JIHAD SECTION · 9 – Going to war by boarding ships
Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “No one should embark on a sea voyage [on a ship] except those going for Hajj or Umrah or engaging in Jihad (holy fighting) for the sake of Allah. Indeed, there is fire beneath the sea. And beneath that fire is the sea.”
COMMENTARY
The chain of narration of this hadith is weak.
The presence of fire beneath the sea is an indication of its great danger. Furthermore, one of the layers of the earth is a layer of fire; below the heavens is fire, and beneath the sea is also fire. The sea is like that – if we consider that oil is extracted from the bottom of the sea, it is not difficult to understand how there might be fire beneath it.