A Khutba delivered in Sydney 11 June 2010 highlighting how it is in the nature of kufr to plot and plan and how the kuffar therefore will always plot and plan against Islam and the Muslims. The plots have at best left the Muslims numbed to their political reality and at worst have us seeking solutions that would be damningly from the "taghut" by the verse of Allah(swt) "Will they then seek judgement from the Taghut, when they have been told not to?"
Friday 11 June 2010
Sunday 11 April 2010
Sunday 7 March 2010
THE WAR AGAINST THE CALIPHATE
by Joe Shea
American Reporter Correspondent
Bradenton, Fla.
BRADENTON, Fla., Nov. 30, 2009 -- The President has already met with his top military and civilian defense advisors and has ordered a surge in U.S. troop deployment in Afghanistan, so what I have to say to him is too late to make much difference. After months of deliberation, another 30,000 troops are on their way to a nation that in the space of a decade has become a fractured pawn in the game that Islamic extremists play.
But the game has taken an important new turn that Americans, the President and his advisors appear not to recognize: Osama bin Laden is not trying to conquer Islamic countries, much of whose populations already regard him as the true spiritual leader of Islam.
Instead, he is building the Fifth Caliphate to consolidate all of Islam under his rule, independent of national borders and elected or hereditary rulers. As Caliph, he would be the Imam, a spiritual and governmental leader of all those who profess his faith.
What this means for the President is that his new troops, and those already there, are confronting a new enemy, and it is the most fearsome enemy of all, and one that many say never can be defeated: it is an idea.
Unlike territorial conquests, the aim of Osama is to achieve the conversion of all secular, fence-sitting or moderately committed Muslims to a newly invigorated Islam that adheres to the strictest interpretations of the Koran. It is the Islam of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and hundreds of similar organizations that have spread throughout the Islamic world since Al Qaeda's successful attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001.
As an idea, it requires military victories less than a rapidly evolving consensus in which ordinary Muslims adopt Osama as their leader and his form of Islam as their faith. With the conversion of enough people, what we American's once called "a shift in the wind" would occur.
National governments in the Middle East would lose what little legitimacy they have and the orders that count would come not from Damascus or Cairo or Riyadh but from the cliff dwellings of South Waziristan, where Osama bin Laden is reportedly hiding, from Qom and from Teheran, where the conversion to Osama's Islam is almost complete.
Thus, Sunni and Shia ayatollahs and Islamic extremists like Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would not lose their influence by virtue of their beliefs, which would be tolerated, and retain their powers of state, but would find themselves and their laws spiritually subordinate to whatever version of Sharia (Islamic law) that Osama declares. But those who resist, starting with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, the royal family of Jordan and the Saudi princes, will be ignored -at first - and, if they fail to convert, will be jailed or killed as the Fifth Caliphate rises.
The four caliphates that preceded Osama's all fell victim to the divisions based on ego, greed and geography that are a natural result of the establishment of unbridled power. Osama bin Laden, by contrast, has no rival in Islam. His victories are secure.
The first signs of the Fifth Caliphate were nothing more than passing references to "the Caliphate" that largely went unnoticed when they appeared on a very few Islamic fundamentalist Websites. And while those mentions were a dramatic signal to the West, the Fifth Caliphate awaits yet another victory on the battlefield to truly be born.
What Osama bin Laden will do is probably unlike anything any strategist of war has ever done before. Once our 100,000 U.S. and allied troops are positioned in Afghanistan, he will attempt to use his spiritual authority as Imam of the Fifth Caliphate to turn all those millions already converted to his brand of Islam against them, all at once. In that process, he may even be anointed the "Mahdi," the last successor of the Prophet.
One day it will seem we are in a country where most people welcome us and the recognized government holds sway almost everywhere. A day later we will be in a country where no one but elected officials will dare offer support, where newly appointed councils of those faithful to the Caliphate asset their authority over any government's, and where every true Muslim is expected to take part in jihad against us. At that point we have moved from a lace of relative honor to a very large trap that closes in on us with every passing day.
There are no troops or armies powerful enough to resist an idea. You cannot incinerate its leadership, which is everywhere in the Middle East. You cannot burn its books or publish its secrets or defy its leaders, because there is consensus and wide distribution and no substantial divisions like those that toppled the first four caliphates. Like the Middle East now faces the unified economic power of the European Economic Community, the West will face the unified power of the Fifth Caliphate.
I'd like to direct these next remarks to President Obama. Mr. President, the battle between Islam and the West is one that is historically engendered and cannot be avoided. What can occur is a negotiated peace.
While virtually everyone will tell you that it is far too early to start negotiations with some "imagined" entity called the Fifth Caliphate, your goals as a military leader should be formed in recognition of the historical absurdity of a divided Islam and the very probable unification of that faith under a single charismatic leader.
Granted, it is hard to fight something you cannot see and don't truly believe exists. But if the Great Reversal - the huge trap - that Osama has planned occurs, that fantastical improbability will instantly be fact. Under those circumstances, with an entire population against us, it may not even be possible to retreat.
It is odious to most Americans that a long protracted war must be fought to ensure a civilian democracy in Afghanistan and solidify the same in Iraq and Pakistan. And it is odious to us, too, that the likelihood of extremism's eventual triumph demands our continued presence and the grievous loss of American life. We are a people of strong will, and we will not stand to see ourselves broken by a stronger one.
Those competing forces of emotion and ideology demand a new compromise with Islam itself. Before a very great bloodletting that is soon to come is attributable to Americans, we will be wise to place ourselves not at the center but at the very boundary of the War against the Caliphate. We must weigh for ourselves, in our own conscience as Americans, the wisdom of supporting demonstrably corrupt, non-democratic governments against a Caliphate formed on the basis of Islamic tenets that are even more durably opposed to corruption and unsavory leadership than are Judeo-Christian principles, with their tolerance of and compassion for sinners and sin alike.
