English Translation

Abdullah narrated to us: My father narrated to me: Abu al-Nadr narrated to us: Abd al-Hamid, that is Ibn Bahram, narrated to us: Shahr narrated to us: Ibn Ghanm narrated to us, from the account of Muadh ibn Jabal, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out with the people toward the campaign of Tabuk. When morning came, he led the people in the dawn prayer, and then the people mounted their rides. When the sun rose, the people dozed off after having traveled through the night, but Muadh stayed close to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, following in his track, while the people's mounts had scattered them along the sides of the road, grazing and moving along. While Muadh was following the track of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his she-camel was grazing at times and moving at other times, Muadh's she-camel stumbled, and he pulled her back by the reins so that she started up, until she caused the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to shy away. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, lifted the covering from over himself and turned around, and behold, there was no man of the army closer to him than Muadh. So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, called to him and said, 'O Muadh.' He said, 'At your service, O Prophet of Allah.' He said, 'Come closer to me.' So he drew near to him until their two mounts pressed against one another, one against the other. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'I did not think the people were as far from us as they are.' Muadh said, 'O Prophet of Allah, the people dozed off, so their mounts scattered them, grazing and moving along.' The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'And I too was dozing.' When Muadh saw the kindness of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, toward him and his being alone with him, he said, 'O Messenger of Allah, permit me to ask you about a matter that has made me sick, ailing, and grieved.' The Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Ask me about whatever you wish.' He said, 'O Prophet of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me to Paradise; I will ask you about nothing besides it.' The Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Excellent, excellent! You have indeed asked about something great,' three times, 'and it is easy for the one for whom Allah intends good, and it is easy for the one for whom Allah intends good, and it is easy for the one for whom Allah intends good.' He did not tell him anything but that he said it to him three times, meaning he repeated it to him three times out of eagerness that he should master it from him. The Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'You believe in Allah and the Last Day, you establish the prayer, and you worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him, until you die while being upon that.' He said, 'O Prophet of Allah, repeat it for me.' So he repeated it for him three times. Then the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'If you wish, O Muadh, I will tell you of the head of this matter, the pillar of this matter, and the summit of its hump.' Muadh said, 'Indeed, may my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Prophet of Allah, so tell me.' The Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'The head of this matter is that you testify that there is no god but Allah alone, having no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. The pillar of this matter is the establishment of prayer and the giving of zakat. And the summit of its hump is jihad in the way of Allah. I have only been commanded to fight the people until they establish the prayer, give the zakat, and testify that there is no god but Allah alone, having no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. When they do that, they have protected themselves and safeguarded their lives and their wealth from me, except by its due right, and their reckoning is with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.' And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no face becomes pale and no foot becomes dusty in a work by which the ranks of Paradise are sought, after the obligatory prayer, like jihad in the way of Allah; and no servant's scale is made heavy like a riding beast that dies for him in the way of Allah, or that he carries someone upon it in the way of Allah.'