CNN's Deborah Feyerick and Alina Cho contributed to this report.

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The Wayback Machine archived some 390 files of the www.minna.com website:

http://web.archive.org/web/*sr_1nr_30/http://minna.com/*

Below are some of the archived files.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010306131236/http://minna.com/html/articlessistersinjihad.htm

SISTERS' ROLE IN JIHAD

Allah, The Exalted, has stated in the Qur'an:

"And the Believers, men and women, are supporters one of another; they enjoin the right and forbid the wrong (munkar), and they establish worship, and pay the poor-due, and they obey Allah and His messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise." [Quran 9:71]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

"Anybody amongst you who notices a 'munkar' ( a violation of Allah's command), should correct it with his own hands, and if he is unable to do so, he should prohibit the same with his tongue; if he is unable even to do this, he should at least consider it as bad in his heart; this is the lowest degree of faith." [Muslim].

It follows from the hadith that correcting a violation of Allah's Command by hand is the best way. Now let us ask ourselves: What is the greatest violation of Allah's Command? The answer is simple according to the Qur'an: Disbelief in Allah and/or Associating others with Allah. And what is the best method of putting a check on this violation by hand? The answer, again, is clear: Jihad fi sabeelillah (fighting in the path of Allah). Numerous verses of the Qur'an and many traditions from the Prophet (peace be upon him) make this point clear beyond any doubt.

Thus, it follows that women and men are supporters of one another in the important obligation of Jihad in accordance with the spirit of the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions.

And when Jihad is Fard 'Ayn (an individual obligation like praying and fasting - where one person's engaging in it does not lift the responsibility from all others), as it is at the present time due to the domination of the enemy on several Muslim lands, the obligation to participate in Jihad is upon both Muslim men and women. Nowhere have scholars stated that only men are required to engage in Jihad and that women are not required to participate. In fact, books of fiqh have clearly included women and have also mentioned the regulations, for instance, that when Jihad is Fard 'Ayn, a woman does not need her husband's, father's, or waliy's (guardian's) permission to engage in the works of Jihad, just like she does not need her husband's or father's permission to offer her daily prayers or fast in Ramadan or pay Zakah (Note that travelling to a distant location for Jihad may have additional regulations found in books of fiqh).

The question here is not whether women's participation in Jihad these days is an obligation or not, but rather, how can Muslim women participate in this noble cause and prevent themselves from falling into the sin of abandoning Jihad.

There are many ways a Muslim woman can participate in Jihad, both by accompanying the Mujahideen to the battlefield, and by staying behind:

Sisters' Role On the Battlefield 1. Participation in the Actual Fighting 2. Supporting the Fighters in the Battlefield 3. Guard Duty and Protection

Sisters' Role Off the Battlefield 1. Raising Mujahid Children 2. Physical Training 3. Encourage Loved Ones to go for Jihad 4. Training in Combat Medicine and First-aid 5. On an Academic Level 6. Fund-raising 7. Dua

 

1. Participation in the Actual Fighting

While Jihad (or Qital) is generally waged by men, there is clear evidence of women's participation in Jihad - both during the times of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and throughout Islamic history, up until this day. While all the examples are too numerous to include in this short section, a few examples are briefly mentioned below:

Nusayba bint Ka'b, also known as Umm 'Ammarah, mother of Shuhadaa, and wife of a brave Sahabi, she participated in physical fighting more than once in her lifetime, got severely injured in one instance (Uhud), and lost an arm in another (battle against Musaylama Kaddhab). The most famous of her participation is that of the battle of Uhud, where, in the midst of the confusion among the Muslim army, she was amongst those very few who were close to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and who were shielding the Prophet (peace be upon him) with their own bodies. The Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked after this battle: "When I looked to my right I saw Umm Ammarah, and when I looked to my left, I saw Umm Ammarah". After the battle, the Prophet (peace be upon him) inquired about her injuries and asked her what she desired. She replied that she wanted the company of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Paradise - and her request was accepted by the Prophet (peace be upon him). What more can anyone desire? She attained the greatest of blessings through her participation in Qital (fighting in the path of Allah).

And then we have the wife of the great Muslim hero Mahmud Qutus, who was a trained Mujahidah (female of 'Mujahid' - fighter for the sake of Allah), and was martyred while fighting against the barbaric Mongol army. Allah , The Most High, bestowed a magnificent victory to the Muslims against the Tatars (Mongols) in that battle through the sacrifices of such great women among many others.

And coming to this very day and age, we have our beloved sister, Shaheedah Hawaa' Barayev, who was martyred recently in Chechnya during a solo Martyrdom Operation in which 27 Russians were killed and numerous others injured [Go to Profile: Hawaa Barayev].

It should be noted that physical fighting has been a role assigned primarily to men, both by the Prophet (peace be upon him) and those after him. However, when the need arose, our brave sisters never held back from fighting, and neither should they now!

A note for sisters wanting to participate in fighting these days:

By the Grace of Allah, The Most High, the situation in the Ummah is not that desperate yet, that sisters are called to fight. Those sisters who voluntarily want to join the fighting for reward from Allah, are advised to not go unless the leader of Jihad in that place calls sisters to fight. As for other help, they can go if the Mujahideen are able to accommodate and protect them. However, sisters should definitely be prepared!

Back to Contents: Sisters Role On the Battlefield

2. Supporting the Fighters in the Battlefield

There are several ways in which Muslim sisters can support the Mujahideen on the battlefield directly. These would vary in accordance with the nature of the fighting. In general, these include, among others:

Medical Support - Tending to the wounded mujahideen was a role assigned to the Sahabiyyat (female companions of the Prophet) during the times of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Among the women who participated as such were Aaishah, the Prophet's wife, and Fatima, his daughter among others.

In Chechnya itself, while Muslim women cannot travel with the Mujahideen, we see sisters working as nurses managing the meagre health resources available for the Mujahideen. May Allah , The Most High, reward their participation.

Photos of Muslim Nurses Tending to Injured Mujahideen, Vedeno, 17 December 1999.

Providing Food and Water to the Mujahideen - This was another duty assigned to the Sahabiyyat, who carried caskets of water along with their first-aid kits and quenched the thirst of the Mujahideen during the heat of the battle. These days, this can be considered somewhat analogous to providing food and drink to the Mujahideen and tending to their other needs while they are engaged in fighting. Such a role was assigned to sisters in at least some cases in the Afghanistan Jihad in the 1980's.

Providing Weapons and Ammunition - This is another area where sisters can help. One sister in her 50s from the UK carried weapons and ammunition for the Bosnian Muslims over mountains as she knew the enemy would not suspect her.

Encouraging the Mujahideen to Remain Steadfast - Most notable in this aspect was the Prophet (peace be upon him)'s aunt, the sister of Sayyid-ush-Shuhadaa' (The Master of the Martyrs) Hamza, the mother of Zubair bin 'Awwam (another great sahabi) - Safiyyah bint Abdul Muttalib. When she got ready to participate in the battle of Uhud, she carried a spear (or dagger) with her. The companions informed the Prophet (peace be upon him) of this, and he asked her what she would do with it. She said she will remain at the back of the army and use it to strike those Muslims who dared to escape from the battle --and this role she played very well. Hind bint 'Utbah, after she embraced Islam, was also known to accompany the Mujahideen to battles and encourage them to fight and remain steadfast for Allah , The Most High, .

Back to Contents: Sisters Role On the Battlefield

3. Guard Duty and Protection

Safiyyah bint Abdul Muttalib was among the women who had conducted such duty during the battle of the Trench (Ahzab or Khandaq), when the Muslim army had to be protected from the rear. The danger there was from the Jewish tribes who were known for their enmity and treachery against Muslims. She was stationed in a tent with other women and one ill sahabi (Hassan bin Thabit). She noticed an enemy spy approaching, and asked Hassan to kill him. Hassan expressed his inability to do so on account of his sickness. She then tracked the enemy, came behind him, and struck and killed him with a pole of the tent.

Another brave sister, a companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Asma bint Yazeed, is similarly reported to have killed nine enemy soldiers from a group who had decided to attack a tent of women and children. The rest of the soldiers fled, fearing for their lives.

Allahu Akbar! Such bravery on account of these women puts to shame most "men" of today.

Back to Contents: Sisters Role On the Battlefield

Sisters' Role Off the Battlefield:

1. Raising Mujahid Children
2. Physical Training
3. Encourage Loved Ones to go for Jihad
4. Training in Combat Medicine and First-aid
5. On an Academic Level
6. Fund-raising
7. Dua

 

1. Raising Mujahid Children

This is perhaps the most important role women can play in Jihad - raise their children to be brave and loving, courageous and sensitive, and fearing none other than Allah. Raise them as such not only in spirit, but also in terms of physical ability and training. And raise not only sons as such, but daughters as well. The key is to start instilling these values in them while they are babies. Don't wait until they are seven to start, for it may be too late by then! Some practical tips that most sisters can implement without difficulty are as follows:

1. Tell children bedtime stories of Shuhadaa and Mujahideen. You will find many such stories from the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Sahabah, and throughout Islamic history, including contemporary times.

2. Give young children a lot of love and nurture a sense of security and confidence in them. Teach them by example how one should stay calm and confident in 'scary' situations (if one occurs), and teach them the importance of relying on dua, that Allah is always with us and will protect us if we rely on Him. Also, don't scare them with threats of things such as policemen, monsters, jinn, and other things as are common in many cultures. Instead, try to make them improve their behaviour by stressing how Allah, The Most Glorious, loves people who do good and how He can punish those who do bad if He wants to.

3. Emphasize, while disciplining young children, that they are not to hit a Muslim, but rather forgive, and are only to get their anger out on the enemies of Allah who fight against Muslims. Teach them the meaning of "Ashiddaa'u 'alal kuffari ruhamaa'u baynahum" (Strong against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves). You can make a makeshift enemy (could be a punching bag for instance) if you have to, and encourage children (especially boys) to use it and build their strength as well as learn to control and direct their anger.

4. Eliminate your television and video games completely if you can (these things mostly teach shamelessness, anarchy, and random violence) and keep a check on the company your child is in. In addition to the largely damaging content of TV in general, another of its negatives is the laziness and passiveness that it breeds, and the mental and physical loss that it contributes to. Compare this to the healthy aspects of engaging children in play and sports that benefit them in terms of discipline and physical strength.

5. If you have acted upon items 3 and 4 above, it is a good idea to start your children young in terms of introducing them (through safe toys) to target-shooting under complete adult supervision. Make it very clear who their target should be and who their target should NOT be. This can be done through toy guns and toy military sets, as well as by engaging in sports that develop good hand-eye coordination, such as darts and archery. If you can spare the time to spend with your children and play military games with them in a fun way, and get them interested in these (as opposed to other largely useless, but very popular games and sports), then that will insha'Allah be counted as Jihad in itself (as preparation for Jihad is a part of Jihad). You can practice in front of them in your own home using their toys. Children learn by imitating what adults do. Insha'Allah you will find them interested and imitating your actions and they will become disciplined experts before you know it. Of course, if you own a real weapon, then please keep it totally out of young children's reach and don't use it in front of them either.

6. Some sports and activities that will be an asset in Jihad training for your children (and yourselves), in addition to being enjoyable, healthy, and fun:

Martial arts training Swimming Archery Target-shooting (with different kinds of toy weapons) Darts Horse-back riding Orienteering (learning to navigate your way in the woods) Exercise (running, jogging, push-ups, etc.) to build stamina Skiing Driving (a range of different vehicles) Camping / Survival Training (an excellent and enjoyable method of training!)

7. Get your young children interested in Jihad by getting military books (preferably with pictures) and other similar books, CDs etc. and by visiting web sites such as www.qoqaz.net along with your children, and utilizing other internet resources. Show them the pictures of Mujahideen (while making dua, praying, in training, etc. - nothing 'graphic' please) and encourage them to become like these people at the least. Introduce them to various weapons and military vehicles through pictures and toys. Please use discretion on what a young child should see and what not. You may find that you will need to filter out many things, so please be careful (you can make a scrap-book by cutting out only those pictures you want them to see). Don't underestimate the lasting effect of what those little ears and eyes take in during the first few years of life! What is most important is building confidence, and instilling a love for Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him), Jihad, and the Qur'an, that will all become a part of the child's future character Insha-Allah.

8. A mother knows very well the aptitude of her children. In accordance with this, she can encourage her children in the relevant aspects of Jihad. Note that participation in Jihad can be in various ways. For instance, a nuclear physicist can help strengthen the national defence system of Muslims, an expert of communications can assist in his role, a computer expert can dedicate his or her skills to the service of the Mujahideen, a news-reporter can help further the cause of Jihad by bringing authentic news to the world, and a doctor or nurse can help the Mujahideen in the medical aspect. Children need to be made clear what their goal is, as well as what it is not, by taking on any given profession - that their goal is to serve Allah in the highest way possible (through Jihad) and not to accumulate wealth and physical comforts for their own sake. It should be emphasized here that, no matter what profession is chosen, even if it be with the intention of Jihad, still, basic military training is a must. In fact, military training is a right of the children upon their parents.

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

2. Physical Training

There are two main reasons why sisters themselves also need to get military training:

1. So that they can Participate Themselves :

Especially helpful aspects of military training for women are:

Firearms - Learning to shoot a weapon, and keeping one where possible is another asset whose value cannot be overstated. Imagine if every woman possessed this in a Muslim society! Imagine how many sisters would be prevented from being raped and killed at the hands of the barbarians. Imagine how may barbarians could at least be wounded before they could take our sisters. At least our sisters could contribute to Jihad before getting killed themselves, as opposed to being totally helpless and easy victims. The Russian barbarians and rapists in Chechnya would think twice before they would try to arrest and torture women if they feared this sort of retaliation.

Self Defense and Hand-to-Hand Combat - Physical self-defense, and especially RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) are other valuable skills that ALL sisters, whether they live in a potential war zone or not, need to learn. This training is generally easily available and makes use of techniques that give even weak and frail women an advantage over burly men. The advantages of such training are obvious and need mainly an eager mind and heart.

Build Stamina - Any kind of military participation requires a fair amount of stamina. Sisters need to build their stamina, both physical and emotional. Engage in a proper exercise program for the former, and try to imagine and picture what jihad would be like and envision one's own role, visit Jihad websites such as www.qoqaz.net regularly, and try to remove the fear of blood and injury for the latter. An example of a strong woman is that of Safiyyah bint Abdul Muttalib mentioned above. In the battle of Uhud, her brother Hamza's body was mutilated by the kuffar. Safiyya (may Allah be pleased with them both) insisted on seeing him, so she could reinforce her desire to fight against the kuffar and encourage others. Initially she was refused, but upon her insistence, she was allowed. She was patient at the site of what would make most women lose their minds. She did not hit her head, and wave her fists and yell out aloud, but was an example of extreme emotional strength and patience.

2. So that they can Train their Sons and Daughters:

All other fields of military training in addition to the above are helpful here. If young children can learn the names of all the Pokemon characters, surely they can learn some basic terminology related to Jihad. If they can learn nursery rhymes and whatever have-you on television, they can also learn the duas that help the Mujahideen in Jihad. The key is to present this information to children in a manner that does not turn them off, but rather, gets them interested and engaged in a positive 'fun' manner (Note that 'fun' here does not mean music and dancing, as is portrayed by Western children's TV programs).

If a mother or caretaker possesses knowledge and training of Jihad herself, she can impart that easily to her children and those in her care, not the mention the important role of men - fathers, uncles, brothers - in this aspect. (See: "How Can I Train Myself for Jihad?")

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

3. Encourage Loved Ones to go for Jihad

This, again, can be done in various ways:

Naseehah - by patiently and untiringly encouraging the men of their families, reminding them of their duty to Allah and other Muslims, reminding them of the blessings of Paradise and the torments of this world and the next - all in a way that encourages them and does not make them feel pressured or causes them to turn away. Remember that we cannot force anyone to go, as firstly, that is contrary to the role Allah has assigned women, and secondly, if the men go unwillingly and under pressure, they may not be useful to the Mujahideen and may even become an unwanted burden.

Dua - Ask Allah , The Most Powerful, to change the hearts of unwilling men, make them and their families steadfast, and guide all Muslims! It is only Allah , The Most High, Who can change hearts around and give the ability to do what needs to be done.

Patience - Know that when one's caretaker goes out for Jihad, it is a time for much patience for his family, especially his mother, wife, and sisters. Encourage your men by being strong, confident, and patient, so they can focus on their mission and not worry about the anxiety of their women.

Skills - While Islam does not require women to learn any technical skills or get an education in order to get a job, however, if a woman will do so with the intention of supporting the family if her father or husband or brothers go for Jihad, then, Insha-Allah that can be counted as her participation. Ideally, sponsors should take care of the families of the Mujahideen and Shuhadaa', as according to the Prophet (peace be upon him), taking care of the family of a Mujahid and equipping a Mujahid are also Jihad. However, given the present unfortunate times where women are expected to fend for themselves in need, it is not a bad idea for a Muslim woman to acquire some skill provided the intention is correct.

Tawakkul - Tawakkal 'alallah! Rely on Allah, for He Alone is enough for His servants. Refresh belief in Qada wal Qadr (Islamic concept of Destiny and Pre-Ordination)- that whatever Allah has decreed to happen will happen and none can avert it. If a woman's loved one is to get injured or die, that will happen at the time and place appointed. Not going to Jihad will not avert that. If one has to face financial difficulty, that will happen even if the husband or father is around - so don't stop them out of such fears - remind yourselves, make some sacrifices for Allah (Paradise is not all that cheap), and do what needs to be done!

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

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A Special Section for Special Sisters:

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True stories of some heroic contemporary women whose husbands are either engaged in fighting or have attained the ultimate success of martyrdom:

This section is added to give a real-life flavour of the lives of some of those women who participate in Jihad in the background, by taking care of their husbands' children and property in his absence, by encouraging their men, and by patiently bearing all the consequences thereof. The information has been extracted almost ditto from the diary of a certain sister who has personally known or met these sisters. Some information has been changed/omitted in an effort to hide the true identity of the sisters mentioned below:

Umm Saburah - Wife of a Shaheed

"I finally got the opportunity to meet with her! She was visiting my city for some time when I had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… She had never met me before, but knew who I was through another friend. So Alhamdulillah, she was frank in telling me about her life and some glimpses of her Shaheed husband's. Below is my sketchy recollection of our conversation (I took no notes):

Q. Ma Sha Allah, you are one of the most honoured women to be the wife of a Shaheed! I don't know what I would give to have that honour! Tell me, sister, how did you manage your (several) young children all through the years he was in Jihad, and how are you managing now?

Umm Saburah: I used to teach children and live with whatever I got out of that. Now, with the persecution of my government (they arrested and harassed her) I don't even know where I am going to go. People tell me all sorts of things. What can I do? I am just visiting family and friends moving from place to place at the moment. My dream would be to go to Chechnya and work with the refugee women there. I would want my children to be exposed to that life. I think the hardship will be good for them. There is too much luxury, too much ease over here…

A. SubhanAllah sister, you encouraged your husband all along for Jihad even though it was so difficult for you. I know of some sisters who just only think of themselves and their rights and stop their husbands from Jihad… and then there are others whose husbands simply don't want to go even though the sisters encourage them…

Umm Saburah: Well, in my case, it was my husband who taught me and encouraged me. Sometimes I felt like that (referring to the women who discouraged their husbands), but I never tried to stop him or discourage him, as it is haraam to do so. Jihad is a fard from Allah. How could I stop him from that?!

A. I have heard a lot about your husband… tell me more about him… how was he martyred? Of course, Allah only knows who is a martyr, but we like to think of him as such.

Umm Saburah: O I know he was martyred (and her eyes filled with tears and she paused). He had all the signs of a Shaheed. They wouldn't send his body home after they killed him. They kept it for several days in cold-storage. Finally, when they sent it home (a very short distance from the cold-storage facility), his body was so warm and he looked like he was still alive! He had all the signs of a Shaheed. He always wanted Martyrdom. Once in a previous war he was badly injured and doctors had said he would not be able to survive, but he did and became well. He was saddened by his recovery and often used to cry, thinking that perhaps he was not good enough to be accepted by Allah as a Martyr. He was a very good husband and a very good man.

Q. So what do you want your sons to be when they grow up?

Umm Saburah: (Firmly) They will be Mujahideen insha'Allah. That was their father's wish and there is no choice about it.

Q. How will you ensure that they do take that route?

Umm Saburah: They do have other brothers (in Islam) who were my husband's friends and they have already instilled in them these values. They look up to their father and what he did with admiration and respect, and they look up to his friends now. My daughter feels angry at the whole situation though and I am working on trying to give as much love as I can to all my children. It's hard, but Alhamdulillah.

[The above conversation was at a time of great trials and difficulty for Umm Saburah. Please realize that the Allah Who tests His slaves also helps them. Alhamdulillah, she is in a much better and happier situation now insha'Allah. May Allah bless and protect her and her children and continue to keep them steadfast in the deen!]

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Umm Siham - Wife of a Mujahid

"I have known Umm Siham for a while. From the first time I met her until now, I have admired her strength, simplicity, sincerity, and straight-forwardness. She was always so humble and sincere and straight - no pretense whatsoever - and this is what I love about her. I have seen her sit so quiet and still with so much respect in Qur'anic lessons, that I almost imagined a shining light about her once. I loved her dearly from the first time I met her until this day and pray to Allah for her protection and that of her family. Below is what she described of her experience when her husband first went out fi sabeelillah:

" It was hard, but also Allah made it easy in some ways. My youngest child was only some days old when my husband left. My older child was two, and I couldn't get myself to go out and earn money and leave the two young ones. My mother bought me some fabric, so I used to sew and make crafts and sell these at whatever occasion I could. There was a time when my living room was strewn with fabric, but at least I could stay home and be with my children. The money I made was very little - but SubhanAllah, it went a long way (Barakah from Allah). It was enough for all our needs. Now, the times when my husband is home and is earning, and the children are getting bigger, I see that our children just consume so much more money and the expenses are so much more! (perhaps this is a sign from Allah to return to Jihad?!)…"

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Umm Sahl - Wife of a Shaheed

"I knew her husband from before, and could never even dream that one day he would go for Jihad and that Allah - The Most Glorious, would choose him as a special martyr. It was reported that the smell of a very pleasant fragrance, like musk, emanated from his body after he was martyred! Perhaps a sign from Allah for sinful people like myself who underestimated and even doubted him at times - may Allah accept him as a Martyr in the highest levels of Paradise and forgive me (aameen).

"I made the firm intention to meet with Umm Sahl as soon as I heard the news of her husband's martyrdom. In my single meeting with her, I saw in her a person who seemed to have placed Allah, the Most High, and the aakhirah over everything else of this world. I will summarize her experience below:

"Umm Sahl had been married for about a year to her Shaheed husband when he left for Jihad. She had one child from her Shaheed husband. Her baby was merely a couple months when his father left - insha'Allah to meet with them again in Jannah! I told her that she has all the good anyone can wish for - a shaheed in the family who will insha'Allah intercede at the day of judgment. What more could anyone want?! She smiled and said that we could not just rely on that and had to strive ourselves, as only Allah knows for sure. From her way of talking, I felt that she had a very deep love for her shaheed husband. Her dedication to Islam was evident from every single thing she did and said. May Allah protect her and her family and continue to guide them all along the straight path (aameen). She has a small business of her own, but the emotional pressures after her husband's martyrdom left her unable to manage it for some months, which forced her to take a loan - the paying back of which was difficult for her. (This information she only revealed hesitantly upon my insistence). When I asked if she would accept any financial help from some institution (as I was unable to assist significantly myself), she said she would only accept it anonymously - so no one finds out who she is, as she could never bear to ask for money! SubhanAllah! She never filled out the application that was mailed to her - out of her personal dignity and honour! May Allah bless her and fulfill all her needs in the best way possible (aameen).

"I pray Allah makes the means to support the many sisters, who, with Allah, may be better than the rest of us, yet are forced to go out of their homes and work, and raise their children all alone, and live in hardship - yet they refuse to beg, refuse even to demand their God-given right from other Muslims. Truly they have sold the dunya for the aakhirah - so they have nothing to lose. They are filled with patience and a love for Allah and Jihad. It seems that the following Qur'anic verses were revealed specifically for such families of the Shuhadaa':

"O You who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the steadfast. And call not those who are slain in the path of Allah "dead." Nay, they are living, only you perceive not. And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast, who say when a misfortune befalls them: Indeed, to Allah we belong and, indeed, to Him we are returning. Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided." [Quran 2:153-157]

"But what is one to say of the rest of the Muslims who don't support the families of the Shuhadaa' and the Mujahideen?! This is despite clear ahadith which put the supporting of the families of the Mujahideen as Jihad itself. What can one expect of such Muslims who themselves have neglected their duty of Qitaal even when Muslim women are raped in the thousands - and have adopted non-Muslim ideas to the point where they expect even these great, humble, modest sisters who cover from head to toe, to take off their face-veils and go work - facing a hostile world all alone - because no one else will support them! These great mothers of Mujahids and wives of Shuhadaa! May Allah, The Most Appreciative and Generous, accept their sacrifices for His sake and may He, The Most Glorious, guide all the Muslims to realize their duties to Him (aameen)!"

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

4. Training in Combat Medicine and First-aid

The glorious women of this Ummah, the female companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), were experienced in this aspect of Jihad, and in-fact, this was a job assigned mostly to them. It goes without saying that one needs to be trained beforehand in order to be of benefit when the time comes. Such training is generally easily available. At a minimum, sisters should know how to stop bleeding from a wound, how to dress wounds in different parts of the body using a bandage and what to do if a bandage is not available, lifting and turning a person who cannot walk without bearing all the weight, how and where to apply basic antiseptics, how to deal with potential broken bones, dealing with head-and-neck injuries, and other such first-aid techniques. Another very helpful skill is the knowledge of using natural resources for medicines and first-aid. This knowledge is valuable to reduce dependence on synthetic medicines, which may not be easily available in a combat zone.

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

5. On an Academic Level

Sisters can participate in Jihad on an academic level in the following four ways:

Answer Objections Raised Against Jihad - Read books such as those of Shaikh Abdullah Azzam and others, that deal with the aqidah (doctrine) and fiqh (practical application) of Jihad. Know how to answer objections and propaganda of those who seek to eliminate Jihad (or Qital) from Islam, or at least change it's nature by coming up with watered-down and new interpretations of the word 'Jihad'. If the misinformation being spread by these people is not checked, it will contribute to further Muslim massacres, such as that of Bosnia, where the population had largely left Jihad. Thus, sisters need to educate themselves in matters of Jihad, as well as help others learn the truth.

