1. Ghazwat Tabook
Lessons to be learnt

2. Virtue of Giving for the Cause of Islam

3. Allah says in Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, ayah 261:
“The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is as the likeness of a grain which grows seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains. Allah increases manifold to whom He wills.”

4. Allah says in Surah 47 Muhammad ayah 38:
Beware! you are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet some among you hoard. But he who hoards does so for himself: Allah is above need, and it is you who are the needy. If you turn away, then Allah will bring other people in your place who will not be like you.

5. Everywhere we read in the Qur’an, we find that Allah is enticing, encouraging and requesting people in a very nice way to give loans to Him. When we are asked to spend in the way of Allah, He asks us to give a loan to Him. This word of a Loan to Allah has been mentioned in the Qur’an six times in different forms.
Surah 57 Al- Hadiid ayah 18 reveals:
“Lo! Those who give alms, both men and women, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, it will be doubled for them, and theirs will be a rich reward.”
This goodly loan should be for the love of Allah and not as a favor, as a generosity or as a benevolence. If you spend in the way of Allah, do it for the love of Allah. If you do it, then and only then Allah will reward you. 

6. The reward of giving in the way of Allah is many-fold
The reward of giving in the way of Allah is many-fold. Some of the rewards promised by Allah are related to this world and the others are related to the hereafter. Some of the worldly and heavenly rewards are the following:
The amount of charity given as a loan is doubled and multiplied.
Forgiveness of sins will be granted by Allah.
Rich and liberal rewards will be given by Allah.
Entrance to paradise will be granted by Allah.
In heaven, there are rivers running beneath, for those who give the loans.
Allah is thankful to the person giving the loan.
According to the Qur’an, this is the ultimate success that one may hope to achieve in this world and in the hereafter.
Allah is not in need of your help, your support and your financial aid. Allah does not need these loans for Himself but it is for your own benefit and so you may be a cause of help to others.

7. Virtues of Exerting Effort in Allah’s Cause Or Jihad

8. Jihad means to struggle for the sake of Allah in a righteous cause
Jihad means to struggle for the sake of Allah in a righteous cause. It takes many forms such as the inward struggle to achieve a pure heart, the struggle against sinful temptations, the struggle to help others in need, and the struggle to educate our communities. When necessary, jihad can refer to an armed struggle in defense of the community.
Muslim scholars have written at length about the inward struggle against sinful desires. This jihad is called the Greater Jihad (jihad al-akbar), whereas armed struggle is called the Lesser Jihad (jihad al-asghar)

9. Fadalah ibn Ubaid reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The one who strives (mujahid) in the way of Allah the Exalted is he who strives against his soul. (Musnad Ahmad 23445, Grade: Sahih) In another narration, the Prophet said: Have I not informed you? The believer is the one who is trusted with the lives and wealth of people, and the Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe. The mujahid is one who wages jihad against himself in obedience to Allah, and the emigrant is one who emigrates from sin and evil. Source: Musnad Ahmad 23438, Grade: Sahih

10. Jihad can take the form of speaking out against injustice
Jihad can take the form of speaking out against injustice. Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Verily, among the greatest of struggles is a word of justice in front of a tyrant. (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2174, Grade: Hasan)

11. Allah said: Those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways. Verily, Allah is with the doers of good. Surah Al-Ankabut 29:69

12. Nifaq & Munafiqeen

13. The munafiqs are hypocritical and villainous people as they pretend to be believing although they do not. What is worse is that they do not do evil on their own, but penetrate into the society of the believers and act as if they are one of them.
On the face of it, the believers and the munafiqs may indeed seem as though they perform the same worship. However, the believers are “those who humble themselves in their prayers” (Al-Mu’minun: 2) and earn the good pleasure of Allah SWT. The munafiqs, on the other hand, are described: “The hypocrites – they think they are over-reaching Allah SWT But He will over-reach them: when they stand up to prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah SWT in Rememberance.” (Al-Mu’minun:142) and they are subjected to Allah SWT’s grievous penalty because of their hypocrisy and unfaithfulness. So, a munafiq does not seem to be a non-religious person “from the outside”. Rather, he is a person who says that he believes in Allah SWT and performs most of the acts of worship.

14. The munafiq people can be identified through the following characteristics:

15. Among the characteristics of the hypocrites are those which were described by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “There are four (characteristics), whoever has all of them is a complete hypocrite, and whoever has some of them has some element of hypocrisy, unless he gives it up: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a treaty, he betrays it; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he quarrels, he resorts to insults.”(Narrated by Muslim, 53)

16. A Munafiq can never be trusted
A Munafiq can never be trusted. The most dangerous people are those who are hypocrites in faith. Those who claim to be believers yet try to destroy the Imaan of the True Muslims from within. There were even such people in the Glorious Era of the Beloved Rasool and Rasoolullah unveiled them and made it clear that we should disassociate ourselves from such people. The companionship of munafiqs, like the deviates of this era, is absolutely detrimental. We should make it our duty to keep ourselves and our families away from them, so that they may no plunge us into fitna and fasaad.