Jihad: The forgotten obligation

28: "O Saad! Shoot!"

Narrated Ali (ra). I never saw the Prophet (saw) saying, "Let my parents sacrifice their lives for you", to any man after Sa'd (ie Sa'd ibn Malik Abi Waqqas). I heard him saying to (him), "Shoot, O Sa'd! Shoot! Let my parents sacrifice their lives for you". (Sahih Bukhari, p.407, vol.1)

The Prophet (saw) interest and enthusiasm for archery can clearly be seen from the above ahadith. Archery was indeed an advantage in the wars in that period and as such, Allah mentioned in the Quran as follows:

"Make ready for them all you can of power, tethered horses (tanks, planes, missiles, artillery, etc) to threaten the enemy of Allah and your enemy". (Anfal: 60)

The explanation of power has been narrated from the Prophet (saw). Qatada (ra) narrates that he heard the Prophet (saw) saying on the minbar, "Be aware! power is archery. Be aware! power is archery. Be aware! power is archery." (Muslim, p.143, vol.2)

The fundamental point being raised in the above ahadith is that the main power in the battlefield is the power of throwing. The Prophet's (saw) saying can be comapred to the modern time where the main power of the armies is the power of throwing. The missile has the longest range of hit and is most powerful in terms of destructiveness. In modern times arm to arm combat has become rare and only takes place occasionally. The main aspect of wars today is of throwing.

Taking all this into consideration, the Qur'an ordered the Muslims 1400 years ago that according to your ability make ready the war weaponry, so that the enemy fears you and cannot harm you. There was considerable importance of archery in the era of the Prophet (saw).

Narrated Abu Usayd (ra), "On the day of Badr when we stood in rows against the army of Quraysh, and they stood in rows against us, the Prophet (saw) said, "When they do come near to you throw arrows at them". (Sahih Bukhari, p.406, vol.1)

Narrated Anas bin Malik (ra), Abu Talha (ra), and the Prophet (saw) used to shield themselves with one shield. Abu Talha (ra) was a good archer, and when he threw (his arrows) the Prophet (saw) would look at the target of his arrows". (Sahih Bukhari, p.406, vol.1)

Uqbah ibn Amir (ra) says, that I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Allah will enter three people into Jannah by one arrow. The first one is the maker who makes it with the intention of reward and the archer and the person who stands by (passing it to the archer). Do archery and horseriding. To practice archery is more beloved to me than horse riding and whoever forgot archery, disliking it after learning it, surely he has left a great bounty (or he said), he has been ungrateful to a bounty".(at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.100, vol.2; Abu Dawud, p.347, vol.1)

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said, "Hold on tight to archery as this is better for you". Or he said, "It is the best from your games". (at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.401, vol.2)

Ata bin Abi Rabah says that I saw Jabir ibn Abdullah and Jabir ibn 'Umar al Ansari doing archery. One of them got tired and sat down, so the other Sahabi said to him, "You have become lazy. I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Everything which does not consist of Allah's dhikr (remembrance) is sport or pasttime except for four things, the walking of a person between the targets of the arrows (meaning practising archery), the training of the horse by a man, amusing one's wife, and learning archery". (at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.402, vol.2)

Amar bin Abasa (ra) says that I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Whoever hit an arrow correctly, (it reached the enemy), it will be one grade for him in Jannah", that day I aimed sixteen arrows correctly (reaching the enemy). (an-Nasa'i, (p.58, vol.2), at Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb p.402, vol.2)

Amar bin Abasa (ra) says that I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Whoever threw one arrow in the path of Allah, he will receive the reward of freeing a slave". (an-Nasai, p. 58, vol.2) at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.402, vol.2)

Shurahbeel bin Assam said to Ka'b bin Murra (ra) that, "Narrate a hadith of the Prophet (saw) with precaution (correctly) not less nor more, or with any mistakes." He said, "I heard the Prophet (saw) he said, "Whoever aimed an arrow at the enemy, reaching him, Allah will raise one grade in jannah in exchange for this deed". Ibn Nuham asked, "O Prophet of Allah (saw)! How much (distance) is that grade?" The Prophet (saw) answered, "The distance of grades in Jannah is not similar to the distance of your houses, in fact the distance between two grades is a hundred years". (an-Nasa'i, p.58, vol.2; at Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.403, vl.2)

Amar bin Abasa (ra) says "I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Whoever threw an arrow in Allah's path; reaching its target or not reaching it's target, will receive the reward of freeing a slave. The reward of freeing a Muslim slave is that it will be a source of saving every part of one's body from the fire of Hell". (an-Nasai, p.58, vol.2)

Aqba bin Abdus Salam (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) commanded his Sahaba on one occasion to get up and fight. Upon hearing this one person threw an arrow towards the enemy. The Prophet (saw) said, "He has made Jannah compulsory upon himself, (meaning that Jannah is compulsory for him)." (at Targheeb wat-Tarheeb , p.404, vol.2)

Abu Huraira (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever threw one arrow in the path of Allah, there will be noor ( a gifted light from Allah ) for him on the day of Judgement."(at Targheeb wa at Tarheeb, p.404, vol.2)

It has been narrated from Muhammad bin Hanafi (ra) that he said "I saw Abu Amar Ansari. Abu Amar Ansari (ra) is known amongst those Sahaba who participated in the battle of Badr and Uhud and he had also given an oath to the Prophet (saw) in Aqaba". He further states, "I saw him in the battlefield, he was fasting and was in a critical condition of thirst. He told his slave, "Give me a shield". The slave did so. He aimed three arrows at the enemy in a state of weakness, then he said, "I heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "whoever threw an arrow at the enemy, irrespective of it reaching the enemy or not, there will be a noor for him on the day of Judgement." Abu Amar Ansari was Shaheed before Maghrib. (at Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.405, vol.2)

Subhanallah! This person is in the battlefield in a state of weakness and old age, observing a fast and showering arrows at the enemy and he reached the hight status of Shahadah before Maghrib.

The Sahaba had such faith in the sayings of the Prophet (saw) that they endured all hardships participating in the deeds shown by the Prophet (saw), thereby receiving the glad tidings of such great virtues.

Here is a great opportunity for the Muslims to participate in Jihaad and receive these virtues by shooting at the enemy, with guns, tanks and missiles, etc. Muslim youths should learn how to use weapons, to enable them to shoot at the enemy with a good target and receive those great virtues which the Prophet (saw) has informed us about, concerning firing at the enemy.