Azzam and Jihad a Biography

http://www.azzam.com/html/storiesabdullahazzam.htm

When bin Laden first set foot in Afghanistan he sat at the feet of Sheik Azzam in Peshawar.

Time Magazine wrote about him that ' he was the reviver of Jihad in the 20th Century'. Abdullah Yusuf Azzam was born in the village of Ass-ba'ah Al-Hartiyeh, province of Jineen in the occupied sacred land of Palestine in 1941 CE. He was brought up in a humble house where he was taught Islam, and was fed with the love of Allah, His Messenger (SAW), those striving in the Way of Allah, the righteous people and the desire for the Hereafter.

Abdullah Azzam was a distinguished kid who started propagating Islam at an early age. His peers knew him as a pious child. He showed signs of excellence at an early age. His teachers recognized this while he was still at elementary school.

Sheikh Abdullah Azzam was known for his perseverance and serious nature ever since he was a small boy. He received his early elementary and secondary education in his village, and continued his education at the agricultural Khadorri College where he obtained a Diploma. Although he was the youngest of his colleagues, he was the cleverest and the smartest. After he graduated from Khadorri College, he worked as a teacher in a village called Adder in South Jordan. Later he joined Sharia College in Damascus University where he obtained a B.A. Degree in Shariah (Islamic Law) in 1966. After the Jews captured the West Bank in 1967, Sheikh Abdullah Azzam decided to migrate to Jordan, because he could not live under the Jews' occupation of Palestine. The sin of the Israeli tanks rolling into the West Bank without any resistance made him even more determined to migrate in order to learn the skills necessary to fight.

In the late 1960's he joined the Jihad against the Israeli occupation of Palestine from Jordan. Soon after that, he went to Egypt and graduated with a Masters Degree in Shariah from the University of Al-Azhar. In 1970 and after Jihad came to a halt by forcing PLO forces out of Jordan, he assumed the position of teaching in the Jordanian University in Amman. In 1971 he was awarded a scholarship to Al-Azhar University in Cairo from which he obtained a Ph.D Degree in Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Usool-ul-Fiqh) in 1973. During his stay in Egypt he came to know the family of Shaheed Sayyed Qutb.

Sheikh Abdullah Azzam spent a long time participating in the Jihad in Palestine. However, matters there were not to his liking, for the people involved in the Jihad were far removed from Islam. He told of how these people used to spend the nights playing cards and listening to music, under the illusion that they were performing Jihad to liberate Palestine. Sheikh Abdullah Azzam mentioned that, out of the thousands in the camp he was in, the number of people who offered their Salah in congregation were so few that they could be counted on one hand. He tried to steer them towards Islam, but they resisted his attempts. One day he rhetorically asked one of the 'Mujahideen' what the religion behind the Palestinian revolution was, to which the man replied, quite clearly and bluntly,

"This revolution has no religion behind it."

This was the last straw. Sheikh Abdullah Azzam left Palestine, and went to Saudi Arabia to teach in the universities there.

When Sheikh Azzam realised that only by means of an organised force would the Ummah ever be able to gain victory, then Jihad and the Gun became his pre-occupation and recreation. "Jihad and the rifle alone: no negotiations, no conferences and no dialogues," he would say. By practising what he was preaching, Sheikh Abdullah Azzam was one of the first Arabs to join the Afghan Jihad against the communist USSR

In 1979, when he learned about the Afghan Jihad, he left his teaching position at King Abdul-Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and went to Islamabad, Pakistan, in order to be able to participate in the Jihad. He moved to Pakistan to be close to the Afghan Jihad, and there he got to know the leaders of the Jihad. During the early time of his stay in Pakistan, he was appointed a lecturer in the International Islamic University in Islamabad. After a while he had to quit the University to devote his full time and energy to the Jihad in Afghanistan.

In the early 1980's, Sheikh Abdullah Azzam came to experience the Jihad in Afghanistan. In this Jihad he found satisfaction of his longing and untold love to fight in the Path of Allah, just as Allah's Messenger (SAW) once said, "One hour spent fighting in the Path of Allah is worth more than seventy years spent in praying at home." [Authentic, At-Tirmithi and Al-Hakem].

