Eethar - ایثار

Audhubillahi Minshaytanirrajeem
Bismillahirrahmanirraheem

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful, Master of the Universe who gave us life and sustain us for His worship alone. Salutations be upon Prophet Mohammad SAW, the rahbar and haadi for the mankind, the messenger of the final message from Allah SWT, the Quran.

One of the qualities of the choice given to human beings by Allah SWT is the choice of preferences. We as humans, make judgement calls on some matters where we choose one thing over the other. Sometimes, these choices are in accordance with the teachings of Islam and sometimes these choices take us away from our deen.

If a person chooses the attraction of the life of this duniya or chooses to disobey Allah SWT in this duniya, then Allah has reminded us in Quran, that we must think upon this choice for it will have dire consequences.

Allah SWT says:

فَأَمَّا مَن طَغَى Oوَآثَرَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا Oفَإِنَّ الْجَحِيمَ هِيَ الْمَأْوَىO
Then, for him who transgressed all bounds, in disbelief, oppression and evil deeds of disobedience to Allâh. And preferred the life of this world, Verily, his abode will be Hell-fire;

Then there is a choice of preference which becomes the source of making one close to Allah SWT. When we see the life of our beloved Nabi, Mohammad SAW, we will see that throughout his life he showed us the way of self-sacrifice in order to bring happiness to others. This self-sacrifice or Eethaar is loved by Allah SWT.

Every insaan has nafs and desires and genuine needs, but when such a person sacrifices his needs for the betterment of his brother, then such an action is the most beloved to Allah SWT from His slave.

When Rasulallah SAW asked the muslimeen to migrate to Madeenah, Rasulallah SAW showed them the example of this eethar by being the last people to leave Makkah with Abubakr RA. Abu Bakr RA accompanied Rasulallah SAW and became his Rafeeq in the cave of Thaur. Abubakr RA showed his self-sacrifice when he protected the prophet and was bitten by the snake. When Ali lay in Rasulallah SAW’s bed , he showed his self-sacrifice.
Allah SWT praises such a person who sacrifices himself to provide happiness to a fellow human being.

Allah SWT says in the Quran:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاء مَرْضَاتِ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ رَؤُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ
And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the Pleasure of Allâh. And Allâh is full of Kindness to (His) slaves.

Unfortunately, when we look at ourselves these days, we have the least concern for the person next to us. We put ourselves in the priority before we think about someone else. We all have learnt these lessons that we should sacrifice for our brothers, but we forget them when it matters the most.

When we see the lives of the sahabah Alehim Ajmaeen, we see that there are numerous examples that will motivate us to develop the qualities of Self-sacrifice.

A Sahabi came to the Prophet and complained of hunger and distress. The Prophet didn't have any food. He then asked the sahabas that who will take this sahabi as their guest on behalf of me. One Ansar said, “I Will.” He took him home and told his wife that he is a guest of the Prophet ; we will entertain him as best as we can. The wife replied that we have enough food for the children. The Ansari said, “Put the children to sleep and when we start eating, turn the lamp off so the guest may not be aware of my not sharing with him.”
The scheme worked; the whole family remained hungry to enable the guest to eat to his fill, it was because of this incident that Allah Taa'la revealed the verse:

وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّؤُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
And those who, before them, had homes (in Al-Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Banî An-Nadîr), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.

Ikramah Bin Abi Jahal was a very well known person at the time of Rasulallah SAW. Before becoming a muslim, Ikrimah had fought ferociusly against the Prophet in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He had sweared to crush the muslims in these battles but Allah SWT had other plans. When Rasulallah SAW entered Makkah as the Fateh and the makkans were given the general amnesty, Ikramah had fled Makkah in order to avoid being taken as a prisoner. His wife, Umm Hakim approached Rasulallah SAW and asked him for her husband’s safety and amnesty. Prophet SAW pardoned Ikramah and she set out to search for her husband with a slave. When she found him, she told him that Ikramah, do not run away and do not destroy your life, Mohammad SAW has pardoned you.

Ikramah asked, did you speak to Mohammad? She said yes. Then what did he say? He said that you are safe and you are pardoned.

Ikrimah came back to makkah with his wife and presented himself before Prophet SAW. He said, Mohammad (SAW), Umm Hakim tells me that you have pardoned me?
Yes, the prophet SAW said, you are safe.

Ikrimah asked,: To what do you invite?

Prophet SAW replied: I invite you to the Truth, to one Allah SWT and that I am the servant and the messenger of Allah SWT, to pray Salaat and pray Zakaat and carry out all the obligations of Islam.

At this Ikramah professed shahadah and asked forgiveness from Rasuallah SAW for all the wrongs he had committed against him in the past. Prophet SAW replied with a dua to him:
"O Lord, forgive him for all the hostility he directed against me and from all the expeditions he mounted wishing to put out Your light. Forgive him for whatever he has said or done in my presence or absence to dishonor me."
Ikramah from that day on became of the model of humility and self-sacrifice. He had learnt the real message of the Islam, the brotherhood, forgiveness and care for eachother and striving in the path of Allah SWT.

The same Ikramah, in the battle of Yarmuk fought with great courage and after the battle was over, he layed there wounded and thirstly. He called for someone who could bring water to him. The volunteer brought the water to him when he heard someone cried for water. He looked over and it was Harith bin Hisham. He said to the volunteer to take the water to him. The volunteer took the water to Harith and when Harith was about to drink, he heard Ayyash bin Abi Rabiah cry for water. At this Harith asked the volunteer to take the water to Ayyash.

When the volunteer reached Ayyash bin Rabiah, he had passed away, he came back to Harith and had passed away too and when he came back to Ikramah, he too had passed away.

These were the lives of those sahaba who breathed the teachings of Islam and would self-sacrifice themselves even when their lives were in danger. They would not think for a moment to make themselves content without thinking about others.

My dear respected brothers and sisters,

We are spending our lives in this part of the world just like other people are spending the lives around us but we say that we are special, we are blessed that we have been given the teachings of truth. If that is the case, then shouldn’t our lives exhibit those different teachings, shouldn’t our actions show that we carry the same message in our heart, that was given to the sahabas by our beloved Rasulallah SAW? If we choose to set Huqooqul Ibad as our first priority, if we choose to sacrifice our needs for others, then surely we will fulfil the rights of being muslims.

Wa ma taufiqi ilallah billah.

Delivered at Fredericton Islamic Association Masjid on May 04, 2007