Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterThe Meaning of “Return” in the Ḥadīth Comparing the Mujāhid to One Who Fasts and Prays Continuously
Question
Their is a hadith that says the mujahid is like the person who fast and prays constantly until he returns. I wanted to know if the "return" implies returning home or returning to his base in dar al-harb?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Slave and Messenger.
Perhaps you are referring to the ḥadīth reported by Abū Hurayrah 
in which it was said to the Prophet, ﷺ: “What equals jihād in the path of Allah?” He 
replied: “You are not able to do it.” This was repeated two or three times, and each time He, ﷺ, said: “You are not able to do it.” Then He, ﷺ, said:
“The example of the one who fights in the path of Allah is like that of one who fasts, prays, and stands in devotion with the verses of Allah—never ceasing from fasting or prayer—until the mujāhid returns.” [Muslim]
What is meant by “return” in this ḥadīth is his return to his family after completing that particular expedition of jihād. This meaning is explicitly mentioned in some narrations. For example, it is reported by Ibn Ḥibbān 
in his Ṣaḥīḥ, from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, said:
“The example of the mujāhid in the path of Allah is like that of one who is devoted in prayer and fasting without ceasing, until Allah returns him to his family—either with reward, or spoils of war, or He takes his soul and admits him into Paradise.”
As long as a person remains in the camp, stationed and prepared for further duty, or goes out morning or evening in the path of Allah, he is still offering himself in the cause of Allah, and therefore his reward does not cease.
The use of the term “return” to mean returning home is also found in other authentic narrations. Among them is the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah :
“Allah has guaranteed for the one who strives in His cause—having been driven out only for that purpose and believing in His words—that He will either admit him into Paradise or return him to the home from which he set out, along with whatever reward or spoils he attained.” [Bukhārī and Muslim]
Allah Knows best
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
