about someone1 who, while residing in Medina, would travel to the frontier posts such as Alexandria and other places. He replied that the man ought to go to those frontiers, for keeping watch on the front line is superior to remaining in Medina.

The Companions, the Successors, and those who followed them continued to take turns guarding the frontiers

103 – The finest of the Muslims—the Companions, the Successors, and those after them from among the governors and scholars—kept rotating through the frontier garrisons for the purpose of ribat. This was even more common during the caliphates of Abu Bakr and ‘Uthman, so much so that ‘Abd Allah b.2 and others themselves served as frontier sentinels.

104 – Whenever anyone asked ‘Umar about the most excellent deeds, he would direct him to ribat and jihad. Those who questioned him included al-Harith b. Hisham, ‘Ikrima b. Abi Jahl, Safwan b. Umayya, Suhayl b. ‘Amr, and their peers. The same guidance prevailed after them through the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, which is why so many of their virtues and accounts revolve around their service on the frontier.