Address of the Mufti of Dagestan

In the name of the Creator, the Most Merciful of all on the Earth, and only to the faithful on the Day of Judgment!

Dear brothers and sisters! Today, our Ummah is living through hard times. We see the worldwide shocks exactly in the areas where Muslims live. Today, more than ever, we are responsible for every deed and for every word. We need to weigh any proposal that is ready to get off our lips on the Sharia scales, because it can be decisive for the fate of even one Muslim! I urge you not to slander each other and to treat each other with compassion and understanding.

The leadership of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Dagestan (SAMD) has more than once appealed to the population with a request to be careful in their statements and accusations, because it is easy to hang a label on a person, but it is much harder to take it off. And today I once again want to convey this appeal to all of you: when you see Muslims with long beards and Muslim women in headscarves, whether black or white, do not call them Wahhabis and do not insult each other even with a look! He is not a Muslim who does not feel the pain of his brother, even if one is in the West, and the other in the East.

Rumours circulate among people that Imams are allegedly handing lists of Wahhabis over to law enforcers. We do not believe in it; it is unpleasant for us to hear it; moreover, such rumours are offensive to us. However, since such rumours are spread among the people, it is my duty to warn everyone: do not engage in gossip or denunciations. An Imam must encourage people to Islam, spread the Word of Allah on the Earth; the work of an Imam is not to shadow his parishioners; and he should warn others about the inadmissibility of such actions. For every Imam, his every parishioner has been trusted to him by Allah; and the Imam should instruct him on the path of truth by means of good preaching!

The Sharia forbids denouncing and gossiping. The hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) says: "A denouncer won't enter the Paradise"! Once the Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) gathered his people to ask Allah for rain, but the Creator rejected their dua. So they gathered three times, but Allah did not answer their prayers. When Musa (peace be upon him) asked Allah why, even though they made dua, there was no rain, the latter him that among the people of Musa (peace be upon him) there was a gossiper; and that was because of him he refused to accept their dua. Musa (peace be upon him) asked the Creator to name the gossiper, but Allah told him: "You want me to order you not to gossip, but ask me to gossip?" Then, Musa (peace be upon him) returned to his people and urged everyone to make a tavba (repentance) against gossip; and then Allah sent rain to the people!

I am also addressing law enforcers. You are always at risk. Today, to work for law enforcement bodies, even as an ordinary traffic inspector, you need courage and resilience. The feeling that death is always nearby should especially strengthen the human's iman. You work for the peaceful life of peaceful citizens. And according to the law of Allah, someone has to keep the order. Allah has created some people as physicians, others – as teachers. And everyone must do his or her duty with honour and responsibility before the Lord! Perhaps, there are many among you, who lost their friends and loved ones; however, the anger and aggression are no way out. According to the Sharia, to punish a human, one needs to have solid evidences of his guilt; and if the punishment is fair, the judge will be rewarded by Allah. However, if the punishment is unfair, if, through abuse of power, by torture and violence confessions are knocked out of people, then surely Allah will punish the perpetrator. If someone escapes punishment in this world, it will be inevitable for all in that world. Irrespective of anything, the death exists for believers and unbelievers, and for those who behave hypocritically!

Let Allah the Almighty put us all on the road of truth; let Allah grant us all with wisdom and patience in addressing our common problems!

Sincerely, the Mufti of Dagestan

Ahmad-Haji Abdullaev

March 29, 2012