40 Hadith An Nawawi

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Hadith 8: Jihad in the way of Allah الجهاد في سبيل الله

Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

 أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَقُولُوا لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ فَإِذَا قَالُوا لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِحَقِّهَا وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ

I have been commanded to fight the people until they say there is no God but Allah. If they say there is no God but Allah, then they will be granted protection from me for their lives and property, except by right of justice, and their reckoning is with Allah.

Then, the Prophet recited the verse:

إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

Verily, you are only a reminder. You are not over them as a dictator. (88:22)

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 21, Grade: Sahih

Ibn Taymiyah commented on this tradition, writing:

مُرَادُهُ قِتَالُ الْمُحَارِبِينَ الَّذِينَ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ فِي قِتَالِهِمْ لَمْ يُرِدْ قِتَالَ الْمُعَاهَدِينَ الَّذِينَ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِوَفَاءِ عَهْدِهِمْ

The meaning of this tradition is to fight those who are waging war, whom Allah has called us to fight. It does not mean to fight those who have made peace, with whom Allah has commanded us to fulfill their peace.

Source: Majmū’ al-Fatāwá 19/20

And Ibn Rajab writes:

وَالْمَعْنَى إِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ تَذْكِيرُهُمْ بِاللَّهِ وَدَعْوَتُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَلَسْتَ مُسَلَّطًا عَلَى إِدْخَالِ الْإِيمَانِ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ قَهْرًا وَلَا مُكَلَّفًا بِذَلِكَ

The meaning is that your duty is only to remind them about Allah and to preach to them. You do not have authority to insert faith into their hearts by force; you are not responsible for that.

Source: Jāmi’ al-‘Ulūm wal-Ḥikam 1/236