Terrorism

A Message to Muslim Youth: In Response to Anwar Al Awlaki

Published

March 22, 2010

Guests

By Imam Omar Ahmad Suleiman, Imam in New Orleans, LA and a member of ICNA’s Shariah Council

In the name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His final messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

First and foremost, everything that is written is in assumption that the messages from Imam Anwar that have recently surfaced are indeed from him and no one else.

As American Muslims, many of us used to wonder at how Allah has blessed Imam Anwar with such a degree of eloquence, and the gift of storytelling if you will, that he could move you to tears within 5 minutes of his lecturing. The news that he was detained a few years ago in Yemen brought many of us into a state of shock and depression. We invoked Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala) to free our beloved Imam nightly until we heard the wonderful news that he had been freed on December 12, 2007. I remember all the text messages, emails, and blog posts with ecstatic Muslims around the country praising Allah for his release.

Then something happened. Slowly, we began to see the post-prison Anwar Al Awlaki express strange radical views. Lectures that were as fiery as ever were being published on various websites that called on Muslims to join the “global jihad.” Out of our blind love for him, most American Muslims simply dismissed his new lectures and writings as tainted by his frustration with what had happened to him in prison. As a community, we were willing to forgive him for his new bitter and pessimistic attitude towards the world because of the ordeal he had faced.

On November 7, 2009, 2 days after the Fort Hood shooting, the love affair between conscience American Muslims and Imam Anwar suffered a huge blow. Although Imam Al Awlaki was sounding increasingly radical in his lectures, he never once before condoned terrorism. In fact, he very clearly denounced the attacks of 9/11 in various interviews and sermons both within public and private circles. This time was different. He not only condoned the Fort Hood shootings but even went so far to say that Muslim organizations and scholars in the United States were guilty of cowardice, treason, and hypocrisy for condemning the shootings. As American Muslims who loved the old Anwar Al Awlaki so much, most of us immediately declared that these words were probably forged in his name to create dissension amongst the community. Then as the interviews started to come out, we couldn’t believe what was happening. Some of us probably questioned our own faith and principles because of our attachment to Imam Anwar. We watched Imam Johari of Dar Al Hijrah, where Imam Anwar once delivered a powerful condemnation of 9/11, as he had to stand and denounce one of his former closest friends and a man who captured our hearts for so many years.

Then came Imam Anwar’s praise of the failed Christmas day terrorist plot of Umar Farouk AbdulMuttalib. This left us even more baffled since this was an attack intended to kill 278 innocent airline passengers, many of whom were Muslims. How could an Imam who once seemed so level-headed now be a proponent of such a clear transgression of Islamic law?

Our search for answers and excuses for Anwar Al Awlaki have run out. Today we are hearing the words of hate and violence in the voice of the very same Imam which used to bring us so much good through the stories of our prophets and the remembrance of the hereafter. His call today for us as American Muslims to take up arms against our own country serves no other purpose but to wreak havoc and destruction. It is the same call of the kharijites that has been repeated so many times that feasts on the frustration and uncontrolled emotions of vulnerable youth that do not have the foundation or knowledge to recognize its illegitimacy.

In the next few days, I sincerely hope that American Muslim scholars will repudiate this call of hate using the injunctions of the Quran and the authentic Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In the long run however, as Muslim communities and organizations we must seek to offer avenues of positive energy, in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah, for our zealous youth. We also should not shy away from repudiating calls of violence and hate that recklessly ignore the manhaj (methodology) of our pious predecessors. It is only through the dissemination of authentic knowledge of our religion that such calls can be drowned.

To our dear young brothers and sisters who grew up listening to the lectures of Imam Anwar and are overcome by emotion, I can only advise you with the words of the late Imam Al Ghazali (ra): “Islam is a commitment to principles, not people.” Think about the repercussions of this call to the religion of Allah. Will yielding to this pessimistic view of world destruction bring about any good to the ummah? Will it really end the occupation of Palestine or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Or will it simply make matters worse than they already are. Allah desires from you that you bring about a positive change in your society, not chaos and destruction that will only further jeopardize an already delicate situation.

As for the Imam Anwar of today who spreads messages filled with hate and violence, perhaps no one could refute you more effectively than the Imam Anwar that was so beloved to our community who once said in a sermon back in October 2001:

“We as Muslims… we want to bring an end to terrorism more than anyone else. Our position needs to be reiterated and needs to be very clear. The fact the US has administered the death and homicide of over 1 million civilians in Iraq, the fact that the US is supporting the deaths and killing of thousands of Palestinians, does not justify the killing of 1 US civilian in New York City or Washington DC.”

I sincerely ask Allah to guide Imam Anwar back to the path of moderation, and enlighten him to renounce this new methodology which stands contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. May Allah protect our community and allow us to be amongst those who call to guidance and are guided, and not amongst those who call to misguidance and are astray. Ameen.

Tweet1

Reddit11

12 Shares

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

Related Topics:american muslims Anwar al Awlaki condemnation Fort Hood jihad Terrorism Umar Farouk AbdulMuttalib

Up Next

NY Times: Vandals Attack West Bank Mosque

Don't Miss

21 Shots and the Pursuit of Justice: An Imam (Luqman Ameen Abdullah) Dies in Michigan

Guests

279 Comments

abdulhakeem

March 22, 2010 at 1:53 AM

http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/anwar_al_awlaki/0017972

Reply
- Mohammad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 12:35 PM
  
  Salam,
  
  The above posts portrays Imam Anwar has he was “radicalized” due to what he went through.
  this is not true the Imam always preached the Quran and Sunnah and supported Mujahideen as the scholars of Ahle Sunnah wal Jamah do.
  He did lecture series of Constants on path of Jihad before he was imprisoned.
  Also the message you posted given by the Imam after 9/11, that was given before the Afghan invasion and Iraq invasion and Abu Ghraib and Guantanmo and Aafia siddiqui and on and on. I believe he changed his view because of the policies of the enemies and he is still a follower of Quran and Sunnah on the path of moderation, If you are not smart enough to change your views according to the enemies policies then know that you will end up a looser. Don’t think that you will be safe because America is supporting your deviated views.
  A true Imam would care for the Ummah even if he has to sacrifice himself and I see that in Imam Anwar.
  May ALLAH protect our Ulema and guide them on the right path.
  
  Reply
  - Kauser
    
    March 22, 2010 at 4:15 PM
    
    Wassalam,
    
    You are right the actions of the muslim youth are in response to Americas foreign policies. Even Imam Anwar says in this audio that I did not recruit Nidal Hasan he was recruited by the american foreign policies and he challenged the American authorities to make the emails between him and Nidal Hasan to make it public.
    
    So the solution is America should pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan right now and stop supporting Israel completely and stop supporting Tyrannical muslim rulers.
    
    I think the muslims in America who are blaming Imam Anwar should stop blaming the people of Haqq like Imam Anwar and provide the above solution to their government.
    
    Reply
  - Abdul Vakil
    
    March 22, 2010 at 6:15 PM
    
    Allahumma ameen.
    
    Reply
  - Abdul Hasib
    
    March 27, 2010 at 10:24 PM
    
    Assalamu Aleykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaathuh wa Jazakallah Kyran wa Barakallahu Feeka bi-alfee-me-athin, wa oola-ikalazeena nuhibbu fesabee lillahi subhanahu wa ta alla (Oh brother, Make Allah (SWT) reward you with good and bless you by the hundred thousands and also may he do the same for those whom we love for his sake, Ameen!) brother Muhamnmad for making this point clear. May Allah (SWT) protect our beloved Sheikh from sins, Taghut, and from the fitnah of the Duniyah and ad Dajjal, and from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of Jahanam and the Akirah, Ameen Ya Arham Araahimeen!
    
    Reply
  - Ahl Al Sunnah w Al Jamm'ah
    
    October 23, 2010 at 6:18 PM
    
    Salam Alaykom brother Mohammad,
    
    There is a book called the sealed nectar about the “Al Seira Al Nabawiya” life of the prophet (asws) and I want you to go over it in depth. Our beloved prophet never took part in any action that harmed INNOCENT PEOPLE. Also, no one can deny that Jihad is a fard (Obligation) on each Muslim, BUT there is conditions & one of these conditions is not to kill safe/innocent people. In addition, I recommend you to search about the opinion of “Ahl Al I’lm” Scholars and TRUE Sunnah followers for the right answers. I wish I knew you so we would talk more, however, you have to search more thru genuine resources to find answers that makes you closer to Allah Subhanah w Ta’la and leads you to be one of “Ahil Al Firdaws” (The highest level in Jannah).
    
    May Allah Subhanah w Ta’la guide us to the right path.
    
    Reply
  - Abdur Rahman
    
    November 14, 2010 at 11:05 AM
    
    ameen
    
    Reply
  - Hisbullah
    
    November 24, 2015 at 2:49 PM
    
    Allahu Akbar, ma sha Allah. Bro i hv the same view with u.
    I think this article writer is a sheikh of cia
    
    Reply
  - faiza
    
    September 21, 2016 at 4:19 PM
    
    I agree with you Imam anwar martyred is a sahih Imam of this era where few Imam would be sahih,May Allah guide all of us to the right path.
    
    Reply
Shalala

March 22, 2010 at 2:09 AM

I DONT AGREE WITH ATTACKING CIVILIANS OR INNOCENT ONES…BUT DEAR IMAM DONT U THINK ITZ HIGH TIME THAT WE HAVE TO STOP ACTING LIKE CHICKENS!!… SERIOUSLY ISNT IT AN OBLIGATION TO FIGHT THE OPPRESSORS IN PALESTINE, SOMALIA, CHECHNYA, KASHMIR, PAKISTAN, AFGHANISTAN AND ON AND ON? IF WE SIT AND SAY “PEACE” LIKE SAINTS IN COMIC BOOKS SITTING ON A HILL TOP NOTHING’S GONNA HAPPEN… AND FOR GOD’S SAKE YOU ARE AN IMAM AND U KNOW THE TRUTH! U KNOW HOW MANY SO CALLED “PEACE TALKS” HAVE OCCURRED…WALLAHIL ADHEEM FROM WHAT I KNOW BEST IF THE BELOVED PROPHET (SAW) AND HIS COMPANIONS WERE ALIVE TODAY THEY WILL NEVER SIT BACK AND SAY LET’S TALK ABOUT “PEACE” WHEN WOMEN ARE BEING RAPED, KIDS ARE SHOT DEAD AND MEN ARE BRUTALLY PUNISHED…THEY HAVE VIOLATED AND CROSSED THE BOUNDARIES AND SO IT IS AN OBLIGATION TO FIGHT THEM TILL THEY SURRENDER TO MAKE A REAL PEACE TREATY!!! ALLAHU AKBAR KABEERA!!

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 3:30 AM
  
  Your case isn’t any stronger in all capitalized text. Pls use normal sentence capitalization next time.
  
  Reply
- Ahmed
  
  March 22, 2010 at 11:13 AM
  
  @Shalala, I agree with you completely the Imam wants to be asleep and wants other to go back to sleep to the people who are awakened by Imam Anwar.
  
  Reply
  - Abdul Sattar
    
    March 22, 2010 at 11:18 AM
    
    salam,
    
    We know bad things are happening to Muslims.
    
    What does have to do with taking innocent life of non-Muslim civilians? Something which is expressly forbidden in Islam.
    
    They kill our innocents, but the nobility of Islamic Law is what makes us better than them and the best of nations. Once we sacrifice that morality, we are no better.
    
    ws
    AS
    
    Reply
    - Ahmed
      
      March 22, 2010 at 11:42 AM
      
      Walaikum salam,
      I think you should read the above message again.
      
      “I DONT AGREE WITH ATTACKING CIVILIANS OR INNOCENT ONESâ€¦”
      
      Reply
    - zulfiqaar
      
      February 28, 2014 at 4:25 AM
      
      Walaykum Asalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu!
      
      Reply
  - darlene bowen
    
    May 20, 2010 at 9:04 AM
    
    you all need to get a life of your own instead of preaching to every one else
    
    Reply
shariq

March 22, 2010 at 3:02 AM

Assalaamu alaikum.

JAzakAllahkhair to the Imaam who wrote this, as i believe it is important for a body like the council to respond to what Anwar Al-Awlaki has said. however, it is sad that the imaam like many others were first surprised, then surprised some more, then surprised some more and then finally baffled and then kind of came to their senses in figuring out what Anwar Al Awlaki was saying.

It is not very encouraging to know how long it took for the imaam to realize the path this person was heading down or what type of ideology Anwar Al Awlaki was pushing. Since many of us already recognized it many years ago and many of us have been busy trying to refute/clarify to the muslims in america and else where the doubts that he has been propogating via his lecutres and writings.

i do appreciate what has been written, but again i will say that it is too little in depth, not strong enough of a refutation and it is disappointing that it took them so long to realize who they were dealing with.

jazakAllahukhairan.

Reply
- Azeem
  
  March 22, 2010 at 8:00 AM
  
  I appreciate Shariq’s comment, but it goes to show you the love affair that Imam Omar was talking about. Muslims are so emotional because they enjoyed his lectures which are based off of common islamic references like the lives of the prophets based on the book by Ibn Khatir, or the hereafter series (Based on Umar Ashqar’s aqeedah series of books). People don’t realize, no one owns knowledge. If people weren’t so lazy and read books for themselves instead of relying on orators to seize their adoration this would be less of an issue.
  
  Reply
  - Amad
    
    March 22, 2010 at 8:05 AM
    
    i know some folks could be getting bored with my repeated mention of this term…. but if you understand it, you’ll understand the “love affair”…. two conflicting thoughts cannot reside in the mind at the same time… “a love for awlaki based on his old lectures” AND “condemning the new awlaki supporting potential murder of innocents”… in fact, this theory will also help you a lot of things in everyday life… why people behave a certain way even when it might be not in their best interest.
    
    The term to understand is “cognitive dissonance”. It is one of the most influential and extensively studied theories in social psychology.
    
    http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/cognitive_dissonance.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
    
    Reply
  - Shariq
    
    March 22, 2010 at 8:50 AM
    
    JazakAllahkhair. i think this is an appropriate place to mention the famous statement of Ibn Sireen (rahimahullahu ta’aala): â€œThis knowledge is a matter of deen, so be careful who you take your deen from.â€œ
    
    and also the statement, i am not sure who said it, which states: “the truth is now known by men, rather men are known by the truth”
    
    These are good guiding principles, especially in this day and age of confusion.
    
    Reply
    - naeem
      
      March 23, 2010 at 6:08 AM
      
      I humbly disagree. Such an attitude (of picking and choosing who we take our deen from) is one of the sources of sectarianism. ‘We only take knowledge from those who are from our party.’
      
      Whereas the reality is that truth is the property of the believer regardless of its source.
      
      Judge a statement by the veracity of its content, not by the character of its author. We’re not judges sitting in a court analyzing the character of a witness or muhaditheen trying to establish the isnad of a Prophetic saying.
      
      We seem to be getting caught up with the personality of Imam Anwar and his transformation and who he was and who he became, as if all that carries any weight in judging his teachings.
      
      Your second quote seems to support my contention. Regardless of who says the truth, the truth must be followed.
      
      Reply
      - Abd- Allah
        
        March 23, 2010 at 7:04 PM
        
        Such an attitude (of picking and choosing who we take our deen from) is one of the sources of sectarianism.
        
        While I agree that we should accept the truth from anyone regardless of who says it, yet taking knowledge randomly from all the scholars of the different sects is incorrect, as not all of them are preaching the correct beliefs and ideologies. How can you listen to one shaykh say something and then turn around and listen to a different shaykh from a different group who is saying something completely opposite? This will only lead the person to confusion and not knowing who is right and who is wrong. So definitely, a person should only take knowledge from the top scholars who are known to be upon the correct beliefs of Islam according to Quran and sunnah the way it is understood by the companions and their followers.
      - Yursil
        
        March 24, 2010 at 3:14 PM
        
        BismillahirRahmanirRahim
        Salamu’alaykum,
        
        1) I called this mans views years ago. Even given *explicit* proofs of his radicalization, cognitive dissonance was in full swing. So this is an interesting phenomenon to watch play out.
        
        2) The crux of my response to those who wanted to ‘take the good’ and ‘leave the bad’ on Anwar Awlaki was that the good is tainted, and it is the current views which are the proof.
        
        How could one truly understand the life of the Prophet (AS), his wives, and Sahabi and come to these conclusions involving pure murder later in life? Even if we believe he was radicalized after prison (and this is a new tale which has no basis in fact, he was making terrorist -positive remarks well before his imprisonment), it means the knowledge he had before was, at minimum, unable to sustain a sufficient internal response to his new views.
        
        I have another term to look up: tacit knowledge.
        
        This view of Islamic knowledge as simply western-style ‘information’ is an innovation in its own self. But what about tone, delivery, mannerism, ommission of information, concentration, and simply repeat exposure to a personality?
        
        For all modern Islamic movements try to distance themselves from ‘personality cults’ around Shaykhs, in some misguided attempt to seperate good from bad, they end up creating them in new and perverse ways.
        
        The existence of tacit knowledge means that the person is intimately involves whenever we are communicating information, especially religious knowledge which is all-encompassing and all-impacting in ones life.
        
        This also means there are better sources for this than books or cds, there is knowledge which will be presented holistically which accounts for tacit knowledge to allow one to live a lifestyle connected to the Holy Prophet (AS), with authority, vibrancy and completeness.
      - fasoij
        
        March 26, 2010 at 7:51 AM
        
        what r u talking about?
YASIR AZIM

March 22, 2010 at 3:04 AM

May Allah(swt) Protect the Imam and Guide Him to The Right Way if He is Wrong and Strengthen Him if He Is on Right Path(Ameen)

Can we Muslim Americans Believe for one day what if we were in Palestine or in a place where we have no hope of survival and our mother or sister is being RAPED in front of us. what will we do i guess nothing but to watch and wait for own turn to die.

Why cant The Muslim organizations and scholars hear in US select a DAY of PROTEST in every Federal building and make a calender day.
Why cant the Muslim organizations and scholars hear in US call for PROTEST in front of WHITE HOUSE and just call every Muslim from world to join to protest the oppression which taking place in MUSLIM world.

HO MUSLIMS FOR ALLAH(SWT) SAKE DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR OWN BROTHERS AND SISTER WHO ARE IN NEED OF YOUR HELP.

I know there is a solution for this in my DEEN boz its from Allah(swt)

Lets make change in world by having protest peacefully under one umbrella to show the world that we care about our MUSLIM brothers, we cant pick-up the GUNS but we can MARCH ONE MILE TO WHITE HOUSE.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) also said, “The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.” [Muslim],

Reply
FANOFIMAM

March 22, 2010 at 3:22 AM

IMAM ANWAR HAVE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND HE SHOULD BE TREATED JUST LIKE THE WORLD TREATED TEH POPE Benedict XVI. When he made comments on12 September 2006.

ALLAH(SWT) KNOWS WHAT IS SITUATION WITH IMAM WHY HE MADE THOSE STATMENTS IF HE DID.

BUT OFFCOURSE WE HAVE TO SAVE OUR SELFS AND SPEAK ABOUT IT. DONT WE HAVE TO REPLY TO US FBI AND CIA.

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 3:28 AM
  
  Pls don’t use all capitalized text next time.
  
  Reply
  - FANOFIMAM
    
    March 22, 2010 at 3:36 AM
    
    JazakAllahkhair for reminder it was not ment to be capitalized.
    
    Reply
Umm Bilqis

March 22, 2010 at 5:40 AM

The beasts are ethnically cleansing innocent Iraqis and sit in offices built on ethnically cleansed native land.

Yet they point fingers at an Imam who has never killed anyone!

The good news is that their attempts at shaping Muslim opinion is frustrated by their own actions.

P.S Why are the bulky oppressors still in Iraq?

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 6:12 AM
  
  So, in response, we should kill some random innocent civilians?
  
  The article does not justify the actions of our government’s disastrous escapade into Iraq. It is about not justifying innocent deaths and distancing ourselves from people who do.
  
  Will you take the blinders off and keep the two situations separate? How would you like to have had a brother, sister, husband or child on the plane that underwear bomber wanted to blow up (even though I think it was a joke of an attempt)? Would you have praised him for doing “something”? Would you have praised Awlaki for his praise of someone who intended to murder your loved one?
  
  Before jumping the gun, think about what the article is stating, what its goals are and what our response should be.
  
  Reply
  - Umm Bilqis
    
    March 22, 2010 at 10:26 AM
    
    Amad I did not justify any actions, praise anyone and I do not condone the death of innocents.
    
    However I am sick to death of non muslims speaking about an Imam who has no blood on his hands whilst continuing the true death of innocents.
    
    Do not put words in my mouth brother.
    On the day of judgement sadly we shall see how many in this ummah have the blinders on.
    
    Reply
- MR
  
  March 22, 2010 at 9:33 AM
  
  It’s not really black and white. There is an Iraqi army made up of Iraqis who are also fighting Al-Qaeda. It’s also very complex because you have Shia groups who are fighting Sunni groups. Then you have Sunni groups fighting each other. Then you have the Iraqi government fighting the groups. Then you have the NATO forces. Then you have the Kurdish people to the North. SubhanAllah it’s really not black and white at all. So when you ask “Why are the bulky oppressors still in Iraq?” you have to ask “Why are the Iraqis oppressing themselves?” in addition to that question.
  
  Reply
  - Umm Bilqis
    
    March 22, 2010 at 10:31 AM
    
    Thank brother MR for understanding the spirit of my comment and not for putting words in my mouth.
    Sadly I agree with you we do have problems with the hypocrites in Iraq but ultimately it would work out if the bullies left one sad way or other.
    However, as the palestinians say, the problem is the occupation.
    
    Reply
  - Tajzia
    
    March 22, 2010 at 10:39 AM
    
    Was it all so gray before the invasion? American presence there was followed by this internal strife, all played according to the colonial mindset of “divide and rule”. Umm Bilqis asked the simple question: Why are the Yanks still in Iraq? U seem to justify their presence
    
    Reply
    - Amad
      
      March 22, 2010 at 10:42 AM
      
      And what does the topic of Iraq actually have to do with the message of the Shaykh here? Care to expound? Or another red herring to distract attention from the issue?
      
