In these times, Muslims can support their brothers and sisters that are oppressed in other countries by various means. They can back them by offering charity, paying Zakah, campaingning their cause in the world mass media, exercising pressure on the public opinion, staging peaceful demonstrations against their oppressors, fasting and supplicating Allah (the supplication at breaking the fast is heard), and earnestly invoking Allah to grant Muslims in every corner of the world victory over their enemies, as supplication is an unfailing weapon.
In addition, one can participate in fighting the enemies of Islam only through a legal channel. Without the approval of the authorities in the country, there will be harmful undesirable consequences, and one will not achieve their high aim.
Dr. `Abdul-Fattah `Ashoor, Professor of the Exegesis of the Qur’an at Al-Azhar University, states the following: “Traveling to join the fighting troops in oppressed Muslim countries cannot be done against the will of the authorities in the country. If a muslim wants to back others that are oppressed, he/she cannot do so individually against the will of the authorities in their country, as such a procedure will lead to bad and undesirable results.
If one wants to support their oppressed brothers and sister all over the world by traveling to join their fronts, then one can do so when the authorities in the country allow us to join them. This procedure can be done when the oppressed themselves demand the help. In such a case, Muslim countries can arrange the process of sending troops to them and through this legal channel one can ask the authorities to go there to help the oppressed brothers and sisters.
Indeed, most oppressed Muslims are in a dire need for financial backing and for the championing of their cause in the world mass media, encouraging Muslims to pay voluntary charity and to strive hard to back their fellow oppressed Muslim brothers and sisters, Allah Almighty says, “…and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah!” (At-Tawbah: 41)
The financial support referred to in the above verse is a primary means of achieving victory. With money the Muslims can buy the necessary weapons for fighting, the basic needs for the soldiers, et cetera.
It has become clear now that Jihad is not only restricted to joining the fighting troops in the battlefield. From our own position we can help the oppressed Muslims in the world as we stated in the introduction above. Islam does not deny anyone the right to travel to join them. This is a sincere intention that should be encouraged and enhanced. However, to achieve fruitful results, Islam orders us to do that through a legal channel.