Inspired by this Hadith, Sheikh Abdullah Azzam immigrated with his family to Pakistan in order to be closer to the field of Jihad. Soon after, he then moved from Islamabad to Peshawar to be even closer to the field of Jihad and Martyrdom.

In Peshawar, Sheikh Abdullah Azzam founded the Bait-ul-Ansar (Mujahideen Services Bureau with the aim of offering all possible assistance to the Afghani Jihad and the Mujahideen through establishing and managing projects that supported the cause. The Bureau also received and trained volunteers pouring into Pakistan to participate in Jihad and allocating them to the front lines.

Unsurprisingly, this was not enough to satisfy Sheikh Azzam's burning desire for Jihad. That desire drove him finally to go to the front-line. On the battlefield, the Sheikh gracefully played his destined role in that generous epic of heroism.

In Afghanistan he hardly ever settled in one place. He travelled throughout the country, visiting most of its provinces and states such as Lujer, Qandahar, Hindukush Heights, the Valley of Binjistr, Kabul and Jalalabad. These travels allowed Sheikh Abdullah Azzam to witness first hand the heroic deeds of these ordinary people, who had sacrificed all that they possessed -including their own lives - for the Supremacy of the Deen of Islam.

In Peshawar, upon his return from these travels, Sheikh Azzam spoke about Jihad constantly. He prayed to restore the Unity among the divided Mujahideen commanders; called upon those who had not yet joined the fighting to take up arms and to follow him to the front before it would be too late.

Abdullah Azzam was greatly influenced by the Jihad in Afghanistan and the Jihad was greatly influenced by him since he devoted his full time to its cause. He became the most prominent figure in the Afghani Jihad aside from the Afghan leaders. He spared no effort to promote the Afghan cause to the whole world, especially through the Muslim Ummah. He travelled all over the world, calling on Muslims to rally to the defence of their religion and lands. He wrote a number of books on Jihad, such as Join the Caravan and Defence of Muslim Lands. Moreover, he himself participated bodily in the Afghan Jihad, despite the fact that he was in his forties. He traversed Afghanistan, from north to south, east to west, in snow, through the mountains, in heat and in cold, riding donkeys and on foot. Young men with him used to tire from such exertions, but not Sheikh Abdullah Azzam.

He changed the minds of Muslims about the Jihad in Afghanistan and presented the Jihad as an Islamic cause which concerned all Muslims around the world. Due to his efforts, the Afghani Jihad became universal in which Muslims from every part of the world participated. Soon, volunteer Islamic fighters began to travel to Afghanistan from the four corners of the Earth, to fulfil their obligation of Jihad and in defence of their oppressed Muslim brothers and sisters.

The Sheikh's life revolved around a single goal, namely the establishment of Allah's Rule on earth, this being the clear responsibility of each and every Muslim. So in order to accomplish his life's noble mission of restoring the Khilafah, the Sheikh focused on Jihad (the armed struggle to establish Islam). He believed Jihad must be carried out until the Khilafah (Islamic Rule) is established so the light of Islam may shine on the whole world.

Sheikh Abdullah Azzam made Jihad in every possible way, responding to the call of Allah:

"Go forth, light and heavy, and strive with your selves and your wealth in the path of Allah. That is better for you, if only you knew." [Quran, 9:41]

He reared his family also, in the same spirit, so that his wife, for example, engaged in orphan care and other humanitarian work in Afghanistan. He refused teaching positions at a number of universities, declaring that he would not quit Jihad until he was either martyred or assassinated. He used to reiterate that his ultimate goal was still to liberate Palestine. He was once quoted as saying,

" Never shall I leave the Land of Jihad, except in three circumstances. Either I shall be killed in Afghanistan. Either I shall be killed in Peshawar. Or either I shall be handcuffed and expelled from Pakistan."