We have nothing to fear from an honest government of any character; it is the leadership of those who betray their stated principles that we should fear most. We can take responsibility for the many deals that empowered the corrupt and impoverished the weak in nations throughout the Middle East, and the many unreasonable steps we have taken to ensure that cling to power. We can withdraw from a conflict in which a relentless inevitability gains momentum as we fight against the invisible army of an idea.
Absent such recognitions, our inevitable pursuit of defeat and withdrawal awaits us. Who are we fighting? Where are we fighting? What are we fighting? Is it the day-to-day depredations of the religious enemy? are we engaged in a war that can be won with the seizure of any land or territory? Or are we fighting an idea whose time has come in satisfaction of a demand for revenge that has already been exacted in hundreds of thousands of innocent lives? That motive is beneath us.
We are fighting now in Afghanistan for the world's largest heroin dealer, and to the degree we fight in Pakistan, we do so for one of the world's most corrupt governments. We are withdrawing from Iraq at a time when the forces we fought there have reconsolidated and are again mounting their deadly attacks on soldiers and civilians, even as the government we formed considers new ways to delay and destroy the establishment of a free and open democracy. We cannot dictate the future of the Middle East, or shape our policies solely to ensure the survival of one nation or the supply of one resource. We must resolve those problems and move forward.
Our future must lie in commerce with a world at peace. That is where the jobs are, where progress lies, where innovation and technology can truly make a difference. Let us fight for that, and not for evil governments. Thank you for listening, sir. I am proud to have voted for you.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
The Khilafah's Achievements
The 3rd March 2010 marks 86 years since the formal abolition of the Khilafah. The Muslim world ever since has been divided into a number of different nations, with their own flag, national identity, ruler and their own borders. Whilst the end of the Khilafah has much to do with the weakness that overcame the Ummah in understanding Islam, the Western colonialist nations played a big role in the destruction of the Khilafah.
It was Britain, Russia and France who worked to conquer the Islamic territories and today continue with their efforts to ensure the revival of the Ummah is crippled whenever any sign of resurgence surfaces. The aim of the colonialist nations through this is to ensure that any trend for reunification would have to be monumental if it is to succeed. David Fromkin, Professor and expert on Economic History at the University of Chicago confirmed this:
"Massive amounts of the wealth of the old Ottoman Empire were now claimed by the victors. But one must remember that the Islamic empire had tried for centuries to conquer Christian Europe and the power brokers deciding the fate of those defeated people were naturally determined that these countries should never be able to organize and threaten Western interests again. With centuries of mercantilist experience, Britain and France created small, unstable states whose rulers needed their support to stay in power. The development and trade of these states were controlled and they were meant never again to be a threat to the West. These external powers then made contracts with their puppets to buy Arab resources cheaply, making the feudal elite enormously wealthy while leaving most citizens in poverty."
It should be remembered that the West originally launched their onslaught against the Ummah through a number of crusades beginning in 1095. The West understood then as it does now the power of Islam when it is embraced by people. Islam's track record is unparalleled under the Khilafah, whilst there are many developments that can be listed, what follows are 5 such developments.
Defeating the Byzantines
Mu'awiyah bin Sufyaan was the first of the Ummayad rulers and enacted a policy of continuous expansion, which brought Northwest Africa (Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), Spain, western India and portions of Central Asia under Islamic authority. Mu'awiyah is famous for enacting the policy for the development of the military of the Islamic state. This included a powerful navy and the creation of military bases. Mu'awiya had realised that the decisive battle against the than superpower the Byzantines would be at sea. Mu'awiyah's policies resulted in the creation of dockyards in Acre in Syria and also in Eastern Egypt which was in Muslim control by 641. By 649 the construction of 1000 fleet was complete. This policy also resulted in ship building factories being constructed at important ports such as Abla and Sirafin in the Persian Gulf, Tunis on the North African Coast, Sus in Morocco then after further victories facilities developed in Palermo and Messina in Sicily and Bari in Italy. Within a hundred years these ports also served as commercial centres for Trade which facilitated the Islamic states riches
Prior to Mu'awiyah all the Khilafah's victories were with states landlocked with the Muslims, the Arabian peninsula, Western India, Persia, Iraq and central Asia, none of them ever warranted sea battles. The Ummah used camels and horses for strategic mobility across the dessert. The strategy being to move along the dessert coast and then retreat if the enemy was too strong. This severely hindered the Byzantine forces, who were a sea power, it however restricted Islamic expansion. Mu'awiyah however realised that the Byzantines would need to be defeated at sea to cause them any major blow.
Mu'awiyah also realised the need for military bases and this was incorporated into his expansion policy. The first attempt at Egypt failed due to the then supply line being overstretched - the Fustat military base was 1500 miles away. Other bases such as Kufa and Basra were even further. In 670 the first full military base composed of garrisons, horses, camels, artillery, blades, swords and gunpowder was made in Qairawan (modern Tunisia) like all the other bases it developed into a famous city. Once Egypt was conquered a base was also set up there by the conquered Berbers themselves which matched the base set up Qairawan. This resulted in metalworking reaching a high standard, and the use and development of glassware and ceramics.
As a result of Mu'awiya's Economic and military policies and with a supply line supported by two huge military bases and a powerful navy the Berber turned Muslim Tariq ibn Ziyad in 711, from around Tangier (modern day Morocco), with an army of around seven thousand three hundred men crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and began the conquest of Spain and thereafter Europe.
Baghdad
When the Abbasids took over the Khilafah, they began a project of creating a capital city that would be revered around the world. The Abbasid caliph, Al Mansur assembled engineers, surveyors and art constructionists from around the world to come together and draw up plans for the city. Over 100,000 construction workers came to survey the plans and were distributed salaries to start the building of the grand city.
Baghdad was the first circular city in the world. Within fifty years the population outgrew the city walls as people thronged to the capital to become part of the Abbasids' Civil service and engage in trade. Baghdad became a vast emporium of trade linking Asia and the Mediterranean. By the reign of Mansur's grandson, Harun ar Rashid (786-806), Baghdad was second in size only to Constantinople. European towns, cities and settlements built walls to prevent raids from outlaws and armies but were typically vulnerable at four points; the corners. If enough pressure was applied at any of these points the wall would collapse and troops could flood through the breach. The Muslims solved this problem by building circular cities.
After the defences of the city were complete attention turned to how the Abbasids would feed the rest of the Ummah. The development of Agriculture under the Abbasids was a phenomenon; the scarcity of water had converted the barren Arab lands into a vast desert, which had never yielded any substantial agricultural produce. The scattered population always imported supply of food grains to supplement the dates and the little corn grown in their own lands. Agriculture in Arabia, had been very primitive and was confined to those tracts where water was available in the form of springs. Medina, with its springs and wells was the only green spot in the vast desert. The Abbasids dealt with this by first controlling the flows of the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. The Irrigation system in the land was greatly improved by digging a number of new canals, the largest flowed between the Tigris and Euphrates. This canal was called Nahr Isa (Isa canal) and was open to ships for transportation between Syria & Iraq. This led to navigation routes opening to India and Persian Gulf. The Abbasids reconstructed the existing canals, lakes, and reservoirs, which were first built under Hajjaj Bin Yusuf in 702. After this the swamps around Baghdad were drained, freeing the city of malaria.
House of Wisdom - Bayt al-Hikma
The Abbasids in the 8th initiated probably the greatest translation project translating the work of the Ancient Greeks into Arabic to preserve them from being lost forever. The careful and painstaking archive work took time, effort and co-ordination. An institute named Al-Bait ul-Hikmah was set up and run by the Abbasid Khilafah in Baghdad for this purpose.
At the behest of the Caliph an observatory was built and numerous educational institutes which made literacy widespread were created. Other rulers such as Al-Mansur ordered plentiful resources to achieve the task. Translation became a state industry and the Muslim scholars succeeded in what is still regarded today as a truly incredible feat.
Observatories were set up in Baghdad and become an unrivalled center for the study of humanities and for sciences, including mathematics, astronomy, medicine, chemistry, zoology and geography. The scholars, scientists and specialists draw upon the translated works of previous civilizations such as the Persian and Greek works that included those of Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. Such works were accumulated and Baghdad become home to a great collection of world knowledge.
Uthmani Khilafah
The Uthmani's came to eclipse all of the rival amirs and sultans across the Islamic lands and then were able to menace the whole of Europe, to the extent that the Kuffar were convinced that the Uthmani's could not be defeated. A number of polices enacted by the Uthmani's cemented their position in global politics at the time.
The Uthmani's were one of the many bands of Turkmen horsemen who began to come into the Islamic lands as a result of the Mongol invasions in the 13th century. These Turkmen warriors, who had converted to Islam, were sent to the frontiers of the state by the Seljuks, who themselves were of Turkish origin. This was because they had excellent fighting skills and zeal, which the Seljuks wanted them to apply along the frontier with the Byzantines. The House of Uthman proved to be one of the most successful of these bands, taking many towns and villages from the control of the Byzantines, they then unified the other ghazis, or mujahideen, under their banner.
In 1432, Murad II (the 5th Sultan) introduced the devshirme or boy-tribute system which was an elite force of soldiers loyal only to the Sultan. According to this system, a tribute officer would set out across the Balkans and Greece, and from the villages a number of young boys, usually less than a handful from each village, would be taken for training. These were trained physically and put through an education system that would enable them to proceed into the state's administrative system. Those who showed good intellectual aptitude would proceed on this track, while those who were not considered suitable for administrative tasks would be drafted into the janissaries, or other positions serving the Sultan, There were huge benefits to such a system Firstly, the Uthmani's could constantly guarantee that the only basis for people to obtain posts in the Khilafah was the personal qualities that shone through under examination; they were literally the best of the best. Alongside that, the administrative system was only open to people via this system hence they had no ties with families within the Khilafah, hence it could be assured that any official, no matter what post he reached, would not be able to pass on all that he had earned, or try and get his son into power after him. This had the effect of not allowing the power to be cemented in the hands of anyone other than the Sultan. The importance of this system cannot be underestimated, from the time of Muhammad al Fatih in the 1450s, the 34 of the next 36 leaders, were converts to Islam, who had come through this system.
The Uthmani's also developed the janissaries, who were a standing infantry that would only admit into its ranks captured non-Muslims. These troops would be trained and then, after converting to Islam, they would be fully enrolled into the janissary order. The source for these troops was the captured nobles of the people the Othmani's had defeated. For centuries onwards from this time, they were the only standing army in Europe, a professional corps of fighters always prepared and ready for battle. The upkeep for the janissaries was paid for through revenues that the empire was constantly collecting. This meant that the Uthmani's would always have the advantage of being able to immediately deploy their forces, at no extra cost.
