America would invade Iraq. When
Afghanistan was devoured we said that if Afghanistan would be devoured,
Iraq too would be devoured and I warned that if Iraq is devoured, south
Lebanon will be devoured too and Syria should also start preparing because
the rest of the Arab world fell without war. This is a Zionist Crusader
war. It is not I who say this, it was the little Pharaoh [Bush] who
announced it when he stated that this was a Crusader attack. Hasn't
he said this? I'm amazed at some of the clerics of the nation [of Islam]
who cooperate with their [treachery]… I am amazed that they are trying
to keep the nation away from Jihad… and they issue Fatwas according to which this war is not against Islam, but against Iraq,
as though the people of Iraq are calf worshippers or fire worshippers.
Aren't they Muslims?… I am speaking about the people not about the regime…
"Why Iraq? Why precisely Iraq? Is it because it is
in possession of weapons of mass destruction as they claim? No. The
U.N. has proven that this claim is not true but despite this America
wants to wage war against Iraq. Why Iraq, Oh Muslims? Wake up. You're
being attacked because of your religion. Iraq is being attacked for
a number of reasons: There are economic and security reasons. There
are reasons stemming from personal vendetta, there are historical reasons,
and there are religious reasons.
"You all know that America is enduring now an economic
crisis that nearly finishes it. Hence it has no choice but to start
a war… there should be war in order to raise the American standard of
living. Iraq is the only Gulf state whose oil is not controlled by America…
"And there are personal reasons. You all know about
the slap in the face which Iraq gave America at the time of the first
invasion, when Iraq gave a knock out [punch] to America, the result
of which was that Pharaoh the father [George Bush, Sr.] lost the presidency.
This is a mark of shame on this family and therefore Pharaoh the son
returned to power in order to take revenge. The only way to remove the
shame is to topple down the Iraqi regime…
"This is also a religious war. What is the connection
between Iraq and the Crusaders' wars?
"Just as Palestine is sacred so is also the land of
Iraq, because the Prophet said so…
"America will be destroyed, Allah willing, and Palestine,
Iraq, and the Middle East will become a cemetery for oppressors…"
February 28, 2003, Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris, Khalil
Al-Wazir Mosque in Gaza
"The first Fidaii in Islam was 'Ali, who sacrificed
himself for the sake of the messenger of Allah.' Some Muslims today
see this as evidence that it is permitted to push children to sites
of conflict, and this is wrong. I say with full [religious] legal authority,
that when 'Ali sacrificed himself for the Prophet', he was not a child,
as they say. 'Ali was a child when he accepted Islam, and he was 7 years
old.' But when he slept in the bed of the Prophet 13 years later, he
was 20, he was young man in his adolescence. Even if we accept this,
when 'Ali entered the struggle against the infidels, he entered it upon
the decision of Muslim leadership. He entered the struggle by a decision,
and not by his own opinion. And here, I want to emphasize, oh people
of Palestine, that our children, the fruit of our loins - we must protect
them. Our children, who pushed themselves or are pushed into struggle
with the Jew, these children of ours-we need them. All the streams and
the organizations and the forces in Palestine have condemned sending
children to the settlements carrying a knife or something else, and
then having them be killed. Statistics say that the number of children
killed on the fences of the settlements is in the dozens, and this is
a dangerous matter. Since the national and Islamic forces in Palestine
condemn this, we can say that those who send the children are collaborators,
as long as there is condemnation, those who send the children are deemed
collaborators by all. They are deemed collaborators by all, or that
they [the children] go there as a result of the brainwashing our children
absorb. Our children are innocent, they need education. The children
need proper education because it is they who will lead the struggle
after us, on the day when they will grow up and become strong and we
will grow old. They are our children, who will conduct the battle after
us. We need them. 'No' to brainwashing in the streets! 'No' in the clubs.
This call is an address to all our warrior brothers. We hope that this
role will be an educational role for our children, because we need their
education.
"[When] the Prophet left [Mecca] he stood at the outskirts
of Mecca and apologized to Mecca: 'By Allah, oh Mecca, you are the city
most beloved to Allah and to me, and had your people not expelled me
from you I would never leave.' This is what our forefather said on the
day they expelled from their homes said, [those] driven out from their
villages in Palestine, driven form their homes at gunpoint. Some say
that your fathers abandoned the land when they fled. No. Anyone who
says this knows neither our grandfathers nor our fathers. He does no
know that they waged a struggle against Britain before Israel. Anyone
who said this does not know history of Palestine, is not familiar with
the elders of Palestine and the religious sages of Palestine. He does
not know the man who waged a battle and defeated the steadfastness of
our enemy when he said to them: 'I will place my soul in my hand and
fling it into the abyss of death; either a life that will delight a
friend or death that will anger the enemy.' This was said by a poet
from among the poets of Palestine, and he waged a battle by mean of
[this poem] and he fell in Palestine. Many of Palestine's sages were
expelled from there; they had struggled since 1929, and before. Our
fathers, men of Palestine, struggled and fought for the sake of the
honor of Palestine and of the residents of Palestine, but they were
expelled at gunpoint. They did not run away but left saying: 'We love
you Jerusalem, We love you Jerusalem, we will return to you oh Aqsa,
and we will return to you oh Aqsa, we will return to you Haifa and Jaffa,
Lod and Ramle, Nablus from which we were expelled. Oh Safed, oh all
cities of Palestine and its villages, we will return to you with Allah's
help. We will return to Ashdod and Ashkelon, and Harbiya and Na'aliya
and all the cities and villages of Palestine, we will return to you
as conquerors and liberators… If we hold onto our land, we will return
to our country. In the name of Allah we say that the land of Palestine
is the most beloved to us; it is the most beloved country to us, oh
people of Palestine. Had it not been for the Jews who expelled us from
Palestine we would not have left, we would not have left. These are
the words of those who fell there. Therefore, here we say that we hold
on to and cling to the issue of the Palestinian refugees. No, we will
not abandon the issue of the refugees, and our leadership will not abandon
it, and here, too, out people will not abandon it. Moreover, there is
no solution to the Palestinian problem without the return of the refugees.
