By YASIR QADHI
Published: October 1, 2011
[Note: This Op Ed was also published in the International Herald Tribune]
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Yasir Qadhi, an American Muslim cleric, is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at Yale. He blogs at muslimmatters.org.
Memphis
ANWAR AL-AWLAKI, the Yemeni-American cleric who was killed Friday in a C.I.A. drone attack in Yemen, appears to be the first United States citizen that our government has publicly targeted for assassination.
The accusations against him were very serious, but as a citizen, he deserved a fair trial and the chance to face his accusers in a court of law. Whether he deserved any punishment for his speech was a decision that a jury should have made, not the executive branch of our government. The killing of this American citizen is not only unconstitutional, but hypocritical and counterproductive.
The assassination is unconstitutional because the Fifth Amendment specifies that no person may “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” A group of policy makers unilaterally deciding that a particular citizen needs to be targeted is, by no stretch of the imagination, due process.
The assassination is hypocritical because America routinely criticizes (and justifiably so) such extrajudicial assassinations when they occur at the hands of another government. We most certainly don’t approve the regimes of Syria or Iran eliminating those whom they deem to be traitors. In fact, Al Qaeda’s own justifications for murder stem from the notion that its members are qualified to be the judge, jury and executioner of those whom they view as enemies. America’s moral authority is undermined if we criticize in others what we do ourselves. It only reinforces the stereotype that the United States has very little concern for its own principles. Even Nazi war criminals got their day in court, at Nuremburg.
It is ironic to note that those who have actually attempted terrorist attacks on American soil and been caught were read their Miranda rights and went to trial, even though some were not United States citizens. Yet Mr. Awlaki, who has never been accused of himself directly attempting an attack, was not given this chance.
Lastly, the assassination is counterproductive because it feeds into the martyr mythology that makes Al Qaeda’s narrative so different from that of most other terrorist groups.
If our policy makers studied history, they would realize that Sayyid Qutb, a founder of radical Islam, while popular in his life, only achieved his legendary status after the Nasser regime in Egypt had him executed, in 1966. Instantly, his books became (and remain) best sellers. Killing people doesn’t make their ideas go away.
Mr. Awlaki was born in New Mexico in 1971 while his father was pursuing graduate studies. Though his parents returned to Yemen when he was seven, he later returned to the United States to pursue degrees in engineering and education. Eventually, he became an imam, or leader, of a mosque in California and later in Virginia. During these years, it is alleged that he met multiple times with at least three of the 9/11 hijackers. But for many American Muslims, he was only known for one thing: the telling of stories from the Koran. He lectured about the lives of the prophets of God, drawing from traditional Islamic sources (and sometimes even Biblical ones).
His captivating lecture style and copious quotations from classical sources made him extremely popular, especially among American Muslim youth. During these pre-9/11 years, these lectures, still available online, became some of the hottest-selling items at some Islamic conferences across America. At this stage, he was not publicly associated with any radical views. However, after 9/11, he adopted a more adversarial and anti-American tone, eventually moving back to Yemen. He was jailed for two years (and rumored to have been tortured).
It was only after his release that he publicly began supporting Al Qaeda and issuing messages calling for attacks upon the United States. It was alleged that he came into contact with or inspired a number of people to attempt terrorist activities: Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused in the 2009 killings in Fort Hood, Tex.; Umar Farouk Abdulmuttalib, accused of trying to set off a bomb hidden in his underwear on a 2009 flight to Detroit; and Faisal Shahzad, who tried to blow up a car in Times Square last year.
Mr. Awlaki’s ideas were dangerous. His message that one cannot be a good Muslim and an American at the same time was insulting to nearly all American Muslims. His views about the permissibility of killing Americans indiscriminately were completely at odds with those of mainstream Muslim clerics around the world. He needed to be refuted. And that is why many people, myself included, were extremely vocal in doing just that.
Mr. Awlaki needed to be challenged, not assassinated. By killing him, America has once again blurred the lines between its own tactics and the tactics of its enemies. In silencing Mr. Awlaki’s voice, not only did America fail to live up to its ideals, but it gave Mr. Awlaki’s dangerous message a life and power of its own. And these two facts make the job of refuting that message now even more difficult.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/opinion/sunday/assassinating-al-awlaki-was-counterproductive.html?ref=opinion
#Culture1 month ago
Yasir Qadhi
October 2, 2011 at 1:05 AM
Salam Alaikum
Before posting, please note:
– This was an Op Ed written for the New York Times, not a detailed analysis intended for MuslimMatters. Our readers (and critics) need to understand the differences between the two.
The Op-Ed of the New York Times is the most widely-read Op Ed in the world. Tens of millions of people read it. I understand that many of our readers would not like my writing style and specific phrases, but this piece is being read predominantly by people who do not understand many of the political issues surrounding his death. I needed to concentrate on specific points to the exclusion of others.
Op-Eds by their very nature must be 1) focused, and 2) succinct. I had 750 words, and could only concentrate on a few issues. Obviously much more needs to be done, in longer articles.
– The issue of the First Amendment rights and how much one can legally ‘get away with’ before being prosecuted (much less killed!) needs some analysis. I was only able to allude to this indirectly in my article.
– The issue of what exactly he was guilty of needs to be verified by independent authorities. In this article, no declarations were made about what he *did*. However, for the purposes of this article I had to assume that his public statements were indeed his (and as of yet I personally do not see any reason to doubt them – all indications are that he did say things that I continue to strongly disagree with).
– His affair and end-result is with Allah. We make absolutely NO judgment on that, and pray, as we do for all those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, that Allah forgives their mistakes and faults and allows them to enter His Paradise out of His Grace and Mercy.
And Allah knows best.
Yasir
Umm Sulaim
October 2, 2011 at 5:32 AM
I thought your write-up wasn’t bad at all. It is the very first article I have read on MM on Muslim vs nonMuslim issues that didn’t get me wondering how to phrase my words POLITELY well, short of giving the author a piece of my mind.
Umm Sulaim
Yasir Azim
October 4, 2011 at 2:53 AM
I Love You Shaikh Yasir For the Sake of Allah(swt).
May Allah(swt) give you Health and Increase you In Knowledge which can benefit the Humanity.(Ameen)
I found it very disturbing and ajeeb our government going for killing on the NAME of Peace but refuse to capture Bin Laden and Alwalki alive.
Even when Mullah Omer was negotiating to have Osama Trail they did not wait and attacked Afghanistan.
Whats going ON. Wake Up ummah and Learn about the World Around You.
Abu Yahya
October 2, 2011 at 1:35 AM
Salaam.
On the whole I agree with the key point of the article, that he needed to be tried in a court of law. Many people rejoiced and clapped when Obama made the initial announcement. I remember when our politicians in the UK were debating the matter about the handling of OBL, and Paddy Ashtown (who used to be a military leader and subsequent leader of the liberal democrats) said that he could not rejoice on the killing of ANY man. He further went on to warn about the dangers of taking the law into your own hands, and then making your actions appear legitimate to the masses, for it can have grave consequences. Whilst the Al Qaeda ideology may ‘inspire’ random people to perform crazy acts of violence, perhaps this necon/far right attitude of taking the law into your own hands in such a fashion may be doing exactly the same? Point of proof being the crazy Norway attacker, who had a number of such people acting as his ‘inspiration’……
tanya
October 2, 2011 at 1:37 AM
inna lilahee wa inna ilahi raajioon.
Lion
October 2, 2011 at 1:57 AM
How do you call Syed Qutb a radical? Because he preached Hakimiyya like Ibn Baz Rahimullah, Ibn Kathir Rahimullah, and Ibn Taymiyya Rahimullah? Did not Shiekh Albani Rahimullah praise him for his works and his manhaj?? Ajeeb!
tariki
October 2, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Salaam brother,
Where did bin baz, ibn kathir and ibn taymiyya speak out hakimiyya? bring me to sources if you can even read arabic or understand it? give me one scholar before sayid qutub (who isn’t a scholar nor is he a student of knowledge may Allah have mercy upon him and inshallah he is with the shuhada) who used the phrase tawhid al-hakimiyah.
btw, im a student of on of the students of sh. al-albani (ra) who said I heard with me own ear sh. al-albani say about hasan al-banna (ra) that he was a tuwaylib meaning a very small student of knowledge.
Abdul-Azeem ibn Saeed
October 2, 2011 at 3:21 PM
walaykum salam,
Although I disagree with the teachings of Sayyid Qutb, he was not a scholar and thus ignorant of many issues, may Allah have mercy on him and forgive his mistakes. However, the issue of hakimiyyah, although not named as such as Allah’s right to rule by his laws is one of tawheed al-‘ibadah or al-uloohiyyah, has been mentioned by several great scholars past and present, including those mentioned.
Ibn Katheer (raheemahullah) mentioned, for example, in al-bidaayah wal-nihaayah:
The one who forsakes the law that was revealed to Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allah, the Seal of the Prophets (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa salam) and refers for judgement to any other law that has been abrogated, has committed an act of kufr, so how about the one who refers for judgement to al-Yaasa and gives it precedence? The one who does that is a kaafir according to the consensus of the Muslims.
tariki
October 3, 2011 at 12:31 AM
Salaam brother,
jazakallahu khair for the reply,
however i said no classical scholar used the phrase “tawhid al-hakimiyah”
As for the quote from Ibn kathir and ibn taymiyyah I knew what the brother was referring to and there is no doubt that the person who rules by other than what Allah’s hukum is a kafr and there is no difference of opinion on the issue because the Quran is clear on this. However the problem isn’t the ruling on such a person the problem is what does hukmu Allahi mean? This is where sayd qutub (ra) made a huge mistake and that’s due to his ignorance of Islam (ra). Now this has a long discussion which I dont want to get into on the forums, however if anyone would like to discuss it I would be more than happy to through e-mail or on another board specific to this issue.
btw, I want to make it clear that my refutation of sayd qutub has nothing to do with him personally, he’s out brother who made a mistake, however if someone is incorrect on an issue he must be corrected so that those after him don’t make the same mistake.
Lion
October 3, 2011 at 8:01 PM
There have been scholars who have approved the term Hakimiyya.
Ibn Baz Rahimullah read the book of Abdur Rahman Abdul Khaliq “As-Sirat” and not only did he read and approve it ANYTHING that was wrong he changed and anything that he felt that needed correcting he corrected. He also recommended the book. In this book The Shiekh clearly puts forth the section of Hakimiyya in this book and Ibn Baz Rahimullah had no problem with this and he did not correct it. Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Kathir may have not said Hakimiyya directly but they have laid down the concept. When the Tartars came in Damascus and ruled by the law of “Yasiq” Ibn Taymiyya exposed there kufr and said ruling by other than the law of Allah and replacing laws of the sharia is kufr. point blank period. I’m not talking about Hassan al Banna, i’m talking about Syed Qutb rahimullah where Albani said he was not a student of knowledge but he was a writer and he even went as far as saying that some of his writings are so good and so exhilarating it is like ilham!
Fine if you have a problem with “Tawheed Al Hakimiyya” than don’t use the phrase because tawheed al Hakimiyya is part of Allah’s Ubuddiyya (or Uluhiyya). However the argument that the use of the word Hakimiyya is not only allowed is the ayat of Allah. Allah has said in surahtul Kahf That with his HUKM (not with his uluhiyya or Rubbubiyya) there is no shirk. Thus there is a argument with this.
Now how does this even justify saying that Syed Qutb is “Radical Islam” ??
Abu Ism
October 3, 2011 at 7:51 PM
With all due respect, Al-Albani has no right no declare who is, and who is not, a scholar. He, himself, was not qualified and never received ijaza from any notable scholars.
Justice
October 5, 2011 at 1:25 PM
With all due respect I highly doubt you are a scholar yet you are doing exactly the same thing you are claiming Sheikh Al-Albani had no right to do. Pot, kettle, black…
Abu Layth
October 6, 2011 at 2:43 AM
as-salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu…
[1] Shaykh Al-Albani has Ijaza in hadith from the late Allamah Shaykh Muhammad Raghib at-Tabaagh with whom he studied hadith sciences, gaining authority to transmit from him. The Shaykh himself refers to this Ijaza in Mukhtasar al-Uluw (p.72) and in Tahdir as-Sajid (p.63). He has a further Ijaza from Shaykh Bahjatul Baitaar(through whom his isnad stretches back to Imam Ahmad). These are mentioned in the book Hayat Al-Albani (the Life of Al-Albani) by Muhammad ash-Shaibaani. This sort of Ijaza is given only to those who have excelled in hadith and can be trusted to accurately convey a hadith. A copy of the Ijaza is in the possession of his student, Ali Hassan al-Halabi. So it is not correct to say that the Shaykh is self-taught from books, without authority and without Ijaza.
Whilst we are on the subject, I think it would not be out of place here to mention a few snippets from Shaykh Al-Albani’s life and career to further emphasise his great standing in the field of hadith science as well as the respect shown to him by other scholars. One cannot really do the subject justice in one or two brief emails, however, I hope the readers will find this information both encouraging and interesting:
[1] Shaykh Al-Albani was born in 1914 in Ashkodera, the former capital of Albania.
[2] His first shaykh was his father, Al-Haaj Nuh Najjatee, who himself had completed Shariah studies in Istanbul, returning to Albania as one of its Hanafi scholars. Under his father’s guidance, Shaykh Al-Albani studied Qur’an, tajwid, Arabic language as well as Hanafi fiqh.
[3] He further studied Hanafi fiqh and Arabic language under Shaykh Sa’eed al-Burhan.
[4] He would attend the lectures of Imam Abdul-Fattaah and Shaykh Tawfiq al-Barzah.
[5] The Shaykh met the late hadith master, Ahmad Shakir, with whom he participated in knowledge based discussions on hadith and its research.
[6] He met the late Indian hadith scholar, Shaykh Abdul-Samad Sharf ad-Deen, who himself had referenced the hadith to the first volume of An-Nasa’ee’s Sunan al-Kubra as well as Al-Mizzi’s monumental Tuhfatul-Ashraf, and they continued to exchange letters on matters of knowledge. In one such letter, Shaykh Abdul-Samad expressed his belief that Shaykh Al-Albani was the greatest hadith scholar of the time.
[7] In recognition of his knowledge of hadith, he was commissioned as far back as 1955 by the Faculty of Shariah at Damascus University to carry out detailed analysis and research into hadith related to buying and selling and other business related transactions.
[8] Shaykh Al-Albani began his formal work in the field of hadith by transcribing Al-Hafidh al-Iraqi’s monumental Al-Mughni ‘an Hamlil Asfar, being a study of the various hadith and narrations contained in Al-Ghazali’s famous Ihya Ulum ad-Din. This work alone contains some 5000 hadith.
[9] The Shaykh was famous for attending the Zahiriyyah library in Damascus, and was eventually given his own set of keys due to his frequent and lengthy study there. On one such occasion, an important folio was missing from a manuscript in use by the Shaykh and this led Shaykh Al-Albani to painstakingly catalogue all the hadith manuscripts in the library in an endeavour to locate the missing folio. Consequently, he gained in-depth knowledge of 1000s of hadith manuscripts, something that was attested to years later by Dr. Muhammad Mustafa Azami in the introduction to Studies in Early Hadith Literature where he said: ‘I wish to express my gratitude to Shaikh Nasir al-Din al-Albani, who placed his extensive knowledge of rare manuscripts at my disposal.’
[10] Shaykh Al-Albani would sometimes mention his extreme poverty during his early life. He said he would be reduced to picking up scraps of paper from the street, often discarded wedding cards, and use them to write his hadith notes on. Often, he would purchase scrap paper in bulk from the rubbish dump and take it home to use.
[11] He would correspond with numerous scholars, particularly those from India and Pakistan, discussing matters related to hadith and the religion in general, including Shaykh Muhammad Zamzami from Morocco and Ubaydullah Rahman, the author of Mirqat al-Mafatih Sharh Mushkila al-Masabih.
[12] His skill in hadith is attested to by a host of qualified scholars, past and present, including Dr. Amin al-Misri, head of Islamic Studies at Madinah University who considered himself to be one of the Shaykh’s students; also Dr. Subhi as-Salah, former head of Hadith Sciences at the University of Damascus; Dr. Ahmad al-Asaal, head of Islamic Studies at Riyadh University; the late Pakistani hadith scholar, Allamah Badiudeen Shah as-Sindee; Shaykh Muhammad Tayyib Awkeej, former head of Tafsir and Hadith at the University of Ankarah in Turkey; not to mention the likes of Shaykh Ibn Baz, Ibn al-Uthaymeen, Muqbil ibn Hadee and many others in later times.
