Islamically Speaking Newsletter Vol. 5

14th Shawwal, 1430 A.H (2nd October 2009) C.E.

ISLAMICALLYSPEAKING...

Vol 05

1- al Muhit as Sahra (The Ocean of The Desert) 2- Islam Around the World: China 3-Sword of Allah, Khalid bin Walid (RA): Warrior of Warriors 4Understanding the Will and Desire of Allah (SWT) 5-The Grand Stage: The Role of Nuclear Weapons in

Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem AsSalamu Alaykum

It is our pleasure to present readers with Volume 5 of “Islamically Speaking”. Unfortunately, both Ramadan and Eid ul Fitr have come and gone, so we hope that Volume 5 will act as a pleasurable substitute for these two missing commodities. In this instalment, we have a number of new additions. Firstly, we have the opening of al Muhit as Sahra (“The Ocean of the Desert”), a biography of The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which will be completed in segments. Secondly, there is also the first article of “Islam Around the World”, another new series detailing the history and current state of Islam and Muslims across the globe, we will begin with China. Thirdly, we have introduced “The Grand Stage”, a political/current events segment, the first article of which will be dealing with the politics of nuclear weapons. In addition, we also have an important article in relation to The Divine Will of Allah (SWT), and just two of many stories from the life of Khalid bin Walid (RA). We hope you enjoy, bi’idnillah.

al Muhit as Sahra 1 (The Ocean of The Desert)

Of all stories of the world in ages past and present, in all lands from east to west, of all the tales from the different cultures, there is no story like the one of The Prophet (PBUH). This is the grand tale for all people, be they Arab or nonArab, Male or Female, Black or White, Old or Young. Everyone alive must hear this story, because it is the life of the greatest of all creation, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There are many lessons to take from His (PBUH) time on earth, and this is a humble attempt to present them, in conjunction with the events shaping the life of The Final Prophet.

Prelude: al Jahiliyyah "Before writing about the life of The Prophet (PBUH) himself, it is important to clarify the environment of the world in which He (PBUH) was born into. Thus, we will describe the historical context of this story… It was in the 6th Century C.E that the world was devoid of any true

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enlightenment, the world was plunged into Shirk, and the idea of Tawhid had all but faded from the world. From East to West, the idea of true Monotheism was a strange and alien concept. Europe was still in it’s dark ages, and the concept of justice was non-existent. The worship of Allah (SWT), The One True God was forsaken, and as the noose of ash Shaytan tightened over the world, the state of mankind seemed to decay further and further as false deities of wood and stone were created by the same people who worshipped them. The great empires of the age, The Persian Sassanids, and The Roman Byzantines warred in a chaotic bid for world domination, bearing their own standards of Kufr. And so it was, in the midst of all this that The Arabian Peninsula lay in the heart of the land, submerged in as much immorality and depravity as the rest of the world, if not more. The Arabs were a forgotten people, resented by both the Emperors of the Byzantines and Sassanids. The Arabs were regarded as so decadent, that they

were not worth conquering. The deserts of Arabia were ravaged by feudal wars between different tribes, and blood was shed over petty differences of lineage. Women were seen as mere possessions, and female infants were buried alive by their own Fathers due to their gender. The poor and weak were oppressed, and the marketplaces were grounds for cheating and robbery. All of this was due to the fact that the system of the Arabs came from a weak basis, which was one kufr. Their social, economic and political practices were all devoid of The Shari’ah of Allah (SWT), and so the state of their society reflected this, as it fell into oblivion. In fact, the entire chaotic situation was a direct result of the absence of Islam and it’s implementation. Europe and Byzantium were ideologically backwards civilizations, due to their adoption of Christianity as an ideological basis. Christianity was only a religion, which offered no holistic solutions for man’s problems, consequently,