The refugees were those who were driven out of their homes at gunpoint.
They will return here and we will build our state together. We will
build out state on the land of Palestine. You must have hope."
October 4, 2002, Sheikh Ahmad Abd Al-Razek, Sheikh
'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza
"Worshippers of Allah: This journey [of the Prophet
Muhammad, from Mecca to Jerusalem] guides us and causes us to scrupulously
defend Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, and urges all the countries of the Arab
world and all the Islamic countries to sharply reject and condemn what
Bush has done, this crazy man, who with his signature cancelled the UN [resolution] stating that
Jerusalem is an occupied city and that the occupied territories must
be returned to their owners and that the city of Jerusalem is an occupied
city, and what applies to the occupied territories applies to Jerusalem
as well, but what he cancelled with that decision and said that Jerusalem
is united and it is the capital of the Jews contradicts all the international
norms, all the moral standards in the world. I call on the Muslims,
Christians, and free men in the world to stand against this oppressing
decision. This is an oppressing decision, and it must not be made exclusively
by a crazy man who will, with the stroke of a pen, give the Jews a city
that does not belong to the Jews. Allah, avenge us and do not take vengeance
upon us. Allah, wreak vengeance on the Jews and the Americans."
April 12, 2002 Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, Sheikh 'Ijlin
Mosque in Gaza
"…Oh, beloved of Allah. [In the Friday sermon] two
weeks ago, I bore in your name a blessing of love to the crowns upon
our heads, [that is] to the Arab and Muslim rulers. Among other things,
I said: 'Oh crowns upon our heads: If Sharon spat in your faces, what
would you do?' Today I apologize for these words, because Sharon has
not only spat on the heads of the nation, but also trampled us underfoot.
"We are convinced of the [future] victory of Allah;
we believe that one of these days, we will enter Jerusalem as conquerors,
enter Jaffa as conquerors, enter Haifa as conquerors, enter Ramle and
Lod as conquerors, the [villages of] Hirbiya and Dir Jerjis and all
of Palestine as conquerors, as Allah has decreed… 'They will enter Al-Aqsa
Mosque as they have entered it the first time…'
"Anyone who does not attain martyrdom in these days
should wake in the middle of the night and say: 'My God, why have you
deprived me of martyrdom for your sake? For the martyr lives next to
Allah'…
"Our enemies suffer now more than we do. Why? Because
we are convinced that our dead go to Paradise, while the dead of the
Jews go to Hell, to a cruel fate. So we stand firm and steadfast, in
obedience to Allah…
"The Jews await the false Jewish messiah, while we
await, with Allah's help… the Madhi and Jesus,
peace be upon him. Jesus's pure hands will murder the false Jewish messiah.
Where? In the city of Lod, in Palestine. Palestine will be, as it was
in the past, a graveyard for the invaders - just as it was a graveyard
for the Tatars and to the Crusader invaders, [and for the invaders]
of the old and new colonialism…
"A reliable Hadith [tradition] says: 'The Jews
will fight you, but you will be set to rule over them.' What could be
more beautiful than this tradition? 'The Jews will fight you' - that
is, the Jews have begun to fight us. 'You will be set to rule over them'
- Who will set the Muslim to rule over the Jew? Allah… Until the Jew
hides behind the rock and the tree.
"But the rock and tree will say: 'Oh Muslim, oh servant
of Allah, a Jew hides behind me, come and kill him.' Except for the Gharqad tree, which is the tree of the Jews.
"We believe in this Hadith. We are convinced
also that this Hadith heralds the spread of Islam and its rule
over all the land…
"Oh beloved, look to the East of the earth, find Japan
and the ocean; look to the West of the earth, find [some] country and
the ocean. Be assured that these will be owned by the Muslim nation,
as the Hadith says… 'from the ocean to the ocean'…
"Oh Allah, accept our martyrs in the highest heavens…
"Oh Allah, show the Jews a black day…
"Oh Allah, annihilate the Jews and their supporters…
Oh Allah, raise the flag of Jihad across the land…
"Oh Allah, forgive our sins…"
September 28, 2001, Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri,
Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
"Oh Muslims, oh brothers, believers, everywhere, our
Prophet used to deal in Friday's sermons with current events of his
time and I will follow him and also discuss some religious rulings connected
to the current international events following the [attacks] that took
place in America on the 11th of this month.
