The jamia hafsa madrassa was for burqa-concealed female students only, and it's destruction by Pakistani forces in 2007 really got under Ayman al-Zawahiri's skin.
Update: Below is an English translation done by somebody in the largely European "Mourabiteen" online group. I have omitted the opening and closing paternosters.
To the Muslim Sisters
Umaymah Hasan Ahmed Muhammed Hasan
Wife of Sheikh Ayman Al Zawahiri
My righteous sisters, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you...
I wanted to talk with you, from quite a while, about the great happenings and decisive situations our Ummah is going through, but the circumstances intervened between me and you, bur it is high time now that I talk with my honorable sisters, however I start with our families and loved ones in our dear country, and I say to them, don’t worry for us, for we are by the grace of the Almighty in wellness and bounties from Allah Almighty, and our hearts and souls are with you, though we have
been separated by the distances.
This is how this world is, meetings and partings as we seek solace in the fact that we are on the truth and for truth are we called upon, as our Lord Almighty has said
“So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers. (Surah Aal Imran 139)”
And it might happen that we meet soon if Allah wills because the ease of Allah is close and His victory is eminent by the will of Allah.
And after the family and loved ones I direct my word to the righteous sisters in our precious Islamic Ummah, and would specify in mentioning our dear stationed sisters in the lands of Jihad in different spots of the earth, and to our mothers who have given up their sons in the way of Allah and the victory of His religion. And in spite of this, they do not tire or get bored from aiding this religion. How many husbands and sons and brothers have they given!!! and How much were they hurt in the way of Allah!!! So all of our conditions are one; Women who are stationed and in Jihad, who are hurt in the way of Allah, and gave what they had of sacrifices, but – by Allah beside who there is no God - all this has not and will not belate us even a moment from aiding our religion in spite of what we have gone through in this path from the losing of loved ones and distance from families. In spite of all this- we do not find anything except the sweetness of what we are in, accepting what Allah has honored us with, and exalted over the rest of his slaves, that He blessed us with Jihad in His way, and aiding of His religion, and raising His word high. In spite of all these trials we are in sufficiency of living, and honor and blessing from Allah almighty. So my dear and beloved sisters : Steadfastness, steadfastness on this path. For verily, no Super Power nor any international alliances will stop us, and Allah Almighty is with us, and he is our reliance and caretaker, and we will not fear any one, who ever it be, except Allah Almighty, and we are – and praise is to Allah- over what ever we face, steadfast and we seek glad tidings with the promise of Allah to us, as our Lord said “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. (Surah Baqara 214)”
So victory is near by the will of Allah, and our Lord will not abandon, so it is either victory or either martyrdom, and each of it is sweeter than the other. And we will not relax in the service of our religion for it is the most precious thing we posses.
I ask Allah for us and for our sisters in the different spots of earth – and specially in the lands of Stationing, like Palestine and Iraq and Chechnya and Afghanistan and Somalia- patience and steadfastness till death, for it is either victory or martyrdom. “And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know. (Surah Yusuf 21)”
And I remind my self and my dear Muslim sisters of the (Women)Companions – the Mujahidaat and Migrants and Believers, for they are the best of ideals for us, and through them we are guided and by them we feel solace. For how many are the lessons and how many are the wisdom in their pure life stories. They did not ever tire or falter from the service of our religion, so we –Allah willing – are on their path. And the greatest ideal for us is Sayyidah Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her). She supported the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) immensly in fulfilling his daawah. And she used to say to him ‘Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, serve your guests generously, help the poor and the destitute and assist the deserving calamity-afilicted ones.’
And similarly Sayyidah Safiyyah –May Allah be pleased with her- she was from the bravest of women. When a Jew passed by the fort, he started patrolling around the fort and the Muslims were in the throats of their enemies. She came down and killed the Jew with a pole. She was not scared and she did not falter. So she was braver than many men of today.
And similarly Sayyidah Umm Ammarah (May Allah be pleased with her) she was injured in Uhud twelve times while defending the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and she lost her hand on the day of Yamamah, leaving out which, she was injured on the day of Yamamah 11 times.
So these are the ones whom we follow, in supporting our Husbands on the right, in bravery and in footsteps and we do not fear any one except Allah Almighty.
My second letter is to my Imprisoned Muslim sisters in the prisons of the Tyrants
I say to them: You are in our hearts, and we will not forget you ever, and Allah willing we will not leave any effort to release you from imprisonment, for you are our honor and we are your sisters, and we never forget you. And Allah knows that we always pray to Allah to protect you from every evil and harm and hasten your release.
My third letter is to the common Muslim women in the world Firstly I call them to adhere with all the rules of Islam, for in it is the happiness of the world and the victory in the here after, specially adherence with Hijab, for it is the title of the Muslim woman who is obedient to her Lord, obedient to His orders. And in leaving it there is obedience to Satan, and as you know O Muslim sisters, the campaign against the Hijab is from the fiercest wars between Islam and Kufr, for these criminal Kuffars want the woman yo get rid of her religion, and the first thing that the woman leaves is her; outfit and cover, for if the woman left her outfit and cover, it is followed by leaving the rest of her religion.
