Q 5: What is the degree of authenticity of the following Hadith: The (true) Mujahid (one striving or fighting in the Cause of Allah) is one who struggles against his desires for the Sake of (Part No. 3; Page No. 220

A: This Hadith is related with similar wordings. It is related by Imam Ahmad on the authority of Fadalah ibn `Ubayd with the wording: The (true) Mujahid is one who struggles against his desires in obedience to Allah. In another wording, "... In the Cause of Allah."It is also narrated by Al-Tirmidhy with the wording: The (true) Mujahid is one who struggles against his desires. He (Al-Tirmidhy) said: "There is another narration of the Hadith under the same topic on the authority of `Uqbah ibn `Amir and Jabir. The Hadith narrated by Fadalah is Hasan Sahih (a Hadith that stands at a higher level than a mere Hasan Hadith, but at a bit lower level than Sahih)."Also, the Hadith is related by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih with two wordings. One of them is the same as the first wording related by Imam Ahmad, and the other is related with the wording: The (true) Mujahid is one who struggles against his desires for the Sake of Allah the Glorified, the Exalted. The Hadith is also related by Al-Hakim with the wording that reads: The (true) Mujahid is one who struggles against his desires through acts of obedience (to Allah). Al-Hakim ranked this Hadith as authentic according to the conditions set by the Two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim).