Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 93
93 21— Do not Desire War but If It Comes, Fight Determinedly Narrated by Ab u Nazar that ‘ Abdull a h Bin Ab i -Awf a (May Allah be pleased with him), who was from the tribe of Aslam, was a companion of the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and wrote a letter to Umar Bin Ubaidull a h when he was at a place called “ H ar u riyyah. ” He stated that the Prophet of Allah (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said: “O ye people, desire not to meet the enemy [in battle] and seek of Allah peace and tranquillity. But if you meet the enemy [in battle], then be steady and persevering in fighting and remember that Paradise lies under the shadow of swords. ” ( S S S S a hih hih hih hih Muslim, Book of Jihad and Expeditions, Chapter: The wish to meet the enemy is disliked; if the enemy is met, the command is to remain steadfast) Explanatory Notes This Hadith carries the pith of Islamic teachings about the treatment of the enemy and the philosophy of Jihad in four basic principles: 1. Do not desire to have war with the enemy and indulge not in any provocative war-like act. 2. Constantly seek of Allah peace and tranquillity.