The virtue of jihad

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Strive (perform jihad) in the way of Allah, for striving in the way of Allah is one of the gates of Paradise, through which Allah Almighty delivers from worry and grief."
Ahmad recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat as a longer narration than this. In one of the chains of Ahmad and others, the narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hold fast to jihad in the way of Allah, for it is one of the gates of Paradise; through it Allah Almighty removes worry and grief."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Amr bin al-Husayn, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Before the Battle of Tabuk, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out with the people. In the morning he led the people in the Fajr prayer, and the people set off. When the sun rose, the people began to doze because of travelling through the night. Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) kept close to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), following behind him. The people's mounts had scattered here and there away from the main road; they were grazing as they went. Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) was behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and his she-camel would sometimes graze and sometimes move on. The she-camel of Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) stumbled; he pulled it back by the reins and it sprang forward, until it came close to the she-camel of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) removed the cloth from his face and looked, and no one from the army was near him except Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), who was close to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called out to Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Mu'adh!" He replied: "At your service, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Come closer." He came closer to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), until their two mounts were touching each other. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I did not think the people were as far from us as they are." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! The people began to doze, so their mounts scattered here and there; they are moving and grazing." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I too was dozing." When Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a cheerful mood and found him alone, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Permit me to ask you about something that has made me ill, made me sick and made me sad." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask about whatever you wish." He said: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me of a deed that will admit me into Paradise; I will not ask you about anything other than that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Excellent, excellent, excellent! You have asked about something great; you have asked about something great; you have asked about something great!" He said this three times, (and then said:) "And it is easy for the one for whom Allah Almighty intends good; it is easy for the one for whom Allah Almighty intends good; it is easy for the one for whom Allah Almighty intends good." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated whatever he said three times, out of his eagerness that Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) should retain it carefully. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You believe in Allah Almighty and the Last Day, establish the prayer, pay the zakah, and worship Allah Almighty alone, associating no partner with Him, until you die while you are in that state." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Repeat it for me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated it three times. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Mu'adh, if you wish, I will tell you of the head of this matter, the mainstay of this matter, and the peak of its hump." Sayyiduna Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Yes indeed! Tell me, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The head of this matter is that you bear witness that there is no god but Allah Almighty, He has no partner, and that Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and His Messenger. The mainstay of this matter (that is, the most important thing) is establishing the prayer and paying the zakah, and the peak of its hump is jihad in the way of Allah. I have been commanded to fight people until they establish the prayer, pay the zakah, and bear witness that there is no god but Allah Almighty, He alone is God, He has no partner, and that Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and His Messenger. When they do that, they will have held fast and will have protected their lives and their wealth, except for what is due upon them by right, and their reckoning will rest with Allah Almighty." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in whose Hand is my soul, no face changes colour and no foot becomes dusty in any deed by which you seek the ranks of Paradise, after the obligatory prayer, like jihad in the way of Allah; and nothing makes a servant's scale heavy like an animal that is spent for him in the way of Allah, or on which he mounts someone in the way of Allah."
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded it in abridged form. Its chain contains a narrator, Shahr bin Hawshab, who is da'if (weak), though his hadith has been graded hasan (good).

Sayyiduna Fadalah bin Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Islam has three levels: a lower one, an upper one, and an upper chamber. As for the lower one, it is Islam, which the generality of Muslims enter; whoever of them is asked will say: 'I am a Muslim.' As for the upper level, it refers to the varying excellence of their deeds; some Muslims are more excellent than others. As for the highest upper chamber, it is jihad in the way of Allah; only the most excellent of them attain it."
Al-Tabarani recorded it through the narration of Abu Abd al-Malik from al-Qasim; I do not know Abu Abd al-Malik, and the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The peak of the hump of Islam is jihad; only the most excellent of them can attain it."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Yazid, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that a woman came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah! My husband has gone out to fight. I used to follow him in prayer when he prayed, and to follow him in everything he did. So tell me of a deed that will bring me up to his deed until he returns." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the woman: "Are you able, until he returns, to keep standing in voluntary prayer without sitting, to keep fasting voluntary fasts without breaking them, and to keep remembering Allah without any pause?" The woman said: "O Messenger of Allah! I do not have the strength for that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in whose Hand is my soul, even if you did have the strength for it, you would not reach even a tenth of his deed."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Rishdin bin Sa'd, whom Ahmad declared thiqah (trustworthy) and a group declared da'if (weak).

