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A lead article in the latest issue of the "Voice of Khurasan," an English-language monthly magazine published by Al-Azaim Media Foundation, a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS), says that the Muslims lost during the First Crusade (1096-1099) because they "stopped trying to stay well-prepared for jihad, socially, physically, and strategically."
Citing Quran verses and sayings of Muhammad, the article says Allah commands Muslims to remain prepared for jihad. Warns of a serious response to Israel's attack on Gaza. The article, titled: "What We Learn From The Early Crusades," reads: "Another thing that should be taken into account is that right now, in 2023, the history of the First Crusade is repeating itself;[it] all started with the illegal invasion of Iraq, then it was followed by Arab Spring in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Egypt, where the West just stole resources and humiliated Islam in the name of their pathetic democracy."
It states: "And now the repetition of the First Crusade has reached a peak with the Zionist invasion of Gaza and occupied West Bank of Palestine. Although we are now going through a similar situation like the First Crusade, but there is a solution to every terrible situation for this Ummah, and the solution lies in following in the footsteps of the righteous predecessors who brought back glorious victory in the Second and Third Crusades."
The appears in Issue 31 of "Voice of Khurasan," which is dated Jamadi-us-Saani 1445, in the Hijri calendar, which corresponds with the lunar month beginning October 16, 2023.[1]
Following is the text of the article:
"During The First Crusade, The Islamic Ummah Were Deeply Divided; And Although In Terms Of Wealth, Resources, And Education, We Were Far Ahead Of The Kuffar [Unbelievers]... We Became Too Attached To Comfort And Luxury, And Lacked Physical Activities And Concrete Preparation For Jihad"
"In today's world, everyone, including many devoted Muslims, are afraid to even utter the word jihad. The West has put forward enormous efforts of labelling jihad as terrorism, while [the] Crusade is being celebrated universally in the form of literature, movies, video games, etc.
"Now jihad is going through an identity crisis, and has been ridiculed and bullied by the so-called western and modern system, and the reason behind such humiliation is that we are not being true to our religious obligation of jihad. It's an age of darkness when the countries of the Muslims salivate over the friendship with kuffar [unbelievers] and Tawagheet [tyrants] for their support and international recognition.
"Jihad in Islam implies striving for the cause of Allah. It is obligatory for Muslims to raise their voice and fight against kufr [unbelief], shirk [idolatry], injustice, corruption, and oppression committed against Muslims, and this is possible only when we are spiritually, mentally, and physically prepared and strong.
"Unfortunately, also during the First Crusade [1096-1099 CE], the Islamic Ummah were deeply divided. And although in terms of wealth, resources, and education, we were far ahead of the kuffar...we became too attached to comfort and luxury, and lacked physical activities and concrete preparation for jihad. Prophet Muhammad encouraged maintaining physical fitness by exercising [the body] and brisk walking."
"The Barbaric Savages Of The West Were Extremely Jealous Of The Islamic World Because Clearly Islam And Muslim Civilization Was... Superior..."
"Moreover, he [Prophet Muhammad] insisted in doing exercise for the sake of Allah for maintaining good health, and most importantly, for staying prepared for jihad in any time: [Allah says in the Quran] 'And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy' – (Al-Anfal: 60). 'Prepare as you might to build the strength of war, know it...the strength of the war lies in the archers, know that the strength of the war lies in the archers, know that the strength of the war lies in the archers' – (Muslim, Kitab Al-Imarah, Hadith No. 167:1225)
"So, it is a lesson that we should never forget that our Ummah should always remain prepared and be ready with physical strength because that is a necessary instrument to strike fear and terrify our enemies. Unfortunately, during the First Crusade we paid a terrible price due to internal division and unpreparedness.
"Crusade is a series of wars waged between Christian Europeans and Muslims that took place between 1096 to 1272. Although we hear about Crusade quite commonly especially in the books of history; however, it has been wrongly portrayed by the western media as Christianity's war to take back their so-called holy land.
A screenshot from the article.
"Christian Europeans propagated the whole situation to be a divine order by God, and this was triggered by the evil Pope Urban II who passionately encouraged everyone in Europe to an armed pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The intention behind this propaganda was not holy but it was rather motivated by greed and jealousy, and in reality, the barbaric savages of the West were extremely jealous of the Islamic world because clearly Islam and Muslim civilization was far more superior in terms of justice, economy, education, culture, and innovation."
