The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: A Layeha [Rules and Regulations] for Mujahidin

Abstract

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Acknowledgments The translator is enormously grateful to Inayatulhaq Yasini, of the BBC Pashto Service, London for hosting and helping the translator in translating the Layeha. Without his assistance, the translation would not have taken its current form. The translator is also grateful to Owen McEldowney for editing the draft. The errors, however, are all the translator's. Notes 1. The translation used is from Muhammad Taqi Usmani, The Meaning of the Noble Quran. Vol. I & II (Karachi: Maktabah Maariful Quran, 2006). 2. The Kalima is the key to enter Islam or becoming a Muslim. After saying this, one is considered as Muslim. In the current context, it may mean Islam. 3. The Taliban call themselves Mujahidin rather than the Taliban. 4. “Leadership” can mean the Supreme Shura [Council], or Mullah Muhammad Omer Mujahid or his deputy. Here it makes more sense to be used in the sense of the Supreme Council as later in article 82 it is stated that only the Supreme Council can amend this Layeha. It suggests that the Supreme Council formulated the Layeha and only it has the power to amend it. 5. A category of Islamic scholar. 6. “Responsible individual” is used throughout the Layeha for someone who is in charge of a district or a province. In most cases, titles such as district governor and provincial governor are used but it seems that in some districts and provinces the Taliban do not have effective control and proper shadow officials. They just have entrusted responsibility to some individual for those districts and provinces. 7. That is, he starts believing like the Taliban that it is a “slave and infidel government.” 8. A certificate stating, for example, that this person no longer works for the “puppet government”. 9. That is, of the fact this person has stopped working for the “puppet government”. 10. These are all famous juristic manuals of Islamic law that are followed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and most other Muslim countries. 11. It seems like giving aman, which under Islamic law mean protection or quarter but here it is in return for working for the Taliban in the ranks of the opponents rather than granting aman for humanitarian reasons. 12. That is, they cannot be held responsible for the harm or death. 13. They can be left on the spot if it is not possible to take them to safety, but they cannot be killed. 14. The actual wording means to “spoil” or to “pamper.” 15. Fitna is called mischief in the primary sources of Islamic law, which generally means war. Spies here are equated with the helpers of those who are fighting the Taliban. 16. Under Islamic law, khams can be spent only on certain matters such as the well-being of fighters. 17. That is, actual fighting, ambush, information collection mentioned earlier. 18. Regional administrator is usually responsible for more than one province. 19. That is, more weapons for Jihad should be given as a reward. 20. He cannot sit as a judge in cases in which he himself or his colleagues are a party. 21. Here reference is made to smaller groups/divisions of Mujahidin. 22. How they conduct themselves on daily basis. 23. The gist of the article seems to be to learn from successes and failures and devise future plans accordingly. 24. The actual term used is “istis'sh’hadi,” which is generally wrongly translated as “suicide missions.” 25. The person leading congregational prayer in the mosque. The term “imam” is not used in the sense here as it is used for a leader generally and in the Layeha for Mullah Muhammad Omer Mujahid. 26. The search should be conducted only in the presence of these three persons. 27. Posing as the Taliban.