The love for life is natural and in the same way the fear of death is also a natural phenomenon. Neither is it easy to kill someone without any cause nor is it easy to sacrifice one’s life without any proper cause. However, the defence of motherland is one such situation where one can easily sacrifice one’s life.
Martyred are those who sacrifice their lives for the love of their country, for bright future of their country and to save the lives of other. In common language we call them soldiers; however, Islam specified this term only for those who lay down their lives for the protection of country and religion (Islam) and not only gave it the highest degree of respect for those who embrace martyrdom but also uplifted the status of their families manifold. The world now has latest weapons of destruction but they mean nothing if you are not brave enough to use them or face them.
Some of our soldiers embraced shahadat while fighting against the enemies. One such brave soldier was Capt Asfandyar who was awarded the Sword of Honour in 2008. He embraced shahadat while leading the troops from the front.
BARIRA MEHMOOD
FJWU, Rawalpindi
