THIS IS THE LETTER FROM UMAR IBNI AL-KHATTAB
TO HIS GENERAL SAAD BIN ABI WAQAS WHEN
HE SENT HIM FOR OPENING OF PERSIA
(very famous, most of us know this by heart)
“…Then after, I order you and all troops that are along with you to be obedient to Allah in all circumstances, as this is better than the weapons against the enemy and a strong stratagem (device) in the war.
I order you and the soldiers who are with you to be more cautious and afraid of your own crimes and sins than your enemy, as the crimes and sins of the soldiers are more dangerous to them than the enemy.
The Muslims are victorious only because their enemies are disobedient to Allah ,
and had it not been so, we have no power over them,
because neither our number is equal to their number, nor are our weapons like theirs.
If we commit crimes and sins as they do, then they (our enemies) will have superiority over us in power and we will not gain victory over them.
WE DO NOT OVERPOWER THEM WITH OUR STRENGTH.
And you should also know that in this marching of yours, there are guards upon you from Allah and they all know what you do.
So be shy from them and do not commit Allah ’s disobedience while you are going in Allah ’s Cause and do not say: ‘ Our enemy is worse than us, so they will not overpower us.’ Perhaps some people who are worse than the others may overpower the others as the (disbelievers)
Magians overpowered the Children of Israel when they (the latter) involved themselves with Allah ’s disobedience.
So they (disbelievers) entered the very innermost parts of their homes and it was a promise fulfilled.
And ask Allah the assistance over your own selves,
just as you ask Allah for the victory over your enemies.
I ask Allah for that, both for you and for us.”