To whom is the individual obligation directed: to governments or to individuals?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah bless you, to whom is the individual obligation directed?
The Shaykh : To every capable person.
The questioner : Governments or individuals?
The Shaykh : Primarily, it is the governments. But if the governments do not fulfill their duty, and the individuals are capable of fulfilling this duty, it does not fall off them.
Another questioner: What is ... capability, O Shaykh?
The questioner : O Shaykh, I asked Hakimyar.
The Shaykh : Who?
The questioner : Hakimyar ... a Muslim there.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Older ... and I asked him if ... he told me and ... from standing in one council, ... my master ... and Hakimyar is close to ... he said we do not need men!
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Does this change the fatwa regarding the ruling I stated?
The Shaykh : No, it does not change it, because in truth, I said I do not know here, or rather in the city, because one of the students said to me, what do you think of these mujahideen going there, and one of them spends a month or two and then returns, as if the matter is one of relaxation or entertainment.
I say that those who go to jihad sincerely and truthfully, it is not befitting for them to act individually. They must hand over their leadership to their leaders and commanders there. If the commander, for example, of a battalion or a company—call it what you will—sees that a new number of mujahideen has arrived, he may see, from a political standpoint, especially since most of the Muslim world, unfortunately, is not accustomed or trained in jihad in the path of Allah, and most of them do not know how to fire a single bullet, that the commander, for example, the one responsible for the company or the group, should make an exchange. Meaning, if, for example, one hundred mujahideen have now arrived, he makes room for one hundred previous mujahideen to return to their countries and their families. Why? For the reason you mentioned. But this does not mean that they are not in need of the continued supply of individuals and persons.
The questioner : It is established for the individual; the individual obligation is upon him even in the absence of need. I go and one comes in my place, is that correct?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But if I do not go, will something befall me?
The Shaykh : If it is true that the current number is sufficient in terms of fulfilling the individual obligation, then I say the individual obligation has been lifted from the others, because the individual obligation is to the extent that the obligation is fulfilled. If the responsible parties, who are naturally more knowledgeable than us—we are not judging an individual obligation now because we do not know the opinion you are conveying from the responsible party, and I do not know if this opinion represents the opinion of all the commanders there or the opinion of one commander—this is a matter we are too weak to delve into in detail. But let us assume that if all the commanders there agree sincerely, and they are extremely careful that they expel the disbeliever from their lands, and that they are not in need of one individual but rather in need of equipment and money.
The questioner : And the callers to Allah.
The Shaykh : And the callers to Allah. Well, in that case, I say the individual obligation is lifted and the collective obligation remains. The individual obligation is lifted regarding the individual mujahideen, but the individual obligation is not lifted regarding supplying them with money and everything they need, especially since this money is converted into weapons, and weapons often run out, so it is necessary to renew and replace them. But I return to say that my opinion, as long as there is bravery in jihad in the path of Allah, I do not think that ... the individual obligation is upon these people, because many of them are martyred. So, are they not in need of replacement? If there is no supply to support those who went and were martyred in the path of Allah, it means the number we claimed fulfilled the individual obligation has decreased.
The questioner : Meaning, the original fatwa now is based on need ... so if you say need.
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : It becomes an individual obligation.
The Shaykh : ... likewise.
Another questioner: A question that imposes itself
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : To every capable person.
The questioner : Governments or individuals?
The Shaykh : Primarily, it is the governments. But if the governments do not fulfill their duty, and the individuals are capable of fulfilling this duty, it does not fall off them.
Another questioner: What is ... capability, O Shaykh?
The questioner : O Shaykh, I asked Hakimyar.
The Shaykh : Who?
The questioner : Hakimyar ... a Muslim there.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Older ... and I asked him if ... he told me and ... from standing in one council, ... my master ... and Hakimyar is close to ... he said we do not need men!
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Does this change the fatwa regarding the ruling I stated?
The Shaykh : No, it does not change it, because in truth, I said I do not know here, or rather in the city, because one of the students said to me, what do you think of these mujahideen going there, and one of them spends a month or two and then returns, as if the matter is one of relaxation or entertainment.
I say that those who go to jihad sincerely and truthfully, it is not befitting for them to act individually. They must hand over their leadership to their leaders and commanders there. If the commander, for example, of a battalion or a company—call it what you will—sees that a new number of mujahideen has arrived, he may see, from a political standpoint, especially since most of the Muslim world, unfortunately, is not accustomed or trained in jihad in the path of Allah, and most of them do not know how to fire a single bullet, that the commander, for example, the one responsible for the company or the group, should make an exchange. Meaning, if, for example, one hundred mujahideen have now arrived, he makes room for one hundred previous mujahideen to return to their countries and their families. Why? For the reason you mentioned. But this does not mean that they are not in need of the continued supply of individuals and persons.
The questioner : It is established for the individual; the individual obligation is upon him even in the absence of need. I go and one comes in my place, is that correct?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But if I do not go, will something befall me?
The Shaykh : If it is true that the current number is sufficient in terms of fulfilling the individual obligation, then I say the individual obligation has been lifted from the others, because the individual obligation is to the extent that the obligation is fulfilled. If the responsible parties, who are naturally more knowledgeable than us—we are not judging an individual obligation now because we do not know the opinion you are conveying from the responsible party, and I do not know if this opinion represents the opinion of all the commanders there or the opinion of one commander—this is a matter we are too weak to delve into in detail. But let us assume that if all the commanders there agree sincerely, and they are extremely careful that they expel the disbeliever from their lands, and that they are not in need of one individual but rather in need of equipment and money.
The questioner : And the callers to Allah.
The Shaykh : And the callers to Allah. Well, in that case, I say the individual obligation is lifted and the collective obligation remains. The individual obligation is lifted regarding the individual mujahideen, but the individual obligation is not lifted regarding supplying them with money and everything they need, especially since this money is converted into weapons, and weapons often run out, so it is necessary to renew and replace them. But I return to say that my opinion, as long as there is bravery in jihad in the path of Allah, I do not think that ... the individual obligation is upon these people, because many of them are martyred. So, are they not in need of replacement? If there is no supply to support those who went and were martyred in the path of Allah, it means the number we claimed fulfilled the individual obligation has decreased.
The questioner : Meaning, the original fatwa now is based on need ... so if you say need.
The Shaykh : No.
The questioner : It becomes an individual obligation.
The Shaykh : ... likewise.
Another questioner: A question that imposes itself
The Shaykh : Yes.