Abu Bakr Quotes

O Allah, You know me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than these people who praise me. Make me better than what they think of me, and forgive those sins of mine of which they have no knowledge, and do not hold me responsible for what they say.

Without Knowledge, action is useless and knowledge without action is futile.

Run away from greatness and greatness will follow you.

Walking to the train station I Wikipedia Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the man Hizb-ut-Tahrir refuse to accept as Islamic State's leader. I discover he is only one year older than me. I'm hit with that melancholy you get when you realise someone around your age has achieved so much more than you and you mightn't ever catch up.

Somebody once asked me if I made a lot of money, I said I made enough. He then asked why do it, if I'm only making enough. And I said I don't do what I do to be rich in my wallet, I do what I do to be rich in life.

Our abode in this world is transitory, our life therein is but a loan... Our breaths are numbered and our indolence is manifest.

There is nothing we can do about others’ hatred. We can only keep our own hearts clean.

Life must always go on, Bakr. Death doesn’t matter. Money doesn’t matter. Even life itself doesn’t matter, son. What matters is living your life with your family, with the people you love. We love each other, hard, and hold on tight. What we face, we face together. Together, we move forward and every little happiness we can have, we enjoy. We cannot let hatred and fear stop us from living.

Every moment for us is Laylatul Qadr.

A truth that displeases is better than a lie that pleases. ~Abu Bakr

thought firing Abu Bakr would have taught you a lesson about lying, conniving and implicating other people in your crimes,’ he said. ‘I’m amazed Zahra’s parents haven’t banished you from her life.

be summarized in this statement by the Andalusi judge, Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi (d. 543/1148): “The verses of the Qur’an are joined together in such manner that they are like a single word, harmoniously associated, structurally even.”3

Degrees of superiority are also implied by the Revelation in its mention of the heart. In speaking of the majority, it says: ‘Not blind are the eyes, but blind are the hearts within the breasts.’ The Prophet on the other hand, like Prophets before him, said that his heart was awake, which means that its eye was open; and the Koran indicates that this possibility can be shared, if only in some measure, by others also, for it sometimes addresses itself directly to ‘those who have hearts.’ It is reported that of Abu Bakr the Prophet said: “He surpasseth you not through much fasting and prayer but he surpasseth you in virtue of something that is fixed in his heart.

We cannot let hatred and fear stop us from living.

Never forget Syria. Or Iraq, for that matter.

My head constantly ached from straining to make myself understood. Even with the help of Google Translate, there were so many things I couldn’t communicate.

Where do you go when you don’t even know where the danger is coming from?

Maybe if you didn’t care, you couldn’t be hurt.

not even children were safe from the army.

That does not mean that the Islamic State has been ‘un-Islamic’ or ‘anti-Islamic’, as some people argue. It is particularly ironic when Christian leaders such as Barack Obama have the temerity to tell self-professing Muslims such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi what it means to be Muslim. The heated argument about the true essence of Islam is simply pointless. Islam has no fixed DNA. Islam is whatever Muslims make of it.

A Lion Overpowered Sheikh Abu Masood bin Abi Bakr Harimi (r.a) reports that there was a very great Saint by the name of Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) He used to travel on a lion wherever he went. In every city that he visited, it was his habit to ask the people of the city to send one cow for his lion’s meal. Once, he went to a certain city and requested from the Saint of that city a cow for his lion. The Saint sent the cow to him and said, “If you ever go to Baghdad, your lion will receive a welcome invitation.” Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) then journeyed to Baghdad Shareef. On arriving in Baghdad, he sent one of his disciples to al-Ghawth al-A’zam (r.a) and commanded that a cow be sent to him, as a meal for his lion. The great Ghawth was already aware of his coming. He had already arranged for a cow to be kept for the lion. On the command of Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) sent one of his disciples with a cow to him. As the disciple took the cow with him, a weak and old stray dog which used to sit outside the home of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) followed the disciple. The disciple presented the cow to Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) who in turn signalled the lion to commence feeding. As the lion ran towards the cow, this stray dog pounced on the lion. It caught the lion by its throat and killed the lion by tearing open its stomach. The dog then dragged the lion and threw it before al-Ghawth al-A’zam (r.a) On seeing this, Sheikh Ahmed Jaam (r.a) was very embarrassed. He humbled himself before the great Ghawth and asked for forgiveness for his arrogant behaviour. This incident shows the strength of a dog that only sat outside the stoop of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (r.a) This was due to its Nisbat to the blessed stoop of the great Saint. It also proves that even animals recognise and are loyal to the the Awliya Allah. A’la Hazrat, Sheikh Imam Ahmed Raza al-Qaadiri (r.a) portrays the above-mentioned incident in one of his poetic stanzas. He says: “Kya Dab’be Jis Pe Himayat Ka Ho Panja Tera, Sher Ko Khatre me Laata, Nahi Kut’ta Tera

I’d argue, in fact, that the rise of the so-called Islamic State under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi does somewhat vindicate Osama bin Laden’s strategy and his belief that making the West intervention-weary through war would lead to a power vacuum in the Middle East and that the West would abandon its support for Arab despots, which would lead to the crumbling of despotic regimes. From the ashes of that would rise an Islamic State. Bin Laden said this eleven years ago, and it’s uncanny how the Arab uprisings have turned out.

When people in the West hear Iraq, they instantly think of Saddam Hussein and the Gulf War. But when I think about my home country, I remember the honey-drenched baklava my aunts gave me, the pinches on my cheeks, affectionate tickles under my chin, and coos of laughter

All the wrong people will come into your life just to make you feel that you are the one who is wrong and all those who don't deserve to have you, will come into your life and they will leave you in a way that you will be ending up calling yourself the one who doesn't deserve to have them".

1:207-208 STEADINESS Soul guides and prophets have an innate innocence, but they are subject to the same consequences as everyone. If a donkey veers off-course, he will be hit with a stick. If you do wrong, you will be punished. Abu Bakr said that steadiness is the central virtue. From the mind's stability comes right action which in turn balances the intelligence. They asked me why prophets were given hardship. I said it helps to have clear indications. And I added silently to myself, Be more humble like someone held captive. Bow to the one who can free you. Well beyond the reach of its fragrance, I try to remember and say this longing.

admiral. Technically, all admirals come from the Arabian desert, for the word can be traced to the title of Abu Bakr, who was called Amir-al-muminin, "commander of the faithful," before he succeeded Muhammad as caliph in 632. The title Amir, or "commander," became popular soon after, and naval chiefs were designated Amir-al-ma, "commander of commanders." Western seamen who came in contact with the Arabs assumed that Amir-al was one word, and believed this was a distinguished title. By the early 13th century, officers were calling themselves amiral, which merely means "commander of." The d was probably added to the word through a common mispronunciation.

Sufism (tasawwuf) is not wearing clothes that you patched; it is not weeping when the singers sing their songs; and it is not dancing, shouting, experiencing ecstatic states, or passing out as if you’ve gone mad. Rather, Sufism is to become whole without any impurities; to follow the truth, the Qur’an, and this religion; and to be seen in a state of awe, broken and remorseful about all of your sins.

Beauty is merely defined by the very core of one's soul, which then and only then outlines one's outside features, reflecting beyond the body. With every line representing who you are. The wrinkles around the eyes from laughing so hard, the callus on ones hands from giving, the scars on one body from "living", the curve of ones mouth from the words their speaking, the lines on one's for curiosity their building. Truth is we all hold our own definition of beauty, it's that simple.

