A Message to the People of Pakistan
Sheikh Usama bin Laden (may Allah protect him)
12-07-2009
Watch the message with Urdu subtitles
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Read the English transcript of the message
بسم الله الرحمن
الرحيم
In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Indeed all praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help and we seek
forgiveness in Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and the
evil effects of our actions. Whosoever Allah guides, there is none who can
misguide him, and whosoever He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness
that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and messenger. To proceed:
My brother Muslims in Pakistan, As-Salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuhu.
I wish to speak to you about the war taking place between the Pakistan army
and the Mujahidoon in the tribal areas. The Messenger of Allah (r) said:
« لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه »
“None of you will truly believe until they love for their brothers what they
love for themselves.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Indeed I love for you what I love for myself, and the most I love for myself
is that I am saved from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise, for indeed this
is the greatest success. I ask Allah to make us from its inhabitants. This is
what I love for you, and this is what I need from you.
O slaves of Allah, we are all in this world in order to be tires and tested,
Ponder over the saying of Allah:
﴿ الم * أحسب الناس أن يتركوا أن يقولوا آمنا وهم لا يفتنون * ولقد فتنا الذين من
قبلهم فليعلمن الله الذين صدقوا وليعلمن الكاذبين ﴾
“Alif Laam Meem. Do people think that they will be
left alone because they say, ‘We believe,’ without being tested? Indeed we
tested those before them, so that Allah makes it known who are the truthful
and makes it known who are the liars.” (Al-Ankaboot: 1-3)
The trial and test we are facing in this present time is the wars being led by
the Zionist-Christian alliance and their apostate aides against our Ummah.
From them is the war being waged by America and the Zardari government against
those demanding the establishment of Islam in the valley of Swat and the
tribal areas. Hold yourselves to account before you are held accountable, and
weigh your deeds before they are weighed.
From the favors of Allah upon us is that this test is easy and does not need
much effort and explanation to understand. Easily put: are you for the
establishment of the Shariah or are you from those who wages war against it,
from America, Zardari and his aides? If you are with the first group, then
thank Allah that He has guided you to be pleased with Islam and its defense.
Continue your Jihad in His Cause. However, if you support Zardari and his
soldiers, you are in great danger. If you die in this state, it would be the
worst catastrophe you ever faced, for that is indeed the clearest loss. How is
this not so, when Allah negated the Faith of those who are not pleased in
referring to the Shariah. Listen to the saying of the Truth (I):
﴿ فلا وربك لا يؤمنون حتى يحكموك فيما شجر بينهم ثم لا يجدوا في أنفسهم حرجاً مما
قضيت ويسلموا تسليماً ﴾
“No, by your Lord, they will never believe until they
make you judge in what they dispute, finding no grief in their hearts for what
you have judged, submitting to it totally.” (Al-Nisaa: 65)
Know well that Faith in Allah (I) can never coexist in a person’s heart with
love of the enemies of the Shariah and allying with them. If this is the case
if the enemies are our own parents and children, what if they were Zardari and
his army? Think about the saying of Allah (I):
﴿لا تجد قوماً يؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر يوادون من حاد الله ورسوله ولو كانوا
آباءهم أو أبناءهم أو إخوانهم أو عشيرتهم أولئك كتب في قلوبهم الإيمان وأيدهم
بروح منه ويدخلهم جنات تجري من تحتها لأنهار خالدين فيها رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه
أولئك حزب الله ألا إن حزب الله هم المفلحون﴾
“You will never find a people who believe in Allah and the Lat Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their tribes. It is they who Allah has made faith dear to their hearts and strengthens them. He will admit them into gardens underneath which rivers flow, residing therein. Allah will be pleased with them and they with Him. Indeed it is they who are the party of Allah. Indeed it is the party of Allah who will be successful.” (Al-Mujadilah: 22)
And also:
﴿ وما كان استغفار إبراهيم لأبيه إلا عن موعدة وعدها إياه فلما تبين له أنه عدو
لله تبرأ منه إن إبراهيم لأواه حليم ﴾
“And the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his
father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became
apparent to him [i.e., Abraham] that he [i.e., the father] was an enemy to
Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and
patient” (Al-Tawbah: 114)
Think about the saying of the Messenger of Allah (r):
« أوثق عرى الإيمان الموالاة في الله والمعاداة في الله والحب في الله والبغض في
الله عز وجل »
“The strongest handhold of Faith is allying for Allah and showing enmity for
Allah, and loving for Allah and hating for Allah (U). (Ahmed)
O slave of Allah, safeguard yourselves and your religion, and do not let the
life of this world deceive you. Beware of the grave, for indeed it is a heavy
affair.
