An Islamic Treasury of Virtues
5. Piety
~ 134 ~
UNWILLINGNESS TO MAKE SACRIFICES
LEADS TO SELF-DESTRUCTION
Abu Imran, who went on an expedition
commanded by Abdur Rahman ibn Khalid ibn
Walid, tells of how an individual Muslim soldier
single-handedly broke the ranks of a large
Byzantine army, which was advancing upon the
Muslims. Some of the Muslims commented that he
had put himself in danger of his own volition,
referring to the verse of the chapter Al-Baqarah in
which Muslims are warned not to cast themselves,
of their own volition, into destruction. Abu Ayyub
Ansari, however, said: “We Ansaries can better
appreciate the meaning of that verse, because it was
revealed with reference to us.” He went on to
explain that when God had helped the Prophet and
made Islam dominant, some of the Ansar had said
to one another: “Come let us remain with our
properties now, and consolidate our wealth,” that
was when this verse was revealed: “Give for the
cause of God and do not with your own hands cast
yourself into destruction.” (2:194) “What, in fact,
was meant by casting ourselves with our own
hands into destruction was our sitting on our
