The Ruling on Jihad in Our Present Time and Abu Basir’s Argument

Question:
The questioner, Ibn Malik, asks: Who cites the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that “Jihad continues until the Hour comes”? And why do the scholars say that the Muslim community cannot engage in offensive jihad in our present time, and that this time is similar to the Makkah period, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that jihad continues until the Hour comes?

Answer:
Yes, jihad continues provided its conditions and prerequisites are met. If its conditions and prerequisites are not met, it is awaited until the Muslims regain their strength, capabilities, and subjugation of the enemy, and then they fight the enemy. For example, if you have gunpowder—meaning, if you have gunpowder or a rifle—and you face airplanes, bombs, and missiles that you cannot match, this is severe harm. If you have a capability that exceeds theirs or is equal to theirs, you face them. But if you have nothing, do not throw yourselves into destruction, for this harms the Muslims more than it benefits them. Also, some say that the rulers and scholars in this land have suspended jihad, and that this is disbelief in Allah. What is your opinion of their statement? This is ignorance, and we do not concern ourselves with it, because it indicates that they have no insight or knowledge, and that they declare people to be disbelievers. This is the view of the Khawarij; they are revolving around the view of the Khawarij and the Mu’tazilah. We ask Allah for safety from that. But we do not have a bad opinion of them; we say that these are matters they must learn before they speak. However, if they have knowledge and are deliberate in this statement, then this is the view of the Khawarij and the people of darkness. Yes.