“Uthman bin ‘Affan addressed the people and said: ‘O people! I heard a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and nothing kept me from narrating it to you except for the fact that I did not want to lose you and your companionship. So it is up to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: “Whoever spends a night guarding the frontier in the cause of Allah, it will be like a thousand nights spent in fasting and prayer.”  

سَمِعْتُ حَدِيثًا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ بِهِ إِلاَّ الضِّنُّ بِكُمْ وَبِصَحَابَتِكُمْ فَلْيَخْتَرْ مُخْتَارٌ لِنَفْسِهِ أَوْ لِيَدَعْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ رَابَطَ لَيْلَةً فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ كَانَتْ كَأَلْفِ لَيْلَةٍ صِيَامِهَا وَقِيَامِهَا  

“Whoever dies being prepared in the cause of Allah, will be given continuously the reward for the good deeds that he used to do, and he will be rewarded with provision, and he will be kept safe from Fattan,* and Allah will raise him on the Day of Resurrection free of fright.”  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ مَاتَ مُرَابِطًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَجْرَى عَلَيْهِ أَجْرَ عَمَلِهِ الصَّالِحِ الَّذِي كَانَ يَعْمَلُ وَأَجْرَى عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ وَأَمِنَ مِنَ الْفَتَّانِ وَبَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ آمِنًا مِنَ الْفَزَعِ  

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘For guarding the frontier for a day in the cause of Allah, defending the Muslims, seeking reward, apart from in the month of Ramadan, there is a reward granted greater than worshipping for a hundred years, fasting and praying. Guarding the frontier for a day in the cause of Allah, defending the Muslims, seeking reward, in the month of Ramadan, is better before Allah and brings a greater reward” – I think he said – “than worshipping for a thousand years, fasting and praying. If Allah returns him to his family safe and sound, no bad deed will be recorded for him for a thousand years, but his good deeds will be recorded, and the reward for guarding the frontier will come to him until the Day of Resurrection.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَرِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ عَوْرَةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مُحْتَسِبًا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنْ عِبَادَةِ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ صِيَامِهَا وَقِيَامِهَا وَرِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ عَوْرَةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مُحْتَسِبًا مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَأَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا أُرَاهُ قَالَ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ أَلْفِ سَنَةٍ صِيَامِهَا وَقِيَامِهَا فَإِنْ رَدَّهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ سَالِمًا لَمْ تُكْتَبْ عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَةٌ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ وَتُكْتَبُ لَهُ الْحَسَنَاتُ وَيُجْرَى لَهُ أَجْرُ الرِّبَاطِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةَ