Examples of Seriousness and Firmness in the Life of the Prophet ﷺ

His Seriousness ﷺ in the Matter of Jihad in the Cause of Allah and Carrying It Through

Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

01

“I saw as if I were in a fortified coat of armor, and I saw cows being slaughtered. I interpreted the fortified armor to mean Madinah, and the slaughtered cows to mean a group (who would be martyred). And Allah is best.”

02

He said to his companions: “If we remain in Madinah and they enter upon us there, we will fight them.”

03

They said: “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, no one entered upon us there in the pre-Islamic period, so how would they enter upon us in Islam?” (In another narration he said: “It is up to you then.”)

He then put on his armor. The Ansar said: “We have turned back the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from his opinion!” So they came and said: “O Prophet of Allah, it is up to you.”

He replied: “It is not befitting for a Prophet, once he has put on his armor, to remove it until he fights.” And from Ka‘b ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him):

He said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ rarely intended a campaign except that he would conceal it by mentioning another. Until it was the expedition of Tabuk. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ undertook it in intense heat, facing a long journey across desert land, and facing a large enemy force.

“

So he made the matter clear to the Muslims so that they could prepare themselves against their enemy, and he informed them of the direction he intended.

He said: “The Prophet ﷺ said to us when he returned from Al-Ahzab: ‘None of you should pray ‘Asr except in Banu Qurayzah.’ Some of them were overtaken by ‘Asr while on the way. Some said: ‘We will not pray until we reach it.’ Others said: ‘Rather, we will pray; that was not intended from us.

’ It was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, and he did not rebuke either of them.

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