Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (may Allah be pleased with him) was once fasting. When food was brought to him, he said: "Hazrat Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, and we did not have enough cloth to shroud him, even though he was better than me. Hazrat Mus'ab bin Umair (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, and we did not have enough cloth to shroud him either, even though he too was better than me. Now, a great deal of wealth and possessions of the world have come into our hands." After this, Hazrat Abdur Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I fear that our reward may have been given to us in this world." Hazrat Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: "I think he got up and did not eat the food."

The son of Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that once, when I was preparing to set out for jihad, my father said to me: "Wait, O my son!" I said, "Could you not have stopped me earlier, before I had made preparations and spent money on it?" He replied, "I wanted that the reward of a mujahid be written for you." Pointing towards Syria, he said, "A calamity is about to come from that direction. If I live to see it, you will see what I do in it, and if I do not live to see it, then you should rush towards it eagerly."

Hazrat Ibn Ma'qil (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that when the son of Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) intended to go for jihad, Hazrat Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Son, do not go yet; a war is coming from Syria which will affect every Muslim."

Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in the Battle of Mu'tah, the swords that broke in my hands—only one strong Yemeni sword remained, which supported me.

Hazrat Abu Ishaq narrates that once a man came to the service of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and requested, "Give me a sword." The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: "It should not be that I give you a sword but you stand in the back row." The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم gave him the sword; he kept fighting the polytheists and at the same time recited this verse: "I am the person from whom my beloved took a promise while standing under the date trees that I will not remain standing in the back row, but rather, taking the sword of Allah and His Messenger, I will fight the enemies."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a time will come upon the people when every believer will go to Shaam (Syria).

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that it was initially made obligatory upon the Muslims that one man should fight against ten polytheists. Allah Almighty says: If there are twenty steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred, they will overcome a thousand. This was difficult for the Muslims, so Allah Almighty granted relief, that one man should fight against two polytheists. Allah Almighty says: If there are a hundred steadfast among you, they will overcome two hundred. Later, even in this, relief was granted to them and the help was reduced accordingly.

Hazrat Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the most beloved land to Allah Almighty among all lands is Shaam (Greater Syria), and the most beloved place in Shaam is Al-Quds (Jerusalem). The most beloved place in Quds is Jabal Nablus (the mountain of Nablus). A time will come upon people when they will conduct their transactions through ropes.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Zahriyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: In times of war, the refuge of the Muslims will be Damascus; in confrontation with the Dajjal, their refuge will be Bayt al-Maqdis; and in confrontation with Gog and Magog, their refuge will be Mount Sinai.

Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that once we were sitting around the Prophet (peace be upon him) reciting the Holy Qur'an when he said: "Glad tidings for Shaam, glad tidings for Shaam." Someone asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah! Why is there glad tidings for Shaam?" He replied: "Because the angels have spread their wings over Shaam."