is this the content of the blog that is supposedly Imam Awlaki’s: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2382467/posts

I read the article that Imam Webb posted on the top of this page to National Geographic’s interview with Imam Awlaki and then I read the blog, if I have the above link right. And I agree with Imam Webb’s speculation – the language is very different.

The National Geographic interview sounds like how Imam Awlaki speaks in his lectures- very practically deriving understandings from the Quran & the sunnah and relating it to modern life. And although he draws attention to the injustices in the modern world- both Muslim & nonMuslim that are due to lack of us not following the Quran & sunnah, I have never heard him say outright like the blog says: “The US is leading the war against terrorism which in reality is a war against Islam.” And he gives credit where it is due- to both sides…

Something doesn’t feel right. And I pray that Allah (swt) debunks the falsehood, reveals the truth and honors the honorable. I feel, we should be cautious in jumping to judgements about anyone, specially one of our ‘Ulama.

jazakAllahu khairan Sh. Webb for sharing these articles. BarakAllahu feekum.

“You are someone who spends quite a bit of time blogging and lecturing, so there is an obvious question here: where are you fighting? As you know, it is frowned upon us to say what we do not do. So, the question is: who is falling into hypocrisy?”

I agree with brother Sad that this kind of statement is not respectful. Moreover, we do not know how much is my action being accepted by Allah (SWT), not to along judge others(in my opinion, if he said that then he made a mistake just like we make). Just to give “70” excuses to Sheikh, maybe he wants to join the mujahidin but he does not have financial capability. Allah (SWT) is reminding us that there are group of people who wanted to go for Jihad fe Sabeelillah in the battle of Tabuq but they did not have means to go and they were sad about it. On the same time, hypocrites feared the losing their comfort life since it was middle of summer and facing the Romans (fear of death). The key question in here is where do we stand? Should we fear Allah or should fear the blame of the blamer. If we fear Allah then we may be very easily loss our comfortable life style, on the other hand if we fear the blamer then we can enjoy our comfortable life style. In surah Yusuf, we learned that he feared Allah (SWT) and he ended up going to jail. Are we or our Sheikhs ready to go to jail or evicted from our land just for holding the rope of Allah (SWT)? Of course not, that is the reason we study or listen to so many Islamic lectures so we can convince our self that we are spending time in the path of Allah (SWT). We are preparing our self to be a better Muslim. By doing this, it will only improve individual life but it will not bring any changes to the society. If we want to bring changes in the society then we have to sacrifices our comfort life like sahabas who did in the Maccan period like one of poster stated here.
We know that in Maccan phase, there is only teaching of “Oneness of Allah” which sahabas preached in spite of being tortured. Today, Islam is completed so we mission has been expanded. Our mission has been to defend Islam as well as spread its “Total” message. Defending Islam also means defending the rights of Muslims all over the world. We defend Islam based on our Iman which prophet (SWAS) stated. If Iman is high then fight with hand, if Iman is low then fight with tong and lowest level of Iman is by hating in the heart. (In my opinion, Imams and Shaykhs should have at least low Iman.)
Moreover, we as Muslim society need to recognize that we are the cause of our problem whether directly or indirectly. Here is how,
It is Narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu). It is found in Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 23,Number 3455 & Saheeh Al-Jaami’ No. 688 & Ahmad Number 4825 & Aboo Umayyah at-Tarsoose in “Musnad ibn ‘Umar” (no. 22) that “When you enter into a transaction, follow the tails of cows, are pleased with agriculture, and give up conducting Jihad fe Sabeelillah, Allah will make disgrace prevail over you, and will not withdraw it until you return to your original Deen (i.e., True Islam).”

If we don’t solve our self, Allah (SWT) will bring brother or sister like Nidal Hassan and we will continue to have this kind of stimulus discussion all over internet blogs again and again.

Here is a beautiful article by Rand publication title “building Moderate Muslim Networks” http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG574/

Please remember us in your prayer.

May Allah swt unite us all toward the truth and for the truth. Ameen.

“Allahumma Areenal haqqa haqqan warzuqnat tiba’ah, wa areenal baatila, baatilan, warzuqnaj tinaaba.”

Please make special dua for our Ummah. May Allah swt unite us. May Allah swt give peace to this world through Islam. May Allah swt expose those who invent lies against Islam. May Allah swt make us true callers to justice – justice for all regardless of religion or background. Ameen.

“Be steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity, and never let the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: (for) that is closest to piety . . .God has promised forgiveness and a great reward to those who believe and do deeds of righteousness.”

(The Holy Quran, 5:8-9)

May Allah [swt] forgive us our sins.

Sorry to both you and Zeaun.

How do we even know he is able to respond? The reality is we have heard nothing from him for months…forget about the blog…in real life, what do we have from him? Nothing almost. This should be the first cause of suspicion.

He has always been so influential with his authenticated works such as his CD sets, and they are sometimes very powerful – without crossing the limits. I KNEW when I first started listening to the Lives of the Prophets CD’s, that a person who is so profound in reiterating the Quran – will for certain be soon harmed. I used to say it and feared for him. I don’t believe a word of what is on the blog – I heard enough of his speeches to say with certainty that it sounds nothing like him…the style, the words, the content, nothing is like what is known from him — AUTHENTICALLY, that is.

Next point, this is the way the media works, particularly with Muslims, they first defame a person wide-scale, and then when evidence comes out that they are innocent, you will only catch it on the 130pm news or something utterly easy to miss. So of course there is wide-scale-media-coverage until he speaks up, is declared dead, or in jail without a voice to speak.

I don’t do that, so no pasted references here. Go study for yourself and internalize the knowledge. It will be better for you, both in this life and in what comes after.

I’m not going to turn this into a debate so I’ll end this line of discussion now. All I will say is: Peace.