Encourage Others to go for Jihad - Allah , The Most Exalted, has commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him):

'And strongly encourage the Believers to go for Qital (fighting in the path of Allah).' [Quran 8:65]

It has to be said that men tend to listen more if they are told to be 'men' by women. So sisters, use whatever means Allah has given you within Islamic bounds, encourage all the Muslims you can to realize their duty to Allah and His deen. And very importantly, encourage other sisters as well, as it is they, with Allah's help, who mold the thought-process of their young sons - the future mujahideen of the Ummah.

Obtain Knowledge of Jihad and Teach/Train Other Women (and men if needed) - Don't hold back on whatever knowledge and wisdom Allah grants you. If Allah has shown you the way that leads to Him, then show that to others without holding back. Let Allah protect you and other Muslims and let no other fear overcome you.

Read and Narrate for Motivation - Read about Jihad to motivate yourselves, your children, and others you know. Humans love stories, so be generous with telling uplifting stories of Jihad.

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

6. Fund-raising

Allah , The Most High, has commanded Muslims to engage in Jihad with their selves as well as their wealth. Sisters can help arrange for fund-raising events; call, email, and visit their friends, neighbours, and relatives for the same; and donate for Jihad from whatever Allah has blessed them with of jewellery, money, and assets. If sisters want to donate their jewellery, a suggestion (especially applicable in the U.S.) is to be the first to donate it at a fund-raising event, and arrange (preferrably beforehand) to have it auctioned off at the event. You can also request to not give it unless it's cost is met. Experience has shown that usually the jewellery that is auctioned first generates high donations, sometimes several times more than it's monetary worth. What actually matters is the intention of the donor, as that is what causes even a small donation to multiply with Allah - The Most Generous!

Back to Contents: Sisters Role Off the Battlefield

7. Dua

One of the most important, if not the most important contribution of sisters in the on-going Jihad in Chechnya and other locations worldwide is their sincere dua, as is requested by the Mujahideen themselves (See: "A Call to All Muslims").

If sisters (and brothers for that matter) don't know the Qunut nazilah, a dua from the Sunnah, then it is imperative that they learn it as soon as possible and recite it in their witr prayers at a minimum. Another dua for the Mujahideen is contained in (See "A Dua for the Believer"). Allah, The Most High, understands all languages and accepts sincere supplication from all His servants! May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala grant a complete and permanent victory to the Mujahideen fi sabeelih, and may He, The Most High, give us the ability to do our part in Jihad to the fullest, and may He accept it from all of us (aameen).

May Peace and Blessings be upon the Noblest of all Prophets and Messengers.
And the end of our call is: 'Praise be to Allah, Lord of all Worlds'

Courtesy of Sister AI
May Allah reward her with the best of rewards.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010306125117/http://minna.com/html/articlesmartyrops.htm

The Islamic Ruling on the Permissibility of Martyrdom Operations

Did Hawa Barayev Commit Suicide or achieve Martyrdom?

Contents:

Introduction
Definition of Martyrdom Operations
Evidences for the issue
Verdicts of scholars concerning one who attacks the enemy alone
The issue of using prisoners as a human shield
The view of the majority concerning one who assists in killing
Definition of a shaheed (martyr)
Definition of suicide
Synopsis
Conclusion

 

Introduction

All praise is due to Allah, Sustainer of the Universe, Who informs us that:

"Were it not for Allah's repelling some people by means of others, the earth would surely have become corrupt." [Quran]

The choicest peace and blessings be on the Chief of the Prophets, who has said,

"By [Allah] in Whose Hand is my soul! I have surely wished to be killed in the path of Allah, then brought to life, then killed [again], then brought to life, then killed!" [Bukhari, Muslim and others]

And who has also said, "Act, and each will be eased to that for which he was created." [Bukhari, Muslim and others]

Allah legislated Jihad for the dignity of this Ummah, knowing that it is abhorrent to us. People today have neglected this great duty, and pursued what they love, thinking good lies in what they love, and failing to realize that good lies in that which Allah has legislated.

Allah has blessed us, here in Chechnya, by allowing us to fight unbelief - represented by the Russian army, and we ask Allah to strengthen and assist us. We praise Allah also for allowing us to have scored victories over the enemy. Some of us have fulfilled their pledges; others are still waiting. Verily, Allah has fulfilled His promise to us, and granted us dignity through Jihad. Our martyred brothers have written, with their blood, a history we can be proud of, and their sacrifices only increase us in eagerness for our own martyrdom, so as to meet Allah, and to be resurrected with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his companions and all the other prophets, martyrs and righteous ones.

The Ummah has become used to hearing, through its history, about men who sacrifice their lives for the religion, but they are not as familiar with women doing the same. The young woman who was - inshaa-Allah - martyred, Hawa Barayev, is one of the few women whose name will be recorded in history. Undoubtedly, she has set the most marvellous example by her sacrifice. The Russians may well await death from every quarter now, and their hearts may appropriately be filled with terror on account of women like her. Let every jealous one perish in his rage! Let every sluggish individual bury his head in the dirt! She has done what few men have done. Every supporter of the truth should prepare to give the like of what she has given. The Ummah may well be proud that such a paragon has appeared in our midst. We are certain that an Ummah that contains people like her will never - by Allah's leave - become devoid of good.

However, while we were in the midst of rejoicing over our sister's self-sacrifice, and we were still supplicating for her to achieve forgiveness and mercy from Allah, we received mail which clouded our joy. It came, not from an enemy or envier, but rather from a handful of people whom we presume wanted to offer constructive advice. However, they erred, and accused the great Mujahidah, Hawa Barayev, of having committed suicide, saying that it was not permissible for her to have acted thus. Nor did they think it was permissible for us to mention her account on our website, rather that we should have criticized her. They mentioned evidences which they had misunderstood to imply what they claimed. In this study, we shall clarify that Hawa Barayev - and similarly `Abdur-Rahman Shishani, Qadi Mowladi, Khatam, his brother `Ali, `Abdul-Malik and others - are, Allah willing, in Gardens of Eternity, in the bodies of green birds, betaking themselves to lanterns hanging from the `Arsh. This is how we regard them, but we do not sanctify anyone before Allah.

Before we embark on a detailed exposition concerning the Islamic verdict on martyrdom operations, it is appropriate for us to first present a brief, to-the-point response:

Firstly : If you did not know, could you not ask? It is not appropriate for someone who is unaware of a verdict to make sweeping statements accusing others of wrongdoing. If those who criticized us had only investigated the issue first, they would have found that the issue is, at worst, a disagreed issue among scholars, such that we cannot be criticized for following legitimate scholarship.

Secondly : We request our respected brothers, who seek the truth, not to criticize us for anything without backing the criticism with verdicts of scholars, and [especially] the understanding of the Pious Predecessors.

Thirdly : Dear brothers and sisters! Not every martyrdom operation is legitimate, nor is every martyrdom operation prohibited. Rather, the verdict differs based on factors such as the enemy's condition, the situation of the war, the potential martyr's personal circumstances, and the elements of the operation itself. Thus, one may not give a verdict on such operations without having an understanding of the actual situation, and this is obtained from the Mujahideen, and not the unbelievers. How, then, can you accuse us of ignorance when you are unaware of our situation, let alone the specific details of the operation in question?

Definition of Martyrdom Operations, and their Effect on the Enemy

Martyrdom or self-sacrifice operations are those performed by one or more people, against enemies far outstripping them in numbers and equipment, with prior knowledge that the operations will almost inevitably lead to death.

The form this usually takes nowadays is to wire up one's body, or a vehicle or suitcase with explosives, and then to enter amongst a conglomeration of the enemy, or in their vital facilities, and to detonate in an appropriate place there in order to cause the maximum losses in the enemy ranks, taking advantage of the element of surprise and penetration. Naturally, the enacter of the operation will usually be the first to die.

Another technique is for an armed Mujahid to break into the enemy barracks, or area of conglomeration, and fire at them at close-range, without having prepared any plan of escape, nor having considered escape a possibility. The objective is to kill as many of the enemy as possible, and he will almost certainly die.

The name 'suicide-operations' used by some is inaccurate, and in fact this name was chosen by the Jews to discourage people from such endeavours. How great is the difference between one who commits suicide - because of his unhappiness, lack of patience and weakness or absence of iman and has been threatened with Hell-Fire - and between the self-sacrificer who embarks on the operation out of strength of faith and conviction, and to bring victory to Islam, by sacrificing his life for the upliftment of Allah's word!

As for the effects of these operations on the enemy, we have found, through the course of our experience that there is no other technique which strikes as much terror into their hearts, and which shatters their spirit as much. On account of this they refrain from mixing with the population, and from oppressing, harassing and looting them. They have also become occupied with trying to expose such operations before they occur, which has distracted them from other things. Praise is to Allah. Many of their imminent plans were foiled, and furthermore, Putin issued a severe condemnation of the Home Affairs and Defense Ministers, placing the responsibility on them, and threatening high-level reshufflings in the two ministries. Those troops who are not busy trying to foil martyrdom operations are occupied with removal of Russian corpses, healing the wounded, and drawing out plans and policies from beneath the debris. This is all on the moral level.

On the material level, these operations inflict the heaviest losses on the enemy, and are lowest in cost to us. The cost of equipment is negligible in comparison to the assault; in fact the explosives and vehicles were captured as war-booty, such that we returned them to the Russians in our special way! The human casualty is a single life, who is in fact a martyr and hero gone ahead to Gardens of Eternity, inshaa-Allah. As for the enemy, their losses are high; after the last operation, they had over 1,600 dead and wounded, and the most crucial concentration of Russian forces in Chechnya was completely destroyed.

All of this was achieved by the efforts of only four heroes. We feel sure that the Russians will not remain long in our land with such operations continuing. Either they will fear aggregation, in which case they will become easy targets for attack, or they will gather together to combat the assaults, in which case the martyrdom operations will be sufficient - Allah willing - to disperse them. If they wish to keep matters under control, they would need more than 300,000 troops in every city, and this is no exaggeration.

One can see how much fear the operations in Palestine caused, and that they were a major factor in convincing the Jews to grant self-rule to the Palestinians, hoping that they could be more easily controlled in that way. In Chechnya, the damage is much greater than in similar operations in Palestine, on account of Russian fortification being much less than that possessed by the Jews.

Evidences for the Issue

Before going into the verdict concerning the operations, citing the pronouncements of scholars about them, and resolving some unclear issues, it is appropriate for us to first present some of the Shar`i (Islamic law) evidences, and then follow them up with discussion and application thereof. We will not analyze the chains of transmission of each narration separately; we will regard it as sufficient that the basis of the evidence is in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim, and hence any reports outside of these two books is strengthened by them.

1 - "Verily, Allah has purchased from the believers their selves and their wealth, in return for Heaven being theirs. They fight in the path of Allah and they kill and are killed " [Qur'an, 9:111]

Hence, any scenario in which the Mujahid offers the purchase price in order to attain the merchandise is permissible unless an evidence exists to specifically prohibit it.

2 - "How many a small force has overcome a numerous force, by the permission of Allah. And Allah is with the steadfast ones." [Qur'an, 2:249]

This verse indicates that the measure of power in the Shari`ah is not primarily linked to material, worldly measures.

3 - "Among mankind is he who sells himself seeking the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is Pitying towards the servants." [Qur'an, 2:207]

According to the explanation of this verse by the Sahabah, as we cite below, one who sells himself for the sake of Allah is not considered to have committed suicide, even if he immerses himself into 1,000 of the enemy forces without armour.

4 - In the hadith in Sahih Muslim, containing the account of the boy and the king in the story of the Trenches referred to by Surah al-Buruj, we find that the unbelieving king tried various means to kill the believing boy, failing each time. Eventually, the boy told him, "You will not be able to kill me until … you gather people on one plateau, hang me on a palm-trunk, take an arrow from my quiver, place it in the bow, say, "In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy," and shoot me." The king did this, and thereby managed to kill the boy as predicted, but the people who had gathered began saying, "We believe in Allah, the Lord of the boy!" Thereupon, the king ordered trenches to be dug, and fires lit in them, and then for the people to be made to jump into them if they refused to give up their faith. This was done, and eventually a woman was brought with her infant, and she hesitated to jump on account of him, but he said, "O mother! Remain steadfast for you are upon the truth."

The boy, in this hadith, ordered the king to kill him in the interest of the religion, and this indicates that such a deed is legitimate, and not considered suicide.

5 - Imam Ahmad has narrated in his Musnad (1/310) [and a similar narration is in Ibn Majah (4030)] that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said, "On the night in which I was taken by night, a pleasant fragrance came my way, and so I said, "O Gabriel! What is this pleasant fragrance?" He said, "This is the fragrance of the hairdresser of Pharaoh's daughter, and [of the hairdresser]'s children." I said, "What is her situation?" He said, "While she was combing Pharaoh's daughter's hair one day, the comb fell from her hand, so she said, "In the name of Allah." Pharaoh's daughter asked, "[You mean] my father?" She said, "No, rather my Lord, and the Lord of your father, is Allah." She said, "Can I tell him that?" She said, "Yes."" The hadith goes on to describe that a huge brass pot was heated, and it was ordered for her and her children to be cast therein. She requested from Pharaoh - and he acceded to her request - that her bones and her children's bones be gathered in a single cloth and buried. Her children were then thrown into the cauldron one by one before her eyes, until they got to a suckling infant, and it seemed she wavered on account of him, but he said, "O mother! Jump in, for the torture of this world is lighter than the punishment of the Hereafter." So she jumped in.

The narrators of the chain [of Imam Ahmad's version] are reliable, apart from Abu `Umar al-Dareer, whom al-Dhahabi and Abu Hatim al-Razi considered truthful, and Ibn Hibban considered reliable.

According to this hadith, the child was made to speak, as was the child in the preceding story of the trenches, telling the mother to jump into the fire, which indicates the virtue of this deed.

6 - Abu Dawud (3/27) and Tirmidhi (4/280) have narrated (and Tirmidhi graded it as sahih) that Aslam ibn `Imran narrated that when they were fighting a mighty army of the Romans, a man in the Muslim army attacked the Roman ranks until he penetrated them. People shouted, saying, "SubhanAllah! He has contributed to his own destruction." Thereupon, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari stood up, and said, "O people! You give this interpretation to this verse, whereas it was revealed concerning us, the Ansar, when Allah had given honour to Islam and its supporters had become many, whereupon some of us secretly said to one another … "Our wealth has been depleted, and Allah has given honour to Islam and its supporters have become many, so let us stay amidst our wealth and make up what has been depleted of it." Thereupon, Allah revealed to His Prophet [meaning] "And spend in the Path of Allah, and do not contribute to your own destruction" [Qur'an, 2:195] refuting what we had said. So, the destruction lay in staying with our wealth and repleting it, and abandoning combat." Abu Ayyub remained fixed until he [was killed and] was buried in Rome.

Al-Hakim authenticated it, saying it conforms to the criteria of Bukhari and Muslim, and Dhahabi corroborated him. Nasa'i and Ibn Hibban also narrated it. Bayhaqi included it, and other narrations in his Sunan in a chapter entitled, "Permissibility of a man or men fighting alone in the enemy land," thereby citing it as evidence for the permissibility of advancing against a group, even if the more likely result is that they will kill him.

In this hadith, Abu Ayyub explained that the verse (Qur'an, 2:195) does not apply to one who plunges into the enemy ranks alone, even though it may seem to people that he is destroying himself. The Sahabah tacitly confirmed this explanation of his [by not objecting].

7 - Ibn Abi Shaybah has narrated in his Musannaf (5/338) that Mu`adh ibn `Afra' asked the Messenger of Allah, "What makes Allah laugh upon His slave?" The reply: "[The servant] immersing himself into the enemy without armour." Mu`adh then took off his armour and fought until he was killed.

This hadith is a clear evidence for the virtue of Jihad operations in which it is most likely that one will die, and it indicates that Jihad has some special rules which permit what may normally be prohibited.

8 - Ibn Abi Shaybah has extracted (5/289) [and similarly Tirmidhi (2491 and 2492, the latter narration he classified as sahih) and Nasa'i (1597 and 2523), and Ahmad (20,393), as well as Tabarani (in al-Kabir, with a hasan chain) and Ibn al-Mubarak (in Kitab al-Jihad, 1/84)], "Three [categories of people] Allah loves,…" and among them is "a man who was in a dispatchment and met the enemy, and they were defeated, but he faced them with his chest until he was killed or victorious." Al-Hakim also narrated it, and said it is sahih.

9 - Ahmad narrated in his Musnad (6/22) from Ibn Mas`ud that the Prophet said, "Our Sustainer marvels at two men: a man who stirs from his bed … to salah … and a man who fights in the path of Allah, and his companions are defeated, and he realizes what awaits him in defeat and what awaits him in returning [to combat], but he returns [to combat] until his blood is spilled. Allah says, "Look at My servant who went back [to combat] hopeful and anxious for what is with Me, until his blood was spilled."

Ahmad Shakir said,: its chain is sahih. Haythami said in Majma` al-Zawa'id: Ahmad ad Abu Ya`la narrated it, as did Tabarani in al-Kabir, and its isnad is hasan. Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim narrated it in abbreviated form, and Al-Hakim authenticated it. Ibn al-Nahhas said: even if there were only this single authentic hadith, it would suffice us as evidence for the virtue of plunging [into the enemy ranks].

10 - Muslim has narrated from Abu Hurayrah, "Among the best of lives for people is a man who clasps the reins of his horse in the path of Allah, rushing on its back; whenever he hears a cry [of battle] or advancement towards the enemy, he hurries to it, seeking death and being slain with eagerness."

This indicates that seeking to be killed and pursuing martyrdom are legitimate and praiseworthy acts.

11 - Bayhaqi has narrated in Al-Sunan al-Kubra (9/100) with a sahih chain from Mujahid that the Prophet sent out `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud and Khabbab as one dispatchment, and Dihyah as a dispatchment on his own.

This indicates that regardless of the level of risk in a Jihad operation, it remains permissible by default, and the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

12 - Bukhari and Muslim have narrated that Talhah shielded the Prophet from arrows in the Battle of Uhud, and his hand was crippled thereby.

13 - Bukhari and Muslim have reported that Salamah ibn al-Akwa` was asked, "For what did you pledge allegiance to the Prophet on the Day of Hudaybiyyah?" He said, "For death."

14- Many have reported from Muhammad ibn Thabit ibn Qays Ibn Shimas, when the Muslims were disclosed on the Day of Yamamah, Salim, the freed-slave of Abu Hudhayfah, said, "This is not how we used to act with the Messenger of Allah." Then, he dug a trench for himself, and stood in it carrying the flag, and fought until he was killed as a martyr on the Day of Yamamah.

This and the next report indicate that steadfastness is desirable, even if it leads to death, and Salim attributed this type of action to the [days of] the Messenger of Allah.

15 - Ibn Jareer Tabari has narrated in his Tarikh (2/151) that in the Battle of Mu'tah, Ja`far ibn Abi Talib took the flag and fought until he became immersed in the fighting, whereupon he turned to a light-colored horse he had and wounded it [so he could not escape], then he fought until he was killed. Hence, JA`far was the first Muslim to wound his horse [in this manner].

16 - Muslim has narrated that a man heard a Sahabi saying, when the enemy was near, "The Messenger of Allah said : The doors of Heaven are under the shade of the swords." The man, upon hearing this, got up and asked for verification of the hadith. When it was confirmed, he turned to his companions, gave them the greeting of salam, broke and discarded the scabbard of his sword and then advanced to the enemy with his sword, striking them until he was killed.

[The original study in Arabic contains 40 narrations, but for brevity we have omitted the remainder].

Verdicts of Scholars Concerning one who Attacks the Enemy Alone

Having established the permissibility of plunging into the enemy and attacking alone even when death is certain, we proceed and say that the martyrdom operations are derived from this principle, realizing that the prohibition of suicide relates to deficiency or absence of faith. However, the former generations did not have knowledge of martyrdom operations in their current-day form, for these evolved with the changes in techniques of warfare, and hence they did not specifically address them. However, they did address similar issues, such as that of attacking the enemy single-handed and frightening them with one's own death being certain. They also deduced general principles under which the martyrdom operations fall, and in doing so they relied on evidences such as those we have mentioned in the previous section. There is one difference between the martyrdom operations and their classical precedent, namely that in our case the person is killed by his own hand, whereas in the other he was killed by the enemy. We also explain that this difference does not affect the verdict.

A. Scholars of the Sahabah and Tabi`in

1 - Ibn al-Mubarak and Ibn Abi Shaybah (5/303) have reported, through a sahih chain, that Mudrik ibn `Awf al-Ahmasi said, "I was in the presence of `Umar when the messenger of Nu`man ibn Muqrin cam to him and `Umar asked him about the people, whereupon he replied, "So-and-so and so-and-so were hit, and others and others whom I do not know." `Umar said, "But Allah knows them." [The messenger] said, "O chief of the believers! [There was] a man who sold his life." At this Mudrik said, "That is my maternal uncle, by Allah, O chief of the believers! People claimed he has contributed to his own destruction." `Umar said, "They have lied (or: are mistaken). Rather, he is among those who have bought the Hereafter with this world." Bayhaqi mentioned that that was on the day of Nahawand.

2 - Ibn Abi Shaybah has extracted (5/322) that a battalion of unbelievers advanced, and a man of the Ansar faced them and attacked them, and broke through the ranks, then returned, repeating this twice or thrice. Sa`d ibn Hisham mentioned this to Abu Hurayrah, who recited the verse (meaning), "Among mankind is he who sells himself seeking the pleasure of Allah."

3 - Al-Hakim has extracted in the Book of Tafseer (2/275) and Ibn Abi Hatim (1/128), with a similar narration recorded by Ibn `Asakir, that Bara' was asked about the verse (meaning), "And spend in the Path of Allah, and do not contribute to your own destruction..."; does it refer to a man who encounters the enemy and fights until he is killed? He said, "No, rather it is a man who commits a sin, and then says Allah will not forgive him." Al-Hakim said this is authentic according to Bukhari's and Muslim's criteria. This explanation of the verse was narrated by Tabari in his exegesis (3/584) from Hudhayfah, Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Hasan Basri, `Ata', Sa`id ibn Jubayr, Dahhak, Suddi, Muqatil and others.

B. Verdicts of Renowned Exegetes

1 - Ibn al-`Arabi says in Ahkam al-Qur'an (1/116, and see also Qurtubi's tafseer 2/364), commenting on the verse, (meaning), "And spend in the Path of Allah, and do not contribute to your own destruction...," "There are five views about [the meaning of] destruction [here]:

• Do not give up spending [in the path of Allah]
• Do not go out without provision
• Do not abandon Jihad
• Do not take on an enemy you are not capable of withstanding
• Do not despair of forgiveness

Tabari said: "It is general [in scope], and there is no contradiction between them." He is right, except regarding plunging into the enemy, for scholars have disagreed concerning this. Qasim ibn Mukhaymirah, Qasim ibn Muhammad and `Abdul-Malik from among our [Maliki] scholars said there is no objection to a man single-handedly taking on a large army, if he is strong and [the action] is sincerely for Allah. If he has no power, then that is self-destruction. It has been said [by some] that if he is seeking martyrdom and his intention is sincere, he can attack, for his goal is to kill one of the enemy forces, and that is clear in the verse (meaning), "Among mankind is he who sells himself seeking the pleasure of Allah." The correct view by me is that of permissibility of rushing into an army one cannot withstand, for it contains four [possible] aspects:

• Seeking martyrdom
• Inflicting losses [on the enemy]
• Encouraging the Muslims to attack
• Demoralizing the enemy, showing them that if one man can do this, what will the totality be capable of!"

2 - Qurtubi says in his Tafseer (2/364), "Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani, the student of Abu Hanifah, said: If a man single-handedly attacks 1,000 pagans, there is no objection to it if there is hope of success, or inflicting loss on the enemy, otherwise it is disliked, for then he would expose himself to death without benefit to the Muslims. As for someone whose aim is to embolden the Muslims to emulate his feat, it's permissibility is not far-fetched, for it entails benefit to the Muslims in some ways. if his intent is to frighten the enemy, and demonstrate the Muslims' strength of faith, its permissibility is not far-fetched. If there is benefit in it for the Muslims, then giving one's life for the strengthening of the religion and weakening of the unbelievers, then it is the noble rank praised in the verse, (meaning), "Among mankind is he who sells himself seeking the pleasure of Allah." and other verses."

3 - Shawkani says in Fath al-Qadeer (1/297) about the verse of self-destruction, "The reality is that the words have general implication, and are not specific to the circumstances of revelation, and so everything which may be described as worldly or religious self-destruction is covered by it, as stated by Ibn Jareer al-Tabari. Among that which comes under this verse is a man attacking an enemy army which he can neither overcome, nor have any effect beneficial to the Mujahideen."

This implies that if there is a benefit it is permissible.

C. Texts of the Madhahib

1 - Hanafi

Ibn `Abideen says in his Hashiyah (4/303), "There is no objection to a man fighting alone, even if he thinks he will be killed, provided he achieves something such as killing, wounding or defeating [the enemy], for this has been reported from a number of the Sahabah in the presence of the Messenger of Allah on the Day of Uhud, and he praised them for it. If, however, he knows he will not inflict any loss on them, it is not permissible for him to attack, for it would not contribute to the strengthening of the religion."

2 - Maliki

Ibn Khuwayz-Mandad said, as cited by Qurtubi in his Tafseer (2/364), "As for a man single-handedly attacking 100 or more enemy troops ... this has two scenarios: If he is certain, or reasonably so, that he will kill the subject of his attack, and emerge safe, then it is good, and similarly if he is reasonably certain that he will be killed, but will inflict loss or cause damage, or have a beneficial effect for the Muslims, then it is permissible also." Statements from Qurtubi and Ibn al-`Arabi have already preceded.

3 - Shafi`i

In the completion of Al-Majmu` (19/291) by al-Muti`i, we find, "If the number of the unbelievers are twice the numbers of the Muslims, and they do not fear perdition, it is obligatory to stand firm ... If they are more convinced than not of destruction, then there are two possibilities:

1. That they may turn back, based on the verse (meaning), "do not contribute to your own destruction..."
2. That they may not turn back, and this is the correct view, based on the verse, (meaning), "When you encounter a force, remain steadfast...", and because the Mujahid only fights in order to kill or be killed. If the number of the unbelievers exceed twice the numbers of the Muslims, then they may turn back. If they are more convinced than not that they will not be destroyed, then it is better for them to remain steadfast so that the Muslims are not routed. If they are more convinced than not that they will be destroyed, then there are two possibilities:

• That they are obliged to turn back, based on the words of Allah (meaning), "do not contribute to your own destruction..."
• That it is recommended for them to turn back, but not binding, for if they are killed they will attain martyrdom."