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monarchic and clerical oppression was rampant, and the people were tyrannized under a solely religious establishment, and hence, there was no economic or political justice except for the aristocrats, clerics, and monarchs. The Persians had adopted Zoroastrianism as a religion, and so, fire worshipping was widespread, in terms of law, women were put to death for the crimes of their husbands, and the emperor was seen as a divine figure. All over the planet, men and idols were adored and revered, the greater and lesser empires were fighting each other, not to mention feuding inwardly, and all of this was because they had adopted a corrupt basis, which was one that emanated from the mind of man, with his erroneous thoughts and corrupt desires. Prophets and Messengers had been previously sent to all nations and all tribes, but the people either rejected the message of Tawhid, or later generations eventually corrupted it. As a result, the world had become as described above, and so the people had no knowledge of their monotheistic past, nor the next life that lay in wait for them. Truly, the world was engulfed in Jahiliyyah, or ignorance. The Arabs also, had once been upon The Deen of Ishmael (AS) and his Father, Ibrahim (AS), which was one of Tawhid. However, the staunch monotheism of these people eventually declined into Shirk upon the advent of one incident. ‘Amr bin Luhai, an ancient Chief of the Khuza’a Tribe had left Mecca generations previously, and had gone to Syria for trade, when there, he saw people worshipping idols of wood and stone, and so he copied them, and brought back one of the idols, Hubal, with him. He placed this fake god at the Ka’aba, and called people to worship it, the people blindly followed, and so began idolatry in Arabia, and Mecca, more specifically The Ka’aba, became home to 360 different “gods”. Not only a place of religion, Mecca was also the centre of trade and commerce, it attracted people and items from all over the world, thus becoming a source of envy for many, including Abraha al Ashram, who was the Abyssinian general ruling Yemen at that time. This man tried to rival Mecca by building a massive cathedral in Sanaa, hoping that he would attract pilgrims and merchants to his land. However, his cathedral was a failure, despite all the money, time, and effort spent, none came to visit Yemen, yet all continued to go to Mecca. In frustration, Abraha subsequently marched on Mecca with an army of 60,000 men and several elephants, intending to destroy The Ka’aba. As Abraha and his massive army approached, the people, out of fear and terror, scattered into the

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surrounding mountains and caves, only The Prophet’s (PBUH) grandfather, Abdul Muttalib dared to go and speak with Abraha. Abdul Muttalib asked the invader to return 200 of his camels that were stolen by the army, yet nothing was said in defence of The Ka’aba. When the general enquired as to why Abdul Muttalib why he did not ask for The Ka’aba’s safety, he responded saying: “I am the owner of my camels, and I ask you to return them. The House has it’s own owner, and He will defend it.” The Meccans, along with the most influential tribe, al Quraysh, of which Abdul Muttalib was a member, joined with him in praying to Allah (SWT) alone, casting aside their idolatry like a coarse, torn cloak. For a time, they had embraced true Tawhid, and prayed to Allah (SWT) directly. The following morning, the army prepared to enter Mecca, when, by the command of Allah (SWT), the lead elephant refused to obey Abraha’s order. The crushing blow came when a flock of birds with stones of baked clay in their beaks came in defence of Mecca and The Ka’aaba. They dropped the stones on Abraha and his army, the wounded soldiers died soon after when their cuts and gashes were infected with pus, Abraha himself fled in terror and despair, only to die of his wounds on his way back to Yemen. And so, al Quraysh, Mecca, and The Ka’aba were saved, Abraha al Ashram and his army however, were defeated and destroyed. This was one of the many miracles of Allah (SWT). Yet, with this miracle staring them in the face, al Quraysh turned back on their heels soon after the event, to idolatry. It was later, that Allah (SWT) reminded them of the event in The Holy Qur’an:

! ! ! ! ! Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant? Did He not cause their war to end in confusion, And send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks, Casting against them stones of baked clay, So He rendered them like straw eaten up?

(al Qur’an – Surah al Fil)

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At that time, the Arabs had a calendar, and so they could count the months and days, but they did not number the years as we do. Instead, they named the years in accordance with a great event that happened within that year. Consequently, this year was named “The Year of the Elephant”, it is the year we call 570 C.E. This year was full of the usual ignorant practices of ignorant people, but it also bore witness to this Miracle of Allah (SWT). It was also in this year, in a time of widespread ignorance, that Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH)

was born to his weakening mother Amina, his father, Abdullah, having already died. Only a small baby, he had already experienced loss in the form of an absent father, it was the beginning of a harsh, yet spectacular life, which would culminate in the revival of peoples and the transition of civilizations from Jahiliyyiah, to Islam, and the renewal of the practice of Tawhid. With the advent of the birth of The Prophet (PBUH), the light of dawn would emerge from the darkness of the night, and in the harsh Arabian desert, men of understanding would find an ocean in the form of The Final Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH).

