حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي ثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ ثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ يَعْنِي بْنَ بَهْرَامَ ثَنَا شَهْرٌ يَعْنِي بْنَ حَوْشَبٍ ثَنَا ابْنُ غَنْمٍ عَنْ حَدِيثِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَرَجَ بِالنَّاسِ قَبْلَ غَزْوَةِ تَبُوكَ، فَلَمَّا أَنْ أَصْبَحَ صَلَّى بِالنَّاسِ صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ رَكِبُوا، فَلَمَّا أَنْ طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ نَعَسَ النَّاسُ فِي أَثَرِ الدُّلْجَةِ وَلَزِمَ مُعَاذٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتْلُو أَثَرَهُ وَالنَّاسُ تَفَرَّقَتْ بِهِمْ رِكَابُهُمْ عَلَى جَوَادِّ الطَّرِيقِ تَأْكُلُ وَتَسِيرُ، فَبَيْنَمَا مُعَاذٌ عَلَى أَثَرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَنَاقَتُهُ تَأْكُلُ مَرَّةً وَتَسِيرُ أُخْرَى عَثَرَتْ نَاقَةُ مُعَاذٍ فَكَبَحَهَا بِالزِّمَامِ فَهَبَّتْ حَتَّى نَفَرَتْ مِنْهَا نَاقَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَشَفَ عَنْهُ قِنَاعَهُ فَالْتَفَتَ فَإِذَا لَيْسَ مِنَ الْجَيْشِ رَجُلٌ أَدْنَى إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مُعَاذٍ، فَنَادَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: ((يَا مُعَاذُ!)) قَالَ: لَبَّيْكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: ((أُدْنُ دُونَكَ)) فَدَنَا مِنْهُ حَتَّى لَصِقَتْ رَاحِلَتُهُمَا أَحَدَاهُمَا بِالْأُخْرَى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((مَا كُنْتُ أَحْسِبُ النَّاسَ مِنَّا كَمَكَانِهِمْ مِنَ الْبُعْدِ)) فَقَالَ مُعَاذٌ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ! نَعَسَ النَّاسُ فَتَفَرَّقَتْ بِهِمْ رِكَابُهُمْ تَرْتَعُ وَتَسِيرُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((وَأَنَا كُنْتُ نَاعِسًا)) فَلَمَّا رَأَى مُعَاذٌ بُشْرَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ وَخَلْوَتَهُ لَهُ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! ائْذَنْ لِي أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ كَلِمَةٍ قَدْ أَمْرَضَتْنِي وَأَسْقَمَتْنِي وَأَحْزَنَتْنِي، فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((سَلْنِي عَمَّا شِئْتَ)) فَقَالَ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ! حَدِّثْنِي بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِيَ الْجَنَّةَ لَا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ غَيْرِهِ، قَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((بَخٍ بَخٍ بَخٍ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ بِعَظِيمٍ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ بِعَظِيمٍ)) ثَلَاثًا، ((وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهِ الْخَيْرَ)) فَلَمْ يُحَدِّثْهُ بِشَيْءٍ إِلَّا قَالَهُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ يَعْنِي أَعَادَهُ عَلَيْهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ حِرْصًا لِكَيْمَا يُتْقِنُهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَتَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ لَا تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا حَتَّى تَمُوتَ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ)) فَقَالَ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ! أَعِدْ لِي، فَأَعَادَهَا لَهُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِنْ شِئْتَ حَدَّثْتُكَ يَا مُعَاذُ بَرَأْسِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ)) فَقَالَ مُعَاذٌ: بَلَى بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي أَنْتَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ فَحَدِّثْنِي، فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((إِنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَأَنْ قِوَامَ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ إِقَامُ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءُ الزَّكَاةِ، وَأَنَّ ذِرْوَةَ السَّنَامِ مِنْهُ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَيَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فَقَدِ اعْتَصَمُوا وَعَصَمُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِحَقِّهَا وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ)) وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ((وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ مَا شَحَبَ وَجْهٌ وَلَا اغْبَرَّتْ قَدَمٌ فِي عَمَلٍ تُبْتَغَى فِيهِ دَرَجَاتُ الْجَنَّةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ الْمَفْرُوضَةِ كَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَلَا ثَقَّلَ مِيزَانَ عَبْدٍ كَدَابَّةٍ تَنْفُقُ لَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوْ يَحْمِلُ عَلَيْهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ))
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that before the Battle of Tabuk, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out with the people. When morning came, he led the Fajr prayer, and the people mounted their rides and set off. When the sun rose, due to traveling through the night, the people began to doze off, while Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) remained with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), walking behind him. Meanwhile, the people took their mounts to graze and went off in different directions along the main roads. Nevertheless, Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) continued walking behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and his she-camel grazed as she walked. Suddenly, she slipped. Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) pulled the reins, but she started running, and the camel of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also became startled because of this. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the cloth from his head, turned around, and saw that out of the entire army, only Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was close to him. He called out to him, saying: "O Mu'adh!" He replied: "Here I am, O Prophet of Allah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come closer." So he came so close to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that one mount was alongside the other. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I did not think that the people would stay so far from us." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Prophet of Allah! The people began to doze off, and their mounts scattered far and wide to graze." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am also dozing." Anyway, when Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) saw that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with him and was alone with him, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Allow me to ask you about something that has made me sick and worried." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask whatever you wish." He said: "O Prophet of Allah! Tell me of a deed that will admit me to Paradise. I will not ask you about anything else besides this." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! You have asked about a great deed, you have asked about a great deed." He repeated this phrase three times, and then said: "But this deed is easy for the one for whom Allah Almighty intends good." Then he did not say anything further, but repeated these words three times so that Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) would remember them well. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(That deed is that) you believe in Allah Almighty and the Last Day, establish prayer, worship Allah Almighty alone and do not associate anything with Him (and then you continue upon this) until you die upon it." He said: "O Prophet of Allah! Please repeat this statement." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated it three times. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Mu'adh! If you wish, I will explain to you the foundation of this religion and its highest peak." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Why not, O Prophet of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for you, please explain to me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The foundation of this religion is that you bear witness that Allah Almighty alone is the true deity, He is One, He has no partner, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger. The support and pillar of this religion is to establish prayer and pay zakat, and its highest peak is striving in the way of Allah (jihad fi sabilillah). I have been commanded to fight the people until they establish prayer, pay zakat, and bear witness that Allah Almighty alone is the true deity, He is One, He has no partner, and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and Messenger. When the people do these things, they will save themselves and their blood and wealth, except for what is due from them, and their reckoning is with Allah Almighty." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) further said: "By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad! After the obligatory prayer, striving in the way of Allah (jihad fi sabilillah) is the only deed by which the ranks of Paradise are attained, in which the face is changed (by hardship) and the feet are covered with dust, and the deed that weighs heaviest in the servant's scale is that you spend an animal in the way of Allah Almighty or provide a mount for someone in the way of Allah."