O My Soul, Death Is Inevitable, So It Is Better for You to Be Martyred

By Maulana Muhammad Masood Azhar حفظه الله

13) To Seek Refuge With Allah From Cowardliness

Narrated Hazrat Amar Bin Maimun Al Audi, Saad used to teach his sons the following words, as a teacher teaches his students the skill of writing and used to say that: "Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to seek refuge of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) from them, (i.e. the evils) at the end of every prayer. The words are: 'O Allah! I seek refuge of You from cowardice, and seek refuge of You from being brought back to a bad stage of old life, and seek refuge of You from the afflictions of the world and seek refuge of You from the punishment in the grave.'" (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, p396)

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) proclaimed in the Mosque, "If anyone has any doubt about anything they should ask for Dua." It is stated in the tradition that, a person stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah! I am a coward and a patient of abundance of sleep." The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسل) made dua for him. Hazrat Fadal (رضي الله عنه) says, "We saw him afterwards, and no one was as brave as him." (Kisaile Nabawi, p134)

This tradition explains that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and the Companions (رضي الله عنهم أجمعين) disliked and hated being cowards. They sought refuge in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) from this as they would do so from kufr, polytheism, hypocrisy, and from the love of this world. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) had sent him (صلى الله عليه وسلم), to wipe out kufr and polytheism from this world, and therefore had bestowed him with courage and bravery. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had said, "And I am the wiper, by me Allah will wipe out the kuffar." (Shamaile Tirmizi, p25)

Hazrat Ali (كرم الله وجهه) says, "When the battle was at it's peak and the battlefield was intense with fighting, we would take his side and no one had gone nearer to the enemy than the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). I had seen him in the day of Badr, when we were shielding ourselves behind the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسل) and he himself was the nearest to the enemy line. That day he had fought the fiercest battle of all." (Norul Yakin, p277)

Abu Ishaq (رضي الله عنه) says, I have heard from Ibn Azib (رضي الله عنه), someone asked, "O Abu Amara (رضي الله عنه), did you all flee the battlefield in the battle of Hunain?" Bara (رضي الله عنه) answered, "No by Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had never turned his back." (At the end of this hadith it is mentioned), The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) (in the rain of arrows) would recite these couplets, and stand firm, "I am a Prophet not a liar, I am the son of Abdul Muttalib." (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. l, p410)

These Ahadith criticize cowardliness and justify bravery. Cowardliness is criticized when it stops a person going to Jihad and so he also keeps others away from it and always fears confronting others. If a person is born a coward, but despite this, he forces himself into the battlefield, he shall gain more reward than a brave strong Mujahid. He will be rewarded more because his soul was not keen on it, he had struggled with his soul and placed it in such a place where death is all around, up and down, left and right. He surely, will feel fear and have to go through trouble, but to please Allah he stands firm in the field, he will gain more reward than that brave Mujahid who does not feel the fear in the battlefields. As it is mentioned in a hadith, "The brave fights and also the coward, but the coward person gains more reward than the brave person."

It is important to know that, the easv way to build up bravery is to go into the battlefield, because the environment in which we live would turn a lion into a fox. The disease of cowardice has become so common that it is no more considered as a disease, instead it has become good nature. If on hearing a loud and sharp noise, the heart starts beating fast, considering it to be of soft nature will be grateful.

My Muslim brothers! There was a time when the whole world was under your hands, and you had desire and love of Shahadah so much, as a kaafir loves alcohol. Therefore the Muslims all over the East and West were safe and had dignity protected. Today because of cowardice, we are deprived of a peaceful life and even death. All around, we are in the state of darkness and humiliation and slavery, every day our lives and wealth, dignity and culture are endangered. Still there is an opportunity we can choose the path Jihad and throw away the chain of slavery of the kuffaar and gains the life of dignity and freedom and Shahadah!

(Virtues Of Jihad)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 28th February 2011

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