The General Mufti Condemns the Sabotage Act in Baqiq

'Abdul-Aziz ibn 'Abullah ibn Muhammad Al Al-Sheikh
 
Praise be to Allah Alone, and peace be upon the Prophet after whom no other prophet will be missioned:

Dear brothers ... We were all in pain for the incident of sabotage which took place in Al-Baqiq on Friday noon, the 25th of Muharram.
 
I commend the efforts of the security men who dealt well with those criminals, spoiled their plan and were – by Allah's will - a cause to thwart their plot. May Allah reward them with the best reward and raise their degrees. I invocate Him (Glory be to Him) to accept those who were killed among them in the resisting such sabotage as martyrs. May Allah reward them with the reward of martyrs, be their successor in their families, children and their beloved ones! My Allah cure their sick, make their injuries an expiation for their sins and raise their degrees (in Paradise), for He is the All-Hearing, All Responding.

I would like to address my Muslim brothers in general and repeat the same statement to emphasize what we have issued before along with the board of the Senior Ulema Commission in Saudi Arabia, a number of distinguished Muslim scholars, Fiqh academies and legislative authorities inside and outside the country in order to denounce the actions of this misguided group, explain that their actions are in conflict with Allah's Shari'ah and that in so doing they commit major sins. We also stress what was issued before about prohibiting their actions and their justifications, defending them, sheltering them, or cooperating with them in any way because this would be encouraging them in their falsehood and acknowledging their horrible crimes and great sins which they commit. Allah says: "But do not cooperate in sin and aggression and fear Allah for He is severe in punishment." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "May Allah curses whoever gives shelter to the one who is guilty of heresy."

I would like in this word to explain to all Muslims on the occasion of this tragic event how could Satan seduce those people and make their actions seem to be legitimate in their shortsightedness and twisted thinking until he got them in trouble.

They started out with claiming the obligation to kill the infidels and drive them out of the Arabian Peninsula. Then gradually they ended up killing the security men because they guard the infidels. Later on, they went too far to accuse of unbelief all those who opposed them, making them targets to their weapons. Then they followed the Satan's footsteps even more until they seized Muslims' private and public properties and even worse got involved in that latest horrible thing. They didn't respect the Muslims' sanctified blood or the sanctity of the sacred places; Makkah which Allah honored and Madinah, the city of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They didn't respect the sanctity of the time by violating the sacred months and committed profanity in the month of Ramadan. They didn't respect the sanctity of the (Safety) Covenant or that of the private and public properties.

What kind of argument would they use to justify targeting the economy of a Muslim country and destroy it?! What kind of argument they would use to defend themselves before their Lord?! Allah (Glory be to Him) prohibited corruption in the land and the destruction of crops and the cattle. Allah says: "And when he turns away (from you “O Muhammad peace be upon him”), his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle, and Allâh likes not mischief."

The pursuit of these criminals to destroy the economy of this Muslim country will reflect in harming Muslims in general because of their association to the economic strength of this blessed country.

Isn't the powerful financial resources of this country a blessing from Allah (Exalted be He) to the people of Islam with which the Two Harams (Sacred Mosques) were constructed, the Glorious Qur'an was printed and published, the Call to Allah was spread, the country borders were fortified, and the two Sacred Mosques were protected? It provides subsistence to millions of Muslims in the KSA and abroad, With it mosques were built, wells were dug, widows and orphans were supported, the poor and the needy were supported financially  and public utilities were set up, such as electricity, water, telephones, roads, seaports, airports and others. With such great financial resources the Muslim Ummah had a powerful identity at a time when enmity on Islam and its people has been severe. 

In general, this is the Muslim's common property; money is the chief element of life on which worldly and religious matters depend. Didn't Allah (Exalted be He) say: "And give not to the foolish your property which Allâh has made a means of support for you, but feed and clothe them therewith, and speak to them words of kindness and justice."

With what claim or excuse those bad people allowed themselves to seize these properties or try to destroy them?! It is the Satan's insinuation to the straying people. They are as Allah says: "Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fair-seeming, so that he considers it as good (equal to one who is rightly guided)?" Allah says: "Shaitân (Satan) made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and turned them away from the (Right) Path, though they were intelligent."
Such sabotage acts manifest enmity and hatred and show to people that taking religion as a cover is just a false motto which is being spread by the enemies of Allah and His Messenger who want to afflict the Muslim countries with evil and corruption, make our enemies dominant over us and make a room for the enemy to attack our country. Allah (Exalted be He) is predominant over their affairs and Allah recoils their scheme on them.
These actions are in conflict with Allah's orders, the instructions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslim general opinion who agreed on denouncing these actions. Allah says: "And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!"

This incident provides an example to those of sound minds to understand what is going on around them and grasp well the words of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). It is also convincing to whom Allah willed to guide to be awakened from their heedlessness and repent from following such infamous way. It is also an alert to those who admired their state of affairs or were affected with their straying ideas in order to come back to their senses and repent to their Lord (Exalted be He).

This is what we wanted to explain as an advice to the nation, to free our selves from responsibility, to illustrate the conditions of those straying and corrupted people and to protect the religion of Islam. May Allah save our country and all Muslim countries from evil and plights! May Allah perpetuate the honor, power steadfastness of this blessed country by virtue of its adherence to religion, for He is the All-Hearing, All Responding! My peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and his Companions!
Peace be upon you.

The General Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Head of the Board of the Senior Ulema Commission and the Administration of the Scientific Researches and Fatwas
'Abdul-Aziz ibn 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al Al-Sheikh