Poetry:
And indeed every person arises amongst his family,
While death is nearer than the lace of his sandal.
It is only a matter of days until we part with this world. Tomorrow we will be
placed in our graves, and indeed tomorrow is near for one who sees. At that
time, every single one of us will be asked in his grave, “Who is your lord?
What is your religion? Who is your prophet?” The Messenger of Allah (r) said:
« ما من عبد يقول حين يمسي وحين يصبح رضيت بالله رباً ، وبالإسلام ديناً ، وبمحمد
صلى الله عليه وسلم نبياً ، ثلاث مرات إلا كان حقاً على الله أن يرضيه »
“No slave says three time in the evening and morning, ‘I am pleased with Allah
as a Lord, I am pleased with Islam as a religion, and I am pleased with
Muhammad (r) as a prophet,’ except that it becomes his right upon Allah that
He pleases him,” (Ahmed)
Whoever is not pleased with the Shariah, much worse wages war against it,
Allah will not please them, and they will regret at a time when regret will
bring no benefit.
Whoever is pleased with Islam as a religion, it is obligatory upon him to
physically reject Zardari and his army’s war against the Shariah. If he does
not have the ability, he must verbally speak against it. If he is unable to do
even this, he must hate and reject it in his heart, and there is not even a
mustard seed’s worth of Faith after this. The Messenger (r) said:
«ما من نبي بعثه الله في أمة قبلي إلا كان له من أمته حواريوون وأصحاب يأخذون
بسنته ويقتدون بأمره ثم إنها تخلف من بعدهم خلوف يقولون ما لا يفعلون ويفعلون ما
لا يؤمرون ، فمن جاهدهم بيده فهو مؤمن ومن جاهدهم بلسانه فهو مؤمن ومن جاهدهم
بقلبه فهو مؤمن وليس وراء ذلك من الإيمان حبة خردل»
“No prophet before me was sent to a nation except that he had disciples and
companions who followed his teachings and obeyed his commands. Then there came
people after them who preached what they did not practice and practiced what
they were not commanded. Whoever fights against them physically is a believer,
whoever fights them verbally is a believer, and whoever fights them with his
heart is a believer, and there is not even a mustard seed’s worth of Faith
after this.” (Muslim)
O slave of Allah, what will you say to Allah tomorrow if you side with those
who fight in order to prevent the establishment of the religion of Allah,
those who fight for the sake of false deities and ways, aiding them with your
weapons or your speech, justifying their actions, throwing the same
accusations at the Mujahidoon as the leader of the White House, that they are
devastators and terrorists? When you are asked, “What is your religion,” will
you be able to lie? Even if so, your lie will not benefit you. If you say your
religion is Islam but do not stand under its flag, instead standing under the
flag of Obama and Zardari in their war against the religion, people are known
and distinguished by their loyalties to their flags, so look to which flag you
stand by. It is not unknown to you that Zardari is waging a war against the
Shariah of Allah (I) in the cause of the American idol. Allah has explained
that those who fight in the Cause of false deities are infidels. Funeral
prayers are not to be performed over them, nor are they to be buried in Muslim
graveyards. Think about the saying of Allah:
﴿ الذين آمنوا يقاتلون في سبيل الله والذين كفروا يقاتلون في سبيل الطاغوت
فقاتلوا أولياء الشيطان إن كيد الشيطان كان ضعيفاً ﴾
“Those who believe fight in the Cause of Allah, and
those who disbelieve fight in the Cause of Taghoot (false deities, ways,
etc.). So fight the allies of Satan. Indeed the plot of Satan is indeed
feeble.” (Al-Nisaa: 76)
Zardari and his army are the allies of Satan. This refutes those who rebuke,
asking, “How can the Mujahidoon fight the Pakistan army?” claiming it to be a
Muslim army.
What adds to this fact is that it is the Pakistan army who came to the tribal
areas to fight them, aiding the cause of America and fulfilling their demands.
It is not unknown that if a Muslim sides with the infidels and aids them
against the Muslins, his faith is nullified and he becomes an apostate
infidel. Just like there are things which nullify the ablution, there are
things which nullify Faith, this being one of them. What clarifies this fact
is the saying of Allah (I)
﴿ يا أيها الذين امنوا لا تتخذوا اليهود والنصارى أولياء بعضهم أولياء بعض ومن
يتولهم منكم فإنه منهم﴾
“O you who believe, Do not take the Jews and the
Christians as allies. They are allies to each other. Whoever takes them as
allies, he becomes one of them…” (Al-Ma’idah: 5)
This is the Islamic ruling. ”Whoever takes them as allies, he becomes one of
them.” In another words, he had become an infidel like then. Who are the ones
who have sided with Christian America and support it? Is it not Zardari, his
government, and his army? What is wrong with you that you judge in this way?
Those who side with the infidels are from them, and it is obligatory to fight
them, even if they pray, fast and think themselves to be Muslims.
I also remind you of the fact that the Russians also used the Afghan army to
fight the Mujahidoon, and today, America is doing the same. The armies and
military forces of every country of the Islamic world have become tools in the
hands of the enemies of the Ummah, those inside, outside or both. Thus it is
impermissible to join them. This also became very clear in the last war
against Gaza, The Arab military forces participated by besieging our fellow
Muslims from the side of Rafah, while armies of the other bordering nations
prevented the Mujahidoon from coming to the aid of their brothers in
Palestine.
The Mujahidoon before fought against the Russians and the Afghan army
together, for they fell under the same ruling. The scholars of Pakistan and
other countries of the Islamic world gave the verdict that they must be
fought, even if they prayed, fasted, and thought themselves to be Muslims, for
they fought from the trenches of the infidels. Let the intelligent learn from
this.
The same can be said today of the Pakistan army, for they are fighting from
the same trench as America in the war against Islam. Thus, it is an obligation
upon the true Muslims to fight them. Whoever claims that they are being
compelled to kill Muslims, this type of compulsion is not religiously valid.
Many Muslims are tricked by this claim, to the extent that Zardari’s men say
that they are compelled to fight Pakistanis in the western border regions, or
America will encourage India to launch a war against Pakistan.
Regretfully, some Muslims repeat this same claim without any understanding or
proper thought. It is like a tyrant who threatens to kill you if you do not
kill your children and brothers. Will you kill them or will you fight him?
Even if we suppose that you are unable to fight him, this is a calamity that
has stricken you alone. It is not permissible for you to take the life of an
innocent soul in order to save your own. This is the Islamic ruling in this
case. As for propagating this claim of compulsion and being tricked into
believing it, it will result in allowing the apostate ruler to destroy the
religion of Allah (I) and exchange it with that of his own desires and those
who he fights for. This is in total opposition to the message of Allah and his
messengers, may peace and blessings be upon them all, as well as the
commandment of Allah that the whole religion be for Allah alone.
O slave of Allah, be careful that you are not from those about whom Allah
said,
﴿ ومن الناس من يقول أمنا بالله فإذا أوذي في الله جعل فتنة الناس كعذاب الله
ولئن جاء نصر من ربك ليقولن إنا كنا معكم أوليس الله بأعلم بما في صدور العالمين
* وليعلمن الله الذين آمنوا وليعلمن المنافقين ﴾
“And there are some people who say, ‘We believe in Allah,’ but when they are
harmed in the Cause of Allah, they consider the trial of people like the
punishment of Allah. If some help came from Allah, they say, ‘Indeed we were
with you.’ Is not Allah more knowing of what is in the chests of all that
exists? Indeed Allah will make it known who it is who truly believes and who
it is who are the hypocrites.” (Al-Ankaboot: 10-11)
Be careful from being pleased with Zardari and Yousuf Riza, for they are both
outside the fold of the religion of Muhammad (r), and fight it. It is
obligatory upon you to reject all those who support them, even if it be with
their speech, especially the evil scholars and the evil media, those who just
yesterday gave cover to the former agent (Musharraf) for committing the great
atrocity of attacking the Red Mosque, killing both its male and female
students, holding spite for nothing other than the fact that they called for
the establishment of Allah’s Shariah, spilling their innocent blood, this is
how we reckon and Allah is the final Reckoner, over the places of bowing and
prostration, all to please America who in turn praised him for this, may Allah
punish him as he deserves.
Today, some evil scholars are playing the same despicable role as before,
aiding the new agent (Zardari). No Muslim doubts in their disbelief and
hypocrisy. They sacrifice Islam and the Mujahidoon to safeguard their own
selves and wealth. The likes of these people must be physically prevented from
siding with the apostates.
In summary, Asif Zardari and Ashfaq Kiyani have continued to divert the army
from its first priority, which is protecting Islam, its followers and its
lands, and instead use it to wage a war against Islam and those who demand its
implementation. They have directed it to murder and wage war against the
Pashtun and Balochi tribes. Most of the Pakistan people are against this
unjust war. Zardari only did this to fulfill the demands of his bribers in the
White House, not with ten percent, but many times more. Indeed this is a great
betrayal of the trust, for he has betrayed the religion and the Ummah. Not
only has he devastated the Pakistani economy in this war, he has done
something much more dangerous. With this war, he has placed the religion,
security, and unity of Pakistan in jeopardy, implementing a
Zionist-American-Jewish conspiracy, making it easy for India to suppress the
disunited provinces of Pakistan one by one and take control of them, as they
did with East Pakistan before or even worse. With this, America will be
relieved of their worry over Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, even more it will
have India participate with them in their war against the Mujahidoon.
It is obligatory upon all Muslims in Pakistan to work together against Zardari
and his army who threaten their religion, security, unity and economy, and to
continue their struggle to remove him and hold him to account. Despite the
great harm cause to Pakistan by Pervaiz, the harm which will result from
Zardari’s actions is far worse. The only way to end his and his army’s trial
is to wage Jihad in the Cause of Allah against them. This is explained in by
the saying of Allah:
﴿ وقاتلوهم حتى لا تكون فتنة ويكون الدين كله لله ﴾
“And fight them until there is no more fitnah (kufr
and shirk), and all religion (worship) becomes for Allah alone.”
(Al-Anfal: 39)
You must understand that the army that has the audacity to fight to prevent
the establishment of the Islamic Shariah is an apostate army which has no good
in it. If it pays no importance to the matter of the Islamic Shariah, a matter
which is most important to us, it will pay even less importance to lesser
things, such as our blood, honor, land and wealth.. None can depend upon it
except the ignorant and the hypocrites. It has not recovered Kashmir, and now
it is allowing Pakistan itself to fall from its hands, The only ones who will
defend Pakistan are its fellow Mujahidoon, Allah willing.
Before concluding, I would like to direct some words to America, but due to
time constraints, I will only summarize some issues related to the topic,
delaying the rest for a future message, Allah willing.
Let those wise and just in the various research centers, study groups etc,
understand what I say about the reasons so many people are eager to fight
America and seek revenge, although these words may fall upon deaf ears of the
agents of the conglomerates in the White House.
I say: indeed the liberated souls who carried out the attacks on 9/11 did not
taste the bitterness of suppression and expulsion from their homes and lands,
seeking shelter in tents, begging for food. Rather, those nineteen individuals
only heard of the oppression their brothers in Palestine faced by American
weapons in the hands of the Zionists. Thus, they left their schools and
universities at the first opportunity they had to defend the oppressed in
Palestine. What if they had tasted their calamities and woes? Obama ordering
Zardari and his army to prevent the people of Swat from the implementation of
the Shariah by murder, war, bombardment and devastation has led to the
emigration of almost a million Muslims from the elderly, women and children
from their villages and homes, now homeless, seeking shelter under tents, when
they previously lived honorably in their homes.
