Al-Tirmidhi (7) said: This is a hasan (good) hadith. Al-Khallal narrated with his isnad from Al-Hasan, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, there is no deed between the heaven and the earth better than Jihad in the path of Allah, or an accepted Hajj, in which there is no Rafath (obscene speech), no Fusuq (wickedness), and no Jidal (argumentation)." This is because Jihad is the sacrifice of one's life and wealth, and its benefit extends to all Muslims, young and old, strong and weak, male and female. Nothing else is equal to it in its benefit and danger, so nothing else is equal to it in its virtue and reward.
1621 - Issue: He said: (And naval warfare is better than land warfare.)
Its general premise is that naval warfare is prescribed and its virtue is great. Anas bin Malik said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) slept, then he awoke while he was laughing. Umm Haram said: I asked, "What makes you laugh, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "People of my nation were shown to me as warriors in the path of Allah, riding upon the middle (1) of this sea, like kings (2) upon thrones, or like kings upon thrones." Agreed upon (3). Ibn
(7) In [the chapter on]: What has been narrated regarding which of the people is best, from the chapters on the virtues of Jihad. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 7/155. It was also recorded by An-Nasa'i, in: The chapter on one who asks in the name of Allah the Almighty and is not given, and the Book of Zakat. Al-Mujtaba 5/62. And by Ad-Darimi, in: The chapter on the best of people being a man holding the head of his horse in the path of Allah, from the Book of Jihad. Sunan Ad-Darimi 2/201, 202. And by Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 1/226, 311. (1) Thabaj al-bahr: Its center and main part. (2) In [A]: "Kings". (3) Recorded by Al-Bukhari, in: The chapter on supplicating for Jihad and martyrdom, from the Book of Jihad; and in: The chapter on one who visits people and rests with them, from the Book of Seeking Permission; and in: The chapter on dreams during the day, from the Book of Interpretation of Dreams. Sahih Al-Bukhari 4/19, 8/78, 9/43, 44. And by Muslim, in: The chapter on the virtue of naval warfare, from the Book of Leadership (Imarah). Sahih Muslim 3/1518, 1519. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The chapter on the virtue of naval warfare, from the Book of Jihad. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/6. And by Al-Tirmidhi, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding naval warfare, from the chapters on the virtues of Jihad. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 7/146, 147. And by An-Nasa'i, in: The chapter on the virtue of Jihad at sea, from the Book of Jihad. Al-Mujtaba 6/34, 35. And by Ibn Majah, in: The chapter on the virtue of naval warfare, from the Book of Jihad. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/927. And by Ad-Darimi, in: The chapter on the virtue of naval warriors, from the Book of Jihad. Sunan Ad-Darimi 2/464.
