What is Faith?

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 properties, consolidating them and forsaking the struggle for God’s cause.” (IBN KATHIR, TAFSIR)