The Book of Jihad

Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Yazid informed us; he said: My father narrated to us; he said: Haywah—and he mentioned another narrator—both narrated to us from Abu Hani al-Khawlani, who heard Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli say: I heard Abd Allah ibn Amr say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Whenever an expedition goes out to fight in the cause of Allah and gains spoils, they have hastened two-thirds of their reward from the Hereafter, and one-third remains for them. If they gain no spoils, their reward is complete.

Ibrahim ibn Yaqub reported to me; he said: Hajjaj narrated to us; he said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Yunus, from al-Hasan, from Ibn Umar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in what he relates from his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, who said: Any servant of Mine who goes out striving in My cause, seeking My pleasure, I guarantee that if I return him, I will return him with whatever reward or spoils he has gained; and if I take his soul, I will forgive him and have mercy on him.

Hannad ibn al-Sari informed us, from Ibn al-Mubarak, from Mamar, from al-Zuhri, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: The example of one who strives in the cause of Allah—and Allah knows best who truly strives in His cause—is like that of one who fasts, stands in prayer, humbles himself, bows, and prostrates.

Ubaydullah ibn Said informed us; he said: Affan narrated to us; he said: Hammam narrated to us; he said: Muhammad ibn Juhadah narrated to us; he said: Abu Husayn narrated to me that Dhakwan told him that Abu Hurayrah related to him: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: Show me a deed equal to striving in the cause of Allah. He said: I cannot find one. Can you, when the one striving goes out, enter a mosque and stand in prayer without tiring, and fast without breaking your fast? The man said: Who is able to do that?

Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Hakam reported to us, from Shuayb, from al-Layth, from Ubaydullah ibn Abi Jafar, who said: Urwah reported to me, from Abu Murawih, from Abu Dharr, that he asked the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Which deed is best? He said: Faith in Allah and striving in the cause of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us; he said: Abd al-Razzaq reported to us; he said: Mamar narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: A man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Which deeds are best? He said: Faith in Allah. He asked: Then what? He said: Striving in the cause of Allah. He asked: Then what? He said: An accepted Hajj.

Al-Harith ibn Miskin recited to us while I listened, from Ibn Wahb, who said: Abu Hani narrated to me, from Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, from Abu Said al-Khudri, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Abu Said, whoever is content with Allah as Lord, Islam as religion, and Muhammad as Prophet, Paradise is assured for him. Abu Said was amazed by this, and said: Repeat it to me, Messenger of Allah. He did so, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: And there is another deed by which a servant is raised one hundred ranks in Paradise, the distance between each two ranks being like the distance between heaven and earth. Abu Said asked: What is it, Messenger of Allah? He said: Striving in the cause of Allah; striving in the cause of Allah.

Harun ibn Muhammad ibn Bakkar ibn Bilal informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Isa ibn al-Qasim ibn Sumay narrated to us; he said: Zayd ibn Waqid narrated to us; he said: Busr ibn Ubayd Allah narrated to me, from Abu Idris al-Khawlani, from Abu al-Darda, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever establishes the prayer, gives the zakah, and dies without associating anything with Allah, it is Allah’s due right to forgive him, whether he emigrated or died in his birthplace. We said: Messenger of Allah, shall we tell the people this so they may rejoice? He said: Paradise has one hundred ranks, the distance between each two being like the distance between heaven and earth. Allah prepared them for those who strive in His cause. Were it not that I would impose hardship on the believers, that I have no mounts on which to carry them, and that they would be distressed at staying behind me, I would never remain behind an expedition. I would love to be killed, then brought to life, then killed.

Al-Harith ibn Miskin recited to us while I listened, from Ibn Wahb, who said: Abu Hani reported to me, from Amr ibn Malik al-Janbi, who heard Fadalah ibn Ubayd say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: I am a guarantor—and a guarantor is one who assumes responsibility—for the one who believes in me, submits, and emigrates: a house on the outskirts of Paradise and a house in its middle. And I am a guarantor for the one who believes in me, submits, and strives in the cause of Allah: a house on the outskirts of Paradise, a house in its middle, and a house in its highest chambers. Whoever does that, leaving no good to pursue and no evil to flee, may die wherever he wishes to die.

Ibrahim ibn Yaqub reported to me; he said: Abu al-Nadr—Hashim ibn al-Qasim—narrated to us; he said: Abu Aqil, Abd Allah ibn Aqil, narrated to us; he said: Musa ibn al-Musayyab narrated to us, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, from Sabrah ibn Abi Fakih, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Satan sits in wait for the son of Adam on all his paths. He sits in wait for him on the path of Islam and says: Will you accept Islam and leave your religion, the religion of your fathers and forefathers? But he disobeys him and accepts Islam. Then he sits in wait for him on the path of migration and says: Will you migrate and leave your land and sky? The emigrant is like a horse tethered on a long rope. But he disobeys him and migrates. Then he sits in wait for him on the path of striving and says: Will you strive? It demands your life and wealth: you will fight and be killed, then your wife will marry and your wealth will be divided. But he disobeys him and strives. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then said: Whoever does that, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is bound to admit him to Paradise. Whoever is killed, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is bound to admit him to Paradise. If he drowns, Allah is bound to admit him to Paradise; or if his mount throws him down, Allah is bound to admit him to Paradise.

Ubaydullah ibn Sad ibn Ibrahim informed us; he said: My paternal uncle narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to us, from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, that Humayd ibn Abd al-Rahman informed him that Abu Hurayrah used to relate that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever gives a pair of things in the cause of Allah will be called in Paradise: Servant of Allah, this is good. Whoever is among the people of prayer will be called from the Gate of Prayer; whoever is among the people of striving will be called from the Gate of Striving; whoever is among the people of charity will be called from the Gate of Charity; and whoever is among the people of fasting will be called from the Gate of al-Rayyan. Abu Bakr said: Prophet of Allah, there is no hardship for the one who is called from all of those gates. Will anyone be called from all of those gates? He said: Yes, and I hope that you will be one of them.

Ismail ibn Masud informed us; he said: Khalid narrated to us; he said: Shubah narrated to us that Amr ibn Murrah informed them; he said: I heard Abu Wail say: Abu Musa al-Ashari related to us: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: A man fights so that he will be remembered, fights to gain spoils, and fights so that his position will be seen. Which of them is fighting in the cause of Allah? He said: Whoever fights so that the word of Allah is the highest is fighting in the cause of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ala informed us; he said: Khalid narrated to us; he said: Ibn Jurayj narrated to us; he said: Yunus ibn Yusuf narrated to us, from Sulayman ibn Yasar, who said: When people had dispersed from Abu Hurayrah, a man from the people of Syria said to him: Shaykh, tell me a hadith you heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said: Yes. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: The first people to be judged on the Day of Resurrection are three. A man who was martyred will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of His blessings, and he will acknowledge them. He will ask: What did you do with them? He will say: I fought for Your sake until I was martyred. He will say: You lie. Rather, you fought so that it would be said, So-and-so is brave—and it was said. Then He will command that he be dragged on his face and cast into the Fire. Then a man who learned knowledge, taught it, and recited the Quran will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of His blessings, and he will acknowledge them. He will ask: What did you do with them? He will say: I learned knowledge, taught it, and recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You lie. Rather, you learned knowledge so that it would be said, He is a scholar, and recited the Quran so that it would be said, He is a reciter—and it was said. Then He will command that he be dragged on his face and cast into the Fire. Then a man to whom Allah had granted abundance and given every kind of wealth will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of His blessings, and he will acknowledge them. He will ask: What did you do with them? He will say: I left no way that You love—Abu Abd al-Rahman said: I did not understand the words You love as I would have wished—in which wealth could be spent without spending it for Your sake. He will say: You lie. Rather, you spent it so that it would be said, He is generous—and it was said. Then He will command that he be dragged on his face and cast into the Fire.

Amr ibn Ali informed us; he said: Abd al-Rahman narrated to us; he said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Jablah ibn Atiyyah, from Yahya ibn al-Walid ibn Ubadah ibn al-Samit, from his grandfather, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever goes on an expedition in the cause of Allah, intending nothing but a hobble-cord, will have what he intended.

Harun ibn Abd Allah reported to me; he said: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us; he said: Hammad ibn Salamah reported to us, from Jablah ibn Atiyyah, from Yahya ibn al-Walid, from Ubadah ibn al-Samit, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever goes on an expedition, intending nothing but a hobble-cord, will have what he intended.

Isa ibn Hilal al-Himsi informed us; he said: Muhammad ibn Humayr narrated to us; he said: Muawiyah ibn Sallam narrated to us, from Ikrimah ibn Ammar, from Shaddad Abu Ammar, from Abu Umamah al-Bahili, who said: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: What do you say about a man who goes on an expedition seeking reward and renown? What will he receive? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: He will receive nothing. The man repeated the question three times, and each time the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: He will receive nothing. Then he said: Allah accepts no deed unless it is done purely for Him and His countenance is sought through it.

Yusuf ibn Said informed us; he said: I heard Hajjaj; Ibn Jurayj reported to us; he said: Sulayman ibn Musa narrated to us; he said: Malik ibn Yukhamir narrated to us that Muadh ibn Jabal related to them that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Any Muslim man who fights in the cause of Allah, even for the time it takes to milk a she-camel once, is assured Paradise. Whoever sincerely asks Allah for martyrdom and then dies or is killed will have the reward of a martyr. Whoever is wounded in the cause of Allah, or suffers another injury, will come on the Day of Resurrection with the wound as profuse as it was: its color will be like saffron and its scent like musk. Whoever is wounded in the cause of Allah bears the seal of the martyrs.

Amr ibn Uthman ibn Said ibn Kathir informed us; he said: Baqiyyah narrated to us, from Safwan, who said: Sulaym ibn Amir narrated to me, from Shurahbil ibn al-Simt, who said to Amr ibn Absah: Amr, relate to us a hadith that you heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Whoever grows even one gray hair in the cause of Allah, Exalted is He, will have it as a light for him on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever shoots an arrow in the cause of Allah, Exalted is He, whether it reaches the enemy or not, will have a reward like that of freeing a slave. And whoever frees a believing slave, that will be his ransom from the Fire, limb for limb.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Ala informed us; he said: Khalid narrated to us; he said: Hisham narrated to us; he said: Qatadah narrated to us, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, from MAdan ibn Abi Talhah, from Abu Najih al-Sulami, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Whoever sends an arrow in the cause of Allah and it reaches its mark will have a rank in Paradise. That day I landed sixteen arrows. He said: And I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Whoever shoots an arrow in the cause of Allah has the reward of freeing a slave.

Muhammad ibn al-Ala informed us; he said: Abu Muawiyah narrated to us; he said: al-Amash narrated to us, from Amr ibn Murrah, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, from Shurahbil ibn al-Simt, who said to Kab ibn Murrah: Kab, tell us from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and be careful. He said: I heard him say: Whoever grows a gray hair in Islam, in the cause of Allah, it will be a light for him on the Day of Resurrection. He said to him: Tell us from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and be careful. He said: I heard him say: Shoot arrows at the enemy; whoever’s arrow reaches the enemy, Allah will raise him by it one rank. Ibn al-Nahham said: Messenger of Allah, what is the rank? He said: It is not like the step at your mother’s door; rather, the distance between two ranks is one hundred years.