On the authority of Abū ʿAbd Allāh Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī, may Allāh be pleased with them both, who said, “We were with the Prophet ﷺ on a military expedition and he said, “Indeed in al-Madīnah, there are men (who have been left behind); you have not covered any distance, nor crossed any valley, except that they were with you – they were held back by illness.”

And in a narration: “except that they shared the reward with you.”

Reported by Muslim (1911).

Sh. Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn رحمه الله makes the following points, regarding this ḥadīth, in his explanation of Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn (1: 36-38):

The word ghazāh and ghazwah mean the same thing, i.e., military expedition.

If a person intends to do a righteous deed, however he is prevented by an obstacle, he will have recorded for him, the reward of what he intended.

If he used to do a good deed when he was capable of doing it, then he became incapable afterwards, he will have the reward of the complete deed recorded for him, because the Prophet ﷺ said, “If a slave becomes ill, or he travels, he will have recorded for him the like of what he used to do when resident and healthy” [al-Bukhārī (2996)].

The one who wishes for good and is keen on it, if doing that good deed was his habit, but then he was prevented by an obstacle from doing it, he will have the complete rewarded recorded for him.

Examples:

(1) If it was the habit of the person to pray in congregation in the masjid, and he was then prevented from attending due to sleep or illness etc, he will have the complete reward of having prayed in congregation without any deduction.

(2) If it was his habit to pray optional prayers, but he was then prevented by something making him unable to pray them, he will have the complete reward written for him.

(3) If it was his habit to fast three days out of every month, then he was incapable of that and was prevented by something, he will have the complete reward recorded for him.

There are many other examples like this.

If it was not his habit to do that good deed, he will have the reward of the intention written for him but not the reward of the action.

The proof for this is the ḥadīth in which the poor Companions mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ about how the rich Companions had gone ahead of them in terms of charity and freeing slaves. The Prophet ﷺ taught them to do tasbīḥ, takbīr and taḥmīd 33 times each after every obligatory prayer, and that if they did that, none would equal them, except one who does the same. The rich heard about this and began doing this good deed as well! The poor Companions went back to the Prophet ﷺ and said that their rich brothers were doing the same as them. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “This is the grace of Allāh, He gives it to whom He wishes.” He did not say that you have achieved the reward of their deed, but there is no doubt that they will have the reward for the intention of the deed [al-Bukhārī (843)].

This is why the Prophet ﷺ said regarding the one to whom Allāh gave wealth, and he spends it in the paths of goodness, and there is a poor man who sees this and says, ‘If I had the money of so-and-so I would have done the same deed’; the Prophet ﷺ said regarding this person, “He has his intention, so their rewards are the same.” [al-Tirmidhī (2325)]. Meaning: the same in the reward of the intention, as for the deed itself, its reward is not recorded for him, unless it was something he used to do habitually.

This ḥadīth contains an indication that whoever goes out in the path of Allāh in a military expedition, he will be rewarded for his walking, this is why the Prophet ﷺ said, “…you have not covered any distance nor crossed any valley but they are with you…”.

This is indicated by Allāh’s statement: {It was not [proper] for the people of Madīnah and those surrounding them of the Bedouins that they remain behind after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allāh or that they prefer themselves over his self. That is because they are not afflicted by thirst or fatigue or hunger in the cause of Allāh, nor do they tread on any ground that enrages the disbelievers, nor do they inflict upon an enemy any infliction but that it is registered for them as a righteous deed. Indeed, Allāh does not allow to be lost the reward of the doers of good. Nor do they spend an expenditure, small or large, or cross a valley but that it is registered for them that Allāh may reward them for the best of what they were doing.} [al-Tawbah (9): 120-121].

What is similar to this is when a man performs well ablution at home, and then goes out to the masjid – not being brought out of his house except for prayer – then indeed there is no step that he takes except that Allāh raises him one level by it, and removes one sin by it.

This is from the grace of Allāh, the Almighty and Majestic, that the means of deeds contain this reward which the Prophet ﷺ has explained to us.

And Allāh is the facilitator of success.