Abraham offered his son...

Abraham offered his son, Ismael, as a sacrifice; and John the Baptist, offered his own life as a sacrifice. Ismael might have been killed but was replaced just in time by an ibex. John the Baptist, however, was executed, and his head was presented to a wanton to soothe her vanity. He is one of the greatest martyrs of all time. These are two out of many examples of sacrifice that called for great courage and great faith.

But both from the qualitative and quantitative points of view, the sacrifices which Muhammad offered for Islam, remain unparalleled in history. A distinction must be made here between material sacrifices and the sacrifices of life. Muhammad made both. He sacrificed all his personal comforts, and all his material possessions for the sake of Islam. This, of course, everyone knows.

What is perhaps not so well-known, is the fact that some of his nearest and dearest kinsfolk were killed in the defense of Islam. The relatives of Muhammad who made their lives an oblation for Islam, are as follows: **1.**Al-Harith ibn Abi Hala, adopted son, and nephew of Khadija. He was killed in Makkah. **2.**Obaida ibn al-Harith ibn Abdul-Muttalib, cousin. He was killed in the battle of Badr. **3.**Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib, uncle. He was killed in the battle of Uhud.

**4.**Mas'ab ibn Umayr, uncle. He was killed in the battle of Uhud. **5.**Abdullah ibn Jahash, cousin. He was killed in Uhud. 6. Zayd ibn Haritha, adopted son and friend. He was killed in the battle of Mootah. **7.**Jaafer Tayyar ibn Abi Talib, cousin. He was killed in the battle of Mootah. **8.**Aymen ibn Ubayd, foster-brother. He was killed in the battle of Hunayn.

This is a roster of some of the most distinguished names in all Islam, and it includes two uncles, three cousins, two adopted sons, and one foster-brother of Muhammad. It was through such sacrifices that he made Islam invulnerable and indestructible. Muhammad never made any attempt to be protective to his own loved ones. It were, in fact, his loved ones who were the foremost in taking up the challenge of an enemy.

There was no one he loved more than Ali, and yet, the position of the greatest danger in every confrontation with the pagans – in Makkah or in Medina – was invariably reserved for him. The greatest sacrifices for Islam were all made by Muhammad and Ali. On the other hand, Abu Bakr and Umar did not make any sacrifice. As for sacrifice for Islam is concerned, they have nothing to show.