Page 49 - The Courage of the Faithful

How Is Courage Achieved?

even martyred. They attracted the hostility of those of base moral-
i t y, simply because they called attention to Allah's existence and
u n i t y. But, in the end, Allah's promises were fulfilled, and they
w e re successful in spreading His word, even though they had re-
fused to hear it.
One of the most important ways of gaining and experiencing

the genuine courage related in the Qur'an is thinking continually
about death and the Day of Judgment. Indeed, the Prophet (saas)
e
recommended people to think about death, and said: "Those who ar
most aware of death and pre p a re themselves for it. They are the wisest of
people."(Muslim)
A Muslim who fears Allah knows that the life of this world
will come to an end some day, and that he will be called to account

for his actions in the Here a f t e r. He is aware that, in order not to be
amongst those sent to Hell, he must conform scrupulously to the
teachings of the Qur'an, and avoid cowardice, procrastination and
lack of fortitude.
For that reason, he does not want to postpone fulfilling what
Allah has commanded him to do, even for a moment, because he
does not know when death will find him. He strives to achieve the
highest levels of the morality which Allah has prescribed. This is one
of the most important reasons for the extreme courage of believers,

their refusal to make any concessions in carrying out Allah's com-
mands, and their powerful determination. They know that they
would be called to account in the Hereafter for any hesitation or fail-
ing to show the necessary determination. They know that they will
have their recompense for ignoring Allah's commands and prohibi-
tions after they die. In the Qur'an, Allah defines believers as follows:

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