To what extent are Muslims obligated to close the scientific and technological gap (such as weapons and others)?

The questioner : My lord, from the lessons of this war, the scientific, technical, and practical gap in weapons between what the West has reached and what Iraq had, what is your opinion on the extent of what is currently being done by Muslims to reach the corresponding level of technology? I mean, the beating that the Iraqis received was many times greater than what had happened in all of history in terms of quality...

The Shaykh : How is the sentence?

The questioner : The beating.

The Shaykh : The bombing by the disbelievers.

The questioner : It was greater than what has passed in history, meaning Iraq was hit in this war more than Germany was bombed in the entire World War, twice over. So the technical and scientific gap is very far. To what extent must Muslims work to close this gap, armed naturally, if they are characterized and raised by the belief that Allah supports them? But at the same time, to what extent should their concern be for taking the means?

The Shaykh : The answer is brief, and then the detail may follow, and I believe the detail may annoy some. Yes, but the research is open for discussion, whereas the brief answer does not accept discussion. Our Lord said in the verse previously mentioned: This is the answer to your question. And as I say, and you must have heard this statement more than once, to whom is the address? To the believers. That is, the believers who act according to the Shari'ah of Islam. So part of the completeness of their action is that they prepare whatever they can of material power. Is this preparation after faith or before? Without a doubt, it is after. This is the brief answer that does not accept discussion. As for the detail, I say that it is not possible for truly believing Muslims to catch up with the disbelievers and equal them in their material power. It is not possible for them, and the reason for this is reasonable and very natural. That is because the disbelievers do not have what occupies them from what exists with Muslims, which we are always singing about. We are occupied with purification and upbringing, whereas they are loose in the matter. They do not need to know the history of 'Isa (peace be upon him) in the precise way that takes perhaps half, a third, or more or less of their time in their lives. Then, in terms of upbringing, they live like animals; they have no interest in this matter at all. So what is their interest? Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: Allah the Mighty and Majestic has stamped them with this material stamp since ancient times. I say, and this may annoy some, that Muslims are the opposite of that. The disbelievers are... Muslims are facing the Hereafter, not heedless of it, weak in this world, not having the knowledge that those disbelievers have. And I believe this is a natural matter because human capacity is limited in scope. It is not possible to burden a person with more than what Allah the Mighty and Majestic has tasked him with. And therefore He said in His Noble Book: If you imagine a chemical or mechanical engineer, or call it whatever you wish, to the extent that he will be occupied with this world, to the corresponding extent he will be occupied away from his religion and from knowing the rulings of his Shari'ah. And therefore Allah the Mighty and Majestic has made us rich by not needing to be bent over knowing the apparent aspects of this worldly life and the material, military, and economic preparations related to it, call it whatever you wish. He has made us rich by commanding us with His saying: But before this, the faith-based preparation is the foundation for Muslims, and it is subsequent to and following it. And it is not upon them after that to set before their eyes, as some youth today who are far from true Islamic culture think, that it is necessary to rival the disbelievers in number and equipment. No, this is not present in our Shari'ah and in our Islam. And the past history is the greatest proof, as previously mentioned, when Allah the Mighty and Majestic made the Muslims victorious over the two great states, and they were poor in everything except in faith, in which they were strong, and the disbelieving enemies were strong in everything except in faith, and they have no faith. This is the answer to what you asked.

The questioner : The horseman in battles in days of old was permitted to kill ten infantrymen. Now the horseman in advanced weaponry, who can send a device that determines his location by the hair without his sender moving, gives a relatively much greater power, and so on. So we are talking about huge gaps.

The Shaykh : This does not advance or delay regarding what we said earlier. Let us be realistic. How many years do Muslims need to reach this science?

The questioner : It depends. If the result is obtaining the thing or building it themselves? It is possible by trickery and by buying and such to reach a level that can be close, but it is not required...

The Shaykh : And is this the answer to my question?

The questioner : It is not the answer to the question.

The Shaykh : This is not the answer to my question in two aspects. First, my question was how much do you estimate, and it is not for buying but for manufacturing! So you did not answer for this nor for that. We told you, my brother, do not fear the carpet. Ahmad, say a word in the courtyard.

The questioner : Centuries.

The Shaykh : Okay, centuries. What do we do if we wait centuries and live as humiliated under these disbelievers because they have surpassed us in material weaponry? What is the cure?

Another questioner : Spiritual weaponry.

The Shaykh : But the matter is over.

Another questioner : The other alternative is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, sends down the angels to compensate for the weaponry.

The Shaykh : Yes, and this does not mean that you do not prepare for them. No. .

The questioner : And if that is by obtaining weaponry similar to their weaponry.

The Shaykh : Yes, what is the obstacle?