The website of the , located at http://www.pages4free.biz/image333/index.htm, on 4 March 2004 posts the entire text of Usama Bin Ladin's audio message which was broadcast by Doha Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television in Arabic on 4 January 2004

"Thanksgiving and praise are due to God alone, we seek aid from Him alone; and we beseech forgiveness of our sins from Him only; and consign ourselves to the protection of God against the evils of our souls and against all offenses. Truly, whomsoever God guides on the straight path -- and He puts him only on the straight path who sincerely desires to walk along that way -- no one can lead him astray. And whomsoever God deflects -- and He deflects only him who yearns to be deflected -- no one can put him on the straight path. And I bear witness that there is no deity except God and I testify that Muhammad is the bondman of God and His Messenger

"O Believers, Fear Allah, as He should be duly feared; and die not save you be Muslim" (Koranic verse)

From Usama Bin-Muhammad Bin Ladin to his brothers and sisters in the Islamic nation

God's peace, prayers, and blessings be upon you.

My message to you concerns inciting and continuing to urge for jihad to repulse the grand plots that have been hatched against our nation, especially since some of them have appeared clearly, such as the occupation of the Crusaders, with the help of the apostates, of Baghdad, the house of the caliphate, under the trick of weapons of mass destruction. There is also the fierce attempt to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and destroy jihad and the mujahidin in beloved Palestine by employing the trick of the road map and the Geneva peace initiative.

This is in addition to the crusader media campaigns against the Islamic nation. These campaigns show how malicious are the evils they harbor against the nation in general and against the people of the two holy mosques in particular. The Americans' intentions have also become clear in statements about the need to change the beliefs, curricula, and morals of Muslims to become more tolerant, as they put it. In clearer terms, it is a religious-economic war. They want the believers to desist from worshipping God so that they can enslave them, occupy their countries, and loot their wealth. It is strange that they want to dictate democracy and Americanize our culture through their jet bombers. Therefore, what is yet to come is even more malicious and devilish. The occupation of Iraq is a link in the Zionist-Crusader chain of evil. Then comes the full occupation of the rest of the Gulf states to set the stage for controlling and dominating the whole world. For the big powers believe that the Gulf and the Gulf states are the key to controlling the world due to the presence of the largest oil reserves there.

The occupation of Baghdad is only one practical step of what the United States has thought of and planned before. The entire region was targeted in the past. It is being targeted now, and will remain so in the future.

What have we prepared for that? The Zionist-Crusader campaign on the nation today is the most dangerous and rabid ever since it threatens the entire nation, its religion, and presence. Did Bush not say that it is a Crusader war? Did he not say that the war will continue for many years and target 60 states? Is the Islamic world not around 60 states? Do you not realize this? Did they not say that they want to change the region's ideology, which vents hatred against the Americans? They mean Islam and its peak after all. They know full well that they will not enjoy our wealth and land as long as we remain mujahid Muslims. So, learn this and keep it in your mind.

O Muslims: The situation is serious, and the misfortune is momentous. By God, I am keen on safeguarding your religion and your worldly life. You are my brothers in religion and my family in kinship. An honest person would not cheat his people. So, lend me your ears and open up your hearts to me so that we may examine these pitch-black misfortunes, and so that we may consider how we can find a way out of these adversities and calamities.

To talk about that, let me tell you what God's messenger Shu'ayb -- may God's peace and prayers be upon him -- told his people: "I only desire your betterment to the best of my power; and my success in my task can only come from Allah. In Him I trust, and unto Him I look." (Koranic verse)

In so doing, I seek God's assistance and trust to enforce His will no matter what the consequences are. I seek the truth and fear nobody in championing rightfulness. I am after God's satisfaction even if this angers some people. Our life terms will come to an end and our sustenance is predestined by God. So, why should one fear telling the truth and championing rightfulness? No one should desist from championing jihad when it becomes obligatory except those who have lost their direction, humiliated themselves, and deprived themselves of unmatched reward. Therefore, the first step to emerge from this dilemma is to return to God Almighty, pray for His forgiveness, turn in repentance to Him, and follow the path of his great Koran and the tradition of his faithful messenger, may God's peace and prayers be upon him.

