Who is winner?
Jabbar ibn Sulma recounts:
“I threw my spear at Amir ibn Fuhayra who had invited me to Islam. I saw the spear enter his chest and come out of his back. He still had the energy to exclaim:
‘By Allah, I have won!’
I said to myself ‘How has he possibly won? It is not like he killed me!’
At that instant, his corpse was raised to the sky and he disappeared from sight. What I witnessed that day led me to Islam.” (Ibn Hisham, III, 187; Waqidi, I, 349)
Another example of the power of faith:
During the incident of Raji, Hubayb (RA) was captured in an ambush and sold to the pagans of Mecca. He, too, was martyred.
Just before that, however, the then pagan leader Abu Sufyan sought to test, in his own mind, the strength of Hubayb’s faith and loyalty. He asked:
“Would you have preferred your Prophet to be in your position, if you knew you could save your life?”
Hubayb (RA) looked at Abu Sufyan with contempt and said:
“Let alone wishing for my Prophet to be in my position in exchange for me returning to my wife and kids, I would not even wish for a thorn to prick his foot, even if it meant I would be saved!”
Almost petrified by the sight of this unrivalled power of faith, Abu Sufyan murmured:
“Truly bizarre! Never have I witnessed greater love than what his companions feel for Muhammed.” (Waqidi, I, 360; Ibn Saad, II, 56)
How strong is the shackled Hubayb (RA)!
How weak are the pagans tormenting him!
During the conquest of Istanbul, the soldiers of Mehmed the Conqueror who gleefully charged towards the walls of the city exclaiming:
“Now is our turn for martyrdom!” were too strong to be resisted. Those who poured Greek fire and boiling oil on them, on the other hand, were helpless, and weak of both spirit and heart.
Today, the fact that tyrants rain bombs on the innocent and put them through immense torment, is essentially an expression of their helplessness.
Back in history, Alexander also conducted a great invasion, pillaging and destroying as far India with brutal tyranny. But he was miserable. In fact, he was killed by a weak prostitute.
In Gallipoli, the Allied Forces perceived themselves to be extremely strong. But they were annihilated by a spiritual force. The soldiers of Gallipoli derived their strength from the Almighty Allah.
Even General Hamilton witnessed this spiritual help:
“We were defeated not by the physical strength of the Turks but rather their spiritual strength. They were all but out of ammunition. But we saw forces descending from the skies to help them!”
The lesson we should take from all these examples is this:
Those who express the truth are spiritually strong; and due to this strength, it is they who will ultimately triumph. They never flinch from tyrants or fear them. “The truth comes and the false vanishes.” (See, al-Isra, 17:81)
For now, in this life, it may appear as though tyrants prevail over the innocent. Yet, tyranny can never last; and therefore, the domination of tyrants will only be short lived.
In fact;
The sun above us is the same sun that once shone on the palaces, mansions and treasures of the Pharaohs, Hamans, Nimrods, the nations of Aad and Thamud, and which later rised above their ruins in all its glory. Their luxurious palaces are now inhabited by stray dogs and owls.
In the real life, however, which is the hereafter, absolute justice will prevail and the truth will rise like a sun.
Therefore;
The learned people of the Qur’an who today will convey Islam and lead to the guidance of others, must be endowed with a courage to withstand the criticism of those who are out to criticise. Even if the perfect opportunity comes begging, people who have been brought up to be shy, cowardly and indifferent cannot find the courage to become a guiding light and set the wrongs right.
In contrast, those who bravely walk head on into troubles, develop personally and become mature with the dangers they face. Muhammed Iqbal explains this fact through a parable:
“A gazelle was complaining to another gazelle, saying:
‘I am sick of the evils of these hunters. They have set up traps across the plains, following our trails day and night. From now on, I shall live near the Kaaba, the sacred sanctuary. Hunters are forbidden from hunting in Mecca. I shall live and rest there and feed myself. I no longer want to live with fear from the hunter. Let my heart find a bit of peace!’
After listening to these words, the wiser and more experienced gazelle said:
‘My intelligent friend! If you want to live, live in danger! Always strike yourself against the grindstone and live sharper than a dazzling sword! Danger is there to test your courage (Dangers, troubles and misfortunes test your character, personality and faith.) It is those dangers that tell you what your flesh and life are capable of.’”
In short,
A person whose heart is spiritually imbued with the Almighty Allah is strong. Even in the face of tyranny, he will retain that strength.
The love of the world, on the other hand, makes one forget servitude to the Almighty. A person leaning to the world gradually becomes glum, simple, indifferent and foolish.
The most pitiable people on earth are fools. What else can they be called but ‘fools’ given they choose earth which is but the smallest of drops compared to the Almighty’s infinite universe?
A fool is cowardly and fainthearted due to fear of losing his worldly profit, which is but a drop. A fool does not fear the Almighty Allah but fears losing his worldly profit! He is helpless in the face of injustice and evil and behaves like a mute devil.
The words of Umar (RA) paint a sorrowful picture of this situation:
“The most ignorant of all is a person who sells his afterlife for the worldly gain of another, and chooses the pleasure of man over the pleasure of Allah.”
Source: BEING A GUIDING LIGHT, Osman Nuri Topbas, Erkam Publications
