Sunan Abu Dawud

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying “He who dies without having fought or having felt fighting (against the infidels) to be his duty will die guilty of a kind of hypocrisy.”

Narrated AbuUmamah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who does not join the warlike expedition (jihad), or equip, or looks well after a warrior's family when he is away, will be smitten by Allah with a sudden calamity. Yazid ibn Abdu Rabbihi said in his tradition: 'before the Day of Resurrection

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Use your property, your persons any your tongues in striving against the polytheists

Ibn ‘Abbas said “The Qur’anic verse “Unless you go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and the verse “It is not fitting for the people of Medina”... up to “that Allaah might required their deed with the best (possible reward) have been repealed by the verse. Nor should the believers all go forth together.”

Najdah bin Nufai’ said “I asked Ibn ‘Abbas about the verse. “Unless you go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty.” He replied “The rain stopped from them. This was their punishment.”

Zaid bin Thabit said “I was beside the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) when the divinely-inspired calmness overtook him and the thigh of the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) fell on my thigh. I did not find any weightier than the thigh of the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ). He then regained his composure and said “Write down. I wrote on a shoulder. Not equal are thise believers who sit (at home), other than those who have a (disabling) hurt, and those who strive in the way of Allaah. When Ibn Umm Makhtum who was blind heard the excellence of the warriors. He stood up and said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) how is it for those believers who are unable to fight (in the path of Allaah)? When he finished his question his divinely-inspired calmness overtook him, and his thigh fell on my thigh and I found its weight the second time as I found the first time.” When the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) regained his composure, he said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “Other than those who have a (disabling hurt). Zaid said “Allaah, the exalted, revealed it alone and I appended it.” By Him in Whose hands is my life, I am seeing, as it were the place where I put it (i.e., the verse) at the crack in the shoulder.”

Anas bin Malik reported on the authority of his father, The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “ You left behind some people in Madeenah who did not fail to be with you wherever you went and whatever you spent (of your goods) and whatever valley you crossed. They asked Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) how can they be with us when they are still in Madeenah? He replied “They were declined by a valid excuse.”

Zaid bin Khalid al Juhani reported that Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “He who equips a fighter in Allaah’s path has taken part in the fighting. And he looks after a fighter’s family when he is away has taken part in the fighting.”

Abu Sa’id Al Khudri said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) sent an expedition towards Banu Lihyan and said “One of the two persons should go forth. He then said to those who sat (at home), If any one of you looks after the family and property of a warrior, he will receive half the reward of the one who goes forth (in jihad).”

Narrated AbuHurayrah: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: What is evil in a man are alarming niggardliness and unrestrained cowardice

Narrated AbuAyyub: AbuImran said: We went out on an expedition from Medina with the intention of (attacking) Constantinople. AbdurRahman ibn Khalid ibn al-Walid was the leader of the company. The Romans were just keeping their backs to the walls of the city. A man (suddenly) attacked the enemy. Thereupon the people said: Stop! Stop! There is no god but Allah. He is putting himself into danger. AbuAyyub said: This verse was revealed about us, the group of the Ansar (the Helpers). When Allah helped His Prophet (ﷺ) and gave Islam dominance, we said (i.e. thought): Come on! Let us stay in our property and improve it. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, revealed, "And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your hands contribute to (your destruction)". To put oneself into danger means that we stay in our property and commit ourselves to its improvement, and abandon fighting (i.e. jihad). AbuImran said: AbuAyyub continued to strive in the cause of Allah until he (died and) was buried in Constantinople

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Allah, Most High, will cause three persons to enter Paradise for one arrow: the maker when he has a good motive in making it, the one who shoots it, and the one who hands it; so shoot and ride, but your shooting is dearer to me than your riding. Everything with which a man amuses himself is vain except three (things): a man's training of his horse, his playing with his wife, and his shooting with his bow and arrow. If anyone abandons archery after becoming an adept through distaste for it, it is a blessing he has abandoned; or he said: for which he has been ungrateful

‘Uqabah bin Amir Al Juhani said “I heard the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) recite when he was on the pulpit “Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power. Beware, strength is shooting, beware strength is shooting, beware strength is shooting.”

