عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلٌ مُقَنَّعٌ بالْحَدِيدِ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللّهِ أُقَاتِلُ أَوْ أُسْلِمُ؟ قَالَ: «أَسْلِمْ، ثُمَّ قَاتِلْ» فَأسْلَمَ، ثُمَّ قَاتَلَ فَقُتِلَ، فَقَالَ رَسُول اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَمِلَ قَلِيلًا وَأُجِرَ كَثِيرًا». مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَهَذَا لَفْظُ الْبُخَارِيِّ.
Al-Baraʾ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man clad in iron [armor] came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight or [first] accept Islam?" He said: "Accept Islam, then fight." So he accepted Islam, then fought, and was killed. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He did little, yet was rewarded much." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim); this is the wording of al-Bukhari.
الشرح · explanation
مقنع بالحديد: رجُلٌ مغطًّى وجهُه بالحديدِ.
"Clad in iron (muqannaʿ bi-l-hadid)": a man whose face is covered with iron [armor].
الدروس · lessons
بيان فضل الشهادة في سبيل اللّهِ وكبير أجرها عند اللّهِ تعالى. أنّ الأعمال الصالحة لا يعتد بها إلا بعد الإسلام. أنّ الإسلام يجُبُّ ما كان قبله حتى أكبر الكبائر الكفر والشرك.
A declaration of the merit of martyrdom in the path of Allah and the greatness of its reward with Allah the Exalted. That righteous deeds are not counted except after [entering] Islam. That Islam wipes out whatever came before it, even the greatest of major sins — disbelief and associating partners with Allah.