The Book on Governmentكتاب الإمارة

There will be great benefit in the forelock of the horses until the Day of judgment.

The same tradition has been handed down through a different chain of transmitters.

I saw that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was twisting the forelock of a horse with his fingers and he was saying: (A great) benefit. i. e. reward (for rearing them for Jihad) and spoils of war, has been tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Judgment.

The above tradition has also been narrated on the authority of Yunus through a different chain of transmitters.

Great good is attached to the forelock of the horses until the Day of Judgment.

Good is tied to the forelock of the horses. It Was said to him: Messenger of Allah, why is it so? He (the Prophet said): For reward and booty until the Day of Judgment.

This hadith has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters with the difference that here instead of" Urwat al-Bariqi" there is" Urwa b. ja'd."

" reward and booty".

A version of the tradition transmitted on the authority of 'Urwa b. al-ja'd does not mention" reward and booty".

There is a blessing in the forelocks of the war horses.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Anas through another chain of transmitters.

It has been narrated on the authority of Abn Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to dislike the Shikal horse.

This tradition has been narrated on the authority of Sufyan with the addition from Abd ar-Razzaq (one of the narrators) explaining the meaning of shikal as a bone whose right back foot and left front foot or left back foot and right front foot are white.

The tradition has been handed down through a different chain of transmitters.

Allah has undertaken to look after the affairs of one who goes out to fight in His way believing in Him and affirming the truth of His Apostles. He is committed to His care that Re will either admit him to Paradise or bring him back to his home from where he set out with a reward or (his share of) booty. By the Being in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad. If a person gets wounded in the way of Allah, he will come on the Day of Judgment with his wound in the same condition as it was when it was first inflicted; its colour being the colour of blood but its smell will be the smell of musk. By, the Being in Whose Hand is Muhammad's life, if it were not to be too hard upon the Muslime. I would not lag behind any expedition which is going to fight in the cause of Allah. But I do not have abundant means to provide them (the Mujahids) with riding beasts, nor have they (i. e. all of them) abundant means (to provide themselves with all the means of Jihad) so that they could he left behind. By the Being in Whose Hand is Muhammad's life, I love to fight in the way of Allah and be killed, to fight and again be killed and to fight again and be killed.

The same tradition has been melted through another chain of transmitters.

Allah has undertaken to provide for one who leaves his home (only) to fight for His cause and to affirm the truth of His word; Allah will either admit him to Paradise or will bring him back home from where he had come out, with his reward and booty.

One who is wounded in the way of Allah-and Allah knows better who is wounded in His way-will appear on the Day of Judgment with his wound bleediing. The colour (of its discharge) will be the colour of blood, (but) its smell will be the smell of musk.

Every wound received by a Muslim in the way of Allah will appear on the Day of Judgment in the same condition as it was when it was inflicted, and would be bleeding profusely. The colour (of its discharge) will be the colour of blood, but its smell will be the smell of musk. By the Being in Whose Hand is Muhammad's life, if it were not hard upon the Muslims, I would not lag behind any expedition undertaken for Jihad, but I do not possess abundant means to provide the Mujahids with riding animals, nor do they (i. e. all of them) have abundant means (to provide themselves with all the means of Jihad) to follow me, nor would it please their hearts to stay behind me.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: I would not stay behind (when) an expedition (for Jihad was being mobilised) if it were going to be too hard upon the believers.... This is followed by the same words as have appeared in the previous tradition, but this tradition has the same ending as the previous hadith with a slight difference in the wording:" By the Being in Whose Hand is my life, I love that I should be killed in the way of Allah; then I should be brought back to life and be killed again in His way...."

If it were not hard upon my Umma (to follow my example), I would not lag behind any expedition-as in the traditions gone before.

" Allah takes care of one who goes out in the way of Allah" but ends in the words:" I would not lag behind any expedition which is undertaken to fight in the way of Allah, the Exalted."

" Nobody who dies and has something good for him with Allah will (ever like to) return to this world even though he were offered the whole world and all that is in its (as an inducement), except the martyr who desires to return and be killed in the world for the (great) merit of martyrdom that he has seen.

Nobody who enters Paradise will (ever like to) return to this world even if he were offered everything on the surface of the earth (as an inducement) except the martyr who will desire to return to this world and be killed ten times for the sake of the great honour that has been bestowed upon him.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: What deed could be an equivalent of Jihad in the way of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted? He answered: You do not have the strength to do that deed. The narrator said: They repeated the question twice or thrice. Every time he answered: You do not have the strength to do it. When the question was asked for the third time, he said: One who goes out for Jihad is like a person who keeps fasts, stands in prayer (constantly), (obeying) Allah's (behests contained in) the verses (of the Qur'an), and does not exhibit any lassitude in fasting and prayer until the Mujahid returns from Jihad in the way of Allah, the Exalted.

This tradition has been handed down through a different chain of transmitters.

As I was (sitting) near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a man said: I do not care if, after embracing Islam, I do not do any good deed (except) distributing drinking water among the pilgrims. Another said: I do not care if, after embracing Islam, I do not do any good deed beyond maintenance service to the Sacred Mosque. Another said: Jihad in the way of Allah is better than what you have said. 'Umar reprimanded them and said: Don't raise your voices near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on Friday. When prayer was over, I entered (the apartment of the Holy Prophet) and asked his verdict about the matter in which they had differed. (It was upon this that) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, revealed the Qur'anic verse:" Do you make the giving of drinking water to the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to (the service of those) who believe in Allah and the Last Day and strive hard in the cause of Allah. They are not equal in the sight of God. And Allah guides not the wrongdoing people" (ix. 20).

