Speech by the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on the occasion of the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein – October 27, 2014
In this most important excerpt devoted to the Islamic State, Sayed Hasan Nasrallah evokes the historical and ideological roots of their (Wahhabi) doctrine. It depicts them for what they are, that is an extremist sect who is explicitly considering itself apart from 95% of Muslims, whom it deems apostates deserving death.
Edition : http://www.sayed7asan.blogspot.com
Full original video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcCPd_XDOkTranscription :
Well, we must address this movement (the Islamic state) and this phenomenon. It is true, as is sometimes said in the world, in mosques' pulpits, – it is sometimes said as fact and truth, but it's also the case that such things are said in order to sidestep responsibilities and exaggerate the situation –, it is true that we should not content ourselves with the treatment of the consequences, but we also need to address the causes. That's the truth. And that's what I want to talk about tonight.
It is true that we must address the causes, the causes of the spread of these movements and takfiri forces in the Islamic world, and even outside of the Islamic world. What is the cause of this?
Of course, there are those who say that there are political causes: the current state of regimes and leaders, their actions, economic crises, social crises, poverty, unemployment, then Israel's domination, its occupation of occupied Palestine, its ridicule of the (Muslim) community's dignity for over 60 years, etc. Of course, all of this may count among the causes. It's possible. I do not deny that – even if, I want to say it as a quick introduction, it seems that the issue of the Israeli occupation of Palestine has nothing to do at all with this. The proof is that the members and the leaders of these takfiri movements accord not the least amount of importance to Palestine, nor to Jerusalem or to the struggle against Israel, and they have never fought the Zionist project or the Zionist enemy, not once! This shows that these movements are not a reaction to the occupation of Jews – I mean the occupation of the Zionists (forgive me this lapse) – to the occupation of Palestine by the Zionists, no!
Even the political, social, economic and financial causes can be challenged. Certainly, they have had an impact on the circumstances. If we want to be realistic, they created the circumstances, the arguments or the pretexts. But this is not the real cause. On this night devoted to (Imam) Hussein, let us proclaim the truth, even if the truth that I'm about to tell, and that others stated before me, will upset many. But today, it is essential that we call things by their name. Because in these times of The Great Upheaval, discord, and amalgam of truth with falsehood, it is everyone's responsibility to point out the error as false, and the truth as true.
The cause (of the spread of these takfiri movements) is mainly of the doctrinal, cultural, and ideological kind. That is to say, in other words – let us enter directly into the heart of the matter. (The real cause is) that for 200 years, or a little more, around 300 years to date, a new movement, a new school, a new ideological movement was founded in the Arab world. This school of thought subsequently came to power, and to the resources of a state. And for 100 years, this ideological movement has been working on its implantation, its strengthening and the dissemination of its views and ideas all around the world. In the Muslim world and in all parts of the world.
Naturally, schools, colleges, institutes, universities around the world were created for it. Legal, political and administrative means and facilities were provided to it everywhere in the world. Study centers were founded and conferences were held for its dissemination for 100 years all around the world. The expenses... – rather let us leave the financial aspect for the end. Newspapers, publishing houses, magazines, media, have been founded for it, up until satellite channels and websites all around the world. For the dissemination of this ideology, tens or hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent during these 100 years, all over the world. That is where it all started. It is useless to close our eyes and say that there is such a leader here who did this, such a regime there that does that, Such a government here, such an economic situation, and God knows what else... These are just the circumstances that could have made things easier, but the source of the problem lies there.
What is this ideology based upon? It rests on takfir (apostasy charge) of all those who do not belong to it, and therefore it makes lawful the interference with the blood (life), property and honor (of women) of all those who it accused of apostasy. Such is the problem. Well... And even more, this movement has taken a takfiri path that accuses of apostasy people and for the most part Muslims for the smallest and most trivial of reasons, thus sharply opposing the usages and the unanimous consensus of Muslims throughout history.
