Seeking Martyrdom by Attacking US Military Bases in the Gulf...
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Nam e of
Q ue stione r
Aym an
Fatwas)
Islamic Terms Revisited
Title
Se e k ing Martyrdom by Atta ck ing US Military Ba se s in
the Gulf
Q ue stion
W ha t is the Islam ic ruling on a ttack ing Am e rica n
m ilitary ba se s in the Ara b a nd Muslim countrie s in
spite of the opposition of the ruling re gim e s of those
countrie s? Are those who die while attack ing the
Am e rican m ilitary base s m artyrs?
Date
24/Mar/2003
Nam e of
C ounse llor
Group of Muftis
Topic
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- Saudi Ara bia
Answer
In the Name of A llah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
A ll praise and thanks are due to A llah, and peace and blessings be upon His
Messenger.
Quakes:
Shari`ah Q & A
(Folder)
Islamic Terms
Revisited
(Folder)
Al-Quds:
The Olive
City
(Folder)
De ar que stione r, thank s ve ry m uch for se nding this que stion and we
e arne stly im plore Allah to guide us to the be st.
Be fore answe ring your que stion, we want to highlight the following m a in
points:
Yo ur M ufti
Yo ur
Co ntrib utio n
1-The pre se nce of m any Am e rica n troo ps in the re gion is som e thing that is
cate gorically re je cte d by the pe ople , who conside r the Am e rica n pre se nce as
an aggre ssion aga inst the land and its pe ople .
2-The m ain aim be hind the Am e rican a ggre ssion is to ta k e hold of the
nation’s re source s, e spe cially the oil.
3-It is obligatory upo n the Ara b countrie s to de fe nd the m se lve s aga inst
Am e rican im pe rialism .
4- If the re was an acce pta ble cause to se e k he lp from the Am e rica n force s
in the past, now this cause vanishe s and he nce the ir pre se nce is no m ore
than an invasion that m ust be face d tooth a nd na il.
5-Any Muslim k ille d while re sisting aggre ssion will be in the highe st de gre e
of m artyrdom .
6-The attack s against the occupying fo rce s should be dire cte d against the
aggre ssive soldie rs. Tourists, work e rs, am ba ssadors and the lik e a re not
the targe t, and he nce it is not allowe d to atta ck the m a s the y have the
ple dge of se curity.
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First: The Grand She ik h of Al-Azha r Sheikh Muhammad Sayed Tantawi told
Ar-ra’ Al`am Ne wspape r ba se d in Kuwait on Sunday 29 Se pte m be r 2002 the
following:
"It is obligatory upon Muslim s to support the Iraqi pe ople a gainst a ny
aggre ssion, as facing the aggre ssion a gainst a ny Muslim country is a
re ligious obligation and a Jiha d a t the sa m e tim e . It is not pe rm issible to
he lp those aggre ssive troops in the ir sche m e s and actions.
I am totally against any actions tha t a re capa ble of causing a ny harm to the
Iraqi pe ople , who are part a nd pa rce l of the Ara b a nd Muslim Um m ah. I
e arne stly im plore Allah to he lp the Ira qi pe ople a nd to grant the m victory
ove r the ir e ne m ie s.
W e are totally in support of the Iraqi pe ople , a nd we are aga inst any
aggre ssion launche d against Iraq. W e totally re je ct injustice , aggre ssion
against any Arab o r Muslim country."
Second: Dr. Ibrahim Zayd A l-Kilani, form e r Jordanian m iniste r of Al-Awqaf
(Public Endowm e nts), sta te s:
"It is we ll k nown that whe n the e ne m y invade s the la nd of Islam , Jihad
be com e fard `ayn (an individual duty). R e fe rring to this, Alla h Alm ighty
says: “A nd slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the
places whence they drove you out … ” (Al-Ba qara h: 191)
In addition, Allah Alm ighty com m a nds us to bre ach the conditions of the
pe ace ful tre atie s signe d with non-Muslim s whe n we fe a r that the y will bre a ch
the m from the ir side . R e fe rring to this, Allah Alm ighty says, “Lo! The worst
of beasts in A llah's sight are the ungrateful who will not believe. Those of
them with whom thou madest a treaty, and, then at every opportunity
they break their treaty, and they keep not duty (to A llah). If thou comest
on them in the war, deal with them so as to strike fear in those who are
behind them, that haply they may remember. A nd if thou fearest
treachery from any folk, then throw back to them (their treaty) fairly. Lo!
A llah loveth not the treacherous.” (Al-Anfal: 55-58)
Thus, attack ing Am e rican soldie rs who ca m e to launch wa r against Muslim s
is an obligation and Jihad, as the y are true invade rs.
He nce , k illing any transgre ssing Am e rican soldie r is an obliga tion and a
k ind of Jihad since those occupying troops cam e to inva de Muslim lands."
Third: The prom ine nt Ira qi re ligious scholar ba se d in the city o f An-Na ja f
Al-Ashraf, Sheikh `A li Husayn A s-Sistiyani, adds:
"Supporting the e ne m y of Muslim s with any form of support is one of the
m ajor sins that e ntails hum ilia tion in this world and se ve re punishm e nt in
the He re afte r. All Muslim s should k no w tha t if, Alla h forbid, the e ne m ie s’
aim s in Iraq are a chie ve d, the y will le a d to a tota l disa ste r that will
e ndange r the e ntire Muslim world.
In this critical stage that Muslim s are pa ssing through, Muslim s have to
unify the ir stance and try the ir be st to de fe nd the ir Ira qi brothe rs a nd
siste rs against the gre e dy e ne m ie s a nd the ir plots a nd sche m e s."
Fourth: Dr Yunus A l-A stal, Assista nt Profe ss or of Isla m ic Shari`a h in
Pale stine , state s:
"Those who launch fie rce fighting aga inst the Am e rican e x iste nce in the Gulf
are the be st fighte rs in the se days. The y a re the one s who are truly stick ing
to the te achings o f Islam , and the ir m a rtyrdom is classe d in the highe st
de gre e of m artyrdom , as the y com bat the curre nt crim inal a nd a ggre ssive
war on the Muslim world."
Fifth: Dr. A hmad A r-Raysuni, Profe ssor of Sha ri`ah in Morocco, a dds:
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"The Am e rican pre se nce in the Gulf re gion is conside re d a n ille gitim ate
pre se nce , as it is not acce pta ble from the Shari`a h point of vie w and
be cause the m asse s of the Ara b re gion ca te gorically re je ct such pre se nce .
If the pre te x t of the Am e rican pre se nce wa s to libe ra te Kuwait a nd prote ct
the Kuwaiti re gim e against a n Iraqi inva sion, the n such pre te x t is no longe r
in e ffe ct.
Gre at num be rs of Am e rican and British soldie rs invade d the Gulf re gion to
launch attack s aga inst Iraq, occupy its lands, violate its sa nctity, a nd
swallow up its we a lth.
Thus, the aim of the aggre ssive Am e rican-le d wa r on Iraq is crysta l cle ar.
Base d on the above , I conclude tha t re sisting such Am e rican invasion is a
le gitim ate act, and the one who is k ille d while fa cing such invasion is a
m artyr.
Having state d the above , I a dd that com ba ting such inva sion will not le a d to
chaos or se dition, as the re a l se ditio n is to turn one ’s back to the Am e rica n
and British invasio n, succum b to the ir de m a nds, and to show total sile nce to
what the y are com m itting.
For sure , fighting the aggre ssive troo ps should not le a d to cla sh am ong
Muslim s whe the r such cla sh is a m ong Isla m ic groups the m se lve s or a m ong
Islam ic groups and the ruling re gim e s. R e al com ba t a nd fighting should be
dire cte d against the invade rs."
Sixth: Sheikh Faysal Mawlawi, De puty C hairm an of the Europe an C ouncil for
Fatwa and R e se arch, state s:
"In the curre nt crisis, our Um m ah is facing a fe rocious battle against the
Am e rican aggre ssion, and we ne e d unde r the se circum stance s to unify
e fforts in fe nding off this aggre ssion a nd inva sion. W hat is im portant
nowadays is to e stablish a historic re conciliation be twe e n the Muslim
pe ople s and the ruling re gim e s, irre spe ctive of all the justifications of clash
with the se re gim e s.
Although we cle arly de m a nd a ll Muslim rule rs to re fuse the e x iste nce of the
fore ign m ilitary ba se s on the ir lands and to ta k e action to e x pe l the m as
soon as possible a s a com m itm e nt to the we ll k nown Shar`i ruling tha t
prohibits the e x iste nce of fore ign tro ops on our Arab and Muslim la nd, I do
not e ncourage atta ck ing the se m ilitary base s if the se a ttack s will le ad to the
bre ak out of inte rnal struggle be twe e n the rule rs a nd the ir pe ople s be ca use
this struggle m ay se rve the inte re sts of the a ggre ssive a nd inva ding troo ps
m ore than the e x iste nce of the ir m ilitary base s on our Arab and Muslim
lands.
