Muaz bin Jabal reported,

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out with the people before the expedition of Tabuk. When morning came, he led the people in the dawn prayer, then they mounted their riding animals. When the sun rose, the people grew drowsy from traveling through the night, while Muaz stayed close behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, following in his tracks. The people had become scattered as their mounts spread along the broad road, grazing as they walked.While Muaz was following behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with his own she-camel sometimes grazing and sometimes walking, his camel stumbled. He pulled her up sharply by the reins, and she startled in such a way that the Messenger of Allah's ﷺ camel was startled too. The Messenger of Allah then lifted the cover from his face and turned around. He saw that no one in the army was closer to him than Muaz.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called out to him, "Muaz."Muaz replied, "At your service, Prophet of Allah."He said, "Come closer."So Muaz drew near until their two mounts touched side by side.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I had not thought the people were as far behind us as they are."Muaz said, "Prophet of Allah, the people grew drowsy and their mounts spread out, grazing and walking."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I too had been drowsy."When Muaz saw the friendly openness of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ toward him and that he had him to himself, he said, "Messenger of Allah, permit me to ask you about a matter that has made me sick, weakened me, and grieved me."The Prophet of Allah ﷺ said, "Ask me whatever you wish."Muaz said, "Prophet of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me to Paradise. I will ask you about nothing else."The Prophet of Allah said, "Excellent, excellent. You have asked about something tremendous, something tremendous, something tremendous. Yet it is easy for the one for whom Allah intends good. It is easy for the one for whom Allah intends good. It is easy for the one for whom Allah intends good." He did not tell him anything without saying it three times, repeating it so that he would grasp it firmly.Then the Prophet of Allah ﷺ said, "You believe in Allah and the Last Day, establish the prayer, and worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him, until you die in that state."Muaz said, "Prophet of Allah, repeat it for me," so he repeated it for him three times.Then the Prophet of Allah ﷺ said, "If you wish, Muaz, I will tell you of the head of this matter, its supporting pillar, and the peak of its summit."Muaz said, "Indeed, may my father and mother be ransom for you, Prophet of Allah, tell me."The Prophet of Allah ﷺ said, "The head of this matter is that you bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. The supporting pillar of this matter is the establishment of prayer and the giving of zakat. The peak of its summit is jihad in the path of Allah. I have only been commanded to fight the people until they establish the prayer, give the zakat, and bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. If they do that, they have protected themselves and safeguarded their blood and property from me, except by its right, and their reckoning is with Allah ."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no face has grown pale and no foot has gathered dust in any deed by which one seeks the ranks of Paradise, after the obligatory prayer, like jihad in the path of Allah. And no scale of a servant is weighed down like an animal he spends in the path of Allah, or upon which he is carried in the path of Allah."

عن معاذ بن جبل

أن رسول الله ﷺ خرج بالناس قبل غزوة تبوك، فلما أن أصبح صلى بالناس صلاة الصبح، ثم إن الناس ركبوا، فلما أن طلعت الشمس نعس الناس على أثر الدلجة، ولزم معاذ رسول الله ﷺ يتلو أثره، والناس تفرقت بهم ركابهم على جواد الطريق، تأكل وتسير. فبينما معاذ على أثر رسول الله ﷺ وناقته تأكل مرة وتسير أخرى عثرت ناقة معاذ، فكبحها بالزمام، فهبت حتى نفرت منها ناقة رسول الله ﷺ، ثم إن رسول الله لكشف عنه قناعه فالتفت، فإذا ليس من الجيش رجل أدنى إليه من معاذ فناداه رسول الله ﷺ فقال: يا معاذ قال: لبيك يا نبي الله قال: ادن دونك، فدنا منه حتى لصقت راحلتاهما إحداهما بالأخرى. فقال رسول الله ﷺ: ما كنت أحسب الناس منا كمكأنهم من البعد. فقال معاذ: يا نبي الله نعس الناس فتفرقت بهم ركابهم ترتع وتسير. فقال رسول الله ﷺ: وأنا كنت ناعسا فلما رأى معاذ بشرى رسول الله ﷺ إليه وخلوته له قال: يا رسول الله ائذن لي أسألك عن كلمة قد أمرضتني وأسقمتني وأحزنتني فقال نبي الله ﷺ: سلني عم شئت؟ قال: يا نبي الله حدثني بعمل يدخلني الجنة لا أسألك عن شيء غيرها قال نبي الله: بخ بخ، لقد سألت بعظيم، ثلاثا- وإنه ليسير على من أراد الله به الخير، وإنه ليسير على من أراد الله به الخير، وإنه ليسير على من أراد الله به الخير، فلم يحدثه بشيء إلا قاله له ثلاث مرات يعني: أعاده عليه ثلاث مرات حرصا لكي ما يتقنه عنه، فقال نبي الله ﷺ: تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر، وتقيم الصلاة، وتعبد الله وحده لا تشرك به شيئا حتى تموت وأنت على ذلك، فقال: يا نبي الله أعد لي، فأعادها له ثلاث مرات. ثم قال نبي الله ﷺ: إن شئت حدثتك يا معاذ برأس هذا الأمر، وقوام هذا الأمر، وذروة السنام. فقال معاذ: بلى بأبي وأمي أنت يا نبي الله فحدثني. فقال نبي الله ﷺ: إن رأس هذا الأمر أن تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله، وإن قوام هذا الأمر إقام الصلاة وإيتاء الزكاة، وإن ذروة السنام منه الجهاد في سبيل الله، إنما أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يقيموا الصلاة، ويؤتوا الزكاة، ويشهدوا أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله، فإذا فعلوا ذلك فقد اعتصموا و عصموا دماءهم وأموالهم إلا بحقها، وحسابهم على الله عز وجل. وقال رسول الله ﷺ: والذي نفس محمد بيده ما شحب وجه ولا اغبرت قدم في عمل تبتغي فيه درجات الجنة بعد الصلاة المفروضة كجهاد في سبيل الله، ولا ثقل ميزان عبد كدابة تنفق له في سبيل الله أو يحمل عليها في سبيل الله.