"First, there is a religious legal rule that man is
innocent, namely, in Islam, a human being is innocent until he is proven
guilty. It is not allowed to blame a human being and then tell him 'prove
you're innocent.' Therefore we tell America: 'It is forbidden to accuse
a person before the beginning of the investigation.'
"Until now, the American administration could not
present proof to convict the accused in the [attacks] in New York and
Washington, [because] it is possible that there are other elements inside
America who carried out these [attacks]. [Since] those who flew the
planes were professionals and had significant technical knowledge.
"Second, Allah says: 'It is forbidden to throw on
one person the burden of another.' Therefore, we are not allowed from
the legal religious point of view to throw on a person the responsibility
for a deed done by another person. It is forbidden from the legal religious
point of view to kill innocents, since the comprehensive war does not
leave out anything; it kills innocents, it burns trees, it destroys
homes and economies.
"The aggressor will not be secure in his country,
just like the party that was attacked. In as much as it is forbidden
to kill innocents in America, it is forbidden to kill innocents in Palestine,
Pakistan, Afghanistan and other countries.
"Third, our Prophet says in a long tradition ( Hadith ): 'It is forbidden for a Muslim to go against another Muslim,
against his life, his properties, and his honor (wife).' It is forbidden
from the religious legal aspect that a Muslim would kill another Muslim;
this killing is regarded as a severe sin. There are tens of verses,
and hundreds of traditions that forbid it. It is far more sinful for
a Muslim to ask for the help of a non-Muslim to kill another Muslim.
This is a grave heresy. Allah says in the 'Chapter of the Cow' [in the
Koran] that 'heresy is worse than killing.' 'Preserve Allah's edicts
oh rulers, and be careful with your deeds.'
"Allah says in another verse: 'You should fear Allah
if [indeed] you are believers.' In another place he says: 'Do not fear
them, but me if [indeed] you are believers.' The belief is the basis
for fear of Allah. He who does not fear Allah is shaken in his belief
or lacks belief. We trust a Muslim who fears Allah but does not fear
human beings.
"Oh Muslims, brothers in faith everywhere, from the
pulpit of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque we call upon America, the superpowers
and the states that aligned in a military pact, we tell all of them:
'No to war, because it brings hardships on all mankind.' [We say] no
to the killing of innocents, no to the killing of elderly women and
children, no to [being under your] guardianship. 'No to [your] intervention
in other peoples' issues. No to imperialism, no to occupation.' We tell
the Muslims: 'You have to unite around the Koran and the Sunnah [the
conduct] of his messenger, the Prophet Muhammad.'"
September 21, 2001, Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, Sheikh
'Ijlin mosque in Gaza
"…Oh beloved of Allah… We must always remember who
the Jews are, what they believe regarding Allah, what their position
is regarding the prophets and apostles, and what they say about them
in their holy books - that is, in the books they claim are holy. [We
must always remember] their view of the Prophet Muhammad, and their
corruption in the world, particularly in the Arab and Islamic world.
"Oh beloved of Allah, who are the Jews? Regarding
their belief about Allah: The Jews have said that the hand of Allah
is fettered in chains; [but] it is their hand that is fettered in chains,
and they are cursed for their words… According to the Jews' belief,
as it is written in some of their holy books, such as the Talmud, Allah
divides his time into three parts. One third of the time he weeps. Why?
Because his [chosen] people are dispersed in all directions. Another
third he spends playing with the whales, and the final third he spends
doing nothing in particular. This is their perverted belief about Allah…
"Oh beloved of Allah… One of the Jews' evil deeds
is what has come to be called 'the Holocaust,'
that is, the slaughter of the Jews by Nazism.
However, revisionist [historians] have proven that this crime, carried
out against some of the Jews, was planned by the Jews' leaders, and
was part of their policy… These are the Jews against whom we fight,
oh beloved of Allah.
"On the other hand, [what is our belief] about the
Jews? Allah has described them as donkeys who must carry the books of
the Torah - but
they have not carried them. Our belief, which is true, about the Jews
is that Allah is angry at them. They are cursed with the curse of Allah
in this world and in the hereafter. Therefore, we say to them out of
friendship: 'Oh Jews, come to your senses, return to the true faith;
you must convert to Islam…'
"Our belief is that this war, between us and the Jews,
will continue to escalate until we vanquish the Jews and enter Jerusalem
as conquerors, [and] enter Jaffa as conquerors. We are not merely expecting
a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital; we are heralding
[the creation of] an Islamic caliphate with Jerusalem as its capital…
"Oh beloved of Allah, as we always say: When the battles
between the Muslims and infidels begin, the martyrs and the slain Muslims
will reach Paradise… in contrast, those who die not for the sake of
Islam, after the deliverance of the message of the Prophet Muhammad…
will end up in the fires of Hell…"
August 31, 2001, Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, Sheikh 'Ijlin
Mosque in Gaza
"He who does not attack (in the Jihad), does
not prepare himself with words for attack, and does not leave after
him a Jihad warrior in the family, will die a death that smacks
hypocrisy. Therefore, you must attack for the sake of Allah. Oh beloved
of Allah, if the Jews accuse the Palestinian people and say that we
are terrorists, tell them with one voice: This is an accusation that
we do not deny and an honor we (strive) to reach."
