The Shaykh Al-Albani's comment on what happened between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and the claim by each side that fighting the other is jihad in the path of Allah.

The Shaykh : Now, what about the rest?

The questioner : One last question. I want to ask these two questions. Sheikh Tantawi issued a fatwa yesterday that jihad against Iraq is an individual obligation, a sacred obligation, meaning that jihad against Saddam Hussein is necessary. That is one part. The second part: What is our duty if a war breaks out in the region and we do not possess weapons to defend ourselves with?

The Shaykh : How is this question? First of all, unfortunately, most of the scholars today—and we do not generalize—due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The scholars today are from those about whom Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, the author of "Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din," said: "They are scholars of appearances," "scholars of appearances." There is no clearer proof of this than the fact that two conferences were held on the same day, one in Saudi Arabia and one in Iraq. Each conference was composed of Muslim scholars, and each country, as they say, "bends the bow toward itself," using these scholars to support their error. Now we have heard the statement that it is obligatory to fight the Iraqis! I say, with regret: today there is no such thing as jihad in Islam. Jihad in Islam is written in the lines, but it has no mention in the hearts. Jihad is of two types: individual obligation and collective obligation, as we said earlier regarding knowledge. If some people perform the collective obligation, it falls off the rest. The individual obligation: Everyone must go out. Where is this jihad? The individual obligation does not exist now. The scholars are still disagreeing on whether jihad in Afghanistan is an individual obligation or a collective obligation! And now I say something I have not said before: now, because of the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), you do not hear the details. You do not hear from those who followed the statement of this Tantawi or others whether this is an individual obligation or a collective obligation. They turn the page. Why? Because the ruler who wants to hear it, and the people who hear this speech, prefer to keep it folded up, and all the Muslim peoples move against their enemy. Who is their enemy? The speaker in Saudi Arabia. Who is the enemy of Saudi Arabia? So, Iraq. Therefore, all Muslims must fight Iraq! Otherwise, why did they not distinguish it as they did regarding Afghanistan? They said: Most scholars hold that jihad in Afghanistan is a collective obligation. A few of them, and we are among that few, say: No, it is an individual obligation. If the Muslims had imagined and stood up as one man, the war there would not have lasted ten years, and then it would not have declined, unfortunately. But now this detail is raised. Why? Because the intention is to provide a formal basis in a certain country. So, at the time a conference of scholars was held there, a conference of Muslim scholars was also held in Iraq.