Defense of Muslim Lands
by Sheik Abdullah Azzam

Final Word

Finally we say, the case is not settled by long lists of quotations or the bringing forward of witnesses. Rather, the matter is referred to the heart. If Allah gives it light it will see the truth, in which everything is apparent. Otherwise, if the hearts are darkened they will not see.

"... Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind." (Surah al Hajj :Verse 46).

The vision of the heart is for evidences, and the signs of Allah are for cultivating Taqwa, obedience and enthusiasm for acts of worship.

"Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord, so whoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his own self; and whosoever blinds himself; will do so to his own harm, and I (Mohammed s.a. w.) am not a watcher over you." (Surah al Anam:Verse 104).

This vision opens forth in the heart the springs of perception. A perception not earned by studying. Verily, it is an understanding given by Allah to His servant for His Book and His religion according to the capacity of the heart's vision. This vision grows in the field of the heart, that he may discern truth from falsehood, the honest from the liar. The Exalted said: "Surely! Therein is indeed a sign for the believers." (Surah al Hijr:Verse 77).

Mujahid said: "In at Tirmidhi, Abi Said al Khudri (ra) reported that the Prophet (saw) said: "Fear the perception of the believer for he sees with the light of Allah the Almighty the Majestic." Then he read: "Surely! Therein is indeed a sign for the believers." (Surah al Hijr:Verse 77). Everyone who prefers the life of this world from among the scholars, he must lie concerning Allah in his Fatwa and rulings, in his lectures and his commands, because many of the Rules of Allah conflict with the desires of the people, especially those endowed with authority.

Those who serve their lusts, their desires will not be satisfied except by contradicting the truth or rejecting a great part of it. If the scholars and those who govern love, power and pursue their desires, they will not find fulfilment unless they oppose the truth. Especially when the doubtful coincides with their lusts, thus tempting his lower nature. What is right becomes hidden and the face of truth is covered.

If the truth is evident and without doubt, he chooses the controversial and excuses himself by saying that he will find an exit in repentance.About those, and those like them the Exalted said:

"Then, there has succeeded a posterity who have given up prayers (i. e. made their prayers to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times. etc.) and have followed lusts..." (Surah Maryam:Verse 59).

The Exalted also said about them:

"Then after them succeeded them an (evil) generation, which inherited the Book, but they chose (for themselves) the good of this low life (evil pleasures of this world) saying (as an excuse): (Everything) will be forgiven to us. And if (again) the offer of the like (evil pleasures of this world) came their way, they would (again) seize them (would commit those sins). Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them that they would not say about Allah anything but the truth? And they studied what is in it (the Book). And the home of the hereafter is better for those who are AI Muttaqun. Do not you then understand?" (Surah al A'araf:Verse 169).

To follow vain desires blinds the eye of the heart, until it can no longer differentiate between Sunnah and Bid'ah, or it inevitably reverses them, that it perceives the Bid'ah as Sunnah. This is the plague the scholars suffer when they prefer the life of this world and pursue lusts and follow after leaders. The following verses refer to them:

"And recite (0 Mohammed) to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) but he threw them away, so Satan followed him up, and he became of those who went astray. And had We willea: We would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of a dog: If you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave alone he (still) lolls his tongue out... " (Surah al A'araf:Verse 175-176).

Quotations will not suffice, because the perception of the truth relies on the enlightenment of the heart. When the heart has a strong attachment to the life of this world, and the bearer of this heart is immersed in sin, Ran (black covering) overcomes the heart. Because, every sin is a black stain on the heart. These black stains accumulate until the Ran is total and prevents the penetration of light to the heart.

When the heart is darkened, things no longer appear as they truly are, for truth is confused and its face no longer apparent. The heart is inverted and sees truth as falsehood and falsehood as truth.

There must be Taqwa that the capacity for discernment is developed, the heart cleansed, that it may accord things their proper order:

"O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allah, He will grant you Furqan a criterion (to judge between right and wrong of Makhraj, i. e. making a way for you to get out from every difficulty), and will expiate for you your sins, and forgive you, and Allah is the owner of the great bounty." (Surah al Anfal:Verse 29).

When they were in confusion over difficult questions they would say, "Ask the people of the battle fronts because they are nearest to Allah".

They asked Ahrnad Bin Hanbal: "Who do we ask after you?" He said, "Ask Aba Bakr al Waraq for he possesses Taqwa as it ought to be, and I hope he will be successful in answering."

In Bukhari and Muslim a hadith Marfu: "In the past among the nations before you there were inspired men and if there was one in my nation it would be Umar Bin Khattab." And Umar was true to this.

Muslim narrates in his sahih from Aisha (r.a), who said: "The Messenger of Allah (saw) would open his prayer when he stood at night with: Our Lord of Jibraeel and Mikaeel, Originator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your slaves in that which they are at difference. Guide me from that in which they differ to the truth by Your leave. You guide whom You will to the straight path. "

Finally we supplicate by the blessed verse:

"...O Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the best of those who givejudgement. " (Surah al A'araf:Verse 89).

We repeat the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (saw) as reported in sahih Muslim:

"O Allah guide us from that in which they differ to the truth by Your permission. You guide whom You will to the straight path. Our Lord forgive us and our brethren who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts any hatred towards those who have believed. Our Lord You are indeed full of Kindness, Most Merciful. O Allah make us live in contentment and die as Shaheed and gather us among the group of Mustafa (saw). Glory be to You O Allah and Praise, I bear witness that there is no God but You. I seek Your forgiveness and to You I repent."