Is Palestine considered a land of war or a land of peace? And what is obligatory for the Muslim in both cases?

The questioner : Another question, also related to the previous topic: The Jews have occupied Palestine and al-Aqsa Mosque. Is Palestine considered a land of war or a land of peace according to Islamic Sharia? Then, what is obligatory for the Muslim, or what is imposed on him to do, in each of these cases? And is it permissible for a Muslim to serve in the Israeli army if he is forced to serve in it? And what are the matters that make service within the limits of coercion?

The Shaykh : Of course, this is not permissible. However, most of the questions that have come here are taken from the answer to the previous question: What can Muslims do toward Israel, or even other than Israel? Nothing, absolutely nothing. And this matter is known by every one of us.
And in my opinion, it is foolish for a Muslim to think about doing something he cannot do, while he turns away from the thing that he can do. This questioner is asking, but he is not actually expressing his own opinion; rather, he is expressing the opinion of the masses of lost Muslim youth: What do we do? What do you do? , what do you do? ; because obviously, we cannot do anything at all regarding Palestine, regarding Afghanistan, regarding many countries where communist revolutions and others are taking place. But we can study Islamic jurisprudence, we can understand Islam correctly, even if cautiously, and we can apply Islam to ourselves where no one interferes between us and our Islam. We do not apply this and do not do it. As for Palestine and other countries, what do we do for them? Work for yourself; when that happens, there will be time, energy, and ability for you that will help you to work for others. And how beautiful is that phrase mentioned on such an occasion: "Establish the state of Islam in your hearts, and it will be established for you in your land."

The questioner : The issue of a land of war or a land of peace?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt it is a land of war. But, also, these Islamic rulings have no effect today. Because what is the ruling of a land of war? And what is the ruling of a land of Islam? And to whom do these rulings pertain? To Islamic states. So where are these Islamic states for us to say: This is a land of war, so we must... are we still...? We fight them, and we consider their blood and wealth lawful, and so on. None of these rulings apply; because there are no Islamic governments ruling by what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has revealed.

The questioner : Of course, service here in the Israeli army, he mentions being forced.

The Shaykh : This is a constant question... I mean, I say—and please do not hold me to this—I often bear the mistakes of some people in their questions and their dealings. But I cannot bear this question. One person says to me: I cannot pray standing. Pray sitting, my brother. If you cannot, what am I supposed to tell you? What do you think I will tell you? Pray standing? You are saying: I cannot pray standing. What do you think I or anyone else will tell you, that you direct this question to me?
So take this as a rule: something that is not possible, our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) does not burden us with it. So here, if he is forced, what do we tell him? We tell him: Do not go. Yes, you are forced, yes, do not go...

The questioner : No, he is within the limits of coercion, he is...

The Shaykh : ...it has no limits and is not... limited. So he says: forced. Coercion, like ability, has no limits. Fear Allah as much as you are able. Our Lord did not say that ability is weighed by a material scale or other precise scales that have occurred in the present age! Ability and coercion return to the person obligated. For example, take the incident of Bilal al-Habashi and 'Ammar ibn Yasir; both were tortured in the path of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Bilal endured the beating and the torture in the sun and so on, until Allah (Mighty and Majestic) saved him by Abu Bakr buying him and freeing him. 'Ammar could not endure that patience. But who can determine this ability versus that ability? It is the person obligated himself. So he was told: Curse the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and we will lighten it and let you go. So he cursed the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and was released. After that, he went to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after he felt, meaning, some relief and realized he had made a mistake. So he recounted it to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: . He said: I find my heart at peace with faith. He said: ; if they return to the torture that you cannot bear or endure, then you return to being saved from it by the phrase that you do not find its effect in your heart.
If the intention of the question is: What is the ruling of one who is driven to the Israeli army to fight, and perhaps fights Muslims? The answer is what you have heard. But if he is asking: What is coercion? The answer is: We cannot determine coercion; especially coercion in fighting, coercion to—for example—committing forbidden acts, coercion. It is not possible to enumerate these coercions by their types, and then it is not possible to determine any of these coercions by a material determination. It is possible that Zayd of the people is forced and knows his proportion compared to 'Amr of the people; this is impossible. Therefore, these matters came absolute in the Noble Book so that every person acts according to the text within the limits of his capacity and ability.