In the name of God
The al-Qaeda Organisation – General Leadership
“You have lived in glory and died as a martyr”
A statement about the dignity and martyrdom of Sheikh Osama bin Laden, may Allah have mercy on him
In the name of God
Thank God who said: “And if you are killed in the cause of Allah or die – then forgiveness from Allah and mercy are better than whatever they accumulate [in this world].” [Quran 3:157]. Peace be upon the Prophet who said: “I would love to fight in Allah's Cause and then get martyred and then resurrected (come to life) and then get martyred and then resurrected (come to life) and then get martyred, and then resurrected (come to life) and then get martyred and then resurrected (come to life)”, and peace be upon His [the Prophet’s] family and his companions who spread rightfulness and justice, and those who kept the religion safe with their own necks, and those who have spilled their blood to elevate the religion. “And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious
scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah , nor did they weaken or submit” [Quran 3:146]. Peace upon those who followed their path, fought their jihad, and adopted their patience and will do so until the day of judgement.
And to proceed: In a historical day, among these historical days of the Islamic nation, and in a typical situation found in the story of heroes and men throughout its blessed history, and on a road that was paved by those who chose it before [ie, martyrdom], and those will choose it later, the mujahid leader zahid [aesthetic] muhajir [immigrant], Sheikh Abu Abdullah Osama bin Mohammed bin Laden was killed, may God have mercy on him. He was killed in a moment of sincerity where he combined words and actions, with dawah and proof to join the caravan of great leaders, loyal soldiers and honest knights who refused to let their religion fall to a lower status or to let their religion be led and humiliated by those who themselves deserved humiliation and insult because they have gone astray. He faced weapons with weapons, force with force, and he accepted the challenge of arrogant forces who came with machinery, weapons, aircraft, and troops to subjugate the people. He was neither weak before them, nor did he capitulate. However, he challenged them face to face, like a towering building which no one can surmount. He kept fighting a battle with which he was familiar, and from which he did not desist. He completed his duty until the bullets of the treacherous infidels took his soul back to Allah while chanting:
Those who donate their souls for Allah in exchange for repelling falsehood, who can blame him?
He ended his luminous life with a badge of dignity that he keenly sought for years across the world, so when it finally came to him he embraced it gladly. It is martyrdom in the path of Allah. “But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good]” [Quran 41:35]. The echoes of his words still remain on the horizons: “happy are the ones who Allah has taken as martyrs, and who never considered themselves as weak”.
Those who think they can fight wars and not get injured are mistaken.
Congratulations to the Islamic nation for the martyrdom of your loyal son Osama who after a life full of earnestness and effort, steadfastness and patience, calling and jihad, giving and generosity, migration and travel, advising and thinking, wisdom and statesmanship – the life of the Sheikh of jihad of our times has ended, so that his blood, words, stances, and finality will stay as a spirit that will run through thebody of Muslim generations for years to come. They learned from him that glory is not built by merewishes and hopes. Leadership is not about position and decoration. Belief and principles are not words rolled off the tongue. Religions are not victorious with half-hearted efforts. They learned that the path to dignity in both this life and the hereafter is open for those who are prepared to pay its price and carry its consequences, and that leadership of the faith is built on sincerity and devotion, and is not achieved without patience and absolute belief.
That the Americans have killed Osama is neither shameful nor disgraceful as men and heroes are only killed on the battlefield, and every soul has an appointed time. Are the Americans able to kill what Sheikh Osama lived and fought for, even with all their soldiers, intelligence, and agencies? Never! Never!
Sheikh Osama did not build an organisation that would die with him, nor would end with him. “They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it. It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it” [Quran 61:8-9].
These verses will stay as thorns in the necks of those who are deaf, mute, and without understanding.
The religion of Allah will persist, of which jihad in the path of Allah is an integral. Its beliefs will be carried by those with clear hearts, and with pure hands working to revive it, and with sincere groups empowering it. They will not be harmed by their enemies, or those who let them down, until the promise of Allah is fulfilled.
