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The coverpage article in the latest issue of the "Voice of Khurasan" – which is published by the Islamic State (ISIS) – attacks the Afghan Taliban's growing alliance with Iran and friendship with Shi'ites in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban organization) has been trying since it took over Kabul in August 2021 to advocate peace with the Shi'ite communities in Afghanistan, even though the Taliban mujahideen, like all other jihadi groups, continue to view Shi'ites as unbelievers and liable to be killed.
The Voice of Khurasan is published by Al-Azaim Foundation, the media arm of the Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISIS-K). The latest edition of the English-language monthly magazine, Issue Six, is dated Shawwal 1443, the month in the Hijri calendar beginning May 2, 2022.
A screenshot of the coverpage article
In its coverpage article, titled "Taliban – Guardians of Shirk," the magazine describes Shi'ites as well as Sufi Muslims as mushrikeen ("polytheists"), accusing them of shirk ("idolatry") by worshipping graves and seeking blessings from the dead instead of Allah. The article is cognizant of Shi'ite Iran's aid to the Afghan Taliban and reproduces photos showing the Taliban leaders worshipping alongside the Shi'ites on their trip to Iran.
The article draws attention to the fact that the Ottoman Empire, which was also the seat of the Caliphate until it was abolished in 1924, Islamic clerics of Najd, Saudi Arabia, fought the Ottoman forces for committing polytheistic sins like those committed by the Afghan Taliban nowadays in Afghanistan. It also deems Nawruz, the new year's celebrations according to the Zoroastrian calendar, as outside the fold of Islam and accuses the Taliban of permitting this sin, a point that will resonate with some Taliban fighters.
Following are excerpts from the article:
"There Is No Difference Between The Taliban And The Ottoman State Against Whom Imams Of Najd Waged Jihad"
"Indeed, all praise belongs to Allah, who has no partners and is the only God worthy of worship. May peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad, and his household and his companions.
"Allah says: Whoever disbelieves in Taghut [Tyrant] and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is all-hearer, all-knower – (Al-Surah Baqarah – 256).
"Abu'l Hayaaj al-Asadi said: Ali ibn Abi Talib said to me – 'Shall I not send you with the same instructions as the Messenger of Allah sent me? Do not leave any image without defacing it or any built-up grave without levelling it' – (Sahih Muslim – 969).
"Likewise, Messenger of Allah said: 'Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship, but you must not take graves as mosques; I forbid you to do that' – (Sahih Muslim – 532).
"There is no difference between the Taliban and the Ottoman State against whom Imams of Najd waged jihad. The most important obligation on the Muslims after Allah gave them power is to establish Tawheed [Islamic monotheism] and remove shirk [polytheism] from the land.
"Allah says: There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Ibrahim [i.e., Abraham] and those with him when they said to their people, 'Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone' – except for the saying of Abraham to his father, 'I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have not (power to do) for you anything against Allah. Our Lord, upon you we have relied, and to you we have returned, and to you is the destination' – (Surah Al-Mumtahanaha, 4)."
"Allah Commanded His Slaves To Stick To The Path of Abraham; The Path Of Abraham Is To Break Idols, Not To Protect Them, The Path Of Abraham Is To Remove Shirk, Not To Permit It"
"Allah commanded his slaves to stick to the path of Abraham. The path of Abraham is to break idols, not to protect them, the path of Ibrahim is to remove shirk [polytheism], not to permit it, and the path of Abraham is to establish Al-Wala Wal-Bara [loyalty and disavowal for the sake of Allah].
"Imam Saud ibn Abd a1-Aziz (l 229H) said in one of his letters to the Ottoman governor of Iraq, describing the nature of their State: 'So the sha'aa'ir (symbols) of kufr [unbelief] in Allah and shirk, this is the situation that exists among you. Such as building domes over the graves, lighting lamps over them, hanging curtains over them, the visits to them in manners not legislated by Allah or his Messenger [Muhammad], celebrating yearly festivals there, and asking those buried therein to fulfil needs, remove difficulties, and answer pleas; all of this along with the abandoning of the obligatory duties of the religion that Allah has ordered to be established, such as the five prayers and other than them. For the one who wants to pray prays alone, and the one who leaves the prayer is not objected to. And likewise is the case with zakah [i.e., almsgiving]. And this matter has spread and become well-known and has filled the ears of many in the lands of Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and elsewhere from among the lands' – (Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah, 1/382).
