To Whom Does the Obligation of Jihad Apply, and to Whom it Does not Apply

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَا عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ مَا لِي لَا أَرَاكَ تَخْرُجُ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْمَوَاضِعِ الَّتِي يَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهَا أَهْلُ بِلَادِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ أَيْنَ فَقَالَ جُدَّةُ وَ عَبَّادَانُ وَ الْمَصِّيصَةُ وَ قَزْوِينُ‌[2] فَقُلْتُ انْتِظَاراً لِأَمْرِكُمْ وَ الِاقْتِدَاءِ بِكُمْ فَقَالَ إِي وَ اللَّهِ‌ لَوْ كانَ خَيْراً ما سَبَقُونا إِلَيْهِ‌ قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ فَإِنَّ الزَّيْدِيَّةَ يَقُولُونَ لَيْ

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘O ‘Abd al-Malik, how is it that I do not see you go to these places where the people of your town go?’ I then asked, ‘Which places do you mean?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘To Juddah, ‘Abadan, al-Massisah and Qazwin.’ I then said, ‘I wait for your cause to materialize and follow you.’ He (

سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ أُكْثِرُ الْغَزْوَ وَ أَبْعُدُ فِي طَلَبِ الْأَجْرِ وَ أُطِيلُ الْغَيْبَةَ فَحُجِرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ فَقَالُوا لَا غَزْوَ إِلَّا مَعَ إِمَامٍ عَادِلٍ فَمَا تَرَى أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ أُجْمِلَ لَكَ أَجْمَلْتُ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ أُلَخِّصَ لَكَ لَخَّصْتُ فَقَالَ بَلْ أَجْمِلْ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَحْشُرُ النَّاسَ عَلَى نِيّ

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Hakam from abu ‘Amrah al-Sullamiy who has said the following: “A man once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, saying, ‘I would mobilize (against the enemy) very often, stay away from asking for compensation and remain absent for a l