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Islam Around the World: CHINA When one thinks of Islam and China, it is not uncommon to conjure up two completely different pictures in the mind. While China is known for Confucius, Buddhism, and Opera music, Islam on the other hand, has no links with such things. The Arabs and The Chinese were aware of each other well before the advent of Islam, but there was no real relationship between the two peoples, except for playful trade relations. It was only after the establishment of Islam by The Prophet (PBUH) and his companions as a state that relations with The Chinese would form and advance on a diplomatic level, this being a consequence of The Muslims having a state that could act as a body for the conducting of proper political relations with other civilizations. It was during the time Uthman ibn Affan’s (RA) Khilafah, in the year 30 A.H (651 C.E) when he sent a special envoy to The Chinese, this envoy was headed by Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (RA), a major and well known Sahabah, not to mention The Prophet’s (PBUH) maternal uncle. China was under The Tang Dynasty, and was headed by Emperor Gaozong. Sa’d spoke, giving The Da’wah to Islam. In the end, Gaozong did not revert to Islam, he felt it was too restrictive for his own liking. However, he respected the teachings of The Deen, and so, he allowed Sa’d and his envoy the practicing and preaching of Islam within China, furthermore, he allowed the building of the first Masjid in Guangzhou Province, it was said to have been built by Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas. This first place of prayer was named Huaisheng Masjid, and it was the first of many Muslim establishments throughout China. The Khilafah was able to establish good trade relations with The Chinese, and the first settlers in China from The Muslim World were Arab and Persian merchants. Islam began to attract followers and became known as “Dashi fa”, or “Law of The Arabs”. The Muslims married Chinese people, and their offspring grew up as Muslims, and they themselves became known as The “Hui” which is a term still in usage today in referral to The Muslims of China. Later, the Song Dynasty arose in China, and it was at this point, that Muslims had become the trading authority in China, dominating imports and exports, people were struck by the honesty of the Muslims in their business dealings, which they derived from an Islamic basis. It was this honesty which attracted more renverts. Eventually, The Mongols rose to power in the 13th Century and subsequently established The Yuan Dynasty. The Mongols had met The Muslims in battle elsewhere in the world, and had come to respect them as worthy opponents. Many Muslims became trade and government officials. At this period, Muslims were also known as authorities on calander making, astronomy, and architecture. Afterwards, in The Ming Dynasty, Muslims continued to be well respected in China. The founder of this particular dynasty was a man named Zhu Yuanzhang, six of his most trusted generals were Muslims, including Lan Yu, who defeated The Mongols, during a Ming campaign in Mongolia. It was also in this period, that Muslim scholarship flourished, in the southern city of Nanjing, there was an abundance of rich and refined Islamic scholarship. There were scholars such as Wang Daiyu, who wrote the treatise on Aqeedah: “Zhengjiao zhenquan” (A Commentary on the Orthodox Faith). Another scholar, Liu Zhi, translated books such as “Tianfang dianli” (a book of Fiqh, regarding Islamic Rituals) and “Tianfang zhisheng shilu” (The Last Prophet of Islam), a book of Seerah. Hu Dengzhou started an Islamic Academy in Najing, which became a centre of learning The Islamic Ilm. Qur’an, Hadith Science and Fiqh were all taught here. Muslim Geographers were pioneers in the field of map drawing, and their work was used to help create the Da Ming Hun Yi Tu, the oldest map of the world in existence.

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Up to this point, Muslim had enjoyed a generally amiable and flourishing history within the boundaries of China, the existence of The Islamic State also acted as a deterrent to The Chinese governments, as such, they would not mistreat their Muslim populace too harshly. Muslims had established themselves in the various fields of science and trade, and had become well respected within China. It is important to realise, that the various mentioned instances of The Muslims contributing to the arts and sciences within China are merely a few of many examples. All that has been mentioned above was only possible due to the existence of The Islamic State, which acted as the major tool that The Muslims of the age used to convey Islam to other peoples and places around the globe. The Muslims in China can only profess The Shahadah, due to the efforts undertaken by The Khilafah to spread Islam, and these efforts were undertaken due to their obligatory nature. The Khilafah acted as catalyst for all of the rich progression previously mentioned. With the rise of The Qing Dynasty in the 17th Century, the condition worsened for The Muslims in this part of the world. This new government was unique in that it was headed by a minority, The Manchu. In order to keep power in their own hands, they employed the use of the old “divide and conquer” strategy, whereby all of China’s different ethnic denominations, religious and ideological groups were turned against each other. Islam was portrayed as a foreign entity, though by this stage in time, it had been part and parcel of Chinese society for centuries. The Qing had an integrationist policy that attempted to force The Muslims to adopt Chinese Culture, even where it was at odds with Islam. The

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construction of new Masjids was forbidden, Muslims were not allowed to slaughter animals in accordance with The Shariah, and Muslims were banned from making Hajj. During this time, in the 1870’s some Chinese Muslims began working in New Zealeand as gold diggers, hence setting the foundations of Islam in that country. It was under The Qing Government, that Islam was suppressed, and Muslims became subject to ethnic and religious oppression, and later mass murder and genocide. The Muslims attempted two major struggles against The Qing, The Panthay Rebellion (1856 – 1873), and The Dungan Revolt (1862 – 1877). The Panthay Rebellion was a Muslim separatist event to establish their own state, which would have been run along the lines of Islam. Those behind The Dungan Revolt had similar motives of establishing an Islamic State on The Western Bank of the Yellow River in China. Both of these rebellions can be seen as facets of The Global Islamic Revivalism that was forming in the wake of the declining Osmani Khilafah (Ottoman Khilafah). These rebellions were both crushed, having a combined death toll of 2,550,000, the vast majority of these victims being Muslims. It is also known that officials of The Qing Government had previously advocated an Ethnic Cleansing policy towards The Central Asian and Hui Muslims. Historians and “Human Rights” Activists of The Western World, choose to remember the Tianmen Square Massacre, when The Chinese Government killed protestors by the thousands. Amnesty International estimated the deaths to number 1000, NATO put the death toll of that incident at 7000, the largest figures usually estimate about

