"No one is wounded in the cause of Allah - and Allah knows best who is wounded in His cause - but he will come on the Day of Resurrection with his wounds bleeding the color of blood, but with the fragrance of musk."
The Book of Jihad - Sunan an-Nasa'i 3147
"No one is wounded in the cause of Allah - and Allah knows best who is wounded in His cause - but he will come on the Day of Resurrection with his wounds bleeding the color of blood, but with the fragrance of musk."
Commentary on the Hadith
This noble hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i reveals the immense honor Allah bestows upon those who suffer injuries while striving in His path. The phrase "in the cause of Allah" refers to legitimate jihad undertaken for divine purposes, not personal motives.
The qualification "and Allah knows best who is wounded in His cause" indicates that true intention (niyyah) is paramount. Only those wounds sustained with sincere devotion to Allah will receive this extraordinary reward.
The imagery of wounds bleeding with blood's color but emitting musk's fragrance symbolizes the transformation of worldly suffering into celestial honor. While appearing as ordinary injuries, they manifest as heavenly perfumes - demonstrating how Allah elevates the believer's sacrifices.
This serves as profound consolation for mujahideen, assuring them that their physical suffering will become a source of honor and delightful fragrance on Judgment Day, testifying to their sincere devotion before all creation.
Scholarly Insights
Imam an-Nawawi explains this demonstrates Allah's perfect justice and generosity, where earthly pains become eternal honors.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani notes the combination of blood's appearance with musk's fragrance represents both the reality of their sacrifice and its transcendent reward.
Classical scholars emphasize this applies only to those wounded while fulfilling the conditions of legitimate jihad with pure intention, as Allah alone knows the secrets of hearts.