Islam began a stranger with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions who believed in him and followed him. It was strange to their way of thinking and life, so they were strangers in the view of the society, with its deriding and scorning of them. They were strangers among their families and neighbours. They were strangers to the help of the society, who would use against them all shades of persecution, yet rarely would anyone defend them. They spent long years in the mountains while no one would marry them and no one would sell to them nor buy from them, until they ate from the leaves of trees.

A translation of an article by Abu al-Mu’tassim – Bayt al-maqdis – which appeared in al-Waie magazine number 254 March 2008.

Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih, on the authority of Sahl bin Sa’d as-Saa’adi (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

«بدأ الإسلام غريباً وسيعود غريباً كما بدا، فطوبى للغرباء»

“Islam began strange and will return strange as it began, so Tooba (blessedness) is for the strangers.” It was said: “Who are they Allah’s messenger?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

«الذين يصلحون إذا فسد الناس»

“Those who reform if the people become corrupt.”

Islam began a stranger with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions who believed in him and followed him. It was strange to their way of thinking and life, so they were strangers in the view of the society, with its deriding and scorning of them. They were strangers among their families and neighbours. They were strangers to the help of the society, who would use against them all shades of persecution, yet rarely would anyone defend them. They spent long years in the mountains while no one would marry them and no one would sell to them nor buy from them, until they ate from the leaves of trees.

Islam began a stranger with these shining lights, shining in their spirit, their mentality and their rising above what the people brought of corruption on the earth. Islam began a stranger with these masters who knew nothing of worship except for their Lord, the All-Mighty. It began with these great ones, and ended with the help of Allah most high, after an arduous journey, until the whole world was lit with their brightness, with all shades of oppression and misguidance blotted out from the minds of people.

The patience of these great pioneers ended in a state that ruled with Allah’s book and the way of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, filling the world with justice, uprightness and guidance, after it had been filled with darkness and oppression.

Islam began with those pure pioneers, and it shall return again! It began with the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with all of them), the best generation until the last day, and today it has returned with the beloved of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم; those who do not deviate from the truth, having deep rooted Iman in their hearts and conviction filling their minds and their thoughts.

From these new shining lights is a great brightness sending its light in a land where the low people have gained domination. A land where the disbelievers have transgressed and caused the people to frown upon the carriers of da’awah. Here the shining lights are strangers, finding none to help them, as the oppressive followers of Karimov hover over them.
So how do these heroes meet their bitter reality? Did they turn back on their idea and their method of work? Did they become hypocritical or find inclination in their hearts for the oppressors?

These great heroes (the true men, the true men) met the evil campaign with elevated spirits and with patient bodies, despite the severity or brutality of the hardship.

They made Wudu with freezing water, in spite of the harshness of the cold winter. They prayed Jumm’ah prayer, in spite of the torture inflicted upon those who do that. They mentioned the da’awah matters in their cells, in spite of the surveillance of the criminals over them, and in spite of the threats of death or torture given to them.

They rejected signing even a small paper that the prison officers wrote, declaring disapproval of the da’awah or innocence from it, which would thus give them freedom to leave and live a comfortable life. They rejected that despite the fact that most of them have spent twelve years or more of their sentences in the worst conditions on the face of the earth.

As for the martyrs among them, who have reached at least two hundred, who died under torture; some we know their names, some we don’t. For those martyrs there were no great tombs built, nor grand funeral processions of thousands, for most of them were buried in the darkness of night, just as they were killed in the darkness of their cells, and just as the news of how they were killed was shrouded in darkness. As for those who did attend their funerals, they were only a few from the closest of relatives without any words said.

They were strangers, even in the way they died, the way they were carried in their funerals, and how they were lowered to their graves.

Truly, they are strangers among the people, but they are stars and shining lights among those who know their Iman and sacrifice among those who know the prison, subjugation and restriction, the severity of the torture which leads to martyrdom among those who know the truth and travel on its straight path without deviation.

