By Abdul Basir Omari
In the blessed religion of Islam, the killing of a Muslim is among the gravest of sins and one of the most heinous crimes, second only to shirk and disbelief. Imam al-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
«أَكْبَرُ الْكَبَائِرِ بَعْدَ الشِّرْكِ بِاللَّهِ قَتْلُ النَّفْسِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ» الکبائر ص 12.
“The greatest of the major sins after Shirk (associating partners with Allah) is indeed the unjust killing of a soul that Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause.”
(Kitab al-Kaba’ir, p. 12)
Allah Almighty has issued severe warnings in the Holy Qur’an regarding the killing of a believer and has listed four grave consequences for such a crime. First, the murderer will abide in the Fire for a prolonged time. Second, Allah’s wrath will be upon him. Third, Allah’s curse will fall upon him. Fourth, Allah has prepared for him a tremendous punishment. Allah Almighty says:
{وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا} [ النساء: 93]
“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally; and Allah is angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment.”
(Surah al-Nisa, 4:93)
The Daeshi Khawarij, whose hands have long been stained with this unforgivable crime, have, like their predecessors, turned the killing of Muslims into a permanent and defining practice. Just days ago, they once again demonstrated this reality through a brutal attack in Kabul’s Shahr-e Naw area, where they targeted a restaurant owned by Chinese Muslims and martyred several innocent believers. This assault exposed many realities about ISIS, several of which deserve careful attention:
First, the Daeshi Khawarij are not, despite their constant claims, an Islamic caliphate to which Muslims across the world owe allegiance regardless of nationality or origin. In this very attack, Chinese Muslim civilians were killed. How can such a group claim to represent an Islamic caliphate when people are targeted simply for being Chinese, regardless of whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim?
The Daeshi Khawarij have severed themselves from Islam’s foundational principle that a person’s blood becomes sacred through the testimony of tawhid, no matter his homeland or place of residence. By spilling the blood of Chinese Muslims in pursuit of their masters’ political objectives, they only heap upon themselves Allah’s wrath, His curse, and a severe and inevitable punishment.
Second, this atrocity by the Daeshi Khawarij also confirms the prophetic warning delivered by the Messenger of Allah (PBUH):
«يَقْتُلُونَ أَهْلَ الإِسْلَامِ وَيَدَعُونَ أَهْلَ الأَوْثَان» رواه البخاري.
“They will kill the people of Islam and leave the idol-worshippers.”
(Bukhari)
Throughout their entire bloodstained history, the Daeshi Khawarij have not made any serious attempt to kill Israelis. Compared to Muslims, they have not killed even a fraction of that number among disbelievers. Their central mission has always been the murder of the people of Islam and the spilling of Muslim blood.
Why do they not target those brutal Zionist forces who oppress Muslims in Palestine, yet instead murder impoverished Chinese Muslims in a Kabul hotel? Surely, as Allah Almighty has declared, His curse and wrath rest upon them, and the Almighty Lord will subject them to severe punishment. Why do these accursed and wrath-stricken individuals refrain from attacking the arrogant and tyrannical powers of the world who stand behind the scenes as their patrons? Why do they not confront or kill them?
The answer is unmistakable: ISIS consists of predatory beasts in human form who exploit the name of Islam and recognize no prey other than Muslims.
Third, this attack decisively proves that the Daeshi Khawarij work not for the benefit of the Muslim Ummah, but directly against it. They repeatedly present themselves as defenders of the Ummah, yet what exactly was defended by this attack? Was the Ummah strengthened by the murder of innocent believers? Was Islamic land liberated from disbelievers through this bloodshed? What tangible benefit did the Ummah gain from the spilling of this innocent blood?
قاتلهم الله انی يؤفکون!