Whenever Allah's Apostle intended to carry out a Ghazwa, he would use an equivocation to conceal his real destination till it was the Ghazwa of Tabuk which Allah's Apostle carried out in very hot weather. As he was going to face a very long journey through a wasteland and was to meet and attack a large number of enemies. So, he made the situation clear to the Muslims so that they might prepare themselves accordingly and get ready to conquer their enemy. The Prophet informed them of the destination he was heading for.

The Prophet said, "Take refuge with Allah from the difficulties of severe calamities, from having an evil end and a bad fate and from the malicious joy of your enemies."

That he heard 'Umar bin Al-Khattab saying: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) saying: 'The martyrs are four: A believing man whose faith is good, he meets the enemy and proves faithful to Allah until he is killed. That is the one to whom the people will raise up their eyes like this on the Day of Judgement' and he raised his head until his Qalansuwah fell - [he said:] I do not know if it was 'Umar's Qalansuwah or the Qalansuwah of the Prophet (saws) that fell - he said, 'And a believing man whose faith is good (but not as brave as first), he meets the enemy, but due to cowardice, it only appears that he was struck with a thorn of an acacia tree when an unexpected arrow comes to him, yet it kills him. He is among the second level. And a believing man who has mixed righteous deed with another evil one, he meets his enemy and proves faithful to Allah until he is killed. This one is in the third level. And a believing man who wasted himself (in wrongdoing), he meets the enemy and proves faithful to Allah until he is killed. This one is in the fourth level.'"

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib, it is not known except as a narration of 'Ata bin Dinar.

He said: I heard Muhammad saying: "Sa'eed bin Abi Ayyub reported this Hadith from 'Ata bin Dinar - from some Shaikhs of Khawlan - and he did not mention 'from Abu Yazid' in it." And he said: "'Ata bin Dinar; there is no harm in him."

When the Verse:--'If there are twenty steadfast amongst you (Muslims), they will overcome twohundred (non-Muslims).' was revealed, it became hard on the Muslims when it became compulsory that one Muslim ought not to flee (in war) before ten (non-Muslims). So (Allah) lightened the order by revealing: '(But) now Allah has lightened your (task) for He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there are of you one-hundred steadfast, they will overcome (two-hundred (non-Muslims).' (8.66) So when Allah reduced the number of enemies which Muslims should withstand, their patience and perseverance against the enemy decreased as much as their task was lightened for them.

Yazid b. Ruman told on the authority of Salih b. Khawwat on the authority of one who prayed in time of danger with Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) at the Battle of Dhat ar-Riqa' that a group formed a row and prayed along with him, and a group faced the enemy. He led the group which was along with him in a rak'ah, then remained standing while they finished the prayer by themselves. Then they departed and formed a row facing the enemy. Then the second group came and he led them in the remaining rak'ah, after which he remained seated while they finished the prayer themselves. He then led them in salutation.

On the day of Badr, Allah's Apostle said to us, "When the enemy comes near to you, shoot at them but use your arrows sparingly (so that your arrows should not be wasted).

Allah's Apostle said, "Do not long for meeting your enemy, and ask Allah for safety (from all sorts of evil)." (See Hadith No. 266, Vol. 4)

`Abdullah bin Abi `Aufa wrote and I read what he wrote that Allah's Apostle said, "When you face them ( i.e. your enemy) then be patient."

A lady came to the Prophet and declared that she had decided to offer herself to Allah and His Apostle. The Prophet said, "I am not in need of women." A man said (to the Prophet) "Please marry her to me." The Prophet said (to him), "Give her a garment." The man said, "I cannot afford it." The Prophet said, "Give her anything, even if it were an iron ring." The man apologized again. The Prophet then asked him, "What do you know by heart of the Qur'an?" He replied, "I know such-andsuch portion of the Qur'an (by heart)." The Prophet said, "Then I marry her to you for that much of the Qur'an which you know by heart."

The Prophet frequently used to swear, "No, by the One Who turns the hearts."

The oath of the Prophet used to be: "No, by Him who turns the hearts."

Concerning those who witnessed the Fear Prayer that was performed in the battle of Dhat-ur-Riqa' in the company of Allah's Apostle; One batch lined up behind him while another batch (lined up) facing the enemy. The Prophet led the batch that was with him in one rak`a, and he stayed in the standing posture while that batch completed their (two rak`at) prayer by themselves and went away, lining in the face of the enemy, while the other batch came and he (i.e. the Prophet) offered his remaining rak`a with them, and then, kept on sitting till they completed their prayer by themselves, and he then finished his prayer with Taslim along with them.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) as saying: He who has in his heart as much pride as much pride as grain of mustard-seed will not enter paradise. And he who has in his heart as much faith as grain of mustard-seed will not enter Hell.

Abu Dawud said: Al-Qasmali has transmitted it from Al-A'mash in a similar way.

It is narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he (the Holy Prophet) saw (Allah) with, his heart.

On the day of (the battle of) Badr, Allah's Apostle said to us, "When your enemy comes near to you (i.e. overcome you by sheer number), shoot at them but use your arrows sparingly."

The Prophet forbade the throwing of stones (with the thumb and the index or middle finger), and said "It neither hunts a game nor kills (or hurts) an enemy, but it gouges out an eye or breaks a tooth."

