ON THE VIRTUE OF JIHÂD

Allâh says:

“The true believers are they who believe in Allâh and in His Messenger, and thereafter have no doubt; and who fight in the cause of Allâh with their wealth and their lives. It is they who are the truthful ones.” (Sûrah al-Hujurât, 49: 15)

An-Nu‘mân ibn Bashîr narrates: I was sitting close to the pulpit of the Messenger of Allâh when a person said: “After embracing Islam, I will not be bothered about doing any good deed if I had the opportunity of merely providing water to the pilgrims.” Another person said: “After embracing Islam, I will not be bothered about doing any good deed if I had the opportunity of merely tending to the Sacred Musjid.” Another person said: “Jihâd is most certainly superior to whatever you’ll said.” ‘Umar [who was also sitting there] scolded them and said: “Do not raise your voices near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allâh . It is Friday today. When the Friday salâh is over, I will go to him and ask him about what you are differing in.” Allâh then revealed the following verse:

“Have you made the providing of drinking water to the pilgrims and the tending to the Sacred Musjid equal to the one who has conviction in Allâh, the last day, and who fought in the path of Allâh? They are not equal in the sight of Allâh. And Allâh does not guide the wrongdoing people.” (Sûrah at-Taubah, 9: 15)

‘Abdullâh ibn Salâm narrates: We, a group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allâh , were sitting and talking among our selves that if we knew which deeds were the most superior and most beloved in the sight of Allâh , we would carry them out. Allâh then revealed the following verses:

“Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allâh. He alone is mighty, wise. O believers! Why do you say what you do not do? It is most abhorrent in the sight of Allâh that you say what you do not do. Allâh loves those who fight in His cause in ranks as if they were a solid wall.” (Sûrah as-Saff, 61: 1-4)

The Messenger of Allâh then recited the above verses to us.

It is related that a man asked: “O Messenger of Allâh! Show me a deed that is equal to jihâd.” He replied: “I do not find any such deed.” He then said: “When the mujâhid leaves for jihâd, can you go into your musjid, offer salâh without stopping, and keep fast without breaking it?” The man replied: “Who can do that?”

Abû Hurayrah narrates: “One of the Companions of the Messenger of Allâh passed by a mountain pass wherein was a small pond of sweet water. He thought to himself saying: ‘It will be a good idea if I move away from the people and settle down in this mountain pass. However, I will not do this till I seek permission from the Messenger of Allâh .’ He then mentioned this to the Messenger of Allâh . He said to him: ‘Do not do that. Surely the rank of one of you in the cause of Allâh is superior to his salâh in his house for 70 years. Would you not like Allâh to forgive you and admit you into Paradise? Wage jihâd in the cause of Allâh. He who fights in the cause of Allâh to the extent of two milkings of a camel, [107] Paradise becomes incumbent on him.’”

If the Messenger of Allâh did not permit a senior Companion to remain aloof from people, despite his toiling in acts of worship and consuming all that is wholesome and lawful, and instead directed him to wage jihâd; how can it be permissible for us to abandon jihâd with our few acts of worship, our many sins, our consuming of things whose permissibility we do not even know about, and our corrupt devotions and intentions?!

The Messenger of Allâh said: “The similitude of a person waging jihâd in the cause of Allâh - and Allâh knows best who wages jihâd in His cause – is like that of a person who is perpetually fasting, who is perpetually standing submissively, bowing and prostrating in salâh.”

The Messenger of Allâh said: “He who is pleased with Allâh as his Sustainer, with Islam as his religion, and with Muhammad as his Messenger, Paradise is incumbent on him.” Abû Sa‘îd al-Khudrî was astonished at hearing this. So he said: “Repeat that to me, O Messenger of Allâh!” He repeated it to him and then said: “And there is another thing as well. If he does it, Allâh will elevate the person by 100 ranks. The distance between one rank and the other is like the distance between the heavens and the earth.” He asked: “What is that, O Messenger of Allâh?” He replied: “Waging jihâd in the cause of Allâh .”