The Will of 'Abdullaah Yusuf 'Azzaam

From the house of the brave commander Jalaaluddin Haqqani,

Monday afternoon, 12th Shaban 1406 H, 20th April 1986
Praise be to Allah we seek his forgiveness and take refuge from our mischievous and bad deeds. If
Allah intends to guide someone there will not be anyone to misguide him and if Allah intends to make
someone go astray there will not be anyone to guide him away from Allah. I bear witness that there is
no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his slave and messenger.

OH, LORD! Nothing is easy except what you make easy and you can make the difficult thing easy if
you wish. The love of Jihaad (fighting in the way of Allah) continues to dominate my life, Myself, My
feeling, My heart and my senses.

The verses of Surah At-Taubah that reveals the final rulings of Jihaad until the day of Judgement
filled my heart with pain and sorrow when I see my inability and the unwillingness of all Muslims to
fight for the cause of Allah.

The Verse of the Sword which abrogated a hundred forty some verses of Jihaad, which were revealed
before it, is a definite answer and a decisive reply to anyone who wants to play with the verses of
fighting Jihaad in the way of Allah or to try to change its clear meaning or to deviate from its precise
definition. The verses of the Sword:

"And fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together but know that Allah is with
those who restrain themselves." Surah At-Taubah, Verse 36

"But when the forbidden months are passed then fight and slay the pagans wherever you find
them and seize them beleaguer them and lie in wait in every stratagem (in war) but if they
repent establish regular prayers and pay zakat (alms to the poor) then open the way for them,
for Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful."Surah At-Taubah, Verse

"People who are making excuses for not fighting in the way of Allah are mocking and ridiculing
the religion of Allah and we are ordered to avoid them leave alone those who take their religion
to be mere play and amusement." Surah Al-Anaam, Verse 70

Having great ambitions without doing your utmost to realize them is the characteristic of people who
do not seek to reach the high. Maintaining and visiting the sacred mosques is not comparable to
Jihaad for it is reported in Sahih Muslim that the reasons for revealing verses 19-22 of Surah
At-Taubah :

"Do you consider the giving of drink to the pilgrims or maintaining of the Sacred mosque not
equal to Those who believe in Allah and the last days and strive with might and means in the
cause of Allah They are not equal in the sight of Allah and Allah guides not those who do
wrong. Those who believe and immigrate and strive with might and means in the cause of
Allah.With their goods and persons have the highest rank in the sight of Allah. They are the

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 people who will achieve salvation." Surah At-Taubah, Verse 19-20

"Their Lord doth give them good tidings of mercy from himself of His good pleasure And of
gardens for them where in are the delights that endure. They will dwell therein forever Verily
with Allah is a reward the greatest of all." Surah At-Taubah, Verse 21-22

The reason being is that some of the companions of the Prophet disagreed among themselves on
which of the good deeds, next to iman, is the best in the sight of Allah. Some said maintaining the
sacred Mosque, some said giving drinks to pilgrims, others said Jihaad.

These verses are a definite and clear answer that Jihaad is better than maintaining and visiting the
sacred Mosque, especially when we know that the reason for revealing these verses is the dispute
among the companions over this issue. Reasons for revelation cannot be misconstrued, or altered,
because its meaning is precise and straight to the point.

'Abdullah Ibn Mubarak ( May Allah have mercy on him) sent a letter to Al-Fudayl ibn Iyaadh in which
he says:

"Oh you who offer prayer in the sacred mosque! Had you witnessed us in the battlefield You would
known that, compared to our jihaad, Your worship is child's play. For every tear you have shed upon
your cheek, We have shed in its place blood upon our chests. You are playing with your worship,
While worshipers offer your worship Mujahideen offer their blood and person (life)."

From this one must understand that Ibn Al-Mubarak believes that offering prayers and maintaining
the sacred places while the sanctity of these places is being violated, blood is being shed, honor of
Muslim women is being violated and Islam is being uprooted. He believes that offering prayers in
such circumstances is playing with the religion of Allah the Almighty, Yes, allowing Muslim to be
slaughtered while the only thing that we do is to offer them lip service from a distance and rub our
hands together without taking even one step towards elevating the suffering of Muslim. Sure that is
playing and ridiculing of the religion.

How could a Muslim settle and keep quite while Muslim women are captured by the aggressive
enemy?

I firmly believe as I wrote in the book (Defense of Muslim land is the most Important Obligation upon
each and every Muslim after Iman ) and as Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya saidNext to iman, nothing is
more urgent (obligatory) than deterring the aggressor enemy who destroys Islam and the well-being of
Muslims.

I strongly believe (Allah knows better) that there is no difference between he who does not fight and
he who does not pray, fast, or pay Zakat.

I believe that all Muslim Ummah is facing a great responsibility before Allah then before future
generation.

I believe that no Muslim is excused in abandoning Jihaad (fight in way of Allah), no matter what the
excuse is: dawah, authoring books, or tarbiyyah.

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I believe that every Muslim on earth bares the responsibility of abandoning Jihaad, and the sin of
abandoning the gun. Every Muslim who passes away without a gun in his hand faces Allah with the
sin of abandoning fighting. Now fighting ( jihaad) is compulsory upon each and every Muslim on earth
except those who are exempted, and by definition a compulsory act is an act that brings reward or
punishment.

I believe (God knows well) that the people who have legitimate exemptions for not fighting are: The
blind, the terminally ill, the lame and the oppressed, men, women and children who cannot get or find
their way to the battlefield.

All Muslims bear the sin of abandoning Jihaad in Palestine, Afghanistan, or in any other part of the
world in whichMuslim Lands are threatened by infidels.

I believe that no permission is required to fight in the path of Allah, not the permission of the parents,
husband, teacher or Amir . And this is the conscience of all Ullema throughout the history. When
Jihaad is compulsory, a son must fight even without the permission of his parents a wife without the
permission of the husband. And Anyone who tries to deny this clear ruling has exceeded his limits and
followed his desires and wishes with no guidance from Allah.

It is a decisive and clear-cut issue that does not leave room for misinterpretation.

The Khalifah's permission is not required in three cases:

1. If the Khalifah himself does not call for Jihaad when there is a need for it.
2. If getting permission means missing the opportunity for Jihaad.
3. If we know in advanced that permission cannot be granted.

I believe (God knows better) that the Muslim Ummah is responsible for the honor of every Muslim
woman that is being violated in Afghanistan, and responsible for every drop of Muslim blood that is
being shed unjustly, therefore, they are an accessory to these crimes. And that is because they can
provide them with weapons to protect themselves with, and because they did not provide them with
the medical assistance they need, or the money to purchase food, or the tools with which they can dig
trenches in which they can seek shelter.

All this they could have accomplished, but they did not!

It was reported in Hashiat Al Dasoqi Vol. 2,Pages 111-112: 'That if someone had an abundance of
food and let someone else starve to death, thinking that he will not die from starvation, he should pay
his Deyat (blood Money) from the money of his family but if he knew that person would starve to
death, here he should either pay the Deyat from his own money or should be killed as a Qissas.'

Thus, we see the punishment that is awaiting for wealthy people who waste their wealth in satisfying
their personal desires and in acquiring complementary commodities.

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Oh, you Muslims! Jihaad is your life, your dignity and your existence depend upon it.

Oh, you Preachers! You have no value under the sun unless you bare arms and uproot the tyrants,
infidels & wrong doers.

Those who believe that Islam can flourish be victorious without jihaad, fighting, and blood indeed are
illusioned and do not understand the nature of this religion. The Prestige of preachers, the influence of
Islam, the dignity of Muslims, cannot be attained without Jihaad.

It is reported in the Hadith:

'And Allah will take away the fear of you from the hearts of your enemy and put theWAHN in
your hearts and he was asked Oh apostle of Allah what is the WAHN? he answered, the love of
this life and the hatred of death.'

And it was also narrated "the love of this life and the hatred of Qitaal (fighting)".

"Then fight in Allah's cause thou art held responsible only for thyself and rouse the believers."
Surah An-Nisa, Verse 84

Without Jihaad, Shirk (joining gods with Allah) will spread and become dominant for Allah says:

"And fight them until there is no more (fitna) associating gods with Allah" (Surah Al-Baqarah,
Verse 193).

Fitna means shirk means joining gods with Allah. Indeed Jihaad is the only guarantee for the well
being of humanity on earth, for Allah says:

"And were it not for god 's repelling some people by means of another, the earth would have
been filled with corruption, but Allaah is bounteous to the worlds." Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse
251

Jihaad is the only guarantee for the preservation of the houses of worship, and the performing of
worship to Allah for Allah says:

"Did not Allah Check one set of people by means of another they would surely have been pulled
down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is
commemorated in abundant measure." Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 40

Oh you Preachers of Islam! Seek death and you will be granted life, Never be deceived by Satan, or,
with false wishes, never deceive yourselves with books you read, or extra good deeds you do. Never
busy yourself with easy tasks rather than confronting the great ones, Allah has Said:

"And you wish that the one that is unarmed be yours . . ."Surah Al-Anfal , Verse 7

Never obey anyone in abandoning Jihaad, no permission is required when Jihaad is compulsory,
indeed Jihaad is the main foundation and the essence of your Dawah and the protection of your

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religion.