Jihad in Afghanistan had made Abdullah Azzam the main pillar of the Jihad movement in the modern times. Through taking part in this Jihad, and through promoting and clarifying the obstacles which have been erected in the path of Jihad, he played a significant role in changing the minds of Muslims about Jihad and the need for it. He was a role model for the young generation that responded to the call of Jihad. He had a great appreciation for Jihad and the need for it. Once he said,

" I feel that I am nine years old: seven-and-a-half years in the Afghan Jihad, one-and-a-half years in the Jihad in Palestine, and the rest of the years have no value."

From his pulpit Sheikh Azzam was always reiterating his conviction that:

"Jihad must not be abandoned until Allah (SWT) Alone is worshipped. Jihad continues until Allah's Word is raised high. Jihad until all the oppressed peoples are freed. Jihad to protect our dignity and restore our occupied lands. Jihad is the way of everlasting glory."

History, as well as anyone who knew Sheikh Abdullah Azzam closely, all testify to his courage in speaking the truth, regardless of the consequences. He always bore in mind the command of Allah to: "Proclaim openly that which you were commanded, and turn away from the polytheists ( Mushrikeen)." [Quran, 15:94].

On every occasion Sheikh Abdullah Azzam reminded all Muslims that,

"Muslims cannot be defeated by others. We Muslims are not defeated by our enemies, but instead, we are defeated by our own selves."

He was a fine example of Islamic manners, in his piety, his devotion to Allah and his modesty in all things. He would never adulate in his relations with others. Sheikh Azzam always listened to the youth, he was dignified and did not allow fear to have access to his brave heart. He practised continual fasting especially the alternate daily fasting routine of Prophet Dawud (SAW). He strongly counselled others to practice fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. The Sheikh was a man of uprightness, honesty and virtue, and was never heard to slander others or to talk unpleaasently about an individual Muslim.

As the Jihad in Afghanistan went on, he was succeeding in uniting together all the various fighting groups in the Afghani Jihad. Naturally, such a pride to Islam caused great distress to the enemies of this religion, and they plotted to eliminate him. In 1989 CE, a lethal amount of TNT explosive was placed beneath the pulpit from which he delivered the sermon every Friday. It was such a formidable quantity that if it had exploded, it would have destroyed the mosque, together with everything and everybody in it. Hundreds of Muslims would have been killed, but Allah provided protection and the bomb did not explode.

The enemies, determined to accomplish their ugly task, tried another plot in Peshawar, shortly after this in the same year When Allah (SWT) willed that Sheikh Abdullah Azzam should leave this world to be in His closest company (we hope that it is so), the Sheikh departed in a glorious manner. The day was Friday, 24 November 1989.

The enemies of Allah planted three bombs on a road so narrow only a single car could travel on it. It was the road Sheikh Abdullah Azzam would use to drive to the Friday Prayer. That Friday, the Sheikh, together with two of his own sons, Ibrahim and Muhammad, and with one of the sons of the late Sheikh Tameem Adnani (another hero of the Afghan Jihad), drove along the road. The car stopped at the position of the first bomb, and the Sheikh alighted to walk the remainder of the way. The enemies, lying in wait, then exploded the bomb. A loud explosion and a great thundering were heard all over the city.

People emerged from the mosque, and beheld a terrible scene. Only a small fragment of the car remained. The young son Ibrahim flew 100 metres into the air; the other two youths were thrown a similar distance away, and their remains were scattered among the trees and power lines. As for Sheikh Abdullah Azzam himself, his body was found resting against a wall, totally intact and not at all disfigured, except that some blood was seen issuing from his mouth.

That fateful blast indeed ended the worldly journey of Sheikh Abdullah Azzam which had been spent well in struggling, striving and fighting in the Path of Allah (SWT). It also secured his more real and eternal life in the gardens of Paradise - we ask Allah that it is so -, that he will enjoy along with the illustrious company of "those on whom is the Grace of Allah, the Prophets, the Sincere ones, the Martyrs and the Righteous. The Best of company are they." [Quran, 4:69].

It was in this way that this great hero and reformer of Islam departed from the arena of Jihad and from this world, never to return. He was buried in the Pabi Graveyard of the Shuhadaa' in Peshawar, where he joined hundreds of other Shuhadaa'. May Allah accept him as a martyr, and grant him the highest station in Paradise. The struggle which he stood for continues, despite the enemies of Islam. There is not a Land of Jihad today in the world, nor a Mujahid fighting in Allah's Way, who is not inspired by the life, teachings and works of Sheikh Abdullah Azzam (May Allah have Mercy on him).