August 24, 2001, Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri, Al-Aqsa
Mosque (PA Radio)
"Allah, destroy the U.S., its helpers and its agents.
Allah, destroy Britain, its helpers and its agents. Allah, prepare those
who will unite the Muslims and march in the steps of Saladin. Allah,
we ask you for forgiveness before death, and mercy and forgiveness after
death. Allah, grant victory to Islam and the Muslims…"
August 17, 2001, Sheikh Isma'il Aal Ghadwan, Sheik
'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza
"…It is the duty of the Islamic nation to open the
gates of Jihad, where its strength and honor lie. We are a nation
that was given Islam and Jihad by Allah... S'ad bin Abi Waqqas
tells the story of Abdallah bin Jahsh, who wished to launch a Jihad and never come back... He was hoping to get early [to Heaven] in order
to meet the Prophet when he dies... Abdallah bin Jahsh said on the eve
of the battle of Uhud: 'Oh Allah, bring me tomorrow an enraged
and furious man and I will fight him for Your sake, and he will fight
me, overcome me, and chop off my ear and my nose…'
"When I meet with You [Allah] tomorrow, You will say:
'Oh Abdallah, what were your ear and nose chopped off for?' And I will
answer: 'Oh my lord, for your sake and for your Prophet's sake.' And
You will say: 'You have spoken the truth.'
"S'ad bin Abi Waqqas said to his sons when the battle
was over: 'Oh my sons, what Abdallah bin Jahsh did to spread Islam was
much more superior to what I did. By Allah, when the battle was over,
I found his ear and nose hanging on a string, and this is what he desired...
Why? So he could meet Allah and say to Him: 'Allah, I fought the war
of Jihad for your sake and for Your Prophet's sake' and when
Allah would say to him: 'Show me your proof,' he would answer: 'the
[chopped off] ear and the nose are my proofs.'
"When the enemies of Allah, the Jews, may Allah curse
them, mutilate [the bodies], and chop off organs - these organs will
serve as evidence for our sons and brothers for whom Paradise in the
high heavens is a place of refuge. [Even when] a martyr's organs are
being chopped off, and he turns into torn organs that spread all over,
in order to meet Allah, Muhammad, and his friends, it would not be [considered]
a loss...
"Yes, my believing brother, listen to the words of
the Prophet to Jaber bin Abdallah who was sad after the battle of Uhud
in which his father was killed...: 'Oh Jaber, why are you sad?' [Jaber
]said: 'My father was martyred and left me many children to take care
of.' [The Prophet] said: 'Oh Jaber, I will tell you something that will
take the sadness out of your heart... Oh Jaber, Allah spoke directly
to your father without any mediation.' This is the honor given to our
martyrs, the martyrs of the Islamic nation, who were killed due to their
loyalty to Allah... The martyr is given an opportunity to ask one wish
and Allah makes it come true...
"He [Abdallah, the father of Jaber] asked for one
thing: to return to this world in order to tell how lucky the martyrs
are. In Heaven, he said: My Lord, I only ask to come back to the world
and then to be killed [again] for the sake of Allah, [then] go back
to the world once again, and be killed again for the sake of Allah,
then go back to the world [for the third time] and be killed again for
the sake of Allah.
"Allah said to him: 'I have ruled that no one would
return to the world.' [Abdallah] said: 'My Lord, is there any good news
for the Mujahideen who still follow the Prophet's way...?
"Allah said to him: '...Do not consider those who
have died for the sake of Allah as dead, but as alive, and as being
provided for by their Lord.'
"This good news... has passed down to our people who
still make great sacrifices, defending the honor of the Islamic nation.
The sacrifice of convoys of martyrs [will continue] until Allah grants
us victory very soon. The willingness for sacrifice and for death we
see amongst those who were cast by Allah into a war with the Jews, should
not come at all as a surprise...
"Oh believing brothers, we do not feel a loss... The
martyr, if he meets Allah, is forgiven with the first drop of blood;
he is saved from the torments of the grave; he sees his place in Paradise;
he is saved from the Great Horror [of the day of judgment]; he is given
72 black-eyed women; he vouches for 70 of his family to be accepted
to Paradise; he is crowned with the Crown of glory, whose precious stone
is better than all of this world and what is in it…"
August 3, 2001, Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, Sheik 'Ijlin
Mosque in Gaza
"...Oh lovers of Allah. After the leaders of the Jews
declared the 'Hell' plan, [38] we
say: Yes, we accept the challenge, if this is the 'Hell' plan. Then
our dead [will reach] Heaven and their dead [will reach] Hell, Allah
willing. This Jihad activity will continue, whether they like
it or if it upsets them. Why do we complicate things. This is Jihad:
Either victory or Martyrdom...
