Conspiracy Theory & the Qurʾān

عَنْ جَابِر بْن عَبْدِ اللَّهِ - رضى الله عنهما – قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -: الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ

Jābir رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم said, “War is deception.” [Muslim]

The problem with trying to follow the middle path as we are commanded to do, is that there will usually be extremes on either side condemning moderation as proof of belonging to the “other camp.” If however, our intention is to earn Allāh’s pleasure, then let us continue anyway.

Whether the Charlie Hebdo incident is true as depicted or yet another false flag is not what I am addressing here. To my mind, when the same Hollywood script is used ad nauseam and they can’t come up with a better plot of Muslim terrorists who keep leaving their passports and ID cards for the good guys to find, then something is definitely amiss. Those who understand such matters better are more suited to research the oddities and contradictions of these scripts. Or perhaps I could volunteer to write some more innovative scripts. I wonder how much they pay?

What I do wish to address is our attitude to news and conspiracy, for I find that there are two extreme reactions, both ignoring the middle path. There are those who immediately respond to every situation, that is has to be a conspiracy. This group spends an inordinate amount of time examining every word, colour, logo, body language, angle, you name it, and see a conspiracy in it. Coincidence does not exist in their vocabulary. Beyond concerns for their mental health, my greater concern is where such excess leads one to compromise one’s beliefs. Note how many Sunnis were entrapped by the Shīʿāh Arrivals Series. As I have already written about that group, let us look at the other extreme.

Chain of Narrators

The other extreme are those who accept everything CNN vomits out to be as true as the Word of our Creator. When it comes to our Islamic sciences, the very same people will point out that a certain Khabar (news) is narrated by a man who lied once in his life, or it is an isolated narration, or there was only a single witness, and a host of other reason for classifying it as a weak narration. I would ask, why do the same criteria not apply to your news and your resultant press statements? Why do certain news items, reported in thousands of publications, but ultimately all derived from Reuters, not deserve to be downgraded as “khabar of one narrator?” Please note, I am not in any way disparaging the Islamic sciences or the services of the classical scholars. I am pointing out a dichotomy amongst modern Muslim leaders.

Painting Your Acceptance of Western News as an Act of Faith

More nauseating than the simple accepting of face value news without question, is the supposed Islamic justification that I have heard. It has been touted that to research a conspiracy is a sign of weak faith. Say again? Yes, it is argued that everything is in Allāh’s plan. To give any credence to someone’s plot is to negate belief in Allāh’s plan. If you do not believe in Allāh’s plan you are a bad, bad Muslim. To turn the convoluted argument the other way – He who believes in Allah and the Last Hour shall believe in CNN and Fox News or burn in Hell. Such scholars are surely related to those who used to prostrate themselves before the Moghul Emperor, Akbar, and argue, “We are NOT bowing to one besides Allah. We are merely performing zameen bosi – kissing the earth.” The mentality and willingness to serve a human master are so similar.

Did Allāh’s Messenger not mention Deception?

Pirate ships would fly the flag of the ship the intending attacking, to allay their fear, and then attack. The other ship was deceived by a “false flag.” This is but one tactic of many historically recorded methods of deception within warfare and Allāh’s Messenger صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم himself noted, “War is deception.”

In the modern era false flags have become vastly more sophisticated and entail more intensive plotting and the goals are more than just a Spanish silver-bearing ship. The list of modern government sanctioned false flags aimed at waging wars and conquering countries are extensive. They are not the theories of conspiracists, but are historically known or revealed facts. Some of these false flags which were touted as “true news” just as Charlie Hebdo is today, include:

• ·         Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964. America made it look like North Vietnamese boats fired on a U.S. ship so that they could invade Vietnam.


• ·         The Red Army shelled the Russian village of Mainila in 1939. Blamed Finland and invaded Finland.


• ·         Japanese troops set off an explosion on a train track in 1931, and falsely blamed it on China in order to justify an invasion of Manchuria.

The list of verified incidents is long. False flags operations can be traced to the 19^th century and many are linked to the two world wars. ALL were reported as fact in the press at the time. The truth was revealed later. So why are Muslims so eager to accept every “news” item more eagerly than what they accept a Hadith?

