Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā an-Najmī (d. 1429 AH/2008 CE) ؒ said:
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his family, and his Companions. To proceed:
Indeed, Allah sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, to make it prevail over all religions, even though the mushrikūn detest it. The biography (sīrah) of the Messenger is the practical explanation of the legislation of Allah , which He revealed to him and commanded him to follow, as in His statement:
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُوا عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ۚ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“Then We put you on a clear path in the matter of the religion, so follow it, and do not follow the desires of those who do not know. They can never help you against Allah in any way. Surely the wrongdoers are allies of one another, but Allah is the Protector of the righteous.” [Q 45:18–19]
The Prophetic Prohibition of Treachery
The Prophet prohibited treachery and betrayal, and enjoined truthfulness, chastity, and the upholding of trusts. Whenever the Messenger of Allah appointed anyone as the commander of an army or a detachment, he would specifically advise him to fear Allah and to treat the Muslims who were with him well. (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1731a.)
The Messenger of Allah prohibited deceit and treachery, which the terrorist employs. He prohibited the killing of women, children, and the elderly who are unable to fight and do not fight during war; he prohibited killing such people, and he prohibited spreading corruption. [1]
Allah mentioned in His noble Book:
وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Do not spread corruption on the earth after it has been set right, and call upon Him with fear and hope. Surely Allah’s mercy is near to those who do good.” [Q 7:56]
Allah has informed us that He does not like the mischief-makers, nor does He guide the plots of the treacherous.
As for what is carried out today by these terrorists, who strap explosive belts around themselves or drive vehicles packed with explosives, and then find a group of people and detonate themselves among them, this act is founded upon treachery. Islam is free from it by a great distance, and does not condone it at all!
The Khawārij and the Takfīrīs
Indeed, the suicide bombings carried out in Great Britain and in various other lands are nothing but the plots and actions of the takfīrīs and the Khawārij, whom the Messenger of Allah condemned in his statement:
يَأْتِي فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ قَوْمٌ حُدَثَاءُ الْأَسْنَانِ، سُفَهَاءُ الْأَحْلَامِ، يَقُولُونَ مِنْ خَيْرِ قَوْلِ الْبَرِيَّةِ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، لَا يُجَاوِزُ إِيمَانُهُمْ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، فَأَيْنَمَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ، فَإِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ لِمَنْ قَتَلَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
“There will come during the last days people young in age and foolish in understanding, who would speak the best of words. They will pass through Islam as the arrow passes through its game. Their faith will not pass their throats. Therefore, whoever finds them should kill them, for indeed, whoever kills them will find a reward for it on the Day of Judgement.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 5057.)
Similarly, it has been authentically reported that he said about them:
شَرُّ قَتْلَى تَحْتَ أَدِيمِ السَّمَاءِ
“They are the evilest of those killed under the sky.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 176, excerpt.)
And:
خَيْرُ قَتْلَى مَنْ قَتَلُوهُ
“The best person killed is the one who is killed by them.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 176, excerpt.)
And he said:
طُوبَى لِمَنْ قَتَلَهُمْ وَقَتَلُوهُ
“Ṭūbā (a tree in Paradise) is for the one who kills them and is killed by them.” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, no. 4765, excerpt.)
And he said:
أَيْنَمَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ، فَإِنَّ فِي قَتْلِهِمْ أَجْرًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ
“Wherever you find them, kill them, for there is a reward with Allah in killing them.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 5057, excerpt.)
Likewise, he said about them:
كِلَابُ النَّارِ
“They are the dogs of the Hell-fire.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, no. 173, excerpt.)
And:
لَئِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ لَأَقْتُلَنَّهُمْ قَتْلَ عَادٍ
“If I were to encounter them, I would kill them as ʿĀd were killed.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 3344; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, no. 1064a, excerpts.)
And in another narration, he said:
قَتْلَ ثَمُودَ
“As Thamūd were killed.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, no. 4351, excerpt; the narrator expresses uncertainty about this clause.)
Likewise, he mentioned about them:
يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، ثُمَّ لَا يَعُودُونَ فِيهِ حَتَّى يَعُودَ السَّهْمُ إِلَى فُوقِهِ
“They will pass through the religion just as the arrow passes through its game, and they will not return to it until the arrow returns to its notch.” (Sunan Abī Dāwūd, no. 4765, parallel wording.)
The meaning of “pass through” is to go right through and exit from the other side. The Khawārij leave the religion, meaning that they depart from it and nothing of the religion remains attached to them. For this reason, it is well known that Islam is free from this reckless and senseless behaviour; indeed, Islam condemns those who do it and disapproves of such actions.
Who Is Truly Responsible
There are those who accuse the Salafīs, who follow the Qurʾān and the Sunnah and traverse the methodology of the Companions, of the bombings in Britain (London, 7 July 2005) and in other places, including the killing of themselves, the destruction of wealth, the spilling of blood, the terrorising of the public, and rebellion against the government. Those who blame the Salafīs for these acts are, in reality, the ones who commit such wickedness. They wish to place the blame on others than themselves; and those responsible are the people of al-Qāʿidah, who follow Usāmah ibn Lādin (d. 1432 AH/2011 CE), al-Masʿarī, Saʿd al-Faqīh, and others besides them. This is because they are raised upon the books of deviant ideologies, such as the books of Sayyid Quṭb (d. 1386 AH/1966 CE) and those who are with him upon this mistaken methodology. They are those who declare Muslims to be disbelievers without due right, but rather on the basis of sins which no one is safe from committing.
The Boundaries of Takfīr
In reality, it is not permissible for anyone to make takfīr [2] except upon those whom Allah and His Messenger have deemed disbelievers, such as the polytheist who commits major polytheism.
Allah said:
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“It has indeed been revealed to you, and to those before you: if you associate partners with Allah, your deeds will surely be wasted, and you will surely be among the losers.” [Q 39:65]
He, the Most High, said:
وَمَن يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ
“Whoever calls on another god besides Allah, with no proof for it, his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely the disbelievers will not succeed.” [Q 23:117]
He also said:
فَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُعَذَّبِينَ
“So do not call on another god along with Allah, or you will be among those who are punished.” [Q 26:213]
Allah relates that ʿĪsā ibn Maryam ؑ said:
يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ
“O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Whoever sets up partners with Allah, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his home. The wrongdoers will have no helpers.” [Q 5:72] (excerpt)
This is the truth from which it is not permissible for anyone to deviate. Whoever claims otherwise is from the people of takfīr, such as those who declare the monotheists, the worshippers, and those who fast to be disbelievers; he is a falsifier and a caller to falsehood. This is the truth in which it is not permissible to have any doubt, nor to turn away from it. With Allah lies all success.
Editorial Notes
[1] Translator’s note: This stands in contrast to what befell the women, children, and elderly in Mainz (Mayence) at the hands of the band of crusaders led by Emico. Jacob Rader Marcus and Marc Saperstein describe the deeds of the Christian crusaders against the Jews in the course of their “holy victory”, in which the account says:
“As soon as the enemy came into the courtyard they found some of the very pious there with our brilliant master, Isaac ben Moses. He stretched out his neck, and his head they cut off first. The others, wrapped by their fringed praying shawls, sat by themselves in the courtyard, eager to do the will of their Creator. They did not care to flee into the chamber to save themselves for this temporal life, but out of love they received upon themselves the sentence of God. The enemy showered stones and arrows upon them, but they did not care to flee.” (Jacob Rader Marcus and Marc Saperstein, The Jew in the Medieval World)
[2] Translator’s note: Takfīr means to establish the judgement of disbelief upon a Muslim.
References
The Qurʾān, Q 45:18–19, 7:56, 39:65, 23:117, 26:213 and 5:72 (excerpt).
Abū Dāwūd, Sulaymān ibn al-Ashʿath (d. 275 AH/889 CE). Sunan Abī Dāwūd, no. 4765.
Al-Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl (d. 256 AH/870 CE). Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, nos. 3344, 4351 and 5057.
Ibn Mājah, Muḥammad ibn Yazīd (d. 273 AH/887 CE). Sunan Ibn Mājah, nos. 173 and 176.
Marcus, Jacob Rader, and Marc Saperstein. The Jew in the Medieval World: A Source Book, 315–1791.
Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (d. 261 AH/875 CE). Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, nos. 1064a and 1731a. The ḥadīth numbers here follow Sunnah.com.
An-Najmī, Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā (d. 1429 AH/2008 CE). As-Salafiyyūn Barīʾūn min al-Aʿmāl al-Irhābiyyah, attributed to a statement dictated on 22 Rajab 1426 AH in the Arabic republication of 9 December 2015.