"The states called the 'ring-states' [i.e. bordering
Israel] - what are they good for? What are they worth? Do they protect
us from the Jews, or do they [in fact] protect the Jews from the Mujahideen in the name of Allah? We have said to them and we keep saying: 'Continue
to guard your thrones and bellies, continue to protect your capitals,
and let the Mujahideen saturate this blessed land with their
pure and untainted blood. Then, the Jews will see miracles from us.'
"A young man said to me: 'I am 14 years old, and I
have four years left before I blow myself up amongst the Jews.' I said
to him: Oh son, I ask Allah to give you and myself Martyrdom...'
"Oh lovers of Allah, we must state clearly: 'There
is no difference between the National and Islamic [forces], we are all
forces for the sake of Allah. We, the Muslims on this good and blessed
land, are all - each one of us - seekers of Martyrdom. We do not know
when the bombardments come. If the Jews only knew... that if they bombard
us, the Arabs would bombard their villages and cities, they would hesitate
a thousand times...'
"We must all seek a role in the Jihad and the
battle. We said and we still say: 'Even if we, the entire [Palestinian]
people, stood in line and signed for the Jews that we want peace, they
would not accept it. The Koran is very clear on this: The greatest enemies
of the Islamic nation are the Jews, may Allah fight them...'
"The Palestinian people should cure its wounds; we
must forget our differences. There is no place for blood-vengeance.
Our enemy is very clear. All weapons should be directed towards him.
Why do we see weapons that are directed on one another?... All spears
should be directed at the Jews, at the enemies of Allah, the nation
that was cursed in Allah's book. Allah has described them as apes and
pigs, the calf-worshipers, idol-worshipers... they have said that we
are cockroaches and ants and that they should kill us, but we approach
them with the words of Allah: '...Whoever wants to save himself, should
enter to the true religion - Islam - and repent, and then there will
be no problems between him and us, our rights will be his and his obligations
will be ours. However, he who came to this land as an invader and did
not enter the religion of Allah, should go back to the place he came
from, or else, our spears will reach him, Allah willing.'
"Oh beloved, the Jews want to throw us under a wall
of despair [and claim] that we are destined to die. We say: 'We accept
this challenge. Any one of us who dies, will reach Heaven, Allah willing.
I ask Allah that we would meet him as Martyrs for his sake. I ask Allah
that our dead will be in Heaven...'
"Whoever can fight them with his weapons, should go
out [to the battle]; whoever can fight them with a machinegun, should
go out; whoever can fight them with a sword or a knife, should go out;
whoever can fight them with his hands, should go out; This is our destiny.
The people who are the most hostile toward the believers are the Jews
and the Polytheists... The Jews have exposed their fangs. Nothing will
deter them, except the color of their filthy people's blood; nothing
will deter them except for us voluntarily detonating ourselves in their
midst. They have nuclear power, but we have the power of the belief
in Allah...
"The Prophet [Muhammad] said: 'The Jews will fight
you, and [Allah] will establish you as rulers over them...' We blow
them up in Hadera, we blow them up in Tel Aviv and in Netanya, and in
this way, Allah establishes us as rulers over these gangs of vagabonds.
The Jews fight you, but Allah will establish you as rulers over them.
Until the Jew would hide behind a stone or a tree, and the stone or
the tree would say: Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah, a Jew is hiding
behind me, come kill him, with the exception of the Gharqad tree
which is the tree of the Jews...'
"In several years, Allah willing, we will enter Jerusalem
as conquerors, to Jaffa as conquerors. To Haifa as conquerors, to Ashkelon
as conquerors. We are certain that victory is near...
"Blessings for whoever assaulted a soldier... Blessings
for whoever has raised his sons on the education of Jihad and
Martyrdom; blessings for whoever has saved a bullet in order to stick
it in a Jew's head…"
July 6, 2001, Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Madhi,
Sheik 'Ijlin Mosque in Gaza
"...Oh, you who love Allah, in the Koran we read our
Lord's words, that we must fight all the polytheists just as they fight
all of you... Oh, you who love Allah... This [Muslim] nation has left
the leadership of the human race to a handful of contemptible Jews and
their assistants and was satisfied [with its position at] the tail of
the convoy...
"The Palestinian people has decided that this blessed
Intifada would continue. We sacrifice as many prisoners, martyrs, and
wounded as we can; we will continue the Intifada until the land of Palestine
is liberated. We will not be satisfied with the mere establishment of
a Palestinian state; the Muslim people of Palestine want to meet Allah
and we are the soldiers of the Caliphate, that was announced by the
Prophet [Muhammad]... Therefore, the Caliphate will be in accordance
with the prophecy, in Al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem, and in its surroundings...
"Oh, you who love Allah, the signs of the victory
are many... Oh, you who love Allah, do not believe the joke of peace.
By Allah, do not believe the joke of peace. Even if the Palestinian
people here and in the Diaspora will stand in line and sign [on an agreement]
with all ten fingers, and even with the toes of their feet, and we will
say: 'We all want peace with you' - by Allah, they [i.e. the Jews] do
not want peace...
"Even if they slaughter all of the Palestinian people
and the only survivors will be one single Palestinian baby girl and
one single Palestinian baby boy, the baby boy will marry the baby girl
and they will give birth to the one who will liberate Jerusalem from
the defilement of the Jews.
