A talk by the Shaykh regarding the intention in fighting disbelievers, and who is considered a martyr in that.

The Shaykh: Either they accept the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, or they pay the jizyah (tax on protected non-Muslims) from their own hand while in a state of humiliation, or else war. This is the situation regarding those people who live in their own lands. As for those who have occupied our lands, we fight them because they are, we fight the rebels among the Muslims, let alone the rebels among the disbelievers, because they have occupied our land. But the truth is, it seems to me now, after I have explained some of the explanation, that he perhaps criticizes the people among the nationalists who do not care whether their land is ruled by a group of Muslims or Jews or whatever, as long as their land is theirs. So they do not fight, and it never occurs to them at all that these are Jews and aggressors who tried to kill our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and that we have a blood debt with them from long ago, and that they occupied and killed and so on. They do not hold the fundamental meanings in their hearts, but rather they fight for the sake of the land. It is not that whoever fights to defend his wealth is a martyr, but rather the one who fights them while holding this intention in his mind dies as a martyr.
Oh Allah.
The student : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And to you.