All praise is for Allah the lord of the universe. Jihad was legislated to make the word of Allah high and to make the Religion Victorious (apparent). Peace and salutation upon the prophet Muhammed ﷺ the seal of the prophets, the leader of the Mujahideen, and upon his companions that opened the hearts with beneficial knowledge and opened the lands with swords up until this religion (Deen) spread everywhere. To proceed:
Indeed the virtue of Jihad and its great place is not hidden from us up until some of the scholars have made it as a pillar of Islam. Multitude of books have been written on the topic with a huge portion in the books of Fiqh dedicated to it.
Which signifies the importance of the Muslims for it but since knowledge has decreased in this time and doubts have overwhelmed the Muslim societies. When those that clarified that the religion was established by the way of the sword and might. Some of the Islamic writers tried respond to those by saying that the religion of Islam only legislated Jihad from the perspective of Self defence only. They used as an evidence verses that were revealed in certain stages, from them is the verse,
أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتَلُونَ بِأَنَّهُمۡ ظُلِمُواْۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ نَصۡرِهِمۡ لَقَدِيرٌ
Permission (to fight) is given to those (believers) who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and surely, Allah is able to give them victory. Surah Hajj Ayah 39
وَقَـٰتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوٓاْۚ
And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you, but transgress not the limits.
Surah Baqrah Ayah 190
They didn’t consider the verses which contain the order to fight the disbelievers unrestrictedly with aim to spread the religion and to make the word of Allah high like his Exalted statement:
فَإِذَا ٱنسَلَخَ ٱلۡأَشۡہُرُ ٱلۡحُرُمُ فَٱقۡتُلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ حَيۡثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمۡ وَخُذُوهُمۡ وَٱحۡصُرُوهُمۡ وَٱقۡعُدُواْ لَهُمۡ ڪُلَّ مَرۡصَدٍ۬ۚ
So when the Sacred Months have passed, then fight the Mushrikin wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush
Surah Tawbah Ayah 5
وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةٌ۬ وَيَكُونَ ٱلدِّينُ لِلَّهِۖ
And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and worshipping of others along with Allah) and the religion (all and every kind of worship) is for Allah (Alone).
Surah Al-Baqarah Ayah 193
Up until it is known that fighting in in Islam was legislated in 4 stages.
It was forbidden (Stage one) then permitted just when permission was given (Stage two) then it was ordered in self defence (Stage three) then it was ordered completely (unrestrictedly) (Stage four).
Jihad in Islam isn’t legislated to obtain leadership or conquest or rulership rather it is legislated for the purpose of the removal of Shirk and Disbelief and oppression and for the spreading of Tawheed, belief and justice.
Proponents to the group that restricted Jihad to self defence only gave rise to a group that went wrong in over affirming it by stating that it is an individual obligation on unrestrictedly on everyone. It is more of an obligation than the prayer, Zakat. It takes precedent to the rights of the parents they held on to some evidences that ordered and encouraged with it (Jihad) without looking at other evidences that clarified them and restricted them. Both groups are mistaken due to their ignorance of the principles of extrapolation of rulings.
The virtuous Shaikh Ahmed ibn Yahya Najmi has confronted the later group clarifying the obligation of Jihad in Islam. He clarified it in detail with evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah, and the statement of the scholars that it is a Fard Kifayaah (Communal Obligation) upon the Muslims. And it can become an individual obligation in some particular circumstances that the scholars have clarified through textual evidence.
Indeed Shaikh Ahmed had clarified that his intention is not to diminish the virtue of Jihad rather his intention is to make clear the truth that has been hidden from those people and other then them. It is the responsibility of the scholars to clarify to the people rulings pertaining to their religion.
وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ ۥ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكۡتُمُونَهُ
(And remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the truth) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it,
Surah Al-Imran Ayah 187
Also Shaikh Ahmed May Allah preserve him, has clarified the virtues of Jihad and its fruits. And the results of leaving it are great harms.
In a sentence, he has struggled and given benefit in this matter by clarifying what was required with correct clear and decisive evidence.
May Allah reward him and keep him steadfast on what he has written and may he give us the ability to gain beneficial knowledge and righteous actions. May peace and salutations be upon our prophet Mohammed ﷺ and his companions.
Shaikh Salih Al-Fawzan Introduction of the Book Jihad Fard Al-Ayn or Kifayaah of Shaikh Ahmed Yahya Najmi being a refutation of Shaikh Abdullah Al-Azzams Book on Jihad
Ahlul-Hadith 