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How can we reconcile the Hadith that prefers the remembrance of Allah over Jihad with the other Hadith which states that nothing equals Jihad?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Jihad is considered among the best deeds by some scholars. Several pieces of evidence attest to its virtue, including the Almighty's saying: "Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who have a (disabling) injury, and those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives," and the Prophet's (PBUH) saying: "Belief in Allah and Jihad in His cause," and "A man holding the reins of his horse in the cause of Allah."

As for reconciling the hadiths that favor jihad with those that favor dhikr (remembrance of Allah), Al-Munawi stated that the preference for a specific deed depends on the state of the addressed person. What is best for a brave person may not be best for a rich or a devout worshipper. Ibn Hajar was of the opinion that the preferred dhikr is the complete dhikr with both tongue and heart, and this may be better than one who strives without proper mindfulness. Ibn Daqiq al-Eid held that hadiths which prefer certain deeds are specific answers given to a specific questioner or to someone in a similar situation, so what suits one person may not suit another.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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