To this day, people in Washington can’t even agree about what to call this group. Some refer to it as ISIS—the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Others, such as President Obama, refer to it as ISIL—the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Yet in reality neither name is correct. In war, names matter. An intelligence preparation of the battlefield does not describe enemies capriciously. The way we talk about our foes is a function of the raw intelligence we put into the system, and the names we give them are a reflection of what they call themselves. We called the Third Reich the Third Reich because that was what the Nazis called themselves. The same was true with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. If we wish to be accurate, we should refer to our current enemy as the “Islamic State.” That is what they have called themselves since Abu Bakr al Baghdadi declared the caliphate reborn in the summer of 2014. And indeed such major publications as the Financial Times and the Economist refer to the jihadi group as IS.

Hüte deine Zunge, beschütze sie vor dem Lügen und erkenne, dass sie deinen inneren Zustand widerspiegelt. Sie enthüllt dir die Tiefe deines Wissens und deiner Praxis.

Glory is as easy to grasp as a dagger. It draws attention to its bearer like a blade flashing in the sun. Honor, on the other hand, requires discipline and compassion and self-respect. It often works silently, without recognition or the desire for it. Honor comes only after years of effort and, once grasped, is even more difficult to hold. ~Abu Bakr

To know that someone had thought to prepare halal food, that someone had taken my religion into account rather than ignore or be afraid of it, it felt like such a blessing. Before leaving Syria, everyone had warned me not to lose Islam—as if moving to a non-Muslim country would wipe out my faith—but here, people wanted to honour it.

That’s what terror does to you. It weakens you. It deflates you,

That’s what terror does to you. It weakens you. It deflates you, as it did my grandmother.

Nihad, it is our only safe option. Think of it: America, maybe Canada. There, we will grow stronger together. We will be free.

Love radiated from him, but all I wanted was that shawarma.

Father got the idea to plant rose bushes in the bakery’s courtyard because they reminded him of his grandfather’s farm back in Iraq. He said we needed to make things beautiful again.

I could tell he was flustered by the experience. We couldn’t read the signs or ask for help. The money was colourful and confusing. This was especially difficult for Father, who was so used to taking care of everything. And though we sat and listened to the volunteer translators explaining everything, we weren’t always able to entirely understand their Arabic dialects.

The white scarf bloomed red.

when we heard an explosion, we ran towards the chaos. Often the police and ambulances were late arriving, if they arrived at all, so we took care of each other.

Even though my father’s family was Shi’a, he raised us as Sunni. In Baserah, where we lived, the divisions between the two denominations of Islam hung heavy in the air.

Leave Allah out of your homework! That is up to you! Now get to work, young man, and leave God to bigger problems!

No matter the situation or what he said, his voice sounded like there was laughter in it.

I prayed for peace, not from the war, but peace in my heart.

Can we understand God with our minds or do we have to surrender our reason? Iqbal said that the answer to this question could be found in the moment Abraham leapt into this fire. Jumping into fire is not a rational act. His leap was an act of pure love and surrender to the will of God, and God rewarded him for it by saving him. It was, my friends, an act of true Islam. You cannot approach your religion with your mind. As Abu Bakr said, your inability to comprehend God is your understanding of God. You must transcend reason if you are to experience the divine. the path to Allah runs through your heart alone.

Allah will help him who moves in the way of Allah.

Umar, despite his strong character and impressive personality, had lost control of himself for a short while, his emotions seizing him so strongly that it brought out a heretofore unsuspected fragility, causing him to react like a child refusing the ruling of God, of reality, of life. By contrast, Abu Bakr, who was normally so sensitive, who wept so abundantly and so intensely when he read the Quran, had received the news of the Prophet’s death with deep sorrow but also with extraordinary calm and unsuspected inner strength. At that particular moment, the two men’s roles were inverted, thus showing that through his departure the Prophet offered us a final teaching: in the bright depths of spirituality, sensitivity can produce a degree of strength of being that nothing can disturb. Conversely, the strongest personality, if it forgets itself for a moment, can become vulnerable and fragile. The

If there was no American prison in Iraq, there would be no [Islamic State] now,

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The Months of the Year Presenting Themselves to al-Ghawth al-A’zam Hazrat Sheikh Abul Qaasim (r.a) states that once Sheikh Abu Bakr, Sheikh Abul Khair, Sheikh Ibn Mahfooz, Sheikh Abu Hafs Umar, Sheikh Abul Aas Ahmad Imkaani, Sheikh Abdul Wahab (r.a) and himself (r.a) were all in the presence of the great al-Ghawth al-A’zam (r.a) It was a Friday, the 30th of Jamadi-ul-Aakhir 560 AH. During this time, Sheikh Qaasim (r.a) states that a young handsome youth came into the blessed court of the great Saint. He sat with great respect, and then said: “O Friend of Allah! May there be Salaams upon you. I am the month of Rajab, and I have come to give you glad tiding that this is a good month for the people. They should thus do many good deeds in this month.” Sheikh Qaasim (r.a) states that on another occasion, a youth again came to the Darbaar of al-Ghawth al-A’zam (r.a) and with great respect said, “I am the month of Shabaan. I have not brought any glad tidings, but have come to inform you that in this month the people of Arabia will be in difficulty. There will be wars fought in Khorasan and there will be sickness in Iraq through which many people will die.” Sheikh Qaasim (r.a) states that after a few days, news reached Baghdad of these happenings in Arabia and Khorasan and he states that during that time a disease spread in Iraq killing scores of people.

If Layla and Majnoon had seen Rasoolallah and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, they would have bowed their heads and admitted they knew nothing about love and sacrifice.

In the Muslim world, much of the violence that takes place is due to clashes between Shiites and the other major sect, the Sunni. The differences go back to a dispute over who was in charge of the Muslim faith after Muhammad died 632 years after Jesus, God’s son, walked the earth. I’m oversimplifying, but the Sunnis thought the new leader should be elected, and Shiites thought the leadership should stay within the family of Muhammad. The Sunnis, a larger faction, won the day, and the Prophet Muhammad’s close friend and adviser, Abu Bakr, became the first HMIC, the Head-Muslim-in-Charge. Officially, they called him their caliph and he ruled as sort of a head of state over the caliphate, the name for a Muslim state run by one religious leader. Since then the Shiites have fought the Sunnis for control because they don’t recognize the authority of the elected Muslim leaders—who for the most part have been Sunnis. That explains why, in a very oversimplified way, religious violence erupts regularly around the world, as each group attempts to seize control from the other . . . in this peaceful religion.

Ali ruled from 656 to 661 but believed Muhammad intended him to succeed him originally in 632, rather than Abu Bakr.

So I asked Dr Ceric if he thought there was a conflict between European values and Islam. ‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘Respect for other religions lies at the heart of Islam. And the principle of democracy is even anchored in Islam.’ When I looked surprised he explained: ‘Go right back to the origins of Islam. After Muhammad died, how did his followers seek his successor? They consulted with each other and chose his closest friend Abu Bakr in a democratic vote. Democracy is absolutely Islamic.

لا وجود الا لطريقتين لفهم الوجود والمعرفة : طريق الشامان وطريق النبي. وتبلغ الأمور من الجذرية والحسم أننا إن لم نتكيف على الطريق النبوي فإن ما نفعله هو السقوط في الطريق الشاماني، وهو التحول الى شامانات أو مريدين لهم.

Knowledge is the life of the mind

The rejection of Western democracy derives from the same rejection of secularism but was further sharpened by the Saudi Arabian establishment’s aversion to democracy’s subversive streak and the threat it posed to the Saudi monarchy if unleashed. Saudi scholars such as Sheikh Bakr Ibn Abu Zaid consistently attacked democracy and the freedoms it flaunted as anti-Islamic. Mohammed Yusuf was heavily influenced by the writings of Saudi-based scholars such as Bakr Ibn Abu Zaid, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Ibn Abd-Allah Ibn Baaz (1910-99), and Sheikh Muhammad al-Amin ash Shanqiti (1907-73). As mentioned before, all of Yusuf’s opponents side-stepped the issue of democracy being un-Islamic, thereby making the issue appear incontestable or settled.

ISIS’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, reportedly told his American captors as he was released (we briefly detained him during the Iraq War), “I’ll see you guys in New York.”5 And now an ISIS spokesman has pledged to raise the black flag of jihad over the White House.6

As Abu Bakr said, your inability to comprehend God is your understanding of God.

The greatest truth is honesty, and the greatest falsehood is dishonesty.

There are people who forgot that their lifetime would come to an end. They kept procrastinating about doing good deeds until death came to them. Beware of being like them. Strive hard and hasten towards safety, for a serious matter is coming to you, and your lifespan will quickly pass. Be aware of death and learn lessons from what happened to your fathers, sons and brothers (who have passed away).

Today’s rebel groups rely on guerrilla warfare and organized terror: a sniper firing from a rooftop; a homemade bomb delivered in a package, detonated in a truck, or concealed on the side of a road. Groups are more likely to try to assassinate opposition leaders, journalists, or police recruits than government soldiers. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, masterminded the use of suicide bombings to kill anyone cooperating with the Shia-controlled government during Iraq’s civil war. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, perfected the use of massive car bombs to attack the same government. Hamas’s main tactic against Israel has been to target average Israeli citizens going about their daily business. Most Americans cannot imagine another civil war in their country. They assume our democracy is too resilient, too robust to devolve into conflict. Or they assume that our country is too wealthy and advanced to turn on itself. Or they assume that any rebellion would quickly be stamped out by our powerful government, giving the rebels no chance. They see the Whitmer kidnapping plot, or even the storming of the U.S. Capitol, as isolated incidents: the frustrated acts of a small group of violent extremists. But this is because they don’t know how civil wars start.

And I remember this girl, blaming herself because she was the one who insisted that she and her family go to the sea that day. So she blamed herself: ‘I was the cause. I drove them to their death.’ Another incident was in 2014, when four children from the Bakr family were killed playing soccer on the beach. I think the ball was the only survivor of that game.

sunken cheeks and a thin, dyed beard, named Abu Bakr.

community was split between supporters of his companion Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr became the first caliph, and his followers became the Sunni;

How could the God of my gentle father be the same God of those crazy fanatics who killed in the name of Islam? I hated those people the most. How could they take something so loving and peaceful and twist it to justify violence and murder? Those people cannot really be Muslim because my God was about love, peace, charity.

It is for this reason that some of the Salaf said, ‘Abu Bakr did not outstrip you by virtue of much fasting or prayer, but rather because of something that had taken root in his heart.’ [Muslim #867/2005] Some of them said, ‘What was in the heart of Abu Bakr (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) was the love of Allah and sincerity to His servants.

Vous savez maintenant qu'il n'en était rien et qu'il s'agissait tout simplement d'un de ces racontars avantageux, accueillis avec beaucoup de complaisance, dont on connaît plus d'un exemple, et dont le but était de réduire Sh.A.W. jusqu'au niveau d'un "moqaddem" de votre tarîqah au Caire! (du reste S. Abu Bakr soutenait de son côté que "Sh.A.W. n'est qu'un fakir comme lui" ! (Subhâna-Llâh !). A propos de tout cela je crois que je ne suis pas trop indiscret en citant seulement ces paroles de Sh.A.W.:"On ne devrait tout de même pas oublier que, sans moi, il n'y aurait pas eu de tarîqah en Europe, et par conséquent pas de Sh.A. non plus"! (Lettre de M.Vâlsan à F.Schuon, novembre 1950)

Alors vous me déclariez enfin renoncer à vous occuper des chrétiens dans ces termes: "Bon, j'y renonce, je n'en ferai plus rien ,vous pouvez le dire à Sh.A.W.". Je vous en ai remercié. Ce qui était agréable c'était de voir qu'il n'y avait plus à se soucier des "inspirations" que rappelait néanmoins S.Abu Bakr, présent à cet entretien. Pourtant ensuite, j'ai connu encore votre mécontentement et celui de vos disciples zélés. Je vous rappelle pourtant que, selon votre déclaration antérieure, dans cette affaire, il n'y avait pas d'opinion officielle dans la tarîqah, que nous pouvions nous tromper tous, et tout d'abord vous-même. Mais les débats et les activités de ce genre ne pouvaient que porter le trouble parmi les fuqarâ, et, dans le milieu immédiat de la tarîqah, troubler encore les relations avec Sh.A.W. et créer des dangers extérieurs. S'il s'agit de juger l'arbre à ses fruits, que doit-on penser de la "barakah" et des "inspirations" qui sont intervenues dans cette affaire ?... (Lettre de M.Vâlsan à F.Schuon, novembre 1950)

We can make a home anywhere we go together.

Futuwwah is the way of the fata. In Arabic, fata literally means a handsome, brave youth. After the enlightenment of Islam, following the use of the word in the Holy Koran, fata (plural: fityan) came to mean the ideal, noble, and perfect man whose hospitality and generosity would extend until he had nothing left for himself; a man who would give all, including his life, for the sake of his friends. According to the Sufis, Futuwwah is a code of honorable conduct that follows the example of the prophets, saints, sages, and the intimate friends and lovers of Allah. The traditional example of generosity is the prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, who readily accepted the command to sacrifice his son for Allah's sake. He is also a model of hospitality who shared his meals with guests all his life and never ate alone. The prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, is an example of mercy, for he pardoned his brothers, who tried to kill him, and a model of honor, for he resisted the advances of a married woman, Zulaykha, who was feminine beauty personified. The principles of character of the four divinely guided caliphes, the successors of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, also served as guides to Futuwwah; the loyalty of Abu Bakr, the justice of 'Umar, the reserve and modesty of 'Uthman, and the bravery of 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with them all. The all-encompassing symbol of the way of Futuwwah is the divinely guided life and character of the final prophet, Muhammad Mustafa, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, whose perfection is the goal of Sufism. The Sufi aims to abandon all improper behavior and to acquire and exercise, always and under all circumstances, the best behavior proper to human beings; for God created man "for Himself" as His "supreme creation," "in the fairest form." As He declares in His Holy Koran, "We have indeed honored the children of Adam.

How little they knew what awaited them. They would soon find out that the caliphate ruled by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi troubled itself little with the Prophet’s law. That his men used the ancient punishments meant to instill an otherworldly fear—the chopping off of hands, of heads—as bloody, nihilistic gang rituals. The girls seemed to imagine they were en route to some Romeo and Juliet scenario in the desert. How could they not know?

Jealousy was inevitable in the Prophet’s household, and he did his best to make light of it. Once he came into a room where his wives and others of his family were assembled, and in his hand was an onyx necklace which had just been given to him. Holding it out to them he said: “I shall give this unto her whom I love best of all.” Some of the wives began to whisper wryly to each other: “He will give it to the daughter of Abu Bakr.” But when he had kept them long enough in suspense, he called his little granddaughter Umamah to him and clasped it round her neck.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (aka Abu Du’a) being named its leader. Baghdadi is now being referred to as “khalifah Ibrahim.” Khalifa is an Arabic title that means “leader” and Ibrahim is the Arabic transliteration of the prophet and patriarch “Abraham.” Like the biblical Abraham,

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, they believe, will reign over the global Muslim community until the arrival of the Mahdi, a messianic figure who precedes the arrival of Jesus.

The religious roots of this struggle go back to the seventh century and the battle that ensued after the death of the Prophet Mohammed. Who would be his successor—his father-in-law, Abu Bakr, or his cousin and son-in-law, Ali? The Sunni are followers of Abu Bakr, who became the first caliph. But his legitimacy was—and is—contested by the Shia, “the party of Ali.” Each group regards the other as heretics.