In contrast, the feudal states of Europe would have to impose hefty taxes on their peasant populations in order to generate the needed funds. The benefit of the standing army was that it acted to cement the power of the state's legitimate authority. Europeans, their Kings, Dukes or other potentates would have to rely on their nobles to provide troops. If this would not be sufficient, they would have to hire foreign forces, or enter into pacts, treaties and other political agreements that could all in them selves lead to more of a threat than the menace of the Uthmani army itself. The Sultan could count on the fact that the janissaries had no loyalty to any one other than him. So the Khaleefah had no rivals or other centres of power to placate, because his authority in the Khilafah was absolute. This led to continued political stability in the Khilafah and gave the Khaleefah the ability to engage in long term plans to expand power. The success of such polices resulted in the conquering of Southern Italy, Hungary, Austria, Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Malta, Cyprus, Croatia, Ukraine, the Canary Islands, parts of Iceland and the largest island of the Bristol waters in England - Lundy.
Such was the perceived threat of the Uthmani Khilafah under the reign of Suleiman al Qanooni that ambassador Busbecq of the Austrian monarch Ferdinand I warned of Europe's imminent conquest: "On [the Turks'] side are the resources of a mighty empire, strength unimpaired, habituation to victory, endurance of toil, unity, discipline, frugality and watchfulness... Can we doubt what the result will be?...When the Turks have settled with Persia, they will fly at our throats supported by the might of the whole East; how unprepared we are I dare not say." (Lewis, Bernard (2002). What Went Wrong? : Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response)
Uthmani-US Relations
In 1783 the first US navy boat started to sail in international waters and within two years was captured by the Uthmani navy near Algeria. In 1793 12 more US navy boats were captured. In March 1794 the US Congress authorized President Washington to spend up to 700 000 gold coins to build strong steel boats that would resist the Uthmani navy. Just a year later the US signed the Barbary Treaty to resolve the Uthmani threat. Barbary, was the term for the North African wilaya's of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, under the rule of the Uthmani's
The terms of the treaty were:
- The treaty will cost the US a one off payment of $992,463
- The American ships captured would be returned and the American Navy was to be given permission to sail in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
- In return, the American government would pay $642 000 in equivalent gold.
- The US would also pay an annual tax (tribute) of $12 000 in gold. The annual tribute would be calculated according to the Islamic calendar and not the Christian calendar
- $585,000 would be paid for the ransom of the captured American sailors
- A state of the art steel ship would be constructed and delivered to the Uthmani's, built in the US with all costs borne by the US in return for privileges. (The costs of masts, Yards, and heavy planks, were very costly and so difficult to procure, and then so exceedingly expensive to transport. Once delivered the US had actually paid thirty times their estimated price in the stipulations).
The treaty was written in Turkish and signed by President Washington, This is the only American legal document to ever have been concluded in a foreign language and the only treaty the Americans have ever signed that agrees to pay annual tax to another nation. This treaty continued until the Khilafah was abolished.
Conclusions
When the Khilafah was present and it applied Islam it was the world's unrivalled power. This fact is not forgotten by the West and it remains a potent force which the world's intelligence agencies spend day and night hypothesizing about. As a result of this various surveys, think tank reports and policy makers have all accepted that Muslims globally have rejected western values. A Gallup survey in 2006 concluded Muslim women tended to regard Western culture as morally corrupt and obsessed with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. This represents a glaring failure on the part of the West who has faced no challenge to its global supremacy since the fall of Communism.
On the 86th Anniversary of the destruction of the Khilafah, the Ummah globally should realise that the West has pulled out all its resources to halt the call for the Khilafah and the winds of change that have galvanized the Ummah. The Ummah needs to realise whilst the Western colonialists led by the US bleed to death due to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Ummah is actually in a position of strength. The attack on both of these nations is due in part to the failure of the Muslims rulers to stop the Islamisation of their countries.
All that remains now is for the Muslim armies to realise the Ummah is ready for change and for them to make this change a reality. The Muslims armies should remember that Sa'ad ibn Muadh رضي الله عنه gave the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم the necessary military and political support (nusra) as one of the chiefs of the key tribes of Madina. His support played a vital role in establishing Islam as a way of life. On his death the throne of Allah سبحانه وتعالى moved, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى truly elevated his status.
When Sa'ad ibn Muadh رضي الله عنه died, Jibreel عليه السلام came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and said: "Who was this good soul who died? The gates of the heavens were opened for him and the throne of Allah moved." (Ahmed).
When his body was carried after the Janazah the Muslims carrying the body said, "We have not carried a dead body lighter than this." The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied to them: "Nothing made his body lighter, but it was such and such number of angels (many angles) who descended and carried him along with you. Those angels had never before descended." (Narrated in Tabaqat ibn Sa'ad).
Bukhari narrates on the authority of Jabir رضي الله عنه who said: "I heard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم say: ‘the heavens trembled at the death of Sa'ad bin Muadh.'"
Saturday 13 February 2010
Air Force of the Uthmani Khilafah
Just six years after the Wright Brother’s first successful powered flight in Ohio, the Islamic State (Uthmani Khilafah) became one of the first nations in the world to start a military aviation program. Impressive as it may seem that Muslims quickly adopted this technology, the precedence to acquire new techniques and technologies for the protection of the Islamic State and its expansion was shown by the Prophet (saaw) himself.
In his Tarikh (History), At-Tabari reports that the Prophet (saaww) had sent two of his companions, ‘Urwah Ibn Mas’ud and Ghitan ibn Salmah, to the city of Jarash in Syria to learn the techniques of manufacturing Dababas (tank like weapons), Manjaniq (catapult) and Dhabur (similar to tanks). These were weapons used by the Romans of the time.
The Seerah of the Prophet (PBUH) offers many more examples such as the use of Persian style trenches in the battle of Khandaq and the expedition sent to Yemen to learn the art of making and using catapults. The Islamic State followed this Sunnah of the Prophet (saaw) even when it was leading the world in technology. When the technologies of powered flight and weapons for aerial attack were developed, the Islamic State wasted no time in acquiring these technologies for its own use.
