Source: Aḥkām wa Masā’il: Kitāb o Sunnat kī Roshni Main
By: Shaykh Mubashshir Ahmad Rabbānī
Considering the current global situation, which action is more virtuous — Jihād fī Sabīlillāh (armed struggle in the path of Allah) or Daʿwah ilallāh (inviting to Islam)? Both are established in the religion, but which one holds greater merit today?
In light of current circumstances, the virtue of Jihād fī Sabīlillāh is clearly dominant.
Today, the forces of disbelief — Jews, Christians, and other enemies of Islam — have united in an all-out effort to destroy Islam and the Muslim Ummah. They are actively engaged in:
❖ In such dire times, the following are considered the most virtuous actions:
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn Salām رضي الله عنه said:
"Some of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ once said, ‘If only we knew the most beloved deed to Allah, we would perform it.’ So Allah revealed the verses from Sūrah al-Ṣaff regarding Jihād."
al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Musnad min Asbāb al-Nuzūl, p. 155
Musnad Aḥmad 5/452, ḥadīth: 24198
Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated:
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ,
"Who among the people is the most virtuous?"
He ﷺ replied:
"The one who performs Jihād in the path of Allah with his wealth and life."
The man then asked, "Who next?"
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"A man who worships Allah in solitude in a valley and keeps people safe from his harm."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jihād, ḥadīth: 2876
Imām al-Bukhārī titled this chapter to emphasize:
“The most virtuous of people is the one who strives with his wealth and life in the path of Allah.”
He also cited the following powerful verse from Sūrah al-Ṣaff:
﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ، تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾
﴿ يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَيُدْخِلْكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴾
Sūrah al-Ṣaff: 10–12
Translation:
“O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful punishment?
Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the path of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if only you knew.
He will forgive you your sins and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in eternal Paradise — that is the great success.”
✔ Both Daʿwah and Jihād are noble and essential elements of Islam.
✔ However, in times of attack, oppression, and invasion, Jihād fī Sabīlillāh takes precedence as the most virtuous action.
✔ It is the shield that protects the very foundation upon which Daʿwah, worship, and other deeds stand.
For further study, refer to the detailed work: "Zād al-Mujāhid", which compiles extensive proofs on the virtues of Jihād.
By: Shaykh Mubashshir Ahmad Rabbānī
❖ Question:
Considering the current global situation, which action is more virtuous — Jihād fī Sabīlillāh (armed struggle in the path of Allah) or Daʿwah ilallāh (inviting to Islam)? Both are established in the religion, but which one holds greater merit today?
❖ Answer:
In light of current circumstances, the virtue of Jihād fī Sabīlillāh is clearly dominant.
Today, the forces of disbelief — Jews, Christians, and other enemies of Islam — have united in an all-out effort to destroy Islam and the Muslim Ummah. They are actively engaged in:
- Systematic invasions of Muslim lands
- Merciless killings of Muslim men, women, children, and the elderly
- Intensifying their military and ideological encirclement of the Muslim world
❖ In such dire times, the following are considered the most virtuous actions:
- Establishing Jihād
- Supporting the Mujāhidīn
- Participating practically in the defense and victory of Islam
❖ Evidences from Qur’ān and Sunnah:
① Revelation of Sūrah al-Ṣaff
Sayyidunā ʿAbdullāh ibn Salām رضي الله عنه said:
"Some of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ once said, ‘If only we knew the most beloved deed to Allah, we would perform it.’ So Allah revealed the verses from Sūrah al-Ṣaff regarding Jihād."
al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Musnad min Asbāb al-Nuzūl, p. 155 Musnad Aḥmad 5/452, ḥadīth: 24198② Who Is the Most Virtuous Person?
Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه narrated:
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ,
"Who among the people is the most virtuous?"
He ﷺ replied:
"The one who performs Jihād in the path of Allah with his wealth and life."
The man then asked, "Who next?"
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"A man who worships Allah in solitude in a valley and keeps people safe from his harm."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Jihād, ḥadīth: 2876Imām al-Bukhārī titled this chapter to emphasize:
“The most virtuous of people is the one who strives with his wealth and life in the path of Allah.”
He also cited the following powerful verse from Sūrah al-Ṣaff:
❖ Quranic Testimony on the Superiority of Jihād:
﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ، تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾
﴿ يَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَيُدْخِلْكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَمَسَاكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِي جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴾
Sūrah al-Ṣaff: 10–12Translation:
“O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a commerce that will save you from a painful punishment?
Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and strive in the path of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if only you knew.
He will forgive you your sins and admit you to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in eternal Paradise — that is the great success.”
❖ Conclusion:
✔ Both Daʿwah and Jihād are noble and essential elements of Islam.
✔ However, in times of attack, oppression, and invasion, Jihād fī Sabīlillāh takes precedence as the most virtuous action.
✔ It is the shield that protects the very foundation upon which Daʿwah, worship, and other deeds stand.
For further study, refer to the detailed work: "Zād al-Mujāhid", which compiles extensive proofs on the virtues of Jihād.
