O My Soul, Death Is Inevitable, So It Is Better for You to Be Martyred

By Maulana Muhammad Masood Azhar حفظه الله

7) Little Work But A Great Reward

Narrated Al-Bara (رضي الله عنه), a man whose face was covered with an iron amour (i.e. clad in armour) came to the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and said, "O Allah’s Messenger! Shall I fight or embrace Islam first?" The Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) replied, “"Embrace Islam first and then fight." So he embraced Islam and was Shaheed. Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, "A little work, but a great reward." (He did very little after embracing Islam but he was rewarded in abundance). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol 1, p394)

Ibn Ishaq (رحمه الله) has recorded in magazi (an authentic tradition of Hazrat Abu Huraira - رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, "“Tell me about a person who never prayed one namaz but entered Jannah." Then he answered himself that this lucky person was Amar ibn Thabit. (رضي الله عنه). (Fathul Bari, Vol 6, p105)

Taking this narration into consideration, the scholars of hadith have agreed that the person mentioned in Bukhari is Amar ibn Thabit (رضي الله عنه).

Hasin ibn Muhamad says, I aksed Mahmood ibn Labid that what is his story. He answered, “This person denied Islam till the day of Uhud, when he understood Islam. He lifted his sword and participated in the fierce battle with the Sahaba (رضي الله عنهم أجمعين) till he was wounded. When the people saw him wounded, they asked him what had bought him here for Jihad. Was it the love of the nation or the love of‘ Islam.? He answered, ‘The love of Islam, I have fought alongside the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) till I had been wounded. Upon this the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said, "“There is no doubt he is from the dwellers of Jannah."

The narration of Bukhari and the above narration are recording the same incident but this person first came to the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) and then participated in Jihad, but the Sahaba (رضي الله عنهم أجمعين) had been unaware that he had embraced Islam at the hands of the Holy Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم). This is why they asked him what had bought him to the battlefield and he answered by saying that it was for the cause of Islam he had entered Jihad. We understand from this hadith, that to bring 'Imaan (faith) is a requirement before Jihad and that if a person is Shaheed straight after accepting Islam he is a Jannati (dweller of Jannah) even though he has performed no other deeds.

(Virtues Of Jihad)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 6th February 2011

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