The Broader Dimensions Of Seerah

Zafar Bangash

“You have in the Messenger of Allah the most beautiful example to emulate,” says the noble Qur’an (33:21). There are other moving ayats (21:107; 33:45-46; 68:04) that draw our attention to the lofty and merciful character of the noble Messenger (pbuh).

While the Qur’an is not a biography of the noble Messenger, its message is interwoven into his life’s struggle as he implemented its teachings in society. Every Prophet was tasked with two principal responsibilities: to convey the divine message to the people, and strive to establish it in society.

We learn from Prophetic history that every prophet discharged these responsibilities faithfully but only a handful were successful in implementing divine laws in society. There was nothing wrong with the message they delivered, nor with its method of delivery. It was the people’s rejection who were engrossed in worldly pursuits that prevented the message from being actualized in society. Most Prophets had to abandon their people and migrated to other lands. Some were even killed.

The last and final Messenger of Allah not only conveyed the message to his people but he also successfully implemented it in society. He (pbuh) grew up in a society described as Jahiliyyah (primitive savagery) in the noble Qur’an (48:26). Like societies throughout history, the Makkan society was also hierarchical in nature.

The rich and powerful exploited the poor and weak. Slavery and female infanticide were other common practices that characterized the Makkan society.

It was in this environment that Allah sent His final messenger for humanity (7:158): Muhammad (pbuh). Initially, the message was communicated to close friends and relatives. When the divine command came to proclaim it openly, it immediately aroused the wrath of the Makkan aristocracy. The Makkan chiefs could clearly see that if Islam established a foothold in society, it would drastically curtail their privileges.

Like power-wielders and moneyed classes throughout history, the Makkan chiefs were not prepared to give up their privileges. They resorted to all means, fair or foul, to crush the challenge, at enormous cost to those speaking out against societal injustices.

In every struggle the outcome is determined not by the preponderance of weapons or materiel, but by the commitment of combatants. History has repeatedly demonstrated this, including in contemporary times. Muslims around the Prophet (pbuh) were successful because they were firm in their conviction and prepared to make the requisite sacrifices. These ingredients are essential for the outcome of every struggle.

Let us consider some other ayats from the noble Qur’an. In Surah Al-e Imran, Allah says: “Say, [to the people, O Prophet], ‘If you love Allah, then follow me, [and] Allah will love you and forgive your sins…” (3:31). In another ayat from Surah al-Hashr, Allah says: “Take what the Messenger gives you and refrain from what he forbids…” (59:07).

Let us elaborate on the these ayats.

Muslims demonstrate their love for and follow the noble Messenger (pbuh) in different ways. No single expression of love or method of following his example can be considered to be the sum total of what Allah’s beloved Prophet did. All forms of expression are valid but represent only limited aspects of his blessed personality. As Allah’s Messenger for all humanity (7:158) as well as the last and final messenger (33:40), he encompassed all aspects of life in his mission: moral, social, economic and political.

It would be a misrepresentation of his Seerah (life-history) to limit his responsibilities to issues of tahara, najasa and morality only. True, he (pbuh) guided us in these but his message was much broader.

Since Islam’s message is primarily focused on issues of social justice, this must be understood in its proper context. The Makkan mushriks did not torture the Prophet (pbuh) and his small group of followers because they prayed in a certain way. There were no formal prayers in Makkah for the first 12 years of his mission. Nor did the early Muslims fast. It was the Prophet’s call for justice and its implementation in society that so irked the Makkan chiefs.

Social justice in society is linked to power and authority. Without power, social justice cannot be achieved in society, regardless of how persuasive one’s arguments may be.

The exercise of authority and power automatically leads to the question of politics. Some Muslims assume that power and authority are undesirable goals because they involve politics. And politics is considered to be a field of activity for crooks.

True, one cannot draw any other conclusion by looking at contemporary politics but this need not be the case in all situations. Islam is not against power or authority per se. Allah has not created everybody identical. Some are powerful, others are weak; some are rich while others are poor. What Islam does is to regulate the use of power.

The rich and powerful are not free to exploit the poor, or oppress the weak. Those in positions of power and authority must operate within the clear guidelines Allah has provided for their exercise to ensure justice and equity in society.

This can best be exercised in a formal structure: the Islamic State. At the end of his 23-year prophetic mission, the Prophet (pbuh) had established the Islamic State in Madinah. Before he (pbuh) left this earthly abode, the entire Arabian Peninsula had been brought under its control.

His followers—the committed Muslims— equipped with divine guidance and inspired by the Prophet’s exemplary character, spread the message of Islam to virtually the entire known world in a very short period of time. Islam gave humanity a civilization that lasted nearly 1,000 years.

This phenomenal success at both the ideological and worldly levels cannot be attributed to the preponderance of manpower, weapons or materiel. It was the quality of the message with its emphasis on fairness and justice as well as the upright character of Muslims that inspired others to enter the fold of Islam. The Prophetic Sunnah (life-example) and Seerah (life-history) provided a practical demonstration of the noble Qur’an.

No doubt, Muslims will celebrate the Mawlid (birthday of the noble Messenger (pbuh)) during this Rabi al-Awwal, as they have done in the past. They should, however, keep in mind his upright character, the many challenges he faced and surmounted, to ultimately establish the Islamic State in Madinah. The State’s power and authority are essential for establishing a just social order in society.

It is to this aspect that sincere Muslims must turn their attention as they celebrate Mawlid this year. This would bring their conduct closer to that of the Prophet (pbuh) and would be a true reflection of their obedience to him.

Sirah

Iranian foreign minister meets Nasrallah in Beirut

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met and held talks with Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojataba Amani and the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kan'ani were also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, the two sides conferred on the latest political developments in the region and Lebanon.

Amir-Abdollahian also informed Nasrallah of his recent negotiations with Saudi officials and said that he assesses the talks as positive.

Referring to his talks with the Syrian president and other Syrian officials in recent days, the top Iranian diplomat cited that in the current situation, when Syria's relations with other Arab states are returning back to normal, foreign movements in activating terrorists in Syria are in line with the goals of the enemies and the Zionist regime against Damascus and the security of the region.

Nasrallah, for his part, said that currently the Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine is in the strongest position, and if the Zionists act based on miscalculation, they will face a regrettable reaction.

The Hezbollah chief also praised the unforgettable role of martyr Soleimani in fighting terrorism and contributing to regional security.

On Thursday, the top Iranian diplomat held a meeting with the leaders of the Palestinian resistance movements of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

Amir-Abdollahian arrived in the Lebanese capital on Thursday afternoon. Upon his arrival at Beirut airport, the top Iranian diplomat told reporters that Iran would continue its support for Lebanon.

Guantanamo: The Real Face Of American Barbarism

Khadijah Ali

Fifty years from today, people will remember Guantanamo Bay as one of the ugliest features of American policy. There is a long list of US crimes, from invading countries killing millions of people to setting up torture chambers in different parts of the world, but Guantanamo Bay stands out.

Many Americans, that is those who are aware that there is a world beyond the borders of the US, will also agree that Gitmo is a black dot on their country’s already tarnished image. That, however, will come 50 years too late. The American people will be considered complicit in the crimes perpetrated in their name if they remain silent. Ignorance cannot be used as excuse in the age of the Internet.

In March 2023, 48-year-old Ghassan Abdullah al-Sharbi was released and returned to Saudi Arabia. Fluent in English and with a degree in electrical engineering, the US accused him of being a “skilled bomb maker” who attended a US flight school, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. This led to the further allegation that he “associated with two 9/11 hijackers,” who had also trained there.

Yet Al-Sharbi was never formally charged with any wrongdoing beyond the usual scandalous allegations for which the US is notorious. Just because he had a degree in electrical engineering did not automatically make him a “skilled bomb-maker”, or that he had indulged in any terrorist activity.

