Istishhad

Martyrdom operation is a military or terrorist attack in which the attacker is expected to die; most often a suicide bombing.

Sourced

Martyrdom operation

The following quotations use the term martyrdom operation.

• Martyrdom is not only the path to life – it is the door to life. Martyrdom is life. The martyr is born in his martyrdom.
  • Mustafa Yassin, Uncle and Father-in-Law of Hassan Nasrallah: Martyrdom Is the Path and Door to Life. MEMRI (July 28, 2007).
  • . Mustafa Yassin, Uncle and Father-in-Law of Hassan Nasrallah: Martyrdom Is the Path and Door to Life

• The issue of martyrdom and of the martyrdom operations carried out by boys and girls, and also the operations carried out by the Iraqi resistance—these redeem self-confidence and hope.
  • Deputy Leader of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt: 'a nation that does not excel at the industry of death does not deserve life.' April 2004

• It is regrettable that the propaganda of the enemies of Islam has influenced the Muslim community so much that Muslims instead of planning for the uprooting of the Zionist regime and its arrogant supporters have occupied themselves with questioning and discussing the legitimacy of the Palestinian's self-defence which is carried out under the most oppressive conditions imaginable. For sure, when protecting Islam and the Muslim community depends on martyrdom operations, it not only is allowed, but even is an obligation as many of the Shi'ah great scholars and Maraje', including Ayatullah Safi Golpayegani and Ayatullah Fazel Lankarani, have clearly announced in their fatwas. Consider the rewayah from the prophet of Allah (SA) who said: "Whoever is killed in defence of his belongings, he/she is martyr." (Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, v.15, p.121)
  • [http://www.mesbahyazdi.org/english/contact-us/afq/contact4.htm#عمليات%20شهادت%20طلبانهMohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi

• Martyrdom operations in Palestine, in particular, are justified...the Palestinians do not have weapons to defend themselves. They have no tanks, artillery, and so on. This is the only means available to them.
  • Islamic Scholars Debate the Meaning of Jihad March 2007

• This enemy [...] curses the Muslims and Islam and the (Islamic) groups, and the clerics, and treats the martyrs with contempt, as well as those who commit martyrdom (i.e. suicide) operations who are, by Allah, the greatest martyrs in Islamic history...The Prophet said: I will show you who are the most noble among the martyrs. They are Hamza, and a man who came to preach to an oppressing imam, reproaching him, and was killed. All the more so, (someone who killed) a Jew! Why is he under attack? He wraps himself in an explosive belt, and dies for the sake of Allah, and then they say he was a terrorist and condemn him?
  • Sheikh Ahmad Qubeisi Supports Suicide Bombings and Criticizes Arab Leadership May 2004

• The struggle should be in unusual, through resistance and martyrdom, by which we can achieve balance with the Zionist entity...the preachers should present the issue of commitment to resistance and Intifada and preach for Jihad and martyrdom for Allah....This people must continue to sacrifice martyrs daily, and confront the Israeli enemy with steadfastness, faith, and high values.
  • Lebanese Preacher Sheik Ahmad Al-Zein: The Palestinian People 'Must Continue to Sacrifice Martyrs Every Day' July 2004

• We want to reform Pakistan....I said yesterday in my Friday sermon: "If you have many policemen and soldiers - fine. Allah be praised, we are few, but we have thousands of students, who want to commit martyrdom."...If the government starts it and attacks us, we will attack them, Allah willing, with martyrdom operations.
  • Imam of the "Red Mosque" in Islamabad, Pakistan Threatens to Send Students to Anti-Government Suicide Operations April 2007

• You may remember the martyr operation inside the Bagram base, which targeted a senior U.S. official. … That operation was the result of his wise planning. He (bin Laden) planned that operation and guided us through it. The operation was a success.
  • Taliban: Bin Laden Planned Cheney Attack Apr 25, 2007 (AP)

Suicide attack

The following quotations use the term suicide attack.

