Welcome to Islam
Accept Islam for your salvation
Live according to Islam for your spiritual progress
may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him
Jihad: Battle Against non-believers
The thirst for martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him)
Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying: "By Him in whose hand my soul is, were it not that men among the believers are not satisfied with remaining behind me when I cannot get mounts for them, I would not stay behind when an expedition goes out in Allah's path. By Him in whose hand my soul is, I wish I could be killed in Allah's path and brought to life, then be killed and brought to life, then be killed and brought to life, then be killed ." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The rewards of a martyr
Hadrat Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "No one is wounded in Allah's path, and Allah knows best those who are wounded in His path, without coming on the Day of Resurrection with his wound spouting blood, the colour being that of blood but the fragrance that of musk." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "No one who enters Paradise will want to return to the world and have anything in the earth except the martyrdom. He will wish to return to the world and be killed ten times because of the honour he sees (in being a martyr)" (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadrat Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) got up among them and mentioned to them that jihad in Allah's path and faith in Allah are the most excellent works. A man rose and asked, "Tell me, Messenger of Allah, if I am killed in Allah's path, will my sins be covered up?" He replied, "Yes, if you are killed in Allah's path while showing endurance, seeking your reward from Allah, advancing and not retreating." Then Allah's Messenger asked, "What did you say?" He replied, "Tell me, if I am killed in Allah's path, will my sins be covered up?" Allah's Messenger said, "Yes, while you are showing endurance, seeking your reward from Allah, advancing and not retreating; but this does not include a debt, for Gabriel told me that. (Muslim)
The reward of helping in Jihad
Hadrat Zayd bin Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "He who equips a fighter in Allah's path has taken part in the fighting, and he who looks after a fighter's family when he is away has taken part in the fighting." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadrat Khuraym bin Fatik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "If anyone makes a contribution towards Allah's path, seven hundred times as much will be recorded to his credit." (Tirmidhi and an-Nasai)
Hadrat 'AbdAllah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "There are two eyes which will never be touched by hell; an eye which weeps from fear of Allah and an eye which spends the night on guard in Allah's path." (Tirmidhi)
The Most Excellent Jihad
Hadrat 'Abdallah bin Hubshi (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was asked which deed was most excellent and he replied, "Standing long in Prayer." He was asked what sadaqa (charity) was most excellent and he replied, "The effort of one who possesses little." He was asked which hijra (migration) was most excellent and he replied, "That of the one who abandons what Allah has prohibited." He was asked which jihad was most excellent and he replied, "That of the one who strikes against the polytheists with his property and his person." He was asked what manner of being killed was most honourable and he replied, "That of the one whose blood is shed and whose steed is wounded." (Abu Dawud)
Instructions of Prophet Muhammad to army commanders
It has been reported by Sulayman bin Burayd through his father: "Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) appointed a commander over an army or detachment, he enjoined upon him to fear Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) regarding himself and regarding the treatment of the Muslims who accompanied him. Then he used to say: "Fight with the name of Allah and in the path of Allah. Combat those who disbelieve in Allah. Fight, yet do not cheat, do not break trust, do not mutilate, do not kill minors.
"If you encounter an enemy from among the Associators (polytheists), then offer them three alternatives. Whichever of these they may accept, agree to it and withhold yourself from them:
"So call them to embrace Islam. If they accept, then agree to it and withhold yourself from them. Then ask them to quit their territory in order to immigrate into the territory of the migrants (that is, the Muslim State), and inform them that if they do that they will have the same rights as the migrants and the same obligations as they. If they refuse to migrate, then inform them that they will be considered as bedouin (nomadic) Muslims, the same Divine laws being obligatory on them as on other Believers, except that they will not benefit by booty and other State income unless they join forces and fight along with the Muslims.
"If, however, they refuse, then call them to pay the jizyah (protection-tax). If they accept, then agree to it and withhold yourself from them.
"If they refuse, then seek help from Allah and combat them. "If you besiege the people of a fortress and they agree to submit on the condition that you assure them by the pledge of Allah (The Glorified and The Exalted) and the pledge of His Prophet, then do not do that; but assure them by you own pledge and the pledge of your companions. For it is much less serious if you violate the pledge of yours and of your companions than the pledge of Allah and that of His Messenger. (Muslim)
Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says that before sending any expedition, Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) used to advise the forces thus: "Go in the name of Allah, buttressed with His assistance and following the religion of His Messenger. Beware! Do not kill the old and the feeble, the children or women; commit no excesses in the matter of spoils, but pool them faithfully, keep concord amongst yourselves and behave gently with one another, for Allah likes those who act upright." (Abu Dawud)
Types of martyrs
Sa'id bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "He who is killed in defense of his religion is a martyr, he who is killed in self-defense is a martyr, he who is killed in defense of his property is a martyr, and he who is killed in defense of his family is a martyr." (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i)
Hadrat Jabir bin 'Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) as saying, "There are seven types of martyrdom apart from being killed in Allah's path. Those who die of plague, those who are drowned, those who die of pleurisy, those who die of an internal complaint, those who are burnt to death, those who are killed by a building falling on them, and women who die while pregnant are martyrs." (Malik, Abu Dawud and an-Nasa'i)