There is great wisdom in acting for Allah’s sake and refusing to act for any other reason. Once Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet, was fighting on the battlefield with one of the most powerful champions of the enemy. He finally managed to strike the warrior’s sword from his hand. As he raised his sword to take the enemy’s life, the man spat in Ali’s face. Ali sopped and sheathed his sword. The warrior said, “I don’t understand. You were about to kill me, and yet after I spit at you, you spare my life. Why?” Ali replied, “I was going to take your life in battling for Allah’s sake, but when you spat at me, it angered me. Had I killed you then, I would have been a murderer, or I would have struck in anger. I will fight for Allah, but I will not murder for my ego.” [Essential Sufism, Sheikh Muzaffer, p.198]