Those with a good knowledge of history know very well that the amîrs of al-Makkat al-Mukarrama have been the first among those Muslim leaders and rulers to affiliate with ad-Dawlat al-’aliyyat al-’Uthmâniyya (the Supreme Ottoman Empire) to strengthen Muslim
Unity.
These
Arab amîrs have always been strictly loyal to the Ottomans because the Ottoman
sultans have been zealous in executing the Holy Book of Allah and the Sunna of Rasûlullâh and obeying Islam
and because they sacrificed their bodies for this purpose. For instance, I
tried to break up the siege of Abhâ by attacking with armed forces raised from
Arabs against Arabs to protect the honour and dignity of ad-Dawlat
al-’Uthmâniyya in the year 1327 [1909]; one year later, I carried out that
action to success under the command of one of my sons, again for the same
purpose. As everyone knows, I have never deviated from this great aim.
The
appearance of Ittihâd wa Taraqqî Jam’iyyati, their taking control state affairs
and their administration, which is corrupt at its very foundation, have caused,
as known by everyone, many domestic and foreign disorders and many battles and
shocked the greatness and power of the Empire, and, by entering into the last
war[1], led the Empire into a very dangerous
situation. There is no one who does not see and experience the dismal
situation; it is not necessary to explain the details.
We
do not want to see any people of Islam loosen their relations with this great
Muslim empire and be in grief and difficulties. The unity of the people of the
Ottoman [Empire] has been spoilt and thus the people’s trust in the security of
their possessions and lives is lost because of the executions by hanging and
imprisonment in dungeons and the banishment of Muslim and non-Muslim citizens
who live on the last portion of our empire. The distress that the people in the
Sacred Lands suffered has been so severe that the people of moderate status
have had to sell the doors and windows of their houses and household utensils,
and even the timber from the roofs of their houses.
The
Unionists, unsatisfied with all of what they have done, have also attempted to
distort the Book of Allah and the Exalted Sunna, which are the only bonds
between the Exalted Ottoman State and the Muslims; the newspaper Ijtihâd, which is published
[1] The First World War.
in the capital of
the Exalted Ottoman State before the eyes of the Grand Vizier, Shaikh al-Islam
and all viziers and senators, is not ashamed of insulting our Prophet with unbecoming
writings and, in addition, taking advantage of not being
criticized, presumptuously tries to change the âyats of the Qur’ân
al-karîm
and dares to ridicule the âyat about inheritance.[1]
Besides,
they have attempted to abolish one of the five fundamentals of Islam as
follows: they ordered the soldiers in al-Makkat al-Mukarrama, al-Madînat
al-Munawwara and Damascus not to fast in the honourable month of Ramadân to
make them feel as if they were like the soldiers fighting against the Russian
army. They have not held back from removing many such Islamic fundamentals and
committing and making others commit the things Allâhu ta’âlâ forbids.
They
have deprived our Majestic, Exalted Sultân (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) even of the
right of appointing a general secretary to the Palace as they have taken away
all rights from His Majesty. They themselves have ignored the constitution they
themselves wrote [and announced to the world by depriving the Ottoman Sultan of
the right of serving Muslims’ affairs.] They have left the Ottoman Sultân
deprived of his constitutional rights. All Muslims and foreigners see this vile
behaviour and feel disgusted. The reason why we have kept silence about and
attributed to [their possible] good [intention] such behaviour [of theirs, which,
in fact, was] meant to abolish Islam up to now, was because it was feared that
it would be an act of sowing seeds of mischief and discord among Muslims.
[We
see now that] the wide-spread hearsay that the government of the Supreme
Ottoman Empire has left in the hands of Anwar, Jamâl and Tal’ât pashas was not
without foundation. The meaning of this hearsay is getting clearer day by day;
as everybody understands openly, they do whatever they wish, and they make
others do whatever they say, and their orders are more powerful than the
constitution and the laws. An order sent to the Qâdî (judge) of the mahkamat
ash-Shar’iyya (canonical court) of Mecca states that the witnesses should be
listened to in the presence of the judge and that the tazkiya[2] not
[1] See our book The Religion Reformers in Islam for these insolent writings by Ziyâ Gökalp.
[2] (Pronouncement of the) investigation of the antecedents of a witness in order to assess whether his testimony is acceptable.
recorded in the
presence of the judge should not be accepted. This order is an abrogation of
the explicit order of the Qur’ân al-karîm that tazkiya should be practised among
Muslims.
