no such harm is feared for the Muslims, there are two well-known scholarly views on whether fighting that leads to the killing of these Muslims is permissible. If these Muslims are killed, they are martyrs, and obligatory jihad is not to be abandoned because some may be killed as martyrs. When Muslims fight unbelievers, any Muslim killed is a martyr. Likewise, anyone killed for the welfare of Islam, despite not inwardly deserving to be killed, is a martyr.

It is established in the two Sahīh collections that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“An army will march against this House, and while they are on an open plain, the earth will swallow them up.”

He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, there will be people among them acting under compulsion.”

He replied, “They will be resurrected according to their intentions.”

If the punishment Allah sends upon an army attacking the Muslims falls upon both those acting under compulsion and those acting willingly, then what of the punishment Allah inflicts upon them Himself or at the hands of the believers? As the Most High says:

“Say, ‘Are you awaiting anything for us other than one of the two good outcomes? We, for our part, await Allah’s afflicting you with punishment from Himself or at our hands.’”

We do not know who is acting under compulsion, nor can we distinguish them from the others. If we kill them at Allah’s command, we are rewarded and excused, while they are judged according to their intentions. Whoever is compelled and unable to refrain will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection according to his intention. If he is killed so that the religion may be upheld, that is no graver than the killing of someone in the Muslim army. As for when one of them flees, some people regard fighting them as equivalent to fighting rebels acting on an interpretation of religion.