We should also look for the main reasons that diverted the march from the straight path from inside and identify the active forces that caused this deviation. We will find, without much effort, that these reasons are the princes, ulema, and preachers of evil, and those who have done injustice to the Islamic action, as well as the media persons of these states and those who followed them. The bitter truth is that the princes have managed to seduce many of the individuals of these groups and muffled the voices of those who refused to join them.

Since telling the truth and differentiating between right and falsehood are part of the teachings of the Koran and the prophet's tradition so that people would not mix between falsehood and right and thus stray from the right path, God said: "And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know what it is" (Koranic verse)

To remove any ambiguity, things have to be called by their true names and described with their religious terms, especially when we talk about the forces that influence the nation's march. This helps us have a clear image of these forces and their actions and makes it easier for us to deal with them since judging things comes after knowing about them. Therefore, religious terms should be used when describing the ruler who does not follow God's revelations and path and champions the infidels by extending military facilities to them or implementing the UN resolutions against Islam and Muslims. Those should be called infidels and renegades. Those forces that consciously support tyrants upon their own free will are partners in the injustice being done to Muslims. I appeal to the people of the Islamic action to oust their leaders who supported those tyrants and select strong and honest leaders who can shoulder their duties under the current difficult circumstances and defend the Islamic nation. The media persons who belittle the religious duties such as jihad and other rituals are atheists and renegades. This is as far as those forces that have diverted the course of our march from inside are concerned.

As to how to resist these enemy forces from outside, we must look back at the previous Crusader wars against our countries to learn lessons that will help us confront this onslaught, understand the most important causes of these attacks, and learn how they were repulsed and resisted.

I say that the West's occupation of our country is old, yet new, and that the confrontation and conflict between us and them started centuries ago. The confrontation and conflict will continue because the conflict between right and falsehood will continue until Judgment Day. Such a confrontation is good for both the countries and peoples. God says: "And did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief." (part of Koranic verse) Those who interpret the Koran say that this verse means that had the believers not fought the infidels, the latter would have defeated the believers and the earth would have been corrupted by their ill deeds. So, pay attention to the importance of conflict.

There can be no dialogue with the occupiers except with weapons. If we look at the nature of the conflict between us and the West, we find that when they invaded our countries more than 2,500 years ago they did not have a sound religion or ethics. Their motive was to steal and plunder. Our ancestors in Bilad al-Sham (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine) remained under occupation for more than 10 decades. We defeated them only after the mission of our Prophet Muhammad, may God's peace and blessings be upon him. It was the true commitment to Islam that reshaped the Arab character, liberated it from the pre-Islamic concepts, enlightened the hearts and minds, and released energies. Neither the Arabs nor anybody else could stand in the face of the battalions of faith at the time. The Persians, Tatarians, Turks, Romans, and Berbers collapsed in front of the shouts of God is great. We were the pioneers of the world. We rescued the people from worshipping people to worshipping the God of people, praise be to him.

When our adherence to our religion weakened and our rulers became corrupt, we became weak and the Romans (Western Christians) returned by waging their infamous Crusader wars. They occupied the Al-Aqsa Mosque, but after 90 years we regained our strength when we returned to our religion. Thus, with the help of God, we regained the Al-Aqsa Mosque at the hands of a wise leader who pursued a sound approach. The leader was Salah-al-Din, may God bestow his mercy on him, and the approach was Islam, whose peak is jihad in the cause of God. This is what we need today and should seek to do. Islamic countries in the past century were not liberated from the Crusaders' military occupation except through jihad in the cause of God. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the West today is doing its utmost to tarnish jihad and kill anyone seeking jihad. The West is supported in this endeavor by hypocrites. This is because they all know that jihad is the effective power to foil all their conspiracies. Jihad is the path, so seek it. This is because if we seek to deter them by any means other than Islam, we would be like the one who goes round in circles. We would also be like our forefathers, the Al-Ghasasinah (people who lived in a state historically located in the northwest of the Persian empire). The concern of their seniors was to be appointed officers for the Romans and to be named kings in order to safeguard the interests of the Romans by killing their brothers of the peninsula's Arabs. Such is the case of the new Al-Ghasasinah; namely, Arab rulers.

Muslims: If you do not punish them for their sins in Jerusalem and Iraq, they shall defeat you because of your failure. They will also rob you of the land of Al-Haramayn (Mecca and Medina). Today (they robbed you) of Baghdad and tomorrow they will rob you of Riyadh and so forth unless God deems otherwise. Sufficient unto us is God.