"The People Of The West, Including Kings, Were Barbaric Savages And They Didn't Even Know How To Write Their Own Names"; "What The West So Casually Forgets To Mention Is Every Manuscript That Paved The Way For European Renaissance Were Translated From Arabic"
"The West always pretends to be the flag bearer of creativity, scientific discoveries, philosophy, literature, art, and freedom of expression, but in reality, they are just thieves and are the perfect example of bunch of insidious treacherous civilization lacking any legit moral values and identity.
"Now you might often hear the West itself referring its Middle Ages to be the Dark Ages due to lack of moral advancement, but in reality, from the very beginning of history, they had been mainly focusing on indulging in various forms of sinful pleasurable intoxication such as alcohol, orgies, snuffboxes, etc.
"The people of the West, including kings, were barbaric savages and they didn't even know how to write their own names, whereas in the Islamic world it was difficult even to find a peasant who couldn't read and write.
"The only time the West saw a beam of hope and enlightenment was because of the so-called Renaissance, and naturally the Europeans are proud of their achievement because this marked the end of their Dark Ages and they welcomed [the] creation of new scientific fields through chemistry, algebra, and also through philosophy, literature, music, etc.
"However, what the West so casually forgets to mention is every manuscript that paved the way for European renaissance were translated from Arabic from the work of the those living in the Islamic world. Worst of all is that they never mentioned the atrocities and manipulation caused by them during that age. Christianity never inspired the spirit of learning, rather they stole and suppressed it.
"In the pre-Islamic time, they vandalized the Library of Alexandria, and they continued the legacy of barbarism and ignorance, as by evil Pope Gregory's instruction, Crusaders burned library of Palestine and that of Tripoli. And did the same in Andalusia, where Ferdinand and Isabella put all Muslims' works to flames, and they did not only destroy libraries, but they also gathered all important books and misused for materializing their evil objectives. Apparently, education, science, and invention randomly flourished, but all their socio-economic achievements are stained with Islamic blood and ashes."
"The Recruitment For The First Crusade Was A Peculiar Phenomenon Because It Consisted Of Drunkard Undisciplined Savages Who Were Annihilated By The Turks Without Any Effort"
"The recruitment for the First Crusade was a peculiar phenomenon because it consisted of drunkard undisciplined savages who were annihilated by the Turks without any effort. After this failure, Raymond of Toulouse, Godfrey of Bouillon, Robert of Flanders, and Bohemond of Otranto joined forces together and prepared 4,000 knights and 25,000 infantries.
"These kings came together only because the Pope was able to show them that conquering Jerusalem will eradicate their poverty and increase their living standards. This proves that their entire cause was motivated by materialism, and their cause was built on a shallow foundation.
"Furthermore, throughout the era of [the] Crusades, it has been proven by the West that their own religion is nothing more than a business deal, and they do not really care about the religious values. In their New Testament itself, in Matthew 22:37-39, it is stated that 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'
"The Crusaders defiled the sanctity of their own religion not just by killing Muslims, but also by killing their own Christians brothers and sisters just to gain more authority, power and lands. This clearly shows that the only religion that the West worships is wealth and greed. Whereas in Islam, Jerusalem is considered sacred for many reasons."
A screenshot of the article.
"Jerusalem is the land where Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, was first ordered by Allah to build Al-Aqsa Mosque, and at the beginning Muslims faced the direction of Al-Aqsa during prayers. So, Jerusalem was considered as the First Qibla of Muslims. Jerusalem is also the birthplace of Prophet Solomon, peace be upon him, and therein the blessing of the ability to speak with jinn[2] and animals was bestowed upon him by Allah."
"During The First Crusade, The Crusaders Killed Christians, Muslims, And Jews In Antioch [Antakya In Southern Turkey] And Jerusalem"
"Furthermore and most importantly, from Bait-ul-Muqaddas of Jerusalem, Prophet Muhammad miraculously ascended to heaven for his sacred appointment with Allah the exalted. It was during this appointment that Allah commanded five times daily prayer, which is regarded as one of the most important pillars of Islam. So, undoubtedly, we, the Muslims, are the only rightful claimants of this Holy city.
"After a few failures, the Crusaders witnessed some success, they were able to defeat the army of Seljuk Turks in Dorylaeum [near Eskişehir, Turkey], then slowly but steadily they were able to take over more lands.
"However, despite the attacks by the Crusaders, they would have failed terribly and the only reason they succeeded was because Bohemond bribed a Turkish traitor to open Antioch's bridge gate at night and the entire city was swarmed by Christian army, and in that horrible night, thousands of Muslims and civilians were massacred brutally, and this marked an artful victory by the Crusaders, when the city's fortified citadel was taken from the Muslims.
"Despite gathering swarms of soldiers under their wing, the West would never be able to enter the Muslim world. War is the favorite game of the infidel West, and the only way they know how to play this game is through their dirty and treacherous tactics. The Crusaders were stuck in difficult six months' siege with the Turks.
"During the First Crusade, the Crusaders killed Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Antioch [Antakya in southern Turkey] and Jerusalem. But in Christianized Europe, nobility was ransomed. Let make one thing clear about Crusaders' victory: it was not because of any divine favor from God, nor was it due to Crusaders' strong and resolute soldiers, but the main reason for their victory was that the Muslims were constantly fighting against each other."
"The Success Behind The First Crusade Was Due To The Disunity Within The Islamic World"
"Every strong community demands a healthy level of unity among members; unity creates strength and harmony, and it helps a community advance and also creates a strong shield and defense against outside enemies. The holy Quran and the Sunnah urge Muslims all around the world to be together and work as a single Ummah. Throughout the life, Prophet Muhammad commanded Muslims to function as a single body, that means we celebrate our victory being a single body and share each other's pain, as a single body.
"[The Quran orders:] 'And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies, then he united your hearts so by his favor you became brethren; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire' – (Ali Imran: 103).
"Therefore, we as an Ummah are obligated to maintain our unity because that is the core of a healthy society and that is also considered as the backbone and soul of Islam. A society becomes a force to be reckoned with when it solidifies its unity whereas unnecessary quarrelling, jealously, and discord will cause weakness and eventually destroy and poison the livelihood of any civilization.
The cover article of the magazine calling for a new holocaust.
"In hadith [a saying or deed of Muhammad], it has been narrated: 'Verily, the believers are like a structure, each part strengthening the other' –Sahih al-Bukhari. 'None of you will have faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself' – Sahih al-Bukhari. Therefore, the success behind the First Crusade was due to the disunity within the Islamic world. Improvement and development in culture and science means nothing if the members within the community dislike each other. Moreover, throughout Islamic history it is evident that internal conflicts damaged substantially the soul of Islam, and this was exactly what happened during the First Crusade.
"During that time Muslims leaders were in conflict with each other, and the ordinary Muslims had to pay the consequences of it by being overpowered by the Crusaders and by losing hold on Jerusalem. Besides, Muslims during that time stopped trying to stay well-prepared for jihad socially, physically, and strategically. Furthermore, after conquering Muslim territories in Jerusalem, Tripoli, Edessa, and Antioch, the Crusaders were able to remain dominant there for many years because of the intense internal enmity of the Muslims in those regions.
"Back then leaders within the Muslim nation forgot about the teachings of our beloved Prophet; Prophet Muhammad told people to never be selfish and strive to become better Muslim, and he reminded to help other brothers and sisters in faith, and whoever does otherwise is not a true Muslim. Unfortunately and embarrassingly, during the First Crusade, the leaders of Muslims (except for a few zealous ones) cared only about their own selfish power and authority. Later it took several decades for the Muslims to reunite again and conquer Jerusalem from Crusaders again."
"Right Now In 2023 History Of The First Crusade Is Repeating Itself, All Started With The Illegal Invasion Of Iraq; Then It Was Followed By Arab Spring In Syria, Yemen, Libya And Egypt, Where The West Just Stole Resources And Humiliated Islam In The Name Of Their Pathetic Democracy"
"Another thing that should be taken into account is that right now in 2023 history of the first Crusade is repeating itself, all started with the illegal invasion of Iraq; then it was followed by Arab Spring in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Egypt, where the West just stole resources and humiliated Islam in the name of their pathetic democracy.
"And now the repetition of the First Crusade has reached the peak with the Zionist invasion of Gaza and occupied West Bank of Palestine. Although we are now going through a similar situation like the First Crusade, but there is a solution to every terrible situation for this Ummah, and the solution lies in following in the footsteps of the righteous predecessors who brought back glorious victory in Second and Third Crusades.
"And there could be no solution other than holding firm to the rope of Allah and being not divided and fighting against the enemies of Allah as our righteous predecessors fought. And today, the soldiers of the Islamic State have repeated, in multiple lands, what their heroic brothers have done in other Crusader states, punishing the states of Turkey, Spin, Russia, Belgium, and other lands of the Crusaders and murtadeen [apostates].
"So let the Crusader governments prepare themselves for an increase of loss in war, and for an increase in what they haemorrhage of wealth, and of things that are precious to them, for tomorrow is close at hand."
[1] The original English of the article has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
[2] In Islam, jinns are a type of beings believed to be created by Allah and generally invisible to humans. Like humans, jinns are believed to be accountable for their actions and can be Muslims or unbelievers.
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