But if attack ing the se base s will not le ad to inte rnal strife , the n the basic
Islam ic ruling is that the y are a ggre ssive troops a nd launching Jihad against
the m is fard `ayn (an individua l obligation) upon e ve ry Muslim who is a ble
to do so. It is worth stre ssing tha t in individual obliga tion, a Muslim doe s
not ne e d to se e k the pe rm ission of the im am or the Muslim rule r."
Seventh: Dr. `A rafat A l-Minyawi, Profe ssor of Islam ic Shari`a h in
Pale stine , adds:
"Be fore clarifying the Islam ic ruling conce rning the pre se nce of Am e rican
troops in the Gulf re gion, le t us ask ourse lve s the follo wing que stion: why
did those troops com e to such countrie s? The answe r is that those troops
cam e to usurp the le gal rights of the pe ople s of those countrie s and to
swallow the ir prope rtie s, one country afte r the othe r. That is why the y a re
conside re d aggre ssors. Allah Alm ighty orde re d us to pro te ct our prope rty
and honor, as we ll as our Um m ah in ge ne ra l. R e fe rring to this, Allah
Alm ighty says, “… A nd one who attacketh you, attack him like manner as
he attacked you… .” (Al-Baqa rah: 149)
He nce , it is obliga tory upon e ve ry Muslim to halt the ir a tte m pts to launch
war against Muslim s, as the y prim arily cam e to la unch the ir aggre ssive wa r.
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Having clarifie d the above , I add that if those people came to the Gulf
countries as guests, tourists or ambassadors (i.e. they did not come to
launch war), then it is not permissible to attack them or launch war against
them.
Actually, the pre se nce of the Am e rica n troops in the Gulf is not for pe ace ful
aim s, but rathe r to launch the war. Those troops care fo r nothing but the ir
inte re sts, and those who fight the m a re MA RTYRS who die in Alla h’s C ause .
R e fe rring to this, Allah Alm ighty says: “Lo! A llah hath bought from the
believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs.
They shall fight in the way of A llah and shall slay and be slain. It is a
promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’an.
Who fulfilleth His covenant better than A llah? Rejoice then in your bargain
that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.” (At-Ta wba h: 111)"
Eighth: Dr. Salim Salamah Profe ssor of Sha ri`a h in Pa le stine , a dds:
"I cannot he sitate to say tha t the Jihad aga inst the aggre ssive Am e rican
troops is fard `ayn (an individual duty). Those troops with a ll the ir war
plane s, tank s and rock e ts are no m o re tha n im pe ria ist troops whose a im is
to occupy our lands, and he nce Jiha d a gainst the m is a n individual duty.
It is cate gorically unacce ptable from the Arab gove rnm e nts to bring the ir
e ne m ie s to occupy the ir lands, e nsla ve the ir pe ople s, liquida te the ir
re source s. No doubt that the oil of the Gulf re gion is the m ain a im of those
troops.
Having said this, I conclude tha t those who launch attacks against such
troops and die as a result are martyrs. Not only tha t, but the one who die s
in this case will re ce ive a double reward of a martyr. It is re porte d tha t the
Prophe t (pe ace and ble ssings be upo n him ) told the wo m a n whose son wa s
k ille d in Allah’s C a use saying: “Your son will have a double reward of a
martyr.” The wom an said, “W hy?” The Prophe t re plie d, “Because your son
was killed by the People of the Book.” (R e porte d by Abu Dawud)"
Finally, the prom ine nt Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf A l-Qaradawi,
conclude s:
"The Am e rican pre se nce in the re gion is not a t all acce pte d from a ll the
Arab pe ople s, and for sure cla she s will occur, a nd the o ne who die s while
attack ing the Am e rican base s is a true martyr if he die s while ha ving the
inte ntion to do tha t for Alla h’s C a use , as actions a re judge d by the
inte ntions be hind the m .
The Am e rican aggre ssion on the who le re gion wants to im pose the total
Am e rican he ge m o ny on us, a nd such a proce dure canno t be acce pte d a t a ll.
The one who launche s atta ck s a gainst the Am e rica n pre se nce is re ally
carrying the spirit of true de fe nde rs. W he n one die s while carrying out such
attack s, the n he is a m artyr, in sha’ Allah if his inte ntion wa s to do the a ct
for Allah’s C ause , e ve n though som e pe ople conside r him com m itting a
wrong."
You can also re ad:
How C an Muslim s in US & Its Allie s Support the Iraqi Pe ople
R e taliation against US and Allie d C ivilians
Back ing Fe llow Muslim s in Iraq
If you have any furthe r que stions, ple a se don't he sitate to write ba ck !
May Allah guide yo u to the stra ight path, a nd guide you to that which
ple ase s Him , Am e n.
A llah A lmighty knows best.
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