This tradition has been narrated on the authority of Nu'man b. Bashir through another chain of transmitters.

Leaving (for Jihad) in the way of Allah in the morning or in the evening (will merit a reward) better than the world and all that is in it.

The journey undertaken by a person in the morning (for Jihad) in the way of Allah (will merit a reward) better than the world and all that is in it.

A journey undertaken in the morning or evening (fond Jihad) in the way of Allah (will merit a reward) better than the world and all that is in it.

If some persons of my Umma (were not to undertake the hardships of Jihad), and he (Abu Huraira) then narrated the rest of the hadith and then said: A journey undertaken for jihad in the evening or morning merits a reward better than the world and all that is in it.

A journey undertaken in the morning or evening (for Jihad) in the way of Allah is better than (anything) on which the sun rises or sets.

This tradition has been narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyub through a different chain of transmitters having the same wording.

Abu Sa`id, whoever cheerfully accepts Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion and Muhammad as his Apostle is necessarily entitled to enter Paradise. He (Abu Sa`id) wondered at it and said: Messenger of Allah, repeat it for me. He (the Messenger of Allah) did that and said: There is another act which elevates the position of a man in Paradise to a grade one hundred (higher), and the elevation between one grade and the other is equal to the height of the heaven from the earth. He (Abu Sa`id) said: What is that act? He replied: Jihad in the way of Allah! Jihad in the way of Allah!

Messenger of Allah, do you think that if I am killed in the way of Allah, my sins will be blotted out from me? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes, in case you are killed in the way of Allah and you were patient and sincere and you always fought facing the enemy, never turming your back upon him. Then he added: What have you said (now)? (Wishing to have further assurance from him for his satisfaction), he asked (again): Do you think if I am killed in the way of Allah, all my sins will be obliterated from me? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Yes, it you were patient and sincere and always fought facing the enemy and never turning your back upon him, (all your lapses would be forgiven) except debt. Gabriel has told me this.

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was on the pulpit and said: Do you think if I am killed in the way of Allah... (except this difference in its beginning, the rest of the tradition is the same as the previous one).

" A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he was sitting on the pulpit.... He said: What do you find if I strike with the sword?" (The rest of the tradition is the same as the previous one.)

All the sins of a Shahid (martyr) are forgiven except debt.

Death in the way of Allah blots out everything except debt.

We asked 'Abdullah about the Qur'anic verse:" Think not of those who are slain in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.." (iii. 169). He said: We asked the meaning of the verse (from the Holy Prophet) who said: The souls, of the martyrs live in the bodies of green birds who have their nests in chandeliers hung from the throne of the Almighty. They eat the fruits of Paradise from wherever they like and then nestle in these chandeliers. Once their Lord cast a glance at them and said: Do ye want anything? They said: What more shall we desire? We eat the fruit of Paradise from wherever we like. Their Lord asked them the same question thrice. When they saw that they will continue to be asked and not left (without answering the question). they said: O Lord, we wish that Thou mayest return our souls to our bodies so that we may be slain in Thy way once again. When He (Allah) saw that they had no need, they were left (to their joy in heaven).

Who is the best of men? He replied: A man who fights in the way of Allah spending his wealth and staking his life. The man then asked: Who is next to him (in excellence)? He said: Next to him is a believer who lives in a mountain gorge worshipping hid Lord and sparing men from his mischief.

A man asked: Messenger of Allah, which of men is the best? He said: A believer who fights staking his life and spending his wealth in the way of Allah. He asked: Who is next to him (in excellence)? He said: Next to him is a man who lives an isolated life in a mountain gorge, worshipping his Lord and sparing men from his mischief.

A version of the tradition narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab has a little differently worded ending. i. e." A man in a mountain valley." but did not mention" next to him a man who...."

Of the men he lives the best life who holds the reins of his horse (ever ready to march) in the way of Allah, flies on its back whenever he hears a fearful shriek, or a call for help, flies to it seeking death at places where it can be expected. (Next to him) is a man who lives with his sheep at a hill-top or in a valley, says his prayers regularly, gives Zakat and worships his Lord until death comes to him. There is no better person among men except these two.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira with a slight variation of wording.

Two more versions of the tradition narrated by 'Abdullah b. Badr and Abu Huraira, respectively, have been handed down through different chains of transmitters with negligible difference in the wording.

God laughs at the two men both of whom will enter Paradise (though) one of them kills the other. They said: Messenger of Allah, how is it? He said: One of them fights in the way of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted. and dies a martyr. Then God turns in mercy to the murderer who embraces Islam, fights in the way of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, and dies a martyr.

The same tradition has been narrated on the authority of Abu Zinad (with the same chain of transmitters).

God laughs at the two men one of whom kills the other; both of them will enter Paradise. They (the Companions) said: How, Messenger of Allah? He said: One is slain (in the way of Allah) and enters Paradise. Then God forgives the other and guides him to Islam; then he fights in the way of Allah and dies a martyr.