Our administrative considerations are that the Wilayat (provinces) announce the passing of those of their shabab (members) who return to Allah, and the Ameer announces the passing of current and former office members... and because Abu Muhammad "Sabri al-Aruri" holds a significant status in this pure and pristine dawah, by Allah's permission, I saw fit that he be exempted from these considerations...
Accordingly, the Ameer and his office mourn the great man who was a guiding light in this dawah, a towering mountain that could not be surpassed, and a solid pillar in confronting the oppressors, whose resolve never weakened, whose spirit never softened, and who feared none but Allah... his years of imprisonment at the hands of the oppressors speak to that, and I reckon him among those of whom Allah said:
مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ وَمَا بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِيلًا
"Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration." (Al-Ahzab [33]: 23)
Allah Almighty willed that we be separated for a number of years after we were the closest of companions, ever since I moved from the Hebron area to Amman by virtue of my work as an engineer in the Ministry of Public Works in Amman. The address that the Hebron local committee sent me to, to resume my dawah work there, was the address of the strong and pious man, Abu Muhammad—and we do not account anyone above Allah. Thereafter, our meetings continued at close intervals... then we parted, as I mentioned earlier, for a number of years during which we did not meet in person, nor even online except rarely...
One day, about four months before his death, may Allah have mercy on him, my eyes fell upon a message on Facebook-Private from the good brother, which read:
"(Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. This is a message from the elderly Sheikh Sabri al-Aruri to our Sheikh Abu Yasin: Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you, my brother and beloved Abu Yasin... May Allah accept your acts of obedience, and every year may you be in goodness, health, safety, and stability... My brother, I pray to Allah for you day and night for success, protection, safety, and correctness in matter and opinion... May Allah be with you wherever you reside and travel. May Allah protect you and gather us with you soon in the Dar al-Islam... Your brother, Abu Muhammad Sabri... September 2016, received on Facebook-Private) End."
It was a noble message from a noble brother, so I replied to him on the Facebook-Private page:
"(To the son of the beloved and noble brother, our Sheikh 'Abu Muhammad Sabri al-Aruri'...
(Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you,
May Allah reward you with goodness, O Khalid of goodness, for you have connected us with the dear and precious Sheikh Abu Muhammad. You have brought back to us that fragrant biography of one of the great men who did not bow to the hardships he encountered—and how many they were... yet he remained standing, even in his illness he was strong, and in his health he was stronger... How much we would love to meet him under the shade of the banner of Islam, the Rayah of the Messenger of Allah (saw), to reminisce together about those bygone days when Abu Muhammad was in that 'shop,' where he was a beacon for the shabab coming from all parts of the country. I remember when I came to Amman, that pleasant meeting that brought us together; he was a help to me, so may Allah bless him and bless through him. I ask Allah Almighty that his noble efforts spent in carrying the dawah, which he continues to spend even while suffering from illness—may Allah heal him and grant him well-being—I ask Allah that those efforts be in the scales of his good deeds on the Day when neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who comes to Allah with a sound heart... And I ask Him, Glorified be He, if it is not in His decree that we meet in this world, that He gathers us together in the Hereafter, around the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions in a seat of truth near an All-Powerful Sovereign... O Allah, answer our prayer, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Responsive.
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
17th of Muharram 1437 AH - 18/10/2016 AD
Your brother, Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah) End.
SubhanAllah... I would have loved for us to meet in this world while the banner of the Khilafah shades us, but the Most High, the All-Powerful, willed something else. I ask Him, Glorified be He, to answer the conclusion of my prayer in my aforementioned message: (And I ask Him, Glorified be He, if it is not in His decree that we meet in this world, that He gathers us together in the Hereafter, around the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his companions in a seat of truth near an All-Powerful Sovereign... O Allah, answer our prayer, for You are the All-Hearing, the All-Responsive).
May Allah have mercy on Abu Muhammad and gather him with the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous—and what excellent companions they are... I ask Him, Glorified be He, for his sons, daughters, and loved ones to be among those of whom Allah said:
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ * أُولَئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَواتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
"Who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.' Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided." (Al-Baqarah [2]: 156-157)
May Allah have mercy on you, O Abu Muhammad. We are indeed saddened by your parting, and we say nothing except what pleases our Lord, Glorified be He...
لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى، وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى
"To Allah belongs what He takes, and to Him belongs what He gives, and everything with Him has an appointed term."
And indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.
8th of Jumada al-Ula 1438 AH Your brother and companion
5/2/2017 AD Ata Bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah