Page 120 - Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

So fight in the way of Allah – you are only answerable for your-
self – and spur on the believers. It may well be that Allah will
curb the force of those who do not believe. Allah has greater
force and greater power to punish. (Surat an-Nisa': 84)
O Prophet. Spur on the believers to fight. If twenty of you are
steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are a
hundred of you, they will overcome a thousand of those who do

not believe, because they are people who do not understand.
(Surat al-Anfal: 65)

Those Who Do Not Sacrifice Are Losers

In the Qur'an, Allah informs us that the hypocrites rejoiced when
they avoided our Prophet's (saas) call for them to sacrifice and struggle
in the way of Allah: "Those who were left behind were glad to stay be-
hind the messenger of Allah. They did not want to strive with their
wealth and their selves in the way of Allah. They said: ‘Do not go out
to fight in the heat.' Say: ‘The Fire of Hell is much hotter, if they only
understood'" (Surat at-Tawba: 81). They were delighted, thinking that
they had avoided this responsibility that would bring them no reward.
Such people ignore the fact that Allah bestows whatever they possess
and can withdraw it whenever He wills. Allah says that those who set
traps will never win: "When the unbelievers were planning to im-
prison, kill, or expel you: they were planning, and Allah was plan-
ning. However, Allah is the Best Planner" (Surat al-Anfal: 30).

Indeed, this example provides a good lesson for those who take
the Qur'an as their guide. Those who believe and live according to it
never think that shirking their responsibility will give anyone an ad-
vantage, for Allah states that those who think only of their own gain

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