[13] After a number of his works appeared in print, the Shaykh was chosen to teach hadith at the new Islamic University of Madinah for three years from 1381 to 1383H where he was also a member of University board. After this he returned to his former studies and work in the Zahiriyyah library. His love for Madinah University is evidenced by the fact that he bequeathed his entire personal library to the University.
[14] He would hold study circles twice a week whilst in Damascus which were attended by numerous students and university lecturers. In this way, the Shaykh completed instruction in the following classical and modern works:
Fathul-Majid of Abdur-Rahman ibn Husain ibn Muhamamd ibn Abdul-Wahhab
Rawdah an-Nadiyah of Siddiq Hasan Khan
Minhaj al-Islamiyyah of Muhammad Asad
Usul al-Fiqh of Al-Khallal
Mustalah at-Tarikh of Asad Rustum
Al-Halal wa al-Haram fil-Islam of Yusuf al-Qardawi
Fiqh as-Sunnah of Sayyid Sabiq
Bath al-Hathith of Ahmad Shakir
At-Targhib wa at-Tarhib of Al-Hafidh al-Mundhiri
Riyadh as-Saliheen on Imam an-Nawawi
Al-Imam fi Ahadith al-Ahqam of Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid
[15] After carrying out an analysis of the hadith in Ibn Khuzaymah’s Sahih, the Indian hadith scholar, Muhamamd Mustafa Azami (head of Hadith Science in Makkah), chose Shaykh Al-Albani to verify and re-check his analysis and the work is currently published in 4 volumes containing both their comments. This is an indication of the level of trust placed in Shaykh Al-Albani’s hadith ability by other scholars.
[16] In their edition of the well known hadith compilation, Mishkat al-Masabih, the Maktaba al-Islamee publishing house requested Shaykh Al-Albani to edit the work before publication.The publisher wrote in the introduction: ‘We requested that the great hadith scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Nasir ad-Deen al-Albani, should help us in the checking of Mishkat and take responsibility for adding footnotes for any ahadith needing them, and researching and reproducing their sources and authenticity where needed, and correcting any deficiences’
[17] The Shaykhs printed works, mainly in the field of hadith and its sciences, number some 112 books. I personally have 17 of these books and these alone run into 45 volumes! He left behind him in manuscript form at least a further 70 works.
[18] It is recorded on one occasion (and this incident is available on two tape cassettes – his students were in the habit of recording his teaching sessions), that a man visited Shaykh Al-Albani in his home in Jordan claiming to be a prophet! How would we have reacted when faced with such a situation? Shaykh Al-Albani sat the man down and discussed his claims at length (as I said, covering two tape cassettes) and in the end the visitor made tawba from his claim and all present, including the Shaykh, were overcome with tears. In fact, how often is Shaykh Al-Albani heard on tape bursting into tears when speaking about Allah, His Messenger and the affairs of the Muslims?
[19] On another occasion (and I was told this by a Shaykh who was present in the gathering) he was visited by three men all claiming that Shaykh Al-Albani was a kafir. When it came time to pray they refused to pray behind him, saying it is not possible for a kafir to lead the prayer. The Shaykh accepted this, saying that in his eyes the three of them were Muslims so one of them should lead the prayer. Afterwards, they discussed their differences at length and when it came time for the following prayer, all three men insisted on praying behind Shaykh Al-Albani!
[20] During the course of his life the Shaykh has researched and commented on over 30,000 individual chains of transmission (isnad) for countless hadith, having spent 60 years in the study of the books of the Sunnah and being in the company of, and in contact with, its scholars.
From our brother Abu Hudayfa via Sunnahonline
Abu Layth
October 6, 2011 at 2:49 AM
Shaykh ‘Asheesh narrates an incident when the Imaam of Hadeeth, the Shaykh – Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee (rahima-hullaah) was explaining the different scholarly levels of hadeeth, and Shaykh al-Albaanee went on to say:
“al-Haafidth is one who has memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth along with their chains of narration and the text (of each hadeeth).”
So Shaykh ‘Asheesh responds:
“Is it possible for me to be satisfied in the knowledge that our Shaykh has memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth?”
Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“This does not concern you.”
Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“Rather, it is from that which does concern me.”
Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“…does not concern you.”
Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“So is it possible for me to say that our Shaykh is a haafidth?”
So Shaykh al-Albaanee became quiet.
Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“So is it possible for me to take your silence as an answer?”
Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“Have I not told you that this does not concern you?”
Shaykh ‘Asheesh said:
“Yes. This is from that which does concern me. Is it possible for me to interpret (your) lack of response as an answer?”
So the Shaykh became quiet.
And Shaykh ‘Asheesh repeated his question to him a number of times.
Shaykh al-Albaanee recited:
“{And whatever you have of the blessings, then it is from Allaah}.”
And Shaykh ‘Asheesh quickly said:
“Can I interpret this as an answer?”
Shaykh al-Albaanee said:
“It is for you to interpret it as an answer and it is for you to interpret it as whatever you wish.”
Shaykh ‘Asheesh narrates:
“So I happily proclaimed: “Allaahu Akbar”, and jubilantly exclaimed: “Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah”, and said:
“al-Hamdu Lillaah, indeed the Shaykh has memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth.”
So our Shaykh laughed; It was as if he confirmed what I was saying.”
Shaykh ‘Asheesh further narrates:
“From his responses from the beginning to the end there never was a clear answer from the Shaykh, so this does not imply anything except his extreme humility.”
Safahaat baydhaa. min hayaat Shaykhinaa al-Albaanee – Page 40
Lion
October 3, 2011 at 8:02 PM
I forgot walikum Salam =D
tariki
October 4, 2011 at 12:09 AM
Salaam brother,
i would like to take this discussion and start from the foundation of the issue. Why dont you go ahead and explain what tawhid al-hakmiyyah is.
if you would like to take this discussion somewhere else to make it easier to follow along thats fine by me
jazakallahu khair
Umm Tariq
October 4, 2011 at 12:41 AM
Asalamu alaikum everyone. In the Shade of the Qur’an is one of the few commentaries of the Qur’an available in English. As far as I’m aware, the organisation that that publishes it is well-respected. With all due respect Sheikh Yasir, publicly declaring Sayyid Qutb to be a founder of radical Islam would seem to have implications for every Muslim who has his books on their bookshelves. I’ve heard that the English translation is filtered somewhat. More scholarly clarification on this issue would be welcome. Wasalam.
mark
October 2, 2011 at 2:45 AM
Very troubling piece, Yasir.
You deliberately divert the discussion away from Al Qaeda and Awlaki’s association with AQAP. You seem to wish to impart a vision of legitimacy to Al-Awlaki (the real guy, known to “so many American Muslims”) that somehow the rest of us passed over.
Then you continue on to paint a picture of how the careful mitigation of a terrorist threat was somehow a failure of American values — the same paradigm of ” western ideological hypocrisy” so common in radical Islamic discourse. You carefully footnote your comments with a cursory comment on the dangers of this message.
As far as Due Process — he abandoned the 5th Amendment after his refusal to surrender to either American or Yemeni authorities. The United States has had a warrant for his arrest for some time. The prosecution of those rulings was dealt with in the same fashion any identified suspect, assumed to be armed and dangerous, is dealt with by law enforcement authorities when a suspect refuses to surrender.
The irony, of course, is the death of Samir Khan, suspected producer of AQAP’s “INSPIRE” magazine. He was a much less legitimate target than Al-Awlaki as he had a far more ambiguous connection to AQAP’s operational arm.
Mike
October 3, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Dear Hawk, er, I mean Mark,
Equally troubling is your failure to consider the premise of most war critics: that the US is pursuing an unnecessary, resource/profit driven war the pursuit of which contravenes countless domestic and international conventions on war and warfare. This critique of “western ideological hypocrisy” is not limited to “radical Islam,” as you so falsely claimed. I find your implicit support of Hawkish tendencies to be as troubling as the disturbing ideas of al-Awlaki.
Reader
October 3, 2011 at 3:33 PM
Mark,
So as per your view of due process, a drone went and issued a warrant to him. The drone found him armed and refusing to surrender. So the drone fired missiles killing him and other people (US and non US citizens) along with him?
AA
October 4, 2011 at 1:14 PM
Everyone should take a look at this
y
October 6, 2011 at 12:05 PM
“As far as Due Process — he abandoned the 5th Amendment after his refusal to surrender to either American or Yemeni authorities. The United States has had a warrant for his arrest for some time. The prosecution of those rulings was dealt with in the same fashion any identified suspect, assumed to be armed and dangerous, is dealt with by law enforcement authorities when a suspect refuses to surrender.”
This is simply not true. You cannot just kill a suspect who refuses to surrender. What you are talking about is if at the time that the suspect is apprehended, he is presumed to be armed and dangerous and if it is presumed he has the opportunity and may hurt people at that time, then the police may use deadly force. Sending a drone to fire missiles at someone is not the same thing as apprehending a suspect.
Salawaat
October 2, 2011 at 2:49 AM
Despite his shortcomings, and I understood where he was coming from. However, delibretly killing innocent civilians in hope of political gain is not in our deen.
However, I am not going to lie. I have love for him, even after he began blurring the line between legitimate resistance and terrorism.
abdurahman
October 2, 2011 at 4:11 AM
“Lastly, the assassination is counterproductive because it feeds into the martyr mythology that makes Al Qaeda’s narrative so different from that of most other terrorist groups.”
is martyrdom a myth? or do you mean al-qaeda’s of gaining martyrdom is a myth?
Yasir Qadhi
October 2, 2011 at 2:08 PM
Salam Alaikum
Shahada is one of the highest goals of any Muslim, and I pray that Allah blesses me with it.
But I don’t believe strapping a bomb to your chest (or in your underwear), killing yourself, and killing as many innocent people around you, constitutes shahada.
Yasir
tariki
October 2, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Salaam shaykh Yasir
أتبرك شيخي ولكن يقول شيخ السلام أن باب التأول واسع جدا من لم يتقنه ضل وأضل. قد يكون هؤلاء معذورين لجهلهم ولأنهم يظنون أنهم ينصرون الله ورسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم. الله أعلم بنواياهم ونرجوا لهم الشهادة ولو كانوا مفسدين مبتدعين على منهج الخوارج. والله أعلم وأسأل الله أن يؤيدك بروح من عنده.
Nusybah
April 16, 2012 at 7:03 AM
then how do u ?wish to gain shahada
Nusybah
October 7, 2012 at 5:54 PM
and how do you wish to attain shahada please clarify
Leo
October 2, 2011 at 4:31 AM
Last audio I heard from anwar alawlaki he was calling Muslim US citizens to take arms against their country. He believed in being killed in the path of god. Maybe being killed by the US he what he wanted.
Whether it was legal or ethical is irrelevant to me. He did for a while make a positive contribution but in recent years many considered him a liability. Is his death now a loss for the ummah? I’m not expecting a large outcry but as with the death of any Muslim I do wish god forgives his sins.
muslimah
October 2, 2011 at 4:31 AM
we didn’t assassinate charles manson, ted kazinksky, timothy mcveigh, and they were actual mass murderers before they had their day in court…it doesn’t make any sense….every u.s. citizen is entitled to due process before the law….i think the constitution is an amazing read and it clearly states every citizen if charged with a cime must held accountable under the law…lets remember they imprisoned him and tortured him and then let him go after two years…if he was such a threat, why was he even released? if he in fact had something to do with 9/11, why did he condemn the acts shortly afterward…he was even interviewed by mainstream media…it seems he didn’t become radical until after his time in prison …….we don’t assassinate bad americans for being bad….u.s. civil society doesn’t work that way…i guess unless they are now muslim….someone bought up the norwegian terrorizer who himself was inspired by the denmark government minister geert wilders and his writings…why was not geert wilders arrested or targeted for any crimes?…because an inciter is not the same as a person who actually commits a crime or the doer….even in islam if someone commits a crime, there has to be four witnesses who saw that action….awlaki himself was not directly involved in any attacks or else they would have never released him from prison to begin with….i have to admit i dont know much about the issue and i dont feel comfortable in judging this whole situation…but as an american muslim i find it appalling that something like this could happen….i firmly believe in the u.s. judicial system and due process under the law…the question is why don’t our leaders believe the same?
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 9:27 PM
Your appreciation of the US legal system is commendable. We have one of the best legal systems in the world (although it works best for those who can afford good lawyers ;-) ).
Regarding Manson, Kazinsky, and McVeigh (sounds like the name of a demented law firm ;-) ), they all have one thing in common that Awlaki did not have. What is it? . . .
(Insert theme music from the Jeopardy game show)
Alex Trebek: “Time’s up. What was your answer?”
“You said ‘They were all able to be arrested because they were on US soil.’ I’m sorry, you would be correct, but you neglected to put your answer in the form of a question. Sorry, but we have some excellent consolation prizes for you. Thank you for playing Jeopardy!” ;-)
Mike
October 3, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Hey,
You realize your sarcastic remark about the commenter’s respect for the legal system implies that you, and not her, are able to speak from within American identity markers, even though the both of you are US citizens. You fail to realize that others, including brown people, can also be US citizens as much as you are, and therefore, speak from within American identity markers.
Greg Abdul
October 2, 2011 at 5:49 AM
as salaam alaikum,
Make excuses. This is what we Muslims do. Alwaki was al qaeda. He did videos and he published all over the place recruiting and showing the world he was al qaeda. We Muslims are hypocrites when it comes to standing with the right and the truth. For too many of us, our position depends on the professed religion of the criminal and the professed religion of the people who go after him. KILLING BABIES AND WOMEN IS KUFR. We rush to tell the world that the peace Nation of Islam and the peaceful Ahmadis are not Muslims….and then we stumble and equivocate when to comes to men who live to kill women and and children. The position this article really advocates is that it’s okay to zap someone into bird food with a drone, and the only question that this policy raises is when it’s a US citizen? This is the new US way forward on dealing with terrorists, no matter what country is legally responsible for bringing them to justice for treason and murder. I think it’s great. Those nuts go out and spend their lives trying to get someone else’s child to throw away his life. They live and say their religion is to ruin other people’s children. It is perfect justice that at any second, something is hovering over them and just as they seek to place constant fear of death on Americans like me, their death by drone will be coming at any second from here on. God bless the United States of America for being strong and not tolerating criminals just because they have long beards and turbans the way some of us Muslims do! Alwaki was not my brother and I will not defend someone who kills innocent people.
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 8:19 AM
and I will not defend someone who kills innocent people.
All valid points, they just need to be proven in court of law. There was no indictment even
Greg Abdul
October 2, 2011 at 11:13 AM
wa alaikum salaam,
Brother, I have a longer, more patient response below. I know the Bush Administration was retarded and barbaric when it came to Muslims. But that is no excuse. Killing women and children is haram. When you declare halaal what Allah has made haram, that is kufr. I am NOT a scholar like Imam Yasir, or my Imam. But I know I have to speak up for the little Islam I do know. Today on our mosque wall it quoted Nisa where you have until death to repent and then you are not forgiven. If I were to declare another Prophet or another ilah or if I were to declare pork and alcohol halaal as I ate and drank and sold, and then I died without repenting, should the Muslim world rush forth and pray I go to Jannah? We don’t do it for the NOI nor the Ahmadiyyahs and we shouldn’t. These people are all much better than Al Qaeda. Neither group goes around killing babies. Does a beard and a turban and being Arab really mean that much? These people have declared, contrary to basic Islam that killing innocent people is halaal. They have said me, my wife and my children are halaal for them to slaughter. They have said my brothers and sisters who come to masjid, many more practicing than I am, are halaal for the them to slaughter. Your problem is you are ignoring math. Alwaki preached to thousands, as does Imam Yasir. Now when 9,900 follow Imam Yasir and 10 follow Alwaki, we as Muslims are losing the battle. He pushed people over who were on the edge. What if the underwear bomber was your kid? You spend literally thousands trying to make him an elite and good person, and then he hears the siren and throws away his life and embarrasses your family and your faith. The legal issue is a smoke screen for defending what many of you see as a Muslim. For me he abandoned his faith. To join Al Qaeda is to declare war on America. ONCE HE DECLARED WAR ON THE US, HE LOST HIS RIGHT TO TRIAL. For the last two years, he has been a moving battlefield and he knew it. The right wing nuts are right or they are wrong. Either we are terrorist sympathizers or the terrorists are liars, who lie about our Prophet and our deen. Alwaki is NOT my brother and he decided to place his body where the drones do their thing. That was his choice. His land of birth was America, so he had no right to war against those Allah placed over him by birth. Yemen has a security pact with the US so he had no right through his heritage to fight the US. He was not on a Jihad. He was a renegade who rejected basic teachings and the police finally caught up to him. Such is the end for those who lie on our Prophet and the message he has given us, from Allah, through the Quran and the Sunnah. Allah decided his time to die. All praise be to Allah..
