Shaykh Muhammad al-Afifi's fatwa: "Defending the Transgressed by Censuring the Reckless"

And never say our enemy is worse than us and that they cannot win even if we commit sins. Many nations have suffered at the hands of others who were less faithful as the magian who won over the Children of Israel when they committed sins.


Peace,
please see the fatwa of Shaykh Afifi as quoted below:
http://www.livingislam.org/k/dcmm_e.html
If it is said: “I have heard a scholar say that ‘Israeli women are not like women in our society because they are militarised’. By implication, this means that they fall into the category of women who fight and that this makes them legitimate targets but only in the case of Palestine.”

We say: No properly schooled jurists from any of the four schools would say this as a legal judgement if they faithfully followed the juridical processes of the orthodox schools in this bab, for if it is true that the scholar made such a statement and meant it in the way you’ve implied it, then not only does this violate the well known principal rule above {Section I: “It is not permissible to kill their women and children if they are not in (direct) combat”} but the supposed remarks also show a lack of sophistication in the legal particulars.

Advice from the Salaf us-Salih (our Righteous Predecessors, the early muslims)

Umar bin Al Khattab sent an army under Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas (Allah be pleased with both of them) for the conquest of Persia. Umar wrote him a convention as follows:

I command you and your army to fear Allah at all times because piety is the best weapon against the enemy and the best strategy in the battle.

And I command you and your soldiers to fear disobedience to Allah more than you fear the enemy. If an army fears sins more than the enemy, Allah brings them victory. Muslim victory is the outcome of the disbelievers' disobedience of Allah. There is no power except with Allah for they always outnumber us and have better weapons and tools.

If we become equal in disobedience, they will conquer us due to more power; and unless we defeat them by righteousness, we cannot defeat them by power. You must learn that you have some angels with you to protect you and your deeds. So be careful and do not commit any sins while you are fighting in the way of Allah.

And never say our enemy is worse than us and that they cannot win even if we commit sins. Many nations have suffered at the hands of others who were less faithful as the magian who won over the Children of Israel when they committed sins.

You have to ask Allah victory over your own selves in the same way you ask victory over the enemy. Ask it from Allah for us and you.

(Ibn Katheer in Al Bidayah wan -Nihayah)