-Fear ∆llah as He should be Feared-: June 2007

Saturday 30 June 2007

“Fear Allah Wherever You Are”

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

“Fear Allah Wherever You Are”

Abû Dharr al-Ghifârî and Mu`âdh b, Jabal relate that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Fear Allah wherever you are. Follow up a bad deed with a good deed and it will blot it out. And deal with people in a good manner.” [ Sunan al-Tirmidhî ]

The importance of this hadith:

Ibn Rajab says: “This is powerful advice, bringing together the rights of Allah and the rights of His servants.”

The fear of Allah

The Arabic word for the “fear of Allah” is taqwâ . It comes from the root word meaning “to protect from something, to prevent”. Indeed, a person exhibits the fear of Allah by seeking to prevent Allah's punishment by carrying out what Allah has commanded of him and abstaining from what Allah has prohibited him.

Allah had called upon all people in every era to fear Him. Allah says: “And We had enjoined upon those who were given the Scripture before – as well as yourselves – to fear Allah.” [ Sûrah al-Nisâ' : 131]

It is Allah's right over His servants that they fear Him as He ought to be feared. Allah says: “O you who believe! Fear Allah as He ought to be feared and do not die except as believers.” [ Sûrah Âl `Imrân : 102]

Ibn Mas`ûd explained what it means to fear Allah as He ought to be feared by saying: “It means that He is to be obeyed not disobeyed, remembered not forgotten, and shown gratitude not ingratitude.”

The fear of Allah is the path to forgiveness, salvation, and the attainment of Allah's mercy. Allah says:

“Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who do good.” [ Sûrah al-Nahl : 128]

“And My mercy encompasses all things, and I shall decree it for those who fear Me.” [ Sûrah al-A`râf : 156]

“He is worthy of being feared and worthy of granting forgiveness.” [ Sûrah al-Muddaththir : 56]

“And whoever fears Allah – He will pardon him his sins and grant him a great reward.” [ Sûrah al-Talâq : 5]

“Indeed, those who fear Allah will be among gardens and rivers, in a seat of truth near an All-Powerful Sovereign.” [ Sûrah al-Qamar : 54-55]

Allah promises those who fear Him that He will provide for their needs and grant them a way out of their worldly difficulties. Allah says: “And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and provide for him from whence he could never imagine.” [ Sûrah al-Talâq : 2-3]

This is Allah's promise. We should draw strength from it when we are tried in life with difficulties that tempt us to resort to what Allah has forbidden.

The relationship between knowledge and the fear of Allah

Allah says: “It is only those who have knowledge among Allah's servants who fear Him.” [ Sûrah Fâtir : 28]

There are two ways in which knowledge and the fear of Allah are related. The first is that true fear of Allah comes about as the result of having proper knowledge of Allah and His perfect attributes.

Ibn `Abbâs said about this verse: “They are those who know that Allah is capable of all things.”

He also said: “The verse means: The only people who fear me are those who know my power, my might, and my dominion.”

Ibn Kathîr says in his commentary of this verse: “The only people who fear Allah in the true sense are those who are knowledgeable about Allah. This is because the more knowledge a person has about the Almighty, the All-Powerful and All-Knowing, who possesses the attributes of perfection and the best of names – the more perfect and complete this knowledge is – the greater and more total his fear of Allah will be.” [ Tafsîr Ibn Kathîr ]

The second way that the fear of Allah and knowledge are related stems from the fact that the fear of Allah is to seek to prevent Allah's punishment by carrying out Allah's commands and abstaining from His prohibitions. Consequently, a Muslim needs to have knowledge of these matters in order to fear Allah properly. An ignorant Muslim may have a sense of fear, but he will not be able to fully carry out what that fear requires of him.

Ibn `Abbâs said: “To have knowledge of the Most Merciful is to be someone who associates nothing as a partner with Him, who deems lawful what He has made lawful, who prohibits what He has prohibited, who preserves what He has enjoined upon him, and who has certainty that he shall meet Him and that his actions will be accounted for.”

Follow up a bad deed with a good deed

The Prophet (peace be upon him) tells us that the performing a good deed wipes away the sin incurred from perpetrating an evil one. Scholars have disagreed whether the “good deed” being referred to here refers specifically to the context of repentance or whether it is general for all good works.

The strongest view is that all good deeds can wipe away evil deeds. Allah says: “And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good works do away with evil deeds. That is a reminder for those who take heed.” [ Sûrah Hûd : 114]

A man once came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and informed him that he had contact with a woman like a husband has with his wife, except that he did not go so far as to fornicate with her. This man had just prayed the Fajr prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Have you prayed with us the Fajr prayer?” When he replied that he had, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited: “Indeed, good works do away with evil deeds.” [ Sahîh al-Bukhârî (526) and Sahîh Muslim (2763)]

However, a believer should always repent for his sins. Allah says: “And those, who when they commit an indecency or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who forgives sins except Allah – and then do not knowingly persist in what they have done, for them is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they shall abide forever. How great is the reward for those who work righteousness.” [ Sûrah Âl `Imrân : 135]

A believer should follow up his sincere repentance with the performance of good works. This is what Allah wants from us. He says: “Indeed, I am Most Forgiving to whomever repents, believes, and works righteous deeds and then continues upon guidance.” [ Sûrah TâHâ : 82]

Allah also tells us: “Except for those who repent, believe, and work righteous deeds. For those, Allah will change their evil deeds into good deeds, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [ Sûrah al-Furqân : 70] This is especially true for major sins. A Muslim must never leave a major sin to go without repentance, for Allah's promise of forgiveness is for those who turn to Him in sincere repentance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A servant, if he acknowledges his sin and then repents, Allah will forgive him.” [ Sahîh al-Bukhârî (4141) and Sahîh Muslim (2770)]

And deal with people in a good manner

Allah tells us repeatedly in the Qur'ân to observe good manners in our dealings with others. He says: “Keep to forgiveness (O Muhammad), and enjoin kindness, and turn away from those who are ignorant.” [ Sûrah al-A`râf : 199]

Allah says: “Nor can goodness and evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better. Then he between whom and you there had been hatred will become as though he were your dear friend.” [ Sûrah Fussilat : 34]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is the perfect example of what it means to possess good manners. Allah says, describing him: “Indeed you are of a great moral character.” [ Sûrah al-Qalam : 4]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized how good manners are of paramount importance in Islam when he said: “I was sent only to perfect good manners.” [ Musnad Ahmad (8952)]

Indeed, he tells us that good manners are part of faith. He said: “The believers with the most complete faith are those who have the best manners.” [ Sunan al-Tirmidhî (1162) and Sunan Abî Dâwûd (4682)]

Among the good manners that we should cultivate is to be sensible in our dealings with others and not to react hastily when they do that which displeases us. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Ashajj `Abd Qays: “You possess within yourself two qualities that Allah loves: discernment and forbearance.” [ Sahîh Muslim (17)]

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The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]

Wednesday 20 June 2007

The True Richness

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

The True Richness

by Shaykh Abû Ammâr Yasir al-Qadhî

Many people mistakenly assume that true wealth and real treasure is that of money. It is indeed true that wealth is a great blessing from Allah which He bestows upon His servants. And the one who earns it purely, and spends it properly, and gives it to those that deserve it, without a doubt earns a great reward from Allah.

But at the same time, wealth is not the greatest blessing that can be given to mankind. Furthermore, no matter how much wealth a person has, eventually it will leave him, and pass on into the hands of others. The Prophet (SAW) reminded us of this when he asked the Companions, "Who amongst you loves the money of his inheritors more than his own money?"^[1]

They replied, "O Messenger of Allah! There is no one of us except that he loves his own money more than he loves the money of his inheritors." So the Prophet (SAW) replied, "But his money is only that which he sent forth, and the money of his inheritors is what he left behind."^[2] So in reality most of the money that a person owns will eventually end up in the hands of his or her inheritors, and only that part which was spent for the sake of Allah will actually benefit one in the hereafter.

Allah emphasizes this point in the Qur'an with the teaching that,

"Wealth and children are the adornments of the life of this world. But the permanent righteous deeds are better in your Lord's Sight (to attain) rewards, and better in respect of hope." [Surah al-Kahf, 46]

So money and children can be a comfort and a pleasure of this life, but righteous deeds are what will remain permanently — not one's family or wealth. It is these righteous deeds which will bring a person Allah's Pleasure, and through which a person can hope for an ever-lasting reward in the Hereafter. The Qur'an clearly states,

"And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us, but only he (will please Us) who believes, and does righteous deeds; for such (people), there will be a double reward for what they did, and they will reside in the high dwellings (of Paradise), in peace and security." [Surah Saba', 37]

The great student of Ibn Abbas, Qatadah al-Sadusi, said commenting on this verse,

"So do not judge people based on the amount of money and children they have! Even a disbeliever might be given money, whereas the Muslim has been withheld from it.^[3]

In a well-known and oft-repeated parable, the Qur'an compares the life of this world to a crop that flourishes after rainfall, only to wither up and shrivel in a short period of time. The Qur'an states,

"Realize that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. It is like the vegetation (that sprouts forth) after rain, whose growth is pleasing to the disbeliever. Soon it dries up, and you see it turning yellow, then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers). And indeed, the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." [Surah Hadid, 20]

Imam al-Sa'adi summarised the commentary of this verse when he wrote, in a very beautiful passage: In this verse, Allah informs us of the true nature of this world, and what it is really based on, and He explains its end, and the end of the people in it. He informs us that it is a mere play and amusement, so our bodies play in it, and our hearts are amused at it. And we see that this is exactly what the people that are following this world are upon, so you find that they have wasted their entire lives so that they can amuse their hearts. They are in total ignorance about remembering Allah, and what they are about to face of rewards and punishments (in the Hereafter). You see them taking their religion as an amusement and pastime.

And this is in contrast to the people of awareness, and the ones that strive for the Hereafter. Their hearts are alive with the remembrance of Allah, and His knowledge, and His love. And they have busied themselves with actions that will bring them closer to Allah, whether those actions will benefit themselves only, or also others. And the phrase, '.. .zinah...,' or 'pompness,' means that they will try to beautify themselves in their clothes, food, drinks, the means of transportation, their houses and palaces, their prestige, and other matters. The phrase,'...mutual boasting amongst you...,' implies that everyone is attached (to this world), trying to outdo others, so that he will be the victor in all its matters. He wishes that he can satisfy all of his desires through it. And (this occurs in money and children), so each one wants to be the one that has more than the other, in money and children. And this is what is occurring amongst those that love this world and are content with it.

But this is in contrast to the one who realizes this world and its reality, so he made it a passage, and not the goal. So he competed in coming closer to Allah, and he took the necessary means to ensure that he would arrive at the promised destination. So when he sees someone who tries to compete with him in money and children, he instead competes against him with good deeds!

