Virtue of Courage

“In this world, there is a paradise; whoever does not enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter.”_Ibn Taymiyyah (RA)

Today, I want us to examine the degree of our courage in the path of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.

For a start, think back in your life, and recollect the moment in time that you made a courageous decision, not for personal gain but for the sake of the Almighty.

Put another way, when did you stand up for the truth irrespective of what the consequences were?

And are you still willing to take such a stance, going forward, even if you have to lose your life in the process.

You see, to truly develop the virtue of true courage, we need to study the life of many companions of the Prophet (SAW), one of whom is an illustrious companion by the name of Abbad in Bishr (RA).

Aisha (RA) once said that there are three persons among the Ansar whom no one could excel in virtue: (they are) Sad ibn Muadh, Usayd ibn Khudayr and Abbad ibn Bishr."

Exemplary Show of Fearlessness

In the battle of Yamamah, Abbad ibn Bishr (RA) was responsible for gathering a strong force which broke the enemy’s rank and led to our success in this decisive battle. 

When the battle began, he stood on a mound and shouted to inspire his own:

"O Ansar, distinguish yourselves among men."

He sermonized the Ansar until he had the vows of hundreds of men, with whom he dealt a fatal blow to the force of the enemy. 

True to their vows, his companions did distinguish themselves among men.

In that battle, Abbad ibn Bishr fought courageously together with men like Thabit ibn Qays, al-Baraa ibn Malik and Abu Dujanah (May Allah SWT be pleased with them all) to earn us a noteworthy victory of lasting significance.

Eventually, Allah (SWT) blessed him—along with others—with the gift of martyrdom after an exemplary life of virtue, courage and dedication to Deen of Islam.

I hope his valour will inspire us to— once in a while—forget about our personal needs and strive to fulfill the needs of Islam and Muslims in the respective communities where we belong.