Hazrat Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet was asked: "Whose jihad is the most virtuous?" He replied: "The one whose horse is killed and whose own blood has been shed."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Prophet was asked: Whose jihad is the most virtuous? He replied: The one whose horse is killed and whose own blood has been shed.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: A time will come upon people when, in the sight of Allah, the best person will be the one who, holding the reins of his horse in the path of Allah, sets out; whenever he senses any danger, he quickly mounts his horse. Then he seeks death in the places of death. The second is the person who goes into a mountain pass, establishes prayer there, pays zakat, and leaves people for the sake of goodness.

Hazrat Bara’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that once a man came to the service of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and said,“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and you are Allah’s servant and His Messenger.”After that, he moved forward, fought, and was martyred. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said,“He did little action but earned a great reward.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr bin Abi Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that once, when my father faced the enemy, he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that swords are the keys to Paradise. Upon hearing this hadith, a man in a disheveled state said, "O Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him)! Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" Hazrat Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Yes, I heard it." Upon this, the man drew his sword, broke its sheath, greeted his companions, then advanced towards the enemy and kept fighting them until he was martyred.

Hazrat Mujahid narrates that Hazrat Yazid bin Shajrah (may Allah have mercy on him) once stood among his companions and said to them: "Blessings of green, red, and yellow are showering upon you in your homes. Tomorrow, when you advance towards the enemy, move forward step by step, because I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say that when a person takes a step forward to face the enemy, the wide-eyed houris move towards him, and when he retreats, the houris also veil themselves from him. When he is martyred, the first drop of his blood becomes an expiation for his sins. After he is martyred, two houris come to him, clean the dust from him, and say to him, 'Welcome! We are for you.' He replies, 'Congratulations to you, I am for you.'"

Hazrat Sabrah bin Abi Fakahah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I heard the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) say that Satan sits on the paths of the son of Adam. Sometimes he sits on the path of Islam and says: If you accept Islam and leave your own and your forefathers’ religion, it will be a great loss for you. Then he sits on the path of migration and says: If you migrate, you will leave your birthplace and become like a horse tied in shackles. Then he sits on the path of jihad and says: If you go for jihad, you will die. Then your wife will marry someone else and your inheritance will be distributed. After this, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that despite these satanic whispers, whoever continues to perform these deeds, Allah guarantees Paradise for him, whether he is martyred, drowns and dies, burns and dies, or is eaten by wild animals.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever sets out for jihad in the way of Allah—while saying this, he joined his three fingers together—and then said: Where are those who strive in jihad? If he falls from his mount and dies, then his reward is guaranteed by Allah; or if something bites him, then his reward is guaranteed by Allah; or if he dies a natural death, then his reward is also guaranteed; and if he dies bearing the blow of the enemy, then he has attained a good abode.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once came to the people while everyone was sitting. He (peace be upon him) said, "Shall I tell you who holds the highest rank in the sight of Allah?" We said, "Why not, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! Please do tell us." He (peace be upon him) said, "The highest rank in the sight of Allah is for the person who holds the reins of his horse in the path of Allah and is martyred or dies." He (peace be upon him) then said, "Shall I tell you who holds the next rank after him?" The people said, "Please do tell us." He (peace be upon him) said, "It is the person who, distancing himself from people, lives in a mountain pass, establishes prayer, gives zakat, and remains safe from the evil of people."

It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When your brothers are martyred, Allah Almighty places their souls in green birds. They go to the rivers of Paradise, eat the fruits of Paradise, and roam wherever they wish in Paradise. When they see their excellent abode and the best food and drink, they say: If only our people knew what Allah has created for us, so that they too would desire jihad and not hold back from it. Allah Almighty says: I will inform your brothers of these things. Then they become happy and express joy. This is referred to in the verses of the Holy Qur’an. Translation: Do not think of those who are slain in the way of Allah as dead. They are not dead, but alive with their Lord, receiving provision. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them of His bounty, and they rejoice for those who have not yet joined them from behind, that there shall be no fear upon them, nor shall they grieve. They rejoice in Allah’s favor and bounty, and in the fact that Allah does not let the reward of the believers go to waste. (Aal-e-Imran: 169-171)