Sahl bin Sa`d (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said on the day of the Khaibar Battle, "I will give this banner to a person at whose hands Allah will grant victory; a man who loves Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), and Allah and His Messenger love him also." The people spent the night thinking as to whom it would be given. When it was morning, the people hastened to Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Every one of them was hoping that the banner would be given to him. He (the Prophet (PBUH)) asked, "Where is `Ali bin Abu Talib?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah! His eyes are sore." He (PBUH) then sent for him and when he came, Messenger of Allah (PBUH) applied his saliva to his eyes and supplicated. `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) recovered as if he had no ailment at all. He (PBUH) conferred upon him the banner. `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "`O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight against them until they are like us?" Thereupon he (the Prophet (PBUH)) said, "Advance cautiously until you reach their open places; thereafter, invite them to Islam and inform them what is obligatory for them from the Rights of Allah, for, by Allah, if Allah guides even one person through you that is better for you than possessing a whole lot of red camels".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
Besides mentioning the excellence of `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) and the miracle of the Prophet (PBUH), this Hadith tells about the procedure of Jihad. According to procedure, first of all, polytheists and infidels should be invited to Islam, and if they reject the invitation, then Jihad be made against them. Jihad is such an action that if at its initial stage, that is to say at the stage of invitation, some people accept the guidance, then the people who will participate in Jihad will get the reward of good deeds done by those who would join the fold of Islam.
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