He also said—may Allah be pleased with him:

“A soldier must be devout and courageous.”

Then he said:

“People fall into four categories: the highest are those who are both devout and courageous; then those who are devout but lack courage; then those who are courageous but lack devotion; and finally those who possess neither.”

He was asked about a man who was a soldier but wished to cease serving.

He replied:

“If the Muslims benefit from his service and he is capable of providing it, he should not abandon it unless doing so serves a greater interest of the Muslims. Rather, taking a leading role in jihad, which Allah and His Messenger love, is better than voluntary acts of worship, such as voluntary prayer, voluntary Hajj, and voluntary fasting. And Allah knows best.”