Moreover,
the famous ’ulamâ’ of Islam and the notable Arab citizens such as Amîr ’Umar
al-Jazâ’irî, Amîr ’Ârif ash-Shahâbî,
Shafîq Begh, al-Mu’ayyad Shukru Begh, al-Asanî, ’Abd al-Wahhâb, Tawfîq Begh,
al-Basat, ’Abd al-Hamîd az-Zarâwî and ’Abd al-Ghanî al-Arisî and many other
virtuous, useful people like them have been hanged or shot illegally, without
any trial. Many families have been ruined by their orders given when they were
in a drunken stupor. Perhaps I could find an excuse for those murders which
would not be committed even by hard -and stony- hearted dictators, but what
excuse could be found acceptable for banishing their remaining sinless,
innocent families, wives and children, from their homes and countries, thus
loading them with sorrow over sorrow and calamity over calamity?
It
is obvious that it is never compatible with logic, justice and humanity in any
case to banish and tyrannize women and children while it has already been a
sufficient penalty [upon women and children] to see their husbands and fathers
killed or decay in dungeons for whatever reason it was. The 164th âyat
al-karîma of Sûrat al-An’âm declares, “No one should be punished for another’s guilt!” To what rule could
these brutal actions of the Unionists be conformable, while this [Qur’ânic]
commandment enlightening upon justice is explicitly obvious? Even if we could
find a political reason, a law, supporting this second murder [of banishing],
what excuse could be made for the unjust seizure of the possession and property
of those women and children who have lost their husbands and fathers? Let us be
silent about this very vile action of theirs for a moment; let us neglect our
duty of protecting the innocent and oppressed people for the peace of the
nation and the country. But, what reason can ever be shown as an excuse for
insulting, playing with the dignity and personified chastity of the chaste,
honest and honourable daughter of the famous mujâhid, heroic amîr ’Abd al-Qâdir
al-Jazâ’irî? Was there no common woman left to be played and amused with? Is
there anyone who cannot understand the ideas and the aim of those who attack
the historically certified nobility and honour of the blessed ladies who are
the apples of Muslims’ eyes?
We
have mentioned above some of the scandals, which everybody knows of among the
illegal, immoral, unfair, excessive and stupid actions of the Unionists. I
reveal these for all of
humanity and our
faithful brethren. Those who read and understand will make their conscientious
decision. I cannot help writing another heart-breaking, very mean and insolent
action of these militant partisans [Unionists] against Muslims, in order to
clearly expose their understanding of Islam and their final aim:
During
the demonstration arranged by the people of al-Makkat al-Mukarrama to end the
attacks directed towards their lives and honesty, two of the shells fired from
the guns at Qal’at al-Jiyâd to Bait-Allâh (the Holy Mosque), the qibla of Muslims and the Ka’ba of the
Believers, by the order of a Unionist commander, hit one at a point one meter
and the other three meters from the sacred Stone, the Hajar al-aswad. The Sutrat ash-Sharîfa, the cover of the Ka’bat al-mu’azzama, caught fire from
these shells and the people, to extinguish the fire, had to open the door and
climb on the Ka’bat al-Muazzama. Although they [the soldiers] saw the fire,
they kept Maqâm al-Ibrâhîm and the mosque Haram ash-Sharîf under cannonade and
martyred some Muslims. The people could not enter the masjid, and salât could
not be performed in the masjid for days. I leave it to all the Muslims all over
the world to see the beliefs and ideas of those who attempt to insult and harm
the Ka’bat al-Mu’azzama, despite the necessity that Muslims should respect and
revere mosques and the Ka’bat al-Mu’azzama. We cannot leave the future of the
Islamic religion and that of all my compatriots as a plaything in the hands of
the Unionists with such mentalities and beliefs. Allâhu ta’âlâ protected our
people from being caught unaware. The Muslims of the Hijaz have now taken
independence by their own endeavour and have decided to protect this country of
heroes from the Unionist partisans who have been annoying this country. They
have attained a perfect and absolute independence by the power of their own
faith and heroism, which has added golden pages to the history, without going into
any agreement with a foreign country or accepting foreign aid of any kind.
We
are making progress towards our sacred aim of protecting the Religion of Islam and glorifying the kalimat at-tawhîd by departing from
the countries groaning under the tyranny and torture of the Unionist partisans
who have pestered the people of Islam. We shall learn every branch of science
which is conformable to and fit for Islam. We shall found advanced industry. We
shall try with all our hearts and souls to advance on the way of civilization.
We expect that all our brothers-in-Islam
in the Muslim world will brotherly support this action of ours,
which is intended to
execute the wâjib, the duty, and that they will help us in our sacred jihâd.
We
hold out our hands to our glorious Allah, who is the Lord of lords, and pray
and beg Him to lead us to and make us attain success on the right path for the
love of His exalted Prophet. His help reaches to and is sufficient for everyone who begs
Him. He is the Best Helper.
25 Sha’bân, year 1334 [1916]
Amîr of al-Makkat
al-Mukarrama
Sharîf Husain ibn Alî