حياة السلف بين القول والعمل

Children of the Salaf: On the authority of Muslim bin Khalid, he said to Al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him: Give a fatwa, O Abu Abdullah, for by God, it is time for you to give a fatwa. He was fifteen years old. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 3/120].

Children of the early Muslims: Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It reached us that Umm Ja'far reproached al-Rashid for bringing al-Ma'mun close rather than her son Muhammad. He called a servant in her presence and said: Send two discerning servants to Abdullah and Muhammad, each to ask one of them privately what he would do for him if the caliphate came to him. Muhammad told the servant who went to him: I will grant you land, appoint you to office, and raise you in standing. Al-Ma'mun threw the inkwell at the servant and said: Son of a foul woman, you ask me what I would do for you upon the death of the Commander of the Faithful? Rather, we would all be his ransom. Each returned with the report. He said to Umm Ja'far: What do you think? I give your son precedence only to follow your wishes and avoid distress. Al-Ma'mun paid much attention to knowledge before taking office, even establishing a gathering for inquiry for himself. [al-Muntazam 10/50, 51].

Jihad and sacrifice in the cause of God: When the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, went out to Badr, he consulted the people. Al-Miqdad ibn Amr, may God be pleased with him, stood up and said: “O Messenger of God, proceed with what God has commanded you to do, for we are with you. By God, we will not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Moses, peace be upon him: ‘Go, you and your Lord, and fight, while we sit right here’ [Al-Ma’idah: 24]. Rather, go, you and your Lord, and fight, for we will fight alongside you. By God, who sent you with the truth as a prophet, if you were to lead us to Bark al-Ghimad, we would fight with you against those before it until you reached it.” The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, spoke well of him and prayed for him. [Al-Hilya (its abridgment) 1/148]

Jihad and sacrifice in Allah's cause: Khalid ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, said: No night on which a bride whom I love is brought to me is dearer to me than a bitterly cold night with much ice, in a military detachment in which I attack the enemy in the morning. [Siyar (abridged edition) 1/179].