10,000. However, none of these figures reach the millions killed only decades earlier, yet commentary by The West on this genocide of Muslims, is rare indeed, if there is any commentary at all. Later, The Qing Dynasty fell, and so, dynastic rule had ended in China. With the destruction of The Qing, China fell into political instability and a Civil War was fought between The Chinese Nationalists and Communists, who were lead by a man name Mao Zedong. The Communists won and established The Peoples Republic of China in 1949. Under the brutal oppression of The Communists, with their Totalitarian Atheism, Muslims were further oppressed, and Imams of The Masjids were stripped naked, with paint being splashed over them as they were paraded through the streets of Chinese cities. Masjids were vandalised, destroyed, and closed down. Copies of The Holy Qur’an, were also burned and damaged. Islam was continuously attacked as a superstitious belief, which was the result of their narrow, secular thinking and misunderstanding. More recently, Muslims in China had been allowed a greater degree of allowance to practice Islam, however, this simply means Islam in it’s “religious” form, and not it’s holistic ideological from. The Muslims of China are still denied their Islamic Khilafah. Muslims are still evicted from their homes in the more affluent, eastern parts of China, and are relegated to the western areas, which are deliberately neglected by The Chinese Government. Ningxia Autonomous Region, is where Hui Muslims predominantly live, and it is one of the poorest parts of China, having the third lowest GDP, and only contributing to 0.3% of China’s economy.

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School teachers and Imams are trained and appointed by The Government, and are forced to give out Government messages to The Muslims, among which, is: “to be proud of your country”. The Chinese Government is attempting to dilute the Islamic identity of the people, and replace it with a superficial ethnic label. This process continues to occur, despite Tribalism and Nationalism clearly being against Islamic doctrine: The Prophet (PBUH) said: "He is not one us who calls for `Asabiyyah, (nationalism/ tribalism) or who fights for `Asabiyyah or who dies for `Asabiyyah." ( Sunan Abu Dawood) The Chinese Government is feebly attempting to bind peoples upon a purely circumstantial factor, what ethnic background we are born into. Chinese Nationalism only has the ability to hold Chinese people together, not humanity, rather Nationalism of any sort, merely creates conflict, as demonstrated in this article. It is out of the desire of The Chinese Government, to preserve this superficial identity, that oppression of The Muslims is happening, and it is out of this same desire to seek “national interests”, that The Chinese Government seeks to siphon oil from The Muslim World, the advancement of one people will only be at the detriment of another under such dogma.

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When the subject of holistically uniting people together, this is where Islam comes in, for The Islamic Ummah constitutes Chinese, Arabs and all peoples form all places, it is a global Ummah which far transcends any petty national identity. As stated in the previous Volume numbers 3 and 4, there was a recent set of riots in Xinjiang Province, in Western China, where Muslims were beaten and more Mosques were closed. It started when two Muslims were killed by factory workers, for alleged sexual assault, although the authorities themselves said the rumours were false. Subsequent riots broke out. The Muslims could also not pray Jumu’ah Salaat, nor could they even fast during The Holy Month of Ramadan, if they were working. Consequently, many had to fast in secret, telling their stories to the media of other countries, but not revealing their names or faces out of fear. The History of Islam in China is but a piece of the rich and colourful history and heritage The Islamic Ummah as a whole has. However, the current condition of Muslims living in this land today is dire, and is an opposite of their impressive past. This example shows us that Muslims need an Islamic Government, representative of their true culture, values and history, a

government that will stand up for The Muslims, wherever they may be, in China or anywhere else in the world. The Muslims of China today need a strong Islamic State that will act as a political deterrent to any state wanting to harm any Muslim, if The Khilafah were to be established, it could undermine Chinese attempts to steal oil or other precious natural resources anywhere in The Muslim World. It would work to bring Sudan (which the Chinese use as an oil stealing playground), and the entire Muslim world under a just, representative government, and would work to cut of relations with China and refuse to supply them any natural resources or raw materials in the future, if they even harmed a single Muslim. And insha’Allah, China will also see the justice of Islam, and the equity it brings. But for now, The Muslims of China are oppressed, and without a defender, in that sense, they are a microcosm of The Muslim Ummah globally. They are under immoral tyrants, just as The Believers of the past were under tyrants such as abu Jahl, abu Lahab, and of course, al Firaun (Pharoah) in the time of Musa (AS). It is important to acknowledge however, that the believers always prevailed over their tyrants, and insha’Allah, this historical trend will continue.

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Sword Of Allah, Khalid bin Walid (RA):

Warrior of Warriors History has bore witness to countless battles, and from among those battles, figures arose, who would become famous, among them are Hannibal, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Tokugawa Ieyasu etc. These figures would shape the state of their lands the way they saw fit, and in some cases, the world would be subject to their influence, by the will of Allah (SWT), and they would struggle to shape reality according to the ideas that they carried, they lead their nations in great battles and wars in order to realise their visions and to change the world. Khalid bin Walid (RA), was such a figure, and by far, the most prominent of them. There is much to narrate, concerning his eventful life, so here are two examples of how Khalid bin Walid truly deserved his title, The Sword of Allah… In the year 8 A.H (629 C.E) When The Prophet (PBUH) was still alive, The Byzantine Romans arouse as natural enemies to The Islamic State. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sent emissaries to the northern tribes of Banu Sulaym and Dhat al Talh, who were under the protection of The Byzantines. These emissaries were killed. Considered as a grave insult and sin to kill emissaries, The Prophet (PBUH) mobilised 3000 men and sent them to do battle with The Romans. However, The Muslims were vastly outnumbered, as the opposing force held some 100,000 men. The two armies met near a small village named Mu’tah, and so they fought there for days. Narrated by Anas bin Mâlik (RA), who reported that The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Zaid took over the flag and was martyred. Then it was taken by Jâ'far who was martyred as well. Then Abdullâh bin Rawâha took the flag but he too was martyred, and at that time the eyes of Allâh's Messenger (PBUH) were full of tears. Then Khâlid bin Al Walid took the flag without being nominated as a chief (beforehand) and was blessed with victory.” (al Bukhari) The fighting was fierce as it raged on, Zaid ibn Haritha (RA) was the original commander, however, he was eventually martyred. Suffering the loss of their commander, the army, as previously instructed by The

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Prophet (PBUH), gave command to Jafar ibn Abi Talib (RA), who was also martyred later on, the army then gave command to Abdullah ibn Rawahah (RA), who was the third in command, he also was martyred, in this eventuality, The Prophet (PBUH) said to choose yet another new commander. Thabit ibn Arkan (RA) rallied the forces, but when asked to assume command, he requested Khalid bin Walid to become the leader instead, and so he did. Under the leadership of this man, the Muslims were able to survive the battle, and escape annihilation. The Muslims began to withdraw, engaging The Byzantines in small skirmishes as they left. The fighting was so intense, that it is reported by Khalid bin Walid himself, that he broke nine swords in the fighting. One night, he had the army equipped themselves with new banners, so The Romans would think that reinforcements had come from Medina, they fell for this tactic. Khalid also maintained the army in a valley, so that in this tight space, the opposing forces could not surround The Muslims and attack all at once. The use of strength and cunning forced The Romans to retreat, and so The Muslims could also withdraw safely. It was after this astounding battle, that Khalid bin Walid was given his title, The Sword of Allah. The Battle of Mu’tah was not to be the last time Khalid bin Walid would engage with The Byzantines, rather this battle was the first of many to come. Years later, after the passing of The Prophet (PBUH), during The Khilafah of Umar ibn al Khattab (RA), another special battle took place…

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In the year 15 A.H (636 C.E), The Battle of Yarmouk was fought between The Islamic Khilafah and The Byzantine Romans. The beleivers had only roughly 30,000 troops in the face of over roughly 150,000 enemy soldiers On the first day, a Roman man, named Jarja (George), who was a Christian and commander of an army unit, rode up to The Muslim army, and asked to speak with Khalid ibn Walid. Their conversation went something like this: Jarja: I want to ask you, in the name of God, and please do not lie to me, because a free man like you should not lie.

Jarja: I say: I bear witness that there is only One God worthy of worship. And I bear witness that Muhammad is The Messanger of God. Jarja became a Muslim, and he joined Khalid bin Walid and the believers against The Romans. Later that day, he was killed and died as a Martyr. This martyr was the product of but a few words from a great Muslim.

Khalid: I will tell you the truth.

The battle went on for six days, during that time, the fighting was fierce, and Khalid bin Walid fought as Jarja: I want to know, if it is true that your Prophet one of the al Mubarizun, who were a special unit of obtained a sword from God, and that He gave it you, elite warriors of The Muslims. It was during this battle, and so you do not lose a single battle? that Khalid witnessed the sacrifice and martyrdom of people such as Ikrimah ibn Hisham (RA), his good Khalid: No, that is not true, rather, God had sent us friend, among others. a Prophet who invited us to The Truth, and some of us believed, while others fought against Him. I am among On the fifth day, Vahan, the leader of The Roman those who fought Him. That was, until Allah held us by army tried his best to negotiate with The Muslims and our hearts and brought us into Islam, and so, I became tempt them away from Jihad. A Roman emissary was one of The Muslims. Our Prophet told me that I was a sent to The Muslim camp to try and form a truce, and sword among Allah’s swords, and that I had been acquire the permission for negotiations but the drawn against the disbelievers. And so it was, that I response of Khalid (RA) was: “We are in a hurry to was named The Sword of Allah, for I am the harshest finish this business!” And so the man was sent back. against the polytheists. On the sixth day, The Muslims were able to finish Jarja: What does your religion teach you? the battle and defeat The Romans. Heraclius fled from Syria via ship, and Syria was in the hands of The Khalid: That we invite you to Islam. Muslims. The well known Hanafi scholar Abu Yusuf, in his book Kitab al Kharaj, narrates how The Muslims Jarja: And if we do not? got on peaceful terms with the people of Syria, and when news came of a Roman counter attack, even Khalid: Then you pay The Jizya. The Dhimmis, seeing the justice of The Muslims prayed and said: “May God bring you back to us and Jarja: And if we do not pay that? grant you victory over them!” Suffice it to say, The Romans utterly failed in their counter attack, and so Khalid: Then we will fight against you. Syria was liberated and brought to Islamic Administration and rule under The Khilafah. This was Jarja: What happens to one of us, if we enter thanks, in no small part, to Khalid bin Walid, with the Islam? Help of Allah (SWT). Khalid: Then you become one of our brothers, and you become equal to us. Jarja: We become equal to you? Even though you accepted Islam before us? Khalid: You become better than we are. Jarja: How is that possible? Khalid: Because we had seen The Prophet’s miracles with our own eyes, it was apparent to us. Though, for you, it is different, you have not met or seen The Prophet, nor have you seen his miracles, yet if you still became Muslim after this, then you are better. Jarja: What does one have to do to become a Muslim?

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Khalid: You say: I bear witness that there is only One God worthy of worship. And I bear witness that Muhammad is The Messanger of God.

Today, there are those wannabe “gangstas” who say, “Bro you crying, what kind of man are you? Women cry.” Such foolishness. Men who were more macho then us cried in front of Allah (SWT). Men like the Sword of Allah, Khalid ibn Walid, who would pick up the Quran after Salat ul Fajr and he would recite the Quran until Salat ul Zuhr and he would cry throughout his recitation, to the point that his face would moisten. This is the same man who fought battles after battles, to the extent that his whole body was covered in scars. Was there any man who was more “macho” than Khalid? Surely not many. He fought over one hundred battles and he lost not a single one. He fought over one hundred duals and he did not lose any of them. Nevertheless, he would cry in front of Allah (SWT) because he understood that he could not fulfil the rights of Allah (SWT) without this worship, and he cried because he knew, that without Allah (SWT) even he, The Great General, was utterly helpless.

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Khalid bin Walid was instrumental in the triumph of The Islamic State, and he was the man he is known to be, because of Islam, and nothing else. Because of his victories, Islamic rule was established in Arabia, in ash Sham and in Persia, the question to ask is, where is there a great figure like Khalid (RA) today? Where is a great leader who, by The Will of Allah, can lead The Muslims in the times of oppression and occupation,

such as we experience today? As the land was liberated with Islam once before, it must be done once again, because Western Governments have installed their various puppet dictators all over The Muslim World. The lands named above were liberated by an Islamic Khilafah State, so bi’idhnillah, we can reestablish The Khilafah once again, and do what Khalid bin Walid (RA) did, insha’Allah.

Understanding 4 The Will and Desire of Allah (SWT)

Surely, when we think of Allah (SWT), we remember and reflect upon His being al-‘Aziz (The Almighty). When this divine attribute of Allah (SWT) comes to mind, we will acknowledge the fact that it is well within His power to do absolutely anything, even to make all of humanity practising and good Muslims. In the light of this, why is it that the desire of Allah (SWT) is not to make the entire of mankind worship Him as Muslims? Surely if the desire of Allah (SWT) was to make us all good, then we wouldn't do any bad? To understand this question, we must first consider the nature of Allah’s (SWT) divine Will and Desire. Indeed, the Will (irada) and Desire (mashi'a) are one and the same. The reality of these two terms, is that whatever Allah (SWT) decrees, is brought into being: “The originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: “Be!” –and it is.” TMQ [2:117]

responsible, but leaving us with the choice to act or not: “Verily, those who turn away from Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc. by attacking, distorting and denying them) are not hidden from Us. Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Ressurection? Do what you will. Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do.” TMQ [41:40] So what does this mean for us, in terms of us practicing our faith? We clearly have a choice in our actions and speech and so it should also be clear that Allah (SWT) has commanded that we obey him and his messengers. In this way, we are following the example set for us by the prophets of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) said to Prophet Musa (AS):