Then, Allah drew for us a parable of this world. It is like a rain that falls to the earth, and then mixes with the vegetation that is eaten by men and animals, until, when the earth spreads forth is beauty, and the disbelievers — those who cannot see beyond this life — are amazed at its fruits, the command of Allah comes upon it. So it is destroyed, and it withers up, and dries, and it returns to its previous state, as if the land never gave any greenery, and as if no beauty were ever seen on it!

And this is how this world is! While it is at its prime for its companion, sprouting forth with beauty, whatever he wants of its treasures he can take, and whenever he wants to obtain anything of it, he finds the doors to achieve it are open, when, all of a sudden, Allah's decree falls upon it. So all of it is removed from his hands, and his control over it is gone, or he himself is removed from it, so he leaves it with absolutely nothing of it in his hands, having gained nothing from all of it except a shroud (that is placed on the dead body). So woe to him who makes it his goal, and sacrifices everything for it, and strives and devotes his entire life to it!

And as for the actions of the Hereafter, then that is what will truly benefit. It will store for its owner (the fruits of his work), and will accompany him forever. This is why Allah stated, 'But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment (for the disbelievers), and (there is) Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the believers).' So, the Hereafter will be one of these two matters only. As for the punishment, then it will be in the Fire of Hell, and its pits and chains, and all of its horrors. And this will be for one who has made this world his goal, and the end of his journey, so he freely disobeyed Allah, and rejected His signs, and did not thank His blessings.

And as for the forgiveness from Allah for one's sins, and the absolvement of all punishment, and the pleasure of Allah, then this will be for one who strived for the Abode of Enjoyment (Paradise) — the one who realised the true nature of this world, and therefore strived a real striving for the Hereafter.

So all of this should make us lessen our desire for this world, and increase our desire for the Hereafter, and this is why Allah said, 'And indeed, the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.' So, this (life) is an enjoyment that a person can benefit from, and take his needs from. No one except a person of weak mind will be deceived by it, and become content with it, and these are the ones that Allah will allow to be deceived by the Deceiver (Shaytan). ^[4]

No matter how much money a person earns, in reality he only utilizes a very small fraction of it. Ponder over the wise reminder from the Prophet (SAW|). 'Abdullah ibn al-Shakhir reported, "I entered upon the Prophet (SAW) and he was reciting "Alhakum al-takathur" (The mutual rivalry [for trying to compete with one another in worldly matters] diverts you) [al-Takathur; 1]. He said,

'The son of Adam cries out: "My money! My money!" But do you have, O son of Adam, anything of your money, except that which you eat, so it is wasted, or that which you wear, so it wears out, or that which you gave as charity, so you have sent it forth (to get its rewards in the Hereafter)?'" ^[5]

In this hadith, the Prophet (SAW) reminded us that, in reality, all of our money is utilised in only three ways. Firstly, the food that we eat, and this eventually is transformed into waste product. Secondly, the clothes that we wear, and this eventually wears out so that it is unusable. Thirdly, the money that has been spent for the sake of Allah, and this is the only part whose benefits remain and return to us. So of what benefit is it for a person to gloat over 'his money', and boast about it, and be eager for it, when in reality so little of it is actually spent in such a way as to provide eternal benefit?

Because of these factors, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reminded mankind that wealth is not proportionate to the amount of material possessions a person owns. True wealth is to be content with what one has, and then to use it to strive for the everlasting reward of the Hereafter. The Prophet (SAW) said,

"Richness is not in the quantity of possessions (that one has); rather, true richness is the richness of one's self (or contentment)."^[6]

He (SAW) also stated,

"That which is little yet sufficient is better than that which is much but distracts."^[7]

And in a third hadith,

"He is indeed successful who has been guided to Islam, and his sustenance was sufficient for him, and he was content with it."^[8]

Lastly,

"The best sustenance that you are given is that which is sufficient."^[9]

So true success and wealth is found in the peace and satisfaction which results from sincerity in faith and practice. The contentment of the heart is what makes a person realise and appreciate this true richness. The Prophet (SAW) described this richness in another hadith, where he said,

"Whoever amongst you wakes up, secure in his house, healthy in his body, having the bare amount of food that he requires for the day, then it is as if the entire world has been captured for him, with all that it contains!"^[10]

This hadith has many benefits that can be obtained from it. 'Whoever amongst you...,' means the Muslims, indicating the first and greatest blessing, namely, that of Islam; '...wakes up...,' means that one has been blessed with life;'. ..secure in his house..,,' means without fear of attack upon one's safety or the safety of one's family; '...healthy in his body...,' means that Allah has saved him or her from diseases and sicknesses; '...having the bare amount of food that he requires for the day...' indicates that even the minimal amount of sustenance is a great blessing from Allah, for this is what the body and health requires, and many people do not even have this amount; and lastly, '.. .it is as if the entire world has been captured for him, with all that it contains,' indicating that this is all that a person needs of this life, and everything that is in addition to this bare minimum is an unnecessary luxury. Contentment with Allah's provision, whether large or small, is contentment with life, and hence, the best wealth that a person can have. The Prophet (SAW) stated,

"Verily Allah tests His servant with what He has given him. So whoever is content with whatever he has been assigned, then Allah will bless him in it, and give him more! But whoever is not content (with what he has been given), then he will not be blessed in it." ^[11]

Those who are content with their own provision and lot in life will lose concern over the wealth and status of others. Such people have no concern as to how much money others have, what types of cars they drives, or the size of the houses they live in. Those with clean hearts in this respect love Allah, and are grateful to Him, knowing that the goods of this world cannot buy happiness, or the blessings of faith and contentment. In return, they are loved by Allah, and by fellow men and women. This principle is so clearly outlined in the noble Prophetic tradition:

"Give up (hope of attaining) this world, Allah will love you. And give up (hope of) whatever is in the possession of other people, and the people will love you."^[12]

In another narration, a person came to the Prophet (SAW) and asked him, "O Messenger of Allah! Narrate to me a hadith, and make it short!" So he (SAW) replied,

"Pray your prayer as if it is your last, as if you are seeing Him (Allah), for even if you do not see Him then He sees you. And give up hope (of obtaining) what other's possess, then you will live a rich life. And beware of anything that you might (later) have to make an excuse for." ^[13]

So whoever sets as a primary goal the pleasure of Allah and the rewards of the Hereafter will be loved by Allah, and whoever avoids competing with fellow Muslims concerning worldly matters will be loved by the people. And this wealth - the love of Allah and that of mankind — is far greater than any richness that money can buy.

The pious predecessors of this nation also realised this principle. Awn ibn Abdillah ^{[14 ]}said, "The greatest blessing is that — when this world is straightened for you — you appreciate what you have been given of the blessings of Islam." ^{[15 ]}So next time you are in severe financial circumstances, instead of looking at the material and temporary pleasures that you have not been afforded, ponder instead over the treasure of iman that Allah has blessed you with, and appreciate the great fortune of being a Muslim! Likewise, when you are overjoyed or distressed due to some monetary gain or loss, remember the statement of Muhammad ibn Suqah^[16], who said,

"There are two characteristics which, even though Allah does not punish us for them, are reason enough for our punishment: we are overjoyed at a small gain that we receive from this world, and yet Allah has never seen us so happy for a good deed that we do, and we are so worried about a small matter that has missed us concerning this world, and yet Allah has never seen us so worried about a sin that we commit."^[17]

This section is concluded by quoting the verse in which Allah reminded the Prophet (SAW) and the believers not to long for the wealth of this world — wealth that has been given to those that have rejected submission to Allah - but rather to strive for the richness of the Hereafter:

"And strain not your eyes in longing for the things that We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them (the disbelievers) - the splendour of the life of this world - that We may test them thereby. And indeed, the provision (rizq) of your Lord is better and more lasting." [Surah Ta Ha, 131]

1 In other words, who amongst you loves the money that is in the hands of the people who will inherit from him when he dies (such as one's sons and daughters) more than the money that he himself owns.

2 Reported by al-Bukhari (4/217) and others.

3 Reported by al-Tabari in his Tafsir.

4 Tafsiral-Sa'adi, pps. 780-781.

5 Reported by Muslim (8/211) and others.

6 Reported by al-Bukhari (4/219) and others.

7 Reported by Abu Ya'la (1/295), Ibn Adi (7/2)and others, and al-Albani authenticated it in al-Sahihah, (# 947).

8 Reported by Muslim (3/102) and others.

9 Reported by Ibn Hibban (# 2323). See al-Silsilah al-Sahihah, (# 1834).

10 Reported by al-Tirmidhi (# 2347) who considered it hasan gharib; al-Bukhari in his al-Adab al-Mufrad (# 300), Ibn Hibban in his Taqasim (# 2507) and others. Al-Albani agreed with al-Tirmidhi in his Silsilah (# 2318).

11 Reported by Ahmad (5/24), with an authentic chain, as mentioned in al-Sahihah,(# 1658).

12 Reported by Ibn Majah (# 4102), al-Hakim (4/313) who considered it Sahih, and others. Al-Albani also graded it as authentic in al-Silsilah, (# 944).

13 Reported by al-Bukhari in his al-Tarikh (3/216), and al-Tabarani in his al- Awsat (# 4588) and others. Al-Haythami, in his Majma al-Zawaid (10/ 229) said: "There are, in its chain, people that I do not know." However, this narration has supporting evidences, including the hadith of Sa d ibn Abi Waqqas, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (in al-Tabarani's al-Awsat, # 5907), due to which al-Albani considered it acceptable in his al-Sahihah (# 1914).

14 The grand-nephew of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud. When he used to narrate hadith, his beard would become wet with tears. He died around 115 A.H. (see Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, 3/338).

15 Ibn Abi al-Dunya, al-Qana ah wa al-Ta afuf, (# 151).

16 Of the major students of the tabi'in. Sufyan ibn'Uyaynah said, "There were three people in Kufah, if they were told, 'You are going to die tomorrow' they would not have been able to increase any of their good deeds (due to the fact that they were doing so many). Of them is Muhammad ibn Suqah." (See Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, 3/584).

17 Ibn Abi al-Dunya, al-Qana ah wa al-Ta'afuf, (# 153).

Extracted from “15 Ways to Increase Your Earnings” published by Al Hidaayah UK

Wednesday 6 June 2007

Part 6: Conclusion

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Part 6: Conclusion

Ibrahim Ghosheh

Contents

Part 1: The 1948 Nakba : Facts and Lessons

Part 2: Israeli acts of aggression against Al-Aqsa

Part 3: Massacres against Palestinians

Part 4: A Message From Hell - Victor Ostrovsky

Part 5: History of Aggression

Part 6: Conclusion

This is the 6th and the final part from an-Nakbah series concerning the "Israeli"-Palestinian issue.

