An Urgent Call Regarding the Plight of Shaykh Salman al-Ouda, Shaykh Awad al-Qarni, and Dr. Ali al-Omari
An Urgent Call Regarding the Plight of Shaykh Salman al-Ouda, Shaykh Awad al-Qarni, and Dr. Ali al-Omari
All praise belongs to Allah, and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad and His family.
Peace and mercy be upon you:
It is with great concern and perturbation that we have received unconfirmed reports regarding the imminent execution of Shaykh Salman al-Ouda, Shaykh Awad al-Qarni, and Dr. Ali al-Omari.
Islam teaches us that life is a blessing from Allah. Those who seek to deprive someone of this blessing without a clearly sanctioned religious basis have committed an act that God deems atrocious and a mighty sin: “If anyone kills a believer deliberately, the punishment for him is Hell, and there he will remain: Allah is angry with him, and rejects him, and has prepared a tremendous torment for him.” (Qur’an, 4:93)
The Inviolability of the Believer
The Prophet ﷺ and his Companions viewed the life, wealth, and honor of all who uttered the testimony of faith (shahada) as inviolable. They took immense care not to impede on these basic rights even in the context of enacting punishments.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Avoid applying punishments as long as you are able to find an excuse to avert them,” (Sunan Ibn Majah) and Ibn Masʿud stated, “Avoid flogging and applying the death penalty upon people as much as you can.” (Sunan al-Kubra)
Indeed, the sanctity of the believer was so great in the eyes of the Prophet ﷺ that he deemed the destruction of the world as a lighter affair than the killing of even a single Muslim. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi)
Similarly, the early Muslims (salaf) would remark when gazing upon the Kaʿba, “The inviolability of a believer is greater with Allah than your inviolability.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi) There are few statements one can imagine as emphatic as these in affirmation of the rank of the believer.
A Call for Clemency
In light of the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ and the gravity of depriving a Muslim of the fundamental rights granted to him or her by Islam, we urge the authorities in question to immediately cease any plans to execute Shaykh Salman al-Ouda, Shaykh Awad al-Qarni, and Dr. Ali al-Omari in the immediate or distant future.
We urge those in the leadership to grant them clemency in this blessed month of Ramadan.
It is our firm belief that the actions of these scholars do not in any way justify the appalling treatment they have been subjected to over the past year and more. We make this call in the spirit of providing sincere counsel, realizing our role as scholars duty-bound to the expression of truth, and recognizing that each of us will be held accountable for our actions in the next life where oppression will be nothing but darkness leading to perdition.
And Allah is in the aid of His oppressed servants. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon His Prophet.
Ramadan 17th, 1440
May 22nd, 2019
Drafted by (Shaykh) Salman Younas
Signatories
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, SeekersGuidance
Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Dean of the Islamic Seminary of America
Dr. Ingrid Mattson
Shaykh Mustapha Elturk, Amir of Islamic Organization of North America
Shaykh Omar Suleiman
Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, Director of Darul Iftaa Leicester
Mufti Abdur Rahman Mangera, London
Shaykh Azhar Nasser, Tasneem Institute
Shaykh Rami Nsour, Tayba Foundation
Dr. Omar Qureshi
Dr. Abdullah Hamid Ali
Dr. Jonathan Brown, Georgetown University
Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick
Mohammad Fadel, Professor of Law, University of Toronto
Dr. Shadee Elmasry, Safina Society
Professor Hatem Bazian, Director of IRDP
Shaykh Bilal Ali Ansari, Khalil Center
Mahin Islam, The Mad Mamluks Podcast
Mufti Taha Karaan, South Africa
Imam Suhaib Webb, Scholar in Residence ICNYU
Dr. Ovamir Anjum, University of Toledo
Shaykh Abdul Wahab Saleem
Dr. Hamid Slimi
Shaykh Dr. Asim Yusuf
