In the battle of Yamamah (against Musaylimah. Muslims: 11k. Enemy: narrations vary, 20k-60k), Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) ended up wounded and in the nursing docks. He saw this one Ansar (may Allah be pleased with him, whoever he was) critically injured–he couldn’t walk–out of commission, being nursed.

To create motivation, outside on the battlefield, someone shouted “ya ahlil ansar” (o people of Ansar), like called them to group.

Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiallahu ‘an) watched this Ansari take up his sword and drag himself towards the exit.

Abdullah ibn ‘Umar said “how can you fight, you can’t even stand up.”

The ansari replied “I will never hear the call of the Ansar and turn my back. This is not what ansar do.” And he went into battle.

Subhanallah. This was the motivation of the early generations–their eman transcended their bodies. When their bodies failed, they kept working.

May Allah raise us all closer to their level of eman, ameen.

References

Muhammad Alshareef. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Conquest: History of the Khulafa. University of Toronto, Toronto. November 2005.