The Shaykh's comment on the signs of repentance that have appeared from Saddam.

The questioner : Regarding Saddam, Shaykh, it has recently become apparent, for example, what indicates that he has repented. We do not affirm that he has repented, but what indicates that he has repented is his speeches and words. Some people say about him that he is a disbeliever for whom there is no repentance.

The Shaykh : Who says he is a disbeliever for whom there is no repentance? We are speaking about the scholars of the Muslims!

The questioner : No, I have not heard from the scholars.

The Shaykh : So, what do we do for these people, my brother? This is also emotional talk that does not come from reason, knowledge, or deliberation. If our Lord describes His believing servants with certain attributes, among which are......so regarding Saddam, these things became apparent from him. As we answered previously regarding...The questioner : ...the first point: action must be coupled with speech. We heard from him words we had not heard before, so we were in doubt that this speech was also for the sake of propaganda and politics. But Islam, as it came in the hadith... it is possible he became a Muslim, as I say in my interpretation of this hadith: "Why did you not slit open his heart?" A Muslim was fighting a disbelieving polytheist, and before the polytheist realized he was under the blow of the Muslim's sword, he said, "There is no god but Allah." The Muslim completed the attack, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider it trivial; he answered him with his words, despite the fact that he only said it out of fear (taqiyyah). He said......it is possible he became a Muslim, as I say in my interpretation of this hadith: "Why did you not slit open his heart?" A Muslim was fighting a disbelieving polytheist, and before the polytheist realized he was under the blow of the Muslim's sword, he said, "There is no god but Allah." The Muslim completed the attack, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not consider it trivial; he answered him with his words, despite the fact that he only said it out of fear (taqiyyah). He said......There is no phenomenon in the world, as it appears, greater than this phenomenon which makes the Muslim say, "This one only said 'There is no god but Allah' out of fear of being killed." Yet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) took the possibility, even if it were one in a million, that "Why did you not slit open his heart?" Perhaps this polytheist, in that moment, felt inclined to believe. Why? I remind you of the story of the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) wrestling with Rukanah, who was the only wrestler of his time in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah). When he asked the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to wrestle with him, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had barely placed his hands on him before he threw him to the ground the first time, the second time, and the third time—may Allah have mercy on you—before he said, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah." Why? Because he saw a strength beyond what he imagined. So this vision of the strength he saw from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) drove him to submit in submission. It is possible that this polytheist, when he dueled with that Muslim, thought, "Perhaps this is a Bedouin."