The Art of War

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

WITH ALLAH’S NAME, THE MERCIFUL BENEFACTOR, THE MERCIFUL REDEEMER

The Art of War

Khatīb: Jibrīl Abdul-Hafīz (جبريل عبدالحفيظ)

E-mail: NewAfrica2@aol.com or new_africa_now@yahoo.com

Friday, December 26, 2008 / Khutba-tul-Jumu’ah, Dhul-Hijjah 28, 1429

As Salaam ‘Alaykum: We thank Allah, we seek His help, we ask for His forgiveness, we believe and put our complete trust in Him, Mighty and Sublime is He. We witness that there is no G’d but Allah, He alone is without partners, and we witness that Muhammed is His Servant and Messenger, the prayers and peace be on him, on his descendants, his companions, and peace be on Allah’s Messengers (all of them), and what follows after this noble invocation.

In an effort to combat or eradicate the harm caused by those who intend to commit violence and suffering on people, terrorizing people, there are times when we are must pick up arms and engage in a life and death struggle as a prescriptive remedy in defense of right.
What Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) said in the Qur’ān, Surah 8:12, about beheading compelled me to take a critical look at this referendum on crime and punishment in warfare in light of the paranoid propaganda that is used to incite an emotional response aimed at keeping the masses in a state of post traumatic paranoia after the tragedy of 9/11/2001;

إِذْ يُوحِى رَبُّكَ إِلَى الْمَلَـئِكَةِ أَنِّي مَعَكُمْ فَثَبِّتُواْ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ سَأُلْقِى فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا الرُّعْبَ فَاضْرِبُواْ فَوْقَ الأَعْنَـقِ وَاضْرِبُواْ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَان

Also, Surah 47:4

فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ فَضَرْبَ الرِّقَابِ حَتَّى إِذَآ أَثْخَنتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّواْ الْوَثَاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَإِمَّا فِدَآءً حَتَّى تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا ذَلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ﷲُ لاَنْتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَ بَعْضَكُمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَالَّذِينَ قُتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ﷲِ فَلَن يُضِلَّ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ

Yes, the early preachers of obedience to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) in Al-Islam was called upon to take up arms and meet the perpetrators of terrorism head on to counteract the attacks that was initiated against them and drive home the point that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) alone prescribes the art of warfare as a means to retaliate against the enemy combatants.

There is a sadistic cycle of killing, raping, robbing and all manner of uncivilized behavior that have engulfed many people on the surface of this earth. The chilling effect of all of this carnage and mayhem is transforming people into savages dressed in civilized clothing. Education levels for many of our in-school and out of school population is at an all time low. There is an ongoing undeclared urban warfare that is tearing families apart. As we learn about all of these horrific incidents, we raise the question: What is our position, giving that we are not immune to this epidemic of insanity?

The prison population has exploded in America to the current count of 2.3 million people that are housed in the nation’s jails, according to researcher’s findings 5 million people are on probation or parole. 12% of African American youth are in prisons. Of the 700,000 men and women released from incarceration, two-thirds will be rearrested and it is projected that 73% of African Americans will be rearrested with three years.

In the face of all of this insanity, the Muslim Community does little to help formerly incarcerated Muslims transition to community life. In fact, our weak response to keep Muslims from breaking laws is part of the problem because of our lack of concern for community development. We rejoice in our store front Islamic Centers, and Masaajid here and there with no real community superstructures to care for our daily needs.

An example from the narratives of the traditions commenting on the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammed’s (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) in response to a hypocrite’s accusation that Prophet wasn’t following Allah’s mandate regarding the distribution of charity. The Prophet (ﺼﻠﻰ ﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻮ ﺴﻠﻢ) replied, «وَيْلَكَ فَمَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَعْدِلُ عَلَيْكَ بَعْدِي؟» | “Woe to you! Then who will be fair to you after me?

Furthermore, he said,

احْذَرُوا هَذَا وَأَشْبَاهَهُ فَإِنَّ فِي أُمَّتِي أَشْبَاهُ هَذَا يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرآنَ لَا يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيهِمْ فَإِذَا خَرَجُوا فَاْقْتُلُوهُمْ، ثُمَّ إِذَا خَرَجُوا فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ، ثُمَّ إِذَا خَرَجُوا فَاقْتُلُوهُم

“Beware of this man and his likes! There are similar persons in my community who recite the Qur’ān, but the Qur’ān will not go beyond their throats. When they attack, kill them! Then again, when they attack, kill them! Then again, when they attack, kill them! It is this type of disease that infects Muslims who are too sick to live in obedience to Allah. Muslims are obligated to contribute to charity as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) says in the Qur’ān, 9:60,

إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَـتُ لِلْفُقَرَآءِ وَالْمَسَـكِينِ وَالْعَـمِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِى الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَـرِمِينَ وَفِى سَبِيلِ ﷲِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ ﷲِ وَﷲُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

This my position in regard to caring for weak, vulnerable and oppressed people, I introduce New Africa Relief and Development Donors Conference: New Afirca Giving Circles helping poor people in America, a charitable ministry focusing on developing an alternative model reaching out to community reentry practitioners to do what is needed servicing those whom Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) obligate us to care for.

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُم