The Book of Jihad

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whom do you reckon to be martyr amongst you?" The Companions replied: "The one who is killed in Allah's way." He said, "In that case, the martyrs among my people would be few." The Companions asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Then who are the martyrs?" He replied, "He who is killed in the way of Allah is a martyr; he who dies naturally in the Cause of Allah is a martyr; he who dies of plague is a martyr; and he who dies of a belly disease is a martyr; and he who is drowned is a martyr."[Muslim].This Hadith shows the care Allah has for this Ummah, which is the best Ummah of mankind. (Editor's Note)

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who is killed while defending his property is a martyr."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: "He who dies while defending his property is a martyr; he who dies in defence of his own life is a martyr; and he who dies on defense of his faith is a martyr, he who dies in defence of his family is a martyr."[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked, "O Messenger of Allah! What shall I do if someone comes to me with the intention of taking away my property?" He replied, "Do not hand over it to him." The man asked, "What shall I do if he fights me?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Then fight him." "What will be my position in the Hereafter if he has killed me?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, "In that case you are a martyr." The man asked: "What if I killed him?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, "He will be in the Hell- fire."[Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who sets free a Muslim slave, Allah will deliver from the fire of Hell every limb of his body in return for every limb of the slave's body, even his private parts."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), "Which deed is most excellent?" He replied, "Faith in Allah and Jihad in His path." I then asked, "Which slaves are most excellent (to set free)?" He replied, "Those who are held in high esteem by their people and whose value is higher."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

I saw Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) wearing a nice gown, and his slave was also wearing one similar to it. I asked him about it, and he said that he had exchanged harsh words with a person during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and put him to shame by making a reference to his mother. That person came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and made mention of that to him. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, "You are a person who has remnants of the 'Days of Ignorance' in you. Your slaves are your brothers. Allah has placed them under your authority. He who has his brother under him, should feed him from whatever he eats, and dress him with whatever he wears, and do not burden them (assign burdensome task to them) beyond their capacity; and if you burden them then help them."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When your servant brings food for you and you do not seat him with you, you should at least give him a morsel or two out of it because he has prepared it himself."[Al- Bukhari].

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The faithful and diligent slave will have a double reward." (Abu Hurairah added:) By Him in Whose Hand the soul of Abu Hurairah is! but for Jihad in the Cause of Allah, and Hajj and kindness to my mother, I would have preferred to die as a slave.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A slave who worships his Rubb (Allah) well and discharges efficiently and faithfully the duties which are assigned to him by his master, will have a double reward."[Al-Bukhari].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Three kinds of people will have a double reward: A man from the People of the Book who believes in his Prophet and (also) believes in Muhammad; a slave who discharges properly the duties towards Allah and towards his master; and a man who possesses a slave-girl and teaches her manners, educates her well, and frees her and then marries her."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

[Muslim].

A man demanded of the Prophet (ﷺ) for repayment of a loan and was harsh to him. His Companions were about to attack him, but he (ﷺ) said, "Leave him, as the creditor is entitled to make a demand. Give him a camel of the same age as the camel that is due to him." They said: "We find a better camel senior to it in age." He (ﷺ) said, "Then buy it and give it to him; verily the best of you is the one who is the best in discharging his obligations (repayment of loans)."[Al- Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "May Allah show mercy to a man who adopts a kind attitude when he sells, buys and demands for the repayment of loans."[Al-Bukhari].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who likes Allah to deliver him from the calamities of the Day of Resurrection, let him either give respite to a debtor or grant him remission (of loans) in straitened circumstances."[Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "There was a person who used to loan money to the people and he used to say to his servant: 'When an insolvent person comes to you, show him leniency so that Allah may forbear our faults.' So when he met Allah (i.e., when he died), Allah forgave him."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A person from amongst the people who lived before you was called to account by Allah on the Day of Resurrection. No good deeds were found in his credit except that he being a rich man had (financial) dealings with people and had commanded his servants to show leniency to those who were in straitened circumstances. Upon this Allah, the Exalted, and Majestic said: 'I am more entitled to this attribute, so waive (his faults)."'[Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A slave of Allah whom He had endowed with wealth, will be brought before Him. Allah will ask him: 'What did you do in the world?' (They cannot conceal anything from Allah.) He will say: 'O my Rubb, You endowed me with Your wealth; I used to enter into transactions with people and it was my nature to be lenient to the insolvent ones. I used to give respite to those who were in straitened circumstances.' Whereupon Allah will say: 'I am more entitled than you to do this. So forgive my slave'." 'Uqbah bin 'Amir and Abu Mas'ud Al- Ansari (May Allah be pleased with them) said, "Thus we heard it from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)."[Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who gives respite to someone who is in straitened circumstances, or grants him remission, Allah will shelter him in the shade of His Throne, on the Day of Resurrection, when there will be no shade except its shade."[At- Tirmidhi].