The first page of the letter. For a pdf. download of full-size facsimiles of the entire text, so far as yet released by the FBI click the image (390k).

Translation of the letter believed to have been written by Mohammed Atta

The Last Night

• Shave off excess hair from the body and wear perfume.
• Bathe

Mutual covenant with death and renewal of awareness.

2. Know the plan well from all angles and expect the response to the action or the resistance of the enemy.

3. Read Surat al-Tawbah and al-Anfal [the 9th and 8th suras in the Qur'an, respectively] and contemplate the its meanings and the fixed blessings that God has prepared for the Believers, for the martyrs. [Inserted note written at the top of the page and evidently referring to this item:] One of the Prophet's Companions said that the Messenger of God commanded us to read it before going into battle, so we read it, won booty, and came through safely.

4. Remind yourself that you must hear and obey this night, for you will be exposed to decisive situations that require hearing and obeying (100 percent), so tame your soul and make it understand, and convince it, and incite it to do that [i.e., to hear and obey].

God the Exalted said [in the Qur'an] "and obey God and his messenger [Muhammad] and do not dispute with one another lest you fail and your strength leave you; but be steadfast. God is indeed with the steadfast." [VIII: 46]

5. Rise at night to pray in earnest for victory, empowerment, a clear triumph, for matters to be eased for us and for us to be protected.

6. Do a lot of rememberance of God (dhikr) and know that the best rememberance of God is reading the Noble Qur'an, according to the concensus of opinion of the scholars [of religion] in what is best known and sufficient for us is the Word of the creator of the heavens and the earth whom you are going to meet.

7. Purify and heal your heart of faults. Forget and become oblivious to a thing called this world, for the time for playing has passed, and the appointment with Truth has come. How much of the times of our lives have we wasted, should we not use these hours to give offerings and obedience.

8. May your breast be opened, for only a few moments separate you from your marriage, whereupon you begin the happy and pleasing life and the eternal blessedness with those who who affirm [religious truth] and the virtuous martyrs -- excellent comrades are they. We ask God for his bounty. Be optimistic for [the Prophet], may God's peace and blessings be upon him, loved optimism about all his affairs.

9. Then set your sights upon how you will behave when affliction befalls you and how you will affirm and call back, and you know that that which befalls you could not possibly have missed you and that which misses you could not possibly have befallen you, and that this test comes from God, the Glorious and Exalted, to raise you up in rank and to forgive your sins. Then know that moments appear by the grace of God so welcome to him who gains victory and the great reward from God. God the Exalted has said [in the Qur'an] "did you think you would enter Paradise without God knowing those among you who strove, without knowing those who are steadfast"

10. Then remember what God the Exalted said: "you longed for death before you came to meet it, then you saw it and you are watching." Then remember after that "how many a small group overcame a large group by the grace of God." And God the Exalted said, "If God brings you victory no one can vanquish you, but if He brings you down, who will give you victory after that?, and upon God do the Believers rely."

11. Remind yourself and your brothers by using prayers and contemplate their meanings (dhikr [remembrances] in the morning and evening, remembrances of the home town, remembrances of the place, remembrances of meeting the enemy.)

12. Dropping off (yourself, and luggage, and clothing, and the knife, your tools, your ticket re[member] your passport, all your papers).

13. Review your security before departure, and before departure and (let one of you sharpen his blade, so that the one he butchers will be glad).

14. Tighten your clothes well, for this is the tradition of the upright salaf (early Muslims), may God be pleased with them, for they used to tighten their dress before battle, then tighten your shoes well; wear socks that stay up in the shoes and don't fall out of them.

All these are things we are commanded to take care of. God it our sufficiency and the most excellent patron.

15. Pray the morning prayer as a group; contemplate your reward for it, and remember [God] after it, and don't leave your apartment unless you have performed the ablution, for the angels ask forgiveness for you so long as you have made your ablution and they pray to God. Read what God the Exalted said [in the Qur'an]: do you think We created you for no purpose?" Sura "al-Mu'minun" [verse 115]. [part of the bottom line on the page is cut off. It is a reference to a statement attributed to the Prophet Muhammad found in a book by the medieval scholar al-Nawawi called "al Mukhtar".]

After that comes the second stage

When the taxi takes you to the (a)[irport] remember God … [top line of page two obscure] … and other remembrances.

When you have arrived and gotten out of the taxi say a prayer in the place. Say a prayer in all places you go. Smile. Rest assured that God is with the Believers and the angels guard you though you do not perceive them.

[The author of the document continues on page two with various short prayers, some of which are hard to make out in the handwriting. He goes on to tell himself to recite the verse in the Qur'an (III: 173):] "... Those to whom the people said 'People have gathered together against you so fear them,' but [instead] they were increased in faith and said God is sufficient for us and it is He in whom we trust." [He goes on to say that:] God had promised His servants who say this prayer that they would:

1. overcome by the beneficence of God and his bounty,

2. not be afflicted by harm,

3. be following the pleasure of God."

4. God said in the Qur'an, [III: 174]: "They returned with the grace and favor of God and no harm touched them. They followed the good pleasure of God and God is of infinite bounty." Thus, their apparatuses, their doors [could be read, "their categories"] their technology cannot harm you. Believers do not fear those things, rather it is the followers of Satan who are afraid of those things. You must remember God (dhikr) and I think some of the greatest dhikr. In particlular You must not let it be noticed about you that you recite the credo "There is no god but God". For though you recite it a thousand times, no one should be able to distinguish whether you were silent or mentioning God. The greatness of [the phrase] "There is no god but God" is shown by the statement of the Prophet that "he who recites `there is no god but God` and whose heart believes in it, enters Paradise. .

[At the top of page three the author says:]

"And also, don't show any signs of confusion or nervousness. Be joyful, happy, open of heart, and at peace because you are carrying out an act that God loves, an act that pleases Him. And therefore there will be a day, by God's leave, when you will be with the bright-eyed maidens of Paradise." [The author quotes a couple of verses of poetry:]

"Smile in the face of doom, young man, For you are passing to the gardens of eternity."

["Stage three" is the stage aboard the airplane.] "As soon as you board the (a)[irplane] entering it and setting foot in it, say a prayer and call to mind that this is a battle for the sake [of God]."

[Once in your seat you should] "busy yourself by mentioning God" [and he quotes the Qur'an again], "Oh you who believe, if you meet a band [of enemies] stand firm and remember God much so that you might be successful."

"Then when the (a)[irplane] has begun to move a little towards (q) [the Arabic letter "qaf". I suspect this stands for "iqla`" which means "take off"] recite the prayer of the traveler, for you are traveling to God the Exalted (and what an excellent journey that is!)"

"Then you will find that it stops and then departs.

This is the hour when characteristics must come together, so pray to God the Exalted as He commanded [in the Qur'an]: "Oh God, grant us steadfastness and make our feet firm and make us victorious over the unbelieving people." ...

"Pray for yourself, for your brothers for victory and triumph...."

"Ask God to grant you martyrdom..."

"Then let every one of you prepare to play his role in the way that earns him the pleasure of God, and to grit his teeth as the early Muslims did -- may God bless them -- when they prepared to enter into battle."

"And when the battle is joined, strike with the blows of heroes who do not want to go back to this world.

Shout 'Allahu Akbar!' [God is Greatest!] for this cry strikes fear in the hearts of unbelievers. God the Exalted said [in the Qur'an] 'strike their necks and their fingertips' Know that Paradise has been most beautifully decorated for you and that the maidens of Paradise are calling you to meet them, oh devotee of God, and they have put on their most beautiful clothes.

[The author of the letter says that if one of them has to kill somebody, he is entitled to that person's possessions, in accordance with ancient notions of seizing booty. He warns, however, that they must not fall to fighting among themselves or allow such things to distract them from their mission.]

The last page is very hard to make out. Toward the bottom it says "open your heart to death in the path of God and remember God always."

"Let your last words be, [the Muslim credo] 'There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.'"