So the Muslim women should take care of this well, and as you know O Muslim sister that the West does not want you except as a commodity to trade with, and to erase with you the poles of Islam, for Hijab is for the Muslim woman the first pole from the pillars of Islam, as in it is your sanctity and your purity and cover.
And the Western world does not want you to be adherent with hijab for the adherence of the woman to Hijab depicts their lowness and the cheapness of their manners and their social habitat.
The Kafir West trades with women, and considers woman a cheap commodity, for she is for them neither inviolable nor respected but she is for them a source from the sources of trade of evil and shamelessness, and refuge is with Allah from all this.
But the Muslim veiled woman is inviolable and respected in her house and outside and she is the precious jewel, and the expensive pearl. And as our Lord Almighty has said “O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (Surah Al Ahzaab 59)”. This is the saying of Allah the Almighty to his prophet peace be upon him to address with it his wives and daughters and the women of Muslims.
Therefore, we should, me dear sisters, adhere to the Shari Hijab, for that is better for us in the world and hereafter Secondly, I advice my Muslim sisters to raise their sons on the obedience of Allah the Almighty and the love of Jihad in His way, and persuade their brothers and husbands and sons to defend the lands of Muslims and their wealth, and to retrieve them from the occupiers, who have violated the lands of Muslims, and looted its riches, and to awaken the Ummah to acquit itself from those who want to collaborate with the enemies and give up the lands of Muslims And I also advice them to help the Mujahideen with prayers and money, and to help the families of the injured and the prisoners with money and donations to their children and women, for they are in the greatest of need for support to face the difficulties of life.
And I remind my sisters with the saying of Prophet (peace and blessing upon him) : “Fasting is protection and Sadaqah extinguishes the sins like water extinguishes fire” (Reported by Tirmidhi, and he classified it as Hasan Saheeh) And I also remind them with the saying of Prophet (peace and blessing upon him) : “O the gathering of women, give alms for I have seen you as the majority of the inhabitants of Hell fire” (Reported by Bukhari)
And I assure my Muslim sisters everywhere of the role of the Muslim woman in the Islamic world, for women are the siblings of men, so the Muslim women should work beside men to defend her religion and land. Thus she should defend with herself and if she cannot then with her money and if she cannot then by calling in the way of her religion by inviting her Muslim sisters in the Masjids, schools, institutes and houses, and if she is incapable of that then through the internet, she should write her Daawah and spread it and spread the call of the Mujahideen and it will reach by the will of Allah and she will find heedful ears and hearts. So I hope from you my dear sister that you do not tire or get bored , from aiding our religion in any way possible.
And by the way, many questions have been raised concerning the role of the Muslim women in the current Jihad, and I say, and from Allah is guidance: Jihad is Fard Ayn on every Muslim man and woman, but the way of fighting is not easy for Muslim women for it requires a Mahram, as the woman should have a Mahram with her in her going and coming, but we should aid our religion in several ways, and should keep our selves in the service of the Mujahideen, and we should fulfill whatever they ask of us, may it be through monetary aid to them or any service or information or suggestion or participation in fighting or even through a martyrdom operation, How many sisters have performed martyrdom operations in Palestine and Iraq and Chechnya, and vexed the enemy, and caused them a great defeat!!! We ask Allah to accept them and make us follow them in goodness.
But our basic role in which we hope Allah to accept from us, is to protect the Mujahideen in their children and houses and secrets, and to help them by giving good upbringing to their children. Your Migrant sisters- and to Allah is all praise and thanks- are doing a great work in this field, and are practicing great patience and steadfastness and bravery and abstinence from the world and love of the Hereafter and working for it, in spite of what they are facing of hardship in living, and losing of their husbands and children and fathers, and lack of stability, to the point that some of them have been put to trial through captivity, but your migrant sisters are patient and seeking the pleasure of Allah, and to Allah is all praise and thanks.
At the end of my statement I would like to remind my sisters that our end and sustenance are written with Allah, and Jihad does not bring hasten ones death, nor does it decrease sustenance, and that Jihad today has become Fard Ayn, as the foreign Kafir enemy has occupied the lands of Muslims and the three sacred sites are under its control and occupation and also the apostate puppet rulers have taken control over the Muslims, and the scholars have consensus on the necessity of the removal of the apostate.
And as the martyr of Islam –as we hold him – the Sheikh Abd Allah Azzam –May Allah have mercy on him said– Jihad has become Fard Ayn on the Ummah since the fall of Andalus. As the commanders of the Mujahideen call the Ummah to leave to the battlefields of Jihad, we should , my dear sisters, not abstain from this religious obligation and we should persuade others to it.
And I give you glad tidings that Jihad is in victory and development, and the Western media in spite of its acceptance of the losses of the Crusades and the Jews in many fields of Jihad, does not transfer except a part of the truth, and hides most of it. So you should take by the Media of the Mujahideen, that transfers the reality from the battlefield, and depicts the fake of the Western media. And here, we stand in front of you as a living example of the incapability of the Crusaders, for after 8 years from the starting of the Crusades we are still – by the grace of Allah - carrying out Jihad from Chechnya to the Islamic Algeria, so have faith in the victory of Allah, who says in his Book “Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the cause of Taghut. So fight against the allies of Satan. Indeed, the plot of Satan has ever been weak. (Surah An Nisa’a 76)”
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