Oh! You Muslim Scholars! (Ullema) come forward and lead this generation that is returning to its
lord. Do not turn away, do not rely on this immortal life, and beware of the offerings of the tyrants for
they cause darkness and death of the hearts and becomes an obstacle between you and this
generation.

Oh you Muslims! You have slept for a long time, long enough for the tyrants to take control over you.
You accepted to live as slaves and submitted to tyrants. Now the time has come to revolt and destroy
the shackle of slavery.

Oh you Muslim women! Be Aware of extravagance for it is the enemy of jihaad and it causes the
death of the human soul. Beware of complementary commodities and stick to the basic necessities.
Bring up your children to be brave and courageous. Let your houses be places for lions not chicken
farms in which your sons will be fed then slaughtered by tyrants like sheep. Instill in the hearts of your
sons the love for Jihaad and the love of battlefields. Share the problems of Muslim Ummah. Live one
day a week like refuges and Mujahideen live. They live on dry bread and tea.

Oh! You children of Islam! Get accustomed to the noise of bombs, mortar shells and the sounds of jet
fighters and tanks and avoid luxury.

Oh! You wife of mine! I have too much to say to you, May Allah reward you on my behalf and on the
behalf of the Muslims.You were patient with me and you stood by me though out the thick and the
thin with patience and courage. From you I got the support I needed to carry on this Jihaad. I let you
assume the responsibility of the house in 1969, when we had three small children living in one small
room with no kitchen and no utilities. When the family became larger, the children grown up and our
guests increased, You tolerated this and much more for Allah and my sake. I pray that Allah reward
you on My behalf. Had it not been for your patience, I would have never been able to bear this burden
alone, you are a content wife who doesn't care for material things and you never complained about
having too little of it. You have never been extravagant when we have had some wealth.

The life of Jihaad is the most joyous life, tolerating difficulties is better than living luxuriously. Be
content Allah will love you, have no desire for what other people have, people will love you. Qur'an is
the joy of life, tahajjud, extra fasting, asking Forgiveness. All these makes the heart transparent and
worship sweet. Sticking to the basic needs, lawful goodies, keeping distance from glamour and
extravagance brings peace and serenity to the heart. I pray to Allah that he unites us in paradise as he
united us in life.

Oh, my sons! You have not enjoyed much time with me and I have not enough of a chance to give
you guidance and advice. I was too busy to keep you company. While I saw the disasters and
catastrophe that struck the Muslim Ummah, I could not bear to live with you like a chicken living
with its chicks. I could not live in peace while the impact of a catastrophe burns the hearts of
Muslims, I could not stay among you while the problem of the Muslim Ummah tears the hearts and
the minds of those who have them. Manhood would not allow me to live the easy life with you. I
hated extravagance and luxury all of my life whether in food, clothing, house. I have tried to elevate
you as much as I can from that style of life and to make you content with your simple life.

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Believe in what the first generation of Muslims believed in, Practice Wisdom, read Qur'an and
memorize it. Be careful of what you say. Offer prayer at night, observe extra fasts, seek good
company and join the Islamic movement but...

...Know that the Amir has no power over you to prevent you fromJihaad, or to seduce you to
abandon Jihaad by propagating DAWAH, and keep you away from the battlefield where men are
made. Never ask for anyone's permission to make Jihaad.

Oh, sons! I command you to obey and respect your mother and sisters (Umm Al-Hassan and Umm
Yahya). I urge you to seek good religious knowledge. I ask you to obey and respect your older brother
Muhammad and love him.

Be kind to your Grandfather and Grandmother and have respect for them, be kind to your Aunts
(Umm Faez and Umm Muhammad) for they have done me great favors. Reach out for your family
members and for the people whom you know.

Oh, You Jihaadi Organizations! Care for Sayaff, Hikmateyr, Rabbani, and Khalis we hope that they
will carry on the Jihaad in the way of Allah and protect it from deviation of its original goal. Do not
Forget the Field Commanders inside Afghanistan specially Jalaaluddin,

Ahmed Shah Masud, Eng. Bashir, Saifullah Afzalli,Mualavy Arsllan, Farid and Muhammad Alam,
Shir Alam (Paghman) and Said Muhammad Hanif (Logar).

Praise and glory be to Allah, I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I seek his Forgiveness.

Abdullah Yusuf Azzaam 12th Shaban 1406 / 20th April 1986

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