PRESENTER: What should be the extend of altruism of the Muslim, what is the limit?

ADNAN OKTAR: It should be very intense. People have an understanding of self sacrifice that does not befit the love of Allah. A person would rip himself for the One he loves, I mean what wouldn't be done? Self-sacrifice is a very beautiful feeling. It is a feeling that demonstrates love in a very nice way. A person would do anything for Allah. It is very shameful for one to think about himself, it is very bad, really bitter. And to present something done for one's self as if it was done for the approval of Allah is even worse. For instance he wants a fight, a bickering; he says "I am doing this for the approval of Allah". That is not acceptable. For instance let us assume she uses a headscarf, she has a flaw and she wears it to cover that flaw, but says that she does so for the approval of Allah; that wouldn't be acceptable either, one has to be sincere. It should be with the real reason. I mean to be supremely sincere about religion is the point Allah stresses on mostly. A Muslim has to be very sincere about every subject. Allah uses the word righteous, sincere, righteous, these are all the same words, insha'Allah. I mean one sacrifices himself, life is dear, right? He sacrifices himself for the love of Allah. For the approval of Allah, he has his arms and legs chopped off in a war. Those companions, right? They have had their noses chopped, had their hands and faces chopped off. There are lots of such companions, they casted golden noses for them and have them put on their face. I would kiss them on their foreheads, they are my heroic ones. Masha'Allah. That is self-sacrificing for the approval of Allah, this is a sign of love. If a person has his hand chopped off, his mouth and nose chopped off for the love of Allah, that is love. If one leaves his house and goes to Ethiopia together with the Prophet(saas), that is love. For instance women divorced their husbands because they were not Muslims, because they were pagans, they left them and immigrated together with the Prophet(saas). For instance the children, the families had beaten children of 12-13, children of 14 terribly, they confined them, they somehow succeeded in escaping from their families, they ran away and immigrated up until to Ethiopia following the Prophet(saas). These were children, children aged 11 years old, 12 years old. It was the same with Hazrat Ali(ra) as well.

OKTAR BABUNA: There are some examples, shall we read the examples from the war?

Talha ibn Ubayd-Allah,becoming a subject to our Prophet following Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Uthman ibn Affan, was blessed with the honor of being one of the first Muslims and has been subjected to torture because of this. In the Battle of Uhud he had shown an immense heroism in order to protect the Messenger of Allah(saas). In order to protect our Prophet (saas) from the arrows of a very sharpshooter named Malik Bin Zubayr, Talha ibn Ubady-Allah had used his hand as a screen and had his hand ruptured and because of this he became crippled in one hand.

ADNAN OKTAR: He is my hero. I would kiss his crippled hand masha’Allah. He is such a lion. Masha’allah. What a heroism, when one sees that hand how would it increase one’s compassion for that person. How beautiful it is. Masha'Allah. He puts his hands like this and the arrow comes to his hand. While it was aiming our Prophet's(saas) head, he places his hand like this and it hits his hand instead. How beautiful is this, Masha'Allah. And of course he had his hand ruptured Masha'Allah.

OKTAR BABUNA: There are also some very young ones among the companions fighting in the war.

ADNAN OKTAR: Tell us a few of them.

OKTAR BABUNA:Another example of the elevated self-sacrifice displayed by the Ashab al-Qiram is that because of their love of Allah, fervent faith and devotion to the Messenger of Allah (saas) even those companions who were still children or those who were very weak because of old age wished to join our Prophet (saas) in battle. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who was too young to participate in the Battle of Badr, asked the Prophet’s (saas) permission to take part in the Battle of Uhud, but remained in Medina together with other very young people like himself, at the order of the Messenger of Allah (saas).

ADNAN OKTAR: Look, do you see the heroism in that, he is a lion at this young age, he is very young then, only 11-12 and he still wants to go and fight insha’Allah.  Yes, Masha’Allah.

OKTAR BABUNA: And Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr had been an example for all the Muslims with the fervor and courage he has shown in a very young age by attending the Battle of Yarmouk while he was still 12 years old and the conquest of Egypt only 4 years later. Just like him Amr Ibn al-Jamuh, who was very old and also crippled in one foot, with his joyous faith and eagerness to win the approval of Allah, also asked our Prophet (saas) for permission to take part in the Battle of Uhud, and was martyred in this battle.  Abu Talha, was determined to fight alongside the Muslims one more time, despite his advanced age, and was martyred in the sea during the course of the battle. Masha’Allah.