Source: Al Jazeera

February 07, 2010

The US has accused the US-born Yemen-based religious scholar Anwar al-Awlaki of being linked to an attack on a military base in Texas and the alleged attempt to blow up a passenger plane over Detroit on Christmas Day.

US officials accuse al-Awlaki of either inciting or ideologically influencing Major Nidal Hasan, a US army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in November, and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian suspect in the attempted bombing of a US-bound plane.

In this interview with Al Jazeera Arabic, al-Awlaki says he supports the failed bombing of the plane but did not encourage the attack.

Al Jazeera: The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have quoted CIA investigators as talking about the possibility of targeting you in a drone attack. Why do you think the Americans want to kill you?

Awlaki: Because I am a Muslim and I promote Islam. The charge is "incitement"; my relationships with Nidal Hasan, Umar Farouk and some 9/11 attackers, and now I am accused of being linked to 14 cases. All this comes as part of the attempt to liquidate the voices that call for defending the rights of the Umma [Muslim nation].

They reject the principle of pride and demanding justice, they want to promote the principle of humiliation and compliance. They want to market the democratic and peaceful US Islam that calls for obeying the superiors even if they were traitors and collaborators. They want an Islam that recognises the occupation and deals with it. They want an Islam that has no sharia ruling, no jihad and no Islamic caliphate.

“O Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam, what are the two essential matters?” Rasulullah sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam, said: “Whoever dies without associating any partner with Allah Azzawajal will enter Paradise and whoever dies associating anybody with Allah Azzawajal will enter the Hellfire.” (Sahih Muslim)

In order to understand shirk we have to look at the other side of the coin which is Tawheed (Absolute Oneness of Allah Azzawajal). Whatever negates this tawheed will be shirk.

The most apparent and clearest meaning of shirk is ‘to attribute a partner with Allah Azzawajal’. This means giving Allah Azzawajal’s right to anyone or anything other than Allah Azzawajal and He is most deserving of His rights over humans than humans themselves. In essence shirk takes place whenever a right that solely belongs to Allah Azzawajal is given to any other object, whether a living being or an inanimate object.

“So do not make along with Allah, partners while you know [that He is the creator]” (Surah Al Baqarah: Ayah 22)

“Verily Allah forgives not [the sin of] setting up partners [in worship] with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, has indeed strayed far away.” (Surah An Nisa: Ayah 48)

In this verse Allah Azzawajal vows that He will never forgive anyone who dies while associating anyone or anything with Himself, His names or His attributes.