On October 26, 2023, the Qatar-based and funded International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS)[1] republished on its website an article by senior Hamas official Nasr Fahajan – which is in fact a chapter from a book by Fahajan that was published in March 2019 by the Hamas Culture Ministry[2] – about "the Promise of the Hereafter," namely what Hamas sees as a Quranic promise regarding the liberation of Palestine and the demise of Israel.[3] The article, which deals with the importance of jihad and ribat ( preparation for war) in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon as part of the war on Israel, states that " war will break out soon and one of its outcomes will be that Gaza will triumph and its fighters will take over the Gaza border area and Ashkelon." Fahajan explains that the jihad fighters' preparation for battle in Ashkelon, as a prelude to their conquest of Jerusalem and liberation of Palestine from the Zionists, are the realization of a prophecy by Muhammad, who according to a hadith said: "Your best jihad is preparation for battle on the enemy's border [ribat] and the best ribat is Ashkelon."
In this context, it should be noted that on October 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas attack on southern Israel in which 1,400 Israelis were murdered, thousands were wounded, and over 200 were abducted to Gaza, Fahajan published a post on his Facebook page stating that the first stage of the Promise of the Hereafter "has been carried out, Allah be praised."[4]
Fahajan's article on the IUMS website, titled "Preparing for War in Ashkelon – Tidings and Promise"
The following are excerpts from Fahajan's article on the IUMS website: [5]
"Ibn Abbas, peace be upon him and his father, related [that the Prophet said]: 'The beginning of this matter [i.e., of the Islamic leadership] is prophecy and mercy, and then caliphate and mercy and then monarchy and mercy, and then they will bite at each other like donkeys over it. So you are [duty-bound to wage] jihad, and your best jihad is preparation for battle on the enemy's border [ribat] and the best ribat is Ashkelon.' This hadith is found in Tabarani's collection of hadiths, and Al-Haythami says in Majma Al-Zawa'id that this hadith was conveyed by reliable transmitters, and Al-Albani stated that it is authentic [sahih].
"Perusing this hadith, we can understand the context of the hadiths about the Palestinian city of Ashkelon, which, [according to these hadiths,] will be the best ribat during the most difficult phase of the oppression and trouble of the people of Palestine. This hadith informs us that ribat [preparation for battle] in Ashkelon will occur in one of the later stages of the transition and the change in Muslim rule, a stage in which mercy will disappear and evil will prevail and the blessed land will be subject to corruption, occupation and perdition, which require jihad and preparation for battle...
"Palestine was occupied by the Zionists and in 1948 they established their state in it and expelled hundreds of thousands of its residents, and this required jihad and ribat in order to liberate it. Here is what we find in the hadith of the Prophet, prayer and peace be upon him: 'And afterwards they will bite at each other like donkeys over it, and you are [duty-bound to wage] jihad, and your best jihad is ribat [preparation for battle] on the enemy's border and the best ribat is Ashkelon.'
"Why Ashkelon? It is known to all that Ashkelon is a Palestinian city that was occupied by the Zionists in 1948, and it is located north of besieged Gaza. So it is known that the jihad fighters cannot prepare for battle there, because it is part of occupied Palestine. But the Prophet explicitly mentions Ashkelon, saying: 'And the best ribat is Ashkelon.' We can understand the words of the Prophet as follows:
"One possibility is that Ashkelon means the area of Gaza near Ashkelon...
"The second possibility is that Ashkelon means the area of Ashkelon itself, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1948. So these words are tidings for the jihad fighters and those preparing for battle, because the hadith hints that they will soon prepare for battle in Ashkelon. And this brings me to expect that war will break out soon and one of its outcomes will be that Gaza will triumph and its fighters will take control of the area outside Gaza's borders and the Ashkelon region after difficult military clashes with the Israeli occupation, which will force it to withdraw and leave the region. Thus will the tidings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, be realized – the jihad fighters will prepare for battle in Ashkelon in advance of their conquest of Jerusalem and their liberation of all of Palestine, if Allah wills it."
[1] The IUMS, established in 2004 by the extremist sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi, is supported, sponsored, and funded by Qatar. For years, it has consistently promoted a discourse of incitement, calls for jihad, antisemitism, and anti-Christian sentiment. It should be noted that, on October 7, 2023, the IUMS released a statement signed by its president, Salim Segaf Al-Jufri, and its secretary general, 'Ali Al-Qaradaghi, that called the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel an "effective" and "mandatory development of legitimate resistance." The statement further emphasized that Muslims have a religious duty to support their brothers and sisters "throughout all of Palestine, especially in Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem, and Gaza." See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 10836, In Statement, Qatar-Based And Funded International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) Calls 'Al-Aqsa Storm' Operation An 'Effective' And 'Mandatory Development Of Legitimate Resistance,' States: Muslims Must Support Their Brothers In Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem And Gaza, October 8, 2023.
[2] The article was also posted by Fahajan on his Facebook page on March 23, 2019. This post has now gone viral.
[3] The prophecy is based on several verses in Surah 17 of the Quran.
[4] Facebook.com/nasr.fahajan, October 7, 2023.
[5] Iumsonline.org, October 26, 2023.