The history of aviation is no different from the history of other sciences and technologies in that the development of aviation lies in a long, rich history where small advancements took place over many millennia, and development didn’t just happen in the few years prior to the first powered flight. Many ancient civilizations produced projectile weapons, flying devices, and designs for human flight – many impractical but some practical. Some examples include the tale of the mechanical pigeon of Archytas from ancient Greece, the sky lantern (hot air balloon lanterns) from China, and the first rocket weapons which the Chinese used against the Mongols. It has been reported by the 11th century Hijri historian Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari that in the 3rd century Hijri, Abbas ibn Firnas was the first to achieve winged flight by gliding using a winged contraption of his own design.
The modern era of aviation was ushered in with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Many great advancements in powered flight occurred in the 1800s in Europe resulting in successful, powered flights. Building on the works of their predecessors and contemporaries, the Wright Brother’s solved the problems of power and control and made their historic flight in 1903. Very soon afterwards, England, France, US, Germany, Russia, and Italy, started their military aviation programs, and the Islamic State joined them with an aviation program of its own (Osmanlı Hava Kuvvetleri).
Military attaches from the Islamic State staying in European capitals studied the development of military air craft in Europe, and very soon in 1909 military officials of the Uthmani Khilafah invited French aviators to Istanbul to perform demonstrations. The Belgian pilot Baron de Catters came to Istanbul and performed an exhibition flight with his Voisin biplane upon the invitation of the Minister of War Mahmut Şevket Paşa. As a direct consequence of this demonstration, awareness and interest in military aviation was greatly increased in the Islamic State. Officials sent a delegation to the International Aviation Conference in Paris. In 1910 Muslims candidates were sent to Europe to be trained as pilots, however financial issues within the state caused this plan to be postponed. Nonetheless a few pilots were still trained in flight schools in Paris and gained their flight certificates.
The Military officials in the Uthmani Khilafah were keenly aware of the arms race brewing amongst the nations of Europe to strengthen air forces and the importance that these air forces would have on the future of warfare. In order not be caught off guard or left behind, the Minister of War Mahmut Şevket Paşa appointed Lieutenant Colonel Süreyya Bey in 1911 to procure balloons, to head the construction of aviation facilities, and to organize the training of pilots. Under the Scientific Research Unit of the Ministry of War, the Aviation Commission was established. In addition to the task assigned to it by Mahmut Şevket Paşa, this commission also engaged in intelligence and strategic information gathering. Studies were done not only on aircraft but also on anti-aircraft weaponry. This proved to be most useful in the war to come with Italy.
In his Tarikh (History), At-Tabari reports that the Prophet (saaww) had sent two of his companions, ‘Urwah Ibn Mas’ud and Ghitan ibn Salmah, to the city of Jarash in Syria to learn the techniques of manufacturing Dababas (tank like weapons), Manjaniq (catapult) and Dhabur (similar to tanks). These were weapons used by the Romans of the time.
The Seerah of the Prophet (PBUH) offers many more examples such as the use of Persian style trenches in the battle of Khandaq and the expedition sent to Yemen to learn the art of making and using catapults. The Islamic State followed this Sunnah of the Prophet (saaw) even when it was leading the world in technology. When the technologies of powered flight and weapons for aerial attack were developed, the Islamic State wasted no time in acquiring these technologies for its own use.
The history of aviation is no different from the history of other sciences and technologies in that the development of aviation lies in a long, rich history where small advancements took place over many millennia, and development didn’t just happen in the few years prior to the first powered flight. Many ancient civilizations produced projectile weapons, flying devices, and designs for human flight – many impractical but some practical. Some examples include the tale of the mechanical pigeon of Archytas from ancient Greece, the sky lantern (hot air balloon lanterns) from China, and the first rocket weapons which the Chinese used against the Mongols. It has been reported by the 11th century Hijri historian Ahmed Mohammed al-Maqqari that in the 3rd century Hijri, Abbas ibn Firnas was the first to achieve winged flight by gliding using a winged contraption of his own design.
The modern era of aviation was ushered in with the advent of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Many great advancements in powered flight occurred in the 1800s in Europe resulting in successful, powered flights. Building on the works of their predecessors and contemporaries, the Wright Brother’s solved the problems of power and control and made their historic flight in 1903. Very soon afterwards, England, France, US, Germany, Russia, and Italy, started their military aviation programs, and the Islamic State joined them with an aviation program of its own (Osmanlı Hava Kuvvetleri).
Military attaches from the Islamic State staying in European capitals studied the development of military air craft in Europe, and very soon in 1909 military officials of the Uthmani Khilafah invited French aviators to Istanbul to perform demonstrations. The Belgian pilot Baron de Catters came to Istanbul and performed an exhibition flight with his Voisin biplane upon the invitation of the Minister of War Mahmut Şevket Paşa. As a direct consequence of this demonstration, awareness and interest in military aviation was greatly increased in the Islamic State. Officials sent a delegation to the International Aviation Conference in Paris. In 1910 Muslims candidates were sent to Europe to be trained as pilots, however financial issues within the state caused this plan to be postponed. Nonetheless a few pilots were still trained in flight schools in Paris and gained their flight certificates.
The Military officials in the Uthmani Khilafah were keenly aware of the arms race brewing amongst the nations of Europe to strengthen air forces and the importance that these air forces would have on the future of warfare. In order not be caught off guard or left behind, the Minister of War Mahmut Şevket Paşa appointed Lieutenant Colonel Süreyya Bey in 1911 to procure balloons, to head the construction of aviation facilities, and to organize the training of pilots. Under the Scientific Research Unit of the Ministry of War, the Aviation Commission was established. In addition to the task assigned to it by Mahmut Şevket Paşa, this commission also engaged in intelligence and strategic information gathering. Studies were done not only on aircraft but also on anti-aircraft weaponry. This proved to be most useful in the war to come with Italy.
In 1911, Italy invaded part of the Islamic State in what is now modern day Libya. The fledgling air force of the Uthmani Khilafah was not yet ready to employ military air craft. Attempts to purchase air craft from France and send them via-Algeria to the battlefield were not able to be materialized. With an air force of 28 aircrafts and 4 balloons, Italy became the first nation in history to employ an air force in war. With its development in anti-aircraft weaponry, the Islamic State then became the first nation in history to employ anti-aircraft weaponry in war. The Muslim army successfully downed balloons and other military aircraft from Italy and even captured some planes.
In 1912, the first military pilots of the Islamic State, Captain Fesa Bey and Lieutenant Yusuf Kenan Bey completed their training in France and returned home. They were given 2 of the 15 airplanes bought through public funding. On April 27, 1912 Fesa Bey and Yusuf Kenan Bey flew over Istanbul becoming the first Muslim pilots to fly the first Muslim air craft over Muslim lands. Shortly afterwards in July of 1912, a Flight Training School was opened in Yeşilköy, a suburb of Istanbul, so that the Islamic State could train its own pilots. This marked an important step for the Islamic State from dependence on foreign countries. Quickly the number of pilots increased to 18 and the number of aircraft to 17. This was soon put to the test when the semi-autonomous regions in the Balkans rebelled against the Uthmani Khilafah and declared war against the Islamic State. The air force did not play a critical role in the initial stage of this conflict, but in the second phase of the war, 9 fighter aircraft and 4 training aircraft performed an important function.
To demonstrate the prowess of its air force and to create enthusiasm in the citizens of the state, military officials of the Uthmani Khilafah organized several long distance flights. This also improved the capabilities of the air force in performing long flights and bringing protection to the vastness of the whole state. The first long distance flight was flown from Edirne to Istanbul and took over 3 hours. On November 30, 1913, Belkıs Şevket Hanım became the first Muslim woman to fly. In response to applause given to French pilots who flew from Paris to Cairo, the state organized an expedition in 1914 to cover a distance of nearly 1500 miles from Istanbul to Alexandria. Due to the dangers of aviation in these early stages of the technology, two of these expeditions resulted in crashes, but the third one succeeded.
When the Uthmani Khilafah was drawn into World War I, it had only 7 aircraft and 10 pilots. With the determination and the diligence of its ministers and the help of its new ally in Germany, the air force grew to 46 pilots, 59 observers, 3 observation balloons, 92 aircrafts (including 14 seaplanes), and a backup of 13 pilot and 22 observer trainees and 21 training aircraft. As the war progressed, the Muslims even attempted to increase these numbers by capturing British aircraft. During the course of the war, a total of 450 aircrafts were used, flown by 100 Turkish and 150 German pilots. The air force is but one testament as to how relevant and aware the Islamic State remained even at the very end of its days.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
NOAM CHOMSKY: “Gaza: One Year Later”
On December 27, 2008, Israel began one of the bloodiest attacks on Gaza Since 1948. The three week assault killed some 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis. One year later, little to no rebuilding has taken place and the siege in Gaza continues.
Speaking in Watertown, Massachusetts on December 6, 2009, linguist and social critic Noam Chomsky delivered a talk entitled “Gaza: One Year Later.”
Video can be viewed here
Friday 8 January 2010
Authorities in the West can plant bombs – but the Muslims are still the Terrorists
Sydney, January 2010 - News reports of Slovakian authorities concealing explosives in an unsuspecting traveller’s luggage may have escaped coverage in many media outlets[1]. Even worse is that many may not take this incident as hard evidence that authorities in the West “can and do” engage in such bomb planting activities. Now, an entire series of bombings sensationalised by the global media must be put under the spotlight – the shoe bomber, the Madrid blasts, the London bombings, the Bali bombings, Mumbai attacks, a whole series of bombings in Pakistan and other similar Muslim countries and indeed the 9/11 event itself! Is it not at all possible, after seeing the Slovakian incident, that these incidents did not have the involvement of authorities in the West?
The follow up question of course is, “will the authorities in the West do it other than for the purposes of a security exercise?” And this is where the issue of “motive” and the ever important yet often dismissed question in political analysis of “who stands to benefit most?” arise. The debate now shifts, and it must, to the wider observation of the world’s geopolitical status quo – shrinking domestic Western markets, ageing Western puppets in Muslims’ lands, resurgence of Islam as an ideology, other emerging competing interests to the West such as China, Russia, Iran, Latin America. The chopper on the blame-block though, falls almost without fail on a Muslim head – a resurgent Islamic State discarding the West’s ageing puppets becomes a plausible ‘motive’ for Western powers! Therefore to survive the resurgence and a diametrically challenging New World Order the West finds itself compelled to express its hegemony ‘by any means possible’- and that’s where the ‘benefit’ factor lies. That is the world’s status-quo with opportunists on both sides of the camp – the so-called terrorists who have their cause and justification for their ruins and the opportunist West who pry on and perhaps even perpetuate these violent escalations to further their political influence and hegemony in lands beyond their own borders. This is a big call to make, but events in history, particularly of USA, reveal compelling evidences about Western opportunism and perpetuation.
For example there’s the issue of the USS Maine which has been under investigations for decades or perhaps a century, raising doubts about the cause of the explosion that sank it. Yet at the time of the incident, the US took that opportunity to blame the Spaniards and launched a full scale attack against them until they were ousted from Latin America[2]. Hegemony? Well it did mark the beginning of USA’s new foreign policy away from isolationism and toward a more active role in international affairs, a trend which has continued through the twentieth century.
The resonance of that questionable February 1898 blast in the shores of Havana was heard many a times throughout Latin America in the century that followed.
There’s the matter of Luis Posada Carilles who was a Cuban working as CIA agent whilst doubling as a Venezuelan intelligence commissioner. In the 1960s Carilles was a second lieutenant in the US army. Today the governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua all want him to stand trial for multiple acts of terrorism including the bombing of Cuban flight 455 which was known as the deadliest act of terrorism in the Americas until the 9/11 event[3]. Perpetuation?
Any dismissal of these events as misjudgements of the past would be political naivety at best, particularly in the face of the David Coleman Headley case currently rocking India. In the aftermath of the 2009 Mumbai attacks, Indian officials reportedly raised questions about Mr. Headley’s links with US intelligence agencies and the Times of India reports that Indian officials suspect that the CIA knew about Headley’s link with the banned Pakistani militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, one year before the Mumbai attacks, but did not alert Indian agencies[4]. More perpetuation!
The case of Ari Ben Manache is another compelling “perpetuation” evidence where USA and Israel had been selling weapons to Iran via Australia, whilst imposing a global ban on arms trade with Iran, during the Iran vs Iraq wars of the 1980s. And the list, including the infiltration of the US Military recruited son of Somali warlord Mohammed Aideeb, is perhaps larger than the scope of this article.
As red alert hits many of the world’s airports following allegations that a Nigerian man suspected of ties to militants in Yemen tried to blow up a US passenger jet on Christmas Day, many a Muslim and non-Muslim are being caught up in the hysteria to generate more fear so that the bogus War on Terror is kept alive by the West and their allies. Yet less than a few dare ask “Could the West be involved itself to create the bombings and other acts of terror?” Certainly the facts, evidences, motives and benefit for the West are compelling enough to escalate such lines of questioning.
[1] See ABC News online, 7 Jan 2009
[2] See http://www.spanamwar.com/Mainemo1.htm and other related sources
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Hijrah, Nusrah, and the Ansar
The month of Muharram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar. As we enter this blessed month we should remind ourselves about the Hijrah and the actions that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم took to make the Hijrah. More specifically, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم sought Nusrah from powerful tribes, so that they would believe in Islam and support him. This support came from the Ansar (ra) who saw the immense opportunity in serving in the cause of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
During the Khilafah of Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) the Sahabah (ra) agreed to start the Islamic calendar in the year that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم made Hijrah (i.e. migration from Makkah) to Madinah and established the first Islamic State. According to the Seerah of ibn Hisham, he صلى الله عليه وسلم arrived in Madinah on the 12th of Rabi Al-Awwal. As we enter the blessed month of Muharram in the year 1431, we should remind ourselves of the Hijrah and its significance.
The Seerah of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم is dear to the hearts of all believers. It is part of our iman to love the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and therefore we joyfully analyze each detail of his blessed life. However, it is important that we do not stop there. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has made it fard (obligatory) to follow the Sunnah of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Therefore, when we look at the Seerah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم - and the Hijrah in particular - we should focus on what actions he undertook to achieve such a feat. As we know, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not do anything related to the Deen out of his own desires. Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَى
"Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed." [An-Najm, 53:3-4]
Consequently, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was guided by the Wahy (revelation) from Allah سبحانه وتعالى to undertake those actions necessary to make the Hijrah from dar-al kufr to dar-al Islam.
Hijrah: Its Relationship to Seeking Nusrah
The Seerah of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم is an integral part of the Sunnah, and is just as much a part of the revelation as is the Qur'an. More importantly, we are obligated to follow the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم - even in his method of Da'wah. As Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed in the following ayat:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"Say (O Muhammad): If you love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-Imran, 3:31]
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
"And whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you avoid it." [Al-Hashr, 59:7]
Consequently, when examining the amazing journey of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم, it is important to recognize that the Hijrah did not just happen by accident. Rather, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم undertook the action of seeking ‘Nusrah' (i.e. seeking the support of the people of power in society who would believe in Islam and transfer authority to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم). According to the Seerah, the Hijrah marks the transition from the phase in the Da'wah known as "Seeking the Nusrah" to the phase where Islam is implemented in the form of a state. The Hijrah of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم was a direct result of seeking, and subsequently receiving the Nusrah. As narrated in the following hadith, Allah سبحانه وتعالى ordered the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to seek Nusrah:
It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas (ra) in Ibn Hajar's Fath ul Bari, Tuhaft ul Ahwadhi & al Kalam as well as Hakim, Abu Nua'im and Baihaqi in Dala'il with sound narrations, Ibn Abbas quotes Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) who says:
"When Allah سبحانه وتعالى ordered the Prophet to approach the Arab tribes, I and Abu Bakr accompanied the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to Mina until the court of the Arab tribes."
Although the Muslims did enjoy safety in Madinah, it was not the main objective of the Hijrah. That is, the Hijrah to Madinah was not made to relieve the Muslims of persecution in Makkah, or to find them a safe haven. We see this clearly in fact that RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم was seeking much more than safety for himself and the Sahabah (ra) when he refused the conditional offer of support from the tribe of Bani Shaiban, who offered to protect the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from the Arabs but not the Persians. He replied to their offer by saying:
"Your reply is in no way bad, for you have spoken eloquently and truthfully. (But) God's religion can only be engaged in by those who encompass all sides." [Abu Nu'aym, Al-Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم continued to seek Nusrah despite the refusal of several tribes; he did not waver, nor despair or change his course. ‘Zaad al Ma'ad' reports from al-Waqidi said:
"The tribes known to us whom the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم approached and called them are Banu ‘Aamer ibn Sa'sa', Muharib ibn Hafsah, Fazarah, Ghassan, Murrah, Haneefah, Sulaym, ‘Abs, Banu Nadhar, Banu Bika', Kindah, Kalb, Harith ibn Ka'ab, ‘Udrah and the Hadhramis. None of them responded positively."
