Have You Ever Sacrificed For Islam?
Zil Hajj 06, 1432 A.H, Thursday, November 03, 2011
I opened this article with a question, have we ever sacrificed for Islam?
Sacrificed to give away what we like. Giving away what we love. Giving away
something that we have kept and saved, for the sake of Islam as our religion.
Well, maybe with a simple language. Have we ever spent our money in the amount
that is not relatively small for the benefits of our religion? When performing
the Friday prayer for example. A box was passed on to us, what will we do. How
much money will we put in the box? Ten dollars? Five dollars, one dollar or even
just 50 cents?
There are many things that have been missed. Our lives which are still young
often feel that we do not need to sacrifice for our religion. Instead, we are
more likely to sacrifice for the things outside of religion. Such as sacrificing
for friendship, for the gang, for the friends, for the lovers and in fact even
for something so ridiculous. It all feels very light. But it became so heavy
when the sacrifice was for Islam.
We still remember how great our Prophet Ibrahim was, he was willing to sacrifice
for Allah by slaughtering his own son. As a father who had longed for a son, he
was willing to give his son to Allah. Indeed, this really is a great sacrifice.
“Indeed, Abraham was a
[comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah , inclining toward truth, and
he was not of those who associate others with Allah.”
(QS an-Nahl [16]: 120)
In other verse, Allah SAW says (which means):
“There has
certainly been for you in them (Ibrahim and his ummah) an excellent pattern for
anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day. And whoever turns away - then
indeed, Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.” (QS al-Mumtahanah
[60]: 6)
Prophet Ibrahim A.S. had demonstrated an exceptional example to us all. His
spirit of sacrifice was as great as the spirit of his love for Islam. This is
what we don't have today. Our love and spirit of sacrifice are still very small.
Of course, this sacrifice was not without training. Ibrahim A.S. had been tested
by Allah with various tests of taqwa.
And Ibrahim had gone through all those tests successfully. Remember how Prophet
Ibrahim left his wife alone in the desert? All this is a test to measure how big
our willingness to make sacrifices for Islam are.
It's Time To Practice Sacrificing
There was a sahabah named Abdullah Ibnu
Umar. When he turned 13 years old, he had already wanted to join the jihad with
the Rasulullah SAW. He, together with his best friend named al-Barra’, insisted
on fighting alongside the troops of Rasulullah SAW in the battle of Badar. But
it was disapproved by Rasulullah SAW as they were still young. The following
year at the battle of Uhud, he was still turned down. Only al-Barra’ could join.
The irresistible desire was only fulfilled at the battle of Ahzab, Rasulullah
SAW placed him in the Muslim forces that were going to fight the
mushrikeen people.
Subhanallah!
We need to train to become an Abdullah bin Umar. The first thing we need to do
is to practice to control the nafs
(carnal desires). It is this nafs that
always makes us egotistic. Thinking of our own importance. As long as we are
selfish, it will be hard for us to make sacrifices.
The carnal desires are almost always successful in tempting the humans who are
weak in iman. Dragging them into the
chamber of immoralities as they are not receiving guidance from Allah SWT. So
true are the words of Allah Ta’ala
(which means): “But if
they do not respond to you - then know that they only follow their [own]
desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance
from Allah ? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”
(QS al-Qasas [28]: 50)
In other verse, Allah SWT says (which means):
“Have you seen he who has taken
as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and
has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So
who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded?” (QS al-Jaatsiyah
[45]: 23)
The carnal desire is the part that needs to be managed properly. True, we must
also realize that carnal desires can not be turned off. Carnal desires can only
be mitigated or controlled. Of course, to be mitigated or controlled according
to the teachings of Islam, not the others. Because it is only Allah SWT who
knows exactly the characters of the humans. That's the reason behind the request
from Allah SWT to the humans, that the humans are to be obedient to Him,
precisely for the salvation of man itself. In order to be able to dampen the
carnal desires, of course it is necessary to sacrifice by giving up things which
according to the carnal desires are very gratifying and pleasurable if done.
Secondly, by making effort to sacrifice from the smallest things. Every big
thing starts from small. Try to sacrifice a little by little. Sacrificing the
energy, time and opportunity for Islam. Then step it up by sacrificing with the
wealth. Because we need to be developed. Not to mention that our souls will
usually incline towards the nafs. So it
must always be guarded and directed toward goodness.
Get involved in the affairs of the Muslims. Lessen their burdens. Try to do
something where we are very advantageous in that field. Do not hesitate, do not
doubt or be shy. This is the time, Islam is waiting for a big gait from us.
Original article in Indonesian by: Burhan Sodiq
[muslimdaily.net]
Translated and Submitted by a Mujahid