[Al-‘Ankabūt: 69]” [Tafsīr Ibn Abī Hātim; Tafsīr
al-Qurtubī].
Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibnul-Qayyim
(rahimahumallāh) also credit this statement of
wisdom to al-Awzā’ī, Ibnul-Mubārak, and Imām
Ahmad, and others (rahimahumullāh) [Majmū’
al-Fatāwā; Madārij as-Sālikīn].
After quoting Ibnul-Mubārak and Imām Ahmad
on this, Shaykul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah said, “In
general, living on the frontiers, performing ribāt,
and concerning oneself with ribāt is a great
matter. The frontier posts were inhabited with the
best Muslims in knowledge and deeds. They were
the best lands in establishing the rites of Islam,
the realities of Īmān, and the commanding of the
good and forbidding of the evil. Everyone who
wanted to dedicate himself to the worship of Allah,
devote himself to Him, and achieve the best zuhd,
worship, and awareness, then the scholars would
direct him towards the frontier posts” [Jāmi’ alMasā’il].
Al-Mundhirī (rahimahullāh) titled a chapter
in his book “At-Targhīb wat-Tarhīb” with
“Encouraging the Fighter and Murābit to Increase
Their Righteous Deeds including Fasting, Prayer,
Dhikr, and so Forth” He then mentioned the
hadīth reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim from
Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī (radiyallāhu ‘anh) in which
the Messenger (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,
“Whoever fasts a day while fīsabīlillāh (performing
jihād), then Allah will distance his face seventy
years from Hellfire.” He then mentioned numerous
other ahādīth indicating that worship performed
while on jihād is multiplied in rewards. He then
said, “What is apparent is that the murābit is also
fīsabīlillāh. Therefore his righteous deeds are also
multiplied in blessing just as the mujāhid’s deeds
are multiplied.” The opportunity for good deeds
while on ribāt is greater than that during battle, as
the murābit can pray, fast, read, teach, etc., with
ease, whereas the fighter is often busied by the
fierceness of battle, which in some cases can force
him to even break the mandatory fast and delay
the obligatory prayer.
The above-ment