Fidayee Activities In Shariah
Professor Abdur Rahman Makki

Allaah سبحانه وتعالى , the Most Merciful, has showered innumerable bounties on the Muslim Ummah, the obligation of Jihad and Qital being one of these.

Jihad has been made obligatory for the Ummah for all times. Allaah سبحانه وتعالى says.

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْقِتَالُ وَهُوَ كُرْهٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Fighting is prescribed upon you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allaah سبحانه وتعالى knoweth, and ye know not. (Al-Baqarah: 216)

The believers are enjoined to continue Jihad under all circumstances and in every form. Thus it is said:

انفِرُوا خِفَافًا وَثِقَالًا وَجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Go ye forth, (whether equipped) lightly or heavily, and strive and struggle, with your goods and your persons, in the Cause of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى . That is best for you, if ye (but) knew. (At-Tauba: 41)

Jihad is to be waged in every nook and corner of the world against the enemies of Islam, against all sorts of evils and every unbeliever. Says Allaah سبحانه وتعالى :

قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَا بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَلَا يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلَا يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنْ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حَتَّى يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُون

Fight those who believe not in Allaah سبحانه وتعالى nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (At-Tauba:29)

and also says

وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلَّهِ فَإِنْ انتَهَوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

And fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allaah سبحانه وتعالى altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allaah سبحانه وتعالى doth see all that they do. (Al-Anfal:39)

Wiping off the forces of Kufr (disbelief) and achieving the supremacy of Islam is the sublime objective for which Allaah سبحانه وتعالى r has enjoined Jihad upon the Muslims, and the position of Jihad among the Tenets of Islam is manifest from the Tradition of the Prophet(pbuh)  who described Jihad as (سنام الإسلام زروه)  “the highest mountain of Islam”

and "احب أعمال"  “the most desirable acts in Islam”.

And although it apparently involves bloodshed and loss of property, Jihad is termed as the source of life for the Ummah and it also establishes the universality of the message of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (pbuh) .

Jihad alone is the means for driving the Muslim out of the clutches of the various forces of Kufr, uniting them under the banner of Monotheism, ensuring the worship of one (Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ), acceptance of the Noble Quran as the code of life for the entire world and converging the entire humanity on the Shahadah. Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet(pbuh)  said in a tradition

 أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

I have been enjoined to fight with the people until they pronounce Shahadah, and proclaim that there is no God except Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (pbuh)  is His Prophet. (Bukhari 24)

And also:

بعثت بالسيف بين يدي الساعة حتى يعبد الله وحده                            I have been sent with the sword for the period till the Dooms Day, until Allaah سبحانه وتعالى alone is worshipped.

Not content with pronouncing the obligatory nature of Jihad and the verses of the Quran on the topic, Allaah سبحانه وتعالى has applied strong measures to motivate the Faithful for Jihad and has in fact provided guidance to them in this direction. Jihad has been made obligatory on the Prophet(pbuh)  in his individual capacity as Allaah سبحانه وتعالى says:

فَقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَا تُكَلَّفُ إِلَّا نَفْسَكَ (Al-Nisa:84)

Then fight in Allaah سبحانه وتعالى 's cause - thou art held responsible only for thyself.

The entire Ummah has also been tied to the obligatory Jihad separately

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْ فَانفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوْ انفِرُوا جَمِيعًا

O you who believe! Take your precautions, and either go forth in parties or go forth all together. (Al-Nisa: 71)

Another verse of the Noble Quran explains the situation in which Jihad becomes obligatory’

It has been said,   

وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنْ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَل لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَل لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ نَصِيرًا

 And why should ye not fight in the cause of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from thee one who will protect; and raise for us from thee one who will help! (An-Nisa: 75)

Jihad has thus been ordained upon believers of all times and of every section of the society. They are enjoined to give preference to Jihad over all worldly obligations and blood relationships. It has been made abundantly clear that the strength and prosperity of the pluralism lies in Jihad. Most emphatic style has been adopted to convince the Muslims that Jihad is the protector of the honour and dignity of the Muslims. It is Jihad that safeguards the frontiers of the Muslims and guarantees their freedom. Again in Jihad lies the stability of governments and caliphates. Jihad alone ensures the acceptance and honour of their pacts and agreements, and it provides a befitting reply to all-enemy intrigues and attacks. In short, in Jihad lies the life and dignity of Islam and the Muslims, as also their economic progress and stability. The close relationship of the monotheistic faith and sword is manifest from the life of the Prophet r and this was the primary lesson the Companions learnt from the life and Sunnah of the Prophet. Islam induced the Faithful toward Jihad in various ways. Says Allaah سبحانه وتعالى :

يَاأَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ حَرِّضْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَىالْقِتَالِ ……  الاية

O Prophet! Rouse the Believers to the fight. (Al-Anfal: 65)

Such a forceful motivation and exhortation gave the companions a clear vision about life and imbued them with steadfastness. Even the biggest enemy appeared a small fry in their eyes. The vast distances of the earth reduced under the hooves of their horses and Islam prevailed every where.

