The author, may Allah have mercy on him, begins by mentioning what is required of the imam and the army. He says:
“The imam should inspect his army when setting out; he should prevent the disheartener and the alarmist from joining it. He may grant them, at the outset, one quarter of the spoils after the fifth has been set aside, and on the return journey, one third after it. The army must obey him and remain patient alongside him…”
His statement, “The imam should inspect his army when setting out,” applies today to an army equipped with aircraft, tanks, and missiles. Thus, when the army previously consisted of camels and horses, whatever now takes their place is subject to the same ruling. We say to the imam: inspect it yourself if you possess the necessary expertise, or entrust this to someone experienced whom you trust. He should approve what is sound and exclude what is defective until it is fit for service. For if it is left unchecked and neglected, there may be something in the weapons or among the fighters that would cause defeat if they were taken into battle. The army must therefore be inspected.
His statement, “He should prevent the disheartener and the alarmist”: had the author said, “He should prevent everyone unfit for jihad,” it would have been more comprehensive. The disheartener is one who makes people reluctant to fight, saying, for example, “Why should we wage jihad?” Such a person undoubtedly undermines the army’s resolve.
The alarmist is one who exaggerates the enemy’s strength or weakens people’s perception of the Muslims’ strength. For example, he may say, “The detachment that went before us was defeated,” or, “The enemy have a large army; they possess strength, missiles, bombs, and chemical weapons.” The imam must prevent such people and not permit them to take part in jihad, because their harm outweighs whatever benefit they may possess, if they possess any benefit at all.
There are two issues:
First: if the army prepared for fighting has received weak military and jihad training, and most of it consists of disheartheners and alarmists, should they fight?
The answer is: no. If the army is as described, and disheartheners are numerous—