Verses and Translation
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱصۡبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ وَرَابِطُواْ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ (٢٠٠)
“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.”
Commentary
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “The believers are commanded to be patient in the religion that Allah chose for them, Islam. They are not allowed to abandon it in times of comfort or hardship, ease or calamity, until they die as Muslims. They are also commanded to endure against their enemies, those who hid the truth about their religion.” Similar explanation given by several other scholars among the Salaf.
As for Murabatah, it is to endure in acts of worship and perseverance. It also means to await prayer after prayer, as Ibn Abbas, Sahl bin Hanif and Muhammad bin Ka’b Al-Qurazi stated. Ibn Abi Hatim collected a Hadith that was also collected by Muslim and An-Nasa’i from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Should I tell you about actions with which Allah forgives sins and raises the grade Performing perfect ablution in unfavorable conditions, the many steps one takes to the Masajid, and awaiting prayer after the prayer, for this is the Ribat, this is the Ribat, this is the Ribat.”
They also say that the Murabatah in the above verse refers to battles against the enemy, and manning Muslim outposts to protect them from enemy incursions inside Muslim territory. There are several Hadiths that encourage Murabatah and mention its rewards. Al-Bukhari recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “A Day of Ribat in the cause of Allah is better than this life and all that is in it.”
Muslim recorded that Salman Al-Farisi said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Ribat for a day and a night is better than fasting the days of a month and its Qiyam (voluntary prayer at night). If one dies in Ribat, his regular righteous deeds that he used to perform will keep being added to his account, and he will receive his provision, and will be saved from the trials of the grave.”
Imam Ahmad recorded that Fadalah bin `Ubayd said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, “Every dead person will have his record of deeds sealed, except for whoever dies while in Ribat in the cause of Allah, for his work will keep increasing until the Day of Resurrection, and he will be safe from the trial of the grave.”
At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, “Two eyes shall not be touched by the Fire: an eye that cried for fear from Allah and an eye that spent the night guarding in Allah’s cause.”
Al-Bukhari recorded in his Sahih that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Let the servant of the Dinar, the servant of the Dirham and the servant of the Khamisah (of clothes) perish, as he is pleased if these things are given to him, and if not, he is displeased. Let such a person perish and be humiliated, and if he is pierced with a thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him. Paradise is for him who holds the reins of his horse, striving in Allah’s cause, with his hair unkempt and feet covered with dust: if he is appointed to the vanguard, he is perfectly satisfied with his post of guarding, and if he is appointed in the rearguard, he accepts his post with satisfaction; if he asks for permission he is not permitted, and if he intercedes, his intercession is not accepted.”
Ibn Jarir recorded that Zayd bin Aslam said, “Abu Ubaydah wrote to Umar bin Al-Khattab and mentioned to him that the Romans were mobilizing their forces. `Umar wrote back, ‘Allah will soon turn whatever hardship a believing servant suffers, to ease, and no hardship shall ever overcome two types of ease. Allah says in His Book, ‘O you who believe! Endure and be more patient, and Rabitu, and have Taqwa of Allah, so that you may be successful” (3:200).”
Mansur bin Al-Mu`tamir narrated to us that Abu Salih narrated from Abu Hurayrah that a man asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Teach me a good deed that will earn me the reward of the Mujahidin in Allah’s cause.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Are you able to pray continuously and fast without breaking the fast?” The man said, “O Messenger of Allah! I cannot bear it.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “By He in Whose Hand is my soul! Even if you were able to do it, you will not achieve the grade of the Mujahidin in Allah’s cause. Did you not know that the horse of the Mujahid earns rewards for him as long as it lives.”
“and have Taqwa of Allah” concerning all your affairs and situations. For instance, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Mu’adh when he sent him to Yemen, “Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you may be, follow the evil deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and deal with people in a good manner.”
“so that you may be successful.” in this life and the Hereafter. [Ibn Kathir]