What then is the means to stop this tremendous onslaught? As you may recall, the nation had made several attempts in the recent decades to resist the Zionist-Crusader alliance to liberate Palestine. The republics and kingdoms embraced several earthly religions in the region, like pan-Arabism, socialism, communism, democracy, and other doctrines.

These material forces have proved beyond any shadow of doubt that they surrendered to the US-led Crusader-Zionist alliance. The people followed these forces for a long time only to find they are still at square one. We have had enough of chasing mirages. Stop manipulating the peoples' minds.

In such hard times, some reformers maintain that all popular and official forces should unite, and that all government forces should unite with all their peoples. Everyone would do what is needed from him in order to ward off this Crusader-Zionist onslaught. The question strongly raised is: Are the governments in the Islamic world capable of pursuing this duty of defending the faith and nation and renouncing allegiance to the United States? Let us have an objective look at these governments' history with regard to the nation's crucial issues to understand their policies so that we will not be led to a dead-end and so that we will not experience what had been experienced for many decades.

1. Their (the governments) position on the Crusader aggression in World War I:

When they (the Crusaders) attacked the Islamic world and sought to topple the Ottoman state, these rulers rose up against the Ottoman state, divided the Muslims, and made an effective contribution in terms of fighting this state, thus leading to its fall under the Crusader occupation and division into more than 50 countries. The prominent role in this treason was played by King Abd-al-Aziz al-Sa'ud and Al-Sharif Husayn and his sons.

2. The Palestine Question:

The position of these rulers toward this pivotal issue for nine decades has been based on pledging to the British to allow the Jews to establish a state on the land of Palestine, letting down the people of Palestine, and misleading them on several occasions to lay down their weapons. The most prominent of these attempts was made by King Abd-al-Aziz al-Sa'ud. When the Zionist organization, or the so-called United Nations, issued its resolution on dividing Palestine and establishing a Jewish state in it, the Arab rulers stood idly by. They even remained members in this organization until today. They have done nothing, except for shameful actions, to prevent this from happening. A fabricated war erupted after the Jewish state was established one year after the issuance of the resolution of partitioning (Palestine). Then, the Arab rulers agreed to sign a temporary truce in response to the request of the United States, which asked them to sign a permanent truce after one year. Thus, they almost buried alive Palestine and its people, but God protected them.

The conspiracies continued, including the Madrid conference and what came after it. The efforts continued to abort the first intifadah. In the Sharm al-Shaykh conference in 1416 Hegira, corresponding to 1996, they supported the Jews and Christians against our oppressed people in Palestine. In addition, the Beirut initiative recognized the Jews and a large part of the land they occupied in Palestine. The most recent conspiracy is the road map. In the course of these conspiracies, they give some money to the people of Palestine to throw dust in the eyes. History attests that they have restored nothing of Palestine during the past nine decades.

What is surprising, and disgusting as well, is the position of those rulers toward the families of the mujahidin who carried out martyrdom operations. While these families were expecting good deeds from them, they met them with evil. Not only did they condemn the martyrdom operations, but they also came up with something that is more annoying and distressing. Look at the conditions of these families in Palestine as well as the conditions of our sisters the widows, whose husbands were killed by the Jews. Some of them sacrificed their sons for the sake of Islam and Islamic sanctuaries. After the possessors of thrones and armies abandoned them, the Jewish soldiers came to corrupt the land of Jerusalem, destroy the agricultural lands, and kill the people. They forced the Palestinian widow to leave her house and destroyed its contents, not allowing her to take her precious possessions. She became homeless on roadsides, and tears filled her eyes not knowing where to take her children and those of her son -- whom we consider a martyr but God knows best -- as a result of her suffering and dire distress.

Thanks to God, some kindhearted people from the land of the two holy shrines (Saudi Arabia) and other countries were sending alms to the families of those widows and orphans to ease their suffering and distress. Unfortunately, the conceited, arrogant prince, Abdallah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz, ordered that these well-doers be prevented from sending money to these families so that the martyrdom operations would stop. What kind of heart is that to issue such an order? Is it a heart of a human being, or is it a heart made of stone? What kind of meanness is that to prevent small amounts of money from reaching a widow, an orphan, or a poor person? Can such cruel-hearted people bring us good or defend our countries and peoples? Those hypocrites, worshippers of money, claim that they are our leaders and will defend us.

I am surprised how those calling for reform say that the way to righteousness and defending our countries and peoples comes through these apostate leaders. I say to these people: If you have an excuse preventing you from jihad, it should not give you the right to stand beside those unjust leaders and thus be responsible for your sins and those of whom you misled. Fear God for your sake and for your nation's sake. God does not need your flattery and praise for the tyrants for the sake of His religion. God almighty says: So hearken not to those who deny the truth, their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant, so would they be pliant (Koranic verse). It is better for a person to be at the bottom of right than to be at the peak of wrong.

3. The Gulf states proved their total inability to resist the Iraqi forces. They sought help from the Crusaders, led by the United States, as is well known. How can these states stand up to the United States and the Iraqi forces, which are being formed these days under the US command?

The decision made by Jabir al-Sabah (the Kuwaiti amir) and his comrades following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait -- when they fled the country -- is the same decision that will be made by all the Gulf rulers, unless they reach an agreement with the United States to leave their thrones and be given other jobs to deceive the people and protect US interests, pledging not to ask about oil revenues, as happened with their agents in the transitional Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). What proves their defeatism and submission to the occupier is their acceptance to receive IGC members and cooperate with them.

In short, these states came to America's help and backed it in its attack against an Arab state which is bound to them by covenants of joint defense agreements. These covenants were reiterated at the Arab League just a few days before the US attack, only to violate them in full. This shows their positions on the nation's basic causes.

4. These regimes wavered too much before taking a stand on using force and attacking Iraq. At times they totally rejected participation and at other times they linked this with UN agreement. Then they went back to their first option. In fact, the lack of participation was in line with the domestic desire of these states. However, they finally submitted and succumbed to US pressure and opened their air, land, and sea bases to contribute toward the US campaign, despite the immense repercussions of this move. Most important of these repercussions is that this is a sin against one of the Islamic tenets and high treason against the nation. This move would also stir up popular anger and pave the way for bringing down these treacherous, apostate, and powerless regimes. Most important and dangerous in their view was that they feared that the door would be open for bringing down dictatorial regimes by armed forces from abroad, especially after they had seen the arrest of their former comrade in treason and agentry to the United States when it ordered him to ignite the first Gulf war against Iran, which rebelled against it. The war consumed everything and plunged the area into a maze from which it has not emerged to this day. The wars that followed were repercussions of this war.

They are aware that their turn will come. They do not have the will to make the difficult decision to confront the aggression, in addition to their belief that they do not possess the material resources for that. Indeed, they were prevented from establishing a large military force when they were forced to sign secret pledges and documents long ago.

5. What shows their position toward the nation's causes is the support they provided to the United States by opening their bases to contribute to its crusader campaign against Afghanistan. It is an obvious support for the infidels against an Islamic country. This is a cardinal sin that renders one an infidel.

6. One of the obvious facts that showed what kind of position the Gulf rulers were ready to take when they came under US pressure to hand over oil fields to the United States was their collective support for Zayid's Initiative, which called on Saddam Husayn to hand over Iraq, its people, and its oil to the United States; to leave power; and to accept to be given political asylum under the pretext of sparing the Iraqi people the bloodshed.

Sa'ud al-Faysal repeatedly and shamelessly underlined this principle.

Ostensibly, and based on what has been said, this apparently shows that if they come under US pressure and face a US desire to occupy the oil regions, the Gulf rulers, including the Riyadh ruler, will take the same stand.

7. The most obvious reflection of the rulers' stand vis-a-vis repulsing the aggression is the stand taken by their leader, which manifested itself when US tanks entered the Arabian Peninsula and its waters were disturbed by the Crusader aircraft carriers that were carrying the most sophisticated ammunitions and weapons to occupy the region. Their leader, who taught them submission, came out to address the public to instill into the nation submission, humiliation, and subjugation, and say: These troop concentrations are not for war. How shameful?

If you do not know, that is a calamity. If you do, the calamity is greater. (line of poetry)

In short, the ruler who believes in some of the above-mentioned deeds cannot defend the country. How can he do so if he believes in all of them and has done that time and again? Those who believe in the principle of supporting the infidels against Muslims and leave the blood, honor, and property of their brothers to be easy prey for their enemy in order to remain safe, claiming that they love their brothers but are being forced to take such a path -- of course this compulsion cannot be regarded as legitimate from the shari'ah point of view -- are in fact qualified to take the same course against one another in the Gulf states.

Indeed, this principle is liable to be embraced within the same state itself.

For example, the Riyadh ruler is capable of abandoning the eastern, central, and other provinces to the Americans. Likewise, he is capable of abandoning the northern province and part of the western province to Jews in exchange for keeping Jazan, Samitah, and Abu Arish. Those who read and understood the history of kings throughout history know that they are capable of committing more than these concessions, except those who enjoyed the mercy of God. Indeed, the rulers have practically started to sell out the sons of the land by pursuing and imprisoning them and by unjustly and wrongly accusing them of becoming like the Al-Khawarij sect (a rebellious Islamic group in early Islam) who held Muslims to be infidels and went to excess in killing them. We hold them to be martyrs. Sufficient unto them is God.

All this happened before the Riyadh explosions in Rabi al-Awwal of this year (around May 2003), which the regime advances as a pretext. This campaign came within a drive to implement the US orders in the hope that they will win its satisfaction even though it was the regime which provoked the youths by opening the country for the Crusaders in violation of religion, in disregard for the Muslims' sentiments, and in defiance of the manliness of the men of the two holy mosques. Consequently, it was the regime which really disturbed security. Because this message cannot accommodate all my thoughts in this regard, I discussed this issue in a special message addressed to the lands of the two holy mosques which I hope will reach you soon.

What sums up the situation of the nation, the ferocious attacks of the enemies against it, the treason of the atheistic rulers, their betrayal of religion, their tyrannical treatment of their peoples, and the failure of Islamic groups to wage jihad are the following lines of poetry which are mostly written by Dr Yusuf Abu-Hilalah, who says:

The great nation has become a play thing in the hands of the priest and rabbi.

It is like a nation that, in terms of standing, makes no difference regardless of whether it remains idle or stands up.

Now that calamities are eliminating it, its leaders are sitting on their thrones as skeletons and bones.

Jerusalem, woe unto Jerusalem, its chastity has been desecrated, and Muslims have chosen not to engage in jihad.

Baghdad, O house of caliphate, woe unto you, why has your chastity been defiled by rabble?

Why did those who betrayed their religion yesterday choose to turn a blind eye to the raids on your sanctuaries?

Are you assaulting lions when dealing with peoples, and rabbits and ostriches when it comes to dealing with Jews?

I no longer have a home whose shelter I can seek, for my homeland has been desecrated and set on fire.

O my nation, I am a bird who has seen a thicket, may I sing? Will I be blamed if I do?

Am I to blame if I present you with a fact; namely, that the rulers are our mortal enemies?

They are unbelievers; yet, they are called the servants and imams of Muslims.

They pretend to be our support, when, in point of fact, they are our disease and death.

The Crusaders' army has enveloped the universe, where are the pious, magnanimous, and audacious men? (Lines of poetry)

Based on the above, the extent of the real danger, which the region in general and the Arabian Peninsula in particular, is being exposed to, has appeared. It has become clear that the rulers are not qualified to apply the religion and defend the Muslims. In fact, they have provided evidence that they are implementing the schemes of the enemies of the nation and religion and that they are qualified to abandon the countries and peoples. Now, after we have known the situation of the rulers, we should examine the policy they have been pursuing. Anyone who examines the policy of those rulers will easily see that they follow their whims and desires and their personal interests and Crusader loyalties.

Commitment to Islam is not one of the constants in their policies and religious practices. They believe in a part of the Book and reject the rest in conformity with their whims to keep their thrones, which is a grievous act of infidelity, as the Almighty God demonstrates in the following Koranic verse: Then is it only a part of the Book that ye believe in, and do ye reject the rest? But what is the reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For Allah is not unmindful of what ye do. (Koranic verse)

To them, the only major constant is keeping the seat of power. Therefore, the flaw does not involve a secondary issue, such as personal corruption that is confined to the palace of the ruler. The flaw is in the very approach.

This occurred when a malicious belief and destructive principle spread in most walks of life, so that absolute supremacy and obedience became for the ruler, and not for the religion of God. This means that slavery is for the ruler and not for Almighty God. This is the important reality that the rulers manipulate even if they use Islam as a cover in some countries especially after they assigned an army of ulema, preachers, writers, and the entire mass media for about a century to exaggerate the meaning of obedience to the ruler away from the restrictions to this concept stipulated in God's religion. Therefore, the ruler became an idol that is worshipped instead of God -- as the situation in the land of two holy mosques (Saudi Arabia). If any of the ulema refuses to flatter the rulers his fate will be prison until he is forced to flatter. In other countries they used parliaments and democracy as a cover.

Thus, the situation of all Arab countries suffers from great deterioration in all walks of life, in religious and worldly matters. It is enough to know that the economy of all Arab countries is weaker than the economy of one country that had once been part of our (Islamic) world when we used to truly adhere to Islam. That country is the lost Andalusia. Spain is an infidel country, but its economy is stronger than our economy because the ruler there is accountable. In our countries, there is no accountability or punishment but there is only obedience to the rulers and prayers of long life for them.

We have reached this miserable situation because many of us lack the correct and comprehensive understanding of the religion of Islam. Many of us understand Islam to mean performing some acts of worship, such as prayer and fasting. Despite the great importance of these rituals, the religion of Islam encompasses all the affairs of life, including the religious and the worldly, such as economic, military, and political affairs, as well as the scales by which we weigh the actions of men -- rulers, ulema, and others -- and how to deal with the ruler in line with the rules set by God for him and which the ruler should not violate. These rules also include enacting legislation contrary to God's will, allegiance to infidels and supporting them against Muslims, or tampering with, or embezzling huge amounts of the nation's money. Many people think that this is part of the ruler's authority and do not know that these actions by the ruler are some of the cardinal sins in our Sharia that should not be accepted. Furthermore, enacting legislation contrary to God's will by the ruler and his allegiance to the infidels constitute a greater atheism that drives the person who does them away from faith, which necessitates rising against him after good preparation.

Had they read the Koran and Prophet Muhammad's traditions and had they learned lessons from them, which is what we should do, this would have become very clear to them in several texts. Among these texts is a hadith by Uday Bin-Hatim, who converted to Christianity before Islam, and who thought, as many people think, that following the leaders and ulema in allowing what has been forbidden by God and banning what has been allowed by God is not worship of these leaders and ulema and is not atheism, because this does not mean praying or fasting for them. However, when Bin-Hatim came to the messenger of God, peace be upon him, while he was reading this Koranic verse: "They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah" he said that he told the prophet: They did not worship them. The prophet answered: Yes, but they forbade what is allowed and allowed what has been forbidden and followed them. Therefore, this is what they worship.

Be careful with this verse, because this verse and that hadith clearly show that obedience to the ruler, a scholar, or anyone else in allowing what has been forbidden by God and banning what God has allowed is tantamount to worshipping them rather than God. This is a greater polytheism and drives the person away from faith, may God protect us and you from this.

This is what Almighty God disassociated himself of when he says: "Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)." (Koranic verse) after he says: "yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah. There is no god but He." (Koranic verse). This shows that issuing legislation concerning what is allowed and what is banned is a type of worship. This is one of the most important traits of God and one of the most important prerequisites for testifying that there is no god but Allah, the first and most important pillar of Islam. This is a serious warning to those who think that Islam is mere words uttered in which one testifies that there is no god but Allah, while they do not know that these words have requirements that if they do not heed, they would not be committed to the testimony that there is no goThe gist here is that the absence of a comprehensive understanding of God's religion as a system for all walks of life, including Islam's way of holding the rulers accountable -- because if they follow God's religion things become good for the country and the people -- is one of the greatest flaws in the nation at present. We should be fully aware of this issue and start the reform march today in order to follow the right path, God willing. We should not continue in this wrong path for another century.

One of the beneficial books that explained the previous Koranic verse is Kitab al-Iman (the book of faith) by Shaykh Ibn-Taymiyah, may God have mercy on his soul; and also the book titled Fath al-Mujid by Shaykh Abd-al-Rahman Bin-Hasan Al al-Shaykh, may God have mercy on his soul; and the book entitled Concepts that Should be Corrected by Shaykh Muhammad Qutb. These showed that the rulers are incapable and traitors and that they have not followed the right path of Islam but followed their wishes and lusts and this is the reason for the setbacks in the nation's march during the past decades. Therefore, it becomes clear to us that the solution lies in adhering to the religion of God, by which God granted us pride in the past centuries, and installing a strong and faithful leadership that applies the Koran among us and raises the true banner of jihad.

The honest people who are concerned about this situation, such as the ulema, leaders who are obeyed among their people, dignitaries, notables, and merchants should get together and meet in a safe place away from the shadow of these suppressive regimes and form a council for Ahl al-Hall wa al-Aqd (reference to honest, wise, and righteous people who can appoint or remove a ruler in Islamic tradition) to fill the vacuum caused by the religious invalidation of these regimes and their mental deficiency. The right to appoint an imam (leader) is for the nation. The nation also has the right to make him correct his course if he deviates from it and to remove him if he does something that warrants this, such as apostasy and treason.

This temporary council should be made up of the minimum number of available personnel, who should be tough on the rest of the nation, except what the religion allows in case of necessity, until the number is increased when the situation improves, God willing. Their policy should be based on the book of God and the tradition of his prophet, God's peace and blessings be upon him. They should start by directing Muslims to the important priorities at this critical stage and lead them to a safe haven, provided that their top priority should be uniting opinions under the word of monotheism and defending Islam and its people and countries and urging Muslims to carry out jihad and prepare for it.

The people should be given easy access to arms, particularly light weapons; anti-armored rockets, such as RPG's; and tank mines; as well as the declaration of a general mobilization in the nation to prepare for repulsing the raid of the Romans, which started in Iraq and no one knows where it will end. God suffices us and He is the best supporter.

My brothers in faith, we should be certain that our success and happiness in this world and in the hereafter lies in implementing Islam and carrying out jihad. Our pride and happiness lie in them based on the true prophet's saying, which was told by Abu-Dawud citing Ibn-Umar, may God be pleased with them. The prophet, may God's prayer and peace be upon him says: "If you practiced Tabaiya al Ainiya (i.e. selling goods to a person for a certain price and then buying them back from him for a far lesser price), followed the tails of cows, satisfied yourselves with agriculture, and abandoned jihad, Allah will cover you with humiliation and will not remove it until you return to your religion."

Caliph Umar told Abu-Ubaydah, may God be pleased with them: "We are a people whom God made powerful with Islam and if we seek strength from other sources God will humiliate us." Therefore the advocates of reform should know that reforming and uniting the nation under Islam cannot be achieved through lectures and books only, but there should be a practical plan involving the entire nation each according to his own capabilities, beginning with prayer to God and ending with fighting in the cause of God, for fighting in the cause of God is an indivisible part of our religion. In fact, it is the peak of religion. So, how can religion survive without its peak? It is a pressing need for our nation's life, glory, and survival. Although our enemy lies, it tells the truth when it says: You fight, so you exist. This is what they teach their children, but they tell us the contrary. Moreover, fighting is a need for the survival of big powers. Just read history if you want, including the history of America. It (the United States) ignited dozens of wars throughout six decades only. This is because that was one of its most pressing needs. When the United States makes a sincere decision to stop wars in the world then it knows before anyone else that that day will mark the beginning of its collapse and the disintegration of its states. This day is coming, God willing. So, beware of any call for laying down arms on the pretext of achieving peace. This is because this will be a call for humiliating us. Only a hypocrite or an ignorant person can promote such calls.

Before concluding, I urge the Muslim youths to carry out jihad, particularly in Palestine and Iraq. I also call on them to be patient and pious, and to weaken the enemy by inflicting wounds on it, along with protecting Muslims during this. They also should be careful not to expand on applying the law regarding the use of human shields, for this should be left to their honest ulema on a case by case basis. We beseech God to grant us victory through patience and piety. May God make us patient and pious.

Concluding, I would like to say a few words to Muslim youths, words which we heard from your grandfathers who had been tested by events throughout many years in Palestine, and who had been witness to many initiatives, conspiracies, calamities, and calls for peace. I just want to remind you of these words. These are:

My son, they will talk to you about peace, do not listen to such calls, because although I once believed them I am still living in a tent. And Allah hath full power and control over His affairs; but most among mankind know it not. (Koranic verse) "Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire!" (Koranic verse) O God, I beseech you to strengthen the mujahidin everywhere, particularly in Palestine, Iraq, Kashmir, Chechnya, and Afghanistan. We beseech God to grant them success, to strengthen them, to unite their ranks, and to grant them victory over their enemies, especially since no one grants them victory except Almighty God. O God, we beseech you to put this nation's feet firmly on the right path in order to strengthen those who obey you and to humiliate those who disobey you. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. (Koranic verse) May God's prayer and peace be on the last of prophets and messengers.