I will give you some examples. If someone says "My Lord, I call to Thee through thy Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saas)" – and this practice of intercession is attested by the Companions (of the Prophet), by their Successors, it is attested in the history of Muslims, with Sunnis as among Shiites, because it is not a practice present only among Shiites, and young people should not be mistaken about that, no. Well, how do they (the takfiris) consider this practice? As associationism. There it is, (the one who uses it) is considered a polytheist. O my brother! By God, I testify that there is no other God than the One God, that Muhammad is his Prophet, I believe in the Qur'an, in Heaven, in Hell, the Last Judgment, the Reward and the (divine) Punishment, I believe in the Qur'an, in the prophet, the Companions, in the Prophet's Family, in all sanctities of Islam, but (the takfiri retorts): "Since you intercede by the Prophet and ask for his intercession, you are a polytheist." There it is, you are now a polytheist. Well, if someone builds on the grave of a Saint or a Prophet of God, for example, one room and a dome, then he is a polytheist. If someone visits these sanctuaries, he's a polytheist, as he is considered a worshiper (of the graves).
But whether Sunni or Shiite, when after the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), we go to the Prophet – saas – is it to greet him, or is it to worship him? This is an extremely simple and clear question, very clear. (But) no, it is a polytheist, it is associationism (so they say).
Well, (let us consider) elections. Today, for example, there were elections in Tunisia. Pardon, yesterday, there were elections that will last several days. According to this jurisprudential and ideological (takfiri) current, any Tunisian who participates in elections is a disbeliever.
And you will remember, in past years, when they banned participation in Iraqi elections, they do not say it's a sin, disobedience, they say they are miscreants (it's pure and simple disbelief according to them). For anything at all, they accuse of disbelief. The elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council? Disbelief! Well, the elections? Disbelief! There were some scholars of this trend giving fatwas according to which membership of the United Nations is disbelief. Oh my brother! Say it is an act of disobedience, error, fault ... No! Disbelief!
And now, I'm going to surprise you even more – and what I will say is present in their books of jurisprudence, I invent nothing. For example, one of the great Muftis of this current (I will not give his name) states that anyone who believes that the earth revolves around the sun... Is not that what we all believe? And science affirms it is so! Is this a religious issue, a question of dogma? No! It is a scientific question. The authority here is Astronomy. Well, scientists discovered that, and it is a given today. The modern world considers it indisputable that the Earth rotates on itself and moves around the sun. "Anyone who claims that the Earth revolves around the sun is a miscreant" (according to this takfiri savant). You see ? (They accuse of disbelief) for the most trivial reasons. You tell them, "Oh my brother, go gently! By God, I believe in God, His Messenger, His Emissaries, His Books, in the Day of Judgment in Heaven, in Hell, etc., etc., etc." But no, it is to no avail to you. Because you consider that the Earth revolves around the sun. And you are therefore a miscreant. I do not know what is the level of expertise of Daesh (the Islamic State) in geography, astronomy, or God knows what.
Well, I myself read, still in the fatwas of this Grand (takfiri) Mufti, a question about a newspaper that reported about a woman who saw her son crushed by a car and who lives a true hell until the end of her life. It's a simple description of the situation. What is the fatwa on this? "This is manifest disbelief." It is disbelief. That is to say, the one who wrote it in the paper is a miscreant, he apostatized by these two lines of information. Why? By God, because he challenged the divine will.
I want to read a page, or at least an extract from a book written by the grand-son of the founder of this school and this current, entitled "Letters and Fatwas", and be aware that they consider everything that was not present at the time of the Prophet (saas) to be an innovation. And he therefore considered – listen well, be surprised and be stunned, all this is present in their books, they have taught it for the past 100 years to children, they study them and even executives draw on their knowledge from these books, and that's where Daesh (the Islamic State) and their ilk were born – this book considers all of these as innovations that make lawful the infringement of the blood (the life) of Muslims. Well, see then what it is about, what are these calamitous innovations that make lawful the blood of anyone who commits them:
(1) Raising one's voice when pronouncing blessings on the Prophet (God's peace and blessings upon him and his family). [Audience pronounces blessings on the Prophet] Yes, raise your voices!
