Intercepted telephone conversations, text messages and jihadist literature will be presented as evidence in the trial of a Western Sydney man accused of recruiting young men to fight alongside jihadist militants in Syria.

Hamdi Al Qudsi is accused of working with senior Australian Islamic State fighter Mohammad Ali Baryalei to recruit seven young men to travel to Syria.

It is alleged Al Qudsi made arrangements for the men to travel to the war-torn country between June and October 2013, so they could fight alongside militant groups such as the Al-Nusra front (Jabaht al-Nusra), the Islamic State (IS) group and Al Qaeda affiliates.

Speaking outside the Parramatta District Court, Al Qudsi said he was feeling confident on the first day of his criminal trial.

"I feel good, I've accepted Allah's decree," he said.

"Whatever's going to happen is from Allah and I'm pleased with it and happy with it."

The jury heard that intercepted text messages and telephone conversations in English and Arabic between Al Qudsi and Ali Baryalei made up the bulk of the evidence that would be presented during the trial.

Senior crown prosecutor David Staehli told the court the conversations took place via telephone and text message, as well as through electronic applications including Skype and WhatsApp.

He also told the jury police had discovered documents that linked Al Qudsi to the young men he allegedly helped, along with jihadist literature and photos.

Baryalei travelled to Syria in April 2013 and the Government announced it was believed he was killed in October 2014.

The court heard that in 2013 the IS militant group was better known as 'Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) and that it and Jabaht al-Nusra were both affiliates of Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) until tensions between the two groups emerged in late 2013.

By January 2014, Jabaht al-Nusra and ISIL had split and were openly engaged in armed conflict with each other.

Mr Staehli told Parramatta District Court the question of whether the men actually engaged in armed hostilities in Syria was "not critical" to the case, rather the question was whether Al Qudsi helped them travel to the Middle East with the intention of them joining the hostilities.

"Mr Al Qudsi knew what the purpose was for these men to go to Syria and he assisted them in that knowledge," he told the court in his opening address.

"In each of these circumstances [Al Qudsi] assisted these seven men to link up with people in Syria who were engaged in armed hostilities in Syria.

"It's Mr Al Qudsi's involvement in these arrangements ... that will form the basis of our case."

Accused man's intention the real question, court hears

But defence barrister Scott Corish told the jury the real question was Al Qudsi's intention.

"Syria isn't just full of people involved in armed combat," he told the court.

"Just because someone goes to Syria it doesn't mean they're going there to fight.

"Could there be another reason to go and somehow help these people ... who are in need of humanitarian aid and in harm's way?"

Mr Staehli told the jury that Al Qudsi was facing Commonwealth charges and for that reason they had to reach a unanimous verdict.

The trial is expected to run for up to six weeks.