Al-Muhallab ibn AbuSufrah said: A man who heard the Prophet (saws) say: If the enemy attacks you at night, let your war cry be Ha-Mim. They will not be helped.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Ruman from Salih ibn Khawwat from someone who had prayed (the prayer of fear) with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the day of Dhat ar-Riqa that one group had formed a row with him and one group had formed a row opposite the enemy. He then prayed one raka with the group he was with, and then remained standing while they finished by themselves. They then left and formed a row opposite the enemy, and then the other group came and he prayed the remaining raka of his prayer with them, and then remained sitting while they finished by themselves. Then he said the taslim with them.

One night a house in Medina was burnt with its occupants. The Prophet spoke about them, saying, "This fire is indeed your enemy, so whenever you go to bed, put it out to protect yourselves."

`Abdullah bin Salam heard the news of the arrival of Allah's Apostle (at Medina) while he was on a farm collecting its fruits. So he came to the Prophet and said, "I will ask you about three things which nobody knows unless he be a prophet. Firstly, what is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal of the people of Paradise? And what makes a baby look like its father or mother?'. The Prophet said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that." `Abdullah said, "Gabriel?" The Prophet said, "Yes." `Abdullah said, "He, among the angels is the enemy of the Jews." On that the Prophet recited this Holy Verse:-- "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (let him die in his fury!) for he has brought it (i.e. Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission." (2.97) Then he added, "As for the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the East to West. And as for the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be the caudite (i.e. extra) lobe of the fish liver. And if a man's discharge proceeded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge proceeded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother." On hearing that, `Abdullah said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that you are the Apostle of Allah, O, Allah's Apostle; the Jews are liars, and if they should come to know that I have embraced Islam, they would accuse me of being a liar." In the meantime some Jews came (to the Prophet) and he asked them, "What is `Abdullah's status amongst you?" They replied, "He is the best amongst us, and he is our chief and the son of our chief." The Prophet said, "What would you think if `Abdullah bin Salam embraced Islam?" They replied, "May Allah protect him from this!" Then `Abdullah came out and said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah." The Jews then said, "Abdullah is the worst of us and the son of the worst of us," and disparaged him. On that `Abdullah said, "O Allah's Apostle! This is what I was afraid of!"

Abu ‘Ali said : I have been told that Abu ‘Ubaid said : It means that his heart is full of poetry so much so that it makes him neglectful of the Quran and remembrance of Allah. If the Quran and the knowledge (of religion) are dominant, the belly will not be full of poetry in our opinion. Some eloquent speech is magic. It means that a man expresses his eloquence by praising another man, and he speaks the truth about him so much so that he attracts the hearts to his speech. He then condemns him and speaks the truth about him so much so that he attracts the hearts to another of his speech, as if he spelled the audience by it.

Malik said, "I do not see that there is any harm in the Muslims eating whatever food they come across in enemy territory before the spoils are divided."

Malik said, "I think that any camels, cattle and sheep (taken as booty) are considered as food which the Muslims can eat in enemy territory. If they could not be eaten until the people had gathered for the division and the spoils had been distributed among them, that would be harmful for the army. I do not see any objection to eating such things within acceptable limits. I do not think, however, that anyone should store up any of it to take back to his family."

Malik was asked whether it was proper for a man who obtained food in enemy territory and ate some of it and made provision so that there was some of it left over to keep and eat with his family, or to sell before he had come to his country and make use of its price. He said, "If he sells it while he is on a military expedition, I think that he should put its price into the booty of the Muslims. If he takes it back to his country, I see no objection to his eating it and using it if it is a small insignificant thing."

I heard the Prophet saying, "On the Day of Resurrection I will intercede and say, "O my Lord! Admit into Paradise (even) those who have faith equal to a mustard seed in their hearts." Such people will enter Paradise, and then I will say, 'O (Allah) admit into Paradise (even) those who have the least amount of faith in their hearts." Anas then said: As if I were just now looking at the fingers of Allah's Apostle.

The Prophet said, "The first batch (of people) who will enter Paradise will be (glittering) like the full moon, and the batch next to them will be (glittering) like the most brilliant star in the sky. Their hearts will be as if the heart of a single man, for they will have neither enmity nor jealousy amongst themselves; everyone will have two wives from the houris, (who will be so beautiful, pure and transparent that) the marrow of the bones of their legs will be seen through the bones and the flesh."

The Prophet was carrying earth on the day of Al-Khandaq till his `Abdomen was fully covered with dust, and he was saying, "By Allah, without Allah we would not have been guided, neither would we have given in charity, nor would we have prayed. So (O Allah), please send Sakina (i.e. calmness) upon us, and make our feet firm if we meet the enemy as the enemy have rebelled against us, and if they intended affliction, (i.e. want to frighten us and fight against us then we would not flee but withstand them)." The Prophet used to raise his voice saying, "Abaina! Abaina! (i.e. would not, we would not).

The freed slave of `Umar bin 'Ubaidullah who was `Umar's clerk: `Abdullah bin Abi `Aufa wrote him (i.e. `Umar) a letter that contained the following:-- "Once Allah's Apostle (during a holy battle), waited till the sun had declined and then he got up among the people and said, "O people! Do not wish to face the enemy (in a battle) and ask Allah to save you (from calamities) but if you should face the enemy, then be patient and let it be known to you that Paradise is under the shades of swords." He then said,, "O Allah! The Revealer of the (Holy) Book, the Mover of the clouds, and Defeater of Al-Ahzab (i.e. the clans of infidels), defeat them infidels and bestow victory upon us."

When taking an oath, the Prophet very often used to say, "No, by Him Who turns the hearts."

Allah's Apostle said, "They say Al-Karm (the generous), and in fact Al-Karm is the heart of a believer."