Question
Can the Hadiths which mention the virtues of “فى سبيل الله” be used for encouraging spending time in tabligh and in jama’ah (khuruj fi sabilillah)?
Answer
In our opinion, this is correct. The Hadiths which mention the virtues of ‘Going out in the path of Allah’ could be used for tabligh as well as other avenues of good.
When the words “في سبيل الله” appear in Hadith, it could apply to the chapter of jihad as well other avenues of good. This is substantiated by the following [as well as other such proofs]:
1) Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has included a chapter in his Sahih titled: “باب المشي إلى الجمعة” i.e., “The chapter on the [virtue] of walking for Jumu’ah. In this chapter he has cited the following Hadith:
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whosoever gets his feet dusty in the path of Allah, Allah will make the Fire forbidden upon him.”
(Sahih Buhari, Hadith: 907)
In this instance, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has included walking for Jumu’ah under “في سبيل الله”
2) The very same Hadith has also been cited by Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) in Kitabul Jihad, under the chapter, “The chapter regarding one whose feet become dusty in the path of Allah”
(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 2811)
By quoting the very same Hadith in both chapters, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) is demonstrating that the words “في سبيل الله” is applicable in the jihad context as well as other avenues of good.
3) The very next chapter in Kitabul Jihad is “The chapter on wiping the dust off the body while in the path [of Allah].” To prove the permissibility of wiping the dust off which may come on a person while in jihad, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) quotes a Hadith which states that Sayyiduna ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) and other Sahabah (radiyallahu ‘anhum) were constructing a Masjid. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) passed by and wiped the dust off Sayyiduna ‘Ammar’s (radiyallahu ‘anhu) face.
Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) concludes from here that constructing a Masjid is such a deed that those who are physically involved in it will be regarded to be in the path of Allah. Since Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wiped the dust off Sayyiduna ‘Ammar’s (radiyallahu ‘anhu) forehead this shows the permissibility of wiping the dust off when in the path of Allah.
(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 2812)
By citing a Hadith regarding constructing a Masjid in the chapter of jihad, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has demonstrated that the words “في سبيل الله” can be used in a jihad context as well as for other avenues of good.
Those narrations which specifically discuss the virtues of fighting and the context of the Hadith explains that the huge reward mentioned in that particular narration is for when a person’s life is at risk, should be quoted for jihad only. General narrations which discuss the virtues of going out in the path of Allah, could be used for tabligh and other noble works.
See a booklet on this issue here.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar,
In addition to the above, it should be noted that in the first example cited, it was the Sahabi himself (radiyallahu’anhu) who applied the Hadith of “fi sabilillah” to walking for Jumu’ah. This illustrates that the broad application of fi sabilillah to other avenues of good, was actually the view of the Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum) themselves. Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has expounded and elaborated on this as explained above.
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التخريج من المصادر العربية
صحيح البخاري
باب المشي إلى الجمعة
(٩٠٧) – حدثنا علي بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا الوليد بن مسلم، قال: حدثنا يزيد بن أبي مريم الأنصاري، قال: حدثنا عباية بن رفاعة، قال: أدركني أبو عبس وأنا أذهب إلى الجمعة، فقال: سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «من اغبرت قدماه في سبيل الله حرمه الله على النار».
صحيح البخاري
باب من اغبرت قدماه في سبيل الله
(٢٨١١) – حدثنا إسحاق، أخبرنا محمد بن المبارك، حدثنا يحيى بن حمزة، قال: حدثني يزيد بن أبي مريم، أخبرنا عباية بن رفاعة بن رافع بن خديج، قال: أخبرني أبو عبس هو عبد الرحمن بن جبر، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «ما اغبرت قدما عبد في سبيل الله فتمسه النار».
باب مسح الغبار عن الرأس في السبيل [سبيل الله]
(٢٨١٢) – حدثنا إبراهيم بن موسى، أخبرنا عبد الوهاب، حدثنا خالد، عن عكرمة، أن ابن عباس، قال له ولعلي بن عبد الله ائتيا أبا سعيد فاسمعا من حديثه، فأتيناه وهو وأخوه في حائط لهما يسقيانه، فلما رآنا جاء، فاحتبى وجلس، فقال: كنا ننقل لبن المسجد لبنة لبنة، وكان عمار ينقل لبنتين لبنتين، فمر به النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، ومسح عن رأسه الغبار، وقال: «ويح عمار تقتله الفئة الباغية، عمار يدعوهم إلى الله، ويدعونه إلى النار».