      Reply
      - Umm Bilqis
        
        March 22, 2010 at 10:59 AM
        
        Plenty I wish to regurgitate every time the non muslims speak about muslims who have no blood on their hands, when they condone, initiate and execute death every day in congress and on the street and in the media whist commiting wholesale slaughter and death of innocent muslims.
        They are barbarians and the most uncivilized, uncultured civilization we have encountered.
    - Ameera Khan
      
      March 22, 2010 at 11:02 AM
      
      I don’t see Br MR justifying the presence of Americans at all. Let’s not get carried away here into suppositions about one another. The issue is larger than this and infighting will only make things worse for us as Muslims.
      
      Reply
      - musa
        
        March 22, 2010 at 11:54 PM
        
        Assalamu Ã¡laikum,
        
        you can say got this problem, that problem in iraq. all the problem started due to the american invasion. may Allah help all the mujahidin in world . amin
    - Tajzia
      
      March 23, 2010 at 3:55 PM
      
      Ask Amir, ur panelist . He brought it up.
      
      Reply
      - MR
        
        March 23, 2010 at 6:36 PM
        
        Actually the Shia-Sunni-Kurd fighting has been going on since the end of the Caliphate if anyone really studied history. Saddam Hussein butchered many Sunnis (who weren’t part of his Qabila), shia (because they weren’t sunni) and the kurds (because they werent Iraqi).
        
        So in reality we could just blame the British empire of the early 1900s for causing all the fitna today.
- Ammar
  
  March 22, 2010 at 10:20 AM
  
  i LOVE this comment
  
  Reply
  - Syed
    
    March 27, 2010 at 12:41 AM
    
    What u said is a partial truth… some events did occur but it were not wide spread, they were limited, things went out of control after the American Invasion, how many reports do you want which proves that USA sponsored the sectarian clashes?
    
    If you think by blaming our own brothers for the crimes of Zionists u will get saved then u need to wake up!
    
    Reply
Zi

March 22, 2010 at 6:49 AM

Then came Imam Anwarâ€™s praise of the failed Christmas day terrorist plot of Umar Farouk AbdulMuttalib

Salam.. can the claim above be proven with a quote? I’m not saying it’s a false claim, only that I have not come across this ‘praise’.

Reply
- Ify Okoye
  
  March 22, 2010 at 7:01 AM
  
  Salaam,
  
  Listen to the audio of his recent messages on Youtube here and here.
  
  Reply
  - Zi
    
    March 22, 2010 at 7:12 AM
    
    Salam.. yes I listened to it all but do not find it. Yes he mentions his name, calling him “our brother”, but this isn’t praise in itself. Although he doesn’t condemn the incident either. If I’ve missed it please paste a quote here.
    
    I’ve been trying to find where Imam Anwar supports the killing of innocent lives, but I don’t find it anywhere. Yes he supported the actions of Nidal, but that wasn’t an act against innocent lives, they were soldiers about to kill Muslims in Afghanistan. I’m NOT saying it’s right what Nidal did, I’m just saying it’s not the same.
    
    Reply
    - Amad
      
      March 22, 2010 at 7:27 AM
      
      I think we are just continuing to have strong cognitive dissonance on this subject.
      
      It is important for observers to notice that very few Muslim actually defend what Awlaki is alleged to have said, but rather question the authenticity of the allegation itself. This is an important nuance because what has been the case in other issues, many Muslims who continue to support supposed “terror-masterminds” and supposed terrorism-supporters, do so in the context of believing them (these masterminds) to be set up, rather than agreeing with their message.
      
      Here’s Awlaki on Farouq, thankfully on Al-Jazeera, not part of the grand zionist-controlled network :) (via Al-Jazeera):
      
      â€œBrother mujahed Umar Farouk â€” may Allah relieve him â€” is one of my students, yes,â€ said al-Awlaki in the interview, which published Tuesday. â€œWe had kept in contact, but I didn’t issue a fatwa (religious ruling/declaration of war) to Umar Farouk for this operation.â€
      
      â€œI support what Umar Farouk did after seeing my brothers in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan being killed,â€ al-Awlaki said. â€œIf it was a military plane or a U.S. military target it would have been better…(but) the American people have participated in all the crimes of their government.â€
      
      Reply
      - Zi
        
        March 22, 2010 at 7:49 AM
        
        Ok if that’s authentic then that settles it :(
        
        The American people are the ones who have voted twice for Bush the criminal and elected Obama who is not different from Bush as his first remarks stated that he would not abandon Israel, despite the fact that there were other anti-war candidates in the US elections, but they won very few votes. The American people take part in all its government’s crimes.
        
        If they oppose that, let them change their government. They pay the taxes which are spent on the army and they send their sons to the military, and that is why they bear responsibility.
      - Azeem
        
        March 22, 2010 at 7:57 AM
        
        You can see the transcript of his al-jazeera interview in which he praises Nidal Hassan and UImar Faruk. http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/02/2010271074776870.html
        
        If you click on the CNN link in this article there is a video embedded on the bottom left. It has an audio excerpt from Awlaki in which he calls for Jihad against America. So there is no hearsay or slander involved here. Click on it and listen for yourself.
        
        Back in 2007 he put out an audio in which he praised an al-Qaeda militant Amrozi so anyone who has been paying attention to him would know that he went to the dark side a while ago. The link to that audio was originally here: http://www.mujahideenryder.net/2007/12/17/imam-anwar-al-awlaki-has-been-freed-released/ you can follow the comments. So this is nothing new.
        
        His blog also praised extremism and militancy against Muslims as well i.e. he supports the violent/armed revolution against the Yemeni government. He actually said: â€œMay this be the beginning of the greatest Jihad, the Jihad of the Arabian Peninsula that would free the heart of the Islamic world from the tyrants who are deceiving the ummah and standing between us and victory.â€ Does anyone want to defend his freedom of speech here, where he is supporting the killing of Muslims?
        
        Also just take a look at his facebook fan page: http://bit.ly/cYOcfs look at the type of messages being posted there coming from him. And look at the type of following he is attracting.
        
        Prophet Muhammad (S) said(paraphrased): â€œverily my ummah will not agree upon errorâ€. Muslims have to follow the leadership of the ummah and look at their consensus which has been to categorically condemn extremism, terrorism, the killing of innocents.
      - Usman Akhtar
        
        March 22, 2010 at 3:18 PM
        
        “The American people take part in all its governmentâ€™s crimes.
        
        If they oppose that, let them change their government. They pay the taxes which are spent on the army and they send their sons to the military, and that is why they bear responsibility.”
        
        This is a direct contradiction to what he said in a national geographic article in 2001 after 9/11, that in Islamic Fiqh, people can’t be held responsible for the taxes they pay that are obligatory to them
        
        “So why the attacks on the United States?
        
        I’ll tell you the way that [the perpetrators] justify them. That does not mean that scholars of the Muslim world approve, but this is where they are coming from. They say that Muslim land is now invaded by the U.S., there are U.S. soldiers stationed in Saudi Arabia and in the Gulf. And then, the state of Israel is an occupying force which is supported by the U.S. Fighting an invading force, they justify attacking the U.S. because the U.S. population are the taxpayers, and are the ones who are financing the war against them. Now the reason why this is not accepted at all by Muslim scholars, is, first of all, that civilian people most of the time have nothing to do with what their governments are doing. Second, many of the scholars don’t really see America as a direct enemy, but only as supporting enemies in the area. So why carry the struggle further than it needs to go? For a lot of people in the Muslim world, the first enemy is their governments. It’s not really Israel or the United States, it’s their own governments, and they see the U.S. as the strengthening power of these governments. Without the U.S., these repressive governments would topple.
        
        http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/09/0927_imampart1.html
      - Abdus-Sabur
        
        March 22, 2010 at 10:16 PM
        
        (but) the American people have participated in all the crimes of their government.â€
        
        This is pure nonsense and any muslim living in the U.S. knows this!
        
        And as far as Zi’s comment below about American’s pay the taxes that are spent on war. Not voluntarily we don’t. People pay taxes because they have to. You pay the taxes or they increase the penalties and interest 100% and/or you go to jail.
        
        While we’re at it, tell me of one country on this planet that is not corrupt. I will be waiting until a Caliphate is established for an answer because their isn’t one!
      - Syed
        
        March 27, 2010 at 4:01 AM
        
        Not a part of Zionist controlled media? was axing of sister Ridley not enough for you?
        
        http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/5769.php
        
        May be its not a Zionist controlled media but the content and policies are largely influenced by the pressure of USA.
    - Tajzia
      
      March 22, 2010 at 10:42 AM
      
      This is a very important point. Why are “American Muslims” bending over backwards condemning killing of soldiers soon to be deployed to Muslim lands? I think it was some ISNA guy who condemned killing “random soldiers”.
      
      Reply
    - joe
      
      March 22, 2010 at 5:08 PM
      
      Prophet Muhammad (S) said(paraphrased): â€œverily my ummah will not agree upon errorâ€.
      
      This hadith does not mean the ummah at large, but as the scholars have explained the hadith, this means the people of knowledge.
      
      If this hadith meant the ummah as a whole,.. then we are in big trouble.. What percentage of the ummah do you think prays 5 times a day? What percentage of Muslim men have the obligatory beard> what percentage of women wear acceptable hijab? the majority of the ummah? I think not. Not even close. Have they agreed on error? Definitley.
      
      SO… 40, 50 or 60 or 70 percent of muslims condemning or praising an act does not mean the ummah has agreed on an error or the reverse.
      
      and please dont tell me the american scholars have agreed on something..the hadith says ummah not american muslims. Something which people on this website seem to forget, MM and American Muslims make up .0001 percent of muslims in the world. Just because you have a blog called MM does not mean this site or its opinions speak for muslim ummah. Lets be real. Why dosent ICNA focus on its own issues of mixed gatherings, mixed idealogies and mixed deen instead of throwing in its 2 cents.
      
      La hawla wa la quwata ila billah
      
      Reply
ahmad

March 22, 2010 at 7:49 AM

Anwar Al Awlaki was framed

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 8:07 AM
  
  it could be that a trap was set for him, but not only did he take the bait, he swallowed the entire fishing rod! On the other hand, sometimes it is good to know what people really believe.
  
  Reply
- Ameera Khan
  
  March 22, 2010 at 11:28 AM
  
  It is reasonable to say that for a long while now, the â€œbenefit of the doubtâ€ was being given to Imam Anwar anyhow (i.e. his website content, etc.) â€¦ all we can say is, Allah Knows best how things will work out. May He guide each one of us through this! Ameen.
  
  Reply
- MR
  
  March 22, 2010 at 11:40 AM
  
  FREEMASONS!!!
  
  Reply
  - Adam
    
    March 22, 2010 at 12:06 PM
    
    one of the wisest comments I’ve read so far. You couldn’t be more right bro.
    
    Reply
  - PakistaniMD
    
    March 22, 2010 at 5:51 PM
    
    I’m guessing your being sarcastic, because than the capitalized letters make the statement funny :)
    
    If your serious, that’s another problem… :(
    
    Reply
mohammad

March 22, 2010 at 8:21 AM

Jazak Allah khair for the article. It is very well said. I have always been a big fan of Imam Anwar’s lectures, and it saddens me to see how his viewpoints have changed. I even remember his post-9/11 interviews with National Geographic and the New York Times were some of the best responses to that great fitna for American Muslims.

I cannot excuse his comments, but I also wanted to remind everyone that for the past nine years, he has lived outside of the US. His viewpoints on the “War on Terror”, Bush’s re-election, and the devastating foreign policy have been colored from the outside. He has been wrongly imprisoned, tortured, and chased for these years. It is still inexcusable, but at least understandable, how his views have become more extreme in the past few years.

May Allah guide us all to what pleases Him the most.

Reply
- joe
  
  March 22, 2010 at 5:12 PM
  
  I cannot excuse his comments, but I also wanted to remind everyone that for the past nine years, he has lived outside of the US. His viewpoints on the â€œWar on Terrorâ€, Bushâ€™s re-election, and the devastating foreign policy have been colored from the outside
  
  Yes… he has been living on the outside (outside what? the confines of the muslim ummah/country of america? )
  
  Maybe those muslims (as I stated before 99.999 %) who live on the ”outside” know more about the world and whats happening than us cool folks who get to live on the inside.
  
  Reply
  - Abd- Allah
    
    March 22, 2010 at 7:16 PM
    
    Maybe those muslims (as I stated before 99.999 %) who live on the â€outsideâ€ know more about the world and whats happening than us cool folks who get to live on the inside.
    
    Who said that we are only taking what local shaykhs have to say on this? Many of the senior shuyukh in Muslim countries have refuted these type of extreme ideas like killing civilians or bombing random places.
    
    This type of thinking and behavior stems out from the beliefs of the khawaarij who were at the time of the companions may Allah be pleased with them, and it is enough to see that they were wrong because they fought the companions and went against them.
    
    Reply
- Ayesha
  
  March 22, 2010 at 10:13 PM
  
  I think a lot of us tend to view Anwar al Awlaki’s messages as extreme *without first analyzing and then addressing his arguments directly. If we want to engage in an educated debate then both sides need to be able to address each others arguments. Most of us have a pre-conceived notion that ‘here he goes again. This is all due to his going to prison! Had he not gone to prison, he would have been the same old Imam whom we used to love.’ To say that he has become radicalized only after going to prison would be an incorrect statement, first of all because it started way before that. The very fact that he moved to Yemen voluntarily is it self one amongst the many proofs of the beginning of his radicalization.
  
  The question we should be asking our selves is, What is it that led Anwar al Awlaki to change his views voluntarily? What is it that made him change and speak publicly as he is doing now? Let’s look for the deeper issues. The fact is that he changed on his own doing. We loved the same lectures before his radicalization, but now we don’t even want to refer to them because of his extremist ideologies? He has numerous CD sets (made before his going to prison) where he uses Islamic literature to prove his current terrorist leanings, why not listen to those without any preconceived notion and then address him? Many of us have a fear factor, that if we listen to what he says, ‘he might make us believe in what he has to say, and we KNOW that he cannot be right, there’s no way! He’s just a terrorist!’
  
  We would have been able to say he is brainwashed if his point of view did not make sense of anything, but why not at least address the arguments he uses. If we really want to counter him, let us use his own proofs.
  
  Reply
uncle tom

March 22, 2010 at 9:26 AM

Finally, something spicy on muslim matters.

Reply
slaveofallah4lyf

March 22, 2010 at 9:30 AM

Assalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh….

All praise is due to Allah. And Praise, Peace and Blessings be upon his Prophet, Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (Sal Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), As to what proceeds:
I bear witness that there is no diety worthy of Worship except Allah and that Prophet Muhammad is his final messenger.
As far as killing innocent human beings is concerned, I dont agree with it (even if Imam Anwar said it) BUT(yea a big 1), when it comes to Jihad, i do agree with him partly, i.e. It has not extinguished and that the state of the Ummah will never change until we return back to the religion completely which includes, salah, zakah, sawm, etc…..and that also includes JIHAD….as far as the salah, zakah, sawm, etc…u people are emphasizing on it and wen it comes to jihad Imam Anwar al-Awlaki is emphasizing on it…so both of you are on the extremes…and moderation is only in emphasizing on both…which you people(Muslim American Shuyukh and Imam Anwar Al-Awlaqi) never do…..BUT (again a big 1)….Imam Anwar Al-Awlaqi never said no need of salah, zakah, etc…infact, even if he emphasized on jihad more he did many times did emphasized on salah, zakah, etc… BUT you people (Muslim American Scholars) keep emphasizing on Salah, zakah, etc… but neglect jihad, to the extent that you dont even think it is necessary to create a change in the humiliation that we are in. While RasoolAllah (SalAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said something to the contrary:
“If you start trading in “Inah”(2 in 1 contracts), and take hold of the Cow Tails, and are satisfied with farming (meaning you have stuck to the duniyah), AND LEAVE JIHAD (not, salah, zakah, etc…afcors they are more important than jihad but i just want to show the importance of it), Allah will enforce on you a humiliation, he will not take it away till you return back to your religion”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ8cN1lIOSY (for any1 who understands arabic, especially the shuyukh)
Abu Bakr (RadiAllahu Anhu said): “No Nation left Jihad except they were humiliated.” (i dont remember if this is the accurate text but it was something to this effect).

Another point that I wanted to make is that, RasoolAllah (SalAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) warned regarding beautiful speech…i dont remember the proper text so thats why i dont quote it…and all that i find your articles to be is that they are beautiful speech….while on the contrary Imam Anwar Al-Awlaqi provides proof from the Quran and Sunnah more than you people do.

And IF you think that am wrong please prove your stand with Quran and Sunnah, till the Hujjah is established on me. And wallahi If you people do it. I am myself ready to condemn Imam Anwar Al-Awlaqi and support you

Reply
- muad
  
  May 23, 2016 at 5:06 AM
  
  Asalam alaekum. may Allah have mercy on Imam awlaki. many Muslims still do not understand what the ummah is going through. May Allah d most high relief d pain of all muslims throughout the world, and by His infinite mercy make us useful in His course with good niyah & may Allah d most wise 4give and accept all our ibadah & make us b with d righteous on day of hisab, amin.
  
  Reply
thaaqib

March 22, 2010 at 10:41 AM

Good article. As for those people who are accusing us of being non activists, the problem is that the general public are in ignorance and the government aren’t representative of the public at all. Killing civilians isn’t Islamic and can never be justified nor is it productive. I think Imam Anwar is just hopefully going through a negative phase seeing as he has had many personal pains in his life in the recent years and insha 2llah he shall phase out.

Reply
Abd- Allah

March 22, 2010 at 10:54 AM

This message is a few years late in my opinion. The scholars should have refuted Awlaki and warned people as soon as he started to become extreme. We should learn not to get carried away just because a shaykh has a few nice lectures or series that might get us all excited, and we should stick to taking knowledge from the true scholars.

Reply
- AbÃ» MÃ»sÃ¢ Al-á¸¤abashÃ®
  
  March 22, 2010 at 6:46 PM
  
  Agreed. Anwar’s extreme views are clearly present in his lectures on the biography of the Companions. This isn’t something new.
  
  Reply
TheSussist

March 22, 2010 at 12:06 PM

Allah tests us in different ways.

Are we truly committed to the Truth based on solid evidences from Quran and Sunnah?

Or are we committed to personalities and emotions?

Do we tie the truth to men or do we tie truth to the Book?

If Allah is testing us with the above, then who would be a better person to use for this test than the eloquent, most-beloved and inspirational Anwar Al Awlaki?

Reply
tpott

March 22, 2010 at 12:12 PM

Funny how everyone just speaks from their desires and cannot refute the Shaykh with proper Quranic and Sunnah sources. Always criticizing the Muslims and nothing against the kuffar.

Reply
- Abd- Allah
  
  March 22, 2010 at 12:49 PM
  
  Funny how everyone just speaks from their desires and cannot refute the Shaykh with proper Quranic and Sunnah sources. Always criticizing the Muslims and nothing against the kuffar.
  
  http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Awlaki
  
  http://ahlulsunnahwaljammah.wordpress.com/category/callers-to-deviation-deviant-sects/anwar-awlaki/
  
  Put your emotions aside brother tpott and read with an open mind, you will be able to see Awlaki’s mistakes.
  
  As for criticizing Muslims, it is the Muslims who are our responsibility. You don’t see the Muslim youth listening to a non-muslim preacher and following what he says. The fact that Awlaki is Muslim is why the rest of us need to point out his mistakes so that others don’t follow him in those issues and fall into the same mistakes as he did.
  
  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: â€œHelp your brother whether he is a wrongdoer or is wronged.â€ A man said: â€œO Messenger of Allaah, I can help him if he is wronged but what if he is the wrongdoer, how can I help him?â€ He said: â€œStop him or prevent him from doing wrong. That is how you help him.â€ Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6952.
  
  Reply
  - joe
    
    March 23, 2010 at 12:18 AM
    
    Can you please give me a list of true scholars? I need a small list if you could.
    
    Please list a few top ones from each country or region ( i.e saudi, america, egypt, etc)
    
    I need to learn more so let me know . If not ”top’ scholars or whatever term , just scholars you trust abdallah.
    
    Jazakallahu khair
    
    Reply
    - Abd- Allah
      
      March 23, 2010 at 5:11 PM
      
      Can you please give me a list of true scholars? I need a small list if you could.
      
      Brother Joe, here is a list of some of the true scholars from different countries such as Saudi, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Morocco.. if you need more just let me know inshAllah:
      
      Shaykh Uthaymeen
      Shaykh Ibn Baaz
      Shaykh Albaani
      Shaykh Muqbel
      Shaykh Fawzaan
      Shaykh Saleh aal-Shaykh
      Shaykh Taqiy Deen Hilali Maghribee
      Shaykh Muhammad Raslaan
      Shaykh Ali Halabee
      Shaykh Mashur Hasan Salman
      
      Reply
  - Baasel
    
    March 23, 2010 at 11:35 PM
    
    Asalamu-Alaykum
    
    My dear brother (and I don’t mean this in a disrespectful manner), nobody respects salafimanhaj.com….they have produced SOME good works, but again, the brothers have gone overboard time after time…
    
    Your brother in Islam,
    
    Reply
    - Abd- Allah
      
      March 24, 2010 at 12:42 AM
      
      Brother Baasel, don’t you think you are generalizing when you say no body respects them? They might have went to an extreme in some cases, but even according to you “they have produced SOME good works”, so this is one of them! I don’t think you will find one true salafi scholar who differs with them on this issue.
      
      Reply
      - AR Aqeedah
        
        March 28, 2010 at 6:55 AM
        
        correction…i don’t think you will find one true Muslim scholar that differs on this one.
Yus from the Nati

March 22, 2010 at 12:19 PM

For those who support Anwar Al-Awlaki, the issue comes down to what benefits the most in helping a Muslim in distress. Most of us (in the west) who are “active”, see it as helping through peaceful non-violent action as it’s seen to be most beneficial in the current state we are in.

