Virtue and Excellence of Serving in the Army

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي السَّيْفِ وَ تَحْتَ ظِلِّ السَّيْفِ وَ لَا يُقِيمُ النَّاسَ إِلَّا السَّيْفُ وَ السُّيُوفُ مَقَالِيدُ الْجَنَّةِ وَ النَّارِ[1].

1. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ‘Umar ibn Aban from abu ‘Abd Allah ‘Alayhi al-Salam, who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘All good things are with the sword, under the shadow (protection) of sword and people cannot be improved without

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لِلْجَنَّةِ بَابٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ بَابُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ يَمْضُونَ إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ مَفْتُوحٌ وَ هُمْ مُتَقَلِّدُونَ بِسُيُوفِهِمْ وَ الْجَمْعُ فِي الْمَوْقِفِ‌[2] وَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ تُرَحِّبُ بِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ فَمَنْ تَرَكَ الْجِهَادَ أَلْبَسَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ذُلًّا وَ فَقْراً فِي مَعِيشَتِهِ وَ مَحْقاً فِي دِينِهِ‌[3] إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَغْنَى أُمَّتِي بِسَنَابِكِ خَيْل

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father, from al-Nawfaliy from al-Sakuniy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘In paradise there is a door which is called ‘the door of people serving in the army’. They walk to it and it is open and they h

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ خُيُولُ الْغُزَاةِ فِي الدُّنْيَا خُيُولُهُمْ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ إِنَّ أَرْدِيَةَ الْغُزَاةِ لَسُيُوفُهُمْ وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص أَخْبَرَنِي جَبْرَئِيلُ ع بِأَمْرٍ قَرَّتْ بِهِ عَيْنِي وَ فَرِحَ بِهِ قَلْبِي قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَنْ غَزَا مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأَصَابَهُ قَطْرَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَوْ صُدَاعٌ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ شَهَادَةً.

3. Through the chains of his narrator Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated the following: “The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has said, ‘The horses of the people serving in the army are their horses in paradise, and the gowns of the fighters fo

كَتَبَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي رِسَالَةٍ إِلَى بَعْضِ خُلَفَاءِ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ وَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا ضَيَّعَ الْجِهَادَ الَّذِي فَضَّلَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى الْأَعْمَالِ وَ فَضَّلَ عَامِلَهُ عَلَى الْعُمَّالِ تَفْضِيلًا فِي الدَّرَجَاتِ وَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ وَ الرَّحْمَةِ لِأَنَّهُ ظَهَرَ بِهِ الدِّينُ وَ بِهِ يُدْفَعُ عَنِ الدِّينِ وَ بِهِ اشْتَرَى اللَّهُ‌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ أَمْوالَهُمْ‌ بِالْجَن

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), once wrote in a letter to a certain individual of the Amawide rulers the following: “Of his neglectfulness one example is his disregard of the duty of Jihad (serving in the army) which Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has given preference over all other good deeds. He (Allah) has given p

الْجِهَادُ أَفْضَلُ الْأَشْيَاءِ بَعْدَ الْفَرَائِضِ‌[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Jihad (serving in the army) is the most virtuous task except obligatory (prayers) matters.”

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ‌ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ الْجِهَادَ بَابٌ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَحَهُ اللَّهُ لِخَاصَّةِ أَوْلِيَائِهِ وَ سَوَّغَهُمْ كَرَامَةً مِنْهُ لَهُمْ وَ نِعْمَةٌ ذَخَرَهَا وَ الْجِهَادُ هُوَ لِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى وَ دِرْعُ اللَّهِ الْحَصِينَةُ وَ جُنَّتُهُ الْوَثِيقَةُ[2] فَمَنْ تَرَكَهُ رَغْبَةً عَنْهُ أَلْبَسَهُ اللَّهُ ثَوْبَ الذُّلِّ وَ شَمِلَهُ الْبَلَاءُ[3] وَ ف

“Thereafter, you must take notice that Jihad (serving in the army) is one of the doors to paradise. Allah has opened it for His special friends whom He has made to deserve it through His generosity toward them and a bounty, which He has stored. Jihad is the garment of piety and it is Allah’s invincible gown and strong

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بَعَثَ رَسُولَهُ- بِالْإِسْلَامِ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يَقْبَلُوا حَتَّى أَمَرَهُ بِالْقِتَالِ فَالْخَيْرُ فِي السَّيْفِ وَ تَحْتَ السَّيْفِ وَ الْأَمْرُ يَعُودُ كَمَا بَدَأَ[1].

Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, sent His Messenger with al-Islam to people. For ten years no one accepted al-Islam. Thereafter He commanded him to fight back. Goodness is with the sword and under the sword. The matter one day will return to how it was in the beginning (

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ إِنَّ جَبْرَئِيلَ أَخْبَرَنِي بِأَمْرٍ قَرَّتْ بِهِ عَيْنِي وَ فَرِحَ‌[1] بِهِ قَلْبِي قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَنْ غَزَا غَزَاةً فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أُمَّتِكَ فَمَا أَصَابَهُ قَطْرَةٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَوْ صُدَاعٌ إِلَّا كَانَتْ لَهُ شَهَادَةً- يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

Jibril informed me of something and it brought delightfulness to my eyes and happiness to my heart. He said, “O Muhammad, anyone of your followers who fights the enemy for the cause of Allah, even if a drop of rain falls on him from the sky or he experiences a headache, he will, on the Day of Judgment, receive for it a

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ مَنْ بَلَّغَ رِسَالَةَ غَازٍ كَانَ كَمَنْ أَعْتَقَ رَقَبَةً وَ هُوَ شَرِيكُهُ فِي ثَوَابِ غَزْوَتِهِ.

“One who conveys the message of a fighter for the cause of Allah receives a reward equal to freeing a slave and he will have a share in the reward for his fighting for the cause of Allah in battle..”

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ مَنِ اغْتَابَ مُؤْمِناً غَازِياً أَوْ آذَاهُ أَوْ خَلَفَهُ فِي أَهْلِهِ بِسُوءٍ نُصِبَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَسْتَغْرِقُ حَسَنَاتِهِ ثُمَّ يُرْكَسُ فِي النَّارِ إِذَا كَانَ الْغَازِي فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌[2].

“If one back-bites a believing person who is fighting for the cause of Allah or troubles the fighter’s family in his absence by evil manners, he will, on the Day of Judgment, be brought to justice. All of his good deeds will become invalid and he will then be sent into hell, if the fighter has fought in obedience to Al

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَرَضَ الْجِهَادَ وَ عَظَّمَهُ وَ جَعَلَهُ نَصْرَهُ وَ نَاصِرَهُ وَ اللَّهِ مَا صَلَحَتْ دُنْيَا وَ لَا دِينٌ إِلَّا بِهِ.

11. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn Mahbub in a marfu’ the following: “Amir al-Mu’minin, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has made Jihad obligatory, considered it great and has made it His victory (support) and supporter. By Allah, the worldly affairs as we

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص‌ اغْزُوا تُورِثُوا أَبْنَاءَكُمْ مَجْداً.

‘Fight (for the cause of Allah) and leave glory as your legacy for your children.’”

أَنَّ أَبَا دُجَانَةَ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ اعْتَمَّ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ بِعِمَامَةٍ لَهُ وَ أَرْخَى عَذَبَةَ الْعِمَامَةِ[3] بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهِ حَتَّى جَعَلَ يَتَبَخْتَرُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِنَّ هَذِهِ لَمِشْيَةٌ يُبْغِضُهَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الْقِتَالِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ.

“On the day of ‘Uhud, abu Dujanah al-Ansariy wore his turban and left one end hanging between his shoulders on his back and began walking as if puffed up with pride. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘This is a kind of walking that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, dislikes very much except during fighting for th

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ جَاهِدُوا تَغْنَمُوا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah has said, ‘You must do Jihad; you will benefit.’”

الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي السَّيْفِ وَ تَحْتَ السَّيْفِ وَ فِي ظِلِّ السَّيْفِ قَالَ وَ سَمِعْتُهُ‌ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّ الْخَيْرِ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِي الْخَيْلِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ[1].

“All goodness is in the sword, under the sword and under the shadow of the sword.” “I heard him saying, ‘Goodness, all of it, is tied to the forehead of the horses (and it remains so) up to the Day of Judgment (horses of the fighters for the cause of Allah).”’