In an article published on the occasion of Ramadan on the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) website, MB member Hussein Shehata, a lecturer at Al-Azhar University, praises the jihad war against the Jews – "the descendants of apes and pigs" – in Palestine; against the Americans in Iraq; against the Russians in Chechnya; and against the Muslims' enemies in Kashmir, Bosnia, Eritrea, and Somalia. He adds that the Day of Judgment will arrive when the Muslims defeat the Jews and liberate Jerusalem.
The following are excerpts from the article:[1]
Praising The Traits Of The Jihad Fighter
"Fasting [during Ramadan] is one of the most powerful means to educate the human spirit for jihad. Fasting involves a spiritual effort to act in a way contrary to what is accepted, and to completely abandon desires... It also schools the Muslim in patience, resilience, endurance, and sacrifice, which are all traits of the jihad fighter...
"There are similarities between one who fasts to please Allah and one who wages jihad for Allah, and we will mention several of them:
"1. Obedience to Allah is the purpose of both...: A Muslim fasts out of obedience to Allah and in accordance with his decree... [He] asks Allah to forgive his sins in the hope of being released from Hell and attaining Paradise... Similarly, the jihad fighter answers Allah's call for jihad, hoping [to achieve] either victory or martyrdom... The purpose of one who fasts and of one who wages jihad is [one and the same] – to please Allah and to gain Paradise.
"2. Devotion is a trait of both...: Devotion to Allah is embedded in the very act of fasting... Similarly, the jihad fighter wants to please Allah with jihad, and does not do it in order to be perceived as courageous. One who fasts and one who wages jihad both require a high level of faith and fear of Allah...
"3. Patience is a trait of both...: Fasting accustoms the soul to bearing hunger and thirst with patience, and to holding back desires – so much so that the soul becomes immune to weakness, and stronger under pressure... Similarly, we find that the jihad fighter is able to go for long hours without food or drink while fighting the enemy. Apparently, fasting trains a Muslim in endurance and in tolerating [hardship]...
"4. Sacrifice is a trait of both...: One who fasts sacrifices food, drink, carnal desires, and money... During a fast, there is a sacrifice of things that the soul loves, in order to become closer to Allah. Similarly, the jihad fighter sacrifices his life and his money for Allah. Sacrificing life, money, food, drink, and desires are traits of both... and are the basis for victory over both carnal desires and the enemies of Islam. He who cannot conquer his own desire cannot conquer his enemies.
"Ramadan is the month of victory for those who wage jihad for Allah. Ramadan has seen the following battles, conquests, and victories: the great Battle of Badr [624 CE],... the conquest of Mecca [630 CE],... the Battle of Hattin [1187], the Muslims' entrance into Al-Andalus [Andalusia, 710 CE], the conquest of Constantinople by Muhammad the Conqueror[2] [1453 CE], and the battle of 'Ein Jalut [1260 CE], in which the Muslims defeated the Mongols..."
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