e have not left our homes and our land for anything but to establish La Ilaha Illa Allah. In terms of materialistic things in this life, everyone knows we had everything we could think of, so leaving our land and our homes was not to seek any materialistic pleasure or social status. Furthermore, we have not left the land of the two holy Mosques seeking other land closer to our hearts, in fact, it has been a long time since we have been away and we miss it and it is a hardship. But this hardship is an easy and small price to pay in the cause of Allah.

The love of Hijaz (the land of the two holy Mosques) is deep in my heart
But the rulers there are wolves.
In Afghanistan, I have a home and companions
And from Allah comes a door for sustenance.
Like friends, horses are a few.
Even if they appear many, in the eyes of the inexperienced
And anyone who appreciates kindness is loved
And any place where glory is home grown, is blessed.

Editors Note: It appears that Osama bin Laden is referring here to the enormous sacrifice made by the Commander of the Faithful and the Supreme Leader of the Taliban Mullah Omar, when he decided not to hand Osama bin Laden over to the
Saudis or the Americans. Bin Laden also appears to be saying that in Afghanistan, he has true Muslim brothers (friends and companions) and they all live in a place where dignity and honor (as Allah wants for Muslims) are home grown.

He who trusts Allah will need no one but Allah, and the wise one is one who will not be misled and will not grow arrogant by what this life has to offer. Life has no meaning unless it is lived according to Allah’s laws. Therefore, we should ask Allah for steadfastness and happy ending.

To make the story short, let me say that the only way to a safe and happy ending is to embark on the straight path of Allah and his messenger.

The Messenger of Allah also said: “Say I believe in Allah, and then, stand firm (in the straight path).”

In order for this Ummah (nation) to be on the right track again (the straight path of Allah), it must follow the same course of action followed by their ancestors, 14 centuries ago. Back then, the Arabian Peninsula was a lawless land in which killing, oppression, and total ignorance and lack of wisdom prevailed. However, when Allah sent our prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) and revealed the Qura’an, people followed that guiding light and stood firm with the messenger of Allah. Their living and social affairs changed for the better. With Islam, Allah glorified them after they had been in a
state of humiliation, Allah put affection and togetherness between them instead of the animosity and divisions they had, and Allah replaced their hunger with food, and their fear with security.

The solution to the dispute between the ruler and the people being ruled lies in what the first Khaliph (Muslim ruler), Abu Bakr said to his successor, the second Khaliph, Omar Ebn Al-Khattab, (may Allah be pleased with both of them): Stand firm (in the straight path), so your people will stand firm with you and for you. Those were words of wisdom coming from the rightly guided ones. Those (the rightly guided ones) draw their guiding light from the unambiguous light that was revealed by Allah. If the Amir (ruler) follows the straight path to the letter, the people will do the same, and they will be obligated to obey their Amir according to Allah’s commands. But if the Amir deviates from Allah’s commands, and therefore becomes an apostate, the people have
an obligation to disobey him and remove him from power, also in accordance with Allah’s commands.

Obedience of the ruler in Islam is not absolute. It is restricted by implementing the laws of Allah. It is the consensus of Islamic scholars that togetherness, unity, and affection go hand in hand with obeying Allah.

Sheikh Al-Islam (The Great Islamic Scholar), Ibn Taimiah, said: “The reason for the togetherness, unity and affection between Muslims is simply knowing and practicing the whole Deen (religion), and the reason for divisions and disputes is simply ignoring any part of the Deen.” He further added: The narrow view and the marginalizing of Deen by the rulers and scholars of the Ummah are why the enemies of this Ummah have had the upper hand. This (having the enemies of Islam impose their ideology on Muslims) will be the result, whenever Muslims disobey Allah in any of his commands be it minor or major.

Unity, as was known and practiced by our rightly guided earlier generations is to conduct oneself the exact same way the messenger of Allah and his companions conducted themselves. This is the only way one can be in placed among the party that will be saved on judgment day. Being united must be for the purpose of being righteous, even if one is all alone. It can be clearly seen that whenever people abandon any portion of what Allah commands them to do, animosity and hatred will spread amongst them, and their enemies will exploit them. And that is our current state
of affairs.

Could the rulers stand firm in the straight path of Allah so that the people will stand firm as well, and therefore, they will enjoy the best Deen and the best life? Some people say, yes, the rulers have already put the wheels in motion. They have started national dialogue and municipal elections. But that did not change anything because it did not address the core of the problem. The rulers, at best, will play the election games that were previously played by the rulers of Yemen, Jordan, and Egypt. They will be going in circles for decades to come with nothing to accomplish. Not to mention that it is Haram (forbidden) to participate in legislative bodies of these governments because they legislate for people, and that is Shirk (taking partners with Allah), because Allah is the only law giver.

Therefore, if we want to resolve the conflict the right way, we must put our hand on the very root and cause of the conflict as well as its true dimensions. The conflict is regional in part, but it is truly a conflict and struggle between two camps. One camp is headed by America, and it represents the global Kufr (infidelity), accompanied by all apostates. The other camp represents the Islamic Ummah (nation) headed by its Mujahideen Brigades.