The dissident-turned-opposition trend that has emerged out of the Islamic State continues to publish output against the Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The latest item comes from Mu'assasat al-Turath al-'Ilmi and is written by Abu Jandal al-Ha'ili, who previously leaked secret messages of advice that were sent to Baghdadi and other Islamic State leaders.
In this piece, Abu Jandal takes issue with Baghdadi's claim in his latest speech to disavow acts of oppression/wrongdoing that occurred but were not referred and dealt with appropriately. He argues that many such cases were indeed referred to Baghdadi, but there was no response from him. This point fits in with the general portrayal of Baghdadi by the dissident-turned-opposition trend as (at the most charitable interpretation) a distant and absent leader leaving his followers in the dark.
Abu Jandal, drawing on his own experiences and providing supporting documents, focuses on the issue of 'repentance' in the Islamic State province of 'Wilayat al-Furat' ('Euphrates Province'), a region covering the Iraq-Syria border areas along the Euphrates River (specifically eastern Deir az-Zor province in Syria and western Anbar province in Iraq). Previously the dissident-turned-opposition trend had exposed scandals surrounding 'repentance' policies pursued in parts of Iraq (e.g. Ninawa) where many people who had previously been asked to repent were then arrested, disappeared and killed. From Abu Jandal's testimony, it turns out that a similar development occurred at a later stage in Wilayat al-Furat, specifically in early 2017 CE. Those who had been asked to repent were summoned as individuals and then collectively by the provincial security department in order to hand themselves over and verify their status.
While some were released, many others disappeared in custody, such that the relatives of the disappeared frequently asked for information about their disappeared kin and still had no clear idea of their fate even after Wilayat al-Furat collapsed territorially. As shown in the documents produced by Abu Jandal, in January 2018 CE queries were still coming in about the disappeared.
The 'Oversight and Tracking' committee in what remained of the Islamic State's judiciary department (Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim) looked into the events and concluded that the judiciary department needed to investigate the cases and clarify the status of the disappeared: were they executed rightfully on grounds of apostasy? Or were mistakes made? In the case of the latter, appropriate blood money compensation would have to be paid to relatives with no confiscation of the victim's property.
According to Abu Jandal, the judiciary tried to investigate the matter further but was prevented from doing so by the security and media departments with the help of 'al-Hajj Abdullah.' Thus, the issue of the disappeared of Wilayat al-Furat became a closed case. Abu Jandal alleges that the judiciary more generally was marginalized as the Islamic State's territorial holdings became confined to its last strip of territory in eastern Syria (deemed 'Wilayat al-Baraka'). Demoted from a 'diwan' (department) to a 'markaz' ('centre'), the judiciary lost the right to review cases concerning the 'Delegated Committee' (the general governing body of the Islamic State) and the media and security departments. Instead, the investigations had to be referred to the Delegated Committee, which would then assign a judge to review them. Thus, Abu Jandal says that the judiciary ended up being a body that could hold the weak but not the strong to account, contrary to the guidance of the Prophet, who said that he would cut the hand of his own daughter Fatima if she stole.
Most damning of all though is Abu Jandal's claim that Abu Raghad al-Daj'ani (who served as Wilayat al-Baraka's general Shari'i official and was killed in April 2018 CE) told him that Baghdadi knew about the case of the disappeared and hated it, but ordered for no one to speak about it.
The issue highlighted by Abu Jandal here raises interesting questions about how far individual provinces could take their own decisions. When Wilayat al-Furat ordered for the review of the status of those asked to repent, did it do so on its own initiative, or was there an order from higher up for the province to undertake this measure?
Also note that this testimony and the supporting documents establish that an overall 'Wilayat al-Sham' for Islamic State's overall Syrian holdings and areas of operation existed many months before Wilayat al-Sham was announced in Islamic State's online official media propaganda.
Below is Abu Jandal's testimony translated in full with the original text, supporting documents, and the author's footnotes.
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In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
My testimony on the case of those 'asked to repent'
Praise be to God and prayers, peace and salutations be upon the most noble of the prophets and those sent- our Prophet Muhammad- and his family and companions.
As for what follows:
This is a testimony I document after I listened to Baghdadi's speech[i] in which he said: 'We disavow to God every act of oppression that occurs and is not referred.'
I say to him: fear God for yourself, and set yourself straight, for I fear for you the torment of this world before the Hereafter, for the reports in the events were written to you by the 'Delegated Committee' and 'Diwan al-'Ilam al-Markazi' and the 'Diwan al-Amn'[ii]: indeed I bear witness that Sheikh Muhammad al-Tamimi[iii] referred to you many notes and grievances of men, but there was no answer. And indeed among the cases you knew of is the case of those 'asked to repent': and this is a summary of it:
After the reduction and diminishing of the authority of the 'Dawla' in al-Sham and Iraq there remained 'Wilayat al-Baraka' and so most of the 'Diwans' and 'Commissions' of Iraq and al-Sham were merged, so the 'Diwan al-Qada'- the al-Sham branch- got to know of many of the grievances and catastrophes that occurred in the 'wilayas of Iraq' after the conquest in 1435 AH: from killing and seizing of wealth without right and betrayal and threat and ignorance as authority was contracted for the powerful oppressor against the oppressed weak person, and the case of the killing of those 'asked to repent' in the wilayas of 'Ninawa' and 'Salah al-Din' and 'Dijla' in the beginning is within these cases, then after those 'wilayas' fell the 'Wilayat al-Furat'[iv] killed those 'asked to repent' likewise, and the families of the killed referred a case to the 'Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim' to ask for their sons[v] and indeed the 'Diwan' received the case.
And the order came from Sheikh Muhammad al-Tamimi to the 'Oversight and Tracking Committee' to investigate the soundness of the case, and to listen to the affirmation of Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Anqari.[vi][vii] So I- the poor servant to God- and with me the team of 'Oversight and Tracking' in the 'Diwan' investigated the stories of the families of the killed, gathered the testimonies, and inspected the archive of the prisons of the Amn in 'Wilayat al-Furat', just as I sat to hear the testimony of some of those who escaped the death sentence, and likewise I listened to the testimony of two amirs from the amirs of the tribes of 'al-Qa'im', hundreds of whose sons were killed. And I listened to the testimony of investigators and jailers of the Amn, and I bear witness that when I inspected the archive of the prison of 'al-Furat,' I saw a document from Abu al-Layth al-Iraqi[viii] in which he directly addresses 'al-Hajj Abdullah'[ix]- upon them from God is what they deserve- in which he spoke about the presence of a man from those 'asked to repent' in the prison and he was of bad life before, so 'al-Hajj Abdullah' ruled for him to be killed in reprimand, and he stamped it with the stamp of the 'Delegated Committee', and he signed the stamp with his well-known signature![x]
And likewise I heard the testimony of Abu Safiya al-Iraqi[xi] so he said that this killing occurred in the 'wilaya' and he did not review it at the time!
Indeed he knew about it later, and he did not consent to it! So I asked him to write his testimony and put a stamp on it, so the case could be referred, but he avoided that! And I reminded him in three separate meetings to write the testimony and stamp it and not conceal it, but he avoided doing so![xii] And I also listened to the testimony of Abu Sayf al-Iraqi,[xiii][xiv] and this is the text of it:
Praise be to God and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God, his family, companions and whoso is loyal to him. As for what follows:
Around more than a year ago an order was issued from 'Wilayat al-Furat' on the necessity of those 'asked to repent' in the 'wilaya' to go see the 'amniya[xv] of the wilaya' in order to verify their position. And that was announced through the mosques, and indeed great numbers attended from all the areas of the 'wilaya' and they handed themselves over to the 'wilaya' in the mosques of the 'wilaya' and the 'security office' and when these great numbers were arrested the relatives of the detained of those 'asked to repent' began to see the 'relations office' in the 'wilaya' in order to inquire about their sons, because we had a context of work: any detained person asked about on our part, we would first address the 'amniya' and then the response would come to us regarding the detainee's status, and we would inform that person's relatives.
But the detained of those 'asked to repent', no response came to us about them at all, when we referred many letters to the 'amniya' and no response came to us about them. So we contacted the brother Abu Ammar[xvi] and we made clear to him that the numbers are many, and that the women and parents and mothers are frequently coming to know the fate of their sons. So he said to us: 'They have informed through the mosques that the detained of those 'asked to repent' are divided into three groups':
First type: their apostasy is proven, and against them are lines of evidence of the annulment of the repentance, and these people are to be killed, and we are not to be blamed by a blamer for them, and they are a small proportion.
Another type: suspect, remaining under interrogation until their status is ascertained, and they are a small proportion as well.
