Fighting for the Cause of Allah (Jihaad)

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “May the servant of the dinar, the dirham, the fine velvet, and the brocade perish! If he is given these things, he is pleased; if he is not given them, he is displeased.” Israil did not transmit this from Abu Husayn as a statement traced back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “May the servant of the dinar, the dirham, and the fine cloak perish! If he is given, he is pleased; if he is not given, he is displeased. May he perish and be thrown down! If he is pricked by a thorn, may he find no one to remove it. Blessed is the servant who holds the reins of his horse in the cause of Allah, with unkempt hair and dusty feet. Whether posted on guard or in the rear, he remains at his post. If he asks permission, he is not granted it; if he intercedes, his intercession is not accepted.” Abu Abd Allah said: Israil and Muhammad bin Juhada did not trace this report from Abu Husayn back to the Prophet ﷺ; they used the form “perish.” This is as if saying, “May Allah cause them to perish.” Tuba is a feminine form from every good thing; its original ya was changed to waw, and it derives from “to be good.”

Anas reported: I traveled with Jarir bin Abdullah, and he used to serve me, although he was older than I. Jarir said: “I saw the Ansar do something for the Prophet ﷺ, and whenever I meet one of them, I honor him.”

Anas bin Malik reported: I went with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to Khaybar to serve him. As the Prophet ﷺ was returning and Uhud came into view, he said: “This is a mountain that loves us and that we love.” Then he pointed toward Medina and said: “O Allah, I declare sacred the area between its two lava fields just as Abraham declared Mecca sacred. O Allah, bless our saʿ and our mudd.”

Anas reported: We were with the Prophet ﷺ on a journey, and the one with the most shade was whoever shaded himself with his garment. Those who were fasting did no work, while those who were not fasting sent the mounts ahead, worked hard, and took care of things. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Today those who were not fasting have taken the reward.”

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Every joint of a person owes charity each day. Helping someone with his riding animal—helping him mount it or lifting his belongings onto it—is charity. A good word is charity; every step taken toward prayer is charity; and showing someone the way is charity.”

Sahl bin Saʿd al-Saʿidi reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A day spent guarding in the cause of Allah is better than the world and all it contains. A place in Paradise as small as the space occupied by one of your whips is better than the world and all it contains. A morning or evening journey made by a servant in the cause of Allah is better than the world and all it contains.”

Anas bin Malik reported: The Prophet ﷺ said to Abu Talha: “Choose a boy from among your servants to attend me until I set out for Khaybar.” Abu Talha took me, letting me ride behind him. I was a boy nearing puberty. Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stopped, I served him, and I often heard him say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, incapacity and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the crushing burden of debt, and being overpowered by people.” We reached Khaybar. When Allah granted the Prophet ﷺ the fortress, he was told of the beauty of Safiyya bint Huyayy bin Akhtab. Her husband had been killed, and she was a bride. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ chose her for himself and took her along. When we reached Sadd al-Sahba, she became lawful to him, and he consummated the marriage with her. He then prepared hais on a small leather mat and said: “Invite those around you.” That was the wedding feast of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Safiyya. We then set out for Medina. I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ make a space for her behind him with a cloak. He sat by his camel and placed his knee for Safiyya to put her foot on so she could mount. We continued until Medina came into view. He looked at Uhud and said: “This is a mountain that loves us and that we love.” Then he looked toward Medina and said: “O Allah, I declare sacred the area between its two lava fields, just as Abraham declared Mecca sacred. O Allah, bless their mudd and saʿ.”

Anas bin Malik reported: Umm Haram told me that one day the Prophet ﷺ was at her house. He woke up laughing, and she asked: “Messenger of Allah, what makes you laugh?” He said: “I marvel at people from my community who will sail the sea like kings seated on thrones.” She said: “Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to make me one of them.” He replied: “You are with them.” He then slept. He woke laughing and said the same thing two or three times. She again said: “Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to make me one of them.” He said: “You are among the first.” Ubada bin al-Samit married her and took her on a campaign. When she returned, an animal was brought for her to ride. She fell, and her neck was broken.

Musʿab bin Saʿd reported: Saʿd thought that he had an advantage over those beneath him. The Prophet ﷺ said: “You are granted victory and provision only through your vulnerable ones.”

