Riyad as-Salihin, 1343

Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

A bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! One man fights for booty, another fights to win fame, and the third fights for show off." Another narration is: "One fights for displaying his valour, another fights out of his family pride." Another narration is: "One fights out of rage." He asked: "Which of them is fighting in the Cause of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The one who fights so that Word of Allah (Islam) be exalted, is the one who fights in the Cause of Allah." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أبي موسى، رضي الله عنه أن أعرابيا أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال‏:‏ يا رسول الله الرجل يقاتل للمغنم، والرجل يقاتل ليذكر، والرجل يقاتل ليرى مكانه‏؟‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ يقاتل شجاعة، ويقاتل حَمِيّة‏.‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ ويقاتل غضبًا، فمن في سبيل الله‏؟‏ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏

‏من قاتل لتكون كلمة الله هي العليا، فهو في سبيل الله‏

‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏

References1 variant

In-Book Reference: Book 11, Hadith 59

Sharh · explanationclick to expand

Guidance from the Hadith: 1) Jihad for the purpose of elevating the word of Allah is the legitimate Jihad. Other forms are nothing but fighting for the sake of Satan, personal inclinations, and the affiliations of the time of pre-Islamic ignorance. 2) A person will not be rewarded for a deed he performs, albeit with great effort, unless he does it sincerely for the sake of Allah Almighty and in accordance with the Prophet’s Sunnah; otherwise, he has tired himself uselessly and there is no reward for him.

Related hadiths9