New statement from Shaykh Abū Basīr al-Ṭarṭūsī: "Either repent and obey Emir Abū 'Usmān [Dokku Umarov] or leave the Caucasus and go home"

NOTE: On October 2, 2010, Shaykh Abū Basīr al-Ṭarṭūsī recorded an audio message that was subsequently made into a video that denounced the actions of Muhannad (Abū Anas) one of the four Arab Emir’s of the Caucasus Emirate for creating fitnah (disturbance; dissent; civil war).
It appears that there are still some issues with leadership in the Caucasus Emirate after the drama from this past summer (see here, here, here, here, here, and here). In late August, al-Ṭarṭūsī published a fatwā regarding his thoughts on the Caucasus Emirate and their Emir Dokku Umarov to show solidarity over the controversy of who was the Emir of the Caucasus Emirate.
al-Ṭarṭūsī is a Syrian Islamist who lives in London. al-Ṭarṭūsī is considered one of the most influential jihādī theorists. For instance, as highlighted by Vahid Brown on Jihadica, al-Ṭarṭūsī has 200 works in the jihādī text collection “A Mujāhid’s Bookbag.” Also, in the past al-Ṭarṭūsī has condemned Dr. Fadl for his revisions and Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī for a variety of what al-Ṭarṭūsī views as problematic rulings.
The transcript of the audio is below and unedited.
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Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (pbuh).
Now I heard a word from our brother, the Emir of the Caucasus Mujahideen Dokku Abu Usman, may Allah preserve him, that he pointed out to a fitna, or discord, that had been committed by brother Muhannad and the consequences of this fitna and his (Muhannad’s) actions, which adversely affect the unity and the single word of the Mujahideen, about the results of his position, calling for division and separation, and withdrawal against the Emir of the Mujahideen of the Caucasus.
The statement, which I heard from the leader, brother Emir of the Mujahideen Dokku Abu Usman, hurt and upset me at the same time, and forced me appeal to our brother Muhannad with the following words, demanding from him to be afraid of Allah in his relations with his brothers, in his relations with the Mujahideen.
The territory where the jihad is waged does not need such split and fitna, does not need such nonsense. The Mujahedeen united around the Caucasus Emirate under the leadership of Emir Mujahid Dokku Abu Usman, and your (Muhannad’s) duty is to be with Jamaat and with the majority, which obeyed and pledged the oath of allegiance to Abu Usman!
And it is also not permitted to you, even if you saw something in Abu Usman, something that you do not like, or that you hate, whether you’re right or not, even for some minor reason, it is not allowed you or others to call for a split in the ranks of the Mujahideen and demand from the Mujahideen to come forward against the Emir, or to do something like that!
In an authentic hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“He who sees from his ruler something he dislikes, let him be patient with him, because, indeed, for he who removes his hand from obedience to the ruler (at least) by a handspan and then dies, dies a death of Jaahiliyyah (ignorance)”.
(Al-Bukhari; Muslim)
And therefore, we must not demonstrate displeasure with the Emir (Dokku Abu Usman), or another Emir, and specifically, we must not be discontent with the leaders of the Jihad.
The leadership of the Jihad in the Caucasus is not a place, and not a cause to compete for power. On the contrary, it is a responsibility.
The person who rules this territory is being sought, he is a target and is wanted, and he suffers. So first, we should help him, help him in the first place, and not oppose to him.
The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Whoever harms a believer, then there is no Jihad for him!”.
And what is then the position of a person who harms the Mujahideen!?
What is the position of a person who harms the Mujahedeen and divides their word and unity!
Allah, the Glorious and the Exalted, commanded us to unite and be a Jamaat, or Assembly, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided”, “And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient”.
That means to be patient, and if you see any mistakes or violations by this Emir or another, be patient. If suddenly the Emir made some minor mistakes, is it necessary to sow immediately fitna and to do other things?!
No …! It is necessary to correct mistakes. The reprehensible is forbidden and corrected, you cannot make a schism, dividing the ranks of the Mujahideen, and create an Emirate over another.
I say: Emir Dokku Umarov Abu Usman (may Allah reward him) received power and leadership over the Mujahideen today. This responsibility and suffering fell exactly on him, therefore do not help the Satan against him and do not distract him with such things, rather than to set him free to fight the enemies.
You distract him with such things, so he is now more worried about the ranks of the Mujahideen, how to unite these ranks and how to answer to all that.
The Emirate, and especially, the Emirate of the Jihad is an engagement, a duty and a great responsibility, and Abu Usman is a victim of harm coming from here and there, and everybody is attacking him, he receives no booty, no castle, no money. May Allah reward him.
He received this power, fear Allah and help him in doing good things.
Allah says:
“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression”.
I say to brother Muhannad: Follow the example of those who were before you- our brother Khattab (may Allah sends His mercy upon him) and Abu al-Walid al Ghamidi, and our other brothers and Mujahideen.
