PA official: Death as a Martyr is only preferable if it’s in order to reach a goal
Official PA TV, Friday sermon by Supreme Shari’ah Judge, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash at a mosque in Ramallah
Supreme Shari’ah Judge, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor on Religious and Islamic Affairs, and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice Mahmoud Al-Habbash at a mosque in Ramallah: "The feeling of responsibility makes a leader merciful and caring for the wellbeing of his people. He does not throw them into life-threatening dangers. Indeed Prophet [Muhammad], Allah's blessing upon him – one day Omar ibn Al-Khattib (i.e., a caliph and one of Muhammad's companions) set out on a mission at the head of a military force, and the Prophet said to him when they separated: 'Do not surprise us with terrible news about you.' In other words, be careful and take care, do not sacrifice yourself, do not die. Martyrdom-death (Istish'had) brothers – perhaps we will talk about this later – in the philosophy of Martyrdom (Shahada), Martyrdom-death is not a goal in itself. The intention of Martyrdom-death is to reach the highest level of self-sacrifice, but not that one go and sacrifice himself just to be a Martyr, no – but rather, in order to realize a goal. And if he does not achieve a goal, then it is not good to die a Martyrdom-death…
In the Hudaybiyyah peace treaty (i.e., a 10-year truce between Islam's Prophet Muhammad and the Quraysh Tribe of Mecca, breached by Muhammad after 2 years; see note below), the heretics of Mecca imposed difficult and discriminatory conditions on Muhammad. First they prevented him from entering Mecca in order to carry out the Umrah (i.e., pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca) with his people…
Second, the phrasing: 'This is the contract between Muhammad, Allah's Messenger, and the Quraysh [tribe]’ – Suhayl [ibn Amr] (i.e., a leader of the Quraysh) said: ‘Who is Allah’s Messenger? We do not recognize him. Write: “This is a contract between Muhammad and Abdallah…”’ And the one who was writing, Ali [ibn Abu Taleb], refused to erase. He said: 'Shall I erase your name?' So Prophet Muhammad erased the word himself with his sleeve… The Prophet agreed to all of this and to other discriminatory conditions…
[Omar ibn Al-Khattib] turned to the Prophet and said: 'Are we not on the side of truth? And are they not on the side of falsehood? If so, why are we agreeing to the denigration of our religion?' The Prophet did not deny these things, and he did not call any of his people who opposed the agreement to order. However, he implemented the peace treaty; why? Because he looked towards the horizon, into the distance, at the strategic interest of the nation and of his companions.
The historians say the peace lasted for 16 months. In other words, the peace agreement was for 10 years, but the Quraysh violated the peace [agreement] (both sides claimed the other side violated the agreement first; historical research shows Muhammad and the Muslims did; see note below –Ed.). At 16 months, dozens of times as many new people joined the nation of Islam as those who had joined Islam before the peace agreement. As [historian] Ibn Kathir, Allah’s mercy be upon him, said: ‘Peace spread over the land and the people had ties with each other without concern [as] there was a cease-fire, and then people joined Islam group after group."
The Hudaybiyyah peace treaty – former PLO and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat compared the Oslo Accords with the Hudaybiyyah peace treaty - a 10-year truce agreed between Islam's Prophet Muhammad and the Quraysh Tribe of Mecca. However, two years later, Muhammad attacked and conquered Mecca.