Long before that, as recorded in the Qurʾān

The Qurʾān describes a conspiracy which took place thousands of years ago. It was aimed at assassinating the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him):

They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and thereafter we will surely say to his near relatives: `We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily, we are telling the truth.''' So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. [an-Naml: 49-50]

Beyond this incident, the Qurʾān repeatedly mentions plotting of the enemies of Islām. How possibly then can it be claimed that verifying or researching a conspiracy is a sign of no faith? I fear that the only answers are either ignorance, or deliberate service unto a master who is not Allah.

May Allah keep us physically and spiritually safe in the trials to come. May we be moderates as defined in the Sunnah, free of extremes.

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

Conspiracy Theory & the Qurʾān

عَنْ جَابِر بْن عَبْدِ اللَّهِ - رضى الله عنهما – قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -:  الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ

Jābir رضي الله عنه  narrated that the Prophet  صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم   said, “War is deception.” [Muslim]

The problem with trying to follow the middle path as we are commanded to do, is that there will usually be extremes on either side condemning moderation as proof of belonging to the “other camp.” If however, our intention is to earn Allāh’s pleasure, then let us continue anyway.

Whether the Charlie Hebdo incident is true as depicted or yet another false flag is not what I am addressing here. To my mind, when the same Hollywood script is used ad nauseam and they can’t come up with a better plot of Muslim terrorists who keep leaving their passports and ID cards for the good guys to find, then something is definitely amiss. Those who understand such matters better are more suited to research the oddities and contradictions of these scripts. Or perhaps I could volunteer to write some more innovative scripts. I wonder how much they pay?

What I do wish to address is our attitude to news and conspiracy, for I find that there are two extreme reactions, both ignoring the middle path. There are those who immediately respond to every situation, that is has to be a conspiracy. This group spends an inordinate amount of time examining every word, colour, logo, body language, angle, you name it, and see a conspiracy in it. Coincidence does not exist in their vocabulary. Beyond concerns for their mental health, my greater concern is where such excess leads one to compromise one’s beliefs. Note how many Sunnis were entrapped by the Shīʿāh Arrivals Series. As I have already written about that group, let us look at the other extreme.

Chain of Narrators

The other extreme are those who accept everything CNN vomits out to be as true as the Word of our Creator. When it comes to our Islamic sciences, the very same people will point out that a certain Khabar (news) is narrated by a man who lied once in his life, or it is an isolated narration, or there was only a single witness, and a host of other reason for classifying it as a weak narration. I would ask, why do the same criteria not apply to your news and your resultant press statements? Why do certain news items, reported in thousands of publications, but ultimately all derived from Reuters, not deserve to be downgraded as “khabar of one narrator?” Please note, I am not in any way disparaging the Islamic sciences or the services of the classical scholars. I am pointing out a dichotomy amongst modern Muslim leaders.

Painting Your Acceptance of Western News as an Act of Faith

More nauseating than the simple accepting of face value news without question, is the supposed Islamic justification that I have heard. It has been touted that to research a conspiracy is a sign of weak faith. Say again?  Yes, it is argued that everything is in Allāh’s plan. To give any credence to someone’s plot is to negate belief in Allāh’s plan.  If you do not believe in Allāh’s plan you are a bad, bad Muslim. To turn the convoluted argument the other way – He who believes in Allah and the Last Hour shall believe in CNN and Fox News or burn in Hell. Such scholars are surely related to those who used to prostrate themselves before the Moghul Emperor, Akbar, and argue, “We are NOT bowing to one besides Allah. We are merely performing zameen bosi – kissing the earth.” The mentality and willingness to serve a human master are so similar.

Did Allāh’s Messenger not mention Deception?

Pirate ships would fly the flag of the ship the intending attacking, to allay their fear, and then attack. The other ship was deceived by a “false flag.” This is but one tactic of many historically recorded methods of deception within warfare and Allāh’s Messenger صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم   himself noted, “War is deception.”

