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Sacrificing in Islam is to willingly give away our hard-earned possessions in preparation for the Hereafter, our eternal abode. It can be carried out in a variety of ways; through the spending of wealth, giving of time, offering of skills, lending an ear to a person in difficulty, and even through giving away small things you love to those who need it more.
There is a plethora of examples in the Islamic discourse that illustrate the notion of sacrificing for a greater cause. Amongst them is the story of a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) known as Abu Dahdah.
Abu Dahdah’s orchard
Abu Dahdah was reported to have possessed a humongous orchard in Madinah that consisted of over six-hundred date trees. This orchard was his bread and butter; he financially sustained his family through it.
One day, he overheard the Prophet (ﷺ) asking another man to kindly give his tree to an orphaned child, and that he would receive a tree in Paradise in return.
Abu Dahdah uncontrollably started to think about the number of trees he could acquire in Paradise through just fulfilling this boy’s needs. He ambitiously approached the Prophet (ﷺ) and offered his entire orchard so that the boy could have his wish fulfilled, to which the Prophet (ﷺ) said,
رُبَّ نَخْلَةٍ مُدَلَّاةٍ، عُرُوقُهَا دُرٌّ وَيَاقُوتٌ، لِأَبِي الدَّحْدَاحِ فِي الْجَنَّة
“How many date trees that have lowered down their clusters, which are full of gems and pearls in Paradise for Abu Dahdah!” [1]
Action plan
As we eagerly search for opportunities to make rewarding sacrifices, is there a time more ideal than Ramadan?
This is the month of giving and sacrifice, a month where deeds are multiplied, and efforts are widely acknowledged.
Here are a few things we can do to make wholehearted sacrifices this month with the hopes of securing our afterlife:
- Sacrificing time and effort through passing on a skillset to somebody who wants to progress in their career;
- Encouraging our children to sacrifice some of the toys they love and give them away to children who are less fortunate.
Coming up
While we think about ways of making meaningful sacrifices, let’s spare some time to take the upcoming topic into consideration: looking after the planet.
Do you make a regular effort to look after the planet we live on?
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Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr
