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Jun 08, 2011
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Egyptian Cleric Abu Ishaq Al-Heweny Explains Enslavement of People Captured in Jihad: They All Become Booty (Archival)

#5214 | 06:56
Source: Online Platforms

In a lecture, Egyptian cleric Abu Ishaq Al-Heweny explained how the enslavement of people in countries conquered by Jihad is carried out. "In every war there is a winner and a loser," he said. "According to the rules of Islam, all the people in the [conquered] country become booty," and are "divided between the mujahideen," he said. Al-Heweny also talked about the benefits of slave markets, saying that they were useful if you needed a little spare cash.


Following are excerpts from the lecture, which was posted on the Internet on June 8, 2011.


Abu Ishaq Al-Heweny: A young journalist from the Al-Youm Al-Sabe' website… They look for old stuff. They dug up a lecture of mine from 20 years ago, for example. This does not mean that I've changed what I say in these 20 years. No. I haven't changed a thing. When I talk about religion, what I stay is fixed. What I said 30 years ago is exactly what I say today.


[…]


This journalist found a video segment from 18 years ago, in which I talked about Jihad, its rulings, and its consequences. This was a lesson in jurisprudence. Okay? I said there that according to the rulings of Jihad, if we fight polytheists… The Prophet Muhammad told the military commander that he should do three things: This hadith appears in the Muslim compilation. If you fight polytheist enemies, offer them three options: First, call them to join Islam. If they join Islam, let them be, because they will become just like you, and you won't fight Muslims. If they refuse to join Islam, they should pay the jizya poll tax. If they are willing to pay the jizya, take it from them and let them be. Okay so far?


If they refuse to pay the jizya, seek the help of Allah and fight them. These are the three options, which the Prophet Muhammad related to the military commander. In every war, there is a winner and there is a loser. If we win and invade the land of our infidel enemy… Jihad is a pure Islamic term. It is not a synonym for fighting, combat, struggle, or any other word. The basic prerequisite of Jihad is that your enemy be non-Muslim.


[…]


If we are the winners, it is only natural for us to impose the rules of Islam on the country we invaded. According to the rules of Islam, all the people in that country become booty and prisoners of war: the women, the men, the children, the money, the homes, the fields… All these become the property of the Islamic state.


[…]


What is the fate of the prisoners of war according to the shari'a? Since they constitute booty, they should be divided between the mujahideen. According to the hadith, the law states that anyone who did not participate in the raid does not get a share of the booty. This is well known. If you didn't participate in the Jihad, you don't get to share the booty. Let's say that we invaded a country with a population of half a million. What are we supposed to do with them?


We check how many mujahideen there were. Let's say there were 100,000. That's it, then. Each mujahid gets five of them. Each one gets five, but there can be a variety. You can take two men, two women, and a child, or the other way around. You divide them up. Great. As soon as this system is in place, there has to be a slave market, where can sell slaves, slavegirls, and children.


Each of these "heads" comes with a price. Let's say I am entitled to five "heads." I don't need any of them, but could use a little cash. Am I supposed to hang them just to get rid of them? No, you can sell them in the market. Well, in order for me to be able to sell them there has to be a market. Then the haggling begins: How much would you pay for this one? And for that one? The buyer says: 300. I say: No, let's make it 314. Eventually, he buys them. He takes them and leaves. Okay?


The way to repent for some sins is be removing the shackles from a slave's neck, setting him free. Where can I get a slave's neck, so I can get rid of my sins? I have to go and buy one. So, obviously, there has to be a slave market, where I can buy a slave's neck, and tell the slave that he is free for the sake of Allah.


[…]


We are talking about rulings that are fixed in the Quran. I was talking about a piece of information, not about its implementation. There is a difference between the veracity of information and its implementation. I didn't discuss the implementation in this or any other lesson. The implementation is not up to me. It is the prerogative of the higher command, which brandishes the banner of Jihad, legislates laws, and mobilizes armies. I am talking about a true piece of information, not about its implementation. They quoted the story and accused me of implementing this.


[…]


Every religion in the world must be based on moral values. "Would you compel the people in order that they become believers?" In order for any religion to enter people's hearts, it must be based on moral values.


[…]

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