Sheikh Osama bin Laden was not a Prophet sent in the twentieth century. He was a Muslim man from the dignified Islamic nation. He held fast to his religion, and sold his life for the hereafter and worked for it. Allah granted him a high status because he held his religion in high status. Allah dignified him because he dignified the word of Allah. He was a source of fear for all the nations of disbelief, but he feared no one except Allah. The nation that produced Osama is a productive and fertile nation, and from it many more men and heroes like him will come: those who favour sacrifice and patience; and who make it hard for their enemies to live while opening the doors of hell to them. The school of faith,
Quran, and jihad, which produced Sheikh Osama bin Laden has never closed its doors and never will.
The book of Allah is protected and its verses are being recited day and night, and it will never be erased, even if the whole world conspired against it. This will never happen because the Islamic nation has rallied to the defence of its religion and is prepared to sacrifice for its belief. It is now strong in facing its enemies, after having realised what they plan for the Islamic nation. Sheikh Osama contributed towards raising a pure and religious generation with his righteous brothers which is now proud of their belief and is steadfast in Islam. Instead, they look down on the disbelieving West and on its false civilisation of indecency, immorality, promiscuity and hypocrisy. It is a generation that looks at the killing of its leaders as inspiration to fortify their belief, and not as a demoralising loss. They recite: “And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast. And their words were not but that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people."
So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves the doers of good” [Quran 3:146-148].
If the light of Islam and jihad could disappear with the killing or death of just one man, it would have gone the day Prophet Mohammed died, or it would have ended the day Omar was killed in the mosque, or Othman next to his book of Quran, or Ali in the street (may Allah bless all of them). The light of rightfulness did not fade with the death of those who conquered the East and West with jihad, and their followers did not give up because of their absence. Instead, they were emboldened by these attacks from their enemies and were determined to extract revenge, holding the flag of truth in their hands, while reciting: “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah . Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration” [Quran 33:23].
From this, al-Qaeda makes a pledge to Allah and we seek his help, support and assistance, to proceed down the road of jihad along which our leaders have traversed behind Sheikh Osama. We are neither reluctant nor hesitant to proceed along this path without deviation until the judgement of Allah prevails between us and our enemies. We will proceed until victory of martyrdom. “So let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. And he who fights in the cause of Allah and is killed or achieves victory – We will bestow upon him a great reward” [Quran 4:74].
The blood of the mujahid Sheikh Osama bin Laden is more precious to us and every Muslim than to simply be spilled in vain. We assure there will be a curse hunting the Americans and their agents, chasing them both outside and inside their countries. Soon, God willing, their joy will turn to sadness and blood will mix with their tears. We will fulfil the oath of Sheikh Osama ‘America and those who live in America will not live in peace until our people in Palestine live in peace. The soldiers of Islam, both as groups and individuals, will keep on planning catastrophes that will even make the hair of babies turn grey’.
We call for the Muslims in Pakistan on whose soil Sheikh Osama was killed to rise up and revolt, and cleanse this shame imposed on them by traitors and thieves who sold everything to the enemies of their nation. They mocked the feelings of the people who are generous and so we call for a strong uprising to cleanse the country (Pakistan) from the ruinous American parasite. “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” [Quran 13:11].
The Sheikh did not leave this world before taking part in the joys of the revolution of the Islamic nation which has challenged injustice. He recorded an audio statement one week before his death including his advice and instructions which we will publish soon, God willing. He closed it with this poem:
Dignity and glad tidings come to those who speak the word of truth to a tyrant,
It is the path to take in this life and it is the path that leads to the afterlife,
It is in your hands whether you die as a slave or as a free man.
We are warning the Americans against humiliating the corpse of the Sheikh or mistreating any of his dignified family members whether alive or dead. The corpse should be delivered to the families. Any mistreatment will only increase your hell, for which you will only have yourselves to blame. We call for all Muslims to carry on with their duty of upholding rightfulness.
Everything is up to Allah, and those who have caused injustice will soon know their fate.
We thank Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and peace be upon Mohammed and his family.
The al-Qaeda organisation / General Leadership
3 May 2011
Al-Fajr media
