Fighting for the Cause of Allah (Jihaad)كتاب الجهاد والسير

The Emigrants and the Ansar started digging the trench around Medina carrying the earth on their backs and saying, "We are those who have given a pledge of allegiance to Muhammad that we will I carry on Jihad as long as we live." The Prophet (ﷺ) kept on replying, "O Allah, there is no good except the good of the Hereafter; so confer Your Blessings on the Ansar and the Emigrants."

The Prophet (ﷺ) went on carrying (i.e. the earth) and saying, "Without You (O Allah!) we would have got no guidance."

On the day (of the battle) of Al-Ahzab (i.e. clans) I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) carrying earth, and the earth was covering the whiteness of his `Abdomen. And he was saying, "Without You (O Allah!) we would have got no guidance, nor given in charity, nor prayed. So please bless us with tranquility and make firm our feet when we meet our enemies. Indeed (these) people have rebelled against (oppressed) us but never shall we yield if they try to bring affliction upon us."

We returned from the Ghazwa of Tabuk along with the Prophet. (See Hadith No. 92 below) .

While the Prophet (ﷺ) was in a Ghazwa he said, "Some people have remained behind us in Medina and we never crossed a mountain path or a valley, but they were with us (i.e. sharing the reward with us), as they have been held back by a (legal) excuse. "

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "Indeed, anyone who fasts for one day for Allah's Pleasure, Allah will keep his face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever spends two things in Allah's Cause, will be called by all the gate-keepers of Paradise who will be saying, 'O so-and-so! Come here.' " Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Such persons will never be destroyed." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I hope you will be one of them."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ascended the pulpit and said, "Nothing worries me as to what will happen to you after me, except the temptation of worldly blessings which will be conferred on you." Then he mentioned the worldly pleasures. He started with the one (i.e. the blessings) and took up the other (i.e. the pleasures). A man got up saying, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Can the good bring about evil?" The Prophet (ﷺ) remained silent and we thought that he was being inspired divinely, so all the people kept silent with awe. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) wiped the sweat off his face and asked, "Where is the present questioner?" "Do you think wealth is good?" he repeated thrice, adding, "No doubt, good produces nothing but good. Indeed it is like what grows on the banks of a stream which either kills or nearly kills the grazing animals because of gluttony except the vegetation-eating animal which eats till both its flanks are full (i.e. till it gets satisfied) and then stands in the sun and defecates and urinates and again starts grazing. This worldly property is sweet vegetation. How excellent the wealth of the Muslim is, if it is collected through legal means and is spent in Allah's Cause and on orphans, poor people and travelers. But he who does not take it legally is like an eater who is never satisfied and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, " He who pre pares a Ghazi going in Allah's Cause is given a reward equal to that of) a Ghazi; and he who looks after properly the dependents of a Ghazi going in Allah's Cause is (given a reward equal to that of) Ghazi."

The Prophet (ﷺ) used not to enter any house in Medina except the house of Um Sulaim besides those of his wives when he was asked why, he said, "I take pity on her as her brother was killed in my company. "

Once Musa bin Anas while describing the battle of Yamama, said, "Anas bin Malik went to Thabit bin Qais, who had lifted his clothes from his thighs and was applying Hunut to his body. Anas asked, 'O Uncle! What is holding you back (from the battle)?' He replied, 'O my nephew! I am coming just now,' and went on perfuming himself with Hunut, then he came and sat (in the row). Anas then mentioned that the people fled from the battle-field. On that Thabit said, 'Clear the way for me to fight the enemy. We would never do so (i.e. flee) in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). How bad the habits you have acquired from your enemies!"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Who will bring me the information about the enemy on the day (of the battle) of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans)?" Az-Zubair said, "I will." The Prophet (ﷺ) said again, "Who will bring me the information about the enemy?" Az-Zubair said again, "I will." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Every prophet had a disciple and my disciple is Az-Zubair. "

When the Prophet (ﷺ) called the people (Sadqa, a sub-narrator, said, 'Most likely that happened on the day of Al-Khandaq) Az-Zubair responded to the call (i.e. to act as a scout). The Prophet) called the people again and Az-Zubair responded to the call. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "Every prophet had a disciple and my disciple is Zubair bin Al-`Awwam."

On my departure from the Prophet (ﷺ) he said to me and to a friend of mine, "You two, pronounce the Adhan and the Iqama for the prayer and let the elder of you lead the prayer."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Good will remain (as a permanent quality) in the foreheads of horses till the Day of Resurrection."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Good will remain (as a permanent quality) in the foreheads of horses till the Day of Resurrection."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (ﷺ) said, "There is a blessing in the fore-heads of horses."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Good will remain (as a permanent quality) in the foreheads of horses (for Jihad) till the Day of Resurrection, for they bring about either a reward (in the Hereafter) or (war) booty (in this world)."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If somebody keeps a horse in Allah's Cause motivated by his faith in Allah and his belief in His Promise, then he will be rewarded on the Day of Resurrection for what the horse has eaten or drunk and for its dung and urine."

(from his father) Abu Qatada went out (on a journey) with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) but he was left behind with some of his companions who were in the state of Ihram. He himself was not in the state of Ihram. They saw an opener before he could see it. When they saw the opener, they did not speak anything till Abu Qatada saw it. So, he rode over his horse called Al-Jarada and requested them to give him his lash, but they refused. So, he himself took it and then attacked the opener and slaughtered it. He ate of its meat and his companions ate, too, but they regretted their eating. When they met the Prophet (they asked him about it) and he asked, "Have you some of its meat (left) with you?" Abu Qatada replied, "Yes, we have its leg with us." So, the Prophet (ﷺ) took and ate it.

In our garden there was a horse belonging to the Prophet (ﷺ) called Al-Luhaif or Al-Lakhif.

I was a companion rider of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a donkey called 'Ufair. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "O Mu`adh! Do you know what Allah's right on His slaves is, and what the right of His slaves on Him is?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "Allah's right on His slaves is that they should worship Him (Alone) and should not worship any besides Him. And slave's right on Allah is that He should not punish him who worships none besides Him." I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Should I not inform the people of this good news?" He said, "Do not inform them of it, lest they should depend on it (absolutely).

Once there was a feeling of fright in Medina, so the Prophet (ﷺ) borrowed a horse belonging to us called Mandub (and he rode away on it). (When the Prophet (ﷺ) returned) he said, "I have not seen anything of fright and I found it (i.e. this horse) very fast."

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying. "Evil omen is in three things: The horse, the woman and the house."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said "If there is any evil omen in anything, then it is in the woman, the horse and the house."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, " Horses are kept for one of three purposes; for some people they are a source of reward, for some others they are a means of shelter and for some others they are a source of sins. The one for whom they are a source of reward, is he who keeps a horse for Allah's Cause (i.e. Jihad) tying it with a long tether on a meadow or in a garden with the result that whatever it eats from the area of the meadow or the garden where it is tied will be counted as good deeds for his benefit, and if it should break its rope and jump over one or two hillocks then all its dung and its foot marks will be written as good deeds for him; and if it passes by a river and drinks water from it even though he had no intention of watering it, even then he will get the reward for its drinking. As for the man for whom horses are a source of sins, he is the one who keeps a horse for the sake of pride and pretense and showing enmity for Muslims: such a horse will be a source of sins for him. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was asked about donkeys, he replied, "Nothing has been revealed to me about them except this unique, comprehensive Verse: "Then anyone who does an atom's (or a small ant's) weight of good shall see it; And anyone who does an atom's (or a small ant's) weight of evil, shall see it.' (101.7-8)

I called on Jabir bin `Abdullah Al-Ansari and said to him, "Relate to me what you have heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ." He said, "I accompanied him on one of the journeys." (Abu `Aqil said, "I do not know whether that journey was for the purpose of Jihad or `Umra.") "When we were returning," Jabir continued, "the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Whoever wants to return earlier to his family, should hurry up.' We set off and I was on a black red tainted camel having no defect, and the people were behind me. While I was in that state the camel stopped suddenly (because of exhaustion). On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to me, 'O Jabir, wait!' Then he hit it once with his lash and it started moving on a fast pace. He then said, 'Will you sell the camel?' I replied in the affirmative when we reached Medina, and the Prophet (ﷺ) went to the Mosque along with his companions. I, too, went to him after tying the camel on the pavement at the Mosque gate. Then I said to him, 'This is your camel.' He came out and started examining the camel and saying, 'The camel is ours.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) sent some Awaq (i.e. an amount) of gold saying, 'Give it to Jabir.' Then he asked, 'Have you taken the full price (of the camel)?' I replied in the affirmative. He said, 'Both the price and the camel are for you.' ''

There was a feeling of fright in Medina, so the Prophet (ﷺ) borrowed a horse called Mandub belonging 'to Abu Talha and mounted it. (On his return), he said, "I did not see anything of fright and I found this horse very fast."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) fixed two shares for the horse and one share for its rider (from the war booty).

Somebody asked Al-Bar-a bin `Azib, "Did you flee deserting Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) during the battle of Hunain?" Al-Bara replied, "But Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not flee. The people of the Tribe of Hawazin were good archers. When we met them, we attacked them, and they fled. When the Muslims started collecting the war booty, the pagans faced us with arrows, but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not flee. No doubt, I saw him on his white mule and Abu Sufyan was holding its reins and the Prophet (ﷺ) was saying, 'I am the Prophet (ﷺ) in truth: I am the son of `Abdul Muttalib.' "

When the Prophet (ﷺ) put his feet in the stirrup and the she-camel got up carrying him he would start reciting Talbiya at the mosque of Dhul-Hulaifa.

The Prophet (ﷺ) met them (i.e. the people) while he was riding an unsaddled horse with his sword slung over his shoulder.

Once the people of Medina were frightened, so the Prophet (ﷺ) rode a horse belonging to Abu Talha and it ran slowly, or was of narrow paces. When he returned, he said, "I found your (i.e. Abu Talha's) horse very fast. After that the horse could not be surpassed in running..'

