وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَعْمَرٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ مَنْزِلاً رَجُلٌ آخِذٌ بِعِنَانِ فَرَسِهِ يُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِخَيْرِ النَّاسِ مَنْزِلاً بَعْدَهُ رَجُلٌ مُعْتَزِلٌ فِي غُنَيْمَتِهِ يُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ وَيَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ لاَ يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا " .Abdullah bin Abdulrahman bin Maamar Al-Ansari told me about Aata’a bin Yasa’ar said that the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, “Shall I tell you who is the best of you amongst the people in grades?” “A man who directs his horse for jihad in the way of Allah.” “And do you want me to tell you who is the best of the people after this?” “A man who takes his sheep and stands for prayer and gives charity (zakat) and worships Allah and doesn’t associate with him in anything.”
This hadith gives us an amazing amount of insight into the character we should attempt to build as Muslims. There are two distinct personality types mentioned here by the Prophet (saws) and classified as the best types of character: 1) the one who uses his life in order to obtain victory for Islam and 2) the one that seeks to avoid mischief and error in the way of Allah and rather retreats to the mountain path to fulfill the purpose of ibadallah, worship of Allah (swt).
The general lesson from this hadith recorded in Muwatta is the fact that the one striving in the way of Allah holds a higher station as far as Allah (swt) is concerned. For this the Messenger (saws) used the phrase, akhada bi3naani farasihi, meaning directs his horse in jihad for the sake of Allah (swt). The verb akhada here means ‘to take deliberate hold of’, the noun 3ana is ‘the bridle of the horse’s mouth’ and farasihi means ‘his horse’. The Messenger (saws) is commenting on the courage, effort, and sacrifice it takes to direct one’s life towards a path of jihad and struggle for the sake of Allah (swt). It is indeed a struggle that requires much preparation and a conscious effort of putting an intentional focus on steering one’s life path down a road of sacrifice in order to make Allah’s Word superior. We must remember that jihad in Islam is not limited to fighting with weapons and in warfare but also includes the struggles that are associated with the pen and politics in seeking to attain liberation from the institutions of domaintion that coincide with systems of kufr and disbelief. The Prophet (saws) said, the most righteous jihad is to speak the truth to the face of the tyrannical ruler and "Strive (jahidu) against the disbelievers with your hands and tongues." (Sahih Ibn Hibban #4708)
Both people are looked upon highly in this hadith, but the mujahhid is given a higher degree because it is harder to operate against the deceptive reality and coldness of the dunya and to encounter the risks and sacrifice necessary to race into an encounter with disbelief and all of the ways the allies of the shaytan portray themselves as more powerful than the believer. The mujahhid must fulfill the obligation of worship upon him and find the time and energy to put forth effort in the way of Allah. He must give up and sacrifice some of the pleasures of the world as this is a given in calling to Allah (swt) with sword, wealth or tongue in that there will definitely be sacrifices that must be made along the way.
As we know from the stories of the Prophet’s victory is limited and often only comes after a series of mountainous tests and obstacles, many of which place the believer in the difficult position of coming into contact with death, worldly sacrifice, and compromise all of which make the effort exhausted and futile in the event that final tests are failed. This is explained wonderfully in the tafsir of 2:195, the ayah that is used today to refer and allegedly refute martyrdom operations as suicide mission:
Allah (swt) says, “And spend in the cause of Allah and do not throw yourselves into destruction” But Allamah Ibn Kathir (ra) reports that Aslam Abu `Imran said, "A man from among the Ansar broke enemy (Byzantine) lines in Constantinople (Istanbul). Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari was with us then. So some people said, `He is throwing himself to destruction.' Abu Ayyub said, `We know this Ayah (2:195) better, for it was revealed about us, the Companions of Allah's Messenger who participated in Jihad with him and aided and supported him. When Islam became strong, we, the Ansar, met and said to each other, `Allah has honored us by being the Companions of His Prophet and in supporting him until Islam became victorious and its following increased. We had before ignored the needs of our families, estates and children. Warfare has ceased, so let us go back to our families and children and attend to them.' So this Ayah was revealed about us:
[وَأَنفِقُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلاَ تُلْقُواْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ]
(And spend in the cause of Allah and do not throw yourselves into destruction.)
The destruction refers to staying with our families and estates and abandoning Jihad'.'' Thus, even after a life of sacrifice and victory the sahaba were nearly destroyed by becoming content and ambitious to return to the pleasures they originally gave up in order to go out in the way of Allah (swt). While the hadith mentions the merit of seeking jihad, there are risks involved, and so therefore the Messenger (saws) mentioned the high station of the one that seeks to avoid failure in the way of Allah (swt) in place of retreat.
However, we should be careful to consider the Prophet (saws) mentioning two distinct persons entails that the positive qualities associated with them are mutually exclusive and that we must adopt either an aggressive character calling to and struggling with jihad or a silent and pious character modeled on the one that takes to the mountain path. Instead, both the pious worship of the mu’min and the dedicated and passionate vigor of the mujahhid are commended; the difference is in the grades they sit in the eyes of Allah (swt).
We see a similar example in the Quran where Allah says, “but the men have a degree over them (women) 2:228; the Arabic word for degree is ‘darajaat’ and means ‘level’ but does not imply inferiority. Allah is not saying that man is superior to woman as some in the West suggest when they use this verse to point to their belief that Islam degrades women. Instead both righteous man and righteous woman are applauded throughout the Quran but here Allah is suggesting that because man has more burden and responsibility as caretaker over woman, He (swt) has granted them a degree of authority over them. In no way shape or form is this meant to belittle women generally.
The same is true of the hadith. Making jihad in the way of Allah is one of the most trying obstacles a believer faces. Allah (swt) says,
Those who believed and emigrated and strove hard and fought in the way of Allah with their wealth and lives are far higher in degree with Allah. (9:20)
Again, the word Allah chooses in this ayah is ‘darajaat’ for degree but Allah attaches the word ‘Adheem’ (highness) to signify that their difference to believers that do not go out is great indeed. This emphasis is an important distinction to note.
It is recorded elsewhere from Abu Hurrariya that the Prophet (saws) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger, performs the salat, and observes saum during the month of Ramadan, then it will be a promise binding upon Allah to admit him to the paradise no matter whether he fights in the way of Allah or remains in the land where he is born. The people said, “Shall we inform the people of this good news?” He said, “Paradise has 100 hundred degrees which Allah has reserved for the mujahideen who fight in His cause, and the distance between each of the two grades is like the distance between the heavens and the Earth. So when you ask Allah , ask for ‘Firdaus’ (which is the middle and highest part of paradise (Buckhari Vol. 4 Hadith #48).
Also it is reported from Abu Hurrairiya that the Messenger (saws) said, “By Him in whose Hands is my life! Were it not for some men amongst the believers who dislike to be left behind me, and whom I cannot provide with means of conveyance, I would certainly never remain behind any unit going out for Jihad in Allah’s way. By Him in whose Hands my life is! I would love to be martyred in Allah’s cause and then come back to life, and then get martyred and then come back to life again, and then get martyred and then come back to life again, and then get martyred. (Buckhari, Vol. 4, Hadith #54)
It is apparent from the hadith that the one waging jihad for the sake of Allah (swt) is a degree above the one that relies solely on his worship to please Allah, but understanding this hadith to represent an excuse from devoting one’s life in Allah’s way and the fact that the one refraining from the jihad can point to this hadith as an excuse for not sacrificing in the way of Allah would be a mistake. We live in a situation where jihad is fard al ayn (incumbent on us all) as the entire Muslim world is under occupation. Thus it is imperative that we not sit idle and silent upon the mountain path while the Muslim ummah suffers a collective defeat. We know of the story of the man who was praying but not commanding good and forbidding evil and that when Allah (swt) sent for the town’s destruction he ordered him to be destroyed first for his silence. Thus if one is engaged with society it is an important reality that they must not just sit idly by and excuse themselves from action, pointing to the second character reported from the Prophet (saws) here.
The hadith records that the second best man is “A man who takes his sheep.” The Arabic word for sheep here is Ghuneema. Had the Prophet (saws) pronounced the word with a fattha (aa) rather than a dhumma (uu) and said ghaneema, he would have been saying, the second best from amongst you is a man that takes his war booty from jihad (ghaneemah) and stands for prayer and gives charity (zakat) and worships Allah and doesn’t associate with him in anything.” This is because the root of ghuneema is Ghayn- Nun – Mim which means riches and worldly wealth. So, the one that leaves the worldly wealth to engage in worship is righteous as well. This completely shatters the mentality of those that do not leave off the dunya in the manner they leave off the jihad and sacrificing with life and wealth in the way of jihad. If one wants to only engage in worship he must also separate his self from the society and retire to the mountain path. This character is not fulfilled when someone keeps his individual worship but sits around silent while Allah’s religion and shariah are disregarded and the people walk blindly in disregard.
