Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim Ḥadīth [1917] – Strength lies in military power
28 October 2023 · 13 Rabīʿ II 1445 AH
حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ مَعْرُوفٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ ثُمَامَةَ بْنِ شُفَيٍّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ عَامِرٍ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، يَقُولُ: >وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍ، أَلَا إِنَّ الْقُوَّةَ الرَّمْيُ، أَلَا إِنَّ الْقُوَّةَ الرَّمْيُ، أَلَا إِنَّ الْقُوَّةَ الرَّمْيُ<
Reference
Book [33]: The book of government
Chapter [52]: The virtue of shooting and encouragement to learn it, and criticism of the one who learns it and then forgets it
Translation
Ḥadīth [1917]: It is narrated on the authority of ‘Uqbah bin ‘Āmir [d. 58H] (may Allāh be pleased with him) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and he was [delivering a speech] on the pulpit [minbar], saying: “Prepare to meet them with as much strength as you can afford. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery. Beware, strength consists in archery.”
Grading
Commentary
Commentary by Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azīz ‘Alvī (may Allāh have mercy upon him)
To be updated in shaa Allah.
• Reference: [1917 (6/153-154), Tuḥfatul Muslim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Nomani Kutub Khana (Ur)]
Commentary by Dārussalām (Jāmi’ at-Tirmidhī)
The commentators explained this āyah clearly, that the Muslims should remain ready all the time to combat and ambush the enemies. The weapons, arms, artillery, all types of combatting and war equipment and the armed forces, whatever is needed according to the circumstance, need and time, are to be prepared to the nation’s best capability. The Muslims must not show any weakness in matters of military preparation.
• Reference: [3083 (5/390-391), Jāmi’ at-Tirmidhī, Dārussalām (Eng)]
Commentary by Dārussalām (Sunan ibn Mājah)
Muslims should pay heed to the artillery that is used from a distance, and they should manufacture the devices that are used to launch them (rocket launchers, bomber planes and the like).
• Reference: [2813 (4/75-76), Sunan ibn Mājah, Dārussalām (Eng)]
Commentary by Shaykh ‘Abdul-Mannān Rāsikh (Sunan ad-Dārimī)
To be updated in shaa Allah.
• Reference: [2449 (2/278-279), Sunan ad-Dārimī, Ansarus Sunnah Publications (Ur)]
Commentary by Shaykh Ḥāfiẓ ‘Abbās Anjum Gondhalwī (may Allāh have mercy upon him)
To be updated in shaa Allah.
• Reference: [1135 (2/719-720), Tafhīm al-Islām Sharḥ Bulūgh al-Marām, Dār al-Qudas (Ur)]
Commentary by Shaykh 'Abdut-Tawwāb Muḥaddith Multānī (may Allāh have mercy upon him)
To be updated in shaa Allah.
• Reference: [1343 (1/655), Bulūgh al-Marām, Faruqi Kutub Khana (Ur)]
Commentary by Dārussalām (Bulūgh al-Marām)
Archery was the pinnacle of a warfare those days. In modern times, the learning of new armaments and war techniques shall be considered as power and strength.
• Reference: [1134 (1/469), Bulūgh al-Marām, Dārussalām (Eng)]
Commentary by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymīn (may Allāh have mercy upon him)
… An aspect in jihād in the way of Allāh is assisting with the arrow: Throwing or archery. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) gave an address one day and he mentioned the saying of Allāh – the Most High – during one of his speeches: “And make ready against them all you can of power.” [Sūrah al-Anfāl 8: 60]
Surely, ‘power means archery, power means archery, power means archery’ Shooting is according to its time: During the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), shooting was with bow and arrow, but it is with bombs and guns in our time. So shooting is according to one’s epoch.
We ask Allāh – the Most High – to make you and us among the fighters in His Cause with wealth and life. Surely, He is able to do all things.
• Reference: [1332 (5/419-420), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]
Commentary by Ḥāfiẓ Ṣalāḥuddīn Yūsuf (may Allāh have mercy upon him)
In accordance with the conditions of his times, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) ordained the Muslims to acquire every possible power and keep it ready for war. Elucidating his order on this point, he stated that by power he meant archery and then he repeated this word three times to stress its importance. He did it because the art of archery had fundamental importance in war at that time. In the present-day world, archery has lost its value as it has been replaced by other inventions like tanks, guns, missiles, atom bombs, etc. Similar is the case of devices which are used in air and naval war, and all these military wares have superb importance in modern warfare. In the present-day context, the injunction of the Noble Qurān to acquire power means manufacturing and possession of all these devices. It is incumbent on the Muslims that they equip themselves with all this material and show no carelessness in this regard. In modern times, Muslims have badly neglected this field with the result that non-Muslims have more knowledge of modern warfare and by dint of that they are dominating the world and making a claim of their supremacy all over the world. Unless Muslims pursue the Qurānic injunctions on this score and acquire greater or equal or at least similar measure and style of power, as is possessed by the non-Muslims, they will not be able to check the onslaught of their enemies, and to defeat them. It is incumbent upon the Muslims to overpower the might and power of the infidels for the glorification of Islām.
• Reference: [1332 (2/995-996), Riyāḍuṣ Ṣāliḥīn, Dārussalām (Eng)]
Takhrīj+
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