Abu Hurairah · The Chapters on Jihad

“Whoever equips a warrior in the cause of Allah, he will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the warrior’s reward in the slightest.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘For guarding the frontier for a day in the cause of Allah, defending the Muslims, seeking reward, apart from in the month of Ramadan, there is a reward granted greater than worshipping for a hundred years, fasting and praying. Guarding the frontier for a day in the cause of Allah, defending the Muslims, seeking reward, in the month of Ramadan, is better before Allah and brings a greater reward” – I think he said…

I heard Anas bin Malik saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “Standing guard one night in the cause of Allah is better than a man fasting and praying, among his family, for a thousand years. The year is three hundred and sixty days and a day is like a thousand years.”

“He was the best of people, the most generous of people, the most courageous of people. The people of Al-Madinah became alarmed one night, and he was the first of them to investigate the noise and din. He was riding a horse belonging to Abu Talhah, bareback, with no saddle. His sword was hanging from his neck and he was saying: ‘O people, do not be afraid,’ sending them back to their houses. Then he said of the horse, ‘We…

“The dust (of Jihad) in the cause of Allah and the smoke of Hell will never be combined in the interior of a Muslim.”

“The horizons will be opened to you, and you will conquer a city called Qazvin. Whoever is stationed there for forty days or forty nights, will have pillars of gold in Paradise, with green chrysolite and topped by a dome of rubies. It will have seventy thousand doors, at each door will be a wife from among the wide-eyed houris.’”

“I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I want to go for Jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allah and the Hereafter.’ He said: ‘Woe to you! Is your mother still alive?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Go back and honor her.’ Then I approached him from the other side and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I want to go for Jihad with you, seeking thereby the Face of Allah and…

“Mention of the martyrs was made in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said: ‘The earth does not dry of the blood of the martyr until his two wives rush to him like two wet nurses who lost their young ones in a stretch of barren land, and in the hand of each one of them will be a Hullah* that is better than this world and everything in it.’”

“The martyr has six things (in store) with Allah: He is forgiven from the first drop of his blood that is shed; he is shown his place in Paradise; he is spared the torment of the grave; he is kept safe from the Great Fright; he is adorned with a garment of faith; he is married to (wives) from among the wide-eyed houris; and he is permitted to intercede for seventy of his relatives.”

“When ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Haram was killed, on the Day of Uhud, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘O Jabir, shall I not tell you what Allah said to your father?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Allah does not speak to anyone except from behind a screen, but He spoke to your father face to face and said: “O My slave, ask Me and I shall give you.” He said: “O my Lord, bring me back to life so…

“We hoped that when he died it would be as a martyr in the cause of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “In that case the martyrs of my nation would be few. Being killed in the cause of Allah is martyrdom; dying of the plague is martyrdom; when a pregnant woman dies in childbirth that is martyrdom; and dying of drowning, or burning, or of pleurisy, is martyrdom.”

It was narrated from Sa’ib bin Yazid, if Allah wills, that the Prophet (ﷺ) wore two coats of mail on the Day of Uhud, one over the other.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had an Arabian bow in his hand, and he saw a man who had a Persian bow in his hand. He said: ‘What is this? Throw it away. You should use this and others like it, and Qana* spears. Perhaps Allah will support His religion thereby and enable you to conquer lands.’”

“I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Can we cook in the vessels of the idolaters?’ He said: ‘Do not cook in them.’ I said: ‘What if we need them and cannot find anything else?’ He said: ‘Wash them well, then cook and eat.’”

“I fought a man and killed him, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) awarded me his spoils.”

“I fought alongside the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in seven campaigns, looking after their goods, making food for them, tending the wounded and looking after the sick.”

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us in a military detachment and said: ‘Go in the Name of Allah, and in the cause of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Do not mutilate, do not be treacherous, do not steal from the spoils of war, and do not kill children.’”

“A slave came and gave his pledge to the Prophet (ﷺ), pledging to emigrate, and the Prophet (ﷺ) did not realize that he was a slave. Then his master came looking for him, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said: ‘Sell him to me,’ and he brought him in exchange for two black slaves. Then after that he did not accept the pledge from anyone until he had asked whether he was a slave.”

“The affairs of the Children of Israel were administered by their Prophets. Every time a Prophet left, he was followed by another, but there will be no Prophet among you after I am gone.” They said: “What will happen, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “There will be caliphs and there will be many of them.” They said: “What should we do?” He said: “Fulfill your pledge to the first one, then the one who comes after him, and do…

“There should be no prizes for racing except races with camels and horses.”