“A Veteran of the Afghani Jihad Now Attacking the Mujahideen.”
Allah blessed me to join the jihad in Afghanistan in the early eighties. I went there to fight the communists, Russian soldiers, not their women or their children, and surely not other Muslims.
I loved Afghanistan and its people. Beautiful land, high mountains, tall trees, little rivers with sweet cold water. I loved the Afghani people, Muslims, clean, courageous, and very generous. For some reason, even though they are different, Afghanistan reminded me of my homeland, Palestine, stolen and brutalized by the Jews, also with support from the West, without which, Israel would not survive.
I always considered this among the best deeds I wish to meet Allah with. The Muslim Ummah and its scholars stood by the Afghanis. Imams Al-Albani, Ibn Baz and Ibn Uthaimeen, in specific, gave fatwas to help and support the Afghanis. They did not pick and choose which group to join. They had knowledge. They supported the jihad.
I distributed the Islamic books I owned, to several masjids, and joined the Afghani jihad with nothing more than one change of clothes.
We spent a marvelous time in Afghanistan, full of jihad against the aggressive communists, digging shelters in the mountains, eating that delicious Afghani bread with tea, and sleeping while wearing machine guns and hand grenades because we were aware of the danger of communist spies trying to capture any Arab who joined the jihad and surrender them to the Russians, to be displayed to the world media. Russia cannot be a friend of Islam or Muslims. They killed, and still kill, so many Muslims around the world.
I do not claim I was a leader or a major fighter. Just a foot soldier helping his Muslim brothers and sisters. Yet, I used to sit in the tent of the leadership, sometimes, when major issues were discussed. I wished to be a simple soldier, though, and I really valued the time I spent there.
It was excellent while it lasted, at least for me. Then, when the ‘Mujahideen’ actively started fighting each other, I left. I never had any interest in fighting other Muslims or being a part of power struggles over anything.
I also saw the beginnings of the khawarij takfeeri jihadist groups that later spoiled the jihad for us and caused the Afghani people untold miseries and losses.
After 9/11, I authored a 300-page book titled, Holy Wars…Crusades…Jihad. In it I mentioned the Taliban and criticized their alliance with Al-Qa’idah and other extremist groups that waged war against Muslims more than against non-Muslims. I also criticized the Taliban’s treatment of women, and other practices that contradict the Quran and Sunnah.
I was never a coward. Even at a time when Al-Qa’idah and other extremist takfeeris, those who accuse other Muslims who do not agree with them of being disbelievers, were popular among many Muslim youth, I was publicly against them and against what they stood for. I used extensive evidence to connect them to the old ideas and practices of khawarij, the same groups who disputed with the Prophet’s decisions and accused the Prophet’s Companions of being non-Muslim. The killers of Uthman and Ali. The killers of Khabbab and his pregnant wife. I have always despised the khawarij.
Imam Ibn Taimiyyah, the scholar and mujahid, said that the khawarij never brought victory to Islam. Imam Ibn Baz had several letters between him and Osama Ibn Laden discussing his ideas, after which Ibn Baz declared that what Ibn Laden calls to, are the old ideas of the khawarij.
I remember a few years ago that some jihadi takfeeri website criticized me by saying, “A veteran of the Afghani jihad is now attacking the mujahideen.” After writing books and numerous articles about the khawarij and their ideas and practices, they still missed the entire point. My response was, “Habeebis: You still cannot understand my stance; You are khawarij, not mujahideen.”
After this brief introduction, I offer here this sincere advice for the Taliban, from an old mujahid.
You now have a second chance to take care of your people and do things in accordance to Islam’s creed and true practices. The first chance you had, did not do you or the Afghanis much good and left a stain on some aspects of Islam itself.
For the sake of Allah, do it right this time.
No more Qa’idah or other extremist takfeeri khawarij groups, who brought you disasters in the past because of their defiance of Islam itself. You already hate ISIS; that’s a good start.
Stop the bloodshed, for Allah’s sake, the killing of fellow Muslims, the suicide missions, the attacks on civilians.
It is your duty now to put an end to all which contradicts the essence of Islam.
Learn and teach your people the correct Islamic creed, which is the foundation of Islam, and the authentic practices of Islam.
Do not allow anyone to attack other countries from your land under any pretext or justification.
Cooperate with other Muslim nations for what is good in the sight of Allah, and against what Allah declared is evil.
Establish an Islamic educational system and struggle hard to allow both boys and girls access to education in an Islamic environment, with full hijab for girls and Islamic attire for boys.
Establish a strong economy and build factories to produce what you need locally, so that you do not depend on anyone, except Allah, and then on your own efforts and hard work.
Allah has blessed your land with beauty. Allah has blessed your people with Islam, honor and generosity. Literally, below your feet, there are untold treasures Allah has blessed your land with. You do not need Qa’idah, or takfeeris, or khawarij, and certainly you do not need ISIS. Don’t you realize that wherever these groups go, Christian armies follow them and then bring destruction, death and occupation to Muslim lands? Their game is: Invite non-Muslims to occupy Muslim lands. Their slogan is: Utter failure!
Do not be allies with the enemies of Islam and the mass-murderers of Muslims: China and/or Russia. Russia, the same nation who killed hundreds of thousands of your people when they occupied Afghanistan, is not good for you, you should know that for certainty; and China which has proven its hatred of Islam by the way it treats its own Muslim population.
Discard practices and cultural traditions that contradict Islam. The old Taliban leadership is almost gone. You are the leaders now. It is, thus, your responsibility to do good for your nation’s sake and for your sake with Allah.
Those who collaborated with the occupation or held high office under the occupation, if they wish to leave Afghanistan, let them. Give them a ride to the airport under your protection. Waive to them, ‘ma` as-salamah,’ at the airport gates. If they wish to stay, give them amnesty, and let them live in peace and be able to work and send their kids to school.
Finally, treat women according to Islam, and remember the Prophet’s commandment, “Be kind to woman,” and his words just before he died, “Fear Allah with women.”
We will be watching. More importantly, Allah is always watching.
Jalal Abualrub
August 21, 2021
