Islam Question and Answer - Is it a condition of jihaad that there be a leader?

Sat 4/12/1430 - 21/11/2009

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Principles of Fiqh » Jurisprudence and Islamic Rulings » Acts of Worship » Striving and migrating for the sake of Allaah

Is it a condition of jihaad that there be a leader?

Is it a condition of jihaad that there be a leader (imaam, in the sense of a head of state) , whether that jihaad is defensive or offensive? Imaam ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan (may Allaah have mercy on him) said that no scholar mentioned this as a precondition; do you know of any scholar who did describe this as a condition for jihaad?

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not a condition of jihaad that there be a leader, whether that jihaad is defensive or offensive. With regard to defence, this is very clear, because if the enemy attacks a land, everyone who is able is obliged to defend it, even the women who are also obliged to fight. This was stated by the fuqahaa’, because this is an individual obligation; the role of the leader is to organize. If there is an leader, all well and good; if there is no leader, the Muslims are still obliged to fight.

Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ghunaymaan