Of course people are disgusted with what goes on in different parts of the world by our home country, or other Muslims, or other factors. So it’s not that everybody is “sleepin” on what’s really going on. It’s about what are you going to do that’s practical and effective.

Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ Ø£ÙŽØ¹Ù’Ù„ÙŽÙ…Ù’

Reply
- Wael - IslamicAnswers.com
  
  March 22, 2010 at 1:33 PM
  
  Thank you Yus, I wrote my comment at the same time as yours, and we pretty much said the same thing, but you were more succinct :-)
  
  Reply
- MR
  
  March 22, 2010 at 1:57 PM
  
  Non-violent Jihad.
  
  Reply
  - Yus from the Nati
    
    March 22, 2010 at 7:33 PM
    
    Sounds all soft the way you just said it haha. but it is what it is. Different times/places call for different measures.
    
    There was a cool political cartoon that I saw somewhere that said something like “the old war” and it was troops parachuting out of a plane…and then it said “new war” and it had lawyers, drug companies, corporations, people in suit parachuting in. That’s one of the realities of warfare now.
    
    Reply
Wael - IslamicAnswers.com

March 22, 2010 at 1:31 PM

You will notice that in Awlaqi’s statement on 9-11, he acknowledged U.S. atrocities against Muslims, then stated that such atrocities do not justify taking a single civilian life.

I think this is what is missing from moderate Muslim statements like that of Imam Omar in the article above. Some people pretend to be so clueless: “Oh, what on earth are these Muslims mad about, why would they sympathize with these bad terrorists, why don’t they support our wonderful USA, it’s so baffling!”

Get real. Muslims everywhere are under siege, and the USA is in the thick of it. People are angry and frustrated, and even someone like Awlaqi can give in to that anger eventually (try being tortured and see what it does to your worldview). That’s reality. If you want Muslims to listen, you need to acknowledge that reality. Don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Acknowledge reality, then explain that in spite of it, we Muslims have a code of behavior we must follow. Our religion is not a path of terrorism, chaos, murder and death. That is not the way that Allah has ordained for us, and it’s not justice.

Then the second thing you must do is explain how we CAN help our brothers and sisters in legitimate ways. What can we do for our Ummah? What can we do as Americans to make a genuine change? Tell us about da’wah, institution building, lobbying for policy change, media involvement, peaceful protests, helping suffering Muslims around the world with relief aid, volunteerism, and media campaigns. Give us options besides going to the masjid, listening to a lecture, and going home.

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 1:43 PM
  
  You will notice that in Awlaqiâ€™s statement on 9-11, he acknowledged U.S. atrocities against Muslims, then stated that such atrocities do not justify taking a single civilian life.
  
  In his moderation, Awlaki was a million times more beneficial for the ummah than the negative influence he has become. How sad that his original clear message of not justifying one wrong with another has been lost.
  
  Also, while this Imam (the one who wrote this article) may not have acknowledged atrocities in his speech, I think there is a strategic issue which one needs to keep in mind. People sometimes need to hear clear, one-dimensional messages, without ifs and buts. Because when you add a cause and effect paradigm, then some folks (not all) may misconstrue that as justification. Personally, I prefer keeping the two messages as distinct as possible.
  
  For instance, on MM, we posted this article as well as another on Dr Aafia (highlighting the great injustices of our government in her case) on the same day. Two different messages, two different posts.
  
  wallahualam
  
  Reply
  - Usman Akhtar
    
    March 22, 2010 at 4:02 PM
    
    In his moderation, Awlaki was a million times more beneficial for the ummah than the negative influence he has become. How sad that his original clear message of not justifying one wrong with another has been lost.
    
    That’s completely true but even so what he is saying now in regards to Western nations is completely understandable and the understanding is inseparable no matter how direct of a message you want people to understand. That’s the difference between black and white thinking and the grayish mentality that comes with a more developed appreciation of whats going on. Its not as if people read a muslimmatters article and leave it at that, they ponder on it and respond to it, and its why you never can have a black white perspective of things.
    
    Look at what Awlaki represents to the youth who follow him –> he represents action, someone with guts to say something to the US for doing what they are doing, and it strikes a large contrast with other scholars who are usually quiet on political matters. That resonates within a young Muslim and makes all of Awlaki’s opinions seem right because he has the “courage to talk in such a way”. They see his sacrifice, leaving the comfortable life of America to be under the target of the largest army in the face of the earth. In that they see someone who cares about his own interpretation of Islam more than the dunya, and more than his own life. In short, they see a sincere Muslim.
    
    For those that agree with the majority (if not the entire) scholarly opinion that killing innocent civilians is wrong, lets transcend the fiqhi aspect of this discussion and look at the practical aspect.
    
    Practically, there aren’t enough outlets for people to “be active”.
    
    You can go to as many protests as you want, send as many letters to government officials, and start as many blogs as you want, but in the end the Muslim youth are not going to feel satisfied until they can see the results of what they are doing, in fact they’ll feel more hopeless and helpless. I don’t go to Palestine Protests anymore because they don’t make any difference, they are just a place to waste energy and vent out. and people Awlaki feel the same way, although he feels it times a billion.
    
    In sociology there is a concept called “latency” developed by Talcott Parsons, and it aims to provide socially acceptable ways to release frustrations, one of them being “protests”. The problem is protests and the other stuff I mentioned, ie: the “non-violent jihad” that is provided to Muslims isn’t enough because it doesn’t change situations or produce results.
    
    There is a validity to what Awlaki implies that Scholars of the West don’t provide many productive ways to help the situation around the world, or atleast talk about in a pragmatic way. So if no one actually offers solutions or a means to make change, then the youth end up supporting people like Awlaki who in their eyes is the only one actually “doing” anything. To them the rest of the scholars are visibly just collecting revenue from seminars and sipping tea and eating dates and giving speeches, but in terms of action what are they actually “doing” politcally?
    
    But then you might ask, “what is it that they actually can do?”
    
    Well, if they don’t show that they are politically doing more than people like Awlaki, we will have an increase in Muslims who believe that killing innocent civilians is perfectly alright, among other opinions. The people who have loyalty to Imam Awlaki have STRONG loyalty, and you can tell just by comments that there is a stronger attachment to him by his followers then there is in many “Western Scholars”
    
    Reply
    - Yus from the Nati
      
      March 23, 2010 at 7:41 AM
      
      I don’t think protests/writing to congress does anything either. The movement of the protests already lose hope by the “weirdos” that show up. We still do it, just because it’s easy and doesn’t take any “work” and MOST of the time.
      
      Engaging with people normally is simple, but needed bad. How many of us know our neighbors (ones of other faiths) and can talk to them normally and be invited to each other’s houses? Nobody knows what we do, what we believe, what our views are besides the media, which is horrible.
      
      Reply
    - Yaqeen needed
      
      April 1, 2010 at 1:20 AM
      
      The truth is bitter..but well said brother
      
      Reply
another white brother

March 22, 2010 at 1:32 PM

May Allah protect Imam Anwar.

Reply
piddu

March 22, 2010 at 1:32 PM

For people who have listened carefully to Awlaki’s old lecture series that really made him well known etc, they should listen to the recording in the CNN clip again. The clip played is part of what has been claimed to be Awlaki’s message to Muslims. I’ve listened to the clip twice and I’m very serious when I say I don’t even think the recording is his. It’s recorded so well, he speaks so clearly and with such a neutral accent and with such a forced manner and so differently from his other recordings, that I’m led to believe that the recording is doctored/edited. And before people start calling this a conspiracy theory, I’d remind them this wouldn’t be the first time. It is well known among people who read extensively that many experts believe that the recordings of militiants etc shown during the war on terror media propaganda included many doctored/fake videos produced to support the whole war, etc. I read an article on Cnet.com a year or so ago in which an expert in the US discussed how a then-recent Bin Laden tape had been doctored.
I really have nothing to say in defense of Awlaki’s position which bothered me as well especially since he came out of prison in Yemen, but I would like to remind everyone reading this piece and the Imam who wrote to first confirm such matters and find more reliable sources of information. It is from the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Sahaba as well to be careful about who they believed and who they accepted as trustworthy sources of information. A little less opinionating and a little more reflection perhaps?

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 22, 2010 at 1:46 PM
  
  To be honest, I trust al-Jazeera that conducted the interview with him where he justified the murderous intentions of Farouq Abdul Mutalib
  
  Reply
- Abu Noor Al-Irlandee
  
  March 22, 2010 at 1:50 PM
  
  piddu,
  
  I actually had exactly the same reaction when I first heard the CNN clips…there is something weird about the voice on those clips in comparison to al-Awlaki’s usual speech. But I have to say that when you listen to the whole new clip posted on youtube it does sound authentic. Obviously I have no way of knowing either way. And in any event, this message is not inconsistent with what al-Awlaki has been saying for some time.
  
  Reply
  - Abd- Allah
    
    March 22, 2010 at 2:26 PM
    
    Regardless of whether this clip is his or not, his views have been extreme for years before this specific clip, so it is not like this is the only clip in which he spreads those extreme views which need to be refuted.
    
    Reply
- Ahmad AlFarsi
  
  March 22, 2010 at 2:35 PM
  
  If you have listened to any of Awlaki’s lectures since his release from prison in Yemen (such as the Vol. 2 of the Madinan period seerah lectures), you will find that his voice is the same in those lectures as in the recent address released on CNN. However, the voice has changed a bit from his lectures pre-Yemen (such as in the Meccan Period, Madinan Period Vol.1, Hereafter, Lives of the Prophets, and other lecture series).
  
  I sincerely ask Allah to guide Imam Anwar back to the path of moderation, and enlighten him to renounce this new methodology which stands contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. May Allah protect our community and allow us to be amongst those who call to guidance and are guided, and not amongst those who call to misguidance and are astray. Ameen.
  
  Ameen.
  
  Reply
- Usman Akhtar
  
  March 22, 2010 at 4:08 PM
  
  I think he’s just reading off of something that’s why the tone of his voice sounds different.
  
  As for Al Jazeera –> they are technically owned by a western company, so that doesn’t increase or decrease the authenticity of the interviews.
  
  Reply
  - orange
    
    March 22, 2010 at 8:12 PM
    
    ”As for Al Jazeera â€“> they are technically owned by a western company, so that doesnâ€™t increase or decrease the authenticity of the interviews.”
    
    If its true then its funny then how its blatantly anti-Israeli/American and pro-Palestinian?
    
    which is good, ofcourse :)
    
    Reply
    - Usman Akhtar
      
      March 22, 2010 at 10:56 PM
      
      I just double checked, I had previously thought that they were owned by a Western company but that doesn’t seem to be true.
      
      As for the actual authenticity of Awlaki’s interviews:
      
      1) The fact that many Muslims are claiming that his audio clips are doctored shows that its because they disagree with what he or what fake Awlaki is saying. So regardless of the authenticity, the opinions of people are in the right direction –> killing innocent noncombatabts is completely against Islam, infact killing surrendering enemy combatants is a sin, and it is obligatory to feed and provide for prisoners of war with the same shelter and food that the Muslims are enjoying.
      
      That being said, here’s what I think,
      
      2) I don’t like sounding like a conspiracy theorist because they usually have no proof as do I, but I feel that maybe these clips being doctored isn’t such a crazy idea.
      
      The fact that Imam Awlaki has turned a complete 180 degrees from his former opinion on aiming targets at tax payers for example, seems odd to me. People rarely contradict themselves in such a direct manner, and given the logic that he proposed in the National Geographic interview that I quoted above in an earlier comment, how would he regress in the logical development and say the EXACT opposite without explanation?
      
      Also, the new audio clips seem like he’s bragging about how the US will be destroyed, about how the US as an economic recession, and all of that stuff. Why would he say all of that if he was truly trying to fight the US? Why would he let them know that Yemeni politicians are “milking millions of dollars” from the US when the hidden nature of that knowledge would benefit him in weakening US resources?
      
      Who benefits the most from his audio clips? The US!!! They have more of a reason to attack Yemen then they previously did, and they have more of a reason to even attack the government who are “milking their money”. They have more of a reason to search and find young Muslims in the West who listen to Awlaki’s lectures.
      
      And honestly, the first time I listened to the audio clips, it was noticeable that his tone of voice was a little off.
      
      When I use to listen to music a lot, I remember Tupac used to come out with albums after he died and would feature new rappers that were way after his time, and he would be like “Eminem,, yeah get him Slim Shady, get him Fifty, 2008!!!!” That was obviously doctored in.
      
      Yes, this is on a whole other scale then Tupac, but so is the US government, and so is their technologies, and so is the remaining fact of who benefits the most from this recording that is now on youtube.
      
      Reply
      - Amad
        
        March 23, 2010 at 12:31 AM
        
        Al Jazeera is owned by the Qatar government to the best of my knowledge.
Nahyan

March 22, 2010 at 2:12 PM

jazakallahukhair for the article Imam Omar.

Reply
mystrugglewithin

March 22, 2010 at 3:38 PM

Am I the only one who thinks that the first part (before the anchor interrupts with junk comments) of the audio sounds like fake? Not the complete audio, but only the first part..

The pronunciations of the words are good, the flow of the sentences sounds natural.. but I noticed some pauses, and missing vocal cues (which is an inherent weakness of typical systems). It’s somewhat practical for a software to analyze all his lectures, put the words in buckets, train a classifier, average out a perfect pronunciation for each word, and make random sentences out of all this precious data. However, what’s apparently tough is to append vocal cues at the right places..

This isn’t my field of specialization, someone can digg or bury it with a logical explanation :)

.. wa Allah’u alam

Reply
- MR
  
  March 22, 2010 at 5:30 PM
  
  His devoted fans have uploaded the full lecture here (2 parts):
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMsIwjuArGg
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIM6N13_kh0
  
  Reply
  - mystrugglewithin
    
    March 23, 2010 at 12:25 AM
    
    Great, that ends the story.
    
    Reply
- Mannu
  
  March 24, 2010 at 12:49 AM
  
  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124087291
  
  Reply
Abd- Allah

March 22, 2010 at 3:44 PM

We all should focus less on this specific audio clip and how fake it is, and focus more on the overall teachings of Awlaki for the past few years. Even before this clip, he had major mistakes in his teachings.

Reply
- mystrugglewithin
  
  March 23, 2010 at 12:27 AM
  
  My analysis was not for proving Imam AA wrong or right, it was just an observation, which was apparently wrong :>
  
  Reply
Pingback: uberVU - social comments
FearAllah

March 22, 2010 at 6:21 PM

Allahumma arinal haqqa haqqa warzuqnaa at tibaa’ah wa arinal baatila baatilan warzuqnaa ijtinabaa

Ameen.

Reply
Abu Yunus

March 22, 2010 at 7:40 PM

Here is a critique on Anwar Awlaki and his false notions on jihad: http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Awlaki.pdf

Reply
Ameen

March 22, 2010 at 7:42 PM

this is quite funny post,i never seen a post in where so called ”muslimmatters” said anything against American invention of Afghanistan.subahanAllah
you are either hijbur Rahman or hijbur shaitan
I can see muslimmatters are always with hijbur shaitan.
I can also see here few ”punk Bro”,lover of O’drama.
it does’t matter how much you love kuffar,one day they will kick you out from your place.

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 23, 2010 at 12:36 AM
  
  You “never seen a post” against Afghanistan invasion.
  
  There could be only 2 reasons for that:
  1) You don’t visit MM enough
  2) You didn’t take the opportunity to type afghanistan in the search box above
  
  Once you do #2, then please add another reply and say “sorry, I misrepresented you guys” :)
  
  Reply
  - AbÃ» MÃ»sÃ¢ Al-á¸¤abashÃ®
    
    March 23, 2010 at 7:39 AM
    
    lol Not likely. I don’t agree with everything on MM but some people are so obviously unjust with you guys it’s hard to take them seriously.
    
    Reply
- AbdelRahman Murphy
  
  March 23, 2010 at 9:00 AM
  
  Are the ‘z’ and ‘j’ keys really that easily confused? What is a hijb?
  
  Reply
Muhammad

March 22, 2010 at 7:44 PM

AA

I think the ICNA Shariah Council has done a great service to our ummah with this response. We have to be very clear to our youth what the Islamic position is and move away from eloquent speeches to one of substance. May Allah guide Anwar al-Awlaki so that he could rightfully be called ‘imam’ again. Until then, he will remain a ‘brother’ who has lost his way.

Reply
ICNA SM- Umber

March 22, 2010 at 8:27 PM

Assalamu Alaikum waRahmatullah.

I would like to see the original title of the response on MuslimMatters.
ICNA Shariah Council Responds to Al Awlaki

It has been changed.

Reply
Anas

March 22, 2010 at 8:33 PM

Woah, This is same article from ICNA.org, might be copyright’d :(

Reply
- Ameera
  
  March 22, 2010 at 8:43 PM
  
  Yes, if you notice, it’s been linked to ICNA at the top of the page, before the article starts.
  
  Reply
- Amad
  
  March 23, 2010 at 12:29 AM
  
  Anas, not sure what the point of your comment here. But to clarify for everyone, and because it was brought up in an email sent to us:
  
  If you search ICNA in the top search bar, you’ll find several posts where we have supported/covered ICNA events. We think ICNA is doing a wonderful job and is one of the leading organizations in America that should be supported by all Muslims. Having said that, the statement was actually emailed to us to be posted from the Imam directly. It was NOT a press release, and is still not a press release. In general, editorially, we will not attribute a statement to an organization just because someone is a member of it, because it is not guaranteed that the statement represents the organization or was issued on its behalf. So, if Sh. Waleed issues a statement, we will not say its an Al-Maghrib statement, even though he is its VP.
  
  On the other hand, you’ll find explicit mention of organizations in titles where the statement was issued officially as a press-release or by headquarters (like in many cases for CAIR).
  
  Bottomline, the statement was posted here on request, and we went a step further by adding a link to ICNA right at the top.
  
  Reply
Farah H.

March 22, 2010 at 8:50 PM

Allahu Must’aan. May Allah take the division away from our deen. May Allah take the petty politics out of our deen and make us united. We put so much on these issues that aren’t as pressing as other issues. let’s be real now, instead of “taking up arms and bringing down the evil kuffar” why dont we use this energy to give positive Da’wah? instead of figuring out how we’re going to fight these people, why not try to figure out how to get them towards Islam? What if the Prophet decided he’s going to fight every person who did something towards the muslims during the Makkan Period? My brothers and sisters, the state of our ummah is dismal at best, and we need to put wayyy more effort into the da’wah of our society rather than talking about how to bring about it’s downfall.

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 23, 2010 at 12:30 AM
  
  Agreed. Good comment.
  
  Reply
Tamoor I.

March 22, 2010 at 10:16 PM

After thinking about this, the only people who condone violence against innocent civilians are those who have lost touch with the people of the society they are condemning. Let me explain. Some of you may balk at me using the phrase “innocent civilians.” They ask how could a people who support and cheer for candidates who are part of a government that oppresses Muslims and helps the oppressors.

Well… here’s the thing. I guarantee you that the average American is not even vaguely cognizant of these atrocities against Muslims. The media has such a stranglehold on the population that they invariably see a sanitized and pro-American (duh) view of every issue, be it Israel or Iraq. Yes they voted for Bush (twice… /facepalm ), but do you think they would have voted for him if they were aware that it was a death sentence for so many innocent Muslims? I think not. All they know is that the US helps places like Haiti during the earthquake, promotes “freedom” in Iraq, and supports “poor defenseless democratic” Israel. I guarantee you if you walked down the street and gave someone the unadulterated truth, they would be just as horrified as us Muslims. So get back in touch with the American people before you condemn them.

The only ones who would have supported such horrific actions are just as few and far between as the terrorists in Islam we condemn. Do we condemn all Muslims for the actions of a few? No. Should we condemn all the civilians of America? No.

And to you all who still think that such violence is justified. Prepare to take on literally every person alive in every Muslim country. All of them are run by dictators or criminals. Hell if we go by these terrorists’ standards, every person alive in the world is guilty. So please take a cold shower, drink some chocolate milk, and otherwise relax and think clearly. Civilians are never, and will never be totally blameworthy.

Reply
- Amal
  
  March 23, 2010 at 8:44 AM
  
  Bravo! Well said.
  
  Reply
- Ibn Masood
  
  March 23, 2010 at 10:36 AM
  
  Excellent post mashaAllah. I really think Muslims who fall into such fitnah are not those who spend enough time amongst their neighbors, their communities and amongst the people they live with. Once you do, you realize how human non-Muslims are. We may dislike their religion and their shirk, but in the end, only by spending time with them and understanding them can we truly realize that the most beneficial and applicable solutions in today’s world lies in diplomatic, peaceful and reconciliatory conduct.
  
  You don’t need fiqh to understand this, just experience in dealing with the people you live amongst, both Muslims and non-Muslims.
  
  Reply
- suhail
  
  March 23, 2010 at 10:38 AM
  
  I think you are also over exxagerating the issue. A lot of americans know what is going on. CNN, BBC they all tell you how many people have been killed. Do the americans do not know that how many people have been killed in Iraq? Or for that matter they had many news in CNN and BBC regarding the attack on Fallujah or on Afghanistan. It is not that they do not know. It is that for them there military are doing the right thing.
  
  Did the american public not know what is going on in Gaza? You must be kidding me. It was all over the news about how many people Israel has killed. Regarding those settlements in Jeruslam it is all over on the news. Do they care?
  
  Did they care about civilians death when they bombed the heck out of Vietnam and Japan. No they did not. So please do not exaggarate things out of proportion.
  
  Come here in midwest and you will see that many people are happy with all the wars that are going on. They think it is the revenge they are taking for 9-11. It is not as simple as you portray.
  
  The problem with the idea of Targeting civilians is that it is prohibited in Shariah to intentionally target civilians. There is nothing like “INNOCENT CIVILIANS”. There is something called civilians that is who do not partake in fighting and killing them intentionally is prohibited in islam. Woman and Children are totally forbidden to kill unless they wage war against you with arms.
  
  Actually I think all this attack against Imam Anwar is quite amazing. Actually the Imam from ICNA was not attack Imam Anwar personally but was trying to refute his ideas which is allowed in Islam. But attacking him personally as some of the posters have done here and attacking his honor is still forbidden. He is still a “MUSLIM” do remember that or have you guys done Takfir on him.
  