We do not know about a fitna coming from them, and we do not know about their harm to the Mujahedeen. On the contrary, they were loved by the Mujahideen.
It’s a sad situation that Emir of Mujahideen reports about fitna of a man, one of the Arabs, who is in their ranks.
The situation has already reached the stage when the Emir of the Mujahedeen talks about fitna of an Arab Emir, who is in their ranks.
I say this to our brother Muhannad … it is not in your favor that you are mentioned in such a situation, and our brothers Mujahideen are dissatisfied with you, and you were a cause of fitna and division, and you call for action against the Emir Abu Usman.
I say: Have fear of Allah, the enemies are around you, on all sides and everywhere, on all four sides, and today you are alive, but tomorrow, maybe, you will die, and even the Emir Abu Usman, maybe, will die tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Because you are not united, you are not calm, and are not in peace, enemies attack you while you are discussing and persuading the Mujahideen and divert them with such things (fitna).
I say: Be afraid of Allah! Fear Allah, and keep yourself out of that, and know that these words of mine are also the words of all brothers and sheikhs, whom you know, who support the jihad in Chechnya and in the Caucasus, and in all the countries of the Muslims.
These are not just my words. I first ask our brother Muhannad that he fears Allah in relations with his brothers Mujahideen, and feels responsible, and do not split the unity!
And you know that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“If someone comes to you while your case is united around one person, and he wishes to split you and divide your group, then behead him!”
But we are not referring to the meaning of this hadith, since we think that your intentions are good, and that you want goodness.
But, unfortunately, you are mistaken with the path and the means. And if you find a mistake, it is not proclaimed in such a way. Everybody makes mistakes … All the sons of Adam make mistakes.
And are we to kill now, to act against the Emir, to cause divisions and splits in the Jamaat for every mistake? Fear Allah, O our brother Muhannad! This is my admonishment to you!
And I would also say the following: Our brother Muhannad, Insha Allah, will consider and benefit from these words, but if he refuses, and insists, then let him be isolated and kept away from the Majlis al-Shura, and let him remove himself from all activities of the Mujahideen, and let him sit quiet, push aside, and go home (from the Jihad).
Let him distance from the Majlis al-Shura and from his own Majlis, and let sit quiet. Either he leaves this fitna, or let him sit quiet in his house – it would be better for him! That’s my word in his regard!
Either he distances from this fitna and comes into submission to the Emir Dokku Umarov Abu Usman, and asks forgiveness and repents for everything that came from him, sincerely and whole-heartedly, not just for a show or – a second choice for him – he is to distance himself and move away and sit quietly at home.
To remove him from participation (in the Jihad), since his presence creates fitna, and if he returns to his country, it would be better for him. Better than causing a fitna, which could lead to a bloodshed. If he continues to spread this fitna, then it is an incitement, an instigation to the ear of one and other!
Don’t you suppose, o brother Muhannad, that Mujahideen could raise their weapons at each other, because of you?! That dozens of Mujahideen may be killed because of you, and because of your fitna?
So if you distance yourself, it will be better for you! If you move away and stay at home – isn’t it be better for you than being the cause of spilling blood of innocents and the Mujahideen, killing each other? Thereby, to allow the enemies to gloat over them?
Fear Allah! Or come into obedience! You have two choices. This is my advice to you, this is my admonishment to you and my last word on this matter!
Or you should fear Allah, since I heard a lot about you – a lot of what has been told about you.
But when I heard the words of the Sheikh al-Mujahid Dokku Umarov Abu Usman, may Allah preserve him, I was surprised, and leant that the situation had gone too far that it forced this brother Emir al-Mujahid to talk about, forced him to distract his attention for such matters. And it means that the matter has already gone too far, and fitna has not remained at a level of one person, and so I came to the conclusion that I have to tell you the following:
You have a choice. You fear Allah, and you come into obedience together with your brothers and you will be one of them, and ask forgiveness and be united with the Jamaat. And if it is difficult for you, then move away, isolate yourself, and take a club instead of a sword, it’s better for you than to become a cause of a battle between your brothers and the Mujahideen, it is better for yourself!
And do not tell them “I’m an Arab or I am not an Arab”.
“An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab except by piety and good action”.
After all, people respect you! And the Sheikh Abu Usman himself respects you! And everybody respects you! And so I ask you to distribute and appreciate this respect to you correctly! And I ask you that you do not allow the penetration of Satan to them!
And once again, I go back and repeat. Either you obey and stop this fitna, and ask forgiveness and repent – or you move away and distance yourself, coming home, returning to your country. And I’m telling you – it will be better for you.
These are my words – you have the opportunity to ask for forgiveness, repent and move away from this fitna and this is better for you.
If not, then let him distance himself, move away and return home. If he wants to return – let him return.
This is my hukm, or judgment, and this is my word for this situation.
And I ask Allah to bring our brother Muhannad to the right path, to goodness and piety.
Peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Muhammad.
Sheikh Abu Baseer at-Tartousi