Truly this complacent and lethargic attitude and constant referencing of hadith like these is from the most important manifestations of irja affecting the ummah today. Irjah means to put off linguistically and has come to represent a certain fiqr (idea) that iman is belief in the heart only and not consisting of emotion, speech and action. Those that put off the jihad are truly throwing themselves in destruction. So we see from this hadith that it seems to represent an escape clause, but the reality is that it is a call for the true believer to seek the highest grade with Allah, and to incorporate the mannerisms and character associated with both persons. We should strive to be one that is able to strive in the way of Allah (swt) and simultaneously incorporate an emphasis on ibadaa giving up our worldly desires and taking refuge in worship of our Lord, the Majestic. The shahadaa demands much more than living the good life. When we look at the proceeding hadith included by Imam Malik in Muwatta’s Kitaab al-jihad we see that the bayaah to Islam commands effort in the way of Allah. It reports that,
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ بَايَعْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى السَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ فِي الْيُسْرِ وَالْعُسْرِ وَالْمَنْشَطِ وَالْمَكْرَهِ وَأَنْ لاَ نُنَازِعَ الأَمْرَ أَهْلَهُ وَأَنْ نَقُولَ أَوْ نَقُومَ بِالْحَقِّ حَيْثُمَا كُنَّا لاَ نَخَافُ فِي اللَّهِ لَوْمَةَ لاَئِمٍ .
Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, ''Ubada ibn al-Walid ibn Ubada ibn as-Samit informed me from his father that his grandfather (Ubada) said, 'We made a contract with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to hear and obey in ease and hardship, enthusiasm and reluctance, and not to dispute with people in authority and to speak or establish the truth wherever we were without worrying about criticism.'"
These conditions are incumbent on us and can hardly be realized in this era where the whole world has gathered against Islam and Muslims without devoting every step of our lives in the way of Allah (swt). As long as we are engaged with people, no matter where we live we must seek to struggle in the way of Allah. We must make a conscious effort to steer our lives in the direction of sacrifice and devote time to fulfill the obligation of engaging in efforts that may make Allah’s word superior. This can be achieved in many ways, but sitting silent whilst knowing the truth is not an option.
Allah admonishes Muslims in the Qur'an:And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: 'Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You, one who will protect; and raise for us from You, one who will help'. 4:75
Today, nearly every state and thus every individual seeks to oppress and prevent those calling for complete Islam from rising to a state of liberation from the systems of kufr. Increasingly Muslims are rising in every community to encounter the oppression, lies, and deception of the local tawagheet. As more do so we can be assured that the slumber of Islam will surely be lifted. Every Muslim should take the reins of direction in his or her life and ask Allah (swt) to put them on the path of struggle in His way. Allah has power to do all things and there is nothing more rewarding than feeling as if you are moving in a motion conducive to wresting free from the satanic grips that have put this ummah asleep for far too long. Everything in Islam is based on intention, if you intend to steer your life in a way of struggle to make Allah’s word superior surely opportunities will open up which will grant you the ability to do so.
The other option of taking to the mountain path and ignoring the society is not an option as long as you are still within society. It is sometimes mistaken that one can live and operate under the systems of tyranny without doing anything as a means of preventing the society from being affected by his own flaws. Therefore, many sit silent living in countries that are classified as dar-ul-harb (the abode of war) while not realizing that they contribute themselves directly and indirectly to the oppression and slaughter of Muslims across the globe: their taxes fund the bombs and bullets that make their way into the bodies of Muslims over seas, their silence allows the lie that wars are fought for liberation and democracy to perpetuate, even their reversion and separation of religion from the practical reality of war breeds the notion that Islam is still Islam without the implementation of it as an entire system, that we can have Islam in the masjid but oppression, war, and imperialism in the political arenas controlled by the enemies of Allah. Silence encumbers the community but they oftentimes misinterpret and manipulate the other end of hadith like these. If they want to take their sheep to the hilltop and worship their Lord, then by all means they should do it in a place where they are not aiding and abiding the contemporary crusade against Islam and Muslims. There is a time for peace and a time for war, and there are certain times when without war there can be no peace. We are living from amongst these times.
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