In the modern era false flags have become vastly more sophisticated and entail more intensive plotting and the goals are more than just a Spanish silver-bearing ship. The list of modern government sanctioned false flags aimed at waging wars and conquering countries are extensive. They are not the theories of conspiracists, but are historically known or revealed facts. Some of these false flags which were touted as “true news” just as Charlie Hebdo is today, include:

• ·         Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964. America made it look like North Vietnamese boats fired on a U.S. ship so that they could invade Vietnam.
• ·          The Red Army shelled the Russian village of Mainila in 1939. Blamed Finland and invaded Finland.
• ·         Japanese troops set off an explosion on a train track in 1931, and falsely blamed it on China in order to justify an invasion of Manchuria.

The list of verified incidents is long. False flags operations can be traced to the 19^th century and many are linked to the two world wars. ALL were reported as fact in the press at the time. The truth was revealed later. So why are Muslims so eager to accept every “news” item more eagerly than what they accept a Hadith?

Long before that, as recorded in the Qurʾān

The Qurʾān describes a conspiracy which took place thousands of years ago. It was aimed at assassinating the Prophet Salih (peace be upon him):

They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and thereafter we will surely say to his near relatives: `We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily, we are telling the truth.''' So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. [an-Naml: 49-50]

Beyond this incident, the Qurʾān repeatedly mentions plotting of the enemies of Islām. How possibly then can it be claimed that verifying or researching a conspiracy is a sign of no faith? I fear that the only answers are either ignorance, or deliberate service unto a master who is not Allah.

May Allah keep us physically and spiritually safe in the trials to come. May we be moderates as defined in the Sunnah, free of extremes.   

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

Translation of Ḥawqalah

from:	ahmed <support@kontactr.com>
date:	13 December 2014 at 02:19
subject:	Kontactr: Translation please
	Brother in islam-there is no power to avoid evil and no ability to do good except through allah most high, most mighty-from imam al-waqidi conquest of sahabas book.nnwould it be possible to translate into Arabic and Latin words please nnselam

REPLY

The phrase is called Ḥawqalah, just as “Allāhu Akbar” is called Takbīr.

لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله

Lā ḥāwla wa lā quwwata illā billāh

There is no power to avoid evil and no ability to do good
except through Allah [Most High, Most Mighty]

 

Although commonly translated as, “There is no strength and no might” I find that translation rather simplistic and lacking in sense. What exactly is the wide distinction between might, strength and power or any other synonym in English? Unfortunately this is but an example of the mental laziness of the Muslims. Some well-meaning person might have suggested this incomplete translation decades ago, our mentality is to continue customs of previous generations even in such matters which can be rectified. I had previously written on incorrectly translated common narrations and supplications.

Ḥawl means a power of negation and Quwwah means a power of positive implementation. This distinction is not apparent with, “There is no power/might/strength…” etc

The following extract from Fatḥul Bārī, Commentary on Ṣaḥīḥul Bukhārī, by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (Allāh’s mercy be upon him), should explain the above and clarify the reasons for my translation:

معنى لا حول لا تحويل للعبد عن معصية الله إلا بعصمة الله ولا قوة له على طاعة الله إلا بتوفيق الله وقيل معنى لا حول لا حيلة وقال النووي : هي كلمة استسلام وتفويض وأن العبد لا يملك من أمره شيئا وليس له حيلة في دفع شر ولا قوة في جلب خير إلا بإرادة الله - تعالى - –

The meaning of lā ḥawla is that the slave cannot turn away from the disobedience of Allāh, except through the protection of Allāh. And he has no quwwah to obey Allāh, except with Allāh granting him the ability. It is also said that lā ḥāwla is lā hīlah (no strategy). An-Nawawi said, “It is a word of surrender and handing over one’s affairs. The slave owns absolutely nothing of his own affair. He has no strategy which can repel evil, and no power in acquiring good except through what Allāh Most High intends.”

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

Translation of Ḥawqalah

from:	ahmed
date:	13 December 2014 at 02:19
subject:	Kontactr: Translation please

Brother in islam-there is no power to avoid evil and no ability to do good
except through allah most high, most mighty-from imam al-waqidi conquest of
sahabas book.nnwould it be possible to translate into Arabic and Latin words
please nnselam

REPLY

The phrase is called Ḥawqalah, just as “Allāhu Akbar” is called Takbīr.

لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله

Lā ḥāwla wa lā quwwata illā billāh

There is no power to avoid evil and no ability to do good
except through Allah [Most High, Most Mighty]

Although commonly translated as, “There is no strength and no might” I find that translation rather simplistic and lacking in sense. What exactly is the wide distinction between might, strength and power or any other synonym in English? Unfortunately this is but an example of the mental laziness of the Muslims. Some well-meaning person might have suggested this incomplete translation decades ago, our mentality is to continue customs of previous generations even in such matters which can be rectified. I had previously written on incorrectly translated common narrations and supplications.

 

Ḥawl means a power of negation and Quwwah means a power of positive implementation. This distinction is not apparent with, “There is no power/might/strength…” etc

The following extract from Fatḥul Bārī, Commentary on Ṣaḥīḥul Bukhārī, by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī (Allāh’s mercy be upon him), should explain the above and clarify the reasons for my translation:

معنى لا حول لا تحويل للعبد عن معصية الله إلا بعصمة الله ولا قوة له على طاعة الله إلا بتوفيق الله وقيل معنى لا حول لا حيلة وقال النووي : هي كلمة استسلام وتفويض وأن العبد لا يملك من أمره شيئا وليس له حيلة في دفع شر ولا قوة في جلب خير إلا بإرادة الله - تعالى - –

The meaning of lā ḥawla is that the slave cannot turn away from the disobedience of Allāh, except through the protection of Allāh. And he has no quwwah  to obey Allāh, except with Allāh granting him the ability. It is also said that lā ḥāwla is lā hīlah (no strategy). An-Nawawi said, “It is a word of surrender and handing over one’s affairs. The slave owns absolutely nothing of his own affair. He has no strategy which can repel evil, and no power in acquiring good except through what Allāh Most High intends.”

 سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

Who is the Bravest of People?

عن علي أنه قال: أخبروني من أشجع الناس؟ فقالوا أنت قال: أما إني ما بارزت أحدا إلا انتصفت منه ولكن أخبروني بأشجع الناس قالوا لا نعلم فمن قال أبو بكر إنه لما كان يوم بدر فجعلتم لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عريشا فقلنا من يكون مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لئلا يهوي إليه أحد من المشركين فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر شاهرا بالسيف على رأس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يهوي إليه أحد إلا هوى إليه فهو أشجع الناس قال علي رضي الله عنه ولقد رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأخذته قريش فهذا يجبأه وهذا يتلتله وهم يقولون: أنت الذي جعلت الآلهة إلها واحدا قال: فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر يضرب هذا ويجبأ هذا ويتلتل هذا وهو يقول ويلكم أتقتلون رجلا أن يقول ربي الله ثم رفع على بردة كانت عليه فبكى حتى اخضلت لحيته ثم قال أنشدكم الله أمؤمن آل فرعون خير أم أبو بكر فسكت القوم فقال ألا تجيبونني فوالله لساعة من أبي بكر خير من ألف ساعة من مثل مؤمن آل فرعون ذاك رجل يكتم إيمانه وهذا رجل أعلن إيمانه. أخرجه البزار في مسنده

This might not be a full article and I do not intend writing soon, but upon reading this narration from Musnad al-Bazzār, my heart yearned to share it with others. I intended writing that may Allāh accept the personality described here, but then thought, who am I to think that my supplication of acceptance is needed for one so already accepted? So in following the way of the pious and learned, I can at least say, “May Allāh be pleased with him.”

ʿAlī رضي الله عنه asked, “Tell me, who is the bravest of people?”
“You!” they replied.
He said, “As for me, I never fought anyone except that I exacted justice from him. Tell me, who is the bravest of people?”
They replied, “Then we do not know who.”
He said, “It is ʾAbū Bakr. At the Battle of Badr, you built a hut for Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . We then said, ‘Who will be with Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم so that no Mushrik may attack him?’ By Allāh! Not one of us stepped forward except ʾAbū Bakr with his sword drawn by the head of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . None came to attack except that he attacked him. So he is the bravest of people.”
ʾAlī رضي الله عنه continued, “Indeed I saw the Quraysh grabbing Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . One held him while another violently shook him. They were saying, ‘You are the one who made the gods one!’ By Allāh! None of us dared go near except Abū Bakr. He struck at one of them, pulled back another and shook another, whilst saying, ‘Woe unto you! Do you kill a man for saying my Lord is Allāh?’”
ʿAlī رضي الله عنه then raised the shawl which was upon him and wept until his beard became wet. He then said, “I implore you in Allāh’s name, tell me, is the believer of the people of Pharaoh better or is Abū Bakr?”
The people kept silent, so he said, “Will you not answer me? By Allāh! A single moment of Abū Bakr is superior to a thousand of the likes of the believer of the people of Pharaoh. That was a man who hid his faith and this is a man who publicly announced his faith.”

سليمان الكندي

Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi

Who is the Bravest of People?

عن علي أنه قال: أخبروني من أشجع الناس؟ فقالوا أنت قال: أما إني ما بارزت أحدا إلا انتصفت منه ولكن أخبروني بأشجع الناس قالوا لا نعلم فمن قال أبو بكر إنه لما كان يوم بدر فجعلتم لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عريشا فقلنا من يكون مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لئلا يهوي إليه أحد من المشركين فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر شاهرا بالسيف على رأس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يهوي إليه أحد إلا هوى إليه فهو أشجع الناس قال علي رضي الله عنه ولقد رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأخذته قريش فهذا يجبأه وهذا يتلتله وهم يقولون: أنت الذي جعلت الآلهة إلها واحدا قال: فوالله ما دنا منا أحد إلا أبو بكر يضرب هذا ويجبأ هذا ويتلتل هذا وهو يقول ويلكم أتقتلون رجلا أن يقول ربي الله ثم رفع على بردة كانت عليه فبكى حتى اخضلت لحيته ثم قال أنشدكم الله أمؤمن آل فرعون خير أم أبو بكر فسكت القوم فقال ألا تجيبونني فوالله لساعة من أبي بكر خير من ألف ساعة من مثل مؤمن آل فرعون ذاك رجل يكتم إيمانه وهذا رجل أعلن إيمانه. أخرجه البزار في مسنده

This might not be a full article and I do not intend writing soon, but upon reading this narration from Musnad al-Bazzār, my heart yearned to share it with others. I intended writing that may Allāh accept the personality described here, but then thought, who am I to think that my supplication of acceptance is needed for one so already accepted? So in following the way of the pious and learned, I can at least say, “May Allāh be pleased with him.”

ʿAlī رضي الله عنه  asked, “Tell me, who is the bravest of people?”

 “You!” they replied. 

He said, “As for me, I never fought anyone except that I exacted justice from him. Tell me, who is the bravest of people?” 

They replied, “Then we do not know who.” 

 He said, “It is ʾAbū Bakr. At the Battle of Badr, you built a hut for Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم  . We then said, ‘Who will be with Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم  so that no Mushrik may attack him?’ By Allāh! Not one of us stepped forward except ʾAbū Bakr with his sword drawn by the head of Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . None came to attack except that he attacked him. So he is the bravest of people.”

ʾAlī رضي الله عنه  continued, “Indeed I saw the Quraysh grabbing Rasūlullāh صلى الله عليه وسلم . One held him while another violently shook him. They were saying, ‘You are the one who made the gods one!’ By Allāh! None of us dared go near except Abū Bakr. He struck at one of them, pulled back another and shook another, whilst saying, ‘Woe unto you! Do you kill a man for saying my Lord is Allāh?’”

ʿAlī رضي الله عنه  then raised the shawl which was upon him and wept until his beard became wet. He then said, “I implore you in Allāh’s name, tell me, is the believer of the people of Pharaoh better or is Abū Bakr?”

The people kept silent, so he said, “Will you not answer me? By Allāh! A single moment of Abū Bakr is superior to a thousand of the likes of the believer of the people of Pharaoh. That was a man who hid his faith and this is a man who publicly announced his faith.” 

سليمان الكندي 

Twitter: @sulayman_Kindi