The Meaning of the Phrase: If the Enemy Is More Than Two-Thirds, It Is Not Obligatory to Fight Them
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is the meaning of this phrase: "If the enemy is more than two-thirds, it is not obligatory to fight them"?
Answer:
Yes, this is in the Qur'an. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says: How many? O Prophet, He says, Glorified and Exalted is He, at the end of Surat al-Anfal:[Al-Anfal 8:65] patient [Al-Anfal 8:65] patient [Al-Anfal 8:65] This was at the beginning of the matter; it was forbidden for the believer to flee from ten. It was forbidden for one believer to flee from ten. Then it was made easier: [Al-Anfal 8:66] so he does not flee from two. One believer does not flee from two, and ten do not flee from twenty, and one hundred do not flee from two hundred, if they are only twice their number. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is the meaning of this phrase: "If the enemy is more than two-thirds, it is not obligatory to fight them"?
Answer:
Yes, this is in the Qur'an. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says: How many? O Prophet, He says, Glorified and Exalted is He, at the end of Surat al-Anfal:
O Prophet, urge the believers to battle. If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one hundred
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌO Prophet, urge the believers to battle. If there are among you twenty [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one hundred
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى الْقِتَالِ إِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌthey will overcome a thousand of those who have disbelieved because they are a people who do not understand.
يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَNow, Allah has lightened [the hardship] for you, and He knows that among you is weakness. So if there are from you one hundred [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you a thousand, they will overcome two thousand
الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنكُمْ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا فَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّائَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ وَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُمْ أَلْفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 047 من 123 / شرح كتاب زاد المستقنع / الجهاد / صالح الفوزان / الفقه / كبار العلماء — youtube.com (56:15)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.