Another type: nothing has been proven against them, and they will be released and freed, and they are a big proportion.'
And I and the brother 'Hajji Omar'[xvii] went to the mosques: 'Husaiba' and 'al-Obeidi' and 'al-Karabila' and 'al-Ramana', and we informed their relatives of this procedure, and all supported this procedure, except that this matter was not implemented!
'Hajji Omar' and the brother Abu Othman[xviii] contacted the wali about the fate of these people and likewise the 'amniya', and the response was given, as the wali the brother Abu Ammar said: 'Do not ask about those (asked to repent) from now on.
And we will not allow you to ask about them as they have been referred to another side outside the (wilaya) and there is no competency for the (wilaya) upon them.' And likewise the brother Abu al-Layth[xix] informed us that they are not present in the security prisons, and they have no relation with their situation, and a special committee was formed outside the 'wilaya', and that the 'wilaya' is not responsible for them, and that a portion of them are still alive awaiting the result of interrogation, and the families of the detained remained on this hope until the withdrawal from 'Husayba' and 'Albukamal' and until now some of the relatives of the detained see us, to know the fate of their sons and we have no response about them.
And may God reward you best and make right your steps.
Abu Sayf
Public Relations.
And we continue on the events of the case of those 'asked to repent': the talk amid the mujahideen generally and the Shari'i officials in particular became frequent regarding this matter on the basis that this is a crime that no one will admit, and the obligation is that those who committed the crime should be held to account while informing the families of those killed about that, to fulfill the duty and pay the blood money to even after some time. But we could not complete the case, because of what the amnis and media personnel did to diminish the role of the 'Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim' and in order to get out from the judiciary holding them to account in inquiry on the basis of its weakness in implementing punishments against them, and regrettably after seeking help in their senior 'al-Hajj Abdullah' they were able to weaken the 'Diwan al-Qada', so they removed the authorized security and grievances judge from the 'Diwan al-Qada'[xx] and they made the Diwan 'a centre' of limited authority in 'Wilayat al-Baraka' only. And it had no right to review the cases of the 'Delegated Committee' and the 'Diwan al-Amn al-Aam' and the 'Diwan al-'Ilam al-Markazi' but rather they had to investigate the case and gather the testimonies and refer them to the 'Delegated Committee' so that the latter could assign a judge they considered appropriate!![xxi] And the judiciary in 'Wilayat al-Baraka' became limited to the weak without the strong such that we were afflicted with the ruin that afflicted the Banu Isra'il before, for on the authority of A'isha (may God be pleased with her): 'The Quraysh were very much concerned about the case of a Makhzumiya woman who stole, so they said: who will intercede for her with the Messenger of God (SAWS)? They said: who will dare to do so for her but Osama bin Zayd, the beloved of the Messenger of God (SAWS)? So Osama spoke to him, so the Messenger of God (SAWS) said: 'Do you desire to intercede in one of the hudud of God!?' Then he arose and gave an address and then said: 'Indeed He destroyed those before you because when the noble rank person stole among them they left him alone, and if the weak stole among them they established the hadd punishment upon him. By God, were Fatima the daughter of Muhammad to steal, I would cut her hand off.'[xxii]
This led five of the judges to resign from work in the courts[xxiii] and three of the 'Oversight and Tracking Committee',[xxiv] and the case of those 'asked to repent' was closed in a summary report from the 'Oversight and Tracking Committee'[xxv] and this is its text:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
And prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God (SAWS).
This is a report of the 'Oversight and Tracking Committee' of the 'Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim' for an assignment came to us from the deputy amir of the 'Diwan al-Qada' to investigate the case of those 'asked to repent' who were killed. After we found the grievance in the archive of the 'Central Office for Grievances' and after the families of those killed raised the fate of their sons, we say, seeking help in God:
Summary of the case of those 'asked to repent':
In the beginning of the conquest of 'al-Qa'im and before the conquest of 'Albukamal' the brothers after the permission of the wali Abu Anas al-Furati issued a call that whoso should come in repentance from those who fell into apostasy from those who were working in the Taghuti military and courts, he should come and repent. And the brothers gave three days for that, so the people came and offered repentance, and the people took Shari'i courses. Then those 'asked to repent' lived in the shade of the 'Dawla' as citizens at peace assured for their lives and wealth until the time of the battles of 'Mosul' came and specifically after 'Wadi al-Hajar':
Those 'asked to repent' were arrested as individuals. Then the brothers called through the 'Da'wa centre' that those 'asked to repent' should gather in the 'Grand Mosque' in 'al-Qa'im' after the afternoon prayers. So those 'asked to repent' came to the mosque and some of them did not come and fled. Then they were arrested and that was in the wilaya of 'Abu Ammar al-Mahallawi', [so they remained] for weeks and among them for 33 days [and when some of them were released, one of them] offered his testimony to the judiciary, then the [news of those 'asked to repent' who had been arrested] was lost, and many of their families awaited their release or judgement against them in apostasy.[xxvi]
I bear witness before God and before the people that this transgression is not allowed in law and that whoso did it will be punished as a result of his deed in this world and the Hereafter: unless their families forgive them and God forgives them in their repentance. For we in the 'Oversight Committee' say: that the 'Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim' must investigate this case and make clear the name of those killed in apostasy, so that their families should disavow them, as they will not seek forgiveness for him, or call for mercy upon him, and his wealth will be confiscated and his marriage contract will be annulled.
Either they remain on their original state which is repentance from the apostasy, so mercy is called for to be upon them, and forgiveness for them is sought, and things they have left behind are divided, and their wives perform 'idda and their blood money is paid even after a while; or the judiciary establishes the contrary of that.
And God knows best and is wisest. And prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God (SAWS).
[Signature here]
Abu Jandal al-Ha'ili.
8 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH
[Stamp bearing the following expressions in order]:
'Islamic State'
(State of the Caliphate)
'Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
'Oversight and Tracking'.
And I met Abu Raghad al-Da'jani[xxvii] and he was meeting al-Baghdadi a lot, so I spoke to him about this case and that it is not allowed for us as the 'Diwan al-Qada' to stop this case, for it had been referred to us and I mentioned to him a hadith that when the hudud are referred to the Imam or authority he must judge on them.[xxviii] So he said to me: 'That Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi knows about the case of (those asked to repent) and he hated that, but he has ordered no one to speak about it'!!
And I say to al-Baghdadi: the clothes of piety and tabattul[xxix] by which you have misled the people have become disgraced, and the fear of God that you assert for a big cause, the opposite of it has been proven.
A great grievance has arisen whose structure is the blood of the Muslims! And news of it reached you and you ordered to close the case and not deal with it, lest you corrupt the reputation of your sovereignty or distort your authority by what your amirs brought about! And if- let us suppose- the case did not reach you, here it is now as it has reached you! So come out to us in a visual release as you seek the forgiveness of God (Almighty and Exalted is He) for what your walis did, and establish the hadd punishment of qisas- at the minimum- against the following: 'al-Hajj Abdullah' and 'Abu al-Layth al-Iraqi', whose hands have been drenched in the blood of thousands of the Muslims. And fulfill your duty before the families of those killed, and pay the blood monies of the killed if you are honest. And you will not do and 'in the sight of God it is very much hateful that you say what you do not do' (al-Saff 3).
Oh God, destroy every person who has transgressed against Your law, killed Your servants, spilt their blood or incited to that. Oh God, take revenge against the criminal killers sooner rather than later.
'Lord, forgive me and my parents and the one who has entered my home as a believer and the believing men and women and only increase ruin for the oppressors' (Nuh 28).
This is so, and God knows best and is wisest, and prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of God (SAWS).
Written by Abu Jandal al-Ha'ili
Tuesday 23 Safr 1441 AH
Corresponding to 22 October 2019 CE.
Appendix 1
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
Inquiry
1439 AH
Name: Nafudh Salim Khalaf
Address: al-Sha'afa
Subject: Inquiring about the fate of a prisoner
More than a year ago my brother called Matloub Salim Khalaf Karbouli was summoned by a request from the Islamic State for the sake of inquiry and renewal of information. Note he was not affiliated and what was said about him was that he submitted a file to look for a civilian position and he was taken with the applicants and since that time we do not know anything about him. We ask you to make clear to us the fate of my brother and may God reward you best.
