Ultimate in Self -Sacrifice
"No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself."
[Saying of the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him)]
Many years ago, when I worked at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Ameena who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother Abdullah, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother Abdullah carefully, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister Ameena who needed it urgently to survive..
I saw Abdullah hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it, if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to Ameena's cheeks.
Then Abdullah's face grew pale and his smile faded. Then Abdullah looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister Ameena all of his blood in order to save her life.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet of Allah [peace be upon him] said:
I saw Abdullah hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it, if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to Ameena's cheeks.
Then Abdullah's face grew pale and his smile faded. Then Abdullah looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister Ameena all of his blood in order to save her life.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet of Allah [peace be upon him] said:
"He who removes from a believer one of his difficulties of this world, Allah will remove one of his troubles on the Day of Resurrection"
[Hadith-Muslim]