The same holds true for his attending a flight school where “two of the hijackers” might have taken flight lessons. Why was the flight school management not sent to Guantanamo Bay? If the alleged hijackers took fight lessons, a far more credible case could be made against the staff at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona. They trained the hijackers and should be held responsible.

While no action was taken against the flight school staff, Saifullah Paracha, a Pakistani businessman in New York, was not so fortunate. He was accused of being the hijackers’ financier because they had exchanged money at his store. Paracha was arrested in Thailand in 2003 and spent nearly 20 years in Guantanamo Bay.

He was released in October 2022, thanks to the tireless efforts of human rights lawyer, Clive Stafford-Smith. He has secured the release of 79 prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.

It is quite revealing that even though a detainee may be cleared by the Periodic Review Board (PRB) for release, it may take several months or even a year before he is released. The PRB was set up after Barack Obama signed Executive order 13492 in January 2009, two weeks after he was sworn in as president. He announced that he would like to shut down the torture camp within one year. Fourteen years later, it is still holding prisoners.

Al-Sharbi was cleared for release more than a year ago, but the US continued to hold him for another 13 months without explanation.

His release followed that of two brothers, Abdul Rabbani and Mohammed (Ahmed) Rabbani to Pakistan and the Pakistani-born Majid Khan to Belize in February 2023. Majid Khan had sued the US regime for illegal detention.

The Rabbani brothers were taxi drivers in Karachi. They were captured by Pakistani intelligence agencies and handed over to the Americans as “al Qaeda operatives” in return for bounty money. The Pakistani dictator General Pervez Musharraf admitted this in his book, In the Line of Fire (p.237).

In announcing the release of the Rabbani brothers, the US defence department said in its press release of February 23, 2023 that of the remaining detainees, “18 are eligible for transfer; 3 are eligible for a Periodic Review Board; 9 are involved in the military commissions process; and 2 remaining detainees have been convicted in military commissions.”

The March 2023 releases from Guantanamo Bay reduced the number of detainees to 29. This is a far cry from the 779 prisoners that were held at the notorious torture camp when it was first opened in February 2002. Donald Rumsfeld, then US secretary of defence accused them of being “the worst of the worst”. Rumsfeld is now dead but he will surely face divine retribution for the immense suffering he inflicted on innocent people at Guantanamo Bay.

Only 9 men are charged with involvement in the 911 attacks but their trials have not been held even at the kangaroo military tribunal. Among them is Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of 911 and No. 3 in al-Qaeda hierarchy. The reason is simple: these detainees have suffered horrific torture at the hands of US operatives. How can the charges against them stand in any court of law?

They were subjected to such exotic practices as waterboarding, prolonged sleep deprivation, held in extremely stressful positions and slammed repeatedly against a concrete wall.

To get a glimpse into what the detainees suffered, a few examples would suffice.

1: Abu Zubaydah

Abu Zubaydah (full name Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn) was subjected to the most brutal forms of torture. He was captured in August 2002 by FBI, CIA and General Pervez Musharraf’s intelligence agents in Faisalabad.

Abu Zubaydah was accused of a laundry list of terrorist acts.

Donald Rumsfeld said he was “if not the number two, very close to the number two person” in al-Qaeda. The CIA informed Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee that he “served as Osama bin Laden’s senior lieutenant. In that capacity, he has managed a network of training camps… He also acted as al-Qaeda’s coordinator of external contacts and foreign communications.”

CIA Director Michael Hayden would tell the press in 2008 that 25% of all the information his agency had gathered about al-Qaeda from human sources “originated” with one other detainee and him.

But as Rebecca Gordon exposes in her brilliant article in Counterpunch, “None of it was true.” His real crime was that in the 1980s, he helped run the Khaldan camp. This was a mujahedeen training facility set up in Afghanistan with CIA help during the Soviet occupation of that country. In other words, Abu Zubaydah was, like Osama bin Laden, an American ally in the fight against the Soviets.

“Abu Zubaydah wasn’t involved with al-Qaeda; he was the ringleader of nothing; he never took part in planning for the 9/11 attacks. He was brutally mistreated and, in another kind of world, would be exhibit one in the war crimes trials of America’s top leaders and its major intelligence agency,” writes Ms. Gordon.

2: Omar Khadr

Captured in eastern Afghanistan in July 2002, he was shot twice in the chest by American occupation troops and barely survived. He was moved to Bagram airbase which served as America’s first torture location. While his wounds were still raw, Khadr, 15 at the time, was subjected to brutal torture. In October 2002, he was chained to the floor of a US military transport plane in extremely stressful position, and shipped to Guantanamo Bay on a 15-hour non-stop flight.

His real torture began there because he was accused of being an “al-Qaeda child”. Every soldier took turns to inflict their own punishment on him. Even the Canadian government led by the racist Stephen Harper at the time, joined in inflicting harm on him.

Khadr’s Canadian lawyers, Dennis Edney and Nate Whitling gamely fought on his behalf. They brought him to Canada in 2012 under a plea bargain. Khadr won his release in 2015 and received $10.5 million in compensation from the Canadian government in 2017 for violating his Charter rights. He was guilty of nothing.

3: Ammar al-Baluchi

According to his lawyer, Sarah Gannett, in an unclassified declaration, Ammar al Baluchi described one incident: “I wasn’t just being suspended to the ceiling, I was naked, starved, dehydrated, cold, hooded, verbally threatened, in pain from the beating and water-drowning [sic], as my head was smashed against the wall for dozen[s] and dozen[s] of times.”

The traumatic brain injury al Baluchi suffered has caused headaches, dizziness, extreme sensitivity to light and sound and has impaired his ability to think and perform everyday tasks. He has become a physical and mental wreck. Doctors say these symptoms will worsen over time and require long-term, intensive therapy.

Guantanamo Bay

Iran, Malaysia to soon witness great leap in relations: FM

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says that Tehran and Kuala Lumpur will witness a big leap in their relations in the near future.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a post on X social media, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday night on the occasion of Malaysia National Day.

Congratulating his Malaysian counterpart Zambry Abdul Kadir on the occasion, the top Iranian diplomat wrote that Iran has no limits over developing relations with the brotherly and Muslim country of Malaysia.

Iran and Malaysia will soon witness a leap in relations by finalizing a long-term strategic cooperation plan between the two countries, he added.

Independence Day, also known as National Day, is the independence day of the Federation of Malaya from the British Empire. It commemorates the Malayan Declaration of Independence of 31 August 1957, and is defined in Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia.

Iranian FM meets with Resistance leaders in Lebanon

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has held an extended meeting with the leaders of the Palestinian resistance movements of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad during a sojourn in Lebanon.

The top Iranian diplomat held the meeting on Thursday in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, to which he has traveled following a two-day visit to Syria.

Both sides laid emphasis during the meeting on the need for the liberation of Palestine from the Israeli regime's occupation.

The Islamic Republic, the Iranian foreign minister told the Resistance leaders, was still committed to its strategy of lending support to the Palestinian nation and Resistance and backing Palestine's liberation from occupation.

Amir-Abdollahian, meanwhile, cited Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as stressing the need for the provision of support for the occupied West Bank -- where the Israeli regime has increased its atrocities since the inauguration of its hard-right cabinet led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For their part, the Palestinian officials said they considered Resistance to be the strategic option for the Palestinian nation.

"There will be no retreat from the Resistance's operations in the West Bank," they said, calling the operations a "priority."

Back in June, Iran hosted a delegation of the Gaza Strip-based Resistance movements' officials, including the Islamic Jihad's Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala, which was being led by Hamas' Politburo Chief, Ismail Haniyeh.

The Palestinian officials held meetings during the visit with Ayatollah Khamenei as well as various Iranian officials.

Meeting with Haniyeh, the Leader praised the remarkable achievements of Palestinian Resistance groups and the sacrifices made by the Palestinian youth in the occupied territories, saying the West Bank was where the Israeli regime would be brought to its knees.

Ayatollah Khamenei also met with Nakhala, congratulating the Islamic Jihad's victory against the Israeli regime during Tel Aviv's latest war on Gaza, and stating, "The Zionist enemy is in a position of passivity and reaction today.

These circumstances indicate that the Resistance groups and the Islamic Jihad have recognized the path ahead correctly, and are walking down this path with prudence."

Hidden Aspects of Crash of €40-million Israeli-built Heron Drone

Alwaght- While the Israeli regime promotes itself as the top regional military power and one of the best modern arms producers in the world, the falsehood of its claims becomes clear to the world day by day. 

In this connection, after a show of inefficiency of the much-vaunted multi-billion Iron Dome air defense against the Palestinian rockets that have become a harrowing nightmare for the Israelis, now outside the occupied territories incidents to Israeli weapons have taken place that spread fear among the Israeli leaders. 

In the latest incident, an Israeli-build Heron drone operated by the European border protection agency, Frontex, crashed into the sea 70 nautical miles southeast of Crate island of Greece on Thursday while on a surveillance mission. The incident raised a set of questions about the crash of the drone on the European media circles and at the same time set off the alarm bells about the Israeli confidence in the capabilities of its drones. 

According to the European media, Heron, which was designed for maritime missions, was supplied to the Greece coast guard by the Frontex and was active since July in Tymbaki town of Crete where its base in located. 

The giant drone, which is the world’s most advanced and most expensive UAV, was operated as part of the European joint operation Poseidon that was launched in May 2008. 

The reasons for the crash are yet to be announced transparently, but according enikos.gr news website of Greece, Airbus company unexplainably lost satellite communication with the drone and this led to its crash in Karpathos Island in southeastern Aegean Sea. 

A Twitter account specializing in maritime watch suggested that the USS Gerard Ford aircraft carrier crossed the region to Eastern Mediterranean over the past few days. Also, Russian warships, as well as Turkish naval vessels and drones, were present in the Eastern Mediterranean region. 

With no information provided by the Frontex or the Greek coast guard so far about the crash, experts wonder if the UAV was targeted by jamming waves or was affected by electronic interference. 

Given the presence of American and Russian warships near the area of Heron crash, it is likely that one of the parties tried to shoot it down driven by mistaking its activities for spying. It is noteworthy that the level of aerial confrontation between the US and Russia over the Black and Mediterranean Seas has increased in the past year due to the Ukraine war, and in some cases it has led to the downing of drones. 

Heron, from claims to reality 

Certainly, Heron is one of the world’s most expensive arms project, as it is somehow the most expensive Israeli-built drone. 

It costs €40 million ($43 million) to build a Heron, almost half of the US-made state-of-the-art F-35 Lightening II fighter jet. 

According to figures, after several US military and civilian drones, Heron of the Israeli regime is considered as one of the most expensive arms projects in the world, which is included in the world’s top ten list in terms of price, quality and capability. 

Heron has a serial number of 572, with length of 8.47 meters, wing length of 16.60 meters, height of 2.303 meters, and weight of 1270 kilograms. 

This UAV sports surface movement radar, advanced photoelectric sensors, Automatic Identification System (AIS) system and satellite communication system (Satcom). At the request of Frontex, Airbus signed a contract with Germany Armed Forces to develop a part of the satellite navigation system of the drone and undertake its flight responsibility. 

Germany’s Hellas Posts news outlet said that if there is only one area where the Heron UAV stands out from its rivals, it is its advanced satellite communications systems coupled with impenetrable security protocols that make it nearly impossible for a ground pilot to lose control of the UAV. The money for this capability was paid, the outlet said, yet it crashed into the sea. 

Stamatis Bitas news of Greece in a Twitter post reported that the drone had issued several alarms during its surveillance missions in the Aegean Sea. 

The forthcoming days may see precise details about the reasons of the crash of this expensive drone published, or for security reasons, the Israeli and European officials may decide to keep it a secret. 

