They draw near to you, and fighting is obligatory against all disbelievers, near and far from them. [Mahamud said: "Fighting is obligatory against all disbelievers, near and far from them... etc."] Ahmad said: Fighting becomes obligatory on one of the two groups: either when an enemy descends upon them and they have strength against him, then upon those who are close to them until they are sufficient. Or when the imam designates them for that, even if their home is far away. And when Allah has made fighting obligatory upon this nation and driving the enemy from their homes and expelling him from his abode, then its obligation is more pressing when the enemy has descended upon the land of Islam. However, the closer one is, the more obligatory it becomes. An example of this is: 'And warn your closest relatives.' The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, fought his people, then others from the Arabs of Hijaz, then he invaded the Levant. It was said: They are Qurayzah, Al-Nadir, Fadak, and Khaybar. It was said: The Romans, because they resided in the Levant, and the Levant is closer to Medina than Iraq and others. Thus, it is obligatory for the people of every region to fight those who are near them, unless the people of another region are forced to do so.

And from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, he was asked about fighting the Daylam? He said: "You should focus on the Romans." And it was read with three vowel markings: 'ghilzah.' The term 'ghilzah' is like 'shiddah' (severity), and 'ghilzah' is like 'dhat' (pressure), and 'ghadhzah' is like 'sakhṭah' (anger) and the like. 'And be harsh against them and do not weaken.' It encompasses boldness and patience in fighting, intense enmity, and violence in killing and capturing. From it is: 'And let not pity for them seize you in the religion of Allah.' 'With the righteous' means He supports those who are righteous, so he does not show pity to his enemy.