other matters that are necessarily known to be part of the religion. Such people must be fought, by the explicit wording of the hadith, but only on condition that one has the ability to do so, as stated above.

Yet striving against the Jews who occupy the Holy Land and spill the blood of Muslims is more obligatory, in many respects, than fighting such a ruler—matters for which this is not the place to elaborate. Among the most important of them is that the troops of such a ruler are our Muslim brothers, and the majority of them—or at least many of them—may not be satisfied with him. So why do these enthusiastic young men not strive against the Jews instead of fighting some Muslim rulers?! I think their answer will be that they lack the ability, in the sense explained earlier. Our response is the same, and reality confirms it: their rebellion, despite the impossibility of its succeeding, has borne no fruit other than the needless shedding of blood. The example, sadly, still stands before us in Algeria. Will anyone then take heed?! *

3419—“Whoever neglects the prayer once because of intoxication, it is as though he possessed the whole world and all that is in it, and then it was taken away from him. Whoever neglects the prayer four times because of intoxication, Allah, the Exalted, is entitled to make him drink from the foul mire. It was asked, ‘What is the foul mire, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘The exudation of the inhabitants of Hell.’”

It was recorded by al-Hakim (4/146), Ahmad (2/178)—whose wording is cited here—and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (1/389) and Shu'ab al-Iman (5/8–9/5582), through several routes from Ibn Wahb: Amr—meaning Ibn al-Harith—told me, from Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from his father, from Abd Allah ibn Amr, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: … and he then cited it. Al-Hakim said:

“Its chain of transmission is authentic!”

Al-Dhahabi commented after it:

“Ibn Wahb heard it from him, but it is very singular!”