We ask Allah (SWT) to accept the deeds of Sheikh Abdullah Azzam and bring him to the Highest Part of Paradise. We ask Allah (SWT) to raise up for this Ummah more Sheikhs of this calibre, who take their knowledge to the battlefield rather than confining it in books.

With this article, we record the events of Islamic history which took place in the ten years from 1979 to 1989, and continue to happen. As Sheikh Abdullah Azzam himself once said,

" Indeed Islamic history is not written except with the blood of the Shuhadaa', except with the stories of the Shuhadaa' and except with the examples of the Shuhadaa'. "

"They seek to extinguish the light of Allah by their mouths. But Allah refuses save to perfect His light, even if the disbelievers are averse. It is He who has sent His messenger with the guidance and the true religion, in order that He may make it prevail over all religions, even if the pagans are averse." [Quran, 9:32-33].

Title: Farewell Message from Azzam Publications

http://www.azzam.com -- http://www.qoqaz.net --
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http://66.96.205.195/~azzam/html/articleworldwarthree.htm

"Do you really think that you will enter Paradise without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, 'When will come the Help of Allah?' Yes, certainly the Help of Allah is near!" [Quran 2:214]

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind

Most of Afghanistan has been recaptured from the Taliban, thousands of Afghan Muslim civilians have been killed, cities have fallen and lives have been lost. Elsewhere, thousands of Muslims have been arrested and detained in America, where they are beaten (by both the prison guards and other prisoners), tortured, humiliated and denied access to lawyers and their families. Muslim homes are being raided and Muslims being detained across Europe. Muslim web-sites, businesses and banks are being closed. In the midst of all this, Western leaders are at pains to explain that this is not a war against Islam and that the West loves Muslims. Scenes of the bodies of both the Taliban and the Foreign Mujahideen lying on the streets have been broadcast around the World much to the delight of the disbelievers and their hypocrite allies from amongst the 'Muslims' (e.g. some 'official' American and British 'Muslim' Councils, etc.)

"If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and fear Allah, not the least harm will their plans do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do." [Quran 3:120]

Amidst all this, the Muslims are asking many questions. Is it really a war against Islam? Why did the Taliban withdraw from all these provinces? Is the Northern Alliance going to uphold Allah's Word on the Earth? Were the Taliban moderates or extremists? Are the Taliban finished? Are the Mujahideen finished? Has the West triumphed over Islam? Is it all over?

These are not the questions that Muslims should be asking, but rather, they should be asking themselves: Whose side am I on? Am I a 'moderate' or an 'extremist'? Was the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) a 'moderate' or an 'extremist'? What am I going to do about the situation? Am I going to sit at home and weep? Or go to the mosque and make dua? As for the Mujahideen whose bodies were shown on televisions across the World, they have nothing to worry about insha-Allah. They said they were going to fight to the last drop of their blood and they have remained true to their word, whilst others are waiting to follow in their footsteps:

"Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah (i.e. they have gone out for Jihad whilst not showing their backs to the disbelievers), of them some have fulfilled their obligations (been martyred in Allah's Way) and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed in their determination in the least." [Quran 33:23]

We have written these few words in expectation of our site being closed yet again. Therefore, we advise all the Muslims to save a copy of this page and ponder about what it says lest our site is closed and we are not able to say it again. We also advise the Muslims to copy, translate into other languages if necessary and distribute this message all over the Internet. For clarity of expression, we have listed the important points we wish to make.

1. This war is, in Bush's own words, a crusade. It is not a war against terrorism, but it is a war of Kufr (disbelief) against Islam. Any Muslim who disagrees with this has been defeated by the Western ideological warfare. The Muslims should not be naive and immature: they should know their enemies.

2. The history of this conflict does not go back to 11 September 2001. Nor does it go back to the bombing of a few embassies and ships. Rather, it goes back centuries from the time when the Jewish tribes gathered against the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) and the Christians launched the Crusades against the Muslims in the 12th Century of the Christian Era. Therefore, it is not a case of 'let's all join hands: Muslims, Christians and Jews and wipe out terrorism', but it is part of a deeper plot to try and destroy Islam in the World. Why did the British invade Afghanistan in 1842, when there was neither an Usama bin Ladin nor the Taliban?

3. The American Government is an enemy to Islam and the Muslims, despite all the sympathetic statements given by Bush when he meets Muslim leaders and organisations in America. The American Foreign Policy regarding Iraq, Palestine, Bosnia, Kashmir, etc. is proof of this. The illegal imprisonment, torture and humiliation of thousands of Muslims in America at this very moment is also proof of this. Those Muslims who think otherwise are kidding themselves.

4. We condemn those apologetic and defeatist Muslims in the West who are making apologetic statements siding with the West and not believing or supporting their own brothers. By these Muslims, we specifically mean the likes of the American Muslim Council and 'Sheikh' Hamza Yusuf, who have openly taken sides with the American Government, without shame; as well as the Muslim Council of Britain to a lesser degree. These 'official' organisations do not represent the Muslim Ummah as they are manned by individuals completely out of touch with the reality of the affairs of the Muslims. These, who have never expended a drop of sweat or blood in Jihad for the sake of Allah like the Prophet (SAWS), his Companions and the early generations of pious Muslims, preferring instead to attend 'official' dinners and gatherings standing by the sides of Presidents and Prime Ministers whose hands are still dripping with the blood of Muslims, nodding their heads when these leaders speak. Like Bush said himself, you are either with the disbelievers (us) or the terrorists (Muslims). Therefore, those Muslims who are condemning the Taliban etc. have already taken sides and that is the side of Zionist-controlled America.

5. We believe the word of Usama bin Ladin and the Taliban, as Muslims, when they say that they had nothing to do with this terrorist act, over and above the word of a lying disbeliever like Bush. If they did it, they would proudly say so because they are not afraid of the reprisals from anyone.

6. America was going to attack Afghanistan by mid-October anyway, according to the recent Berlin Anti-Terrorism summit. 11 September was an excuse to speed up the process and give a 'cause' for the crusade. The intentions behind this 'war against terrorism' is doubted even by non-Muslims, who do have good people within their ranks.

7. The Taliban Government have proved their Islamic legitimacy to the whole Muslim Ummah. Now, there are two sides: whoever is not on the side of the Taliban is a hypocrite. The Muslims all over the World must render as much financial, physical, medical, media and moral support to the Taliban as they can. If this means taking a year out from one's university or work, then this must be done as the situation demands it. In addition, the Muslims must continue to make dua for them because it seems like the Muslims have forgotten their brothers in Afghanistan. The Taliban have appealed for help from the Muslims but these appeals have fallen on deaf ears. Did not the Prophet (SAWS) say that "A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, he does not forsake him and nor does he betray him." If you do not help your brothers in their time of need, do you really think that Allah will help in you in your time of need on the Day of Judgement?

8. According to the Four Schools of Thought as detailed in the article on our web-site on defending Muslim land under attack, once the first hostile disbeliever has entered Afghanistan and if the inhabitants of that country are not enough to defend themselves, defensive Jihad becomes Fard Ain upon every Muslim in the World without anyone's permission, whether parents, scholars or teachers. In this case, we also believe that any Muslims who are able to go there and do not go there without a valid excuse are liable to be punished by Allah in the Hereafter. Examples of valid excuses are disabling injuries or lack of travel papers. Fear of interrogation or arrest by the authorities upon one's return is not a valid excuse, since this is not certain to happen, whereas the Jihad is a certainty. The texts are clear in this regard. Those who prevent Muslims from going for Jihad are similar to those who stop a Muslim from making his Salah or fasting during Ramadan without valid excuse.

9. Regarding calls by Western leaders for 'moderate' Muslims tackling 'extremist' elements within their ranks, these are merely appeals to divide the Muslims. What is the 'moderate' Muslim that these leaders refer to? One that does not pray or fast or wear hijab; one that agrees with the Israeli occupation of Palestine, one that thinks cutting off a thief's hand is barbaric and one that thinks Islam is primitive and backward? There is no such thing as a 'moderate' or 'liberal' Muslim. If there was, in what category would be place the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)? Would we say he is a moderate, a liberal, an extremist, a fanatic, a terrorist, a fundamentalist? He certainly would not be a moderate or liberal since he ordered 600-700 Jewish males to be beheaded in Madinah after the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayzah betrayed the Muslims and stabbed them in the back. He also fought in 27 battles for the sake of Allah. Are we now going to call him a terrorist as well?

9. Any assistance that any Muslim gives to a disbeliever against the believers, whether financial, physical, language translation, clerical work, military, intelligence, or other, makes that Muslim an apostate, whose inheritance is forbidden for his children and upon whom the Janaza (Funeral) Prayer becomes forbidden. Therefore, if any Muslim lends any assistance to the disbelievers by spying on other Muslims or testifying against them, even for money, he does so at the expense of his religion. By refusing to assist the disbelievers against the Muslims does not mean that one automatically supports terrorist attacks against innocent civilians. One can agree or disagree with any action that takes place in the World but one cannot go against one's religion and one's people without him losing his religion. One of the ten things that make a Muslim into a disbeliever are to "assist disbelievers against Muslims'. It is not permissible for a Muslim to betray another Muslim in order to save himself. The Muslims should contact Muslim lawyers and attornies within their countries and ask for their rights concerning the law in speaking to law enforcement authorities. In most Western countries, e.g. Britain, one is under NO obligation to speak to either the intelligence authorities or the police, either willingly or unwillingly. One does not have to speak to them if they come to one's house. One can politely refuse to speak to them and ask them to leave. Most people speak to them or cooperate with them because they intimidate and threaten, e.g. by knocking on people's doors at 5am. Muslims should find out their legal rights and not be intimidated by this harassment. Those 'Muslim' organisations that are telling the Muslims to assist the FBI, etc. with translation and other efforts, are calling the Muslims to disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger and we ask Allah to raise these 'Muslims' up with the likes of the FBI on the Day of Judgement.

10. We expect our web-site to be opened and closed continuously. We also expect our Products ordering facility to close shortly but this is nothing to worry about because if that happens, we will put all of our books online through various sites, discussion boards and e-mail lists. Therefore, we urgently recommend any Muslims that are interested in our material to copy all the articles from our site and disseminate them through their own web-sites, discussion boards and e-mail lists. This is something that any Muslim can participate in, easily, including sisters. This way, even if our sites are closed down, the material will live on with the Grace of Allah. We cannot stress the importance of this: for the Muslims to copy and distribute all the material on our web-site, especially the stories in the Jihad Stories section. Furthermore, to frustrate the disbelievers in their war against Islam, we advise the Muslims to access our site via proxies or anonymous services, such as http://www.safeweb.com or http://www.anonymizer.com and the likes.

11. We advise practising Muslims to begin to plan to leave America and withdraw all their investments and cash from America. Recent events have shown the true bigoted nature of the American Government and some Americans. Thousands of Muslims are still imprisoned in America, they are being tortured, beaten, humiliated, their religion is being mocked at and they are denied basic rights. If anyone does not believe this, one only has to speak to a lawyer of some of the detainees. This shows the hypocrisy of leaders such as President Bush, who, every other day, tries to stress that this war is not against Islam or the Muslims and that the Muslims are loved by the American Government. Unfortunately, this does fool some Muslims especially when Bush opens fast with them, or attends their mosque. People will disagree with us calling for the Muslims to leave America and think about settling in Muslim countries. Just don't blame us if you end up in prison with all your assets siezed, and no prospect of a lawyer or a trial. We have warned you: America is no longer a safe place for Muslims.