They are the pure chosen ones (martyrs) with their Lord, the Creator of the heavens and earth. The pure angels will attend their funeral in heaven, if Allah wills, if the pure people did not attend their funeral on the earth; moving with them, praising Allah, raising voices that none can hear except the Lord of the heavens and earth. Then they line up in rows that no man or jinn has lined up in before. When this is over, their souls are carried up through the heavens. In each heaven the angels ask “who are these good people? What is that lovely odour filling the heavens?” So the angels reply that they are the strangers! The strangers in the time of corruption among the people. The strangers who raised themselves above the misguidance and deviation. The strangers who reformed then worked to reform the people, so they were captured by the sinful hands that authored the oppression and walked the path of disbelief, hypocrisy and evil.

So they say with voices filling the heavens “Tooba, Tooba (blessedness) for them”. They call out then gather with this honourable delegation, accompanying it to the next heaven. Like this the angels from every heaven accompany them until they reach a great place, with no place like it, in the shade of the throne. There their Lord addresses them, “Tibtum (blessed are you), Tibtum, Tooba is for you and how great a place to return to!” He will order the angels of the heaven to make them in the highest ‘Illyeen (highest elevations of paradise), with the prophets, martyrs and truthful righteous ones who came before them.

As for on the earth, remembrance of their good will not stop. Their blood and their pictures will remain a da’awah whose light is sent to more places than they were able to be present at. They are the good ones, the truthful ones, the best and the pious. The people know them by their truthfulness, their sincerity and their uprightness.

Yes, those pure, pious men will remain a da’awah among the people even though they are far far away in a place not in this dunya. Their blood remains an affecting picture in the minds of those after them from their brothers inside and outside of the prisons. It is as if their blood came back to life to say:

 مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلاً

“Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow and among them is he who awaits. And they did not alter by any alteration” [al-Ahzaab: 23]

O you stars, you are a true guide for this pure true da’awah. You are a model and strength, even though you may be in your prison. Your brothers look to you with a look of glad tidings, because the victory comes with patience and truly hardship comes with ease, truly hardship comes with ease!

You are the best followers for the best predecessors who came before you from the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and from the pious who carried the da’awah after them, especially its leaders. You are the best followers of Sheikh Taqi an-Nabhani who preferred patience under torture even if it leads to his death, rather than utter one word which would harm the da’awah or a carrier of da’awah. He stayed like that until his hand was paralyzed from the severity of the torture and did not say more than “I’m and old man, remedying with a treatment”, meaning by that the remedy for the ummah.

You are the best followers for Shaikh Taqi who lived a stranger and died a stranger. The people did not mention him until after he had died, even though he was the reviver of this age, whom Allah sends every hundred years. You are the best followers for his follower and student Shaikh Abdul Qadeem (Abu Yousuf) who travelled the same path, and who was not dissuaded by imprisonment, despite its severity, brutality and its length. He lived a stranger and died a stranger, such that his helpers and followers did not even know him.

You are the best companion for he who came after him and carries the banner before he meets his companions who came before him. Abu Yaseen lived a stranger, a fugitive in more than one country. He stayed in oppressive prisons years after years. He lost his wife while he was away from her, not knowing except where she is buried. He remains a star despite all of the attempts of the oppressors of more than one country to divert him from his path.

You, O strangers, O grandsons of al-Bukhari, of at-Tirmidhi, of an-Naysaboori and as-Sajastani, O lights of guidance, you are the strangers who first reformed yourselves, then will reform the face of the earth, with Allah’s permission, just as your predecessors from the companions of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did. You will reform the face of the earth with your brothers all over the world waiting for Allah’s help, support and His opening.

A day will come, with Allah most high’s permission, that you will come out from this darkness and you are the victors, raising the head high under the banner of the Qur’an, in the shade of the Islamic State which raises in all corners of the earth the flag of ‘La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadu Rasool Allah’.

Finally I say “I ask Allah the Most High to extend help and support to you and make for you a way out and make your matter easier.” Allah says:

وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْراً

“And whoever fears Allah He will make for him of his matter ease” [at-Talaaq:4] and

وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجاً

“And whoever fears Allah He will make for him a way out” [at-Talaaq:2].

Our final prayer is al-Hamdu lillah Rabbil ‘aalameen.