Two types of Muslim and two Jihadic characters emerged in such a scenario. First were the common Muslims who were filled with the spirit of Jihad all the time. Second were special task force volunteers or Fidayeen who in line with the Quranic description

"ومِنْ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاةِ اللَّهِ"  (Baqarah: 207)

(And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى .)

stood as mountains of resoluteness, always keen to offer their blood in the way of Islam, pulsating with the desire to humble the mightiest of the enemy.

  إن الله اشتري ……   and similar verses in the Quran had created a stir in the whole Muslim society, bringing forth a fairly large number of  volunteers who rejecting all worldly temptation and attraction, were always ready to offer themselves for the biggest challenges, the most dangerous targets. They were, however, not suicide missions. Instead they would hit their target, accomplish the task assigned to them which may even claim their lives. Theirs was the position of a total submission –submission to the will of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and His Prophet(pbuh) . It was submission to Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Deen rather than to any parochial demands and there was least idea of show of valour or gallantry. Allaah سبحانه وتعالى be praised that the Mujahideen today has revived this golden tradition through its Fidayee attacks. Throughout Islamic history, the Fidayee have outshone others.

There were hundreds of the Companions to migrate from Makkah to Madinah, yet the way Sohaib bin Sanan, a Turk, undertook this journey, has no parallels. As Sohaib embarked on Hijra, the Quresh of Makkah blocked his way. The enemy was in scores but Sohaib resolved to face them single handedly. He alighted his horse, spread his arrows on the ground and readying his bow, challenged his enemies and saying, “You know well that I am the best archer of you all. By Allaah سبحانه وتعالى , I will kill the same number of your men as the arrows with me. Thereafter, I would slay as many of your men as I can and only then you would have access to my person and I don’t care what you would do with me at that stage.”

The infidels felt ashamed. They pondered for some time and then said that they would allow him to leave Makkah if he handed over them all his belongings. Sohaib agreed to the idea, told them about his belonging left behind and hurried to Madina. As he arrived in Madina and met Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet(pbuh) , the Prophet proclaimed ربح البيع أبا يحي  “verily, Abu Yahya has struck a profitable deal” and recited the verse

وَمِنْ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاةِ اللَّهِ ( Al-Baqarah:208)

According to the majority of the Ulema, this verse was revealed in honour of Sohaib bin Sanany.

As the message and influence of Islam spread, Jihad also gained strength. Since the Muslim were short in numbers and had meager resources, they had to face numerous challenges. The conspirators were active in their plots while the enemy chiefs and hostile rulers amassed forces to wipe out the Muslims. Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet(pbuh)  had to adopt all types of techniques to meet the situation and the Fidayee attacks proved the most effective of these. The prudent, calculating Muslims of the present era would not feel the pleasure and satisfaction a Fidayee experienced when he rode his horse deep into the enemy host all alone and repeatedly attacked the enemy, inflicting injuries on them, all in his love for paradise. Unfortunately, the present day Muslim have formed an opinion that such an activity is suicidal and unIslamic. This has followed a plethora of Fatwas and religious decrees in condemnation of such Fidayee missions. All this is being done at a time when Muslim youth at the war front is repeating the history of the Fidayeen of the early Islamic history.

Here we would like to analyse various forms of the Fidayee adventures:

(1) A Fidayee may force his way into the enemy host risking his life.

(2) Attack a strong enemy army all alone in a manner that he may face sure death.

(3) Attack an enemy in a bid to inflict a heavy loss on the victim.

(4) Attack an enemy with the sole desire to embrace martyrdom and continue fighting till the enemy kills him and he achieves his goal.

(5) Perform such a deed of valour as earns him Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s pleasure.

(6) To seek atonement for committing the grave sin of backing out from Jihad, continue fighting in a fearless fashion, till the attainment of martyrdom.

These are some of the forms of Fidayee activities and the life of the Companions furnishes numerous instances in every form. We would narrate some of these instances for the benefit of our reader.

(1) Sahih Muslim records an account of Salma bin Akwa as under. [Says Salma: Soon after the Hudaibya Pact, I was accompanying Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet to Madina. Ribaht, Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ‘s Prophet’s slave and I took out camels of the Prophet(pbuh)  for grazing. I was riding the horse of Talha bin Abaidullaht. It was still dark when Abdur Rehman bin Ainiya attacked Prophet’s camels, killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. [Salma continued: “ I asked Ribah to ride the horse and inform Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet(pbuh)  about the attack. As for myself I climbed on top of sand tune and shouted at the top of my voice: يا صباحاه يا صباحاه يا صباحاه then I chased the assailants. I was armed with arrows and a sword. I took aim at the enemy with arrows and also injured their horses. I continued attacking enemy men and their horses with arrows. I ambushed them from behind the trees, from tree tops and from behind rocks. All along the time, I was alone but I continued attacks on them. In the end, I succeeded in retrieving all the camels from their custody and the enemy ran away. Even then I continued shooting arrows till the enemy dropped more than thirty of their spears and dozens of blankets to lessen their load and hasten their flight from the combat.

Salma continued:

 As the day became hot while I was pursuing them, Ainiya bin Badar Al-Ghazali arrived on the spot with reinforcement for the opposite side. As per chance, Ainiya spotted me and questioned from my opponents about the whole situation. They told him that I had caused them great trouble, chased them since early morning and snatched their belonging. Ainiya responded to them that I must be confident of reinforcement from friends or else I could not have dared to chase them. Then they sent forth four men to get hold of me. These four climbed a mountain and came so close to me that they could hear me. I shouted to them. “Do you know me?” They inquired who I was. I told them that I was Ibnul Akwa.

I added: “By Him who has blessed the face of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (pbhu) with grace, none of you can overtake me, and I will not spare anyone of you. While saying so, I noticed horsemen of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet(pbuh)  emerging from a grove of trees. Akhram Asadi was leading them and Abu Qatada was next to him. Holding the rein of Akhram’s horse, I said: “O brother Akhram! Be careful of the enemy and don’t make haste. Wait until Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet(pbuh)  and his companions arrive! I am afraid that if you clash with them all alone , they will attack you en mass.” Akhram replied “ O Salma, if you believe in Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and in the Hereafter, and believe in the Paradise and Hell, then don’t obstruct my journey to martyrdom. I beseech you, don’t stop me from launching an attack all alone.”

Slama said, “ I let go the rein of Akhram’s horse. He spurred his horse and pounced upon Ainiya’s men. Ainiya looked back and attacked Akhram. He initially injured Akhram but in retaliation, Ainiya attacked Akhram. Akhram embraced martyrdom and the enemy seized his horse. Meanwhile, Abu Qatada pounced upon Ainiya. In the clash, Ainiya first hurt Abu Qatada. A brave and fierce fighter, Abu Qatada returned the attack killing Ainiya on the spot. Abu Qatada also retrieved Akhram’s horse and rode on it. At this stage, the infidels fled from the battlefield. We chased them and covered a long distance in their pursuit until the Prophet(pbuh)  companions went out of my sight.

Salma said: The Sun had set by this time. The infidels reached a place called Zuqrud and were preparing to quench their thirst when some of them spotted me. Frightened, they hastened from the scene. The sun had set by now. I targeted one of them and shot two arrows at him one after another.  The arrows hit him deeply. The infidels fled from the spot humiliated and defeated, leaving behind two horses. I took these horses to Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet r who was camping at Zuqrud along with five hundred companions. One of the camels left behind the enemy was slaughtered and the companions were relishing the camel meat when I came there. I sought permission form Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet r to select one hundred men from amongst the Companions and ambush the enemy at night, killing all of them. Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet r was so much pleased on this suggestion that he laughed and his teeth were visible.

 This lengthy tradition explains various points. For instance, it lends justification to one-man attack on a large enemy host even at the risk of sure death, in the hope of achieving martyrdom.

 Salma bin Akwa fought with a large enemy brigade all through the day and in the evening, asked for one hundred men to launch a forceful attack on the enemy.  This was surely risking his life, heading towards sure death. Yet neither Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet r nor any of the worthy Companions opposed the suggestion nor did they disapprove the idea as suicidal. On the other hand, the Prophet(pbuh)  and the companions commended Abu Qatada and Salma bin Akwa for their bravery saying’ خير فرساننا اليوم ابوقتاده و خير رجالنا سلمة

 “The best rider today has been Abu Qatada and the best foot soldier Salma!”

  In the light of this tradition, the Fidayee activity is an appreciable and praiseworthy act because Allaah سبحانه وتعالى ’s Prophet r commanded both Abu Qatada and Salma, appreciated their valor, and gave them their share of the spoils of war. Both of them had attacked the enemy all alone, without waiting for the Companions.

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