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Fighting is of two kinds: The one who seeks Allah's favour, obeys the leader, gives the property he values, treats his associates gently and avoids doing mischief, will have the reward for all the time whether he is asleep or awake; but the one who fights in a boasting spirit, for the sake of display and to gain a reputation, who disobeys the leader and does mischief in the earth will not return credit or without blame

Narrated AbuHurayrah: A man said: Messenger of Allah, a man wishes to take part in jihad in Allah's path desiring some worldly advantage? The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He will have not reward. The people thought it terrible, and they said to the man: Go back to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), for you might not have made him understand well. He, therefore, (went and again) asked: Messenger of Allah, a man wishes to take part in jihad in Allah's path desiring some worldly advantage? He replied: There is no reward for him. They again said to the man: Return to the Messenger of Allah. He, therefore, said to him third time. He replied: There is no reward for him

Abu Musa said “A beduoin came to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) and said “One man fights for reputation, one fights for being praised, one fights for booty and one for his place to be seen. (Which of them is in Allaah’s path?)”. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) replied “The one who fights that Allaah’s word may have pre-eminence is in Allaah’s path.”

‘Amr said “I heard from Abu Wa’il a tradition which surprised me, he then narrated the tradition to the same effect (as mentioned before)

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: Messenger of Allah, tell me about jihad and fighting. He replied: Abdullah ibn Amr, if you fight with endurance seeking from Allah your reward, Allah will resurrect you showing endurance and seeking your reward from Him, but, if you fight for vain show seeking to acquire much, Allah will resurrect you making a vain show and seeking to acquire much. In whatever you fight or are killed, Abdullah ibn Amr, in that state Allah will resurrect you

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When your brethren were smitten at the battle of Uhud, Allah put their spirits in the crops of green birds which go down to the rivers of Paradise, eat its fruit and nestle in lamps of gold in the shade of the Throne. Then when they experienced the sweetness of their food, drink and rest, they asked: Who will tell our brethren about us that we are alive in Paradise provided with provision, in order that they might not be disinterested in jihad and recoil in war? Allah Most High said: I shall tell them about you; so Allah sent down; "And do not consider those who have been killed in Allah's path." till the end of the verse

Narrated Hasana' daughter of Mu'awiyah: She reported on the authority of her paternal uncle: I asked the Prophet (ﷺ): Who are in Paradise? He replied: Prophets are in Paradise, martyrs are in Paradise, infants are in Paradise and children buried alive are in Paradise

Narrated AbudDarda': The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The intercession of a martyr will be accepted for seventy members of his family. Abu Dawud said: The correct name if the narrator is Rabah b. al-Walid (and not al-walid b. Rabah as occurred in the chain of narrators in the text of the tradition)

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: When Negus died, we were told that a light would be seen perpetually at his grave

Narrated Ubaydullah ibn Khalid as-Sulami: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made a brotherhood between two men, one of whom was killed (in Allah's path), and a week or thereabouts later the other died, and we prayed at his funeral). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked: What did you say? We replied: We prayed for him and said: O Allah, forgive him, and join him to his companion. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: What about his prayers since the time the other died, and his fasting since the time the other died--the narrator Shu'bah doubted the words, "his fasting--and his deeds since the time the other died. The distance between them is just like the distance between heaven and earth

Narrated AbuAyyub al-Ansari: AbuAyyub heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Capitals will be conquered at your hands, and you will have to raise companies in large armies. A man will be unwilling to join a company, so he will escape from his people and go round the tribes offering himself to them, saying: Whose place may I take in such and such expedition? Whose place may I take in such and such expedition? Beware: That man is a hireling to the last drop of his blood

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The warrior gets his reward, and the one who equips him gets his own reward and that of the warrior

