(Letter from Brother Abu Rawdha)
Assalaam ‘Alykum,
From Abu Rawdha
To the brothers and sisters
I praise Allah in all conditions, through the test He has subjected upon me since the beginning of this year and up untill now, the latest been the martyrdom of my friend and teacher Sheikh Abu La’aali or more commonly known as Sayyid. I do not complain Him about his blessed death, but I only do weep for myself losing the race we started. May Allah accept him.
I haven’t had contact of the brother for months. And today* receiving the news and his wasiyyah was a complete shock for me. Below I will insha Allah summarise the life of this young brother which has been hidden for most of you – although most of it remains hidden, as he loved it, hidden in the strangeness as a stranger.
Abu La’aali started his studies in religion at the age of fifteen. He excelled in his subjects and mastered in Arabic grammar within few years. Before his last (Islamic colledge) exams he came to an understanding of the falsehood within the education systems and thus completely denounced it. And he threw away his certificates and recognitions. (I could not recall all the shuyookh he studied under, except Shaykh Basheer – the scholar originally from Somalia and who someway joined the struggle there, but later on supported the ikhwani fasiq Hukoomah.) He later concentrated study in circles and in this process sat with few scholars. This period was very short and thus his later studies did not come to a completion due to several reasons, mainly due to the aftermath of September the 11th. He faced many tribulations after this point, and suffered continuous imprisonment and isolations and banishments.
He was a very physically-fit brother. He had infact mastered in South East Asian Islamic (Moro/Indonesian) fighting of Saradah. And was one of the best students of his teacher. He had also done specialist trainings in guerilla and urban warfare from Kashmeeree Mujahideen groups – prior to 9/11.
Also these phases of his life were challenged with his practical implementations of what he believed, and sometimes he retracted from his previous views and changed to what is best evident upon Quran and Sunnah to him. In the early stages he even went through Hizb-at-tahrir and other such groups. And this will be evident from many of his writings, where he refers to these experiences.
To be fare, I should state that he used to treat brothers/ sisters who suffer from Jinn. He used to treat in accordance to Quran and Sunnah, till a later time he got into some matters of shubuhaat, as some believing Jinn came upto him and offered their help in these treatments. But after this he started to suffer from abnormal conditions. Thus I adviced him to give-up these treatments and study on the matter on the basis of Sharee’ah. He later on, after talking to shuyookh from Jihadi circles, announced his Tawbah from this (latter) type of treatment and I Quote him:
Quote:
“… I make it public that I have repented from the connections I had from the Jinns, I do not approve that anyone cure people as I did, I mean with their help. So I have repented from this, all of it.”
(end of his words from his personal will)
As I mentioned earlier, he suffered a lot of imprisonments, and within this were long term house arrests. And it was these times where he started to go through internet Islamic forums. Through which he gifted the brothers with some invaluable knowledge. Sometimes he may say he is leaving for a month, while infact he is been relocated to prison custody or elsewhere. May Allah accept his efforts.
He lived a very hard life due to his continued imprisonments, he could not work and was forced to depend, although he would never try to show his needs, few brothers used to offer him. May Allah reward them.
During his last jail term, the hukoomah, approached him with many tempting, glittering and prestigious offers, which should have given him a worldly title of “Shaykh” or “Aalim” – but for which he openly refused. He divorced this world and its glittering three times, just as he did it before his martyrdom.
He was greatly grieved by the situation of the Ummah especially the sufferings of akhawaat and children. I personally know that he has never lost a copy of the letter of Fatimah (the sister who suffered in Iraqi prison) from his pocket, and after his hijrah to Daaru Ribaat wal Jihaad, he quickly got hold of a copy of it. In his last bayaan given to the brothers, he made it khaas on this topic, and translated the letters of sister Fatima and Nadia and other similar sisters from Kashmeer and elsewhere. And he warned the sincere scholars that there speeches and writing are not giving aid for the suffering of these sisters, and called to back themselves with action. Throughout the speech he wept while always trying to hide it, as is his usual nature.
In a personal wasisyyah he wrote, he stated:
Quote:
I hope that when this letter reaches you I maybe facing Allāh تعالى either to a Heaven of Eternity or a Hell of Punishments, as I fear for the great sins I was in, I hope in Him that He would forgive me for my migration and Jihād and for my offering my body in pieces with His Mercy and Bounty Only.
Dear Brother; each of us would die, and none can hold on to the world, be his intention to serve Allāh سبحانه وتعالى or shaitān. But it is an ordained time which we cannot avoid, thus the one who dies upon Islām and Faith is the one who is victorious.
…
Dear brother if Allāh takes my soul in this Martyrdom operation, then I leave within you my teachings which Allāh taught me from Qurān and Sunnah –if it is upon the Truth- and every mistake is from me and the Shaitān. What Allāh has gave me tawfīq to do is that I left guidelines which you must carry on preaching. Islām doesn’t stand upon the life or the death of anybody. Brother you may find in my belongings some pages in Arabic in which I tried to summarize all what I preached, try to get it translated and as you know the details are already written.
Hold on to the clear path which Allāh taught you through me and others and do not compromise.
