Riyad us-Saliheen

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked, "Which deed is the best?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Faith in Allah and His Messenger." He (ﷺ) was asked, "What is next?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Jihad (holy fighting) in the Cause of Allah." Then he was asked: "What is after that (in goodness)?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Hajj Mabrur (which is accepted by Allah)."

Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Which action is dearest to Allah?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Performing As-Salat (the prayer) at its earliest fixed time." I asked, "What is next (in goodness)?" He (ﷺ) said, "Kindness towards parents." I asked, "What is next (in goodness)?" He (ﷺ) said, "To participate in Jihad in the Cause of Allah."

Abu Dharr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: "Which deed is the best?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Faith in Allah and Jihad (fighting, struggle) in the Cause of Allah."

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily! Setting out in the early morning or in the evening in order to fight in Allah's way is better than the world and what it contains."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, "Who is the best among men?" He (ﷺ) replied, "A believer who strives in the way of Allah with his wealth and life." The man asked again, "Who is next to him (in excellence)?" He (ﷺ) said, "Next to him is a man who is engaged in worshipping his Rubb in a mountain valley, leaving the people secure from his mischief."

Sahl bin Sa'd (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Observing Ribat (e.g., guarding the Islamic frontier for the sake of Allah) for a single day is far better than the world and all that it contains. A place in Jannah as small as the whip of your horse is far better than the world and all that it contains. An endeavour (fighting) in the Cause of Allah in the evening or in the morning is far better than the world and all that it contains."

Salman (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying, "Observing Ribat in the way of Allah for a day and a night is far better than observing Saum (fasting) for a whole month and standing in Salat (prayer) in all its nights. If a person dies (while performing this duty), he will go on receiving his reward for his meritorious deeds perpetually, and he will be saved from Al- Fattan."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever is wounded while fighting in the way of Allah, will come on the Day of Resurrection with blood oozing from his wound having the colour of blood but with the fragrance of musk."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked: "What other good deed could be an equivalent of Jihad in the way of Allah?" He (ﷺ) replied, "You do not have the strength to do it." (The narrator said:) The question was repeated twice or thrice, but every time he (ﷺ) answered, "You do not have the strength to do it." Then he (ﷺ) said, "One who goes out for Jihad in the Cause of Allah is like a person who observes Saum (fasting), stands in Salat (prayer) constantly, recites the Ayat of the Qur'an and does not exhibit any lassitude in fasting and prayer until the participant of Jihad in the way of Allah returns."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best life is that of the man who holds his horse's rein in Allah's way and flies on its back to the places from whence he hears a war cry or the clatter of arms, seeking martyrdom or slaughter on the battlefield; or that of a person who goes to stay on the top of the hill or in a valley, and there he performs Salat (prayer), pays the Zakat and worships his Rubb till death overtakes him. He has no concern with the affairs of anyone except the doing of good."

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "In Jannah there are a hundred grades which Allah has prepared for those who fight in His Cause; and the distance between any two of those grades is like the distance between the heaven and the earth."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If anyone is pleased with Allah as his Rubb, with Islam as his religion and with Muhammad (ﷺ) as (Allah's) Messenger, surely, he will be entitled to enter Jannah." Abu Sa'id was delighted with this and requested the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to repeat it. He (ﷺ) repeated it again and then said, "There is also another act by which Allah will elevate the position of a (pious believing) slave in Jannah to a grade one hundred degrees higher. And the distance between any two grades is equal to the distance between heaven and earth." He asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) what it was and he ((ﷺ)) replied, "Jihad in the way of Allah; Jihad in the way of Allah."

Abu Bakr bin Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari reported: I heard my father saying in the presence of the enemy: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The gates of Jannah are under the shades of the swords." A man with a shaggy appearance got up and said, "O Abu Musa! Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say that in person?" Abu Musa replied in the affirmative; so he returned to his companions and said: "I tender you farewell greetings." Then he broke the scabbard of his sword and threw it away. He rushed towards the enemy with his sword and fought with it till he was martyred..

Abu 'Abs 'Abdur-Rahman bin Jabr (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It will not happen that the feet soiled with dust while (doing Jihad) in the way of Allah, will be touched by the fire (of Hell)."

Zaid bin Khalid (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who equips a Ghazi (fighter) in the way of Allah is as if he has taken part in the fighting himself; and he who looks after the dependants of a Ghazi in his absence, is as if he has taken part in the fighting himself."

Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A young man from the Aslam tribe said: "O Messenger of Allah! I would very much like to fight in the way of Allah but I do not have anything with which to equip myself for fighting." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Go to so-and-so, for he had equipped himself (for fighting) but he fell ill." So, he (the young man) went to him and said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sends you his greetings and says that you should hand over to me the equipment that you have procured." The man said to his wife: "Give him the equipment which I have collected for myself and do not withhold anything from him. By Allah! Allah won't bless something you withheld (in this respect)."

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent an expedition to Banu Lahyan and said, "One man from every two should join the fighting force, and the reward will be shared amongst them equally.".Another narration in Muslim is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Let one of every two men go forth", and added: "Whoever stays behind (and looks well after the family and the property of those who have joined the expedition) will get half the reward of the warrior."

Al-Bara (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man equipped with arms came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Should I go and fight or should I embrace Islam first?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Enter in the fold of Islam and then fight." He embraced Islam and fought until he was killed. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He accepted Islam for a short time but was rewarded much."

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah forgives every sin of a martyr, except his debt.".Another narration in Muslim is: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Being martyred in the Cause of Allah expiates for everything, except debt."

Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up among his Companions and said, "Jihad in the way of Allah and belief in Allah (with all His Attributes) are the most meritorious of actions." A man stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Inform me if I am killed in the way of Allah, will my sins be blotted out?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Yes, in case you are killed in the way of Allah and you remained patient, hopeful of reward, and advancing forward without retracing back (i.e., while fighting)." Then he said, "What was your question?" He inquired again: "Inform me, if I am killed in the way of Allah, will all my sins be blotted out?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied, "If you remained patient, hopeful of reward and always fought without turning your back upon enemy, everything, except debt, will be forgiven. Jibril has told me this."