“So Lose Not Heart, Nor Fall Into Despair
By the Mujahid Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri, May Allah Protect Him
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
﴿وَلاَ تَهِنُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ﴾
“So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith.” (Aal-e-Imran: 139)
In the name of Allah, all praise be to Allah, and may prayers and peace be upon on the Messenger of Allah, his family, companions, and those who follow him. O Muslim brothers everywhere, As-Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu:
The Truth, Glorious and Exalted be He, says:
﴿وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَى أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىَ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ * وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تَمُوتَ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ الله كِتَاباً مُّؤَجَّلاً وَمَن يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَن يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الآخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَسَنَجْزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾
“Muhammad is no more than an apostle: many were the apostles that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, but Allah will swiftly reward those who serve Him with gratitude. * Nor can a soul die except by Allah’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing. If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that serve us with gratitude.” (Aal-e-Imran: 144-145)
These distinguished Ayaat demonstrate that this religion’s victory and empowerment are not tied to the survival of a person and his life, even if it were the honorable Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him; because it is the religion of Allah, protected with His protection, victorious with His victory, and supported with His support.
Then, the Ayaat move on to Allah’s continuing tradition which is that Jihad is accompanied by hardship, scrutiny, and discrimination. Then, it is followed by victory for those who do not lose heart, do not weaken, and do not surrender, and are patient, ask for forgiveness, and are steadfast.
﴿وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِين*وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ ربَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ*فَآتَاهُمُ اللّهُ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا وَحُسْنَ ثَوَابِ الآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِي﴾
“How many of the prophets fought in Allah’s way, and with them fought large bands of godly men? But they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah’s way, nor did they weaken in will nor give in. And Allah Loves those who are firm and steadfast. * All that they said was: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything we may have done that transgressed our duty: Establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that resist Faith.’ *And Allah gave them a reward in this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah Loveth those who do good.” (Aal-e-Imran: 146-148)
My Muslim brothers and my beloved Mujahideen: This is the path, the path of Prophets, Messengers, and their followers, and those who follow them with goodness until the Day of Judgment; the path of hardships and tragedies, steadfastness without losing heart, and asking for forgiveness and prayer; then, glory in this world and reward in the hereafter, by the grace of Allah and His generosity.
This path is an extended call and a continuing Jihad from when Allah created the earth until He inherits it and those who are on it. It does not stop with the death of a leader or the loss of a commander, does not lose ground with an injury or hardship, and does not retreat due to small numbers or defeat. Instead, it surpasses all of this and comes out of its tragedy with greater will, stronger determination, and more effective defiance, like the condition of the companions of our Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, on the day of Hamra al-Asad.
﴿الَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُواْ لِلّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْقَرْحُ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّقَواْ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ*الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُواْ لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُواْ حَسْبُنَا اللّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ * فَانقَلَبُواْ بِنِعْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُواْ رِضْوَانَ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾
“Of those who answered the call of Allah and the Messenger, even after being wounded, those who do right and refrain from wrong have a great reward. * Men said to them: ‘A great army is gathering against you,’ And frightened them: But it only increased their Faith: They said: ‘For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs.’ *And they returned with Grace and bounty from Allah. No harm ever touched them: For they followed the good pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded.” (Aal-e-Imran: 172-174)
The Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, said:
‹‹ لا تزال طائفةٌ من أمتي يقاتلون على الحق ظاهرين إلى يوم القيامة ››
“A group of people from my Ummah will continue to fight in defense of truth and remain triumphant until the Day of Judgment.”
And in the narration:
‹‹ لن يبرح هذا الدين قائمًا يقاتل عليه عصابةٌ من المسلمين حتى تقوم الساعة ››
“This religion will continue to exist, and a group of people from the Muslims will continue to fight for its protection until the hour is established.”
