Dr. al-Kaylani: "The Ulema Have a Duty to Lead the Ummah to Jihad in the Path of Allah"

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Translated from the original Arabic by Al Mutarjim

Dr. Ibrahim Zayd al-Kaylani, president of the Council of Islamic Law Scholars for Jordan's largest political party, points out in this article from Jordanian online newspaper as-Sabeel (in which he implicitly calls for full-scale war against Israel), Islam obligates all Muslims to go to war with Israel.

Events taking place currently in al-Quds [Jerusalem], namely the aggression against the holy sites and the ensuing clashes between Palestinians and Zionists, raise questions about what Islamic law requires of Muslims and their governments regarding al-Quds [Jerusalem] and the captive al-Aqsa Mosque. People’s opinions and attitudes on the subject vary.

Citizen Ra’fat Hamid, 37, thinks that victory on the al-Aqsa Mosque must be achieved by actions rather than words. Regarding the necessary reaction from governments towards this unjust aggression against Muslim holy sites, he said: “Relations with the Zionist enemy should be severed, and its ambassadors thrown out. [Arab and Muslim] governments should work to free the al-Aqsa Mosque, and give their peoples complete freedom to liberate the people in Palestine.”

He added that the Muslim public should understand the truth about the al-Aqsa Mosque issue, and know its place in the Qur’an and sunnah, and teach those who don’t know this, rather than “[merely] support every activity and action connected to this.”

From Hamid’s point of view, the Synagogue of the Ruins which the Jews built next to the al-Aqsa Mosque, is an indicator of “Muslim neglect” of their holy sites. He asked rhetorically, “How can four years pass with the Jews building this synagogue, and no one knows about it until after it opens?! Where are the Muslims? Where are the Islamic movements? Why don’t the ulema call for jihad in the path of Allah?!

But citizen Kamal ‘Abdallah, 40, does not put faith in the peoples’ movements, for “No marches or demonstrations are going to change anything.” The only solution, in his view, is to “change the Arab and Islamic governments, and replace them with governments that will adopt the choice of the people to support the resistance and the jihad.”

He asked, “Gaza has been blockaded for more than 1,000 days by an Arab government… Can we expect such countries to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque?”

Regarding the Islamic movements and their role in liberating the al-Aqsa Mosque, ‘Abadallah said, “The treatment prescribed by the Islamic movements is superficial, and does not rise to the level of the challenge.” From his point of view, it is necessary to “devise more efficient and powerful means.”

The president of the Council of Islamic Law Scholars in the Islamic Labor Front Party, Dr. Ibrahim Zayd al-Kaylani, believes that the duty of [Islamic and Arab] governments in the face of what is occurring in al-Quds [Jerusalem] is to “declare jihad to liberate al-Aqsa and Palestine, and in that vein they should revive the Arab mutual defense pacts.” [Comment: Mutual defense pacts between Arab governments preceded both the ’67 and ’73 wars against Israel. This is an implicit call for full-scale war against Israel.]

He added in his statement to as-Sabeel: “Israeli embassies should be closed, the ambassadors of the Zionist enemy should be thrown out, and the normalization of relations [with Israel] should be prohibited. Normalizing relations with the enemy who is violating the sanctity of the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque is among the grossest of sins.”

He pointed to what he termed the “great humiliation,” which he explained as, “Keeping the arms of the Arab and Islamic armies idle, at a time when the children of al-Quds [Jerusalem] face the weapons of the Jews bare-chested, in order to defend the blessed al-Aqsa.”

Al-Kaylani condemned Arab governments, saying: “They work to guard the security of Israel, and tame their peoples, and prohibit their resistance, and try in court those who voluntarily gather for Gaza.” He described this as one of the “grossest sins,” [especially] when the requirement in Islam is to “defend the religion and the holy sites, not to defend Israel.” […]

Clerics and Islamic Movements

* * *

Concerning the duty of the ulema [Islamic clerics] and Islamic movements towards al-Quds [Jerusalem] and the al-Aqsa Mosque, Dr. al-Kaylani said: “Their duty is to lead the ummah to jihad in the path of Allah, and to proclaim the rulings of Islam, in order to pressure the public into fulfilling their duty to protect and preserve the holy sites.”

* * *

The Ordinary Muslim

Concerning the ordinary Muslim, al-Kaylani resolved that, “Jihad has become obligatory for all Muslims.” Therefore, “every Muslim should feel it his duty to offer money, weapons, and strength to support the resistance fighters in Palestine, and combat the American-Israeli project.” He confirmed that “the children of al-Quds [Jerusalem], who are concerned about the defense of the al-Aqsa Mosque, rise up and protest, both old and young, men and women.” He pointed to the word of the Most High, which says, “O ye who believe! What is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the path of Allah [fi sabil Allah, i.e. jihad], ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the hereafter” [Qur’an 9.38]. […]

The Muslim Woman

In relation to the duty of the Muslim woman towards the al-Aqsa Mosque, al-Kaylani said, “The Muslim woman is the sister of the Muslim man in defending the religion of the ummah. Allah the Most High said, ‘The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil…’” [Qur’an 9.71]. […]