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 1:49 PM
Quite long rant, I know what he was saying is wrong and not Islam (if that is indeed what is he saying, not anyone faking his identity).
I am only curious about legal arguments. Can you back up your assertion above (what I quoted) from constitutional perspective and/or any court orders? Whatever charges are that makes him legitimate target, should have gone through legal process
Greg Abdul
October 2, 2011 at 5:28 PM
as salaam alaikum,
excuse my long rants. I just believe we need to be smarter. You are ignoring my reply. Alwaki decided to commit treason against his religion and against his country of birth that gave him freedom of religion by law. I am harassed, as are many Muslims today in America. That is his only excuse and it is a weak one. Fighting mistreatment of Muslims in the West through dawah and the American legal system, which already protects Islam is the real Jihad in America. This thing where you say you need proof about Alwaki is a smoke screen. You pretend as if you don’t know that all over the world people die every day on the battle field without a trial. There are news reports today that over the weekend people have died fighting Al Qaeda in Yemen and killed some of them. Do we need evidence from a special court to convince you that the news reports are true? You do realize that some of the reporters are reliable Muslims don’t you? This is the Abbottabad defense. You don’t believe any terrorists in the world is a terrorists because “the media lies.,” except when the same media tells you anything bad about the US or someone you are already pre-disposed to dislike. The answer to your compliant is simple. Insha Allah you are serious and not just another American hater who just happens to be Muslim. I went to bold caps before, now I say with pleading that you understand: once you enter a battlefield, you either win or you die. There is no trial. Alwaki not only joined Al Qaeda, he went to the battlefield in Yemen. He took an obvious route that he knew with certainty meant no trial. He did not want one. He knew what happened to Bin Laden, yet he refused to leave the battlefield. Why do you keep insisting that someone in armed resistance against his national government is entitled to a trial no matter what the cost? What if it was your son that had to go to Yemen to raid his compound under orders not to harm anyone while the terrorist are armed to the teeth and eager to kill Americans? What if it boils down to your son or Alwaki? Are you saying American kids should die just so someone who has dedicated his life spreading terrorism should go into a court and repeat what he has spent the last five years broadcasting to the whole world? I am getting too long again. May Allah forgive and dissipate my anger. Raising Muslim children in America is not hard enough. Some of us are obsessed coddling people who would destroy my child only because the nut happens to be an Arab with a long beard and a turban.
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 7:55 PM
I am sorry, I cannot read your long rants and try to figure out answer. Your arguments seem emotional ones and frankly could be used (and are used) by extremists muslims (just in opposite direction).
By the way, he was not fighting in battlefield anyways, I mean just like Major Nidal Hasan killed military people in US alleging that they would be fighting or have fought was totally wrong. You cannot attack and kill people cold blooded.
Please save yourself and me time, and just have few sentences focused on legality from US legal system point of view. I am sure he was evil person as you portray him to be, was killing him extra judicial is legal or not?
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 7:58 PM
America hater? What are you talking about..
Gbolahan
October 2, 2011 at 9:06 AM
Assalam Aleaykum,
You miss Yasir Qadhi’s point in this article, it doesn’t matter the nationality of who was killed or his religion but the fact that someone can be killed or ordered to be killed without recourse to any due judicial process or consensus brings to question the very essence of our humanity, civilization and democracy.
Awlaki was wrong in his stance but it doesn’t make Obama/America anymore correct, America has now given legitimacy to state powers who for one reason or other needs to silence a citizen. America now, is no different from an Iran or a China i.e. in their handling of the Tienanmen Square Massacre, they may do it subtly but in reality its still the same; state sponsored killings.
Now the most scary part is the philosophical angle, I ask a question, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?(“Who watches the watchmen?”).
So who will watch Obama so that he doesn’t send drones after me for jeering at Michelle?
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 9:35 PM
Greg, that is one of the most sensible and brave things I have ever heard from a Muslim. Way to stand up against hypocrisy. You make me proud to call you my fellow American and my fellow human.
Hayaa
October 2, 2011 at 7:00 AM
Verily, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.
All I knew of Imam Anwar Al awlaki was from his talks on seerah, and the lives of the companions- as well as his lectures on the Hereafter. The CDs were exemplary, and inspired love for Allah, His Beloved Nabi sallalahu alayhi wassalam, and the Sahaba-e-Karaam. They evoked fear of the Hell fire, an urgent need to prepare for our death and hastening to good deeds to attain Allah SWT’s pleasure and His Paradise.
To whomsoever I recommended his talks, they were met with awe and appreciation.
To fear a man and to fear him such as to order his killing?
and Allah SWT knows best.
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 9:52 PM
Hayaa, are you saying this supporter of terrorism was an exemplary Muslim?
Hayaa
October 3, 2011 at 3:09 PM
I am saying we should take the good. I have a hard time reconciling all that is said here with how I remember him.
Like a brother said above,
“I benefited from him tremendously and I’d like to remember him as the man who inspired the Ummah with his stories, lectures, and halaqas before he went to prison.”
To date, I have never heard him telling us to pick arms and fight. Perhaps he did in the later part of his life. When I hear the name Imam Anwar Al Awlaki- I remember all the wonderful stories, his amazing CDs, him teaching us to be sincere, to be good, to worship Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala alone- and I’d like to keep it that way.
Maybe he was wrong later, but with life- whenever you see a person, you don’t label him GOOD or EVIL. You take the good. You make excuses for the wrong.
You hate the SIN, not the SINNER.
I pray Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala guides us to the straight path and forgive all our sins.
and Allah knows best!
Imran
October 2, 2011 at 7:13 AM
How does one change his/her views so quickly. I wonder why awlaki decided to become radical in such a sudden turn.
abooeemaan
October 2, 2011 at 7:59 AM
I’m not saying I agree with some of his statements regarding attacking innocents, but I definitely don’t agree with the stance taken by every single author on this website to constantly blame muslim for the US war against them which has already claimed hundreds of thousands of innocents.
Research the facts, not the hype and you will see the real truth staring you blankly in the face. The same applies to palestine, afghanistan, iraq, pakistan, somalia etc etc etc … US action stimulating extreme responses
Yasir Qadhi
October 2, 2011 at 2:16 PM
And I ask you as well to research our own stances before jumping to your conclusions. I have been saying this since the very beginning.
Yasir
muslimah
October 2, 2011 at 2:18 PM
that is why 2/3 of americans oppose the wars in the middle east..the American people are waking up and realize these wars don’t have any legitimacy….i’ve listened to many amazing veterans who have returned from the war and talked about their experiences…the majority had no idea what they were doing there…they still dont…its sad that these wars are continuing instead of dealing with real issues at home such as jobs, health care, education etc…
Lion
October 2, 2011 at 3:06 PM
Ibn Baz Rahimullah read the book of Abdur Rahman Abdul Khaliq “As-Sirat” and not only did he read and approve it ANYTHING that was wrong he changed and anything that he felt that needed correcting he corrected. In this book The Shiekh clearly puts forth the section of Hakimiyya in this book and Ibn Baz Rahimullah had no problem with this and he did not correct it. Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Kathir may have not said Hakimiyya directly but they have laid down the concept. When the Tartars came in Damascus and ruled by the law of “Yasiq” Ibn Taymiyya exposed there kufr and said ruling by other than the law of Allah and replacing laws of the sharia is kufr. point blank period. I’m not talking about Hassan al Banna, i’m talking about Syed Qutb rahimullah where Albani said he was not a student of knowledge but he was a writer and he even went as far as saying that some of his writings are so good and so exhilarating it is like ilham!
Fine if you have a problem with “Tawheed Al Hakimiyya” than don’t use the phrase because tawheed al Hakimiyya is part of Allah’s Ubuddiyya (or Uluhiyya). However the argument that the use of the word Hakimiyya is not only allowed is the ayat of Allah. Allah has said in surahtul Kahf That with his HUKM (not with his uluhiyya or Rubbubiyya) there is no shirk. Thus there is a argument with this.
Now how does this even justify saying that Syed Qutb is “Radical Islam” ??
tariki
October 3, 2011 at 8:53 AM
Salaam brother,
I want to discuss this with you further more but through emial if you dont mind because we need to start this topic from its foundations because most people misunderstand this issue because they misunderstood its foundations. it will be annoying to do it through the forums so if you dont mind lets continue through email? if one of the admins can give him my email please that would be great.
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 10:16 PM
It was illegitimate to oust the Taliban regime that harbored and supported the international al Qaeda terrorist network that attacked the US on 9/11/01? How is retaliating against a horrible terrorist attack that killed thousands of innocents in one day illegitimate? How is working to ensure the Taliban do not return to power illegitimate?
Abu Ism
October 3, 2011 at 8:00 PM
A Taliban that was created by the U.S. government? A Taliban that was used as a guise to merely invade Afghanistan and Iraq for economical purposes? This isn’t anything new, Carlos. Does your short-term memory allow you to forget the treachery and deception the U.S. government played against Saddam Hussein to start the first Gulf War? Surely, you must get your knowledge of the world from other sources other than right, conservative talk shows?
Carlos
October 3, 2011 at 9:12 PM
Just because the US was once allied with the Afghan mujahideen, during the war against the Soviet aggression, does not mean the US government created the Taliban. The Taliban were clearly the latest in a long line of religiously-inspired extreme Wahhabist guerrilla movements occupying the Afghan/Pakistan border region since before the 20th century. There is nothing American about Islamic extremism. No, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq were for security purposes, not economic purposes. Go back and listen to the pre-war debates (the ones in the US, not the ones in the Arabic media). No, the US did not start the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein did. Those were Iraqi tanks rolling into Kuwait City, not CIA tanks disguised to look like Republican Guard tanks.
You are correct, I do get my knowledge of the world from sources other than right wing conservative talks shows. In fact, I don’t have a TV, and, the last time I heard a conservative radio program on the radio was once, about three years ago. I was listening to Michael Savage, because I could not believe the nonsense he was spouting. That guy is an extremist idiot, and have you heard what he says about Muslims? Actually, nowadays, I think i get most of my news from Muslim Matters.
muslimah
October 4, 2011 at 1:19 AM
Who cares about Michael Savage? WHy would you even bring him up? LOL…
Mostafa
October 4, 2011 at 3:09 AM
So, as long as it’s for the sake of American “security” then, by god, it’s justified. This doesn’t make sense at all! Throwing around the Wahhabi “boogey-man” doesn’t necessarily give one’s argument any authenticity; what proof was there that before the Soviet Invasion that there was any Wahabbi/Saudi influence in that part of the world? In the words of Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, “Extremism is as American as apple pie”. The Taliban movement was, and is, everything BUT Islamic. It’s a product and response of American aggression against an impoverished peoples.
I doubt the legitimacy and open-mindedness of news sources if you sincerely believe that America invaded Iraq and Afghanistan for “security” purposes. Ponder on the reason for the oil pipelines and the control of the drug market, then return with your conclusion.
The American government gave Saddam Hussein the green light to invade Kuwait, then, being the pseudo-Marxists they are, they condemned him and used his invasion as a justification to start setting up military bases across the Middle East . This is the same American government that supplied both Iran and Iraq during their war, in order to continue the bloodshed. A war that killed 1 million on the Iranian side and 500,000 on the Iraqi side. A government that supplied Iraq with bio-chemical weapons, which America used to justify their invasion of Iraq later on.
I highly recommend that you reconsider your occupation of being a mouth-piece for “official” U.S. government reports, and to start thinking in a logical manner. Like the a famous Greek slave said once, “You don’t allow people to penetrate your body, so why would you let anyone penetrate your mind”?
muslimah
October 4, 2011 at 4:10 PM
@Watcher….give me a break~slandering the man won’t win you points for justifying what happened….
muslimah
October 4, 2011 at 1:14 AM
the fact is 92% of afghan men have neither even heard of the 9/11 attacks…they don’t know what they are…concerning the taliban…. why is the u.s. in talks with them to rejoin government positions…the u.s. itself is in reconciliation talks with them and the afghan government….also OBL was killed in pakistan and was nowhere near afghanistan…and the hijackers were mostly from saudi arabia…afghanistan had nothing to do with 9/11….who is ensuring that the taliban don’t return to power..not the u.s…..even our President admitted that they have been agreements and talks made with the taliban as part of a strategy to reconcile the afghan government…so what was the whole point of occupying afghanistan?
Brother
October 2, 2011 at 8:16 AM
Not a bad piece for NY Times but a little too negative for my liking. I’m having a hard time accepting any of the things that were attributed to him. I benefited from him tremendously and I’d like to remember him as the man who inspired the Ummah with his stories, lectures, and halaqas before he went to prison. May Allah (swt) forgive him of his sins and grant him Jannah. Ameen.
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 8:17 AM
Glen Greenwald article and video (democracy now) at the end of article
http://politics.salon.com/2011/09/30/awlaki_6/
Greg Abdul
October 2, 2011 at 8:29 AM
as salaam alaikum,
I feel like my Imam just saw me go off on you Imam Yasir. Please forgive me for my strong words. But the idea behind the words I do not take back. If Imams like you are going to defend Alwaki, then you are forcing common people like me to make a choice. The man was a baby killer. Yes. He taught Islam with great skill at a certain point and time. And then he decided he would go into the baby-killing business and call it Islam. The leader of Iran says it is a CIA plot. The US government has spent over three trillion dollars fighting them. Somewhere in between insha Allah, is the truth. There is someone out there blowing up masjids while Muslims are inside praying the middle of Ramadan, during Juma’ah. Someone is attacking a school bus full of kids and killing four in a Muslim country. Surely, Burhanuddin Rabanni, the Aghan envoy for peace, was killed by someone. US soldiers are in Afghanistan and Pakistan dying on a daily basis. Someone is killing them and any Muslim who supports them. America is going broke and there is no oil in the tribal region. Three thousand Americans, many of them Muslims died on 9/11. Now maybe it’s the CIA. Allah Knows. But multiple news sources, including ones from the Muslim world, are saying that there are people out there bragging and “taking credit” after these attacks happen. Mr. Alwaki was one of those people. If he was unjustly accused, his common sense should have told him to get his live body as fast as he could, to the nearest US embassy so he could be arrested and put on trial. The Obama administration made no secret that he was about to be killed by any means by the US military. Al Qaeda is at war with America. As such, it’s members do not have a right to a trial. They are enemy combatants using unconventional warfare to deliberately kill women and children. Nidal Hassan was clearly in contact with and “inspired” by Mr. Alwaki. I am sorry for being rude. I get upset. We American Muslims are getting bad treatment here in the US. Some group is spending millions to get all of America to hate us and while we have the law on our side, their money is having some effect. The ones who hate Muslims have only one argument really. They say we are with Alwaki and Al Qaeda. I am in NO way with them, so I am fighting a lie and I pray I am not alone. I will never defend men who say their religion is to come and ruin my children. We Muslims are articulate. Many have stressed we need to respect the dead. This is true and it is Sunnah. But don’t you and all our Imams say we have to stand against munkar? Aren’t we supposed to stand against injustice where ever we find it? If a Muslim had dedicated himself to treason and breaking treaties and killing innocent people because they are Americans, does the fact that he used to be good at teaching Islam mean I have to stand by him when he meets his end? And one final point: we say, as an article of faith, that Allah’s Qadir controls all. It is all already written. The US nor the whole world put together could harm one hair on that man’s head, unless Allah decreed it. By our faith ALLAH DECIDED, that Alawaki would die by a drone strike. Allah is not in competition with the US. Allah is greater than America. So this was Allah’s will. The arguments people are making to defend this man assume his words are a lie cooked up by the CIA.He made treasonous statements and openly endorsed and encouraged the killing of innocent people. He declared war on America. In a battlefield, no one takes you to trial. When you get the shot, you take it and the bullet or the bomb is your verdict. Above all, this is controlled by Allah. And Allah is the Most Just!
zee
October 2, 2011 at 10:31 AM
I agree that he supported killing innocents, including babies, assuming he went along with all of al qaeda’s ideology. i think the reason people don’t bask awlaki as much as they do bin laden or whoever else is because they knew him before when he was just a simple guy preaching about the prophets and stuff. Nobody knew bin laden or any other terrorist before, and therefore, we don’t care much for them. but it’s like if you have a family member that you grew up with and loved, then all of a sudden, they became bad. even though you know they are doing wrong stuff, you still have some affection for them because of the nostalgia that you have from when you knew them before. that’s why i think people are not as harsh when talking about awlaki, because the anger or disgust with what he preached in his last years is combined with sadness.
syed
October 2, 2011 at 12:11 PM
Assalaamu alaykum,
You really need to make a distinction between innocent civilians and military personnel and their supporters. That is all I will say here.
syed
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 9:59 PM
Greg, your fairness and common sense is overpowering. I am in awe of you. Thank you for making me feel so much better about humanity and about Islam. You will probably take heat from your ummah peeps for saying what you are saying, but don’t stop standing-up for what you see is right.
