Rulings and Issues of Jihad

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was ready for Jihad and thus observed what could help him undertake it. In this respect, he complied with Allah's saying: {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of stoods of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy} [Al-Anfāl: 60]. So, he would keep horses under conditions that would make them strong. He would also train his Companions in horse racing in order for them to master the strategies of horse mounting. He also set the distance that trained and untrained horses should cover separately so that each category would receive proper training. In this regard, he made trained horses, which were strong enough because of their feeding system, race six miles. Untrained horses were made to run only one mile. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was a young man then, and he participated in the horse race.

- صحيح البخاري، دار طوق النجاة، ط. 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم، ط. دار إحياء التراث العربي، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي. - تيسير العلام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، للشيخ عبد الله البسام، ت: صبحي الحلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الطبعة العاشرة، 1426هـ. - الإعلام بفوائد عمدة الأحكام، لابن الملقن، المحقق: عبد العزيز بن أحمد بن محمد المشيقح، دار العاصمة للنشر والتوزيع، المملكة العربية السعودية الطبعة: الأولى، 1417 هـ - 1997م.

This Hadīth highlights the Islamic ruling on a person who spies over the Muslims while he is one of the combatant disbelievers. Salamah ibn Al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "A spy from among the polytheists came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." The Arabic version of the Hadīth uses the word "‘ayn" (eye) in reference to the spy because the act of spying depends upon the eye, and because a spy is mainly concerned with and focused on watching, as if his whole body has become an eye. "The spy stayed with the Prophet's Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and talked with them and then went away. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Pursue and kill him.' So, I killed him." Here, Salamah says that he pursued the spy, caught him, and killed him. "And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave me his belongings (as an extra share)." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave Salamah all the belongings of the man, including clothes, weapons, riding mount, and its saddle, along with all the money, gold, and silver which the killed person had.

- صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. - تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار علماء السلف، الطبعة: الثانية 1414هـ. - الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، لإسماعيل بن محمد الأنصاري، دار الفكر، دمشق، الطبعة: الأولى 1381هـ. - عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، الطبعة: الثانية 1408هـ، 1988م. - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، تحقيق: محمد صبحي حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة: العاشرة 1426هـ. كشف اللثام شرح عمدة الأحكام -محمد بن أحمد بن سالم السفاريني -اعتنى به تحقيقا وضبطا وتخريجا: نور الدين طالب-وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية - الكويت، دار النوادر – سوريا-الطبعة: الأولى، 1428 هـ - 2007 م.

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) tells that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divided the spoils, allotting two shares to the horse and one share to the soldier. That is because a horse ensures more benefit and enables one to launch severe attacks against the enemy better than a man fighting without a horse. This was alluded to in the Noble Qur'an, where Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says: {launching raids at dawn, stirring up thereby [clouds of] dust, and penetrating into the heart of enemy lines} [Al-‘Ādiyāt: 3-5]. The verses refer implicitly to horses and allude to their usefulness in war. Indeed, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There will be good in the forelocks of horses until the Day of Judgment." [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]

عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، الطبعة: الثانية 1408هـ. صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار علماء السلف، الطبعة: الثانية 1414هـ. تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، تحقيق: محمد صبحي حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة: العاشرة 1426هـ. الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، إسماعيل بن محمد الأنصاري، دار الفكر، دمشق، الطبعة: الأولى 1381هـ.

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to grant some of those whom he sent in a detachment a special share of the war booty, apart from other members of the army, as an encouragement and motivation for Jihad.

- صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. - صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. - تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، تحقيق: محمد صبحي حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة: العاشرة 1426هـ. - تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار علماء السلف، الطبعة: الثانية 1414هـ. - عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، الطبعة: الثانية 1408هـ.

When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated to Madīnah, he found groups of Jews around it. So, he made a treaty with them and called for a truce, so they would continue to follow their religion and not wage war against him or assist his enemies against him. A man from the Companions, ‘Amr ibn Umayyah Ad-Damri (may Allah be pleased with him), killed two men from Banu ‘Āmir, thinking that they were enemies of the Muslims. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) assumed the burden of paying the blood money for the two men. He set off for the village of Banu An-Nadīr seeking their assistance to settle the blood money. While he was sitting in one of their markets waiting for their assistance, they broke their treaty and decided to kill him. Revelation of their betrayal came to him from the heavens, so he left the village, pretending that he needed to relieve himself, and set off towards Madīnah. When he was late in coming back, his Companions set out in his footsteps and he informed them of the betrayal of the Jews (may Allah disgrace them). He besieged them in their village for six days, until they reached an agreement that they would go to the Levant, Hīrah, and Khaybar. So, their property was an easy booty, gained without the Muslims facing any hardship, as they did not have to fight with horses or camels. Their property was for Allah and His Messenger. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) put aside the expenses of his family for one year and spent the rest on the general welfare of the Muslims. That was the spendig priority at that time: the preparation of horses and weapons for fighting in the cause of Allah. Every period of time has its own priority of spending, considering the public interest.

1- صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. 2- صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. 3- تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، تحقيق: محمد صبحي حلاق، مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات، مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة: العاشرة 1426هـ. 4- تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار علماء السلف، الطبعة: الثانية 1414هـ. 5- عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، الطبعة: الثانية 1408هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said on the Day of Hunayn: "Whoever kills someone in battle, having a proof for that, his belongings are his." The proof refers to the clothing, weapons, or the riding animal of the killed person. During that battle, Abu Qatādah killed someone and said to the people around him: "I killed someone." And he implored, by Allah, the ones who witnessed it to testify about it. He said this three times.

1- صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. 2- صحيح مسلم، مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيسابوري، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، الطبعة: 1423هـ. 3- خلاصة الكلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، فيصل بن عبد العزيز المبارك، الطبعة: الثانية 1412هـ، 1992م. 4- الإفهام في شرح عمدة الأحكام لابن باز، تحقيق: سعيد القحطاني، مؤسسة عبد العزيز بن باز الخيرية، الرياض، الطبعة: الأولى 1435هـ. 5- الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، إسماعيل بن محمد الأنصاري، دار الفكر، دمشق، الطبعة: الأولى 1381هـ. 6- تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن البسام، دار الميمان، الطبعة: الأولى 1426هـ، 2005م. 7- تأسيس الأحكام، أحمد بن يحيى النجمي، دار المنهاج، الطبعة: 1427هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) recounts the story of one of the prophets (peace be upon them) who set forth to fight a people against whom he was commanded to make Jihad. However, that prophet forbade from marching with him anyone who had married a woman but had not yet consummated his marriage with her or who had built a house but had not yet raised its roof or who had purchased sheep or pregnant she-camels and was waiting for them to give birth. That is because those people would be preoccupied with those concerns: the married man is preoccupied with his bride whom he has not yet consummated his marriage with and he longs for her. Likewise, the one who built a house and has not yet raised its roof is preoccupied with his house that he wishes to live in with his family. Also, the owner of pregnant she-camels and sheep is preoccupied with them and is waiting for them to give birth. Performing Jihad requires that the person be completely unoccupied, having no concern except fighting in the cause of Allah. Then, this prophet set out for battle, approaching his destination after midday with the night approaching. So, he feared that if darkness fell, he would not be able to achieve victory. He addressed the sun, saying: "You are subservient to Allah and so am I." But the sun's command is a universal command, while his command is a legislative one. He is commanded to fight in the cause of Allah, and the sun is commanded to move as Allah, the Exalted, has commanded it; Allah says: {And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term. That is the decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing} [Sūrat Yāsīn: 38]. Ever since Allah created the sun, it has been moving as it was commanded, neither advancing nor delaying nor changing its altitude. The prophet said: "O Allah, hold it back (from setting) for us." So Allah held the sun back and it did not disappear at its normal time until that prophet conquered the village and gained many spoils of war. In previous nations, the spoils of war were not lawful for the army; rather, the lawfulness of spoils is one of the distinct characteristics of this (Muslim) nation, and all praise is due to Allah. As for the previous nations, they used to gather all the spoils, and if Allah accepted them, a fire would come down from the sky and devour them. Hence, the spoils were gathered, but the fire did not descend upon them or devour them. This prophet then said: "There is some misappropriation of the spoils." Then he commanded that each tribe present one person to pledge allegiance to him, proving that his tribe had not been dishonest with regard to the booty. When they gave him their pledge of allegiance, the hand of one of them stuck to the prophet's hand. Thereupon, he said: "Your tribe is the source of misappropriation." Then he commanded that each person from that tribe pledge allegiance individually, and the hands of two or three men stuck to his, whereupon he said: "You are the misappropriators." Then they brought it out, and they had hidden an amount of gold as big as the size of a bull's head. When the gold was brought and placed with the spoils, the fire devoured them.

بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي، ط1، دار ابن الجوزي، الدمام، 1415هـ. رياض الصالحين، للنووي، ط1، تحقيق: ماهر ياسين الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، 1428هـ. رياض الصالحين، ط4، تحقيق: عصام هادي، وزارة الأوقاف والشؤون الإسلامية القطرية، دار الريان، بيروت، 1428هـ. كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين برئاسة حمد بن ناصر العمار، ط1، كنوز إشبيليا، الرياض، 1430هـ. شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ ابن عثيمين، دار الوطن للنشر، الرياض، 1426هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين، ط14، مؤسسة الرسالة، 1407هـ.

Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed some of his Companions who were shooting arrows together; competing to see who would win. He approved of what they were doing and even encouraged them by saying: "Practice archery, O progeny of Isma‘īl," urging them to continue practicing archery, as it is one of the favors of Allah, the Exalted, upon the progeny of Isma‘īl, meaning: the Arabs. He said to do so, because their forefather, Isma‘īl, the son of Ibrahīm (may peace be upon both of them), was an excellent and skilled archer.

كنوز رياض الصالحين, بإشراف حمد العمار, دار كنوز إشبيليا, الطبعة الأولى, 1430هـ. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، نشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة: الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ 1987م. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، للهلالي، نشر: دار ابن الجوزي. صحيح البخاري، نشر: دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ.