عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي سَرِيَّةٍ مِنْ سَرَايَاهُ قَالَ فَمَرَّ رَجُلٌ بِغَارٍ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ قَالَ فَحَدَّثَ نَفْسَهُ بِأَنْ يُقِيمَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْغَارِ فَيَقُوتُهُ مَا كَانَ فِيهِ مِنْ مَاءٍ وَيُصِيبُ مَا حَوْلَهُ مِنَ الْبَقْلِ وَيَتَخَلَّى مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لَوْ أَنِّي أَتَيْتُ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَإِنْ أَذِنَ لِي فَعَلْتُ وَإِلَّا لَمْ أَفْعَلْ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي مَرَرْتُ بِغَارٍ فِيهِ مَا يَقُوتُنِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَالْبَقْلِ فَحَدَّثَتْنِي نَفْسِي بِأَنْ أُقِيمَ فِيهِ وَأَتَخَلَّى عَنِ الدُّنْيَا قَالَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنِّي لَمْ أُبْعَثْ بِالْيَهُودِيَّةِ وَلَا النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَلَكِنْ بُعِثْتُ بِالْحَنِيفِيَّةِ السَّمْحَةِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَغَدْوَةٌ أَوْ رَوْحَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا وَلَمَقَامُ أَحَدِكُمْ فِي الصَّفِّ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ سِتِّينَ سَنَةً
Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in an army. A man passed by a low-lying place where there was also a spring of water. He thought that he should withdraw from the world and settle there; this water and the surrounding greenery would suffice for him. Then he decided that he would go to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and present this matter before him; if you permitted, then fine, otherwise not. He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! I passed by such-and-such a low-lying place; its water and greenery could suffice for my livelihood. I thought that I should withdraw from the world and settle there. (What do you think?) The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I have not been sent with Judaism or Christianity; I have been sent with a gentle and easy Shari’ah. By Him in Whose hand is my soul! To go forth in the morning or evening in the path of Allah is better than the world and whatever is in it, and to stand in the ranks before the enemy is better than sixty years of prayer.