Sunan Abi Dawud

When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to go on an expedition, he always pretended to be going somewhere else, and he would say: War is deception. Abu Dawud said: Only Ma'mar has transmitted this tradition. By this he refers to his statement "War is deception" through this chain of narrators. He narrated it from the tradition of 'Amr b. Dinar from Jabir, and from the tradition of Ma'mar from Hammam b. Munabbih on the authority of Abu Hurairah.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed AbuBakr our commander and we fought with some people who were polytheists, and we attacked them at night, killing them. Our war-cry that night was "put to death; put to death." Salamah said: I killed that night with my hand polytheists belonging to seven houses.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to keep to the rear when travelling and urge on the weak. He would take someone up behind him and make supplication for them all.

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “ I am commanded to fight with men till they testify that there is no god but Allaah, when they do that they will keep their life and property safe from me, except what is due to them. (i.e., life and property) and their reckoning will be at Allaah’s hands.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I am commanded to fight with men till they testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Apostle, face our qiblah (direction of prayer), eat what we slaughter, and pray like us. When they do that, their life and property are unlawful for us except what is due to them. They will have the same rights as the Muslims have, and have the same responsibilities as the Muslims have.

Anas bin Malik reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “ I am commanded to fight with the polytheists. The rest of the tradition is to the same effect as mentioned above.”

Usamah bin Zaid said “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us with a detachment to Al Huruqat. They learnt about us and fled away. But we found a man, when we attacked him he uttered “There is no god but Allaah, still we struck him till we killed him.” When I mentioned it to the Prophet (ﷺ) he said “Who will save you from “There is no god but Allaah” on the Day of Judgment? I said “Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he uttered it for the fear of the weapon.” He said “Did you tear his heart so that you learnt whether he actually uttered it for this or not. Who will support you against “There is no god but Allaah”? He kept on repeating this till I wished I would have embraced Islam on that day.

Al Miqdad bin Al Aswad reported that he said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) tell me if I meet a man who is a disbeliever and he fights with me and cuts off one hand of mine with the sword and then takes refuge by a tree and says “I embraced Islam for Allah’s sake. Should I kill him, Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) after he uttered it (the credo of Islam)? The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “Do not kill him”. I said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ), he cut off my hand. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said, Do not kill him. I f you kill him, he will become like you before you kill him and you will become like him before he uttered his credo which he has uttered now.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent an expedition to Khath'am. Some people sought protection by having recourse to prostration, and were hastily killed. When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard that, he ordered half the blood-wit to be paid for them, saying: I am not responsible for any Muslim who stays among polytheists. They asked: Why, Messenger of Allah? He said: Their fires should not be visible to one another. Abu Dawud said: Hushaim, Ma'mar, Khalid b. al-Wasiti and a group of narrators have also narrated it, but did not mention Jarir.

Ibn ‘Abbas said “When the verse “If there are twenty amongst you patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred” was revealed. It was heavy and troublesome for Muslims when Allaah prescribed for them that one (fighting Muslim) should not fly from ten (fighting Non-Muslims). Then a light commandment was revealed saying “For the present Allaah hath lightened your (task).” The narrator Abu Tawbah recited the verse to “they will vanquish two hundred.” When Allaah lightened the number, patient and perseverance also decreased according to the number lightened from them.”

Ibn Umar was sent with a detachment of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The people wheeled round in flight. He said: I was one of those who wheeled round in flight. When we stopped, we said (i.e. thought): How should we do? We have run away from the battlefield and deserve Allah's wrath. Then we said (thought): Let us enter Medina, stay there, and go there while no one sees us. So we entered (Medina) and thought: If we present ourselves before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and if there is a change of repentance for us, we shall stay; if there is something else, we shall go away. So we sat down (waiting) for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) before the dawn prayer. When he came out, we stood up to him and said: We are the ones who have fled. He turned to us and said: No, you are the ones who return to fight after wheeling away. We then approached and kissed his hand, and he said; I am the main body of the Muslims.