Person submitting the request
Nafudh Salim Khalaf
3/1/1439 AH
Jumada al-Awal
To the Diwan al-Amn, please inform and send his file
Islamic State
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
Deputy
5 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
Inquiry
1439 AH
Name: Mashhas Dhiyab Sarhan
Address: al-Sha'afa near the police base
Subject: Inquiry about an arrested person
A year ago the Islamic State summoned all the affiliated people who repented and who submitted an affiliation request so my son was among those who submitted a file only and he was not affiliated with any military or security party. So we ask the Islamic State- may God guide it and protect it- to make clear to us the state of my son and may God reward you best.
Mother of the arrested
Mashhas Dhiyab Sarhan al-Salmani
To the wali of al-Sham please inform
Islamic State
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
The deputy
5 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH.
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
Inquiry
1439 AH
Name: Hamda Khalaf Rashid
Address: al-Sousa near Qous al-Baghuz
Subject: Inquiry
I ask to be informed about my children whose names are documented below and who were arrested by the soldiers of the Islamic State with those asked to repent from those affiliated. And may God reward you best.
Names of the detained
1. Muwaffaq Saleh Abd al-Hardani
2. Emad Saleh Abd al-Hardani
3. Jamal Saleh Abd al-Hardani
Person submitting the request:
Their mother
Hamda Khalaf al-Rashid
1 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH
To the Diwan al-Amn to inform us and send their file.
Islamic State
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
5 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH.
Diwan al-Qada al-Madhalim
Inquiry
Name: Emad Muhaidi Aasi al-Obeidi
Residence: al-Sha'afa near the Mosque of Tawheed
I am asking about the fate of my brother (Nadhim Muhaidi Aasi al-Obeidi) who was arrested with those asked to repent and may God reward you best.
Emad Muhaidi Aasi al-Obeidi
1 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH
To the wali of al-Sham to inform
Islamic State
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
Deputy
5 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH.
Appendix 2
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
Name: Awad Raheel Shalal, Ihab Raheel Shalal
Address: al-Sha'afa
Matter: Inquiry about detained
More than a year ago the Islamic State (may God protect it) summoned all the affiliated people who repented and my sons went to the Grand Mosque in al-Qa'im. Note that they had pledged not to fight the Islamic State before the conquest by the testimony of witnesses and they repented from this kufr work and we ask the Islamic State (may God make it mighty) to make clear the state of my sons and may God reward you best.
Father of the detained
Raheel Shalal Muhammad al-Salmani.
1. To Oversight and Tracking to investigate and be sure of the soundness of the case.
2. To the wali of al-Sham to inform us: are there any files particular to the ones asked to repent with mention of their names? And has he been killed in apostasy or reprimand?
Islamic State
Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim
The deputy
5 Jumada al-Awal 1439 AH
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
1441 AH/2019 CE
Mu'assasat al-Turath al-'Ilmi
[i] Audio speech 'And say: do' issued by 'Mu'assasat al-Furqan for Media Production' on date 17 Muharram 1441 AH (16 September 2019 CE).
[ii] I came upon Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in his private office one day and he was reading the letters and reports that were referred to him from the 'wilayas' and the 'Diwans' and he was summarizing the most important of their contents in side papers to refer them to al-Baghdadi, and likewise was 'Abu Muhammad al-Furqan'- the amir of the 'Diwan al-'Ilam al-Markazi' (at the time) doing, as he would meet al-Baghdadi and refer the reports to him. And I met the two sheikhs- Abu Bakr al-Qahtani and Turki Binali (may God accept them both) and they mentioned to me that they met him and noted to him many of the developments and cases.
[iii] Deputy amir of the 'Diwan al-Qada wa al-Madhalim' at the time.
[iv] Wilayat al-Furat: comprising 'al-Qa'im,' 'Rawa,' 'Anah' and 'Albukamal and 'Baghuz' and 'Hajin'.
[v] As in Appendix 1.
[vi] The wali of 'al-Sham' at the time.
[vii] As in Appendix 2.
[viii] Amir of the 'Security Centre' in 'Wilayat al-Furat' at that time.
[ix] Amir of the 'Delegated Committee' at that time.
[x] Abu al-Layth al-Iraqi- upon him from God is what he deserves- did not observe the means of operation in the 'Diwan al-Amn' and it is that he should refer the case to the 'al-Qada wa al-Madhalim centre' in the 'wilaya' so that the judge of the 'wilaya' should judge on it. Instead he referred it to 'al-Hajj Abdullah' so the latter could judge on it without being sure of its soundness and without hearing the testimonies from the witnesses, or considering the proofs and links connected with the case, and without meeting with the one judged against so as to hear from him his response, despite the fact he knew that the prosecutor and the witnesses are the amnis only. So he judged against him with tyrannical oppressive judgement and said: 'He is to be killed in reprimand'! So he brought about among the Muslims killing in cases in which their apostasy was not established, and no one included with them what could show their nullifying of Islam! For on the authority of Buraida (may God be pleased with him): he said: the Messenger of God (SAWS) said: 'The judges are three: two in the Hellfire, and one in Paradise. A man who has known the truth and judges by it is in Paradise, and a man who has judged for the people on the basis of ignorance is in Hellfire, and a tyrannical man in judgement is in Hellfire' (brought out by al-Hakim in 'Mustadrikihi' (4/90) no. 7104; and al-Nisa'i in 'al-Kubra' (5/397) no. 5891 and Abu Dawud in 'Sunanihi' (3/324) no. 3573, and al-Tirmidhi in 'Jami'ihi' (3/6) no. 1322l and Ibn Majeh in 'Sunanihi' (3/412) no. 2315 (and the expression is his). Ibn al-Mulqan said in 'al-Badr al-Munir' (9/552): 'The hadith is authentic.'
[xi] The judge of 'Wilayat al-Furat' at the time.
[xii] You need to imagine how it is that the judge of 'Wilayat al-Furat' avoids submitting his testimony, so that he should not be condemned by it! Despite the fact he is aware of the words of the Almighty and Exalted: 'And do not conceal the testimony and whoso conceals it, his heart commits sin and God is well-aware of what you do' (al-Baqara 283). And in fairness, he warned me about opening the case or proceeding it out of fear that the whips of the 'Committee' or the Amn would befall me. He said: 'I know the sons of my skin [i.e. the people of Iraq]'!
[xiii] The amir of the 'Public Relations Centre' in 'Wilayat al-Furat' at that time.
[xiv] As in Appendix 3.
[xv] The 'amniya' or 'amniya of the wilaya': it is the 'Security Centre' in the 'wilaya' [Abu Jandal al-Ha'ili].
[xvi] The wali of 'al-Furat'.
[xvii] The amir of 'relations' at that time.
[xviii] The subsequent amir of 'relations'.
[xix] The amir of the 'security centre'.
[xx] Sheikh Aws al-Najdi: and they appointed in his place Abu Safiya al-Iraqi.
[xxi] As in the case of Abu Hakeem al-Urduni (previously amir of the 'Diwan al-'Ilam al-Markazi') with Abu Jihad al-Shishani and Abu Muhammad al-Qatari.
[xxii] Muttafiq alayhi: brought out by al-Bukhari (4/175) no. 3475 (and the expression is his) and Muslim (5/114) no. 1688.
[xxiii] And they are: Muhammad al-Tamimi, Abu Ubada al-Shami, Abu Osama al-Khattab, Abu Muhammad al-Ansar and Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Ghareeb: may God accept whoso of them has been killed, and free whoso of them has been taken prisoner, and preserve whoso of them is alive.
[xxiv] And they are: Abu al-Bara' al-Ihsa'i, Abu Humam al-Asiri and the poor servant to his Lord: may God accept whoso of them has been killed, and free whoso of them has been taken prisoner, and preserve whoso of them is alive.
[xxv] As in Appendix 4.
[xxvi] What is between square brackets has come to add clarity.
[xxvii] The general Shari'i for 'Wilayat al-Baraka' at that time.
[xxviii] On the authority of Abu Majida: he said: I was sitting with Abdullah bin Mas'oud (may God be pleased with him): he said: I recall the first man whose hand was cut by the Messenger of God (SAWS). He was convicted of theft so he ordered to cut it off, but as though the face of the Messenger of God (SAWS) was sorrowful. So they said: oh Messenger of God, it is as though you have hated to cut his hand. He said: 'It does not prevent me. Do not be helpers for Satan against your brother. The Imam must only implement the hadd punishment when it falls upon him. Indeed God is forgiving and loves forgiveness: 'And let them forgive and parson. Do you not love that God forgives you? And God is forgiving, merciful" (brought out by al-Hakim in 'Mustadrakihi' (4/382) no. 8247). And he said: 'An authentic hadith by the isnad even as the two did not bring it out.'
[xxix] Tabattala to God Almighty: he has cut himself off from the world and devoted himself to Him (Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Mandhur 11/42).