Zarrar bin Azwar - The Naked warrior

When the roman soldiers would see the dust rising on the horizon, they'll start trembling with fear that the young Zarrar bin Al-Azwar RA is on his way with his squad.  When fighting with full zeal and zest he'll remove the armor and his shirt, for that reason he was known as the naked warrior. There are numerous incidents when the name of Zarrar acted like a sword and the rival's spirits got busted. In the battle of Ajnadin, Zarrar was made a captive. The next day, Muslims saw some veiled warrior fighting just like Zarrar.  No one was recognizing the brave warrior. Khalid bin Walid RA stopped the veil warrior and asked to remove the veil. The reply came, "I am Khawla bint Azwar and I am fighting for the release of my brother"

A woman is created with delicacy for she holds a fragile nature in herself. She is a pearl, brightly stunning yet preciously hidden. But this great lady, Khawla Bint Azwar, a delicate pearl, was fighting for Haqq, to expose and eliminate Baatil with her sword. She was not someone doing extraordinary duty, choosing some impossible path for spreading the truth. Infact this is what Allah Swt says in Qur'an to everyone of us;       

And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper. 

(Surah An Nisa)

Do we ourselves realize that we are at war? Do we recognize our enemies? Are we playing our part for the revival of Islam? Are we doing anything to free the captives or just like many ordinary lives, we are also busy in Dunyah? Do we realize the responsibilities on our shoulders or are we engrossed enough to smell the bloodshed of our Brothers and Sisters?

"It is near that the nations will call one another against you just as the eaters call one another to their dishes." 

Somebody asked: "Is this because we will be few in numbers that day?"

He said: "Nay, but that day you shall be numerous, but you will be like the foam of the sea, and Allah will take the fear of you away from your enemies and will place weakness into your hearts."

Somebody asked: "What is this weakness?"

He said: "The love of the world and the dislike of death." 

(Sunan Abu Dawud)

This love of Dunyah has caught hold of our spiritual unity and strength so much that to think of leaving our cozy beds and warm homes and hold a sword high for Deen comes with mythical blends to our minds. The silent screams of our conscience continue to alarm us of our duties, yet for us there are better eye catching materialistic things to divert our attention.

There is a bang at one place, flaming fire turning the flesh to ashes at the other. Somewhere it is the bullet shot while going a little further are forces massacring our Brothers and Sisters. There are screams, pleads and Cries, and here we are, leading a blissful life.       

The tyranny is continuing. They continue to kill the Palestinians. They continue to violate all sort of global laws in Guantanamo. They continue their brutal activities in Gujarat. The stories of their oppression are not hidden from anyone. The purpose is not to waste time on the stories of their oppression. This is not something new. The work of Pharaoh is continuing. Faces are changing and the mission is same. They are using all sorts of dirty tactics, brutal means, financial burdens etc.

The reason we narrate the account of their tyranny again and again is to provoke our love for the Ummah.  The sad part is that no matter what they do; we shed a couple of tears; we show some momentary anguish and then return to the same routine. Imagine our 'real' brother has been captured by some enemy and we are still busy in fun and frolic. We take all possible measures to get him out. We have long forgotten the relation we have with our Islamic brothers and sisters. The situation at hand demands a lot from us. Allah has promised us victory one day. The real question is what effort we put in to get Muslims out of this situation.  What military, intellectual steps are you taking? There is no short-term solution to all these problems. But the first step is having a heart that 'feels' and a motivation to work for the Ummah. 

"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever." (Sahih Muslim)

If Allah has asked you and me to stand up and fight for Truth, let us stop for some moments and sincerely think; where lies our active role in spreading the Deen and raising our swords High. 


May Allah Reward the Author of this Article
Muhammad Awais