The terrorist Bombing Attacks

Summary of the Sermon:

1. Atrocity of the terrorist bombings incident
2. Misguidance of the deviant group
3. Who's the beneficiary? What is the benefit of these bombings?
4. Texts from the Qur'an and Sunnah that state the gravity of violating the sanctity of Muslim blood
5. Excerpts of the Senior Ulema Commission Statement on the terrorist acts
6. A brief account of the history of terrorism
7. The spread of terrorism in the world's most advanced and technological countries

The First Sermon:

O people! I advise you and myself to stick to piety because it is the safety at the time of fear and the salvation at the time of stress. Man becomes honored and noble with piety, but without it he becomes humiliated. It is the command of Allah for the first and the last generations; so, fear Allah you men of understanding that you may be successful.

Contemplate in the accidents that took place throughout history and the stories of admonition. They are authentic and include deterrence and stories of changes that are considered lessons of the vicissitudes of time.

Dear Muslims! Last Friday we were talking about the blessing of security in this country, the country of the Two Sacred Mosques and what the terrorist acts, done by the enemies of Islam, caused of sabotage, destruction and killing and the destructive weapons they had. In this Khutbah I do not know how to start; I am unable to describe the disaster that happened. Everybody was shocked by such accident that is alien to this Muslim country and its people. The bombing accident caused death to many innocent people. We see blood, corpses and injuries of Muslims and non-Muslims. We cannot find explanation for this accident or for its doers except saying that they are savages, ignorant and fanatics.

This accident caused killing, bloodshed, terrifying the secured people and distortion of the image of the Muslim community and cities and harming the public interest. Thus, the accident by all measures is a sabotage accident as a ring in a chain aiming at weakening the level of security of these countries and spreading chaos; the most targeted in all situations is Islam and its creed.

Those criminals committed their crime in the capital of our country at night; they committed suicide bombings that caused the killing of dozens of innocent people, tearing apart the bodies of casualties, frightening the secured survivors and destroying buildings. We can do nothing but say: Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.

O Muslims! It is really regrettable when a Muslim from time to time hears what trembles the souls out of sorrow and saddens the hearts out of grief of this thing that affects the Muslim wherever he is of these atrocious bombings and unfair assaults done by those who have wronged themselves and wronged others. They committed crimes, aggression, transgression, and did great corruption; there is neither might nor power except with Allah.

The bombing that occurred on Monday evening, 11/3/1424 AH in Riyadh - may Allah protect the country of the Two Sanctuaries and perpetuate its  safety and security – marked the existence of a misguided destructive criminal group that does not like security for the country or for the people. Under the cover of the night some sinful hands performed a terrorist suicide attack aiming at sabotaging, destruction, frightening and corruption in our country and undermining the security of our people and our country and terrorizing its citizens and visitors on equal footing. It is the land of the two sacred sanctuaries, the land of Tawhid, which is the center of the attention of people all over the world, who look at it as the land of safety and security. However, these treacherous sinful hands were preparing for a grievous crime whose sole beneficiary is the enemies of Islam.

It is a heinous crime and an ugly terrorist act which is the product of a wicked thinking; no one can dare do it except one with a sick heart, weak religion. The doer should be no more than an insane person who loves evil, corruption and perversion. It cannot be done by a wise man who respects himself, or by a good man who fears Allah and hopes to meet Him. It cannot be done by a loyal citizen who appreciates public security and does what brings about benefit to people. The doer of this action is an enemy to Islam, to the Muslims and to humanity. Moreover, he is an enemy to himself, to his family, to his people, to his neighbors, to those who seek his protection and to the secured people who came to work in this country, giving advice and experience and are expecting a safe residence. However, deplorably we find them get assassinated while they are asleep and their bodies are torn apart to pieces in Muslim countries. This is an ugly action, severe perfidy and horrible crime. Allah forbids that a Muslim who has a weight of mustard of faith in his heart could ever accept such an action.

And then, let me ask: what is the benefit that these actions can bring about? Nothing! Rather, they hurt the interests of Muslim countries and people and defame Islam and the Muslims; they only serve the purposes of the enemies of Islam.  

I say that Islam is the religion of Allah that He selected for His servants. Islam is full of important concepts that protect people's security in their religion as well as their blood and honor. For this reason, Islam applied different approaches that will maintain and ensure security.

