Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Endnotes

Endnote #1

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali son of Abu Talib

Abu Talib was the chieftain of the Hashim clan and also of the most eminent leaders of the Quraysh tribe. When his brother Abdullah died, (or rather was killed,) Abu Talib took responsibility for the care and upbringing of his nephew, Abdullah’s only son, Muhammad. Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570AD.

Abu Talib’s fourth son, Ali, was born in 600AD in Mecca too - and more precisely - inside the holy Kabah, the symbolic“House of God” in the city’s Sacred Mosque (masjid al-haram), something that is unprecedented. Muslims throughout the world pray their obligatory daily prayers towards this very Kabah, the direction of which is referred to as the Qiblah. When his pregnant mother, Fatima bint Assad went to the Kabah to pray and beseech Almighty Allah for help, before her eyes, a large crack appeared in the wall of the Kabah, and so she went inside the holy Kabah, and the crack sealed again as soon as she was inside. Many witnessed this extraordinary phenomenon, and they attempted to go inside through the door of the Kabah, but without success, as all attempts to open the door failed. In all, Fatima bint Assad remained inside for three days and while there, on her own, she had labour and gave birth to Ali inside the holy Kabah. [Needless to say, the marks of the sealed crack have continually been repaired over the years to eradicate the patterns of the sealed crack, but they always continue to reappear again. They are clearly visible today despite many attempts to cover them up.]

Ali was ten when Prophet Muhammad began receiving divine revelations at 610AD. Ali and the Prophet’s loyal and devout wife Lady Khadijah were the first to believe in him as a messenger from Allah and in his divine message as a faith. Three years later Prophet Muhammad was instructed to make public his mission and to invite others to Islam beginning with his close family. He invited his relatives - some forty of them - for a banquet and call upon them to accept Islam and asked for their support in his mission. No one volunteered to help - except for a teenage boy called Ali.

For the next ten years in Mecca, the Prophet faced much torment and persecution - but all along Ali was always with him. Ultimately, his opponents decided to eliminate him once and for all, but not one person or even one clan would volunteer. One cunning plan was put forward which all accepted. The plan was that one warrior from every clan would take part in the Prophet’s assassination. A group of forty was formed. The forty warriors prepared to storm his abode and kill him while he was asleep in his bed. The Prophet was informed of the plan, through divine revelation, and instructed to leave Mecca for Medina. The Prophet needed a decoy. He asked Ali whether he could be that. Without any hesitation, Ali agreed and he stayed in the Prophet’s bed while the Prophet made his way of Mecca. But spies were everywhere that night stationed by the plotters. One of them managed to spot the Prophet, and the Prophet spotted him and went forward and spoke to him. The spy was an acquaintance. He asked the Prophet what he was doing in the middle of the night, and the Prophet told him he was leaving Mecca. In order to stop him from reporting back, the Prophet asked him to accompany him on the journey, and took him along with him, and they hid in a cave outside Mecca until things settled. Meanwhile, the warriors went ahead with their mission and stormed the house, only - to their horror - to find Ali instead.

Once in Medina, the Quraysh began waging full-scale wars against the Prophet in order to exterminate him and his religion. Just one individual had a pivotal role in defending the Prophet and defeating his enemy, and were it not for him, the Muslims stood no chance against the odds. He was Ali. It was such that the Prophet used to say,“Were it not for Khadijah’s financial support and Ali’s sword, my religion would have not been established.” It was in the battlefields that Ali - the son of Abu Talib - showed his courage and absolute loyalty to the Prophet. Ali showed that his bravery and chivalry is second to none in the history of Arabia - or rather in human history. But above all else, he showed his magnanimity in battle too. It is reported that Archangel Gabriel made the revelation to the Prophet that“there is not a young man like Ali, and there’s not a sword like Dhul-Fiqar.”

However, combat skills and morals were only some of Ali’s merits. Knowledge, humanity, selflessness, self-discipline, and suchlike are the qualities Ali endeavoured to excel in. Ali made sure to learn all the Prophet’s teachings relating to all aspects there is.

Ali eventually graduated from the Prophetic school with distinction. Prophet Muhammad used to say,“Ali is to me like Aron was to Moses.”

The Prophet also used to say“I am the city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate; so whoever wishes to access the city, should access it through its gate.”

Imam Ali used to say,“Allah’s messenger taught me a thousand principle of knowledge, each principle opened up one thousand gate of knowledge.”

But Ali was no ordinary individual. He is one member of the Prophetic household (Ahl al Bayt as known in Arabic). To show the status of the Ahl al Bayt, the Almighty Allah revealed in the holy Qur’an:

[Verily Allah only wishes to keep away the uncleanness from you, O Ahl al Bayt (people of the house) and purify you a thorough purifying.] 33:33

Prior to the revelation of this Qur’anic verse, Prophet Muhammad had gathered Fatima, Ali, Hasan and Husayn, and declared“O Allah! These are my Ahl al Bayt, my closest family, and my protectors.”

It is reported that Husayn fell ill and in aid for his recovery his parents vowed to fast for three days for his recovery. After his recovery, Fatima and Ali began fasting as per their vow. Hasan and Husayn fasted also. On the first day when they about to break their fast at dusk, there was a knock on the door - someone asking them for some food. Ali gave his portion of bread, and so did Lady Fatima, followed by Hasan and Husayn. They were left with nothing to eat, and broke their fast with water only. On the second night when they were about to break their fast, someone knocked on the door asking for food, and response from this household was the same as the previous night. They had to suffice with water for that night too. They had to fast for the third night as per their vow. And on the third night there was another person at the door asking for food, when each one of the household gave their portion to. They ended up fasting for three days with nothing to eat, but breaking their fast with water only. This degree of self-sacrifice is acknowledged in the holy Qur’an. It was on this occasion that the Qur’anic surah Mankind was revealed in honour of Imam Ali, Sayyidah Fatima, and Imams Hasan and Husayn, peace be upon them, where this event is cited: [And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive.] 76:8

On the merit and virtue of the Ahl al Bayt, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his holy family, used to say:“The example of my Ahl al-Bayt is like that of Noah’s ark, whosoever boards it is saved and whosoever abandons it drowns.”

These events, Qur’anic verses and Prophetic hadith point to the merits and qualifications of members of Ahl al Bayt for leadership of mankind.

On specific instructions from the Almighty, Prophet Muhammad formally and publically appointed Imam Ali as his successor to lead the nation after him.

[O Messenger! Make known that which has been revealed unto you from your Lord - for if you do it not, you will not have conveyed His message - and Allah will protect you from the people (who mean mischief.) Surely Allah guides not the disbelieving folk.] 5:67

That took place on the day of Ghadir Khumm, when Prophet Muhammad appointed Imam Ali, in a public ceremony, as his successor, to lead the nation after him. The Prophet delivered a detailed sermon addressing the issues of his succession, and the leadership of the nation after him. The famous quote of the Prophet’s Ghadir sermon is“Whomever I am his authority, then Ali is his authority too.” Numerous narrations report this momentous event in some detail, along with the script of the sermon. Reports state that there were some 120,000 people present on the day, and that the Prophet instructed them to pledge allegiance to Imam Ali as his successor and the leader of the Muslim nation after him. It took more than three days and nights for all present to shake hands with and pledge allegiance to Imam Ali.

Also on that day, on instructions from the Almighty, the Prophet exclusively awarded Imam Ali the title Amir al-Mo’mineen or The Commander of the Faithful. The Prophet said no one has the right to this title other than Ali.

After the appointment, the Almighty revealed:

[It is on this day that I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace and Favour upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion.] 5:3

According to this holy verse of the Qur’an, Islam is not complete without the imamate of Imam Ali; indeed Islam would not be Islam without the authority, leadership and guidance of Imam Ali.

Prophet Muhammad used to state that the divinely-appointed successors after him are twelve in number, which he reconfirmed on the day of Ghadir. The first of these successors or imams is Imam Ali and the twelfth is Imam Mahdi, peace be upon them all.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his holy family, used to say:“I leave behind amongst you two mighty entities, Allah’s Book and my kin the Ahl al-Bayt - as long as you adhere to them both, you will never go astray, after me, ever.”