Umm Bilqis
October 4, 2011 at 3:33 AM
Carlos says: “Thank you for making me feel so much better about humanity and about Islam.”
Carlos since you are into generalizing. Permit me to say that many Muslims including myself do not believe in much of the the war on terror propaganda. The leadership in your country is the worst of creation and are proven and verified liars. May they be raised with Pharoah and other wrong doers in the day of judgement.
Morever they are war mongers, and an administration that has commited genocide and supports genocide.
I do not believe this narrative that they are promoting about AA nor do I think that he would promote the murder of innocents better still he has not killed anyone whereas your leadership has engaged in mass murder.
I hope that the good people who believe in some semblance of civil liberties or rights take back control of your country, because with this type of leadership I do not see any hope for humanity, for the time being.
Amal
October 9, 2011 at 10:23 AM
You said “The leadership in your country is the worst of creation and are proven and verified liars. May they be raised with Pharoah and other wrong doers in the day of judgement.”
And let that go double for all the filthy “leaders” in every single Muslim majority state, because they are the worst hypocrites on the planet. Is their sin not greater because they’re Muslim and should do better? Let’s look to our own communities before jumping on the reactionary “America is Evil” train.
Abu Ism
October 3, 2011 at 7:53 PM
You must have A LOT of time on your hands.
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 8:30 AM
Obama has been worse than Bush in terms of foreign policy and civil liberties. Bush only said he has right to detain American citizen without warrant, while Obama has claimed to right to kill US citizen without any legal proceedings.
Do you know how DADT (dont ask dont tell) got repealed? The compromise was that gitmo to stay open if he wants to repeal DADT, and that was even pushed by many democrats.
A day when gitmo is still open for worst human right abuse, and two US citizens, one assassinated for allegedly speaking BS and other being webmaster for propagating such BS, Obama is here:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/01/politics/obama-lgbt/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Abdur Rahman
October 2, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Some questions for the shaikh:
1) What exactly do you mean by “martyr mythology”? Is martyrdom not apart of Islam?
2) Why haven’t you said “Inna lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’un”? Is Awlaki not a Muslim
3) It seems all your grief comes from America killing a citizen, but where is your grief of America killing a Muslim?
Yasir Qadhi
October 2, 2011 at 2:13 PM
Salam
1) See above for what I meant.
2) You wish that I write an Arabic phrase in an Op Ed for NYT? I was very distressed at his death, for multiple reasons, and as soon as I heard of it I said the hawqala. And indeed, inna lillahi wa inna ilahyi raji’oon.
3) Again, you are ignoring the fact that this is written for the NYT. Of course I am sad whenever anyone dies – we do not rejoice at the death of our brothers. And before you express your own anger, please do listen to my lectures more carefully. In particular, ‘Hindsight is 20/20’ where I explicitly mentioned that terrorism from these Muslims is a direct result of terrorism from American foreign policy.
Yasir
Umm Sulaim
October 2, 2011 at 3:06 PM
Good going. Thumb up for you. Now that’s more like it.
Routing for MM,
Umm Sulaim
Ibrahim
October 2, 2011 at 12:48 PM
Jazakumullahu khaira for your words Shaykh Yasir.
Just a question, what difference does it make from a moral standpoint if he was a US citizen or not?
Yasir Qadhi
October 2, 2011 at 2:14 PM
None.
But I wasn’t writing for the Journal of Modern Philosophy :)
I needed to point out that according to the Law of the Land, what occurred was wrong.
Yasir
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 12:57 PM
Dick Cheney praising Obama for these actions and asking him to apologize to Bush for criticizing him for his actions after 9/11
http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/02/politics/cheney-obama-terror/index.html
I hope muslims have learned lesson for supporting Obama
Lion
October 2, 2011 at 1:00 PM
All you guys care about is legal processing, And than they would take him under those “legal” processing and torture him and than imprison him with a ridiculous imprisonment of 80 or so years like our sister Aafia. At least he has more of a chance to be considered a Shaheed in this regards. What ever duAllah does is wrong. Fair trail or otherwise. Please step out of your fantasy box of American Justice and face the reality.
Kashif H
October 2, 2011 at 11:12 PM
salaam aleikum,
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years yet that still did not stop the struggle nor save the Apartheid system that imprisoned him from collapse.
Similarly the Mubarek regime imprisoned thousands of bloggers, writers, and speakers, yet it still did not save him.
There is another way besides mindless, senseless, and politically directionless violence.
lucastro
October 2, 2011 at 1:16 PM
Thanks for the article. The presumption of innocence applies to this American Cleric, until he is proven guilty in a court. It represents a real wake up call for real democrats (whether they are Democrat leaning or not). The unprincipled Obama is and always was a closet republican. The ironic twist of history awaiting him is that it will not work, republicans will not give him any recognition, they just want power. Nor undecided voter will want to trust him ever again.
jan
October 3, 2011 at 2:42 AM
i agree…i will be voting independent next election…this is definitely not the change i can believe in….to the individual named Greg…i am not going to respond to your rants but i will say that every u.s. citizen is entitled to due process under the constitutional law and that goes for all american citizens…even the ones we consider bad or don’t ilke or support. we are in no fact supporting Mr. Awlaki or his views…that is irrelevant…The fact is we don’t have all the information because nothing was released. Every american citizen if charged with a crime that they allegedly committed is innocent until proven guilty under a court of law.That goes for ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS…. The burden of proof lies with the state…This is why i fell in love with 10th grade government. I loved learning about the judicial system and how our government works…this is also why these actions are so surprising and absolutely appalling to me.
i am about to post a video recently posted by abc news and i commend this reporter for having the courage to question what happened.
http://consultingbyrpm.com/blog/2011/09/jake-tapper-vs.-jay-carney-on-president-killing-u.s.-citizens.html
go to that link and then you will see what i am talking about…people are disheartened for good reason…it has nothing to do with religion…the u.s.a. has a judicial system in place for a reason…we don’t get to be conditional with it…all are equal under the law…those who break the law have to suffer going to court and be tried for their crimes…and no i am not a lawyer…i just listened in class:)
Ahsan Sayed
October 2, 2011 at 1:48 PM
I am very disillusioned with Obama at this point. But when I think about the Republican candidates I cant help but shudder at the thought that they actually might get elected. Muslimmatters gave its reluctant support to Obama in 2008 because he was the lesser of two evils. Since then Obama has gotten much worse, and yet somehow hes still the best choice.
Yasir Qadhi
October 2, 2011 at 2:15 PM
Sadly, the situation is so bad that I’m afraid I actually agree with you! Even though it is true to point out that in most fronts, Obama has done much worse than Bush ever did.
Yasir
Ummalqist
October 2, 2011 at 5:35 PM
Obama worse than a man who launched 6 wars within his presidency? Never; nobody worse
Texan Muslim
October 3, 2011 at 1:06 PM
Sheik,
What do you think about Ron Paul?
Hassan
October 2, 2011 at 3:26 PM
Dude on what planet you live on, do you know about Ron Paul?
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/10/02/2011-10-02_an_unconstitutional_killing.html
muslimah
October 2, 2011 at 2:15 PM
I read some of your comments and it was like watching fox news….inspiration is not the same as action…why is it okay for someone like Geert wilders to not take responsibility for inspiring acts of violence and terror, as it is the same exact thing….if this man was guilty of a crime, he should be tried and charged under the law…the same as everyone…Nazi criminals who massacred millions got their day in court…we are not defending or supporting anyone and neither was Yasir Qadhi…we have a judicial court system for good reason…all citizens regardless of what crimes they committed are entitled to it…read the constitution…what makes the U.S. great is that very system…i do not in any way support those who incite violence and terror against any people….and those who do so should be charged and tried under the law….what i find appalling is when non-muslims do it, they are disregarded and overlooked…when a muslim does it, he is targeted for death…there should be no double standard…As George Washington previously stated all are equal under the law…we criticize countries like Syria, and Libya for killing their own citizens, which their goverments call traitors, Assad is literally massacring his own people that he calls enemies and traitors to the state…Syria has now been sanctioned and justly so for the human rights violations against its own people….yet some people (Americans) on here are using the same excuse and logic that dictators use….i dont understand it…we have system of law…we should follow it regardless of who the person is…that is the point that Yasir Qadhi was making…
Greg Abdul
October 2, 2011 at 7:18 PM
as salaam alaikum sister,
al hamdulillah, my rant today here has been a therapy for me. I need to be at masjid, so I stop with this final comment to you. You are absolutely right about the double standard. concerning the inciters of hate, but that double standard is once again a question of math. We are less than 2% of US population. When half of the other 98% sees us all as Alwaki’s buddies, that is what the Muslim haters are given free reign. We have two fights. One is against our own extremists. The other against the Islamophobes and inciters who hate us. Both costs us energy we could be using to raise or families or even better, be used in ‘ebadah of reading Quran or masjid. Considering our two problems, the worst thing we can do is to endorse, in any way, the nuts on our side. The nuts on both ends feed off each other with the mutual argument that the our nuts are the true Muslims and that we are fake or lying Muslims. Islam demands good manners and my manners are bad. May Allah forgive me. I talk in a bad way sometimes. This killing women and babies thing Al Qaeda does is kufr. I am tired of I have to denounce the nation of islam, which I do, and then these arab and pakistani criminals come up and everyone gets quiet or defends them. They say that since we follow US law, we are not Muslims. They are doing takfeer. They are saying my child and my wife’s blood is halaal. And the Christian nuts agree with them as they hate me and you at the same time. To try to defend someone who, if they had the chance, would kill you and any American Muslim near you, that is living in a crazy, unsustainable place. The sheep does not root for the wolf. My dislike of what is not right with America has not driven me mad, close but not quite. We should fight those who incite hate against us only because we love our Allah and His final Prophet. But fight understanding the dynamic that the two extremes reinforce and support one another. Alwaki’s actions strengthened and gave support to the enemies of Islam, who lie on us. I know we all want Islam to spread and this is the real solution. I believe this is the story of Prophet Muhammad. Once are numbers are big enough, the haters will leave us alone. Do you really think you can say, “Bin Laden and Alwaki are my brothers.” And then you are going to walk up to an American Christian and tell them how Islam is a good religion and the only truth? So we have to choose. Do we really want Islam to spread and be seen in a positive way in America or do we want Islam to be our personal cultural vehicle for expressing our anti-American sentiments? We can’t have it both ways sister. I am an American. I know no other country and I really don’t think I am leaving, even though I have thought about it in the past. My people have a long unending history of struggling for their rights here and I am proud of my people for their achievements and even more grateful to Allah for making me a Muslim in a place where the law sets me up to be a pioneer in spreading the truth of Islam. Our potential is so great! Imagine if just one person takes Shahada by your efforts through the Mercy of Allah! I want that more than I want to be nice to terrorists. I will not lie on my faith, for money, nor for bad Muslims..
Fee Amanallah,
peace and blessings be upon the messenger of Allah
Glory be to Allah. He is the Most High
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 8:58 PM
You have decent sentiments, Greg. Thank you.
TruthSeeker
October 3, 2011 at 8:14 AM
Assalaamu ‘alaykum,Bro Greg.
I respect your sentiment and wish that as Muslims we must only side with the truth and that is unquestionable.But what is the truth?Without intending any philosophical debates here,I say in the context of contemporary discusses, the truth is the true Islaam-taught by the Qur’aan and Sunnah and passed from the generations of sahaabah and their students down through the ages.
Though you have raised many issues,the most critical one is the allegation of kufr against some muslims for allegedly making haraam,halaal. I think you have mixed up some issues here. Do you really think that you know this matter better than Awlaki and all others so alleged? Or you think they do not mind dying for “kufr”?
I ask you if you hear a muslim saying that it is halaal to eat pork due to dire necessities that such a muslim ceases to be your bother-a kaaifr?What about if you hear a Muslim saying that if a kaafir wars against Muslims in Masjidul Haram in Makkah, it is mandatory to fight them too?Would you call such a Muslim a kaafir? If the kuffaar used some muslims as shields in a battle field and you hear an A’lim issuing the fatwaa that it is allowed to kill those muslims if it becomes unavoidable to reach the enemies behind these muslim shiled?Would you think that such an A’lim is not your brother and has committed kufr?
Are you aware that during the blessed life-time of the Messenger-sallallaahu ‘alayhe wasallam- there was the report of a night raid of the kuffaar and throwing of catapults resulting in the death of innocent women and children?Do you know what the comment of the Prophet was about this?Did he say these companions are no more his brothers for killing babies and women?
My brother,you are grossly misinformed on many issues you have written about and have confused many ‘aqeedah and fiqh issues,like many of us in these trying times.
Greg Abdul
October 3, 2011 at 9:54 AM
as salaam alaikum,
I am going to be very short insha Allah,
1) Imam is arguing in the above that US citizenship means special justice for those accused of terrorism. I think in Islam we don’t do the special justice thing. The media is very slick. Where is the op-ed teaching or supporting Islam? They come to us and want negative about our deen. You want to support a terrorist? Then they say they can publish you and let the world see you defend Alwaki.
2) I rant, but I am quite lucid. The legal justification of the Obama administration is that joining Al Qaeda makes you an active enemy combatant of the United States of America. I think most of us already know this and I have never known of a Muslim who has gone on to court or any public forum declaring they are a peaceful wing of Al Qaeda and should be allowed free speech rights to advocate for Al Qaeda in the US. In fact, the majority of immigrate Muslims pride themselves on how well they blend in and assimilate into American culture (hiding!). American law says in this unconventional war, there is no static battlefield as in the good old days. The battlefield is where ever the terrorists are. This is not debated in any legal circle inside of the US. The ACLU has protested, but they have lawyers and if they had a case they would be in court and the Supreme Court would have issued an injunction. No injunction on the executive branch by the courts means high court approval. No one is suing Obama and they won’t. There is literally no legal debate where it counts. Legal debates on the internet and in the press are merely hot air.
3) Now the real question, I am glad someone finally asked me, is my takfeer, which I am totally unqualified to give. I am an African American. I personally say things so you can bash me (I rant). But I stand by any truth that gets out between my nonsense by the Mercy of Allah. I think Louis Farrakhan is not a Muslim because even though he accepts many parts of Islam, he rejects others. By my primitive understanding, when you declare that you don’t have to follow the every letter of the Quran as interpreted through the Sunnah, that puts you out of the club. Now I guess because he’s a black American, we can all pile on and declare takfeer on Farrakhan and his people, even though most of us have NEVER met him and only know him through the “lying media.”
But when the same situation comes up and it is an Arab or a Pakistani with a long beard and they deny and reject the commands of Allah and our Prophet that declare that all life is precious, then, coincidentally for the interloper who happens to come from your homeland and dies trying to kill Americans, even though he is obviously violating basic rules of Islam and rejecting the Quran and the Sunnah, coincidentally just because he happens to look more like a Muslim than Americans look like Muslims, well then, “we don’t know” or we have to take the good he did and assume he is Muslim. That’s what you guys usually say.
Alwaki had no justification according to the vast majority of scholars. He was born in a place where the law at every level protects Islam and decided to wage a personal war against his home country. No one is attacking Mecca. In fact, the US has a defense pact with the Saudis and their primary enemies are Al Qaeda. Is your claim that there is Sahih Hadeeth where our Prophet ordered Muslims killed so he could get to the kafirs? Further that’s not Al Qaeda’s dogma. The Arabs here are using the term “hakimiyah” which I believe means, they are declaring takfeer on us because we follow other than Shariah. To DELIBERATELY KILL WOMAN AND CHILDREN VIOLATES BASIC RULES OF ISLAM. I am sorry for the caps. I am ignorant. You straighten me out. In Islam, we can target babies and women? This is Sunnah? And you want to walk on to a street in America, or your workplace and declare that to people face to face? Seriously? The points you raise are false shadows and not facts. Be a real truth seeker please. DUDE I DO NOT GO ALONG WITH PREJUDICE WHITES AND I DO NOT GO ALONG WITH PREJUDICE MUSLIMS.
Either you don’t know about a single soul on earth, so you have to say all people are Muslims…or we do what we always do, except we drop the racist part where some of us get quiet and don’t know takfeer when an Arab or a Pakistani refuses to follow basic Islam. “Kafir this and Kafir that” until an Arab or Pakistani with a long beard and a turban does kufr. Then all of a sudden you don’t know. I say this is in love. I am scrutinized like I have to show people I know Islam and even then I am lacking, but my faults and my soul rests with Allah. Then others, based on coming from the old country get a pass with all sorts of nonsense. Someone purposely kills women and children, and you are out front “we pray for him.” What about the blood on his hands that we say was taken against Shariah? Isn’t bigotry against the rules of our Prophet? Don’t be a bigot in your takfeers please. I most certainly will not. I love you all for the sake of Allah. But my first love is for Allah and His messenger and His Deen. I am commanded not to stand with bad, no matter what religion you claim.
Opps! too long ranting….bye bye.
Mayubelle
October 3, 2011 at 11:32 PM
I don’t agree that the Afghan war was justified, but otherwise I agree with Carlos. I totally respect, and to a large extent agree your sentiments Greg Abdul. I’m not sure that we are willing to give people like Al-Awlaki the benefit of the doubt because of the racial angle (that didn’t really occur to me … though that might be an element…maybe your experience has led u to draw this conclusion)…but you are totally correct when u talk about the the very strong double standards we harbour, and the energies we expend on mitigating the wrongs of the likes of Awlaki, and vigorously defending any miscarraige of legal processes in application to them. I’m not sure what the correct legal position is, in this case. But not a fraction of the energy and hot air expended in cases like this, goes to defending the rights and entitlements of other vulnerable and innocent members of society, e.g. women, particularly in the context of intra-communal wrongs. U are spot on when u say “For too many of us, our position depends on the professed religion of the criminal and the professed religion of the people who go after him.” It does, in a large part, amount to thinly vieled apologetics.
muslimah
October 4, 2011 at 12:41 AM
that was one long statement, but you made valid points…you are right on that islam forbids the killing of all innocence and i would like to add there is no such thing as colleratal damage in islam…even if other countries decide to practice that method…we as muslims are forbidden to do so…you cant commit acts of violence on anyone period…however, it is important to look at the situation as a whole..one thing also during the times of jahiliyah, or pre-islamic arabia when someone from a tribe committed a murder or harmful act, the entire tribe was considered at fault, this is what islam came to forbade and did forbade…i think its important to remember that no one is born a radical…the fact is it was rumored he was arrested and probably tortured and then later released…..all at the bequest of u.s. foreign policy….also we have no further facts or information on this case and it is best to leave it to God to judge…the American people and all people in general have to understand that the greatest recruitment of these extremist groups is our skewed and disastrous foreign policy…it is literally a mess and that is what the heart of the matter should be about…as long as hundreds muslims across the middle east continue to get slaughtered under the guise of this war on terror, these crazy extremists are gonna pop up…1.3 million afghans and iraqis perished under this war on terror…all of them were innocent…you can’t fight a war on terror by terrorizing others…the best way to fight extremism is to not give extremist a cause or an audience to use to propogate themselves….Muslims in general are sick of seeing bombs drop, muslim countries illegally occupied for their resources, and corrupted dictatorship such as Mubarak and now Assad being propped up all in the name of “it is in our interest, or “stability in the middle east…” The plight of the palestinians, well that is a whole other rant in itself…lol…but my whole point is the middle east is changing rapidly and moving forward hence all these revolutions…so how and why aren’t our policies changing along with it? Looking forward to ELection 2012….PEACE! that’s all i have to say….
TruthSeeker
October 4, 2011 at 10:23 PM
Assalaamu ‘alaykum,Bro Greg.
I love you for Allaah’s sake.Do you know why?1. You have come a long way,from being an African American and all the odds against you and in America with all the media blackmailing of Islaam and islamophobia and may be the possibility of starting off with Nation of Islam to becoming a mainstream Muslim. I congratulate you.
2. You say your mind and mean your words and be as lucid as you possibly can.
3.You bring to bare how much of Islaam you think you know and you are not afraid of being called names such as-‘takfiri’, rude,etc as you declare the implications of what you have come to know. That’s great!
CAUTION:
If you are really sure that you are not “qualified” to issue a ruling of kufr ie takfeer,I suggest that you abstain as it can be dangerous. The danger is enormous as the Prophet said that “…one who calls his brother a kaafir,if that is not the case it falls back on him…”.May Allaah forbid that one should lose one’s Imaan after Allaah Has guided one aright for such a major slip.
SUGGESTIONS:
I suggest that you take my first contribution on your allegation of “kufr” and discuss it with Sheik Yasir Qadi or anyone else well versed in the ‘aqeedH OF Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-jamaa’.
You mentioned in some of your post that though you are an American and love being one but that you love Allaah,His Messenger and His Deen more than anything else.That is really wonderful.
However, you need to note that America has done too many folds more damages to the innocent Muslims in Afghanistan,Iraq,Yemen,Somalia,Pakistan and Libya. Can you imagine the continuous drone attacks on many of the innocent Muslims in these lands?Hasn’t America killed more children and women in these countries than any so-called “terrorist” has killed among Americans? Before 9/11,recall the thousands of death and refuges in Palestine due to America’s unjust support of the state of Israel and over 500,000 Iraqi children’s death,etc. If you condemn Awlaki or any other Muslim defending their land and people against occupation, don’t you think that justice demands that you condemn US a thousand times more?
AnonyMouse
October 2, 2011 at 3:03 PM
I am extremely troubled by this news of Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaqi, and I am extremely disturbed by the furious negative rantings that many are giving into at this time. What many who are quick to condemn him do not realize is that there is a great deal more to Sheikh Anwar than what the media is telling to the general public.
Whether or not someone agrees with the alleged statements attributed to Sheikh Anwar that had so infuriated the American government and led them to call for illegal assassination attempts against him – not once, but several times – a vast amount of Muslims in the West know that Sheikh Anwar was a great man.
Not great in terms of fame and fortune – but great in his words and in his actions. He spent countless years dedicating himself to a local community in America, performing the terribly under-recognized job of a sincere, hardworking Imam. He gave priceless talks on subjects that touched the hearts and lives of Muslims everywhere: the Stories of the Prophets, the Seerah, the Hereafter, and much more. The knowledge that he shared, the wisdom that he imparted, can never be valued enough.
It is this which so many of us have forgotten, and I mourn today because I truly believe that there are very few men like Sheikh Anwar in the world.
May Allah elevate his rank in the Hereafter, and forgive us and forgive him for any errors he may have made.
Ibn Ehsan
October 2, 2011 at 4:40 PM
I think if talk about the legal aspect we will realize that the U.S legal system is far less concrete than we think it. Kind of like Islamic Law, there are fundamental principles but they must be interpreted by jurists and naturally produce diverse and even at times contradictory rulings.
Though it seems obvious to us that there is a big contradiction here, if the public moves in a certain direction ultimately the law will follow. We should consider arguing not just about the legal aspect, but about the implications–obviously it could be abused. When people are scared they tend to give up freedoms for security.
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 7:25 PM
The author of this article writes:
“It was only after his release that he publicly began supporting Al Qaeda and issuing messages calling for attacks upon the United States. . . . His views about the permissibility of killing Americans indiscriminately were completely at odds with those of mainstream Muslim clerics around the world.”
Even the author admits Awlaki supported al Qaeda, an organization currently at war with the USA and plotting its destruction. The author admits Awlaki called for attacks on the USA. He admits Awlaki publicly espoused views permitting the killing of Americans indiscriminately. What more is needed to determine Awlaki is a mortal enemy of the people of this country? I am all for due process of law, but if an American citizen takes refuge in another country and assists, supports, encourages and guides our warring enemies in attacking his fellow American citizens, I believe he has forfeited his right to due process. The phrase, “This is war,” is not just a cop out. Different rules really do apply during war, and we all know that. Let’s not play dumb just so we can take advantage of another opportunity to criticize the big bad US government. The Quran acknowledges also acknowledges that different rules apply during wartime. There is also the practical matter. How are US authorities supposed to secure the arrest and extradition of a a dangerous fugitive in a country that is at civil war, and that has a population that is far from friendly with the US?
I have been a US citizen from the day I was born. If I left the country, allied myself with an enemy that is actively at war with my country, and if I called for the killing of my fellow Americans, I would have no right to complain if my government targetted me for assassination. I also would not expect sympathy from those I betrayed.
I do not miss Awlaki, nor do I consider his targetted killing an injustice.
Carlos
October 2, 2011 at 7:35 PM
This guy was warring against his own country, and was making no secret about that. What is there for a jury to decide? Assassinating him was not for the purpose of punishing him, it was for the purpose of protecting American citizens. The criminal laws are about punishment. Military action is about defending the populace. Talking about due process is not applicable in such a scenario. Sure, if the government could safely arrest him, and take custody of him, it would be inappropriate to kill him. If he could be subdued without killing him, there would be no need to kill him. If he was hiding in a house in Virginia, the CIA would not have blown-up the house with a drone, the FBI would have broken-in with a SWAT team, and, if he did not resist, arrest him. But Awlaki was not within the jurisdiction of the US. The US could not send the FBI into Yemen to arrest him, drive him to the airport with him and get on a plane with him. The government has to use the tools available to it. The targetted drone strike was successful, and killed no innocents. What more do critics want from Americans? We have the right to defend ourselves, even against our fellow Americans.
muslimah
October 4, 2011 at 1:02 AM
punishment without trial or due process because you think someone deserves it without presenting any valid proof or evidence is injustice in itself…even if you had evidence you would still need to prove it under a court of law hence the burden of proof…like i said Nazi criminals who massacred millions more than any one on the planet let alone these crazy extremists were given trials and court proceedings…why? because that’s how a system of law works unless your a vigilante…than i feel sorry for you….Every human being has a right to defend themselves…exactly…yet, why does our foreign policy not give the same right to others it chooses it to occupy for profit…aka palestine, afghanistan, iraq, and now libya….remember them? I’m happy to say that many loyal americans and even veterans i have listened to are waking up…the people aren’t the problem, it’s the policy and these politicians who need to start working for the best interest of their people and this country…leave the middle east to it’s people and stop giving extremists a cause in order to validate their own violent behavior. that’s the best way to truly defeat the radicals of the world..Amen.
Eva
October 3, 2011 at 3:44 AM
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilahyi rajioun
Kazi Azizul Huq
October 3, 2011 at 8:43 AM
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
I have learned from a saint that ultimately “intention” matters. Intention of the Anglo-American regimes is to resist the rise and establishment of Divine Polity. One whose intention is the rise and establishment of Divine Polity may pursue a program with which others may not agree – but he/she will be rewarded for his/her divine intention.
Regular Baba
October 3, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Salam
So the Khawarij will be rewarded for their intention?
some one
October 6, 2011 at 8:36 PM
LOL are you claiming that Anwar al Awlaki was of the khawarij?
Sangar Kochay
October 3, 2011 at 9:42 AM
I dont see why people have this urge to back bite Qutb and others.
YourbrotherinIslaam
October 3, 2011 at 1:34 PM
Some points I want to share:
–If Anwar is dead, then as Muslims we should refrain from talking about our dead muslim brother. Matter of a fact it is prohibited to speak ill about Muslim’s souls that are with Allah
-If anything, we should understand that a muslim be it, a good one or a bad one (no matter how bad he is), is better than one who disbelieves in Allah or associates worship with him. I believe one who understands basic 3aqeedah would agree with me here.
-I personally haven’t seen him killing ‘babies & women’, so lets refrain from such accusations. Even if he killed (in which i have no reason to believe he did), that is not Kufr in the sense of taking him out if Islaam. Allah mentions in the Quran about one who kills his brother in islaam without any justification….as his BROTHER. Either way akhee, Anwar is your brother in Islaam. He made sujood to Allah as you do.
-If you disagree with some of his stance on issues (like I do), know that he has knowledge in islaam (be it vast or minute) and he based his opinions on what he thought was to be true. He was refuted by scholars & da3ees in the west (such as Yasir & others)…so move on! Do not defame him for he is your brother in islaam. You are allowed to disagree with some of his views. You should also respect & honor him for the work he did in dedicating his time & efforts to make detailed lectures on the seerah of the rasoul (sallh Allahu 3alyhe wa salm) & the companions (may Allah be please with all of them)-I personally don’t know of any da3ee in the west that did so-and make du3a for Allah to for give him for his shortcomings.
-Lets refrain from statements like “God bless the United States of America…” or “i firmly believe in the u.s. judicial system…”; your Creator says which means ” Do they then seek a judgment from the [days of the] Jahiliyyah? But who, for a people who have firm faith, can give better judgment than Allah?” (Qur’an 5:50). Lets have some jealous of Allah’s legislation.
-Lastly, how is Sayd Qutib a radical? I understand that he made mistakes in his books out of CLEAR ignorance. The scholars bared witness to his strong Arabic & written skill, but admitted to his lack of knowledge in Islaam . He was pardoned (by Sh Al-Albani & others) because his ignorance on some major issues in Islaam & his situation-being in jail & all. Might I add he died before anyone tried to advise him. Oh yea…he is dead too! Nevertheless, how is he a radical again?
Greg Abdul
October 4, 2011 at 3:43 AM
as salaam alaikum,
I have ranted, now insha allah, I will be short:
In Islam, the Quran says we are not equal, but our treatment of each other should be egalitarian and never condescending, so since you feel it is your job to tell me who my brother is, fairness dictates, I tell you who your brother is…(thinking).
Louis Farrkhan and Ahmed Ghullam are your brothers. “They make sujood. You should respect them for the work they do in dawah. Know that they have knowledge of Islam.” (that’s what you tell me) You can decided who my brother is, for some reason, so I am deciding your brothers too. Welcome to the Nation of Islam and the Ahmadiyyah movement my brother!
I am not going to spend four years studying Islam to have this debate. You teach me. Can I partner you with non Muslims? Killing on its own merits is not kufr. Declaring the haram is halaal is kufr isn’t it? Is deliberately killing women and children halaal?
(short! he says to himself) I am illiterate. I don’t know Arabic. I refuse to be pretentious. Hakimiyyah is an intensive form of hukm. So the same people who say they love sharia so much ignore it when it says not to kill and good manners according to some of you is I shut my mouth and let the pretenders go at my family and neighbors?
We call out fake Muslims because Quran says to prohibit evil. I think? You tell me. I see this game we play with Arabs and Pakistanis: “you are not allowed to say anything bad.” We all say bad about something so no such person exists on the face of the earth. We are to speak out AGAINST injustice and evil. The Quran does command us to stand against evil doesn’t it? I won’t be quiet because I am not hiding the faults of my Muslim brother. I am exposing a man who let white Christian America drive him into rejecting basic Islam. This is the big deal. This is the kufr.
We all sin. you tell me if I have this right: when we sin out of laziness, ignorance, out of a mistake or error in judgement, neglect, an impulse, any non deliberate act or any wrong act we see in our hearts as wrong, this is not kufr. If I make a mistake driving my car and kill a child, that is not kufr. Kufr is DENIAL isn’t it? I don’t speak Arabic so please correct and advise me. If I reject Allah’s command not to make war on women and children, and after being told by sincere scholars, I go and methodically do it anyway all the while knowing the command, that is disbelief isn’t it? “Hakimiyyah”…..and you kill women and children? Once you have been clearly told and you do it anyway and ignore basic sound teaching, KILLING WOMEN AND CHILDREN IS KUFR. BIN LADEN IS NOT MY BROTHER AND ALWAKI IS NOT MY BROTHER. How can someone who openly declares my blood halaal be my Muslim brother?