4 - Hanbali

Ibn Qudamah says in Al-Mughni (9/309),
"If the enemy is more than twice the Muslims' number, and the Muslims are reasonably certain of victory, then it is preferable to remain steadfast on account of the benefit [involved], but if they turn back it is permissible, for they are not immune to destruction ... it is conceivable that they are obliged to stand fast if they are reasonably certain of victory, on account of the benefit, but if they are reasonably certain or being defeated by remaining and being unscathed by turning back, then it is preferable for them to turn back, but if they remain put, it is permissible, for they have a goal of martyrdom, and it is also possible that they will be victorious. If they are reasonably certain of being routed whether they remain put or turn back, then it is preferable for them to remain steadfast to attain the rank or martyrdom, ... and also because it is possible they might be victorious."

Ibn Taymiyyah says, in Majmu` al-Fatawa (28/540),
"Muslim has narrated in his Sahih the story of the people of the trenches, in which the boy ordered his own killing for the benefit of the religion, and hence the four imams have allowed a Muslim to immerse himself in the enemy ranks, even if he is reasonably certain that they will kill him, provided there is benefit in that for the Muslims. "

5 - Zahiri

Ibn Hazm says in Al-Muhalla (7/294), "Neither Abu Ayyub al-Ansari nor Abu Musa al-Ash`ari criticized a man plunging alone into a raging army and remaining steadfast until he was killed... It has been authentically reported that a man from among the Sahabah asked the Messenger of Allah about what makes Allah laugh upon a servant, and he said, "His immersing himself into the enemy without armour," whereupon the man removed his armour and entered the enemy [ranks, fighting] until he was killed."

D. Some Analysis

The hadith of the boy is the strongest of evidences for this issue. The hadith explains that when the boy saw that his being killed in a specific way would be a means for spreading the religion, and hence he advised the king - from whom Allah had protected him hitherto - how to kill him, for spread of the religion and people's entering into it was more weighty in his eyes than his remaining alive, and he thereby contributed to taking his own life. Yes, he did not take it by his own hand, but his opinion was the sole factor leading to his killing. This is just as if a man, suffering from painful wounds, asked someone else to kill him; he would be as guilty of suicide as if he had taken his own life, regardless of who did the killing, for he requested it. Similarly, Allah praised those who believed in the boy's Lord; those who were being forced to jump into the pits of fire for refusing to renounce their faith. Nay, even the infant spoke, encouraging its mother to advance when she hesitated about entering the fire. They were praised in Surah al-Buruj, which described their fate as being gardens beneath which flow rivers, and they are called successful. The story of Pharaoh's daughter's hairdresser is similar. We have cited evidences from our Shari`ah which fortify these two hadiths, and nothing has appeared to contradict sacrificing one's life for raising Allah's word. Hence, the content of these two hadiths is part of our Shari`ah, according to the majority of scholars.

In fact, we see that this sort of operation was carried out in the presence of the Prophet, and after him by the Sahabah, not once but many times. Furthermore, protection of the religion is the greatest service a Mujahid performs, and the evidences do not leave us with any doubt that a Mujahid may sacrifice his life for the religion. Talhah shielded the Prophet with his hand, and this supports the permissibility of a person sacrificing himself for others in the interests of the religion.

E. Synopsis

It has transpired that scholars gave, to the issue of plunging single-handed into the enemy with reasonable certainty of being killed, the same verdict as in cases of death being certain, such that whoever permits the latter permits the former.

Further, the majority of scholars gave conditions for the permissibility:

1. Intention
2. Infliction of losses on the enemy
3. Frightening them
4. Strengthening the hearts of the Muslims

Qurtubi and Ibn Qudamah allowed plunging into the enemy with only a sincere intention, even if no other conditions are fulfilled, for seeking martyrdom is legitimate. Since there is no explicit stipulation of the majority's conditions in narrations, this view appears preferable. The majority deduced their conditions from general standards of the Shari`ah, but the general need not restrict the specific. Yes, we do say that if there is no benefit to the Muslims or the Mujahideen, an action should not be carried out, and is not the most optimal practice, but this is apart from the original permissibility of the act, for to condemn one seeking martyrdom without a firm basis is an injustice.

The Issue of using Prisoners as a Human Shield

The issue of killing Muslim prisoners whom the enemy has used as a human shield resembles the issue at hand, although there is also a difference between them. The similarity is that both involve ending a Muslim life in the interests of the religion. The difference between the issues is that killing those used as a shield was permitted by scholars out of necessity, for there does not exist any text permitting the taking of someone else's life, rather it derives from the public interest overshadowing the individual interest. Hence, killing prisoners used as a shield is based on the rule of necessity permitting the unlawful, and of choosing the lesser of two evils when one is inevitable. As for martyrdom operations, no such rules need be applied, for we have clear texts encouraging plunging into the enemy ranks in spite of the certainty of being killed, and it is not a case of necessity.

Killing another person is an even greater sin than killing oneself; Qurtubi cites in his Tafseer (10/183) consensus of scholars that anyone who is coerced to kill someone else may not comply. Hence whoever allows killing another Muslim, where no textual evidence exists, but for an overwhelming religious benefit, should similarly allow killing oneself for an overwhelming benefit, for the taking of one's own life is less serious than taking someone else's life. This would be even if we did not have any texts to support martyrdom operations, although we actually do have specific evidences, as mentioned earlier.

The Muslim army is ordinarily prohibited from killing not only Muslims, but also dhimmis (unbelievers living as protected subjects of the Muslim state), as well as old men, women and children from among the unbelievers. If Muslim prisoners of war are used by the unbelievers then it is not permissible to fire on them except in cases of dire necessity. In the case of women and children of the unbelievers, however, they could be fired upon for an expediency of war even if it is not dire necessity, for war may need such action, but the intention should not be specifically to kill the non-combatants. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his Household) was asked about the pagans being hit by night, and some women and children being killed in the process, and he replied, "They are from among them." [Bukhari and Muslim] In the case of Muslims, however, firing is permissible only if abstaining will lead to a wholesale harm, such as a greater number of Muslims being killed than those being used as a shield, or the Muslims being defeated and their land overrun. In such a case, any Muslims killed as a result will be raised up according to their intentions.

The majority consider it obligatory to attack the enemy in cases of necessity, even if it leads to the members of a human shield being killed. [See: Shawkani's Fath al-Qadeer (5/447), Mughni al-Muhtaj (4/244), Hashiyat al-Dusuqi (2/178), and Ibn Qudamah's al-Mughni (10/505)] The author of Mughni al-Muhtaj gives two conditions which should be satisfied:

1. That the Mujahideen try their best to avoid hitting the shield deliberately.
2. That they do not intend to kill the people in the shield.

Ibn Taymiyyah said, "If the unbelievers use Muslims as a human shield, and the unbelievers cannot be repelled without killing [the Muslims], then [the Muslim army may fire], for inflictions and afflictions may smite one in this world who does not deserve it in the Hereafter, and it counts as a misfortune for him [for which he may be rewarded]. Some expressed this by saying, "The killer is a Mujahid and the killed one is a martyr.""

The majority of Hanafis and Malikis, as well as Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, have permitted attacking when the enemy have used a shield of Muslims, whether or not abstaining would be detrimental or lead to defeat, reasoning that otherwise Jihad would never take place. [See: Fath al-Qadeer (5/448), Jassas' Ahkam al-Qur'an (5/273) and Minah al-Jaleel (3/151)] The weakness of this position is clear, in that the sanctity of a Muslim life is greater than to allow its taking without a clear proof, and moreover such shields are not universally used, and so Jihad would not necessarily come to a halt.

In the case of women children and old men from among the unbelievers being used as shield, the majority of Hanafis, Shafi`is and Hanbalis have allowed attacking even if it is not a dire necessity. [See: Al-Siyar al-Kabeer (4/1554) Mughni al-Muhtaj (4/224) and Al-Mughni (10/504)] The Malikis differed, but for brevity we will not mention their reasoning. [See: Dardeer's Al-Sharh al-Kabeer (2/178) and Minah al-Jaleel (3/150).]

The View of the Majority Concerning one who assists in Killing

Plunging into the enemy ranks without hope of escape is the greatest means by which a Mujahid contributes to his death, and contributing to one's own death is just like killing oneself, just as one who deliberately causes the death of someone is like one who actually killed him. The majority of scholars, from among the Malikis Shafi`is and Hanbalis, have subjected one who kills someone by consequence to being killed in retaliation just as in the case of direct murder.

Among the textual bases for this is that which Bukhari has reported, that a boy was assassinated, whereupon `Umar said, "Even if all the inhabitants of San`a took part in it, I would kill them all." From a rational angle, if killing in retaliation were to be halted in such a case, murder would increase, for murderers would merely use one or more accomplices without fear of being executed for the crime. The monetary compensation of blood-money would not deter all murderers, especially the well-off. Hence it is fitting for all the participants to be executed, and in a similar light the Qur'an describes one who kills one person to be like one who has killed all mankind. [See: Al-Sayl al-Jarrar (4/397), Tafseer al-Qurtubi (2/251), Majmu` Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah (20/382), Al-Bahr al-Ra'iq (8/354), Sam`ani's Qawati` al-Adillah (2/243)]

So, if one who kills himself by plunging into the enemy is praised, then this praise applies independent of the weapon and manner in which he gives up his life. We have already mentioned in evidence 14 the Sahabi's action, and no criticism or stipulation has been recorded from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) of such a practice. Hence, if allowing oneself to be killed by the enemy is allowed when it is in the interests of the Muslims, then clearly killing oneself for the same purpose should be allowed, and in such a case a Mujahid is exempted from the general texts which prohibit taking one's own life.

Definition of a Shaheed (martyr)

Nawawi has enumerated [in Sharh Sahih Muslim (1/515) and Al-Majmu` (1/277)] seven explanations for why the martyr is called Shaheed:

(1) Because Allah and the Prophet have testified concerning his entry into Heaven
(2) Because he is alive before his Lord
(3) Because the angels of mercy witness the taking of his soul
(4) Because he will be among those who testify over nations on the Day of Resurrection
(5) Because his faith and good ending have outwardly been witnessed
(6) Because he has a witness to his death, namely his blood
(7) Because his soul immediately witnesses Heaven.

Ibn Hajar has mentioned fourteen means by which a person can acquire the title, some of them specifically related to being killed in the path of Allah and others not. [See: Fath al-Bari (6/43)]

Jurists have given the technical definition of a martyr as follows:

According to the Hanafis:

"One who is killed by the pagans, or is found killed in the battle bearing a mark of any wound, whether external or internal - such as blood emerging from an eye or the like." [Al-`Inayah published on the margins of Fath al-Qadeer (2/142) and Hashiyat Ibn `Abideen (2/268)]

"Anyone who is killed while fighting pagans, or rebels, or brigands, by a means attributed to the enemy - whether directly or by consequence - is a shaheed, anyone who is killed by a means not specifically attributed to [an action of] the enemy is not considered a shaheed." [Zayla`i's Tabyeen al-Haqa'iq, (1/247). See also Al-Bahr al-Ra'iq (2/211)]

According to the Malikis:

"One who is killed while fighting warring unbelievers only, even if killed on Islamic land such as if the enemy attacked the Muslims, [even if he] did not fight on account of being unaware or asleep, [and even if] killed by a Muslim who mistook him for an unbeliever, or trampled by a horse, or mistakenly smitten by his own sword or arrow, or by having fallen into a well or from a cliff during the fighting." [Dardeer's Al-Sharh al-Kabeer, (1/425)]

According to the Shafi`is:

"One who is killed in fighting unbelievers, facing and not running away, for the raising of Allah's word…and not for any worldly motive." [Mughni al-Muhtaj (1/350) and see Fath al-Bari (6/129)]

According to the Hanbalis:

"One who dies in a battle with the unbelievers, whether male or female, adult or not, whether killed by the unbelievers, or by his own weapon in error, or by having fallen off his mount, or having been found dead with no mark, provided he was sincere." [Kash-shaf al-Qina`, 2/113. See also Al-Mughni (2/206)]

From the above, it transpires that the majority - apart from the Hanafis - do not consider the identity of the killing party to be a factor in determining whether the victim is a shaheed. The majority view emerges preferable, based on:

i. A hadith narrated by Bukhari (4196) in which `Aamir while trying to kill an enemy man during the battle of Khaybar, mistakenly killed himself instead. Someone said he had invalidated his good deeds, but the Prophet said, "Whoever says that is lying (or mistaken). Verily, he is has two rewards," and he coupled two of his fingers, "He is a striver and a Mujahid."

ii. A hadith narrated by Abu Dawud (2539) about a Sahabi who mistakenly hit himself with his own sword, and people asked, "Is he a shaheed?", whereupon it is reported that the Prophet said, "Yes, and I am a witness for him."

Some people may waver about the permissibility of martyrdom operations because the Mujahid is killing himself. In order to dispel this confusion, we may remind ourselves that the Shari`ah often gives a differing verdict about two actions which externally appear the same, but differ in the intentions behind them. E.g.

• Marrying a divorced woman is permissible, but doing so with the sole intention of making her permissible to the first husband is prohibited.
• Paying back a loan with more than was borrowed is allowed, but if the excess is stipulated in the contract, it is prohibited, being riba.
• One who performs Jihad in order to raise aloft the word of Allah is a Mujahid, but one who fights for the sake of showing off bravery is among the first who will be taken to Hell.
• Mistakenly striking oneself with one's own weapon makes one shaheed (according to the majority) but deliberately killing oneself to escape the pain of wounds makes one deserving of Hell.

These examples, all based on the hadith, "Verily, actions are only according to intentions…", clearly support the notion that the verdict concerning the shaheed does not differ based on who the killing party is, provided the intention is pure. So, one who has a bad intention and is killed by the enemy is deserving of the Fire, as would be the case if he kills himself out of pain. And, one who has a sincere intention will be in Heaven, whether he is killed by the enemy, or kills himself in error. And, one who helps in killing himself for the good of the religion will be in Heaven, like the boy, inshaa-Allah.

Definition of Suicide

Suicide here refers to killing oneself on account of anger, pain or some other worldly motive, and scholars are unanimous that it is prohibited and moreover a major sin, making the offender deserving of Hell - either eternally if he legitimizes the act, or for a finite duration [if he did not legitimize it and died as a Muslim]. "Do not kill yourselves. Verily, Allah is merciful to you. And, whoever does that, out of animosity and , We shall burn him in a Fire. And that is easy for Allah." [Qur'an, 4:29-30; See Tafseer al-Qurtubi, (5/156)]

"Among those before you, there was a man with a wound, and he was in anguish, so he took a knife and cut his hands, and the blood did not stop until he died. Allah said, "My servant has hastened the ending of his life, so I have prohibited Heaven to him." [Bukhari and Muslim]

"Whoever strangles himself will be strangling himself in the Fire, and whoever stabs himself will be stabbing himself in the Fire." [Bukhari and Muslim]

The authentic ahadith on this subject are many. In fact, we have been ordered not to even wish for death.

"Let not any of you wish for death on account of harm which has befallen him. But, if he must, he should pray, 'O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and take my life when death is better for me." [Bukhari and Muslim]

All of these texts prohibiting suicide related to killing oneself for worldly motives such as pain or anguish or lack of patience, and not for raising aloft the Word of Allah. We have already cited the evidences for permitting a Mujahid to plunge into the enemy ranks without armour, and these exempt the Mujahid from the generality of the suicide texts. Can one then say that one who kills himself in order to lift the Word of Allah - to inflict losses on the enemy, to frighten them, and with a sincere intention - can we describe him as one committing suicide? That is a grave slander. We say that the prohibition of suicide is on account of its resulting from weakness or lack of faith, whereas the Mujahid in a martyrdom operation is killing himself on account of the strength of his faith. The boy in the account of the Trenches referred to in Surah al-Buruj effectively killed himself for such a reason, and his deed was praiseworthy. Similarly, the Prophet wished for death in the Path of Allah not once but thrice [the hadith was cited at the start of the article], and it was permissible because it was not on account of harm which had befallen him, but rather it emanated from strong faith. So, when the rationale of the prohibition of suicide becomes clear, one arrives at the conclusion that martyrdom operations are permissible and praiseworthy when undertaken for some religious benefit.

Synopsis

We have arrived at the conclusion that martyrdom operations are permissible, and in fact the Mujahid who is killed in them is better than one who is killed fighting in the ranks, for there are gradations even among martyrs, corresponding to their role, action effort and risk undertaken. Then, we explained how martyrdom operations are the least costly to the Mujahideen and most detrimental to the enemy. We have heard, as you must have, that most scholars today permit such operations; at least 30 Fatawa have been issued to this effect. We explained how this issue is derived from the issue of plunging single-handedly into the enemy ranks; something which is praiseworthy by the agreement of jurists. We then further stated that we preferred the view that such an action is permissible even if martyrdom is the only goal, although it is certainly not the optimal practice. Martyrdom operations should not be carried out unless certain conditions are met:

1. One's intention is sincere and pure - to raise the Word of Allah.
2. One is reasonably sure that the desired effect cannot be achieved by any other means which would guarantee preservation of his life.
3. One is reasonably sure that loss will be inflicted on the enemy, or they will be frightened, or the Muslims will be emboldened.
4. One should consult with war strategy experts, and especially with the amber of war, for otherwise he may upset plan and alert the enemy to their presence.

If the first condition is absent, the deed is worthless, but if it is satisfied while some others are lacking, then it is not the best thing, but this does not necessarily mean the Mujahid is not shaheed.

We also explained how causing a death carries the same verdict as actual killing. Hence one who plunges without armour into the enemy ranks, being certain of death, just like one who engages in a martyrdom operation, is effectively causing his own death, but they are praiseworthy because of the circumstances and intention, and hence are not considered to have committed suicide. We also clarified that [according to the majority] the identity of the killer does not have an effect on whether the Mujahid will be considered shaheed. This dispels the wavering arising from the fact that the Mujahid is taking his own life. Thus, such operations could take on any of the five Shar`i verdicts depending on intention and circumstances. Finally, we clarified that taking one's own life is not always blameworthy; rather it is contingent on the motives behind it. So, we conclude that one who kills himself because of his strong faith and out of love for Allah and the Prophet, and in the interests of the religion, is praiseworthy.

Conclusion

Finally, we should point out that this topic needs a much more expansive study. However, we are thankful to Allah for having allowed us to complete this. If we are correct, it is due to Allah, and if we have erred, then all humans are prone to error. Finally, let the scholars and students of knowledge approach us with their feedback and advice, for we are in need of such help. Let them fear Allah in discharging their responsibility to us.

And peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, who rightly strove in the Path of Allah until he left this world, and also upon his Household and Companions and those who follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgment.

And our final words are praise to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010427104044/minna.com/html/talibanhelp.htm

What you can do to help the Taliban

We will be updating this section again in the New Year insha-Allah, with other things you can do to help the establishment of an Islamic State in Afghanistan. However, at this moment in time, cash donations are required more than other due to an expected strike on Afghanistan by Russian and American Special Forces. Read U.S. - Russian Crusade Against Afghanistan as a widely-accepted acknowledgement of this expectation.

1. Financially

***URGENT APPEAL FOR CASH DONATIONS***

1. Financially

An appeal for cash donations is especially urgent at this time (Winter 2000/2001) since a joint U.S./Russian chemical strike on Afghanistan is imminent. In our analysis, it is a bigger priority for Muslim organisations to help the Taliban at this time than to help any other Muslim cause in the World, whether Chechnya, Kashmir or Palestine. The fall of an Islamic Afghanistan due to financial difficulties will be a calamity that will make all other Muslim calamities look like nothing in comparison.

After U.N. sanctions and international isolation, the Taliban are wholly dependent on their Muslim brothers and sisters around the World to come to their aid and build the first Islamic State. Money is required to re-build damaged roads, re-build hospitals and schools, renovate factories, pay salaries to workers and many, many other things. There are many things the Taliban is unable to do due to the lack of funds. As a reasonable estimate, at least $10million a month are required in donations from outside the country to be of any meaningful use. Whilst it is not necessary for one organisation or one Muslim community to provide all of this money, smaller amounts from all Muslim communities, organisations and businesses around the World can make this figure in no time at all. Assuming there are 10 million wealthy Muslims in the World, they would only have to donate $1 a month to the Taliban to reach this figure.

At present, it is relatively simple for either Muslim organisations, or wealthy individuals, to assist the Taliban financially. The procedure is given below:

(a) Muslim communities, organisations, mosques and centres should collect money for the people of Afghanistan through appeals, collections and fundraising events. It is advisable to hold the appeals in the name of the people of Afghanistan rather than the Taliban, since the enemies of Islam will try to prevent fundraising for the Taliban in the future.

(b) All the money collected should be converted into US$ in cash and deposited with two or three wealthy, trustworthy and respected members of the community or organisation.

(c) At the end of each month, depending on the amount of the money, two or three of the same trustworthy members or elders of the community should travel to Karachi, Pakistan with the money in US$ in cash. If a large amount of money is involved, it is probably advisable to send one or two trustworthy, young, strong, fit Muslims with the delegation for protection of the money and the delegation. The delegation should carry an official letter on the letterhead of the organisation or centre, giving the full names of the members of the delegation and that they are carrying donations for the suffering people of Afghanistan. Sample text for such a letter is found below:

"To Whom it May Concern:

We would like to introduce our official delegation from the Islamic Centre of South Arlington who are carrying monetary assistance for the suffering people of Afghanistan. The members of this delegation are listed below:

1. Abdullah Muhammad Saeed, American Passport Holder
2. Ishaq Mansoor Al-Katib, American Passport Holder
3. Muhammad Abdur-Rasheed, Canadian Passport Holder

They are carrying a quantity of cash donations which have been collected by the Muslim community of South Arlington and are to help the suffering people of Afghanistan. We request all those whom it may concern to allow the bearers of this letter to pass freely without let or hindrance and to provide them such assistance and protection as may be necessary.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself at any time for any further information in this regard.

We thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation.

Yours sincerely

[Signed]

Chairman of the Islamic Centre of South Arlington, USA"

This letter should only be produced upon request by authorities of any country. You should not unnecessarily go round flashing this letter to everyone indicating that you are carrying large amounts of cash.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MUST ANY OF THE MONEY BE HANDED OVER TO ANY OFFICIAL OF ANY AIRPORT OR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, EVEN FOR A FEW SECONDS. IF THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, SAY THAT YOU WILL RETURN BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY WITH THE MONEY BUT THAT YOU WILL NOT HAND OVER THE MONEY TO ANYONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, EXCEPT ITS INTENDED RECIPIENTS. IF THEY OFFER TO KEEP THE MONEY SAFELY FOR YOU UNTIL YOU DEPART, REFUSE AND INSIST TO STAY WITH THE MONEY, EVEN IF IT MEANS STAYING IN THE AIRPORT UNTIL THE NEXT FLIGHT.

(d) Once safely in Karachi, Pakistan, the money should be handed over to the Official Taliban Consul-General, Mullah Rahmatullah, at the Taliban Consulate in Karachi, together with a copy of your official letter from your organisation. The contact details of the Taliban Consulate in Karachi are given below:

Mullah Rahmatullah Kakayzada Khybanay Shamsheer
Consul-General
Consulate of the Taliban Islamic Movement of Afghanistan
Karachi Defence Housing Association (D.H.A.)
Bungalow No. 33
Street No. 27
District 11, Phase V (five)
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: 00-92-21-585 1128 (585 1128 inside Karachi)

If you have problems contacting the Taliban Consulate in Karachi, you may also call the Taliban Embassy in Islamabad, Tel: 051-282 4505/6 (inside Pakistan)

It may be necessary to go to the Consulate first in person with your official introductory letter and make an appointment with the Consul-General first. It is better not to make this appointment over the telephone since the enemies of Islam will try everything possible to prevent financial help from reaching the Taliban. However, there is no harm in ringing the Consulate from your country, before travelling, to ensure that the Consul-General will be in Karachi at the dates you wish to travel in. If you do call, it is better to call from a public call centre and not give your name or the name of your centre over the telephone. You can inform the Consulate staff that your request is urgent since you have come from abroad. Once you meet the Consul, hand over the money to him in cash and he will issue you with an official receipt from the Taliban Islamic Movement of Afghanistan in whatever name you wish. In this meeting, you will also have the opportunity to request anything specific you would like the money to be used for (if possible), ask questions about their current needs and perhaps arrange a visit into Afghanistan if you have time.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU HAND OVER THE MONEY TO ANYONE AT THE CONSULATE OTHER THAN THE CONSUL-GENERAL, MULLAH RAHMATULLAH.

Although, there is no minimum amount to the donation that you can give, since the Consul-General will also be busy with other things, it is advisable that you wait until your donation reaches at least $20,000 before travelling to Pakistan.

(e) Once you have received your official receipt, you can take it back to your country and display a colour photocopy of it (not the original) in the organisation or mosque noticeboard as proof to the donors that you have conveyed their money to its intended recipients.

With the method we have described above, you can convey your donations directly to their intended recipients, without having to go through middle-men or third parties. Therefore, you and the members of your community can be assured that their money has been personally handed over to its intended recipients by members of their own community that they know and trust.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010306130739/http://minna.com/html/articlesjihadtrain.htm

How can I Train Myself for Jihad

Disclaimer
1.0 What is Jihad
2.0 Military Training is an Islamic Obligation not an Option
3.0 Sincerity of Intention
4.0 Training in your Country of Residence
4.1 Physical Training
4.2 Martial Arts
4.3 Survival and Outdoors Training
4.4 Firearms Training
4.5 Important Note on Live-Ammunition Jihad Firearms Training within the UK
4.6 Military Training
5.0 Jihad Training Abroad

"And prepare against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to terrorise the enemies of Allah and others besides whom you may not know, but Allah does know. And whatever you shall spend in the Cause of Allah shall be repaid unto you, and you shall not be treated unjustly." [Quran 8:60]

In commenting on this verse, the Messenger (SAWS) said:
"Indeed, power is shooting, power is shooting, power is shooting." [Sahih Muslim]

Narrated Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Messenger (SAWS) said:
"If anyone keeps a horse for Jihad in the Way of Allah, motivated by his faith in Allah and his belief in His Promise, then he will be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection for what the horse has eaten or drunk and for its dung and urine." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

After receiving a number of e-mails asking about this topic, we decided to include a small article about this subject. It is broken down into sections, but should be read from beginning to end for maximum benefit.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this document is for background information purposes only. Azzam Publications and the maintainers of the qoqaz web-sites do not encourage you to commit any illegal acts, and disclaim liability for the same. We cannot answer specific questions about information contained in this document. We do not 'sponsor', 'organise' or provide 'contacts' for people to go for Jihad or Jihad training. There are no exceptions to this: we are only a news and information outlet, so please do not contact us asking for contact details and the likes.

1.0 What is Jihad?

Jihad literally means ‘to struggle’. In the military sense it is meant in the context, ‘to struggle against oppression’. Jihad is therefore an act to liberate people from the oppression of tyrants. Jihad is not illegal acts of terror against innocent people. When tabloid journalism mistakenly informs the masses that Jihad is ‘to commit illegal acts of terror’, they are revealing the lack of their research and the extent of their unprofessional approach to the subject.

Go to Top

 

2.0 Military Training is an Islamic Obligation not an Option

According to the verse above ("And prepare against them all you can of power..."), military training is an obligation in Islam upon every sane, male, mature Muslim, whether rich or poor, whether studying or working and whether living in a Muslim or non-Muslim country. The Prophet (SAWS) explained the meaning of the term 'power' in the above verse during a Friday Sermon by mentioning that power was specifically shooting.

The verse mentions 'what you can...', meaning that the Muslims must prepare to the utmost of their ability and circumstances.

'Steeds of war' refer to the horses that were prepared for battle. In this day and age, the scholars of Islam have explained this term to mean all forms of modern weaponry such as infantry weapons, tanks, artillery, aircraft, etc.

The above verse is a clear evidence that military training of all sorts is an Islamic obligation, not something optional. Furthermore, the obligation is according to one's ability, in that the Muslims must use every means at their disposal to undertake military and physical training for Jihad.

In Surah Taubah of the Quran, Allah answers those hypocrites who made feeble excuses to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) so that they would not have to participate in the Battle of Tabuk. The hypocrites came to the Prophet (SAWS) and gave their excuses with the impression that they really wanted to take part in the battle, but difficult circumstances outside their control were preventing them from doing so. Allah's response was:

"And if they had really intended to march forth, certainly they would have made some preparation for it; but Allah hated them being sent forth, so He made them lag behind, and it was said to them, 'Sit you among those who sit at home (women, children, elderly, etc.)'" [Quran 9:46]

These hypocrites had not intended to participate in Jihad from the outset and their lack of preparations was the evidence for this. Had they really wanted to take part in the Jihad, they would have prepared themselves and tried their utmost to join the battle, like the three companions who approached the Messenger (SAWS) before the Battle of Tabuk, requesting horses or mules so they could join the Battle. When the Prophet (SAWS) informed them that he could not provide them with mounts, they turned back with their eyes full of tears that they could not join the battle:

"Nor is there blame on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, when you said, 'I can find no mounts for you,' they turned back, while their eyes were overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend for Jihad." [Quran 9:92]

Therefore, those Muslims unable to participate in Jihad at this present time whatever the reason have no excuse before Allah for not training for Jihad.

The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said: "Whoever dies without having fought in battle, nor having the sincere wish in his heart to fight in battle, dies on a branch of hypocrisy." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

The one sincere to fight in battle is the one who makes suitable preparations for battle. A Muslim that spends a life empty of any physical or military training for Jihad, let alone Jihad itself, should fear dying on a branch of hypocrisy according to the above hadith. True Iman (faith) is manifested in actions and if someone truly wishes to fight Jihad, he will prepare himself in all possible ways.

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3.0 Sincerity of Intention

Training is an Islamic obligation so a Muslim must undertake it for the correct reason otherwise he will neither be blessed nor rewarded by Allah for all his efforts. The correct reason to train is to train for Jihad which is undertaken to please Allah alone. Therefore the Muslim must not publicly display to the people what he is doing, nor must he show off during his training, nor seek fame or reputation in the eyes of human beings during his training. If he wishes to be rewarded by Allah and blessed and helped in his training, all his training must be done to obtain the Pleasure of Allah alone.

In practical terms, this would mean avoiding training in the company of people (e.g. women) who might be impressed by the one training, flouting muscles etc. This also means to avoid publicly announcing to everyone that one is going for training or dropping subtle hints such as leaving clothes and equipment in view of the people. The beloved Companions of the Prophet (SAWS) used to hide their good deeds more than they used to hide their sins, for fear of their intention being corrupted. Train only to please Allah and He will help you, reward you and bless you, for there is no benefit in gaining the pleasure of human beings.

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4.0 Training in your Country of Residence

4.1 Physical Training

The basis of all Jihad training is something that can be done in every country of the World: physical training. This requires little or no equipment and is something that one can fit round one's daily routine. This comprises four main areas: stamina, strength, speed and agility. In order to benefit from your physical training, it is important that it is done regularly, ideally at the same time of the day if possible, three times a week, which leaves a rest day between exercise sessions to allow the body to recuperate. Some general suggestions are given below though there are many variations to this type of training. Consult an expert or read books or Internet articles on the topic. There are books available to the general public of physical training within the Army (US Army Field Manuals and books written by ex-British soldiers).

Stamina involves being able to sustain the body at a high rate of activity for prolonged periods of time. Stamina is built up by aerobic exercise in sessions of at least 20 minutes duration. Aerobic exercise is any activity that keeps the heart rate at a level higher than normal for a sustained amount of time. It differs from anaerobic exercise in which the heart rate increases to a very high level but only for short bursts of time. Running, swimming, rowing are some exercises which build up stamina. For the exercise to be of benefit, it must be sustained for at least 20 minutes.

Running by far is the best and most practical form of stamina training for Jihad. Start your session by running for about five minutes in order to warm up. Then proceed to stretch the major muscles in your body by holding them in a stretched position for at least 30 seconds. Avoid 'bouncing' stretching as this can lead to serious injury. After this, run at a steady pace for a fixed period of time. Start easy, e.g. 10 minutes, then gradually build up every session until you can continue running at that pace for 20 minutes, 30 minutes or more. Inhale deep breaths through your nose and exhale through your mouth whilst running. It is better to run in boots as running in boots reflects the reality of running in Jihad. It is also advisable to add shock absorbing insoles into your boots before running, as these cushion the stress on the leg bones and joints. These insoles, e.g. Sorbothane, are available in camping and sports stores. Once you can sustain running at a constant pace for 30 minutes or more, you can add variety into the sessions by running up and down hill, running with ankle weights or running carrying loads, e.g. a bag full of books.

Strength training can be undertaken in the form of press-ups, squats, abdominal crunches, etc. or by following a regular routing in weight training at a gymnasium. It is better to go to the gym with another brother if possible, or go at a time when there are as few women as possible. Public gymnasiums are generally un-Islamic places with loud music and improperly dressed men and women. Such an atmosphere is not befitting for the training of a Mujahid. In all cases, learn how to use the equipment properly, start easy and build up gradually and make sure you stretch and warm up enough before each session.

Speed and agility can be built up by sprinting, running around obstacles, climbing over walls and similar activities. Practising martial arts is the best way to develop speed and agility.

4.2 Martial Arts

It is vital to join a martial arts club as part of the training for Jihad. In addition to teaching you how to defend yourself and strengthen your body, martial arts develop self-discipline and controlled aggression. In some countries, there are martial arts run by Muslim instructors, but one can join other clubs if there are no Muslim clubs in his area. It is preferable to join clubs that emphasise on street-fighting and self-defence such as kung-fu styles rather than tournament fighting. You would never use high or flying kicks in a real fight but you may in tournaments. As with any activity, regular attendance for a number of months is necessary in order to benefit from martial arts. Many people join martial arts clubs but are unable to stick with them. Joining clubs that teach weapons such as sword or knife-fighting are also good at advanced stages.

4.3 Survival and Outdoors Training

The majority of the time spent in Jihad is learning to cope with harsh, physically and mentally demanding living conditions. It is not about fighting glamourous battles for your pictures to appear on the Internet. Jihad is tough and difficult, which is why the rewards for it are so great.

Although survival training is taught at centres in some countries, it is expensive and, in many cases, nothing special that you cannot learn and practise yourself by reading books on the subject. The best way to learn these skills is to go camping into the outdoors with a small group of brothers. Avoid going to a camping site, since these are holiday areas where many facilities are available such as hot showers, gas, etc. The best training is to take some tents, food and water and warm clothes in a rucksack and go on treks lasting 2-3 days at a time. If you do not have an experienced person with you, then start easy and build up gradually. Learn how to purify water, make wudu and istinja in cold water, attend to the call of nature in the outdoors, cook or heat food out in the open, making different types of knots with ropes, setting up tents and other similar activities. Learning how to start and maintain a fire in all conditions, wet or dry, with and without lighting instruments is one of the most important survival skills.

Learning how to walk long distances carrying loads up to one-third of your bodyweight, walking over difficult terrain at night without the use of torches and navigational skills using a compass/ map or the stars are also useful skills. Many of these skills can be learnt from books and then practised out in the outdoors.

4.4 Firearms Training

Firearms training differs from country to country. In some countries, possession of firearms by the public is illegal, in other countries it is legal. In some countries of the World, especially the USA, firearms training is available to the general public. One should try to join a shooting club if possible and make regular visits to the firing range. There are many firearms courses available to the public in USA, ranging from one day to two weeks or more. These courses are good but expensive. Some of them are only meant for security personnel but generally they will teach anyone. It is also better to attend these courses in pairs or by yourself, no more. Do not make public announcements when going on such a course. Find one, book your place, go there, learn, come back home and keep it yourself. Whilst on the course, keep your opinions to yourself, do not argue or debate with anyone, do not preach about Islam and make Salah in secret. You are going there to train for Jihad, not call people to Islam.

Useful courses to learn are sniping, general shooting and other rifle courses. Handgun courses are useful but only after you have mastered rifles.

In other countries, e.g. some states of USA, South Africa, it is perfectly legal for members of the public to own certain types of firearms. If you live in such a country, obtain an assault rifle legally, preferably AK-47 or variations, learn how to use it properly and go and practice in the areas allowed for such training. If you cannot get someone to teach you, you can purchase books about shooting technique and practise shooting stationary targets at different distances, with a partner. You can also practise running a distance, e.g. 1km, then shooting targets from a distance. Again, there are many variations and unless you have an experienced, trained person to learn from, you will be able to do little more than perfect your shooting technique at different ranges.

Under NO circumstances should you play or experiment with firearms. NEVER EVER point a firearm at anyone for a joke, whether loaded or unloaded. Keep firearms unloaded and out of reach of children. If you feel that you will be unable to control a firearm or your temper, do not purchase one.

Respect the laws of the country you are in and avoid dealing in illegal firearms. One can learn to operate many arms legally, so there is no need to spend years in prison for dealing in small, illegal fireams. Learn the most you can according to your circumstances and leave the rest to when you actually go for Jihad.

4.5 IMPORTANT NOTE ON LIVE-AMMUNITION JIHAD FIREARMS TRAINING WITHIN THE UK

Recently we heard many reports circulating in the British media about certain Muslim personalities claiming the presence of Jihad training camps in the UK in which firearms training is given with live ammunition before sending the trainees for Jihad. We would like to inform both Muslim and non-Muslim readers of this article that there are NO such training camps within the UK. Rather, statements such as these are made by Muslim personalities and individuals propped up by Western Intelligence agencies in order to frighten the local population from Muslims. We would also like to inform Muslims in the UK that if anyone, Muslim or non-Muslims, approaches you offering training of this type in the UK, it is a trap, you should stay away from that person and warn other people against that person because he might be an undercover agent. British National Intelligence MI5 does employ 'practising' Muslims to live amongst Muslims as agent provocateurs and entice them into traps such as these. Generally, these agents are amongst the most popular and influential members of the community. The Muslims are fooled by them because they fail to check up their background (where they came from, their history etc.) One can obtain almost any type of military training in some countries of the World, legally, so there is no need to risk going to prison for years just for learning how to use a single firearm illegally.

4.6 Military Training

Although sometimes it is difficult to obtain comprehensive military training in one's home country, it is very easy to do plenty of background reading using freely-available books and CDs, before one actually goes abroad.

The US Army has produced a number of military field manuals on CD on all topics from light weapons, tanks and artillery to mines, military fieldcraft and combat medicine. The full set is available on CD for less than US$100 and many field manuals are also available on the Internet. One source of availability is http://www.chqsoftware.com or by searching for the term 'US Military Field Manuals CD' or just 'US Military Field Manuals Online'. Even though the US Army Field Manuals contain information specific to US Weapons, they still contain a large amount of useful information applicable in all circumstances. It is useful to get a full set of CDs for your mosque or Islamic society that everyone can use.

Disclaimer: The Sergeant Quartermaster logo is copyright protected and the company has no affiliations with Azzam Publications or the Qoqaz web-sites. We have put their details up as a source for obtaining these CDs. If anyone can suggest other suppliers of these CDs, please let us know.

Some topics to read up about include:

Physical fitness training
Ammunition
Sniper training
Mine/ Counter-Mine Operations and Recognition of Different Mines
Mortar
AK-47 and other Soviet weapon Operating Manuals
Terrain Analysis
Map Reading and Land Navigation
Camouflage and concealment
Survival
Combat skills of the soldier
First Aid for Soldiers
Cold Weather Training

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5.0 Jihad Training Abroad

There are some countries where one can obtain Jihad training but we are not in a position to comment on the suitability or insuitability of any particular country. Contact individuals you know and trust and they will be able to advise you better. If you are true to Allah, Allah will be true to you and He will find you a way to do what you want to do.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010627075027/http://minna.com/html/articlesdavidgoliath.htm

'DAVID and GOLIATH of the 21ST CENTURY'

It is interesting to look back through history and find events repeated, whether it is wars, earthquakes or famine. One event in particular, which is a reflection of past times, is that of ‘David and Goliath’, where the giant Goliath, was slain by the boy David. Although the odds were stacked heavily against this young man, he was victorious. His success was due to none other than the help of the Creator, Allah (swt), a reward for his submission to His will. In the 21st Century, we have David and Goliath in the form of Chechnya and the Big Bear namely Russia. Same scenario, same odds. This is nothing new for our brothers and sisters in Chechnya and the surrounding region. History has taught them that Russia will always rear its ugly head against them, and as in centuries gone by, in this century of blood and tears, they FIGHT BACK, defending Islam. Why, because like David against Goliath, more often than not, Allah (swt) grants them success, once again rewarding those who submit to His will. This in itself should speak volumes to the Muslim Ummah.

“Therefore remember Me, I will remember you…”. [Quran 2:152]

Once again, a few brave souls, our Mujahideen, have taken to the mountainous region of Chechnya to take on the might of the Russian military. Since the border assault beginning of September 1999, when hundreds of fighters from Chechnya crossed over into neighbouring Dagestan, our Islamic fighters merged, for the sake of Allah (swt), and now pose a serious threat to the Russian army.

In August 1999, when Dagestan was attacked, the Russians realised a major error of judgement in dealing with the Mujahideen; that it would not be quite the walkover they anticipated. From the original format of victory within a few days, it was quickly extended to an operation lasting up until this day. Their courage and determination make them worthy to be called ‘MUJAHIDEEN’.

Brothers in Islam, can you say the same for yourself? Or did you find it more convenient to send a donation to ease your conscience? Some of you really need to get your act together, stop making excuses such as: ”I don’t have the necessary travel documents!” (Get off of your chairs and apply for them), “My family depend on me!” (This did not stop the Prophet (saw) and his companions; your family need only depend on Allah [swt]).

Your Brothers and Sisters are being killed fighting for Allah (swt) to establish Truth on the Earth and liberate the people of the world from the shackles of Shaitan, while some of you sit at home or in the mosques making excuses. Some of you even produce leaflets on Jihad rather than your travel documents to ease your conscience. Some of you attend demonstrations and shout words of wrath to ease your conscience, rather than training camps shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. Some of you give Khutbas telling others to go fight while you stick around, as “I’m needed here for the Daw’ah” you say, as if Allah (swt) can not find anyone to replace you if you go. May Allah (swt) forgive you. Where is your courage? Where is your loyalty to Allah (swt)?

Being converts to Islam; we cannot believe the ungratefulness some of you are showing to Allah (swt) for the blessing of Islam. Your cowardice just shows how firm a grip the Shaitan has on you for the Dunya. Something so incredibly beautiful and you will not put yourselves out to go and defend it! It’s an outrage!

Can you imagine what would happen if all the able bodied, Muslim men in the world, made the intention in their hearts to go on Jihad? Even if they didn’t make it, just the effort to go would assure great blessings from Allah (swt).

How can we show the non-Muslims the complete beauty and justice of Islam, if they see that we can’t even be bothered to fight to keep it? One only fights for what one believes in; and the non-Muslims do a better job at fighting for what they believe in than we do!

I asked someone if they knew anyone who was made a Shaheed in Chechnya, their response was “no” as was many others, this just goes to show that there are not enough of you going; if there were, we would all be sure to know someone who had died a Shaheed.

And Sisters, we have a part to play in this as well; a very big part. We must encourage our husbands, fathers, brothers and sons to go and fight in the way of Allah (swt). Not cling to their hearts with sobs of sorrow at the thought of being left behind. It is Qadr (destiny) whether or not they die on the battlefield; you may as well get the reward for urging them to go rather than just the grief of their death when they are made a Shaheed. Have you forgot that a Shaheed can intercede for seventy members of his family on the Day of Judgement?

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “The martyr is given seven special favours from Allah SWT. (One of them being) He is given intercession for 70 members of his family. Related by Ahmed and Tirmidhi.

The Ummah must stop giving so much lip service and show their appreciation to Allah (swt) for his Mercy and Blessings before it’s to late. Stop putting off until tomorrow what you know must be done today! Ask Allah (swt) to put courage into your hearts and ask Allah (swt) to bless you with the want and chance to do Jihad and die in His cause as the rewards for this are many.

The Prophet of Allah (saw) said Paradise has one hundred grades which Allah has reserved for the mujahidin who fight in his cause , and the distance between each of the two grades is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. Bukhari

Article sent by: Sisters Active in Dawah (SAiD)

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010306125101/http://minna.com/html/articlesdiary.htm

DIARY OF A FOREIGN MUJAHID IN CHECHNYA

17 July 2000
04 July 2000
26 June 2000
23 February 2000
14 February 2000

 

Monday 17 July 2000

A bizarre decision was made to return to ** which we *** over a week ago. Not suprisingly the place was crawling with Russian paratroopers who had carpeted the forest trails with *** and set up *** for such an unlikely eventuality such as the mujahideen returning. The problems started as soon as they entered the forest with Abu Asim At-Tabuki being injured (Alhamdulillah not too serious) by ***. This left the reconaissance group led by Abu Jafar and six other brothers.

Several hours further into the forest Khalil At-Turki stepped on a 'Claymore' mine which left him with severe injuries to the head and everyone else with shrapnel wounds of varying severity. He immediately lost conciousness and was breathing heavily with difficulty. In the dark the brothers could do no more than take him off the trail into the woods. There he was left to be shaheed - May Allah have Mercy on him.

By this time they had established contact with Abul-Waleed who sent some brothers to help them but they were unable to get past the Russians in their path. Abu Jafar then proceeded with the remaining six brothers onwards towards ***. As they climbed out of a *** up a *** overlooking the *** they were spotted by the Russians and as they reached the *** the Russians opened up hitting Zakariyyah (At-Turki) and Muthanna Al-Najdi (Arabian Peninsula). In the ensuing hail of bullets Abu Jafar and two Chechens escaped to the front leaving Abu Yassir Jeddawi (Arabian Peninsula) and the two injured brothers pinned down on the ***. Both Muthanna and Zakariyyah were conscious with Zakariyyah able to fire back. However it was clear to all that these wounded brothers were in no condition to move.

On your own, facing imminent death deep in the wilderness and death far from the brothers, it's the sort of situation that will severely test anyone. However this did not shake Zakariyyah who told Yasser that he had to get away now while he could. Yasser had shrapnel wounds in both arms but Alhamdullilah was still able to walk. Zakariyyah's last words to Yasser was a message for Khattab that the victory of Allah is near insha-Allah. Muthanna told Yasser to stick fast to the trail.

With that Yasser left the two brothers to fight until the end. Alhamdullilah several hours later he managed to reach a party of brothers from where he made his way to us. As for Abu Jafar and his party, they emerged yesterday in *** far from the incident and are Alhamdullilah OK on the whole.

What happened to Zakaryyah and Muthanna one can only guess at. Insha-Allah they were shaheed.

Zakariah Shaheed (May Allah have Mercy on him)

Zakariyyah was an ethnic Kurd from Turkey. I spent a lot of time with him during the march from Shatoi where I found him to be an excellent brother. He spoke good Arabic and was a very helpful brother who always put others before himself. This was the case when he was starving and and freezing from a lack of food and adequate clothing. I myself saw him spend many nights freezing in the snow with out complaint during those days.

He arrived in Chechnya in the earliest days of the war and fought in Grozny throughout the siege and fighting there. Subsequent to that he was with Abu Jafar where he participated in many operations. Needless to say, he had excellent manners and was often reciting the Quran when unoccupied.

Muthanna An-Najdi (Arabian Peninsula) Shaheed (May Allah have Mercy on him)

Muthanna Shaheed rahmatullah alaihi was a young Mujahid from Buraidah, in the Arabian Peninsula.

Khalil As-Soori (Syria) Shaheed (May Allah have Mercy on Him) - See Profiles page.

Brother X (Norweigan National), Chechnya, 17 July 2000.

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Tuesday 04 July 2000

Each day in Chechnya is not unpredictable but completely unknown. Only Allah knows what adventure each day (or night) will bring and what reprecussions it will have for the overall situation and each individual.

About five days ago, I got my essential belongings together and set off from Field Commander Abu Jafar's camp (near ***) to go somewhere else. Not far from the camp I met some brothers who told me that the Russians had just set up a post on a nearby road blocking my route, causing me to return. Being a bit tired I went straight to *** and went to sleep. Early afternoon I was woken by a brother asking for my AK-74 as the Russians had entered the forest. I looked out of *** to see a column of brothers being briskly led out by Abu Jafar.

By the time I had got my gear on and set out after them into the forest, Abu Jafar had disappeared into the woods and I was left with a group of 15 or so brothers wondering where to go. With a lot of artillery and helicopters around us, events were moving along very fast and Abu Jafar told us via the radio to keep a lookout over a nearby gorge rather than waste time joining up with him.

We descended into the gorge and I was still trying to make the best of a base of a tree when suddenly there was a crescendo of automatic fire. The Russians had come into view some 20m below and had immediately seen Abul-Harith moving between trees to my right. He fired first but within a second the whole gorge was ablaze. These guys were Spetsnatz (Special Forces) with some of them carrying Vinterez, a weapon which only Special Forces use. Alhamdullilah we had the vantage point and battle was joined by brothers on the opposite side of the gorge just above the Russians, some of whom had climbed out of the gorge to a point approximately opposite ours.

Pistoniks (rifle-launched grenades) and other grenades from our side were answered by artillery being directed onto us by the Russians. For the rest of the day there was intermittent fighting, shouting and then the most intense pounding by mortars, artillery and helicopters. The intensity was such that sounds of the many explosions became a one roar. Field Commander Abu Waleed who had arrived some 300m to our rear with more brothers and ammunition had to go back. It's incredible to behold- the earth shaking as craters are gouged, huge trees shattering like ice, and the air filled with the rush of shrapnel. Subhanallah, it was an experience!

Absolutely nothing to do but sit, wait and make dua! Alhamdullilah we were so close to the Russians that some of the projectiles were landing right where they were and they were definitely being showered by the shrapnel. As Maghrib (sunset) approached, five of us circled around them and attacked them in the rear further down the valley before regrouping and returning to the camp. The Russians stayed where they were for the rest of the night, too terrified to move!

Brothers who went back the next morning saw six of them (Russians) dead with all their weapons still in the river bed (at the bottom of the gorge/valley) with the remaining Russians still there.

The next day, soon after Fajr, word went round that we were decamping and going to move. This was the last morning of my tentmate Abu Malik Al-Qahtani (Arabian Peninsula). That morning he did all the work of packing up our tent and soon we were ready to move.

The whole forest had pretty much been constantly bombed for the last few days and it was that morning that Abu Asim Al-Jeddawi (Arabian Peninsula) was killed with shrapnel to the head. Brothers all around the area were having contacts with Russians and news came in from Abu Bakr that he had encountered a Russian team which had gone into the adjoining valley after some fighting. In this incident, two Russians (and a tracking sniffer dog) were killed and it was here that Abu Saad Al-Kandahari (Arabian Peninsula) was instantly shaheed soon followed by Abu Saeed Ash-Shimali (Arabian Peninsula) from a bullet wound to the head (See 29/06 news).

The time and place of one's death is written. As we descended into the valley, Abu Malik was at the front and setting the pace at a jog. He shouldn't even have been with us as only brothers with Pistoniks were told to go. However looking back, it's as if Abu Malik was late for an appointment and was rushing to be on time! As the pace slowed in the undergrowth, Abu Malik was sometimes 15-20m ahead on his own and he was the first one to spot them. Off the trails it is often difficult to see more than a few metres and so it was then that there were three of us in rough line advancing and firing occasionally. Madness! I was on the right, Abu Malik in the middle and Abu Rawda on the left with some 10m seperating us.

I saw a trail in the leaves which led even further to the right. As I advanced, I saw a magazine followed by some 20m or so by a ruck sack. We had made a great deal of noise and the Russians had been surprised by the speed of our advance, so they had fled leaving their belongings behind! Anyway, there was a fallen tree on the edge of a sharp decline to a stream below which I approached after a bit of firing. Then, just as I peered over it, a single pistol shot came whistling through the trunk over my head. Subhanallah- it was the Russians and this one had fired just a fraction too soon. As I fell to the ground a grenade was lobbed, hit the tree and fell back on their side though only 2m away! The nearest Russian who had fired the pistol was no more than a few metres away and insha-Allah was injured by the his own grenade. I lobbed some grenades in their direction and during the ensuing fire fight.

It was immediately after this that I heard groaning to my left down near the stream. I thought at the time it was a Russian and so did nothing more than to dig in and prepare for more of the above. As the brothers called out to each other I learned that Abu Malik had descended down to the stream and had been injured. Only some hours later when the Russians had fled did we go down and I realised that it had been Abu Malik that had been groaning. He was lying shaheed in the stream, bullet wound to the abdomen. He had been in an incredibly dangerous place, an open stream with thick undergrowth on either side, and had been shot in the side of his chest. The Russians had also taken his weapon.

Even as I write this, that afternoon seems so surreal. Many of the things we did were lunacy. However, as always any victory came completely from Allah who helped us, protected us from massive shelling and put fear into the hearts of the Russians. These Russians were not your run-of-the mill conscripts, but professional elite troops whose training and expertise dwarfs that of your typical young mujahid.

So now, about a week later, my dear friend Abu Malik (may Allah have Mercy on him) is no longer with us; joining the many martyrs of this war. Some brothers are given martyrdom but when I think of Abu Malik and how he rushed forward that afternoon, it is as if he embraced martyrdom. One of the finest brothers that I knew here, from Ahlul Bait (Direct Descendents of the Prophet (SAWS) and a hafiz of the Quran (memorised whole Quran), he was very modest, had excellent manners, a very pleasant personality and a dignified bearing. Around the camp, he would often be seen waking the brothers for Fajr prayers, cooking the bread or heading out on reconnaisance. His will is translated at the bottom (See profile of Abu Malik Al-Qahtani).

Abu Saeed (may Allah have Mercy on him) was also hafiz of the Quran, quiet and like many of the martyrs, with impeccable manners.

There were five shaheed that day. In addition to the four Arabs there was Abdur-Rauf Uzbeki - the first fatality of the day. This brother had been due to leave some few weeks ago but changed his mind at the last moment. The Uzbeks are the unknown heroes of this war. Solid Iman in Allah, utterly uncomplaining, completely reliable and unflinching in battle.

Immediately after retrieving his body, Abu Jafar decamped, and left with his group and the injured. Three days of trekking and weaving through the Russian lines, followed. Field Commander Abu Waleed opted to stay behind and see whether the Russians would back off from further intrusions.

The Russians have now started to indiscriminately mine mountains. Abu Asim At-Tabuki was injured by one yesterday and I saw several dead cattle a few days ago.

What now? A question on everyones mind. Another act of the perhaps and insha-Allah the successful finale. Let's say I'm making the most of each day of rest!

This war only goes on with the help of Allah and so make a NEW appeal for dua on the website. Tell them from the Mujahideen here that their dua do make a difference insha-Allah.

Brother X (Norweigan National), Chechnya, 04 July 2000.

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26 June 2000

Assalaam 'aleikum,

A brief summary of what I have been up to. I haven't sent anything during the last month or two as I haven't had the time and also I am not sure as to the benefit this exercise brings. There is also too much to fit into an email and a lot that I can't say in an email. However due to popular demand I have written what I can....

Life in Chechnia during this war has been a unique experience. When I look back over the last 6/7 months I feel that I have lived many lives!- sometimes the passing of a day can take an age. Even the war does not seem contiguous given the great changes in people, landscape and lifestyle. There was the war before the retreat from Grozny/Shatoi. There was the march from Shatoi. And then there is war/life post-Shatoi in the mid-summer. All singularly different experiences and to date the defining points of this war. During this time I have seen the signs of Allah in us getting out of impossible situations.

From my previous mails I think you have an idea of how we are living. Disparately spread throughout Chechnya, always on the move in the woods/mountains (sometimes villages and the plains) and ready to move at a few minutes notice. Occasionally one spends several days living 'on the move'!- that means that you sleep as you move: boots, jacket and all the other gear on! Alhamdullilah the summer has brought a very pleasant climate to Chechnya and the scenery is diverse and spectacular. The only real problem are the downfalls which can completely drench if you are not prepared. Food is always an issue: after the Shuhadaa (martyrs), I think that food (or the lack of it!) is what I shall remember most about this Jihad. Movement is invariably on foot, off the paths, over the mountains and can be as much as 20km (as the crow flies) every day. Alhamdullilah most of the brothers have adjusted to this lifestyle and it poses no great problems.

The onset of summer has again changed the nature of the war. I think I mentioned our move out of the Dargo region some 2 months ago now. The Russians poured hundreds of armoured vehicles and thousands of troops into the Dargo-Vedeno valley in an attempt to trap the Mujahideen there. Alhamdullilah we got out but the ones who were caught in the encirclement (inc. Aamir, Ziad and Zubair- Khattab's brother in law) were in a very tight spot! The Russians posted soldiers every 50m on the roads, searched each of the villages several times and combed the forests using thousands. Many hairy stories here but Alhamdullilah they managed to survive the fortnight or so this lasted.

As always, injury is the biggest concern. The hospitals are frequently checked by the FSB and any major operation triggers a visit. Some brothers were injured by shrapnel from Grads a few weeks ago and all we could do was bring in a doctor during the night to clean up the wounds. Subsequent treatment/care had to be done by the the Mujahideen. The villages/towns are tricky as the informants/hypocrites can bring on an OMON raid at any time. This has happened on several occasions resulting in the deaths of several brothers (including one Arab) and the capture of others. Abu Umar Najdi and Abu Yasir At-Tabuki (both from the Arabian Peninsula) barely escaped with their lives as they jumped out of the window and ran down the street in a hail of bullets. Alhamdullilah Allah protected them but one of their Chechen companions was killed.

About a month or so ago I went with a small party of brothers (including Field Commander Abu Jafar, Abu Umar An-Najdi and Field Commander Abu Waleed) to retrieve some injured brothers who could not complete the march from Shatoi. They had been left in the villages en route and had since then coalesced into a single group. Apart from that we had had no firm news as to their well bring. We planned a round trip of five days or so but it turned out to be be nearer a fortnight (another characteristic of life in Chechnya). Abu Waleed had his camp near the village where the brothers were and after stopping there for a few days, the Commanders left in even a smaller party to go and get the brothers.

Subhanallah, we then had one of those days. The Russians knew there was Mujahideen activity in the area and we had been regularly bombed with Grads and mortars but Alhamdullilah none of the shells ever hit the camp. Then one morning, 2-3 days after the Commanders had left to get the injured brothers, we heard that a Russian patrol had arrived at the foot of our mountain. Abu Rawdah was the Commander at the time and he immediately ordered the 90 or so brothers there to move up the mountain. Field Commander Shamil Basayev also happened to be on the mountain at the time and he gave strict orders not to engage but to retreat into the peaks and valleys until the patrol had gone. These mountains are some 1500m high (from where the roads are). It was heavily wooded and there was a tractor path running directly to the peak. We all scattered all over the mountain and I ended up some 20 minutes later on the tractor path near the peak. There were brothers scattered all along the path with Abu Rawdah near the base where the Russians were. All the Arabs and some of the Chechens had moved onwards into one of the adjacent valleys.

So there we were and I commented to the brothers that the Russians would never delve this far onto the mountain. By Allah, that minute one of the Chechen brothers saw three Russians about 5m away walking up the side of the hill towards the road. They were just as shocked as we were and they immediately hit the ground whilst we darted into the undergrowth on the other side. I and another Chechen brother stayed there in the undergrowth to observe the path. As I was waiting crouched, it occured to me that we didn't know what to do should we see the Russians, given Shamil's clear instructions NOT to engage the enemy. I started to move to the brother to consult him when the dogs (Russians) emerged from the undergrowth. They were paratroopers. One looked around warily and saw me. After a few seconds of eye contact he fidgeted with his weapon and then he slowly looked away. Alhamdullilah we had the vantage and had our gear trained on him, but Allah put fear into his heart to make him turn away. Then, hearing other figures emerging we both backed away slowly into the forest and then ran into one of the adjacent gorges where the brothers were!

The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out where the Russians were and we frequently saw them at distances less than a hundred metres. The Mujahideen were now scattered all over the mountain/hill with the Russians also all over the place. Inevitably there were unavoidable contacts and a brother killed one Russian when he appeared in the undergrowth (some of it is like a wall) less than 3m away. Apart from that, sniper fire, artillery and air raids were the order of the day. Nearer to Maghrib (sunset) time, we had to decide whether to go deeper into the mountains or try and see whether we could get through the mountains.

I went with two other Chechens to check out the mountain. It was one of those days that you don't forget. We had seen the Russians who had had snipers there and directed artillery from there during the day. We were also certain from previous experience that they would have mined the mountain. As we approached the point where we had seen the Russians, the group lead paused to take stock. The path was along the side of the mountain and we would be the first ones to be seen as well as being exposed to mines/traps. During this war I have taken many pictures but missed many other scenes which are now only in my memory. I shall always remember looking at the face of this brother, drenched from the rain, staring down the path leading upwards into the undergrowth. His face was shining white and he seemed to me as someone who had forsaken life and was ready for death. In complete silence we went up the mountain to emerge onto the path. After some careful scouting we ascertained that the Russians had left, leaving us to worry about the mines.

By this time it was fast becoming dark and the rest of the brothers had followed us. Alhamdullilah we managed to find all the other brothers and learnt that one of the brothers had been found Shaheed (martyred) from a 'Claymore' mine. It was a Caucasian brother brother called Imran. Needless to say, an excellent brother. He was a cameraman with Field Commander Abul-Waleed.

Anyway, following this incident we stayed in the area for one more day before marching cross country. By the most circuitous of events I ended up a day later with Khattab, Abu Umar An-Najdi along with Field Commanders Abul-Waleed and Abu Jafar. This was a village perched on the edge of the plains. We had only been there a few hours when we heard that a Russian column was making its way into the area. As they started to take positions around the village it became clear that they were sealing off the village for a house to house search (a very common event in Chechnya). The next night we (a group of about nine) went *** until the Russians moved on.

So followed another five surreal and memorable days. The first day was OK with the Russians on the nearby road. That night we saw flares from posts all around us giving us an idea of how many Russians were there. The next morning one of the brothers saw a column of troops on the path near us and we decided to move a 100m or so into the forest as we expected them to only do only a superficial search in ***. We had been there for some 20 minutes fairly relaxed when one of the Chechen brothers called Khunkpash, (a bodyguard of Khattab) decided to go and have a look in the place where we had previously been. He had barely left when there were bursts of automatic fire very close by. This was so close that some of the brothers darted away leaving their belongings! We regrouped further in the woods and managed to contact Khunkpash via the Wireless. He had just told us that the Russians were almost upon us when we heard another burst of automatic fire and heard Khunkpash cry out.

I could write pages on the following three days.. but you'll have to make do with a few lines. Three days of walking, mines, stalking and complete exhausation from having no food. The dogs (Russians) were everywhere. Deep in the forest, they had been in places we passed a few hours later and were trying to track us as best they could. Whilst resting, Field Commander Abu Jafar once looked up to see two Russians about 3m away! Alhamdulllilah he despached both of them (i.e. killed them). We lost our one guide when he tripped a mine next to Russian trying to enter another village and relied on my ** to take us through the forests to another village.

Again Russians! A post with armoured vehicles and the village completely sealed. We were now so desperate for food that Abu Umar, Abu Jafar and myself decided to take our chances and sneak into the village. Again Alhamdullilah Allah rescued us from our plight. The Russians had been all around the village in the undergrowth. We stumbled right into their little trenches which they had made to catch people like us. Unknown to us they had left only two hours earlier! That night we had halal French sausages (halal) and fizzy drinks!

Another fortnight of travel and I was again in a village. This time there was a conference of Commanders including Shamil Basayev and Khattab. Three days ago, literally minutes after I left the house, it received a direct hit from a missile followed by a pounding by Oregon rockets. Dr. Mauladi (he treated Masood Al-Benin) and another brother had one of his arteries cut and bled to death. Meanwhile I was in a truck whch managed to get us to the cover of the forest just seconds before a helicopter gunship got to us. It pounded the forest adjoining the road but Alhamdullilah we got clear very fast.

The next morning the Russians located the camp we were in and fired artillery into it. Their fire was extremely accurate considering the difficult terrain and whole swathes of the forest around the camp were flattened before I even had a chance to get to shelter. Again Allah had Mercy on us and only one brother was lightly injured.

The above is the barest description of what we've been up to but that is life here with many episodes missed out. Each day is not just completely unpredictable but rather unknown. Excuse the incoherence of this piece. It has been written in patches over several days and very hastily. The future you shall be hearing about.

Tell the world to make dua!!

Brother X (Norweigan National), Chechnya, 26 June 2000.

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23 February 2000

The Russians are probing our defences and positions more aggressively. As I finished writing the earlier sentence I heard on the radio that two brothers from my contingent in Abu Jafar's Group were killed yesterday. Both were truly excellent brothers with whom I lived and fought with in ***. Abu Ubaidah (Yemen), one of the Yemeni brothers (in my opinion the most enjoyable company amongst the Arabs) and a good friend of mine, and Abul Abbas (Kuwait)- another sincere and really good brother- May Allah have Mercy on them. Whenever a friend is killed, his memory stays on your mind constantly for several days. Abu Ubaidah will be no different.

We finally retrieved the body of Chechen Mujahid Shamil Gergebil and three other Mujahideen who had lain on Mount Waleed for over 3 weeks. Masha'allah their bodies were in excellent condition; one of the brothers (Mohammed Derghin) was almost as if he was still alive (his eyes were open & skin fresh)! The contrast with the Russians bodies who were killed in the same operation is all too stark. Some of the Russians in the days (3+ weeks ago now) following the same operation were already decomposing (in the snow). One had his face eaten by crows whilst their commanding officer had an empty sack where his brain had been!

All the brothers from our Unit have arrived back from Grozny. There was the long winter march to the mountains during which some minor losses were sustained and a column of ** Mujahideen (that's up to 6km in length) was split into two. The larger column was nearby and took four days to get to the meeting point. Given how tough this march was for us who were fully fit and rested at the beginning, you can then imagine how impossible the journey must have been for Mujahideen who had just fought their way through 40-50km of Russian held territory. The second column was constantly harried by Russian aircraft and posts (Khalil Ibrahim (Turkey) injured during the withdrawal from Grozny died from further injury and exhaustion). Brothers fell asleep at the shortest stops and some brothers with sticks hit those asleep on the path to prod them onwards. Despite this a few went to sleep and died in the snow unknown to the rest. Some wandered off the path and were not seen again. A group of three Chechens who have since been found described how they wondered for miles in the mountains until they couldn't move due to hunger and exhaustion. Then, Alhamdullilah, they heard movement in the snow and saw a wild pig. They, without delay shot, cooked and ate it. (Allah allows you to eat haraam when you have nothing else to eat, in fact it becomes obligatory upon you to eat that food if you may die without it) This allowed them to go onwards until they stumbled onto a Mujahideen post. There many other and more heroic tales of individual hardship and suffering this that will be never be known.

Two leading commanders were killed (Aslambeg & Khunkapash). Field Commander Ismail (who wore a patch over one eye) was killed during the last week in Grozny. Typically (Abu *** related the story to me), he died fighting to the end against impossible odds defending his companions. The Russians had entered a multi-storey school building in Grozny centre and Ismail went with ten brothers to flush them out. Ismael had told some Mujahideen (from another group) to hold an adjacent bridge to prevent Russian reinforcements from arriving. After close quarters fighting they took the ground floor and isolated the Russians on the floors above. He then started to shout at them from the stairs to surrender. This went on for some time but unknown to him the group which was suppose to hold the bridge had withdrawn without informing him. Predictably, whilst Ismail was occupied inside the building, several hundred Russians came over the bridge to surround the school. The ten brothers were then subjected to intense firing from above and from the outside. Ismail was one of the first to be injured but he continued to fight and direct the brothers. Apparently, a grenade was then thrown near them at which point Ismail jumped onto a nearby brother to protect him from the blast! He suffered serious shrapnel injuries (all over his back) and was shaheed (martyred) soon afterwards. The brothers continued to fight until Mujahideen reinforcements fought their way through the siege and made a passage for the brothers to get out. The fighting was of course intense throughout and the movements of the Mujahideen rapid. Of the ten brothers in the building, five got out alive with the remaining five shaheed left inside the building (now with the Russians). Ismail was one of Khattab's oldest, most trusted and most formidable Chechen Commanders. He was one of the original handful of fighters who fought against the Russians in the very first operation of the First War (defence of Grozny in December 1994). A tall well built brother, he was one of the brothers in whom you can detect no pride- always smiling, friendly and welcoming to all whether he knew them or not.

Another very good friend was Saeed Mohammed from Ctari-Atagi (a town in Chechnya). Saeed was a section commander under Commander Abu Dharr and he was also killed in action during the last week in Grozny. I have just learnt that another friend, Badruddin, was killed during the very early skirmishes against the advancing Russians. Khalil Ibrahim (Turkey) has also been Shaheed. He, like several others, died during the hard march South of injuries sustained in Grozny.

Alhamdullilah it was a blessing to have known these brothers as they were outstanding even amongst this elite group of Mujahideen. It seems to me that some of the best brothers are the first to be Shaheed (martyred). They are Shaheed but you feel sad that you will no longer have their company (there are few blessings better than good company and these brothers were amongst the best). However the strange thing is that they do not seem dead but more like people you knew who have gone away for a while and whom, at the back of your mind, you expect to see again!

The Russians are really pushing hard. All unanimously agree that this War is far more intense and completely different in nature from the last war. They are moving systematically to encircle the Mujahideen and trying to prevent freedom of movement. In the indiscriminate (like animals they are bombing every village and vehicle regardless of whether it is civilian or Mujahid) bombardment and the Special Forces descents onto mountain peaks, they are trying to retain the initiative after Grozny by bringing the war to us. The bombardment (Grads, Aircraft, Artillery) has reached a new intensity with the bombs being used now being up to several tonnes in weight. Aircraft bombed a field next to us yesterday some 100m away that shook the whole house and left massive craters. We also saw the aircraft swoop very low (maybe 150m) and drop two shrapnel bombs- two cannisters which come floating down with parachutes and explode some metres above ground level.

Two days ago, I was snoozing in a *** (parked in ***) outside a *** when we were woken to the roar of rockets exploding along the side of a ***. We decided to move to a safer location and on the way saw two Mujahideen (Group Arbi Barayev) who had been right in the middle of the blitz and were martyred immediately- I won't describe the injuries. Yesterday while I was getting water, artillery started pounding my vicinity. During the night we were subjected to a blitz of rockets and artillery rocking the house. All this is nothing unusual and does not even deserve mentioning to the brothers here- it should however convey what the Mujahideen (and remaining Chechen population) are undergoing. The scream of aircraft swooping overhead (they've already fired by the time you hear them- and if you have been directly targeted then you will hear nothing as the rockets reach you before the sound!). The roar of Grads and the pounding of artillery can test even the strongest of nerves. The room falls silent and everyone mutters a quick dua! If you are in the middle of the targeted area, there are no warning sounds- just boom! [Note by Azzam Publications: Once the Prophet (SAWS) was asked, "Is the Mujahid tested in his grave?" He (SAWS) answered."The waving of swords above his head is a sufficient test for him!", meaning that one who goes through all this bombardment for Allah has proven his Iman in Allah, so there is no longer a need to ask him theoretical questions about his Iman.]

The civilians are completely exhausted and sick of the war. The ones who have remained behind have nowhere else to go or cannot afford to. A dozen or so of them are killed every day. There are many human rights abuses going on: shrapnel bombs, fuel bombs, in addition to everything else they are using completely indiscriminately. It's so obvious that the West is part of this war. Look at the way they treat, threaten, impose sanctions for years to make Muslims suffer (Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia, Pakistan, etc.) at the slightest excuse (women's rights, democracy, alleged terrorism) but completely turn a blind eye when it suits them or lift token sanctions as soon as they can (see Israel and Serbia). When a bomb (allegedly Chechen but really Russian) goes off in Moscow, they call it terrorism, but when a massive (Christian) army bombs a tiny country to bits deliberately targeting Muslims settlements and people, raping and looting (we caught three Russian soldiers looting in *** the other day) for good measure, they've nothing more than blithe meaningless comments to make. Whilst at the same time giving aid of every sort and name! They don't even make an effort to hide this, and why should they given the pathetic & craven Muslim (so-called) leaders we have like King Fahd who has issued a Royal Decree banning dua for the Mujahideen in the mosques of Saudi Arabia.

Columns of hundreds of armoured vehicles have been seen arriving at the front at *** and as I've mentioned above, the skirmishes are increasing in number and intensity. All the signs are there of an imminent all out offensive to conclude this campaign before the elections and the coming of spring. This war is basically the Mujahideen again the whole world. The Russians are getting support (open and covert) of every kind from the West and the Jews. The military tactics they are using are obviously formulated with outside assistance to try to crush the tiny number of Mujahideen in Chechnya, which they will never do insha-Allah until the Earth is made wet with the blood of every single Mujahid in Chechnya.

Alhamdullilah the Mujahideen place their trust in the Power of Allah and that more than suffices against the strange world we live in.

Four days on...

The Russians are moving fast and bombing furiously. The usual are aircraft swooping over the countryside looking for any moving vehicles or activity before bombing the least damaged buildings. Grads, tank & howitzer artillery, fuel bombs (awesome damage), shrapnel bombs etc. However yesterday morning just after Fajr (Dawn) in ***, I heard the drone of heavy high altitude propeller aircraft. I thought it was just the usual flight of reconnaissance aircraft (there are up to several each hour). After perhaps a minute, the *** we were in was rocked as high pay load bombs started to explode throughout *** (really no larger than a big ***). This the first time I have seen this sort of carpet bombing (experience similar to Grads) although they frequently subjected Grozny to this. Everyone muttered the usual duas expecting the walls to implode at any moment. Alhamdullilah, Allah protected us. There are civilian casualties and fatalities everyday as the Russians try to build up the momentum.

Russians are also making heli-descents on the high peaks. Yesterday we all saw a large descent on a high ridge overlooking the entire *** Valley. Alhamdullilah, elsewhere they stuck their necks out a bit too far and the brothers destroyed a helicopter with its occupants as it was landing near a village *** several miles south of ***. The peaks around *** have undergone several infantry attacks which Alhamdullilah have been repulsed.

In addition to Abu Ubaidah (Yemen) and Abul-Abbas (Kuwait), I have learnt since that Abu Mujahid (one of the Junior Chechen commanders under Abu Jafar Al-Yemeni) and Jauwhar Al-Mongoli were killed. Nearby, the next day a Russian aircraft rocketed a *** in which a small contingent of Abu Jafar's group were sleeping killing Khallad Al-Madani (Madinah) and injuring another brother (this now means that out of 7-8 of us who use to share a room in ***, four have have been killed). Of course there are Shaheed I do not manage to see or know.

Having said all of that, Alhamdullilah morale is good and brothers are looking forward to the operations that are inevitable. The weather has become noticeably milder, the scenery is fabulous although there is still snow around and no foliage cover. Insha-Allah by the end of March the winter will be truly behind us and the summer not far off. However the intervening time is sure to be interesting so make dua that all goes well. Insha-Allah the news will be good.

Brother X (Norweigan National), Chechnya, February 2000

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14 February 2000

"A few days ago I went with ** and about ** brothers as a relief column to meet the brothers coming from Grozny en route. We took no food with us (I think the Commander was expecting to reach a village the first night) apart from what some brothers took as snacks for the day, and the route was entirely through the mountains. This trek turned out to be by the toughest that probably any of us have ever undertaken, clocking perhaps 45km on foot. Instead of one day we were out in the mountains without supplies for four full days. During that time I had food which all together would not even constitute one fifth of a normal meal!

This was also the case for the vast majority of brothers apart from a few wise souls. The three nights were spent in the snow with no shelter and only the clothes we were wearing during the day. The first night was high up on a mountain side so we couldn't light a fire due to proximity of Russians. I shudder even to think about it- my socks were thoroughly wet and I spent all night shivering violently. At about 5 in the morning I tried to get up but found that my stomach muscles got a cramp immediately. The next half an hour was spent trying to stand and then walk!

The second and third night we able to light a fire and most brothers stayed awake trying to stay warm. Anyways, by the second evening we were well behind Russian lines and approaching the village on the periphery of the plains where the brothers were awaiting us. Our column was also very long with perhaps an hour between the first and last person. I was amongst the first batch when we reached a decsended into a steep valley bed where brothers stopped to make wudhu and pray. We'ed been buzzed all day by aircraft then realised that the Russians were waiting for us to come into full range of one of the nearby posts. It was at that moment that we came under mortar fire which rapidly came closer and closer (a spotter must have been near by). Very quickly the shells were landing in our midst.

I was with another brother when we heard one whisting towards us and both of us crouched. It exploded a few metres to the rear, I got up immediately to move on but the brother who was no more than 1-2m away keeled over. Alhamdullilah Allah protected me from injury. A piece of shrapnel had gone right through his stomach and out of his back. For the next minute or so he was gasping as we tried to get his gear off and drag him into cover. We kept repeating the Kalimah (Islamic Declaration of Faith) to him whilst holding him but I don't know whether he could even hear us as he slipped away. He was just kept gasping deeply but less and less frequently as the soul left the body to meet its Creator (insha-Allah).

All together five Mujahideen were killed in this contact. Whilst this was occuring, the Russians were also trying to trap us in the valley by sending two tanks to a road on the *** to our rear. The first tank was blown up by a young Mujahid with an RPG (there were Chechen Mujahideen as young as fourteen years old with us). He just came on to the road, swiftly took aim and fired. Whilst he was doing this the tank was turning it's turret to blast him! The ordnance of the tank was seen exploding well into the night which must have struck fear into the hearts of the nearby Russians.

The Commander sent a few people onwards to the village to act as guides and the rest of us managed to extract ourselves, the Shuhadaa (martyrs) and injured back to relative safely. As mentioned above we slept again in the snow covered mountain side but in scattered groups whereever there was sufficient cover for a small fire. The next morning I went with one brother to the *** (the Russian held road runs along ****) and the *** is on the otherside of the *** beyond. The brothers from Grozny had set off during the night before and the Commander was trying to steer them through the posts and meet with up with them. This is in a completely snow laden landscape where there are very few distinctive landmarks.

The Russians of course knew what was going on save the exact details and regularly directed intense bursts of fire in our direction. Alhamdullilah they were always slightly off mark. It was then that we met up with the column. A moving sight; a column of of several hundred mujahideen emerging from the white landscape in single file. ***** was amongst the leading group whom our Commander greeted. After greeting him, I asked him the question that I had asked others on previous occasions, where is ***** ?

All the brothers were obviously tired but very glad to see us. The severely injured and recently killed were being carried on horseback with many others being carried on stretchers or supported on the shoulders of others. The brothers had walked all the way from Grozny through massive and vigilant Russian forces; I have yet to calculate the distance but it's a great feat by any measure.

Physically most of us were pushed to a new extreme and lost significant body mass. Limbs were ceasing to function fully and all sorts of other things. For the last two days I've been feeling pretty sick but Alhamdullilah am now better than before. Insha'allah I shall make my own back up provisions for any future excursions!

