Jihad: The forgotten obligation

39. To Recite Poems in Jihaad

Narrated al Bara (ra) "I saw Allah's Apostle (saw) on the day (of the battle) of the trench carrying earth till the hair of his chest were covered with dust and he was a hairy man. He was reciting the following verses of Abdullah (bin Rawaha) -

O Allah were it not for You
We would not have been guided
Nor would we have given in charity, nor prayed
So, bestow on us calmness, and when we meet the enemy,
Then make our feet firm, for indeed,
If they want to put us in affliction (ie want to fight against us) we would not (flee but withstand them)".

The Prophet (saw) used to raise his voice while reciting these verses.(Sahih Bukhari, p.435, vol.1)

The Prophet (saw) did not normally recite poems but in the battlefield his feelngs were different and indeed it is a fact good poems and poetry instill a religious fervous which is very useful in Jihaad.

On the occasion of the battle of Hunain, when the Muslims were suddenly attacked by a shower of arrows, they hesitated and began to retreat from the battlefield. The Prophet (saw) stood steadfast in the shower of arrows and was reciting the following -

"I am the Prophet in truth, I am the son of Abdul Muttalib" (Sahih Bukhari, p. 403, vol.1)

On the occasion of the battle of trenches, the Ansari sahaba were reciting these poems when digging the trenches "We are those who have sworn allegiance to Muhammad (saw) for Jihaad (forever) as long as we live."

The Prophet (saw) replied to them, "O Allah! There is no life except the life of the hereafter, so honour the Ansar and emigrants (muhajirs) with your generosity". (Sahih Bukhari, p. 416, vol.1)

On one occasion of Jihaad the Prophet's (saw) finger was injured the Prophet (saw) recited the following poems -

"You are just a finger that bled, and what you got is in Allah's cause". (Sahih Bukhari, p. 393, vol.1)

The Prophet (saw) sent a group of Sahaba (ra) to Syria for jihaad in the year 8AH. They confronted the enemy in a place called Muta. This place was near to a place called Balka. The Prophet (saw) appointed Zaid bin Haritha (ra) as the Ameer and said if Zaid is Shaheed then Jafar bin Abi Talib (ra) will take his place (as the ameer) and if he is also Shaheed then Abdullah ibn Rawayah (ra) will replace him as the ameer. The battle took palce and all three raised the flag of Islam high and were Shaheed in the above mentioned order. After the Shahadah of Abdullah bin Rawaha (ra), Khalid bin Waleed (ra) took the flag and Allah gave them victory. When Abdullah ibn Rawaha (ra) had held the flag he had added two more poems with the above mentioned poem which are mentioned below.

"You are just a finger that bled, and what you got is in Allah's cause
O soul if you are not killed you will surely die (your own death)
These are the reservoirs of death which you have entered
What you (O soul) had desired of Shahadah you will receive on (this occasion)
If you do what they, (Jafar and Zaid (ra) did then surely you have been guided".
(meaning that if you are Shaheed) [Fath ul Bari.]

The Sahaba (ra) used to satirise the kuffar with their poems strengthening the Muslim's bravery and giving coolness to the Muslim's hearts by saying poems in favour of the Prophet (saw) just like they used to do Jihaad against the unbelievers by their lives and wealth.

The Prophet (saw) said regarding Hassan (ra), "Hassan satirised against them and gave satisfaction to the Muslims and gave satisfaction to himself".(Sahih Muslim, English version, p.1328, vol.4)

The Prophet's (saw) uncle's son, Abu Sufyan bin Harith bin Abdul Muttalib had composed some satirised poems against the Prophet (saw). In answer to this Hassan (ra) replied back defending the Prophet's (saw) position by these poems.

Note - It should be kept in mind that Abu Sufyan bin Harith embraced Islam on the day of the conquest of Makkah.

The following are Hassan's (ra) poems which have been narrated by Muslim.

"You satirised Muhammad, but I replied on his behalf,
And there is reward with Allah for this.
You satirised Muhammad, virtuous, righteous
The Apostle of Allah, whose nature is truthfulness,
So verily my father and his father and my honour,
Are a protection to the honour of Muhamamd
May I lose my dear daughter, if you don't see her,
Wiping away the dust from the two sides of Kada,
They pull at the reins, going upward;
On their shoulders are spears thirstings (for the blood of the enemy)
Our steeds are sweating, our women wipe them with their mantles.
If you had not interfered with us, we would have performed the Umrah,
And (then) there was the victory, and the darkness cleared away;
Otherwise wait for the fighting on the day in which Allah will honour whom He pleases
And Allah said: I have sent a servant who says the Truth in which there is no ambiguity
And Allah said I have prepared an army they are the Ansar whose object is fighting (the enemy);
There reaches every day from Ma'ad abuse, or fighting, or satire.
Whoever satirised the Apostle from amongst you, or praises him and helps it is all the same
And Jibreel the Apostle of Allah is amongst us and the Holy Spirit who has no match."

(Sahih Muslim, p.1328-9, vol.4)