AND INCITE THE BELIEVERS ﴿فَقَاتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لاَ تُكَلَّفُ إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ وَحَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَكُفَّ بَأْسَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَاللَّهُ أَشَدُّ بَأْساً وَأَشَدُّ تَنكِيلاً﴾ Then fight in the cause of Allah, you are not held responsible except for yourself, and incite the believers, it may be that Allah will restrain the evil might of the disbelievers. And Allah is Stronger in might and Stronger in punishing. (Surah An Nisa 4:84) Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) commands His servant and Messenger, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم), to himself fight in Jihad and not to be concerned about those who do not join Jihad. Hence Allah's statement, ﴿لاَ تُكَلَّفُ إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ﴾ (You are not held responsible except for yourself) Ibn Abi Hatim (رحيم الله) recorded that, Abu Ishaq (رحيم الله) said, "I asked Al Bara Ibn Azib (رضي الله عنه) about a man who meets a hundred enemies and still fights them, would he be one of those referred to. In Allah's statement, ﴿وَلاَ تُلْقُواْ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ﴾ (And spend in the Cause of Allah (Jihad) and do not throw yourselves into destruction [by not spending your wealth in Jihad]) He (رضي الله عنه) said, Allah said to His Prophet, ﴿فَقَاتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لاَ تُكَلَّفُ إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ وَحَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ (Then fight in the Cause of Allah, you are not held responsible except for yourself, and incite the believers) Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله) recorded Sulayman bin Dawud saying that, Abu Bakr Ibn Ayyash said that, Abu Ishaq said, "I asked Al-Bara Ibn Azib (رضي الله عنه) that, `If a man attacks the lines of the idolators, would he be throwing himself to destruction' He (رضي الله عنه) said, `No because Allah has sent His Messenger and commanded him, ﴿فَقَاتِلْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لاَ تُكَلَّفُ إِلاَّ نَفْسَكَ﴾ (Then fight in the cause of Allah, you are not held responsible except for yourself) That Ayah is about spending in Allah's cause (Jihad)'' Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said, ﴿وَحَرِّضِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ (And incite the believers) to fight, by encouraging them and strengthening their resolve in this regard. For instance, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said to the believers at the battle of Badr, while organizing their lines, «قُومُوا إِلى جَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّموَاتُ وَالْأَرْض» (Stand up and march forth to a Paradise, as wide as the heavens and Earth) There are many Hadiths that encourage Jihad. Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, «مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ، وَصَامَ رَمَضَانَ، كَانَ حَقًّا عَلَى اللهِ أَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّـةَ، هَاجَرَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ أَوْ جَلَسَ فِي أَرْضِهِ الَّتِي وُلِدَ فِيهَا» (Whoever believes in Allah and His Messenger, offers prayer, pays the Zakah and fasts the month of Ramadan, will rightfully be granted Paradise by Allah, no matter whether he migrates in Allah's cause or remains in the land where he is born.) The people said, `O Allah's Messenger! Shall we acquaint the people with this good news? He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, «إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّـةِ مِائَةَ دَرَجَةٍ أَعَدَّهَا اللهُ لِلْمُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، بَيْنَ كُلِّ دَرَجَتَيْنِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، فَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللهَ فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ، فَإِنَّهُ وَسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَفَوْقَهُ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمنِ، وَمِنْهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّة» (Paradise has one hundred grades which Allah has reserved for the Mujahidin who fight in His cause, the distance between each two grades is like the distance between the heaven and the Earth. So, when you ask Allah, ask for Al Firdaws, which is the best and highest part of Paradise, above it is the Throne of Allah and from it originate the rivers of Paradise) There are various narrations for this Hadith from Ubaydah, Mu’adh, Abu Darda, Abu Sa’eed Al Khudri narrated that, the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, «يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍصلى الله عليه وسلّم نَبِيًّا، وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّـة» (O Abu Sa’eed! Whoever accepts Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion and Muhammad as the Prophet, then he would rightfully acquire Paradise.) Abu Sa’eed liked these words and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Repeat them for me.'' The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) repeated his words, then said, «وَأُخْرَى يَرْفَعُ اللهُ الْعَبْدَبِهَا مِائَةَ دَرَجَةٍ فِي الْجَنَّـةِ، مَا بَيْنَ كُلِّ دَرَجَتَيْنِ كَمَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْض» (And there is another deed for which Allah raises the servant a hundred grades in Paradise, between each two grades is the distance between heaven and Earth) Abu Sa’eed said, "What is it, O Allah's Messenger '' He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, «الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله» (Jihad in Allah's cause.) This Hadith was collected by Muslim.