Sa’id ibn Jubayr reported: Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, came out to us, and we hoped that he would narrate to us a good tradition. A man approached him, and he said, “O Abu Abdur Rahman, tell us about fighting during times of persecution, as Allah said: And fight them until there is no more persecution.” (8:39) Ibn Umar said, “Do you know what persecution is? May your mother be bereaved of you! Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, only fought the idolaters as there was persecution to make them enter their religion. It was not like your fighting for the sake of ruling.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 7095
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari
عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ قَالَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ رضي الله عنه فَرَجَوْنَا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَنَا حَدِيثًا حَسَنًا قَالَ فَبَادَرَنَا إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ حَدِّثْنَا عَنْ الْقِتَالِ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَقُولُ وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لَا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَدْرِي مَا الْفِتْنَةُ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُقَاتِلُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَكَانَ الدُّخُولُ فِي دِينِهِمْ فِتْنَةً وَلَيْسَ كَقِتَالِكُمْ عَلَى الْمُلْكِ
وفي رواية أخرى قال فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ يُفْتَنُ فِي دِينِهِ إِمَّا قَتَلُوهُ وَإِمَّا يُعَذِّبُوهُ حَتَّى كَثُرَ الإِسْلاَمُ فَلَمْ تَكُنْ فِتْنَةٌ
7095 صحيح البخاري كتاب الفتن باب قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الفتنة من قبل المشرق