The Book of Jihad

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who learnt archery and then neglected it, is not from us." (Or said,) "He has been guilty of disobedience (to Messenger of Allah)."[Muslim].

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Allah will admit three persons to Jannah for one arrow; the maker who has a good motive in making it, the one who shoots it, and the one who hands it up for shooting. So shoot and ride, but I like your shooting (more) than your riding. He who gives up archery after becoming adept in it for lack of interest, neglects a (great) blessing." (Or said,) "One who does so is ungrateful."[Abu Dawud].

The Prophet (ﷺ) happened to pass by a group of people who were having a shooting match. (Upon seeing them, he (ﷺ)) said, "Shoot, O sons of (Prophet) Isma'il, for your father was an archer."[Al- Bukhari].

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "He who shoots an arrow for the sake of Allah, will have a reward equal to the emancipation of a slave."[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who makes a contribution in Allah's way, will have his reward seven hundred times recorded to his credit."[At-Tirmidhi].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Every slave of Allah who observes Saum (fasting) for a day in the Cause of Allah, Allah will keep his face from Hell-fire at a distance of seventy years."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who observes Saum (fasting) for a day in the Cause of Allah, Allah will keep his face from Hell-fire at a distance equivalent to that between heaven and the earth."[At- Tirmidhi].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who dies without having fought in the Cause of Allah or without having thought of doing so, will die with one characteristic of hypocrisy in him."[Muslim].

We accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) in an expedition when he (ﷺ) said, "Some people have remained behind us in Al-Madinah, and we never cross a valley but they are with us. They share the reward with us because they have been held back by valid excuse."In another narration the wordings are: "...by any genuine excuse."In another narration the wordings are: "They are your partners in reward."[Al- Bukhari].

A bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! One man fights for booty, another fights to win fame, and the third fights for show off." Another narration is: "One fights for displaying his valour, another fights out of his family pride." Another narration is: "One fights out of rage." He asked: "Which of them is fighting in the Cause of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The one who fights so that Word of Allah (Islam) be exalted, is the one who fights in the Cause of Allah."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A detachment of soldiers, large or small, who fights in the way of Allah, gets its share of booty and returns safe and sound, receives in advance two- thirds of its reward (only one-third remaining to its credit will be received in the Hereafter). And a troop of soldiers, large or small, that returns disappointed and is afflicted by misery, will receive its full reward (in the Hereafter)."[Muslim].

A man sought permission from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to travel in the land. He (ﷺ) said to him, "Travel for my people is Jihad in the Cause of Allah, glory be to Him."[Abu Dawud].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The return from an expedition is an act as meritorious as fighting."[Abu Dawud].

When the Prophet (ﷺ) returned from the battle of Tabuk, people went out from Al-Madinah to meet him and I also met him with other children at Thaniyah-tul-Wada'.[Abu Dawud].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who neither takes part in fighting nor equips a warrior nor looks after his (the warrior's) family, will be afflicted by severe calamities before the Day of Resurrection."[Abu Dawud].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fight the polytheists with your wealth, lives and tongues."[Abu Dawud].

I was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when I witnessed that if he did not begin fighting in the early part of the day, he would postpone fighting till the sun had declined, the blowing of the breeze had blown and the victory from Allah had come.[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do not wish for an encounter with the enemy. Pray to Allah to grant you safety; (but) when you encounter them, show patience."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "War is deception."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].