Is knowledge better, or jihad in the path of Allah?

The questioner : As for whether knowledge is better or jihad in the path of Allah?

The Shaykh : Jihad is of two kinds.

The questioner : I mean fighting in the path of Allah; what is...

The Shaykh : Fighting is of two kinds.

The questioner : Fighting the enemies of Allah?

The Shaykh : It is an individual obligation and a collective obligation.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Oh?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Likewise, knowledge is of two kinds: an individual obligation and a collective obligation. So if you compare an individual obligation with a collective obligation, there is no doubt that the individual obligation takes precedence over the collective obligation, and vice versa. Now, when you say "knowledge," do you mean that which is an individual obligation, or that which is a collective obligation? And when you say "fighting," do you mean the individual obligation or the collective obligation? Until the answer becomes clear...

The questioner : So let us specify.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : We say: Is jihad in Afghanistan now better, or knowledge for the young men who are still at an age— as they say— early in their commitment and in repentance and turning back to Allah?

The Shaykh : Yes, I do not want to answer this question directly, because I want those who ask questions to understand the matter themselves. Is this knowledge that you described for the young men an individual obligation for them, or a collective obligation? Stay with me.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, is this knowledge that you described for the young men an individual obligation or a collective obligation? If you say it is an individual obligation, then a comparison must be made. If you say it is a collective obligation, you have already taken the answer. Is that clear?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner : We see that it is an individual obligation for them, because they fail in some matters and in... the analogy or the basics in this field.

The Shaykh : This does not necessitate that it be an individual obligation, because the individual obligation in knowledge is that without which the Muslim's creed and his worship in general are not valid. So it is sufficient for the Muslim to know the acts of worship that he is obligated to perform. For example, if he is poor, he is not obligated to know the rulings of zakah and the rulings of Hajj and the like. He is poor and wants to pray, and he must, so he has to know the rulings of prayer. But to study knowledge in all its branches because he wants to become a student of knowledge or a scholar in the future, that is not an individual obligation. So the individual obligation is what is necessary for every Muslim, and this is not the case. Is that clear?

The questioner : Okay; so what is the meaning of the statement of those who go to jihad? Do they not lack the jurisprudence of jihad? And would that consequently be an individual obligation for them?

The Shaykh : No, the details of the rulings of jihad are the responsibility of the commanders there. It is not every individual among the mujahideen... [who is responsible for] the rulings of jihad, because there are no new rulings in jihad that pertain to every individual among the mujahideen, but there are new rulings regarding the group, and every group is the responsibility of the commanders. And on that basis, I say: the answer in the end differs according to the opinion regarding jihad in Afghanistan. So I, for example, believe that it is an individual obligation, and another may see that it is a collective obligation. In that case, the difference is not great between seeking knowledge and this jihad if he sees that it is a collective obligation. As for me, I say now that seeking knowledge in the manner practiced today, of expanding gradually, is not an individual obligation; rather, it is a collective obligation. But jihad in Afghanistan is an individual obligation; so it takes precedence over the collective obligation.