And in another narration:
‹‹ لا تزال طائفةٌ من أمتي قائمةً بأمر الله لا يضرهم من خذلهم أو خالفهم حتى يأتي أمر الله وهم ظاهرون على الناس ››
“A group of people from my Ummah will continue to obey Allah’s Command, and those who desert or oppose them shall not be able to do them any harm. They will be dominating the people until Allah’s Command is executed.”
My Muslim brothers and my beloved Mujahideen: The Islamic movements in general and the Jihadi movements in particular have suffered in recent decades from huge hardships and sustained massive wounds, but, on the other hand, they caused great and serious damage to the alliance that is against Islam. America, the leader of the Western-Crusader alliance against Islam, was struck in the heart of its homeland – which it used to consider to be an impenetrable fortress that occupies a continent of the earth and is surrounded by two vast oceans. The strike came against the symbol of its economic power and the center of its military leadership. Then, it was defeated in Iraq, and so it withdrew. And it is being defeated today in Afghanistan and withdrawing. All of this is with the granting of success by Allah at the hands of the Mujahideen who are deficient in their equipment but strong in their faith and their pride in their religion. The prestige of America and that of the Crusader alliance behind it have fallen, and this is one of the most important gains of the blessed attacks on September 11.
The results were extensive and great, and the sacrifices were also serious and great, and this is how Islam becomes victorious. The Truth, Glorious be He, says:
﴿أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ﴾
“Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden of bliss without such trials as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: ‘When (will come) the help of Allah.’ Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is always near!” (Al-Baqara: 214)
My brother Muslims and my beloved Mujahideen: We have made strides on the road, but there are still other strides before us until victory is achieved. Before us is still Jihad by the hand and the tongue until we purify all the Muslim lands from the occupiers and until we remove the corrupt rulers from them, and establish a just and reforming Shari’a-based rule that spreads justice and uproots corruption.
Before us there is Jihad with combat and Jihad with argumentation. Before us there is military combat, Da’wa effort, political struggle, social reform, different fronts, and a variety of battlefields. We must dive into this flood amid our Ummah, with it and defending it. Even though the Mujahideen stand in the front line that fights the enemies of Islam, and even though they represent the vanguard of the Ummah that defends Islam and the Muslims, they still are also part of the oppressed and persecuted Muslim Ummah and are not separated from it. They are not isolated from its suffering, and they cooperate in righteousness and piety and advise and are advised. They cooperate with every Muslim in what they agreed upon in truth and guidance and advise each other in what they disagree.
The Muslim Ummah generally and the Jihadi movement specifically must engage in a battle of argumentation just as it engages in a battle of weapons. Its need for a battle of argumentation is greater than the rest of the Ummah because it is more familiar with the areas of danger, for it faces them and is exposed to them every day. Because it is the most knowledgeable of the vicious, lowly nature of the enemy. Because it is the most exposed to defamation and lying. Because it is the most aware that the attack upon it is aimed at attacking Islam and excising its Shari’a. And because it is also the most honest in speaking the truth and frankness with it. It has paid the price of its freedom, its candor, and its boldness with Hijrah, capture, bonding, fighting, separation from family, homeland, wealth, and patience in combat and detention camps.
Sheikh Usama bin Laden – may Allah have mercy on him – used to mention that our freedom has no limit but the Shari’a because we inhale the pure oxygen of freedom. This is confirmed by the Truth, the Blessed and the Almighty:
﴿وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الأَرْضِ مُرَاغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً﴾
“He who forsakes his home in the cause of Allah, finds in the earth Many a refuge, wide and spacious.” (An-Nisa: 100)
And the battle of argumentation has many fronts that have been opened by the grace of Allah. The modern means of communication have created large opportunities for distribution and informing. And may Allah reward the knights of the Jihadi media with the best of rewards, those hidden soldiers who are unknown to many people. Yet, their effect has reached the ends of the earth so that they can transmit a pure message of truth, despite the criminals hating this. They must combine their efforts, gather their energy, draw up their plans, organize their actions, and do all that they can. The battle is at its most intense, and Allah does not forget the reward for those who do a job well.
