News Right Now: Passing of a Mujahid

Welcome to this week's episode..’The Passing of a Mujahid’

On June 14th, the heroic fighter and bearer of two honours Saiful Azam, passed away in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was famous for epitomising the Islamic concept of jihad... something that has fascinated and frustrated western military strategists for decades. Saiful Azam fought in the 1965 Indo -Pak war and the 1967 Arab-Israeli 6 day war and famously downed 4 Israeli fighter jets in his defense of Palestine and the Muslims.

This great honour is that of his brothers who preceded him... the ones truthful to their religion and their weapons... Khalid bin Waleed. Salahuddin Ayoubi, Muhammed bin Qasim and all the other brave warriors who have fought in defense of the Deen and the Muslims, sacrificing their ease out of obedience to Allah swt. Saiful Azam inflicted heavy damage to Indian forces in 12 ground attack missions and altogether took part in the wars of three different Muslim countries: Iraq, Jordan and Pakistan joining the Bangladesh airforce after cessation in 1971.

In 1965 after he downed two Israeli fighter jets.. so he was immediately commissioned by the Iraqi air force, for whom he successfully downed two more. He also downed two Indian jets and was commended as the most successful Mujahid pilot of our times. He will also be remembered for motivating his brothers in arms to fight India for the sake of Islam.. and for his love of Palestine, Al Aqsa and its Islamic significance.

Azam’s experience is an excellent contemporary example of the bond of brotherhood, above any nationalistic or patriotic bond. By fighting on the side of three different Muslim countries, he clearly recognised the right - that the lands of Islam and the lives of the Muslims had over him... and aligned his actions and intentions with these sublime Islamic principles, to overcome their common enemy - who was not only religiously, but ideologically in opposition.

Today, we sadly see a different picture, where the Muslim nations are more allied to the kafir colonial states than one another... shunning Islamic unity for nationalism, and adopting an ideological allegiance with the enemies of Islam. The lofty status of Jihad in the way of Allah is one of the most significant aspects of Islam...often cited as the sixth pillar of Islam, its become drastically underrated in modern times.

Allah swt has ordained jihad for the Ummah of Muhammed (saw) because of its very high honour, and His swt's desire to bless the Muslims with the high rewards associated with it in this life and the Akhirah (Hereafter).

Allah swt has epitomised complete allegiance to Him and total obedience to His Deen by way of the command of jihad because Jihad facilitates the noble objectives of the shariah, which are to spread the Islamic Dawah to the world to overcome injustice and oppression as well as to facilitate the lives of Muslims and non Muslims, by securing an existence in which all people’s interactions and responsibilities can be fulfilled without unnecessary struggle or fear of one other.

Allah swt in His great generosity, has multiplied the high rewards of Jihad for every individual involved in it. Ibn An Nuhaas wrote a century ago in his book Mashari al Ashwaq, that the one who makes the arrow, and the one who passes it on both get the same reward as the one who actually shoots it! The rewards of martyrdom are among the greatest that a Muslim can attain.. Allah swt has explained that the Shaheed will not feel the pain of death, will not decompose, that his body will smell of musk. The Shaheed shall wear a crown, on which even one jewel is better than this world and everything that is in it. His soul will live on in Jannah in the heart of a green bird until the hour; an honour so great that our limited minds cannot even comprehend it.

Ka’b ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

" عَنْ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّ أَرْوَاحَ الشُّهَدَاءِ فِي طَيْرٍ خُضْرٍ تَعْلُقُ مِنْ ثَمَرِ الْجَنَّةِ أَوْ شَجَرِ الْجَنَّةِ
1641 سنن الترمذي كتاب فضائل الجهاد باب ما جاء في ثواب الشهداء
1641 المحدث الترمذي خلاصة حكم المحدث حسن صحيح في سنن الترمذ

“Verily, the souls of martyrs are in green birds, hanging from the fruit of Paradise, or the trees of Paradise.” Sahih according to Al-Tirmidhi

For these glorious rewards, Rasul Allah saw motivates us by saying.

