Do we harm the mujahideen of Syria without realizing it?
Greetings
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Introduction
Dear beloved, this message is directed to everyone who wishes for their brothers and sisters in Syria goodness, dignity, and empowerment, and to stop the massacres and achieve victory over the criminals. For those whom Allah has not yet chosen to carry weapons and fight in defense of the oppressed, but who still want to contribute in their own way. In this message, we aim to highlight some mistakes that we might fall into, especially on the internet.
The Reality of Jihad in Sham
Dear beloved, we are joyous that Allah the Almighty has intended good for this Ummah, for the jihad in Syria has captured the hearts of the Ummah, and the biased media can no longer tarnish the words "jihad" and "mujahideen." Now, the common Muslims speak of it and take pride in it openly without fear.
However, the war against our brothers is fierce. Criminals from the East and the West conspire against them, and the hypocrites and traitors from our own people support the criminal regime secretly and openly, prevent weapons from reaching the mujahideen, control some fighting factions to buy their future loyalty, spread suspicious calls disguised in the garb of religion, tempt jihadi groups with various methods, and try to isolate the pure factions striving to establish the Sharia of the Most Merciful.
In the face of this fierce war, we have no excuse before Allah if we do not support our brothers, especially since this is a battle of the entire Ummah, not just theirs.
Unintentional Mistakes of Supporters
However, dear brothers, some of us, instead of supporting them, might be a burden on them, a dagger in their backs, a load on their shoulders, and they do not even feel it, but rather think they are doing good. This speech applies to some who defend their mujahideen brothers and to some who criticize them.
Bigotry and Division
Dear brother, from your position, you might contribute to the division and weakening of the mujahideen when you are biased towards a certain faction of the mujahideen, make your loyalty and allegiance to them, and diminish the efforts of other factions or suspect them. All of this contributes to inflaming the hearts, while the Most Merciful says: "And say to My servants that they should say that which is good. Indeed, Shaitan (Satan) sows discord among them. Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is to man a plain enemy." (Quran 17:53) How can this be at a time when the devils of mankind and jinn sow discord?
How can this be when our brothers are fighting an unequal battle, and they have nothing but the unity of the word and holding onto the rope of Allah together to defeat their enemy: "And do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength departs" (Quran 8:46).
Tarnishing the Image
From your position, dear brother, by pressing the buttons on your mobile, you might contribute to tarnishing the image of your brothers, which the forces of disbelief have failed to tarnish, and you think you are defending them. And beware lest the saying applies to you: "An intelligent enemy is better than an ignorant friend."
Have you heard a statement from Jabhat al-Nusra criticizing the Islamic Front, for example, or the Ansar al-Islam gathering, or other factions that declare their intention to establish an Islamic state and refer to the Sharia of the Most Merciful? Have you heard any statement from these fronts claiming that they alone are on the right path and that others are doubtful? Rather, what we have seen from them, especially their leaders, is balance, cooperation, and coordination among them in operations, for they are men whom the duty of jihad has raised, refined their manners, and stripped them of the desires of the self, as we consider them, and Allah is their Reckoner.
So, is it acceptable for you, dear brother, who supports any of these factions from afar, to belittle or doubt the other factions, while those you support have not done so, and they are more knowledgeable about the reality of these other factions and more aware of the benefits and harms of criticizing them?
I know that most of our supporting brothers are well-intentioned and restrained in their comments, but there are those who rush and exaggerate, and their rush and exaggeration may be because they feel guilty for not joining them, feeling weak and compensating for their weakness with excessive zeal in their support and responding to those who advise or criticize them.
The Role of Infiltrated Entities
We must not forget, dear brothers, that there are infiltrated entities and deliberate efforts on the internet networks dedicated to causing fitnah in the cloak of supporting one faction at the expense of another, and luring the supporters of other factions into reactions that inflame the hearts: "They seek to seduce you (into temptation: a wish to displease Allah), and if you (O Muhammad SAW) tolerate them (by not fighting in a holy war against them), and give them full rein and cease fighting them, then they will never stop fighting you till they turn you back from your religion (Islamic Monotheism) if they can" (Quran 9:12).
Dear brother, if you praise a mujahideen faction, you are counted among this faction in the eyes of people, and you may appear to them as if you are speaking on their behalf. If you use a repulsive style, you may turn people away from the faction you love, for few people differentiate between someone affiliated with a faction and your mujahideen brothers in the midst of battle.
While we press the buttons on our phones, they pull the trigger. Their time is more precious than for us to follow the mistakes of their supporters and correct them or disassociate from them, but these mistakes ultimately repel, affect, and sour.
Cutting the Lifeline
From your position, dear beloved, you might cause the lifeline to be cut off from your brothers. Do not forget that the pure factions have no material support in their war except from the pockets of loving individuals. Would you be pleased with yourself, dear brother, if you tarnish the image of any of them, which may deter these individuals, or make them think that their donations might reach those who misuse them, while they see harsh arguments or dangerous quick releases that are ultimately attributed to the mujahideen without their fault?
This speech is directed to those who say: "When the mujahideen finish fighting the regime, their next battle will be with the Free Syrian Army" in such a general way, while our mujahideen brothers in Syria know that the Free Syrian Army is a diverse spectrum, with the righteous and the wicked, and those who are hoped to perfect the truth or at least neutralize it.
This advice is also for those who speak in a tone that suggests that the mujahideen will be forced to subdue those who oppose them with weapons, while the leaders of the mujahideen are beloved to the people and say to them: "People of Sham, we ransom you with our souls." By what right, dear brother, do you release such dangerous statements from your position that frighten people about the future of jihad in Syria, while your brothers and their supporters have not made such a statement and will not incite them to make it? By what right, may Allah guide you, do you destroy what they build?