As I write this I've heard on the wireless network that the second batch of a around a thousand mujahideen have arrived. Additional to the dead killed in action a further 12 have died en route. Someone has mentioned that two of these were *** and it is likely that one of these was my friend, ***. He was very seriously wounded in the stomach on the way out of Grozny and the journey can only have been a further ordeal. I saw many other injured, including ***. I went to see him yesterday but he was in no condition to recognise me; he had a piece of shrapnel in his leg from Grozny and Subhanallah just as he was arriving in ***, the truck he was in was strafed by an aircraft which blew away half his left hand.

The medical facilities awaiting *** and other injured brothers are bare to say the least. The hospital in *** is a bombed wreck and now the few patients it has are in a cramped squalid room. The other hospital near *** where *** and another brother are staying is little better (and that too is to be closed any day). Medical expertise is limited to administering pain killers (rationed) and anti-biotics with a saw to amputate wrecked limbs. Being seriously injured here is the biggest trial that I've seen so I have made dua that Allah spares me from it. What I would like to know is where are all the hundreds of Muslim Doctors who for years will fervently pursue their careers in the West so that 'one day' they can help the Muslims? Whilst they are bending over to please their Jewish Consultants and satisfy the whims of the kuffar, great Mujahideen such as *** writhe in unattended agony in some dank basement. Insha'allah Allah will reward the suffering the Mujahideen are enduring for His Pleasure and He will question (Allah knows best) those well fed & paid, smug Doctors about who they cured and pleased whilst the Jihad was going on.

More generally, they have now intensified round the clock shelling and bombing of the towns which is really taking its toll on the civilian population. It's one thing being on the Front or in the field under fire, but there are few experiences more testing than aircraft roaring over your head to fire rockets or drop bombs. The room falls silent and you just wait. A few seconds later (if you are still around) you are rocked by the house next to you being hit. A different flavour of this experience can be tasted depending on whether the incoming is from tanks, artillery, Grads or Scuds.

For the civilians, with all their belongings and family, this war is a nightmare that you can't relate to unless you live though it with them. Not suprisingly the people are tired of the war. Other news is that a few days ago the Russians launched an all out assault on the *** controlling ***. Alhamdulillah the Mujahideen repulsed them. However I know that at least one of the Commanders expects them to attack again and the injured are also to be evacuated to ***.

The next two months preceding the elections this assault can only intensify. They have para-dropped troops to *** recently where they have either been repulsed with casualties or have withdrawn after a short presence.

It is impossible to give a general description of the Mujahideen as there are groups from all over the Caucasus as well as the world. When I was in ***, there could easily be a dozen different languages being spoken in the small building we were living in.

This war has little to do with elections (which in Russia have always been an establishment sham) but is about destroying the Muslims and the cancer of the Mujahideen. It's been funded and (practically openly) supported by the West under the direction of the Jews. The Russian Jewish oligarchy (led by Berezovsky) collectively control the entire media, banking and industry as well as many of the key ministries. It is they who picked Putin from nowhere and have made him the leading Presidential contender on the basis of this war.

The essential fact to note is that Putin is not propagating this war for his Presidential ambitions, but that Putin is only a tool (of the powers that be) to wage war against the only element of true Tawheed and Islam in Russia. His stated objectives from the very beginning have been not to invade Chechnya but to destroy the 'terrorists' (i.e. us!). Anything less than our total defeat will be defeat for Russia which as such leaves no place for negotiated withdrawals the likes of the Khasavyurt Maskhadov-Lebed Accord in 1996.

A more likely scenario is a long guerilla war of attrition where we are pushed further and further into the mountains with the Russians insha'allah taking many casualties during their advance and from Mujahideen raids deep behind their lines. Only when the numbers of Russian dead become too large to falsify will the Russian public will start to become more vocally opposed to the war. However, this is only outlook and the truth of course is that only Allah knows where this war will go. This War started as abruptly as the last one ended and will last as long as Allah wills.

The old Foreign Mujahideen have taken the war in their stride and are the real backbone this organisation. Of the foreigners as a whole, the *** are the most fun and courteous guys to be with. The other ethnic groups are too numerous to describe.

I saw *** and another brother *** yesterday. They are Alhamdullilah a lot better than before with *** walking about. However although ***'s wound has cleaned up, the gap in his *** is very large and will probably need an operation. The hospital in *** is even worse than one he is in now (!!) and the ONE DOCTOR(!) we have is not keen to go there. Make dua that Allah makes things easy for him and cures him swiftly... "

Brother X (Norweigan National), Chechnya, February 2000

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010801203147/http://www.minna.com/html/faqs.htm

Frequently Asked Questions

Where should we send our donations this Winter (2000-2001)? (Added 09 December 2000)
What is the proof of Russian Crimes Against Humanity? (Added 22 June 2000)
Does Islam permit the Execution of Prisoners of War? (Added 13 June 2000)
Forgery Alert: An Important Announcement about Forged E-Mails Being Sent with our Name (Added 16 March 2000)
How is British Foreign Minister Robin Cook 'Sharing Priorities' of War Criminal Vladimir Putin? (Added 25 Feb 2000)
Is The West Supporting Russia in its Holocaust of the Chechen Muslims? YOU be the Judge. (Added 19 Feb 2000)
Is the War over now that the Mujahideen have allowed the Russians to occupy Grozny? (09 Feb 2000)
How the Western Media is backing Russia 100% in their ethnic cleansing of the Chechen people (03 Feb 2000)
Is this a War of Islam versus Christianity? (03 Feb 2000)

Frequently Asked Questions about the Jihad in Chechnya
1. I want to go and fight in Chechnya. How do I get there?
3. How can we help the Mujahideen in Chechnya?
4. What is the source of your news?
5. How do we obtain interviews with Khattab and Basayev?
6. Who are the Foreign Mujahideen? Why do you call them 'Foreign'?
7. What Aqeedah (Islamic belief) are the Chechens upon?
8. Are Mashkadov and the Chechen Government supporters of the Mujahideen?
9. How close are the Muslims to winning this War?

Five-Point Analysis of the Current Situation in Chechnya
Seven-Point Action Plan Required by the General Muslims Worldwide

 

Where should we send our donations this Winter (2000-2001)? (Added 09 December 2000)

Another winter approaches the Muslims in Chechnya and yet there is no end in sight. Whilst the Russians continue to bomb the civilian population and expel them from their homes, the International Community ensures that it is very difficult for monetary and material assistance to reach the Muslims inside Chechnya. Aid has been reaching the refugees in neighbouring countries such as Georgia, Ingueshetia and Azerbaijan due to the efforts of large Muslim aid organisations. However, the Russians, with the assistance of certain Western governments, have been confiscating and stealing much of this aid so that it fails to enter Chechnya, for fear that some of this will reach the families of the Mujahideen. To date, our sources inform us that over $3million donated by Muslims around the World has been confiscated by the Russians and blocked from reaching the Muslims inside Chechnya.

How has so much money been confiscated by the enemies of Allah?

As an example, two methods have been employed by the International Community to prevent money from reaching Chechnya:

(a) Employment of 'agents' to collect money for Chechnya, the Muslims there and the Mujahideen

The enemies of Allah, amongst them the Zionists, understand that it is impossible to discourage Muslims from donating tremendous sums of money to their suffering Muslim brothers and sisters around the World. However, what they are able to do is to collect this money and prevent it from reaching its destination. This is done through the use of official and unofficial 'agents' amongst the Muslim communities around the World who go round collecting donations for current 'hot' conflicts that are stirring the emotions of the Muslims.

Since no Muslim aid organisation has been able to send significant assistance inside Chechnya itself (their help has been reaching refugees in neighbouring countries though), many 'official' Chechen Government spokespersons have been frequenting mosques and Islamic centres in rich Muslim communities around the World such as the U.S., Canada, UK and South Africa. We have found it necessary at this stage to expose these people and what they are actually doing. Hypocrisy, dissension and problems are not something to be surprised by, since they were present at the time of the Prophet (SAWS), his Companions after him and 1400 years of Islamic history is rife with evidence of such problems. Therefore, as Muslims, we should look at and tackle these problems in a mature manner rather than feeling emotionally disheartened or backing out altogether.

There are two main groups fighting the Russians in Chechnya: the Mujahideen and the Chechen nationalists.

The Mujahideen (Islamic Army of the Caucasus)

The Mujahideen comprise Chechen and non-Chechen Muslim volunteers (from Arab countries, Turkey and Central Asian republics) who are fighting the Russians for Islam and no other reason. The evidence that they are practising Muslims fighting for Islam is reflected in their news items (attributing all successes to Allah), statements they issue, future plans for Chechnya and their individual practice of the religion and their appearances. They have been at the forefront of the victories that Allah has granted the Mujahideen in this second war, to this day. Once Allah grants them victory, they will insha-Allah establish Islamic Shariah rule in Chechnya as they had started to do in the period 1996-9 between the two wars, when 30 Shariah courts were functioning all over Chechnya and more were slowly being implemented. Their key personalities are Movladi Udogov (former Chechen Foreign Minister), Field Commander Shamil Basayev, Field Commander Khattab, Field Commanders Ramadan Ahmadov and Arbi Barayev and Sheikh Abu Umar Muhammad Al-Saif. Their web-sites are the Arabic www.qoqaz.com (and associated mirrors in foreign languages) and the Russian www.kavkaz.org.

Since the World recognises the threat posed by this group, they have been waging an information warfare campaign against them labelling them as Wahabis, extremists, terrorists and not representative of the views of the Chechen people. They have also ensured that it is very difficult, if not impossible, for funds and donations to this group to be collected in public. Therefore, you will not find 'official' spokespersons representing this group touring the World giving speeches and collecting donations for them. Their donations usually reach them by Muslims giving their money privately to individuals who are known and trusted to represent this group of Mujahideen in Chechnya, who have a history in this kind of work and who are trusted to convey the funds to their destination. There are no fiery speeches, no presentations and no glossy leaflets. These individuals exist primarily in the Arabian Gulf countries, some communities in Turkey and, to a lesser extent, some Western European countries including the UK and France. Therefore, anyone who has contacts which enable him/her to send donations directly to this group is assisting a worthy Islamic cause, though the number of these individuals is few and it is likely that only small portions of the Muslim communities will be able to give donations to these individuals.

Narrated Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him): A man came to the Prophet (SAWS) and asked, "One man fights for war booty, another fights for fame and a third fights for showing off. Which of them fights for the Sake of Allah?" The Prophet (SAWS) said: "He who fights so that Allah's Word (i.e. Islam) should be superior, then he is the only one who fights for the Sake of Allah." [Related by Bukhari]

Chechen Nationalists (www.chechengovernment.com under the leadership of President Aslan Mashkadov)

The Chechen nationalists comprise loose, disorganised groups of Chechen fighters who are fighting the Russians for nationalistic and secular reasons which have nothing to do with Islam. They are hardly represented on the battlefield and rarely score any victories against the Russians. The evidence for this is reflected in the statements, constitutions and articles on their official web-site at www.chechengovernment.com. Once the War is over, they hope to establish secular law in Chechnya. If anyone does not believe this, they can read their constitution on their web-site for themselves. Furthermore, their 'officials' display no Islamic appearance at the very least. This same group of people tried their best to prevent Islamic Shariah being implemented in Chechnya during the Inter-War period. This web-site was opened by secular nationalists as a reaction to the publicity being attracted by the Mujahideen web-sites. Their key personalities are President Aslan Mashkadov, Colonel Umar Sugaipov, Foreign Minister Ilyas Ahmadov, the Nohcy Centre in Tblisi, Georgia and other individuals listed on their web-site.

The World recognises that this group agrees with the long-term aims of the United Nations and the other enemies of Islam, and is a useful countermeasure for the efforts of the Mujahideen. Therefore, they portray their web-site as being the official web-site of Chechnya and representative of the Chechen struggle. They portray their officials as official representatives of the Chechen struggle and allow them to open offices wherever they please and grant them visas to wherever they please. Consequently, they have made it very easy for donations and funds to reach this group of people. One can find these 'official' spokespersons touring mosques and Islamic centres around the World, clean-shaven, dressed in suits and ties and accompanied by female non-Muslim translators and secretaries (Colonel Umar Sugaipov was touring Islamic centres in the UK in 1999-2000 accompanied by a French non-Muslim woman as his secretary). One needs to ask oneself, how is it that one group of people is prevented from publicly collecting money for 'Jihad' and another group of people is granted offices, visas and speeches in order to do so? Sadly, they have been able to collect millions and millions of dollars in order to establish secular law with the assistance of the United Nations, in Chechnya. Any Muslim individual, mosque, centre or organisation that donates even a penny to such individuals is not doing anything to assist the Jihad or Mujahideen in Chechnya in any way. This money will be used by people, some of whom do not even pray 5-times a day, to establish a secular law which has nothing to do with Islam. Therefore, any Muslims who continues to assist and donate to this people, with knowledge, will be held accountable before Allah on the Day of Judgement.

"And give not to the foolish your wealth which Allah has made a means of support to you..." [Quran 4:5]

By leaving this channel open and encouraging Muslims to donate to these individuals, the Russians and the UN are able to fulfil their aim of preventing the money of sincere Muslims from reaching Muslims fighting for Shariah, in any country of the World.

(b) Prevention by force of funds reaching inside Chechnya

Understanding that despite their first method above, the Zionists and enemies of Islam realise that some money will still reach the sincere individuals in these countries. Therefore, they need to physically prevent this money from reaching its destination. A number of methods are used to ensure this: blocking of bank accounts and transfers, disruption of travel of individuals carrying donations, threatening surveillance of donation-collectors and physical confiscation at borders and airports.

What then is the solution and where should we donate our money seeing that it is difficult for our money to reach inside Chechnya?

We realise that there is no point raising a problem if an alternative is not presented to it. We are now in the blessed month of Ramadan, during a time which many Muslims donate generously to Islamic causes around the World. Since 1996, we are grateful to Allah then to our brothers and sisters around the World for trusting us and trusting the news and information that we disseminate. Therefore, we urge the Muslims once again to trust our judgement and donate their money where it is most required this Winter. We have two recommendations this Winter: one to individuals and the second to mosques, centres and organisations.

"O you who believe! Spend out of that which we have provided for you, before a Day comes when there will be no bargaining, no friendship, nor intercession..." [Quran 2:254]

"The example of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is like a grain of corn that grows seven ears, each of which contains a hundred grains. Allah multiplies for whoever he wishes. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His Creatures' needs and All-Knowing." [Quran 2:261]

"And spend in charity from that which we have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: 'My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while (i.e. return to the Worldly Life), then I will surely give Sadaqah (charity) and be among the righteous.' And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (of death) has come. And Allah is All-Aware of all that you do." [Quran 63:10-11]

Where should I donate this Winter if I am an individual?

If you are an individual that just wishes to donate some of their money to a worthy Islamic cause this winter, then we suggest that you lend assistance to your brothers and sisters in Palestine, the blessed land of the Third Holiest Mosque of the Muslims after Makkah and Madinah, where Zionists are massacring the Muslims with US assistance. There are a number of large Muslim relief organisations that are working to distribute aid in Palestine. However, the two that we have selected are the oldest ones in the region and most trusted to convey assistance to those suffering in Palestine: these are Interpal (www.interpal.org) and Islamic Relief (/www.islamic-relief.org.uk or www.irw.org). These organisations are established relief organisations headquartered in the UK with offices in many countries. They have been working for many years, long before Azzam Publications. You are able to give your donations to them by credit-card over the telephone or direct bank transfer and your donations are tax-deductible. They will provide you with full receipts. The accounts of this organisations are published annually and donors are able to see the fruits of their donations.

Where should I donate this Winter if I have an influential position with a mosque, Islamic centre or organisation?

Due to the emergency situation in Afghanistan and the imminent joint U.S./Russian Chemical strike expected there, we urge the Muslim organisations around the World to directly convey their donations and monetary assistance to the the Islamic Taliban Government in Afghanistan. This may come as a surprise to many Muslims, especially due to the negative publicity and information warfare campaign being fiercely waged against the Taliban. For this reason, we have published a small treatise on the Taliban, their background, aims and a small FAQS regarding their treatment of women, education and terrorism, which can be found on www.azzam.com or by clicking here.

We strongly encourage all the Muslims to read this small treatise to understand our reasoning behind why the Taliban are most in need of our assistance at this time, even more than the Muslims in Chechnya and Palestine. Furthermore, one should understand a cause before donating to it. For anyone who is unable to read this treatise at this present time, here is a short list of reasons why we recommend organisations (and individuals who are able to) to send their donations to the Taliban:

(a) Due to negative publicity and a media blackout, the Muslims have forgotten Afghanistan, the only land out of all the Muslim lands in the World, in which Allah chose to revive Jihad in the 20th Century.

(b) The Taliban are at the stage now, where the Mujahideen in Chechnya will be, insha-Allah, once they have defeated and expelled the Russians. They have control of over 95% of Afghanistan, their constitution is Islamic Shariah and they have successfully been implementing Shariah in the provinces they control, since 1994. Law and order has been returned to Afghanistan and there is political stability there for the first time after 15 years of war.

(c) The leadership of the Taliban have a history in Jihad, many of whom are still disabled as a result of fighting in Allah's Cause. They are Islamic scholars and live simple lives, following in the footsteps of the Prophet (SAWS) and his Caliphs after him.

(d) The Taliban was the only Muslim government in the World to openly display their support for their brothers and sisters in Chechnya. They pledged to support them in any way that they could, even though they themselves had very little to offer. They displayed this support in the face of opposition from Russia and the U.S./U.N.

(e) The Taliban is the only Muslim government in the World that has refused to bow down to pressure from the enemies of Allah, despite sanctions, negative publicity, isolation and military strikes.

(f) Muslims are facing calamities around the World: Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir, Phillipines, Indonesia, etc. However, the calamity that will reduce all of these to nothing is if the only group of Muslims to stand up and implement Shariah in the face of opposition, since the 1924 destruction of the last Islamic Khilafah, falls to pieces due to the lack of support from the Muslims around the World. The Zionists have made their country, Israel, from nothing into a major World power in a little over 50 years. Every Zionist individual and company in the World donates to Israel. Likewise, wealthy Hindu businessmen and companies donate annually to support the killing of Muslims by Hindus in Kashmir. Are not the Muslims around the World able to join their hands together and build their first Islamic State in Afghanistan?

The method of sending donations that we recommend is one that is simple and 100% guaranteed to directly reach their intended destination.

1) Collect funds and donations for Afghanistan throughout Ramadan, through Friday Prayer collections, mosque announcements and appeals and organisational campaigns.

(a) Muslim communities, organisations, mosques and centres should collect money for the people of Afghanistan through appeals, collections and fundraising events. It is advisable to hold the appeals in the name of the people of Afghanistan rather than the Taliban, since the enemies of Islam will try to prevent fundraising for the Taliban in the future.

(b) All the money collected should be converted into US$ in cash and deposited with two or three wealthy, trustworthy and respected members of the community or organisation.

(c) At the end of each month, depending on the amount of the money, two or three of the same trustworthy members or elders of the community should travel to Karachi, Pakistan with the money in US$ in cash. If a large amount of money is involved, it is probably advisable to send one or two trustworthy, young, strong, fit Muslims with the delegation for protection of the money and the delegation. The delegation should carry an official letter on the letterhead of the organisation or centre, giving the full names of the members of the delegation and that they are carrying donations for the suffering people of Afghanistan. Sample text for such a letter is found below:

"To Whom it May Concern:

We would like to introduce our official delegation from the Islamic Centre of South Arlington who are carrying monetary assistance for the suffering people of Afghanistan. The members of this delegation are listed below:

1. Abdullah Muhammad Saeed, American Passport Holder
2. Ishaq Mansoor Al-Katib, American Passport Holder
3. Muhammad Abdur-Rasheed, Canadian Passport Holder

They are carrying a quantity of cash donations which have been collected by the Muslim community of South Arlington and are to help the suffering people of Afghanistan. We request all those whom it may concern to allow the bearers of this letter to pass freely without let or hindrance and to provide them such assistance and protection as may be necessary.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself at any time for any further information in this regard.

We thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation.

Yours sincerely

[Signed]

Chairman of the Islamic Centre of South Arlington, USA"

This letter should only be produced upon request by authorities of any country. You should not unnecessarily go round flashing this letter to everyone indicating that you are carrying large amounts of cash.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MUST ANY OF THE MONEY BE HANDED OVER TO ANY OFFICIAL OF ANY AIRPORT OR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, EVEN FOR A FEW SECONDS. IF THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, SAY THAT YOU WILL RETURN BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY WITH THE MONEY BUT THAT YOU WILL NOT HAND OVER THE MONEY TO ANYONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, EXCEPT ITS INTENDED RECIPIENTS. IF THEY OFFER TO KEEP THE MONEY SAFELY FOR YOU UNTIL YOU DEPART, REFUSE AND INSIST TO STAY WITH THE MONEY, EVEN IF IT MEANS STAYING IN THE AIRPORT UNTIL THE NEXT FLIGHT.

(d) Once safely in Karachi, Pakistan, the money should be handed over to the Official Taliban Consul-General, Mullah Rahmatullah, at the Taliban Consulate in Karachi, together with a copy of your official letter from your organisation. The contact details of the Taliban Consulate in Karachi are given below:

Mullah Rahmatullah Kakayzada Khybanay Shamsheer
Consul-General
Consulate of the Taliban Islamic Movement of Afghanistan
Karachi Defence Housing Association (D.H.A.)
Bungalow No. 33
Street No. 27
District 11, Phase V (five)
Karachi
PAKISTAN
Tel: 00-92-21-585 1128 (585 1128 inside Karachi)

If you have problems contacting the Taliban Consulate in Karachi, you may also call the Taliban Embassy in Islamabad, Tel: 051-282 4505/6 (inside Pakistan)

It may be necessary to go to the Consulate first in person with your official introductory letter and make an appointment with the Consul-General first. It is better not to make this appointment over the telephone since the enemies of Islam will try everything possible to prevent financial help from reaching the Taliban. However, there is no harm in ringing the Consulate from your country, before travelling, to ensure that the Consul-General will be in Karachi at the dates you wish to travel in. If you do call, it is better to call from a public call centre and not give your name or the name of your centre over the telephone. You can inform the Consulate staff that your request is urgent since you have come from abroad. Once you meet the Consul, hand over the money to him in cash and he will issue you with an official receipt from the Taliban Islamic Movement of Afghanistan in whatever name you wish. In this meeting, you will also have the opportunity to request anything specific you would like the money to be used for (if possible), ask questions about their current needs and perhaps arrange a visit into Afghanistan if you have time.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU HAND OVER THE MONEY TO ANYONE AT THE CONSULATE OTHER THAN THE CONSUL-GENERAL, MULLAH RAHMATULLAH.

Although, there is no minimum amount to the donation that you can give, since the Consul-General will also be busy with other things, it is advisable that you wait until your donation reaches at least $20,000 before travelling to Pakistan.

(e) Once you have received your official receipt, you can take it back to your country and display a colour photocopy of it (not the original) in the organisation or mosque noticeboard as proof to the donors that you have conveyed their money to its intended recipients.

With the method we have described above, you can convey your donations directly to their intended recipients, without having to go through middle-men or third parties. Therefore, you and the members of your community can be assured that their money has been personally handed over to its intended recipients by members of their own community that they know and trust.

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Forgery Alert: An Important Announcement about Forged E-Mails Being Sent with our Name (Added 16 March 2000)

Over the last few days, a number of e-mails have been sent all over the World claiming to be on behalf of Azzam Publications and carrying our e-mail address at the bottom. Some of these e-mails contain provocative remarks such as 'We will hang Yeltsin and Putin'. Azzam Publications has not sent any public e-mails during the last four months, so any such e-mail claiming to be on our behalf is a forgery and should be discarded. If in the future we do send out public e-mails, we will inform everyone in advance through our web-sites. Until then, our web-sites, http://www.qoqaz.net, mirror http://www.qoqaz.net.my and mirror pointer http://www.qoqaz.de remain our sole source of distributing news.

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British Foreign Minister Robin Cook 'Shares Priorities' of War Criminal Vladimir Putin (Added 25 February 2000)

[Image not available on Wayback.]

"I found his style refreshing and open and his priorities ones that we share."
British Foreign Minister Robin Cook speaks about War Criminal Vladimir Putin, Moscow, 23 February 2000

And British Muslims continue to give their votes to the Labour Party...

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Is The West Supporting Russia in its Holocaust of the Chechen Muslims? YOU be the Judge. (Added 19 Feb 2000)

You can say with a picture what you cannot say with a thousand words.

[Image not available on Wayback.]

"We are renewing our basic relationship. We consider each other as important strategic partners in guaranteeing security in Europe and the world,'' Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told reporters at a joint news conference with Robertson, 15 February 2000..

"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as your friends and protectors. They are indeed friends and protectors of each other. And if any amongst you takes them as friends and protectors, then surely he is one of them..." [Quran 5:51]

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Is the War over now that the Mujahideen have allowed the Russians to occupy Grozny? (Added 09 Feb 2000)

Over the last few days we have been hearing reports that the War is almost over, several senior commanders have been killed or seriously wounded, hundreds of Mujahideen were massacred and the Russians have captured Grozny. In short response to these points, we would like to say:

(i) The War against Soviet Forces in Afghanistan lasted for TEN years during which a number of towns and cities were occupied and lost by both sides. The final result came in the form of victory to the Mujahideen from Allah and a humiliating defeat to the World Superpower of the time.

(ii) Just before the Russian invasion of Chechnya in the Winter of 1994, Russian Defence Minister Pavel S. Grachev boasted that a single Russian paratroop regiment would only take a couple of hours to wipe out the 'rebels'. That couple of hours turned out to be 20 months after which 1500 Mujahideen surrounded an entire Russian force of 10,000 in Grozny, in August 1994, to defeat the Russians. During this war, again, many cities and towns were occupied and lost by both sides, but Allah's Victory eventually came to His Soldiers.

(iii) This time, well over 100,000 Russian troops have entered Chechnya. There are also more Mujahideen this time, both Chechen and Foreign. Despite their superiority in numbers and firepower, one Russian Generals admitted that this War may go on for years. A true statement coming from a liar.

(iv) The Mujahideen Forces have re-grouped in the mountains of Southern Chechnya, with a large part of their entire force in tact, complete with weapons, men and ammunition. They are able to continue fighting the Crusaders, with Allah's Help, for the next 20 years if they need to.

(v) The Mujahideen are not as foolish as the Russian Forces in informing everyone of their military plans just for propaganda purposes. The Mujahideen Forces in Chechnya have promised to liberate Grozny once again just like they did in 1996 and they have also promised us a surprise. The Mujahideen prefer to report on military events that have already happened, rather than make false lists of promises. That is why the World only hears of the victories of the Mujahideen once they have taken place.

(vi) There are many more Chechen Field Commanders alive and well who have more experience than those who were killed in Grozny. Likewise, there are many more Foreign Mujahideen Commanders with more experience than Field Commander Khattab, alive and well in Chechnya. The martyrdom or injury of any of the 'known' field commanders will not affect the War one bit insha-Allah. A Senior Foreign Mujahideen Commander, Abu Bakr Aqeedah (Egypt), was martyred on 22 December 1997 in Dagestan. The Jihad continued. In August 1999, Field Commander Hakeem Al-Madani, Khattab's Deputy, was martyred. The Jihad continued because it is not fought for personalities. It is fought for Allah, to Whom no harm can reach and nor does He die.

If Islam was not suppressed at the death of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), then how will it be suppressed at the deaths of individuals today who are nothing like the Prophet (SAWS):

"Muhammad (SAWS) is no more than a Messenger, and indeed many Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will reward those who are grateful." [Quran 3:144]

Likewise, after the death of the Prophet (SAWS), the Caliph Abu Bakr announced:

"Whosoever worships Muhammad, then let him know that Muhammad is dead. But whosoever worships Allah, then let him know that Allah is Alive and dies not."

(vii) Grozny was not captured by the Russians. It was given to the Russians by the Mujahideen as a bait to lure them with false hopes. Insha-Allah it will be liberated from the Russians and returned to the Muslims, even if it takes 20 years to do so.

(viii) It is now that the War has entered a critical and decisive stage, with the Russian cowards having to confront the Mujahideen face to face in forests and mountains rather than bombing innocent civilians. At this stage, we request the Muslims to increase in their Duas (prayers and supplications) to Allah and to increase their moral and financial support to the Mujahideen.

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How the Western Media is backing Russia 100% in their Ethnic Cleansing of the Chechen people

Recently, we have received a number of e-mails, both from Muslims and non-Muslims in the West, who claim that the Western Media is supporting the Chechens. Although we do acknowledge that there is a minority of sincere reporters within the Western Media organisations, we were informed about the vast majority of them 1400 years ago by Allah (SWT) in the Quran, when He said:

"Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is far worse" [Quran 3:118]

Obviously it is a big thing to make an unqualified statement that media organisations of the West, which are supposed to be the upholders of peace in the World today, are actually supporting a Russian Force of over 100,000 men against unarmed civilians. Therefore we will qualify it with the following headlines and you can be the judge yourself:

Battered rebels flee ruined Grozny Chechen fighters are beaten back but remain unbowed, The Times (01 Feb 2000) Janine di Giovanni fails to mention the 'battered' Russians whose '20 losses a day' bodies will soon be shown on this web-site insha-Allah. She uses the term 'flee' which is used for cowards, like the Russians who flee at such speed that they even leave their wounded behind. She says 'beaten back' like the Mujahideen 'beat back' a Russian force ten times their number for two weeks during the battle for Minutka Square. Finally, she ends with 'unbowed', as if the Mujahideen are expected to bow down to the alchoholic, immoral Russian Army. The Mujahideen do not and will not bow down to anyone except Allah (SWT), as history will repeat itself again as it did in August 1996, when the 1500 Mujahideen surrounded 10,000 Russian soldiers in Grozny to win the last war.

Chechen fighters 'abandon Grozny', BBC (01 Feb 2000) 'abandon' to mean abandoning the civilians to leave them in the care of the humanitarian Russian Soldiers.

In Grozny, a Symbolic Victory for Russia, Time (01 Feb 2000) - Does Time mean similar to the 'symbolic' and glorious victory that the Russians got in the first war in 1994-96?

Rebels Flee Grozny as Russians Push In, Washington Post (01 Feb 2000) - How did the Chechens 'flee' from Grozny after they had been totally surrounded for the last few months, as claimed by the Western Media?

Shamil Basayev, Moscow's bogeyman, survives near-miss, AFP (02 Feb 2000) - Like Russia's FSB scored a 'near-miss' when they only killed 293 innocent Russian civilians in September 1999, in order to start this War? Unfortunately for Russia and its Western Allies, this is not a War about personalities. If Basayev and Khattab were to be killed, do they really think that no-one will fight Russia anymore? Unfortunately for the Mujahideen, Russian Terrorist Spokeswoman Madeleine Albright told Moscow that they must end the War as fighting would act as a magnet for extremism and attract more extremists to the region.

Battered Rebel Army Flees Fallen Grozny. Chechens Defeated in Battle for Grozny, The Times (02 Feb 2000) - Miss DI Giovanni finds it difficult to conceal her glee. What type of 'defeat' allows an entire defence force to withdraw with all its weapons? Has she forgotten what happened to the Russians in 1996 after the 'battered Rebel Army' fled Grozny, only to re-deploy forces as strategic war maneuvres? Perhaps she will realise this once she wakes up from her celebrated emotions.

Perhaps one needs to ponder upon the following verse and quotes:

"And how many a Prophet (from amongst the Prophets of Allah) fought in Allah's Cause and along with him fought large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them in Allah's Way, nor did they weaken nor degrade themselves. And Allah loves the Patient Ones."
[Quran 3:146]

"Thus, those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength."
[Mo Tzu, 479-381 BC]

The War is not over yet. Insha-Allah the Mujahideen will finish this time what they could not finish in the first war and in Afghanistan.

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Is this a War of Islam versus Christianity?

We have received a number of e-mails from people who believe that this War has nothing to do with religion, so we should not constantly mention religion in our news reports and articles. In short response to this, we would like to mention the following points:

a) Islam is a Way of Life. Islam does not divide between personal 'religious' affairs and current political affairs affecting its followers. There is no separation in Islam between religion and politics. Every affair affecting the Muslims is an Islamic affair, whether it is to do with poverty, unemployment, War, famine or crime.

b) The Western Governments are supporting Russia 100% in her ethnic cleansing of the Muslims of Chechnya. Proof of this is that the United Nations has yet to make any statements, let alone resolutions, about the War in Chechnya. As Muslim' extremists' are being fought, there is a convenient silence from the Western countries. During the Bosnian War (1992-95), the West placed an arms embargo on the Bosnian Muslims to prevent them from even defending themselves. Once the War attracted hundreds of Foreign Mujahideen from around the World to solve this problem, and they began to score crushing defeats on the Serbs, the West panicked and immediately ended the War during which they had done nothing for three years. The Dayton Peace Accord was signed only to bring an artificial peace to Bosnia but the real reason was the 'expulsion of all foreign fighters'.

Israeli Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has now become worried that the Mujahideen are once again receiving financial, material and other support from their brothers and sisters around the World and that a protracted War will attract more Mujahideen to the area. Therefore, she is now trying to end the War as soon as Putin's ego trip is over in March later this year. However, this is Chechnya, not Bosnia or Kosova. The Chechen Muslims have refused submission for hundreds of years and they will continue to do so insha-Allah for hundreds of years to come.

Therefore, any action by the Western Governments will only come to further their own interests, not the interests of the 'innocent civilians' and 'refugees' that they claim they are trying to help.

c) Western Media Organisations are also supporting Russia 100% with the exception of a few unbiased reporters, whose reports and articles are rarely published. Proof of their support can be found in the article above.

d) Russia has invaded Chechnya because the Chechens are Muslims who refuse to become their slaves. There is more kidnapping, murder and lawlessness on the streets of Moscow itself than in Chechnya. More foreigners have been murdered in Moscow than in Chechnya, but the Western Governments and Media conveniently decided not to make a big issue of it, because it was done by 'internal' enemies rather than Muslim fanatic fundamentalist extremist terrorist barbarians.

The Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 killed 168 Americans and it was confirmed that it was the work of a white American Nationalist. The East African US Embassy Bombings in 1998 killed 224 people and they were blamed, without evidence that has yet to be produced, on Usama bin Ladin. The Western Media has conveniently forgotten the fear of White Nationalism destroying the World, but Usama bin Ladin and all the Muslim fanatic fundamentalist extremist terrorist barbarians (if anyone has any more words to add to this list, then please let us know) have not been forgotten, but rather are used to haunt the World. Therefore, this battle and conflict is clearly one of Islam against its enemies.

e) We make a clear distinction between Western Governments and the Western people whilst mentioning the above facts. There are good people amongst the non-Muslims in every Western country. Many of these people condemn injustice and speak out against oppression, whoever it is done against, whether Muslim or non-Muslim. It just so happens that most of the oppression and wars in the World today are carried out against Muslims. Most of the refugees in the World are Muslim. Most of those that have been ethnically cleansed in the last century are Muslims, outnumbering the hyped-up Jewish Holocaust by many millions.

We have received many e-mails of support from such people, who are not biased towards Muslims or non-Muslims, but who are sincere people who call a wrong a wrong, and not a right. We acknowledge the support given by these individuals and thank them for their support, which is support against tyranny, not necessarily support for Muslims.

We also stress that the Mujahideen have nothing against the ordinary people of the Western Countries, who do not support their Governments' oppression of the Muslims. Field Commander Khattab is not scared of anyone except Allah. If he carried out the explosions in Russia, he would have said so, without fear of 'public opinion' or 'condemnation'. However, to this day, both Khattab and Basayev deny being responsible for the Russian explosions. Khattab also mentioned recently that his fight is against the Russian Imperialist Government, not the ordinary Russian people. Firstly, it is part of Islam not to harm innocent civilians in War and secondly, it is not his style of warfare. Khattab and Basayev are military field commanders with many sources of funding. They do not need to resort to cheap actions such as kidnapping and murdering innocent foreigners in exchange for some paltry sums of money. All the kidnapping of foreigners in Chechnya, despite being a fraction of crime against foreigners in Moscow, was carried out by common Chechen bandits, who have little or nothing to do with Islam.

On the other hand, as for those fighting the Muslims and those who support this fight with money, words or actions, the Muslims consider them all as enemies and in the same group.

"Our religion, Islam, teaches us to be courteous, kind and to respect everyone, but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the graveyard." [Malcolm X, Al-Hajj Malik Shabazz, 1925-1965]

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Jihad in Chechnya

1. I want to go and fight in Chechnya. How do I get there?

(a) The Mujahideen in Chechnya are in need of military-trained manpower but their Commanders, Shamil Basayev and Khattab have specifically requested for extra volunteers NOT to attempt to come to Chechnya, because they are not able to guarantee their safety within Chechnya and they are not able to help them if they are injured. There are only 7000 Mujahideen fighting an army of 110,000 Russians. In comparison, that is like 7 people fighting 110 people. Even if you are trained, it is advisable to listen to the advice of the Field Commanders on the ground. If you are not trained, see (c) below.

(b) The question of extra volunteers entering Chechnya is not one of routes, but rather that of which groups are able to accept them inside Chechnya. The Mujahideen are fighting a guerilla war against the Russians, sleeping and moving in mountains at night and attacking the Russians by day.

(c) If you are not trained, then the Mujahideen in Chechnya advise you to go and get some training first in other countries.

(d) Azzam Publications is only a news outlet. We do not help or 'sponsor' people to go for Jihad.

(e) Anyone interested in going to fight Jihad in other countries (if they are trained) or in going to train should contact members of their own communities and countries who are known to have been for Jihad. You will know these people and they will know you. In these cases, you should only speak in confidence to those whom you trust, rather than speaking to everyone.

(f) Anyone unable to go and fight in Chechnya should refrain from attacking innocent people in countries outside the land of fighting. Any such energy should be translated into actually fighting in Chechnya, or obtaining training in other parts of the World.

(g) To see how else you can help the Mujahideen in Chechnya, read the answers below.

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3. How can we help the Mujahideen in Chechnya?

(a) By making dua and supplicating to Allah alone and with other people, to give victory to the Mujahideen and destroy the Russians. The latest news page of our web-site contains some examples of duas that you can make.

(b) By following the authentic news of the Mujahideen from the following web-sites: www.qoqaz.net (English), www.qoqaz.com (Arabic) and www.kavkaz.org (Russian).

(c) By spreading this news to as many people and as many places as possible, by the following steps:

(i) Inform others about our web-sites by putting links on your web-sites.
(ii) Inform others about our web-sites by e-mailing everyone you know. Please do not send out spam mail so as not to cause inconvenience to people.
(iii) By printing the web site addresses on paper and putting it up in mosques, centres and university prayer rooms (obtain the proper permission before doing so).
(iv) By announcing the web site addresses after Friday Prayers in mosques, centres and universities.
(v) By announcing the web site addresses on local radio stations.
(vi) By printing out the latest news each day and putting it up on mosque, centres and university prayer room noticeboards.
(vii) By printing out the latest news each day and giving it to your local Imams and leaders, if they do not have Internet access.

(d) By collecting as much money as possible from friends, families, relatives and contacts, in mosques, centres, everywhere. Leave this money with a trustworthy individual in your community (informing at least one other person of the amount to avoid errors). Wait until we post the details of the aid organisation able to collect these donations, and then send your money to them. We do not accept or collect donations ourselves as we are only a news outlet.

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4. What is the source of your news?

News correspondents on the ground accompanying the fighting units of Khattab and Basayev send us news and photographs. They are equipped with the latest computers, cameras and satellite communications equipment. Very soon they will be able to transmit short video clips from the fighting to be published on the Internet, insha-Allah. They try to send this news everyday but sometimes difficult fighting conditions delay the news by a day or two. The news reports on our web-sites are checked by Field Commander Khattab before being sent to us.

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5. How do we obtain interviews with Khattab and Basayev?

At this very moment, interviews are very difficult to obtain as these commanders are busy in the fighting. However, large media organisations who wish to conduct interviews with Khattab or Basayev should e-mail us their questions and we can try without promising to have those questions answered by them. We regret that we can only attempt to do this for large media organisations (BBC, ABCNEWS, CNN, etc.).

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6. Who are the Foreign Mujahideen? Why do you call them 'Foreign'?

The 'Foreign' Mujahideen are non-Chechen volunteers fighting in Chechnya. They are said to number in the hundreds and some of them have been in Chechnya for five years or more. They have no personal interests in this war. They are only fighting because the Muslim countries and governments have failed to direct their power and defence budgets to the cause in Chechnya. They are fighting for victory and martyrdom. They are not fighting for money. In fact, many of these volunteers are actually from very wealthy backgrounds, from Field Commander Khattab down to some of those killed recently.

We call them 'Foreign' to inform the Muslims that this is not a civil, internal conflict between Chechens and Russians, but rather it is a crusade of the forces of Kufr (Christianity, Judaism, Communism, Atheism, etc.) against Islam. In the same way that the Russians are receiving financial and physical help from America, the Mujahideen are also receiving financial and physical help from their brothers and sisters around the World.

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7. What Aqeedah (Islamic Belief) are the Chechens upon?

This question is irrelevant at present because the Chechen people are Muslim and they are being oppressed and killed because of their religion. Even if there was only one practising Chechen Muslim in Chechnya, it would be an Islamic obligation upon all the Muslims of the World to come to their assistance. Of course, there are tens of thousands of proper, practising Muslim Chechens in Chechnya, including knowledgeable scholars. The Scholar of the Mujahideen in Chechnya, Sheikh Abu Umar Al-Saif Al-Qaseemi is from the Qaseem region of the Arabian Peninsula and has studied Islamic knowledge from the most knowledgeable scholars in the region.

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8. Are Mashkadov and the Chechen Government supporters of the Mujahideen?

Even though there were minor differences between the Chechen Government and the Mujahideen before this war began, Praise be to Allah, these differences have almost disappeared due to the current situation. Aslan Mashkadov himself appointed Shamil Basayev as the senior-most commander in Chechnya after the Russians invaded.

Mashkadov was willing to talk with the Russians but once they invaded Chechnya even though he tried to tell them that the Chechen people had nothing to do with the explosions in Russia, he understood the treachery of the Russians and began to support the Mujahideen to drive out the Russians.

There are, however, self-appointed Chechen 'officials' travelling through the World speaking about Wahabis and major differences on the ground. These individuals are also calling for peace to compromise and give concessions to the Russians. Their own actions are the proof against them, that maybe they are hypocrites working for Russian Intelligence, whose job is to deliver lectures to Muslims around the World and create divisions amongst them. Muslims should ignore official statements by these people and only believe the statements released on our web-sites.

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9. How close are the Muslims to winning this War?

Insha-Allah, with the Help of Allah, then the support of the millions of Muslims around the World who have been following our news everyday, we are very close to winning this War in the same way that we won the last one. Even if the Russians take Grozny, how long will they keep it: one month? One year? Ten years? The only way for them to win this War is to kill each and every Mujahid (both Chechen and Foreign) in Chechnya. Since they number several thousand, who are fighting for Islam not Chechnya, insha-Allah the Russians will never be able to achieve this.

Back in 1979, the Soviet Government made the biggest mistake of the 20th Century by invading Afghanistan. That war lasted for ten years and led to the break-up of the Soviet Union. They tried to destroy Islam again by invading Tajikistan and Chechnya in 1994, where they were driven out in shame. Sadly for them, this War will be the end of Russia. Many sleeping Muslims around the World have been awaken due to this War. Hundreds of fresh foreign volunteers have arrived in Chechnya. This is not a war about personalities. Even if Khattab is killed, there are many other foreign commanders to take his place, such as Commander Abul-Waleed Al-Ansari (Arabian Peninsula), Commander Yaqub Al-Ghamidi (Arabian Peninsula), Commander Abu Jafar Al-Yemeni (Yemen) and others, not to mention the many Chechen and Dagestani commanders.

This War has ignited Muslims all over the World, who will continue to support their brothers in Chechnya until the Russians are driven out, even if the War lasts a hundred years and costs a hundred thousand lives.

"If Allah helps you, NONE can overcome you. And if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah Alone let the believers put their trust." [Quran 3:160]

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Five-Point Analysis of the Current Situation in Chechnya

1. Khattab and Basayev do not fear anyone except Allah. If they had carried out the explosions in Russia, they would have said so, without fear of anyone. They both consistently denied and deny any involvement with these explosions, saying that this is not their style of warfare. Their statements, together with the information given by Major-General Vladimir Victorovich, raises doubts on the credibility on some Muslim personalities in the UK who said that the Mujahideen carried out these explosions in Russia.

2. The U.S., Israel, India and other Western countries are secretly helping Russia to pay for this war and outwardly condemning it. The Russian Economy is almost nonexistent, the currency has lost value and the country is in debts. How then can Russia maintain an army of over 100,000 troops, with thousands of vehicles, aircraft, food, ammunition, supplies, wages, power and fuel from existing resources? They are receiving financial and military help from the US and Israel.

3. The Mujahideen and the Chechens in general are experienced, combat-hardened fighters. No experienced fighter will remain in houses, schools, mosques and hospitals during heaving shelling and bombardment. They will all take refuge in bunkers, caves, trenches and mountains. Why then are the Russians bombing houses, schools, mosques and hospitals, claiming they are fighting terrorism? What and who are they bombing? Russia is a terrorist nation, that terrorises not only the civilians of its enemy, but also its own civilians.

4. With the exception of the Taliban, NOT A SINGLE MUSLIM COUNTRY has condemned Russian actions in Chechnya. On the contrary, Muslim countries continue to support Russian trade and industry. Thousands of Russian prostitutes continue to earn millions from trade in the Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE and Bahrain. All of these countries are Russia's partners in the fight against Islam.

5. Hundreds of foreign Mujahideen have entered Chechnya to wipe out Russian terrorism and destroy Russian bandits. There are more foreign Mujahideen inside Chechnya now, than there ever were in the three years of the 1994-96 war.

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Seven Point Action Plan Required by the General Muslims Worldwide

1. Follow the authentic news of the Jihad in Chechnya from authentic sources. The only three sources of authentic and direct information on the Internet are http://www.qoqaz.net (English), http://www.qoqaz.com (Arabic) and http://www.kavkaz.org (Russian). Any doubtful news can be verified directly by e-mailing any of these three news organisations. Muslims are advised not to accept news reports from self-styled Chechen representatives within the Muslim communities, unless they produce signed documents of authority from senior Chechen ministers or known Mujahideen field commanders such as Shamil Basayev or Ibn-ul-Khattab.

2. Spread authentic news about what is happening in Chechnya to Muslims all over the world, through word-of-mouth, Friday sermons, leaflets, posters, friends in the Muslim and non-Muslim media, radio, TV, e-mail and the Internet. Media is an important part of this war.

3. Boycott Russian companies and goods. Enforce all types of sanctions against Russia.

4. For the one who is able, to travel to Chechnya to give physical and financial assistance to their suffering Muslim brothers and sisters. One should NOT travel to Chechnya until he has definite contacts with Chechen groups, organisations, centres or Islamic charitable organisations, who can confirm 100% that a safe route exists into Chechnya. All visas must be obtained prior to travel. Once inside Chechnya, one must join one of the many existing groups helping the afflicted Muslims in the area.

5. Lobby relatives, friends and contacts in Muslim governments to break off diplomatic relations with Russia, expel their ambassadors and shut-down their embassies, unless Russian unilaterally withdraws from Chechen soil.

6. Shamil Basayev is the senior commander of Chechen Mujahideen forces and Ibn-ul-Khattab is the senior commander of the foreign Mujahideen forces. In addition, there are several Chechen fighting groups. It is advisable that all Muslims give support to these two field commanders as they are known to Muslims all over the world as trustworthy and Islamically-aligned.

7. At the very least, supplicate to Allah to give Victory to the believers and destroy the oppressors.

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http://web.archive.org/web/20010714004718/minna.com/html/FAQSglossary.htm

[Images not available on Wayback.]

  A GLOSSARY OF RUSSIAN WEAPONS AND TROOPS
Courtesy of Qoqaz Ukrainian Site

RUSSIAN-MADE WEAPONS: TANKS     T-55     T-62     T-72     T-80     T-90     Shilka   SMALL ARMS     AK-47     AK-74     PK     RPG-7     RPG-16     RPG-18     Shmel ARMOURED  PERSONNEL CARRIERS     BRDM     BTR     BMP   ATGW     Guided Missiles   ROCKET LAUNCH SYSTEMS     GRAD     Uragan     SCUD   AIRCRAFT     Su-24     Su-25     Mi-6     Mi-8     Mi-24 RUSSIAN TROOPS: MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS     OMON     SOBR     Regular Troops     "Temporary UVD"    SPETZNAZ MINISTRY OF DEFENSE     GRU Troops     Desant Units     Marine Units FSB     Alpha and     Vympel Troops     (spetznaz) MINISTRY OF JUSTICE     Ministry of     Justice Troops MINISTRY OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS     Battle Troops     (also known as      Leader Spetznaz)