  Reply
  - Tamoor I.
    
    March 24, 2010 at 2:24 PM
    
    @ Suhail
    
    The problem with your questions about them caring is this. Are they aware they are killing innocents or enemies? Take Japan for example, they nuked a country and a people that were in all out war with them and had killed thousands and thousands of their own people. For Gaza, the people there are portrayed as rabid anti-semites and bombers so why would they care nearly as much? They arent being PORTRAYED as innocents so why should Americans assume otherwise if everything in their society is urging them towards this view?
    
    Ironically, your post kind of proves my point. The fact that you express incredulity at my statement that they have no part is the same mindset of the terrorists (I’m not accusing you of anything just to be clear) from both sides who refuse to believe that they were ignorant of such atrocities. And this is how they justify their acts.
    
    Otherwise, I agree with the rest of what you said. He is still a Muslim, albeit a misguided one who needs correction and guidance from Allah.
    
    Reply
Dawud Israel

March 22, 2010 at 11:06 PM

Thank you for this post. MM gets a lot of brainwashed trigger-happy readers so this post is super necessary!

Brothers and sisters:
Bullets are not our teachers. It’s as simple as that.

Stop and think rather than letting out your frustrations like this. Sabr is needed before the ummah can rise again. To use violence now will only result in generations worth of bloodshed- endless warfare.

Is this the legacy we want to leave behind?

Reply
Awlaki: Danger to the Ummah

March 23, 2010 at 12:41 AM

READ HERE Shaykh Ubayd Al-Jaabiree’s article clarifying the situation of Awlaki

NOTE: This man called Anwar Al Awlaki is indeed a great danger to this Ummah. Particularly to our english speaking brothers and sisters. People like him put poison and mixed it honey until everyone who drinks it perishes. He started with soft topics such as the stories of the Prophets and when the people grew to trust him he started to introduce these matters of Jihaad.

And there are three people you do not trust in this religion as the Imams of the past said: A storyteller, An innovator who refutes an innovator and a Sufi. As for the storyteller he may either relate weak Ahadeeth or call the people to his way using these stories.

Reply
- Ameera
  
  March 23, 2010 at 5:25 AM
  
  Allah Knows best, we can only speak about what is clearly evident.
  
  Reply
  - Tamoor I.
    
    March 23, 2010 at 9:50 AM
    
    why the sufi?
    
    Reply
    - Abd- Allah
      
      March 23, 2010 at 10:03 PM
      
      why the sufi?
      
      Because the sufis are innovators.
      
      Reply
- slaveofAllah4lyf
  
  March 23, 2010 at 10:56 AM
  
  Please think about the context of the Quote you provided related to the Imams of the past….storyteller in wat sense? and please enumerate some of the weak narrations which Imam Anwar Al-Awlaqi has presented….and i dont see….where does he call people to “his” way….all i can see is back up 4m Quran and Sunnah…and please temme why does calling to jihad makes a person bad?
  
  if you want to say tht we live in a tym simmilar to the makkan period of the seerah…lemme remind you….ZUBAIR IBN AL-AWWAM (Radi Allahu Anhu)…who was a young boy at that tym….when the rumor spread in Makkah that RasoolAllah (SalAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) had been killed….even tho the muslims had not been given the permission to fight…Zubair took his sword…and went out…and the first person he bumped into was the Prophet (Sal Allahu Alaihi wa sallam)…who asked him where he was goin…he told him that he heard the he had been killed so he took upon himself an oath that he would make the streets of Makkah run with the blood of the mushrikeen….RasoolAllah (SalAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) didnt go on to rebuking him for that…..he instead smiled and did dua for him….and thts the reason the which it is said that it is Zubair whoz sword is the first sword drawn for Islam…..
  
  Reply
  - Usman Akhtar
    
    March 23, 2010 at 2:10 PM
    
    Please think of the context of your own quote from hadith. Do you think that this quote justifies anyone going out to claim jihad? Do you think that there is anyone out there who can legitimize any jihad being taken place like the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wassalam?
    
    Reply
    - slaveofAllah4lyf
      
      March 23, 2010 at 9:43 PM
      
      FYI…….jihad was never “de-legitimized” after it was legitimized and can never be……just lyk how u cant do the same with the others faraid (obligatory acts)…..and if u say tht a khalifah or a call 4m a leader is needed 4 jihad…..so plz dont mix defensive jihad(jihad bid da’af) with offensive jihad (jihad bit talab)
      
      Reply
    - slaveofAllah4lyf
      
      March 23, 2010 at 9:45 PM
      
      with regards to its context….its the same context which u ppl lyk to label the present situation of our ummah with…….n no more debates plz….i aint replying anymore inshaAllah
      
      Reply
- Usman Akhtar
  
  March 23, 2010 at 2:15 PM
  
  You probably won’t “trust” me, but anyways:
  
  Despite this being a Madani Scholar, the logic he uses against Imam Awlaki regarding the Al Saud family isn’t really sound, not to mention a few other things. The obvious reason why Awlaki doesn’t like the Sauds is because they thrive on business with the US and have become strong allies with them for the profit of their oil, and with that have stood silent while Iraq is invaded and Afghanistan is invaded. Not to mention that they probably wanted Iraq to be invaded for political power because they never like Saddam, never caring for the millions of Muslim lives destroyed.
  
  The Shaykh says that Awlaki doesn’t like Al Saud because they established tauheed which is not really a logical statement because Awlaki considers himself a Salafi and is against bida, and thats where the sufi stuff comes in along with Muhammad Ibn Abdal Wahab.
  
  Reply
  - Abd- Allah
    
    March 23, 2010 at 9:59 PM
    
    Awlaki considers himself a Salafi
    
    The better question is, do the rest of the salafis consider him to be a salafi? The answer is no! Just like Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims, but do most of other Muslims consider them to be Muslims? Not everyone who considers himself a salafi becomes one. Actions and words are what make one a salafi, not his mere claims. The issue is with the reality of things, not with their names. What kind of a salafi speaks out openly about the Muslim rulers (of a country in which he does not live in!) and criticizes them and insults them publicly??! This is definitely not from the way of our righteous predecessors nor from the sunnah at all, so he might call himself a salafi when in reality he is a takfeeri trying to hide in salafi clothes. Not everyone who is against bid’a and wears his thobe above his ankles automatically becomes a salafi, there is more to being salafi than just that, it is a whole way and methodology in following our pious predecessors in their actions, sayings, and most importantly following them in their proper understanding of this deen, which Awlaki obviously didn’t do since his understanding of this deen is much closer to that of the khawaarij rather than to that of the companions may Allah be pleased with them all. I don’t think you will find one real salafi scholar who will consider Awlaki to be salafi with those ideas and beliefs which he is preaching.
    
    Reply
    - Abu Rayyan
      
      March 24, 2010 at 7:25 AM
      
      Salam Alaikum Brother Abd- Allah,
      
      Jazakallah for your correct definition of what following the salaf means, that it is the practice and action that matters above the label and outward appearance.
      
      My queation to you is: since you are sayign that it was the unaninmous position of the salaf to not speak out against rulers, can you please help me in understanding the following:
      
      1. Husain (radia Allahu anhu), the grandson of Rasulullah (saw), refused to pledge allegiance to Yazeed ibn Muawiyah. He preferred to be killed and gain martyrdom rather than pledge allegiance to an unjust ruler. And to set things clear, it is the ijmaa’ of the Ummah that Yazeed was an unjust ruler as narrated by Ibn Taymiyaah (rah) and others and that Hussain (radi Allahu anhu) diead as a martyr on the haqq, as was testified by Rasulullah in the hadeeth foretellign Husain’s (ra) martyrdom.
      
      2. The people of Madeenah, which included the cream of the Ummah from the Sahabah and the Tabieen, revolted against Yazeed after his murder in cold blood of Hussain (ra) and his family. None of the Ahl Al-Madinah saw that Yazeed should be obeyed after his great injustice, which led to that wicked ruler’s invasion of Madinah and Makkah.
      
      3. Abdullah ibn Zubayr (ra), another sahabi and one of the salaf, revolted against the tyrant Hajaaj and his mother Asmaa bint Abi Bakr (radi Allahu anha) urged him to face martyrdom at the hand of Hajjaj rather than surrender to his tyranny. I know that other scholars like Hasan Al-Basri (rah) preferred being patient to Hajjaj’s dhulm and tyranny, but like I mentioned, Ibn Zubayr followed a different opinion and both are from Ahl Al-Sunnah.
      
      4. Imam Abu Haneefah, one of the salaf and a mujtahid Imam, and those who followed him believe it permissible to revolt against an unjust Muslim ruler. He supported the revolt of Nafs Zakiyyah against the Abbasids.
      
      5. Abdulaziz ibn Saud himself revolted against the Turks and the Shareef of Makkah before becoming King with the help of the Birtish. If this was impermissible as you boldly claim, then by your own rules he is a kharijee and you have no right defending him and his kharijee regime.
      
      Can you see how illogical your argument now sounds. I am not asking you to accept the permissibility of revolting against an unjust ruler, just that you acknowledge that difference of opinion exists on this matter and many of the salaf supported a position contrary to yours. In other words, don’t label the other side’s argument as being opposed to the salaf when many of the salaf, including the Sahabah, Tabieen, mujtahid imams, believed and acted otherwise.
      
      Reply
      - Abd- Allah
        
        March 24, 2010 at 12:48 PM
        
        Brother Abu Rayyan, it is interesting how you disregard the clear authentic hadiths of the Prophet peace be upon him and try to use other people’s actions to justify your argument. Has it ever occurred to you that people err and make mistakes regardless of how great their status is, even Abu Bakr radiyallahu anh was not perfect and made some mistakes, so to use his actions when he was wrong as an excuse to go against the clear authentic sunnah is not from the way of the salaf.
        
        Yazeed after his murder in cold blood of Hussain
        
        By the way, I don’t have time to correct all the mistakes which you did while talking about certain historic events, but one thing is that Yazeed was not the one who killed Hussain may Allah be pleased with him nor did he order that he be killed. So please before you reference historic incidents, make sure you have them straight and from authentic sources just so you don’t end up misguiding others.
    - Usman Akhtar
      
      March 24, 2010 at 2:14 PM
      
      ” Awlaki considers himself a Salafi”
      
      That’s what I said. I didn’t say that Awlaki considers himself a Salafi and therefore is a Salafi, you assumed, and your whole comment had nothing to do with what I said.
      
      If he considers himself a Salafi, whether he is or not, by no means does he oppose Tauheed or believes in Shirk, and even if he did its irrelevant because that isn’t the reason he hates the Saudi government. He hates them because they have politically sided with the west, (in his mindset) – and the shaykhs argument doesn’t hold.
      
      Brother, if you read what I say and not assume implications beyond what I say, your long post and the argument above wouldn’t even be necessary.
      
      Reply
    - Abu Rayyan
      
      March 24, 2010 at 2:55 PM
      
      Brother Abd- Allah,
      
      Jazakallah for your advice in double hecking the historic info into Yazeed. I went to the excellent Islam-QA, a site that you yourself quote extensively from, and here’s what I found:
      
      http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/14007
      
      Shaikul-Islam Ibn taymiyyah (rahimahullah), after quoting two exaggerated and incorrect views (those who love him and those who curse him) among the people about Yazeed, quoted the third view that he says is the correct view:
      
      The third view is that he was one of the kings of the Muslims, who did good deeds and bad deeds. He was not born until the caliphate of â€˜Uthmaan. He was not a kaafir but it was because of him that the killing of al-Husayn happened, and he did what he did to the people of al-Harrah. He was not a Sahaabi, nor was he one of the righteous friends of Allaah. This is the view of most of the people of reason and knowledge and of Ahl al-Sunnah waâ€™l-Jamaaâ€™ah.
      
      Then they divided into three groups, one which cursed him, one which loved him and one which neither cursed him nor loved him. This is what was reported from Imaam Ahmad, and this is the view of the fair-minded among his companions and others among the Muslims. Saalih ibn Ahmad said: I said to my father, some people say that they love Yazeed. He said, O my son, does anyone love Yazeed who believes in Allaah and the Last Day? I said, O my father, why do you not curse him? He said, O my son, when did you ever see your father curse anybody?
      
      Imam Al-Dhahabi, the author of the historical masterpiece and prolific biographer in Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa states:
      
      His reign began with the killing of the martyr al-Husayn and it ended with the battle of al-Harrah, so the people hated him and he was not blessed with a long life. There were many revolts against him after al-Husayn, such as the people of Madeenah who revolted for the sake of Allaah, and Ibn al-Zubayr.
      
      Brother Abd- Allah, the people who knew this deen the best were the Sahaabah, then the Tabieen, then the Tabi tabieen. These are the blessed three generations as authentically ahadeeth state. Our understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah must be according to the understanding of these three generations.
      
      If you think the people of Madeenah, who were the Sahaabah, may Allah be pleased with all of them, were wrong in rebelling against Yazeed, then you must know that all these ahadeeth that you implicitly refer to were in front of them and they understood them best and understood them to mean that revolting against an unjust ruler was not only allowed but recommended and that fighting and dying along that path was martyrdom. This view was held not by one sahaabi, but the entire grouping of Sahaabah in Madeenah who knew the ahadeeth of Allah’s Messenger better than any other scholar who came after them. This position was confirmed and approved of by the great muhaddith Al-Dhahabi (rahimahullah), who was the student of Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah), as i have quoted above. In addition, Imam Abu hanifah (rahimahullah) explicitly permitted rebellion against the unjust ruler and this is the established position in his madhab. Are you saying that all these great Imams, who were the cream of the salaf, did not understand the hadeeth of Rasulullah (saw) and acted contrary to it, and that some scholar today has more knowledge of this than all the Sahaabah in Madeenah combined, those who saw, lived and took knowledge directly from Rasulullah (saw)?
      
      In summary, brother, I hope you understand that the position I quoted was not that of one or two sahaabis but rather of the entire Sahaabah in Madeenah, the city of Rasulullah (saw). This was not a mistake by a sahaabi; it was the established interpretation of the entire people of Madeenah that legitimized revolt against Yazeed. If you think that any scholar today or student of knowledge knows better than all of the Sahaabah on how to interpret the ahadeeth of Rasulullah (saw), then that’s a very bold and incorrect statement, and I’d be afraid of facing Allah with such an attitude. I invite you to research this issue further and sincerely with an open mind to see that it is not all black-and-white as you may have been led to believe.
      
      Reply
Umm Reem

March 23, 2010 at 1:10 AM

This truly is a very sad situation, and a lesson for all of us. Many people are asking what could have been the reason behind such a change in a person, Allah knows best, and I am not judging anyone’s imaan, but in general, it is a reminder that the heart of the believer is between the two finger of Allah and He turns it over as He wishes. May Allah protect us.

We are living through a time of fitan, and may Allah protect us all from the evil of fitan what is apparent of it and what is hidden.

If what is being said about Anwar Awlaki is true, then may Allah azzawajal guide him to siraat al mustaqeem, and if it is false then may Allah reveal the truth and forgive us all.

Reply
Anas Hlayhel

March 23, 2010 at 1:50 AM

Assalaam Alaikum,

One thing to keep in mind is that calling for Jihad in Islam is a very big deal and requires several conditions to be met. One important condition is that Waliyy al-Amr (the person in charge of a state) calls to it, not an individual who canâ€™t even defend himself. What I canâ€™t understand is that we have seen in recent history several individuals who called to Jihad then they go and hide in caves letting the unarmed population suffer the consequence of their statements. In fact in major issues, it should be a body of scholars who should provide the ruling so to reduce the room for error, since error in those cases is huge and has humongous consequences. Unfortunately, what we see instead is young sheikhs RUSHING to fatwa without realizing the impact of their statements or the amount of harm that could inflict on others!!

And for those who incite Muslims to do harm to innocent civilians or to the country that provided protection for them, Iâ€™d say read verse 8:58, â€œIf you fear treachery from people [that has made a treaty with you] then revoke the treaty on equal ground [tell them that you are revoking the treaty so both of you are at equal ground] for Allah does not like the treacherousâ€. This is a very important condition that this verse sets, you donâ€™t just attack people even when you canâ€™t trust their treaty. You inform them first even if this will put you at a disadvantage. This is for people that are at war with you! So what about the innocent people who intended no harm to you?

In Surat al-Qasas, when Musa (Moses) killed a person that attacked him, he realized that it was a sin and he sought forgiveness. Someone could have argued that the Pharoah of Egypt and his followers have done great harm to the people of Musa and the act of Musa was justified. But Musa confessed that his killing was an act of satan because he killed a soul without permission. Thanks to many fatwas these days, many people think that Islam is a religion of anarchism. But in reality itâ€™s the opposite. One cannot take law in his/her hand. Itâ€™s either the court [for individual cases] or a government [for cases between nations]. Now, we see an individual making a decision for the whole Ummah without consulting with anyone!!!! In short, an act of war could only be initiated by a government not an individual who canâ€™t even protect his own property. Also, all treaties have to be observed unless there is fear that the other side wonâ€™t honor the treaty in which case we have to inform that we can no longer honor the treaty before we do anything else!
Allah knows best

Reply
- Ify Okoye
  
  March 23, 2010 at 11:24 AM
  
  Amazing and concise reply. Very beneficial.
  
  Reply
Abu Rayyan

March 23, 2010 at 3:01 AM

The argument about targeting tax-payers is as wrong as its absurd.

Nowadays the Pakistani government is fully involved in targeting its own people in the tribal areas and other crimes previously, such as the bloodbath at Lal Masjid and kidnap of Afia Siddiqui, sending over hundreds of people to Gitmo without any trial whatsoever all in exchange for a few dollars. Does this mean, that because the Pakistani government is part of the Crusade against Islam, that it is somehow OK to target ordinary Pakistani taxpayers? That all Muslims in Pakistan (who have to pay taxes to the government) are somehow legitimate targets???

It is good to see that MuslimMatters and other organizations have taken the lead in refuting these specious arguments and showing clearly that targeting civilians is a crime and NOT permitted in Islam. However, I have noticed that some of the posters here have linked to “refutations” on so-called “Salafi” websites that support an extremist methodology, where they classify the entire ummah and major Muslim organizations as innovators who are to be boycotted. I would request the MM mods to remove those links, because the extremism on these “bid’ah police” websites is just as bad as the opposite extremism that makes takfeer of all Muslims.

May Allah guide us all to that which is pleasing to Him. Ameen.

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 23, 2010 at 3:08 AM
  
  Jazakallahkhair
  Generally speaking, we will leave links to other sites, and let readers decide for themselves. Though there are exceptions. I agree that it is tough to take the “madkhalians” seriously when their refutations span nearly every scholar or student of knowledge in the world. But we should take the good from wherever it comes.
  
  Reply
leo

March 23, 2010 at 5:20 AM

From what Ive been reading he is in an undisclosed location in the hills in Yemen where he is under the protection of his powerful tribe. Lets just say for example we do act on Mr Al-Awlaki’s recent comments.
What are we precisely supposed to be doing? I am British born and bred, of Bangladeshi origin. I have not been back since I was 8 years old. I cannot read nor write Bengoli-I can barely speak it. Where do I run to?
The youtube video Ive seen is titled: “Anwar AlAwlaki: a call to jihad”. Maybe I missed it but I didnt quite hear him actually calling me to jihad. Before I get accused of coginitive dissonance I was never really attached to him to begin with.

Reply
History History History!

March 23, 2010 at 6:15 AM

One thing I would like to draw your attention to, is Anwar al Awlaki’s comment regarding the situation of Muslims in America. He compared it to the situation of Muslims after the Fall of Granada in 1492. He said:

“The Muslim Community in America has been witnessing a gradual erosion and decline in core Islamic principles, so today many of your scholars and Islamic Organisations are openly approving of Muslims serving in the US army to kill Muslims, joining the FBI to spy against Muslims and are standing between you and your duty of Jihad. Slowly but surely your situation is becoming similar to the embattled Muslim Community of Spain AFTER THE FALL OF GRANADA. Muslims of the West, take heed and learn from the lessons of history.”

We may disagree with what he has to say, but what you cannot disagree with is history. When something is documented time and time again, it has been set in stone. So please, if you are sincere and honest and truly searching for the truth then at least read your own history.

I’ve found a book which is SPECIFICALLY dedicated to the situation of the Muslims Post Fall of Granada, written by a Muslim author himself. This is the first time I’ve seen a Muslim perspective on the situation of Muslims post 1492. You can access it here- it’s in a reader- friendly format.

By 1492CE, the Muslims who used to control the whole of Andalus (Islamic Spain), were forced to give up whatever remaining and superficial control they had over it i.e. Granada. This was the last stronghold of the Muslims. When Abu AbdAllÄh Muhammad the 12th handed over the Keys of Granada to the Spanish Crown of Castille, the Muslims were given many false promises, such as the Capitulations of Granada which “allowed the Muslims that remained in the Emirate, full freedom of worship and protected their rights, (going as far as even promising to punish anyone who peers into a Muslim household). The agreement seemed to be made binding upon the Spanish Crown of Castille but as we shall see, it was broken within ten years after the agreement was put into effect.”

Read more about the Muslims of Andalus post 1492 here: Muslims in Spain from 1492-1568

Reply
- mystrugglewithin
  
  March 23, 2010 at 9:56 AM
  
  Interesting, jazakallah khayrun.
  
  Reply
  - History History History!
    
    March 23, 2010 at 12:18 PM
    
    Wa iyyaka. For the sake of spreading knowledge, I request all the brothers and sisters to spread this book (sending emails to friends and colleagues, advertising it on your blogs, putting it up on your facebook page etc) so we can at the very least learn from our history and apply its lessons to our lives.
    
    Reply
hamayoun

March 23, 2010 at 8:17 AM

Salam

Interesting. What I feel many anti-American scholars/preachers/teachers leave out is the fact that as muslims, we have so much freedom in the USA. If the USA really was out to destroy Islam, we would not have this freedom. Secondly, this is probably the best time in the history of the Ummah for giving dawah. No-one in the USA is going to stop you from giving dawah to anyone. The door is flung wide open for us. Are we taking advantage of this? Or do we just sit in our homes and complain, complain, complain without taking advantage of this dawah opportunity?

Reply
- Ameera
  
  March 23, 2010 at 8:46 AM
  
  You’ve raised a good point. How many of us common people, such as on this thread, are actually doing something positive, within our capacities?
  
  Reply
Pingback: Responding to Anwar Al Awlaki – A Message to Muslim Youth « Mohammed Abbasi
Umm Bilqis

March 23, 2010 at 10:16 AM

Hamayoun with the internet you can participate in dawah from anywhere in the world.
By the way, the best dawah would be the establishment of Islam on earth, a working example would show how Islam has the best solutions for the social/economic and political ills of societies if correctly implemented..

Reply
- hamayoun
  
  March 23, 2010 at 10:20 AM
  
  Salam
  
  Sister, do you live in the USA? Are those of us in the USA supposed to wait for Islam to be established and ignore the opportunity for dawah here?
  
  Reply
  - Umm Bilqis
    
    March 23, 2010 at 10:26 AM
    
    Actually, Hamayoun please note that I did not say you should ignore dawah opportunities at all. I personally talked to neighbors who live in my immediate vicinity a few houses on each side, carried islamic literature in my car and particpated in dawah programs in Canada.
    
    Reply
Ibn Masood

March 23, 2010 at 10:32 AM

A VERY sensitive and delicate topic handled very well mashaAllah. I never personally listened to any of his early lectures but know many brothers who did. And its extremely important that such a clarification be released so that his listeners take heed to not fall into the fitnah that our brother has fallen in to.

May Allah swt guide brother Anwar Al-Awlaki and allow him to benefit the Ummah in a positive manner once more.

Reply
- another white brother
  
  March 23, 2010 at 11:35 AM
  
  I still benefit from his naseehah, as do many mashaAllah. This witch hunt is scary. Where has our collective wala and bara gone?
  
  Reply
- FANOFIMAM
  
  March 24, 2010 at 1:50 AM
  
  Jazakallahkhair for you kind and humble words and Dua for my Imam.
  
  Reply
slaveofAllah4lyf

March 23, 2010 at 11:02 AM

I see many comments saying…..if what is being said about Imam Anwar is true then may Allah guide him….but a very few that Say that May Allah guide us all….we give himsoo much dua that may Allah guide him….and still think that he is not guided….but we dont do dua for ourselves…and still think that we are guided……Allahumma Ya Muqallib Al Quloob Thabbit Qalbi Ala Deenik Wa Ya Mussarif Al Quloob Saffir Qalbi Ala Taataik….Oh Allah! the turner of the hearts fix my heart on your deen….and Oh spender of the hearts…spend my heart on your obedience…..Ameen!….this is a dua that was much recited by RasoolAllah (SalAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam)

Reply
Sell Outs

March 23, 2010 at 11:40 AM

Sell Outs. What’s new?

Reply
Mahboob

March 23, 2010 at 11:56 AM

you guys remind of the time when sh ali tamimi was arrested and u had the extemist spubs crew insulting him right left and centre.

the same is happening now

Reply
- Tajzia
  
  March 23, 2010 at 4:12 PM
  
  Totally agreed.
  
  Reply
- MR
  
  March 23, 2010 at 6:59 PM
  
  MM didn’t exist during that time. So I’m assuming you are talking in general about the some of the people commenting on this article you recognize from 5 years ago who also commented somewhere else on Sh. Ali Tamimi?
  
  Reply
Mahboob

March 23, 2010 at 12:00 PM

All this reminds you when the sh ali at-tamimi got arrested and the knives were out for him too

if you want to recognise in which direction the most righteous amongst the muslims are then simply follow where the arrows are being fired.

Lets try to see things in there entirety rather than from our little lenses which are only ONE angle on the actual reality.

Reply
- Azeem
  
  March 23, 2010 at 12:20 PM
  
  Read Shariq’s comment. The issues with AA were noticed by many in the community starting from a few years back, but they took too long to say anything. Imam Omar’s article came out after it was simply unbearable anymore to not say anything. His call for American Muslims to do Jihad Against America was the breaking point. Like Shariq many in the community did try to curb the increased reckless jihadi mentality that we saw brewing amongst youth who were infatuated with AA’s jihad material and his blog posts. Even after this breaking point some Muslims are so emotional that they still can’t take a stand because they are too emotionally attached.
  
  Reply
- The Truth
  
  March 23, 2010 at 1:24 PM
  
  This is so true.
  
  May Allah have mercy on Imam Anwar and us all.
  
  If you have a guilty conscience living in the West, for whatever reason, you should leave (go somewhere neutral if you feel you’ll be swayed or even ‘indoctrinated’) and see the whole situation from a different view.
  
  This is what Imam Anwar did, and this what we should do. Don’t you know that your taxes in one way or the other contribute to mass murder and occupation around the world?! WAKE UP my brothers and sisters!
  
  I pray Allah guides us all through this time of trial and tribulation. Ameen.
  
  Reply
  - Ameera
    
    March 23, 2010 at 3:11 PM
    
    The taxes argument is flimsy at best. Taxes are paid for many, many more reasons than to simply go towards the defence budget of a country. Tax money is spent on healthcare, social welfare, building roads, schools, disaster management, health and other research.
    
    If your argument was correct, then even in Muslim countries such as Pakistan, we should stop paying taxes because some of it eventually is used by corrupt politicians to commit aggressions upon the hapless public? Or even to secretly approve drone attacks by Americans on civilians living in close proximity to mischief-mongers in the tribal areas?
    
    The world is not as black-and-white as some people make it out to be and the sooner we realize it, the better, for saner forces to prevail. Allahu a’lam!
    
    Reply
    - suhail
      
      March 23, 2010 at 3:58 PM
      
      Yeah Taxes arguments is not a right thing according to me. We all pay taxes because we have to. Even americans are against paying taxes. See the dude who few the plane into IRS building.
      
      Reply
      - Halminmazeed
        
        April 4, 2010 at 1:20 PM
        
        You have to.pay tax!!! Hmm!!!
        
        You to have to obey the creations of the Creator displease HIm and not follow the Quran that tells us to verify infomation coming from transgressors. This the ‘imam’ labeled brother who wrote this piece do 100% verification of the various pieces of news before launching verbal attacks against another muslim and encouraging thow with lile minds like him to do so here. Or is it that when CNN or Fox et al say something, then it must be believed and all guards aagainst gheeebah and nameema thrown to the wind.imam indeed. Even the Germans attested to the fact that CNN lies/lied viz 9 11 Why is it that all the knowledge we race to gather at our various seminars/webinars/etc cannot inform us that , based on the ilm of hadeeth, we do not accept khabar from proven lairs. Or is that the apparent knowledge we gather is no better than the academic knowledge found in acdemic departments of islamic studies in universities One way to know what is truly beneficial knowledge and is not
        
        From another angle, can we 100% confirm that all we are being fed by the media as regards the brother. If there’s a 1% chance that it is all false, who will remind us to make taubah from all the slandering and backbiting on this blog. And who will help us on the day of judgment when tauba cannot be accepted. This imam or yasir qadi and others that have permitted this orgy? CNN? The State Dept? Fear Allah and the day when we shall al be called to account. A day when all the dunya that has occluded our vision will be of no avail. A day when the Hell fire will say …
        
        Hal min mazeed
  - Abdus-Sabur
    
    March 23, 2010 at 4:49 PM
    
    @The Truth
    
    The change has to come from within.
    
    I was born and raised here in the U.S. and I don’t know a single muslim that was born and raised here that has any illusion about the U.S. or would be willing to succumb to any indoctrination. Do you know of any muslims Americans bought into the hype that you know of? I would like to meet them.
    
    Perhaps all of the muslims in other lands should move due to the complacency and corruption of their own governments. The government of Saudi Arabia sits so nice and quiet while muslims are oppressed all over the world. We don’t hear a peep out of those rascals.
    
    To see something from a different angle or perspective does not require moving to another place. What is required is empathy and critical thinking that Allah has given us. I do not need to stick my hand into the blade of a table saw to figure out that I will lose a few fingers or even my hand.
    
    In closing, you mention a “neutral” place. You mean a place like Denmark or Sweden where muslims are oppressed more than they are in the U.S and Canada? There is no Utopia.
    
    â€œTruly, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.â€ (Quran 13:11)
    
    Reply
- Ameera
  
  March 23, 2010 at 3:13 PM
  
  Brother, I don’t know about you but I think the arrows, as you put it, are flying in all directions. My personal view here, not MM’s.
  
  Reply
  - mystrugglewithin
    
    March 23, 2010 at 3:28 PM
    
    He’s quoting Ali RA: “If you want to recognize in which direction the most righteous amongst the Muslims are, then see in which directions the arrows of the Kuffar are goingâ€.. [source?!]
    
    If arrows are flying in all directions, then a/c to the quote, we all are righteous.
    
    .. wallahu alam.
    
    Reply
    - The Truth
      
      March 23, 2010 at 6:39 PM
      
      “I wanted to live in an Islamic stateâ€“one that was free from the corruption and despotism of the rest of the Muslim world…. I knew you wouldn’t understand. The Taliban were better than anything Afghanistan has had in the past 25 years.” Enemy Combatant – Moazzam Begg, Former Guantanamo bay prisoner
      
      He was in the process of setting up a school, both for girls and boys. The Taliban did not like this but he still was going ahead with it. This is real change.
      
      We ALL could have made a change in Afghanistan if we visited it at one period of time but we were too cosy in the West.
      
      A chance to escape and create a real Muslim nation… lost.
      
      Reply
      - Amad
        
        March 24, 2010 at 12:04 AM
        
        And what were you doing at the time Mr. “The truth”? Setting up a school conflated with setting up a “real” Muslim nation. You have no idea.
    - Amad
      
      March 24, 2010 at 12:02 AM
      
      The problem is your misuse of the quote. The “kuffar’s arrows” are also flying towards other pure terrorist groups, their arrows also landed to save Muslims (albeit late) in the Bosnia Sarajevo genocide…. so obviously a sweeping use of this statement, out of context, is wrong.
      
      Reply
      - mystrugglewithin
        
        March 24, 2010 at 12:27 AM
        
        Might be akhi, wallahu a’lam, this topic is beyond my capacity to have an opinion, but I learn a lot, alhamdolillah :>
        
        I was just thinking that it might be helpful to share the fact that it was said by Ali RA, and I still have no source.
        
        jak, ws.
      - The Truth
        
        March 24, 2010 at 12:58 AM
        
        As usual Amad your post is the embodiment of cynicism, interlaced with malice.
        
        I did clearly state “we”, not you – but I think you missed that.
        
        Also, my heart has been wrenching over this lost opportunity ever since 9/11. But at least I will hold myself to account for my inaction, even though at the time of 9/11 I hadn’t even reached the age of maturity (puberty), and had absolutely no means of even travelling there (let alone before the foreign Invasion!).
        
        Please don’t misconstrue my words, I was using the school issue as an example of real change. If we had Muslims from all educational backgrounds flocking backing from the West to help this new Muslim state in their personal capacity we just might have been in a different position right now. Who knows what the infrastructure could have become. Only Allah knows.
        
        But I must have no idea, so I guess we’ll have to leave it at that.
        
        May Allah guide us all through these times of trial and tribulation and forgive us our shortcomings. Ameen.
Secrecy

March 23, 2010 at 12:03 PM

Salaam ‘alaykum,

SubhanAllah – Having grown up with the lectures – and then seeing all what followed by the Imam was scary – SubhanAllah, this is how it is, as Muslims our actions are not determined by others. We act according to the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.

– Not by what happened in Iraq.
– Or what is happening in the World.
– Or what happens to us.

These are sad states and my words cannot express how much it does hurt me in regards to what’s happening there, subhanAllah. Though as Imam Omar suggested – it doesn’t call for what Imam Anwar alAwlaki’s statements in regards to them.

Maybe it’s time we started addressing our problems, rather than blaming others? Which we are alhamdulillah – though we can increase in this inshaAllah.

Ask ourselves practical questions, what are we going to do, that will help our Ummah? in the West and East.

Also, we still do Al-Wara and Bara (and may Allah ‘azza wa jal increase us in it, aameen!) – Yet, this shouldn’t stop us from speaking the truth, whilst looking at the bigger picture and Hikma. I do know sisters who will agree with what brother Anwar said, a very small minority though – Hence, such a clarification is good.

May Allah guide us all to the straight path pleasing to Him alone,, and if we are wrong – May Allah put us on the straight path! Aamen.
And Allah knows Best.

Reply
- Yaqeen needed
  
  April 1, 2010 at 1:23 AM
  
  Secrecy,
  
  we still do Al-Wara and Bara.
  
  Kindly explain – which al Wala and bara. Americanised al wala and bara or American Standard wala and bara. Which one
  
  Reply
Iyad

March 23, 2010 at 1:56 PM

as-Salamu-Aleikum

I see many brothers and sisters who are very emotional of what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world. Every true muslim believer should. But before we think and discuss how we will solve this problem we must know what made this problem come in the first place. The answer are easy: The muslim Ummah has left their religion. They have left the Quran and the Sunnah. So how do you think Allah will give such a nation victory?

you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allaah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm

[Muhammad 47:7]

Allaah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely, give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me

[al-Noor 24:55]

That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. [al-Anfaal 8:53]

The prophet (sws) said:

“The nations will soon crowd against you like the gluttons crowd against their dish. One asked: Is this because we will be in few number at that time? The prophet replied: No, at that time you will be many but you will be (like) scum like the scum of the flood and Allah will remove the awe of you from the hearts of your enemies and Allah will put WAHN in your hearts. One asked: What is WAHN o messenger of Allah. The prophet replied: The love of this life and hatred of death” (Abu Dawud and Ahmad)

The solution are:

1. Return to Allahs religion and obey Him and the messenger.

2. Calling people, non-muslims and muslims, to Islam.

3. Making Du’ a for our brother and sisters.

4. Helping our brothers and sisters politically and economically.

Reply
- mystrugglewithin
  
  March 23, 2010 at 2:11 PM
  
  .. and this:
  
  “Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.” [Quran 2-216]
  
  Reply
  - The Truth
    
    March 23, 2010 at 2:16 PM
    
    MashaAllah, may Allah allow us to maintain our intention to struggle fee-sabeelillah throughout our lives. Ameen.
    
    Reply
  - Iyad
    
    March 24, 2010 at 3:27 PM
    
    Yes ofcourse fighting for Allahs sake is indeed obligatory in some places today. But im talking about us muslims here in the west. What we can do…
    
    Reply
AbdulHaq

March 23, 2010 at 4:36 PM

This is a useful critique though, and the website tries to present a more academic approach:

http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Awlaki

Reply
X

March 23, 2010 at 7:09 PM

Salam

I’ve been reading history books and following world politics for a long time now. I think rather then attacking personalities or trying to justify our weakness with scripture as John Milton says ‘I clothe my felon with holy rit’ we should accept the truth of our decadence that we maintain through the misinterpretation of scripture. The reality is simple if we as Muslims want somebody to blame after being an Ummah in a century of Ignominy then all we have to do is look into a mirror. There will we find the real culprit to the crimes perpetuated against us and our people.
We need to wake up and see what the reality is, what does scripture actually say, we need to appreciate the Truth of our need to migrate if we can no longer stay in countries that have nothing but to gain from our Century of Ignominy. We have to realise that the Lord has blessed us with so many opportunities and chance that we have failed miserably failed at.
We need to regain our link with Allahs scripture and what the US and its satellite states are nothing but a wind. This is a similar wind that could be seen in Ezekial (Bible) which blew over the dry bones in the Valley and bring life to them and transform them into an army that the ‘son of man’ could use. Iraq is a wind, Afghanistan is a wind, the war on terror is a wind and if we don’t let this wind blow over us and rise like the valley of bones then we will never get up, we will never do anything to change our state of decadence whose status quo is maintained by no one else but us. And it is now high time that we say to our oppressors (whoever they may be) with what Moses(PBUH) said to Pheroh in the bible ‘Let my people go.’
Don;t worry I’m not a Christian but those verse came to my mind first so thats why I’m quoting them. From reading some of the above where people are trying to justify their lack of action or condemnation of attacks is no different to what the Jews said to Moses in the Qur’an ‘you and your God go and fight.’
I’ll leave you all with one final quote from Lious Farrakhan paraphrasing Frederick Douglas “Power concedes nothing without a demand but power won’t even concede to a demand if it comes from a weak constituency that looks like it’s lost its testicular fortitude,” This is why no-one takes the Muslims seriously

Wassallam

Reply
- Brother X
  
  March 23, 2010 at 7:23 PM
  
  I just made the post by X. To add to what I’ve said we can no longer ask people who are not from our faith permission to do what is required by our faith.
  We need to test our faith and ask ourselves how strong is it.
  Do we use scripture to justify our easy living? Do we use scripture so that we may get along to get along Muslims.
  We need to acknowledge the truth of our spiritual weakness and lack of ‘testicular fortitude’ in how we respond to others and each other
  
  Reply
Anonymous

March 23, 2010 at 9:54 PM

Salaam Do not forget brother ans sisters what is says in the quran O you who believe! If a Fasiq (liar â€” evil person) comes to you with any news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance, and afterwards you become regretful for what you have done. surah hujarat (6) .And know you will be held for whatever you say for verily the angels are recording it and for the Muslims who do not even pray 5 times a day but are always ready to delve into politics controversy voicing their own opinions DO not think just because you are in America you are safe. they are using people like you to get your brothers and after that they will come and get you may Allah protect all the Muslims around the world and preserve our real ulema who stand for the truth.

Reply
- Yaqeen needed
  
  April 1, 2010 at 1:52 AM
  
  Well said
  
  Reply
Uthman

March 23, 2010 at 10:00 PM

Bismillah,

Maybe we could have the Shoyookh give a class on the Fiqh of Jihad. Its obligations,conditions, reasons, rulings etc. When it is to be done and what makes someone fall into the extremist spectrum.

Ok fine Imam Anwar Awlaki has extremist views etc. Why don’t we learn this topic?

We can even invite non-muslims and show them how beautiful our religion is and what the real meaning of Jihad is. It will be good dawah.

InshAllah only then can this be best resolved. Please feel free to correct me. This is not the first time I have requested a class of this nature be conducted.

Reply
- Abd- Allah
  
  March 23, 2010 at 10:56 PM
  
  have the Shoyookh give a class on the Fiqh of Jihad. Its obligations,conditions, reasons, rulings etc
  
  I agree that this is a MUST!
  
  Reply
  - FANOFIMAM
    
    March 24, 2010 at 1:35 AM
    
    Are you KIDDING BRO, Al-Maghrib will be shut-down.
    
    Reply
    - Abd- Allah
      
      March 24, 2010 at 12:05 PM
      
      Are you KIDDING BRO, Al-Maghrib will be shut-down.
      
      I disagree. But I guess the only way to find out is after they do have a such class. Then we can all know how much freedom to practice in the US we all really have.
      
      Reply
    - Uthman
      
      March 24, 2010 at 12:13 PM
      
      Why would it be shutdown when we are talking about the best Deen for mankind on this planet? I am not ashamed to be a muslim and certainly not ashamed about this aspect of Islam and neither should anyone else be on this forum.
      
      My request stands.
      
      Reply
AnotherBrother

March 24, 2010 at 12:03 AM

may Allah(swt) forgive and protect us all. And May He(swt) forgive and protect our brother Anwar Al-awlaki

Reply
Amad

March 24, 2010 at 12:13 AM

You know what is amusing and annoying at the same time is that none of the supporters of Awlaki have actually talked to the issue here or elsewhere online.

1) Do you SUPPORT this man’s praise of Farouq AbdulMutallib’s murderous attempts? [Assume for the sake of argument that the reports/interview is authentic, i.e. leave the conspiracy theories on the side]
2) Would you still have heralded him as the only brave Muslim left on earth IF your family members were in that flight with Farouq AbdulMutallib?

Please answer the questions above DIRECTLY. Let’s move past the fluff, and talk to the issue.

Reply
- FANOFIMAM
  
  March 24, 2010 at 1:28 AM
  
  Hey Dogg,
  
  Can you please STOP being so RUDE to my BROTHER AND IMAM in ISALM.
  By Calling him only by his last name.
  
  Thanks Bro.
  
  We are cool
  
  WE DISAGREE BUT STILL LOVE YOU.
  
  Reply
  - Amad
    
    March 24, 2010 at 3:13 AM
    
    Awlaki is his tribal name, and it is not a rude gesture to call him by that. And to be honest, when someone wants tries to justify murder, I have a hard time calling the person an Imam.
    
    Let’s stick to the answering the questions asked.
    
    May Allah forgive us all, and I love you too Dawgg feed deen:)
    
    Reply
    - AR Aqeedah
      
      March 28, 2010 at 7:07 AM
      
      Salaam Amaad,
      
      you are too much man. If you wouldn’t joke on every single reply that you have, i would take you more seriously.
      
      But Alhamdulillah, we all know the answers to your questions from any followers of islam, awlaki lovers or not.
      
      Reply
Siraaj

March 24, 2010 at 1:54 AM

LOL, Amad, this whole comments section has become a super salafi slobberknocker. If only the sufis (sorry, soofees) would strafe the area with refutations delineating the five levels of bid’ah, we could have a Battle Royal that would make Vince McMahon proud.

And then the super-salafis would team with the super-salafees and the pseudo-salafees who are really hizbees on the manhaj of the ikhwaan who take from the deviant qutubees.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Siraaj

PS: actually feeling a bit off the manhaj today, let’s just sign with one ‘a’

Siraj

Reply
- leo
  
  March 24, 2010 at 5:25 AM
  
  :-D
  
  Reply
- AbÃ» MÃ»sÃ¢ Al-á¸¤abashÃ®
  
  March 24, 2010 at 11:38 AM
  
  How childish.
  
  Reply
  - Siraaj
    
    March 24, 2010 at 3:58 PM
    
    Let me know when the adult conversation starts.
    
    Siraaj
    
    Reply
    - AbÃ» MÃ»sÃ¢ Al-á¸¤abashÃ®
      
      March 26, 2010 at 10:53 AM
      
      Try reading just about every other comment. lol Sorry I didn’t mean to come out rude. I just found the caricaturing based on transliteration convention (which is not even strictly true, hence the link in my name) annoying.
      
      Reply
      - Siraaj
        
        March 27, 2010 at 12:16 AM
        
        I did – I’m still looking for it ;)
        
        Siraaj
- Usman Akhtar
  
  March 24, 2010 at 2:18 PM
  
  everyone’s got beef with the sufi’s, :(
  
  the sad truth is, this ummah is only united with a common enemy, and fails to see the common ally that we have in the Quran, the Sunnah, and the path towards Allah Subhana Wah Ta’ala.
  
  Reply
  - Abd- Allah
    
    March 24, 2010 at 2:31 PM
    
    everyoneâ€™s got beef with the sufiâ€™s
    
    Akhi Usman, what do we have in common with those extreme sufis who oppose the Quran and sunnah and fall into shirk and innovations. If you really look into it, the extreme sufis are practicing something completely different than Islam. Do these sufis worship Allah or do they worship their shaykh?
    
    Malik ul-Mulk Shaykh Mevlana Nazim al-Kibrisi
    
    http://naksibendi.us/the-tarikat/practices/naksi-bendi-prayerbook
    
    Reply
- Tajzia
  
  March 25, 2010 at 3:04 AM
  
  LOL!
  
  Reply
Abu Rayyan

March 24, 2010 at 4:12 AM

Salam Alaikum,

It is interesting that the links to the super-salafee websites, the likes of TROID, salafimanhaj etc., have been left untouched by the mods despite the honey-coated poison and extremely deviant ideas they preach.

The funny thing is if someone had posted one of the baatil refutations done by these sites of Sh. Yasir Qadhi or an of the other Al-Maghrib shuyookh, the mods would have hastened to remove those links, condemned the posters for their prejudice and hate-filled speech and blocked them from posting.

However, since the person being refuted here is Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki (and yes, despite his mistakes, he is still a sheikh and a scholar), it seems all is fair game, including allowing the posting of articles that attack him and his character based on baatil, something that is unacceptable for anyone.

Let us not forget the verse in the Holy Quran: “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for AllÃ¢h as just witnesses and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety, and fear AllÃ¢h. Verily, AllÃ¢h is Well-Acquainted with what you do. ” [Al-Maidah:8]

And, to add to this, the mistaken position of allowing the targeting of civilians is not one that is being held by Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki alone. Indeed, Sh. Ibn Uthaymeen, in his well-known fatwa, held the same position and said that if the kuffaar attack the Muslim civilians, the Muslims are allowed to do likewise and kill the civilians of the kuffaar. Although the majority of scholars disagreed with this incorrect and shadh [lone] opinion and refuted it with scholarly arguments from the Quran, Sunnah and consensus of the Ummah, none of them attacked the character of Ibn Uthaymeen [rahimahullah] or called him a murder-justifying bandit, as some are trying to do in the case of Sh. Anwar.

May Allah guide us to that which pleases him and grant victory to His Ummah. Ameen.

Reply
- Amad
  
  March 24, 2010 at 5:49 AM
  
  Your reference to Ibn Uthaymeen’s fatwa is flawed and distorted (in reference to Awlaki’s message).
  
  Ibn Uthaymeen rh, if translated/quoted properly, was talking in theoretical terms in response to a theoretical question. On the other hand, Awlaki was referring to a specific situation, judging for the ummah that the circumstances and situation was one where murders of innocent civilians was allowed (even though as you point out such an opinion would be strange). And if you look at the corpus of Ibn Uthaymeen’s works, he was not one who was possessed and obsessed with this topic. He wasn’t constantly engaged in misguiding the youth on jihad and other current issues (he was not the go-to guy for terrorists acting in the name of jihad) as Awlaki seems to be now doing. In fact, comparing someone whose Islamic credentials themselves are no more than an average student of knowledge, to a Shaykh of the esteem and depth of Ibn Uthaymeen is preposterous.
  
  If you want to talk about Ibn Uthaymeen, consider all his positions on terrorism, on suicide bombings, on correcting rulers, etc. instead of cherry-picking one statement as being above all. In fact, Ibn Uthaymeen’s position on attacks such as Farouq was intending to carry out is the opposite to Awlaki’s as he condemned the suicide bomber as being one who will be in hell-fire.
  
  Response: Indeed, my opinion is that he is regarded as one who has killed himself (committed suicide), and as a result he shall be punished in Hell, for that which is authenticated on the authority of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam).
  
  I know the following are from the extremist SPUBs site (and that also answers your questions about super-salafee sites… we’ll take the good from them in what we agree with them on… it’s not the mentality of either you are against us or for us as the neokhawarij adhere to although we will not allow “good” links from any site that promotes violent extremism), but they are the words of Ibn Uthaymeen so it doesn’t matter who carries them:
  
  Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen’s Advice Concerning the Algerian Crisis And Additional Notes on Revolution and Terrorism
  Shaikh Ibn Uthaimeen on Interacting With Non-Muslims in Western Countries
  On Terrorism, Suicide Bombings and Related Affairs
  
  Reply
  - Abu Rayyan
    
    March 24, 2010 at 6:45 AM
    
    Amad,
    
    If you are saying that Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) was excused for holding a theoretical opinion that justified tit-for-tat killing of non-Muslim civilians in retaliation (which we all agree is wrong), then what is the difference when Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki said in the Al-Jazeera interview that he agrees with Farouk’s action? He clearly mentioned in the interview that he was not the one who ordered Farouk to undertake this action (which we all know and agree was illegal and wrong), but that he sees the validity of it. Isn’t this a “theoretical” justification as well. Even Western law would not count this as material support of terrorism but rather as an opinion, and freedom of opinion and speech is guaranteed in Western law.
    
    Secondly, you say that Ibn Uthaymeen was against suicide bombings. Fair enough, but he also said in his fatwa that he hopes that a person who carries them out (in a military battle against a legitimate military target), that he would hope for that person to be excused and forgiven and not be destined for hell, due to the excuse of taweel. Further, Imam Al-Albani (rahimahullah) was asked about these operations, and he explicitly condoned and approved of them if they are ordered by the commander of the Muslim army against military targets in battle, and he equated them and other commando actions with self-sacrifice and and martyrdom, not suicide and terrorism. So, at the very least, let’s agree that this is an issue of fiqhi ikhtilaaf and it is not fair to label the other side’s position as baatil when they have proof as well as the statements of many contemporary scholars (including Sh. Al-Qaradawi when he unreservedly approved of them even against civilians in occupied Palestine) in their favor. In fact, you will be surprised to note that this is the same thing for which Rashid Minhas was awarded Pakistan’s highest national honor when he martyred himself by crashing his plane during a war with India to prevent India from extracting intelligence from him. Did he commit suicide and is he going to be burnt in hell for defending his country? I would think not inshaAllah.
    
    Lastly, you contradict yourself by saying that you take the good from everyone, and thereby justify taking from SPUBS and their ilk, despite their well-known backbiting, slander, gossip and false accusations against all Muslim scholars and students of knowledge. However, you deny this right to Sh. Anwar and others due to their support of “violent extremism” and being, in your words, neo-khawarij. If Sh. Anwar is saying something that doesn’t contradict the Quran and the Sunnah, then that should be taken and whatever contradicts the Quran and the Sunnah should be thrown against the wall.
    
    Even some of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all) erred and fought against the legitimate khaleefah Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and a lot of Muslim blood was wrongfully shed, but do we denounce and reject those sahaabah? No, we say they( i.e. the Sahaba who fought Ali radi Allahu anhu) erred in their ijtihaad and will have one reward and we send Allah’s mercy on them and accept all the ahadeeth they narrated, as opposed to groups like the Shia, Khawarij and their ilk.
    
    Finally, the situation in Algeria was more complex, because there many of the groups fighting were doing takfeer of the entire Muslim society similar to what Takfeer and Hijrah did in Egypt. That;s why those people were rightfully labelled as Khawarij and fought. Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki has never supported takfeer of entire Muslim societies; rather, he has exhorted the Ummah to fight the disbelievers who are invading Muslim lands, precisely in order to protect Muslim lives. Remember, the distinguishing sign of the khawarij mentioned by Rasulullah (saw) that the khawarij fight the people of Islam and leave alone the people of awthaan (lit. idols),i.e. the Mushrikeen. Takfeer wal Hijrah and the groups in Algeria fitted this description; Sh. Anwar does not.
    
    I ask Allah (swt) to guide Sh. Anwar back to his previous moderate position, but at the same time, like you said, we should take the good from wherever it comes, especially when it comes from someone who is well-known for his untiring efforts in dawah, even if we disagree with him on many matters, which are ultimately of fiqh (and for which he has the statements of certain scholars backing his shadh positions).
    
    Reply
    - Amad
      
      March 24, 2010 at 7:08 AM
      
      I ask Allah (swt) to guide Sh. Anwar back to his previous moderate position
      
      Ameen
      
      what is the difference when Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki said in the Al-Jazeera interview that he agrees with Faroukâ€™s action?
      
      There is a huge gulf of difference between the positions of the two men, in both fiqh and more importantly the application of fiqh. Wallahi, I guarantee that if Ibn Uthaymeen were alive today, he would NEVER justify such murderous attacks or attempted attacks against innocent civilians, far, far from the battlefield, because no person in history became an Imam (a “real” Imam”), loved by countless people from all sides (even among those who agreed with ideology) if he held such heinous views. This is my belief and I will take full accountability for it. I fear that such comparisons will hurt our Imam’s (Ibn Uthaymeen) reputation, and I believe to (inadvertently inshallah) soil an aalim’s reputation in order to justify a mere student of knowledge’s (Awlaki) position is an injustice to ibn Uthaymeen, and an injustice to Muslims. Because comparisons of Awlaki to the Imam will only make people go further away from Ibn Uthaymeen— that is the reality, whether we like it or not. Ibn Uthaymeen would have said about Farouq the opposite to what Awlaki said, and if one cannot see the difference, then I cannot explain it any better. Unfortunately, we cannot allow further raising these doubts about our deceased Imam.
      
      Secondly, as far as taking the good is concerned, pls read my entire disclaimer carefully. Yes, Muslims may read some pretty bad stuff about other Muslims on the “supers salafis” websites, but they will not be invited to violent extremism if they happen to check out other parts of the website. And exhortation to violence is something we cannot tolerate, and thus we will not link to sites that support terrorism (even if implicitly). Unfortunately, Awlaki has become the Internet “prophet” for the keyboard jihadists and youth itching to do “something”, even if not completely deserved (although he has a lot of responsibility for it). And unfortunately too it will mean that his beneficial tapes/CDs will not be sold by many outlets (or carried online). Because the risk of the Muslim youth attaching to him via his moderate positions, and then for these youth being able to discriminate between his right and wrong positions, is too high.
      
      Reply
    - Umm Bilqis
      
      March 24, 2010 at 8:45 AM
      
      Well said Abu Rayyan,
      Now if Muslims would begin an effort to eradicate usury/interest from their societies. The time for such a noble challenge is at hand. : D
      
      Reply
      - Abd- Allah
        
        March 24, 2010 at 12:30 PM
        
        Brother Abu Rayyan, can you please provide me with Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s (rahimahullah) fatwa in Arabic that you are referring to.
        
        One thing to note is this comparison of Ibn Uthaymeen with Awlaki is very weak. It is enough to note that if in fact Ibn Uthaymeen did ijtihaad in this issue and was wrong, he has the right to do ijtihaad to begin with because of his level of knowledge and his ability to do ijtihaad, on top of all his works and teaching which he has done. Whereas Awlaki is not even a scholar, and he is a local imam/student of knowledge with a few lectures and he does not qualify to do ijtihaad to begin with so that we can excuse him and say that he was wrong because of his ijtihaad, because he is guilty of trying to do ijtihaad in manners which are beyond his level of knowledge to begin with. Ibn Uthaymeen has many books and lectures in teaching Islam, and has a well established reputation amongst the scholars who praise him like Al-Albani and Bin Baaz and many other great scholars who acknowledge his high level of knowledge which allows him to do ijtihaad, and many Muslims around the world have heard of him because of his knowledge and good works on Islam, and he is known for that knowledge and teaching it. Where as Awlaki is barely known by some, and even after he was on the news, not too many people know him, and many of those who know him have only come to know him through this extremism of his and not through his knowledge or other good teachings in which he might have benefited the people with, because he barely has any such works aside from a few articles and lectures, and his level of knowledge doesn’t qualify him to be doing ijtihaad. You see the difference between the two whom you are trying to compare. If Awlaki was known for his sound knowledge and high level like Ibn Uthaymeen, and then he made such a mistake in one of his fatwas then we would say he is excused, but if all is Alwaki is known for is this mistake of his without having the high level of knowledge to begin with to be able to make ijtihaad and pass this fatwa of his, then why should we treat him like we treat our great Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah).
        
        Brother Abu Rayyan, I am waiting for you to provide me with that fatwa in Arabic of Ibn Uthaymeen inshAllah.
- Abu Rayyan
  
  March 24, 2010 at 4:58 PM
  
  Brother Abd- Allah,
  
  I am surprised you are not aware of this position of Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) on the tit-for-tat killing of kuffaar civilians if they kill the Muslim civilians.
  
  You may hear the lecture from the Shaikh’s official Arabic website, a magnificent body of Islamic knowledge set up by his students, at the following link: http://www.ibnothaimeen.com/publish/cat_index_138.shtml
  
  Go to Tape 03, Second Side, which is part of the Shaikh’s Sharhof Buloogh Al-Maraam covering the rules of Jihaad in the path of Allaah.
  
  Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙƒØªØ¨Ø© Ø§Ù„ØµÙˆØªÙŠØ© : Ø¨Ù„ÙˆØº Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø±Ø§Ù… Ù…Ù† Ø£Ø¯Ù„Ø© Ø§Ù„Ø£ØÙƒØ§Ù… : Ø§Ù„Ø¬Ù‡Ø§Ø¯
  Ø§Ù„Ø´Ø±ÙŠØ· 03 – Ø§Ù„ÙˆØ¬Ù‡ Ø§Ù„Ø«Ø§Ù†ÙŠ
  Ù…ØØªÙˆÙ‰ Ø§Ù„Ø´Ø±ÙŠØ·
  
  – Ø´Ø±Ø ÙˆÙÙˆØ§Ø¦Ø¯ Ø§Ù„ØØ¯ÙŠØ« Ø§Ù„Ø«Ø§Ù†ÙŠ Ø¹Ø´Ø± … Ø¥Ù„Ù‰ Ø§Ù„ØØ¯ÙŠØ« Ø§Ù„Ø«Ø§Ù…Ù† Ø¹Ø´Ø± .
  
  – Ø§Ù„ØªÙˆØ±ÙŠØ© Ù†ÙˆØ¹Ø§Ù† .. ÙˆØ¨ÙŠØ§Ù† ØÙƒÙ…Ù‡Ø§ .
  
  – Ù„Ù…Ø§Ø°Ø§ ÙƒØ§Ù† Ø§Ù„Ù†Ø¨ÙŠ ØµÙ„Ù‰ Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ Ø¹Ù„ÙŠÙ‡ ÙˆØ³Ù„ ÙŠØ¤Ø®Ø± Ø§Ù„Ù‚ØªØ§Ù„ ØØªÙ‰ ØªØ²Ù„ Ø§Ù„Ø´Ù…Ø³ Ø¥Ù† Ù„Ù… ÙŠÙ‚Ø§ØªÙ„ Ø£ÙˆÙ„Ù‡ ØŸ
  
  – ØÙƒÙ… Ø§Ù„Ø§Ø³ØªØ¹Ø§Ù†Ø© Ø¨Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø³Ø±Ùƒ ÙÙŠ ØØ§Ù„Ø© Ø§Ù„ØØ±Ø¨ ØŸ
  
  – Ø¥Ø°Ø§ Ù‚ØªÙ„ Ø§Ù„Ø£Ø¹Ø¯Ø§Ø¡ Ù†Ø³Ø§Ø¡Ù†Ø§ ÙˆØ§Ø¹ØªØ¯ÙˆØ§ Ø¹Ù„Ù‰ Ø£Ø±Ø§Ø¶Ù‡Ù† ØŒ ÙÙ‡Ù„ ÙŠØ¬ÙˆØ² Ù„Ù†Ø§ ÙØ¹Ù„ Ø°Ù„Ùƒ Ø¨Ù†Ø³Ø§Ø¦Ù‡Ù† ØŸ
  
  – Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø¨Ø§Ø±Ø²Ø© : ØªØ¹Ø±ÙŠÙÙ‡Ø§ ÙˆØÙƒÙ…Ù‡Ø§ … ÙˆØ¨ÙŠØ§Ù† Ø´Ø±Ø·Ù‡Ø§ ÙˆÙØ§Ø¦Ø¯ØªÙ‡Ø§ .
  
  Download this tape as a Real media file (it’s almost 45 minutes long). Then, listen to the portion from 28:00 minutes to 30:00 minutes, where the Shaikh (rahimahullah) is explaining the hadeeth where Rasulullah (saw) forbade the killing of women and children in war. The Shaikh explained the hikmah behind that, and stated that if the kuffaar kill our civilians, then, in he sees that it is permissible to attack their civilians likewise, to shatter the kuffaar’s hearts. He quotes as evidence the verse in the Holy Quran:
  
  Ø§Ù„Ø´Ù‡Ø± Ø§Ù„ØØ±Ø§Ù… Ø¨Ø§Ù„Ø´Ù‡Ø± Ø§Ù„ØØ±Ø§Ù… ÙˆØ§Ù„ØØ±Ù…Ø§Øª Ù‚ØµØ§Øµ ÙÙ…Ù† Ø§Ø¹ØªØ¯Ù‰ Ø¹Ù„ÙŠÙƒÙ… ÙØ§Ø¹ØªØ¯ÙˆØ§ Ø¹Ù„ÙŠÙ‡ Ø¨Ù…Ø«Ù„ Ù…Ø§ Ø§Ø¹ØªØ¯Ù‰ Ø¹Ù„ÙŠÙƒÙ… ÙˆØ§ØªÙ‚ÙˆØ§ Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ ÙˆØ§Ø¹Ù„Ù…ÙˆØ§ Ø§Ù† Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ Ù…Ø¹ Ø§Ù„Ù…ØªÙ‚ÙŠÙ†
  
  [Al-Baqarah:194]
  
  Incidentally, it is funny that you automatically assumed that Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki was himself doing ijtihaad on this issue. If you had followed his website (now shut down), he mentioned on it during the Gaza massacre in December 2008/January 2009, that he is following this opinion based on the ijtihaad of Sh. Ibn Uthaymeen. he also said that he was open to changing his opinion if he saw a stronger daleel from the other side. In other words, he was doing taqleed of Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) on this matter, due to what Ibn Uthaymeen saw of the daleel in this position, rather than claiming to be a mujtahid himself, as you have wrongly inferred.
  
  Also, brother, some general advice: please don’t judge other’s intentions, especially when you don’t know them yourself. Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki’s massive efforts in dawah and esp. his lectures and tape series and the extremely beneficial influence they had on countless Muslims is acknowledged by all, even those who are disagreeing with his recent views. In fact, as Amad acknowledged, it is precisely because of Sh. Anwar’s far-reaching influence that he fears the youth will not be able to differentiate between his correct views and the recent mistaken views. Unfortunately, your ill-advised tirade against Sh. Anwar Al-Awalki is based less on solid facts and seems more due to some grudge you feel against him.
  
  May Allah guide us all to the truth and may He reward and forgive all our scholars and allow us to continue benefiting from them.
  
  Reply
  - Abd- Allah
    
    March 25, 2010 at 12:07 AM
    
    Brother Abu Rayyan, you tell me not to judge his intentions yet you judge mine and say that I have a grudge against Awlaki? Besides, where did you see me talk about his intentions? Please quote me talking about his intentions. Only Allah knows people’s intentions and even when the Prophet peace be upon him knew who the hypocrites were he judged them based on their outward actions and sayings and not based on what is in their hearts. I am only talking about Awlaki’s ideas, not his intentions. What I was referring to is, even if he has benefited many people with his good lectures (good for him, if he did it for the sake of Allah then he will get his reward in full), yet his level of knowledge does not qualify him to perform ijtihaad in these matters yet. So benefiting people is good, but that doesn’t justify his extreme views which he currently holds. Besides, if he was so beneficial to many people, why did he go down that route to where he is now, definitely benefiting the people much less than he was before, don’t you agree? What benefit has come out of his extreme views?
    
    As for Ibn Uthaymeen’s fatwa, I listened to it and in no way shape or form does it resemble what Awlaki is preaching. Ibn Uthaymeen was talking in reference to the hadith which he was explaining where the Prophet peace be upon him found a woman who was killed and did not approve of it. So if you were to take Ibn Uthaymeen’s words in context of what he was speaking about, you would understand that he is referring to this issue specifically. This incident happened on the battle field where two armies met, and a woman was found dead. For Awlaki to (ab)use that to justify ALL what he is calling for, I think this is a major mistake on his part and in his understanding of Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s words. So you see, Awlaki was not doing taqleed of Ibn Uthaymeen, because those few words of Ibn Uthaymeen, even IF they justify some of the things that Awlaki is saying, but what about the rest of them, what about rebelling against the rulers? what about suicide bombings? Why doesn’t Awlaki do Taqleed of Ibn Uthaymeen on all these issues as well and not just take that one small fatwa out of all what the shaykh says, and take it as an excuse for everything else that Awlaki is calling for. So even if we accept this fatwa in support of this single issue, what about the rest of what Awlaki is saying and calling for such as rebelling against the rulers and all the other stuff? he is doing his own ijtihaad on many of these issues, because if he was really doing taqleed of Ibn Uthaymeen he would have never spoke out against the Muslim ruler of a country in which he doesn’t even live in.
    
    I am glad that he is open to changing his opinion because the daleel is much stronger on the other side. I ask Allah to guide him to the truth if he is sincere.
    
