Surah 1-2 - YasSarNal QuR'aN

Al-Baqarah (The Cow) | ACQUIRING REAL STRENGTHrather than in the name of a king, nation or military honour. The sole objective oftheir struggle and sacrifice is to uphold God’s world order and establish it as a socialreality. The Qur’ān and the ĥadīth lay strong emphasis on this point, so as to leave nodoubt about its meaning.The Prophet’s Companion, Abū Mūsā, reports that the Prophet was askedwhether fighting out of bravery, or to support one’s own ethnic group, or in pursuitof fame and glory, might be considered as fighting “for the cause of God.” Hereplied: “Only the one who fights to keep God’s word supreme fights for God’scause!” [Related by Mālik, al-Bukhārī and Muslim]Another Companion of the Prophet, Abū Hurayrah, reported that a man askedGod’s Messenger three times about the fate of someone who fights ‘in the cause ofGod,’ but is also seeking worldly gain. Every time the Messenger replied: “He wouldreceive no reward!” [Related by Abū Dāwūd]Abū Hurayrah reports that God’s Messenger said that God gives a guarantee toanyone who goes to battle for God’s cause: “If he has set out for no purpose otherthan to fight for My cause, totally motivated by faith in Me and to confirm theveracity of My messengers, then I guarantee that he will either enter Paradise orreturn safely home, enjoying whatever reward or booty he might have gained.” TheProphet continues this ĥadīth, saying: “By Him who holds Muĥammad’s soul in Hishand, any wound he may have sustained in battle will look on the Day ofResurrection in the same way as on the day it happened, with the colour of blood,but with the smell of pure musk. By Him who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand,were it not for fear of making things too hard for Muslims I would have joined everysingle expedition going out in God’s cause. However, I do not have the means to givethem transport, nor do they have such means to follow me. In addition, it is tryingfor them to stay behind. By Him who holds Muĥammad’s soul in His hand, I wouldlove to have fought and been killed for God’s cause again and again.” [Related byMālik, al-Bukhārī and Muslim]Martyrs, then, are those who set out to fight solely and purely for God’s cause, outof faith in Him and an unshakeable belief in His messengers.The Prophet Muĥammad expressed disapproval when he heard a Persian youthextolling his ancestry in the battlefield. `Abd al-Raĥmān ibn Abī `Uqbah reportedthat his father, a Persian ‘ally’ of the Anşār, relates that he took part with the Prophetin the Battle of Uĥud. “As I struck an unbeliever, I shouted, ‘Take it from me; I, aPersian youth!’ The Prophet turned to me and said, ‘Would it not have been betterfor you to say, I, the Anşārī youth. The nephew and the ally of any group of peoplebelong to them.’“ [Related by Abū Dāwūd]The Prophet disliked the fact that the young man had chosen to express pride in166