Our beloved brothers and sisters are in captivity and their call has increased and their suffering is growing. We hear their shouting from Cuba, Abu Ghraib and from the American and British prisons and the prisons all over the Muslim world, yet we are still not moving. We still do not feel any shame or remorse and their plight does not seem to have any effect on us, which is a shame. What a shame it is to see our Muslim brothers and sisters in the hands of the Kuffaar and the apostates, yet we sit and do nothing about it. We see how the chains on their hands make their hands bleed and how the darkness of the prisons affects them harshly, yet we turn a blind eye. We see the clear violation of their sanctity, honour and life and yet we act totally oblivious to it. We see how the oppressors are humiliating them using dogs and how they are violating their dignity by physical and sexual abuse. Where is our Deen? Where is the feeling of disgust and where are the people, who if they see the blood will attempt to stop the bleeding?

How can we sleep with ease knowing that our fellow Muslims are behind bars? How can we have eyes that are not full of tears, sorrow and grief? We see that the most honest people, the best of the best, such as the Mujaahideen, are in the prisons. The most sincere from our Ummah are in captivity of the Kuffaar and are subjected to the oppression inflicted by them. We should put our heads down and feel ashamed as this is our humiliating reality and it seems that the majority have accepted this humiliation as they seem to be very relaxed and enjoying their cushy lifestyle.

As Muslims it is obligatory upon us to secure their release. Imam Ibn Qudaamah was speaking about the Ahkaam related to the obligation of releasing the Muslims from captivity and he referred to what Omar ibn Abdul Aziz said. It is narrated that Ibn Zubair asked Hasan bin Ali about freeing the prisoners and he replied, "We should free the prisoner from the land where he was fighting over," and we know today that there are many prisoners around the world. The Prophet (SAW) said, "Feed the one who is hungry, visit the one who is ill and free the one who is captive," and He (SAW) also said, "It is a duty upon the Muslims from their own money to free those in captivity and pay the ransom."

The Prophet (SAW) wrote a letter describing the relationship between the Muhajireen and the Ansar and how they should free any one of them that was captured. We know how the Prophet (SAW) reacted when two of the Companions were captured, He (SAW) took a man from Banu Uqayl and exchanged him for the two Companions and He (SAW) also released a woman to secure the release of the Companions. The Fuqaha (scholars) have also said, "It is obligatory to motivate to release them, if we cannot release them, if we are not able to fight them then it is obligatory on the rich Muslims to release them by paying the ransom and it is a duty upon the Khalîfah to release all the people who are captive. If he has the wealth then he must release them and that is not a debt."

Ibn Taymiyyah said, "Releasing the Muslims from captivity is one of the greatest obligations and to spend the wealth to release them is one of the greatest forms of getting closer to Allah."

As Muslims we know that our ancestors, the Prophet (SAW) and his Companions, (may Allah [SWT] be pleased with them all) were the best Ummah and how they used to send armies to release the Muslims. We also know that they were the best example for us to follow so why is it that when we hear the women in captivity calling for help in Abu Ghraib, in Egypt, in Yemen, in Iraq, in Syria, in Britain, in America, in Saudi Arabia as well as many other prisons that despite hearing their call we do nothing about it, why is their call falling on deaf ears? There are many Muslim sisters in captivity and they are calling the real men, those, whose hearts are full of Iman. They have stated that they would prefer to be destroyed with them than to be violated and abused.

Umar ibn Khattaab (RA) said, "For me to free one Muslim man in the hands of the Mushrikeen is dearer to me than the whole of Jazeerat ul-Arab." (Saheeh Al-Sahaabi, vol.3). Umar ibn Khattaab (RA) also wrote to the people in captivity in Constantinople saying to them, "Amma ba'ad (to proceed), do you think you are in captivity? Verily you are the ones who are in Jihad fee sabeelillah, (in the way of Allah [SWT]), and be aware that I am not going to divide anything among my subjects except to divide a share for you and your family. I have sent for you 5 dinars, only because I don’t want the Romans to take it otherwise I would increase it and I have also sent the ransom to release all of you." In another incident when some of the Muslims were captured, Umar (RA) sent someone to release them and said, "Give to them whatever they wish to release them …"

There used to be people who did not sleep except to release them. Once a man entered upon the Kuffaar and he found a Muslimah who said to him, "I am aseerah (woman in captivity) so tell your wali (governor)." When the message reached the wali he went from place to place with an army and fought until he found the woman and released her, all this for the sake of one Muslimah, yet today thousands are captive and we are not even aware of this distressing fact. Al-Mansoor, Nourudeen Zinki and Salahuddin Ayubi are a few of the noble men who released thousands of captives, understanding their obligation towards them.

It is time to wake up from our sleep and revive the dignity of this Ummah. Allah (SWT) loves those who love their brothers for His (SWT) sake, those who do not wish to relax until the banner of Islam is raised high. There are those who when they see Muslims in captivity they do nothing about, but Allah (SWT) reminds them, "What is wrong with you that you do not fight in the way of Allah and for those weak men, women and children who are oppressed…”

We know that all the Fuqaha say that it is Fardh to release the captives and that is sufficient Fardh upon the nearest, but if they do not do it then it will become Fardh upon all Muslims wherever they are. Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet (SAW) used to raise his head from the last Rakaah and say, "O Allah free so and so, free so and so…"

So we pray to Allah (SWT) to be from those people who make Dua for the Muslims – not from those Munaafiqeen (hypocrites) who call for their arrest – and to free all those who are in captivity and for those who imprison them to be in the hands of the Muslims. We pray that Allah (SWT) makes us amongst those who pay the ransom (bail) of the prisoner's today and we pray that victory for Islam and the Muslims comes sooner rather than later.