The Danger of Words
Dear brothers, the word in our days has a serious effect. Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter, let him say good or be silent. We say this to those who speak of what they do not know and say everything they hear. They are told: "What do you think of such and such faction?" He says: "I am not sure, but I heard that he seeks a civil state and does not want to apply the Sharia, and it seems that he is supported by Turkey, and perhaps I want to establish it to divert jihad from the project of the Caliphate." Glory be to Allah! This is a bad assumption out of caution, while the Lord of Honor says: "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicion is a sin. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful" (Quran 49:12). How can this be at this critical and difficult time? How when the Lord of Honor says: "And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not say) of which you have no knowledge (of the truth about it, of the Decree of Allah). Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allah)" (Quran 17:36).
Dealing with the Mistakes of Individuals and Factions
On the other hand, my brothers, the misconduct of some supporters of the mujahideen is not a justification for us to criticize the mujahideen themselves. We should not hold the mistakes of their supporters against them, for {And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another} (Quran 35:18). Even if behavioral mistakes occur from individuals of any jihadi faction, this is not a justification for criticizing the faction as a whole. It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, that he said: "The greatest slander is that of the poet who slanders an entire tribe." So what about those who generalize about a jihadi faction that defends the honor of people and sacrifices for the oppressed?
The lesson, my brothers, is in the declared literature and covenants and in the statements of the leaders. As for individuals, they are bound to make mistakes with weak communication with the leadership and the formation of these factions in emergency circumstances that did not prepare for long-term education in educational institutions. Great mistakes occurred during the Prophetic era, to the extent that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Usama: "Should I kill him after he said, 'There is no god but Allah'?" And he said: "O Allah, I disassociate myself from what Khalid has done." So do we expect infallibility from the youth who joined jihad after living for decades under the Nusayri regime?
A Call to the Critics
O brother, you who criticize a faction of the mujahideen from afar, by Allah, be sincere with yourself. Imagine that the leadership of this faction sent you a message saying: "Your criticisms have reached us, brother. We hope that you will migrate to Syria and help us correct the behavior of our individuals. You will have from us hearing and obedience as long as you base your arguments on the Qur'an and the Sunnah." And you will mention Allah and His Messenger, and there are leaders of factions who actually offer this to the students of knowledge. I ask you by Allah, will you accept and respond to the call? I leave the answer to you.
The Importance of Unity and Cooperation
All of this talk, my brothers, is about the factions that have declared a righteous purpose: defending the oppressed and establishing the religion of Allah on earth. These factions deserve our support, allegiance, and gentle advice. We are not talking about everyone who has taken up arms, for among them are those who indeed do wrong and it is necessary to exonerate jihad in Sham from them.
Then, dear beloved, we must acknowledge that no single jihadi faction can carry out the Islamic project in Syria and face the forces of disbelief and hypocrisy. Not Jabhat al-Nusra alone, nor the Syrian Islamic Front alone, nor the brigades signed on the covenant of Hizb al-Tahrir alone, nor the pure brigades in the Free Syrian Army alone.
If this reality is established in the hearts of the supporters of the factions, they will not use the language of possession in their speech, nor that there is no choice for the other factions but to rally under the banner of the faction they support. Rather, they will work at that time to unite the word, bring hearts together, and engage in calm and constructive dialogue, as long as the goal is a shared righteous one. They will work to reach the greatest degree of agreement and eliminate mistakes with objectivity and humility to the truth wherever it may be.
Prioritizing and the Art of Loyalty and Disavowal
It is time, my brothers, that we improve our prioritization and master the art of loyalty and disavowal, so that we can win over those who can be won over and distance ourselves from those who can be distanced. If our enemy wants to isolate the mujahideen from the body of the Ummah, then we are the ones who must isolate him and those who revolve in his orbit. It is more appropriate that he carries out his project in these difficult days, as Muslims are being slaughtered, honor is being violated, and the world is uniting to wage war against Islam in Syria.
This is not the appropriate time at all to burden any faction with the legacy of previous jihadi experiences, with their rights and wrongs, and to hold them accountable for justifying or defending them. This is not the appropriate time at all to exclude a faction for its stance on the news of individuals or some of its legal rulings, even if we disagree with it in them.
At such a time, it is necessary to support every Muslim to the extent possible, with what is evident of their submission to Allah and their effort to establish the Sharia of the Most Merciful, may He be exalted. We support those who have this great purpose and whose means are sound, and we succeed with those who have this purpose but are confused in their means. And we cooperate with those who share with us the short-term goal of defending the Muslims, even if they have not yet declared their project for after this stage. Rather, we leave a thread of connection with those who have stumbled in international projects, but they are still fighting alongside the mujahideen, hoping that goodness will return to their hearts in the coming days as the ranks become more distinct.
A Final Call
O you who love the mujahideen, if you are worthy of that, then support them. Otherwise, do not be an arrow in the quiver of the enemies of the Ummah while you are unaware. If you do not support them, do not fight them. If you do not care for them, do not speak ill of them. Enough for them what they are going through, by Allah, upon you. And if you leave speaking about Syria and improve yourself, you will be excused by Allah from stumbling and doing wrong. Either you support them with knowledge or persist in supplicating for them, for that is more excusable to Allah.
In conclusion, this is a call to the crowns of our heads, the hope of the Ummah, our mujahideen brothers who strive to establish the religion of justice and mercy in the lands of Sham. A call to them to unite and gather their word, and at that time, you will be the upper hand, and Allah is with you and will not leave your deeds.
O Allah, support Your servant mujahideen, and help us to support them, and protect us from a word that harms them, O Lord of the worlds. And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.