While closing this series, I would like to mention, what a brother mentioned to me concerning this catastrophe, that the reason why the Muslims have been afflicted with these calamities, is due to their distancing themselves from the true understanding of Islaam, which honoured them back in the history in the first place. It is indeed very unfortunate to know that Muslims in general, due to their lack of knowledge, cannot differentiate between Tawheed and Shirk, Sunnah and Bid'ah, like 'Umar bin al-Khattab said that Islaam will be taken apart bit-by-bit, until there comes in Islaam (a person) who does not know what Jaahiliyah is.

Therefore, we see a group of Muslims calling to innovations in the religion, that sometimes even amount to Shirk with Allah - Most High, while another group calling towards Arab Nationalism, thinking in that there is hope for their revival, whereas it was Islaam initially that honoured them. Similarly we find Muslims rushing to extremes in religion, by concentrating either on the spiritual side, while neglecting the material side of Islaam, or the other extreme from the "Islaamic" political organisations who concentrate mainly on the material aspects, while neglecting the spiritual side.

Another obvious reason for the downfall of the Muslims is of course the abandonment of Jihaad in the path of Allah as the Messenger of Allah SAW clearly stated, "If you deal in 'Eenah (a type of interest), and hold on to the tails of cows, and become pleased with agriculture, and abandon Jihaad, Allah will place upon you humiliation, which will not be removed from you, until you return to your Deen".

It is time for us to return to our Deen by responding to the call of Allah and His Messenger as Allah stated in His Book:

"O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (SAW) calls you to that which will give you life" (al-Anfaal 24)

A Tusbal-Muslimaatu Bi Kulli Thaghrin

Wa 'Aish al-Muslimeena Ithan Yateebu

Amaa Lillahi wal-Islaami Haqqun

Yudaafi'u 'Anhu Shubbaanun Wa Sheebu

Fa Qul Li Thawil-Basaa`iri Haithu Kaanu

AjeebuLlaha Waihakumu Ajeebu

Are the Muslim women being oppressed in every land?

Will the livelihood of the Muslims ever become good?

Doesn't Allah and Islaam have a right?

That every youth and aged, for it should fight?

Then say to those with sight, wherever they may be...

Respond to Allah, woe be to you, respond!

Abuz-Zubair

The series ends with a few random quotes, as a summary of the series as well as a reminder for us all.

I would like to clarify that this series dealt with the political ideology of Zionism, and not Jews as a people, as Islam does not permit hatred or enmity based on purely racial origin. In doing so one would be no better than the Zionists.

It may also be noted that the best critiques of Zionism and Israel have been done by the likes of Noam Chomsky, Dr. Israel Shahak, and journalists such as Gideon Levy and Amira Hass, all of whom are Jewish. Their contribution has proved invaluable, in a quality which has not been produced by any Arab or Muslim writer/academic. I would encourage all to read their works on the issue.

An extensive section on Zionism, Palestine and Israel can be found in the Al-Waaqi web site which will finally be complete by the end of this month (June), alhamdulillah.

I sincerely hope that this series has been informative, and has stimulated you all to do further reading on the Palestinian issue.

Webmaster, Al-Waaqi Islamic Mail

"There is no such thing as a Palestinian people... It is not as if we came and threw them out and took their country. They didn't exist." - Golda Meir, former Prime Minister of Israel

"We declare openly that the Arabs have no right to settle on even one centimeter of Eretz Israel.... Force is all they do or ever will understand. We shall use the ultimate force until the Palestinians come crawling to us on all fours ... When we have settled the land, all the Arabs will be able to do will be to scurry around like drugged roaches in a bottle." - Rafael Eitan, Israeli Chief of Staff

"... we have no solution, that you shall continue to live like dogs, and whoever wants to can leave - and we will see where this process leads? In five years we may have 200,000 less people - and that is a matter of enormous importance." - Moshe Dayan, encouraging the transfer of Gaza strip refugees to Jordan

"I ask Rabin to make concessions, and he says he can't because Israel is too weak. So I give him arms, and he says he doesn't need to make concessions because Israel is strong" - Henry Kissinger

"I have learned that the state of Israel cannot be ruled in our generation without deceit and adventurism." - Moshe Sharett, Israel's first Foreign Minister and later a Prime Minister

"Let us not ignore the truth among ourselves .. politically we are the aggressors and they defend themselves... The country is theirs, because they inhabit it, whereas we want to come here and settle down, and in their view we want to take away from them their country. ... Behind the terrorism [by the Arabs] is a movement, which though primitive is not devoid of idealism and self sacrifice." - David Ben Gurion, first Prime Minister of Israel

"This reform is needed badly because the existing corruption has many advocates who would like to make this area (the Middle East) an open market for the Israelis, who will, consequently, affect the ideology, culture and commerce in this region, not to mention the military aspect. Hence, it is a plan to make us slaves in our own land at the mercy of our enemies.. Meanwhile, no one is allowed to express his/her opinion. We are simply told to agree to everything without objection or risk facing punishment by the security forces.." Shaykh Salman al-Awdah, Saudi Arabia

"The PLO is the one who finished the Intifada which shaped the right of Palestinians for struggle." Dr. Edward Said

"Sinking Israel in the sea, as former Egyptian President Jamal Abdul Nasser wanted is not good enough. There are many who know how to swim and come back." The Iraqi 'Babil' newspaper

"If the hour of liberation is far away, this doesn't mean it is now the hour of surrender." George Hadad, a Jordanian writer

"The plenty of honour and dignity is only one, however the plenty of humiliation is many..." Shaheed Sayed Qutb, Egypt

IslamicAwakening.com

Part 5: History of Aggression

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Part 5: History of Aggression

Ibrahim Ghosheh

Contents

Part 1: The 1948 Nakba : Facts and Lessons

Part 2: Israeli acts of aggression against Al-Aqsa

Part 3: Massacres against Palestinians

Part 4: A Message From Hell - Victor Ostrovsky

Part 5: History of Aggression

Part 6: Conclusion

- In 1948 thousands of Palestinians took refuge or were driven from their homes during the war that followed the proclamation of the state of Israel. Many settled in Lebanon.

- In 1968, Israeli commandos blew up 13 airliners at Beirut airport Israel said the attack on Beirut airport was a reprisal for an attack in Athens by Lebanese-trained Palestinian guerrillas.

- In April 1973, Israeli elite troops, including present-day FM Ehud Barak disguised as a woman, entered Beirut flats and shot dead three Palestinian guerrilla officials. Israel said those targeted played a role in a guerrilla attack on Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics a year earlier.

- In March 1978, in retaliation for the killing of more than 30 bus riders in a raid by sea-borne guerrillas near Tel Aviv, Israel attacked PLO positions in south Lebanon and occupied a 10 km (six mile)-wide strip north of the Lebanese border. About 1,500 people were killed, mostly Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. Some of the Israeli forces pulled out, but not before handing over the area Lebanon's civil war. U.N. Security Council resolution 425 ordered the Israelis to leave. They refused. The United Nations set up UNIFIL, a 5,000-strong peacekeeping force to help restore Lebanese state authority down to the border. Israeli troops did not let it reach the border.

- In 1981, PLO guerrillas rained Katyusha rockets into northern Israel and the border strip. Israel launched air raids on Beirut in retaliation, killing hundreds of civilians.

- In July 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon with the declared aim of routing Palestinian guerrillas. It cited as justification an attack that seriously wounded its ambassador in London. Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon promised his army would stop after 40 km (25 miles) but it encircled Beirut, 40 km further north. After bombardments, PLO fighters agreed to leave the city. About 20,000 people were killed, mostly Palestinian and Lebanese civilians.

- In September 1982, Israeli forces stormed west Beirut after pro-Israeli Christian leader Bashir Gemayel, who days earlier had been elected president, was assassinated. Israeli troops ringing the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila allowed revenge-seeking Christian militiamen into the shantytowns. More than 1500 of refugees were slaughtered and Israel was widely condemned.

- In 1985, Bruised by world outrage and hurt by mounting guerrilla attacks by Hizbullah guerrillas, Israel, under Prime Minister Shimon Peres, pulled most of its forces out of Lebanon and set up a 15 km (nine mile) wide occupation zone to stop cross-border attacks. But its continued presence stirred the resentment of local south Lebanese. Israel then faced a more relentless resistance, Hizbullah.

- In February 1992, Israeli helicopter gunships rocketed the car of Hizbollah leader Sheikh Abbas Musawi, killing him, his wife and son. Rocket attacks into northern Israel followed, and then Israeli forces stormed two villages north of the occupation zone.

- In July 1993, Israel unleashed "Operation Accountability," of weeklong air, artillery and naval blitz in which 130 people; mostly Lebanese civilians, died and 300,000 fled their homes. This was in response to killing seven Israeli soldiers by Hizbullah resistance.

- In April 11, 1996, Israel unleashed "Operation Grapes of Wrath" in which more than 170 people; mostly women and children had been killed so far, including 102 refugees shelled at a U.N. base in the south.

- In May 23, 2000, Israeli forces finally pulled out of southern Lebanon humiliated by the Hizbullah resistance. Threats of invasion to Syria and Lebanon followed, if northern Israel was attacked by Hizbullah. Israel pointed out the vulnerability of the 35,000 Syrian troops garrisoned in Lebanon. What remains to happen; only time will tell...

IslamicAwakening.com

Part 4: A Message From Hell - Victor Ostrovsky

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Part 4: A Message From Hell - Victor Ostrovsky

Ibrahim Ghosheh

Contents

Part 1: The 1948 Nakba : Facts and Lessons

Part 2: Israeli acts of aggression against Al-Aqsa

Part 3: Massacres against Palestinians

Part 4: A Message From Hell - Victor Ostrovsky

Part 5: History of Aggression

Part 6: Conclusion

From 'The Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs', March 2000, pages 35-36,78. Former Mossad case officer Victor Ostrovsky is the author of 'By Way of Deception' and 'The Other Side of Deception'

Occasionally an article appears that is so disturbing in nature that one wants to cry out to the world in anger and frustration, "stop!" The Tel Aviv daily Ha'aretz carried just such an article, by Aviv Lavi, on Dec. 23.

For the most part Ha'aretz translates its articles-or somewhat sanitized versions-into English and makes them available on its Web site. But others, like the one described below, remain untranslated for reasons that will become obvious.

It is the story of Haim Peretz, a seemingly ordinary Israeli who grew up in the small town of Ofakim-not a place overflowing with left-wing activists. Nevertheless, in clearing him for obligatory military service, Israeli officials overlooked a character flaw. This ordinary young man from an ordinary town had, unnoticed by the authorities, developed a conscience. It apparently went unnoticed while Haim Peretz spent almost three years working on F-16 aircraft as an Israeli air force technician. However, with only two weeks left to complete his three years of obligatory service, this first sergeant with a clean record was sent for a two-week stint as a security guard at the holding facility at the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

It is not at all unusual that soldiers reaching the end of their service are volunteered by their units to bolster manpower in under-staffed units to which no one wants to be assigned. Peretz had no intention of making waves at that facility. He just wanted to finish his two weeks and return to civilian life.