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم persisted in seeking Nusrah until Allah سبحانه وتعالى blessed His Deen with Nusrah from the Ansar. His persistence on seeking the Nusrah demonstrates that this action (of seeking Nusrah) is fard (obligatory) when seeking authority for Islam.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى Grants His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم the Support
When Mus'ab ibn Umair (ra) was sent to Madinah to spread the Message of Islam, it took him one year of tireless work in that city before its leaders journeyed to Makkah to transfer their authority over to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم by giving him the Ba'yah. This Ba'yah was called Bayat-ul Harb (Allegiance of War). Although there was no war, it was called Bayat-ul Harb because it indicated the willingness of the Muslims to fight, when necessary, to protect the Da'wah and the newly established Islamic State. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had invested four years of Da'wah, towards most of the tribes in Najd (the large area between Makkah and Madinah) before he received the Nusrah.
The Quraysh understood the political importance of Nusrah. They understood that once RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم was able to achieve the leadership in Madinah that he would challenge their dominance over the Arabs. Consequently, they became desperate and resorted to means that went completely against the laws of their tribal society: killing their own. As Allah سبحانه وتعالى has revealed:
وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ
"And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away." [Al-Anfaal, 8:30]
It is critical for us, the Muslims, to realize that this event not only marks the beginning of our calendar, but more importantly it commemorates the establishment of the nucleus of the first Islamic State. For hundreds of years to come this nucleus would spread Islam to the neighboring lands, liberating one oppressed people after another and bringing them the Justice of the Islamic system.
Madinah: First Place in Islam ruled by Allah's سبحانه وتعالى Law
Prior to the establishment of the first Islamic State, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Sahabah (ra) formed a political party that advocated change from a society that ruled by other than what Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed to a society that only ruled by what Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed. After the Hijrah, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was the one who implemented this divine law. By attaining this leadership, RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم established a societal structure where all matters would be referred back to Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم. No longer would humanity be held to the despotic rule of men. Rather, they would now enjoy the tranquility that can only be achieved from submitting the government and the courts to the Wahy (revelation) from Allah سبحانه وتعالى. In other words, Madinah was the first patch on earth to experience the Justice of Islam. It was here that the solutions by Allah سبحانه وتعالى to humanity's problems were first implemented, including those that relate to governing structures, social arrangements, and economic transactions.
Al-Ansar: Those Who gave Nusrah to RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم
When recalling this journey of RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم, it is also important to remember the Ansar (ra). It was these Sahabah (ra) who saw the immense opportunity to support the Deen of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. In the Glorious Quran, Allah سبحانه وتعالى has described the Ansar with qualities that every true believer aspires to attain. Allah سبحانه وتعالى was pleased with them and they were pleased with Him. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has revealed:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
"And the foremost to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansar (the people of Madinah who gave Nusrah to Islam) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success." [At-Tawba, 9:100]
In the saheeh hadith, it is narrated that we are obligated to love the Ansar:
"Love for the Ansar is a sign of faith and hatred for the Ansar is a sign of hypocrisy." [Bukhari & Muslim]
"None but the believer loves them, none but the hypocrite hates them. He who loved them loved Allah and he who hated them hated Allah." [Tirmidhi]
Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم loved the Ansar:
"The Prophet saw the women and children (of the Ansar) coming forward. (The sub-narrator said, "I think that Anas said, 'They were returning from a wedding party.'") The Prophet stood up and said three times, "By Allah! You are from the most beloved people to me." [Bukhari]
Where are the Ansar of Today?
A year ago, we watched the streets of Gaza flowing with the blood of this noble Ummah. Today, the oppression still continues even though the cameras have been turned off. We are once again in need of leadership of the likes of the Ansar who were willing to follow the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم even if he led them into the ocean. The condition of the Muslims today is similar to the condition of the Muslims prior to the Hijrah - the Muslims have no security and the enemies of Islam have the upper hand. Just as Sumayiah (ra) and other Muslims were brutally killed in Makkah, we are slaughtered in Gaza, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, and many other places. However, once RasulAllah صلى الله عليه وسلم got the Nusrah from the Ansar, he was able to provide sanctuary for the believers. Similarly, once the Ansar (i.e. the people of power and influence) of today rise up and see Islam as more important than their wealth, family, and lives - they, by the Will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, will provide protection to the Muslims from the war machines of the colonial powers.
The Muslims must work to convince these influential people to give Nusrah to Islam. We must convince the people of power and influence that attaining Jannah is more important than their military ranks and medals. We must make them aware that such things have no weight on the Day of Judgment - unless they were used for Allah's سبحانه وتعالى cause.
May Allah سبحانه وتعالى help us to work as the Sahabah (ra) did and invite the people of power and influence to Islam. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى guide the influential people amongst the Muslims. May Allah سبحانه وتعالى change our state of fear to one of security.
وَاذْكُرُواْ إِذْ أَنتُمْ قَلِيلٌ مُّسْتَضْعَفُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ تَخَافُونَ أَن يَتَخَطَّفَكُمُ النَّاسُ فَآوَاكُمْ وَأَيَّدَكُم بِنَصْرِهِ وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
"Call to mind how He gave you shelter when you were a few in number and were oppressed in the land, ever fearing lest the enemy would kidnap you. He made you strong with His help and provided you a safe asylum and gave you pure things for sustenance so that you may give thanks". [Al-Anfaal, 8:26]
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