The Shaykh’s commentary on the words of Salman and Safar regarding the encouragement of jihad in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Algeria.

The Shaykh : Well, this is a matter on which there is no disagreement. We are now seeking to address the reality. Is addressing the bad reality in Algeria done by sending individuals without weapons, without training, without airplanes, without tanks, and without any preparation?

The questioner : No, no, by urging the governments to ... .

The Shaykh : This is what we said earlier.

The questioner : Urging the governments to take on this jihad.

The Shaykh : This is what we said earlier. Now, why is the matter stopped regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina? What is the difference?

The questioner : ... it is obligatory that they be fought.

The Shaykh : My brother, we are not talking about that. May Allah guide you. Do you see how you are searching for a topic that is not a topic of research or a topic of disagreement? We affirm that this matter is the duty of the governments. Our discussion now is whether we advise the youth to go and fight in Bosnia and Herzegovina or not? You say you are confused. Why are you confused? I am asking you: the individuals who go there will not be a target for the tanks and airplanes of these prepared Serbs, and the surrounding Crusader states also help them, and so on. So, we ... they say "jurisprudence of reality." If we know the reality of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina; do we support sending our youth there in the name of jihad? Why the confusion?

The questioner : No, if the intention is that our youth not be killed, then we do not support it, but

The Shaykh : These restrictions that are placed ... are very weak. And if the intention is other than this intention, what other intention is there? Jihad in the cause of Allah, is that not so?

The questioner : But one should not remain silent about rulers who do not rule and ... .

The Shaykh : Back to the rulers? Allahu Akbar. O Shaykh, may Allah guide you. You are now saying, based on my statement that if the intention is to preserve these youths, then it is not permissible. Well, what corresponds to this? It corresponds to: if the intention is jihad in the cause of Allah, we say yes, these people are sincere with all sincerity, and they go to jihad in the cause of Allah. Do we issue a fatwa for them to do so or not? Do we advise them to go or not? That is the answer. You say "if the intention is..." You are restricting it, meaning, in Syrian expression, you are shaping it, meaning you are disabling the topic from its root. You say if this is the intention, then the words you are saying are fine, meaning we do not advise them. Well, and what corresponds to this statement? If the intention is something else, what is it? It is jihad in the cause of Allah. But with this good intention and without preparation for jihad in the cause of Allah, do we advise them to go or not?

The questioner : No; we do not advise them.

The Shaykh : Well, now let us move to another step; what is the difference between what is said to them, "the group of Hijrah and Takfir," and this current statement? You know, of course, about the group of Hijrah and Takfir.

The questioner : They declare people disbelievers and declare Muslims disbelievers, and the entire Muslim society in general they declare disbelievers.

The Shaykh : Earlier I said "rulers." I said earlier, and it is a known word, of course, either they are disbelievers with practical disbelief or doctrinal disbelief. Well, there is no doubt that if they are doctrinally disbelievers, they are worse than if they are practically disbelievers, is that not so?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : If we assume now that all the rulers are doctrinally disbelievers, what can we do with them?

The questioner : Here the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) made it obligatory to fight them.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, may Allah guide you. Answer, my brother, what can we do? I am not telling you what the Messenger said, what can we do with them.

The questioner : We can, meaning, we fight to the extent of our ability. So, if they are doctrinally disbelievers, it is necessary to fight them.

The Shaykh : Well, did the Messenger do that when he was in Makkah?

The questioner : The ruling has changed now. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do that in Makkah because Allah restrained his hand.

The Shaykh : I am telling you, do not search for the beginning of jihad ... .

The questioner : No, what he did was that our Lord restrained his hand.

The Shaykh : Well, why? What is the wisdom in that?

The questioner : The wisdom in that was that it was the beginning of Islam, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ... .

The Shaykh : Your saying "beginning" ... question ... sequence. Being, meaning, if you allow me, since he said "in the beginning of Islam" and if? You want to answer with a second answer.

The questioner : They were ... weak. Yes, with their weakness they would be uprooted.

The Shaykh : If the beginning of Islam had not spread ... in permissibility.

The questioner : They would be uprooted, because ... they will be uprooted.

The Shaykh : We have now placed ourselves, what is it similar to? Allow me, may Allah guide you. I have no business with your state to say "no, don't listen to what I am going to say." Our position now, in terms of material weakness, in terms of what relates to the saying of the Exalted: , our position now is similar to the Makkah situation or the Madinah situation? I am not speaking about the ruling, I give you the reason because I know ... from your first word, I am not speaking about the ruling, we are speaking about our reality, it is similar to the reality of ... .

The questioner : Similar to the Makkah reality.

The Shaykh : Very good.

The questioner : We need to link the first point to the ruling for us. There is no benefit for us from this.

The Shaykh : I saw what you thought.
Abu Malik : The previous speech ... but I am asking you, O Shaykh Ali, I say you said Allah restrained his hand, was it a legal restraint or a natural or cosmic restraint?

The questioner : Rather, it was legal.
Abu Malik : This is what you must say.

The questioner : It was a legal restraint at that time.
Abu Malik : Because when you say "Allah restrained his hand," the legal restraint is what comes to mind.

The questioner : No, no, a legal restraint ... a legal restraint. It was not legislated for them. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would pass by the family of Yasir and say: , so there they were commanded to be patient and to restrain the hand, but after that jihad was legislated and its ranks were clarified as he clarified them. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , he said: , so here he made it obligatory ... .

The Shaykh : He is looking for what is agreed upon. My brother, may Allah bless you, let us not waste our time on matters that are agreed upon, and praise be to Allah. The legal ruling is known: . What is your opinion now, do you go and fight? Tell me, what is your opinion, do you fight?

The questioner : Jihad has types, and jihad with the word, I fight.

The Shaykh : Well, may Allah bless you, ... turn it around. We are talking about what kind of jihad?

The questioner : Jihad with weapons.

The Shaykh : What is your opinion, do you go and fight in Palestine, your country?

The questioner : I cannot.

The Shaykh : You cannot? Yes.

The questioner : No, I cannot.

The Shaykh : You can, on a moonless night, take up weapons and go fight. You say you cannot. We are with you, but if we wanted to interpret it, why cannot you? Is it not because we have not taken the equipment for jihad?

The questioner : In reality, this ... no, if I took, for example, individual equipment, but ... .

The Shaykh : I mean regarding the Ummah. We have not taken the equipment, is that not the case? We are not prepared for jihad, my brother.

The questioner : We are not prepared, O Shaykh, yes.

The Shaykh : This is the answer, we are not prepared. Well, what is the ruling of one who fights while he is not prepared? Hmm, think carefully.

The questioner : There are two matters.

The Shaykh : No, there is one ruling. What is the ruling of one who fights while he is not prepared? There are not two matters. Is it permissible or not permissible?

The questioner : No, it is not permissible.