Fiqh al Jihad Sheikh Yusuf al Qaradhawi

A third group says, "It is recommended, not obligatory." A fourth group says, "It is
obligatory, and jihad is an obligation." `Ataa' says, "It is obligatory for others, not
for us," meaning it was addressed to the Companions.
Abu Ja`far says that there are five views on this issue. Then, he chose to call it an
abrogating verse, and that jihad is an obligation which must be performed.
Opinion of Al-Hafez Ibn Hajar
As far as people are concerned, jihad applies to two
cases; one was in the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him), and a second after his death.
After jihad was legislated, was it an
individual or a collective duty?
The first case was when jihad was legislated: after the Prophet's (peace and
blessings be upon him) Hijrah (emigration from Makkah) to Madinah by consensus.
However, after jihad was legislated, was it an individual or a collective duty? There
are two well-known scholarly opinions in this respect. They both pertain to the
Shafi`i school of fiqh.
Al-Mawardy said, "It was an individual duty imposed on the emigrants from Makkah,
and no one else." He corroborates this view by referring to the obligation of
emigration to Madinah on every Muslim convert before the conquest of Makkah to
defend Islam."
Al-Suhaily says, "It was an individual obligation imposed on the Ansar (Muslims of
Madinah) and no one else." He corroborates this view by their pledging allegiance to
Allah's messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of Al-‘Aqaba,
promising to shelter and protect him. From these two sayings we conclude that it
was an individual obligation for both parties and a collective duty for the others.
However, generalization is not applicable to both parties. It was the duty of the
Ansar if an enemy attacks Madinah, and it was the duty of the emigrants if it was a
preemptive war against the disbelievers. This is supported by the event of Badr as
related by Ibn Ishaq, which is explicitly indicative in this respect.
The second case is as follows: After the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),
passed away the most famous opinion is that jihad is a collective duty unless there is
a necessity, like when the enemy launches an attack. It is imposed on whoever is
assigned by the Imam. It is the view of the majority of jurists that a collective duty
must be carried out once a year. Their argument is based on the fact that jizyah may
replace it and they agree that it should not be paid more that once a year. This also
applies to its replacement.
There is an overriding saying, that jihad is an obligation whenever possible. The
ruling of jihad continued as it had been at the time of the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) till the conquest of most countries was completed, and Islam
had spread in most parts of the world. At that time, its ruling changed to the views
mentioned above.
It is the duty of each Muslim to do one of the kinds of jihad against the disbelievers;
whether it is physical jihad, jihad by speech, jihad by spending from one's wealth, or
jihad by the heart.