It is forbidden for us to even believe the slanders of the misleading media about our Muslim brothers... just believing! So how about believing that leads to supporting the barbaric military campaign?! Is this the Sunni method in dealing with news?
Peace be upon you and the mercy of God, dear brothers. This message is directed to every sensible Muslim, regardless of their ideological orientation. God commands justice, as He says: {And let not the enmity of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.} (Quran 5:8)
O you who believe the disbelievers and hypocrites in their accusations against your Muslim brothers, do you not know that believing their accusations is a sin, even if no action is taken based on it? Because it contradicts God's saying: {Why, when you heard it, did the believing men and believing women not think good of themselves and say, "This is an obvious falsehood}? (Quran 24:12) It is not permissible to believe the accusations of a disbeliever or hypocrite against your Muslim brother.
O sensible people of all orientations, how can you believe the official spokesperson of the Zionist army and the testimony of the Egyptian intelligence, which has treated Muslims with extreme malice? How can you believe their fabrications against your jihadi brothers in Sinai? How can you accept that the Egyptian army moves to kill dozens of Muslims, raid their homes, terrorize their families, and arrest many of them to interrogate and torture them without evidence or proof that they participated in the killing of the sixteen Egyptian soldiers?
It is astonishing that many people start from the point that there are "takfiri groups" that killed the soldiers, and then build upon that what the state should do. What is the evidence that it was Muslims who carried out the operation? The testimony of the Jews or the testimony of the Egyptian intelligence?
O Muslims, God says: {O you who have believed, if there comes to you a wicked person with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and then be regretful for what you have done.} (Quran 49:6) In our case, the one who brings the news is not only wicked but they are the Jews and then the Egyptian security apparatus known for their enmity towards everything Islamic. Should we not then investigate? Should we not obey God's command: {Why, when you heard it, did the believing men and believing women not think good of themselves and say, "This is an obvious falsehood}? (Quran 24:12) And His command: {And if, when they heard it, they had said, "We should not repeat this. Glory is to You, O Allah! This is a great slander." God admonishes you never to return to a thing like this again, O you who are believers.} (Quran 24:16-17)
Imam Bukhari included in his Sahih a chapter titled: "Chapter: The Testimony of Polytheists and Others Is Not Accepted," and under it, he said: "Al-Sha'bi said: The testimony of the people of different religions is not accepted against each other," due to God's saying: {And We have cast among them enmity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection.} (Quran 5:14) This refers to His saying: {And of those who say, "We are Christians," We took from them a covenant, but they have forgotten a portion of that by which they were reminded. So We caused among them enmity and hatred until the Day of Resurrection. And soon will Allah inform them of what they used to do.} (Quran 5:14)
Meaning that it is not permissible to accept the testimony of a disbeliever against a disbeliever; do not accept the testimony of a Jew against a Jew or a Christian against a Christian; because God has placed enmity and hatred between them, so they may bear false witness against each other. This is even if they are peaceful people of the covenant, so how can we accept the testimony of fighting disbelievers like the official spokesperson of the Jewish army, "Avihai Adrei"?
Ibn Hajar said in his explanation of this chapter: "This translation is tied to explaining the ruling on the testimony of disbelievers, and the early scholars differed on this into three opinions:
So there are three opinions, no fourth: to reject the testimony of the disbeliever absolutely, or to accept it except against Muslims, or to accept the testimony of a Christian against a Christian only and a Jew against a Jew only. No scholar has said to accept the testimony of a disbeliever against a Muslim, so how can we believe the disbelievers and hypocrites?
The mujahideen in Sinai have disassociated themselves from the operation in several of their statements, such as the statement of "The Consultative Council of Mujahideen in the Vicinity of Jerusalem," the joint statement issued by "Jund Allah Group in Palestine and the Call to Truth Foundation," and the statement titled "The Salafi-Jihadi Statement in Sinai Regarding the Aggressive Military Campaign on Sinai."
I urge you, O Muslims, to listen to this statement with objectivity, rationality, and justice, whatever your orientation may be. The tragedy is that some of those who defend the aggressive military campaign, when we discuss with them and say to them: "Have you read the statements of the jihadi groups?" They reply: "Do these people even issue statements?" Shame on you, by God, you defend the killing of your Muslim brothers because you believe the fabrications of their enemies against them, and you did not bother to listen to them directly! Is this the Islamic way of dealing with news?
The three statements all convey the same meaning. I will read to you the "Statement of the Salafist-Jihadist Group in Sinai," which was discussed by Dr. Wajdi Ghoneim - may God preserve him and reward him with goodness - in his speech "Beware of God regarding the Salafist-Jihadist Group in Sinai." I urge you to focus on this statement to see if this is the talk of reckless, fanatical, extremist, excommunicating, and riotous people as the media portrays them. Then, focus to see how the deceitful media conveys this statement and mutilates it to distort the image of your brothers.
