There is a great difference between one who says: “religion is something we discuss while drinking a cup of coffee, it is something that teaches us to build discipline and improve our spirituality but it isn’t my main purpose in life” and one who says: “May my blood be sacrificed for this lofty religion” and actually sacrifices his soul for it. There is a difference between one who knows that Allah sent this religion for us to live and die for and upon, we are not here to enjoy sin and only act upon islam when it is convenient to our whims! You do not get to be rewarded before you win! You do not get to be paid before you work! And you do not get to enjoy bliss in Jannah until you sacrifice in dunyah.
The least a muslim can sacrifice for this religion is the outer case of his soul: his body. The least a muslim can sacrifice to try to repay islam is his limbs which he didn’t attain out of his own diligence, but were also given to him by Allah to employ for this deen! And by sacrificing your limbs I do not mean cutting your arms and donating them to charity! You know exactly what I mean. To fight fisabillilah seeking to establish this lofty religion even if that means that you are deprived of your freedom, your wealth, your health or even your life.
Oh Allah allow us to sacrifice these tired bodies for your sake ya Allah, for our souls wish to be released from the bars of our ribs to fly around your throne inside green birds.
Allah blessed many of us with a blessing which even His prophet ﷺ was deprived of, which is: dying while defending this religion! Even the prophet ﷺ wished to be killed in battle, but Allah decreed that He ﷺ may not be harmed by mankind, so him dying in battle was therefore not possible. Something that the greatest of mankind ﷺ wished for himself is available in the hand of many believers, but Allah punished them for their sins with the calamity of qu’ood wa allahul mustaan, may Allah honour His servants with the blessing of Jihad. Remember that if you do not act, Allah will send someone else to serve this deen, you will be replaced and lost.
“The souls of the martyrs are in green birds which are suspended from the Throne of Allah. They roam freely in Paradise wherever they wish, then return to these lanterns hanging from the Throne. Their Lord looks at them and says: ‘Do you wish for anything?’ They say: ‘What more could we wish for? We roam freely in Paradise wherever we wish.’ He asks them this three times. When they see that they will not be left alone unless they ask, they say:‘O Lord, we wish that our souls be returned to our bodies so that we may be killed again for Your sake.’ When He sees that they have no need, they are left to enjoy.” (Sahih muslim 1887)
