Is the Hadith on Good Leadership and Watching at the Outposts (Ribat) Authentic?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

Is the hadith on leadership and guarding the outposts (ribat) authentic, and what does it mean?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

Imam Haythami (Allah have mercy on him) has declared the narrators of this hadith to be reliable.

The Hadith in Question

“The beginning of this affair is prophethood and mercy, then it will be caliphate and mercy, then it will be kingship and mercy, then it will be rulership and mercy, and then it will turn into biting like the bite of a predatory animal. So, upon you is jihad, and indeed, the best of your jihad is watch at the outposts (ribat), and the best of your ribat is in Ashkelon.” [Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir]

What is Ribat?

The aim of ribat is to safeguard Muslim lands and honor. Imam Bukhari titled one of the chapters in his collection “A Chapter on the Merit of Performing Ribat for One Day for the Sake of Allah and on Allah’s saying, ‘You who who believe: be undauntedly patient, outlast the foe, watch at the outposts (rabitu), and fear Allah, that haply you may succeed.’” [Quran 3:200]

In his esteemed commentary, the hadith expert Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (Allah have mercy on him), associated with his hometown Ashkelon, asserted that commencing this topic with this verse aligns with the interpretations of the early exegetes (salaf). He then referenced several tabi’in who interpreted the verse as a call to persevere in obedience to Allah, endure the hardships of fighting enemies, and be prepared to repel any attack.

Whoever reflects on the sayings of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) will come to know the value of this land, its reward, and its status in Islam.

Many Righteous Understood Purpose

Many righteous people understood this purpose and thus remained stationed on the coast of Ashkelon (Asqalan), standing guard, such as Abu Rayhana al-Azdi (Allah be pleased with him).

Many scholars also traveled to Ashkelon seeking the honor of being stationed there, such as Imam Sufyan al-Thawri, who stayed on the coast of Ashkelon for forty days, and Imam Ata ibn Abi Rabah, who used to dedicate forty days each year to keeping watch on the land of Ashkelon. Among them were those who died there while stationed, such as Umar ibn Zayd ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab.

May Allah reward those of the past, present, and future who fortify the lands, defend its noble honor, and grant them the fullest and highest reward. Amin.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Currently, he resides in the UK with his wife and is interested in reading and gardening.