As long as you don’t stoop to their level, you are my brother, al hamdulillah. I live in the United States of America. I think that gives me the right to ask Allah to bless the land where I was born and raised, where I live today and where, insha Allah, I will die. President Obama has spent the last three years being an advocate of Islam, while at the same time we have fake Muslims defaming and lying on Islam. If I have to choose between the two, guess whose side I am on? I am an American. I love Allah and His prophet more than anything insha Allah, but I love my country and I won’t pretend I don’t for anyone.
I won’t respond anymore, I thank Allah and Muslim Matters for their patience with me on this. My unqualified takfeer is mines alone and I will answer to Allah for it. I speak for no group. It is my uniformed opinion. However, I will be silent on this no more. I am tired of pretentious people saying stupid things. A man goes out and kills women and children on purpose and rejects the hukm of Allah as he pretends he wants the divine law only…and then some of us walk around talking about “pray for him.” What about the lives he ruined? Why does no one here pray for them?
Our return is to Allah, He but says BE and it is…….
YourbrotherinIslaam
October 4, 2011 at 1:56 PM
My brother, I understand you are emotional & that you feel Islaam is hurting because of some individuals that are not thinking about the big picture. As a Muslim I have to speak the truth, be it for me or against me. I do NOT agree with some statements made by da3ees (callers to Islaam), but it any where or the two discussed in this blog; but I have no right to spread lies! All I said was if Anwar is dead, then we should refrain from speaking ill of him…because he is dead. If you want to address his ideas, that’s fine, but do not defame him!
-Again, what is the proof that this man killed a SINGLE soul?? CNN? Be fair akhee
-Killing innocent ppl is kufr (i.e it’s MAJOR SIN), but not in the sense of taking one out of islaam.
-Nation of Islaam & Ahmadis are not muslims because one believes in another Illah (deity) & the other in another prophet. OBL & Anwar believe in Allah & His rasoul
-Do you know about the man who killed 99 ppl? The rasoul never said he was a kafir (disbeliever), just a sinner (who did major sin) wanting to repent. We all know how that hadeeth ended
-You are a Muslim first. Meaning anything that goes against Islaam, is not praise worthy or worthy enough to make du3a for. Especially if what you praise & honour is the same thing that frees itself from Islaam. So I rather die in Madinah at al-baqee…in sha Allah!
You are right we should not argue any further. If you allow me to share two links with you akhee. One is the explanation of Kitaabu at-Tawheed by Yasir Qadhi : http://www.halaltube.com/kitab-at-tawheed
The other is explanation of the shahadah by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh (may Allah have mercy on him): http://understand-islam.net/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140&Itemid=66
And THEN and ONLY THEN listen/read the explanation of the Nullifiers of Islam by Dr. Saleh as-Saleh
Hopefully once you understood these creed factors in islaam, you will have your answers about: what is a muslim mean (who is your brother)? Who is a kafir & what takes a person out of islaam? what is kufr? The hukm of Allah, and what legislation or judicial system to be proud of.
Forgive if i said anything to upset anyone, that was not my intent.
Carlos
October 4, 2011 at 5:05 PM
YourbrotherinIslaam wrote, “. . . we should understand that a muslim be it, a good one or a bad one (no matter how bad he is), is better than one who disbelieves in Allah . . . .”
I took issue with that, in a perfectly reasonable and civil way, but my comment was deleted. I was disagreeing with this commentator’s interpretation of Islam, and saying that, if this kind of in-group morality is what the religion promotes, that is a dangerous problem. I also called such a moral generalization false. The etiquette rules MM published in July say, “Disagreement with the religion, its personalities, and what it teaches is not out of bounds, but disrespect and mockery will not be tolerated.” I was not disrespecting or mocking Islam, I was questioning this particular comment about Islam.
If I am not allowed to comment on this, the question then becomes, is no other commentator going to challenge YourbrotherinIslaam’s assertion? Greg Abdul spoke his conscience, and I am gaining a boatload of respect for him, but, from everyone else I hear . . . silence. YourbrotherinIslaam’s kind of thinking is a problem. If a large portion of Muslims agree with this kind of thinking, then the human race has a really, REALLY big problem that is not going away! Is YourbrotherinIslaam right? Is any Muslim, no matter how bad he is, better than any non-Muslim? Now is the time to speak-up. Where do you stand on this comment? This is a VERY important question, and I believe I and other non-Muslims deserve an honest answer.
Greg Abdul
October 5, 2011 at 3:22 AM
Calos,
I write only for you this last time. Thank you for your kind words. God gives me the ability and the way for any right action that comes my way. i get censored too and I hate it. We have the internet, but people are still running from honest talk. Let’s let this die. I will briefly explain that in Islam, when you do not believe in Prophet Muhammad, as an article of faith, we say you will be in the hellfire forever AFTER you die. Just like the Christians say you have to worship Jesus, we say you have to accept Prophet Muhammad as God’s true and final messenger and that any person who believes in God alone and His messenger will see Heaven, and this belief overcomes almost all bad they did, it is almost a sure thing in our faith if you believe these two simple things. For us, the person going to heaven is better than the person going to hell. That is the truth of the stupid sounding statement you are addressing. Now the common sense side, which you address is best seen from a business view. If you go to buy food at a grocery store and you get to choose between the butcher who believes in God like you do and who you know is going to same after life, but who overprices his meat and gives you rotten goods and is mean or, as an alternative, your second choice: the person of the different religion, who is honest, has a clean shop and sells you meat at a good and fair price, where will you always go? This is an obvious and universal answer. So the Muslim who does bad in this life, even Muslims, even the ones here who say the worst Muslim is better…they know better. Many of them left Muslim countries to immigrate to live with Christians and Jews. Back home bombs go off and people die everyday. Here there is stability and the bombs don’t go off and that is because of “kuffar” protection. So in this life, the here and now, Some non Muslims are doing better. In this life, you don’t want to run into a Muslim criminal rather than an honest Christian. The same goes for all here. It’s just that some people get a little carried away with their rhetoric and I am certainly in that category. Once again, I write you because your words were so kind. Thank you and you have great courage to come and chat with Muslims and challenge us about our bad people. You do it in a very civil way as far as I could see and that makes you a quality person. You did not show hostility to Islam as you correctly criticized the apologists here. Let’s move on. This writing and venting thing with me is like a man having a baby. I need a rest!
Bye and Peace!
Carlos
October 5, 2011 at 5:59 PM
Dear Greg,
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I am still waiting to hear from the other commentators on this website, and am disheartened by their silence. Your explanation is much more acceptable to me than YourbrotherinIslaam’s statement about the worst Muslim being better than any non-Muslim. Your explanation is similar to the arguments I hear from Christian fundamentalists with whom I debate. Christian fundamentalists will honestly admit, to my face, that they believe that people who do not accept Jesus as their personal savior are going to Hell. But most Christian fundamentalists do not then also make the assertion that the worst Christian fundamentalist is a better person than any non-Christian. In fact, extremist Christians have admitted to me that some atheists they know have better personal moral characters than some Christian fundamentalists they know. For Christian extremists, it is not how good a person you are that determines whether you go to heaven, although that is important, it is whether you accept Jesus as God. They do not pretend they are always right and non-Christians are always wrong, they say we non-Christians are only wrong about one thing, how to achieve eternal salvation, which, to them, is the most important thing. Most staunch Christians do not hate non-Christians, have disgust for non-Christians or consider them enemies. If anything they seem to have pity on us, for being “lost.” They do not give-up on lost souls, which is why they are always inviting anyone and everyone to their Bible study meetings, which is kind of annoying and condescending. That is not to say that there are no Christian “haters.” There are definitely plenty of those in the world, but haters can, of course, belong to any religious or ideological group, including, admittedly, atheists.
I do not take Christian fundamentalists’ assertions that I am going to Hell personally, as long as they are not being mean when they make such an assertion. I know that is what many Christian fundamentalists have been taught they must believe, or else. I believe they are wrong, because I do not believe in Heaven or Hell or the divinity of Jesus. As long as Christians do not try to impose their beliefs on me or how I am governed, I am okay with agreeing to disagree.
What I am saying Greg, YourbrotherinIslaam and my fellow MM commentators, is that my problem is not with Muslims thinking they know the answers to the mysteries of the universe, and that I do not. My problem is with any religious conviction that just professing to be a member of a certain religious group automatically makes one a better person here on Earth, and that people outside that religious group must be treated as second class citizens here on Earth. That is a problem. That is no way to run a planet or a country. That is a recipe for injustice and conflict. If a Muslim truly believed that he must always side with a Muslim against a non-Muslim, even when the Muslim is clearly wrong, how can any non-Muslim ever trust such a Muslim? How could it ever be appropriate for such a Muslim to hold public office or positions of authority over non-Muslims? How could a government guided by such a belief be trusted in matters of international peace? These are issues that need to be addressed for as long as any non-Muslims are alive, which, I believe, will be as long as any human is alive.
In Western civilization, we have largely solved this problem by having government not take sides with any particular religion over another or over non-belief. Not everyone likes the truce that is secular government, the separation of religion and state, but everyone but the most extreme can live with it. The Turks and Muslims living outside of dar al-Islam have shown that Muslims can also live with it. The idea behind secular government is that we can all be who we want to be, without coercion, and believe what we want to believe about what happens after death, but that differences of opinion on such matters will only be finally resolved after death. Here on Earth, we tolerate each others’ differences of opinion on such matters. At least that’s the way it should be.
Carlos
Umm Bilqis
October 6, 2011 at 6:14 AM
Carlos, I was waiting for those who are better to respond.
You are mixing up issues justice versus belief.
A Muslim is better than a non Muslim based on the belief in Allah as One God.
In Islam salvation is based on not attributing/associating partners with Allah.
If you had a son whom you fed and clothed and nurtured, and this son one day went to your neighbor and said, “Thank you, I recognize you as my nurturer” this is ingratitude.
How about humans who have been given the gift of life and have been promised paradise if we are those who live righteous lives and engage in the best of actions. Yet the majority thank others and follow the laws, opinions and regulations of others for an entire lifetime.
This belief of One God is the basis of our superiority and we also pity those who have been led astray and invite them to the straight path. The Creator gave us brains with which we can discern the truth.
We know Isa as one of Allah’s Prophets.
We pity Christians who say Jesus is God or that he died for your sins, when he obviously did not say this (This was said about Him after ). There are others who have made up the laws and rules of Christianity. Even Prophet Jesus/Isa accused the people of laying aside the commandments of God and following the traditions of people.
When people follow the dictates of priests/ rabbis which for example may allow what God has prohibited or forbid what God has ordained this means they are making themselves as lords over others. In addition if you yourself dictate for others or self what is impermissible by God, you are associating yourself as a partner with Allah.
Re: justice
Justice requires that we stand up to injustice even if it against ourselves and this is a requirement of the Qur’an:
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah as witnesses to fair dealings and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just, that is next to piety. Fear Allah, indeed Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.” (5:8)
Carlos says:
“In Western civilization, we have largely solved this problem by having government not take sides with any particular religion over another or over non-belief. Not everyone likes the truce that is secular government, the separation of religion and state, …”
Secular governments have proven to be the most corrupt and are very unjust, which planet are you living in? Nothing stops the members of breaking every rule in their and others books if it is in their interests.
We live in a time where secular states are engaged in torture, mass murder and ethnic cleansing. This is because the men/women behind them are not checked by any of God’s commandments.
The most heinous, thieving, corrupt people have risen to the top because they lack any type of virtue and any of God’s compassion and mercy.
Umm Uthman
October 5, 2011 at 1:01 AM
SubhanAllah I totally agree with YourbrotherinIslaam what you have said we really should stay way from talking wrongly about br. Anwar no matter what because I personally feel like this is Backbitting and slandering and SubhanAllah Our prophet Sal Allahu alayhi wasallam said in a hadith “Do you know what backbiting is?” His companions replied: “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He then said: “It is to say something about your brother that he would dislike.” Someone asked: “But what if what is said is true?” The Messenger of Allaah replied: “If what you say about him is true, then you have backbitten him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.” [Muslim] And allah aza waajaal also says in the Quran: “O you who have believed! Avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allaah; indeed, Allaah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” [Surah -Al Hujurat:12] And SunhanAllah we don’t even what the truth is only Allah aza waajaal know best. and what if we are saying something that he doesn’t like we are all falling into a big sin. SubhanAllah I feel like this a serious issue that we have in or Ummah today we are so caught up with finding people mistake and fault that we tend to forget that they our Brother’s & Sister’s In Islam, and we no have right to call any kaafir “No matter” because we our selves don’t know how sin’s we do. That all I had to say I am not against any one or have any hatred towards any one this my personal opinion of how I feel. if I have said any thing wrong or hurt anyone I sorry Please do forgive me Insh’Allah Jazak Allah Khair
Hayaa
October 3, 2011 at 3:13 PM
You cannot blame A person for the wrong you do. people may say all they want that so-and-so person who blew up buildings and was engaged in questionable activities- heard the Imam and THAT IS WHY he did what he did. But i think that’s quite foolish. Every person is responsible for their own self. No body is forcing you to strap a bomb to yourself or bomb up any place.
Texan Muslim
October 3, 2011 at 3:37 PM
I usually don’t write on websites but feel it is important to express my own experience to hopefully shed some light on those who don’t know a thing about the prospective of a person who listened to the lectures of Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki.
So here is my story and I hope that Allah protects us all and allows anyone who reads this to read with an open mind.
Several years back, I discovered the “stories of the lives of the prophets” lecture series that were delivered by Anwar Al-Awlaki. I was amazed at his ability to deliver the message using proofs every step of the way; I was even more surprised that he even used evidences from the Torah and Bible! He spoke in a language many of us young Americans can understand and was inspiring. He was not afraid to speak the truth and was proud to be a Muslim…I always wanted to verify his talks with scholars I trusted, but before having the chance to do so, he was deemed a Terrorist by the media and the government.
When Awlaki was deemed a terrorist, I was shocked because I never once heard him say it was ok to kill innocent people. I did remember him saying, however that “no matter how many innocent people America, or any other nation kills, even if they killed a million; it does not give anyone the right to kill even one innocent person in retaliation” This is because in true Islam, the wrongful killing of one innocent person is described as being like killing all humanity!
Frankly, I did not believe what I heard on TV because it went against everything I ever personally heard Awlaki teach with my own ears.
Regardless of that, after Awlaki was accused of being a terrorist, I deleted all his lectures and avoided looking him up on the internet out of fear of be marked as a radical. I was scared to get in trouble for listening to something a person had to say merely because the government and the news said he was a bad guy even though I would never myself agree that it’s ok to kill innocent people.
This fear I had, by the way, is very un-American. In the U.S., we should never fear being targeted for merely researching what people said. People should not fear freedom, especially in a country like The United States of America which is known for loving freedom. .
After a year of not listening to his lectures, I thought to myself it’s ridiculous to not listen to what someone has to say just because some news and government said he is bad without having heard the evidence with my own ears. I felt and still feel it is my right, an American right, a Human right to access and seek evidence before making a judgment. It makes no sense to me to be an accuser without seeking the evidence myself.
So I let go of the fear and took the risk, I started looking him up on YouTube. I kept searching for proof of the accusations that were put on him….one day, I finally found it, a video where he was clearly saying that Muslims have a responsibility to fight all Americans because in America, we have democracy so no person here is innocent of the illegal wars that have been waged by this country and so on……I was Shocked at these statements.
To say the least, I was heartbroken.
I was so disappointed that he crossed that line and preached against the teachings of Islam. Really, I was so angry at him. I felt like he of all people, after having lived a large part of his life in the U.S., gaining his education here, knowing what we Muslims already face here because of the media and radicals who lie; he of all people should have known how harmful his words would be to the Muslim Community for two reasons:
1. It is a lie to say that Islam permits killing innocent people. It is a lie to say Islam permits suicide under any condition.
2. When Muslims spread these lies, unlike with other faiths, even if it is one out of a billion who said it, the world accuses all of us and lumps the majority with the minority…………….(I know people who are true free thinkers do not do this…the media however has a field day spreading lies like these and many people in this country do believe whatever they hear on t v without feeling the need to verify the info)
What people don’t understand is that many of the lectures given by Awlaki hold proofs that can easily be used as evidence against the radical teachings he began spreading after his imprisonment and possible torture in Yemeni prisons.
He began to completely contradict the teachings of Islam as well as his own self.
I feel that he had something personal against the U.S. government and was so angry he wanted revenge. The thing is, being angry at a government or anyone else does not give you the right to twist the words of Islam nor does it give you the right to call for the attack on innocent people. As Muslims, we should not act merely on anger within our hearts. To be clear, what I just did here was give a reason why I think he went rogue; I did not justify it. I will not justify because Islam does not change.
