What is your opinion regarding those who die in the occupied territories, given that it is well known that you say they are not martyrs?

The questioner : What is the ruling of the religion—O Shaykh—regarding those who die in the occupied land? Especially since it has been reported about you, and it is well known, that the Shaykh says: They are not martyrs, and so on and so on; the Shaykh spoke about them.

The Shaykh : Before answering the question, the question must be corrected.

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Because it is a common error, to the extent that it is said on radio stations, and even on some religious radio stations. O 'Azmi, it is not permissible to say: "What is the opinion of the religion?" Rather, if one must use the word "opinion," one should say: "What is the opinion of the Shaykh?" But if you attribute the opinion to the religion, that is a clear error. The correct thing is to say: "What is the ruling of the religion?" The religion does not have an opinion; because the religion is from Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but the opinion comes from some scholars who exert independent legal reasoning and are subject to being right or wrong. So one says at that time: "What is the opinion of so-and-so?" But "What is the opinion of the religion?" is a common error, and the correct thing is to say: "What is the ruling of the religion regarding such-and-such?"
The Shaykh: After this correction, I say: Every country that is occupied by disbelievers and upon which the system of the disbelievers is imposed, the people are required to migrate to the Islamic land, for whoever is able to do so. This is regarding residence in the land occupied by the disbelievers. As for those who fight there, the answer at that time is: We say that martyrdom requires two conditions:
The Shaykh: The first condition is that it be under an Islamic banner, and that it not be issued from chaos without order. What is called today the intifada is, without doubt, an uprising that has no leader and no responsible person. Therefore, we do not see—now we say we do not see—such an uprising for which the necessary means have not been taken so that its outcome may be a good ending. Even if it were assumed that there is jihad, truly, as is the case—for example—in Afghanistan, where the possible preparations were made, not everyone who falls in battle is considered a martyr. And a fortiori, if he is wounded in battle and then dies outside of it. The martyr is the one who fights in the path of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), not in the path of the land or in the path of the homeland, as they say in this time.
The Shaykh: It has come in Sahih al-Bukhari, from the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, a man from among us fights out of zeal; is he in the path of Allah?" He said: . He said: "A man from among us fights out of bravery; is he in the path of Allah?" He said: . He said: "A man fights such-and-such?" He said: . They said: "Then who is in the path of Allah?" He said: . So it is obligatory for the one who strives and fights the disbelievers with a lawful jihad to make his jihad sincere for the Face of Allah, not seeking beyond that any reward or gratitude, not a homeland, not leadership, and not any of the matters of this world.
The Shaykh: And it is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . I should not say, as people also say in error, "as a Muslim," but rather I say, in my capacity as a Muslim: It must not be assumed that every person who advances to fight the disbelievers is a mujahid in the path of Allah. It must be, as I mentioned at the beginning of this speech, under an Islamic banner and an organized jihad for which the possible preparations have been taken, as our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) said in the Noble Qur'an: .
The Shaykh: The presence of our Palestinian brothers in their land today, under the oppressive Jewish colonialism, is most similar to the situation of the early Muslims in the first period, the Meccan period, in Makkah. Many of the Companions in that time could have attacked the senior disbelievers of Quraysh gathered in the shade of the Ka'bah, and killed some of them, and then gone as a martyr, or I say: a casualty. But in what we know from the biography of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the history of his noble Companions in the first period, the Meccan period, nothing of that occurred.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Yes.
The Shaykh: Why? Because the matter is as it was said in old Arabic poetry:
The Shaykh: "The opinion before the bravery of the brave *** is the first, and it is the second place"
The Shaykh: So it is not permissible for a Muslim to get involved and show his bravery by facing bullets and bombs, and I do not know what other destructive means there are in the present age, with stones. This is not of the preparation that Allah commanded. Therefore, in my opinion, it is obligatory for the one who is in that land, and in lands similar to it that the disbelievers have occupied and colonized, to do one of two things. The first thing is to migrate in the path of Allah, as He (the Exalted) said: . And if the other option is that they must remain in their homes for one reason or another, then they must prepare in two ways; the first is more important than the second.
The Shaykh: The first preparation is understanding Islam correctly, and caring to apply it to himself, his family, his relatives, and his neighbors. The second preparation is material preparation within the limits of the capabilities that their restricted situation with the Jews allows them.
The Shaykh: As for receiving hints or signals from some quarters to revolt, and to revolt against precise, sophisticated weaponry with stones, this is, in my opinion, throwing souls into destruction. And this is prohibited. This is my answer to that question. Perhaps I have covered it with an answer.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And beware of that.