JIHAD SECTION · 17 – The Virtue of Watchfulness in the Way of Allah
According to the narration of Sahl bin Hanzala:
They marched with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the battle of Hunayn. They prolonged the march until evening. I stood ready for prayer near the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. A mounted man came and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I passed ahead of you, climbed that mountain, and behold, the tribe of Hawazin has gathered at the wells their fathers used to draw water in Hunayn, with their camels, women, and sheep.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled and said, "If Allah wills, they will be the spoils of war for the Muslims tomorrow." Then he said, “Who will watch over us tonight?”
Anas bin Abu Mas’ud al-Ganawi said, “I will watch over you, O Messenger of Allah.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "Mount." He mounted his own horse and came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said to him, “Go to that gorge, ascend its peak, lest we be ambushed by the enemy tonight due to carelessness and suffer loss.” When we dawned, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to the place where he offered prayer, performed two rak’ahs (units of prayer), then said, "Did you see your rider? Do you have news of him?"
The companions replied, “We did not see him; we have no news.” The call for prayer was made. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led the prayer, while also looking towards the mountain. When he finished his prayer, he said, “Good tidings to you, here comes your rider." We were watching from behind the trees. Abu Mas’ud, our rider, arrived and stood before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He greeted him and said, "I went as far as the peak of that gorge, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded, and when morning dawned, I ascended the hills on both sides of the gorge and surveyed the surroundings; I saw no one.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked him, “Did you dismount from your horse at all tonight?”
He replied, "Except to dismount for prayer or relieving myself, I did not dismount."
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "You have performed a deed that has earned you (Paradise); it is no harm if you do not perform another voluntary deed after this.”