Praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our master Muḥammad, the last of prophets, on his family, and all his companions.

The Secretariat of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy has been following with dismay and severe condemnation the barbaric genocide and war crimes committed systematically by the occupation authorities in the blessed Palestinian territories against the isolated and defenseless Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. This people are guilty of only one demand, that of its freedom, its independence and the recovery of its violated rights. These crimes cannot be described as a comprehensive and systematized ethnic cleansing and extermination operation. These terrorist attacks have killed hundreds of single civilians, children, elderly and women, destroyed mosques, universities and homes, devastated crops after a long blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip to starve the Palestinian people and cut off all elements of life while the voices of the United Nations are ignominiously and scandalously silent, at a time when countries and international organizations boast about preserving human rights and values without taking into account the preservation of human lives, the goods and properties necessary for life is one of the highest priorities that must be respected and protected at all times and in all places, for all peoples and ethnic groups.

The scholars of the Ummah are religiously obliged to show the truth and religious rulings in relation to the problems and matters affecting the Ummah. They are forbidden to conceal this judgment. This is a covenant that the people of knowledge must keep with Allah, who has threatened them if they hide anything from it or neglect its explanation. Allah The Almighty said:

« And who is more unjust than one who conceals a testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do. » Al-Baqara -140

« Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture – those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who curse, (159) Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those – I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful. » Al-Baqara -159-160. The scope of this verse is all-embracing to affect anyone who hides knowledge. It is his duty to explain it.

Concerning what is happening to the brave Palestinian people, and based on the Council’s resolutions and recommendations issued at its various sessions, the Secretariat of the Academy makes these religious rulings:

The obligation of unconditional relief of the Palestinian people with all possible means. It is incumbent upon all Muslims, to the extent possible, to give what relief they can. This obligation is incumbent on all Muslims, wherever they are, because they form one community, one creed, one law, and one qibla that unite them. They form one body, if one of its members suffers, the whole body suffers afterwards. The Prophet PBUH said, – “The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion and sympathy are just like one body. When one of the limbs suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever”.[reported by Muslim]

Muslims should help each other in every place. Allah The Almighty said: « The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. » At-Tawba -71

The Prophet (PBUH) said: “A Muslim is a brother of (another) Muslim, he neither wrongs him nor does hand him over to one who does him wrong. If anyone fulfills his brother’s needs, Allah will fulfill his needs; if one relieves a Muslim of his troubles, Allah will relieve his troubles on the Day of Resurrection; and if anyone covers up a Muslim (his sins), Allah will cover him up (his sins) on the Resurrection Day”. [reported by Muslim 1830]

Helping the oppressed is a way of giving glory to Allah and His religion. Allah The Almighty said: « O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet. » Muhammad -7

Every effort must be made to lift the blockade and the suffering of the Palestinian people. To the extent of their abilities, all Muslims must support the Palestinian people with all possible means. They must fight the Zionist injustice that legitimizes the shedding of blood, the killing of children and women, the demolition of homes using deadly weapons of war such as missiles and tanks, helicopters and fighter planes. Added to this is the economic warfare that is ravaging agricultural land by uprooting its trees, prohibiting the access of humanitarian aid, especially medical aid, to the encircled Palestinian territories. This support is a duty of the entire Ummah, peoples and governments. Muslims are one hand and should be united against their enemies. The believer forms with his brother believer a single edifice, whose elements hold each other together.

1. It is necessary to work for the liberation of the occupied territories and to lift this injustice imposed on Muslims with all possible means. Our problem with the enemy lies in its colonization of Palestinian lands, which still persists. On this basis, the abominable aggressions and massacres perpetrated by the Zionists should not make us forget that our business is to allow the Palestinian people to build their independent state on their national territory, whose capital is Jerusalem. This means the liberation of the first qibla, the third holy mosque and place of elevation (Isra) of the Prophet – PBUH – to the heavens.
2. It is incumbent upon the governments of the Muslim countries to make every effort through international organizations and their political and economic ties to work for the immediate cessation of this aggression, to stop the external political, economic and military support received by the Zionist enemy. They should in all possible ways to prosecute the perpetrators of these war crimes and genocides that they have committed with outrage and arrogance.
3. The Palestinian people have the right to fight the colonial forces and defend their entity with all legitimate means. The honour of the Muslim and his spoils of war is to die as a martyr in defence of his humanness, religion, country, honour, and property.

Facing such difficult conditions, the Secretariat General of the Academy insists that it is incumbent upon the Palestinian leadership to cease disputes, unite ranks and the word to endorse the values of national unity and respect for the commitments that put aside differences; This is especially true of the holy city of Mecca under the patronage of the servant of the two holy mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, may Allah preserve him, in order to protect the interests of the Palestinian people and to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, solidarity and mercy among its children. Allah – Praise be to Him – said: « and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. » Al-Anfal -46

The Secretariat of the Academy calls upon the Ummah to unite its ranks, in accordance with its religious duty to immediately confront these challenges by taking a number of practical measures on all levels and in all fields to stop these extermination plans against the isolated Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. We must also send them urgent aid, in accordance with the words of Allah the Almighty And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty. » Al-Ma’ida -2

The Secretariat calls on all Imams and preachers to disclose all the truths and religious rulings related to this issue in their Friday lectures and preachings, in order to make the Ummah aware of their duties and responsibilities in such situations. They should insist on invoking Allah in their prayers to dispel this injustice and repel the schemes of these transgressors of the Palestinian people.

[O believers! Be steadfast. Encourage yourselves to endurance. Fight constantly (against the enemy) and fear Allah, that ye may succeed! ]

And may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.

Prof. Abdulsalam al-Abbadi

Secretary General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy.