I witnessed Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad in a scene which would have been dearer to me than anything had I been the hero of that scene. He (i.e. Al-Miqdad) came to the Prophet ﷺ while the Prophet ﷺ was urging the Muslims to fight with the pagans. Al-Miqdad said, "We will not say as the People of Moses said: Go you and your Lord and fight you two. (5.27). But we shall fight on your right and on your left and in front of you and behind you." I saw the face of the Prophet ﷺ getting bright with happiness, for that saying delighted him.  

لأَنْ أَكُونَ صَاحِبَهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا عُدِلَ بِهِ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَهْوَ يَدْعُو عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ لاَ نَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى {اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلاَ} وَلَكِنَّا نُقَاتِلُ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَعَنْ شِمَالِكَ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ وَخَلْفَكَ فَرَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَشْرَقَ وَجْهُهُ وَسَرَّهُ يَعْنِي قَوْلَهُ  

[Machine] "Abdullah, I witnessed from Al-Miqdad that Abu Nu'aim ibn Al-Aswad said: 'To be his companion is more beloved to me than being adorned with gold. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came while supplicating against the polytheists. So he (Abu Nu'aim) said: 'By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we do not say as the Children of Israel said to Moses, 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are here sitting.' (Quran 5:24) But rather, we fight on your right and on your left, and from the front and the back.' So I saw the face of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lighten up and he was pleased with that. Aswad said: 'I saw the face of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lighten up and he was pleased with that.' Abu Nu'aim said: 'I saw the face of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ lighten up and he was pleased with that.'"  

عَبْدُ اللهِ لَقَدْ شَهِدْتُ مِنَ الْمِقْدَادِ قَالَ أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ ابْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ مَشْهَدًا لَأَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا صَاحِبَهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا عُدِلَ بِهِ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَدْعُو عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ وَاللهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ لَا نَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لِمُوسَى {اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ} [المائدة 24] وَلَكِنْ نُقَاتِلُ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَعَنْيَسَارِكَ وَمِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْكَ وَمِنْ خَلْفِكَ فَرَأَيْتُ وَجْهَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يُشْرِقُ وَسُرَّ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ أَسْوَدُ فَرَأَيْتُ وَجْهَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ يُشْرِقُ لِذَلِكَ وَسَرَّهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَشْرَقَ وَجْهُهُ وَسَرَّهُ ذَاكَ  

[Machine] "For me to be its owner, it is more beloved to me than anything on earth." He said that a man from Persia came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "May the Prophet of Allah be glad! By Allah, we will not say to you what the Children of Israel said to Moses ﷺ , 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight. We are sitting here.' But, by the One who sent you with the truth, we will be in front of you, on your right, on your left, and behind you until Allah grants you victory."  

لَأَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا صَاحِبَهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ قَالَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَكَانَ رَجُلًا فَارِسًا قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبْشِرْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ وَاللهِ لَا نَقُولُ لَكَ كَمَا قَالَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لِمُوسَى ﷺ {اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ} وَلَكِنْ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لَنَكُونَنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ وَعَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَعَنْ شِمَالِكَ وَمِنْ خَلْفِكَ حَتَّى يَفْتَحَ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ  

[Machine] To be his companion is dearer to me than anything else, because he (referring to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) came while invoking upon the polytheists, and said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we do not say what the people of Moses said to Moses: 'Go, you and your Lord, and fight, we are here sitting' but we fight on your right, on your left, in front of you, and behind you." So I saw the Prophet, peace be upon him, pleased with that.  

لِأَنْ أَكُونَ صَاحِبَهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا عُدِلَ بِهِ أَنَّهُ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَدْعُو عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَا نَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى لِمُوسَى {اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ} وَلَكِنَّا نُقَاتِلُ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَعَنْ شِمَالِكَ وَمِنْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ وَمِنْ خَلْفِكَ «فَرَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يُشْرِقُ لِذَلِكَ وَسَرَّهُ ذَلِكَ»