God's War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy and the Bible

by Walid Shoebat

  The West needs to wake up from its slumber—the creed of the wolf teaches them to dress up as sheep, then trap the sheep. And for the past few decades, they have done a great job. The two doctrines that encourage this insidious form of religiously sanctioned deception are called Kitman and Taqiyya. The first is a command to deliberately conceal one’s beliefs. It is a particular form of lying practiced primarily by Shi’ites and to a lesser degree by Sunnis. Imam Ja’far Sadiq, the sixth Imam of Shi’a Islam articulates this doctrine; “One who exposes something from our religion is like one who intentionally kills us” and “You belong to a religion that whosoever conceals it, Allah will honor him and whosoever reveals it, Allah will disgrace him.”

  Shi’a Muslims are commanded to purposefully hide what they truly believe in order to mislead outsiders as to the true nature of their religion. Contrary to Kitman, Christ encouraged His sheep “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) To Westerners, Kitman is more probably suited to deceptive politics than to religion. Muslims do not separate the two.

  Taqiyya is virtually the same. A Shi’ite Encyclopedia describes Taqiyya as “Concealing or disguising one’s beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies at a time of eminent danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical and/or mental injury. A one-word translation would be ‘Dissimulation.’”25

  Sunni Muslims argue that Kitman and Taqiyya as strictly a Shi’a doctrine. Yet, Ibn Abbas, the most renowned and trusted narrator of Islamic tradition in the sight of the Sunnis upholds the practice by Sunnis: “Taqiyya is (merely) the uttering of the tongue, while the heart is comfortable with faith.”26 “Nine-tenths of (the Islamic) religion is Taqiyyah (dissimulation), hence one who does not dissimulate has no religion.” (Al-Kafi vol. 9 p. 110)

  Christians throughout history chose to endure horrific and cruel torture, even martyrdom instead of denying their faith. The Qur’an admonishes Muslims “Let not the believers take for friends or helpers unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution (prevention), that ye may guard yourselves from them (prevent them from harming you.)” (Qur’an 3: 28) Ibn Katheer explains the meaning of the verse: “Allah prohibited His believing servants from becoming supporters of the disbelievers, or to take them as comrades with whom they develop friendships…Allah warned against such behavior when He said, ‘O you who believe! Take not my enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them. And whosoever of you does that, and then indeed he has gone astray from the straight path.’ And, ‘O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as friends; they are but friends of each other. And whoever befriends them, and then surely, he is one of them.’ Allah said next, ‘Unless you indeed fear a danger from them,’ meaning, except those (Muslims) who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda’ said, ‘We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.’27 Ibn Katheer—the Sunni Muslim scholar—then goes on: “Taqiyya is allowed until the Day of Resurrection.”

  But what wrong could come from practicing a doctrine to prevent the harm of the believers? After all, even Maimonides, the great Jewish physician and thinker, in his Epistle concerning apostasy and persecution by Muslims, writes to his fellow Jews, “Now we are asked to render the active homage to heathenism but only to recite an empty formula which the Muslims themselves knew we utter insincerely in order to circumvent the bigot … indeed, any Jew who, after uttering the Muslim formula, wishes to observe the whole 613 precepts in the privacy of his home, may do so without hindrance. Nevertheless, if, even under circumstances, a Jew surrenders his life for the sanctification of the name of God before men, he has done nobly and his reward is great before the Lord. But if a man asked me, ‘shall I be slain or utter the formula of Islam?’ I answer, ‘utter the formula and live.’”28

  The problem however, is that Kitman and Taqiyya extend the meaning of these terms, so that the word “harm” also encompass harm to one’s reputation as a representative of Islam. So Muslims are allowed to lie even to protect the reputation of Islam. The renowned Muslim Philosopher Ibn Taymiyah from his book titled The Sword Against the Accuser of Mohammed, explains “Believers when in a weakened stage in a non-Muslim country should forgive and be patient with people of the book (i.e., Jews and Christians) when they insult Allah and his prophet by any means. Believers should lie to people of the book to protect their lives and their religion.”29

  Many Muslims will even lie for monetary gain: “After the conquest of the city of Khaybar by the Muslims, the Prophet was approached by Hajjaj Ibn `Aalat and told: ‘O Prophet of Allah: I have in Mecca some excess wealth and some relatives, and I would like to have them back; am I excused if I bad-mouth you to escape persecution?’ The Prophet excused him and said: ‘Say whatever you have to say.’”30

  With Islam, especially when it comes to issues of non-Muslims, it’s ‘any end that justifies any means,’ even conspiracy to murder. Mohammed, the so-called “perfect man,” serves as an example of Taqiyya: “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘who is willing to kill Ka’b bin Al-Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?’ Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslama got up saying, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Would you like that I kill him?’ The Prophet said, ‘Yes.’ Muhammad bin Maslama said, ‘Then allow me to say a (false) thing (i.e., to deceive Kab).’ The Prophet said, ‘You may say it’”31 and on another account, the murder of Shaaban Ibn Khalid al-Hazly: “It was rumored that Shaaban was gathering an army to wage war on Mohammed. Mohammed retaliated by ordering Abdullah Ibn Anis to kill Shaaban. The would-be killer asked the prophet’s permission to lie. Mohammed agreed and then ordered the killer to lie by stating that he was a member of the Khazaa clan. When Shaaban saw Abdullah coming, he asked him, ‘From what tribe are you?’ Abdullah answered, ‘From Khazaa.’ He then added, ‘I have heard that you are gathering an army to fight Mohammed and I came to join you.’ Abdullah started walking with Shaaban telling him how Mohammed came to them with the heretical teachings of Islam, and complained how Mohammed badmouthed the Arab patriarchs and ruined the Arab’s hopes. They continued in conversation until they arrived at Shaaban’s tent. Shaaban’s companions departed and Shaaban invited Abdullah to come inside and rest. Abdullah sat there until the atmosphere was quiet and he sensed that everyone was asleep. Abdullah severed Shaaban’s head and carried it to Mohammed as a trophy. When Mohammed sighted Abdullah, he jubilantly shouted, ‘Your face has been triumphant (Aflaha al-wajho).’ Abdullah returned the greeting by saying, ‘It is your face, Apostle of Allah, who has been triumphant. (Aflaha wajhoka, ya rasoul Allah).’”32

  Such is the religion of peace, like the Hitler-Jugend who would turn in their own parents, in school we were taught that for Mohammed’s sake we can even forsake our mothers and fathers, if they so instruct us to go against Islam then its lawful for us to kill them. We would do anything for our dead Führer who shall rise again as Mahdi. One example of such loyalty was the battle of Badr—Abu Ubaida killed his father, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq was about to kill his son, Umar ibn Khattab killed his uncle. One Muslim apologist laments “Abu Ubaida fought and killed his father because he was an obstacle in the face of Islam and looked to stop Islam from dominating the Arabs at that time. Today, how often do we think about the obstacles that are facing the Muslims and preventing Islam from dominating the world? And when we do ponder upon these obstacles, we feel ourselves subdued, believing that which stands in our way in terms of obstacles are insurmountable? How often do we remember Allah (swt) describing the Muslims as
the best nation brought forward to mankind, as mentioned in the Qur’an? Surely we must sacrifice and speak the word of truth to make the Muslims and non-Muslims aware of the beauty and justice of Islam, and how it can help to solve the problems that the Muslim world is plagued with today as well as the world at large. We should show similar courage and sacrifice to that of Abu Ubaida who was prepared to kill his father for the sake of his belief in Islam.”33

  Imam Al-Ghazali, one of the most famous Muslim theologians of all time, encourages lying so long as any positive or beneficial goal may be achieved: “Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish it through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible.”34 Talk about situational ethics. Imagine one of the Ten Commandments stating “Thow shall not lie, and thow shall not tell the truth, but one should do whatever is best to achieve victory.” Ghazali also instructs Muslims to lie in order to attain material prosperity: “Know this that lying is not sin by itself, but if it brings harm to you it could be ugly. However, you can lie if that will keep you from evil or if it will result in prosperity.”35

  Abdullah Al-Araby rightly comments regarding the danger that the practice of lying in Islam is for the West: “The principle of sanctioning lying for the cause of Islam bears grave implications in matters relating to the spread of the religion of Islam in the West. Muslim activists employ deceptive tactics in their attempts to polish Islam’s image and make it more attractive to prospective converts.”36

  Even many so-called moderate Muslims in order to protect the image of Islam, the Religion of Peace, after 9-11, began to lead a double life. One side expressed aggression to the West in private meetings, and the other side expressed tolerance and peace in front of Western audiences. Siraj Wahaj, the first Muslim to deliver the daily prayers and speeches of love, brotherhood, and harmony before the U.S. House of Representatives, in speaking to a Muslim audience in New Jersey said that Muslims should “take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate. If we were united and strong, we’d elect our own emir (leader) and give allegiance to him. Take my word, if 6 to 8 million Muslims unite in America, the country will come to us.”37

  This “split-personality” is the cause of confusion because Americans in general and unfortunately even many government leaders, are not digging into what these leaders say in Arabic. Desperately wanting to believe the best of people in order to comfort themselves in times of great uncertainty, most Westerners swallow much of the Islamic deception—hook, line and sinker. Those few who are bold enough to speak the truth regarding the true nature of Islam are viewed and labeled as intolerant, hateful, bigoted, Islamophobes. One would think that Americans would be wise enough to wake up to this tired pattern by now, but apparently, ignorance truly is bliss. Until the front of the ship actually smashes headlong into the iceberg, that is.

  17

  Both Claim To Be Messiah

  The Mahdi is to Muslims as Christ is to Christians—He is their awaited savior: “A figure more legendary than that of the Mahdi, the Awaited Saviour, has not been seen in the history of mankind. For the ultimate salvation of mankind he is the Pole Star of hope on which the gaze of humanity is fixed”38, writes Ayatullah Baqir al-Sadr—the deceased father-in-law of Iraq’s infamous Muqtada al-Sadr, in his book, The Awaited Savior.

