عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللّهِ مَا يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ؟ قَالَ: «لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ» فَأَعَادُوا عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا، كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ: «لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «مَثَلُ المُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الْقَانِتِ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ لَا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صَلاةٍ وَلَا صِيَامٍ، حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَهَذَا لَفْظُ مُسْلِمٍ. وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الْبُخَارِيِّ: أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللّهِ، دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ، قَالَ: «لَا أَجِدُهُ» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «هَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ إِذَا خَرَجَ الْمُجَاهِدُ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ مَسْجِدَكَ فَتَقُومَ وَلَا تَفْتُرَ، وَتَصُومَ وَلَا تُفْطِرَ؟» فَقَالَ: وَمَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ ذَلِكَ؟
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, what is equal to jihad in the path of Allah?" He said: "You are not able for it." They repeated [the question] to him two or three times, and each time he said: "You are not able for it." Then he said: "The likeness of the one who fights in the path of Allah is that of the one who fasts and stands [in prayer], devoutly reciting the verses of Allah, never flagging in prayer or fasting, until the fighter in the path of Allah returns." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim); this is the wording of Muslim. In al-Bukhari's narration: A man said, "O Messenger of Allah, direct me to a deed equal to jihad." He said: "I do not find one." Then he said: "Are you able, when the fighter goes out, to enter your mosque and stand [in prayer] without flagging, and to fast without breaking your fast?" He said, "And who is able to do that?"
الشرح · explanation
ما يعدل الجهاد: أي ما يساويه في الثواب. لا أجِدُه: أي لا عمَلَ يَعدِلُ الجهادَ. القانت: المطيع القائم يقرأ آيات اللّهِ. القائم: الذي يقوم الليل مصليًا.
"What equals jihad (ma yaʿdil al-jihad)": that is, what matches it in reward. "I do not find it (la ajiduhu)": that is, there is no deed that equals jihad. "The devoutly obedient (al-qanit)": the one who obeys, standing [in prayer], reciting the verses of Allah. "The one who stands (al-qaʾim)": the one who spends the night in prayer.
الدروس · lessons
تفضيل الجهاد على باقي العبادات، وذلك حين يكون الجهاد متعينًا لحفظ الدين والدنيا ونشر الإسلام والدعوة إليه، لما في ذلك من النفع العام.
The preference of jihad over the rest of the acts of worship — that is, when jihad becomes an individual obligation for preserving religion and worldly life and for spreading Islam and calling to it, because of the general benefit therein.