Command to not wish to meet the enemy and to show patience when you face them; Duʿāʾ when meeting the enemy

(the freed slave of 'Umar bin 'Ubaidullah) I was Umar's clerk. Once Abdullah bin Abi Aufa wrote a letter to 'Umar when he proceeded to Al-Haruriya. I read in it that Messenger of Allah ﷺ in one of his military expeditions against the enemy, waited till the sun declined and then he got up amongst the people saying, "O people! Do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for safety, but when you face the enemy, be patient, and remember that Paradise is under the shades of swords." Then he said, "O Allah, the Revealer of the Holy Book, and the Mover of the clouds and the Defeater of the clans, defeat them, and grant us victory over them."  

حِينَ خَرَجَ إِلَى الْحَرُورِيَّةِ فَقَرَأْتُهُ فَإِذَا فِيهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَعْضِ أَيَّامِهِ الَّتِي لَقِيَ فِيهَا الْعَدُوَّ انْتَظَرَ حَتَّى مَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ ثُمَّ قَامَ فِي النَّاسِ فَقَالَ: «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، لاَ تَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ الْعَدُوِّ، وَسَلُوا اللَّهَ الْعَافِيَةَ۔ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ، فَاصْبِرُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلاَلِ السُّيُوفِ۔» ثُمَّ قَالَ: «(اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ، وَمُجْرِيَ السَّحَابِ، وَهَازِمَ الأَحْزَابِ، اهْزِمْهُمْ وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ)۔»  

O ye men, do not wish for an encounter with the enemy. Pray to Allah to grant you security; (but) when you (have to) encounter them exercise patience, and you should know that Paradise is under the shadows of the swords. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up (again) and said: O Allah. Revealer of the Book, Disperser of the clouds, Defeater of the hordes, put our enemy to rout and help us against them.  

عَنْ كِتَابِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يُقَالُ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي أَوْفَى فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ حِينَ سَارَ إِلَى الْحَرُورِيَّةِ يُخْبِرُهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ فِي بَعْضِ أَيَّامِهِ الَّتِي لَقِيَ فِيهَا الْعَدُوَّ يَنْتَظِرُ حَتَّى إِذَا مَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ قَامَ فِيهِمْ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لاَ تَتَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ الْعَدُوِّ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ الْعَافِيَةَ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاصْبِرُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلاَلِ السُّيُوفِ ثُمَّ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُجْرِيَ السَّحَابِ وَهَازِمَ الأَحْزَابِ اهْزِمْهُمْ وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ  

Salim Abu Al Nadr, client of ‘Umar bin ‘Ubaid Allaah that is Ibn Ma’mar who Salim was his (‘Umar’s) secretary reported “When ‘Abd Allah bin Abi Afwa went out to the Haruriyyah (Khawarij), he wrote to him (‘Umar bin ‘Ubaid Allaah), The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said on a ceratin day when he was fighting with the enemy. O people do not desire to meet the enemy, ask Allaah, Most High, for health and security. When you meet them (the enemy) have patience and endurance, you should know that paradise is under the shade of swords. He then said “O Allaah, Who sends down the Book, makes the cloud to travel and rotes the confederates, tout them and give us victory over them.”  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَعْضِ أَيَّامِهِ الَّتِي لَقِيَ فِيهَا الْعَدُوَّ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لاَ تَتَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ الْعَدُوِّ وَسَلُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى الْعَافِيَةَ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاصْبِرُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلاَلِ السُّيُوفِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُجْرِيَ السَّحَابِ وَهَازِمَ الأَحْزَابِ اهْزِمْهُمْ وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ  

[Machine] "That the Haruriyya should invade, so I said to his scribe, and I had a friend who copied it for me, so he did. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say, 'Do not wish to meet the enemy, but ask Allah for well-being. But if you meet them, then be patient and know that Paradise is under the shade of swords.' He then looked, when the sun set, directing his face towards his enemy, then he said, 'O Allah, the Revealer of the Book, the Mover of the clouds, the Defeater of the factions, defeat them and grant us victory over them.'"  

أَنْ يَغْزُوَ الْحَرُورِيَّةَ فَقُلْتُ لِكَاتِبِهِ وَكَانَ لِي صَدِيقًا انْسَخْهُ لِي فَفَعَلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَا تَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ الْعَدُوِّ وَسَلُوا اللهَ ﷻ الْعَافِيَةَ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاصْبِرُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلَالِ السُّيُوفِ قَالَ فَيَنْظُرُ إِذَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ نَهَدَ إِلَى عَدُوِّهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُجْرِيَ السَّحَابِ وَهَازِمَ الْأَحْزَابِ اهْزِمْهُمْ وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ  

"أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لَا تَتَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ العَدُوِّ، واسْأَلُوا اللهَ العَافِيَةَ، فَإِذَا

لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاصْبِرُوا، واعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلَال السُّيُوف، اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الكِتَابِ، وَمُجْرى السَّحَابِ، وَهَازمَ الأَحْزَابِ، اهْزِمْهُمْ، وانْصُرْنَا عَلَيهمْ".