Narrated Ya'la ibn Munyah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) announced an expedition, and I was a very old man and I had no servant. I, therefore, sought a hireling who would serve instead of me, and I would give him his portion. So I found a man. When the time of departure arrived, he came to me and said: I do not know what would be the portions, and how much would be my portion. So offer something (as wages) to me, whether there would be any portion or not. I offered three dinars (as his wages) for him. When some booty arrived, I wanted to offer him his portion. But I remembered the dinars, so I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned the matter to him. He said: All I can find for him regarding this expedition of his in this world and the next is three dinars which were offered him

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I came to you to take the oath of allegiance to you on emigration, and I left my parents weeping. He (the Prophet) said: Return to them and make them laugh as you made them weep

‘Abd Allah bin ‘Amr said “A man came to the Prophet(ﷺ) and said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ), May I take part in jihad?” He asked “Do you have parents?” He replied “Yes”. So, strive for them.” Abu Dawud said:The name of the narrator Abu al-'Abbas, a poet, is al-Sa'ib b. Farrukh

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: A man emigrated to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from the Yemen. He asked (him): Have you anyone (of your relatives) in the Yemen? He replied: My parents. He asked: Did they permit you? He replied: No. He said: Go back to them and ask for their permission. If they permit you, then fight (in the path of Allah), otherwise be devoted to them

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went on an expedition, he took Umm Sulaym, and he had some women of the Ansar who supplied water and tended the wounded

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist). The tyranny of any tyrant and the justice of any just (ruler) will not invalidate it. One must have faith in Divine decree

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: Once the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) intended to go on an expedition. He said: O group of the emigrants (Muhajirun) and the helpers (Ansar), among your brethren there are people who have neither property nor family. So one of you should take with him two or three persons; with me. I also rode on my camel by turns like one of them

Narrated Abdullah ibn Hawalah al-Azdi: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us on foot to get spoil, but we returned without getting any. When he saw the signs of distress on our faces, he stood up on our faces and said: O Allah, do not put them under my care, for I would be too weak to care for them; do not put them in care of themselves, for they would be incapable of that, and do not put them in the care of men, for they would choose the best things for themselves. He then placed his hand on my head and said: Ibn Hawalah, when you see the caliphate has settled in the holy land, earthquakes, sorrows and serious matters will have drawn near and on that day the Last Hour will be nearer to mankind than this hand of mine is to your head. Abu Dawud said: 'Abd Allah b. Hawalah belongs to Hims

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Our Lord Most High is pleased with a man who fights in the path of Allah, the Exalted; then his companions fled away (i.e. retreated). But he knew that it was a sin (to flee away from the battlefield), so he returned, and his blood was shed. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, says to His angels: Look at My servant; he returned seeking what I have for him (i.e. the reward), and fearing (the punishment) I have, until his blood was shed

Narrated AbuHurayrah: Amr ibn Uqaysh had given usurious loans in pre-Islamic period; so he disliked to embrace Islam until he took them. He came on the day of Uhud and asked: Where are my cousins? They (the people) replied: At Uhud. He asked: Where is so-and-so? They said: At Uhud. He asked: Where is so-and-so? They said: At Uhud. He then put on his coat of mail and rode his horse; he then proceeded towards them. When the Muslims saw him, they said: Keep away, Amir. He said: I have become a believer. He fought until he was wounded. He was then taken to his family wounded. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh came to his sister: Ask him (whether he fought) out of partisanship, out of anger for them, or out of anger for Allah. He said: Out of anger of Allah and His Apostle. He then died and entered Paradise. He did not offer any prayer for Allah

Salamah bin Al Akwa’ said “On the day of the battle of the Khaibar, my brother fought desperately. But his sword fell back on him and killed him. The Companions of the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) talked about him and doubted it (his martyrdom) saying “A man who died with his own weapon”. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “he died as a warrior striving in the path of Allaah. Ibn Shihab said “I asked the son of Salamah bin Al Akwa’.” He narrated to me on the authority of his father similar to that except that he said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “They told a lie, he died as a warrior striving in the path of Allaah. There is a double reward for him.””

