Answer to the many questions regarding jihad in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Is it considered jihad in the path of Allah?
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The Shaykh : On Thursday, the ninth of the month of Muharram, and we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to make this session blessed and successful.
In these days, questions are frequent about what has happened to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and whether defending them is considered jihad in the path of Allah? And is it obligatory for us to help them with money and men?
And according to what has reached us, the people are Muslims, even though they are ignorant of much, because the communist state that sheltered them for a long time prevented them from reaching the Islamic religion in knowledge and practice.
And we, praise be to Allah, see among the youth those who went to them in this recent period and opened a center there for teaching the Islamic religion, and gathered for it what was easy of funds, and brought for it what was easy of students of knowledge who convey to them the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And that was under the leadership or management of the brother Aqil ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-'Aqil, the brother of the Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-'Aqil. The man was active and had a praiseworthy work during the Afghan war, and we ask Allah for him success. As for our helping them, it is obligatory for us to help them with what we can of money or men, on the condition that this help has a beneficial effect, because defending our Muslim brothers is obligatory. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:.
And the help must be in its proper place, such that we know that it is beneficial.
And some men with experience and knowledge told me that when one of their ministers came to this country and contacted some personalities, they consulted among themselves about what would be beneficial in helping them? They saw that the most important thing at the present time is to help them with money in order to provide food, clothing, and shelter.
Since those tyrannical Serbs have surrounded them, and the entry of weapons to them is difficult. Perhaps—peace be upon you—perhaps the weapons will be taken before they reach them, or perhaps they will buy the weapons at a high price from some countries, and it may be suitable for use, or it may not be suitable, or it may be destroyed. So money is the best thing we can help them with now, and a person exerts what he can and what is made easy for him in this.
And likewise, we help them with supplication, whether in the qunut that the one in authority has ordered, or in supplication in other than this state, that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will grant them victory over their enemies and cause their enemies to fail. This is what I wanted to clarify about the state of these people, whom we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to grant them victory, to relieve their distress, to remove their sorrows, and to grant them the necks of their enemies. He is the One who is capable of that and able to do it. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Resurrection. Now, to the questions. Yes.
In these days, questions are frequent about what has happened to the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and whether defending them is considered jihad in the path of Allah? And is it obligatory for us to help them with money and men?
And according to what has reached us, the people are Muslims, even though they are ignorant of much, because the communist state that sheltered them for a long time prevented them from reaching the Islamic religion in knowledge and practice.
And we, praise be to Allah, see among the youth those who went to them in this recent period and opened a center there for teaching the Islamic religion, and gathered for it what was easy of funds, and brought for it what was easy of students of knowledge who convey to them the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And that was under the leadership or management of the brother Aqil ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-'Aqil, the brother of the Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz al-'Aqil. The man was active and had a praiseworthy work during the Afghan war, and we ask Allah for him success. As for our helping them, it is obligatory for us to help them with what we can of money or men, on the condition that this help has a beneficial effect, because defending our Muslim brothers is obligatory. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The believers in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion are like a single body; when one of its parts complains, the rest of the body responds with sleeplessness and fever
مثل المؤمنين في توادهم وتراحمهم وتعاطفهم كمثل الجسد الواحد إذا اشتكى منه عضو تداعى له سائر الجسد بالسهر والحمىAnd the help must be in its proper place, such that we know that it is beneficial.
And some men with experience and knowledge told me that when one of their ministers came to this country and contacted some personalities, they consulted among themselves about what would be beneficial in helping them? They saw that the most important thing at the present time is to help them with money in order to provide food, clothing, and shelter.
Since those tyrannical Serbs have surrounded them, and the entry of weapons to them is difficult. Perhaps—peace be upon you—perhaps the weapons will be taken before they reach them, or perhaps they will buy the weapons at a high price from some countries, and it may be suitable for use, or it may not be suitable, or it may be destroyed. So money is the best thing we can help them with now, and a person exerts what he can and what is made easy for him in this.
And likewise, we help them with supplication, whether in the qunut that the one in authority has ordered, or in supplication in other than this state, that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) will grant them victory over their enemies and cause their enemies to fail. This is what I wanted to clarify about the state of these people, whom we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to grant them victory, to relieve their distress, to remove their sorrows, and to grant them the necks of their enemies. He is the One who is capable of that and able to do it. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Resurrection. Now, to the questions. Yes.