THE CALL TO JIHAD (FIGHTING FOR ALLAH’S CAUSE) IN THE QUR’ AN 

Part 6

So it is they (above said people) who are called by Allah as “ the maintainers of the mosques”- And in spite of all this, still the people who do Jihad are far superior in grade than them (maintainers of the mosque) before Allah.

Allah said:

Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury, or are blind, or lame, etc.) and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah, with their wealth and their lives. Allah has preferred in grades those who strive hard and fight with their wealth and lives above those who sit (at home). Unto each Allah has promised good (Paradise), but Allah has preferred those who strive hard and fight, above those who sit (at home) by a huge reward. (V.4: 95).

Degrees of (higher) grade from Him, and Forgiveness and Mercy. And Allah is Ever Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful (V.4: 96)

Allah (the All-Mighty) denied the equality between the believers who sit (at home) and join not in Jihad- and the Mujahidin (those who fight in Allah’s Cause), - Then He mentioned the superiority of the Mujahidin over those (believers) who sit (at home) by a grade and then later on mentioned their ((Mujahidin’s) superiority over them (believers who sit at home) by degrees of grades. 

Ibn Zaid (a religious scholar) said: The degrees of grades with which Allah preferred the Mujahidin over those (believers) who sit (at home) are seven and these Allah mentioned in His Statement:

That is because they suffer neither thirst, nor fatigue, nor hunger in the Cause of Allah, nor they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers nor inflict any injury upon an enemy, but is written to their credit as a deed of righteousness.  Surely Allah loses not the reward of the Muhsinun. (V.9: 120).

These are five- then Allah said:

Nor do they spend anything (in Allah’s Cause)-small or great, -nor cross a valley, but is written to their credit…(V.9: 121).

So these are two bringing the total to seven.

Ibn Qaiyyam after mentioning the statement of Ibn Zaid said: True! Indeed the degrees of grades mentioned are reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said,

“Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger, performs Iqamat –as-Salat observes Saum (fasts) in the month of Ramadan, then it will be a promise binding upon Allah to admit him to Paradise no matter whether he fights in Allah’s Cause or remains in the land where he is born”. The people said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Shall we inform the people of this good news?” He said,  “Paradise has one hundred grades which Allah has reserved for the Mujahidin who fight in His Cause, and the distance between each of the two grades is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-Firdaus which is the middle (best) and highest part of Paradise”. [ The subnarrator added, “I think the Prophet also said, ‘Above it (i.e. Al-Firdaus) is the Throne of the Beneficent (i.e. Allah), and from it originate the rivers of Paradise .’’’] (Hadith No 48,Vol.4).

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