On one hand, Allah, Exalted and Sublime, forbade aggression and made it a crime and one of the major sins. It is forbidden for a Muslim who seeks the pleasure of Allah and the Hereafter, to transgress on sanctified blood or property. Islam forbade transgression and made blood, honor and property secured. Moreover, it forbade transgressing on the non-Muslims who have the pledge of security from the Muslim state, which is the pledge of Allah and His Messenger to protect their blood, property and honor while living amongst the Muslims, a stay which is approved by Muslim authorities.

The lives of the Dhimmis and Musta'mans are sanctified by Islam. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Al-‘As narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever kills a Mu'ahad (person who has a peace treaty with the Muslims), shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise though its smell is perceived from a distance of forty years." [Related by Al-Bukhari].

Whenever a non-Muslim is given a pledge of security by the Muslim ruler, his life and property will become secured and should not be transgressed on. Whoever kills him will be like what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:" will not smell the fragrance of paradise". This is a very strong warning for those who assault the Mu'ahads. Furthermore, the protection that a single Muslim gives should be honored by all other Muslims even if it is granted by the lowest in rank among them.

Dear Muslims! In an emergency session, the Senior ‘Ulema Commission issued a statement concerning this issue to the effect that, as the case is so, the bombing accidents in Riyadh are prohibited and can never be sanctioned by Islam. Following are the reasons:

First: This act is considered a transgression on the sanctity of the Muslim countries and terrorism against their secured citizens.

Second: It contains killing the lives which are sanctified by Islam

Third: it contains corruption on earth

Fourth: it contains destruction of the properties protected by Islamic law

The Council of the Senior Ulema Commission, clarifying the ruling of this case, warns the Muslims from falling into such deadly forbidden actions; it further warns them against the intrigues of the devil which keeps whispering to the servant of Allah until he gets him involved in forbidden things either by exaggeration in religious matters or by negligence turning him against his own religion. We seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil. The devil does not care which way he uses to misguide the servant; either of the two previously mentioned extreme ways are implemented to cause wrath and torture of Allah.

The people who performed these bombing attacks are included in what the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He who killed himself with a thing would be tormented on the Day of Resurrection with that very thing."  [Related by Abu ‘Awanah in his Mustakhraj in the Hadith of Thabit bin Al-Dahhak (may Allah be pleased with him). It was also narrated in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be please with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He who killed himself with steel (weapon) would be the eternal denizen of the Fire of Hell and he would have that weapon in his hand and would be thrusting that in his stomach for ever and ever, he who drank poison and killed himself would sip that in the Fire of Hell where he is doomed for ever and ever; and he who killed himself by falling from (the top of) a mountain would constantly fall in the Fire of Hell and would live there for ever and ever." [It is also related in Al-Bukhari]

Dear Muslims! People of nobility, faith and Islam. Terrorism is an international phenomenon that could be found in all countries, it was found in the past and is still there at present. It represents corruption on earth and love of crime and of causing harm to other people anywhere and anytime in Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Terrorism was found in the first community on earth when Qabil killed Habil for nothing but the killer's love of evil and his jealousy over the good that the killed had. Why should this killed be righteous? Why should the actions of the killed be accepted? These were the worries of the killer. This story was narrated in the Qur'an: “I will surely kill you.” [Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:27] Why? Because the killed was given insight to do good while the killer fails to achieve goodness; so he found no way to give vent to his grudge but to transgress and commit sabotage and corruption. This was the first terrorist action on earth.

In the Prophet's community, there were some poor, miserable, needy and insolvent people, which made the Prophet (peace be upon him) invite Muslims to give these people sadaqah (charity), and to provide them with food and clothing. They were then allowed to make use of the camels assigned for sadaqah to drink from their milk and use them. They were made to live with the tenders of the herds. No sooner they felt better than they transgressed and killed the tenders and seized the camels. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a group of Muslims to arrest them and they were brought to Madinah. They were killed and the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered that their eyes should be gouged out in return for their act of terrorism which led to sabotage and corruption on earth.

Since then, incidents of terrorism, bombing, murder and destruction spread all over the world. It is the typical conduct of the Kharijites (Outlaws) at the dawn of Islam; the outbreak of such incidents marks the appearance of the accusers of disbelief who instigate Fitnah that violate the sanctity of honor, blood and property of Muslims. Kharijites at any time are those who perform atrocious and bad actions. Why? Because as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described them: "They are the hounds of the Hellfire dwellers who will kill the Muslims but leave the idolaters alone."

