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When Jihaad becomes obligatory, by Shaikh al-’Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah)
Source: Tape Explanation of Riyad-us-Saliheen of Shaikh al-’Uthaimeen, Part 6.

Student Mustafa George (hafidhahullaah) relayed from Shaikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-’Uthaimeen (rahimahullaah) in the latter’s sharh of Riyad-us-Saliheen:

When Jihaad becomes obligatory:

1. When the Khalifa (Muslim ruler) enjoins it upon you
2. When the kufaar surround you
3. When you are already on the battlefield [you (are not allowed) turn your back unless you do it to gain a better position]
4. If he is needed, and he is the only one who knows how to use a particular weapon – even if he is not commanded by the Imam

In these four cases, Jihaad becomes Fard ‘Ayn, wajib (obligatory) upon an individual. In other than these four cases, it becomes Fard Kifaayah.So this is based upon knowledge and not emotion. There are two requirements for any deed to be accepted [Ikhlaas and its legislation (following the Sunnah)], and knowledge is necessary to know it is legislated.

[Mustafa George said: If a person says,'Ya ikhwaan, such and such has taken place in such and such country. Let's go and fight.' Say to him, 'akhee, have you studied the affair of Jihaad? What are the principles of Jihaad? When is Jihaad obligatory upon you? Is it Fard 'Ayn or Kifayyah? Have the conditions been met? Who is the Imam or scholar who has ordered it?' These are certain matters that should be asked of these individuals.]

It is obligatory during the trials and tribulations we live in today that we remind the general laymen that the call to fighting for the purpose of one’s land, this is a call that is not appropriate. And the people should become learned with regards to one’s religion. And we should inform the people that we fight for our Religion before anything. When is it permissible to fight for his land?

When his land is an Islaamic land, and the Islaam which is present in that land needs to be protected. We have to fight with this intention – the intention of protecting Islaam which is in the land. Not the land itself! Not the land itself, but because of the Islaam which is present in the land.

Verily, a person who fights for Nationalism, or for his people, this is done by the Muslim or Kufaar. Fighting for the land, or your nationality, or your race is done by Muslim and kufaar, but this does not benefit a person to fight for your land, nationality or race. It does not benefit him on the Day of Judgement. And a person who is killed in fighting for his land or his nationality, or his race, he is not considered a martyr (shaheed).

Because the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked about a man who fights for enthusiasm, one who fights for courage, and one who fights to show off, which of these is fighting in the cause of Allaah, and he (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: The one who fights so that Allaah’s Word becomes superior is striving in the cause of Allaah. [Agreed upon]*

Pay attention to this. If you fight for your land, then you and the kaafir are the same, but fighting for the Religion of Allaah – the Word of Allaah – which is being practiced and established in your land, then in this case it is considered for Allaah ‘Azza wa Jall.

And there is also another hadeeth that is considered in Bukhaaree and Muslim and others. The Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: There is not a person who is wounded in the sake of Allaah, and verily Allaah knows who is wounded for His sake, except that he will come on the Day of Judgement with his wounds and they will be flowing with blood, the color will be the color of blood and the smell will be the smell of misk.

Pay close attention how the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) gave a condition that the person is wounded for the sake of Allaah. So the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in this hadeeth emphasized twice the importance of it being for the sake of Allaah. So it is wajib upon the students of knowledge to teach the people that fighting for your land is not the correct form of fighting.

And then the student added the hadeeth of the man who killed himself while fighting – that the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not describe him as a shaheed. The ‘Ulemma said: You should only call a shaheed he whom the Prophet called a shaheed, because you do not know the intention of the person. And likewise, the one who dies of a stomach ailment, or drowns, or dies in the fire or the building falls on him, then we say, ‘that’s the death of a shaheed, and we hope the person is a shaheed,’ but you cannot say the person is a shaheed.

Source: Tape Explanation of Riyad-us-Saliheen of Shaikh al-’Uthaimeen, Part 6.

* In the footnote under this hadeeth in Buloogh al-Maraam [Book of Jihaad] is the following: It means that a battle for the sake of valour, integrity, retaliation, pillage, hypocrisy and an insatiable lust for land-grabbing, etc… are not the Islaamic wars even though they may be fought by the Muslim warriors. Islaamic war is the one which is fought mainly for the purpose and intention of propagating Islaam in the earnest. During the course of events, if such a war also yields some secondary benefits, there is no harm in that, and the warriors are allowed to be profited by them.