It is clear in Islam that killing innocent people is forbidden. Suicide is forbidden. Lying is forbidden. Corruption is forbidden. The majority of the Muslims in the world know this.
This brings me to my point of how silencing him is counterproductive…
For those other Muslims who were not as bold as I in searching what he said, they may not even know to this day or believe that he actually said things contradictory to what he used to teach. Out of fear of getting targeted by the FBI, we may never know the truth. Many of those people need to hear it for themselves. They need to see the evidence so they too can understand what all the fuss is about. Otherwise, the only thing they know is that Awlaki was a staunch supporter of Justice and was strongly opposed to oppression and wrongful War. Some people were never exposed to the Awlaki in later years who said that “martyr missions” aka suicide missions are acceptable. If this information was made public, most people who learned from him would have outright rejected these ideas. They would have refuted him and would have told him that he is wrong and should change his ways.
Ever since I heard what he said about “martyr missions”, I always wished he would stand up and admit he had it all wrong. I always prayed that he would return to the true teachings of Islam and that he would make a statement to the world that killing innocent people is never justifiable. Is that wrong to want a man to change?
So here we are today. Have we made a step in the right direction? We value freedom, yet make people fear acting on freedom. We value our constitution, yet decide that it’s ok to go against it when dealing with others.
When you value something, you stick to it. You don’t change just because the opposition played dirty. You stand up for what you believe even if its harder than just twisting the rules. In case you didn’t know, it is harder to do the right thing, that’s why the rewards for it are so great.
If we as Americans go against our own constitution and values, others will see this nation as unjust, even if it is just the president and his buddies who are making these calls. If Muslims don’t stand by the Quran and Sunnah, other people will see us as murderous, even if it is just several men among over a billion who do it.
What everyone here needs to ask themselves is where did you get your info about this guy? From the Media, from the government, from the people who killed him, from his own mouth, from where? Is it not our right to hear for our own selves the evidences of the accusations put on him?
You see, when a man is killed without due process, not only are his rights violated, the rights of the general public are violated.
We are basically being told to not question the killing of a man just because the ones who killed him said he is bad. They killed him; it’s obvious they think he is bad. But is that a good enough reason to allow a person to kill another; should believe whatever one group said without hearing the other side? Don’t we have the right to monitor the servants of the people (the government) and least be given the right to have an opinion? The point is not if the man is guilty or not, it’s; don’t we have a right of have the evidence presented before us?
What people need to realize is that when the rights of just one person are refused, especially so publically, the rights of all are being taken away in front of their eyes. Regardless of whether the person was good or bad, justice should still be served as to protect the people in the future from having their rights taken away.
No matter what we say, the case of Anwar Al-Awlaki is now with Allah.
The reasons I wrote this is to show people a few points:
1. When someone writes on here anything positive about Awlaki, it may be because they were never even exposed to his radical views in his later days. Others may have never been exposed to his earlier teachings.
2. We should never give up acting on our values. We should not cause anger, or even security to be something that justifies giving up our values.
3. When the rights of one man are taken away, regardless of his background, whether his is good or bad, the rights of all are being taken away.
4. Verify your info for yourself no matter what. Don’t believe or disbelieve anything just because the TV said so. This goes for all Muslim and Non-Muslims alike.
Finally, alHamdulilah. This is the Qadr of Allah. We should accept that and move on.
We should take this opportunity to learn more about our deen and more about our rights as Americans. Even if some Americans are willing to give up their freedom for security, it doesn’t mean we have to. If some Americans have given in and are afraid to stand up for freedom, we, as Muslims have the responsibility to speak on their behalf and take steps to insure our and their freedoms because we are given the responsibility of seeking what’s good for society by Allah no matter what the society’s race or creed. We, as Muslims also always have the responsibility to stand up and represent Islam, to speak the truth, and to reject lies against our deen whether these lies are being told by Muslims or Non….Finally, once a person has died, their case is with Allah. After their death we don’t know where they will end up and don’t know on what condition their hearts was when they died….Only Allah Knows.
Inna Lilah wa inna ilayhy rajioon. (We have been created by Allah, and verily, to him is our final return).
Anything of truth in what I wrote is by the mercy of Allah and anything false is of my own shortcomings. I ask Allah to guide us all and forgive me if I said anything wrong. I ask him to make truth clear and protect us from misguidance. I ask him to guide all the Muslims to success and guide all the non-Muslims to the truth of Islam. WaSalatuwassalaam ala ashraf al anbia wa habibina, Muhammad Sulla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Salamualaikom wa RahmautuLahi Wa Barakatuhu.
Texan Muslim
October 3, 2011 at 3:42 PM
I usually don’t write on websites but feel it is important to express my own experience to hopefully shed some light on those who don’t know a thing about the prospective of a person who listened to the lectures of Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki.
So here is my story and I hope that Allah protects us all and allows anyone who reads this to read with an open mind.
Several years back, I discovered the “stories of the lives of the prophets” lecture series that were delivered by Anwar Al-Awlaki. I was amazed at his ability to deliver the message using proofs every step of the way; I was even more surprised that he even used evidences from the Torah and Bible! He spoke in a language many of us young Americans can understand and was inspiring. He was not afraid to speak the truth and was proud to be a Muslim…I always wanted to verify his talks with scholars I trusted, but before having the chance to do so, he was deemed a Terrorist by the media and the government.
When Awlaki was deemed a terrorist, I was shocked because I never once heard him say it was ok to kill innocent people. I did remember him saying, however that “no matter how many innocent people America, or any other nation kills, even if they killed a million; it does not give anyone the right to kill even one innocent person in retaliation” This is because in true Islam, the wrongful killing of one innocent person is described as being like killing all humanity!
Frankly, I did not believe what I heard on TV because it went against everything I ever personally heard Awlaki teach with my own ears.
Regardless of that, after Awlaki was accused of being a terrorist, I deleted all his lectures and avoided looking him up on the internet out of fear of be marked as a radical. I was scared to get in trouble for listening to something a person had to say merely because the government and the news said he was a bad guy even though I would never myself agree that it’s ok to kill innocent people.
This fear I had, by the way, is very un-American. In the U.S., we should never fear being targeted for merely researching what people said. People should not fear freedom, especially in a country like The United States of America which is known for loving freedom. .
After a year of not listening to his lectures, I thought to myself it’s ridiculous to not listen to what someone has to say just because some news and government said he is bad without having heard the evidence with my own ears. I felt and still feel it is my right, an American right, a Human right to access and seek evidence before making a judgment. It makes no sense to me to be an accuser without seeking the evidence myself.
So I let go of the fear and took the risk, I started looking him up on YouTube. I kept searching for proof of the accusations that were put on him….one day, I finally found it, a video where he was clearly saying that Muslims have a responsibility to fight all Americans because in America, we have democracy so no person here is innocent of the illegal wars that have been waged by this country and so on……I was Shocked at these statements.
To say the least, I was heartbroken.
I was so disappointed that he crossed that line and preached against the teachings of Islam. Really, I was so angry at him. I felt like he of all people, after having lived a large part of his life in the U.S., gaining his education here, knowing what we Muslims already face here because of the media and radicals who lie; he of all people should have known how harmful his words would be to the Muslim Community for two reasons:
1. It is a lie to say that Islam permits killing innocent people. It is a lie to say Islam permits suicide under any condition.
2. When Muslims spread these lies, unlike with other faiths, even if it is one out of a billion who said it, the world accuses all of us and lumps the majority with the minority…………….(I know people who are true free thinkers do not do this…the media however has a field day spreading lies like these and many people in this country do believe whatever they hear on t v without feeling the need to verify the info)
What people don’t understand is that many of the lectures given by Awlaki hold proofs that can easily be used as evidence against the radical teachings he began spreading after his imprisonment and possible torture in Yemeni prisons.
He began to completely contradict the teachings of Islam as well as his own self.
I feel that he had something personal against the U.S. government and was so angry he wanted revenge. The thing is, being angry at a government or anyone else does not give you the right to twist the words of Islam nor does it give you the right to call for the attack on innocent people. As Muslims, we should not act merely on anger within our hearts. To be clear, what I just did here was give a reason why I think he went rogue; I did not justify it. I will not justify because Islam does not change.
It is clear in Islam that killing innocent people is forbidden. Suicide is forbidden. Lying is forbidden. Corruption is forbidden. The majority of the Muslims in the world know this.
This brings me to my point of how silencing him is counterproductive…
For those other Muslims who were not as bold as I in searching what he said, they may not even know to this day or believe that he actually said things contradictory to what he used to teach. Out of fear of getting targeted by the FBI, we may never know the truth. Many of those people need to hear it for themselves. They need to see the evidence so they too can understand what all the fuss is about. Otherwise, the only thing they know is that Awlaki was a staunch supporter of Justice and was strongly opposed to oppression and wrongful War. Some people were never exposed to the Awlaki in later years who said that “martyr missions” aka suicide missions are acceptable. If this information was made public, most people who learned from him would have outright rejected these ideas. They would have refuted him and would have told him that he is wrong and should change his ways.
Ever since I heard what he said about “martyr missions”, I always wished he would stand up and admit he had it all wrong. I always prayed that he would return to the true teachings of Islam and that he would make a statement to the world that killing innocent people is never justifiable. Is that wrong to want a man to change?
So here we are today. Have we made a step in the right direction? We value freedom, yet make people fear acting on freedom. We value our constitution, yet decide that it’s ok to go against it when dealing with others.
When you value something, you stick to it. You don’t change just because the opposition played dirty. You stand up for what you believe even if its harder than just twisting the rules. In case you didn’t know, it is harder to do the right thing, that’s why the rewards for it are so great.
If we as Americans go against our own constitution and values, others will see this nation as unjust, even if it is just the president and his buddies who are making these calls. If Muslims don’t stand by the Quran and Sunnah, other people will see us as murderous, even if it is just several men among over a billion who do it.
What everyone here needs to ask themselves is where did you get your info about this guy? From the Media, from the government, from the people who killed him, from his own mouth, from where? Is it not our right to hear for our own selves the evidences of the accusations put on him?
You see, when a man is killed without due process, not only are his rights violated, the rights of the general public are violated.
We are basically being told to not question the killing of a man just because the ones who killed him said he is bad. They killed him; it’s obvious they think he is bad. But is that a good enough reason to allow a person to kill another; should believe whatever one group said without hearing the other side? Don’t we have the right to monitor the servants of the people (the government) and least be given the right to have an opinion? The point is not if the man is guilty or not, it’s; don’t we have a right of have the evidence presented before us?
What people need to realize is that when the rights of just one person are refused, especially so publically, the rights of all are being taken away in front of their eyes. Regardless of whether the person was good or bad, justice should still be served as to protect the people in the future from having their rights taken away.
No matter what we say, the case of Anwar Al-Awlaki is now with Allah.
The reasons I wrote this is to show people a few points:
1. When someone writes on here anything positive about Awlaki, it may be because they were never even exposed to his radical views in his later days. Others may have never been exposed to his earlier teachings.
2. We should never give up acting on our values. We should not cause anger, or even security to be something that justifies giving up our values.
3. When the rights of one man are taken away, regardless of his background, whether his is good or bad, the rights of all are being taken away.
4. Verify your info for yourself no matter what. Don’t believe or disbelieve anything just because the TV said so. This goes for all Muslim and Non-Muslims alike.
Finally, alHamdulilah. This is the Qadr of Allah. We should accept that and move on.
We should take this opportunity to learn more about our deen and more about our rights as Americans. Even if some Americans are willing to give up their freedom for security, it doesn’t mean we have to. If some Americans have given in and are afraid to stand up for freedom, we, as Muslims have the responsibility to speak on their behalf and take steps to insure our and their freedoms because we are given the responsibility of seeking what’s good for society by Allah no matter what the society’s race or creed. We, as Muslims also always have the responsibility to stand up and represent Islam, to speak the truth, and to reject lies against our deen whether these lies are being told by Muslims or Non….Finally, once a person has died, their case is with Allah. After their death we don’t know where they will end up and don’t know on what condition their hearts was when they died….Only Allah Knows.
Inna Lilah wa inna ilayhy rajioon. (We have been created by Allah, and verily, to him is our final return).
Anything of truth in what I wrote is by the mercy of Allah and anything false is of my own shortcomings. I ask Allah to guide us all and forgive me if I said anything wrong. I ask him to make truth clear and protect us from misguidance. I ask him to guide all the Muslims to success and guide all the non-Muslims to the truth of Islam. WaSalatuwassalaam ala ashraf al anbia wa habibina, Muhammad Sulla Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Salamualaikom wa RahmautuLahi Wa Barakatuhu.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Carlos
October 4, 2011 at 7:30 AM
Fair enough, Tex.
Johnathan
October 4, 2011 at 2:24 PM
“You see, when a man is killed without due process, not only are his rights violated, the rights of the general public are violated”
I couldn’t agree with you more.
Very well written and I think your comment sums up what most American Muslims also think of this situation and of Awlaki.
Just to also add my own comment – the fact that there are so many comments about whether Awlaki did or did not say anything extremist just shows how distrustful the people of this country are of their government and the mainstream media. The mainstream media and the government (MM&G) has lied so much to the public in the U.S. that no one even bothers to investigate whether something on the news is true or not. It is just easier to conclude that it is a lie, because most of the time it is.
The “Occupy Wallstreet” protests going on these days are just a small glimpse into how the American public feels about its MM&G. And how else can they feel? The other day, 700 protesters were arrested, handcuffed and many of them were pepper sprayed because they were (according to some reports) purposely guided to block the Brooklyn Bridge traffic by the New York Police. 700 people arrested! Even if the protestors purposely blocked the bridge, the point is 700 people were willing to get arrested to make a point to the public that the MM&G has lied too much to its citizens. The most interesting fact of the whole ordeal was that JPMorganChase donated $4.6 Million to the NYPD after they arrested the 700 WallStreet protestors reinforcing all that the protestors were protesting against. And if you google “JP Morgan Donation to NYPD”, I doubt you will find any MM&G website with an article about it so easily. It is buried somewhere out there I am sure.
Point is, whether it is Awlaki, Osama, Wars, Oil Prices or Campaign Financing – no educated human being can trust what MM&G says anymore. There is a serious lack of trust and transparency that is increasing in America and reflective of what the Third World tyrants are perceived as by their own people. The circumstances in the world right now demand that the most powerful nation in the world get its act together otherwise the levels of chaos and injustice will just spiral out of control.
Why believe what the MM&G has said about Awlaki? Whether or not they should have assassinated him – he actually said what the MM&G say he said. And the fact that no one is willing to believe the MM&G has nothing to do with whether they are Muslim or a former listener to Awlaki tapes. It has to do with the fact that no one trusts the MM&G anymore.
http://www.emoneydaily.com/j-p-morgan-chase-co-nysejpm-makes-4-6m-donation-to-nypd/69818864/
TruthSeeker
October 4, 2011 at 9:35 PM
Assalaamu ‘alaykum,Texan Muslim.
Thank you for the pains you took come to and write in details your informed opinion about Awlaki and the allegations against him. It was an interesting read.
It is nice to know how you summon the courage to investigate the facts for yourself instead of simply believing the media and government. After all, the government and media have lied many times in the past and still keep lying. Look at the Iraq’s so-called WMD and the over 2 weeks of media blackout on the “Occupy Wall Street” until recently.
Could you kindly furnish the forum with the many proofs that finally led you into believing that he advocated the killing of the innocent American civilians-men,children and women?
May Allaah show us Truth as Truth and give us the Grace to accept, and show us falsehood as falsehood and Help us to avoid it.Ameen.
Texan Muslim
October 6, 2011 at 3:06 PM
@Truth Seeker
I would rather not provide the links because I dont want to be responsible to spread the propaganda. Its propaganda because regardless of how the video was put together, Im sure those who advocate war on either side, even the side with bigger guns actually dont mind it being out there because it just gives them more excuses to go around mass murdering people to achieve their agenda.
We cant change the past, but in the future, I would really like to see one of these guys go to trial rather than just be killed as usual. I wonder what they might say that has this government so scared to put them on the stand.
Putting a bullet in ones head does not prove that person holds particular beliefs, listening to what they have to say, however, does.
@Everyone
Anyway, all this fuss about one man while we live in a world, a country, where people are being murdered everyday. We live in a country that has gangs like MS13 that, in 2009 had an estimated 8-10,000 members in the USA of 30-50,000 worldwide! It is known that they control streets in California as well as other areas of our country and run it like the Mobb collecting taxes from anyone who lives there. They kill people who dont pay up, they kill people who give information about them, they are responsible for human smuggling, responsible for drug trafficking, violent crimes, rapes, home invasions, theft….the list goes on.
Why the heck is our government going after people in deserts far away before taking care of ganges like MS13 who are militarized and even collecting taxes on U.S. soil?
Are they not qualified to be called terrorists? Do you not think that families who live on the streets they control are in fear and being terrorized?
When will this country get its priorities straight?
More Americans are murdered on American soil every day by other Americans than Military who are in combat, actual war zones, are killed throughout the world everyday by non-Americans. What are those soldiers dying for? Oh ya, its to protect our security?
Abu Maryam
October 3, 2011 at 3:52 PM
Salaam Alaikkum,
I was reading an article in MM. It was about FBI thwarting its own terror plots and arresting people who got incited and went on to attempt violent acts. If inciting people is such a crime and the person can be targeted for killing, shouldn’t the law enforcing FBI feel guilty and ask for a drone to be sent to target themselves.
Ibrahim
October 3, 2011 at 8:48 PM
Another great piece by our dear Shaykh Yasir,
May Allah bless you and your family
Ahmed Sami
October 3, 2011 at 10:49 PM
Anwar al-Awlaki has now moved on to His Lord. We pray that Allah forgives his sins and accepts his good.
For those who deny that Sh. Anwar had extremist tendencies, do a simple search (as one of the brothers above did ‘Texan Muslim’) and see for yourself what he said about killing Americans, or about those who attempted attacks on innocent men, women and children, such as Umar AbulMuttalib.
Here is one video (see esp after 7:30)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xl0qn6_sheikh-anwar-al-awlaki-make-it-known-to-the-people-part-2_news
I can provide others as well.
The point of these videos is not to publicize his ‘sins’, but to show that he held opinions that we as Muslims disagree with. Our religion is not based on emotions.
I believe that Sh. Yasir is in a very difficult position. In some ways, it is easier being on ‘either’ side; you will have a niche and always preach to the choir. However, Sh. Yasir is trying to be more nuanced, and from what I understood of his Jihad lecture online (and even this OpEd), he’s clearly opposed to US foreign policy but he’s also opposed to fighting back at it the way that AlQaeda and Anwar Awalki were trying.
It is sad that pro-jihadist websites have (as usual!) pronounced takfir on him and Sh. Waleed and others, when it is clear that they do not support US troops but are just trying in their own way to help the Ummah.
If the Awakening folks really want to see a sell-out, let them see this guy’s perspective, and then compare to what Sh. Waleed or YQ said:
http://www.aifdemocracy.org/news.php?id=7115
YQ called America hypocritical, said that it was doing exactly what its enemies does, pointed out that its becasue of US’s own policies terrorists are created, and said that the US doesn’t care about its own laws. All of this, in the single most powerful and widely-read newspaper in all of the world. If THAT is being a sell-out and siding with the US, then these awakening folks are honestly the most jaahil people in the world.
I think it is true to say that people with wisdom and maturity will understand that the way forward is not the way of AlQaeda and Awlaki. They might sound nice and brave to listen to, but in the end they are very immature about what exactly needs to be done and they go about trying to better the Ummah in the most fooilsh way imagineable (not to mention that there is clearly innocent blood on their hands as well). I remmeber in that jihad lecture Sh. YQ mentioned one of the leaders of the jihad movement ‘converting’ and becoming its most harsh critic, and pointing out this fact. I was thinking the same things about these movements and when I heard that this guy (I think it was Sh. Fadl??) said the same I knew I was right.
Anyways, let’s just pray for the Shaykhs soul and ask that we do not fall into mistakes.
Ahmed
TruthSeeker
October 4, 2011 at 9:18 PM
Assalaamu ‘alaykum,Bro Ahmad Sami.
Thanks for your post and trying to be balanced and level headed.I admire this and my constant wish when I look at the issues bedeviling our ummah in the contemporary world. Let us always seek the Truth,pray to find it and more importantly ardently pray that we are steadfast to uphold it and stand up for it.
However,we should remember that as they say Truth is bitter. I mean Truth is usually unpopular and thus always invite enemies. Which Messenger or Prophet had it easy?As a matter fact, the Qur’aan declares that “…for every Messenger an enemy has been appointed…”. In a sound hadeeth,the Prophet said ” The harshest trials and tribulations are reserved for the Prophets, then the best among mankind,…”. He also prophesied that in the Last Days, “..holding on to once Deen would be like holding unto a burning coal”. May Allaah give us the fortitude to patiently pay the price of adherence to the Truth.
From the foregoing, we may want to ask who is haven it tougher today?Who do the enemies seemed to prefer?Do we think that if Allaah’s Messenger-sallallaahu alayhi wasallam- were alive today,given his message and the sahaabah going about inviting humanity and defending the Truth with their mains and might the UNSC,US,UK,NATO,etc would have let him be? This is not to say that being fought by the enemies is enough a proof that someone is right. But then while arguments and counter arguments are raised by the Muslims engaging the enemies in the battle and those other Muslims calling them names-extremists,radicals,terrorists,suicide bombers,etc-all of which are appellations from the kuffaar, this becomes an important issue. Allaah knows better.
The link you gave above about Awlaki’s sanctioning of the killing of Americans. And by Americans you and Texan Muslim intended innocent civilians-men,children and women.Bro did you listen to it yourself?Did you read the English subtitle? May be you intended another link,as this link proves the contrary. My observations:
1.His Arabic speech did not really synchronize with his lips. But if it is true and genuine and not identity hijacking,I’ll make further comments.
2. He said that “May Allaah forbid that they sdvocate the spit of the blood of Muslims,or ignite wars or kill innocent people”.He concluded, “this is the talk of Americans,their allies and their deceiving media”.
3. He mentioned more than once “the american occupiers”, he also mentioned “the enemies of Allaah from among the Jews,Americans and hypocrites”. He also mentioned “American army”,” master americans”,etc. He declared that Islaam is a religion of ‘samha’ ie clemency and that Allaah intends “no difficulties” for us. He stated categorically, the shariah has not come to “suffocate people”,etc. I do not know for other tapes or links you may have, but in this to assert that he calls to the killing of innocent people is an error.It is quoting one out of context. I advise that we should always check and cross check before confirming allegations against any Muslim. And afterwards excuse one another as we are only human and mistake are normal.
Watcher
October 4, 2011 at 1:15 PM
To many American Muslims he was known for telling stories from the Qur’an, true, but to San Diego County police he was known for being arrested twice for Solicitation of Prostitution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Al-Alwaki-booking1.png
YourbrotherinIslaam
October 4, 2011 at 3:44 PM
Fear Allah & stop the lies!
Amal
October 9, 2011 at 10:43 AM
It’s a matter of public record that he was arrested twice while trying to pick up prostitutes. Let us stop lying to protect Muslims who are in the wrong.
Shahzad
October 4, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Assalamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullah,
Awlaki’s killing did have an impact on many Muslims, my family included. We benefitted from his many CDs on the sahabah, the seerah, the prophets and the Akhira. My kids are asking, why did they kill him?
One question Muslims may have is how can a “knowleable” sheikh who supposedly knows his Deen, Quran and Sunnah, can possibly take the path of one who openly advocates the killing of innocent people? Psychologically, what impact does this happen on young generations of Muslims who look up to these people?
Personally, I never made the mistake of taking Awlaki as a “sheikh”. Yes, he was a good story teller, but I never heard any in depth fiqh from him. In his stories of seerah and sahabah, I could detect his underlying tone that we need to fight like the sahabah fought, but without any contextualization or adaptation of these lessons in modern life. A little knowledge can be dangerous. I take great exception when jihadis label their people as “sheikh” like they did with Osama bin Laden.
But, may Allah ta’aala forgive him for his mistakes and protect us from being mislead. Ameen.
none
October 4, 2011 at 4:00 PM
inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon Allah will judge all His slaves and reward them or bring them to justice. Is it me or isn’t it ironic they used “Hellfire” missles. Kinda reminds me of the ahadith where Dajjal will also call a river Hellfire but in reality it will be a path to Jannah(Please don’t think I am metaphorically applying the ahadith, #justsaying).
Either way whether you agree with this muslim personality’s stance or our author’s stance, the issue is what are we doing to improve our situation and our image in this country? People will come and go, provocative articles will be written by so-and-so, inflammatory statements by such-and-such, but how have we contributed to the discourse? Whether you are pro-voting or anti-voting, for the flag or for Khilafah, the people of this land deserve to have the same familiarity with Islamic festivals like Eid the way we know all about Christmas. More importantly they need to know the Irresistible One that we worship is the same as One that they ignore, giving His exclusive right to worship amongst false deities, tooth fairies, demons, and statues (but maybe we say that with a warm inviting smile inshaAllah).
He is a scapegoat for another mosque being shut down, another innocent Muslim earning a material support charge, another burqa being torn off or another Islamophobic law being passed. May Allah forgive those who have gone and have mercy on those who remain and shower us and them with His guidance. Ameen.
Abdullah
October 4, 2011 at 4:10 PM
Jazakumullah Shaykh Yasir for the wonderful work you are doing. Keep it up and don’t let people’s criticism weaken you. Your speeches and writings are appreciated.
Most of these wannabe Mujahids who call for the killing of civilians are not even scholars. OBL, Zawahiri, Awlaki, and many others never actually studied and graduated from any Islamic seminary. Beware who you take your religion from.
To MM admin: Is there a way to make new posts show up right at the end? When people reply to other’s comments directly, the new comment is placed immediately after the previous comment and it becomes hard for the reader to scroll up to look for new comments. Any time a new comment is made, even if it is a reply to someone’s comment, they all should be placed right at the end of the comments. It becomes quite annoying to have to look for new comments and try to remember if that comment was read or not.
muwaaz ahmed
October 4, 2011 at 7:21 PM
Its sad to see how other people who are with him love him and deny the fect that he has made mistakes and people who dont like him are sending him to hell.
He has helped me become a better muslim and i love him for that, but if he calmed to kill innocent people then he was wrong, lets not fall into extremes.
Love your work Sh yasir
Umm Ousama
October 5, 2011 at 2:22 AM
Don’t you think that the USA has done with others what he did today with Awlaki? The difference though is that, before it was quietly done by the CIA and this time, it was done openly. An election is near and they deem it “good” for the public opinion.
Much worse than killing Awlaki is the bullying that America is doing. Look at the following two links from Al-Jazeera:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/08/201182617220862523.html
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/10/201110471013911862.html
So JUST for making a bid to the UN, you withdraw aid? The message is clear: “Keep silent or you will die.”
This is only the top of the iceberg that has been revealed to us. There has been various economic rows between Europe and the US
Sonia
October 5, 2011 at 8:17 AM
What is the meaning of the word “cleric” in the context of Islam? I thought Islam had no clergy.
Rifaie
October 18, 2011 at 11:08 PM
You are right there is no clergy in Islam , among Sunnis Muslims anyway. Awlaki was Sunni.
In the Islamic context a “cleric” , as described by the western media ,essentially translates to a religiously educated individual, probably with some following among the people.
If someone has a better understanding on the word please do correct me.
Mohammed Al-Shubaiki
October 5, 2011 at 11:53 PM
Assalamu ‘Alaykum WR WB,
There article isn’t bad at all, the only thing I’d really have an issue with is the statement about Sayid Qutib. Of course there are many other things that could be criticized but being a Muslim I completely understand what position a person like you holds in society.
When people are looking at every single one of your words under a microscope a person will have a tendency to water down a lot of their opinions. This I guess is the two edge sword of living in the Western Society, because their opinions and point of view inevitably rub off on you.
Being that travel is so easy these days I believe it is imperative for all scholars to spend time out of the West every year and soak up the true Islamic community. One thing I believe every muslim should fear before anything else is loosing their faith, for without that then nothing else matters. Money, Power, Influence and fame don’t stand for anything if a person ends up loosing their firm stance on Islam.
That is the Huge trial one faces when becoming a public scholar, a lot of scholars in the past decided to stay out of the limelight for the simple fact that they were being forced to speak out against their faith. And this was in the land of Muslims, so how much more would the danger be in the land of disbelief.
One thing I believe where a lot of scholars miss the mark is understanding their job and “Priorities” in relation to calling to Islam. Politics is an open ended discussion and subject, every day something else comes up new, and there are only so much time that muslims will grant their attention towards you.
So if you had an hour a week to speak to a muslim what would you talk about? Will you speak about current events in the Middle East? Will you speak about this president or that’s policies? For the one with foresight they’d understand that this person needs the basics to be build before anything else. Tawheed, Aqueedah, Seerah, Usool ul-Fiqh all of these need to been ingrained in a muslims psyche before they even turn on a news station.
And these things takes “Consistency” I know after teaching a subject many times to many people it begins to become boring and one is tempted to focus on other issues, but muslims come like tidal waves as soon as one passes another group will be coming in need of the same knowledge. If one doesn’t remain consistent and focused then they will inevitably drown. The kufar will call from a distance and try to distract muslims from their ultimate goals.
So don’t let them trick you brother, you have a great gift and your lectures in Tawheed and Aquedah were wonderful. Keep to what your good at and May Allah Bless you in all you endeavors.
Br. Meraj
October 6, 2011 at 9:09 PM
It seems that while living in secular, communist or capitalist societies, Muslims could ask for freedom of worship and rights as per the laws of the land. However, Islamically is it an obligation of a Muslim to feel distasteful about this action of our government or to speak against it if someone has the authority?.
Is it possible for you to write an article on this issue for American Muslims who are saddened by the assassination of one of their knowledgeable brothers?
Maria
October 8, 2011 at 10:51 AM
It is wrong to speak ill of those who are no longer among us.
As Muslims- we should know better!
Hasssan
October 18, 2011 at 1:02 PM
Ok now USA has killed his 16 year old US citizen (born in Denver) son, I am sure I never heard of him making any videos.
Umm Sulaim
October 18, 2011 at 10:05 PM
Is there ever a justification for such assassinations? That is something apologetic Muslims fail to grasp.
Umm Sulaim
Abdullah
October 18, 2011 at 4:05 PM
So Yasir Qadhi and the rest of the people on this blog, what do you have to say about the assassination of anwar al awlakis 17 year old son who was also a US citizen and out barbecuing with his friends when a drone hit his group?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=278963878793041&set=pu.278913108798
Yasir Qadhi
October 18, 2011 at 9:19 PM
Salam Alaikum
No need for the pointed question, Abdullah.
If I was opposed to the assassination of al-Awlaki himself, and was greatly saddened at his death, and saw that as a dark day for all of us, Muslims (for losing a Muslim) and Americans (for breaking their own law), the death of his son, a teenager, in such a manner, is much worse.
May Allah forgive him, raise his ranks, and grant him Jannah.
Yasir
Abdullah
October 28, 2011 at 2:06 AM
Anwar Awlaki’s 16 year old son was killed by a drone strike two weeks ago in Yemen.
Abdulrahman, a 16 year old Yemeni-American boy was murdered on the Yemeni soil by an American drone strike on friday 14/10/2011 with the help of The Yemeni government just 15 days after the death of his father Anwar Al-Awlaki by another American drone on Friday 30/09/2011. Abdulrahman went to search for his father that he missed so much but instead of finding him he was killed. His cousin Ahmed Abdulrahman Ahmed who was only 17 years old was killed as well by the same drone strike.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Abdulrahman-Anwar-Al-Awlaki-locked-in-our-hearts/278913108798118?sk=info
Sulayman
December 18, 2015 at 6:14 AM
Salaamun alaikum,
All praises and adorations are to Allaah. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be on the Prophet and his loyalists.
As for the crisis tearing the places apart, it is part of what will happen everyone only has to watch his/her contributions. The major actors alone has enough information on why they are on such course. Too many questions beg for answers!
I wouldn’t know if any of the various groups taking arms produced those sophisticated weapons. If they do not produce them, then the manufacturers should name their clients. We cannot continue to blow up our infrastructures and come back raising money to build them.
As for Islaam flourishing, this will happen whether or not its antagonists like it. Because this is true the implications are high. This may include power and authority shift and the current world leaders want to retain their places.
Let everyone mind what he/she put forth for the morrow. The One who caused our existence will quizzed us on what we did with our time.
There is no God worthy of worship except Allaah and Muhammad is His messenger.