A Mercy Case

And who is better in speech than the one who calls to God, and does righteous deeds, and says, “I am most assuredly one of the Muslims.” (41.33)

There is a group of Muslims who claim to represent all of us. They call themselves “The Islamic State (al-dawla al-islāmīya)” and they ask us to pledge our allegiance to the person they consider their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

On this blessed day of jumu‘ah, in the blessed month of Shawwāl, in the Hijrī year of 1435, I firmly reject the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. I do so out of fear of the Lord of the worlds, Who will ask me about what I did on this day. I do so out of love for the Messenger of Allah, upon him and his family be blessings and peace, who I long to sit with in the next life. I do so out of hope for Jannah, in which the utmost limits of my dreams reside. I do so out of my joy at being a member of the vast and diverse Ummah of Muhammad, upon him and his family be blessings and peace, which includes Sunnis and Shi’is, Sufis and Salafis.

And I call all humanity to study the teachings of the Messenger of Allah, upon him and his family be blessings and peace. He was sent by Allah to all of us, white and black, male and female, American and people who are citizens of other nations – without exception. All of humanity is welcome to freely accept Islam if it moves their heart, and simultaneously reject the tyranny, ignorance, and brutality that is done by those who have pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

I am prepared to meet my Lord with this statement in my book of deeds, and I ask the Eternal and Everlasting Refuge (al-Ṣamad) to accept it as one of the best of my deeds. I invoke the Protector (al-Ḥafīdh) alone to protect me and those I love. I do not need armies, nor intelligence services, nor police forces for our protection – all I need is our Lord, in whose holy Name I have written these words onto my heart. hasbunā Allāh wa ni‘ma al-wakīl.

R. David Coolidge

New York City

26th Shawwāl, 1435 AH