12. The path to victory is long, arduous, difficult and full of difficulties and obstacles. One who thinks that the Muslim Ummah will recover from its decline without sacrifices, without blood, without fatigue, without hunger, without imprisonment, without torture, does not attach any value to this Deen nor understand the method of all the Messengers, as Allah said in the Quran which we have quoted above:

"Do you really think that you will enter Paradise without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, 'When will come the Help of Allah?' Yes, certainly the Help of Allah is near!" [Quran 2:214]

13. The time has come for the Muslims all over the World to begin making sacrifices for the sake of Allah and render assistance to the Muslims in Afghanistan. This includes physical, financial, material and emotional sacrifices. If the Muslims do not wipe the blemish off their Ummah, WHO will? The Muslims must not be apathetic and think that the efforts of one of them will not make a difference. On the contrary, each and every single Muslim counts, whatever his race, age, ability, skills or residence. Allah gives victory to sincere, correct actions, not to material strength. We STRONGLY recommend the Muslims to read the article by Sheikh Abdullah Azzam in the Jihad in Afghanistan section of our web-site, titled: Martyrs: The Building Blocks of Nations.

14. The war in Afghanistan is the beginning of a long war that will last several years, perhaps decades and eventually end with victory for the believers and a good outcome for the Muslim Ummah. This is not just an optimistic opinion, but it is part of our religious belief to believe that Islam will eventually become victorious even though the disbelievers may detest it. Allah says in the Quran: "It is He who has sent His Messenger with the Guidance and the Religion of Truth that He may proclaim it over all other religions, even though the polytheists may detest it." [Quran 61:9] This time of tribulation and apparent 'defeat' for the Muslims is only a process whereby Allah purges the ranks of the believers of hypocrites and those with diseased hearts. In these times, the hypocrites within the ranks of the Muslims surface and begin to say things like "We told you so," and "See, the Muslims are no match for the World's Superpower", etc. The Companions of the Prophet (SAWS) went through tougher times and experienced more difficulties, but eventually the victorious outcome was for the believers. Therefore, those Muslims with faith in Allah know that this period is a test, preparing the Muslims for victory, separating the believers from the hypocrites and taking martyrs from amongst the ranks of the Muslims.

"These days (successes of war) we alternate between the people so that Allah may distinguish those who believe and that He may take from your ranks martyrs. And Allah does not the wrongdoers." [Quran 3:140]

15. The Muslims are lacking in media. Due to the advances of modern technology, it is easy to spread news, information, articles and other information over the Internet. We strongly urge Muslim internet professionals to spread and disseminate news and information about the Jihad through e-mail lists, discussion groups and their own web-sites. If you fail to do this, and our site closes down before you have done this, we may hold you to account before Allah on the Day of Judgement. As long as you mention that the source of the article was Azzam Publications and do not change them, you do not need our express permission to take all the material from our site.

16. Since our Products section will be closing shortly, we would like to inform our visitors that we are making arrangements for our books, audio tapes, videos and CD's to be available from Maktabah Al-Ansar Bookshop, http://www.maktabah.net,, who have secure, online ordering via credit card. Please check with them about stock availability before ordering. They will also be selling our new books such as the new edition of Join the Caravan. Bookstore owners and wholesalers interested in distributing some of our books through their stores should contact Maktabah Al-Ansar directly.

17. Due to financial restrictions being placed on Muslims donating to assist fellow Muslims, under the guise of financing terror, we urge the intelligent Muslim bankers, businessmen and others to take the initiative and find out new ways to collect money and send it directly to any Muslims who need it anywhere in the World, e.g. Pakistan. One of the easiest, safest and most convenient way to transfer money is by using the 'Hawala' transfer system. One just has to ask around Muslim businessmen, travel agents and shopowners for details on this system.

18. In case our site is shut down again, please make a written and bookmarked note of the central MSANEWS News service where you should check for details of our new sites or postings.

19. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those Muslims and non-Muslims who have given us support throughout the years. If they wish to continue to support us, we only ask that they copy everything on our site and distribute as widely as they can, especially the stories from the Jihad Stories section, and the articles.

20. We ask Allah to give victory to those fighting for His Sake in the four corners of the Earth, to destroy their enemies and the hypocrites and to enable the Muslim Ummah to produce millions of martyrs as the price for victory in this Life and achieving Allah's Pleasure in the Next.

Your brothers at Azzam Publications
20 November 2001