"Victory is drawing near, but believe me, there is
a secret resolution, decided upon by, unfortunately, many of the Arab
and Muslim nations. While they [the Palestinians] sacrifice the last
Palestinian child and the last Palestinian fetus, they [the Arab nations]
will satisfy themselves with victories on the soccer courts, with music
festivals, and with Arab and Muslim summits. Where are the summits,
where are their decisions?... It was rightly claimed that a thousand
verbal shells cannot compare to one shell made of iron. It was rightly
claimed that what was taken by force will be regained only by the use
of force.
"We must prepare ourselves in accordance with the
religion of Allah and the Law of Allah. We must educate our children
on the love of Jihad for the sake of Allah and the love of fighting
for the sake of Allah.
"We welcome, as we did in the past, any Jew who wants
to live in this land as a Dhimmi, just as the Jews have lived in our
countries, as Dhimmis, and have earned appreciation, and some of them
have even reached the positions of counselor or minister here and there.
We welcome the Jews to live as Dhimmis, but the rule in this land and
in all the Muslim countries must be the rule of Allah... Those from
amongst the Jews and from amongst those who are not Jews who came to
this land as plunderers, must return humiliated and disrespected to
their countries.
"On the other hand, those Jews who are local and who
have lived with the Palestinian people and with the locals from amongst
the Christians - there is nothing bad with their living [amongst us]
in harmony and peace. This is the kind of peace we understand. The Arabs
and Muslims must speak, because our choice is the Jihad for the
sake of Allah...
"Oh, you who love Allah, there is no alternative to
the true return to Allah. Victory will not come from the Kremlin, neither
will it come from the White House decisions, or from Arab and Islamic
summits. Victory is from Allah...
"...Oh, you who love Allah, it is our duty to strive
so that all our deeds will be [only] for the sake of Allah. Listen to
the following precious story:
"In one African country, a Muslim army was fighting
against the Byzantine army. The number of the Byzantines was more than
ten times the number of the Muslims... The Byzantine commander was Gregorius
and his daughter was by his side. Gregorius' daughter said: 'My father,
who are these, they are merely a handful, their number is small, no
more than 15,000, who are they?' He answered her: 'These are the Arab
horsemen.' She said: 'My father, give them to me as spoils.' And he
had given her [their property's worth] as spoils, before the battle
even took place. However, Allah wanted Gregorius killed in the battle
and his daughter to be one of the captives.
"The commander of the Muslim army wanted to know who
killed Gregorius, but nobody answered.
"This is how we should also act: Do, do, and do, but
without talking.
"Who killed Gregorius? Gregorius' daughter said to
the commander of the Muslims: 'I know who killed my father.' And when
Abdallah Ibn Al-Zubeir passed next to her she said: 'Oh, commander of
the Muslims, this is the man who killed my father.' [The Muslim commander
asked him:] 'Oh, Abdallah Ibn Al-Zubeir, why did you conceal this from
us?' What did Abdallah Ibn Al-Zubeir say in response? His words still
echo in the ear of history. He said: 'Allah knows I killed him.''
"Allah knows what we do and there is no necessity
for humans to know this as well. With such noble values, the [Muslim]
nation shall win..."
June 8, 2001, Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi, Sheik 'Ijlin
Mosque in Gaza
"...I tell you, Oh beloved, that ever since Kamal
Ataturk [founder of modern Turkey],
this Jew who disguised himself as a Muslim - and there may still be
in the Arab nation Jews who disguise themselves as Muslims… ever since
he announced the end of the Islamic Caliphate in Istanbul - as some
contemporary religious sages assert - the era preceding the end [of
days] has began - the era of the military rule, the era of revolutionary
rule. Allah willing, we are at the end of this era and Allah willing,
the Caliphate will return, in accordance with the prophecy, and I pray
that we will be among its soldiers...
"Allah is almighty. Had He wanted - He would have
beaten them. But He tests you in suffering. We must prepare the ground
for the army of Allah that is coming according to the [divine] predetermination.
We must prepare a foothold for them. Allah willing, this unjust state
will be erased - Israel will be erased; this unjust state, the United
States, will be erased; this unjust state, Britain, will be erased -
they who caused this people's Nakbah [the 1948 'catastrophe']...
"Oh beloved, we must be certain that victory will
come. Shame and remorse on whoever refrained from raids [against the
enemy] or refrained from preaching to himself [to raid]; shame and remorse
on whoever refrained from raising his children on Jihad; shame
and remorse on whoever hated his Muslim brother while loving one of
the infidels; shame and remorse on whoever hid behind excuses that have
no basis with Allah...
"Blessings to whoever waged Jihad for the sake
of Allah; blessings to whoever raided for the sake of Allah; blessings
to whoever put a belt of explosives on his body or on his sons' and
plunged into the midst of the Jews, crying 'Allahu Akbar, praise to
Allah, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.'
"Just as the building collapsed over the Jews in their
sinful dancing floor [referring to the collapse of a wedding hall in
Jerusalem] - I pray to Allah that this oppressive Knesset will collapse
over the heads of the Jews.
"Allah, forgive us our sins,
Allah, show us a black day for the Jews, like the day of 'Aad and Thamud [39]
Allah, turn them into pillage for us
Allah, we strive for martyrdom for your sake...
Allah, we strive for your mercy and your paradise..."
May 25, 2001, Mufti Sheikh Ikrimeh Sabri, Al-Aqsa
Mosque in Jerusalem
"Oh Muslims, let me begin my sermon with a quote from
the words of the Prophet's companion Abdullah Ibn Rawwaha in a speech
he delivered to his army on the eve of the Battle of Mu'tah." He said:
"Oh People, I swear by Allah, that the thing you hate [meaning death]
is what you are going out to seek today: The Shahada [Marytrdom].
"We are not fighting with a large army, nor with force.
We are fighting only with this religion [Islam] with which we have been
blessed by Allah. So attack and you will gain one of two blessings:
either victory or martyrdom. In the eighth-century, the Muslim army
consisted of only 3,000 soldiers, while the large Roman army exceeded
100,000. The commanders of the Muslim armies discussed [the plans for]
the battle and decided to go into battle and clash with the masses of
Roman soldiers despite the fact that they [the Muslims] had a small
number of people and a small amount of weapons.
"Oh Muslims, 'the first commander of the Muslim army
sacrificed his life in the Battle of Mu'tah. It was the Prophet's companion,
Zayd Ibn Al-Haritha. So the command was taken over by the next commander,
the companion Ja'far Ibn Abu Taleb who came down off his horse and launched
an attack into multitudes of Romans until his right hand palm was cut
off. He passed the banner to his left hand but that one too was severed.
He still continued to hold the banner of the flag between the two stumps
where his hands had been, until he was struck by a Roman soldier.
"It was a hard hit that cut his body in two. In his
body there were 50 stabbings, none of which entered in his back because
he did not retreat. He faced the enemy and was amongst them. That is
the nature of believers who do not retreat at the time of the assault.
And I ask : Is Ja'far's breaking into the ranks of the enemy regarded
as suicide? No, God forbid. No! It is martyrdom for the sake of Allah.
The Prophet named him Ja'far, the Flyer, because Allah granted him two
wings when he reached paradise, in place of his two hands cut off in
the battle. He persisted in the battle and in attacking the enemies
ranks until he died as a martyr.
"We tell this to those who think it is an act of suicide
[referring to the Mufti of Saudi Arabia] [40] : 'Be careful with your religious rulings.'
"Oh Muslims. Oh believers, the Prophet's companion,
Abdullah Ibn Rawwaha, was the army's third commander. He took the flag
and fought until he was martyred. The Muslim soldiers were perplexed
because they had no commanders left, since the three commanders who
were appointed by the Prophet, were already martyred. The soldiers were
about to retreat, but then, the Prophet's companion, 'Uqbah Ibn Abi
'Aamer, said to them: 'Oh people, a man is better off being killed with
his face to the front than while withdrawing'. Yes, Oh Muslims. The
soldiers realized their situation and agreed on appointing as Emir,
the noble and heroic, Khaled Ibn Al-Walid, who managed, by his wisdom,
his ability, and military skills, to save the army from total destruction.
This was the first battle that was commanded by Khaled Ibn Al-Walid
since he embraced Islam. When he took the flag that day, he fought fiercely.
On the second day, he devised a brilliant plan for withdrawal, sustaining
only minimal casualties.
"Oh Muslims, when the Prophet sent the army to Mu'tah,
he gave them the following instruction: 'conquer in the name of Allah,
fight the enemies of Allah and your enemies in Al-Sham [Syria]. You
will find innocent people there. Do not harm them. Do not kill a woman.
Do not kill a child. Do not uproot a tree, and do not destroy a house.'
This is our great Islamic religion. It encourages good ethics and high
morale in days of peace, as well as in days of war.
"On the other hand, our enemies destroy houses, kill
children, destroy wells, disconnect water, and uproot trees. They prevent
pregnant women from reaching hospitals and they are forced to give birth
by the side of the road. They use warplanes against defenseless citizens.
Yes, they are occupiers and not owners of any sovereignty…
"They think that they scare our people. We tell them:
in as much as you love life - the Muslim loves death and martyrdom.
There is a great difference between he who loves the hereafter and he
who loves this world. The Muslim loves death and [strives for] martyrdom.
He does not fear the oppression of the arrogant or the weapons of the
blood-letters. The blessed and sacred soil of Palestine has vomited
all the invaders and all the colonialists throughout history and it
will soon vomit, with Allah's help, the [present] occupiers.
"Oh those who pray, you have brothers wrongly and
aggressively jailed in America. They have been forgotten. They were
charged with false claims about the bombing of the World Trade [Center]
in New York. We, from the Al-Aqsa Mosque and on your behalf, demand
the release of these prisoners, who are monotheistic Muslims."
October 13, 2000, Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya, Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Mosque in Gaza
"… None of the Jews refrain from committing any possible
evil. If the Labor party commits the evil and the crime, the Likud party
stands by it; and if the Likud party commits the evil and the crime,
the Labor party stands by it…. The Jews are Jews, whether Labor or Likud...