(2) The reading of the Qur'an after the call to prayer, from where the call was recited. That is to say, if the muezzin, after the call to prayer, remains in his place and begins to recite the Qur'an, it is an innovation, disbelief, authorizing an attack on his life.
(3) To pronounce blessings on the Prophet (saas) after the call to prayer. That is to say, if after the call to prayer, which ends with "There is no other God than the One God", one recites "And the blessings of God be upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad and his pure and noble family." or even "and his family and companions," or even without mentioning his Family and Companions. His problem is not with "his Family and Companions." If you invoke blessings on Muhammad after the call to prayer, it is an innovation, disbelief, that makes lawful the deprivation of Muslims lives.
And I remember that a few years ago, here, in mosques in Beirut, there were problems inside a mosque, and people fought with sticks and knives, because the muezzin invoked God's blessings on the Prophet after the call to prayer and some people have seen this as an innovation and intolerable blasphemy.
(4) The reading of the traditions of the Prophet (saas) before the Friday sermon. If the Imam of the Friday prayer rises, and says "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate," and wants to start his speech, if you read the hadiths of the Prophet, it is an innovation.
(5) The reading of the history of the noble Prophet's birth – which is done on the occasion of his birthday, mostly with the Sunni and much more than the Shiites – this celebration of his birth, the fact that someone tells this story, how the Prophet was born, etc., etc., etc., is disbelief and innovation, which makes a blood attack lawful (even as far as ending life).
(6) The remembrance (Rosary) invocations after the Tarawih prayer. Our Sunni brothers have a recommended prayer during the month of Ramadan, The Tarawih prayer which they pray in the evening. If one of them does remembrance invocations after this prayer, it is an innovation and disbelief.
(7) The use of rosaries. These beads are an innovation and disbelief.
(8) The reading of the Surah al-Fatiha (The Opening) after the end of the prayer. Innovation and disbelief. What still remains?
(9) Pouring water on the graves [to clean tombstones, grow flowers ...].
Shall I continue?
(10) The reading of the Surah al-Fatiha (The Opening) on the dead. All Muslims do it.
Now I do not know if the rest of the scholars of this movement and this school agree with the grand-son of the founder of the school or not.
And it is also said that one of the great scholars of this current has killed a blind man who was a pious muezzin with a beautiful voice, and to whom he had forbidden to pronounce blessings on the Prophet (saas) from the top of the minaret after the call to prayer, and as he did not stop, he gave the order to kill him and he was killed. Then he said: "The rabâb (stringed musical instrument) in the house of an adulteress is less serious a sin than the blessings on the Prophet (saas) recited on the pulpits – (sorry) on the minarets – because the harm caused by the rabâb affects only he who plays, while the blessing on the Prophet is an innovation whose evil touches whoever follows its example."
If I wanted to go on (multiplying the examples), it would not end anytime soon.
[The audience pronounces blessings on the Prophet]
There is therefore a current that appeared and launched accusations of disbelief and apostasy against others, and they recognize it themselves in their writings, as stated one of their great muftis, to whom it was objected: "But my master, you have apostatized Muslims, those you mention represent 95% of Muslims!" and he replied, "So what? (The true) Muslims are the remaining 5%."
The status of Shiite (for takfiris) is known [apostates]. Well, what about the Sunnis? The Sufis are disbelievers (according to the takfiris). The Mu'tazilites are disbelievers. The 'Acharis, who constitute the majority of the Sunnis in the world today – Are considered as 'Acharis the followers of the school of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari, and they are called 'Acharis – well yes, they are unbelievers, and they are not part of the people of the Sunnah and the consensus (Sunni).
