Some Reflections on the November Bombings in Riyadh

Some Reflections on the November Bombings in Riyadh
Sheikh Salman al-Oadah
Wed, 01/01/2003

What we saw on the 9th of November was a gross disregard for human life, as were all the attacks that preceded it. The attackers of that residential compound showed complete disregard for their own lives and those of others, though life is one of the greatest blessings bestowed upon us by our Creator. Allah’s divine message is directed at living beings who are responsible and who can be held accountable.

We stand bewildered at the purposelessness of these acts. Any rational person can see that no good whatsoever can come of them. They benefit only those who wish to blacken the name of Islam. We must drive home our condemnation of these heinous crimes until everyone is of one mind on the matter. True, when we condemn these acts each time they occur, we are not saying anything new. Nevertheless, it is vital for us – and especially the scholars and Islamic workers among us -to guide our society to reject and condemn these atrocities. Guidance and reform is a continuous effort that is vital for keeping society united and protecting it from strife.

At the same time, these acts are an alarm bell alerting us to the existence of serious flaws in our society that we must face up to and identify. Then we must earnestly discuss what we are going to do to rid our society of these problems.

Allah describes the believers as people who are merciful among themselves. He made mercy and peace our greeting that we are to use no matter what our differences might be Allah says: “Do not say to those who greet you with peace ‘You are not a believer’ seeking some worldly motive...” How, then can we exhibit such violence and bloodshed?

Our way of raising our children, our manner of calling each other to Islam, and our approach to politics are producing an explosive situation. This is why, when we look at Muslim countries, we find them fertile ground for conflicts that devastate all of those involved. It is as if the existence of one group rests upon the obliteration of all others. What happens in such a climate is that each group brings itself to destruction far more swiftly that it does its opponents.

This is what we have seen in the conflicts that have afflicted Syria, Egypt, and Algeria and that tore apart Afghanistan, while the rest of the world is completely absorbed in their concerted efforts for growth, development, and prosperity.

We used to sneer at Bush’s ultimatum: “You are either with us or against us.” We saw it as arrogant and highhanded. Now we find we are being beset by people from amongst ourselves with an even more dangerous idea: “You are either with us or against Allah.” It is the duty of those among us who are sincerely concerned about our faith and our people to expose the ignominy of such an attitude of blind and mindless self-indulgence. We must bring things back to the way they should be with a just Islamic vision that does not give anyone the right to speak in the name of divine revelation or override the basic principles of our religion, our faith, and the welfare of our people with their skewed interpretations.

The crisis we are facing is indeed a crisis in knowledge. At the same time it is a moral crisis where people are perpetrating the most horrible crimes in cold blood, or even worse, with a sense of satisfaction and religious reverence. May Allah help us.