The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: What deed could be an equivalent of Jihad in the way of Allah, the Almighty and Exalted? He answered: You do not have the strength to do that deed. The narrator said: They repeated the question twice or thrice. Every time he answered: You do not have the strength to do it. When the question was asked for the third time, he said: One who goes out for Jihad is like a person who keeps fasts, stands in prayer (constantly), (obeying) Allah's (behests contained in) the verses (of the Qur'an), and does not exhibit any lassitude in fasting and prayer until the Mujahid returns from Jihad in the way of Allah, the Exalted.

قِيلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَا يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ﷻ قَالَ لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ قَالَ فَأَعَادُوا عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ وَقَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الْقَانِتِ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صِيَامٍ وَلاَ صَلاَةٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

"It was said, 'O Messenger of Allah, what equals Jihad?' He said: 'Verily, you (people) are not capable of it.' So they repeated it to him two or three times, each time he said, 'You (people) are not capable of it.' Then he said the third time: 'The example of the Mujahid in the path of Allah is like the one who fasts and stands (in prayer) and does not slacken from Salat, nor fasting, until the Mujahid in the cause of Allah returns.'" There are narrations on this topic from Ash-Shifa', 'Abdullah bin Hubshi, Abu Musa', Abu Sa'eed, Umm Malik Al-Bahziyyah, and Anas. This Hadith is a Hasan Sahih. And it has been reported through more than one route from Abu Hurairah from the Prophet ﷺ.

قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ قَالَ لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ فَرَدُّوا عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا كُلُّ ذَلِكَ يَقُولُ لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ فَقَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ الصَّائِمِ الَّذِي لاَ يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صَلاَةٍ وَلاَ صِيَامٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

[AI] They said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about an action that is equivalent to jihad in the cause of Allah." He said, "You are not able to do it twice or three times?" They said, "Tell us anyway, perhaps we will be able to do it." He said, "The example of the Mujahid in the cause of Allah is like the example of the one who fasts continuously and prays without ceasing until the Mujahid returns to his family."

قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَخْبِرْنَا بِعَمَلٍ يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ قَالَ لَا تُطِيقُونَهُ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثًا قَالَ قَالُوا أَخْبِرْنَا فَلَعَلَّنَا نُطِيقُهُ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الْقَانِتِ بِآيَاتِ اللهِ لَا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صِيَامٍ وَلَا صَلَاةٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ

[AI] "Narrated by the Prophet ﷺ, he said, 'The example of the Mujahid in the way of Allah is like the one who stands without getting tired, and the example of the fasting person is that he does not break his fast until the Mujahid in the way of Allah returns.'"

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ لَا يَفْتُرُ وَمَثَلُ الصَّائِمِ لَا يُفْطِرُ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ﷻ

[AI] The Prophet ﷺ said: The similitude of the Mujahid (one who strives for the sake of Allah) in the way of Allah is like the similitude of the constant fasting and praying person who does not break his fast or leave his prayer until he returns.

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الدَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الَّذِي لَا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صِيَامٍ وَصَلَاةٍحَتَّى يَرْجِعَ

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The example of the Mujahid in the cause of Allah is like the example of the one who fasts during the day and stands in prayer at night until he returns home."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ نَهَارَهُ الْقَائِمِ لَيْلَهُ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ مَتَى رَجَعَ

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said "Someone who does jihad in the way of Allah is like someone who fasts and prays constantly and who does not slacken from his prayer and fasting until he returns."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الدَّائِمِ الَّذِي لا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صَلاَةٍ وَلاَ صِيَامٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The example of the Mujahid (one who strives in the cause of Allah) is like the example of a fasting person who stands in prayer and does not break his fast until he returns."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الَّذِي لَا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صِيَامٍ وَصَلَاةٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ»

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The example of the Mujahid (one who struggles in the way of Allah) is like the example of the one who observes voluntary prayer and fasting, without ever interrupting them, until Allah returns him to his family with what He returns him of spoils or rewards or causes him to die and enters him into Paradise."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ الْقَانِتِ الصَّائِمِ الَّذِي لَا يَفْتُرُ صَلَاةً وَلَا صِيَامًا حَتَّى يَرْجِعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ بِمَا يَرْجِعُهُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ غَنِيمَةٍ أَوْ أَجْرٍ أَوْ يَتَوَفَّاهُ فَيُدْخِلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ»

[AI] They said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us about a deed that is equivalent to jihad in the cause of Allah." He replied, "You are unable to do it." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us so that we may be able to do it." He said, "The likeness of a mujahid in the cause of Allah is like that of a fasting person who stands in prayer and recites the verses of Allah, not taking a break from fasting or giving charity until the mujahid returns to his family."

قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنَا بِعَمَلٍ يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ «لَا تُطِيقُونَهُ» قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنَا لَعَلَّنَا نُطِيقُهُ قَالَ «مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الْقَانِتِ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ لَا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صَوْمٍ وَلَا صَدَقَةٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ»

[AI] They said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell us what is equivalent to jihad in the way of Allah." He said, "Indeed, you are not able." We said, "Yes, we can." He said, "Indeed, you are not able." He said, "So I do not know, is it the third or the fourth? The example of the Mujahid in the way of Allah is like that of the fasting, standing, obedient to the verses of Allah. He does not miss a prayer or fasting until the Mujahid returns to his family."

قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَخْبِرْنَا مَا يَعْدِلُ الْجِهَادَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ قُلْنَا بَلَى قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَهُ قَالَ فَلَا أَدْرِي فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَمْ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ الْقَائِمِ الْقَانِتِ بِآيَاتِ اللهِ لَا يَفْتُرُ مِنْ صَلَاةٍ وَلَا صِيَامٍ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ الْمُجَاهِدُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ

"مَثَلُ المُجَاهِدِ في سَبيلِ اللهِ مَثَلُ الصائِم نَهارَهُ، القَائِم ليلَهُ حتَّى يَرجِعَ بِخير مَا رَجعَ".