T-55  While this tank is somewhat outdated and probably no longer in use in the Russian Army, it had been widely used in the fighting in Bosnia and Kosova. It is a medium tank with  fully tracked, five-road-wheeled chassis. Like almost all of the Soviet tanks it is characterized by a low-silhouetted hull, which makes it a more difficult target. The width of its armour varies from 100 mm to 170 mm.  The tank is powered by a 520 hp 12 cylinder water cooled  diesel engine, and is capable of maximum sustained speed of 30 mph.  It is armed with a 100 mm rifled gun (43 rounds capacity) and co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun (3000 rounds capacity).  T-62  It was designed as a main battle tank of the Soviet army. The tank is based upon fully tracked, five road-wheeled chassis. This tank is also characterized by the same low-silhouette design as the T-55 model, as well as virtually identical armour width (100 to 170 mm). T-62 is powered by a 580 hp 12 cylinder diesel engine, which allows it to travel with a sustained speed up to 34 mph, with a 310 mile range. The tank is armed with 115 mm smoothbore main gun (40 rounds capacity, stabilized on some models), and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun (2000 to 3500 rounds capacity, 1000m effective range). Some models (T-62M) are also equipped with a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun (1000m effective range against aircraft and 1500 m range against land targets)  T-72  The main battle tank of the present-day Russian army, including the the Russian forces in Chechnya. The T-72 retains the low silhouette of the T-55 and T-62, and is based upon 12 large, die cast, rubber coated road wheels and 6 track-return rollers that support the inside of the tracks only. The track of the T-72 is of the single pin type with rubber. The tank's armour has a maximum width of 520 mm (average width is much smaller), and is made of modern materials that are resistant to shaped charges. The tank is powered by a 700 hp water-cooled diesel engine, that allows for a sustained speed of up to 50 mph, with a range of about 310 miles. Some modifications have a 840 hp multi-fuel engine (which would run on virtually any kind of oil based fuel). The tank is capable of amphibious use, and could be prepared for combat within two minutes of leaving the water. The T-72 mounts a dozer blade under the nose of the tank, to clear obstacles and prepare fire positions. The tank is armed with a 125 mm stabilized smoothbore gun/missile launcher (automatic loader), which could reach the distances of up to 9.5 km. Among its other armaments are a co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun, as well as a 12.7 mm antiaircraft machine gun (2000 m effective distance for land targets and 1500 m effective distance for airborne targets). However, the 12.7 mm gun could only be fired with a tank commander exposing upper part of his body, as the gun is located on the commander's cupola T-80 Has the design of a main battle tank. Just like its predecessors, the T-80 has a characteristic low silhouette shape. The tank's suspension consists of 6 forged steel-aluminum rubber tired road wheels and five return road wheels. The track is double pinned, with rubber track pads. The tank has a toothed shovel/dozer blade in front of its hull, which is capable of removing obstacles and digging trenches. The tank is powered by a 1100  hp gas-turbine engine. The tank's position could be concealed by the smoke from nine electrically operated smoke dischargers. The armour is similar to the one on T-72, although it had been improved with a glacis plate of laminate type, which allows for better protection against Anti-tank Guided Missiles. The T-80 uses the same 125 mm gun as the T-72, protected by a removable thermal shield. The fire control system is improved over earlier Soviet tanks. A 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun is mounted to the right of the main armament and a 12.7 mm machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola. Standard equipment includes infra-red searchlight, an overpressure protection system, a laser warning device (warns about laser rays directed by laser rangefinders, etc.), and night vision devices for all crew.  T-90  The newest and most sophisticated Russian tank in Chechnya.  T-90 retains the low silhouette profile of the earlier main battle tanks. It's suspension is virtually identical to the one on T-80 model, although its tracks are somewhat unique in their design. Just like the T-80, the T-90 version is equipped with a toothed shovel/dozer. The tank has advanced armour and other protection systems (including infra-red jamming and laser warning devices), but their precise nature still remains classified. Interestingly, this tank is being rumored as the best protected tank in the world. The tank is powered by a 840 hp diesel engine. The T-90's armaments include 125 mm main gun, which is capable of firing laser guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) that can penetrate up to 700 mm of advanced armour on distances up to 4000m. Such characteristics give the T-90 the capability to engage other tanks and armoured vehicles, almost all ATGW systems and even most helicopters before they get the chance to engage T-90. The computerized fire control system and laser range finder, coupled with the new gunner's thermal sight permit the T-90 to engage targets while on the move and at night. The tank is also armed with a 7.62 coaxial machine gun Shilka (technical name ZSU-23-4). Shilka has played a major part in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, being the main reason for the loss of 100 hundred Israeli planes over the sky of Syria in the first three days of fighting. It is a self-propelled armoured multiple gun vehicle. The Shilka travels on tracks, suspended by 12 road wheels. The vehicle carries a crew of 4 (a driver, a commander and two gun operators). Shilka is principally armed by four 23 mm automatic belt-fed guns, that have been principally designed to engage flying targets (up to 1500 m effective distance), but it also proved effective against land-based targets (up to 2500 m effective distance). The combined maximum rate of fire of the four guns is truly staggering- 56 rounds per second! However, since only 2000 rounds are normally carried, in practice the system fires in bursts of about 5 to 10 rounds per each gun. The Shilka is equipped with infra-red visor and a sophisticated computer aiming system, designed to pursue fast-moving targets. The Shilka may also be equipped with a anti-tank guided rocket launch platform. Go to Top SMALL ARMS AK-47 The original Kalashnikov assault rifle, developed in 1943. (the 47 refers to the year when it was adopted in the Soviet army). This rifle is a gas-operated, selective-fire (both full auto and semi-auto modes of fire) firearm. It uses Soviet 7.62 x 39  mm rounds, which are fed from 30 round clip style magazine. The AK-47 has two versions- with fixed wooden stock (and detachable bayonet) and with folding metal stock (and no bayonet). A next generation model, AKM weighs about two pounds less (9 versus 11 pounds) thanks to the use of lighter components.   Other improvements include better rate-of-fire control and modernized detachable bayonet. The AKM also has a folding stock version. The AK-47 has an effective range of about 300 m.  AK-74 This assault rifle presents a a further development of the AK series and is presently the main issue rifle of the Russian army. The AK-74 is an AKM version rechambered (and rebored) for the use of 5.45 mm cartridge, which has been the choice of many modern armies due to its much higher muzzle velocity (which results in greater effective range).   The AK-74 also comes in wooden stock and folding stock versions, and comes with a mount for a grenade launcher and a night sight. The AK-74's effective distance is about 500 meters (compare with 300 m for AK-47 and AKM)  PK This is a general purpose machine gun, which had also been designed by Kalashnikov (Russian arms constructor). The PK has been widely used all around the world, achieving legendary status in Afghanistan among other places. It is a gas-operated sustained-fire weapon, fed by a 100 to 250 round metal belt.  It uses 7.62 x 54 mm rimmed (as opposed to central fire on AK) cartridges. The gun weighs about 20 pounds, and is about 45 inches long. The PK is either mounted on a tripod, or it could be mounted on a vehicle. Modern tanks and some other armoured vehicles use a coaxial version of the PK, which lacks PK's stock and some other components, instead featuring longer barrel and a device for remote control firing. The PKM is an improved lighter version of the PK. The PK-type guns have an effective range of about 1000 m, with 600 m being the practical range against some aircraft. Along with standard boll ammunition, the gun could also fire tracer and armour piercing rounds.  RPG-7 The RPG series weapons represent man portable, shoulder fired rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The RPG-7 is a shoulder-fired anti-tank grenade launcher. It is a reloadable device that fires muzzle-loaded rocket assisted anti-tank grenades. Its bore has the caliber of 40 mm, while the grenades could have the caliber of either 70 or 85 mm. The RPG-7 is light enough to be carried and operated by just one person. although it is usually used by two person team that together normally carries 5 rounds of ammunition. The rocket has an internal rocket motor, which ignites shortly after the rocket's launch, providing for higher velocity and thus for better accuracy. The practical range for this weapon is about 300 meters, up to which its shaped-charge warheads are capable of penetrating armour of up to 330 mm width. Aiming is usually done through the use of optical sights, although 'open' sights are also present.  RPG-16 is an improved version of RPG-7. This weapon is designed for use of 58.3 mm rocket-assisted grenades, that allow it to achieve increased effective distance (500m versus 300m for RPG-7), as well as increased armour penetration capability (375 mm versus 330 mm for RPG-7).  Otherwise, the RPG-16's design is very similar to RPG-7 RPG-18 Muha The RPG-18 is a somewhat different weapon from the preceding two. It presents a self-launched (the actual launching takes place in a disposable fiberglass/plastic tube-shaped case, which is extended when the weapon is ready to fire) rocket propelled anti-tank grenade.  The tube and other components are disposable after a single use.  The device fires a 64 mm rocket, which has an effective distance of 200 m, up to which it has the capability to pierce up to 375 mm of armour. The internal rocket motor used to achieve higher sustained velocity (which is essential for better accuracy) activates shortly after the rocket leaves the tube.  Shmel Shmel is a man-portable flame thrower. Its charge has explosives on its tip in order to penetrate walls and other fortifications. Then the rest of the charge works in a way similar to fuel bombs, although its effective area is certainly much smaller. It kills by high temperature and excessive pressure, as well as by the so-called deep sea effect. This effect refers to the symptoms suffered by the sudden drop in pressure that occurs when the gases burn out, which are somewhat similar to what happens with a deep sea fish when it is taken out of the water- basically, many of the internal organs explode. This weapon was designed in 1984 specifically to combat the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, where the Soviet army had encountered high losses dealing with the multiple lightly fortified Mujahideen positions. It is now rather widely used by both the Russian military and the Mujahideen in Chechnya.  Go to Top ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS BRDM The BRDM is an armoured four wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle, which is also fully amphibious. Its cross-country manoeuvrability is further increased by the use of a tire pressure control system, which allows the driver to increase/decrease tire pressure in selected wheels while the vehicle is in motion. Furthermore, the vehicle also has a set of 'belly wheels', which could be lowered by the driver for improved performance when crossing trenches or other terrain obstacles. The vehicle's armour is made of welded steel, and provides BRDM's crew with protection from small arms fire and shell splinters. The BRDM is armed with a 14.5 mm machine gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun (see PK). The crew has the view of both the front and the rear of the vehicle through outward protruding vision blocks. The BRDM's standard equipment also includes infrared driving and search lights, a navigation system, and a water jet motor for amphibious use. BTR The BTR is an armoured personnel carrier, and as such, is one of the most commonly used combat vehicles in Chechnya. It is an eight wheel drive vehicle, with the wheels protected from the loss of pressure by the use of foam-rubber like substance instead of air. The BTR is fully amphibious, being propelled through the water by a water-jet engine. For land use the BTR is powered by either two 8 cylinder, 120 hp gasoline engines (older models), or a single, more powerful diesel engine. The vehicle is protected with an overhead armour cover, as well as sloped armour plates on the sides, all made from all-welded steel.  The BTR has a three-man permanent crew and could also carry up to eight (six on newer models) passengers. The vehicle is armed with a coaxial 14.5 mm machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.  It also features additional firing ports in the passenger compartment. BMP The BMP is an armoured infantry fighting vehicle. Improved firepower, better mobility and protection gives the BMP a winning edge over the earlier BTR-series of armoured personnel carriers. Nevertheless, while it is commonly used in Chechnya, it is not as widespread as the BTR. The BMP rides on tracks, suspended by 12 wheels, with 6 track support rollers. The BMP is fully amphibious, propelled through the water by its tracks (or two water jets installed on a newer model). The vehicle is powered by a six-cylinder, water-cooled 290 hp (300 hp and even 500 hp on newer models) diesel engine. Just like the BTR, the BMP has a three-man permanent crew and a troop compartment which is designed to carry up to 7 (6 to 8 in newer models) additional troops. The vehicle is equipped with a night vision system, masking smoke electric dischargers, engine pre-heater, and overpressure protection system. The older model BMP (BMP-1) is armed with a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a 73 mm smoothbore main gun, which is fed by an automatic loader and has an effective distance of about 900 meters. The BMP-1 also features 9 firing ports in the troop compartment, which the BMP passengers could use for small arms and RPG fire. The BMP-1 is also equipped with an ATGM (anti-tank guided missile system), effective up to 3000 m. The middle-of-the-line BMP (BMP-2) has an automatic 30 mm gun (500 rounds of 30 mm ammunition are normally carries) instead of the 73 mm gun on BMP-1.  The 30 mm gun  has an effective distance of about 1000 m and could be also effectively used against low flying aircraft, as well as against most land targets. Just like the BMP-1, the BMP-2 carries an ATGM launch system. Finally, the newest model (BMP-3) is armed with a 100 mm rifled main gun (fires at a rate of 8 rounds/min, 30 rounds are normally carried) The main gun could fire either conventional explosives (4000m range) or laser guided anti-tank guided missiles (up to 4000 m effective distance, ability to penetrate up to 500 mm of modern armour). The BMP-3 also includes a 30 mm automatic select-fire gun (similar to the one on BMP-2, except that the effective distance is 2000 m as opposed to 1000 m). The BMP-3's armour is made of laminated aluminum- as opposed to the steel armour of its predecessors. The good news with the BMP-3 is that the Russians haven't got that many of them.  Go to Top ATGW ATGW Anti-Tank Guided Weapons While these weapons are too numerous to be described individually, they all share several common traits. Such weapons are usually (at least in part)  self-propelled and are guided through the wire, laser beam or radio signal while on route from the place of launch to the target. The most common variation (in use by the Mujahideen) is a wire-guided one. Such missiles could either be fired from a tank gun, or, as it it is more often the case with Mujahideen, from a tube (the rocker's own fiberglass case) or a ground platform. The operator than uses the periscope sight and a control device (in some cases similar to a joystick) to lead the rocket to its intended target. The more common types of ATGW are effective on distances from 100 m to 2500 m and could penetrate modern armour defenses of up to 450 mm in width. The ATGW could also be used successfully against relatively heavily fortified positions. Go to Top ROCKET LAUNCH SYSTEMS GRAD Multiple Launch Rocket System. Technical name BM-21 Hail One of the most widely used weapons systems of the Russian army, as well as elsewhere in the world. The System is a 40-tube (4 banks of 10 tubes each) 122 mm (rocket length- 9 ft) rocket launch system, with the effective distance of up to 20 km. The Grad system is mounted on an Ural truck chassis (6 wheel drive), and could be fired either from the cab of the truck or by cable remote control (on distance up to 60 meters). The Grad system could fire all the rockets at once (within 20 seconds), or it could fire each rocket individually. The Grad system could be reloaded within ten minutes by its 5 men crew. The effects of its fire are well described in the journal of a Norwegian national presently fighting in Chechnya.  Uragan Multiple Rocket Launch System. Technical name 9P140 Hurricane. The system is a  spin-stabilized heavy rocket system. The Uragan presents a 16-round 220 mm (16 ft rocket length) rocket launcher, mounted on a ZIL (eight wheel drive) truck chassis. The Uragan system is usually accompanied by another auxiliary truck which carries spare rockets and a loading device (the rockets weigh 100 kg). The 16 launch tubes are arranged in banks, with 6 tubes each in the two lower banks and 4 tubes in the highest bank. The Uragan rockets have the range of up to 40 km, and are characterized by warheads with high explosive power and wide fragmentation area. The Uragan rockets could also carry chemical and scatterable-mine (warheads that scatter mines and other smaller explosives over a wide area when they hit the ground or other target) warheads. The maximum rate of fire is about one rocket per second. It takes about 20 minutes for a crew of 4 to reload the system. According to the international agreements, the use of Uragan systems in areas with civilian population constitutes a war crime. It is well known and documented that the Russians had used Uragan systems in such areas in Chechnya.  SCUD Missiles. Technical name SS-1B/R-11. It is a single-stage guided ballistic missile, with a maximum range of 300 km. It was originally designed to carry tactical nuclear warheads, but it is often fitted with conventional or chemical warheads. The missile travels on a tracked vehicle, which also serves as an erector (the rocket is fired in a vertical position) and a launcher. The rocket could be fired with 60 minutes preparation. The Russian use of such missiles in Chechnya is confirmed by Pentagon, which monitors SCUD launches as part of the nuclear monitoring program. For instance, the Pentagon had reported that three SCUD missiles were launched from Russia toward Chechnya on the New Year's eve alone Go to Top AIRCRAFT Su-24 The Su-24 is a tactical bomber. It was designed in the 1960s by Sukhoy design office, which had intended to create a manoeuvrable combat plane with short take-off and landing distances. The Soviet Air Force had acquired the first Su-24's in 1974. This aircraft has been used extensively throughout the world in such conflicts as the Iran-Iraq war (where it was the aircraft of choice of the Iraqi army), the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, as well as in the present war in Chechnya.  The plane has variable geometry (the shape of its wings could be mechanically adjusted in-flight) which allows for higher manoeuvrability. The plane could either be used as a tactical attack/strike aircraft or as a reconnaissance plane. The Su-24 has an empty weight of 22,320 kg, and a maximum loaded weight of 39,700 kg. It is powered by two turbo-jet engines. The plane's near ground range is 560 km, while its 'ferry' range is 4,200 km. The Su-24 is capable of achieving maximum speed of 1320 km/hr. When used in reconnaissance mode the Su-24 could achieve maximum height of 17,500 m. In the attack/strike mode the aircraft usually flies at heights of about 5,500 m, thus putting itself out of reach of most portable anti-aircraft rocket systems. The aircraft's chassis design allows it to operate from both hard surface and soft surface airfields. The plane is armed with 4 guided missiles (it had been claimed that their accuracy is exceptionally high) and a an automatic 30 mm gun (250 rounds capacity, 3000 rounds/minute maximum rate of fire). The Su-24 is equipped with a comprehensive navigation/aiming system. The Su-24 has a crew of two. At the beginning of 1993 Russia reportedly had 540 Su-24 aircraft.  Su-25 The Su-25 attack aircraft was designed with the needs of Soviet troops in Afghanistan in mind. While its concept appeared in the late 1970s (prior to the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan), the bulk of its design was conducted with needs of Soviet invasion force in Afghanistan in mind. When the Su-25 was finally introduced in 1984, it manifested itself as a new generation Soviet attack plane. The Su-25 is a high survivability attack plane capable of attacking and hitting from the first run small size mobile (such as infantry groups and vehicles) and stationary targets. The plane is characterized by high manoeuvrability and terrain adaptability. Most importantly, the Su-25 is the first mass-produced Soviet attack plane capable of conduction missions both night and day, in almost any weather conditions. The Su-25 has a take-off width of about 14,500 kg (16,500 maximum), of which up to 4,340 kg could be combat load. The aircraft is powered two one-flow turbojet engines, located on fuselage sides. The plane's near-ground range is up to 600 km, while its 'ferry' range is almost 2000 km. It is capable of developing near-ground speeds of up to 950 km/hr. The plane is equipped with a self-maintnace system, which allows it operate from unprepared airfields. The Su-25 is armed with air-to-surface laser guided missiles (2 to 4), up to eight 500-kg high explosive/cluster bombs (the half-ton bombs), up to eight unguided anti-tank rockets and two air-to-air missiles. The plane could also be equipped with an automatic 30 mm gun (combat load of 250 rounds, 3000 rounds/minute rate of fire). The plane's high survivability is ensured by a number of special equipment, including all-welded titanium alloy cockpit armour, armour protection of many other structures, sophisticated conflagration prevention systems and many other measures. The Su-24 is equipped with integrated navigation and aiming system, laser rangefinder and target designator, as well as sophisticated electronic countermeasures facilities. The Su-25 has a crew of one.  Mi-6 The Mi-6 is a large transport helicopter. Given the time it was first made (1957) it has the benefit of being tested in multiple battles, although it has certainly become somewhat outdated. For a long time it was both the largest and the fastest helicopter in the world. The helicopter has an empty weight of 27,240 kg, and a maximum loaded take-off weight of 42,500 kg. It could take a useful load of up to 12,000 kg. The Mi-6 has a maximum speed of 300 km/hr (250 km/hr cruising speed), and a height ceiling of 4,500 m (when fully loaded the height ceiling is lower). In lieu of cargo, the helicopter could carry up to 65 seated passengers (in emergency situations it is known to carry up to 150 standing passengers),  or up to 41 injured on stretches. The Mi-6 is powered by two 5,500 hp 25- cylinder engines. It has the range of 650 km. The helicopter could be equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun. The Mi-6 has a crew of five. The helicopter was produced until 1981 and is still being used extensively in the Russian army.  Mi-8 The Mi-8 is a standard medium transport helicopter of the Russian army. The Mi-8 was designed in the early 1960s, and began to be serially produced in 1965. Since then more than 8000 Mi-8s had been produced, of which more than 2000 had been exported to 40 different countries. The helicopter has an empty weight of 7,260 kg, and a loaded weight of 12,000 kg. It is capable of carrying a maximum useful load of 4,000 kg. The Mi-8 has a maximum speed of 260 km/hr, and a height ceiling of 4,500 m. The helicopter's range is 1200 km. The Mi-8 is powered two 1700 hp engines. In lieu of cargo, the helicopter could carry 24 seated passengers, or 12 injured on stretchers. Some versions of the Mi-8 could be armed with up to 80 unguided air-to-surface missiles, up to four 23 mm automatic guns, up to eight 7.62 mm machine guns, a 12.7 mm machine gun and several 50 to 500 kg bombs. When so equipped, the Mi-8 becomes the heaviest armed helicopter gunship in the world. The helicopter is protected by armour plates and a sophisticated system designed for foiling heat-sensetive anti-aircraft weapons (such as Stinger rockets). The Mi-8 has a crew of two or three.  Mi-24 The flying tank The Mi-24 is an armoured assault helicopter with a large weapons load. It is also capable of carrying up to eight troops. The Mi-24's design was inspired by an apparent success of US helicopter gunships in Vietnam. The Mi-24 made its first flight in 1969, and was adopted by the Russian army in 1971.  The Mi-24 became the first and only helicopter to have shot down a fighter plane when an Iraqi Mi-24 shot down an Iranian F-4 "Phantom II" fighter in 1982. The Mi-24 was also used extensively in Afghanistan, where its capabilities were somewhat undermined by its vulnerability to US-manufactured Stinger rockets. The helicopter has an empty weight of 8,200 kg, and a maximum weight of 12,000 kg. The helicopter could carry a load of up to 2500 kg. The Mi-24 has a maximum speed of  322 km/ht (cruising speed of 217-270 km/hr), and a height ceiling of 4570 m. The helicopter's range is 500 km. The Mi-24 is powered by two 2200 hp engines. The Mi-24 is armed with four guided anti-tank missiles (up to 12 supersonic guided missiles on newer versions), several unguided missiles (which can be substituted for 100 kg or 250 kg bombs) and a 12.7 mm machine gun (or four barrel 12.7 mm machine gun with rotating barrels). Newer versions of the Mi-24 are armed with a coaxial 23 mm (or a single 30 mm) automatic gun instead of the 12.7 mm machine gun. The anti-tank guided rockets could be substituted (all or in part) for close-combat guided rockets, greater number of unguided rockets (several versions possible), 30 mm grenade launchers, 23 mm automatic guns (250 rounds capacity), several machine guns (7.62 mm and 12.7 mm), bombs of up to 1500 kg in weight, mine dispersing containers, blocks of illuminating rockets or other weapons.  The helicopter is equipped by computerized navigation and aiming systems. Although serial production of Mi-24's ceased in 1992, it is still the main helicopter gunship of the Russian army. In 1995 Russia reportedly had 1500 of them. The Mi-24 has a crew of two. Go to Top RUSSIAN TROOPS MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OMON Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya Literally- special police unit. These units were created in the late 1980s in all cities of the former Soviet Union to combat growing crime problem and political instability. The OMON troops belong to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The OMON are all-volunteer force (as opposed to mostly conscript army units), consisting of those who had already fulfilled their military obligation. The OMON members are relatively well paid, often married with children. Their social and economic status closely resembles that of the regular police (the OMON pay is even higher). Their usual duties include participation in riot squads, dealing with more dangerous criminals, keeping order in public spaces and during special occasions. The OMON troops are notorious within Russia for their levels of corruption; they tend to extract bribes whenever they can. Accordingly, it is not surprising that they most enjoy "defending the law and order" where the money is- in the markets (bazaars), where they get the opportunity to extract bribes from those who violate obscenely complicated rules of street vending. They have recently found a new source of income in form of protection money from the owners of the businesses established in light of recent privatization in Russia. As of August 1999, the OMON also took upon itself a difficult and meaningful task of checking identity of anyone who does not appear ethnic Russian. Of course, they take full advantage of the bribe-extracting opportunity such a task presents. As OMON (as opposed to the conscripted soldiers) are volunteers, they had agreed voluntary to go to Chechnya, hoping to make some bribe and theft money manning checkpoints and doing house-to-house searches. Besides, they were attracted by the promise of special duty pay of $30 a day. However, they tended to forget the there was a war going on in Chechnya, and that many of them would get much more than they bargained for at the hands of the Mujahideen.  SOBR This Russian abbreviation refers to paramilitary police units which consist of volunteers from regular police department all over a specific region (implied in the name of the SOBR unit- i.e. Moscow SOBR, St. Petersburg SOBR, etc.). The members of SOBR units are regular police officers who had chosen to go to Chechnya. Since Russia has one of the highest numbers of police per capita in the world, it is not surprising that the bribing and other illegal income opportunities are limited for individual officers in their home regions, especially given the competition from the more elite OMON units. Accordingly, it is hardly surprising that many of the regular policemen had chosen to follow the OMON example in supplementing their meager incomes with the illegal money they thought could be made in Chechnya, as well as with the promised special duty pay ($30 a day). The SOBR units normally carry out the same duties as OMON, although their total number is much smaller than  that of the OMON. which makes their role in Chechnya less prominent. Regular [Battle] Troops (Vnutrenniye Voyska) In addition to OMON and regular police, the Russian Ministry of Interior has its own battle troops, intended for settling internal disturbances and small-scale conflicts (it is interesting to note that the Ministry of Interior troops are not even theoretically in charge of the Russian forces operation in Chechnya, signifying Russia's acceptance that this War is not a small-scale internal conflict) "Temporary UVD"- established by the Russians local police stations, which are mostly manned by the police volunteers (coming for the same reasons as OMON and SOBR) from all over Russia. In theory, they are supposed to "keep order and defend law" on the territory the Russians had supposed to have captured. In practice, they often find themselves encircled in their stations by the local population, which is sympathetic to Mujahideen forces.  Go to Top SPETZNAZ Spetznaz Literally- special purpose units. A name widely applied to whatever units considered to be 'special', that is, elite in comparison with the general troops of the particular armed force. As such could either be merely the second part of the name of a specific special force (i.e. GRU Spetznaz, Alpha Spetznaz, Vympel Spetznaz, etc.), or more specifically, could mean the battle reconnaissance units (which usually have the better soldiers and equipment) in the general purpose and paratrooper regiments in both the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior troops.  Go to Top MINISTRY OF DEFENSE GRU troops The name GRU is probably less internationally known than that of the KGB, although they were both equally important in carrying out spying and covert missions all over the world. The GRU is Russia's military intelligence force, organizationally it is a unit of the Ministry of Defense General Staff. Along with intelligence-gathering and analytical departments, it also has several highly trained combat-action troops, intended to be used for capturing/destroying enemy headquarters, communication centers and other strategic objects deep inside enemy territory. These troops are considered best of the best in the Russian military- best equipped, best trained, best motivated and, most importantly, having the most intelligent (as determined by special tests) and best physically prepared personnel. These units mostly consist of commissioned officers, although there are a few of the best conscript soldiers. It is a big honour in the Russian military to be selected for service in one of these units. In the war in Chechnya the GRU units are rumoured to have committed raids in the Mujahideen-controlled territory, attempting to strike at Mujahideen bases and smaller units. It is also rumored that the GRU units had been given the task to kill or capture the better known Mujahideen commanders, especially Khattab and Basayev.  Desant units These are basically paratrooper units, which constitute the bulk of the Russian Military's elite forces. These units were intended to be parachuted in the course a wide-scale offensive. They are for the Russian Army what the Marines are for the US Army. However, these units have been plagued by the same problems as the rest of the Russian military- low pay, commissioned officer shortage, low morale and discipline, especially among the conscript soldiers. Nevertheless, these troops remain relatively combat-ready, as evidenced by their continued deployment in some of the most difficult operations in the Chechen mountains.  Marine units These units were created in the Russian military fleet in the late 1980s in order to mimic the apparent success of the US Marines. However, although these units were composed of the better soldiers and officers, the idea never really took off. One of the reasons for this could be that the officers chosen to serve in the Russian Marines were trained and had earlier served as ship officers, and thus were unprepared for land operations. Inadequate funding could be sited as another reason for their relative failure. Reportedly, the Marines operations in Chechnya had been recently downscaled due to the string of failures that had befallen them.  Go to Top FSB Alpha and Vympel (spetznaz) troops. These are the combat units of the KGB's successor, the State Security Service- the FSB in Russian. These units are considered to be second only to the GRU troops, having been the offshoots of the services that are concerned with personal protection of the Soviet/Russian leaders. The Alpha and Vympel units were initially intended to fight terrorism and free hijacked airplanes. However, they received their first taste of battle gunning down unarmed civilians on the streets of Moscow on orders of the former Russian president Yeltsin in October 1993.  Yeltsin had ordered his troops to shoot at civilians who came to rally in defense of the parliament he had disbanded in violation of the Constitution.  As a result, up to 800 innocent people died in the hands of the Alpha and Vympel troops.  In the battle with the other side armed they were far less successful, however. They were beaten and humiliated at their attempts to fight Basayev's and other Mujahideen units in the last war. Their performance in the present war is not impressive either.  Go to Top MINISTRY OF JUSTICE Ministry of Justice Troops These units are assembled of the Russian prison guards who had volunteered to serve in Chechnya. As such, they are rarely used in combat, instead preferring to torture unarmed people in the multitude of concentration camps that became the standard feature of life in Chechnya since it was 'liberated' by Russia.  Go to Top MINISTRY OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS Ministry of Emergency Situations Battle Troops (also known as Leader Spetznaz) These units are intended to accompany the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations aid and supply convoy, as well as protect the Ministry's mass burial and other operations intended at concealing and destroying the evidence of the Russian war crimes.  These troops are virtually never used in regular combat. Go to Top

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