In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
In an event that highlights the ability of ideas to penetrate the toughest barriers, a surprising letter arrived at the headquarters of the Rafida Foundation affiliated with the Union of the Servants of Mahdi (peace be upon him), in the Minor Land of Fadak. However, the letter this time was not sent from one of the intellectual elites, but rather from a person behind the bars of a dark cell in Martin Correctional Institute in Florida, USA.
‘C.J’, who was an ex-ISIS member, revealed in his letter, in very intriguing detail, how he changed from a supporter of terrorism into a peaceful preacher of Shiism thanks to the lectures of Sheikh al-Habib. In his detailed letter, ‘C.J’ revealed that he was once a member of ISIS, utterly consumed with the extreme ideas of this organisation and its contempt for humanity, but he came to realise that his beliefs were completely wrong. He once believed that ISIS was the ‘true Islam’, but after being introduced to Sheikh al-Habib and his ideas, he realised that true Islam is a religion of peace, justice, and love.
He went on to describe how his soul was saved by the teachings of the Rafidi Shia Islam; how the ideas of Sheikh al-Habib rekindled his hope and how he came to see them as the definitive way to understand and practice Islam. He described how Sheikh al-Habib’s lectures, despite his limited access to them, were able to change his life. The most instrumental in his pursuit of guidance, he explained, was the series ‘How Islam Was Hijacked’ by Sheikh al-Habib, describing it as a source of ‘light’ in his dark life behind bars.
What stands out about ‘C.J’ is that he was not content with simply reforming his ways and beliefs, as he took it upon himself to reveal the true Islam – the Islam that detests terrorism and injustice – by transforming his prison cell into a podium to spread this newfound truth to all who would listen. Notably, his efforts included introducing other inmates to the ‘Lady of Heaven’ and her tragic story.
As grateful and gracious ‘C.J’ was to discover true Islam at the hands of Sheikh al-Habib, his letter was not merely a ‘thank you’ to Sheikh al-Habib but included practical requests and questions that revealed the depth of his devotion. He expressed his desire to have access to Sheikh al-Habib’s publications, especially ‘Obscenity, the Other Face of Aisha’ in the English language, and asked if it was possible to reach Sheikh al-Habib directly so that he may strengthen his faith and intensify his efforts to spread true Islam from his prison cell. The biggest problem facing him and other inmates, as ‘C.J’ described, is the lack of reliable resources that they can rely on to learn more about Shia Islam, and his personal desperation to have access to any material that could help him in his efforts. Moreover, the prison authorities, as he described, were very restrictive and actively did not allow material that they considered to be ‘not inline with their directions’. Despite that, ‘C.J’ is determined to learn more and continue on his path to guide as many people as possible.
As a response, the office of Sheikh al-Habib wrote to ‘C.J’ to congratulate him on discovering true Islam and to express that Sheikh al-Habib shall pray that he remains steadfast on his newfound path, and to attain the knowledge and faith that he seeks. His Eminence also expressed his gratitude to ‘C.J’ for his efforts in exposing false Islam and leading others away from the ways of terror, asking God to reward him greatly for what he is doing and to release him soon from his imprisonment. In the office’s reponse, Sheikh al-Habib also reminded ‘C.J’ to address our awaited Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) with confidence and faith because he sees and hears him; he will guide him in his efforts and free him from his predicament.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time an imprisoned ex-ISIS member has been guided at the hands of Sheikh al-Habib. In 2010, a young man from al-Jazira al-Muhamadiya (i.e. the so-called Saudi Arabia) wrote to Sheikh al-Habib on al-qatrah website thanking him for guiding him. In his message, he described how he was once an ISIS terrorist fighting in Iraq but embraced the Rafidi Shia way thanks to the lectures of Sheikh al-Habib. These transformations showcase his Eminences’ ability (all praise and thanks to God and his support) to penetrate even the most extreme and hostile environments towards Shiism, and reach the depths of prisons to save misguided individuals from the grip of ‘Sunni’ terrorism and guide them to the light of true Islam, the Islam of Muhammad and his family (peace and blessings be upon them).
His Eminence firmly believes that the future of the world is Islam, Shiism, and the Rafidi way, but he blames the Shia for their inaction and laziness in providing both the manpower and funds required to achieve this most noble goal. His Eminence has no doubt that we would have been able to achieve much greater goals than have been achieved so far if the Shia decided to act and carry out their duties much more seriously.
However, this letter by ‘C.J’ proves one thing: No walls can block the light of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and no bars can imprison it.
Sheikh al-Habib
