6. Taking care of the family of a Mujahid

Taking care of the family of the mujahid could be by protecting them, tending to their needs, providing them with financial assistance and protecting their honor.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) says:
• Anyone of you who takes care of the family and wealth of a mujahid will receive half the reward of the mujahid (Muslim)

• The duty towards protecting the honor of the wives of the mujahideen on the ones who stay behind is like their duty towards protecting the honor of their mothers. If a person who stays behind promises to take care of the wife of a mujahid but then betrays him, on the Day of Judgement the mujahid will be told that this man betrayed you so take whatever you want from his good deeds. So he will take whatever he likes. (Muslim)

• Whoever does not fight, sponsor a fighter, or take care of the family of a fighter, will be afflicted with a disaster before he dies. (Abu Dawud)

If a person fears for the safety of his family, Shaytan can take advantage of that and prevent that person from going to Jihad. Even if such a person disobeys Shaytan and does go to Jihad, Shaytan can come to him and weaken his heart by whispering to him about the loved ones he left behind.

Therefore, taking care of the families of the mujahideen would help their morale and that is why Islam devoted this attention to taking care of the family and wealth of the mujahideen.

5. Financing a Mujahid

Rasulullah (saw) says: “Whoever sponsors a fighter in the cause of Allah has fought” (Majma’al Zawa’id)

This includes all the expenses of the mujahid including his travel expenses. This gives a chance for the rich and the poor to receive the rewards of Jihad, the poor by fighting and the rich by sponsoring them.

4. Fundraising for the mujahideen

In addition to paying from your own money you should also encourage others to do the same.

Rasulullah says: “The one who guides others towards a good deed would receive rewards equal to those who practice it.”

By fundraising for the mujahideen you are also fulflling a sunnah of Rasulullah (saw) which he would often practice before going out for a battle.

3. Jihad with your wealth

The fnancial Jihad has preceded the physical Jihad in every verse except one. This is to point out to us the importance of the Jihad of wealth because Jihad depends on it. In other words, no money no Jihad, and Jihad needs lots of it. That is why according to Al Qurtubi in his tafseer he states that the reward for money given as Sadaqah is multiplied by ten, but the reward for money spent in Jihad is multiplied by 700!

Allah says: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes; in each spike is a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies [His reward] for whom He wills” (2:261)

Probably the most important contribution the Muslims of the West could do for Jihad is making Jihad with their wealth since in many cases the mujahideen are in need of money more than they are in need of men. As Sheikh Abdullah Azzam puts it: “Men are in need of Jihad and Jihad is in need of money”

2. Praying to Allah to award you with martyrdom

The Messenger (saws) says: “Whoever sincerely asks Allah to award him with martyrdom would be given the rewards of martyrs even if he dies on his bed” (Related by Muslim)

Asking Allah to die as a shaheed pleases Allah because it shows him that you are willing to give your life for Him. But you need to be careful not to be merely paying lip service. A person who truly asks for shahadah would respond to the call of Jihad whenever he hears it and would eagerly search for death in the path of Allah.

The reason why the enemies of Allah succeeded in defeating some Muslims and taking over their land is because they have lost their love for martyrdom.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) says: Nations will attack you like a group of people eating from a plate. The sahabah said: “Is that because we will be few in numbers?” He said: “No, you will be numerous but you will be like the foam of the sea, and Allah will take away from the hearts of your enemies the fear from you and Allah will cast in your hearts “wahan”” They said: “What is “wahan” O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “The love of this world and the hatred of death” (Related by Abu Dawud).

Our culture of martyrdom needs to be revived because the enemy of Allah fears nothing more than our love of death.

1. Having the right intention

You must make the intentions of joining the ranks of the mujahideen. The Messenger of Allah says: “Whoever dies and has not fought or intended to fight has died on a branch of hypocrisy” (Related by Muslim)

A sign that an intention of a person is true is whether they are preparing for Jihad or not. Allah says: “And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it” (9:46).

The conditions for Jihad al Daf’ (the defensive Jihad) are five as stated by scholars such as Abu Qudamah: Islam, puberty, sanity, financial ability, and to be free of physical disabilities. If a person lacks the financial ability and doesn’t find anyone to finance him or suffers from an illness or a disability that excuses him from Jihad then a sign of the true intention of such a person is that he is sad that he is exempted from Jihad.

Allah says about the ones who could not afford the expenses of joining in the battle of Tabuk: “Nor [is there blame] upon the those who, when they came to you that you might give them mounts, you said, “I can find nothing for you to ride upon.” They turned back while there eyes overflowed with tears out of grief that they could not find something to spend [for the cause of Allah]” (9-92)