I am leaving the world –may Allāh accept me- in the state I love, hidden and in strangeness. I was uncomfortable for the days in which I was treated with more care and respect than the other brothers. I am but a weak voice which tried to illuminate in this darkness. Maybe my enemies would be very pleased to hear about my death –hopefully martyrdom- but my life is not to make them happy or angry, rather to please Allāh سبحانه وتعالى. So if Allāh grants me martyrdom and May Allāh give me, then, I would be in a place where there emotions would not effect me as it is the Gardens with the Maidens. So who would care after this for anything and what is the use of all the striving if not for the pleasure of Allāh.
End of Quote
He was a person who always stood for truth. What was unique that I saw in him was, he was firm against dhulm (oppression) being uttered against anyone – even upon his enemies. If someone utters an unjust word or statement to an enemy – in his presence – he hurries to correct it. He used to say to me, try to rid yourself from even the slightest dhulm – as any trace of it within you might prevent you from hidayah. And this is one of the unique characteristics I found in him – i.e. justness. He did not look down upon a person due to a lack of worldly education. But I did constantly find him questioning and listening to brothers of Taqwa and Eman – although their educational level maybe less than him.
One of his greatest fears was deviation from hidayah – such that his words will be placed as evidence against him on Yawmul Qiyamah.
Before his martyrdom he was translating the speech of shaykh Abu Mus’ab Az-zarqawi فالله أحق أن تخشوه to English, but it was not written upon him to complete it. Like others he was touched with the life and words of Shaykh Abu Mus’ab, and used to call the Shaykh as Salaahuddin of our time. He also translated the speech of Shaykh Usamah bin Laden: Tawjehatul Minhajiyya (2) as an audio recording. Also prior to his hijrah – and may Allah accept it – he tried to translate bits from Shaykh Yusuf al-Uyeri’s Haqeeqatul Harb al Saleeb al Jadeedah.
His later days as a Mujahid, he lived very happily; (he have sung personally two beautiful anashid regarding hoorul ‘een and another regarding istishhaadee operations – but its in his local language) – He constantly used to tell, that he did not find this happiness all his life. He used to do a lot of khidmah to the brothers, infact he served the brothers as the chief cook for the Eid he spent with them. At the same time was trying to get the most by competing in the prayer call and the rest.
He used to talk a lot about martyrdom, and encouraged it (i.e. to talk regarding this topic), and used to refer this to shaykh Usama, who encouraged the Mujahideen to talk their own selves and encourage it for Martyrdom. He used to ask from Umara for permission for a martyrdom operation, but the Umara continuously used to denounce him. Infact the Umara offered him to further his educations under shuyookh of Lajnah of Mujahideen. And I do not know of the events of his later days, other than that he continued his efforts (for a martyrdom operation) till Allah ta’ala blessed him with it.
Within his stay in the fields of Jihad he also excelled in preparations of explosives and science of detonation and also electronics. He was indeed a practical daa’ee.
I have some recording of him reciting the nasheed/ (the full poem) “uqtulooni” and “la tahzanu ya ikhwati” of Shaykh Marwaan Hadeed. And also his 7 page document in his personal hand writing (arabic) which he mentioned in the above quote of wasiyya. I hope that the brothers would upload these and distribute it. He has also given lot of lectures within the field of jihad and before, in his local language, and amongst it is his excellent Khutbah of Eid Adhhah of last year.
As for the last moments of the operation, the brothers narrated to me that, they saw many help and support from Allaah ta’aala including some karamah. Like the room where these brothers stayed had an ‘ajeeb smell of musk – all through it. Even the car which they travelled just before the operation, smelled this same musk – as narrated from brothers.
May Allah accept you O Sayyid, it is as it was told, Shahaadah is nothing but Sidq (truthfulness to achieve it). And Allah offered it and excelled you from others.
Abu La’aali has passed with no worldly titles before his name. Few to know him, and even fewer to understand his emotions. So farwell O Sayyid – for the days of sorrow and pain is over for you. And amongst the Prophets and the Anbiyaa you find your peace. Blessed are the eyes who shed tears for such. For the eye owes rights to shed it upon such. And blessed are the hearts that grieve…
The cup of death has separated you O my beloved friend, but Allaah Willing our meeting is upon triumph.
And this is all what we knew of this Mujaahid, the Student of Knowledge, the Martyr – and Allah knows best and we do not alleviate anyone before Him.
O brothers, hope in Allah, for the winds of Victory has started to blow, this Ummah has seen within the last 12 months the loosing of greater jewels of this Ummah in its highest rate, and verily Victory comes with only the shedding of blood, priced blood. So let us hurry ourselves to its aid before it’s too late and we end up within the ranks of munaafiqeen.
O Enemies of Islam, we do not fear you, we stand firm against you, we sacrifice the best of us in this cause, and this brings us nothing except being closer to victory and slitting of your throats. So burn in your rage and your end shall be it.
With this, I end my letter, I ask your forgiveness as I couldn’t write in more detail, due to lack of time and situation. Please make dua for Allah to accept our brother Sayyid.
And do not forget us in your prayers. O beloved sister of Islam Umm Qahir at-Tuqat – I have not forgotten you – O prisoners – O Abu Khubayb the beloved, O brothers from Canada till Bosnia and Australia and beloved Abu Dujanah, O Abu ‘abdullah Filisteenee and their families and others… O brothers we have not forgotten you.
O prisoners, O beloved… we beg for your forgiveness – for heart weakens and often tend for a smile and bent for a joy – while you remain in the darkness… blurred and lost… lost to the eyes of a world of unjust.
Wassalaam ‘Alykum warahmatullaah.
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