JEDDAH: The religious edict (fatwa) claiming that Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda are upright and following the right path in their endeavor to set up an Islamic caliphate is a fabricated lie, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom said here Wednesday. It is a forged fatwa falsely quoting the Permanent Committee for Religious Research and Ifta, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh, who is also Chairman of the Board of Senior Ulema and Religious Research and Ifta Administration, said. The Grand Mufti's assertion came in a fatwa issued by the Permanent Committee for Religious Research and Ifta and transmitted by Saudi Press Agency (SPA). It refutes an earlier fatwa posted on websites of some deviant groups falsely bearing the signatures of the Grand Mufti and members of the Permanent Committee for Ifta Dr. Ahmad Bin Ali Sir Al-Mubaraki, Dr. Saleh Bin Fowzan Al-Fowzan, Dr. Abdul Kareem Bin Abdullah Al-Khudhair, Dr. Muhammad Bin Hassan Aal Al-Sheikh, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Bin Khunain and Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Mutlaq. Wednesday's edict said the fatwa issued by Al-Qaeda is fabricated. It said Allah will punish those who wrote this forged fatwa and produced it. The Permanent Committee stressed that the Islamic Shariah is very clear on the issue of purposely misquoting another person and attributing to him what he never said. Hence, the perpetrator of such an act has committed a grave sin that deserves punishment commensurate to committed crime and accordingly he will be punished in this world and the Hereafter. The Permanent Committee quoted several verses from the Holy Qur'an and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) supporting its reply to the fabricated fatwa. What the organization has done is a fabrication against Allah, His Prophet (pbuh) and the Ulema. Hence, the Qur'anic verses and sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) indicate the magnitude and gravity of these fabricated lies and the seriousness of the forgery in attributing falsehoods to them, the Permanent Committee said. By spreading such false fatwas the Al-Qaeda cannot deceive any reasonable individual and the Ulema, it said. The fatwa further said it is impermissible for any Muslim to be a member of Al-Qaeda or accept its actions or keep silent about its members. Finally, the Permanent Committee stressed that nobody should be lenient with those who spread fabricated lies and rumors particularly when they are attributed to the Ulema, who explain the Shariah and issue fatwas on religious questions brought up by Muslims. It said that this leniency has a serious effect on the Muslims as individuals and as a group.
