Freeing People From Servitude to One Another

So what is the purpose of jihād fī sabīlillāh? It is to free the people from servitude to one another, to becoming servants of Allah (swt). Rather than our being servants to a creation — whether that creation is a human being, or a rock, or an idol, or a celestial body — Allah (swt) wants us to be servants of Him. So that is actually freeing us from servitude to others who are not divine, to being servants of Allah (swt). And it is to bring the people under the blessed rule of Islam, whether they become Muslim or not, because there is lā ikrāha fī al-dīn: people are not forced to become Muslim. However, they have more of a chance of becoming Muslim if they live under the rule of Islam. That is why the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) says in the hadith: ʿajiba rabbunā min qawmin yuqādūna ilā al-jannati fī al-salāsil — Allah (swt) is amazed by people who are dragged into Jannah in chains (al-Bukhārī 3010). One of the scholars who commented on this hadith said: the meaning of this hadith is that these people are dragged into Islam even though they do not want it, and that becomes a reason for them to enter into Jannah.