In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said: “Indeed, the scholars are the inheritors of the prophets, for the prophets do not leave behind a dinar or a dirham for inheritance, but rather, they leave behind knowledge. So whoever takes hold of it, has acquired a large share (i.e. of inheritance)”. [Sunan At-Tirmidhee 2682]

The Conversation Begins

Questioner: But is the issue of (jihad and intention) not required – at present – that all Muslims perform Jihad even in Palestine- inside Palestine?

The Shaikh: This question is also completely on my side. Who is performing jihad? O, my brother! You do not know your situation here. Do you not know that the Yahood at present made it forbidden by (their) law for Muslims to fight (on behalf of the Palestinians)?

Questioner: Yes, well known.

The Shaikh: Then why do you ignore the real state of affairs?

Questioner: I do not want to ignore (the real state of affairs).

The Shaikh: You say that it is not obligatory, but there is Jihad and intention. Now we must take a position: is Jihad to be performed based on the excitement of a person, (one with) neither with a state nor is he a ruler, nor is he a soldier, but rather an excited young man? Is this Jihad in the path of Allah? Allah [The Exalted] said:

و أعدّوا لهم ما استطعتم من قوة و من رباط الخيل ترهبون به عدو الله و عدوّكم

And make ready against them all you can of power, including steeds of war to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy. [Surah Al-Anfaal. Ayah 60]

This address, first of all, is to whom? We presented this research in several audio tapes. Is the statement “Make ready” an address to the believers? Where are the believers? Those who consume usury, turn their backs on one another, argue with each other, and engage in illegal partisanship – each party rejoicing with what they have?! We must look at the issue fundamentally, where do we start? Do we start with Jihaad? Who is performing the Jihaad?

Questioner: “Those who believed and migrated and strove (hard and fought in Allah’s Cause).

The Shaikh: Where are they?
Questioner: The first thing is Imaan, then migration.

The Shaikh: This is it, so we begin with Imaan. We begin with Imaan, may Allah bless you. Do not reflect on the conclusion, (which is) to strive (in Allah’s Cause). Jihaad begins when the souls are prepared for jihad for the sake of Allah. The Messenger [peace be upon him] said, “The Mujaahid is he who strives against his (vain) desires for the sake of Allah”. Are Muslims today striving against their (vain) desires – for the sake of Allah – whilst sinful behaviour is rife, immorality, women unveiling, dealing in usury, etc.? Therefore, we have two terms that must be fulfilled: Tasfiyah [purification of the beliefs, methodology, texts, etc] and Tarbiyah [nurture and educate ourselves upon this pure path]. Today’s Muslims do not understand Islam correctly, starting with knowing who Allah is. They do not know Allah in the manner He made Himself known in His Book (the Qur’an) and the hadith of His Prophet. They do not know their Prophet, that is, his rulings, his Sunnah, and so on. Therefore, we are very far from Jihaad, the (true) Jihad (to be performed) against the (hostile) unbelievers. And before I miss this (comment), do you think that the Yahood will be expelled by the people of Palestine, and we see – regarding the people of Palestine – every day that a group is slaughtered like lambs while the government forces are watching? It is not these (one who will defeat the oppressive Yahood), but when Muslims return to their religion and nurture themselves correctly- nurtured upon Imaan, and ready militarily because Allah says: “And make ready”. Who is this addressed to?

Questioner: The believers.

The Shaikh: It is addressed to the believers to “Make ready against them (i.e. the enemies) all you can of power”. Are we able – today- to make ready (against them weaponry) even if we are believers? (i.e. due to the fact that the Ummah needs to return to complete obedience to Allah and His Messenger first and foremost). [Footnote a]

Questioner: No.

The Shaikh: So, let us try to establish what we are able to do, and that is to be believers; believe in what is stated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and act according to what is stated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah based on our ability. I say on many occasions like this that many young people who are now excited have channeled their efforts toward Jihaad against their Muslim rulers. Those who are called Jamaa’ah At-Takfeer, for example, want to fight the Muslim rulers. My beloved brother, fight against yourself before everything else. You forget yourself and fight others?!

Questioner: Hizbut-Tahrir. [Footnote b]

The Shaikh: Hizb ut-Tahrir, Jamaa’ah At-takfeer Wal-Hijrah in Egypt, and so on. What I intend to say is that these people forget themselves and become preoccupied with their rulers, while the opposite (of what they abandon) is the correct thing. What did Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] first start with? He began by calling people to testify that “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah”. Those who – at present – want to strive against the rulers have not started from where the Messenger [peace and blessings be upon him] started. Due to this, there is no benefit in researching, arguing, partisanship, and gathering if it is not what Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings be upon him] followed. And with regards to us, it has been a period of 15 centuries between us and the Messenger, so we must (adopt) Tasfiyah and Tarbiyah. At present if you ask a question we consider to be one that we have received from our Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] when he asked the slave girl: Where is Allah? Ask the Muslims today (i.e. many of the deviated sects), and they will tell you that Allah is everywhere, etc. [Footnote c]

Questioner: God forbid.

The Shaikh: You and I say, “God forbid”, and praise be to Allah that Allah has guided us, but those with whom you will perform Jihaad and fight alongside with will fight you because you say this statement, if only you knew! Therefore, may Allah bless you, migration is obligatory for everyone who is able, and this is a must for him. This is a Shariah ruling, (but) as for one who is not able, Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.

Questioner: We make it brief, InShaaAllah. The man will tell you that the meaning of this (statement of yours) is that “We abandon the land of Palestine to the Yahood to wreak havoc and have fun in it as they please”.

The Shaikh: Is it better than we abandon ourselves to the Yahood like sheep (to be slaughtered)? O, my brother! May Allah bless you. One of the Islamic principles is that if a Muslim is faced with two evils, he chooses the lesser of them.

Questioner: May Allah bless you.

The Shaikh: This is the first affair, and secondly, it cannot be imagined that the statement of truth will be embraced by every Muslim, and If that were the case, you would not have found this delay (in education and cultivation, true Jihaad, etc)

و سبحانك اللهم و بحمدك أشهد ألا إله إلا أنت أستغفرك و أتوب إليك

To be continued…InShaaAllah

The next discussion between the Shaikh and the questioner is specifically about advice to the Muslims of Palestine.
Source: Silsilah Al-Hudaa Wan-Nur 770. paraphrased. Arabic text below. Your feedback is welcomed to improve the content of this paraphrase.

Footnote a: https://salaficentre.com/2023/07/02/11-the-right-religion-is-the-answer-to-every-problem/

Salafi Shaikh Fawzaan on Jihad in our times and the guidelines of Jihad according to Islam

Muslim world in crisis: When will the aid of Allah come?

Footnote b: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7y2sf7meIg
http://www.nabahani.com/

Footnote c: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSO8StPuhiM
https://learnaboutislam.co.uk/2019/06/evidence-for-allaahs-uluww-aboveness-abu-iyaad/
https://www.abovethethrone.com/arsh/