Hadith: Observing Ribāt (guarding the Muslims' frontiers) for one day in the cause of Allah is better than the world and everything in it

عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَلَيْهَا، وَمَوْضِعُ سَوْطِ أَحَدِكُمْ مِنَ الجَنَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَلَيْهَا، وَالرَّوْحَةُ يَرُوحُهَا العَبْدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ الغَدْوَةُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عَلَيْهَا».
[صحيح] - [متفق عليه] - [صحيح البخاري: 2892]

Sahl ibn Sa‘d as-Sā‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"Observing Ribāt (guarding the Muslims' frontiers) for one day in the cause of Allah is better than the world and everything in it. The place occupied by the whip of one of you in Paradise is better than the world and everything in it. The evening or morning walk that one takes in the cause of Allah is better than the world and everything in it."
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim] - [Sahih Bukhari - 2892]

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that staying in the place between the Muslims and the disbelievers to guard the Muslims from them for one day, sincerely for the sake of Allah, is better than the world and everything in it. The area occupied by a whip that is used for fighting in the cause of Allah, in Paradise is better than the world and everything in it. And the reward and recompense of walking the amount of time from the beginning of the day until just before midday, or in the evening from midday until night, in the cause of Allah once, is better than the world and everything in it.

Benefits from the Hadith

1. The merit of observing Ribāt in the cause of Allah is that it involves risk to one's life and leads to elevating the word of Allah and supporting His religion. Therefore, the reward of one day is better than the world and everything in it.
2. The insignificance of this world compared to the Hereafter; because the place that a whip occupies in Paradise is better than the world and everything in it.
3. The merit of Jihad in the cause of Allah and the immense reward for it, because the reward of a single evening or morning walk in His cause is better than the world and everything in it.
4. His statement: "in the cause of Allah," indicates the importance of sincerity and that the reward is contingent upon it.