Abu Huraira told that a man said, “Messenger of God, a man wishes to take part in jihad in God’s path desiring some worldly advantage." The Prophet replied, “He will have no reward."
God’s Messenger announced an expedition, and as I was a very old man who had no servant I sought a hireling who would serve instead of me. I found a man to whom I offered three dinars, and when some booty arrived I wanted to give him his portion, so I went to the Prophet and mentioned the matter to him, but he said, “All I can find for him regarding this expedition of his in this world and the next is the three dinars which were offered him."
Mu'adh reported God’s Messenger as saying, “Fighting is of two kinds. The one who seeks God’s favour, obeys the leader, gives property he values, helps his associate and avoids doing mischief will have a reward for all the time he is asleep and awake, but the one who fights in a boasting spirit, for the sake of display and to gain a reputation, who disobeys the leader and does mischief in the earth will not return without credit or blame.’’*
Abu Ayyub told that he heard the Prophet say, “Capitals will be conquered at your hands and you will have to raise companies in large armies. A man will be unwilling to join a company, so he will escape from his people and go round the tribes offering himself to them, seeking someone whose place he may take in such and such an expedition.* That man is a hireling to the last drop of his blood.”
* This is the type of person who dislikes being sent on a warlike expedition, but who is quite willing to take someone else’s place if he is paid for it.
