The Virtues of Ribāt
For the Cause of Allah
The Command of Allah to Perform Ribāt
Allah (ta’ālā) said, {O you who have
believed, persevere and outlast (your enemy)
in patience and perform ribāt and fear Allah
that you may be successful} [Āl ‘Imrān: 200].
Ibn ‘Abbās (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) said, “{O
you who have believed, persevere} upon
obedience to Allah {outlast in patience} the
enemies of Allah {and perform ribāt} for the
cause of Allah” [Tafsīr Ibn al-Mundhir].
Abū ‘Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrāh wrote to ‘Umar
Ibn al-Khattāb (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā),
mentioning to him a gathering from the
Romans and what was feared from them. So
‘Umar wrote back to him saying, “As to what
follows, indeed whatever befalls a believing
slave of hardship, Allah brings relief for
him after it. Indeed a hardship will not
overwhelm two eases1. Allah also says in His
book, {O you who have believed, persevere
and outlast (your enemy) in patience and
perform ribāt and fear Allah that you may
be successful}” [Muwatta’ Mālik].
1 He refers to verses 5-6 of Sūrat ash-Sharh.
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