.

... cont.

...back to my story about meeting Sheikh Usamah bin Ladin as I had delivered earlier. I began to observe his personality and main characters, how he stands and sits, the way he speaks, the way he walks, the way he eats, his laughter, his smile, his mixing with others, how his language is, the way he dresses, the way he teaches his children, the advices he delivered and so on.

So my conclusion -Wallahu a'lam bis-sowwab- is that he is a man whose thoughts, speeches and actions, as well as movements did not produce anything except that they contain hikmah (wisdom). I am not saying that he is maksum, because the maksum one is only Rasulullah SAW, however thus was my assessment during my association with him and I do not deify anyone except Allah.

I was only assessing from the outside, as for the batin (inner side) Allah SWT is the Most Knowledgeable, and no one can monitor him continuously for 24 hours every day and night, it is something impossible for me to do, but from the association I had experienced, I could give some judgements and may this judgement be not excessive and also not too inadequate (not ifrath and tafrith).

The assessments are more or less as follows:

1. Aqeedah.

He follows the creed of the salaf, with the aqeedah of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah. This is always expressed by him in his spoken words.

2. Fiqh Madzhab.

I don't have or have not obtained information about the Fiqh madzhab that he follows, whether he follows the Hanafi, Maliki, Syafi'i, Hambali or Dzhahiri, but what's obvious is that the way he performs ibaadah (acts of worship) especially the characteristic of his solat, follows the sunnah of the Prophet SAW.

3. Akhlaq (Morals) and Adab (Manners).

Just like what I have explained earlier, he is one of the people who maintains and observes the akhlaq and adab greatly, whether it be the fundamental akhlaqs or the akhlaq that seems small. Examples of fundamental Akhlaq:

• Al-Wala wal Bara'

He loves the believers very much, where ever they are from or which ever Harakah or Jama'ah they belong to.

Hard on the kafirs. This is very prominent particularly towards the Jewish America and its allies, maybe this is why he is on the first ranking in the history of mankind -wallahu a'lam- to be the most feared and wanted human figure by the enemies of Islam, be it in the East or the West, be it the kafir or mushrik or munafiq and this becomes the virtue that Allah SWT gives him, his position makes the kafirs, who are under this sky, angry.

Allah SWT said in surat At-Taubah (9): 120.

" …nor do they tread on any ground that enrages the disbelievers, nor do they inflict upon an enemy any infliction but that it is registered for them as a righteous deed.."

Subhanallah – if he is ikhlas, how much reward of good deeds he could bag every second even by merely sleeping in his hiding place.

I also remember the virtues of the Ashabul Kahfi who were put to sleep by Allah for 300 years i.e. if we calculate by the AD year and 309 years if calculated using the Hijriyah year. They were feared even in their sleep.

See Allah’s verse in surat Al-Kahfi (18): 18.

"If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror."

As for us, even turning upside down would not make the enemies fear us. What is the secret? Because our Imans are weak and there is no ruhul Jihad (spirit of Jihad).

He also takes care of the adab, such as:

• The Adab of Eating.

Most of the Arabs, as well as the Afghans and the majority of people on this earth except those who are blessed by Allah – are less attentive when it comes to clearing or finishing food or minding the food that falls while eating. Whereas, according to a hadith, we are ordered to clear the food that has fallen by eating them, we can’t leave food on its place because who knows there could be barakah (blessings) in them.

He, if he eats - Subhanallah – not even a crumb would fall and be wasted in front of me. I found this truly amazing as he can easily go against the convention that has been entrenched.

• Daily Presentation.

He always carries a small mushaf (a copy of the Qur’an), a weapon (rifle of the AK [Automatic Kalashnikov] or Klashenkov type), as well as a stick or staff which is a part of the Sunnah.

• The Adab of Speaking to Others.

He, if he speaks to others (not in a majelis) normally faces his entire body to the person he speaks to while giving a smile if required and sometimes becoming very serious with an intent look.

Wallahu'alam bis sowab!