upon him individually. In sum, jihad becomes an individual obligation in four circumstances:

First: when he is present at the fighting.

Second: when the enemy besieges his land.

Third: when the imam calls him to mobilize.

Fourth: when he is needed.

Apart from these cases, it is a communal obligation.

Question: Is jihad undertaken with wealth, one’s person, or both?

Answer: At times, it is obligatory with one’s wealth, in the case of one unable to engage in jihad physically. At times, it is obligatory with one’s person, in the case of one who has no wealth. And at times, it is obligatory with both wealth and one’s person, in the case of one who is financially and physically able. As is evident in the Noble Quran, Allah, exalted is He, mentions jihad with wealth and jihad with one’s person, and He gives precedence to jihad with wealth in most verses, because jihad with wealth is less burdensome upon people than jihad with one’s person. Moreover, the troops may at times be in greater need of wealth than of men.

“The full period of frontier watch is forty days. If his parents are Muslims, he must not undertake voluntary jihad except with their permission.”

His statement, “The full period of frontier watch is forty days”: frontier watch is the verbal noun of remaining stationed at the frontier between the Muslims and the disbelievers. The frontier is the place through which the enemy is feared to enter Muslim lands. The closest equivalent in our present circumstances is the borders between Muslim lands and non-Muslim lands. It is therefore recommended for a person to remain stationed at the frontier, due to Allah’s saying:

“O you who believe, persevere and endure, remain stationed, and fear Allah so that you may…”