Some say that today Jihad is Fardh-e-Ain.

Answer

It appears that they are unaware of the meaning of Fardh-e-Ain which is an act which is compulsory on every Muslim, male and female, e.g. the Fardh Salaat and Saum. It is compulsory on every Muslim to perform the five daily Salaat and to fast during the month of Ramadhaan. There are more than one and half billion Muslims on earth. If Jihad had to be Fardh-e-Ain, it will follow that every man and woman of the Ummah must compulsorily participate in Jihad. There never was such a situation in the history of Islam nor will there ever develop such a scenario. Where and how should a billion people engage in Jihad? Must the billion go to Afghanistan or to Chechnya where valid Jihad is being waged, or should the billion go to Palestine where there is no valid Jihad? Is it sensible to even suggest that if the billion does not converge on Afghanistan or Chechnya, they all will be guilty of the gravest sin of abandoning a Fardh-e-Ain act of ibaadat? Those who peddle the Fardh-e -Ain slogan do not know what they are talking. They lack Islamic knowledge.

Even in Afghanistan, Jihad is not Fardh-e-Ain for the Afghans. The Mujahideen do not require canon fodder. They are fighting a powerful enemy. But they do not need 10 million men and women to destroy themselves in vain. In fact, the Taliban are not in need of numbers, for crowds hamper the Jihad. Neither could 10 million be correctly armed, nor are they trained for conducting warfare. It is neither rationally possible, nor logically nor logistically possible for 10 million to converge on the battlefields. They can only be canon fodder, and this is not the objective of Jihad. Now when there is no shortage of Mujahideen, the claim of Fardh-e-Ain is baseless and senseless.

Jihad becomes Fardh-e-Ain on particular groups/communities in specific circumstances. In general, Jihad is Fardh-e-Kifaayah, and this is the obligation of Islamic states. But there are no Islamic states in this era. All Muslim lands are governed by kuffaar governments and rulers. However, the Taliban are admirably upholding the banner of Jihad. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Jihad will continue until the Day of Qiyaamah."