In his Friday sermon on October 25, 2024, at the MAS Staten Island Center, Imam Tareq Allan discussed the virtues of Jihad and the importance of understanding its values. He highlighted how, in times of tribulation, good and evil can be misrepresented, with genocide portrayed as "good" while Jihad is characterized as "terrorism." Imam Allan emphasized the necessity of having a burning desire for Jihad in one's heart and being willing to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. Even in non-Islamic countries, where armed struggle is not be applicable according to Islamic law, he urged Muslims to continue the struggle by spreading Islam. He also stated that anyone who dies without having fought for Allah's cause, or at least having the intention to do so, risks dying in "one of the valleys of hypocrisy." Finally, he reminded the congregation of Allah's promise that Islam will ultimately spread to every corner of the Earth and prevail.
Tareq Allan: "It is important for us to remind ourselves of these values of jihad. Why? Because during times of tribulations, many times the truth can get distorted, evil can be portrayed as good, good can be portrayed as evil, genocide is good, jihad and defending your land is terrorism. So it is important to remind ourselves of these values, even though armed struggle, by consensus of the scholars, does not apply to a Muslim living in a non-Muslim country.
[...]
"Nevertheless, believing in the virtues of jihad and reading these hadiths and verses of the Quran is a reward in and of itself, to have that as part of your creed, to know it to be true.
[...]
"You are living safely today here in America, who is to say that your situation will not change in the next ten years, that you will not be living in a circumstance or situation where jihad will apply to you.
[...]
"It is important that you have this fire in your heart. This willingness to always be willing to give yourself for the sake of Allah. Because if you are not able to perform that armed struggle, you will struggle within your capacity as a Muslim here, living in America, by spreading Islam.
[...]
"Whoever dies not having fought in the way of Allah, or at the very least having thought about it, having had that desire to fight in the way of Allah, whoever dies never having had that desire, would have died in one of the valleys of hypocrisy.
[...]
"Allah says [in the Quran]: 'Prepare for your enemies what you can of military strength.' They have been doing that, the enemies of Islam. They have been preparing themselves militarily and politically for years, so at the drop of hat, they can invade Iraq, at the drop of a hat they can invade Gaza and face no resistance whatsoever, minimal resistance. They have been preparing themselves for this day, applying this verse better than the Muslims.
[...]
"The Prophet said that Allah will spread this matter of Islam to all the corners of the Earth, and Allah will not leave a single house except [for which] this religion will enter it, through honoring those who deserve honor through Islam or humiliating those who deserve humiliation through disbelief. So Allah made this promise that this religion will reign supreme over all religions."