Is it correct to say that our fighting of the Jews and Christians is not for the sake of creed, but rather for the sake of the land?

The questioner : There is a remaining question from our brother, but just one last one.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : One last question for our brother!

The Shaykh: Go ahead.

The questioner : O Shaykh, what is the answer to those who say: that our fighting with the Jews is not for the sake of creed, but rather for the sake of the land? We do not fight the Jews for the sake of creed, but rather we fight them for the sake of the land.

The Shaykh : Poor things, is fighting for the sake of the land prescribed or not prescribed?

The questioner : Stolen land.

Another questioner : No, no, the Shaykh’s question is not like that.

The Shaykh : Is fighting for the sake of stolen land prescribed or not?

The questioner : It is prescribed, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Okay, so what is the problem? Whoever kills in defense of his wealth is a martyr, my brothers! And land is wealth, do you know this in the language? Land is wealth, indeed it is among the most precious of wealth.

The questioner : Some of them said this.

The Shaykh : Who are these who said that the mosque is not built except with palm trunks?

The questioner : No, no, it is not them.

The Shaykh : Hahaha, if it were not them, it would be more problematic.

The questioner : These people love you for the sake of Allah, O Shaykh!

The Shaykh : May Allah reward them with good.

The questioner : Yes, by Allah, and they are zealous for the truth.

The Shaykh : O Shaykh, may Allah bless you.

The questioner : And we will convey it to them.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, may Allah reward you with good, do you hear about the Tabligh and Hijrah group?

The questioner : Yes, I hear about them.

The Shaykh : Some of them used to invite me to their gatherings, and they used to collect my books, and yet they do not pray behind us, and they declare all Muslims to be disbelievers, except for them, a group of monotheists, until Allah gathered us with them for three nights in a row, the last night from after the 'Isha' call to prayer until the break of dawn, and it was, as the athletes say: a knockout blow. The point is: they used to love us, but: "One went east and I went west *** How great is the difference between east and west."

The questioner : But these people seek the truth.

Another questioner : The one who said this is Yusuf al-Qaradawi, he says: that we do not fight the Jews for the sake of creed, but rather we fight them for the sake of the land.

The Shaykh : Does he deny this?

The questioner : Yes, he denies this!

The Shaykh : This is part of the creed, my brothers.

The questioner : One of his defenders says: because the original rule in fighting disbelievers is first: Islam, that they submit to Islam, and if they refuse, let them pay the jizyah, and if they refuse, they are to be fought. He said: fighting is the last thing. He said: so if they had submitted to Islam, or if they had remained in the land and paid the jizyah, would we not have fought them?!

The Shaykh : But it is not our land, my brother. If they had remained in their land and we attacked them and they submitted to our rule, they would have remained in their land.