American Imam Issues Fatwa Against ISIS

On The Mark

Image: Dr. John Morrow and the Muhammad covenants.

Article By: Dr John Andrew Morrow

Shafaqna � The following is a statement by Dr John Andrew Morrow, also known as Imam Ilyas Islam. A scholar of Islam, an Imam and a man of letters, Dr Morrow has been a voice of reason amid a torrent of bigotry and misplaced sectarian hatred. A student of Islam and a follower of Ahlul Bayt, Dr Morrow stands for Islam in the universality of its message, such as it was conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad and his progeny. Dr Morrow's work and efforts have been spent in the service of Islam and others. Following is his rejection of radicalism and Wahhabism. We join him in our absolute denunciation of terror, hatred, sectarianism and ignorance. We remain the people of the middle, we remain the people of Ghadeer Khumm, and we will remain true to the oath given. ��men may have no argument against you except those of them that are wrong-doers, so fear them not, but fear Me!� Quran.

�My Mercy prevails over My Wrath,� says Almighty Allah in a sacred saying (narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah). For Takfiri terrorists like IS, the so-called �Islamic� State, it is wrath that prevails over mercy. When asked to curse the polytheists, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, responded that �I was sent as a mercy� (Muslim). If anything, the rapists, torturers, and mass murderers who have infiltrated Syria, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Nigeria, and other parts of the world, can only be seen as a curse, the likes of which have not been seen since the Mongol invasion of Genghis Khan in the 13th century.

While Islam does indeed permit jihad, in the form of armed struggle, to combat certain oppressive conditions, it is highly regulated by a detailed code of norms and conduct. The killing of non-combatants, civilians, women, children, imams, priests, monks, nuns, and other members of religious orders, is categorically prohibited in Islam. Torture, rape, and the trafficking of women are all crimes which merit capital punishment under Islamic law. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade Muslims from sacking sacred sites and places of worship, stating that anyone who destroyed a church or a monastery would receive the curse of Almighty Allah.

IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh is a terrorist, mercenary, army at the service of imperial forces. They do not speak for Islam or represent Islam in any shape or form. To describe such psychopaths as Sunnis is to insult the Sunnah. To describe Da'ish as �Islamic� is an insult to Islam. The only terms that adequately describes the ideology of these demons is Takfiri, Wahhabi, Khariji, and Nasibi,Excommunicators, Wahhabis, Separatists, and Haters of the Household of the Prophet. While they call themselves Jihadists, they pervert the term jihad or sacred struggle. While they call themselves Salafi, followers of the pious predecessors, they are an offense to the true Salaf, the righteous Companions and their Followers.

As Almighty Allah, glorified and exalted be He, warns in the Holy Qur'an, �Do not exaggerate in your religion� (4:171), a verse that can also be translated as �Do not be fanatical in your faith.� The Qur'an also warns believers to �Beware of extremism in your religion� (5:77). In short, Muslims are supposed to be �a justly balanced nation� (2:143). Although some scholars may argue that the reproach against extremism contained in the Qur'an applies only to the People of Book, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained that it was equally applicable to Muslims. In fact, he warned his followers to �Beware of extremism in your religion for it is that which destroyed the nations which came before you� (Nasai and Ibn Majah). In another tradition, he stated that �The religious extremists are destroyed� (Muslim and Abu Dawud). The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also warned: �There are two groups of people from my Ummah who will not receive my intercession: oppressive rulers, and religious extremists� (Tabarani).

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was confronted with extremists during his lifetime, fanatics that he himself rejected and excommunicated saying that they did not belong to his Ummah or Community. As the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, �The Kharijites are the dogs of Hell� (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim). He also warned his future followers that the Horn of Satan would rise in the Najd, the very region in Arabia where the Wahhabi heresy took hold a mere two hundred years ago (Bukhari). As Imam 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, advised in Nu'aym ibn Hammad'sKitab al-Fitan or Book of Tribulations,

When you see the black flags, remain where you are and do not move your hands or your feet (namely, �Stay put and do not get involved in the fighting�). Thereafter there shall appear a feeble folk to whom no concern is given. Their hearts will be like fragments of iron. They are the representatives of the State (Ashab al-Dawlah). They will fulfill neither covenant nor agreement. They will invite to the truth, though they are not from its people. Their names will be agnomens (i.e., Abu So-and-so), and their ascriptions will be to villages. Their hair will be long like that of women. (They shall remain so) till they differ among themselves, and then Allah will bring forth the truth from whomever He wills.

It should be noted, however, that Takfiri combatants are not committed Muslims. In reality, they are all mercenaries. Large numbers of them are non-Muslim soldiers of fortune and guns-for-hire, and many are drawn from the criminal class. �Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty,� says the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace (Muslim). Takfiri terrorists, however, are hideously ugly. �Allah is good and only accepts that which is good,� said the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him (Muslim). Takfiri terrorists, however, are devoid of good. Since �Allah is Just and loves justice,� and �Allah is Loving and loves love,� the true representatives of Islam are Ahl al-Hub and Ahl al-'Adl, the People of Love and the People of Justice. As Almighty Allah warns in the Holy Qur'an: �Do not commit evil in the land for God does not love the evil-doers� (28:77).

Takfiri terrorists, such as ISIS/ISIL/IS, as well as al-Qa'edah, al-Shabab, the Taliban, al-Nusrah, Boko Haram, and other criminal organizations, do not speak for Islam or represent Islam. Not only are they not Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis), they are not members of the Ummah (Community) of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as a result of their own beliefs and actions. TheTakfiriyyin, (those who believe that all Muslims, save themselves, are infidels), the Khawarij (those who broke away from the community in the early days of Islam, accusing both the Sunnis and the Shi'ites of apostasy) and the Nawasib (those who hate the Household of the Prophet and their followers) are agents of the enemies of Islam.

We do not condemn the Takfiris as �infidels who may be legally killed� as they do in the case of traditional Sunnis, Shi'ites, and Sufis. The traditional Muslim shari'ah does not grant carte blanche to kill someone simply because he or she is an atheist, an agnostic, a Jew, a Christian, a Hindu, a Bahai or a Salafi-Jihadi. As Almighty Allah warns in the Qur'an: �Whosoever kills a human being unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all of humanity� (5:32).

Although people cannot be condemned to death on the basis of their beliefs, they can be killed in combat or receive the death penalty on the basis of their actions. Consequently, any and all terrorists who have committed crimes against humanity and the Divinity should be brought to justice. And while Shimr may have murdered Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the true culprit was Yazid, his Commander in Chief, may the curse of God be upon him. Likewise, while Takfiri terrorists should be held accountable for their crimes, those who founded them, funded them, armed them, trained them, and supported them, in any form or fashion, should be exposed and face the sword of justice.

The so-called �Islamic State� should be known as the �Satanic State� as it does nothing but spread corruption on earth (fasad fi al-ard). Territory under the control of Takfiri terrorists is the abode of unbelief (kufr), falsehood (ifk), heresy (ilhad), and immorality (fawahish). They represent the path of error (sirat al-dalala), the pulpit of discord (minbar al-khilaf), the den of iniquity ('arin al-ghawayyah), and the land of criminals (dawlat al-mujrimin). The Takfiris are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger ('adu Allah wa rasulihi). As such, it is categorically prohibited to support them in any form or fashion. Moreover, it is the obligation of all Muslims from Ahl al-Sunnah, Ahl al-Tasawwuf, and Ahl al-Bayt (the Sunnis, the Sufis, and the Shi'ites), to oppose the polytheism (shirk), hypocrisy (nifaq), apostasy (irtidad), and schism (shiqaq) that the Takfiris are spreading throughout the lands of Islam.

The only people authorized to establish the Government of God on Earth are the Mahdi and Jesus, the Son of Mary, peace be upon them both. As we anxiously await their rise, we must stand for peace and justice, uphold Islamic ethical values, defend human dignity, and respect and preserve human life. Do not be deceived during these times of trials and tribulations (fitan). People who rape, torture, mutilate and murder civilians, non-combatants, hostages and prisoners of war are not Friends of Allah ('awliyya' Allah). People who destroy places of worship and sacred sites, who burn churches and blow up mosques with copies of the Holy Qur'an still in them, are not Friends of Allah. People who violate the teachings of the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the shari'ah, and the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, are not the Friends of Allah. If anything, they are the Friends of Satan ('awliyya' al-Shaytan). As Muslims, our response towards terrorists can only be one: �Fight the friends of Satan� (Qur'an 4:76); �And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away for tumult and oppression is even worse than slaughter� (Qur'an 2:191).

In light of the non-Islamic character of the Takfiris and their role as agents of western and globalist imperialism against Islam, Muslims should find it easy to see through their absurd claim to be �defenders of Islam!� In light of the great deceptions of these times, lets us pray � in the words of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him � �O Lord, show me things as they really are.�

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