Israeli revenues from drone sales 

Having invested heavily on spying and combat drones to maintain its air superiority over the past decades, the Israeli regime made advances in this technology, and Tel Aviv has managed to make major profits from sales to European allies. 

Though many countries have made advances in drone technology in recent years and have developed their power in this field, the Europeans have used the Israeli ones for political and security reasons. 

According to European media, Turkish drones that have been extensively promoted recently and gained considerable reputation and were used in Ukraine war have similar technologies. Byraktar TB2, for instance, costs only €5 million to build compared to the Israeli drones that cost tens of million euros. 

This means that buying the Bayraktars is more cost-effective for Europeans, and they can even buy new generation drones from the US, but instead they have preferred to buy such weapons from the Israelis. In fact, by buying weapons from the Israeli regime, the Europeans provide a lot of benefits to Tel Aviv so that Israeli occupation can receive financial aid from Europe without the latter coming under pressure of human rights organizations. 

Though so far Tel Aviv has earned much from selling these drones to foreign customers, the crash of Heron without a specific reason raises concerns of the Israelis and their customers.  

Reportedly, several countries have signed contracts with the Israeli military to receive these drones, but now they are concerned about similar incidents to their drones and may decide to give their purchases a second thought. 

Tel Aviv seeks to provide Heron drones to the Arab countries as an incentive if the normalization proceeds. In January 2022, Morocco, the third country to normalize, said it will procure 3 Herons at a cost of over $48 million. 

However, system weakness in Heron UAVs can dissuade normalizing Arab countries from arms purchases from the Israeli regime and push them to other suppliers like Turkey and even Iran. 

Bitter Truth

 Inside the Occupied Palestine

An Israeli media outlet for the first time admitted the news about Iran’s achievement to the latest anti-tank missile technology.

According to the media, “Iran has announced since 2017 that it has developed the anti-tank missile technology similar to the Israeli SPIKE missile which is being developed in Israel for the past few years”. The media mentioned unveiling of the Iranian ALMAS (Diamond) -3 missiles during the recent exhibition of the Iranian Army’s advancements. The Iranian new missile is equipped with a thermobaric warhead and its range is increased to 10 km. “The new missile can be launched from the ground, by helicopter and by drone and has had a successful test of firing from drone and helicopter”, the media quoted.

Convicted Little Netanyahu

Not long after the recent moral scandal of the Israeli Prime Minister’s son, yet another fiasco was reported about false accusations published by him about an Israeli woman. PM’s son, Yair Netanyahu, was sentenced by a court today to pay 130.000 Shekels (amounting to over $35K) to a woman he had claimed has had some affairs with another Israeli high-ranking official illegally. Yair Netanyahu had published tweets about secret intimate sexual relations of a woman named Dana Cassidy and the ex-deputy prime minister of Israel Benny Gantz. The accusations seem to be rooted in the turbulation of relations between his father and Gantz arising from persistence of Netanyahu’s government on the judicial reforms. This is not the first time that activities of Netanyahu’s son have discredited him in the public.

This Is Not Just Trash Talking

The ex-chief of the operations unit of General Staff of the Israeli army made some interesting remarks in an interview with an Israeli media about the recent tensions between Lebanon and the Zionist Regime, especially on the border. “There are intense activities by Hezbollah and this verbal battle can be part of the problem between the two sides.

Contrary to Gazza, this is why installation of a simple bathroom in that area can embark an all-out war”, he said in the interview. Answering the question of whether Israel is moving towards tension and war, he answered “It’s hard to know, but Israel cannot remain silent against all these provocations. There is no doubt that Hezbollah and Iran are aware of every single incident happening inside Israel. In their view, Israel is weak now and every time, with a different tactic, they try to humiliate Israel. It is necessary for Israel to respond, but not to the extend which starts a war”. The Israeli military official also commented on the refusals in the army due to the ongoing controversial judicial reforms the government persuading and predicted an extensive wave of refusals in the near future. “What is happening within the reserve units will eventually overflow into the permanent staff of the army as well. This will happen, because the government will not step back from the judicial reforms and the military service law” he said.

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