Simply speaking, Obama and his administration have sowed new seeds of hatred
for America and the desire to seek revenge. The number of seeds equals the
number of afflicted and homeless in the Swat valley and the tribal regions of
North and South Waziristan, in addition to the number of those who sympathize
with them. With this, Obama has followed the footsteps of his predecessor in
increasing the spite of the Muslims and the number of those who fight America,
and creating new lengthy wars. So let the American people continue to reap the
fruits of the trees planted by the leaders of the White House in the years and
decades to come.
In conclusion, I recite the following motivational lines by the poet Yousuf
Abu Hilalah, to encourage myself and my brothers. I dedicate it to each and
every Mujahid in the Muslim Ummah, especially to the heroic Muhahidoon in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially to the Muhajid Pashtun tribes, and
especially to the Commander of the Believers, Mullah Muhammad Umar, may Allah
grant him victory, for it is they who are bearing the brunt of the war in
Afghanistan and Pakistan, in lieu of the Ummah, against the international
forces of infidelity. I ask Allah (I) to keep them steadfast, to guide their
aim, to accept their martyrs, to heal their injured, to send them His Help, to
defeat their enemies, and to give them better than what they lost in this
world and the next. Indeed He is the one who is Able to grant this.
I advise myself and my brothers to be wary of the punishment of Allah in
private and in public, and I say to them: be patient, and vie with your
enemies in patience, for indeed you are upon the truth. Either we will live
under the shade of Islam, or we shall die a noble death. Be firm, may Allah
have mercy on you, and prepare yourselves for a lengthy war against the forces
of international infidelity and its agents, despite the difficulty of the path
and the few numbers of helpers. Be careful that the Muslims are not harmed
because of you, for:
You have raised the highest flag for the religion of Allah
Your motto is Tawheed and Allahu Akbar
You cross an ocean of death, without fear
Those who do not fear death do not fear anything
Your path is difficult and dangerous to follow
There are many sacrifices and obstacles in it
Your way is the way to one of the two victories
Your way is the way of victory and strengthening help
Or death in the Cause of the religion, honor and protection
Whoever dies in achieving loftiness is indeed excused.
I encourage my whole Muslim Ummah to stand by the Mujahidoon and help them all
over the world, taking note that the leader of international forces of
infidelity has announced that the main battlefield in the war against our
nation has shifted to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thus, the share of Zakah and
support in this region must be in accordance to the size of the Christian
Crusade against it.
Finally, I leave you with the words of Abu Hilalah:
I have rejected all who censure
and have digressed from the path of Guidance.
Those who have not achieved in life
except for sleep and laziness.
Those who sit in their gatherings
while the fire of war flares around them
Those who think they have reached their goal
despite them being lost in the path.
I honor those who have passed,
those who did not ask about the difficulties.
Those who did not turn back from their destination,
despite the turbulence of the path.
Those whose blood gave light
to the darkness of confusion.
O colt who gallops well,
who does not feel fatigue
The boat of honor which sails on
despite the severe waves.
The sword like the light of lightning
which shines when drawn from its sheath
The storm which stirs
wreaking havoc across the land.
You remained a Muhajid with those
who examples are honored to be with
The children of Afghan do not swerve
if fighting starts or if they are unarmed
They grew up in remorse and grief
and grew elderly on its burning fire
Their clothes were grief
never taking them off
There is their land
marked with the sparks of galloping horses
And underneath the thunder of bombardment
they are set afire
There are the skulls of children
being pulverized while they call out
The defiant are not humiliated with them
Nor do they ever fail
The head of the masses remain high
continuing to spend efforts
There are some who say to them
Your Jihad is not correct
Refuge is sought in Allah, this is a lie
in which none cam doubt
O you who have stayed behind from my Ummah, slowly
You do not see things properly,
The only reason you say this
is because your motivation is paralyzed.
O you whose intellect has deviated
from the teachings of the Messengers
Those whose judgments have deviated
from the fear of Allah, and they have not acted justly
The fires of Shirk are not put out
except the spilling of blood
And the last of our prayers is that all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of
all that exists.
Submitted by a Mujahid