Sheikh Dr. Saleh Bin Fowzan Al-Fowzan, member of the Board of Senior Ulema and the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts (Ifta) has described those who claim to be engaging in jihad for the sake of Allah by killing themselves as “committing suicide” and “Mujahideen for the sake of Satan.” Al-Fowzan said: “Those who have fallen into this Fitnah (trial or temptation) have not asked the religious scholars (Ulema), nor have they gained religious knowledge from them. Instead they isolated themselves from other Muslims and turned to people considered human tyrants who brainwashed them, and so they deviated from the right path followed by the majority. They consider other Muslims to be infidels, in what is known as “Takfir”. They kill them, blow up buildings and other facilities. They kill the young and old, male and female, and Muslim and Al-Mu'ahid, Al-Dhimmi and Al-Musta'man, due to this deviant belief. These are the consequences for whoever inclines towards evildoers.” Al-Fowzan quoted the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the seditions and trials (Fitan) of the late eras. “The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that there would be callers at the gates of Hellfire and whoever obeyed them would be thrown into Hellfire.” Sheikh Al-Fowzan said that this was reality now. “Everybody rejoices at their misfortune and hates them for their deeds, even non-Muslims, let alone Muslims,” Sheikh Fowzan said. “Nobody is satisfied with their deeds except those who are like them. This is a great trial (Fitnah) and a Muslim should be alert and contemplate it. He should not be hasty, and should ask religious scholars and pray to Allah for guidance.” “He should not trust people without knowing their real intentions and make sure they are upright, even though they may appear to be upright, righteous and showing zeal and concern for Islam. On the other hand, whoever seems to be following the right path and is doing good deeds but is an unknown person, we must neither be hasty in our judgment about him nor should we trust him unless we know the truth about him, and know his true conduct and past. “Without foresight and without consulting the learned, deviant groups fell into the abyss due to hasty judgments on people, ignorance, mixing with evil people, trusting them and distancing themselves from Muslims and their Ulema. They have dropped out of schools and stayed away from the Ulema and their families and homes. Muslim youth should learn lessons from what has happened to these people. “Successful is he who learns a lesson from others' misdeeds. We must learn lessons from these events, never go beyond the limits, abide by the Muslim consensus and obey the ruler.”
