One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by a mountain pass in which there was a small spring of fresh water. He was delighted by its sweetness and said, "If only I could withdraw from people and stay in this pass. But I will not do so until I seek permission from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."He mentioned this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who replied, "Do not do it, for the standing of one of you in the path of Allah is better than his prayer in his home for seventy years. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you and admit you into Paradise? Go forth and fight in the path of Allah. Whoever fights in the path of Allah for even the time it takes to milk a she-camel, Paradise becomes guaranteed for him."
مر رجل من أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ بشعب فيه عيينة من ماء عذبة، فأعجبته لطيبها، فقال: لو اعتزلت الناس فأقمت في هذا الشعب ولن أفعل حتى استأذن رسول الله ﷺ، فذكر ذلك لرسول الله ﷺ فقال: لا تفعل؛ فإن مقام أحدكم في سبيل الله أفضل من صلاته في بيته سبعين عاما، ألا تحبون أن يغفر الله لكم، ويدخلكم الجنة، اغزو في سبيل الله، من قاتل في سبيل الله فواق ناقة، وجبت له الجنة.
It was narrated by Tirmidhi (1650), Ahmad (9762, 10786), Hakim (2/68), and Bayhaqi (9/160), all of them through various routes from Hisham bin Saad, from Saeed bin Abu Hilal, from Ibn Abu Dhubab, from Abu Hurairah, who related it. The wording given is that of Tirmidhi. Its chain is hasan on account of Hisham bin Saad, for there is disagreement about him, though his hadith is considered hasan. Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan hadith." Hakim said, "This is a sahih hadith according to the criterion of Muslim, though the two of them did not include it."I say, Ibn Abu Dhubab is Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman bin Harith, who is trustworthy, though Muslim did not narrate from him.As for his statement "the time it takes to milk a she-camel," fawaq, with the fa pronounced either with damma or fatha, refers to the interval between two milkings, or the time between opening your hand and closing it around the udder.