Over the course of those ten days of his illness, all of the men who were to be the first five caliphs of Islam would be in and out of his sickroom: two fathers-in-law, abu-Bakr and Omar; two sons-in-law, Ali and Uthman; and a brother-in-law, Muawiya. But how that would happen, and in what order, was to remain the stuff of discord.

And a very strong one, since it would reach deep into the future. The two fathers-in-law, abu-Bakr and Omar, were to be the first two leaders of Islam after Muhammad’s death, each acclaimed as his successor or khalifa—caliph in English—and they would be immediately followed by the two sons-in-law, Uthman and Ali. By both giving and taking in marriage, Muhammad was establishing the leadership matrix of the new Islamic community.

I question travellers from the four corners of the earth hoping to meet one who has breathed your fragrance.

All religions are not equal in their capacity to mete out violence and genocidal hate. To say otherwise is to be hopelessly misguided or profoundly duplicitous. Two other popular deflections are 'But what about the crusades?' and 'But the Bible also has violent passages.' The crusades were a response to hundreds of years of Islamic aggression, and they took place within a very restricted time and place, nearly a millennium ago. As for the Bible, you can count on one hand the number of individuals who have used violent passages from Deuteronomy to justify act of terrorism in the twenty-first century. On the other hand, innumerable Jihadis around the world use Islamic doctrines to justify their violent actions. Scale matters. Another classic ploy used by apologists is the 'No True Scotsman' fallacy. This argues that entire Islamic countries, Islamic governments, and leading Islamic scholars are "fake" representations of the true faith. If you point to sharia law in Saudi Arabia, the retort is that this does not represent True Islam. Similarly, Iran's mullahs apparently do not represent True Islam. Osama Bin Laden was a "fake" Muslim. Other "fake" Muslims include Amin al-Husseini (the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem who was on friendly terms with Adolf Hitler), Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi (arguably the leading Sunni theologian today), and Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (the late leader of ISIS).

Abu Bakr was chosen to become "caliph," a shortened form of the title "Khalifat Rasul Allah" ("Successors to the Messenger of God").

Another story is told by the historian Ibn Al-Athir about the commander 'Imad Ad-Din Zangi. He entered the town of Jazirat Ibn 'Umar during the winter. He stayed at the fortress, while the army camped in tents. One of his more prominent officers was 'Izz Ad-Din Abu Bakr Ad-Dabisi, whose opinion he valued. This officer commandeered the home a Jewish man for his own lodging. The Jewish man sought out 'Imad Ad-Din, and called out to him while he was riding by. 'Imad Ad-Din asked him what the matter was, and listened to the story while Ad-Dabaisi stood next to him. When 'Imad had heard the whole story, he said nothing, but gazed wrathfully at Ad-Dabisi, who backed away, returned to town, and ordered his tents to be set up outside town, even though the ground was full of mud from the rain and the army passing over it. This was done in justice to the Jewish man whose home had been wrongfully commandeered.

il Califfo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi vuole consolidare ed espandere il proprio Stato islamico, Al Nusra punta a controllare aree più vaste in Siria, Boko Haram a spazzare via i cristiani dalla Nigeria del Nord e i taleban accarezzano il miraggio di tornare a controllare Kabul. Se a ciò aggiungiamo che Al Qaeda in Yemen sfida le truppe di Sana’a, gli Shaabab somali combattono per Mogadiscio, ciò che resta della vecchia Al Qaeda è arroccata nel Waziristan e la Libia è contesa fra opposte milizie, ne emerge il quadro di un jihad globale intenzionato a controllare territori, città e villaggi eliminando le popolazioni che considera nemiche e soprattutto «infedeli» secondo i criteri più rigidi della «Sharia», la legge islamica.