Also, in Egypt and Tunisia, the opportunities for Da’wa and informing were opened. Only Allah knows for how long they will continue, so the people of Islam and Jihad should benefit from them and exploit them in delivering the honest truth and gather the Ummah around primary issues with which no Muslim can disagree, and the most important of them are:
The Shari’a rules and is not ruled, commands and is not commanded, leads and is not led, towers above all other laws, and rules over every other authority. All articles in the constitution and the law that contradict it should be revoked, and this should be stipulated clearly with statements that are not open to interpretation or distortion.
One of the most important issues as well is the liberation of our lands from subordination to the forces of global Crusader arrogance. Why is it that normalization with Israel and the exchange of ambassadors is not stopped immediately? Why isn’t the siege upon Gaza lifted completely, such that neither goods nor individuals are banned from entering or leaving? It is unreasonable that tens of thousands of Israeli tourists can enter into Sinai to commit obscenity without a visa, while our people in Gaza are forbidden to enter Egypt except through extreme difficulty, and the entry of goods into it continues to be banned.
And another important issue is the purification of the lands from financial and social corruption.
These are huge battles that only the Islamic movement in general and the Jihadi movement specifically will undertake. They are the ones who brought out and are bringing out tens of thousands of Mujahideen, martyrs, the afflicted, the detained, and those who enjoin good and forbid evil. They are the ones who offered up the greatest of sacrifices in resisting the oppressors and the corruptors.
The Islamic movement in general and the Jihadi movement specifically must work with the saying of the Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him:
‹‹ أفضل الجهاد كلمة حقٍّ عند سلطانٍ جائر ››
“The best Jihad is a word of truth against an unjust ruler.”
And he said, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him:
‹‹ سيد الشهداء حمزة بن عبد المطلب ورجلٌ قام إلى إمامٍ جائر فأمره ونهاه فقتله ››
“The master of martyrs is Hamza bin Abdulmuttalib and a man who stood up to an oppressor ruler where he ordered him and forbade him, so he (the ruler) killed him.”
My Muslim brothers and my beloved Mujahideen: America today is reeling because you have shown it in this decade what it had never seen in all of its history. So, do not lose heart in pursuing it. The Truth, Glorious and Exalted be He, says:
﴿وَلاَ تَهِنُواْ فِي ابْتِغَاء الْقَوْمِ إِن تَكُونُواْ تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللّهِ مَا لاَ يَرْجُونَ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا﴾
“And slacken not in following up the enemy: If ye are suffering hardships, they are suffering similar hardships; but ye have Hope from Allah, while they have none. And Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.” (An-Nisa: 104)
So, pursue it wherever you find it. Pursue it to eradicate whatever remains of its corruption. Pursue America that killed the Imam of the Mujahideen, cast his body into the sea, and then captured his wives and children. Pursue it so that history will recount that a criminal state ravaged the world with corruption, so Allah set His worshippers upon it to make an example out of it and leave it as a memory:
﴿وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ عَتَتْ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهَا وَرُسُلِهِ فَحَاسَبْنَاهَا حِسَابًا شَدِيدًا وَعَذَّبْنَاهَا عَذَابًا نُّكْرًا * فَذَاقَتْ وَبَالَ أَمْرِهَا وَكَانَ عَاقِبَةُ أَمْرِهَا خُسْرًا﴾
“How many populations that insolently opposed the Command of their Lord and of His apostles, did We not then call to severe account, and We imposed on them an exemplary Punishment. * Then did they taste the evil result of their conduct, and the End of their conduct was Perdition.” (At-Talaq: 8-9)
And our last prayer is all praise be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists, and may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon our master Muhammad, his family, and his companions. As-Salaamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuhu.
As-Sahab Foundation for Media Production
14 Ramadan 1432
August 14, 2011
Source: Al-Fajr Media Center
Translated by:
The Global Islamic Media Front
Observing Mujahideen News and Inspiring the Believers