«مَا مِنْ نَفْسٍ تَمُوتُ، لَهَا عِنْدَ اللهِ خَيْرٌ، يَسُرُّهَا أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا، إِلَّا الشَّهِيدُ، فَإِنَّهُ يَسُرُّهُ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا فَيُقْتَلَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، لِمَا يَرَى مِنْ فَضْلِ الشَهَادَة»

“No soul that has a good standing with Allah and dies would wish to go back to the life of this world, except for the martyr. He would like to be returned to this life so that he could be martyred again, for he tastes the honour achieved from martyrdom.” Sahih Muslim

The great commanders of Islamic history knew very well the rewards of jihad in the way of Allah and martyrdom; they desperately wanted to attain them... and they were able to link this knowledge to the hugely important actions, and vital issues of their time. The utmost tawakkal or trust in Allah's help both Salahudin Ayoubi and Muhammed bin Qasim, are just two of the many examples of great leaders who took on the responsibility of leading their armies to rescue Muslims and non-Muslims from oppression and cruelty.

Salahuddin laid plans to unify the Muslims from the divisions caused by the Fatimid rulers before he descended upon Al Quds and rid it of the Christian European occupiers. Likewise, Muhammed bin Qasim prepared his army and even prototyped a huge catapult to besiege the city in which the Muslim women’s honour had been violated.

Today Palestine and Kashmir are occupied lands and the honour of the Muslims is again violated. The ongoing oppression affects every aspect of their being; education and employment is minimal, poverty is rife and people's lives are riddled with every kind of tension, grief and difficulty. The liberation of these lands is our responsibility... the Muslim nations have armies and an intelligentsia that has the knowledge and the expertise to strategise the reality and mobilise its strength, in defense and liberation of our brothers and sisters.. the Muslim land and even the most sacred of lands, al Quds.

Our forerunners have set the example, Allah swt has set His scale of actions... so we just need to take on this challenge with complete Tawakkal or trust in His (swt) help and promise.

O brave Muslim soldiers! who have already pledged to defend the honour of your lands and people... remember the high honour and unique rewards that await you as Allah swt never fails in His promise. Continue the noble legacy of your esteemed brother Saiful Azam. The warriors who came before us that epitomised true manhood as defined by Allah swt. The rewards of your efforts and intentions are yours for the taking, so run towards fulfilling this responsibility which is pure victory and success over your enemies, in this world and the next.

The Mujahideen have always sacrificed a little worldly privilege in return for everlasting rewards and blessings upon them and their families... because they have understood the meaning of jihad in the way of Allah correctly. The fight in support of the Deen of Islam, is in itself, to honour the lives of the Muslim’s and this fight enables the two-fold liberation that we must demand. This is the peak of the meaning and purpose of Jihad in the way of Allah.

The great and unique rewards have been detailed to support this pure meaning of struggle... It is the height of a physical and psychological struggle against himself for any believer ... and in no way the same as jihad bin nafs or Jihad of the self, as we are told these days... Jihad bin nafs, there is no fear of danger, no outside force that threatens life and limb. Our beloved Muhammed (saw) actually explained how jihad bin nafs is not the same as the pure and physical jihad. He (saw) was once asked how anyone could get the same rewards as those who went out with the caravan. He (saw) explained to the questioner that unless a person sat continually in private worship and fasted continually, for the duration of the expedition. HE COULD NOT!

So given that it is not possible to fast and worship for months or even years on end... it proves that jihad bin nafs is in no way the equal in its reality or its honour.. to the jihad of liberation from occupation and oppression.. and the Dawah to Islam.

Allah swt says

( مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ۬ صَدَقُواْ مَا عَـٰهَدُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡهِ‌ۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن قَضَىٰ نَحۡبَهُ ۥ وَمِنۡہُم مَّن يَنتَظِرُ‌ۖ وَمَا بَدَّلُواْ تَبۡدِيلاً۬)

“Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration” [Al- Ahzab: 23]

May Allah (swt) honour the Muslim Ummah with victory at the hands of the pure and pious Mujahideen, who fight for the honour of Islam and the Muslims, before any false ideology and fake bond of the taghout, meaning oppressive bonds.

May He (swt), count us amongst this righteous group and hasten the second, promised Khilafah Rashida. Aameen!

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