The people of the Sunnah and the consensus (Sunni) are only these takfirist or those who follow this school and this current. And they do not accept that you say about the other Sunni Muslims that they are part of the people of the Sunnah and consensus, no, they are 'Acharis, they are not part of the people of the Sunnah and consensus.
Well, they accuse Muslims of disbelief for the most trivial reasons, the vast majority of Muslims, and for what reasons? I have not been able to mention all of them since yesterday, but maybe one day someone will do, and will draw up a long list to let people know (what these takfiri profess).
Why do they accuse people of disbelief? Why do they accuse of disbelief the Muslims of all (other) currents and all (other) schools? Are there really reasons that justify the charge of associationism and disbelief against Muslims?
More dangerous than that, as we have pointed out on more than one occasion, when they determined that such people are associationists, that is to say that all these Muslims [95%] are polytheists, what is the consequence (for them)? It is that we must kill them.
For them, nothing else matters, oh my brothers. Neither the occupation of Palestine by the Zionists, because this ideology is older than the Zionist occupation of Palestine. This story has already been held in Najd (Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism was born in the 18th century) in the Hijaz, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, where Muslims were killed, their throats slit, their wives were taken captive, their property looted, the majority of the victims being Sunnis, before the coming (of Zionists), even before the birth of [Theodore] Herzl (the founder of Zionism), and before the Zionist project was implanted in the region. This has nothing to do with it. (The takfiri terrorism) has nothing to do with (Zionism). An ideological trend appeared and said: "All these people (Muslims) are associationists, and your duty is to fight these polytheists. Kill them wherever you find them, wherever you meet them." They justify their actions by quoting the Qur'an in the false and unjust way (we talked about). And therefore, they perpetrate their atrocities, which they consider their religious and legal duty. They feel that it is their responsibility. They think they thus become closer to God. And that's why no one should underestimate the problem.
Excuse me, but I want to describe things in a concrete and realistic way. We know what a martyrdom operation is (suicide attack, kamikaze) [the Hezbollah targets only the military]. We know what a suicide operation implies. And it is not easy to find volunteers to perform a suicide operation. Nobody should underestimate the situation and say that those who fight with Daesh (the Islamic State) or Al Qaeda in more than one Arab and Muslim country, (it is not fair to say that) it is only a question of money (mercenaries). No, it is not a question of money. Why cloud the issue? It's not about money. Many of them are fighting (sincerely), to the point of no longer wanting anything from the debris of this ephemeral lowly world. It is true that there are those who run after money, power, possessions and enjoyment, and that's another question, but there are some who do not want any of that. And the proof is that they are capable of launching 10, 20, 30, 40 suicide bombers, perhaps on one front or a single operation. Hundreds of suicide bombers in a few months. No, we well understand (the severity of) this issue.
These people believe that this is a path that leads to God the Exalted, the Most High. They truly believe they are going to Heaven. They really believe they will dine with the Prophet – may God's blessings be upon him and his family. They really believe it. For whoever is not convinced will not act thusly and perform these suicide operations. That is why we must not underestimate the issue, as some are trying to do in the world today, no! The authentic approach to this dangerous phenomenon that exists today in our Arab and Muslim countries is an approach that is cultural, intellectual and doctrinal. These people really believe in what they do.
Well, what is the problem? It is that they are convinced (of their way), and the problem is not only in the accusation of disbelief. Because if it's just a matter of accusing people of being a "dirty infidel," if you believe that (doing nothing), as you like, (it doesn't hurt anyone). Or if they accuse of being a "dirty polytheist", it has no impact. But the problem is that they do not stick to the charge. The charge of disbelief and polytheism leads according to them to obligations, and necessitates measures, a program of actions... up until fighting, massacre, slaughter, destruction, looting, capture of women, an attempts on honor and modesty, and all that we see today, and in the name of Islam. Well, this is the true description of the situation.
[To be continued]
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