Book Eleven: The Book of Jihad:- Chapter 234 - Obligation of Jihad

Uqbah bin `Amir Al-Juhani reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah 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].


Commentary: This Hadith also highlights the importance and merit of preparation for war against the enemy. Arrow has been used here as a symbol. In modern times, a Muslim who manufactures war weapons with the intention that he will use them for Jihad, will get a reward for it along with all those who in some way co-operate with him in manufacturing them. Instead of archery and horse-riding, Muslims should now get the training of handling modern military weapons and they should beware of forgetting it because if they forget after learning it, the warning contained in this Hadith will also apply to them.

Salamah bin Al-Akwa reported: The Prophet happened to pass by a group of people who were having a shooting match. (Upon seeing them, he ) said,

"Shoot, O sons of (Prophet) Isma`il, for your father was an archer.'' [Al-Bukhari].


Commentary: Arabs are also called Banu Ismail because they are the descendants of Prophet Ibrahim's son, Ismail . This is the reason that Prophet Ibrahim   is reckoned an ancestor of the Prophet for his being his descendant.

Amr bin `Abasah reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah 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].

Abu Yahya Khuraim bin Fatik reported: The Messenger of Allah said,

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

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah 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].


Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. The above mentioned Ahadith give the glad tidings to those who spend in the way of Allah and strive in His Cause. This means that every endeavour in the Jihad has truthful reward.

Abu Umamah reported: The Prophet 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].

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah 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].


Commentary: It is a different matter that one may not get a chance to take part in Jihad, but it would be a hypocritical attitude if one does not ever think that if an opportunity ever comes in his way, he will certainly go for Jihad in the way of Allah against the infidels. The reason to that is that, to stay back at home at the time of Jihad was a habit of the hypocrites. In the light of this, Imam Al-Qurtubi has stated the principle that if one is not capable of doing some virtuous deeds, he should then make a resolve that whenever he will be capable of it, he will do that deed, so that his intention takes the place of his act. He who neither performs a good deed nor aspires for it, has a hypocritical disposition. This is specially true of a Muslim who does not even aspire to take part in Jihad. Such a Muslim develops a resemblance with hypocrites.

Jabir reported: We accompanied the Prophet in an expedition when he 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].


Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned, and we learn from it that a person who does not have the energy to take part in Jihad, his sincere intention to spend his wealth in the way of Allah and to lay down his life for His sake is enough for him, because by virtue of his intention, he will share the reward of Jihad with the Mujahidun.

Abu Musa reported: A bedouin came to the Prophet 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 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].


Commentary: We learn from this Hadith that one who fights for any worldly interest is not a Mujahid. Only he is a Mujahid who fights for the religion of Allah and to win His Pleasure alone.

Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As (Radhi Allahu Huma) reported: The Messenger of Allah 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].


Commentary: This Hadith means that the Mujahidun who return safe and sound from the battlefield and get their share of booty are inferior in reward to those who are martyred or wounded in Jihad and do not get any share from the booty. We have a saying of the Companions of the Prophet that "Many of us passed away and were martyred in such a situation that they did not get in this world any share from their reward, but there are many others whose fruits have ripened and they are picking them.''

Abu Umamah reported: A man sought permission from the Messenger of Allah to travel in the land. He said to him,

"Travel for my people is Jihad in the Cause of Allah, glory be to Him.'' [Abu Dawud].


Commentary: This Hadith does not mean that touring the world is prohibited in Islam. What this Hadith really means is that when the situation calls for Jihad then the foremost priority of a Muslim should be Jihad. In such an event his passion for touring the world should yield to the spirit of Jihad against the infidels and then he must with his full force fight against the enemy. Tourism for the fun of it is disliked by Islam. However, if the purpose of touring the world is to witness the Signs of Allah, sad end of heretic communities, realities and secrets of the universe to gain knowledge of Allah's, creations, then touring is both praiseworthy and desirable, and this reason has been stressed in the Noble Qur'an at many places.

Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As (Radhi Allahu Huma) reported: The Prophet said,

"The return from an expedition is an act as meritorious as fighting.'' [Abu Dawud].


Commentary: When a Mujahid returns from the battlefield, he gets reward at that also, because there he attends the duties which are devolved on him by his family. Moreover, after his return, he again starts full preparation for going to Jihad again, collects arms for this purpose and recuperates his energy. Thus, so far his intention and readiness are concerned, he is in a state of Jihad even when he is at home and he will be entitled to reward which is due on Jihad.

As-Sa'ib bin Yazid reported: When the Prophet returned from the battle of Tabuk, people went out from Al-Madinah to meet him and I also met him with other children at Thaniyahtul-Wada`. [Abu Dawud].


Commentary: There is justification for the reception of those who return from Jihad, but it should be without any formality and expense. The fashion now in vogue for reception on such occasions is that people are induced to make illumination, decoration, display fireworks, let off guns and other similar useless things, and national wealth is rashly spent on them. Such things are forbidden by Islam and also go against the interests of the nation and the country. Instead of wasting wealth on such useless things, it should be spent on things which are beneficial to the country and the nation.

Abu Umamah reported: The Prophet 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].


Commentary: This Hadith means that one who neither takes part in Jihad nor provides arms to a Mujahid nor looks after the families of the Mujahidun during their absence, is guilty of crimes for which he is punished in this world by Allah. It is, therefore, the duty of the Muslim Ummah that it should in no way neglect the obligation of Jihad and all its requirements; otherwise it will suffer punishment in this world and in the next.

Anas reported: The Prophet said,

"Fight the polytheists with your wealth, lives and tongues.'' [Abu Dawud].


Commentary: This Hadith mentions three categories of Jihad, namely Jihad with wealth, Jihad with one's life and Jihad by speech. One should make Jihad as is warranted by the situation one is confronted with. That is, where a Muslim is required to sacrifice his life, he must sacrifice his life; where he is required to sacrifice his wealth, he should spend wealth; and where he is required to make Jihad by means of his speech, he should do it by speech. One should not hesitate to spend for the sake of Allah what is required by the situation.

An-Nu`man bin Muqarrin reported: I was with the Messenger of Allah 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].


Commentary: We learn from this Hadith that war should either be started early in the morning or in the afternoon when the sun begins to decline. The reason behind this is that a Muslim is fresh in the early morning while the enemy is generally careless. In the latter case, if war is started when sun begins to decline, every kind of movement becomes easy and the help from Allah also descends at that time. This is the significance of starting war at these times.

Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah 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].


Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. See Hadith No. 1325 and its commentary.

Abu Hurairah and Jabir (Radhi Allahu Huma) reported: The Prophet said,

"War is deception.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].


Commentary: "Khad'ah'' means deception, i.e., employing a strategy which causes misunderstanding to the enemy, and one's real intent does not become evident to them. This is permissible in Islam in the state of war. The Ahadith mentioned in this chapter make the importance of Jihad and the reason for so much stress on it abundantly clear. These also show how great a crime it is to ignore it. It is very unfortunate indeed that present-day Muslims are guilty of renouncing Jihad in every part of the world. May Allah help us to overcome this negligence.