However, there were those who used to accompany the Prophet who did not like what the Prophet was doing, and therefore embarked on a mission to put a stop to all that, once and for all, so ……

Eventually, they assassinated the Prophet, many companions went astray, and they took over the helm. They violently prevented Imam Ali from taking office - despite the Prophet’s numerous instructions in this respect and the people’s allegiance to Imam Ali as the Prophet’s successor on the day of Ghadir.

The assassination of the Prophet and the companions’ reneging on the allegiance they’d given to the Prophet and Imam Ali are depicted in the holy Qur’an, and the Almighty describes their conduct as“leaving the religion of Islam” by using the phrase“turn on heels.” The Almighty states [Muhammad is but a messenger, many messengers have passed away before him. Will it be that, when he dies, or rather is slain, ye will turn back on your heels? And whoever who turns back on his heels does no harm to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful.] 3:144

Imam Ali refused to recognise the authority of the self-imposed rulers, and ……

After twenty five years of denial, when the people experienced the injustice of the rule of the three self-imposed rulers, they solidly came to Imam Ali and asked him to take office as the leader of the nation.

Imam Ali followed and implemented Prophet Muhammad’s teachings and policies in every aspect of governance, morality and conduct - during his rule and at other times.

He governed for four-and-a-half years, during which he implemented Islam’s teachings and policies in the same way as Prophet Muhammad had done.

He lived the life of the poorest in the land, sufficing with bread and water throughout the year - the cheaper barely bread that is; he never ate wheat bread, that was too posh for him. Just may be - he used to say - a poor person may exist in a distant part of the land he ruled who had not eaten to his fill. There was no evidence for that; this was just a precaution. He used to eat meat once a year, on the day of the hajj when people sacrificed sheep and gave to the needy. There was a good chance the poor would receive a portion of meat on that day. So he could allow himself to eat meat. Equality, wealth distribution and social justice were absolute paramount for him and amongst his top priorities.

When he took office, he ascended the pulpit and amongst the things he said was“today I arrived with these two pieces of clothing I’m wearing; on the day I leave office, if I leave with more than these two pieces then I would have betrayed the nation.”

Imam Ali was assassinated while he was praying in the Kufah mosque, through a plot orchestrated by Mo‘awiyah bin Abu Suffian.

On the issue of Imam Ali’s knowledge it is simply beyond the scope of this note to give any indication of the depth and spectrum of his knowledge in the various disciplines. The breadth of these are reflected in his teachings and speeches which have reached us. The most famous collection of his speeches, letters and teachings is the compilation known as Nahj al-Balaghah, but this does not include all his hadith. Other compilations also contain significant amount of his teachings.

Prophet Muhammad spared no effort to make clear to the nation the virtues of Imam Ali - the divinely-appointed successor to the Prophet - and his perfect qualities to succeed the Prophet and lead the nation after him. The Prophet used every occasion to allude to his station as viewed by the Almighty, and reveal some of Imam Ali’s numerous merits, which he did on divine instructions and not out of his wishes and desires, as the holy Qur’an states, [he speaks not out of desire, it is a revelation that is revealed.] 53:3-4

To show the pivotal nature of the imamate of Imam Ali to Islam and the Muslims, on one of those occasions, the Prophet said to Imam Ali, peace be upon them:

“O Ali! You are the Commander of the Faithful and the Leader of the Pious.

O Ali! You are the Master of the Vicegerents, the inheritor of the Prophets’ knowledge, the best of the Truthful, and the most superior of the foremost pious individuals.

O Ali! You are the husband of the Chief of the Women of the Worlds and the successor to the best of the Messengers.

O Ali! You are the Master of the Believers and the Authority after me over all the people. Whoever follows you deserves paradise and whoever opposes you deserves to go to the hellfire.”

The Prophet then went on to say:

“I swear by He who sent me with the mission of Prophethood, and chose me over the entire creation, if one worships Allah for a thousand years, Allah would not accept that from him except if it is accompanied with your recognition and authority, and those of the Imams from your descendants. Indeed, even the recognition of your authority would not be accepted except if it is with the denunciation and disownment of your enemies and those of the Imams from your descendants. Gabriel has informed me of this; so let him who will believe it, and let him who will, reject.” [Bihar al-Anwar, vol.27, p199; with the last phrase paraphrasing the Qur’anic verse [so let him who will believe it, and let him who will, reject.] 18:29. This particular hadith, with minor a variation, and other similar hadith to this effect are also frequently reported in Sunni references, such as Ibn ‘Asaakir’s Taareekh Dimishq vol.42 pp65-66, 328, Taareekh Baghdad vol.13 p124, al-Haakim al-Haskaani’s Shawaahid al-Tanzeel vol.1 p554, to name a few.]

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Endnote #2

On some of Imam Husayn’s Sufferings

In the intense heat of the desert of Karbala, they were denied access to water, the nearby Euphrates, three days before the day of reckoning, the day of Ashura.

Everyone was suffering from intense thirst in that heat, not only the women and children, but also the warriors.

On the day of Ashura, the battle began, Imam Husayn’s loyal supporters were being killed one by one.

With the heat intensifying as midday approached, more and more of the friends and supporters were killed before his eyes.

After that all brothers, sons, nephews, cousins and other relative were killed one by one, as they excruciatingly suffered the thirst.

When every male was killed, Imam Husayn’s sister Zaynab brought his infant son, little Ali, six months old, and told him he is dying of thirst! See if you can get them to give him some water. Imam Husayn made that request - proposing that they take the infant to give him some water. As he waited for a reply from the other side, little Ali’s throat was rent asunder with an arrow fired by them.

Then came the turn of Imam Husayn.

As if all the pain of seeing loved ones killed before his eyes were not enough, and the unimaginable thirst he had to wrestle with, Imam Husayn was the subject of a barrage of the strikes of swords, spears, arrows and even rained by stones. When they drew near to him, they subjected him to repeated strikes by swords and daggers.

Towards the end, one of them came forward to Imam Husayn, sat on his body, drew his dagger to … Imam Husayn who was breathing his last breath, and he would have died if he left alone given the colossal injuries he had sustained, tried to save that the awful fate he was heading to, and told him, leave me alone and I will intercede for your forgiveness. I guarantee you that. But nevertheless he went ahead and beheaded Imam Husayn, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

But that was not enough for them.

After the decapitation, they robbed him of his personal belongings. They could not remove the ring he was wearing, so they cut off his finger to remove the ring.

But all that wasn’t enough. They had to do one more thing; they had the army trampling on the headless body of Imam Husayn with their horses, such that his body was ripped to pieces.

They then set upon the campsite where the tents were erected and the women and children were housed. They torched all the tents and gave chase to the fleeing women and children.

They all knew he was their Prophet’s beloved grandson, yet they did to him what they never did to any of their enemies - not even during the savagery of the pre-Islamic era, when they used to bury alive their own female infant because girls were deemed to bring shame to them.

Imam Husayn’s wives, sisters, daughters and other women were taken captives by the victorious army, and paraded across towns and cities from Karbala to Kufah and all the way to Damascus.

When some of the close confidantes asked Imam Baqir, and on a separate occasion asked Imam Sadiq, to inform them of afflictions and sufferings Imam Husayn faced on the day of Ashura, Imam Baqir responded by saying,“If we were to relate to you what happened, you would have not be able to bear the pain and anguish.” Imam Sadiq said,“Were it not for our concerns for our Shia, who would die if they were to learn of them, we would have related to you about some of the things that happened to Imam Husayn.”

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Endnote #3

On the attempts to eradicate Imam Husayn’s shrine

Imam Husayn’s enemies do not suffice to opposing him during his lifetime, or to opposing his mourning rites, but they manifest their animosity even towards his grave and mausoleum too. In the course of history, on numerous occasions the gravesite of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, has been desecrated or demolished by the tyrants of the time with the aim of eradicating any trace of the gravesite, and ultimately his mention and memory.

For over two centuries now the House of Saud has the absolute dishonour and immense shame of being the vile standard bearer of open enmity and hostility to the Ahl al Bayt - or the Prophet’s family peace be upon them - about whom the Almighty makes a Qur’anic declaration to show their exceptional and unique status [Verily Allah only wishes to keep away the uncleanness from you, O Ahl al Bayt and purify you a thorough purifying.] 33:33

The most recent of the attacks on the mausoleum of Imam Husayn were perpetrated by the Wahhabi cult headed by the infamous highwayman of the time, and of the region, Saud bin Abd-al-Aziz Al Saud, the founder of House of Saud; the current rulers of Arabia Peninsula which they named after themselves; Saudi Arabia. Saud with his gang of vicious thugs went on to attack the holy Karbala, Iraq, and ransack the shrine of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, looted the ornaments of the shrine and destroyed all they could. It is reported that they used the shrine as the stable for their horses, which was soiled and defaced, adding insult to injury - to the Prophet’s family. The Saud-led Wahhabi militia did not stop at that, but they went on to kill scores of the pilgrims of the shrine and then went on a rampage in the holy Karbala, where the shrine is situated. They directed their blood-thirsty assault against the civilians of Karbala. Some reports put the figure of those killed in that foray around 5000, while other reports put the figure close to 20,000. The overwhelming victims of the civilians of the holy Karbala were the elderly, women and children, as the majority of the adult male had gone on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Najaf, Iraq, on the occasion of ‘Eid al-Ghadir. This attack by the Saudis on the holy Karbala was in 1216AH/1801AD. After the death and destruction, Saud and his thugs left the holy Karbala taking with them whatever they had looted. The Saudi-sponsored Wahhabi militia embarked on a second major attack on the holy Karbala in 1220AH/1805AD. This time the people of the holy Karbala were somewhat prepared and thus the number of those killed this time were in the hundreds rather than the thousands of the previous time! But this second attack on Karbala is further evidence of the animosity of the Saudis towards the Ahl al Bayt and it also reveals their evil aggressive nature against others who had nothing to do with them.

Furthermore, the shrines and mausoleums of other members of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, suffered similar fates to those of Imam Husayn at the hands of the House of Saud. Closer at hand, at the holy city of Medina, the House of Saud and their Wahhabi mercenaries attacked and indeed razed to the ground the shrines of the four ma‘soom Imams or the Prophet’s divinely-appointed successors; namely Imam Hasan, the elder brother of Imam Husayn, Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen, Imam Baqir, and Imam Sadiq, peace be upon them. This was the second Saudi-Wahhabi assault on the shrines in the holy city of Medina, which took place on 8th Shawal 1344AH (21st April 1926AD). These shrines were located at the city’s Baqie’ cemetery, close to the mausoleum and mosque of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his holy family. The Saudi-funded Wahhabi militia also set about to demolish the shrine of Prophet Muhammad if it were not for the threat of attack from the then Egyptian government given the public outcry by the Egyptian people against the actions of the house of Saud. After more than ninety years of being in a state of ruin, the House of Saud continue to ensure that the shrines of the Baqie’ remain destroyed to date, and have stubbornly prevented all attempts to rebuild those holy shrines.

However, the Saudi aggression continues to go on unabated.

Not being satisfied with all those destructions, the enemies of Ahl al-Bayt added another masterpiece to their barbaric history of death and destruction; this time targeting the shrines of Imam Ali al-Hadi and Imam Hasan al-‘Askari (the tenth and eleventh of the twelve divinely-appointed successors of Prophet Muhammad) in the holy city of Samara, Iraq. On the morning of Wednesday 22nd February 2006AD (23rd Muharram 1427AH) the enemies of Ahl al-Bayt detonated a set of powerful explosives in the said shrines and caused near total destruction of the shrines. The Wahhabi leaders in Saudi Arabia openly rejoiced this“achievement” and congratulated themselves and the perpetrators“for this heroic act” calling them“our brave fighters” .

