He told that he heard God's Messenger say, “The Byzantines will be defeated at your hands and God will defend you, but let none of you be so careless as not to employ his arrows.”*
* i.e. they must not neglect to practise archery. The idea is that although God defends them, this does not absolve them from effort.
‘Uqba b. ‘Amir told that he heard God's Messenger say when he was on the pulpit, “Prepare for them as much strength as you can. Strength is shooting; strength is shooting; strength is shooting.”
Ibn ‘A’idh told that God’s Messenger went out to a man’s funeral, and when he was laid down ‘Umar b. al-Khattab said, "Do not pray over him, Messenger of God, for he was a wicked man. Thereupon God’s Messenger turned to the people and asked whether any of them has seen him engaged in anything which indicated that he was a Muslim, and when a man replied, "Yes, Messenger of God, he acted as guard one night in God's path,” he prayed over him, scattered dust over him, and then said, "Your companions think you are one of those who go to hell, but I testify that you are one of those who go to paradise.” He then said, "You will not be questioned, ‘Umar, about what people have done, but you will be questioned about the true religion.”*
* This is taken to mean that he will not be questioned about acts of disobedience, but about indication that one is a Muslim.
