Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:15078Sufyān > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

While swearing fealty to the Prophet ﷺ we did not take the oath to death but that we would not run away (from the battlefield). (Using translation from Muslim 1856b)   

أحمد:١٥٠٧٨حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ

سَمِعَ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ لَمْ نُبَايِعِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ إِنَّمَا بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لَا نَفِرَّ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Nasāʾī, Tirmidhī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
muslim:1856b[Chain 1] Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Ibn ʿUyaynah [Chain 2] Ibn Numayr > Sufyān > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

While swearing fealty to the Prophet ﷺ we did not take the oath to death but that we would not run away (from the battlefield).  

مسلم:١٨٥٦bوَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

لَمْ نُبَايِعْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ إِنَّمَا بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ نَفِرَّ  

nasai:4158Qutaybah > Sufyān > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

"We did not give our pledge to the Messenger of Allah for death, rather we pledged not to flee (from battle)."  

النسائي:٤١٥٨أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ

سَمِعَ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ لَمْ نُبَايِعْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ إِنَّمَا بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ نَفِرَّ  

tirmidhi:1594Aḥmad b. Manīʿ > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

"We did not pledge to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for death, but only that we would not flee."  

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, meaning both of the Ahadith are Sahih. Some of his Companions pledged to him for death, they said only: "We will not leave from in front of you as long as we are not killed." While others pledged him by saying: "We will not flee."
الترمذي:١٥٩٤حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

لَمْ نُبَايِعْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ إِنَّمَا بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لاَ نَفِرَّ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَمَعْنَى كِلاَ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ صَحِيحٌ قَدْ بَايَعَهُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا قَالُوا لاَ نَزَالُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ حَتَّى نُقْتَلَ وَبَايَعَهُ آخَرُونَ فَقَالُوا لاَ نَفِرُّ
nasai-kubra:7731Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

"We did not give our pledge to the Messenger of Allah for death, rather we pledged not to flee (from battle)." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4158)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٧٧٣١أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ

سَمِعَ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ «لَمْ نُبَايِعْ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ إِنَّمَا بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لَا نَفِرَّ»  

nasai-kubra:8641Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

"We did not give our pledge to the Messenger of Allah for death, rather we pledged not to flee (from battle)." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4158)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٦٤١أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ

سَمِعَ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ «لَمْ نُبَايِعْ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَنْ لَا نَفِرَّ»