The Commentary of Al-Qasidah — Page 83
The commentary of al-Qa si dah 83 He then threw away the date, took out his sword and charged the opposing army of 3,000 soldiers. The opponents were amazed by the zeal and fervour with which he was fighting. He was eventually injured and fell. Even in this condition he continued attacking the soldiers coming near him with his sword. Finally, many opponents pounced upon him simultaneously and cut his body into pieces. When they were through, they had cut him into seventy pieces making him unrecognizable. His sister later identified his body by pointing to a mark on his finger. There are so many other exemplary displays of love, steadfastness and faithfulness of the companions in battle that it is impossible to cover them in a book as small as this. The companions firmly believed the saying of the Holy Prophet sa : ; & : ; Q j; ; & D; ; k @ @ & ^ l ;K_ ; YQ ;m Meaning, “Paradise lies beneath the shadow of swords. ” ( S a hih ul-Bukh a r i , Kit a bul-Jih a di Was-Siyar, B a bul-Jannati Ta h ta B a riqatis- Suy u f, H ad i th no. . 2818) They had a clear understanding engraved upon their hearts that Paradise could not be earned by a life of material luxury, but by expending life under the drawn out swords of opposition. The fact that they sacrificed their lives in the battlefield proved to be a true sacrifice in the cause of Islam. Not only did they achieve the status of martyrdom and nearness to All a h, their sacrifices became a means for others to attain nearness to God, and continue to do so. The blood they shed in the battlefields did not merely benefit them