Narrated from Sayyiduna Malik bin Abdullah Khath’ami (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The person whose two feet become dusty in the path of Allah, Allah Almighty will make him forbidden for the Fire.

Sahl narrates from his father that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered his companions to go on a military expedition. One man stayed behind and said to his family: My purpose in staying behind is that I may perform the Zuhr prayer with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then bid him farewell with salutations, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, will supplicate for me in such a way that it will be a means of intercession for me on the Day of Resurrection. So when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, performed the prayer and that man turned towards him with salutations, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: Do you know how much those people have surpassed you? He said: Yes, they set out in the morning (and I will set out now after Zuhr). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: By Him in Whose hand is my soul! They have surpassed you in virtue and greatness by so much that it is more than the distance between the two Easts and the two Wests.

Sahl narrates from his father that a woman came to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! My husband has gone out for jihad, and I used to pray following his lead and perform the good deeds that he used to do. Now, tell me of an act that will raise me to the level of his deeds until he returns. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Are you able to stand in prayer continuously without pause, fast without breaking, and remember Allah without showing any laziness until your husband returns? She said: O Messenger of Allah! I do not have the strength for such deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: By Him in Whose hand is my soul! Even if you had the strength for it, you would not reach even a tenth of your husband's deeds until he returns.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him, with an army. It was Friday. He sent his companions ahead and said about himself: I will stay behind so that I may perform the Friday prayer with the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and then join them. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw him, he said: What prevented you from setting out with your companions in the morning? He said: My intention was to perform the Friday prayer with you and then join them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Even if you spend all that is in the earth, you will not attain the reward of their setting out in the morning.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Salamah bin Nufail (may Allah be pleased with him) that he went to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: I have become weary of the horse, have thrown away my weapons, war has laid down its burdens, and jihad has ended. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Now fighting has just begun. A group from my Ummah will remain dominant over the people; Allah Almighty will continue to turn the hearts of the people, so they will keep fighting them. In this way, Allah Almighty will provide them sustenance through them, until the command of Allah comes, and that group will remain in that state. Beware! The real center of the believers will be Syria, and goodness has been placed in the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyida Umm Haram (may Allah be pleased with her) says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was taking a nap in my house. When he woke up, he was smiling. I said,“May my parents be sacrificed for you, why are you smiling?”The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Some people from my Ummah were shown to me riding on the sea, sitting on thrones like kings.”I said,“Pray to Allah that He makes me among them.”The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“O Allah! Make her among them.”The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then slept again, and when he woke up, he was smiling. I said,“May my parents be sacrificed for you, why are you smiling?”The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“Some people from my Ummah were presented to me, they were riding on the sea and it seemed as if they were kings sitting on thrones.”I said,“Pray to Allah that He makes me among them.”The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“You are among the first ones.”Then Sayyida Umm Haram (may Allah be pleased with her) set out for this expedition with her husband Sayyiduna ‘Ubadah bin Samit. A white mule with black marks caused her to fall in such a way that her neck broke and she passed away.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reclined at the house of Bint Milhan, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his blessed head while smiling. Sayyida Bint Milhan (may Allah be pleased with her) said: O Messenger of Allah! Why are you smiling? He said: Some people from my Ummah are riding upon this green sea while striving in the path of Allah; their example is like that of kings sitting upon thrones. She said: O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah Almighty that He makes me among them. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Allah! Make her among them. Then this woman married Sayyiduna ‘Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) and began a sea journey with her son Qarzah. On the return, when she mounted her ride near the shore, it threw her in such a way that her neck broke, so she fell and passed away.

‘Ata bin Yasar narrates that a woman, while describing this, said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) slept, then woke up smiling. I said: O Messenger of Allah! Are you smiling at me? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, rather the reason for my smile is that a group from my Ummah is performing naval jihad; their example is like that of kings sitting on thrones. She said: Then you (peace and blessings be upon him) slept again and woke up smiling, I said: O Messenger of Allah! Are you smiling because of me? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No, rather a group from my Ummah is setting out on a sea journey for jihad, then when they return, their spoils will be little, but they will have already been forgiven. I said: Then pray to Allah Almighty that He makes me among them, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for her. The narrator says: ‘Ata bin Yasar told me that he saw this woman in that expedition. Sayyiduna Mundhir bin Zubair undertook this expedition towards the land of Rome, this woman was with us and she passed away in the region of Rome.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, he says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was present in the house of one of his wives, when suddenly he, peace and blessings be upon him, rested his head and fell asleep, and smiled in his sleep. When he, peace and blessings be upon him, woke up, that Mother of the Believers said: You smiled in your sleep, what made you laugh? He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: I am amazed at those people of my Ummah who will travel across this sea to terrify the enemy; they will be striving in the path of Allah. Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, mentioned great goodness for them.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever sets out from his home in the path of Allah for jihad, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured with his three fingers—that is, the middle finger, the index finger, and the thumb—(towards his life, his weapon, and his horse). That man said: And where are the mujahideen? Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: But if that man falls from his mount and dies, his reward is assured with Allah Almighty, or if an animal bites him, still his reward is assured with Allah Almighty, or if he dies a natural death, still his reward is assured with Allah Almighty. The narrator says: By Allah! This is such a statement that before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I never heard it from any Arab, and whoever among the mujahideen dies due to a blow, he has made a good refuge (i.e., Paradise) obligatory for himself.