Abdullah bin Muhammad, and Umar and Ammar, the two sons of Hafs, narrate from their fathers, from their grandfathers, that they said: Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O successor of the Messenger of Allah! I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The most excellent deed of the believers is jihad in the way of Allah.' So I have resolved to devote myself to the way of Allah until I die." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Bilal! I adjure you by Allah, and by my sanctity and my right over you: I have grown old, my strength has weakened, and the time of my death has drawn near. (So do not leave me.)" So Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) stayed with him. When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said to Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) the same thing that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had said, but Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) refused him. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Bilal! Then who (will give the call to prayer)?" He replied: "Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him), for he used to give the call to prayer at Quba in the blessed time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the responsibility of the call to prayer to Sayyiduna Uqbah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Rahman bin Sahl bin Ammar, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Jidar (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrates: We took part in a battle with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When we faced the enemy, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up, praised and extolled Allah Almighty, and then said: "O people! You are among green, yellow and red, and among your encampments. When you face the enemy, press forward, for whoever advances in the way of Allah, two of the wide-eyed maidens (al-hur al-'in) hasten towards him. When he attains martyrdom, then with the first drop of his blood to fall on the ground, Allah Almighty wipes away every sin of his. The two maidens wipe the dust from his face and say: 'Your time has come,' and he says: 'Your time has come too.'"
Al-Tabarani and al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, al-Abbas bin al-Fadl al-Ansari, who is da'if (weak). A narration similar to it from Yazid bin Shajarah, regarding the virtue of martyrdom, will come later.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Malik al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever establishes the prayer, pays the zakah, and dies while worshipping Allah Almighty without associating anything with Him, it is a duty upon Allah Almighty to admit him into Paradise, whether he emigrated or stayed in the place where he was born." A man said: "O Messenger of Allah! If I tell people this, they will rest content with it." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty has prepared one hundred ranks for those who strive in His way; between every two ranks is a distance like that between the heaven and the earth. If I had something to spend with which I could strengthen the Muslims, or if they had something to spend, then no expedition would go out without my taking part in it. But neither do I have the means for that nor do the people. If I were to set out, every one of them would set out with me, and that would be hard for me and hard for them. I wish that I could fight and be killed, then be brought back to life, then fight and be killed, then be brought back to life, then be killed."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Sa'id bin Yusuf, whom Ibn Hibban and others declared thiqah (trustworthy), while Ahmad and others declared him da'if (weak). The rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna al-Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The likeness of the one who strives in the way of Allah is that of a person who fasts by day and stands in voluntary prayer by night, until he (the mujahid) returns, whenever he returns."
Ahmad, al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it. The narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Hind (may Allah be pleased with him), who was one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The likeness of the one who strives in the way of Allah is that of a fasting person who performs voluntary prayers and does not pause in his fasting, his prayer or his charity."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Rahman bin Abi al-Zinad, who is da'if (weak).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever fights in the way of Allah for as long as it takes to milk a she-camel, Allah Almighty will make Hell forbidden for him."
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Aziz bin Ubaydullah, who is da'if (weak).

