Sunan Abi Dawud

Al-Muhallab ibn AbuSufrah said: A man who heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: If the enemy attacks you at night, let your war cry be Ha-Mim. They will not be helped.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) proceeded on journey, he would say: O Allah, Thou art the Companion in the journey, and the One Who looks after the family; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the difficulty of travelling, finding harm when I return, and unhappiness in what I see coming to my family and property. O Allah, make the length of his journey short for us, and the journey easy for us.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sat on his camel to go out on a journey, he said: "Allah is Most Great" three times. Then he said: "Glory be to Him Who has made subservient to us, for we had not the strength for it, and to our Lord do we return. O Allah, we ask Thee in this journey of ours, uprightness, piety and such deeds as are pleasing to Thee. O Allah, make easy for us this journey of ours and make its length short for us. O Allah, Thou art the Companion in the journey, and the One Who looks after the family and property in our absence." When he returned, he said these words adding: "Returning, repentant, serving and praising our Lord." The Prophet (ﷺ) and his armies said: "Allah is Most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when armies said: "Allah is most Great" when they went up to high ground; and when they descended, they said: "Glory be to Allah." So the prayer was patterned on that.

Qaza’ah said Ibn ‘Umar told me “Come, I see off you as the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) saw me off. I entrust to Allaah your religion what you are responsible for and your final deeds.”

When the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to say farewell to an army, he would say: I entrust to Allah your religion, what you are responsible for, and your final deeds.

Ali ibn Rabi'ah said: I was present with Ali while a beast was brought to him to ride. When he put his foot in the stirrup, he said: "In the name of Allah." Then when he sat on its back, he said: "Praise be to Allah." He then said: "Glory be to Him Who has made this subservient to us, for we had not the strength, and to our Lord do we return." He then said: "Praise be to Allah (thrice); Allah is Most Great (thrice): glory be to Thee, I have wronged myself, so forgive me, for only Thou forgivest sins." He then laughed. He was asked: At what did you laugh? He replied: I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) do as I have done, and laugh after that. I asked: Messenger of Allah , at what are you laughing? He replied: Your Lord, Most High, is pleased with His servant when he says: "Forgive me my sins." He know that no one forgives sins except Him.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was travelling and night came on, he said: O earth, my Lord and your Lord is Allah; I seek refuge in Allah from your evil, the evil of what you contain, the evil of what has been created in you, and the evil of what creeps upon you; I seek refuge in Allah from lions, from large black snakes, from other snakes, from scorpions, from the evil of jinn which inhabit a settlement, and from a parent and his offspring.

Jabir bin ‘Abd Allaah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “Do not send out your beasts when the sun has set till the darkness of the night prevails, for the devils grope about in the dark when the sun has set till the darkness of the night prevails.”

It was rarely that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set out on a journey on any day but on a Thursday.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "O Allah, bless my people in their early mornings." When he sent out a detachment or an army, he sent them at the beginning of the day. Sakhr was a merchant, and he would send off his merchandise at the beginning of the day; and he became rich and had much wealth. Abu Dawud said: He is Sakhr b. Wada'ah.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: A single rider is a devil, and a pair of riders are a pair of devils, but three are a company of riders.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When three are on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their commander.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When three are on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their commander. Nafi' said: We said to AbuSalamah: You are our commander.

‘Abd Allaah bin ‘Umar said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) prohibited to travel with a copy of the Qur’an to the enemy territory. The narrator Malik said “(It is) I think lest the enemy should take it.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best number of companions is four, the best number in expeditions four hundred, and the best number in armies four thousand; and twelve thousand will not be overcome through smallness of numbers. Abu Dawud said: What is correct is that this tradition is mursal (i.e. the link of the Companion is missing).

Sulaiman bin Buraidah reported on the authority of his father. When the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) appointed a Commander over an Army or a detachment, he instructed him to fear Allaah himself and consider the welfare of the Muslims who were with him. He then said “When you meet the polytheists who are your enemy, summon them tone of three things and accept whichever of them they are willing to agree to, and refrain from them. Summon them to Islam and if they agree, accept it from them and refrain from them. Then summon them to leave their territory and transfer to the abode of the Emigrants and tell them that if they do so, they will have the same rights and responsibilities as the Emigrants, but if they refuse and choose their own abode, tell them that they will be like the desert Arabs who are Muslims subject to Allaah’s jurisdiction which applies to the believers, but will have no spoil or booty unless they strive with the Muslims. If they refuse demand jizyah (poll tax) from them, if they agree accept it from them and refrain from them. But if they refuse, seek Alaah’s help and fight with them. When you invade the fortress and they (its people) offer to capitulate and have the matter referred to Allaah’s jurisdiction, do not grant this, for you do not know whether or not you will hit on Allaah’s jurisdiction regarding them. But let them capitulate and have the matter refereed to your jurisdiction and make a decision about them later on as you wish. Sufyan (bin ‘Uyainah) said thah ‘Alqamah said “I mentioned this tradition to Muqatil bin Habban, He said “Muslim narrated it to me.” Abu Dawud said “He is Ibn Haidam narrated from Al Nu’man in Muqqarin from the Prophet (ﷺ) like the tradition of Sulaiman bin Buraidah.

Sulaiman bin Buraidah reported on his father’s authority The Prophet(ﷺ) said “Fight in the name of Allaah and in the path of Allaah and with him who disbelieves in Allaah fight and do not be treacherous and do not be dishonest about boot yand do not deface (in killing) and do not kill a child.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Go in Allah's name, trusting in Allah, and adhering to the religion of Allah's Apostle. Do not kill a decrepit old man, or a young infant, or a child, or a woman; do not be dishonest about booty, but collect your spoils, do right and act well, for Allah loves those who do well.

Ibn “umar said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) burned the palm tree of Banu Al Nadr and cut (them) down at Al Buwairah. So, Allaah the exalted sent down “the palm trees you cut down or left.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) enjoined upon him to attack Ubna in the morning and burn the place.