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THE REWARD OF JIHAD

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“The Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, set out with his Companions and arrived at Badr ahead of the idolators and instructed: ‘No one should go before me.’ As the unbelievers approached, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said, ‘Now stand up and proceed towards Paradise its extent encompasses the heavens and the earth.’ Thereupon Umair, the son of Hamam inquired, ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, does Paradise encompass the heavens and the earth?’ He answered, ‘Yes.’ Umair exclaimed, ‘Well, well.’ The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, asked him, ‘What has urged you to say well, well?’ He answered, ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, by Allah, I uttered these words to express the hope that I might become an inhabitant of Paradise.’ Whereupon the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, informed him, ‘You are one of its inhabitants.’ After that he took some dates from his quiver and began to eat them and said, ‘If I were to survive until I finish eating these dates that would be a long interval.’ So he threw down the remaining dates, rushed into the battle and was martyred.”

Muslim with a chain up to Anas who related that the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, said this.