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, UCLA School of Law
Dalia Mogahed, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Imam Dawud Walid, Member of Michigan Imams Council
Dr. Ihsan Bagby, University of Kentucky
Dr. Shabbir Ally, Toronto
Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, Tayseer Seminary
Omer M. Mozaffar, Loyola University Chicago
Imam Yasin Dwyer, Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto
Dr. Rafaqat Rashid, Al Balagh Academy
Shaykh Hani Saleem, Islamic Center of Detroit
Shaykh Mohammed Faqih, Islamic Institute of Orange County
Shaykh Furhan Zubairi, Dean of IOK Seminary
Imam Abdul-Malik Ryan, DePaul University
Imam John Ederer, Muslim Community Center of Charlotte
Ismail Royer
Shaykh Sadullah Khan, South Africa
Shaykh Abdur Rahim Reasat, SeekersGuidance
Ustadh Samir Hussain, ISNA High School
Shaykh Sulaiman Gani, London
Prof. Jasser Auda, President of Maqasid Institute Global
Dr. Basma Abdelgafar, Vice President of Maqasid Institute Global
Imam Ibrahim Hindy, Dar al-Tawheed Islamic Center
Dr. Osman Latiff, Jamia Masjid and Islamic Center
Shaykh Amer Jamil, Scotland
Dr. Edward Moad, USA
Shaykh Muhammad Mustaqeem Shah, Walsall
Professor Suleman Dangor, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Dr. Bekim Hasani, Imam and Activist from Melbourne
Shaykh Bilal Ismail, Imam Development Project
Professor S. Sayyid, University of Leeds
Shaykh Shahin-ur Rahman, al-Rahma, England
Dr. Mustapha Sheikh, University of Leeds
Dr. Tajul Islam, University of Leeds
Dr. David H. Warren, University of Edinburgh
Dr Syed Mustafa Ali, The Open University, UK
Dr. Ahmed Soboh, Religious Director of Chino Valley Islamic Center
Buthaina Hawas-Neveln, Iraqi Journalist
Shaykh Salmaan Parkar, Australian Islamic College
Imam Imran Salha, ICA
Dr. Asif Hirani, Imam and Resident Scholar of Worcester Islamic Center
Faheem Sidi
Zaid alBarzinji, Maqasid Institute
Shaykh Ahmad Kutty, Resident Scholar of Islamic Institute of Toronto
Imam Shafi Chowdhury, Leicester
Shaykh Abdur Rahman Khan, Co-Chair of National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue
Dr. Mohammad Ilyas, University of Florida
Shaykh Mohammad Aman Haque, Norway
Shaykh Tariq Ata
Imam Mazhar Mahmood, Director of Islamic Foundation of Peoria
Ishraq Ali, Organizing Director of MPower Change
Professor James Dickins, University of Leeds
Mohammad Elshinawy, Yaqeen Institute
Naseera Hoorzook
Usman Qamar, Muslim Chaplaincy of Waterloo
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Mawlana Zakariyah Harneker
Imam Salim Astewani, Cheadle, Cheshire, UK
Dr. John Esposito, Georgetown University
Dr. Yvonne Haddad, Georgetown University
Shaykh Muhammad Abuelezz, RCIC Imam, Muslim Association of Canada
Omar Usman, Executive Director, MuslimMatters
Sanam Zaidi
Mufti Ismail Y Syed, London
Mostafa Elhoushi
Dr. Ildus Rafikov, ISTAC
Hamza Andreas Tzortzis, UK
Ustadha Umm Jamaal ud-Din, Islamic College of Australia
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, Chairman Fiqh Council of North America
Abdo Binmelik, MGIET Ethiopia
Zahra Summayah, Founder/CEO Manifesting Muslimah Coaching
Moulana Safwaan Navlakhi, Al-Ma’aly Institute South Africa
Salim Astewani, Cheshire
Dr. Sharif El-Tobgui, Brandeis University
Iyad Hilal
Riffat Hussain, UK
Shahzad Hussain, UK
Imam Suleiman Hani, ICD
Turgut Ibrahim
Aamir Ansari, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
Mufti Sufyan, UK
Saira AbuBakr
Dr. Munir Elkassem, President of Islamic Institute for Interfaith Dialogue
Taha Abdul-Basser
Laila Mehar, Former President of UConn SJP Hartford
Amina Muhannaia, Turkey
Ashraf Gomma Ali
Raheem Bilal
Arbazz Mohammed
Ustadha Umme Umar, UK
Waqas Syed, ICNA Council for Social Justice
Safwan Ahmed Patel, UK
Muhammad Ibn Yusuf, UK
Faruq Abdul Jabbar
Quratulain Musaddique
Rukhsana Ghouse
Mohammed Toshriful Haque, USA
Dr Susan Kennedy Nour al Deen
Aiman Arif
Aiysha Khalid
Imam Bilal Elsakka
Professor Jasmin Zine, Wilfrid Laurier University
Ahmed Sameer, India
Amara Jawaid
Janet Watson
Andrew Stroebel
Mumtaz Ahmed Khan
Dawud Khan
This list of signatories is being actively updated. To join as a signatory please email [email protected] or [email protected]
