Is it necessary for the Muslim lands to be emptied of Muslims in order for them to be rid of the sin of leaving this obligatory duty, given that jihad in Afghanistan is an individual obligation?

The questioner : You previously issued a fatwa that jihad in Afghanistan is an individual obligation. If Muslims were to implement this fatwa now, it would mean that the Muslim lands must be emptied of Muslims so that they are rid of the sin of leaving this obligatory duty. What is your opinion?

The Shaykh : Of course, when we say that jihad in Afghanistan is an individual obligation, we mean that it is not permissible to leave the Afghan Muslims alone, and that it is obligatory for all Muslims to help them with their bodies, their wealth, and their tongues, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: But when someone says—and we are not alone in this, for it is a scientific fact—that if Islamic lands are invaded by disbelievers, then all Muslims must mobilize, meaning this strange picture you described earlier that the Islamic lands would be emptied of their Muslim inhabitants, I will say something else: The lands of Afghanistan will not accommodate all these Muslims. The intention is that those who are sufficient to expel the occupying disbeliever should mobilize to those lands. I observe that at times many people assume imaginary scenarios and do not address reality. Did some Muslims fulfill this collective obligation and free the lands of Afghanistan from the communists, who are the tail of the Soviets, such that it could be said, "If all Muslims had set out to help them, the Islamic lands would have been emptied of their inhabitants"? Why should we be imaginary and not realistic? There is no doubt that many Muslims, among their youth and their wealthy, are falling short in every way in fulfilling the duty of helping the Afghans with all the strength that falls under the general meaning of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): to the end of the verse. Therefore, no one imagines that when it is said to be an individual obligation, we want the Islamic lands to be emptied of their inhabitants so that they go to Afghanistan, and Afghanistan cannot accommodate all of them. But it is necessary that those who are sufficient to fulfill this individual obligation go, without specifying particular individuals.
Yes.