Request Allah to grant me martyrdom while fighting alongside you!

Request Allah to grant me martyrdom while fighting alongside you!” The Prophet prayed to Allah to grant martyrdom to Harithah. A few days later, he dispatched an army for battle and Harithah was included in it. During the battle, Harithah killed nine infidels before he himself was killed, being the tenth soldier from the Muslim force to taste the nectar of martyrdom.[^7] Who is a Youth?

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) once asked the students and companions who had gathered around him: “Who is a ‘youth?” A person answered, “Someone who is young in age.” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Despite the old age of the People of the Cave, on account of the faith which they possessed, God has referred to them as ‘youths’. In verse 10 of the chapter al-Kahf, He says: When the youths sought refuge in the cave [^8] .

He then continued,[^9] “Whoever believes in God and observes piety is a youth.”[^10] Levels of Faith Imam Sadiq, (a.s.) addressing a saddler, who used to serve him, said: “Some Muslims possess one portion of faith, while there are others, who possess two or three or even seven portions of it. It is inappropriate to burden a person, possessing one portion of faith, with acts suitable for a person possessing two portions of faith.

Similarly, it is inappropriate to burden a person who has two portions of faith with acts suitable for a person with three portions of faith.” The Imam (a.s.) continued, “Let me present an example: Once, there was a man whose neighbour was a Christian. The man invited him to Islam and the Christian agreed and converted to a Muslim. The next day at dawn, the Muslim knocked on the door of the convert’s house.

When the convert answered the door, the man told him to perform wudhu, get dressed and accompany him to the mosque for prayers. The neighbour duly obliged and both men proceeded to the mosque. They offered not only morning prayers but also many other prayers until it was sunrise. The new Muslim wished to return home, when the man asked him: ‘Where are you going? The days are short and very soon it will be time for the Dhuhr prayers.

Let us wait until we have offered our Dhuhr prayers.’ So they waited till it was Dhuhr, when they offered their prayer. The convert prepared to leave but the man persuaded him to stay until A’sr time. They offered A’sr prayer after which the convert decided to go. The man told him that it was almost sunset and that they should not go before offering Maghrib prayer.