The water for which three men died
A historical story about three Muslims who died of thirst in the Battle of Yarmouk, each choosing to give his water to the other until they all perished, highlighting the values of altruism and sacrifice.
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
He could have drunk… but he heard the groan of another man, so he pushed the water away from his lips. On one of the days of Yarmouk, as the battle had left behind bodies weighed down by wounds, three Muslims were dying of thirst. A waterskin reached one of them. He could have drunk. A single drop would have granted him a few more moments of life. But he heard the groan of a man nearby, so he gestured to the bearer of the waterskin: Go to him… he is in greater need. The man went to the second. And before he could drink, he heard the groan of the third. So he gestured for him to take the water to him. The water reached the third… but fate was swifter. He had died. So the bearer of the waterskin returned to the second, only to find him dead as well. Then he returned to the first… and found him dead too. Three men… and one waterskin of water… and each of them chose to give the chance of life to another. Here, the story is no longer about water. It is about humanity when all masks are stripped away. No rank. No wealth. No fame. No audience. Only thirst… death… and another human being. And in that moment, the true nature of a person is revealed. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” Those men did not love for themselves an abundance of water and then give some of it to others. The water was scarce… life was short… and time was too brief to allow for sacrifice. Yet, each of them chose to place his brother first in what could have saved him. And here, altruism appears in its purest form: to benefit another with something of which you are in direst need. Thus, the verse of al-Mutanabbi seems to capture the essence of the scene: “I strive to seek honor through altruism, for the noble, when they are enriched, give generously.” Altruism is not giving when your hands are full, but giving when your hand itself is in need of what it holds. There, precisely, lies the difference between generosity and altruism: generosity is giving from your surplus… whereas altruism is giving from your need.
