Allah’s cause, their compensation was never assured, for Allah—exalted is He—has purchased from them their lives and their properties,1 so the price rests with Allah, not with His creation. Whoever looks to people for payment will have no claim upon Allah; for whoever suffers loss for Allah’s sake will find that Allah Himself makes it good.2
But if a person is harmed because of a sin,3 he should lay the blame squarely on himself, and his self-reproach will keep him too busy to reproach the one who harmed him.
And if he is hurt while chasing some personal gain, he must steel himself for patience, for obtaining one’s portions involves an ordeal harsher than patience itself. Whoever cannot endure the searing midday heat,4 the torrents of rain, the biting snow, the fatigue of travel, and the threat of bandits has no business in trade. It is common knowledge that anyone who is truly earnest in seeking something will expend upon its acquisition a measure of patience equal to the sincerity of his pursuit.5
(1) The author is referring to Quran 9:111: «inna Allaha ishtara mina al-mu’minina anfusahum wa amwalahum bi-anna lahumu al-jannata» (Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their wealth in exchange for Paradise).
(2) Abu Ya‘la relates in his Musnad (4/36, no. 2040, ed. Husayn Salim Asad) through Bishr b. al-Walid al-Kindī → al-Maswar b. al-Salt → Muhammad b. al-Munkadir → Jabir that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Every good deed is charity; whatever a man spends on his family and property is written for him as charity; and whatever he spends to safeguard his honour is also charity. Every expenditure made by a believer—so long as it is not for sin—carries Allah’s guaranteed recompense, except money spent on construction.”
Al-Haythami comments in Majmaʿ al-zawaʾid (3/136) that the chain contains al-Maswar b. al-Salt, who is weak.
The report is likewise recorded by al-Daraqutni in his Sunan (3/28, no. 101) and by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak (2/50) through ʿAbd al-Hamid b. al-Hasan al-Hilali from Muhammad b. al-Munkadir with a similar wording.
Al-Hakim judged it sound, adding that its witness is outside the scope of his work; al-Dhahabi responded, “Rather, they considered it weak.”
(3) Manuscript B reads: “musiba” (calamity).
(4) Plural hajira: the time from the sun’s zenith until ʿasr, or the hottest part of midday; see Lisān al-ʿArab, root h-j-r (5/254).
(5) Omitted in manuscript A.