Abu Sa’id said “The verse “If any do turn his back to them on such a day” was revealed on the day of the Battle of Badr.”

Khabbab said “We came to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) while he was reclining on an outer garment in the shade of the Ka’bah. Complaining to him we said “Do you not ask Allaah for help for us? And do you not pray to Allaah for us? He sat aright turning red in his face and said “A man before you (i.e., in ancient times) was caught and a pit was dug for him in the earth and then a saw was brought placed on his head and it was broken into two pieces but that did not turn him away from his religion. They were combed in iron combs in flesh and sinews above the bones. Even that did not turn them away from their religion. I swear by Allaah, Allaah will accomplish this affair until a rider will travel between San’a and Hadramaut and he will not fear anyone except Allaah, Most High(nor will he fear the attack of) a wolf on his sheep, but you are making haste.

‘Ali said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) sent me Al Zubair and Al Miqdad and said “Go till you come to the meadow of Khakh for there Is a woman there travelling on a Camel who has a letter which you must take from her. We went off racing one another on our horses till we came to the meadow and when we found the woman, we aid “Bring out the letter. She said “I have no letter”. I said “You must bring out the letter else we strip off your clothes”. She then brought it out from the tresses and we took it to the Prophet(ﷺ). It was addressed from Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah to some of the polytheists(in Makkah) giving them some information about the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ). He asked “What is this, Hatib? He replied, Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) do not be hasty with me. I have been a man attached as an ally to the Quraish and am not one of them while those of the Quraish (i.e. the emigrants) have relationship with them by which they guarded their family in Makkah. As I did not have that advantage I wanted to give them some help for which they might guard my relations. I swear by Allaah I am not guilty of unbelief or apostasy (from my religion). The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “he has told you the truth. ‘Umar said “Let me cut off this hypocrite’s head. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “He was present at Badr and what do you know, perhaps Allaah might look with pity on those who were present at Badr? And said “Do what you wish, I have forgiven you.”

‘Ali said “Hatib went and wrote to the people of Makkah that Muhammad (ﷺ) is going to proceed to them. This version has “She said “I have no letter. We made her Camel kneel down, but we did not find any letter with her. ’Ali said “By Him in Whose name oath is taken, I shall kill you or you should bring out the letter. He then narrated the rest of the tradition.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded to kill him: he was a spy of AbuSufyan and an ally of a man of the Ansar. He passed a circle of the Ansar and said: I am a Muslim. A man from the Ansar said, Messenger of Allah, he is saying that he is a Muslim. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There are people among you in whose faith we trust. Furat ibn Hayyan is one of them.

Ibn Salamah bin Al Akwa’ repoted on the authority of his father. A spy of the polytheists came to the Prophet(ﷺ) when he was on a journey. He sat near his Companions and then slipped away. The Prophet(ﷺ) said “look for him and kill him”. He said “I raced to him and killed him. I took his belongings which he (the Prophet) gave me.

Salamh (bin Al Akwa’) said “I went on an expedition with the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) against Hawazin and while we were having a meal in the forenoon and most of our people were on foot and some of us were weak, a man came on a red Camel. He took out a rope from the lion of the Camel and tied his Camel with it and began to take meal with the people. When he saw the weak condition of their people and lack of mounts he went out in a hurry to his Camel, untied it made it kneel down and sat on it and went off galloping it. A man of the tribe of Aslam followed him on a brown she Camel which was best of those of the people. I hastened out and I found him while the head of the she Camel was near the paddock of the she Camel. I then went ahead till I reached near the paddock of the Camel. I then went ahead till I caught the Camel’s nose string. I made it kneel. When it placed its knee on the ground, I drew my sword and struck the man on his head and it fell down. I then brought the Camel leading it with (its equipment) on it. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) came forward facing me and asked “Who killed the man? They (the people) said “Salamah bin Akwa’. He said “he gets all his spoil.” Harun said “This is Hashim’s version.

I was present at fighting along with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and when he did not fight at the beginning of the day, he waited till the sun had passed the meridian, the winds blew, and help came down.

The Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), disliked shouting while fighting.