Page 142 - Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

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

The Companions' (ra)

Self-Sacrificial Character
Prophet Muhammad (saas) and all of the other prophets engaged
in a determined, courageous, and self-sacrificial struggle to spread true
religion and establish the Qur'an's morality. A similar struggle domi-
nated the lives of those people who accepted Muhammad (saas) as a
prophet while he was still alive: the Companions. They gave him great
material and personal support, and their moral character continues to
inspire all believers even today. They are honored for their courage
and determination, as well as for their strong faith and unconditional
loyalty to Allah and His Prophet (saas). Even under the most difficult
circumstances, they sought Allah's approval by putting their own de-
sires second to those of the Prophet (saas). They left their former lives
behind without a second thought and, in spite of the ensuing threats
and pressure, accepted the true religion, along with the ensuing diffi-
culties and distress, for the sake of winning Allah's approval.
Some of them belonged to powerful tribes, while others were
slaves of the unbelievers. They all knew that they would meet with all
manner of verbal and physical attacks, false accusations, cruelty, and
torture. Although they had seen many instances of this, they did not
hesitate to obey the call of the Prophet (saas). They suffered many as-

saults from the unbelievers but this did not deter them from following
the true path. They took refuge in Allah, and patiently entrusted them-
selves to Him. From that time on, they remained steadfast in their be-
lief and in their hope that Allah would keep them safe.
Joining themselves to him in love and loyalty, they supported him
and were sincere in their attempts to spread His religion and the
Qur'an's morality. In addition, they considered all of the ensuing hos-

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