Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari 2797
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْلاَ أَنَّ رِجَالاً مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لاَ تَطِيبُ أَنْفُسُهُمْ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنِّي، وَلاَ أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ، مَا تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ تَغْزُو فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي أُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا، ثُمَّ أُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا، ثُمَّ أُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا، ثُمَّ أُقْتَلُ ".
Abu al-Yaman informed us; Shuʿayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Saʿid ibn al-Musayyab informed me that Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet say: “By the One in whose hand is my soul, were it not that some believing men dislike being left behind me, and I have no mounts to carry them, I would never stay behind any expedition setting out in Allah’s cause. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I would love to be killed in Allah’s cause, then brought to life, then killed, then brought to life, then killed, then brought to life, then killed.”
Translation notes
The Prophet gives lack of mounts and concern for believers left behind as the reason he sometimes stayed behind.