• Whoever gave the green light to suicide operations against Israeli civilians, and said that the dialogue with the Jews would take place through human bombs, did so out of political, ideological motives, in support of a certain political group. It has nothing to do with religion. All the religious scholars, especially the Salafi scholars, have said that whoever blows himself up, even among the enemy, is killing himself, and will be punished in hell.
  • Former Dean of Islamic Law at Qatar University Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari Speaks Out against Suicide Operations and Declares His Support of American Presence in Iraq May 2007

Implicit references

The following quotations neither use martyrdom operation nor suicide attack or a similar terminology, yet they refer to the same act.

• We want our believing brothers to see their brothers in the occupied land, who have no support and no weapons, no money, and no (assistance) in the struggle. They have nothing except for their souls and their bodies, which they turn into a weapon and blow themselves up before the enemy in defense of their honor and their stolen land. Shall we not stand by them as Mujaheedin?
  • Former President of Al-Azhar University Ahmad 'Omar Hashem Refers to Suicide Bombers in a Friday Sermon April 2004

• There is nothing wrong with (suicide attacks) if they cause great damage to the enemy....This is when we talk of Dar Al-Harb....But, if we speak of what happens in Muslim countries, such as Saudi Arabia, some areas in Muslim Algeria, or as we heard a few days ago, in Syria, this is forbidden, brothers! This is the land of the Muslims.
  • Saudi Sheikh Abdallah Al-Muslih on Suicide Bombings May 2004

Martyrdom & suicide

The following quotes use both terminology.

There are clerics who oppose martyrdom operations in Palestine. By these operations Allah has compensated the Palestinians for their lack of strength. They do not, as the Zionists do, have Apache helicopters, warplanes, tanks, missiles. Allah has compensated them for this with these human bombs. This is divine justice. (God) gives the weak a weapon for self-defense that the strong, despite his military and nuclear arsenals, can do nothing against. There are clerics who condemn this and even say that these are suicide operations that are not allowed in Islam. Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi in Favor of Suicide Operations April 2004

• In Islam, one of the goals of Jihad, one of the goals of fighting is for there to be martyrs...Western thinking does not understand this. They think this is a kind of suicide, despair, and so on. Absolutely not....He is married off to 70 black-eyed virgins.
  • Egyptian Cleric Hazem Sallah Abu Isma'il on the Rewards of the Martyr January 2007

See also

• Quran

External links

• The Palestinian Debate Over Martyrdom Operations Part I: The Debate within the PA (July 2002)
• The Palestinian Debate Over Martyrdom Operations Part II: A Palestinian Communiqué Against the Attacks (July 2002)
• Radical Islamic Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Pakistani Minister For Posing 'Obscenely' (April 2007)
• "Few Muslims 'back suicide bombs'". BBC News. 25 July 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-25. 
• Suicide Bombing (Martyrdom). The Religion of Peace.
• "Study Says Iran Textbooks Urge Martyrdom". CBS. Feb. 8, 2007. 

Video clips

• Saudi Sheikh Abdallah Al-Muslih on Suicide Bombings (May 2004)
• Martyrdom operations, this is a clip from a Frontline program on Hizbullah.
• Sheikh Ahmad Qubeisi Supports Suicide Bombings and Criticizes Arab Leadership (May 2004)
• Egyptian Cleric Hazem Sallah Abu Isma'il on the Rewards of the Martyr (January 2007)
• Martyrdom Operation carried out by Mujahideen Fis Somaal
• Lebanese Preacher Sheik Ahmad Al-Zein: The Palestinian People 'Must Continue to Sacrifice Martyrs Every Day' (July 2004)
• Imam of the "Red Mosque" in Islamabad, Pakistan Threatens to Send Students to Anti-Government Suicide Operations ("martyrdom operations") (April 2007)
• Former Dean of Islamic Law at Qatar University Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari Speaks Out against Suicide Operations and Declares His Support of American Presence in Iraq May 2007
• Suicide bomb targets Somali premier June 2007
• Suicide truck bomber kills 18 June 2007
• Students kidnap nine people