saw off Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan when he sent him to the Levant, while Yazid was riding and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, was walking. Yazid said to him, "O Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, either you ride or I shall dismount and walk with you." He replied, "I will not ride, and you shall not dismount; I am hoping for reward for these steps of mine in the path of Allah." Abu Abd Allah [Ahmad] saw off Abu al-Harith al-Sa'igh while he was carrying his sandals in his hands, and he followed the action of Abu Bakr, wishing for his feet to be covered in dust in the path of Allah. He also said, regarding Awf ibn Malik al-Khath'ami, on the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever has his feet covered in dust in the path of Allah, Allah will forbid him from the Fire." Ahmad said: Al-Khath'ami does not have the status of a companion, and he is an ancient source.
1624 - Issue: He said: (The completion of Ribat is forty days.)
The meaning of Ribat is to station oneself at the frontier (thagh), strengthening the Muslims against the disbelievers. The thagh is any place whose inhabitants fear the enemy and who in turn are feared by them. The origin of the word Ribat comes from the binding (ribat) of horses, because these people bind their horses, and those people bind their horses, each preparing for the other; thus, staying at the frontiers (thughur) was called Ribat, even if there are no horses there. Its virtue is great, and its reward is immense. Ahmad said: There is nothing in my view equivalent to Jihad and Ribat. Ribat is a defense of the Muslims and their sacred domains, and it is a strength for the people of the frontier and the people of the expedition. Thus, Ribat in my view is both the foundation of Jihad and its branch, though Jihad is superior to it due to the hardship, fatigue, and difficulty involved. Reports have been narrated regarding the virtue of Ribat; among them is what Salman narrated, saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "A night of Ribat in the path of Allah is better than fasting a month and praying its nights. If he dies, his deed that he used to perform continues for him, his provision continues for him, and he is secured from the tempter (fattan)." Narrated by Muslim. On the authority of Fadalah ibn Ubayd, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Every deceased person has his deeds sealed, except
(12) Narrated by Imam Malik, in: The Chapter on the Prohibition of Killing Women and Children during Military Expeditions, from the Book of Jihad. Al-Muwatta 2/447, 448. Also by Sa'id ibn Mansur, in: The Chapter on What Armies Are Commanded to Do When They Depart, from the Book of Jihad. Al-Sunan 2/148, 149. Also by Abd al-Razzaq, in: The Chapter on Felling Trees in the Land of the Enemy, from the Book of Jihad. Al-Musannaf 5/199, 200. Also by Ibn Abi Shaybah, in: The Chapter on Whom It Is Forbidden to Kill in the Abode of War, from the Book of Jihad 12/383, 384. Also by al-Bayhaqi, in: The Chapter on Who Refrains from Killing Those Who Do Not Fight... from the Book of Al-Siyar. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 9/89-91. (13) Narrated by Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/226, on the authority of Malik ibn Abd Allah al-Khath'ami. (1) In [A] and [M]: "at the frontier (al-thaghr)". (2) Omitted from: [M]. (3) In: The Chapter on the Virtue of Ribat in the Path of Allah the Almighty, from the Book of Leadership (Imarah). Sahih Muslim 3/1520. It was also narrated by al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the Virtue of Ribat, from the Book of Jihad. Al-Mujtaba 6/33. Also by Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on the Virtue of Ribat in the Path of Allah, from the Book of Jihad. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/924. Also by Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/440, 441.
