My father needs me for his work and the needs of my family, and my older brother is seeking knowledge in another city, and I want to go to jihad, but none of my parents agreed to
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The questioner : My father needs me for his work...
The Shaykh : What does he need?
The questioner : He needs me for his work.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And the needs of my family, and my older brother is in another city seeking knowledge, and I want to go to jihad, but neither of my parents agreed. Is it permissible for me to go, knowing that my brother is able to take my place by leaving his studies?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, it is not permissible for you to go to jihad while your family needs you and they have prevented you from traveling to jihad. In fact, even if they did not need you, if they did not give you permission, it is not permissible for you to go to jihad, because dutifulness to parents is better than jihad in the cause of Allah, as established in "the two Sahihs" in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—or rather, in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)—he said: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Which deed is most beloved to Allah?" He said: I said: "Then what?" He said: I said: "Then what?" He said: Sunan Abi Dawud 2486Hasan (Al-Albani) So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed dutifulness to parents before jihad in the cause of Allah. As for your brother, his traveling to seek knowledge contains much good and great reward, and seeking knowledge is like jihad in the cause of Allah, because Allah the Exalted made it equivalent to it in His saying: [At-Tawbah 9:122] So Allah made acquiring knowledge of the religion equivalent to jihad in the cause of Allah. The battle of the Muslims is not only with weapons, but also with thought, character, and conduct. The battle with thought cannot be resisted except with knowledge, and good character cannot be resisted except with knowledge and uprightness. Perhaps the battle of the enemies against the Muslims is an intellectual battle that is more devastating for them than a battle with material weapons, because the first type of battle is one that enters without permission and occupies without fighting, so it is more painful and greater than armed jihad with material weapons.
And the Muslims must do both of these. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):[At-Tawbah 9:73] It is well known that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not fight the hypocrites with material weapons, nor was he commanded to do so; rather, he fought the hypocrites with the weapon of knowledge, eloquence, and guidance. So your brother's travel to seek knowledge and his going abroad to seek knowledge is undoubtedly a great good. As for you, the good for you is to stay with your family and to fulfill your duty toward your parents. If you have wealth, then fight with your wealth, because jihad with wealth is like jihad with the self; in fact, it is its companion in the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. This is a listener to the program, Abu Abdullah from the Northern Region, who says, he asks, O honorable Shaykh, about.
The Shaykh : What does he need?
The questioner : He needs me for his work.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And the needs of my family, and my older brother is in another city seeking knowledge, and I want to go to jihad, but neither of my parents agreed. Is it permissible for me to go, knowing that my brother is able to take my place by leaving his studies?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, it is not permissible for you to go to jihad while your family needs you and they have prevented you from traveling to jihad. In fact, even if they did not need you, if they did not give you permission, it is not permissible for you to go to jihad, because dutifulness to parents is better than jihad in the cause of Allah, as established in "the two Sahihs" in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)—or rather, in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)—he said: I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Which deed is most beloved to Allah?" He said:
Prayer at its appointed time
الصلاة على وقتهاDutifulness to parents
بر الولدينstriving in the path of Allah
الجهاد في سبيل اللهAnd it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.
وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَAnd the Muslims must do both of these. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):
O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. This is a listener to the program, Abu Abdullah from the Northern Region, who says, he asks, O honorable Shaykh, about.