The statement says:
"Statement of the Salafist-Jihadist Group in Sinai regarding the brutal military campaign on Sinai: {And those who have been wronged struck a blow equal to the wrong done to them.} All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Mercy to the worlds, and upon his family and companions, and peace be upon them abundantly until the Day of Judgment. Then to proceed:
More than a year and a half has passed since the revolution in Sinai, and members of the Egyptian army are present in Sinai on the roads, in the streets, and in the facilities and shops. No one has harmed any members or soldiers of the Egyptian army during this entire period, and before that. Our weapons are with us as we plan and prepare to eliminate the Jews and fulfill what Allah has enjoined upon us to jihad them and resist their tyranny and transgressions against the homes and sanctuaries of the Muslims.
We have never raised our weapons against the Egyptian army, despite the ease and spread of the Egyptian army without cover. At the same time, jihad groups in Sinai have struck the Zionist enemy; starting from striking gas lines to striking Zionist forces in (Ras Burqa - Eilat), to launching various missiles at the entity and targeting their vehicles, and many operations that the Zionist-Israeli media covered up before the Zionist-Egyptian and Arab media.
All of this, and not a single Egyptian soldier has been harmed. No Egyptian soldiers were targeted and killed in cold blood except by the Zionist enemy itself at the same time last year. But this is nothing to the leadership of the Egyptian army, media, and government; for when the Zionists kill Egyptians in broad daylight without a doubt of their crime but with their acknowledgment of it, then the blood of the Egyptian soldiers is water and has no value. The state and the army do not rise to take revenge, for the matter is simple!
But when Egyptian soldiers are killed today and it is unknown who the perpetrator is, and all the indications and events point to the same old killer (the Zionists), then the blame is placed on an entire current without investigation or proof. The army demands revenge from those suspected of the accusation, and the Zionist-Egyptian media machine shakes the people with lies and allegations. Then follows a brutal and unjust campaign without investigation or proof against the people of Sinai and the tribes in general, aided by former state security officers and the same old methods of tyranny and injustice.
They raid the homes of the innocent according to what? According to investigations or evidence? No, by Allah, but according to the files of the former state security and those who were chasing and imprisoning them for years unjustly and falsely. With these oppressed people, the campaign is launched for the real goal, which is all the youth centers that are preparing for the resistance and jihad against the Zionist enemy, who have never raised their weapons against the army or the people but only against the enemy.
Barbaric attacks with bombing and direct killing, unfortunately carrying out the enemy's goal of eliminating everyone who works for his jihad and resistance, bringing out the weapon prepared for the Jews as if it were against the army and the people. And the question: When was this weapon ever directed against the Egyptian army on any day?"
The statement continues with clear messages:
First: To the leaders of the Egyptian army: "Spare the blood that is being shed and will be shed if this aggression continues. You are dragging us into a battle that is not ours. Do not put yourselves as a barrier between us and our goal, the Zionist enemy. Our weapons are not directed at you, and you know that. Our strength is severe against our enemy, so we do not want this strength of ours to turn against you for any reason. Have mercy on the soldiers whom you put as fuel for a battle in which they have no camel or dromedary."
Second: To the reasonable scholars and politicians: "Do not stand idly by in the face of what is happening. Do not be intimidated by the ready-made accusations of supporting terrorism and extremism, which prevent you from speaking the truth. How can an accused person - if he is accused at all - be punished without investigation, defense, and evidence? How can you let the country drown in this injustice and turn your country's army into a wall protecting the Zionist enemy?"
Third: To the great Egyptian people: "Do not be swayed by this fierce campaign led by the Zionists of the Egyptian media and its magic, who turn right into wrong and wrong into right. Do you not see that they have turned the Zionist enemy into a friend and turned the Palestinian brother into an enemy? Beware of this hypocritical and deceitful media that wants to sow hatred between you and your mujahideen sons, who have never raised their weapons against the Egyptian people or its army."
By Allah, upon you, O reasonable ones, is this the speech of excommunicating, terrorist, riotous people? Or is it the speech of wise mujahideen who know their enemy? Look at how the media has conveyed this statement; Al Jazeera headlines the news with: "A Salafist group in Sinai threatens to fight the army!" And Allah is sufficient for me, and how excellent a trustee.
Is it not your duty, O Muslims, when you hear slanders against your brothers, to seek out their words and their defense of themselves? Do you know why the laws of Arab countries criminalize merely subscribing to sites they call "terrorist"? It is because they allow you to hear the other side and their defense of themselves, while you are meant to follow the media and its defamation of everything related to jihad.
In conclusion: Fear Allah, O Muslim, fear Allah in your dealings with the news, and do not stand for what you have no knowledge of. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart will all be held responsible for their actions.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.