They do not have any moderates or any advocates of peace. They are all
liars. They all want to distort truth, but we are in possession of the
truth.
"O brother believers, the criminals, the terrorists
- are the Jews, who have butchered our children, orphaned them, widowed
our women and desecrated our holy places and sacred sites. They are
the terrorists. They are the ones who must be butchered and killed,
as Allah the Almighty said: 'Fight them: Allah will torture them at
your hands, and will humiliate them and will help you to overcome them,
and will relieve the minds of the believers....
"O brothers in belief, this is the case of the Jews
and their habitual conduct, and what happened yesterday, and has been
going on for two weeks, and before that for many years, and which will
be repeated in future years unless we stand up like men and unless we
have the known Muslim position, [the position] of those who wage Jihad in the path of Allah, those who defend their rights and who sacrifice
all that is dear to them.
"O brothers in belief, the beautiful bride has a costly
price and dowry.... Our bride is paradise, o brothers in belief… The
cost and the dowry of this bride, the dowry of this paradise, is that
we fight in the path of Allah, and kill and be killed.
"Allah has purchased from the believers their persons
and their property in return for the promise that they shall have paradise,
for they fight in the cause of Allah, and they slay the enemy and are
slain. This is a promise that He [Allah] has made incumbent upon Himself,
as set out in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Koran…
"… We say to the Jews, and we say to Clinton, and
we say to all those who supported the Jews and still cooperate with
the Jews, we say to them, that this will not shake us, we are the Palestinian
people, who are positioned in the land of the Isra' and Mi'raj. It will
not shake a single hair of ours. Our determination will not sway. We
will raise the banner of Jihad…
"… America and Europe and the world were shocked by
the kidnapping of three tramps, the kidnapping of three wretched soldiers,
and the killing of two in Ramallah. But their feelings were not moved,
and they did not shudder when they saw the children Muhammad ad-Durrah
and others - women, and men, and youths - being martyred by cannons
and missiles, and all the barbaric instruments that the Jews possess.
"They were moved, for the sake of five persons, and
the world went into turmoil and it will not stop for Clinton or for
the old hag Albright, they will not be relieved, and they will not cease
to be concerned, and they will not rest until the Jews return to their
families. But as for the Palestinians, as for this pure blood, it can
go to Hell in the eyes of the Americans and Europe and the Jews…
"This is the truth, O Brothers in belief. From here,
Allah the almighty has called upon us not to ally with the Jews or the
Christians, not to like them, not to become their partners, not to support
them, and not to sign agreements with them. And he who does that, is
one of them, as Allah said: 'O you who believe, do not take the Jews
and the Christians as allies, for they are allies of one another. Who
from among you takes them as allies will indeed be one of them…'
"... The Jews are the allies of the Christians, and
the Christians are the allies of the Jews, despite the enmity that exists
between them. The enmity between the Jews and the Christians is deep,
but all of them are in agreement against the monotheists - against those
who say, 'There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger,'
that is - they are against you, O Muslims.
"Even if an agreement of Gaza is signed - we shall
not forget Haifa, and Acre, and the Galilee, and Jaffa, and the Triangle
and the Negev, and the rest of our cities and villages. It is only a
matter of time. The weak will not remain forever weak, and the strong
will not remain forever strong... If we are weak today … and we are
not able to regain our rights, then at least we have to pass on the
banner - waving high - to our children and grandchildren...
"…None of the factions is allowed to stand on the
sidelines at this stage, or not to think well of avenging our pure martyrs
and wounded… Our people must unite in one trench, and receive armaments
from the Palestinian leadership, to confront the Jews. By Allah, the
Jews, O brothers in belief, do not know, nor have they ever known throughout
history, anything but force and Jihad in the path of Allah. The
Jews are like a [gas] pedal - as long as you step on it with your foot,
it doesn't move, but if you lift your foot from it, it hurts you and
punishes you. This is the case of the Jews.
"Have no mercy on the Jews, no matter where they are,
in any country. Fight them, wherever you are. Wherever you meet them,
kill them. Wherever you are, kill those Jews and those Americans who
are like them - and those who stand by them - they are all in one trench,
against the Arabs and the Muslims - because they established Israel
here, in the beating heart of the Arab world, in Palestine. They created
it to be the outpost of their civilization - and the vanguard of their
army, and to be the sword of the West and the Crusaders, hanging over
the necks of the monotheists, the Muslims in these lands. They wanted
the Jews to be their spearhead …
"… Let us put our trust in Allah, close ranks, and
unite our words, and the slogan of us all should be, 'Jihad! Jihad! For the sake of Palestine, and for the sake of Jerusalem
and Al-Aqsa!'
"... We will not give up a single grain of soil of
Palestine, from Haifa, and Jaffa, and Acre, and Mulabbas [Petah Tikva]
and Salamah, and Majdal [Ashkelon], and all the land, and Gaza, and
the West Bank …
"... Allah, deal with the Jews, your enemies and the
enemies of Islam. Deal with the Crusaders, and America, and Europe behind
them, O Lord of the worlds…"
* Steven Stalinsky is Executive Director of MEMRI.