History confirms what the Prophet (peace be upon him) foretold. The Kharijites have appeared; they joined Islam but then killed the believers and frightened the secured people and committed corruption in the Muslim lands. Because they were not bold enough to fight in broad daylight, and because they could not get into rational argumentation, they resorted to treachery, betrayal and evil deeds.

Those bombers are mean cowards who have despicable souls and temperaments.

Dear brothers! Terrorism is found in countries which are more advanced in technical security than us and are more ready to confront terrorism with the power of weapons and men.. However, crime and corruption exist. This is Allah's predestination; the existence of terrorism does not mean the country is weak, nor does it mean that its people are negligent. It is a test with which Allah separates between the people of faith and the hypocrites. The people of faith condemn and refuse this act and invoke Allah's curse on the doers of these actions and they support their rulers. The hypocrites seek justifications, and are delighted when they see sadness, fear and terrorism spread in the country.

Such matters occur to test and distinguish the wicked from the kind-hearted. Truthfulness of the believers will then become manifest as well as the determination and care of the good people. These incidents in fact expose the hypocrites and people of justification, procrastination and false excuses. May Allah protect us all from the actions of the criminals and the corruptors! Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us) and to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.

I ask Allah to grant us victory, may Allah cover up our mistakes; He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

The Second Khutbah:

Praise be to Allah for his kindness, support and gratitude. I testify that there is no god but Allah alone with no partners, He is the Great and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger who calls to what achieves Allah's pleasure. May Allah bless him, his family, companions, and the believers who follow his way of conduct until the Day of Resurrection!

Servants of Allah, fear Him and know that those who followed the approach of bombings and terrorism will not get to their target and will not gain but regret and disgrace. It is clear that terrorists are the bats of the darkness; they are like scorpions and snakes that sting and bite people but are unable to confront. They are satisfied to be a source of nuisance and troubles. May Allah punish them with what they deserve from His curses, wrath and revenge!

Dear brothers, these bombers are the friends of the devil, who has made a promise that he will corrupt people and lands, and will misguide people and seduce them. Those misguided people are the soldiers of the devil and his helpers who execute his commands. They want neither people to live safely nor the country to prosper. The only thing they like is to see destruction and bloodshed, so that their prohibited business will boom.

Servants of Allah! Terrorism exists all over the world but, praise be to Allah, it is rare in our country because of the application of Islamic Shari‘ah and because of the concert of the ruler and the people. If you want to make sure of such solidarity, look at the great anger all over Saudi Arabia after hearing this news. If you want to know the positive effects of these criminal actions which drive their doers and planners crazy, look at the condemnation of the world countries and their solidarity with the country of the Two Sacred Mosques, may Allah protect it, due to its distinguished status and due to the goodness that the stability of this country brings about to the entire world.

World countries do not like to see troubles in the Arabian Peninsula. Muslims all over the world do not feel happy with any disturbance that takes place in the country of the Two Sacred Mosques; it is the country of their Hajj and the Qiblah of their prayers. Each sincere Muslim prays Allah to increase it safety and security. The sad events and disasters do not increase this country, with the help of Allah, except in solidarity and strength; the ruler gets more compassionate towards his subjects and the subjects show more positive response to their ruler.

Let those corruptors perish! Let them turn on their backs! They will not reach their aim and will not affect any part of this country. This country's veracity of charters is recognized and tried. Our country provides countries around the world with rescue, relief and help; it distributes Qur'an copies and Islamic books for free and commissions Islamic preachers. It is a country that exports security and safety to the world, however, its haters like to thwart its march, but they will never manage to do so.

We ask Allah to protect the country of the Two Sacred Mosques from the evils of the aggressors and the criminals and to disclose the evil doers so that they will be handed to justice and the rules of Shari‘ah will be implemented on them. May Allah protect this country as well as other Muslim countries from evil and guide their leaders to what will bring about benefit for the lands and the peoples and to curb the corruption and the corruptors!

Invoke Allah's peace and blessings upon our Prophet as it is commanded in the Qur'an!

O Allah! Grant peace and blessings to our Prophet Muhammad and be satisfied with the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the guided Imams Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali, and upon all the Companions, the Successors and their followers who followed their path in the right way until the Day of Resurrection.

O Allah! Honor Islam and Muslims and degrade polytheism and polytheists and destroy your enemies, the enemies of the Muslims!