The Book of Jihad

Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Sallam informed us; he said: Ishaq al-Azraq narrated to us; he said: Sufyan narrated to us, from al-Amash, from Muslim, from Said ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, who said: When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was driven out of Makkah, Abu Bakr said: They have driven out their Prophet. Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we are returning; they are surely doomed. Then this was revealed: Permission to fight is granted to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged; and Allah is surely able to give them victory. Then I knew that there would be fighting. Ibn Abbas said: This was the first verse revealed concerning fighting.

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Shaqiq informed us; he said: My father reported to us; he said: al-Husayn ibn Waqid reported to us, from Amr ibn Dinar, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, that Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf and some of his companions came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Makkah and said: Messenger of Allah, when we were polytheists we were powerful, but when we embraced Islam we became weak. He said: I have been commanded to pardon, so do not fight. When Allah moved us to Madinah, He commanded us to fight, but they held back. Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: Have you not seen those who were told, Restrain your hands and establish the prayer?

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ala informed us; he said: Mutamir narrated to us; he said: I heard Mamar, from al-Zuhri, who said: I asked whether this was from Said. He replied: Yes, from Abu Hurayrah. H. Ahmad ibn Amr ibn al-Sarh and al-Harith ibn Miskin also reported to us, by recitation to al-Harith while I listened; the wording here is Ahmad’s. They both said: Ibn Wahb narrated to us, from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, from Ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: I was sent with concise, comprehensive speech, and I was granted victory through terror. While I was sleeping, the keys to the treasures of the earth were brought to me and placed in my hand. Abu Hurayrah said: Then the Messenger of Allah went away, while you are drawing them out.

Harun ibn Said informed us, from Khalid ibn Nizar, who said: al-Qasim ibn Mabrur reported to me, from Yunus, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say something similar.

Kathir ibn Ubayd informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Harb narrated to us, from al-Zubaydi, from al-Zuhri, from Said ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman, that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: I was sent with concise, comprehensive speech, and I was granted victory through terror. While I was sleeping, the keys to the treasures of the earth were brought to me and placed in my hand. Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah has gone away, while you are drawing them out.

Yunus ibn Abd al-Ala and al-Harith ibn Miskin reported to us, by recitation to al-Harith while I listened, from Ibn Wahb, who said: Yunus reported to me, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Said ibn al-Musayyab narrated to me that Abu Hurayrah informed him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, There is no god but Allah. Whoever says, There is no god but Allah, has protected his property and his life from me, except when a rightful claim applies; and his reckoning is with Allah.

Kathir ibn Ubayd informed us, from Muhammad ibn Harb, from al-Zubaydi, from al-Zuhri, from Ubaydullah ibn Abd Allah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, Abu Bakr was appointed as caliph, and some of the Arabs became disbelievers, Umar said: Abu Bakr, how can you fight the people when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, There is no god but Allah. Whoever says, There is no god but Allah, has protected his life and property from me, except when a rightful claim applies; and his reckoning is with Allah? Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: By Allah, I will surely fight whoever distinguishes between the prayer and the zakah, for zakah is a due right on wealth. By Allah, if they withhold from me even a young she-goat that they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I will fight them for withholding it. By Allah, it was only when I saw that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had opened Abu Bakr’s heart to fighting that I recognized it as the truth.

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Mughira informed us; he said: Uthman ibn Said narrated to us, from Shuaib, from al-Zuhri, who said: Ubaydullah narrated to us. H. Kathir ibn Ubayd also reported to us; he said: Baqiyyah narrated to us, from Shuaib, who said: al-Zuhri narrated to me, from Ubaydullah ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah ibn Masud, that Abu Hurayrah said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, Abu Bakr succeeded him, and some of the Arabs became disbelievers, Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Abu Bakr, how can you fight the people when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, There is no god but Allah. Whoever says, There is no god but Allah, has thereby protected his property and life from me, except when a rightful claim applies; and his reckoning is with Allah. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I will surely fight whoever distinguishes between prayer and zakah, for zakah is a due right on wealth. By Allah, if they withhold even a young she-goat that they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I will fight them for withholding it. Umar said: By Allah, it was only when I saw that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had opened Abu Bakr’s heart to fighting that I recognized it as the truth. The wording is Ahmad’s.

Ahmad ibn Sulayman informed us; he said: Muammal ibn al-Fadl narrated to us; he said: al-Walid narrated to us; he said: Shuayb ibn Abi Hamzah and Sufyan ibn Uyaynah narrated to me—and he mentioned another narrator—from al-Zuhri, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: When Abu Bakr prepared to fight them, Umar said: Abu Bakr, how can you fight the people when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, There is no god but Allah. When they say it, their blood and property are protected from me, except when a rightful claim applies. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I will surely fight whoever distinguishes between prayer and zakah. By Allah, if they withhold even a young she-goat that they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I will fight them for withholding it. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: By Allah, it was only when I saw that Allah, Exalted is He, had opened Abu Bakr’s heart to fighting them that I recognized it as the truth.

Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us; he said: Amr ibn Asim narrated to us; he said: Imran, Abu al-Awwam al-Qattan, narrated to us; he said: Mamar narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, the Arabs apostatized. Umar said: Abu Bakr, how can you fight the Arabs? Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, replied: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) only said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, and give the zakah. By Allah, if they withhold even a young she-goat from what they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I will fight them over it. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When I saw Abu Bakr’s view made clear, I knew that it was the truth. Abu Abd al-Rahman said: Imran al-Qattan is not strong in hadith, and this hadith is mistaken. The preceding report is the correct one: the hadith of al-Zuhri, from Ubaydullah ibn Abd Allah ibn Utbah, from Abu Hurayrah.

Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mughira informed us; he said: Uthman narrated to us, from Shuayb, from al-Zuhri. H. Amr ibn Uthman ibn Said ibn Kathir also reported to me; he said: My father narrated to us; he said: Shuayb narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Said ibn al-Musayyab narrated to me that Abu Hurayrah informed him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, There is no god but Allah. Whoever says it has protected his life and property from me, except when a rightful claim applies; and his reckoning is with Allah.

Harun ibn Abd Allah and Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim informed us; they said: Yazid narrated to us; he said: Hammad ibn Salamah reported to us, from Humayd, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: Strive against the polytheists with your wealth, your hands, and your tongues.

Abdah ibn Abd al-Rahim informed us; he said: Salamah ibn Sulayman narrated to us; he said: Ibn al-Mubarak reported to us; he said: Wuhayb—meaning Ibn al-Ward—reported to us; he said: Umar ibn Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir reported to me, from Sumayy, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: Whoever dies without having fought and without having resolved within himself to fight has died with a branch of hypocrisy.

Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn al-Wazir ibn Sulayman informed us, from Ibn Ufair, from al-Layth, from Ibn Musafir, from Ibn Shihab, from Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman and Said ibn al-Musayyab, that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: By the One in whose hand is my soul, were it not that some men among the believers would be distressed at staying behind me, and that I have no mounts on which to carry them, I would never stay behind any expedition that fights in the cause of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I would love to be killed in the cause of Allah, then brought to life, then killed, then brought to life, then killed, then brought to life, then killed.

Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Bazi informed us; he said: Bishr narrated to us—meaning Ibn al-Mufaddal—and said: Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq reported to us, from al-Zuhri, from Sahl ibn Sad, who said: I saw Marwan ibn al-Hakam sitting, so I went over and sat with him. He told us that Zayd ibn Thabit had told him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had received the revelation: Those of the believers who sit back are not equal to those who strive in the cause of Allah. Ibn Umm Maktum then came while it was being dictated to me and said: Messenger of Allah, if I were able to strive, I would surely strive. Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, sent down revelation while his thigh was upon mine; it became so heavy upon me that I thought my thigh would be crushed. Then the revelation lifted from him: Except for those with disabilities. Abu Abd al-Rahman said: This Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq is acceptable. But Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq, from whom Ali ibn Mushir, Abu Muawiyah, and Abd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad narrate from al-Numan ibn Sad, is not trustworthy.

Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Abd Allah informed us; he said: Yaqub ibn Ibrahim ibn Sad narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to me, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Sahl ibn Sad narrated to me; he said: I saw Marwan sitting in the mosque. I approached and sat beside him, and he told us that Zayd ibn Thabit had informed him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) dictated to him: Those of the believers who sit back are not equal to those who strive in the cause of Allah. He said: Ibn Umm Maktum came to him while he was dictating it to me and said: Messenger of Allah, if I were able to strive, I would surely strive. He was a blind man. Then Allah sent revelation to His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while his thigh was upon mine, until I feared it would crush my thigh. Then the revelation lifted from him, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: Except for those with disabilities.

Nasr ibn Ali informed us; he said: Mutamir narrated to us, from his father, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Bara, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)—then he mentioned words to this effect—said: Bring me the shoulder blade and the tablet. He then wrote: Those of the believers who sit back are not equal. Amr ibn Umm Maktum was behind him and said: Is there an exemption for me? Then the words Except for those with disabilities were revealed.

Muhammad ibn Ubayd informed us; he said: Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Bara, who said: When the verse Those of the believers who sit back are not equal was revealed, Ibn Umm Maktum came—he was blind—and said: Messenger of Allah, what about me, since I am blind? He remained there until the words Except for those with disabilities were revealed.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna informed us, from Yahya ibn Said, from Sufyan and Shubah, who both said: Habib ibn Abi Thabit narrated to us, from Abu al-Abbas, from Abd Allah ibn Amr, who said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), seeking his permission to go on a military expedition. He asked: Are your parents alive? He said: Yes. He said: Then strive in serving them.

Abd al-Wahhab ibn Abd al-Hakam al-Warraq informed us; he said: Hajjaj narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, who said: Muhammad ibn Talhah—namely, the son of Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman—reported to me, from his father, Talhah, from Muawiyah ibn Jahimah al-Sulami, that Jahimah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, I intend to go on a military expedition, and I have come to seek your advice. He asked: Do you have a mother? He said: Yes. He said: Then stay close to her, for Paradise is beneath her feet.