  University of Virginia Professor Abdulaziz Abdulhussein Sachedina in his scholarly work, Islamic Messianism, agrees: “The term ‘Messianism’ in the Islamic context is frequently used to translate the important concept of an eschatological figure, the Mahdi, who as the foreordained leader “will rise” to launch a great social transformation in order to restore and adjust all things under divine guidance. The Islamic messiah, thus, embodies the aspirations of his followers in the restoration of the purity of the Faith which will bring true and uncorrupted guidance to all mankind, creating a just social order and a world free from oppression in which the Islamic revelation will be the norm for all nations.”39

  Even the touted moderate Sheikh Kabbani, the darling of conservative Americans, is awaiting this Mahdi as Islam’s primary messiah figure: “Jews are waiting for the Messiah, Christians are waiting for Jesus, and Muslims are waiting for both the Mahdi and Jesus. All religions describe them as men coming to save the world.”40

  What Muslims do not realize is that they are awaiting Antichrist. Jesus warned, “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.” (Matthew 24:24-25)

  JEWISH CONCEPT OF ANTICHRIST

  Most Christians do not know that when it comes to the definition of Antichrist, Judaism agrees with them: “Satan Armilus is whom the Gentiles [Christians] call Antichrist.” The legend of Armilus, as he is called, is expressed in the Midrash Otot ha-Mashi’ah Midreshei Ge’ullah, and is also documented in the Targums. The revered medieval Jewish sage Saadia Gaon records that in the End-Times—just prior to the age of redemption—an Anti-Messiah (Antichrist) figure would emerge and engage in a battle against the Jewish Messiah. The Jewish Messiah would kill Armilus and thus usher in the Messianic age of redemption for the Jewish people and the world.

  Even his satanic connection is recorded by Jewish interpreters: “This Armilus [Antichrist] will deceive the whole world into believing that he is God and will reign over the entire world. He will come with ten kings and together they will fight over Jerusalem.”41

  In light of this, and when it comes to the issue of Antichrist, Christians and Jews while struggling over major differences in theology, need to unite fighting Mahdism, which is determined to, “govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet and establish Islam on Earth.”42 They proclaim that “Islam will be victorious over all the religions”43 and only Islam will be practiced.

  As we can see, all descriptions of the Mahdi according to Islam match those of the Antichrist as seen in the Bible.

  18

  Both Kingdoms Suffer A “Head Wound”

  Biblically, the Empire of the Antichrist will not be a new empire; rather it will be the revival of a previously great empire that will have suffered what the Bible calls a “fatal head wound.” (Revelation 13:3) But the wound will be healed and the empire will be revived from the dead as it were: “And the beast [Antichrist Empire] which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.” (Revelation 13:2-3)

  We will discuss at length in later chapters all the evidence concerning this “wound” as relating to an empire, and not the Antichrist as commonly understood by Western prophecy analysts. This empire is the Islamic Ottoman Empire which replaced the Roman Empire after the fall of it’s remaining Eastern section, and was one of the world’s greatest empires. But it was also the head of history’s most anti-Christian empire. Ultimately it was dismantled and broken up by the Christian West.

  Today the Caliphate exists only in the desires of hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide who want to revive this beast that was slain on March 3rd, 1924. The last Caliphate—the Ottoman Caliphate—was officially abolished by the first President of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The abolition of the Caliphate is profoundly significant for our study. For it was on this day that the Islamic Empire, led by a sitting Caliph for over fourteen hundred years suffered a fatal head wound. The position of “head of state” of the Islamic Empire was severed.

  The magnitude of the fall of the Caliphate is as if the office of the Pope was forcefully abolished by anti-Catholic forces and it remained unfilled for nearly a h
undred years. This would cause a devastating effect on Catholics worldwide. Likewise, without a Caliph, many Muslims literally feel as though the universe itself has been completely out of order for the past eighty plus years. Today Caliphate apologists argue: Christendom has its leader—their vicar of Christ—so why can’t Muslims have their vicar of Mohammed? After all, the office of the Pope is primarily symbolic?

  But this is utter deception—the Papacy cannot justify from Scripture anything even close to Islam’s Sharia law.

  Today, we already hear Muslims loudly grieving over the head wound of the Caliphate. In a recent promotional video for Hizb-ut-Tahrir—an Islamic group whose goal is to restore the Caliphate: “The 3rd of March, 1924, the world was plunged into darkness. The Khilafah, [whose] light, spread from East to West for over a thousand years, was brought to an end. The consequences were unimaginable: death, destruction, chaos, exploitation. After 80 years of the absence of the Khilafah, the Muslim world has awakened from its slumber, and the Ummah [the community of all the world’s Muslims] is ready to resume its political destiny. From the darkness will emerge a new light.”44 Did you catch that? “After 80 years of the absence of the Khilafah, the Muslim world has awakened from its slumber…” Throughout the world today, just as the mythological phoenix rose from its ashes, Islam is arising from the ashes of its past in order to claim its place as the most dominant world power. Islamists the world over are now seeking to return to the triumphant days when Muslims ruled the Middle East and non-Muslims were subservient.