The holding facility is on the Israeli side of the Erez checkpoint and it is designed to incarcerate Palestinians arrested while trying to enter Israel without the proper documentation. The majority of the prisoners are people who were apprehended while trying to get into Israel to find work. They are arrested and brought to the facility where they await trial. The wait can extend from a week to three months.

Usually the facility holds about 60 inmates and is run by a regular crew of IDF soldiers, bolstered by temporary help sent in from various units, as was Haim Peretz.

He arrived at the facility in March of 1999. After he was released from the military and was a civilian again, he came forward and described his experiences at Erez to Ha'aretz. Below are some excerpts:

Peretz spent his last two weeks of military service at the Erez crossing's holding facility.

"From the first day I started to understand what was going on there. Six to seven prisoners are housed in every three-by-three meters (about nine-by-nine feet) cell. There are no beds. The prisoners (men of all ages, from teenagers to old men) sleep on blankets on the (concrete) floor.

"The cell is windowless except for two small barred ventilation slots. There is no toilet in the cell: the prisoners are given access to a toilet once a day when they are taken out in the morning for their daily walk. The rest of the time they use a large bucket that is placed in the center of their cell. By the way, this practice prevents them from praying (as their religion requires them to do five times daily) because the bucket turns the cell into a washroom, an environment in which Muslims are not allowed to pray.

"Regulations specify that the prisoners have the right to a full hour's walk every day. But an hour is a flexible thing: Sometimes the sergeant (a reference to whomever is responsible for the prisoners, usually a corporal or even a private) decides that it will be only a half hour, or even 15 minutes. Letting the prisoners outside their cells for the daily walk is a hassle for him, and in most cases he does not want to bother.

"At this time all of the prisoners are supposed to go to the toilet, using two stalls for 20 people, since 20 are taken for their walk at a time. Often there is no toilet paper. When they ask for it, sometimes they are told yes, sometimes no, sometimes maybe.

"On the sabbath there is no walk. After all, the sergeant has to get his sabbath rest. So the prisoners are locked in for a full 48 hours, from Friday morning to Sunday morning.

"Everyone is entitled to two cigarettes a day, but the guards use the cigarettes as a bargaining chip, taking the prisoners through seven stages of hell before they receive their smokes. Sometimes the guards don't give the prisoners any cigarettes, just because they don't feel like doing it.

"The prisoners are taken out for a shower once a week, on Wednesday. It's a horrible sight: the prisoners are pushed in a large group into two showers, with one cake of soap for the entire group. Meanwhile the guards hold a stopwatch, shouting at the prisoners to hurry.

'Some of the prisoners just forego the humiliation and stand aside. There were some in the prison who did not take a shower for weeks. There is no reason for letting them take only one shower a week except that to provide more showers would be a bother for the sergeant. Even after taking a shower the prisoners have to get back into their own dirty clothing. They are not given any clean clothing or even a towel. Sometimes they sit for months in the same dirty clothes.

"There are 12- and 13-year-old kids there. When I was there (in March), there was one kid who arrived barefoot. That was the way he stayed. He walked around that way and was brought in front of the judge that way.

"They have no contact with their families. The day they are arrested they are allowed one telephone call, and if there is no one at home, that's their problem. Whoever is brought to trial is entitled to a conference with a lawyer, but that doesn't happen often because the trials themselves appear to be an aberration.

"The lawyer promises that if he is hired he will get the prisoner off with a 1,500-shekel fine. That from people who tried to infiltrate Israel to work for 50 shekels a day. [Note : Shekel is the currency of Israel. 1 Israeli Shekel is equivalent to about 17p in the UK and 20c in the US. - Al-Waaqi Editor]

"I would escort the prisoners to trial as a security guard. The trials took place in a small room in an adjacent facility. These are assembly line trials. They are worthless. The lady judge and the lady prosecutor have lunch together before the hearings and are themselves bored by the routine. They call each other by their first names. They hand out sentences of several months or a fine, and because most of the prisoners do not have any money to pay a fine, they remain in jail.

"One 15- or 16-year-old kid was fined 300 shekels. I took him aside and gave him 200 shekels that I had on me. The officer saw the exchange from the corner of his eye and yelled at me for wanting to bail out an Arab. I saw the kid a week later still in jail, just because he did not have all of the money to pay the fine.

"They get three meals a day. In the morning a large plate is placed in the cell on which the guards throw a loaf of bread, a small container of white cheese, and some vegetables. The single small container of cheese is supposed to be enough for seven people. At lunch there are rice and one or two hotdogs per prisoner. How many depends on how much the prisoner sucks up to the soldiers.

"When there was a visit from Amnesty International to the facility the inspectors were taken to the cell where the collaborators were housed. The collaborators told the visitors the food was great. In the evening the prisoners get the same thing as in the morning. Most of the time they are hungry. If someone happens to be out for a trial during lunch, or if he has been taken away for any other reason, he will not be given his lunch. When I tried to change that, I was told to shut up. Even as it is, I was told, the upkeep of the prisoners is costing the country too much and "These leeches are ruining our lives."

"Once a week, on Tuesday or Wednesday, the prisoners are given a hot drink. One week when I was in the facility they did not get a hot drink. It is pitiful to see people who have been looking forward for a full week to a hot cup of tea begging when they do not get it. (This was winter and there was no heating in the cells.) The only reason the tea was not made was that the cooks didn't want to bother."

It is a rarity that an Israeli breaks ranks and tells the public the minute details of what is really going on inside such government installations. It is not an easy thing to do, and Haim is still trying to understand why he felt it was up to him to come forward and tell his story.

"Maybe it's because I myself have come from a place where affluence was not the norm, and I saw people enduring hard times. I couldn't stand seeing people so mistreated. For God's sake, we were not dealing with terrorists here, or people who wanted to harm anyone. All these poor people wanted to do was work so they could feed their families.

"When I was in high school I worked in a textile factory where most of the workers were Arabs. I had a great relationship with them. I learned a few words of Arabic before I went into the army. I also had the opportunity to take a couple of courses in Arabic and Islam in the Open University. That is probably the reason that I, unlike most other soldiers, did not regard every Palestinian as a terrorist and I didn't look down on them."

Liaison Between Guards and Prisoners

Due to his partial knowledge of Arabic Haim became a liaison between the guards and the prisoners. He escorted them to trial or to the nurse or the doctor. There a prisoner might have expected to find an island of compassion, someone who, in compliance with the Hippocratic oath he or she had taken, would relieve some of the prisoner's suffering. But the reality was different.

"The medical treatment they get is a story in itself. When they arrive they are given a medical check-up to verify that they are healthy enough to be held in prison. That checkup is meant to provide the facility with a cover of legitimacy.

"In fact, the doctor did not touch or check the prisoners. He just asked them if they were all right. He did not speak one word of Arabic and couldn't understand what they answered-not that there was much chance that they would complain anyway.

"The doctors are rotating reservists. When I was there, the doctor did not let the prisoners sit or lie on the bed when he checked them. He didn't want to get it dirty, so he told them to lie on the floor. During one of the visits, when a prisoner complained of some pain the doctor said in my presence: "They should die, these Arabs, they should get one bullet each and be done with them. Who needs to treat them?" Later he said he was only joking, but I know he was not.

"From the beginning he treated them like garbage. He only pulled them or pushed them, barked at them and cursed them. "What is your name, dirty Arab?" he would say. On a good day he would give them Acamole [an Israeli version of aspirin], which was not much help.

"One day one of the prisoners swallowed several pills and lost consciousness. He lay there for over an hour, but the doctor was in no hurry. "Let him wait, no one told him to commit suicide," the doctor explained. "One fewer Arab will be better."

"One of the prisoners had a bad rash, which he got from the military blankets. The prisoner was accused of arriving from Gaza that way. But I know he was well when he came. He was 16 and had been caught the day before when he and his brother tried to infiltrate Israel. The doctor said that he should be placed in isolation.

"When the prisoner was placed in isolation, still suffering from an extremely itchy rash, he was crying and yelling for help. He stayed like that for a long time, freezing in a small cell with very little to eat. I begged the officer to let me explain to him why he was isolated and try to calm him down. I was not allowed to do so.

"The doctor said that the prisoner needed to have a shower every day. And even if he had a shower, it probably wouldn't help as he would have to get back into his old clothing afterward.

"Most soldiers regarded the Palestinians as animals. I saw soldiers who would, for the fun of it, spit into the plates of the prisoners. When the prisoners arrive they already have been beaten up by the borderpatrol that caught them.

"On one of the first days I saw a border patrol soldier beating up a kid right there in the facility. I asked him to stop. "shut up, you Arab-loving lefty," he said to me. At the time I still didn't want to get involved, so I backed off.

"The sergeants beat up the prisoners all the time. It appears the soldiers expect the prisoners to speak fluent Hebrew, and every word a prisoner speaks in Arabic sounds to the guards like a curse word. If a prisoner who did not know better complained, he would be beaten up.

"During a roll call one of the prisoners said something and the guard thought he was talking back so he twisted the prisoner's hand behind his back and threw him against the wall. The guard then placed him in isolation in a tiny cell. The prisoner was moaning in pain for several days before I was asked to take him to the doctor, who diagnosed a broken arm. When I told the doctor what had happened, he wrote in his report that it was the result of the prisoner tripping. When I insisted that it was a beating, one of the male nurses made it clear to me that if I opened my mouth they would "blow my head off."?

After Haim went public he was harassed and regarded by many of his friends as a traitor. The military said it would look into his revelations and an official investigation was promised. The commander of the facility was removed from office.

It must be remembered, however, that there are many more facilities like this one in Israel, and there are many prisoners who are simply unaccounted for. In additon, one should not forget the hostages Israel has kidnapped from Lebanon and who are held as pawns for future exchanges with the Hezbollah. Five such Lebanese hostages were released recently. One was 31 years old and had been in captivity-without trial and without committing a crime-since he was 16-15 years ago.

Haim's exposé made very few ripples in Israel. Is it possible that the well of Israeli compassion has totally run dry? The most worrisome element of this story is the uncalled for and unnecessary cruelty displayed by what one can only regard as "regular Israelis." It appears to vindicate the many predictions made by psychologists that the prolonged Israeli occupation of the territories might rob the Israelis of their souls. When and if peace is achieved, and hopefully that day is near, where will "the new Israeli" release all his stored up cruelty, hatred and violence? Already the rates of violence by Israelis against Israelis, starting with their own families, may be the final revenge of Israel's hundreds of thousands of innocent victims.

IslamicAwakening.com