One of the outstanding characteristics of the prophet (SAW) were his courage and bravery. For 13 years in Makkah, he and his followers were oppressed; and people tried all kinds of tactics to intimidate and embarrass him, to remove his importance and love from the hearts of the people. The prophet (SAW) faced this with courage and bravery. Even though as a human being, sometimes he would worry and be fearful, behind that would be a sense of strength and bravery that would pull him through. There were many occasions of how the people treated him; sometimes, when he was praying, they would take the intestines of a camel and put them on his neck, and sometimes, they would strangle and choke him. They mistreated him in other ways, but none of this deterred the prophet (SAW) from carrying out the mission that Allah (SWT) had sent him. By doing so, he became an example and model for the Muslims around (him? the world?) . At that time, the Muslims were also being persecuted. You have read stories of Bilal (RA) and Amar (RA) and Suhayb (RA) who were persecuted, hurt and injured for the sake of Allah (SWT). As Muslims, some of the qualities that we aspire to have are bravery and courage. Why is this important? Because these qualities are not only about Iman, but also about standing up for what is right, and having the courage to do so. Often, we know what is right and what we are supposed to do; but we do not have the courage to do it, because our environment does not allow it. For example, sometimes we might find ourselfsitting in a room with people we do not like studying with, and they may think it is a waste of time, but the right person knows that at that time, it is right for them to take out their books and start learning. This is a very courageous thing to do. Similarly, whenever there is a trend or a pull in the wrong direction, for a person to stand up for what is right, and to swim against the tide, and to make the right decision is also a very powerful quality. As Muslims, we should have this quality because we will need it in every moment of our lives. Sometimes, there will be an environment where no one is praying but we need to pray when it is time . Othertimes, when no one is consuming halal around us, we need to have the courage to stand by our ethics and morals to consume halal. A Situation may arise, where Muslims will be intimidated or made to look small or scared, and at that time, to raise one’s head and proud to be Muslim would be courageous – all of these are necessary and courageous qualities. The prophet (SAW) had these qualities.
You have read the story of when the prophet (SAW) was resting and his sword was hanging on a tree, and while he was resting, a man came and took the sword and hung it above the prophet (SAW)’s head. The prophet (SAW) opened his eyes, and the man drew his sword and hung it above his head, saying, “Who can save you from me?” At that moment, the prophet (SAW) said, “Allah.” (SWT) He said it with so much force that the man started trembling and he dropped the sword. The prophet (SAW) picked up the sword and said, “Who will save you from me?” The man said, “Please do not hurt me.” The prophet (SAW) said, “Will you accept Islam?” He said, “No, but I will not fight against you, and I will not support those who fight against you.” The prophet (SAW) let him go. That bravery and courage, where did it come from? First, the faith that the prophet (SAW) had in Allah (SWT). Once, in the battle of Ahzab, Madinah was surrounded by forces and they had to build a trench.One of the bravest fighters of the Arabs, Amar, who was one of the most experienced and seasoned fighters who could take down over 100 fighters by himself. He was so gutsy that he crossed the trench with his horse and started insulting the Muslims. He said, “Is there anyone to take me down?” Ali (RA) started to stand up, to which the prophet (SAW) instructed him to sit down. Again, he made fun of the people, and again, Ali (RA) started to stand up, to which the prophet (SAW) again sat him down. The third time, again, when he mocked the Muslims, the prophet (SAW) again stopped Ali, saying “He is Amar.” Ali (RA) said, “So what if he is Amar? I am Ali.” The prophet (SAW) let him go forward. When Amar saw him, he started laughing, saying, “I do not want to soil my sword with the blood of a child.” Ali (RA) got mad and said, “I want to soil my sword with your blood,” and he took him on. Amar swung his sword so hard that when Ali (RA) tried to block his swing, he pierced through the shield and struck him on the head, but Ali (RA) did not stop, and in one blow, he defeated Amar. This was bravery. Once, bandits had stolen the horses of the people, and one talented sahaba chased after them single-handedly on foot after a Hefired so quickly from so many different places that they thought a whole army was after them. They could not see anyone following them, and finally, he ran out of arrows. The bandits started cornering him on the horses, realizing that he is one man. The sahaba said, “You know that if I shoot an arrow, I will not miss. If I run after you, you know you cannot escape me. If you run after me, you know you cannot catch me.” Like this, he kept them locked in conversation until more people came and the men were arrested.
The prophet (SAW) was brave and the sahaba (RA) took this bravery. A Muslim is not a coward; A Muslim is strong and confident and will do whatever it takes to do what is right. The difference between being daring and bravery is that bravery is used for a noble purpose, even though the odds are against you. There will be many occasions like this in our lives, where the odds will be against us, and it is at those times that we must stand up with bravery to fight for what is right. May Allah (SWT) bless us with this quality that he gave to the prophet (SAW) and his companions.
