Our Lord, to You is All Praise

By Sayyed Abdur Razzaq

Only two weeks ago, I was constantly hearing the same words being repeated by intellectuals and analysts all over the world on the media: the Taliban cannot occupy Afghanistan by the sword, the people of Afghanistan will rise up against the Taliban and that the Taliban will not be accepted by them under any circumstances. These intellectuals have not gotten tired repeating these words for the past twenty years.

However, on Sunday 9 Muharram, which coincides with August 15, these intellectuals awoke and saw on the media that the Taliban had taken over twenty-four provinces of Afghanistan and occupied Nangarhar province in the morning. They had not resolved this internal confusion yet that further news arrived of the Taliban having taken control of Bamyan and Kapisa provinces without any resistance. This news had not yet gone viral when another piece of news reached their ears: Taliban have taken Parwan province, Bagram Airbase along with the infamous prison inside it and have delivered their prisoners to security.

Then the Taliban took another center of oppression and horror, Pul-e-Khumri. The focus of people was still upon this event when the Islamic Emirate gained victory in Nuristan province. It was not long after that a commotion broke out in international media. Both Arab and non-Arab and eastern and western media outlets began hurriedly spreading news of Ashraf Ghani’s resignation. Someone claimed he had fled while another claimed Mullah Baradar was coming to Kabul and taking power. Although the Islamic Emirate later rejected news of Mullah Baradar’s arrival, a lot of commotion had been created.

In these conditions, those very intellectuals appeared on the media and when they started talking, I couldn’t believe my ears. They were saying all that contradicted what they had said only two weeks ago. One intellectual whom I had heard two days ago saying that the Taliban should stop dreaming of occupation was now saying that it has become an inescapable fact that the Taliban have cemented their capture of Afghanistan and have carried out the unexpected.

The Islamic Emirate’s statement regarding a general amnesty was praised as beneficial for not only Afghanistan but was said to be a success for the Taliban as well. This is despite the fact that the strategy which is being praised today has been the Taliban’s approach from the very beginning. Revenge is not in their nature. They are desirous of an Islamic system and are the adherents of lofty Islamic teachings that are based on mercy and grace.

Whatever was said by the intellectuals against these princes of the Islamic Ummah and these courageous and loyal Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate during twenty years of war was ultimately declared as incorrect by the tongues of these very intellectuals themselves. They used to lie that the nation hates the Taliban but their own eyes witnessed the same nation standing in support of the Taliban and placing the whole country at their feet in but fifteen days. The youth, children, elderly and women of the nation all rushed to welcome their lost brothers and sons.

The Islamic Emirate went beyond their statement. It fully welcomed an enemy like Ismail Khan and embraced an enemy like Ruhollah Khanzada such that the intellectuals were forced to praise the Taliban’s approach in this regard too.

I am certain that the day foretold by Ameerul Mumineen Mullah Muhammad Umar (may Allah have mercy upon him) has arrived. It is an event upon which thanks should be offered to Allah that on the one hand He fulfilled the prediction of this great leader, while on the other hand He granted the leadership and workers of the Islamic Emirate the ability to embrace the Islamic spirit in such a manner that even outsiders became compelled to praise them, whether willingly or unwillingly.

O Allah, to You is all praise and to You do we give thanks.