So what was it that stopped Pharoah and Abu Jahl from accepting Islam, even though Allah (SWT) had commanded it from them? The idea of these to two rejecting the decree of Allah seems to be in contradiction to the above verse that Allah (SWT) revealed to us about himself! It is at this point that we should look at the nature of Allah's (SWT) demands (talab). The first kind, is of that which the instructed has no choice. The universe came into being, dead things remain dead, the planet revolves around the sun. These things happen, and there is no option, alternative or choice in the matter. The second kind, is where Allah (SWT) issues a command (amr) and makes us legally

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“I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed. I am Allah: There is no god but I, so serve Me and keep up prayer to remember Me by. Verily the hour is coming, I have almost kept it hidden, so that each soul may be rewarded for what it accomplishes.” TMQ [20:13-15]

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The second kind, is where Allah (SWT) issues a command (amr) and makes us legally responsible, but leaving us with the choice to act or not: “Verily, those who turn away from Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc. by attacking, distorting and denying them) are not hidden from Us. Is he who is cast into the Fire better or he who comes secure on the Day of Ressurection? Do what you will. Verily, He is All-Seer of what you do.” TMQ [41:40]

actions and speech and so it should also be clear that Allah (SWT) has commanded that we obey him and his messengers. In this way, we are following the example set for us by the prophets of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) said to Prophet Musa (AS): “I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed. I am Allah: There is no god but I, so serve Me and keep up prayer to remember Me by. Verily the hour is coming, I have almost kept it hidden, so that each soul may be rewarded for what it accomplishes.” TMQ [20:13-15]

So what does this mean for us, in terms of us practicing our faith? We clearly have a choice in our

The Grand Stage: The Role of Nuclear Weapons in an

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Ideological Struggle... In August of 1945, The United States of America infamously made history by dropping two nuclear weapons on Japan, obliterating the cities of Hiroshima on August 6th, and Nagasaki on August 9th. Last month Japan marked the 64th anniversary of the incident by holding two Peace Ceremonies in remembrance of this spectacle. In Hiroshima, The Mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba expressed sentiments of hope in Barrack Obama, and said the following: “We have the power. We have the responsibility. And we are the Obamajority,…All of us here, from many parts of the world, using the so-called ‘Obamajority’, need to unite our power to make the abolishment of nuclear weapons a reality by 2020.” Taro Aso, who was then The Japanese Prime Minister, made a speech at The Nagasaki Peace Ceremony, in which he stated: “We must expend every possible effort to achieve international peace so that the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shall never be repeated.” It is sad to say, but nevertheless, both Mr. Tadatoshi and Mr. Aso have false hopes, especially when Barrack Obama is their champion of “peace”. The notion of the abolition of nuclear weapons by the year 2020, is a fanciful dream, that can never be realised via America, The U.N, and indeed, Barrack Obama as an individual. There has been a mass hysteria whipped up over this man, and most certainly it is one of fakery and deception, but more on the specific issue of Obama in the future, insha’Allah.

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America is the major vessel of Capitalism in the world today, it’s Government is fully aware that it is in a state of continuous ideological struggle, and that it needs as many tools and weapons as possible to maintain the health of Capitalist hegemony over the world. These tools and weapons are of political, economic, media and indeed, military related natures. This article features discussion on the military tools and weapons, more specifically, nuclear weaponry. During The Cold War, America and The Soviet Union engaged in a large scale nuclear arms race which led to both, The U.S and Russia possessing large quantities of bombs. America being the most prominent case with just under 10000, it has enough of these weapons to rid the planet of it’s entire populace. The idea that all of these weapons could be de-activated, especially by 2020 makes no sense politically. Obama, in his capacity as The President of The United States, knows for a fact that he is deceiving people around the world. I’m afraid to say, there is no “Obamajority”, The Mayor of Hiroshima, Taro Aso and the new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama know that. Even though they appease their people by espousing these delusions.

Japan itself is under nuclear threat from North Korea, who are unyielding in their own nuclear weapons programme, they need America to act as a nuclear deterrent to North Korea on their behalf. China and India have risen as “Asian Tigers”, and both of It is a well known fact that America is an ideological these countries, despite being economic powerhouses state entity, there is no secret regarding this statement (at least when not in recession with the rest of the just made. America champions Secular Liberal world), are also equipped with vast armed forces, and Capitalism, and it works to implement this ideology on a of course, nuclear capability. India itself is now supplied global scale, to project it to other nations and defend it nuclear technology from America. from the critique of challenging ideological opponents.

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The European Nations of Britain, France and Russia also have nuclear weapons in their possession, they too have their own security interests to secure, and Russia is an increasingly aggressive entity, which is why The Americans, who wish to achieve “nuclear disarmament” contemplated setting up missile bases in Eastern Europe as a security measure, warning Russia. Let us not forget that Obama is unable to get The Israelis to abandon their nuclear arsenal, with Israel itself stirring controversy about Iran’s supposed plan to create their own weapons. The American President is a fake and false hope indeed. Due to the fact that they are competing with other nations, The American Government is well aware of the need for nuclear weapons in this day and age. In the end, it seems as though America is particularly selective as to what nations it wishes to reduce nuclear weapons. Recently, US Congress voted and decided to lift bans on supplying nuclear fuel and technology to America. This initiative can be seen as a move to use India as a threat towards Pakistan, which is feared by both America and India, due to it’s grand potential to become an Islamic State, more on this in a coming volume, insha’Allah. American military firms will also be able to gain some billions of dollars from this transaction with India. Evidently, the aim of America is simply to limit the nuclear capability of some nations, and make other nations dependant on them for any nuclear technology through their military-industrial complex. Through this talk of “abolishing” nuclear weapons, we should be able to clearly see the foolishness of such naïve rhetoric. America does not seek to get rid of it’s nuclear armaments, but rather to limit them, while still being able to have the most, and as such still being the most dominant. The unfortunate truth is this, due to the animalistic, dominance driven policy of all the superpowers, having nuclear weapons is a card that every major player on the grand stage must be able to play. The question is: how do we play this card? The answer: with great care and responsibility, and respect for life. As Muslims, we must refer all things back to an Islamic basis, so we may attain the correct conclusion. Looking at things from an Islamic perspective, we know that all Muslims are responsible in front of Allah (SWT), and for the sake of deterring any potentially hostile states from initiating a conflict, nuclear weapons are permissible to possess. Allah (SWT) said in His book: "Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to frighten the enemies of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom you may not know, but whom

Allah does know. Whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly. But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah: for He is the One that hears and knows (all things). Should they intend to deceive you, verily Allah is sufficient for you: He it is Who strengthened you with His help and with the Believers. He put affection between their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have produced that affection, but Allah has done it: for He is Exalted in might, Wise. O Prophet! Sufficient unto you is Allah, and unto those who follow you among the Believers." (al Qur’an, Surah al Anfal, Ayat 60 – 64) We have been commanded by Allah (SWT) to make sure we have the maximum in term of strength and military capability. However, if the enemy is posed towards peace, military weapons should not be used (especially nuclear ones). An Islamic Government is to be held accountable to the people, and most importantly, to Allah (SWT) with all it conducts. Islam teaches us to respect the world in which we live, and Allah (SWT) has condemned those who defile his creation: "And among the people there is the type of person whose speech about this world's life may please you, and he calls Allah to witness about what is in his heart; yet he is the most contentious of enemies. When he turns his back, his aim everywhere is to spread mischief through the earth and destroy crops and cattle. But Allah loves not mischief.” (al Qur’an, Surah al Baqarah, Ayat 204 – 205) In the end, nuclear weapons do not discriminate between military targets in a just war, and everyday civilians, plants, animals etc. The radiation from such weapons are also able to leave a lasting effect of disease and deformity for generations to come. So, obtaining nuclear weaponry can be permissible, but firing them, is another matter entirely. The best scenario would have been that such weapons never existed, but due to the drive of some Governments to compete and gain dominance over the land simply to exploit it, and the people living on it for the sake of benefit, such weapons have become a prominent factor in contemporary politics, and something of a necessity. Words like “justice” and “peace” are mere slogans without a proper definition. For us, an Islamic civilization represents a just and stable environment, and we seek to spread Islam for that very purpose, a better world. Not for military muscle, nor for any kind of worldly, superficial benefit. It is for that reason, that nuclear weapons are merely a means to stop others from harming The Muslim Ummah via the deterring of those who would seek to harm them.

Farewell Message: Jazakallah, yet again, for reading Islamically Speaking, we sincerely hope you enjoyed Volume 5, and we implore you to tell your friends and family, and to anticipate Volume 6. If you can, try to fast at least six days in The Month of Shawwal. If you have any queries, or if you wish to chat, please e-mail: [email protected]. Until next time dear Brothers and Sisters!

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As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullah