8- Abu Musa ʿAbd Allah ibn Qays al-Ashʿari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about a man who fights out of sheer courage, another who fights out of tribal zeal, and another who fights to be seen by others. “Which of these,” they asked, “is fighting in the path of Allah?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “Whoever fights so that the Word of Allah may be supreme, he is in the path of Allah.” Agreed upon.
[Explanation]
In another wording of the report: “and one who fights so that his status may be recognized— which of these is in the path of Allah? He said: Whoever fights so that the Word of Allah may be supreme, he is in the path of Allah.”
His statement, “Whoever fights so that…,” underscores that the intention must be purely for Allah; this, in fact, is why the compiler cited the hadith—to emphasize sincerity of intention.
The Messenger ﷺ was questioned about someone who fights for one of three motives: bravery, zealotry, or to display his rank.
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The one who fights out of bravery: he is a courageous man who loves combat. A brave person is characterized by courage, and courage requires an arena in which to appear. Hence the brave man hopes that Allah will grant him a battle so that he can show his valor; he fights simply because he is brave and loves fighting.
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The one who fights out of zeal: zeal for his ethnic group, for his clan, for his homeland, or for any form of partisanship.
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The one who fights to be seen: that is, so that people may watch him and recognize that he is brave—so he turned aside