Steadfastness in the face of hardships

Hadhrat Anas bin Nadhr (Radhiyallaho anho) was one of the Sahabah who could not take part in the campaign of Badr. He very much regretted to have missed the honour of participating in the first and the most illustrious battle for Islam. He longed for a chance wherein he could make amends for Badr. He did not have to wait for long. The battle of Uhud came about in the following year. He joined the army with the most determined zeal. Despite heavy odds, the Muslims were gaining the upper hand, when some people made a blunder and the Muslims had to suffer a reverse. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had posted a band of fifty archers to guard a pass in the rear against the enemy cavalry. They had definite instructions not to move from their position till further orders from him. But when they saw the Muslims gaining victory and the enemy in full flight, they left their position in the belief that the battle was over and it was time to join in the pursuit and get on to the booty. The leader of the band tried his utmost to check them by reminding them of the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) command and solicited them to stay on, but no more than ten persons would listen to him, arguing that the orders given by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) were only for the duration of the actual fight. The enemy cavalry then noticed the unguarded pass in the rear, made a flank movement, forced a passage through it, and fell right on the rear of the Muslims, who were pre-occupied with the booty. It was in this state of affairs that Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallaho anho) saw Hadhrat Sa'ad bin Ma'az (Radhiyallaho anho) passing in front of him. He shouted to him:

"0, Sa'ad! where are you going? By Allah! I smell the fragrance of Paradise coming from Mount Uhud."

Saying this, he threw himself into the very thick of the enemy, and fought tooth and nail till he met his martyrdom.

After the battle, it was found that his body had been mauled and mutilated to such an extent that only his sister could identify him, and that barely from the finger tips. No less than eighty wounds of arrows and swords were counted on his body.

Those who strive in the path of Allah with sincerity and devotion taste the pleasures of Paradise even in this world, and so did Anas (Radhiyallaho anho) smell the fragrance of Paradise.