Is jihad in this time an individual obligation?

Question:
The honorable Shaykh, here is a questioner who asks and says: Is jihad in this time a collective obligation or an individual obligation? What is the difference between them, and what are their conditions?

Answer:
The original ruling for jihad is that it is a collective obligation; this is the default. If a sufficient number of people perform it, the obligation falls off the rest. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would fight with his own person and send out expeditions and raids, while the rest of the Muslims would remain in the lands for other matters and other needs.
It becomes an individual obligation if the imam calls upon those who are qualified for jihad; then it becomes obligatory for them. This is based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . It also becomes an individual obligation if the enemy attacks the Islamic lands; it becomes obligatory for the Muslims to repel him and fight him until they save the lands from him, as has happened in Afghanistan now. And so is a third case, which is when a man is in the ranks, in the ranks of the Muslims against their enemy, at the time of the establishment of jihad and the lining up of the mujahideen to fight their enemy; he has no right to weaken them and he has no right to turn away, but rather he must fight with his brothers and adhere to the obligation.
And other than that, it is a recommended practice and one of the best deeds; indeed, it is the best deed that a person can do voluntarily, namely jihad; because there have come in the texts regarding it what has not come regarding any other deed in terms of the virtue of jihad.