or a painful punishment overtake them.” (Qur’an 24:63)

4. The very first provision in his wise and judicious counsel was the injunction to have taqwā (conscious fear of Allah). Though made up of only a few words, this phrase gathers every good and wards off every evil, for it entails obeying Allah’s commands and steering clear of His prohibitions. When taqwā settles in a servant’s heart it becomes a constant sentinel that never departs and never overlooks his actions. It watches over him and directs him so that it always remains the dominant force, protecting him from the evil within himself and the evil outside himself—whether from the devils of humankind or jinn.

5. He also advised him to fear Allah with respect to the Muslims under his command: he must not exploit his authority and leadership over them, nor take advantage of their readiness to obey in order to secure private interests or limited personal requests. Rather, his orders and prohibitions should be issued purely for their collective benefit and, by extension, for the welfare of the Muslim community at large.

6. He stressed the need to rectify one’s intention and keep the inner motive pure: the expedition must be undertaken solely for the sake of Allah and the Hereafter, with the aim of giving victory to Islam and spreading the call to monotheism. “Actions are only by intentions.” Therefore the objective must not be booty, mere seizure of enemy possessions, or the desire to display bravery and gain renown; none of that is done in Allah’s name. What is truly in His name is only the fighting of the one who strives so that the word of Allah may be uppermost.

7. “Fight those who disbelieve in Allah.” This is the purpose of jihad: to combat the unbelievers so that they may enter the religion of Islam. When they embrace Islam and faith takes root in their hearts, they will realise that your fighting them was nothing but a remedy for themselves and a cure for hearts diseased by disbelief and associating partners with Allah. The Prophet said, “Your Lord is amazed at a people who are dragged to Paradise in chains.” Were it not for the institution of jihad in the path of Allah, the earth would be ruined by the persistence of unbelief and misguidance and the spread of ignorance and darkness, as Allah says: “Were it not that Allah checks people, some by means of others, the earth would surely be corrupted; but Allah is ever bountiful to all the worlds” (Qur’an 2:251).