If any more evidence was needed to reveal the murderous nature of the House of Saud and their utter enmity towards the followers of Ahl al Bayt peace be upon them, a senior member of House of Saud makes their savagery very clear indeed. In a speech on 7th July 2014 at RUSI, former Director of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove recalls what“Prince” Bandar bin Sultan the then head of the Saudi Intelligence Service told him in a working meeting attended by the then British prime minister. Bandar bin Sultan said to Sir Richard Dearlove:“The time is not far off, Richard, in the Middle East when it would be literally “God help the Shi’a” … Sir Richard added:“And that was a chilling comment which I remember very well indeed.” This threat by Bandar was“pre nine-eleven” , recalls Sir Richard, referring to the Saudi-Wahhabi heinous terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York. The Wahhabis have committed crimes against humanity with impunity and unparalleled savagery, which Sir Richard referred to that threat against the Shi’a as“bloodcurdling.”

https://www.rusi.org/events/past/ref:E539EC3CF6F5A4/#.U7rENdzGvlJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeFFtiEtriA&list=UUkPv5___jXTEGQ6VE0a1gdA

Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud openly boasts about planning to commit genocide against the Shi’a - and that is to the face of the British prime minister and other senior figures of the British government. They started their massive bloodthirsty campaign against the citizens of Karbala in 1801, and more than two centuries later the House of Saud continues their genocidal campaign against the Shia and crimes against humanity.

Sir Richard’s concluding remarks were,“How much Saudi and Qatari money is being channelled towards ISIS? For ISIS to be able to surge into the Sunni areas of Iraq in the way that it’s done recently [the capture of Mosul, northern Iraq] has to be the consequence of substantial and sustained funding; such things simply do not happen spontaneously.” **

Wahhabi-linked media reported that the former congregational-prayer leader at Mecca's Grand Mosque, and one of the leading figures of the Wahhabi cult, Sheikh Adel al-Kalbani, said: ISIS executions of western hostages were“not outside Salafist [aka Wahhabi] framework” . He made these remarks in his interview with the Dubai-based channel MBC, broadcast on 22 January 2016.

The Wahhabi cleric confirmed“We follow the same thought as ISIS.” “They draw their ideas from what is written in our own books, from our own principles.” “We do not criticise the thought on which it (ISIS) is based.”

Kalbani was refused a visa to visit the UK in 2013. Although no official reason was given for the refusal, it was reported at the time that it may have been linked to televised comments he made calling Shia Muslims apostates.

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/top-saudi-cleric-says-and-saudi-arabia-follow-same-thought-626782255

When they did not have the oil, they wrought havoc death and destruction to the local and region on horseback using the sword.

Now that they have the petrodollars, their outreach has become global, and using technology to modern weaponry to spread their evil.

It was the followers of this evil school of thought, the Wahhabi religion - funded by the House of Saud establishment - who carried out the murderous terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York on September 11th 2001.

Saudi-funded Wahhabi followers embarked on other atrocities throughout the globe.

After the fall of the Baathist regime of Saddam, the dictator of Iraq, in April 2003, a campaign of an almost daily car bombing against Shi’a population in Iraq was started by the Baathist-Wahhabi terrorists, which continue to be are funded primarily by Saudi money.

Furthermore, in 2014, the Saudis embarked on funding their new heinous next generation Sunni-extremist death cult daesh (ISIS) to bring about fear, death and destruction throughout the region, and beyond.

Not being satisfied with the colossal death carnage and misery they have caused in Iraq and Syria, the Saudis, March 2015, turned their evil to the Yemen to the same effect; yet more death destruction and misery.

Evil does not know borders, and it cannot stay put in one place; it wreaks havoc wherever it reaches.

A United Nations panel investigating the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen has uncovered“widespread and systematic” attacks on civilian targets in violation of international humanitarian law.

The final 51-page report by a panel of experts on Yemen, January 2016, has been sent to the UN Security Council.

In one of the key findings, the report says:“The panel documented that the coalition had conducted airstrikes targeting civilians and civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law, including camps for internally displaced persons and refugees; civilian gatherings, including weddings; civilian vehicles, including buses; civilian residential areas; medical facilities; schools; mosques; markets, factories and food storage warehouses; and other essential civilian infrastructure, such as the airport in Sana’a, the port in Hudaydah and domestic transit routes.”

