FiSyria, a Russian-language pro-jihad website that publishes material related to the Syrian conflict — particularly about the role of Russian-speaking Islamist fighters who are mostly from the Caucasus region — has posted what it claims is an open letter from a mujahid fighting in Syria.
The letter — whether authentic or not — reveals some of the concerns and attitudes of Russian-speaking jihadis. We have translated extracts of it below.
I am concerned for all of you and I wish for you what I wish for myself. For nearly four months, we’ve been in the blessed land of Sham (Syria). Only here does one understand the true meaning of life and the price of all the material world. By Allah, one understands why it is not worth a mosquito’s wing. Praise be to Allah, we love this land, and in spite of the constant explosions of tanks, howitzers, mortars and bombs, we think of returning home only in our nightmares.
We live around four kilometers from the infidels. There’s constant crossfire, which we already do not pay attention to. The closer to the infidels, the better one feels. Almost all the brothers seek to enter the ribat (voluntary defense of Islam — i.e. to be chosen to fight) and when they aren’t taken they start to get offended. Even some of the brothers were trying to get away from the group for the sole reason that they were not chosen to go to the ribat and fight. Jihad is a blessing from Allah, and participating in the ribat and the fighting is encouraged by the Emir. That’s how it is, and how it is perceived. Participation in fighting has to be earned, it’s not always your experience or desire that’s considered first.
As for the battle itself, if your fear paralyzes you and you can’t do anything, then you fall into the Sujud (prostration) and repent to Allah. And when there is no fear, Allah is giving you the opportunity to experience the taste of battle, of victory. Especially when he gives a chance to kill at least one enemy of Allah. And when you see Allah’s miracles, you’re even more convinced of the righteousness of your path. One brother before a battle asked Allah’s for a bullet in the abdomen so that it wouldn’t harm a single organ, and another guy asked for a bullet to the heart — all that Allah did. They kept their contract with Allah.
The 5 years of Islam that I had before I came here here — I don’t appreciate them. I think I lived in Jahilyya (a state of ignorance), I was in ignorance and lacked knowledge of the Faith. And the scary thought was, if Allah did not allow me to come here, what would he have taken me for. Here you feel a strong connection with Allah, if you do something wrong, Allah immediately sets you straight, he responds to your Dua.
My family: Adapting to the explosions and gunshots takes about 10 days, and after you do not react at all. They don’t even affect your sleep. My wife tells me that she’s afraid to go back home because she doesn’t want to have anything to do with the infidels.
My four-year-old son just wants to be a Mujahid and he really wants to kill infidels, and is constantly asking Allah about it. When I get home, he asks me how many infidels I killed. His favorite toy is my AK-47. And when he’s sick, he says he’s a wounded Mujahid.
And how do you want to raise your children? Do you think your children will grow up among the infidels and talk about Allah and jihad? Don’t kid yourselves. Even if you shut up your kids at home and stop them from communicating with anyone, almost every one of you has a Devil’s box (television) at home, which penetrates into the head of everyone.
I want to urge you, my brothers and sisters: Control your actions, your sins, your views are reflected for the victory of the entire Ummah. Observe additional posts, stand up for the tahajjud (voluntary night prayer), try to do more in the way of Allah. Because Jihad is the grace of Allah, and Shahada (declaration of the oneness of Allah) is the greatest mercy of Allah, which Allah giveth not for everyone. Shahada is a real gift from Allah, which Allah gives only to the best. Raise your iman (faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam), read more Qur’an. Our victory is from a lack of sin. And Allah will give victory to the whole Ummah . So, if you for some reason are there, help us, at least by refraining from sin, DO NOT PULL US BACK! Believe me, the more we sin, the more martyrs Allah will take on the path to victory….
And some are starting to include their nafs (ego) and here there are problems. “I do not want to do that, I’m so much better, why do you have that attitude toward me, I do not want to talk to him”, and so on and so forth.
This one time during a house cleaning one brother said, “I’m not going to clean up, I did not come here for that!” Allah is swift to judge. After a while, he got a stick for disobedience in some other matter, and later he resigned from the Jamaat, since he thought that in the Jamaat there wasn’t anyone worthy of his notice. Thus begins the fitna (chaos). Then, in order to justify himself, he talks about how he was unfairly treated, he finds others who sympathize, and then we hear that we have fitna. Some people who come here think that everyone was waiting for them and everyone needs them, they forget about their duties to Allah. You haven’t gotten to Heaven just because you came here. You simply chose the “short path”, which is always more difficult and thorny than the paved road lined with cafes where you can sit down, relax, drink a cold can of Pepsi. Here you are, with one foot in Paradise and the other in Hell. And Satan is constantly trying to knock you off the path. May Allah protect us from this and set us on the right path.
Brothers and sisters, you know, Allah has promised us victory and it is not far off, we might reach it ourselves or maybe our kids will. But Allah has created us so he can see how we behave. And nobody gets to go to Paradise just like that.
Jihad is not a romance. Once here, you have to work, work and more work. Do not ask yourself the question, “Should I go or not?” You had better say: “When should I go? What should I do to get away from the infidels?”. Start to do something, look for family of Mujahideen or suicide martyrs and help them, think all the time about how YOU can help the cause of Allah and do that….
Know this, brothers and sisters, Allah does not need you! Not one person here needs you! YOU yourself need to come here. And I want you to understand this, because I love you for the sake of Allah, and I wish you only the best.
Featured image credit: Karl Remarks (original here).