The Prophet (ﷺ) arranged for a horse race amongst the horses that had been made lean to take place between Al-Hafya'' and Thaniyat Al-Wada` (i.e. names of two places) and the horses which had not been mad.? lean from Ath-Thaniyat to the mosque of Bani Zuraiq. I was also amongst those who took part in that horse race. Sufyan, a sub-narrator, said, "The distance between Al-Hafya and Thaniya Al- Wada` is five or six miles; and between Thaniya and the mosque of Bani Zuraiq is one mile."

The Prophet (ﷺ) arranged for a horse race of the horses which had not been made lean; the area of the race was from Ath-Thaniya to the mosque of Bani Zuraiq. (The sub-narrator said, "`Abdullah bin `Umar was amongst those who participated in that horse race.").

"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) arranged a horse race amongst the horses that had been made lean, letting them start from Al-Hafya' and their limit (distance of running) was up to Thaniyat-al-Wada`. I asked Musa, 'What was the distance between the two places?' Musa replied, 'Six or seven miles. He arranged a race of the horses which had not been made lean sending them from Thaniyat-al-Wada`, and their limit was up to the mosque of Bani Zuraiq.' I asked, 'What was the distance between those two places?' He replied 'One mile or so.' Ibn `Umar was amongst those who participated in that horse race."

The she camel of the Prophet (ﷺ) was called Al-Adba.

The Prophet (ﷺ) had a she camel called Al Adba which could not be excelled in a race. (Humaid, a subnarrator said, "Or could hardly be excelled.") Once a bedouin came riding a camel below six years of age which surpasses it (i.e. Al-`Adba') in the race. The Muslims felt it so much that the Prophet (ﷺ) noticed their distress. He then said, "It is Allah's Law that He brings down whatever rises high in the world."

The Prophet (ﷺ) did not leave anything behind him after his death except a white mule, his arms and a piece of land which he left to be given in charity.

that a man asked him. "O Abu '`Umara! Did you flee on the day (of the battle) of Hunain?" He replied, "No, by Allah, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not flee but the hasty people fled and the people of the Tribe of Hawazin attacked them with arrows, while the Prophet (ﷺ) was riding his white mule and Abu Sufyan bin Al-Harith was holding its reins, and the Prophet (ﷺ) was saying, 'I am the Prophet (ﷺ) in truth, I am the son of `Abdul Muttalib.' "

the mother of the faithful believers, I requested the Prophet (ﷺ) permit me to participate in Jihad, but he said, "Your Jihad is the performance of Hajj."

the mother of the faithful believers: The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked by his wives about the Jihad and he replied, "The best Jihad (for you) is (the performance of) Hajj."

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went to the daughter of Milhan and reclined there (and slept) and then (woke up) smiling. She asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What makes you smile?" He replied, (I dreamt that) some people amongst my followers were sailing on the green sea in Allah's Cause, resembling kings on thrones." She said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Invoke Allah to make me one of them." He said, "O Allah! Let her be one of them." Then he (slept again and woke up and) smiled. She asked him the same question and he gave the same reply. She said, "Invoke Allah to make me one of them." He replied, ''You will be amongst the first group of them; you will not be amongst the last." Later on she married 'Ubada bin As-Samit and then she sailed on the sea with bint Qaraza, Mu'awiya's wife (for Jihad). On her return, she mounted her riding animal, which threw her down breaking her neck, and she died on falling down.

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to proceed on a journey, he used to draw lots amongst his wives and would take the one upon whom the lot fell. Once, before setting out for Jihad, he drew lots amongst us and the lot came to me; so I went with the Prophet; and that happened after the revelation of the Verse Hijab (i.e. veiling).

On the day (of the battle) of Uhad when (some) people retreated and left the Prophet, I saw `Aisha bint Abu Bakr and Um Sulaim, with their robes tucked up so that the bangles around their ankles were visible hurrying with their water skins (in another narration it is said, "carrying the water skins on their backs"). Then they would pour the water in the mouths of the people, and return to fill the water skins again and came back again to pour water in the mouths of the people.

`Umar bin Al-Khattab distributed some garments amongst the women of Medina. One good garment remained, and one of those present with him said, "O chief of the believers! Give this garment to your wife, the (grand) daughter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." They meant Um Kulthum, the daughter of `Ali. `Umar said, Um Salit has more right (to have it)." Um Salit was amongst those Ansari women who had given the pledge of allegiance to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).' `Umar said, "She (i.e. Um Salit) used to carry the water skins for us on the day of Uhud."

We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) providing the wounded with water and treating them and bringing the killed to Medina (from the battle field) .

We used to take part in holy battles with the Prophet (ﷺ) by providing the people with water and serving them and bringing the killed and the wounded back to Medina.

Abu 'Amir was hit with an arrow in his knee, so I went to him and he asked me to remove the arrow. When I removed it, the water started dribbling from it. Then I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and told him about it. He said, "O Allah! Forgive `Ubaid Abu 'Amir."