Jihad: The forgotten obligation

26: The Virtue of Ribaat: Safeguarding the Islamic Borders

Narrated Sahl bin Sad, as Saidi (ra), Allah's Messenger (saw) said: "To guard Muslims from infidels in Allah's cause for one day is better than the World and whatever is on it's surface, and a place in Paradise as small as that occupied by the whip of one of you is better than the World and whatever is on it's surface; and a morning's or an evening's journey which a slave (person) travels in Allah's cause is better than the World and whatever is on it's surface". (Sahih Bukhari, p.404, vol.1)

To guard the frontier and secure the borders of the Muslims lands and offer protection to the Muslim soldiers; this act is amongst the most pleasing Ibadah (worship) in the sight of Allah. It is revealed in the Qur'an:

"O you who believe! Endure and be more patient (than your enemy) and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you and fear Allah, so that you may be successful."(al Imran: 200)

"Raabitu" means, if from any direction you fear that the enemy may attack, then stand firmly and obstruct their path like a metal wall.

In Muslim, a hadith narrated by Salman Farsi (ra) that the Prophet (saw) had said, "To guard the Muslim territory for a day and a night is much better than a months night praying and fasting". If he dies his deeds will continue increasing in reward, his sustenance will be provided and he will be saved from the trials of the grave.

Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated, "Every person who dies will have fully completed his action except the deeds of the one who is on the frontier, he receives the reward of his deed until the day of resurrection and he is saved from the questioning of the Munkar and Nakir (in the grave)." (al-Haakim, Ibn Mardawi, Mukhtasar Ibn Kathir p.35, vol.1)

It is reported in Ibn Majah that Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said, "Whoever dies while guarding the territory, in the cause of Allah, his good deeds will continue and his sustenance will continue and he will be saved from the questioning by the Munkar, Nakir and Allah will raise him in the day of Qiyamah, protected from the immense adversity of that day".

Ibn Abbas (ra) has said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, "Two eyes will not be touched by the Hell fire, one is that eye which has shed tears in the fear of Allah and second that eye which stayed awake guarding in the path of Allah." (Tirmidhi)

Abu Dawud has reported that, at the time of the battle of Hunain, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "Who will be on guard tonight?" Anas ibn Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi said: I shall, Apostle of Allah. He said: Then mount your horse. He then mounted his horse, and came to the Apostle of Allah (saw). The Apostle of Allah said to him: Go forward to this ravine till you get to the top of it. We should not be exposed to danger from your side. In the morning the Apostle of Allah (saw) came out to his place of prayer, and offered two rak'ahs. He then said: Have you seen any sign of your horseman? They said: We have not, Apostle of Allah. The announcement of the time for prayer was then made, and while the Apostle of Allah (saw) was saying the prayer, he began to glance towards the ravine. When he finished his prayer and uttered salutation, he said: Cheer up, for your horseman has come. We therefore began to look between the trees in the ravine, and sure enough he had come. He stood beside the Apostle of Allah (saw), saluted him and said: I continued till I reached the top of this ravine where the Apostle of Allah (saw) commanded me, and in the morning I looked down into both ravines but saw no one. The Apostle of Allah (saw) asked him: Did you dismount during the night? He replied: No, except to pray or to relieve myself. The Apostle of Allah (saw) said: You have ensured your entry to (Paradise). No blame will be attached to you supposing you do not work after it." (Abu Dawud, p.693, vol.2)

Ubay ibn Ka'b (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said, "The protection of the weakest part along the Muslim territory with sincerity for one day other than the days of Ramadhan is more rewarding and virtuous than keeping fast for a hundred years and night praying, (the narrator had doubt in the words fasting and night praying)." Furthermore he said, "If he returns to his position safe and well, by the will of Allah, then no sin will be written to his account, and only blessings will be written and the reward for a thousand years for guarding the territory will continue until Qiyamah". (Qurtubi, Ma'arif al-Qur'an).

On the authority of Salman (ra) that the Messenger of Allaah (saw) said, "Guarding the frontiers for a day and a night is better than a month of fasting and standing in prayer. And if one dies whilst guarding the frontiers, actions that he used to perform will continue and his provision will continue and he will be saved from the two trials (i.e. the punishment of the grave and the Great Terror on the Day of Judgement)" (Muslim) Ibn Asakir narrates the wording in some chains as "and for him will be the reward of the mujahid until the Day of Resurrection."

Abu Dawud reports that Fudalah bin Ubayd (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) has said, "Everyone who dies will have his deeds sealed except the muraabit in Allaah's way for his deeds will be made to continue until yawm al-Qiyamah and he will be safe from questioning in the grave." (Tirmidhi also narrated it as hasan saheeh; Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Saheeh and al-Haakim said it was saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim)

al-Qurtubi says in his tafseer about these two ahadeeeth, that of Salman and of Fudalah ibn Ubayd: "These are a proof that ribaat is the best of deeeds for its rewards remain after death as came in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (ra). When a man dies his actions are severed except for three: sadaqah jariyah, beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who supplicates for him (Muslim). Indeed the rewards of sadaqah jariyah, beneficial knowledge and a righteous child supplicating for his parents cease with the demise of the sadaqah, the departure of knowledge and the death of the son; But with ribaat the reward continues to be bestowed until the Day of Resurrection."

So the above mentioned ahadith and many others confirm that the action of guarding (in the path of Allah) is more virtuous than any other Sadaqah Jariya (ever lasting reward of a deed) because the reward for these deeds is only to be attained until people benefit from the donated house, books, etc. When people stop benefiting from the specific deed (eg. well, book, etc), or it is not used then the reward also stops, but the deeds of the person who guards the territory will not end until the day of Qiyamah.

The main reason being the Muslims have the opportunity to do good actions more freely when they are secure from the attacks of the enemy. So the work of the Murabit enables all other Muslims to do good and virtuous deeds. Therefore the reward of his work will continue until the day of Qiyamah, apart from this, all other virtuous actions which he used to be engaged; their rewards will continue as it is quoted in many traditions.

Abu Darda (ra) has narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) has said, "One month of being on the frontier (in Allah's path) is better than fasting for life and whoever dies on the frontier (in the path of Allah) he will be saved from the fear and hardship of Qiyamah. His sustenance will have increased in jannah and he will be receiving his deeds until the day of Resurrection." This hadith has been reported by at-Tabarani and its reports are all trustworthy".

at-Tabarani has reported in his "Awsat" from Abu Huraira (ra): "The prophet (saw) has said, "If the Murabit dies while he is on the frontier, the virtue of his work will be written until Qiyamah. He will be given his sustenance, morning and evening in Jannah and he will be given in matrimony to seventy ladies of Jannah. He will be requested to stand up and made to intercede for the people until the accounting ends."

Anas (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saw) was asked about the reward of Ribaat, he replied "Whoever keeps watch of the security of the Muslims for a night, he will receive the reward of all those who offer salah and fast". It means those who had offered their Salah and kept fast with composure, the Murabit will have a part in their reward because, he has been the reason for their composure whilst fulfilling his duties.

It is understood from these ahadith that the mujahid and murabit will gain the reward for the knowledge which the Ulama are gaining during the time of peace, because if the Kaffirs take over the country, all the religious works and science will be brought to halt as it happened in the Balkan States (maa waraa un nahr).

These works continue due to the sacrifice of the Mujahid and by halting the enemies, the Mujahid receives the full share of the reward.

Jabir (ra) says: I have heard the Prophet (saw) saying, "Whoever kept watch in the path of Allah for a day, Allah makes seventy trenches between him and the Hell and each trench is the length of the seven skies and the seven earths." (at-Tabarani, at-Targheeb wa at-Tarheeb, p.368, vol.2)

Umamah (ra) narrated that the Prophet (saw) had said, "The Murabit's Salah is as five hundred salah (in reward) and his spending of one dinar or dirham (in the path of Allah) is much better than one spending seven hundred dinars in something else." (Bayhaqi, at-Targheeb, p.369, vol.2)

Mujahid reports that, Once Abu Hurairah (ra) was in Ribaat; the people started running towards the beach, they were informed that nothing had happened, (nothing to fear). The people returned but Abu Hurairah (ra) stayed there. One passer by asked him, "What made you stand here, O Abu Hurairah?" He replied, "I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (saw), "To stand in Allah's path (jihad) for one moment is better than standing in front of the black stone (Hajr Aswad) on the night of Qadr". (Ibn Hibban, at-Targheeb, p.369, vol.2, saheeh)

Ibn Umar (ra) narrated: The Prophet (saw) had said, "Shall I not tell you of the night which is better than the night of Qadr?" He then himself said, "The one who is keeping watch in such a fearsome place where it is doubted he would return home". (Bayhaqi, p.149, vol.9)

He is keeping watch over the enemy and the situation is such that the enemy may attack at night. This was a common occurrence with the Mujahideen of Afghanistan when on guard duty at night. Fortunate is he who gained and received all those virtues.

Abu Rayhana (ra) says Once we went out to battle with the Prophet (saw). The Prophet (saw) took us to a high place (at night), where we felt very cold so we made trenches and went into them and covered ourselves with our shields. When the Prophet (saw) saw this state, he said, "Who will keep watch tonight? I will make such supplication for him, he will reach his status". A companion from the Ansar, stood up and said, "I will keep watch, O Messenger of Allah". The Prophet (saw) gave him the glad tidings. Abu Rayhana (ra) says: I then said "I would also do it". So the Prophet (saw) gave glad tidings to me too but less than the first time. Later the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "The Hellfire is prohibited (haram) upon those eyes which (cry) shed tears of the fear of Allah swt and the hell fire is haram on those eyes which keep awake in the path of Allah (jihaad)". (Bayhaqi, p.149, vol.9)

The books of ahadith contain much more about the virtues of Ribaat. To end the subject an Iman enlightening incident is mentioned.

Ibn Asakir (ra) has related this incident in the biography of Abdullah ibn Mubarak (ra). Muhammad ibn Ibrahim bin Abi Sakina (ra) says: Abdullah ibn Mubarak (ra) made me write these few couplets in Tarsus. (Abdullah ibn Mubarak (ra) was in Tarsus doing the work of Ribatt). These couplets he wrote to Fudail ibn Iyadh in 170 AH, who was known as the "Worshipper of the Haramayn". (He was always in the Haram, either in Makkah or Madinah).

"Oh the devotee for the Haramayn
If only you had seen us,
You would have known that,
You are merely playing with worhip.
You, whose cheeks are wet with tears.
But our necks are drenched in our blood.
Or, he exhausts his horse in futility,
But our horses are overcome with exhaustion in the battlefields.
May the fragrance of Amber be good for you,
Our fragrance is the sparkle of scourge,
And the pure dust of Jihad.
We produce an authentic and true tradition,
Which cannot be denied.
The tradition is,
That the dust of the path of Allah,
And the smoke of the blazing fire
Cannot be breathed through one nose.
(Both cannot come together).
This is the book of Allah,
Which proclaims the Shaheed is not dead"
.

This means, if we are Shaheed, we will not be called the dead, there is no need for a bath or cloth, nor any questioning in the grave and the day of Judgement we will be given permission to intercede.

The narrator says, I met Fudail ibn Iyadh (r) in the Masjid al Haram and gave him the letter. As he finished reading the letter his eyes were flowing with tears and he exlaimed. "Abu Abdur Rahman (Abdullah ibn Mubarak) has said the truth", and then he gave some advice. He then asked me, "Do you collect ahadith?" I replied, "Yes". He said, "I will read a hadith to you as a price for bringing this letter of Abdullah ibn Mubarak (ra) to me". Then he (Fudail ibn Iyadh) made me write this hadith giving his chain (sanad) of narrators.

Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated: One companion asked, "O Messenger of Allah (saw) tell me of an action by doing which I can attain the reward of the fighters in the path of Allah." The Prophet (saw) said to him, "Do you have the strength to continuously offer Salah and get tired and observe fast and not break it?". The person replied, "O Messenger of Allah (saw)! I am weak, I do not have the strength." Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, "If you were to be given the strength (to continuously offer Salah and observe fast) yet you would not have achieved the status of the fighter in the path of Allah. Do you not know that the horse of a mujahid, tied to a rope, when it treads forth in length for grazing, even for this the Mujahid gains reward." (Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Tafseer Suratul Kahf)

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, give us the ability to do Ribaat in the path of Allah, and glorify and protect His Religion.

Ameen.