Which is better: jihad or seeking knowledge

Question:
And the Shaykh’s statement, meaning that the greater of the two is jihad for the people of knowledge.

Answer:
This depends on the situation. The Shaykh, Shaykh al-Din, and others say that it depends on the circumstances of people. Some people are such that jihad is better for them if they are people of courage and have aptitude for military strategy, meaning they have a role and standing in war; for such a person, jihad is better than seeking knowledge.
And if a person has a talent for knowledge, jurisprudence, deriving rulings, and memorizing texts, and has a talent for acquiring knowledge, then it is better for him to learn, so that he benefits himself and benefits people according to the talents that people possess. Allah has made people with different talents: some have a talent for jihad and military affairs, some have a talent for jurisprudence and knowledge, and some have a talent for crafts and trades. Each person should follow the talent that Allah has given him.