What is the religious ruling in cases of armed assault on a Muslim man or woman, what are the limits of resisting such an assault, taking into consideration the ability to resist, and what is a Muslim religiously required to do in these situations?

Islam has legislated the defense of one's honor, even if it leads to the killing of the aggressor or the defender. And whoever is killed while defending their honor is a martyr. Both men and women must defend their honor, and it is not permissible to surrender to the aggressor; rather, one must repel him. A Muslim may defend their honor even if they believe they will be killed, because this achieves one of two objectives: protecting honor or engaging in jihad and resisting oppression. The defender escalates in repelling aggression from the lightest means to the lightest, and does not resort to killing unless it is the only way. Just as a Muslim defends the honor of their family, they also defend the honor of Muslim women, especially if they cry out for help and seek assistance. This falls under the category of enjoining good and forbidding evil, and a Muslim helping their brother. The bond of faith does not cease due to sins like فسق (flagrant disobedience), and the rights of loyalty and support remain for a Muslim, even if they are a فاسق (sinner). If a woman's status is unknown in a country where the majority of its people are Muslims, the default assumption is that she is Muslim, and she must be defended, even if she is a kafira musta'mina (a non-Muslim living under Muslim protection). A Muslim may defend another, but some scholars restrict the obligation to cases where the defender is safe themselves. Whoever is unable to defend themselves must seek the help of others.