    I haven’t read any of the other replies if there are any because I am short on time, but I have one question for you brother Abu Rayyan, what would you have done if you and your family were on that plane which AbdulMuttalib tried to blow up? What would you do? Would you still think that Awlaki is right about what he is saying?
    
    Reply
    - Abu Rayyan
      
      March 25, 2010 at 1:05 PM
      
      Salam Alaikum Brother Abd- Allah,
      
      Jazakallah for listening to the tape and accepting that this strange position has been held by other than Sh. Anwar Al-Awlaki as well.
      
      If you had read my earlier posts, you would know that I am strongly against this argument that justifies targeting non-combatants, and the evidences against it are overwhelming, as has been repeatedly explained here (http://muslimmatters.org/2010/02/21/is-islam-a-violent-religion/) on MuslimMatters and elsewhere that targetong civilians is haraam and a crime, it goes against the ijmaa’ of the ummah and against common sense as well.
      
      I ask Allaah to guide Sh. Anwar away from this strange, incorrect opinion and also to forgive for Sh. Ibn Uthaymeen for his mistaken opinion. But he (rahimahullah) was a mujtahid, so he will have a double reward for what he got right and a single reward for what he got wrong. May Allaah (swt) elevate Ibn Uthaymeen’s ranks and grant him the highest rank in Al-Firdaws. Ameen.
      
      My point was that the positions for which you were condemning Sh. Anwar have not been held solely by him. Refute the position but not the person, as you did in the case with Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah). As explained above, the great muhaddith Shaikh Nasiruddeen Al-Albani (rahaimahullah) approved of suicide bombings as a military tactic against military targets, and even Ibn Uthaymeen (rah) approved of them if there was a great benefit associated with them in a military sense, and he quoted Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) when he gave the example of the story of the Boy and the King to justify this, where the boy effectively committed suicide by telling the king how to kill him, but in order for the entire nation to accept Islam.
      
      The final point about speaking out against the rulers has been explained clearly in my other post(s) here where I showed you the evidence that all the Sahaabah in Madeenah rebelled against Yazeed after the murder of Hussain (radi Allahu anhu), that Imam Al-Dhahabi, Imam Abu haneefah and many of the salaf approved of rebelling against an unjust ruler. So this was not a mistaken position held by one or two Sahabis, it was the unanimous position of the people of Madeenah to rebel against the tyrant Yazeed and this rebellion was later approved of by the salaf. Just because the major scholars in our time were of the opinion that rebelling against the ruler is not correct doesn’t mean that the salaf were opposed to this.
      
      Reply
      - Abd- Allah
        
        March 25, 2010 at 5:11 PM
        
        My dear brother Abu Rayyan, the reason why I condemn Awlaki is for his overall views. If his only mistake was mentioning what Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen have once said in one of his many lectures, then perhaps we would have pointed out his mistake rather than him. And in general, this is the approach with all the scholars of Islam, you point out their mistakes and ask that Allah forgives them and keep taking their other knowledge which is correct. But when a person falls into too many mistakes, especially when they lead to such extremism which relate to violence and hurting others, then it isn’t feasible to preserve that person’s status of being a scholar and it is much easier to just leave him and his knowledge all together, because it isn’t possible to point out all his mistakes when they are big in number, and when his overall views are extreme, and not just one minor thing which was mentioned in one of his lectures, but this is Awlaki’s whole dawah, this is all what he calls for and all what he is known for recently, and if he had stayed with his old dawah, it would have been more beneficial to him and to the rest of the people by teaching them knowledge rather than enticing them and preaching this extremism. The other difference is that Ibn Uthaymeen rahimahullah has built a high level of knowledge and a high status and earned the rest of other scholars and earned his status as a respected scholar, so this one small mistake which is minor compared to what he has done overall and the overall message which he preached could be overlooked in the sense that we just point it out without criticizing the shaykh personally. But with Awlaki, he never earned that high level of knowledge and respected status among the scholars, and so compared to what he has done (and I am not belittling the positive influence he might have had in the past on many people), but compared to what he has done, his current over all views and main message of his dawah is very extreme and does a lot of harm to be simply pointed out as wrong while staying quiet about his entire dawah which he is calling for. So that is the difference here, and what you are asking for that we treat Awlaki like Ibn Uthaymeen, is not rational because this issue has become Awlaki’s main message which he preaches and which he is known for, where as Ibn Uthaymeen had a totally different message which he used to preach, even if he has this fatwa mentioned in a few words in one of his lectures, but this was not his main dawah, and you never saw him dwell on this issue at all, to the extent that I haven’t heard that he even said this before you brought it up because it is covered up by all the good that he has done and the beneficial and correct knowledge which he has spread and taught to people, because he didn’t base his entire dawah and message that he preached based on this mistake so to speak. Where as Awlaki is basing his entire dawah and the message that he is calling to only based on this minor mistake of Ibn Uthaymeen, and he also expanded much more beyond this issue and holds many other extreme views so much so that his overall dawah is pretty much known to be this kind of stuff, especially recently. So that is what he is currently known for. Also Awlaki is still alive and calling others to his ideas, so if he was dead and his ideas weren’t creating such issues in our communities, then it would have been enough to just refute his ideas without criticizing him personally.
        
        As for the other issue about the Muslim ruler, I have referred you to the sunnah and the authentic hadiths of the Prophet peace be upon him, but you keep referring back to the acts of some people or scholars of the past. I would quote them for you if you’d like, but from what I have seen, you seem to have enough knowledge to know about them or at least are capable of doing your own research and looking them up on your own. So please do refer back to those texts from the Quran and the authentic hadiths rather than using the actions of other people to justify things, because other people’s actions never justify doing something and they never make things right just because others have done it.
        
        A kid comes home with his clothes all dirty and muddy, his mom asks him how he got himself that dirty, he says that he was playing in the mud and uses the excuse that “all the other kids were playing in the mud too!” but does that sound like a good excuse to his mom?
        
        So saying that this is what these people have done in the past does not justify doing so ourselves, especially since there are clear texts from the authentic sunnah that say otherwise. If however there was nothing in the sunnah against that, then you would have had a stronger argument in using these people’s actions as proof to support your argument.
AbdulHaq

March 24, 2010 at 6:17 AM

There is not about mere ad hominem attacks on Anwar al-‘Awlaki, he has made gross errors in the fiqh of jihad, which is a topic which he was never qualified to entertain. Can anyone care to comment on Awlaki’s:

1. Explanation of a book by an al-Qaida member, namely Yusuf al-‘Ayri (Abu Qutaybah al-Makki), who was killed in a shoot-out with Saudi police for being with terrorists.
2. Claim that BBC and CNN have established the hujjah on humanity vis-a-vis Islam.
3. Flawed analogies between the bravery and martyrdom of the Sahabah and the contemporary manifestation of suicide bombings.
4. Lack of actually doing any armed jihad himself, yet hyping up others to do it. Upon which battlefield has Anwar al-‘Awlaki fought and where exactly has he fought and defended Muslims with his life, considering that he encourages others to do it. This is the same what we have witnessed in the UK with the likes of Abdullah el-Faisal, Omar Bakri, Abu Qatada and many others.
5. Insinuation that civilians can be purposefully (not accidently) targeted during warfare.
6. Use of the weak hadeeth in Abu Dawud regarding the attack on the people of Ta’if to justify purposefully targetting civilians. And that there is a “strong argument” for attacking all “those who pay taxes to a government that fights against Muslims”.
7. Error in boldly saying that Imam Muhammad bin AbdulWahhab gave bay’ah (pledged allegiance) to the Ottoman “Caliph” in Istanbul.
8. Total disregard of Maslahah and Mafsadah in fiqh of jihad, even though the classical and contemporary jurists all refer to it.
9. Flagrant disregard of the Ahd ul-Aman (covenant of safety and security) in the fiqh of jihad, despite all the major works on the fiqh of jihad discussing it, such as Imam al-Mujtahid Ibn ul-Munasif’s work Kitab ul-Injad fi Abwab il-Jihad.
10. Insinuation that the UK and US is Dar ul-Harb (an abode of war) – hereby giving a ruling – and henceforth ghaneemah cannot be taken but al-Fay’ can be taken!? This is what Awlaki stated in his so-called “explanation” of Ibn Nahhas’ book, yet in fiqh al-Fay’ is only taken when the conquered agree to it and after a successful capture and conquer of a land. How on earth al-Awlaki arrives at this odd and false conclusion is a mystery!

Notes: http://www.salafimanhaj.com/pdf/SalafiManhaj_Awlaki.pdf

Be happy to hear any feedback and answers to these serious issues which al-Awlaki has delved into and discussed as if he is qualified to do so.

AbdulHaq

Reply
- akhee
  
  March 24, 2010 at 8:32 AM
  
  Thanks AbdulHaq but we do not take ilm from spies
  
  Reply
  - Tamoor I.
    
    March 24, 2010 at 3:44 PM
    
    What is that supposed to mean?
    
    Reply
  - Abu Sanwan
    
    March 24, 2010 at 4:25 PM
    
    Regarding the brother who posted a clip from Ubaid al-Jaabiree, then it should be known that he himself has been warned against by scholars such as, Shaikh Saleh al-Fawzaan and Shaikh Yahya al-Hajoori from Yemen.
    
    Also Ubaid al-Jaabiree is not from the major scholars and also supports the hizbee haddadis, like troid & spubs.
    
    Regarding the pdf by my brother Abdul Haq, he makes some valid points, but also goes overboard in his warning against Anwar al-Awlaqi. For example, saying that he tries to sound like Hamza Yusuf is just unfair.
    
    Akhee personally I dont think Awlaqi sounds anything like Hamza Yusuf, also where is the evidence that Awlaqis intention is to sound like Hamza Yusuf? This is a matter related to the heart and only Allah knows what is in the hearts.
    
    So my advise to my brother Abdul Haq, please dont go overboard in your refutations, try to be balanced and just. Even better, leave the refutations to the major scholars, and Allah knows best.
    
    Reply
Uhibbu Shaykhana Anwar

March 24, 2010 at 12:41 PM

No matter what the likes of you people say or do, nothing can deter the ashbaal, the usood, the youth, they are like mountains and nothing can shake them. And despite whatever you say, we shall continue on this path.

Because we are the grandsons of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, Talha, Az-Zubair, Khalid, al-Muthanna, al-Baraa’,Sa’d.
And as was said by the poet Ù‡Ø¤Ù„Ø§Ø¡ Ø¢Ø¨Ø§Ø¦Ù‰ ÙØ¬Ø¦Ù†Ù‰ Ø¨Ù…Ø«Ù„Ù‡Ù… ** Ø§Ø°Ø§ Ø¬Ù…Ø¹ØªÙ†Ø§ ÙŠØ§Ø¬Ø±ÙŠØ± Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø¬Ø§Ù…Ø¹ .

May Allah protect our Sh. Anwar and make shahaada his end. By Allah the shabaab love him for the sake of Allah.

And I leave you with these lines of poetry written by Sh. al-Maqdisi

Ø³Ø£Ø«Ø± !!! Ùˆ Ù„Ù€Ù€ÙƒÙ€Ù€Ù€Ù€Ù† Ù„Ù€Ù€Ø±Ø¨ Ùˆ Ø¯ÙŠÙ† ***

Ùˆ Ø£Ù…Ø¶ÙŠ Ø¹Ù„Ù‰ Ø³Ù†ØªÙŠ ÙÙŠ ÙŠÙ‚ÙŠÙ† ..

ÙØ¥Ù…Ø§ Ø¥Ù„Ù‰ Ø§Ù„Ù†ØµØ± ÙÙˆÙ‚ Ø§Ù„Ø§Ù†Ø§Ù… ..

Ùˆ Ø¥Ù…Ø§ Ø¥Ù„Ù‰ Ø§Ù„Ù„Ù‡ ÙÙŠ Ø§Ù„Ø®Ø§Ù„Ø¯ÙŠÙ†

Reply
- QasYm
  
  March 24, 2010 at 3:24 PM
  
  Why are you using the word “we”? If you were really in the trenches you wouldn’t be posting on MM. Stop pretending to be something you’re not and get out of your litlle fantasy dream that you live in and step into the real world. Awlaki doesn’t care about you.
  
  Reply
Your Brother

March 24, 2010 at 12:52 PM

Can someone help me?

Is there any difference between a Muslims living in and as a citizen of the occupying and oppressive Zionist apartheid Israel vs living in America?

“Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): “In what (condition) were you?” They reply: “We were weak and oppressed on earth.” They (angels) say: “Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” Such men will find their abode in Hell – What an evil destination!” Surah Nisaa 4:97

Reply
Anonymous

March 24, 2010 at 1:45 PM

Br. Amad humble yourself for you do not know the truth. What is going is that Muslims are facing a huge fitnah right now. And Allah says in the quran : Verily, AllÃ¢h knows those who believe, and verily, He knows the hypocrites [i.e. AllÃ¢h will test the people with good and hard days to discriminate the good from the wicked although AllÃ¢h knows all that before putting them to test (Surah ankabutayah 11) Read some quran and reflect before making our comments and do not follow your desires but follow the truth quran and sunnah

Reply
Usman Akhtar

March 24, 2010 at 2:39 PM

@ AbdulHaq

3. Flawed analogies between the bravery and martyrdom of the Sahabah radhiallahu anhum and the contemporary manifestation of suicide bombings.

This is speaking as a person who has listened to Awlaki for a while

I really think that your point should be emphasized. The problem is people have no distinction between jihadi martyrdom and suicide bombings, and there IS, but it is a very subtle difference.

The subtle difference is that the martyrs among the Sahaba radhiallahu anhum who fought against the enemy may have known that they would have died in the face of their enemy to some degree, but they never knew for sure –> they still left it up to Allah SWT, they didn’t decide to die because that is not upto us, we are supposed to leave it to Allah SWT. The Sahaba radhiullahu anhum never intentionally killed themselves with their own hand (nauzubillah), they kept fighting until their last breath which is NOT what suicide bombers do.

The Sahaba radhiallahu anhum still had some small miraculous shroud of hope of life because they knew the power of the Qadr of Allah SWT, and they didn’t assume that they would die, because no one knows but Allah SWT.

The sucide bombers think that detonating themselves is the same as the jihadi martyrdom that the Sahaba radhiallahu anhum demonstrated, but the fact they INTENTIONALLY kill themselves, and that they in a sense determine their absolute destiny of death proves that they aren’t martyrs because their death wasn’t caused by an enemy, it was caused at their own hand. They didn’t leave their death to Allah subhana wah ta’ala like they should have. This kind of sacrifice is wrong, even to save lives.

The same reason why in a fiqhi aspect, you cannot transplant organs or blood from one person to the next if it results in loss of functionality or life of the donor –> even if it saves the recipients life.

There is a difference between fighting to the death, and dying to win a fight. The Sahaba radhiullahu anhum did the former, and the suicide bombers of today do the latter, and its cowardly, and I’m glad I understand it now.

As I said, I used to believe that suicide bombing is just a type of jihad –> WRONG! Awlaki oversimplifies the hadith he quotes and does not explain it.

This is the problem with the mentality that you can just quote a hadith or an ayah and derive something from it. Those people who say we don’t need the scholars of the past because we have the hadith and the quran in front of us fall into this trap. As if the scholars of the past were working with something other than the quran and sunnah — :S

Reply
Azeem

March 24, 2010 at 3:04 PM

To those who Support AA, can you tell me how his views currently differ from those held by Osama Bin Laden?

Especially since he believes American civilians are legitimate targets because they pay taxes. (A page out of Osama’s book).

And to someone who said he is against attacking Muslims, then how can you explain his support for the rebellion against the Yemeni government? (see quote from his blog). Is this not based on takfeeri thought?

Reply
- Abu Rayyan
  
  March 24, 2010 at 3:22 PM
  
  Brother Azeem,
  
  Revolting against an unjust ruler is distinctly different from labeling all Muslims as kuffaar and deeming their blood lawful. The latter is an extremist position that was held by the Khawarij, both in the past and in contemporary times by Takfeeri Kharijee groups like Takfeer wal hijrah in Egypt, some groups in Algeria and elsewhere, who ignorantly considered all Muslims to be outside the fold of Islam other than themselves, Allahul musta’an.
  
  As for the issue of rebelling against an unjust ruler, then this is an issue which many of the Sahaabah deemed to be permissible (read the history of the Sahaabah’s revolt against the tyrant Yazeed, Ibn Zubair’s revolt against Hajjaj, Imam Abu Haneefah’s support of the revolt against an oppressive caliph). I know some scholars today disagree with this opinion, but they can’t whitewash history and Islamic fiqh by claiming that the entire community of Sahaabah in Madeenah were wrong when they rebelled against Yazeed. Those Sahaabah were the direct disciples of Rasulullah (saw) and knew the ahadeeth better than anyone who came after them, and their interpretation of the ahadeeth is a hujjah.
  
  Secondly, thinking from a purely rational perspective, consider this: the Yemeni government is permitting American drones and cruise missiles to target its own civilians and tribes at will. This was widely reported in the global media and confirmed by American officials that they struck Yemen last year and killed many Yemenis based on an agreement with the sellout Yemeni government. Sounds similar to what is happening in Pakistan, right? I think you’d agree that when a government actively engages in warfare against its civilians and permits foreign hostile countries to target them, then it loses any right to authority. Imagine a father who permits thieves, highway robbers and rapists to enter his house and attack his family. Would that evil father have any right to authority and obedience over his children when he is directly involved in killing them unjustly???
  
  Reply
  - Brother
    
    March 24, 2010 at 8:35 PM
    
    Agreed. Good post.
    
    Reply
  - Siraaj
    
    March 27, 2010 at 8:36 AM
    
    Salaam alaykum abu rayyan,
    
    While I’m inclined towards agreeing with much of what you’ve written, I’m curious as to why you’ve characterized abdullah ibn az-Zubair’s rebellion as a rebellion to start with? The community in makkah did not recognize the caliphate of yazeed while they recognized ibn az-zubair as the caliph – I believe this is different from the kharijees who separated on religious grounds from the community and more similar to muawiyahs rebellion which was more political in nature as was ibn az zubair’s. Please correct me if I’m wrong in this.
    
    I’d also add that Abdullah Ibn Abbas warned him against his fighting against Hajjaj, and the end result was disastrous for the Muslims in Makkah as they were slaughtered, the Haram was destroyed, and ibn az-Zubair himself was crucified.
    
    Just as an aside, had we had discussion forums at that time, I have no doubt there would have been individuals calling Ibn Abbas a sell-out scholar who was using his ‘ilm to justify cowardice.
    
    Siraaj
    
    Reply
Brother X

March 24, 2010 at 6:09 PM

Salam

After reading some of the comments made after my post I’m reminded about an incident in history. Now one today would disagree with Salahudeen and his re-conquest of the Kingdom of Juerresllam. What most people don’t understand is that he face heavy opposition when he captured the city and needed to defend it.,

The main opposition came fromthe Ulema that initially supported him but when they saw the size and hieght of the Crusader army they fled the battlefield and attacked Salahudeen saying he had Hikma, saying he should have consulted the Ulema before going to war. Some of the people said according to some sources ‘let the Ba****d who prevented us from looting this city defend it’ when Salahudeen and Behadeen nwere asking people to defend the city.

Today those scholars who opposed the work of Zenghi and Salahudeen are remembered as cowards and traitors I sincerely wonder how we will be remembered by history and by God. We all should sincerely pray that Dajjal does not come in our time because most Muslims, especially some of our scholarship are ready to sell God and his religion for whatever ease they could attain, doesn’t matter how many verses they have to misinterpret.

I wonder how Sh Awlaki would be remembered in history, Sh Ibn Taymiyyah face heavy opposition from the his contemporary Ulema for fighting against the invaders. Read Sh Ibn Kathir’s tafsir on Surah Maidah and he tells you to rebel against the corrupt governments.

I’m not saying whether its legal or not to rebel but I find it highly surprising that no-one says anything about Sh Ibn Taymiyyah or Sh Ibn Kathir when they oppose the ruler and call him a Kafir for mix and matching the Sahriah but when Sh Awalaki does it then he’s a Kharijite.

Like I said above we need to wake up and acknowledge the truth of our inaction which is down to our own weakness and not use Scripture to justify it. The French used scholars from the Middle east to justify their Hijab ban.

Brothers and Sisters we can no longer look towards a beneficent person in Office in Washington to do for us what we refuse to do for our selves. We can no longer look towards the house that has colonised and brutalised and robbed our people for the last 300 years to come in and solve our problems. We have broken of the shackles of colonisations but our mental colonisation is still as real as ever.

We are a Nation and we need to act like a free people and let the powers that be dictate what we say and what we do. Another thing we need to remember especially those of us living in the US that we can choose our God but we can’t choose the colour of our skin so we need to wake up and act like the true representatives of God’s message that we are meant to be before its to late.

Like the bible says ‘If my people, which are called by name will humble them selves and seek my face and tuirn from thier wicked ways then will I turn from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their lamb.

Allah says in the Qur’an ‘And do not be Like the Jews who have faith in one part of the book and reject faith in the other part.’

The Lord also says in the Qur’an ‘The jews and Christians have taken their priest and Rabbies as Lords amongst Allah’ the Prophet(PBUH) explained this verse to mean that they have taken them as rivals with Allah by accepting what they make Halal and Haram over what Allah has made Halal and Haram.
Wassallam

-edited. Pls keep the underhanded insults that have a known history to yourself.

Reply
- Abd- Allah
  
  March 24, 2010 at 11:38 PM
  
  Read Sh Ibn Kathirâ€™s tafsir on Surah Maidah and he tells you to rebel against the corrupt governments.
  
  Brother X, please quote where Ibn Kathir says so in his tafsir.
  
  Reply
- mystrugglewithin
  
  March 25, 2010 at 12:08 AM
  
  May Allah SWT bless you for the decency and respect that’s evident in your comment for everyone around. Yours is a strong message, but what’s more impressive is how peacefully you’ve conveyed it. I was very upset to see many brothers here mocking each other in one way or another. Alhamdolillah, I can scroll through 100s of useless debates just to read and learn something from brothers like you. MM rocks.
  
  Jazakallah khayrun.
  
  Reply
- Amad
  
  March 25, 2010 at 3:13 AM
  
  Putting Awlaki in the same league as the stars of the Ummah reveals your utter lack of appreciation of the scholars’ history, fiqh and ilm.
  
  Those who continue to justify his recent words are a small, vocal minority that lost its star power on the net, and is trying its best to hold on to his persona.
  
  We heralded and celebrated when Awlaki was released, but we connected ourselves to his works, not his persona.
  
  You guys continue to FAIL to answer the basic questions I laid out in my comment (for obvious reasons) but love to spin this into a romantic story of david vs. goliath. And until you address the questions, the only people that will continue to cheerlead comments like these are the ones who don’t want to leave this imaginary world.
  
  Reply
- another white brother
  
  March 25, 2010 at 7:24 AM
  
  1000% spot-on akhi.
  
  The same people who say such things would have said, “you are no Abdullah ibn Mubarak” to Salahuddeen al-Ayyubi.
  
  To brother Amad: apparently you do not go to the masaajid. People still talk about and have a great love for Imam Anwar wherever I go, alhamdulillah. From the youth, to the uncles, across all racial divisions.
  
  Reply
  - Amad
    
    March 25, 2010 at 7:32 AM
    
    I don’t go to the masaajid? And are you my shadow to know that?
    
    Many people are not aware of Awlaki’s latest statements or don’t believe they have emanated from him.
    
    You guys just keep going round and round, cheerleading each other, mention the names of the ummah’s stars as if somehow he’ll become one of them, but refusing to answer the fundamental questions raised in the post.
    
    http://muslimmatters.org/2010/03/22/a-message-to-muslim-youth-in-response-to-anwar-al-awlaki/#comment-62420
    
    When the cheerleaders have the guts to do that, we can talk more.
    
    -another non-white brother.
    
    Reply
Brother X

March 24, 2010 at 6:18 PM

Sorry I was meant to say ‘not’ after ‘powers that be’

Reply
Abd- Allah

March 25, 2010 at 12:19 AM

I called this mans views years ago.

Yursil, I am glad that you called out Anwar Awlaki on his extreme views a long time ago, but why don’t you like it when some one else calls you out when you use a fabricated story?

One more thing, why do you call your shaykh Nazim “Malik ul- Mulk” ?? I’m just curious.

Malik ul-Mulk Shaykh Mevlana Nazim al-Kibrisi

http://naksibendi.us/the-tarikat/practices/naksi-bendi-prayerbook

Reply
- Yursil
  
  March 25, 2010 at 2:11 AM
  
  1) absolutely pointless ad hominem. and kind of the perfect example of limited thinking, stuck in a box.
  
  2) Malik ul Mulk has an absolute and non-absolute level, just as “Ali” , “Sami”, “Rafi”, “Sultan” does, and the other names and titles of Allah. All of which are and have been used for people. see numerous Q&A sites on uses of names.
  
  Reply
  - Abd- Allah
    
    March 25, 2010 at 4:38 PM
    
    I’m the one who is stuck in a box? Or the one who only takes what his shaykh says even if it goes against what all the other scholars of hadith have said and against common sense. Or perhaps it is just arrogance what prevents some people from accepting the truth.
    
    Whoever told you that “Malik ul Mulk” can be used for people besides Allah has lied to you. There is a difference between “Ali” and “Al-Ali”. While Ali is a commonly used name for people, but “Al-Ali” is one of the names of Allah and only used for Allah alone. Same thing with “Malik ul Mulk”, and it can not be used for anyone besides Allah.
    
    Reply
  - AK
    
    March 29, 2010 at 11:54 AM
    
    A very basic understanding of arabic (like 3rd grade level) would be sufficient to understand that “Malik ul-Mulk” is an idafah with comes in the form of a non-absolute but, due to its placement in the idafah phrase becomes absolute in meaning. Hence that phrase is unusable for anyone but the Lord of the Worlds.
    
    Reply
Syed

March 25, 2010 at 5:43 AM

As Salam Alaikum,

I strongly believe that Imam Anwar al Awlaki is not delivering that statements. Its impossible that USA and its allies will release Imam, I am sure that its a big plot which needs to be understood!
Its ridiculous to believe that a person with that stature will give interview and will justify the killings of innocent persons. Remember there were lot of reports which said that he had died in drone attacks etc too, we are being deceived by the media, they can make a person die and can bring him back alive after his death, we cannot accept the reports from such media sources. It’s a big plot against Muslims, and to deal with this kind of plot we need people like Imam Anwar Al Awlaki of before arrest, the person who is certainly not required.

Reply
Zuhayr

March 25, 2010 at 6:45 AM

Aslamoalaikum
i think person’s surrounding has an effect on him/her. Mr Anwar might have been exposed to unislamic beliefs while in prison. maybe some knowledgeable scholar should contact him to inform him of the truth. jazakAllah khaira.

Reply
Brother X

March 25, 2010 at 7:51 AM

This is my final post on this website, Iread the tafsir by Sh Ibn Kathir in the darrassallam publication of Surah Maidah verse 44.

Reply
- Abd- Allah
  
  March 25, 2010 at 4:32 PM
  
  This is my final post on this website, Iread the tafsir by Sh Ibn Kathir in the darrassallam publication of Surah Maidah verse 44.
  
  Sorry bro I read the tafsir of Ibn Kathir for that verse in Arabic but didn’t find where “he tells you to rebel against the corrupt governments.” Perhaps there is a misprint or maybe you have misunderstood what he said. There is no mention of rebelling at all.
  
  Reply
Slave of the Most Loving One

March 25, 2010 at 11:43 AM

Salamalaikum wrt wbrkt

In the Name of Allah the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful
Peace and blessings be on Prophet , his family, his companions and all the righteous believers.

Okay folks i guess itz high time to get back our attention to somethin really crucial!

Firstly we Muslims are supposed to be like one solid structure…our aim is to spread the Truth “There is none worthy of worship but Allah and Prophet Muhammed(saw) is His final messenger” and thus spread gudness!

Keeping in mind our obligation to spread and stick to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, let us remind ourselves that guidance is from Allah and only He has the absolute authority to judge… having said that i want to remind my beloved brothers and sisters in Islam that we are helpers to one another…What is wrong with us that we have made the evil Shaytan cause us to dispute and think high and correct about our opinion and put down others?

There will be differences of opinion for sure…even the sahabah had differences in certain matters but that NEVER made them turn against eachother…and a very important point : they dint have their opinions justified based on their desires which is happening many a times these days.

Forget about what people have to say… just open the Quran and ask Allah to guide you to the truth and seek knowledge sincerely and then inshAllah the truth will come to you… beware of seeking knowledge in such a manner that things which we dont like are manipulated to suit our desires (may Allah protect)

May Allah SWT take away wahn (desire for this world and hatred of death) from our hearts, may He grant us true understanding, may He help us to strive in His Cause sincerely as one solid structure.ameen!

And Allah Knows Best

Reply
- Umm Bilqis
  
  March 25, 2010 at 12:08 PM
  
  Masha’Allah, Slave of the most loving,
  I was just going to put that kind of remark but without your eloquence as a final comment on this post.
  I hope that these minor differences of opinion do not lead to grudges.
  According to Amad no one answered his questions and according to myself everyone has answered the questions in their own way.
  Ultimately only nutcases would o.k the death of civilians.
  Here is an interesting light or dark read for those that are interested.
  It is on the virtues of disorganized resistance and why it works in some cases and it is not about violence.
  
  http://www.etresoi.ch/Denis/disorganisation.html
  
  Reply
Umm Bilqis

March 25, 2010 at 12:30 PM

I should also add I think AA is not an nutcase. I believe in a conspiracy fact that some may doctor or misrepresent his communications to appear as if he said this, and Allah knows best. I still give Him the benefit of doubt.
I am not suffering from cognitive disonance and I do not believe in the junk sciences of psychiatry or psychology : D
Last post honest.

Reply
- mystrugglewithin
  
  March 25, 2010 at 12:53 PM
  
  You’ve just started one more thread .. let’s hope this one goes unnoticed :>
  
  Reply
Slave of the Most Loving One

March 25, 2010 at 3:45 PM

Dear Sister Umm Bilqis

Alhamdulillah if there’s anything beneficial that i wrote… btw i checked out the link abt disorganization…. well i think itz important to have both organization and disorganization…..we can talk abt this for a whole day, so i m not gona elaborate on that ..
but yeah everythin comes backs to us… the problem is we are so concerned with what he or she said or what he or she did or is doin….what abt the question of what did I say, what did I do, what am I doin? we must learn to analyze ourselves frequently…. this will make a great difference to ourselves and people around us! subhanAllah!

And i want to tell everyone that Sincerity in advising is very important… unfortunately there are so many advices and criticisms pouring from right and left and u will hardly find any advice or criticism that really meant “im concerned for ur gudness in this world and akhira” …..itz usually about “you see I KNOW and IM RYT!!” may Allah forgive us…. bcz these are usually subtle and most of us are not aware that this can lead to arrogance i.e., looking down upon people (may Allah protect)

i remember me and my friend had a problem over some issue related to deen…initially i was so angry with her that i almost thought we might part ways … then i prayed to Allah to help her and guide me and her and to take away the ill feelings from our hearts and help us to unite as we are sisters in islam and subhanAllah! it does wonders!! and after that if i gave her (or anyone) any -ve feedback abt any matter i try to make sure that my intention is for that person’s khair in both the worlds…

Alhamdulillah for all the hidden and apparent blessings…may He guide us all to His path.ameen!

Reply
Brother X

March 26, 2010 at 6:20 PM

Salam

I know I said that the above was my last post but I’m just going to respond to the brother who asked me the question. It when Allah talks about ‘those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed…’ in Surah Maidah I haven’t got the hard copy available so I’ll just copy and paste what Sh Ibn Kathir said from an online source which is the same as the one I read in in a book:
‘Do they then seek the judgement of (the days of) ignorance And who is better in judgement than Allah for a people who have firm faith) Allah criticizes those who ignore Allah’s commandments, which include every type of righteous good thing and prohibit every type of evil, but they refer instead to opinions, desires and customs that people themselves invented, all of which have no basis in Allah’s religion. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the people used to abide by the misguidance and ignorance that they invented by sheer opinion and lusts. The Tatar (Mongols) abided by the law that they inherited from their king Genghis Khan who wrote Al-Yasiq, for them. This book contains some rulings that were derived from various religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Many of these rulings were derived from his own opinion and desires. Later on, these rulings became the followed law among his children, preferring them to the Law of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger . Therefore, whoever does this, he is a disbeliever who deserves to be fought against, until he reverts to Allah’s and His Messenger’s decisions, so that no law, minor or major, is referred to except by His Law. Allah said …’
Many of Genghis Khans descendents became Muslims and the Tatars ruled vast Muslims lands so I hope this helps, Bro if you have any queries it might be better to email me. I don’t want to give my email address in public but if you give me an avenue I’ll give it to you somewhere else inshallah

Wassallam

Reply
One Muslim

March 27, 2010 at 8:37 AM

Imam Anwar stresses the fact that the rule of retaliation is in effect because of what they have done to our non combatants

Reply
watermelon

March 27, 2010 at 10:42 AM

“Out of our blind love for him, most American Muslims simply dismissed his new lectures and writings as tainted by his frustration with what had happened to him in prison.”

I’m thinking mebbe as part of the torture in prison, they damaged his brain, and then let him free. Damage to the frontal lobe of the brain causes personality changes. I feel this is ALL the more true, cuz they imprisoned a man who was so moderate and preached peace and then let him go free when he started “radicalization”. If ever he had to be put in prison, it would be now, but no they dont want him in, they want him out, speaking out! Its part of the plan to defame our ummah! May Allah help us as muslims and Imam Awlaki! Allah knows best.

Reply
abu abdAllah Tariq Ahmed

March 27, 2010 at 11:51 PM

Haq is haq, fitnah is fitnah, as for this thread… I’m off to bed.

Reply
Dahvie

March 28, 2010 at 12:45 PM

What many of you don’t realize is that there are many types of Jihad. If you live in America, you are still required to do a LEGAL Jihad. You are citizens and even Allah tells us to respect the law unless it goes against the teachings. Jihad can be in form of many things and doesn’t only involve violence.

Reply
A.A

March 29, 2010 at 2:28 AM

Oh muslims, think for a moment… let’s think for a moment

If you’d think for a moment, go through from authentic resources of those who called ‘Terorist’ by the west, so some corrupt muslims did. Those people, could have much far worldly affairs if they didn’t go to land of war. They could have a nice family, good job, of course anything world’s can offer. But they didn’t, they left what tempted to them, just because they see… and heard.. what happened to their brothers and sister in islam. They feel their suffer, they feel their hunger, their screams ringing in their ears……ask to ourselves… did we sleep good last night? you know, mean while thousands of our sister, our kids, our elders, being torched, being killed. Did we eat well today? you know what, our brothers and sister many of them in hunger.
You know what? apparently those people who you so called ‘terrorist’ or ‘radicalized’ etc, they feel this, their actions not only hold to their tounges? They left everything world’s temptations, of being with family and enjoy life to be one of them who suffers, feel their suffer, fight for their suffer.
Meanwhile in here, in this forum, in this article, we are fighting over about whether these people misled or not? just because some our scholars said so? Oh muslims, you are people who Allah has blessed with brain, use that to distinguish evil and good.
What you said about these people whether good or evil would not affect or harm them, they do because to see the face of Allah is utmost pleasure for them. It’s now all depends about which side are you going into, talking about them will not solve anything, but asking to yourself, what have you done for those muslims whom you have obligatory upon them, “not a mukmin who sleeps well. and knowing his neighbour in hunger”. You must know, if you go through out qur’an Allah’s promised for paradise for those who are mukmin.
Now, you saw, you heard, those muslims who are in bound with you in iman wal islam. who screamed for help, and you heard? for those who massacred, and you see?
Now, ask yourself in what state are you at this very minute? The party of Allah, or the party of Shaytan?

All goodness that I have said comes from Allah, if anything wrong it’s from myself and shaytan.
Astaghfirllah Li Wa Lakum.
Your Brother in Islam,

Reply
AAK

March 29, 2010 at 10:06 PM

Bismillah

I am going to give my muslim brother the benefit of doubt. Why should I hate on him (because CNN said so)?
If he really expressed contentment with the underwear bomber’s plot, and if I heard him say this, then I would strongly disapprove of that since those people on the plane were truly civilians and no one can make the argument that they were trained and preparing to kill muslims in Iraq or Afghanistan or anywhere in the world.

However, from all the tapes I have heard of AA including constants of Jihad, I have never heard him promote the killing of civilians for any reason. And since he is a muslim, I trust him more than CNN and give him the benefit of doubt.

BTW, whats next on MM, an article refuting anwar al awlaki by muslim groups in newark, trinidad, asbury park?!?

Wallahu Al Musta’an

Reply
- unknown
  
  March 30, 2010 at 10:47 PM
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YFnHitkRe0
  
  Reply
  - Yaqeen needed
    
    April 2, 2010 at 11:10 PM
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=-LIpAxjPt9U
    
    Reply
Mas

March 30, 2010 at 8:43 PM

how is engaging soldiers of a state responsible for the deaths of many innocent lives terrorism? ie the fort hood shootings

Reply
Muslim

April 6, 2010 at 6:26 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aIA0LuJfAo

Muslim Matters- Why don’t you write an article about this? Why are you silent about the terrorism by “your country” against the Ummah of Muhammad(saw)?

Reply
- Sayf
  
  April 6, 2010 at 10:19 AM
  
  http://muslimmatters.org/2010/04/05/collateral-murder-classified-us-military-video-of-indiscriminate-shooting/
  
  Reply
  - Hassan
    
    April 6, 2010 at 1:28 PM
    
    Although it would be nice to have this story on front page visible and with commentary and condemnation, not just video.
    
    Reply
ar.m

April 7, 2010 at 2:49 PM

yay! obama has given the go ahead to assassinate him, rejoice!

may Allah protect the imam from the evil americans, ameen

Reply
Hassan

April 8, 2010 at 10:23 AM

Obama is going beyond Bush, and is authorizing assassination without trials.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/04/07/assassinations/index.html

Reply
- Amad
  
  April 8, 2010 at 12:42 PM
  
  I did find it amazing… extrajudicial killing of an American citizen… it almost seems like Obama is doing a 2-step to please both sides… cutting back on nuclear arms, pulling hard(er) on Israel, and then doing something as illegal and horrible-precedent setting as this. I don’t know who advised him on this or if he thinks this will calm the right wing, but this goes way beyond liberal values.
  
  We don’t know of Awlaki killing anyone or involved in direct terrorism. If having very reckless and irresponsible opinions is sufficient reason to be murdered without trial, then I can think of quite a few who have said worse!
  
  Reply
- mystrugglewithin
  
  April 8, 2010 at 1:33 PM
  
  IMHO, we all contributed to this. If even we ourselves (being Muslims) share the thought that Imam AA is a grievous, deadly, and out-of-control threat, then it’s a right of every other human being in America to support President Obama’s call, which is apparently the easiest way out for many to feel secure.
  
  There’s no need to fret about it now, may Allah SWT have mercy on all of us, we will be questioned for our words.
  
  Reply
  - Amad
    
    April 8, 2010 at 4:09 PM
    
    We did not put words into Awlaki’s mouth. He himself did it. And we called him on his reckless words. But just because we don’t support his opinions does not mean we support his extrajudicial murder. I would say most Muslims, nay most decent Americans, would not support punishment without due process. That is a constitutional right.
    
    Reply
    - mystrugglewithin
      
      April 8, 2010 at 4:53 PM
      
      -Comment removed. Thank you for the criticism. Point noted -amad
      
      Reply
Zuhayr

April 8, 2010 at 4:18 PM

American citizen is superior to citizen of other country. i support extra-judicial killing of citizen of other country but don’t support extra-judicial killing of citizen of America.

Reply
anonymous

April 8, 2010 at 10:06 PM

Salaam Br. Amad why did you remove the comment? What was it?

Reply
- Amad
  
  April 9, 2010 at 1:46 PM
  
  w/s
  It was advice for me directly and both the author and I agree that it wasn’t for public consumption.
  
  Reply
Omar Suleiman (author)

April 9, 2010 at 1:25 AM

Asalaamu Alaikum Wa RahmatAllahe Wa Barakatu,

Regardless of how I feel about Imam Awlakis views, I think the idea of killing him without due process is absolutely absurd.

wa salaam,
Omar

Reply
- Amad
  
  April 9, 2010 at 1:52 PM
  
  Dear Shaykh Omar,
  I agree with you 100%. Extrajudicial killings, whether in Pakistan or Afghanistan, whether of Americans or non-Americans is really getting out of hand. It is an Israeli policy that now seems to have been fully adopted by America. Such a killing, if it happens, will be another boost for the Muslim “hearts and minds” campaign, except in an entirely opposite sense! Murder of Awlaki will make him even more of a hero to exactly the same youth who are at radicalism risk.
  
  When will America learn that bullets are not the solution for every situation! I hope someone puts some sense into Obama before such a state-legislated terrorist operation actually occurs!
  
  w/s
  
  Reply
  - Abdul-Rahman
    
    April 18, 2020 at 9:24 PM
    
    SUBHAAN’ALLAH… y don’t you put sense into his head by telling him Jahannam awaits the kuffar and all those who try to stop the religion of ALLAH??? Y take this very conservative view that you hav e been displaying all along. Wht don’t you tell ur government and its allies that, whoever takes a religion other than Islam, and who want believe in ALLAH nor His Messenger nor the Qur’an, for him/her is jahannam?
    
    I came late to the discussion
    
    Reply
Sir Magpie De Crow

April 11, 2010 at 7:26 AM

Great. A veritable nesting ground of Awlaki fanboys. As far as I am concerned, Awlaki and his religious opinions are a lot like standing on the edge of a cliff. Sure it may all seem life affirming and exhilarating to embrace his “teachings”, but like the edge of a cliff you are still walking towards a needless death. What proof does it take to convince people that this man is truly evil? The beheading of a child on live television on a non-Western owned network? Considering his ethical and moral degeneration in recent years, such an act by him may be in the offing.

Any American Muslim contemplating following his current example in any fashion is probably setting up their community for a series of reprisals by the larger non-Muslim society. Reprisals I might add that would probably be too terrifying to think about.

Some people say that his previous lectures and teachings are still good (just ignore the more recent bad ones). Well I say if you follow that same logic one may also conclude that there are some redemptive/positive passages in Mein Kampf… if you look hard enough.

Reply
Abu Ikrimah

April 15, 2010 at 12:21 PM

Salam to one and all
To be very frank you will never hear or read an alqaeda scholar saying that the INTENTIONAL killing of innocents is allowed.
I have some questions about these issues.
What do MM advise as regards Isreal and Egypt recognising them

Reply
Abu Hilal

April 17, 2010 at 10:04 AM

Maybe this may refresh our memory again http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/israel-did-911-all-the-proof-in-the-world/

Reply
Iman Anwar Alwalaki is a True Muslim

May 1, 2010 at 3:57 PM

If you had been locked up in prison without just cause, you can only wonder why his beliefs has changed.

Reply
- Abd- Allah
  
  May 1, 2010 at 4:05 PM
  
  If you had been locked up in prison without just cause, you can only wonder why his beliefs has changed.
  
  Wow! If a person is oppressed that means he changes his beliefs?! What about all the Prophets who were oppressed and dealt with unjustly? Did they all change their beliefs because of that? Or did that make them hold on to what they already believed and were calling to and made their beliefs firm and unshakable ?
  
  Reply
Reality

May 21, 2010 at 1:10 PM

Awlaki is deviated. Allah please protect Muslims from him and his kind.

Reply
habeebullah

March 15, 2016 at 9:13 AM

Honestly Ive never come across any quote or lecture where awlaki specifically incited muslims to kill innocent nonmuslim and so far I know about him, by any stretch of imagination he still maintained the sphere of islam in his lecture but it must be clear that he had a stronger stance on jihad

Reply