"Imam Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz also said in the letter: And as for your saying – 'How can you so boldly and recklessly stir up fitnah [strife] by making takfeer of the Muslims [the act of declaring Muslims to be non-Muslims] and the people of the qiblah, and fight against a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day...?' So we say: 'We have already stated that we do not make takfeer due to sins, but rather we only fight against those who made shirk with Allah, and attributed to Allah partners, calling upon them as they call upon Allah, slaughtering for them as they slaughter for him, vowing to them as they vow to Allah, fearing them as they fear Allah, calling to them for aid in difficulties and for bringing good, and who fight to defend the idols and the domes built over the graves, which have been taken as idols worshipped besides Allah. So if you are truthful in your claim that you are on the Millah [nation] of Abraham and following the Messenger then demolish those idols, all of them, and level them to the ground. And repent to Allah from all of the shirk and bid'a [innovation in Islam].'
"Then he said: 'Or, if you persist in this state of yours, and do not repent from the shirk that you are upon and observe correctly the religion of Allah with which he sent his Messenger, leaving the shirk, bid'a, and superstitions, then we will not cease fighting you until you return to Allah's straight religion' – (Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah, 7/397)."
"If We Look At The Current Situation, The Taliban [In Afghanistan] Have Even Crossed The Ottoman State In Permitting Shirk And Kufr [Unbelief]"
"If we look at the current situation, the Taliban [in Afghanistan] have even crossed the Ottoman state in permitting shirk and kufr. The Taliban permit and protect Shia and Sufi rituals in Kabul and shrines around Afghanistan.
"The Taliban Deputy Governor of Herat also said about Rafidha [i.e., Shi'ites'] shirk festivals that it is our 'Brother's ceremonies' and that they will do everything to protect these ceremonies. The Taliban also took interviews from those mushrikeen [polytheists] and spread it across the world to show how determined they are to protect Shirk of Rafidha.
The magazine carries a photograph of Taliban leaders offering prayers with Shi'ites in Iran
"Furthermore, the Taliban allow open celebration for the Shia Mahdi's birthday. In a meeting with Mohammad Akbari, the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Shia Scholars of Afghanistan, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Kabir said that he would make more efforts to build mutual trust between Shi'ites and the Taliban.
"The Taliban permitted a ceremony to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution on Iran at Al-Mustafa International University in Kabul [on February 12, 2022]. The Taliban's Mayor of Herat also calls Rafidhi Qassem Soleimani [the Iranian general killed by U.S. in Iraq 'martyr.' The Taliban also organized and provided security for Russian elections at [their embassy in] Kabul. These are just a few examples from thousands of examples where the Taliban permitted shirk and protected mushrikeen rituals as well as boasted about it to please the Tawagheet [tyrant regimes].
"Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah states: 'There is no dispute between the Muslimeen [Muslims] that to command shirk is kufr, and apostasy if it came from a Muslim – and that praising, commending, and encouraging it is kufr, and apostasy if it came from a Muslim' – (Bayan Talbis at-Jahmiyyah, V.3: P.54).
"And among those who ibn Taymiyyah declared takfir [declaring a Muslim to be a non-Muslim] of for opposing this foundation were: Abu Mish'ar al-Balkhi and ar-Razi' – (Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyyah fi Ta'sis Bid'ihim al-Kalamiyyah, V.3: P.53 P.84)."
"The Reality Of The Taliban And Their Shirk And Kufr Is More Evident Than The Ottoman State; No One Doubts Their Kufr [Unbelief]"
"The Taliban also approved Nawruz celebrations [of Zoroastrians]. Al-Allama Badr ar-Rashid al-Hanafi remarked: And from the collection of current-day issues: The Magians [i.e., Zoroastrians] gather together on the day of Nawruz, then if a Muslim says, 'An excellent event that they have established,' (and he) disbelieved. And Shaykh Ali al-Qari, the elucidator of the former's book, stated, 'Because he approved of the establishment of kufr, which implies disdain of the method of Islam' – (Al-Fadh al-Kufr, p. 86. Sharh al-Fadh al-Kufr, P.206).
"The reality of the Taliban and their shirk and kufr is more evident than the Ottoman State. No one doubts their kufr except one whom Allah has obliterated their vision and foresight. When the Ottoman governor of Iraq said to Imam Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz: 'For we are Muslims in truth, and this is what all of our imams have agreed upon, from all four madhahib [schools of jurisprudence] and the mujtahidun [interpreters] of the deen [religion] and the millah.'
"Imam Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz replied: 'We have clarified from the Words of Allah, the words of His Messenger [Muhammad], and the words of the followers of the four imams, that which refutes your weak case, and defeats your false claim. For not everyone who makes a claim proves it by his action. And a poor person does not become rich simply by saying: A thousand dinars! And a tongue does not bum simply by saying: Fire. For verily, the Jews, the enemies of the Messenger of Allah said to the Messenger of Allah when he called them to Islam: We are Muslims! And the Christians said similar to that. And likewise Pharaoh said to his people: And I show you not except that which I see to be correct, and I guide you not except to the path of correctness. Yet he lied and uttered falsehood in that – (Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah, 1/391).
"The Taliban say Shiites and other non-Muslims have equals rights as Ahlul Sunnah [followers of the traditions of Muhammad]. Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, the second deputy prime minister [of the Afghan Taliban government], in his meeting with a number of Rafidha elders, emphasized the equal rights of all sections of the country in Islamic law and that they are trying to preserve the religious and national values of the Afghan people. In an interview..., [Taliban spokesman] Suhail Shaheen says Shi'ites, Sikhs, Hindus are equal with Sunnis in the sight of the law."
"Our Message To Brothers Is To Don't Fall In Traps Of The Munafiqeen [Hypocrites]; Join The Ranks Of Khilafah [The Caliphate] Who Have Perfected Their Kufr Bit Taghut [Unbelief In Anything Un-Islamic]"
"This reminds us of [former ISIS spokesman] Shaykh Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani's statement when he was exposing the crooked manhaj [methodology] of Al-Qaeda who have given their bay'a [oath of allegiance] to the Taliban [emir].
The magazine's coverpage
"Al-Adnani said: 'And now the Christians have become warriors, the people of idols from the Hindus and Sikhs and others have become 'partners of the nation' and it is necessary to live with them in peace, tranquillity and wildness. By Allah, no! Never a day was this the manhaj of the [Islamic] State and never will it be! It is not for the [Islamic] State to follow the people; If they are to do good, then good shall be done; if they are to do evil, then so it shall be done. The manhaj of the [Islamic] State will remain – disobeying the Taghut, declaring innocence from it and its supporters, and fighting them with swords and spearheads, and with conclusive argumentation and evidence.'
"So, whoever agrees with it, it welcomes them, and whoever differs with it, it will give him no concern even if he were to call himself 'the Ummah,' even if it were left alone in a tent and the world is in another tent.
"Shaykh Abu Muhammad Al-Adnani also said: 'The difference between the [Islamic] State and Al-Qaeda is not over any specific individual, nor is it about giving bai'ya to any specific individual. The difference between them is not on fighting the sahwat [awakening, i.e., anti-ISIS Sunni fighters] who previously supported what they are upon in Iraq. However, the matter is a matter of crooked religion and deviated manhaj, a manhaj which has replaced declaring the Religion of Abraham, disbelieving in the Taghut (tyrant) and declaring innocence from his supporters and their jihad; a manhaj which believes in pacifism and runs after majorities, a manhaj which is shy from mentioning jihad and declaring Tawheed, and replaces it with revolution, popularity, uprising, striving, struggle, republicanism, secularism, and that the filthy Rafidah polytheists are only but accused. They should be preached to, not fought!'
"Our Message to brothers is to don't fall in traps of the munafiqeen [hypocrites]. Join the ranks of Khilafah [the Caliphate] who have perfected their Kufr Bit Taghut [disbelief in anything un-Islamic] and are firm on Millah of Abraham [nation of Abraham].
"It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir ibn Samura that the Prophet [Muhammad] said: This religion will continue to exist, and a group of people from the Muslims will continue to fight for its protection until the Hour is established – (Sahih Muslim – 1922). And all praise and thanks belong to Allah, the exalted."
Source: Telegram, May 17, 2022. The original English of the quoted text has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
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