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:19739Ziyād b. ʿAbdullāh / al-Bakkāʾī > Manṣūr > Shaqīq b. Salamah > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

Who fights that the word of Allah be exalted fights in the way of Allah. (Using translation from Muslim 1904d)   

أحمد:١٩٧٣٩حَدَّثَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ يَعْنِي الْبَكَّائِيَّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَنْصُورٌ عَنْ شَقِيقِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَهُوَ مُنَكِّسٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا الْقِتَالُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ تَعَالَى؟ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَنَا يُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً وَيُقَاتِلُ غَضَبًا فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ؟ قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيْهِ وَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَائِمًا مَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّقَالَ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad
bukhari:123ʿUthmān > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > Abū Mūsá

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What kind of fighting is in Allah's cause? (I ask this), for some of us fight because of being enraged and angry and some for the sake of his pride and haughtiness." The Prophet ﷺ raised his head (as the questioner was standing) and said, "He who fights so that Allah's Word (Islam) should be superior, then he fights in Allah's cause."  

البخاري:١٢٣حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْقِتَالُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَنَا يُقَاتِلُ غَضَبًا وَيُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً فَرَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ رَأْسَهُ قَالَ وَمَا رَفَعَ إِلَيْهِ رَأْسَهُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَائِمًا فَقَالَ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ﷻ  

muslim:1904dIsḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

Who fights that the word of Allah be exalted fights in the way of Allah.  

مسلم:١٩٠٤dوَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ

أَنَّ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنِ الْقِتَالِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ﷻ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ يُقَاتِلُ غَضَبًا وَيُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيْهِ وَمَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَائِمًا فَقَالَ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ  

ahmad:19543Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > Abū Mūsá

(one who fights) for displaying his valour; (a man who) fights out of his family pride and (a man who) fights for the sake of show, who amongst these fights in the way of Allah? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Who fights that the word of Allah be exalted fights in the way of Allah. (Using translation from Muslim 1904b)   

أحمد:١٩٥٤٣حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ يُقَاتِلُ شَجَاعَةً وَيُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً وَيُقَاتِلُ رِيَاءً فَأَيُّ ذَلِكَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ؟ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ ﷻ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ  

ahmad:19596Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar And ʿAffān > Shuʿbah > ʿAmr b. Murrah > ʿAffān > ʿAmr b. Murrah > Abū Wāʾil > Abū Mūsá al-Ashʿarī

Messenger of Allah, one man fights fgr the spoils of war; another fights that he may be remembered, and another fights that he may see his (high) position (achieved as a result of his valour in fighting). Which of these is fighting in the cause of God? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Who fights so that the word of Allah is exalted is fighting in the way of Allah. (Using translation from Muslim 1904a)  

أحمد:١٩٥٩٦حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَعَفَّانُ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ قَالَ عَفَّانُ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ مُرَّةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا وَائِلٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيُّ

أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ الرَّجُلُ يُقَاتِلُ لِلْمَغْنَمِ وَالرَّجُلُ يُقَاتِلُ لِيُذْكَرَ وَالرَّجُلُ يُقَاتِلُ لِيُرَى مَكَانُهُ فَمَنْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ  

ahmad:19631Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > Abū Mūsá

(one who fights) for displaying his valour; (a man who) fights out of his family pride and (a man who) fights for the sake of show, who amongst these fights in the way of Allah? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Who fights that the word of Allah be exalted fights in the way of Allah. (Using translation from Muslim 1904b)  

أحمد:١٩٦٣١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُقَاتِلُ شَجَاعَةً وَيُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً وَيَقَاتِلُ رِيَاءً فَأَيُّ ذَلِكَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ تَعَالَى؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ  

ahmad:19740Ḥasan b. Mūsá > Zuhayr > Manṣūr b. al-Muʿtamir > Abū Wāʾil

[Machine] Abu Musa asked a man, or a man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting, leaning back. He said, "What is fighting in the cause of Allah? For indeed, one of us fights out of zeal and anger, so does he still get reward?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his head towards him, and if he had not been standing or sitting down, the doubt of Zuhair would not have made him raise his head towards him. So he said, "Whoever fights so that the word of Allah becomes supreme, then he is fighting in the cause of Allah."  

أحمد:١٩٧٤٠حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَنْصُورُ بْنُ الْمُعْتَمِرِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ قَالَ قَالَ

أَبُو مُوسَى سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَوْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَالِسٌ مُنَكِّسٌ فَقَالَ مَا الْقِتَالُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ؟ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَنَا يُقَاتِلُ حَمِيَّةً وَغَضَبًا فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ؟ قَالَ فَرَفَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيْهِ وَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَائِمًا أَوْ كَانَ قَاعِدًا الشَّكُّ مِنْ زُهَيْرٍ مَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ مَنْ قَاتَلَ لِتَكُونَ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ هِيَ الْعُلْيَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