- Standing with the people of Palestine is our religious obligation.
- Muslim scholars and preachers must work earnestly towards the unity of Muslims.
- Defending and liberating Al-Aqsa Mosque is a religious obligation upon all the Ummah.
- Palestine is primarily and ultimately an Islamic cause, and countering the aggression of the Jews is an Islamic Jihad.
Top of Form
“Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and will heal the hearts of a believing people.” (At-Tawbah: 14)
“Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought because they were wronged, and indeed Allah is competent to give them victory.” (Al-Hajj: 39)
In this critical stage for the Islamic Ummah, we are fighting and resisting for our survival. Our struggle against the Zionist entity and its allies in the East and West did not begin today but dates back when the world, both in the East and the West, conspired against us, planting the malicious cancer of “Israel” in Palestine, the land of Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Even though it’s clear for everyone who is the enemy, unfortunately, we find that our people in Palestine are the ones facing this enemy alone. The conflict has turned from an Arab-Zionist struggle to a Palestinian-Zionist one.
We have left the Palestinians all alone to confront the enemy's arsenal, supported by Washington. Instead, we have sought negotiations and compromises with the enemy. The reality confirms that since the “Oslo” Accords on September 13, 1993, Palestinians have not advanced a single step forward. Moreover, the Americans presented the so-called “Road Map” on April 30, 2003, aiming to dismantle the infrastructure of all Palestinian resistance factions and deweaponize them, leaving them powerless so they could have the opportunity to oppress the unarmed civilians.
Although this “Road Map” is unjust to the Palestinians, the Zionist entity has achieved nothing from it. Rather than supporting the resistance and enhancing its role in liberating the sacred Land of Palestine, we have been seeking efforts to normalize with this occupying entity!
Supporting the Palestinians is a religious duty on all Muslims. Allah, the Most High, says: “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy” (Al-Anfal: 60). The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Strive against the polytheists with your tongues, your lives, your wealth and your hands” (1). He also said: “The example of the believers in their affection, mercy, and compassion for each other is that of a body. When any limb aches, the whole body reacts with sleeplessness and fever” (2). Furthermore, he stated: “The Muslim is a brother to a Muslim. He does not wrong him, nor does he forsake him when he is in need. Whoever helps his brother, Allah will help him. Whoever relieves the distress of a Muslim, Allah will relieve his distress on the Day of Judgment, and whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Judgment” (3).
Undoubtedly, the duty of Muslims is to liberate the occupied Al-Aqsa Mosque, along with every inch of Muslim land under occupation, and restore it to its rightful Muslim owners, upholding the word of Allah within. Every Muslim bears this responsibility according to their capability and position.
Governments, scholars, and people must contribute to fulfilling this great obligation through all available means—politically, militarily, and through the media.
Muslim scholars and preachers must work earnestly to unify Muslims, both nations and governments, to achieve this religious obligation. No one is absolved from this duty, whether at the governmental, individual, group, or scholarly level, even if others neglect it.
It is essential to harness the energy and enthusiasm of new Muslim generations and employ their capabilities for the progress of their countries and the liberation of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
It is the scholars obligation to expose the Zionist enemy's plans to Judaize Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, reveal the crimes and massacres committed by the Jews against the Palestinian people, and inform the world of the Muslims' rightful claim to Jerusalem.
Additionally, scholars must call on Muslims today to rush to the aid of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the destination of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Al-Israa journey, as they witness the Zionist aggression in Gaza and see the acts of Jewish extremists in Al-Aqsa Mosque. They should defend it by all means possible after it has been desecrated by the occupiers. This is a religious responsibility, as “Al-Aqsa” is part of our religion, our creed, and our Quran. Allah says: “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (Al-Isra: 1)
The Jihad on the land of Palestine is the only hope and the correct response of the soldiers of Allah on the land of Jerusalem, which Allah blessed with its surroundings. Zionists will never submit or even listen to any negotiations except through such blessed jihad.
Defending and liberating Al-Aqsa Mosque and sacrificing for its sake is not a choice; rather, it is an obligation upon the entire Muslim Ummah, with all its factions.
Muslims, the people of Palestine today, are in desperate need of your help. It is narrated in a hadith reported by Lady Maimuna bint Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her) that she asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about making a visit to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem). The Prophet replied, “The land of the gathering and the resurrection. Visit it and pray there, for a prayer in it is like a thousand prayers elsewhere.” She then asked, “What if someone cannot bear to bring himself to it or cannot reach it?” He said, “Then he should send some oil to be used for its lamps, and his reward will be like the one who prayed in it.” (4)
The late scholar Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muslims feel a great deal of pain and regret over the deterioration of the Palestinian cause, from bad to worse, becoming more complex with each passing day. This is due to the disunity among neighboring countries and their failure to stand united against their common enemy. It is also due to their failure to adhere to the rule of Islam, only through which Allah has promised victory and empowerment over the land. This poses a great danger and ominous consequences if neighboring countries do not rush to reunite and adhere to the rule of Islam in this crucial matter, which concerns them and the entire Islamic world.
It is important to note that the Palestinian cause is fundamentally an Islamic issue. However, enemies of Islam have exerted immense efforts to detach it from the Islamic framework and convince Muslims, especially non-Arab Muslims, that it is solely an Arab issue with no relevance to them. While they have been somewhat successful in this endeavor, it is essential to realize that a solution to this issue can only be achieved by considering it an Islamic cause. Muslims must unite to save it and fight the Jews in an Islamic jihad. Only then can the land return to its rightful owners, the deviant Jews return to their original homelands, and only the indigenous Jews in the land can live under Islamic rule, not under communism or secularism. In this way, truth will triumph, falsehood will be defeated, and the people of the land will return to their homeland under Islamic rule, not any other form of governance. (5)
Sources
(1) Narrated by Abu Dawood (2504), and Ahmad (12268) with the wording for both, and An-Nasa'i (3096) with slight variations.
(2) Narrated by Al-Bukhari (6011) and Muslim (2586), and the wording is from Muslim.
(3) Narrated by Al-Bukhari (2442) and Muslim (2580) with slight variations.
(4) Al-Majmu' by An-Nawawi (8/278), Summary of the Ruling by the Hadith Scholar: Its chain is acceptable.
(5) A Collection Of Various Fatwas And Articles by Ibn Baz (1/277)