It is reported about Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) that once her mukatab slave (who had contracted to buy his freedom) came to her with the remaining amount of his contract. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to him: "After this time you will not be able to come in to me. You should take part in jihad in the way of Allah, for I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Whenever dust in the way of Allah enters the heart of a Muslim, Allah Almighty makes Hell forbidden for him.'"
Ahmad and al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat) recorded it. The narrators of Ahmad are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the heart of a believer trembles with fear in the way of Allah, his sins fall away from him just as the clusters of a date palm fall away."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; its chain contains a narrator, Amr bin al-Husayn, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu al-Mundhir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! So-and-so has died; offer the funeral prayer for him." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He was a wicked man; do not offer the funeral prayer for him." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Did you not see this man on that night when you stood guard until the morning? He was among the guards." (That is, when there was a need for guarding, he too was one of the guards.) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up and offered his funeral prayer, then he followed the deceased until he came to his grave. He sat there, and when he had been buried, he threw three handfuls of soil on him with his hands and then said: "People speak ill of you, and I speak well of you." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! What is the reason for that?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O son of al-Khattab, leave us be! Whoever strives in the way of Allah, Paradise becomes obligatory for him."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Yazid bin Tha'lab, whom I do not know; the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When a fighter goes out in the way of Allah, his sins are placed at the door of his house. When he leaves the door behind and goes on, he leaves all his sins behind, and not even as much as a mosquito's wing of those sins remains upon him. Allah Almighty becomes a guarantor for him of four things: that He will watch over whatever family and wealth he leaves behind; that in whatever state he dies, Allah Almighty will admit him into Paradise; that in whatever state he returns, Allah Almighty will bring him back safely, and he will obtain reward and he will obtain spoils; and that whenever the sun sets, it sets taking his sins with it."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Bakr bin Khunays, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered an expedition to set out. The people said: "O Messenger of Allah! Shall we set out tonight, or stay until the morning and then set out?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Would you not love to spend the night picking the fruits of Paradise?"
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Bakr bin Sahl al-Dimyati. Al-Dhahabi said: He is muqarib al-hadith (his hadith is fair). Al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: He is da'if (weak). The chain of this narration also contains Ibn Lahi'ah.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Atik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever leaves his house to take part in jihad in the way of Allah" - then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured with three of his fingers, the middle finger, the index finger and the thumb, brought them together, and said: "And where are those who strive?" (Then he said:) "If he falls from his mount and dies, his reward becomes due upon Allah Almighty; if an animal stings him and he dies, his reward becomes due upon Allah; if he dies a natural death, his reward becomes due upon Allah." The narrator says: By Allah, I had never heard this expression from any of the Arabs before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:) "If he dies, his reward becomes due upon Allah; and whoever is slain as a martyr and fulfils what was due upon him has secured for himself the (best) final return."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Ishaq, who is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain). The rest of Ahmad's narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took a pledge from us regarding five things, that whoever does even one of them will be under the guarantee of Allah Almighty: whoever visits a sick person, or goes with a funeral, or goes out to fight in the way of Allah, or goes to a ruler intending to support and honour him, or stays in his house so that he remains safe and people remain safe from him. (Al-Haythami says:) I say:
Abu Dawud recorded it in abridged form.
Ahmad and al-Bazzar recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. The narrators of Ahmad are the narrators of the Sahih, except Ibn Lahi'ah; his hadith is hasan (good), and there is weakness in him.

Humayd bin Hilal narrates: A man from (the tribe of) Tufawah used to pass by us on his route; he would come to the tribe and narrate hadith to them. He said: Once I came to Madinah with a caravan of ours, and we sold our merchandise. Then I thought that I should go to this man and find out about him. He said: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) showed me a house and said: "A woman used to live in this house. She went out with an expedition of the Muslims and left behind twelve goats and her weaving tool with which she used to weave. (When she came back,) she found one goat from her goats missing and found her weaving tool missing. So she said: 'O my Lord! You have guaranteed to whoever goes out in Your way that You will protect (what he leaves). I have found one goat from my goats and my weaving tool missing, so I implore You regarding my goat and my weaving tool.'" The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned how intensely she had implored her Lord. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then she had her goat and another like it, and her weaving tool and another like it." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You may go to that woman and ask her about it if you wish." The narrator says: I said: "Rather, I believe you."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are six deeds; any Muslim who fulfils any one of them will be under the guarantee of Allah Almighty that He will admit him into Paradise: a man who goes out to strive in jihad; if he dies on the way, he will be under the guarantee of Allah Almighty. A man who goes with a funeral; if he dies on the way, he will be under the guarantee of Allah Almighty. A man who performs ablution and does it well, then walks to the mosque to offer prayer; if he dies on the way, he will be under the guarantee of Allah Almighty. And a man who stays in his house, does not backbite the Muslims, and brings neither displeasure nor vengeance upon them; if he dies in that state, he will be under the guarantee of Allah Almighty."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains a narrator, Isa bin Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Farwah, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Muhammad bin Hatib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you is deprived of a wife and children, then jihad is incumbent upon him."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Musa bin Muhammad bin Hatib, whom I do not know; the rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every nation has its own monasticism, and the monasticism of this nation is jihad in the way of Allah."
Abu Ya'la recorded it, and Ahmad recorded it too, except that he narrated these words: "Every prophet has his own monasticism, and the monasticism of this nation is jihad." Its chain contains a narrator, Zayd al-Ammi, whom Ahmad and others declared thiqah (trustworthy), while Abu Zur'ah and others declared him da'if (weak). The rest of its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every nation has its own form of wandering devotion (siyahah), and the wandering devotion of my Ummah is jihad in the way of Allah. Every nation has its own monasticism, and the monasticism of my Ummah is standing guard (ribat) facing the enemy."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Ufayr bin Ma'dan, who is da'if (weak).

It is reported about Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him) that on the day of Siffin he said: "Paradise is beneath the wells. Stand firm, you thirsty ones! The water will reach its watering places."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once we were walking along with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He heard some people saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Which deed is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith in Allah and His Messenger, jihad in the way of Allah, and an accepted Hajj (Hajj mabrur)." Then he heard a voice in the lower part of the valley; the man was saying: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Almighty, and that Sayyiduna Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I too bear witness to that, and I also bear witness that whoever bears witness to this (statement) will be free of polytheism (shirk)."
Ahmad recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; the narrators of both are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyidah al-Shifa' bint Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was one of the Muhajir women, narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the most excellent deed, and he said: "Faith in Allah, jihad in the way of Allah, and an accepted Hajj (Hajj mabrur)."
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains a narrator who is not named.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Which deed is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith in Allah, jihad in His way, and an accepted Hajj (Hajj mabrur)." When the man turned to leave, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Easier for you than that is feeding people, gentle speech and good character." When the man was leaving, he said: "Easier for you than that is that you do not complain against Allah about anything He has decreed against you (that is, anything you dislike)."

In one narration the words are: That man said: "O Messenger of Allah! I want to know of something even easier than that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Generosity and patience."
Al-Tabarani recorded it with two chains. One of them contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah; his hadith is hasan (good), and there is weakness in this narrator. The chain of the other contains a narrator, Suwayd bin Ibrahim, whom Yahya bin Ma'in declared thiqah (trustworthy) according to two reports, and al-Nasa'i (may Allah have mercy on him) declared him da'if (weak). The rest of the narrators of both are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not tell you about the best of creation?" The people said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man who holds the reins of his horse in the way of Allah, and whenever he hears an alarming cry, he mounts it. Shall I tell you about the one who comes after him?" The people said: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man who is among a flock of sheep, establishes the prayer and pays the zakah. And shall I not tell you about the worst of creation?" The people said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who is asked in the name of Allah and does not give in His name." (Al-Haythami says:) I say: A hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) is recorded in the Sahih, but without this wording.
Ahmad recorded it. The narrator Abu Ma'shar Najih is da'if (weak), and Abu Ma'shar, the freed slave of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), I do not know.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Which deed is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith in Allah, jihad in the way of Allah, and an accepted Hajj (Hajj mabrur)."
Al-Bazzar recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, al-Walid bin Abdullah bin Abi Thawr, whom the majority declared da'if (weak), while he (al-Bazzar) and Sharik vouched for him.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One Hajj is better than forty military expeditions, and one military expedition is better than forty Hajjs." He said: "When a person has performed the obligatory Hajj, then one expedition is better for him than performing Hajj forty times, and the obligatory Hajj is better than taking part in forty expeditions."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy). The narrator Anbasah bin Hubayrah was declared thiqah (trustworthy) by Ibn Hibban, and al-Dhahabi called him majhul (unknown).

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to take part in a military expedition. The narrator says: A man passed by a cave in which there was a little water. The man thought that he would settle in that cave; there Allah Almighty would keep providing him sustenance through that water, he would obtain the vegetation around it, and he would withdraw from the world. Then he thought: "I should go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mention this to him; if he gives me permission, I will do it, and if he does not give permission, I will not do it." He came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Prophet of Allah! I passed by a cave in which there was provision for my sustenance in water and vegetation, and I thought that I would settle in it and withdraw from the world." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was not sent with Judaism or Christianity; rather, I was sent with the easy, upright religion (al-Hanifiyyah). By the One in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), going out in the way of Allah in the morning or in the evening is better than the world and everything in it, and for one of you to stand in the battle line is better than his offering (voluntary) prayers for sixty years."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Ali bin Yazid al-Alhani, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: One of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a mountain pass in which there was water, and he liked its pleasantness. He thought: "If I were to separate myself from people and settle in this mountain pass (that would be fitting), but I will not do so until I seek permission from the Messenger of Allah." He mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not do so, for one of you standing in the way of Allah is better for him than standing (or offering voluntary prayers) in his own house for sixty years (the narrator is in doubt about a word here). Whoever fights in the way of Allah for as long as it takes to milk a she-camel, Paradise becomes obligatory for him."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy). The hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Imran bin Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) about the virtue of a man standing in the battle line for fighting will come later.