Jihad is obligatory upon the Muslims and military training is compulsory. Every male Muslim who has reached the age of 15 is obligated to undertake military training in order to prepare him for Jihad. Recruitment is an obligation of sufficiency.

The evidence for the article is from the Book and the Sunnah; Allah (swt) says.

“Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah.” (TMQ 2:193), and He (swt) said.

“Fight the leaders of disbelief.” (TMQ 9:12), and it is narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said.

. » جَاهِدُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ « .

“Fight the polytheists ( idol worshippers) with your wealth, hands and tongues” (reported by Ahmad and Al- Nasa’i with the wording from Al-Nasa’i, and both Al- Nasa’i and Al- Hakim authenticated it and Al-Dhahabi confirmed it). And Mu’adh b. Jabal said that the Prophet (phuh) said.

. » ذُرْوَةُ سَنَامِ الإِسْلاَمِ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ « .

“The peak of Islam is Jihad in the cause of Allah” (reported by Ahmad).

When modern warfare requires military training in order to undertake what is required by the Shari’ah in terms of defeating the enemy and liberating lands, then this training would be obligatory in the same manner that Jihad is, in accordance with the Shari’ah principle. . )ما لا يتم الواجب إلا به فهو واجب( .

“That, without which the obligation cannot be accomplished, is itself an obligation”. This is because the order to fight encompasses training, since it is a general order. “and fight them”, which is an order to fight as well as an order to do whatever makes you capable of fighting. Above and beyond that, Allah (swt) said.

“And prepare against them whatever you are able of power.” (TMQ 8:60), and training and expert military experience is preparation of power, since they are required in order to become capable of fighting. Accordingly, training is part of the power that must be prepared in the same way as military equipment, supplies and so on.

As for recruitment, in other words, to make people soldiers in the Army under military preparedness on a permanent basis, which means the creation of Mujahidin who practically undertake the Jihad and its requirements, then this is an obligation since undertaking the Jihad is a constant obligation which continues irrespective of whether the enemy attacks us or not. Accordingly, recruitment is an obligation of sufficiency.

As for Jihad being an obligation upon the Muslims and not upon the rest of the subjects of the State – this is because the type of Jihad which has been made obligatory in the verses regarding Jihad is the fighting against the disbelievers, and this does not come from the disbelievers, and so ,therefore, according to this meaning the Jihad cannot be obligatory upon the non- Muslims. However, it is permitted for the non-Muslim subjects of the State to fight the enemy alongside the Muslims, since Quzman who was an idol-worshipper went out and fought the idolworshippers alongside the companions of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) on the day of Uhud and the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not forbid him doing so.

With respect to it being an obligation upon the men and not women – this is due to what is reported from Ahmad and Ibn Maja through 'Aisha (ra) who said: O Messenger of Allah (pbuh) , do women have to do Jihad? He said.

. » نَ عَمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ جِهَادٌ لاَ قِتَالَ فِيهِ: الْحَجُّ وَالْعُمْرَة « .

“Yes, they have to take part in Jihad in which no fighting takes place: Hajj and ’Umra”.

And as for limiting it to those fifteen and above, this is due to the narration reported by Al-Bukhari from Nafi’ who said. . عَرَضَهُ يَ وْمَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْ هُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ « أُحُدٍ وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَ لَمْ يُجِزْنِي، ثُمَّ عَرَضَنِي يَ وْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ وَأَنَا ابْنُ » خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَ أَجَازَنِي .

“Ibn Umar told me that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) called him to present himself in front of the Prophet (phuh) on the Day of Uhud, and he was fourteen at the time, and the Prophet (phuh) did not allow him to take part in that battle, and then on the Day of Al-Khandaq when he was fifteen, he gave him permission to take part”. Nafi’ said I met Umar b. ’Abd Al-Aziz when he was the Khalifah and mentioned this narration to him, so he said: This is the limit between the young and adult, and he wrote to his workers to make it obligatory upon anyone who reached the age of fifteen. In other words, he ordered to prepare provisions for them in the army office.