Narrated AbuSalam: AbuSalam reported on the authority of a man from the companion of the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: We attacked a tribe of Juhaynah. A man from the Muslims pursued a man of them, and struck him but missed him. He struck himself with the sword. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Your brother, O group of Muslims. The people hastened towards him, but found him dead. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrapped him with his clothes and his blood, and offered (funeral) prayer for him and buried him. They said: Messenger of Allah, is he a martyr? He said: Yes, and I am witness to him

Narrated Sahl ibn Sa'd: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Two (prayers) are not rejected, or seldom rejected: Prayer at the time of the call to prayer, and (the prayer) at the time of fighting, when the people grapple with each other. Musa said: Rizq ibn Sa'id ibn AbdurRahman reported from AbuHazim on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd from the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: And while it is raining

Narrated Mu'adh ibn Jabal: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone fights in Allah's path as long as the time between two milkings of a she-camel, Paradise will be assured for him. If anyone sincerely asks Allah for being killed and then dies or is killed, there will be a reward of a martyr for him. Ibn al-Musaffa added from here: If anyone is wounded in Allah's path, or suffers a misfortune, it will come on the Day of resurrection as copious as possible, its colour saffron, and its odour musk; and if anyone suffers from ulcers while in Allah's path, he will have on him the stamp of the martyrs

Narrated Utbah ibn AbdusSulami: Utbah heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Do not cut the forelocks, manes, or tails of horse, for their tails are their means of driving flies, their manes provide them with warmth, and blessing is tide to their forelocks

Narrated AbuWahb al-Jushami,: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Keep to every dark bay horse with a white blaze and white on the legs, or sorrel with a white blaze and white on the legs , or black with a white blaze and white on the legs

Narrated AbuWahb: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Keep to every sorrel horse with a white blaze and white on the legs, or dark bay with a white blaze. He then mentioned something similar. Muhammad ibn al-Muhajir said: I asked him: Why was a sorrel horse preferred? He replied: Because the Prophet (ﷺ) had sent a contingent, and the man who first brought the news of victory was the rider of a sorrel horse

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The most favoured horses are the sorrel

Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to name a mare a horse

Abu Hurairah said “The Prophet (ﷺ) disapproved the shikal horses. Shikal are the horses that are white on their right hind leg and white on their left foreleg or white on their right foreleg and left hind leg. Abu Dawud said “This means alternate legs”

Narrated Sahl ibn al-Hanzaliyyah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came upon an emaciated camel and said: Fear Allah regarding these dumb animals. Ride them when they are in good condition and feed them when they are in good condition

‘Abd Allaah bin Jafar said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) seated me behind him(on his ride) one day, and told me secretly a thing asking me not to tell it to anyone. The place for easing dearer to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) was a mound or host of palm trees by which he could conceal himself. He entered the garden of a man from the Ansar(Helpers). All of a sudden when a Camel saw the Prophet (ﷺ) it wept tenderly producing yearning sound and it eyes flowed. The Prophet (ﷺ) came to it and wiped the temple of its head. So it kept silence. He then said “Who is the master of this Camel? Whose Camel is this? A young man from the Ansar came and said “This is mine, Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ).” He said “Don’t you fear Allaah about this beast which Allaah has given in your possession. It has complained to me that you keep it hungry and load it heavily which fatigues it.”

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “ While a man was going on his way, he felt himself thirsty severely. He found a well and e went down in it. He drank water and came out. Suddenly he saw a dog panting and eating soil due to thirst. The man said (to himself) “This dog must have reached the same condition due to thirst as I had reached. So he went down into the well, filled his sock with water, held it with his mouth and came up. He supplied water to the dog. Allaah appreciated this and forgave him.” They asked “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ), Is there any reward for us for these beasts? He replied, For every cool liver there is a reward.”

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: When we alighted at a station (for stay), we did not pray until we united the saddles of the camels