Abu Saʿid al-Khudri reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “A time will come when groups of people set out on campaign. They will be asked: ‘Is there anyone among you who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ?’ They will answer: ‘Yes,’ and victory will be granted to them. Then another time will come, and they will be asked: ‘Is there anyone among you who accompanied the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ?’ They will answer: ‘Yes,’ and victory will be granted to them. Then another time will come, and they will be asked: ‘Is there anyone among you who accompanied those who accompanied the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ?’ They will answer: ‘Yes,’ and victory will be granted to them.”

Sahl bin Saʿd al-Saʿidi reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the polytheists met and fought. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned to his camp and the others returned to theirs, a man among the Prophet’s Companions had pursued every enemy straggler or isolated fighter and struck them with his sword. Someone said: “No one among us did as much today as so-and-so.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed, he is among the people of the Fire.” A man from among the group said: “I will accompany him.” He went out with the man, staying with him whenever he stopped and keeping pace whenever he hurried. The man was then severely wounded and hastened his death. He planted the blade of his sword in the ground, with its point between his breasts, then leaned onto it and killed himself. The other man went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah.” He asked: “What has happened?” The man replied: “The man you just described as one of the people of the Fire.” The people found this astonishing, so I said: “I will find out about him for you.” I went to look for him. He had been severely wounded and hastened his death: he planted the blade of his sword in the ground, its point between his breasts, leaned onto it, and killed himself. At that, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise as they appear to people, yet be among the people of the Fire; and a man may do the deeds of the people of the Fire as they appear to people, yet be among the people of Paradise.”

Salama bin al-Akwaʿ reported: The Prophet ﷺ passed by a group of people from Aslam practicing archery. He said: “Shoot, descendants of Ishmael, for your father was an archer. Shoot, and I am with the people of so-and-so.” One of the two groups stopped. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked: “Why are you not shooting?” They replied: “How can we shoot while you are with them?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Shoot, for I am with all of you.”

Abu Usayd reported: On the day of Badr, when we formed ranks facing Quraysh and they formed ranks facing us, the Prophet ﷺ said: “When they close in on you, use your arrows.”

Abu Huraira reported: While some Ethiopians were playing with their spears in the Prophet’s ﷺ presence, Umar came in, reached for some pebbles, and threw them at them. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Leave them, Umar.” Ali added: Abd al-Razzaq told us, from Maʿmar, who said that they were playing in the mosque.

Anas bin Malik reported: Abu Talha used to shield himself and the Prophet ﷺ with a single shield. Abu Talha was an excellent archer, and whenever he shot, the Prophet ﷺ would look toward the place where his arrows landed.

Sahl reported: When the Prophet’s ﷺ helmet was struck and broken on his head, his face was bloodied, and one of his rubaʿiyya teeth was broken, Ali brought water in his shield while Fatima washed him. When she saw that the blood exceeded the water, she took a mat, burned it, and pressed its ashes onto his wound. The bleeding stopped.

Umar reported: The property of Banu al-Nadir was among the fayʾ that Allah granted to His Messenger ﷺ—property over which the Muslims had advanced neither horses nor camels. It belonged exclusively to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He would provide his family’s annual maintenance from it, then spend what remained on weapons and mounts, as provisions for the cause of Allah.

Musaddad told us: Yahya told us, from Sufyan, who said: Saʿd bin Ibrahim told me, from Abdullah bin Shaddad, from ʿAli. Qabisa told us: Sufyan told us, from Saʿd bin Ibrahim, who said: Abdullah bin Shaddad told me, and said: I heard ʿAli say: “I have never seen the Prophet ﷺ say of any man after Saʿd, ‘May my father and mother be ransomed for you.’ I heard him say to Saʿd: ‘Shoot! May my father and mother be ransomed for you.’”

Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me while two girls were singing songs of Buʿath. He reclined on the bed and turned his face away. Abu Bakr came in, scolded me, and exclaimed: “A flute of Satan in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?!” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned toward him and said: “Leave them.” When Abu Bakr was distracted, I signaled to the girls, and they left. She said: It was Eid day, and Black people were playing with shields and spears. Either I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, or he asked: “Would you like to watch?” I said yes. He stood me behind him, with my cheek against his cheek, and said: “Carry on, Banu Arfida!” When I grew tired, he asked: “Is that enough for you?” I said yes. He said: “Then go.” Ahmad also transmitted this from Ibn Wahb with the wording: “When he was distracted…”