Sahl Ibn Sa'd (May Allaah be pleased with him) narrated:
"On the day of battle of khaybar, the prophet (ﷺ) said 'Tomorrow, I will give the flag to a person who loves Allaah and His messenger and is loved by Allaah and His messenger, and at whose hands Allaah will grant victory.' So, people (the companions) wondered all that night, wishing eagerly to see to whom the flag will be given. In the morning, every one of the companions wished to be given the flag. However, the prophet (ﷺ) asked, 'where is 'ali ibn abu talib?' It was said that 'Ali was suffering from eye trouble. So, he ordered them to bring 'ali in front of him. Then the prophet (ﷺ) spat in his eyes and invoked Allaah for him, and his eyes were cured immediately as if he had never had any eye trouble. Then the prophet (ﷺ) gave him the flag and said, 'Go to them patiently and calmly until you enter their land and face them. Then, invite them to Islam and inform them of what Allaah has enjoined upon them, for by Allaah, if a single person embraces Islam at your hands (i.e. through you), that will be better for you than the red camels (the arabs' most precious possessions)' "
(Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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Sahl Ibn Sa'd (the narrator)
Sahl Ibn Sa'd full name is Sahl Ibn Sa'd ibn malik ibn khalid al0ansari al-khazraji as-sa'idi. He is a prominent companion who died in 88 AH, when he was over hundred years old; may Allah be pleased with him.
'Ali Ibn Abu Talib
'Ali ibn Abu Talib was the prophet's (ﷺ) paternal cousin, the husband of his daughter Fatimah, and the fourth of the rightly-guided caliphs. He was one of the earliest persons to accept Islam and one of the ten companions who were given the glad tidings of being admitted into paradise. He was murdered in 40 AH; may Allah be pleased with him.
Keywords and Phrases
The day of khaybar: It refers to the battle of khaybar, which was launched against the jews in 7 AH.
Flag: It is the emblem of the army, which is usually given to the commander
Islam: Submitting to Allaah by adopting monotheism, showing absolute obedience to Allaah and dissociating oneself from polytheism and polytheists.
General Meaning of the hadith:
The prophet (ﷺ) gave the companions glad tidings that in the following day they would be granted victory over the jews at the hands of a victorious man who was loyal to Allaah and His messenger (ﷺ). Consequently, each companion aspired to be that virtuous man. When they gathered in the morning, the prophet (ﷺ) asked about 'Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) who was suffering an eye-trouble and could not join them. Ali came and the prophet (ﷺ) spat in his eyes, which healed at once. Thereafter, the prophet (ﷺ) charged him with the commandment of the muslim troops and instructed him to move ahead calmly until he drew near to the enemies' fortress. The prophet (ﷺ) further commanded ali to invite the enemies, when he reached their fortress, to accept Islam. If they would respond to his call, he should, then inform them of the duties imposed on every muslim. Finally, the prophet (ﷺ) highlighted the virtues of inviting people to Allaah affirming that if a caller succeeded in guiding one person to the straight path, it would be better for him than being possessed of the most precious worldly gains. Therefore, how great his rewards would be if he became the source of guidance for more than one person.
Relevance of the hadith to the chapter:
This hadith emphasized the importance of inviting people to accept Islam. Invitation to Islam implies calling people to proclaim the testification of faith by declaring that there is no deity but Allaah and that muhammad (ﷺ) is His servant and messenger. The hadith further emphasizes the virtue of prorogation the religion of Islam.
Lessons drawn from the hadith
>> Knowing the virtues of Ali ibn abu talib; his loyalty to Allaah and His messenger (ﷺ), and his possession of certain and firm belief. These virtues were attested by the prophet (ﷺ) himself
>> The hadith proves that almighty Allaah loves in a way that is appropriate for His majesty.
>> The companions were keen to compete in offering all good deeds.
>> Muslims are ordained to show good manners even at times of war. They are also commanded to avoid hasty decisions and undesired sounds during war.
>> The imam should command his viceroys to treat their subjects with tenderness without showing weakness or lack of vigor.
>> before engaging in combat with their enemies, the muslims must invite them to Islam
>> War is to be waged against whoever stands against propagation of Islam.
>> When inviting non-muslims to Islam, muslims should introduce the teachings of Islam to them by degrees. That is, a disbeliever may be first invited to proclaim the testification of faith and then invited to perform the other pillars of Islam.
>>The virtue of inviting non-muslims to accept Islam lies in the generous reward they will be granted in case they embrace Islam.
>>This hadith implies two proofs of the prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ). He gave glad tidings of victory beforehand and cured the sore eyes by applying his honorable saliva to Ali's eyes.
>> It is obligatory for Muslims to believe in the divine decree. This is shown by the fact that though each companion was keen to be granted the flag, it was only given to the one foreordained by Allaah
>>It is not enough for the person to be called a Muslim. He must, further, be acquainted with the legal duties incumbent upon him and put them into practice.
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