The report adds:“The panel documented 119 coalition sorties relating to violations of international humanitarian law. Many attacks involved multiple airstrikes on multiple civilian objects. Of the 119 sorties, the panel identified 146 targeted objects. The panel also documented three alleged cases of civilians fleeing residential bombings and being chased and shot at by helicopters.”

It says:“The coalition’s targeting of civilians through airstrikes, either by bombing residential neighbourhoods or by treating the entire cities of Sa’dah and Maran as military targets, is a grave violation of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution. In certain cases, the panel found such violations to have been conducted in a widespread and systematic manner.”

The report adds:“Alongside ground-led obstructions to humanitarian distribution, the panel documented 10 coalition airstrikes on transportation routes (both sea and air routes), four road supply routes and five storage facilities for holding food aid (including two vehicles carrying aid and three warehouses and facilities storing food), along with airstrikes on an Oxfam warehouse storing equipment for a water project funded by the European Union in Sana’a. The panel also documented three coalition attacks on local food and agricultural production sites.”

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/27/un-report-into-saudi-led-strikes-in-yemen-raises-questions-over-uk-role

This latest report shows that the House of Saud has not changed one iota in its evil and murderous nature. The house of Saud goes to great lengths and costs to wreak havoc, death and destruction and systematically commit widespread murder of the civilians in Yemen - just as what they slaughtered thousands of civilians in Karbala. In the sleepy town of Karbala there were absolutely no combatants of any sort, nor were there any military presence of any kind whatsoever - in fact most if not all able-bodied men had gone on the pilgrimage to Najaf on the occasion of the day of Ghadir. Yet the Saudis invaded this small town, more than a thousand miles north of the Saud’s base, and mercilessly slaughtered old men, women and children and committed despicable crimes against humanity - just like their offspring daesh embarks on its murderous campaign. The house of Saud has not changed one bit over the course of two centuries. They’re the same evil today as they used to be yesterday.

If one says;“Today the House of Saud is the embodiment of evil” , it probably won’t be an exaggeration.

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Endnote #4

Prophet Muhammad never pre-empted attack against any enemy

Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his holy family, never started a war or initiated military combat except in self-defence after the other party took the initiative for military strike.

In the event of combat, when the enemy embarked on the military assault, Prophet Muhammad used to give a number of directives to the Muslim soldiers - all aimed at minimising loss and destruction.

The underlying principle being“yours is your religion and mine is mine” .

Before the start of combat the army in chief, mostly the Commander of the Faithful, invited the other party to Islam. By accepting Islam they would have all the rights, benefits and protection that a Muslim enjoys.

On objection, they were given the option to come under the protection of the Islamic state, not having to join the Muslim army to fight for their lives and properties against possible aggressors. As opposed to the religious dues the Muslims pay (i.e. khums and zakah), the non-Muslims would pay the tax called jizyah.

On objection to that, the Muslim army would wait for the other party to wage the first attack before starting their first move, complying with the battle code of conduct:

· If the enemy changes his mind at the outset or in the middle of the battle, and decided to fight no more - then let it be,

· Do not attack non-combatants,

· Do not kill old men, women, or children,

· Do not attack women even if they curse you or swear at you,

· Do not kill women even if they were nursing enemy combatants,

· Do not handcuff or tie up prisoners,

· Do not adopt treacherous means,

· Do not mutilate,

· Do not plunder,

· Do not kill their livestock,

· Do not burn crops,

· Do not cut down fruit-bearing trees,

· Do not set fire to date palms or flood them,

· Do not destroy property, etc.

On the other hand, in Deuteronomy 13:15-16 it is instructed:

“15 Thou shall surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

16 And thou shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.”

[Reproduced from“War peace and non-violence - an Islamic perspective” by Imam Sayyid Muhammad Shirazi]

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Endnote #5

On the Freedoms in Islam

For example see the work (in Arabic)“The Freedoms in Islam” by the late grand ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Shirazi, in which the author lists more than one hundred freedoms in Islam which either do not exist in the West or it does but to a very limited extent.

Freedom in the Islamic system is like the heart to the body, and from its dawn, Islam’s first priorities were to eradicate despotism, subjugation, and oppression and this may not be achieved except through freedom.

The freedoms in Islam are considered to be the most far-reaching freedoms that religions or statutory laws have presented or produced. Islam is a religion of freedom, and in every issue the fundamental principle is freedom with the exception of the prohibited ones which are very few.

The different categories of freedom in Islam are beyond count or enumeration; some of which are: the freedom of trade and business, farming and agriculture, manufacturing, acquisition of permissible resources, freedom of building and development, freedom of travel and residence, freedom of expression, writing and publication, freedom of careers, political, economic, cultural, intellectual, and religious freedoms and suchlike. The Muslim enjoyed all of these freedoms in the reign of the Islamic government. By default everything is permissible unless it is specifically prescribed to be forbidden by Sharia law. It should be mentioned that the freedoms in these activities come without any restrictions, leave, or permission.

The government has no right to suppress freedoms; and if the government banned something it is not obligatory to obey or follow it; except if the governor is a just Muslim ruler who has been authorized and approved by the fully qualified jurists or religious authorities (maraaje‘) - in which case it is permissible if the ban is only temporary, it is in an emergency and under exceptional circumstances, and in the interest of Islam, or if in the event of practicing a particular freedom it would result in harm to the public. For example, building and running a factory for hazardous chemicals in a residential area.

If the government declared a restriction on one of the freedoms, for example a travel ban, and the government is qualified to be obeyed - i.e. it implements the teachings of Islam in all aspects of life - then it is mandatory for one to abide by that ban. For example, if the just Islamic government declared a ban for a reason which was more important than the interest of the right and notion enshrined in the hadith“authority of the people over their affairs” . However, if the government is one that is not“mandatory-to-follow” , i.e. it does not fully adhere to the teachings of Islam, it is not mandatory for one to obey the government, but rather it is permissible to pursue and practice one’s Islamic freedom.

[Reproduced from“Islamic Law, a handbook of rulings on Islamic duties and practices” by grand ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq Husayni Shirazi]

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Endnote #6

On Saladin’s war crimes and crime against humanity

Saladin committed some of the most heinous atrocities against civilians primarily in Egypt when he took of the country through treachery. Just like his idols did some five centuries earlier, he embarked on killing, crucifixion and burning the civilians but the scale in which Saladin committed those crimes were on a massive compared to those of his idols.

For example, in Egypt, in the city of Qift, some three thousand were crucified and hung on the trees around the city.

In another incident, people were locked up in their houses, and the houses set ablaze.

Furthermore, Saladin is infamous for burning Egypt’s libraries when, according to some accounts, some two million manuscripts were burnt.

As the renowned historian Hasan al-Amin puts it, he is an opportunist and power grabber, who resorts to anything to get what he wants, with all baseness and villainy, in order to satisfy his ego even if by means of treachery and betrayal.

In brief, Saladin is the role model for terror network daesh (ISIS) today to whom they look up to commit their barbarous atrocities and crimes against humanity.

The most outstanding attribute is his bloodthirsty nature and his hate for anyone who differed from him or opposed him. This was particularly so for the Shia.

As part of the Egyptian government drive to eliminate references to and glorification of extremism and terrorism, Saladin’s name has been removed from school textbooks.

For details see the following references - all of which are in Arabic:

Hasan al-Amin,“Saladin: the Abbasid, Fatimid, and the Crusaders”

Hasan al-Amin is a renowned historian who specialises on Saladin and he’s done a number of works the most famous of which is the title given above.

For further works see also:

On the biography of Saladin: http://www.aqaed.com/faq/201/

Research by Mohammed el Baradei on Saladin: [Dr Mohammed el Baradei is an Egyptian law scholar and diplomat who was the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 1997-2009. He is winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.]

https://ar-ar.facebook.com/NEWA.ELBARADEI/posts/547653385315449

Saladin the War Criminal:

http://www.ahewar.org/debat/show.art.asp?aid=239733

The mention of Saladin - an extremist terrorist is expunged from school text books in Egypt: http://www.dotmsr.com

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