Stories of pious people

[azc]

:sl: plz share the stories of pious people in this thread

[azc]

Taqwa of Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah)

When we study the lives of our pious predecessors, we realize that they understood the true value of Islamic values. They were prepared to sacrifice their wealth, but they could not sacrifice and compromise on their Deeni values.

On one occasion, Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) purchased some grain on credit, leaving his bucket with the grain-seller as collateral. Later on, when Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) paid for the grain and wished to collect his bucket, the seller presented him with two buckets saying, “See which one belongs to you.” Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) replied, “I cannot identify which bucket belongs to me. Hence, I absolve you of my bucket and the money that I paid for the grain (i.e. you may keep the bucket as well as the money).” The seller thereafter remarked, “By Allah! I knew which bucket belonged to him, but merely wished to test his taqwa!”

(Siyaru Aa’laamin Nubalaa vol. 9, pg. 451)

Taqwa of Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah)

In this day and age, professionals abound and there is similarly no shortage of wealthy people. If there is a lack of something, however, then it is people who possess values. Hence, it is values that fetch the highest value and make the deepest impression.

Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) once went to the house of a fire worshipper to collect some money that was owed to him. However, as Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) arrived at the door, some najaasat (impurity) stuck to his sandal. Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) shook the sandal, and as the impurity was removed, it fell onto the wall of the fire worshipper’s home! Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) was worried and perturbed. If he left the impurity on the wall, it would cause the wall to appear unsightly, and if he scraped it off, then some portion of the sand of the wall would also be removed.
In this state of concern, Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) knocked on the door. It was answered by a servant to whom Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) said, “Tell your master that Abu Haneefah is at the door.” The fire worshipper came out to meet Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah), worried that he had come to collect the outstanding money, and thus began to make excuses in earnest. However, Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) said to him, “We have a problem at hand that is far more important than the money. Look at the wall; how do we clean it without causing it damage?”
The fire worshipper was amazed at the character of Imaam Abu Haneefah (rahimahullah) and the concern that he displayed for the safety of the next person’s wealth. He thus proclaimed, “Before purifying the wall, I wish to purify myself by accepting Islam.” Saying this, he immediately brought imaan.

(At-Tafseerul Kabeer vol. 1, pg. 192)

[azc]

Sahal bin ‘Abdillah Tustari (rahimahullah) had a neighbour above him who was a fire worshipper. Once, a hole developed in the floor of the fire worshipper’s toilet, and through this hole, the toilet would leak down into one of the rooms in the home of Sahal (rahimahullah).
Noticing what had happened, Sahal (rahimahullah) would daily place a container beneath the leak to catch the filth that dripped into the room. Sahal (rahimahullah) would then take the full container and empty it at night where nobody could see what he was doing.

This continued for a long time, until the day when Sahal (rahimahullah) neared his final moments and realized that he would soon leave this world. At that time, he called for his neighbour. When the fire worshipper arrived, Sahal (rahimahullah) said to him, “Enter that room and look inside.” On entering, the fire worshipper observed the hole and the filth that was falling through it into the container. He asked Sahal (rahimahullah), “What is this?” Sahal (rahimahullah) replied, “This has been happening for some time. The filth falls from your toilet into this room. I allow it to accumulate in the container during the day, and thereafter dispose of it at night. If it was not for the fact that I am about to leave this world, and I fear that those after me will not be tolerant and show you good character, I would not have showed you this and informed you about it. Now that you are aware of the problem with your toilet, you may fix it as you see fit.”

The fire worshipper was absolutely amazed and exclaimed, “O Shaikh! You have been treating me with kindness and showing me this level of good character for such a long time despite the fact that I am a disbeliever! Stretch forth your hand – I testify that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah Ta‘ala, and Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is the Rasul of Allah Ta‘ala.” Shortly after the fire worshipper accepted Islam, Sahal (rahimahullah) passed away.

(Al Kabaa-ir liz Zahabi pg. 208)

Lessons:

1. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) greatly stressed and emphasized the importance of fulfilling the neighbour’s rights and warned that the imaan of a person who causes any harm or inconvenience to his neighbour is incomplete. On account of showing good character to neighbours being such an emphasized and integral part of Deen, Sahal (rahimahullah) was even prepared to tolerate the inconvenience of his neighbour’s toilet dripping filth into his home.

2. Sahal (rahimahullah) would dispose of the waste during the night where no person could see him. One reason for which he did this was perhaps so that nobody would learn of the waste dripping into his home and thereafter fight with the fire worshipper.

Furthermore, disposing of the waste in secret also indicates to the humility of Sahal (rahimahullah), as he did not wish people to learn of his tolerance and praise him.

3. If a Muslim adopts the true character of Islam, his interaction and behaviour will shine with the radiance of Islam and will thus be an invitation to Deen. It was this very same character that ‘melted’ the heart of the fire worshipper and let him see the beauty of Islam.

- - - Updated - - -

Zaazaan (rahimahullah) was a great Taabi‘ee (rahimahullah) and Muhaddith. He had met ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and many other Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), and was counted among the special students of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).
Prior to becoming a great saint and Muhaddith of this Ummah, Zaazaan (rahimahullah) was involved in sin. However, Allah Ta‘ala blessed him to repent and change his life at the hands of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

The following is the personal account of Zaazaan (rahimahullah), describing the manner in which Allah Ta‘ala guided him and inspired him to repent at the hands of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), which lead to him becoming the renowned personality that we know. He says:

I was a youngster who possessed a melodious voice and considerable skill in playing the drum. Once, a friend and I were with a few other people. I was entertaining our small group by singing songs, when ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) passed by. Hearing the sound of song and merrymaking, he came toward us. On reaching us, he kicked the vessels of wine, causing them to spill their contents. He then snatched the drum from me and cast it to the ground, breaking it. Finally, he turned to me and said, “O youngster! If you used the melodious voice which I heard to recite the Quraan Majeed, you would really become something!” Saying that, he left.

I turned to my friend and asked him, “Who was this person?” He replied, “That was ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).” At that moment, Allah Ta‘ala inspired me to repent. I thus ran after ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) with tears streaming down my face. He had just arrived at the door of his home and was about to enter when I reached him and held onto his clothing. He turned to me and asked, “Who are you?” I replied, “I am the person who was playing the drum.” ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) realized that I had come to repent and change my life, and so he hugged me and cried out of happiness. He then said, “Welcome to the one whom Allah Ta‘ala loves (and thus inspired to repent). Sit here!” ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thereafter entered his home and brought some dates for me to eat saying, “Eat from these dates. If I possessed any food besides this, I would have presented that to you as well.”

(Taareekh Ibni ‘Asaakir vol. 18, pg. 283)

[azc]

The illustrious Sahaabi, ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was once invited to a waleemah function. When he was about to enter, he heard some impermissible activity taking place, hence he returned immediately. When he was questioned about the reason for his return, he explained: “I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying: ‘Whosoever adds to the numbers of a people, will be counted from among them, and the one who is pleased with the wrong of a people, will be a partner in their actions.’” (Ithaaful Khiyaratil Maharah vol. 4, pg. 135)

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[azc]

Shaikh ‘Abdul Haqq Muhaddith Dehlawi (rahimahullah) narrates:

Delhi was once struck by a very severe drought. People were suffering to the point of not even having basic bread. The ‘Ulama eventually decided that all the people would gather in an open field on an appointed day so that salaatul istisqaa (salaah for rain) could be performed. After the salaah, everybody would repent from their sins and make du‘aa for rain.

On the appointed day all the people gathered outside the city, their faces burning from the heat of the sun. After the salaah, all exerted themselves in du‘aa, crying and begging for rain. To their dismay, however, there was no sign of rain. This continued until the time of ‘asr salaah arrived. As they were begging Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa, a young traveller walked past the field, leading a camel on which a woman covered in a veil was seated. Seeing the people in distress, he asked them what was going on. He was informed of the severe drought and the people’s du‘aas for rain not being answered. Upon hearing this he went to his camel and lifted his hands in du‘aa. Before he could even lower his hands, the sky filled with clouds and rain began to fall in torrents!

Accepted Du‘aa

An ‘Aalim went up to the youngster and asked him how he had attained the good fortune of being a person whose du‘aas were instantly answered .The youngster replied, “Seated on the camel is my mother. She has led a life of such purity and chastity, that neither has she ever set eyes on a strange man nor has a strange man ever set his eyes on her. I clutched her shawl and made du‘aa saying, ‘O Rabb of the universe! This is my pious and chaste mother. If her piety and chastity is valued in your sight then shower your rain upon your servants.’ I had not yet put my hands down when the rain began to fall.”

Subhaanallah! This woman’s chastity and purity became the means of the people being relieved of the difficulty. It is time to once again revive hayaa and chastity — chastity in the eyes, ears, tongue, heart and entire body. Allah Ta‘ala will then surely shower down His mercies and blessings in everything.

[azc]

In the village of Kandhala in India a dispute arose between the muslims and the Hindus over some land; the hindus claimed that the land belonged to them and wanted to build a temple on it, the muslims claimed the land belonged to them and wanted to build a mosque on it.

The case went to court, both sides were asked to produce evidence as to whom the land belonged to. The Hindus said there is a pious elder in our village called Illahi Baksh rh‏ what ever testimony he gives we will accept it. The Muslims were delighted, after all one of their own would be able to testify on their behalf, so they also stated that Shaykh Illahi Bakhsh rh‏ verdict would be acceptable to them.
Shaykh Illahi Bakhsh rh‏ was summoned to court and asked who the Land belonged to he said: " I don't know who the land belongs to, but one thing I do Know is that it does not belong to the Muslims."

So the Hindus Won the court case the deeds of the land were handed over to them. In the courtroom their was chaos, the Muslims were incensed, as the Shaykh was leaving the court people were jostling him, shouting insults calling him a Hindu agent etc.

As he managed to extract him self from the mob of Muslim's. the Hindus were waiting on the other side, the Hindus came over and said:"Maulana Sahib here are the deeds of the land , we want you to build a mosque, and we shall also worship in it, Maulana sahib we want to be Muslim just like you, for today you have proven the beauty and justice of Islam."

Shaykh Illahi Baksh by behaving justly in accordance with the teachings of Islam managed to win over a whole community, they all embraced Islam.

Something to reflect:

How often do we fall into the sin of injustice, we support our relatives in disputes with others even though we know they are wrong, similarly with those who belong to our ethnic group, tribe, clan, and those who are fellow muslim's we seek to make excuses for them in their transgression s towards others.

May Allah give us the Tawfiq and strength to stand for what is just, ameen.

[azc]

‘Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubaarak (rahimahullah):
‘I was in Makkah when the people were afflicted with a drought. So they all came out to Masjid al-Haram for Istisqaa’ (prayer for rain) but they were not granted rain, and to my side was a black slave.

He said,

‘O Allaah! O Allaah! They have surely called You but You did not respond. I swear to You and take an oath by You that You will indeed provide water for us.’

‘Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubaarak (rahimahullah) said, ‘By Allah, it was only a short moment before we were granted rain.‘
He continued saying, ‘The black slave departed and I followed him until he entered a house in Hanatin. I put a mark on it and in the morning, I took some money and went to the house.
A man came to the door and I said to him, ‘I want to see the owner of this house.’
He said, ‘It’s me.’
I said, ‘There is a slave of yours whom I wish to purchase.’
He said, ‘I have fourteen servants, I’ll bring them out to you.’
‘Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubaarak (rahimahullah) said, ‘But he was not amongst them.’ So I said to him (the man), ‘Anyone left?’
He said, ‘A sick boy.’ He brought him out and it was him.
I said, ‘Sell him to me.’
He said, ‘He is yours, O Abu Abdur-Rahman.’

So I gave him fourteen dinaars and I took the servant. When we had gone along the way, he said ‘O master, what could you want with me when I am ill?’
I said to him, ‘It’s because of what I saw yesterday evening (during the Istisqaa’).’

The boy leaned against the wall and said,
‘O Allaah! Do not cause me to become famous but take me back to You!’
‘Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubaarak (rahimahullah): ‘He fell down dead and the people of Makkah began to surround him…’

Sifat al-Safwah by Ibn al-Jawzi.

[azc]

Imaam al-Bukhaari, Abu 'Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Ismaa'eel Ibn Ibraahim Ibn Al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah Al-Bukhaari, was born in 194 AH/810 CE in Bukhara in the territory of Khurasan (West Turkistan).

Imaam al-Bukhaari was one of the greatest compilers of ahaadeeth (Prophetic Narrations). His father died while he was still in his infancy and his upbringing was left entirely to his mother, who looked after his health and education very carefully and spared nothing in order to provide him with the best education.

Historians relate a remarkable incident that occurred during the Imaam's childhood. He became blind at a young age. He had recourse to many famous and skilled doctors of his time but their treatments made no difference. His mother was a pious worshipper and a righteous woman. She cried to Allah the Almighty for help for her child and begged for the restoration of his eyesight.

Because of the endless prayers of his mother and her nights spent weeping, the Imaam's sight was miraculously restored. The Imaam's mother was informed by means of a dream in which the Prophet Ibraaheem ('alayhis-salaam) appeared and said:

"Allah has restored the sight of your son because of your intense and beautiful invocations."

In the morning, as Imaam al-Bukhaari got up from his bed, his eyesight was fully restored.

[Alamgir]

Asalamu Alaikum

Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi and the four thieves:

One night Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi went walking among his subjects after taking off his royal clothes and putting on ordinary clothes. He chanced to come upon a group of thieves who were consulting amongst themselves. On seeing him they asked: “Who are you?”
The King (Sultan) replied: “I am also one like yourselves.” They understood that to mean that he was also a thief like themselves and allowed him to join their company. They then continued the conversation amongst themselves and it was decided that each one of them should explain what speciality or skill he possesses so that at the time of need a task could be put before him to show that special skill.
One of the thieves said: “Friends, I have a special gift in my ears, that whenever a dog barks, I fully understand what he says.”
The second one said: “I have a special gift in my eyes, that whatever I see in the darkness of night, I am able to recognize it in the light of day.”
The third one said: “I have this speciality in my arms that through the strength that lies in my arms, I can make a hole in the strongest wall, to enter a house.”
The fourth one said: “I have this special gift in my nose that by smelling the sand on the ground I am able to ascertain whether there is any treasure buried underneath it or not. It is just like in the case of Majnoon, who without being told, merely by smelling the ground, got to know where Layla was buried.”
The fifth one said: “I have such strength in my hands that no matter how high a building is, I can climb along its wall with my rope ladder and easily enter the building in this manner.”
Thereafter they all asked the King: “O man, what special gift do you possess which we can make use of in our thieving activities?”
The King replied: “I have this speciality in my beard that when criminals are handed over to their executioner, I merely shake my beard and such criminals are immediately set free.” (In other words, if as a show of mercy I shake my beard, the criminals found guilty of murder, are set free).
On hearing this the thieves said: “O dear Qutub, on the day of difficulty, you will be our one means of salvation.” (In other words, if we are arrested, then through you blessings we will be saved. Now we do not have to fear, because the rest of us had the special gift which would help us in our thieving exploits, but none of us had the means of granting safety from punishment. This speciality lies only with you. Now we need not have any fear of punishment. Now we can get on with our work).
They all went in the direction of the palace of Shah Mahmood with the King in their midst. Along the way a dog barked and the one who understood the dog’s language translated: “The King is also in you midst.” Although they heard it, no one paid any attention to this information, as their greed was uppermost in their minds. One of them smelled the ground and explained that this is the Royal Palace . There is a treasure in this place. The other one threw a rope ladder against the wall. The other one made a hole in the wall and they all entered to burgle. Afterwards they divided the loot amongst themselves and hastily each one of them went to hide his share of the spoils.
The King noted each one’s description and found out where each of them resided. He left them and secretly re-entered the Royal Palace . The following day the King related the entire story to his courtiers and thereafter sent the policemen to arrest them and to inform them of their death sentence.
When they were brought before the Court with hands bound together, they were all trembling in fear before the King’s throne. However, the thief who had this special gift of recognizing anybody during the day whom he had seen during the darkness, was quite at ease. In him together with the signs of fear there were also sights of hope. In other words, although he was struck by awe while standing before the King and although fearing the King’s wrath and revenge, he also had the hope, that the King would be true to his word, that when in mercy he shakes his beard, criminals will be set free. Furthermore he also had the hope of setting free al his companions because the King will surely not turn away from all those whom he knew and recognized.
This person’s face was changing from yellow to red, as within himself the feelings of fear and hope alternated. The Sultan Mahmood in Kingly dignity passed judgment that they all should be handed over to the Executioner to be hung on the gallows. As the King himself was witness to their crime, there was no need for any other witnesses.
As soon as the King announced his judgement, this person appealed in great humility: “Sire, with you permission, may I say something?” The King permitted him to speak and he said: “O Master, each one of us had exhibited his special gift which helped in this crime. Now it is time that the Kingly speciality should be exhibited according to the promise. I have all the while recognized you. Remember you had promised that in you beard there is this speciality, that if you cause it to move in mercy, the criminal will be saved from punishment. Hence, O King, shake you beard, so that through the blessings of your grace, all of us can be saved from the punishment of our crimes. Our specialities have brought us to the gallows. Now it is only you special gift that is left which can save us from being punished of our crimes. Our specialities have brought us to the gallows. Now it is only you special gift that is left which can save us from being punished. Now is the time for the exhibition of your speciality. Kindly shake your beard. Because of fear our lives have reached right up to our mouths. Please save us with the special gift that lies in your beard.”
Sultan Mahmood smiled at the plea and became filled with mercy and grace as he heard their pitiful admission of guilt. He said: “Each one of you have exhibited his special quality to such an extent that it has brought you to the brim of destruction, except in the case of this one. He recognized me as the Sultan. He saw me in the darkness of the night and recognized me as the Sultan. Hence for his having recognized me, I set all of you free. I feel ashamed at those eyes which recognized me not to shake my beard and thereby exhibit my special quality.”
Lessons
The first lesson contained is this story is that while a person is committing a crime the true King of Kings is with him, and is fully aware of all that he does. “And He is with you wherever you are.” When a person commits any disobedience to Allah he is actually committing treachery against Him. Anyone who fails in his duty to Allah or in the rights which are due to me, is like a thief committing the theft of Allah’s treasures. For this reason, one should always bear in mind that the Master is the witness, seeing us at all times, and is aware of all that we do. If we commit any disobedience or iniquity, it means that in His very presence His treasury is being looted and robbed.
Think for a moment! Whom are you robbing? That King and Master tells you: “I am seeing what you do. I am with you. My laws have been revealed to you. Today your breaking that law. Today, in this world I will hide your fault, hoping that perhaps you will come upon the right road. But if you do not come to your senses, then tomorrow on the day of Qiyamat when you will be brought before Me, with hands bound together, then who will be able to save you from My anger and revenge?”
The second lesson from this story is that Allah will punish sinners in the hereafter although He may initially overlook them in this world. We see that at the time the thieves were looting the Royal treasury, the Sultan witnessed the entire incident. He was with them and allowed them to proceed without being punished. However in the end, he had them arrested. If, at all times, this thought is uppermost in our minds that Allah sees all our deeds then there will surely be fear in the heart against committing sins.
The third lesson from this story is this that on the day of Qiyamat no special quality will be of any benefit. All those deeds which contravene the laws of Allah will on the day of Qiyamat be bound around man’s neck even though, in this world, they were considered as being special qualities. The thieves mentioned those special gifts and qualities as if the were qualities of virtue, but in reality those very qualities were the cause of their destruction:
“Each one of them exhibited their special quality,
But all their qualities only caused their misfortune to increase.”
Any special quality which does not bring a person nearer to his Creator, and which does not connect the heart to Allah, and which is not a medium towards the remembrance of Allah is no quality of virtue. In fact it is a cure and a misfortune. All the powers and attributes of man which are used in rebellion against Allah and towards disobedience and negligence, will one day cause him to be brought before Allah as a criminal. All those nations who have made great progress and through scientific inventions have made this world subservient to them, but turn away from Allah, passing their lives in disobedience, will realize on the day of Qiyamat, whether the speciality of scientific progress had been the cause of receiving Allah’s grace or His anger.
“Blessed be to you the subjugation of the sun and moon,
But if there is no light in the heart there is no light anywhere.”
The fourth lesson from this story is that no special quality will be of benefit except that which leads towards recognizing Allah, just like the person who having seen the Sultan, recognized him and through this special quality, he not only saved himself but was also able to intercede on behalf of this companions. As for his other companions, their special quality became a means towards earning Allah’s punishment.
“Only the sight of the fortunate one was of any use
Who recognized the Sultan during darkness of night.”
The lesson derived is that this world is like a place of darkness. In the darkness of this world, every servant of Allah who follows the Divine Laws of Shariat and through its blessings recognizes Allah, will be provided with salvation against the punishment on hell-fire, on the day of Qiyamat. This recognition will also be a means towards intercession on behalf of other criminals, from among the sinners of the people of faith. However, there should not be any pride and over confidence in this recognition. In fact, one should alternate between fear and hope and in utmost humility beg for this intercession. Then Allah will accept this intercession from whomever He wishes according to His Mercy . For those whom He will not accept this intercession, He will in perfect justice exhibit His overwhelming vengeance. Hence, fortunate indeed is the person who, in the world, created within himself the knowledge of recognizing Allah. The Aarifeen (True knowers of Allah) who through their spiritual efforts and exercises recognize Allah with their souls, will tomorrow on the day of Qiyamat see Allah and attain salvation. Furthermore their intercession on behalf of other sinners will also be accepted. But the disbelievers and criminals will through their special qualities be admitted into hell-fire. On that day these poor starving ones with pale faces, patched coarse clothing, who today are being ridiculed and jeered at, will feast their eyes upon the countenance of Allah. On that day, the criminals will envy them:
“Would that we had lived like them in the world and acquired their qualities.
Would that we had recognized Allah properly!”
The fifth lesson is this that the story also illustrates the high position these righteous and saintly ones have as far as their humanity is concerned. What a pity that nations and people, just like those thieves, spend their short span of worldly lives looking upon means of delight and comfort as special gift and accomplishment, and look upon material progress as being actual progress. Whereas on the other hand, they have adopted uncouth habits like urinating while standing and cleansing themselves with paper after defecating. They also consider it normal to take a bath sitting in a tub and allow the water, which had become dirtied through being in contact with the anus to be drawn into their mouth and nose. They consider those actions as the norms of society. Can such people ever be considered to be cultured and people of progress? What a pity it is that the beloved cultural ways of Muslims should be cast aside and that such despicable ways of these people should be adopted.

[azc]

Interesting story.

Perhaps I read it in mathnavi of molana Roomi rh.

Thanks for sharing

[Alamgir]

Interesting story.

Perhaps I read it in mathnavi of molana Roomi rh.

Thanks for sharing

Yeah, I got it from that book. I'm not a fan of Sufism, but I got the book in a bulk buy of a bunch of Islamic stuff, so I thought I might as well give it a whirl.

Some of the stories such as this one are very nice.

[azc]

Yeah, I got it from that book. I'm not a fan of Sufism, but I got the book in a bulk buy of a bunch of Islamic stuff, so I thought I might as well give it a whirl.

Some of the stories such as this one are very nice.

and it's a good book...

Plz share some more stories if feasible

[Alamgir]

and it's a good book...

Plz share some more stories if feasible

Here's a link to a PDF copy of the book if you want to read it:

http://www.sufism.ir/books/download/...edhouse-en.pdf

Here's another story about a Sahabi (May Allah Be Pleased With Him):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aCclf8IUvA

I might send some more stories later, inshallah

[azc]

:jz: for sharing the links... InshaAllah, I'll see it later on, I prefer to read printed books though.

[azc]

Hazrath Luqman (A.S.), who was given the title of Hakeem (the Wise), used to work in an orchard. Once his master came to the orchard and asked for a cucumber. When the cucumber was brought, peeled and sliced, the master gave the first piece to Hazrath Luqman (A. S.) to eat. He placed it in his mouth and began eating it with great relish. When the master observed the degree of relish with which Hazrath Luqman (A.S.) ate the cucumber, he assumed that it must be very tasty. Hence he also put a piece into his mouth.

To his horror he found the cucumber to be extremely bitter. He immediately spat it out and asked in astonishment: “O luqman, how can you eat such a bitter cucumber with such relish?” Hazrath Luqman (A.S.) replied:

“The cucumber is indeed bitter. However I thought that if the hand that has already given me countless sweet things gives me one bitter thing, how ungrateful it would be of me to complain about it!!!”

Hazrath Luqman (A.S.) also passed on many gems of advice to his son. Among them he said:

* Son, the world is a very deep sea in which many people have drowned. If you make taqwa (piety) your boat in this sea, fill it with Imaan and make tawakkul (trust in Allah Ta’ala) its sails, you will be saved. Otherwise you will also drown.

* A father disciplining his son (for the sake of his proper nurturing) is like placing fertiliser in the field (which helps to grow healthy crops).

* Son, refrain from debts since debts are the means of disgrace in the day and worry at night

* Son, the radiance from the face of a liar is snatched away, a person with poor character will grieve much and it is easier to move rocks than to explain to a fool.

* To sacrifice one’s respect in the obedience of Allah Ta’ala brings one closer to Allah Ta’ala. On the contrary, to attempt to acquire respect by disobeying Allah Ta’ala distances one from Him (thus leading to disgrace in this world and the Hereafter)

[azc]

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) owned a slave whose work was to earn an income for Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

One night, the slave presented Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) with some food that he had earned. As soon as the food was placed before him, Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) picked up a morsel and began to eat. Seeing this, the slave was surprised and asked, “What is the matter? You normally ask me every night (as to how I earned the wealth). Why have you not asked me tonight?” Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “I was overcome by extreme hunger. From where did you get this food?” The slave answered, “During the days of Jaahiliyyah (the days of ignorance, before the advent of Islam), I once passed by a certain tribe and recited some words and blew, as a form of treatment for them. On account of my service, they had promised me that they would later compensate me. It so happened that I passed by this tribe today while they were engaged in wedding festivities. As they still owed me for my service, they gave me some food from the wedding as payment.”

When Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) heard this, he exclaimed, “You almost destroyed me (by feeding me haraam)!” He then began to stick his hand into his throat in an effort to spew out the haraam morsel. However, although he retched and gagged, the morsel could not be expelled (as his stomach was too empty). Seeing this, somebody remarked, “The morsel will not be expelled from your stomach unless you drink water.” Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thus asked for a large bowl of water and began to drink. After he had filled his stomach with water, he again began to stick his hand into his throat, forcing himself to vomit, until the haraam morsel was finally expelled.

A person who had witnessed the scene said to Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “May Allah have mercy on you! You underwent all this difficulty for just one morsel?” Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) responded, “Even if I had to lose my life to remove the morsel, I would have done so! I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mention, ‘Every body which is nourished by haram, the fire (of Jahannum) is more worthy of it.’ I was thus afraid that some part of my body would be nourished by this haraam morsel.”

(Hilyatul Awliyaa vol. 1, pg. 64)

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Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah) was an eminent Taabi‘ee and the ustaaz of great ‘Ulama, the likes of Muhammad bin Seereen, Qataadah, Ayyoob Sakhtiyaani and Thaabit Bunaani (rahimahumullah).

The salaah of Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah) was proverbial. Hence, ‘Alaa’ bin Ziyaad (rahimahullah) once mentioned,

“If I had to wish for anything, I would wish for the fiqh (Deeni understanding) of Hasan Basri (rahimahullah), the piety of Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah), the accurate opinion of Mutarrif (rahimahullah) and the salaah of Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah).

Below are a few glimpses of the salaah of Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah):

‘Abdullah, the son of Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah), once mentioned, “When my father would perform salaah, he would be like a (motionless) pillar. He would neither move in this direction nor in that direction.”

Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah) would mention to his household before commencing salaah, “You may speak, as I do not hear anything that you say (when I am in salaah).”

Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah) was once performing salaah in his home when a fire broke out besides him. Despite the fire, he did not break his salaah. After the fire was extinguished and he completed his salaah, when he was asked as to why he did not break his salaah, he replied, “I was unaware that a fire had broken out.”

On one occasion, Muslim bin Yasaar (rahimahullah) was performing salaah in the musjid when a wall of the musjid collapsed. Such was his engrossment in his salaah that he did not even realize that the wall had collapsed.

References: Hilyatul Awliyaa’ vol.2 pg. 329-330 and Siyaru Aa’laamin Nubalaa vol.4 pg. 510-512

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During the period in which he was the leader of the Muslim Ummah, Sayyiduna Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) once had a peace treaty with the Romans. When the peace treaty was close to expiring, he prepared the Muslim army and began proceeding to the border of the Muslim and Roman lands. His intention was to cross the border and attack the very instant the treaty terminated. The Romans were unaware of this and would have been taken by utter surprise.

While Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was proceeding, he suddenly saw a man on horseback shouting, “Allahu Akbar! Fulfill the pledge! Don’t deceive!” When they looked, they saw that it was the Sahaabi, ‘Amr bin ‘Abasah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) sent for him and when he arrived, he said to Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, ‘The one who has a treaty or pledge with a people should neither make any change to the pledge nor break it until it either terminates or he first informs them equally.”

On hearing the blessed hadeeth of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately accepted correction and retreated with the entire army.

(Sunan Abi Dawood #2759 & Sunan Tirmizi #1580)

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The Ansaari Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Usaid bin Hudhair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was once reciting Surah Baqarah in Tahajjud Salaah. While reciting Surah Baqarah, his horse, which was tied nearby, began to move about. Noticing this, Usaid bin Hudhair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) became silent, at which his horse also calmed down and ceased to move about. Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) therefore recommenced reciting the Quraan Majeed. As he recommenced, however, his horse also resumed moving about, and when Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) became silent once again, the horse also calmed down and ceased to move about. When Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) resumed his recitation for the third time, the horse began to move about again. The son of Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), Yahya (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was lying within reach of the horse and Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thus feared that the horse would trample him as it moved about. Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) therefore reached over and pulled his son out of harm’s way, glancing up at the sky as he did so. As he glanced at the sky, he saw a cloud-like shape which was dotted with lights resembling lanterns, ascending towards the sky. As he watched, it ascended higher and higher until it was eventually out of sight.

The next morning, Usaid bin Hudhair (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) went to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and informed him of his experience the previous night. On hearing his account, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) exclaimed, “If only you had continued to recite, O son of Hudhair! If only you had continued to recite, O son of Hudhair!” On hearing this, Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) explained the reason for which he had terminated his recitation saying, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! I feared that my horse would trample Yahya as he was close to it. I therefore raised my head and went to him. When I lifted my head to the sky, I suddenly saw a cloud-like shape which was dotted with lights resembling lanterns. It ascended into the sky until I could no longer see it.” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “Do you know what that was?” When Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied in the negative, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) explained, “Those were angels who had approached to listen to your voice. Had you continued reciting, the people would have begun to see them as the Angels would not have been concealed from them.”

(Saheeh Bukhaari #5018 & Fathul Baari vol. 9 pg.77)

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‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) was a person who lived during the rule of the Abbasid ruler, Al-Mahdi. He initially lived a life filled with entertainment and luxury but subsequently repented and reformed to live a life of piety and simplicity. Hereunder follows the story of his repentance:

One day, ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) drank wine while enjoying the entertainment of amusement and songs. On account of the wine and entertainment, he missed the zuhr, ‘asr and maghrib salaahs! Whenever the salaah time set in, one of his slave girls would unsuccessfully attempt to draw his attention and alert him of the salaah. When even the time for the ‘esha salaah had elapsed, the slave girl finally seized a glowing ember from the fire and placed it on the leg of ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah). As soon as the glowing ember burnt his skin, ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) yelled in pain and asked her, “What are you doing!?” The slave girl calmly replied, “This is an ember from the fire of this world. Will you be able to tolerate an ember from the fire of Jahannum?” When he heard the chastisement of the slave girl, he immediately began to cry and stood to perform the salaahs which he had missed.

After performing the salaahs he had missed, he began to ponder over his slave girl’s statement which had created a deep, indelible impression upon his heart. After pondering for some time, he eventually reached the conclusion that the only way in which he would be able to change his life and reform his condition would be for him to forgo his luxuries, entertainment and wealth. He therefore freed all his slaves, released all his employees and gave all his wealth in sadaqah. In order to support himself, he thereafter engaged in selling vegetables. It was only the slave girl who had inspired him to change his life who now remained with him.

One day, Sufyaan bin ‘Uyaynah (rahimahullah) and Fudhail bin ‘Iyaadh (rahimahullah) came to visit ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) and found that his head was resting on a brick instead of a pillow and that he had no mattress or blanket beneath him. Noticing this state of simplicity, Sufyaan (rahimahullah) asked, “Whenever someone abandons something for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala, Allah Ta‘ala gives him something far better in return. What has Allah Ta‘ala granted you in exchange of all that you have abandoned?” ‘
Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) replied, “Happiness and contentment.”

(Kitaabut Tawwaabeen libni Qudaamah pg. 162)

[Sakina'141]

Wow MashaAllah this is such a beautiful thread filled with beautiful stories of amazing pious saints of Allah. JazakAllah khair. Love reading all these stories...very inspirational and beautiful.

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‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) was a person who lived during the rule of the Abbasid ruler, Al-Mahdi. He initially lived a life filled with entertainment and luxury but subsequently repented and reformed to live a life of piety and simplicity. Hereunder follows the story of his repentance:

One day, ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) drank wine while enjoying the entertainment of amusement and songs. On account of the wine and entertainment, he missed the zuhr, ‘asr and maghrib salaahs! Whenever the salaah time set in, one of his slave girls would unsuccessfully attempt to draw his attention and alert him of the salaah. When even the time for the ‘esha salaah had elapsed, the slave girl finally seized a glowing ember from the fire and placed it on the leg of ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah). As soon as the glowing ember burnt his skin, ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) yelled in pain and asked her, “What are you doing!?” The slave girl calmly replied, “This is an ember from the fire of this world. Will you be able to tolerate an ember from the fire of Jahannum?” When he heard the chastisement of the slave girl, he immediately began to cry and stood to perform the salaahs which he had missed.

After performing the salaahs he had missed, he began to ponder over his slave girl’s statement which had created a deep, indelible impression upon his heart. After pondering for some time, he eventually reached the conclusion that the only way in which he would be able to change his life and reform his condition would be for him to forgo his luxuries, entertainment and wealth. He therefore freed all his slaves, released all his employees and gave all his wealth in sadaqah. In order to support himself, he thereafter engaged in selling vegetables. It was only the slave girl who had inspired him to change his life who now remained with him.

One day, Sufyaan bin ‘Uyaynah (rahimahullah) and Fudhail bin ‘Iyaadh (rahimahullah) came to visit ‘Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) and found that his head was resting on a brick instead of a pillow and that he had no mattress or blanket beneath him. Noticing this state of simplicity, Sufyaan (rahimahullah) asked, “Whenever someone abandons something for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala, Allah Ta‘ala gives him something far better in return. What has Allah Ta‘ala granted you in exchange of all that you have abandoned?” ‘
Abdullah bin Marzooq (rahimahullah) replied, “Happiness and contentment.”

(Kitaabut Tawwaabeen libni Qudaamah pg. 162)

Wow it seems such people DO NOT exist on this planet atm. You really find out ppls true character/nature/aspirations/goals when looking for a spouse...some people just dont know the meaning of life fixated in superficial values.

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The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were supported with tremendous divine assistance from the side of Allah Ta‘ala. Hence there were many occasions wherein they encountered the enemy and very swiftly made them flee after just a few moments.

On one occasion, the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) defeated a Roman army in battle. When the defeated Roman army returned to Hercules (the Roman leader who was in Antioch), he exclaimed, “Woe to you! Inform me of these people whom you encountered in battle. Are they not humans, the same as you?” The soldiers submitted, “Certainly, they are.” Hercules then asked, “Were you greater in number or did they outnumber you?” “No! We vastly outnumbered them at every instance!” admitted the soldiers. Hercules finally asked, “Then what is the matter with you? Why is it that you always suffer defeat when you encounter them?”
On hearing this question, one of their leaders, who was advanced in age, replied, “The one reason is that they perform salaah the entire night and fast during the day, they fulfill their promises, enjoin righteousness, forbid from evil and they exercise justice with one another. The other reason is that we, on the other hand, drink wine, fornicate, perpetrate all forms of forbidden actions, break our promises, wrongfully snatch the wealth of people, oppress others, enjoin that which draws the wrath of Allah Ta‘ala and prohibit that which draws His pleasure, and we spread corruption and mischief in the earth.”

When Hercules heard this answer, he acknowledged that it was correct and said, “What you have told me is the truth.”

(Al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah vol. 7 pg. 157)

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‘Urwah bin Zubair (rahimahullah) was the brother of ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) and among the leading Taabi‘een and ‘Ulama of Madeenah Munawwarah. He would recite one quarter of the Quraan Majeed every day while looking into the mushaf. He would then repeat that same quarter by reciting it in tahajjud salaah during the night.

‘Urwah bin Zubair (rahimahullah) was once on a journey to meet Waleed bin ‘Abdil Malik when a sore developed on his leg. After some time, the sore spread, leading to his leg becoming infected. When ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) eventually reached Waleed, he asked him to have his infected leg amputated. Waleed thus summoned the doctor who instructed ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) to take a sedative so that he would be able to amputate the leg while ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) was asleep. ‘Urwah (rahimahullah), however, refused to take the sedative saying, “Go ahead and amputate. I cannot imagine how a person can ever consume something which will cause him to be negligent and unaware of Allah Ta‘ala.” The doctor therefore placed the blade on his left knee and began to amputate. Such was the patience and tolerance of ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) that those who were around him at the time later mentioned that he did not utter even one remark of complaint! Rather, the most they heard from him was an occasional hiss of pain. During the course of the same journey, the son of ‘Urwah (rahimahullah), Muhammad, fell from the roof of a home and was trampled to death by animals.

After undergoing all this difficulty, ‘Urwah (rahimahullah) addressed Allah Ta‘ala and thanked Him saying, “O Allah! I had seven sons. You took only one and left me with six! O Allah! I had four limbs. You took only one and left me with three! I take an oath in Your name! If You take something away from a person, You also leave with him (that which will suffice him), and if You test a person, You also grant him comfort.”

Furthermore, some narrations have mentioned that ‘Urwah (rahimahullah), despite undergoing the amputation, did not leave out his recitation of one quarter of the Quraan Majeed in tahajjud salaah that night! However, other narrations have mentioned that on account of the pain, this was the first night in which he ever left out his recitation of the Quraan Majeed. Nevertheless, he ensured that he compensated for missing it by reciting that portion the following night.

(Reference: Tahzeebul Kamaal vol. 20 pg. 19-21 and Taareekhul Islam pg. 427)

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The great Khalifah of his time, Hazrath Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A.), had dispatched Mansoor bin Ghalib to fight the armies of the enemy. Umar bin Abdul Aziz (R.A.) on that occasion wrote the following advice to him:

“Adopt Taqwa (fear of Allah) in every condition since Taqwa is the best provision, the most effective strategy and true power. Amirul Mu’mineen commands you that you and your companions must fear the disobedience of Allah Ta’ala more than you fear the enemy. Sins are more dangerous for a person than his enemy. The enemy overcomes one due to one’s sins. If we are sinners like our enemy, the enemy will prove to be superior in strength and numbers. Do not guard yourself against any enemy more than you guard yourself against sins. Do not be concerned about anything more than your sins”

(Ta’meere Hayaat)

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There were once two brothers in the Banu Israaeel who were both kings, ruling over separate cities. One of the brothers would treat his relatives and family members kindly and was just and fair to his subjects, while the other brother would ill-treat his relatives and family members and would oppress his subjects.

During the era of these two kings, there was a Nabi (‘alaihis salaam) to whom Allah Ta‘ala sent revelation saying, “Only three years remain from the life of the king who is kind and treats his family and subjects kindly, and thirty years remain from the life of the king who treats his family and subjects oppressively.”

The Nabi (‘alaihis salaam) informed the subjects of each king of the revelation that he had received. When they heard that the evil king would remain for thirty more years and the righteous king would pass away after three years, they were extremely grieved and worried. They thus separated between mothers and their children, abandoned food and drink and emerged to the desert (to create a scene of helplessness and despair) and began to implore Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa, begging Him to allow the righteous king to remain over them and remove the evil king from their midst.

After imploring Allah Ta‘ala in this manner for three days, Allah Ta‘ala sent revelation to the Nabi (‘alaihis salaam) saying, “Inform my servants that I have shown them mercy and accepted their du‘aa. I have thus swopped the periods of life that remain of the righteous king and the evil king.” Hence, the evil king passed away after three years had elapsed and the righteous king remained and ruled over the people for thirty years.

(Kitaabul Birri was Silah li Ibnil Jowzi pg. 56)

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‘Amr bin ‘Aas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates the following:

An army of the Muslims, over whom I was appointed as leader, once set out to fight in the path of Allah Ta‘ala. We continued to travel until we came to the city of Alexandria. On reaching Alexandria, the leader of the city announced to us, “Send someone from your army to me so that I may converse with him.” When I heard this request, I immediately said, “Nobody but I will go to him.” I thus emerged from the camp and went to meet him. With me was a translator, and the city leader had a translator with him as well. Two pulpits were placed for us and we thus sat. The following dialogue then ensued:

Leader of Alexandria: Who are you people?

‘Amr bin ‘Aas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu): We are the Arabs. We are the people of thorns and acacia trees. We are the people of the Ka’bah. We are the people who had the smallest land and most difficult lives. We would consume carrion and some of us would attack and fight with others. We were living the most despicable lives that people could possibly live. This continued to be our plight until a man emerged from among us who was neither the most influential at that time and was neither the wealthiest. He said, “I am the messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).” He then began to prohibit us from the acts that we were perpetrating and which we found our forefathers perpetrating. Hence, we resented him, belied him and rejected his message, until another group of people, besides us, came to him. They said to him, “We believe in you, we will follow you and we will fight whoever fights against you.” He thus left Makkah Mukarramah and migrated to them, and we went after him. We thus fought against him, resulting in him killing us, defeating us and overpowering us. The other Arabs in the nearby areas also rose against him, so he fought against them until he conquered them.

When the leader of Alexandria heard this, he began to laugh. He thereafter said:

Leader of Alexandria: Indeed, your messenger spoke the truth. Our messengers also came to us with messages similar to that which your messenger brought to you. We adhered firmly to their message and their teachings, until kings emerged among us. These kings would do as they pleased and they abandoned the teachings of the messengers. If you hold fast to the teachings of your Nabi, nobody will wage war against you except that you will defeat him, and nobody will rise against you except that you will overpower him. However, as soon as you do as we did, by abandoning the teachings of your Nabi, and you behave as we did by obeying your desires, then we will be left to each other (i.e. you will not enjoy the divine assistance of Allah Ta‘ala). In that case, you are neither greater than us in number and neither are you stronger and more powerful than we are.

‘Amr bin ‘Aas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) later remarked, “I never spoke to a man (from the disbelievers) as intelligent as him.”

(Majma‘uz Zawaa’id #10383)

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Yahya bin Aktham (rahimahullah) narrates the following incident:

Ma’moon Ar-Rasheed, one of the Muslim rulers, used to host gatherings wherein scholars would discuss various issues. On one occasion, a Jew who was well dressed, respectable in appearance and eloquent in speech arrived at the gathering and joined in the discussion. When the crowd began to disperse after the discussion was concluded, Ma’moon called the Jew and asked him, “Are you a Jew?” The man replied, “Yes.” Ma’moon next invited the Jew to embrace Islam. The Jew, however, refused saying, “I cannot leave my religion and the religion of my forefathers.”

One year later, the man returned and had now accepted Islam! On this occasion when he joined the gathering, he was even able to deliver an academic discourse on Islamic Jurisprudence. When the discussion was over, Ma’moon asked him, “Are you not the Jew who attended this gathering last year?” The man replied in the affirmative to which Ma’moon asked, “What caused you to embrace Islam?”

The man responded saying, “After leaving your gathering last year, I decided to embark on a study to compare religions. As I am a fine calligrapher, I wrote out three copies of the Towrah in which I added a few words and also deleted a few words. I then entered a synagogue and sold all three copies.

I next wrote out three copies of the Injeel in which I added and deleted a few words. I took these three copies to a church and sold them all as well.

Finally, I wrote out three copies of the Quraan Majeed in which I added a few words and deleted a few words. When I presented them to the Muslim booksellers, they insisted on examining them before purchasing them from me. On examining them, they immediately noticed the errors and rejected the copies. I then realized that the Quraan Majeed was the divine book of Allah Ta‘ala and thus divinely protected. This led me to embrace Islam.”

Yahya bin Aktham (rahimahullah) thereafter mentions: “After this incident transpired, I went to Makkah Mukarramah to perform hajj. When in Makkah Mukarramah, I met Sufyaan bin ‘Uyaynah (rahimahullah) to whom I narrated the entire incident. After hearing the incident, Sufyaan (rahimahullah) commented, ‘Mention of this phenomenon can be found in the Quraan Majeed.’ ‘Where in the Quraan?’ I enquired. Sufyaan (rahimahullah) explained, ‘Allah Ta‘ala mentions in reference to the Towrah and Injeel:

بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّـهِ

They were entrusted the protection of Allah's book
Allah Ta‘ala entrusted them with the task of protecting His divine Books and they neglected to protect them properly. In reference to the Quraan Majeed, however, Allah Ta‘ala mentions:

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

Certainly We are the Ones who revealed the Quraan and surely We have taken the responsibility of safeguarding it.
Allah Ta‘ala himself protects the Quraan for us and it thus remains completely protected.’”

(Al-Muntazam vol. 10 pg. 51)

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‘Abdul ‘Azeez bin Marwaan had sent his young son, ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Azeez (rahimahullah), to the blessed city of Madeenah Munawwarah to acquire the knowledge of deen and learn etiquette from the great personalities residing there. One of these personalities was Saalih bin Kaysaan (rahimahullah), to whom ‘Abdul ‘Azeez wrote a letter, requesting him to pay special attention to the upbringing and development of his son, ‘Umar (rahimahullah).

Saalih bin Kaysaan (rahimahullah), as the person responsible for seeing to ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Azeez (rahimahullah), would emphasize and insist that he perform all his salaah with the congregation in the musjid. ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Azeez (rahimahullah) was once delayed and missed the salaah in the musjid. When Saalih bin Kaysaan (rahimahullah) asked him as to why he had missed the salaah, he replied, “My slave girl was neatening my hair.” Saalih bin Kaysaan (rahimahullah) was deeply disappointed and remarked, “The importance that you show to neatening your hair has caused you to prefer it to even your salaah!”

Saalih bin Kaysaan (rahimahullah) thereafter wrote to ‘Abdul ‘Azeez, who was the governor of Egypt at the time, informing him of what had transpired. ‘Abdul ‘Azeez, on reading the letter, was so affected that he immediately dispatched a messenger to Madeenah Munawwarah. The messenger had strict instructions – shaved the head of ‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Azeez (rahimahullah) before even speaking to him.

(Siyar Aa’laamin Nubalaa vol. 5 pg. 116)

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Imaam Abu Muhammad Al-Juwayni (rahimahullah) was a great ‘aalim who possessed an extremely high level of caution and concern regarding the consumption of halaal and haraam. The level of his concern was such that it prompted him to earn by working with his own hands, in order to have the peace of mind that he was earning a pure livelihood that was untainted by haraam.

When the time for Imaam Abu Muhammad Al Juwayni (rahimahullah) to marry arrived, he used the pure money which he had painstakingly earned, to pay for his mahr (dowry) and other marriage expenses. The effect of this pure wealth was clearly manifest in the son he was blessed with from this marriage. This son also grew up to become a great ‘aalim and was later known by the title of “Imaamul Haramain” (Imaam of the Two Harams). Understanding the crucial role consumption of halaal plays in the effort of a Muslim to live a life of piety, he ensured that he fed his child only that which was 100% pure and halaal.

Later in his life, when Imaamul Haramain (rahimahullah) was once engaged in a debate, to the absolute astonishment of all present, he was suddenly overcome by a short bout of stammering and stuttering! Somebody later asked him, “O Imaam! What happened to you? We never once before heard you stammer or stutter!” Imaamul Haramain (rahimahullah) replied, “It can only have been the ill effects of the remaining traces which remained of the sip.” Having given such a vague answer, somebody asked him, “What incident are you referring to by mentioning ‘the sip’?”

Imaamul Haramain (rahimahullah) explained, “My mother was once busy preparing my father’s food when I began to cry. I was, at the time, a suckling infant. As my mother could not immediately attend to me, the neighbour’s slave girl, who happened to be present, clasped me to her chest to feed me. My father walked in at that moment and on seeing what was happening, immediately exclaimed, ‘Neither does this slave girl belong to us nor does she have the right to feed our child her milk as her masters have not permitted it!’ Saying this, he grabbed me from her and turned me upside down; forcing me to vomit until I had emptied my belly of the few sips I had taken. The stammer and stutter you heard from me today is on account of the ill effects of those few sips I had taken.”

(Tabaqaatush Shaafi‘iyyah Al Kubraa vol. 5, pg. 168)

[azc]

During the battle of Uhud, Hanzalah bin Abi ‘Aamir (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) fought very bravely but was eventually martyred by Shaddaad bin Aswad.Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raaji‘oon!

When the battle had terminated, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) saying, “Verily I saw the angels bathing (giving ghusl to) the body of Hanzalah bin Abi ‘Aamir (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), between the heavens and the earth, with the water of the clouds in utensils of silver.” Abu Usaid (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentions that he, together with a few other Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), then went in search of Hanzalah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)’s body. When they found it, they saw that his head was dripping with water! They returned to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and informed him of what they had seen. After hearing what had happened, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) instructed them to enquire from his wife as to why the angels were giving him ghusl.

Hanzalah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had shortly before the Battle of Uhud, married Jameelah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), the sister of the infamous ‘Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salool, the leader of the hypocrites, and had only just consummated his marriage the previous night. While asleep that night, Jameelah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) had a dream in which she saw a door open in the sky into which Hanzalah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was ushered. The door was then shut behind him. When she awoke, she instantly realized that the dream she had seen was an indication that her husband, Hanzalah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was about to pass away. She therefore called for four witnesses and informed them that her marriage had been consummated the previous night as, if people were unaware of her spending the night with her husband, complications would have possibly arisen later on.
Hanzalah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was still making ghusl when the call was made for people to arm and depart for Uhud. Although his wife, Jameelah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), had only completed washing half his head, his eagerness to strive and fight in the path of Allah Ta‘ala was such that he immediately grabbed his weapons and left without completing his ghusl. When Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was informed of this he said, “That is why the angels gave him ghusl.”

(Reference: Nasbur Raayah vol. 2 pg. 316, Ibnu Hishaam vol. 3 pg. 75, and ‘Umdatul Qari vol. 14 pg. 224)

[azc]

There was once a person whose body would always exude the fragrance of the most exotic musk and perfume. A friend one day asked him, “What is this wonderful fragrance I always smell on you? You must be spending a lot of money on musk if you apply it so often!” The person replied, “By Allah! Never have I purchased musk nor have I ever applied it!” His friend was astonished and asked, “Then where does your fragrance come from?” Not keen to answer the question, he said to his friend, “Why are you asking me?” His friend explained, “I hope that Allah Ta‘ala will let me benefit in some way by what you will tell me.” On his friend’s coaxing and urging, he eventually narrated the following:

In my youth I was a very handsome lad. My father was a merchant and I would generally spend my time with him. One day, an old woman came to him and purchased some cloth. As she did not have the money with her to pay for it, she asked my father if he would send me along to her home where I would collect the money. My father agreed. Hence, I proceeded with her until we finally stood before a grand, palatial home. The old woman ushered me into a stunning courtyard and as I entered, my gaze fell on a beautiful young girl who was seated atop a raised seat on a silken cushion. The instant she saw me, she was dazzled by my beauty and immediately demanded that I join her on her seat. I staunchly refused. Instead of bringing her to her senses, my rejection only incited her to get down and come to me. Then, in a fit of infatuation, she began pulling and tugging me towards herself. I was in a genuine predicament. Thus in order to escape from her embrace, I asked her if I could use the toilet. Although impatient, she acceded and shouted for her slaves who guided me to the toilet. I entered the toilet where I relieved myself into my hands. Not wasting a moment, I smeared the filth over my body, clothing, and face. When I exited the toilet, the eagerly awaiting girl was greeted by the sight and smell of not a handsome youth but a person literally covered in human waste! The flames of her passion were, at once, thoroughly doused and she screamed to her servants in horror and disgust,“This is a madman! Throw him out immediately!”

I happened to have only one dirham with me. On leaving, I purchased some soap and thereafter went to the river where I cleansed my body and clothing of the filth. When I was done, I went back to my father and did not tell him a word of what had transpired. When I went to sleep that night, I saw a dream in which a handsome man with an excellent fragrance came to me. I asked him who he was to which he replied that he was Jibreel (‘alaihis salaam). He said to me, “Allah Ta‘ala has sent me to give you the glad tidings of Jannah and to reward you with some of its perfume because of the extent to which you went to avoid falling into sin.” He then passed his hands over my face, body and clothing and departed. When I awoke the next morning, I smelt an exquisite fragrance which, to this day, still perpetually wafts from my body.

(At-Targheeb wa Tarheeb lil Yaafi‘ee pg. 165)

[azc]

Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah), a famous narrator of hadeeth and student of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), was once travelling with a group of people when they decided to encamp for the night at a riverbank. As they were setting up camp, the people of the area approached them and advised them saying, “Go further on. Every person who attempts to camp here gets robbed.” On hearing this, the entire group packed up and departed to camp elsewhere – with the exception of Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah). He stayed behind, alone and fearless, trusting in the security provided by the aayaat of protection he recited.

Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah) then narrates the events that ensued. He says:
“I had not yet fallen asleep when I actually saw the robbers. They were wielding drawn swords. They tried to come near me more than thirty times but were unable to draw near. Knowing that I was safe, I slept soundly until the morning. When it was morning, I packed up and departed, continuing my journey. As I travelled, I suddenly encountered one of the robbers who was carrying a bow and seated astride a horse with a huge, bushy tail. He called out to me and asked, “Are you a human or jinn?” “A human – from the descendants of Aadam (‘alaihis salaam)” I replied. He was stunned to hear this and asked, “But what’s your secret then? We tried to get to you more than 70 times but were blocked by an iron wall every time!” I replied, “The secret is a hadeeth which Ibnu ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) narrated to me from Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) who said, ‘Whoever recites thirty-three verses of the Quraan Majeed at night, he will not be harmed by an unexpected predatory animal and, together with his family and wealth, he will be in complete safety and ease until the morning.’” When I completed narrating the hadeeth, he was so affected that he descended from his horse and broke his bow, promising Allah Ta‘ala that he would never again return to a life of robbery.”

The verses mentioned in the hadeeth are:

1. Surah Baqarah (verses 1-5, 255-257, and 284-286)
2. Surah Aa’raaf (verses 54-56)
3. Surah Banu Israaeel (verses 110-111)
4. Surah Saaffaat (verses 1-11)
5. Surah Rahmaan (verses 33-35)
6. Surah Hashr (verses 21-24)
7. Surah Jinn (verses 3-4)

(Zaylu Taarikhi Baghdaad - Ibnun Najjaar vol. 3, pg. 171)

[azc]

During the initial stages of the British rule in India, there arose a dispute between the Muslims and Hindus regarding a plot of land in Kaandhlah. The Muslims claimed that the plot belonged to the Muslims and was earmarked for a musjid whereas the Hindus claimed that it was theirs for a temple.

After giving both parties a chance to present their case, the English magistrate asked the Muslims, “Is there any Hindu person in whom you have such implicit trust and confidence that, based on his testimony, we will be able to resolve this matter?” The Muslims immediately replied in the negative. When the Hindus were asked whether they trusted any Muslim enough to accept his testimony, they replied, “If the person testifying is either Muslim or Hindu, there will be the fear that he is biased. However, we know of one pious Muslim who has never before been known to utter a lie. Perhaps he will refrain from lying on this occasion as well.” Saying this, they consented to accept the testimony of Mahmood Bakhsh (rahimahullah), who was the brother of Mufti Ilaahi Bakhsh (rahimahullah).

The magistrate dispatched a clerk to go to Mahmood Bakhsh (rahimahullah) and request him to come to the court. Mahmood Bakhsh (rahimahullah), however, refused to go to court and said, “I have taken an oath that I will never look at the face of a British person” (this was on account of the massacre, oppression and tyranny for which the British were responsible). On hearing his response, the magistrate sent him a second message in which he pleaded saying, “There is no need for you to look at my face. However, please come to court as without you we will be unable to resolve this matter.”

Mahmood Bakhsh (rahimahullah) agreed and went to court where he stood with his back to the magistrate. After hearing the case, the magistrate asked him whether, according to his knowledge, the land belonged to the Muslims or Hindus. At this crucial juncture, all eyes were trained on him and all awaited his statement with bated breath. Mahmood Bakhsh (rahimahullah) stated calmly, “The truth of the matter is that the land belongs to the Hindus. The Muslims have no claim to it.”

Judgment was accordingly passed in favor of the Hindus and they secured the possession of the land. On that day, the Muslims lost but Islam won. The Muslims may have lost a plot of land, but the honesty which Islam advocates was upheld. The result of upholding Islam in this uncompromising manner was that many Hindus were overcome by the honesty of Mahmood Bakhsh (rahimahullah) and came forward to accept Islam at his hands.

(Jawaahir Paare vol. 2, pg. 17)

[azc]

A woman in distress once came to the renowned student of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (rahimahullah), Baqiyy bin Makhlad (rahimahullah), and begged him for help. She cried to him saying, “My beloved son has been taken prisoner by the Romans. My grief at his loss and yearning to meet him is such that I am unable to sleep for even a moment of the entire night. All I possess is my small home and I can find nobody to purchase it from me. Will you please find someone who will pay my son’s ransom? Days and nights have passed and I can find no solace, no peace and no happiness.”

Baqiyy (rahimahullah) replied, “You may return home. I will try to see to your problem insha-Allah.” Saying this he lowered his head and began making earnest du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala for the freedom of the son. Just a few days had passed when the woman came back to Baqiyy (rahimahullah) – this time with her son! She made du‘aa for Baqiyy (rahimahullah) and said to him, “Listen to his story, may Allah Ta‘ala have mercy on you.”

Baqiyy (rahimahullah) asked the son, “What happened to you?” He replied, “I was taken prisoner by the soldiers of one of the Roman kings. I belonged to a group of prisoners who would be forced to labor in the desert every day. We would labor until sunset after which the guard supervising us would escort us back in our chains. One day while returning, to my utter surprise, the shackles around my ankles fell off on their own! The guards in charge of me immediately began swearing at me and demanded to know why I took the shackles off. I pleaded with them saying, ‘No! I didn’t! By Allah it fell off on its own without me even realizing it!’ Since I was now unfettered they called the blacksmith. When he arrived he clad me in a new pair of shackles – but to no avail. I stood up and had only taken a few steps when the new shackles also miraculously fell off. They were completely puzzled and perplexed, so they summoned their priest and asked him what to do. He asked me, ‘Do you have a mother?’ When I replied in the affirmative he said, ‘It seems that she has made du‘aa for you and it has been accepted. It is better that you are set free.’ So they released me and even guarded me until I reached the border of the Islamic territories.”

When he heard this, Baqiyy (rahimahullah) enquired, “On which day and at what time did your shackles fall off?” When the boy replied, they realized that it was the exact moment that Baqiyy (rahimahullah) had raised his hands to Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa.

(Al-Muntazam li Ibnil Jawzi – vol. 12, pg. 274)

[azc]

Ismaa‘eel bin Ahmad was the leader of Samarqand. Once, while sitting in the courtroom and listening to the cases that were being presented before him, the great scholar of hadeeth, Muhammad bin Nasr Marwazi (rahimahullah) entered. As a mark of respect, he stood up. When he left the courtroom, his brother Ishaaq reproached him for standing up for one of his subjects. Ismaa‘eel says: “That night when I retired to bed, I saw Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in a dream. My brother and I were together and Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came close to me and held my hand saying: ‘Your rule and the rule of your children will continue due to the respect you showed to Muhammad bin Nasr, and the rule of Ishaaq and his children will come to an end due to him disregarding Muhammad bin Nasr’.”


(Tareekh Ibni ‘Asaakir vol. 56, pg. 115 & Al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah vol. 11, pg. 176)

[azc]

Once, a person saw Zubaidah, the wife of Haroon Ar-Rasheed in a dream sitting on a beautifully decorated throne. He asked her, “How did you achieve such a high rank?” She replied, “Once while I was seated with my friends and associates, relaxing and chatting away, I suddenly heard the muazzin call out the azaan. As soon as I heard the azaan, out of respect and honour for Allah Ta‘ala, I told the ladies around me to be quiet until the azaan is called out. It was due to this act that Allah Ta‘ala blessed me with such a lofty rank.”

(Al-Ishaaraat fi ‘Ilmil ‘Ibaraat – Salafe Saaliheen ke Imaan afroz Waaqi‘aat pg. 61)

[azc]

Haaroon Rasheed was an ‘Abbaasi Khaleefah who ruled over the Muslim empire from 170 A.H. until his demise in 193 A.H. at the age of forty-five.

On one occasion, when Haaroon Rasheed came to Madeenah Munawwarah, he sent a messenger to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) with the following message: “Come to me and bring the hadeeth kitaab (Al-Muwatta) which you have compiled so that I may hear the ahaadeeth from you.”

On receiving this message, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) was upset and disappointed. He said to the messenger, “Convey my salaam to him, and tell him that people should travel to the knowledge of Deen, the knowledge of Deen should not travel to people. People should come to obtain the knowledge of Deen, it should not have to come to them.”

When the reply of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) reached Haaroon Rasheed, he became angry. His messenger fuelled his anger further saying, “It will reach the people of Iraq that you summoned Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), yet he defied you! Force him to come to you!”

In the interim, many students of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) suggested to him that he go to Haaroon Rasheed and explain to him the correct manner of acquiring the knowledge of Deen. Hence, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) came to Haaroon Rasheed and entered with salaam. However, he did not bring his kitaab of hadeeth with him. When Haaroon Rasheed asked him why he had come without the kitaab, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) replied:

“O Ameerul Mu-mineen! Allah Ta‘ala sent Nabi Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to us and commanded us to obey him, follow his blessed sunnah and show him utmost respect and honour, during and after his lifetime. Allah Ta‘ala has perhaps granted you the position of khaleefah on account of you having some knowledge of Deen. Hence, when you have been blessed with this knowledge, then you should not disrespect it and fail to honour it, as doing so will cause Allah Ta‘ala to strip you of your respect and honour. Fear Allah! Fear Allah! I have seen people who were not of your standing and lineage, some were freed slaves and there were others as well, yet they all showed the highest level of respect to the knowledge of Deen and honoured the ‘Ulama who bore this knowledge. When these people had shown respect to the knowledge of Deen, then surely you are more worthy of honouring the knowledge of Deen!”

Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) continued to advise Haaroon Rasheed in this manner until he eventually began to weep. Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) continued further until Haaroon Rasheed relented and said, “Let us proceed to your home.” On arriving, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) entered, performed ghusl, donned new clothing, applied ‘itr and burned some fragrant ‘oud (to honour the blessed ahaadeeth). Thereafter, as they sat, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) said to Haaroon Rasheed, “Commence reciting.” Haaroon Rasheed responded, “You should recite to me.” However, when Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) excused himself from reciting, Haaroon Rasheed was left with no choice but to recite, and thus said, “Tell all the people to leave so that I can recite to you in privacy.” Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) responded, “When the knowledge of Deen is withheld from the general people for the sake of influential people who wish to be exclusive, then these influential people will never benefit from the knowledge.”

Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) then instructed one of his students to recite the ahaadeeth. When the student commenced reciting, Haaroon Rasheed was at the side of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) and was seated in a reclining position. Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) said to him, “O Ameerul Mu-mineen! The one who lowers and humbles himself for Allah Ta‘ala, Allah Ta‘ala will elevate and honour him.” Haaroon Rasheed immediately awoke and sat before Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), only returning to his side after the ahaadeeth were recited.

Sometime later, Haaroon Rasheed said to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), “We lowered ourselves and expressed humility before the knowledge of Deen which you possessed, and hence Allah Ta‘ala blessed us to benefit from the knowledge.”

(Tarteebul Madaarik vol. 2, pg. 21)

[azc]

On one occasion, while Zun-noon Misri (rahimahullah) was performing tawaaf, he heard a voice full off grief and sorrow. When he turned, he saw a woman clinging to the cloth of the Ka’bah saying:

“O my Beloved, You alone know who my beloved is
My frail body and my tears are exposing my secret
My Beloved, I have concealed my love for a very long time, now my heart cannot contain it anymore”

He says: “On hearing these words, my heart was deeply affected and I burst out crying. Thereafter I heard her say: ‘O my Master! Out of the love that You have for me, forgive my sins.’ When I heard these words, I could not contain myself and said: ‘O woman, isyourlove for Allah Ta‘ala not sufficient that you had to ask Him to forgive you due toHislove for you.’ She retorted: ‘Move away, do you not know that there are such people on this earth whom Allah Ta‘ala loves before they even love Him. Did you not hear of the verse:

فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّـهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ

Soon Allah Ta‘ala will bring about a nation who He will love them and they will love Him.

See! In this verse Allah Ta‘ala’s love for them is mentioned first.’” (
Aa’yaanul Hujjaaj, pg. 170)

[glitterprincess]

On one occasion, while Zun-noon Misri (rahimahullah) was performing tawaaf, he heard a voice full off grief and sorrow. When he turned, he saw a woman clinging to the cloth of the Ka’bah saying:

“O my Beloved, You alone know who my beloved is
My frail body and my tears are exposing my secret
My Beloved, I have concealed my love for a very long time, now my heart cannot contain it anymore”

He says: “On hearing these words, my heart was deeply affected and I burst out crying. Thereafter I heard her say: ‘O my Master! Out of the love that You have for me, forgive my sins.’ When I heard these words, I could not contain myself and said: ‘O woman, isyourlove for Allah Ta‘ala not sufficient that you had to ask Him to forgive you due toHislove for you.’ She retorted: ‘Move away, do you not know that there are such people on this earth whom Allah Ta‘ala loves before they even love Him. Did you not hear of the verse:

فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّـهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ

Soon Allah Ta‘ala will bring about a nation who He will love them and they will love Him.

See! In this verse Allah Ta‘ala’s love for them is mentioned first.’” (
Aa’yaanul Hujjaaj, pg. 170)

What an amazing story thanks for sharing it

[azc]

Once ‘Abdullah bin Rawaahah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was resting with his head on his wife’s lap. Suddenly he began crying. Seeing this, his wife also began to cry. When he asked her the reason for crying, she replied, “When I saw the manner in which you were crying, it made me cry as well.” ‘Abdullah bin Rawaahah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) explained the reason for his crying saying, “I remembered the verse: ‘There is none among you except that he will come to it (Jahannam)’and I do not know whether I will be granted salvation from the fire or not.”

(Tafseer Ibni Katheer vol. 3, pg. 136)

[azc]

When Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) passed away, the people carrying out his ghusal saw that he had scars all over his back. They enquired as to what was the reason for that. They were told that he used to fill bags of flour, load it on his back at night, and personally hand it out to the poor residents of Madeenah Munawwarah.

(Hilyatul Awliyaa vol. 3, pg. 160)

[azc]

Once, a person saw Zubaidah, the wife of Haroon Ar-Rasheed in a dream sitting on a beautifully decorated throne. He asked her, “How did you achieve such a high rank?” She replied, “Once while I was seated with my friends and associates, relaxing and chatting away, I suddenly heard the muazzin call out the azaan. As soon as I heard the azaan, out of respect and honour for Allah Ta‘ala, I told the ladies around me to be quiet until the azaan is called out. It was due to this act that Allah Ta‘ala blessed me with such a lofty rank.” (Al-Ishaaraat fi ‘Ilmil ‘Ibaraat – Salafe Saaliheen ke Imaan afroz Waaqi‘aat pg. 61)

[azc]

Hazrath Abdullah bin Umar radiyallahu unhu narrates that I heard the following incident from Rasullullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam, not only once or twice, rather more than seven times:

“Amongst the Bani Israeel there was a person by the name of Kifl, who was constantly involved in sin. A woman once approached him and he offered her 60 dinars (gold coins) to allow him to commit adultery with her. She acceded to his request but as he was to about to approach her she broke out into tears and began shivering. He asked: “Why are you crying? Did I coerce you into this?” She replied: “No! There was absolutely no coercion but this is such a crime that I haven’t ever come close to it in my entire life.” Currently I am going through financial constraints due to which I accepted your request.” On hearing this he moved away immediately and then told her: “You can leave and take those 60 dinars as well. From now onwards Kifl also will not commit any sin.”

Coincidently he passed away that very night. The next morning this statement was divinely inscribed on his door:“Ghafarallahu Lil Kifl”- Allah has forgiven Kifl.

(Musnad Ahmad, vol: 8, pg: 369)

[azc]

Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu narrates that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam once said: “There were two men in the Bani Israeel who were close friends. One of them was a habitual sinner whilst the other exerted himself in acts of worship. The one exerting himself in worship would often see his friend involved in sin and would instruct him: “Refrain from sin”

One day he found him engaged in some sin and thus again instructed him: “Refrain from sin!” so the sinner replied: “Leave me to my Allah. Have you been appointed as a watchman over me?”

On this the worshipper said: “I swear by Allah, Allah will never forgive you and will never admit you into Jannat.”

Then both passed away and were presented in front of the Lord of the worlds. Allah said to the one who strived hard in worship: “Did you have any knowledge regarding me or do you have any control over what lies in my hands?” Allah then said to the sinner: “Go, enter into Jannat because of my mercy.”
Regarding the worshipper Allah commanded: “Take him into Jahannam.”

Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, commenting on this hadith says: “That worshipper uttered such a statement which destroyed both his dunya as well as his aakhirat.”


Abu Dawood, pg.329, vol.2

[azc]

It was the habit of Nabi Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) to always invite someone over when partaking of meals. On one occasion he set out looking for someone to join him for meals. When he could not find anyone, he returned to his house. As he entered, he saw someone standing in his home. He exclaimed: “O servant of Allah, with whose permission have you entered my house?” The stranger replied: “The real owner of this house has granted me permission.” Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) then asked him: “Who are you?” He replied: “I am the angel of death. Allah Ta‘ala has sent me to give glad tidings to a special servant of His, who He has selected to be His Khaleel (close and bosom friend).” Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) said: “Please, do let me know who this saint is. I swear by Allah, no matter which ever part of the world he resides in, I would definitely go there and meet him. Then, I would spend my entire life at his feet (serving him).” The angel of death responded: “You are that fortunate person.” Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) asked: “Is it really me?” The angel of death replied in the affirmative. Thereafter Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) inquired from him the reason for Allah Ta‘ala selecting him as His Khaleel? The angel of death replied: “Because you always keep giving others, but never ask anything from anyone.”

(Tafseer Ibni Katheer, vol. 1, pg. 560)

[azc]

On one occasion a lady made a claim of five hundred gold coins against her husband in the court of Qaadhi Moosa bin Ishaaq, which the husband denied. The lawyer of the wife proved the claim by producing witnesses. However one of the witnesses insisted that he has to see her face (which was veiled) in order to give witness in her favour. Therefore he stood up to see her face and she stood up as well.

Witnessing this, the husband’s self honour and dignity drove him to exclaim: “Why should a strange man’s eyes be allowed to gaze at my wife? I personally confess in the presence of the judge that I do owe my wife five hundred gold coins as her mahr,but I will never allow my wife to reveal her face to a strange man.” Hearing this self honour and dignity of her husband, the wife replied that I make those present as witness that I have gifted the entire amount to my husband.
The judge Moosa bin Ishaaq exclaimed that this should be included among the incidents of exemplary character.

(Shu‘abul Imaan #10313)

[azc]

Hazrat Maroof Khakhi (Rahmatullahi Alayh) was extremely remorseful for being unable to attend the janazah salaah of Imam Yusuf (Rahmatullahi Alayh). On being asked the reason for this he replied: “Last night I saw a dream. It was as though I entered Jannat wherein I caught sight of a huge palace. I asked: “Who does this masterpiece belong to?” I was told: “This is exclusively reserved for the illustrious Imaam Abu Yusuf (Rahmatullahi Alayh).” I responded: “Subhanallah, in lieu of what deed has he become entitled to such a magnificent reward?” I received the following reply: “It is due to teaching the people and patiently enduring the difficulties they imposed on him.”
(Aslaaf Ki Taalibe Ilmana Zindagee.Pg. 27)

[azc]

Imaam Muzani (rahimahullah) reports:

On one occasion, we were present by Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) when an old man wearing woolen clothing appeared. The old man then asked Imaam Shaafi‘ee, “May I ask a question?” Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) gave him permission. He then asked, “What are the Shar’ee proofs in the Deen of Allah Ta‘ala?” Imaam Shaafi’ee (rahimahullah) replied, “The Kitaab of Allah Ta‘ala.” He then asked, “And what else?” Imaam Shaafi’ee (rahimahullah) replied, “The Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). He then asked, “And what else?” Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) replied, “The consensus of the Ummah.” He then asked, “What is your proof for this?” Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) thought for a while. The old man then said, “I give you respite for three days, either you bring me proof from the Qur’aan, or seek forgiveness and repent to Allah Ta‘ala.”
The facial complexion of Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) changed.

He then went and did not come out until the third day between Zuhr and Asr, in the condition that he was extremely sick. He hardly sat down when the old man came, greeted him and sat beside him. He then asked for his proof. Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) said, “Yes”, and he began reciting the verses:
وَ مَنۡ یُّشَاقِقِ الرَّسُوۡلَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَہُ الۡہُدٰی وَ یَتَّبِعۡ غَیۡرَ سَبِیۡلِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ نُوَلِّہٖ مَا تَوَلّٰی وَ نُصۡلِہٖ جَہَنَّمَ ؕ وَ سَآءَتۡ مَصِیۡرًا ﴿۱۱۵﴾٪
And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a path other than the path of the believers, we shall (forsake him) and let him continue on his path, and thereafter We shall drive him towards Hell, and evil it is as an abode.

The man said, “You have spoken the truth.” The man then left. Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) said to those seated around him, “I recited the entire Qur’aan thrice daily for three days, until the proof finally dawned upon me.”


Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa 8/414

[azc]

Imaam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) narrates:

When Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was governor over Shaam, the people engaged in Jihaad and acquired booty and were victorious. Among the spoils of war was a beautiful slave girl who fell into the share of one of the Muslims. Shortly after, Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the commander of the army, had taken this slave girl for himself from the soldier in whose share she had fallen. Hazrat Abu Zar Ghifaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was in Shaam at that time and this soldier went to him and sought his assistance in recovering his slave girl from Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thus went to Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) with the man and thrice instructed Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) to return the slave girl to him. Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) thereafter said, “Alas! By Allah! If you take the slave girl from this soldier unjustly then know that I have heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, ‘The first person to change my blessed Sunnah will be a man from Banu Umayyah.’” Saying this, Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) turned and began to walk away. Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) quickly followed him and asked, “I beg you in the name of Allah! Tell me, do you think that I will be the person who is referred to in this hadith?” Hazrat Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “No.” after which Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) returned the slave girl to the man.

After narrating the above incident, Imaam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) mentioned, “Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), the Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), was the leader of the armies of Shaam in the era of Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) referred to a person from Banu Umayyah changing his blessed Sunnah, Hazrat Yazid bin Abi Sufyaan (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) is not intended (as he was a Sahaabi of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and led an upright life conforming to the Sunnah).

However, Imaam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) further explains that there was another person from the Banu Umayyah who shared the same name. He was Yazid bin Mu‘aawiyah, the son of Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and it seems that he was the one referred to in the Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Yazid, the son of Hazrat Mu‘aawiyah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), was responsible for the great damage which befell Islam during the rule of the Banu Umayyah.

(Dalaa’il-un-Nubuwwah 6/410)

[azc]

Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abbas (Radiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “On the night of Miraj in which I was taken to the Heavens, I perceived a very pleasant fragrance. I enquired from Jibreel (AS) about the source of the fragrance. He informed me that it was the fragrance of the beautician of firown's daughter and her (the beautician) children. I asked him to tell me more about it.

He explained: One day she was engaged in her routine task of beautifying firowns daughter, when suddenly the comb slipped from her hand. Immediately she recited “Bismillah” and picked it up. Firowns daughter asked her whether she was referring to her father when taking the name of Allah? She repled: “No! Rather my lord as well as the lord of your father is Allah!” the girl said: “I shall report this matter to my father.” The woman replied: “Yes, by all means.”

So she informed her father firown who immediately summoned the beautician and asked: “Do you have any other Lord besides me?” She answered: “Yes! My lord as well as your Lord is Allah!” At this firown ordered that a huge brass container be kindled over a blazing fire and that this beautician as well as her children be thrown into it. Before they could do this, she interjected: “I have something to say.” He said: “What is it?” She replied: “After we have burnt down, I request that you gather our bones into a cloth and bury them into the earth.” He agreed to do that.

Firown then commanded that her children be thrown in first. Hence they were cast in one by one, before her very eyes. Eventually it was the turn of her last child, a new-born baby. At this it appeared that the mother became a little hesitant. Suddenly that little child spoke out: “O’ my beloved mother! Jump into the fire, for indeed the punishment of this world is much lighter than the punishment of the hereafter.” On hearing this she plunged herself into the fire.

(Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol: 5, pg: 30)

[azc]

On one occassion Ibn Simaak (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) paid a visit to the king of the time. It so happened that when the sheikh (ibn Simaak (Rahmatullahi Alaihi)) greeted him, the king was holding a tumbler of water in his hand.

The king said to the sheikh: “Give me a word of advice.”

The sheikh said: “Suppose this tumbler of water could only be obtained at the cost of your entire kingdom and you had to choose between dying of thirst and giving your kingdom away, which one would you prefer?”

The king replied: “I would naturally prefer a tumbler of water and part with my entire kingdom.”

The sheikh then said: “Then I do not understand why anyone should take joy in a kingdom which is worth only a tumbler of water!” (Fazaail Sadaqaat pg.552)

[azc]

Hazrat Qari Siddeeq Ahmad Baandwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) used to say that the people of his hometown, Hatora had benefited tremendously from Hazrat Qaari ‘Abdur Rahmaan Paani Patti Saheb (rahmatullahi ‘alaih). People used to sit and benefit from his lectures. It was through his barakah that people began turning towards Deen. Even little children had the desire to worship Allah Ta‘ala.

Most of the people of the village were punctual on salaah. There was hardly a person who would miss out his salaah. The musjid would be filled with musallis. In Ramadhaan, the musjid would always remain filled with people who were engaged in zikr and tilaawah. At home the women would recite many paras of the Quraan Majeed daily. I had also seen this wonderful environment and it is through the barakah of this environment that Alhamdulillah, this enthusiasm was revived within us.

In those days the masaajid used to be occupied by the youth and children as well. They would compete with one another to come first to the musjid and recite the Quraan Majeed. Children will always be children and their actions will be childish. Thus they formed two groups and began competing with one another in coming first and calling out the azaan. Many a times they would take turns to sleep in the musjid. One of my friends was so enthusiastic that he began calling out the azaan before its time. People began rebuking him.

When Qari Siddeeq Saheb (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) used to explain this incident he would have a broad smile on his face and would say, “How wonderful was the environment in those days. What Deeni enthusiasm existed in the youth. No one even knew what was fighting and quarrelling. If they had to compete with one another then it was in ‘ibaadah and tilaawah. What a wonderful time that was. How sad it is that all of this is slowly coming to an end.”

( Hayaat-e-Siddeeq, pg. 36)

[azc]

Ja’far As-Saa-igh (rahimahullah) narrates the following:

Among the neighbours of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (rahimahullah) was a man who was involved in many sins, evils and shameless deeds. One day, this man came to the gathering of Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (rahimahullah) and greeted him with salaam. However, although Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) replied to his salaam, he did not show him attention and receive him with warmth. Rather, he seemed uncomfortable in the presence of this man (as this man was well known to have evil ways and sinful habits).

The man immediately perceived the discomfort of Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) and thus said, “O Abu ‘Abdillah (rahimahullah)! Why are you uncomfortable in my presence? On account of a dream that I saw, I have completely changed and I am no longer the person that you knew me to be.” Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) asked, “What dream did you see?”

The man replied, “I saw Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in my dream. It seemed as though he was on an elevated area while many people were seated below him. One by one, the people stood and asked Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to make du‘aa for them. As they stood and made their request, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) made du‘aa for them, until only I remained. I also wanted to stand and ask Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to make du‘aa for me, but I felt embarrassed and ashamed to do so on account of my evil actions and ways.

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then addressed me and asked, “O so-and-so! Why do you not stand and ask me to make du‘aa for you?” I replied, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! It is my shame and embarrassment of my evil deeds that prevents me from doing so.” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) responded, “If it is shame and embarrassment that prevents you, then stand and ask me for du‘aa. I will still make du‘aa for you, as you do not speak ill of my Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum).” I thus stood and Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) made du‘aa for me. When I thereafter awoke, I found that Allah Ta‘ala had instilled within me complete hatred and disgust for all the sins that I was involved in.”

When Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullah) heard this incident, he addressed us saying, “O Ja’far! O so-and-so! Tell people of this incident and do not forget it, as it is beneficial and inspiring.”

(Kitaabut Tawwaabeen - Ibnu Qudaamah pg. 275)

[azc]

One day the son of the vizier (Khalifa’s adviser) Muhallib, passed by Maalik bin Dinar (rahimahullah). The vizier’s son was walking haughtily with a proud, affected gait. So Malik bin Dinar advised: “Oh son! How good it would be if you gave up arrogance!” The vizier’s son said: “Don’t you recognize me?” Malik bin Dinar replied: “Why not! I know you very well. Your beginning was an impure drop and your end is a stinking corpse and your intermediate condition is that you walk around with filth inside you.” On hearing this, the boy lowered his head and repented.

[Al-Mustatraf]

[azc]

‘Imraan bin Hattaan was a person who was extremely short and unattractive. On the contrary, his wife was very beautiful and attractive.

Once ‘Imraan went home and found that his wife had adorned herself, increasing her beauty. Due to her beauty, his eyes were ‘glued’ to her and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. When she noticed the unusual manner in which he was staring at her, she asked him what the matter was. He exclaimed, “By Allah! You are beautiful!” His wife replied, “Glad tidings! We will both enter Jannah.”

‘Imraan was confused and asked her, “How do you know this?” She explained,“Allah Ta‘ala gave you a beautiful woman as a wife and you express shukr (gratitude and thankfulness) for this. Allah Ta‘ala has tested me with an extremely unattractive husband and I exercise sabr (patience) over this. The one who expresses shukr and the one who exercises sabr will both enter Jannah!”

(Akhbaarul Azkiyaa pg. 192)

[azc]

When Abdullah bin Masood (radi Allahu anhu) was on his deathbed, Uthman bin Affan (radi Allahu anhu), who was the Khalifa at that time, came to visit him and enquire about his health.

He asked, “What is ailing you?”

Abdullah bin Masood (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “My sins.”

Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) asked, “Is there anything you wish for?”

Abdullah bin Masood (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “The mercy of my Lord.”

Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) persisted, “Should I send a doctor for you?”

Abdullah bin Masood (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “It is the doctor (Allah) Who has made me sick.”

Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) asked, “Then should I send some money for your expenses.”

Abdullah bin Masood (radi Allahu anhu) said, “No, I don’t need it.”

Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) suggested, “This money will be of use to your daughters after you are gone.”

Abdullah bin Masood (radi Allahu anhu) said, “Do you fear poverty and starvation for my daughters? I have already taught them to recite Surah Waqiah every night because I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) say, ‘Whoever recites Surah Waqiah every night will never be afflicted with starvation.’” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]

May Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) give us the belief (Eeman) and sufficiency (Qana’at) of the Sahabah. Indeed, they are our role models as their behaviour was the best behaviour of any generation and Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) promised them His Pleasure and reward.
http://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com/

[azc]

Hadhrat Qaari Siddeeq Baandwi rahmatullahi alaih mentioned an incident that had taken place in his days of khidmah of his shaikh Hadhrat Moulana As`adullah Sahib rahmatullahi alaih. He says, “I used to help Hadhrat Naazim Sahib rahmatullahi alaih to make wudhu. Hadhrat was very particular about performing every Salaah with jamaat. Throughout my student days I did not see Hadhrat ever missing out one Salaah with takbeer-e-ula. He always went to the Musjid immediately after the azaan was given. After Maghrib Salaah he would remain standing in Awwaabeen Salaah for long periods. I would sit behind him. Sometimes, he would ask for water to drink in between but would only have one sip. I imagined that he was just checking to see if I was there or not.”

Once, a meeting was held with the shurah members of the Madrasah. Hadhrat rahmatullahi alaih was also a member of the shurah. During the meeting, the azaan was called out and the time for jamaat commenced. Hadhrat could not leave the meeting immediately for some reason. The meeting terminated exactly at the time of the Salaah. Hadhrat’s office was some distance away from the Musjid. Hence, I became very perplexed and did not know what to do. I filled the water jug and waited for Hadhrat. The jamaat had already commenced when I saw Hadhrat walking very fast towards me. Immediately I began pouring water for him to make wudhu. The Salaah was almost over when Hadhrat asked me, ‘Is there any Musjid where we can perform our Salaah with takbeer-e-ula?’ Someone mentioned that perhaps we may get the takbeer-e-ula at a Musjid near the Madrasah. We immediately set off for that Musjid but found that, unfortunately, the Salaah there was completed as well. Hadhrat was extremely grieved. Another person told him that perhaps there was hope of getting the jamaat in another Musjid. We immediately rushed off to that Musjid but unfortunately, here too, the Salaah was over. Hadhrat was even more grieved. Eventually, someone told him that in a certain orchard there is a Musjid where Salaah is performed very late. Very few people gather there for Salaah.

Hadhrat heard this and it was as though a new life had come into him. That orchard was approximately 200 meters away. On that day we witnessed how fast Hadhrat could walk. He walked so swiftly that I had to literally run behind him to keep up. As we approached the orchard, we saw some people standing up. From a distance he indicated to them to wait a while. When Hadhrat reached the Musjid, the people told him that they were waiting for a servant of Allah to arrive and lead the Salaah. Hadhrat performed his Salaah with jamaat, with the takbeer-e-ula and returned to the Madrasah.

(Hayaat-e-Siddeeq – English, p. 102)

[azc]

The Emperor of the Romans once sent a large amount of wealth to the Khalifah of the Muslims. Before dispatching his representative with the wealth, the Emperor commanded him to pose three questions to the ‘Ulamaa’ of the Muslims. The Roman representative, as instructed, posed the three questions to the ‘Ulamaa’ but they were unable to give him satisfactory answers.

Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was, at that time, still a young boy and he happened to be present with his father. When he saw that the ‘Ulamaa’ were unable to adequately answer the three questions, he approached the Khalifah and asked him for permission to respond to the challenge of the Romans. The Khalifah granted him permission and he turned to the Roman representative who was seated at a raised pulpit and asked, “Will you be posing the questions?” When the representative replied in the affirmative, Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) said, “In that case, you should descend to the floor so that I can be seated at the pulpit.” The representative complied and climbed down, allowing the young Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) to ascend.

The Roman representative then put forth his first question, “What was in existence before Allah?” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) replied by likewise asking a question, “Do you know mathematics?” The representative replied, “Yes.” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) continued, “What precedes the number ‘one’?” The representative replied, “One is the first number; there is nothing before it.” Imam Abu Hanifah then concluded his answer explaining, “If there is nothing before the figurative number one, how can there be anything before the actual One (Allah Ta‘ala)?”

The representative then posed the second question. He asked, “In which direction is Allah facing?” Once again, Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) answered by posing a question of his own, “When you light a lamp, in which direction does the light shine?” The representative replied, “The light shines equally in all four directions.” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) explained, “If a light that can be lit and extinguished is not restricted and limited by direction, how can the light of the Creator of the heavens and earth, which is eternal and overpowering, ever be restricted and limited by direction?”

The representative then asked his third and final question, “What is Allah doing?” Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) answered, “He has brought down a disbeliever such as yourself from the pulpit and raised a believer such as myself from the ground.”

Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) had correctly and efficiently answered all three questions and the Roman representative admitted defeat and departed.

(Ashbaah wan Nazaa’ir page. 415)

[azc]

Hz Abu Abdullah Andlusi rh
https://annoor.wordpress.com/2014/04...0%2C8937507947

The Unique Story of Abu Abdullah Al-Andalusi (RA) | An-Noor For the intelligent, an indication is sufficient...Subhanallah, this story is filled with so many lessons for everyone. Please read it with the intention to learn the lessons from the life of Shaikh Abu Abdullah Al-Andalusi (RA), and also the character of his devoted and loyal students. I pray that Allah grants every reader the tawfeeq…...

[azc]

Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was a Sahaabi who loved to give charity. Hence, he would even make a point of setting aside wealth to give in charity. His love for charity was such that he would never turn a beggar away empty handed, even if it meant giving the beggar an onion, date or something else that he could eat.

One day, a beggar came to Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). However, at that time, Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had already given everything that he had set aside in charity, and all he possessed were three dinars (gold coins). Not wishing to turn the beggar away empty handed, he gave him one of the dinars. Not long thereafter, another beggar came, so he gave him a dinar as well. Finally, when a third beggar arrived, Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) gave him the third dinar, thus spending all the wealth that he possessed.

When his slave girl, who was not a Muslim, saw that he had given all the wealth in charity, she became upset and exclaimed, “You did not leave anything for us!” However, Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was unaffected and calmly lay down to rest before the Zuhr Salaah.
When the Zuhr azaan was called out, the slave girl woke Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) for the salaah. On awaking, he performed wudhu and proceeded to the musjid for the Zuhr Salaah. After he had departed, the slave girl lamented and felt pity for him as he was fasting. She thus took a loan and used the money to buy food for his supper and oil to light the lamp. Before his arrival, she went to prepare his bedding for the night. However, to her utter surprise, she found three hundred gold coins in the bedding! She thought to herself, “He only gave the three dinars in charity as he knew that he had left three hundred dinars in his bedding.”

Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) eventually returned home after the ‘Esha Salaah. On entering the home, he saw the food laid out for him and the lamp burning, and thus began to smile in happiness saying, “This is goodness which has come to us from the side of Allah Ta‘ala.” After he had eaten, the slave girl said to him, “May Allah Ta‘ala have mercy on you! You had kept some money in reserve for difficulties, yet you did not inform me of it so that I could use it?” Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was surprised and asked, “What money? I did not keep any money in reserve.”

The slave girls thus went to his bedding and opened it, showing him the dinars. When Abu Umaamah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saw the dinars, he became happy, (as he realized that it had come from Allah Ta‘ala) and greatly amazed. On her part, the slave girl was so affected that she immediately accepted Islam.

(Hilyatul Awliyaa vol. 10, pg. 134)

[azc]

Sa’eed bin Jubayr narrates: Ibn Abbas ra died while in At-Ta’if. I witnessed his funeral and then a bird came that I had never seen before.

The bird entered the burial site and we looked and waited to see if it would come out, but we didn’t see it come out of the hole. When Ibn Abbas ra was laid in the ground, we heard this verse being recited at the edge of his grave but we didn’t know who recited it:

يا أيتها النفس المطمئنة ارجعي إلى ربك راضية مرضية فادخلي في عبادي وادخلي جنتي

O satisfied soul, return to your Lord content and with pleasure. Enter among My servants. Enter among My garden.

Source: al-Mustadrak alaa al-Saheehayn #6312

[azc]

The father of Abee Aasim said: I heard my son narrate from Abu Abdullah al-Kasa`i; I heard ibn Abee Aasim say:

When the affair of al-Alawee occurred in Basrah all of my books were lost, so I re-wrote fifty thousand ahadith from memory. I used to go to the greengrocers’ shop and write using the light of his lamp. Then I realised that I had not asked the permission of the owner of the lamp to sit in its light so I went to the sea and washed away all I had written and wrote it again.

Siyar a’laam an-Nubalaa’ 13/430-439

[azc]

Abu az-Zahiriyyah narrated: “I went to Tarsus, so I entered upon Abu Mu’awiyah al-Aswad after he had become blind. In his house, I saw a Mushaf hanging from the wall, so I said to him: “May Allah have Mercy upon you! A Mushaf while you cannot even see?”
He replied: “My brother, will you keep a secret for me until the day I die?”

I said: “Yes.” Then, he said to me:“Verily, when I want to read from the Qur’an, my eyesight comes back to me.”

Abu Hamzah Nasir bin al-Faraj al-Aslami – and he was a servant of Abu Mu’awiyah al-Aswad – narrates something similar: “Abu Mu’awiyah had lost his eyesight.
So, if he wished to read from the Qur’an, he would grab around the room for theMushafuntil he would find it.

As soon as he would open it, Allah would return his eyesight to him. As soon as he closed it, his eyesight would leave him.”

‘Sifat as-Safwah’; 2/413-414

[Abz2000]

The father of Abee Aasim said: I heard my son narrate from Abu Abdullah al-Kasa`i; I heard ibn Abee Aasim say:

When the affair of al-Alawee occurred in Basrah all of my books were lost, so I re-wrote fifty thousand ahadith from memory. I used to go to the greengrocers’ shop and write using the light of his lamp. Then I realised that I had not asked the permission of the owner of the lamp to sit in its light so I went to the sea and washed away all I had written and wrote it again.

Siyar a’laam an-Nubalaa’ 13/430-439

Was it unlawful for him to read and write from the light of a lamp that was shining in a public place where it was lawful for him to be?
If it was, then it would be unlawful to walk in the light of the same lamp without permission of the owner of the lamp.
God given judgement would have stated that if it was unlawful to walk, read, and write in the light of the lamp, then the owner of the lamp should have sealed his doors and windows and ensured that the light of his lamp did not reach beyond his own sight, or that the owner of the lamp should ask the permission of the people who had right to use the land before allowing any light to shine upon their land if it troubles them.
But anyone with a God given ability to discern and judge by truth and justice would easily come to the conclusion that it is not unlawful to benefit from light in a public space that doesn't cause harm to anybody.

If it was privately owned land - that is an issue of unlawful tresspassing.

[azc]

Was it unlawful for him to read and write from the light of a lamp that was shining in a public place where it was lawful for him to be?
If it was, then it would be unlawful to walk in the light of the same lamp without permission of the owner of the lamp.
God given judgement would have stated that if it was unlawful to walk, read, and write in the light of the lamp, then the owner of the lamp should have sealed his doors and windows and ensured that the light of his lamp did not reach beyond his own sight, or that the owner of the lamp should ask the permission of the people who had right to use the land before allowing any light to shine upon their land if it troubles them.
But anyone with a God given ability to discern and judge by truth and justice would easily come to the conclusion that it is not unlawful to benefit from light in a public space that doesn't cause harm to anybody.

If it was privately owned land - that is an issue of unlawful tresspassing.

As much someone is pious as much his heart gets cleaned that differentiates between trivial issues being lawful and unlawful

[Abz2000]

As much someone is pious as much his heart gets cleaned that differentiates between trivial issues being lawful and unlawful

He was either tresspassing unlawfully or he was lawfully in a public place.
Allah is not pleased at foolishness -.If what he wrote was lawful and good - there would be no benifit, and much 'asr wasted in washing hundreds of hours of writing off parchment whilst degrading the material and then re-writing the text - regardless of whether the use of the light was past riba - if it had been riba but the text was lawful, all that was required was sincere repentance and a sincere effort to do what is just in future.

[azc]

^The person who is so pious can't sustain even a single moment without doing tawba for his minor mistakes (tawba is not mentioned in this story though)

[azc]

The ‘Abbaasi Khaleefah, Ma-moon, once mentioned, “I never saw a person who was more obedient to his father and treated him in a more excellent manner than Fadhal bin Yahya Barmaki.”

The following incident highlights the extreme lengths which Fadhal went to in order to see to his father’s comfort:

Yahya Barmaki would only make wudhu with warm water. On a particularly cold night, during the period when he and his son, Fadhal, were unjustly imprisoned together, the warden did not allow them to bring any wood into their cell. Hence, they were unable to make a fire to warm the water. This filled Fadhal with concern, as he could not bear for his father to undergo the difficulty of making wudhu with cold water. Hence, he waited for his father to fall asleep, after which he took the vessel of water and stood with it, holding it near the lamp so that the heat of the lamp would warm it. In this manner, he remained standing with the water in his hand until it was the time of dawn.

However, the warden learnt of the manner in which Fadhal had warmed the water, and thus prevented them from using the lamp the following night. Fadhal was undeterred and remained determined to warm the water for his father. Hence, that night, he went to bed holding the vessel of water against his body! As a result, the water had become warm by dawn.

(Birrul Waalidayn - Ibnul Jowzi [rahimahullah] pg. 55)

[azc]

Once Khalifa Hesham bin Abdul Malek went to Makkah for pilgrimage. When he entered the sanctuary of the Ka’ba he called for the pious man Taus Yemeni who was one of the Tabi’een. When Taus came to him, he took off his shoes and kept them by the side of the royal carpet and said, “O Hisham, peace be on you.” He then sat by the side of the Khalifa and asked him, “O Hesham, how are you?”

At this conduct of Taus, the Khalifa was about to kill him, but as he was in the sanctuary (of the Haram, where it is impermissible to kill), he was not killed. Instead the Khalifa asked Taus, “Why have you treated me like this? (1) You have placed your shoes by my carpet, (2) you have not kissed my hand, (3) you have not addressed me with ‘O Commander of the Faithful’ (which is how the Khulafa were addressed), (4) you have taken your seat by me without my permission, and (5) you have asked me by (taking) my name, ‘How are you?’”

Taus replied, “Regarding the placing of my shoes by your carpet; I take my shoes off five times daily when I go to my Lord for prayer. He does not punish me for it. Regarding the kissing of your hand; I heard Sayyidna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) say, ‘Let nobody kiss the hand of anyone except his kissing his wife’s hand out of passion and his kissing of his parent’s hand out of reverence. Regarding addressing you as ‘Commander of the Faithful,’ the people are not satisfied with your rule and I don’t wish to tell lies. Regarding my addressing you by your name, Allah even addressed His dear friends and prophets by their names. Regarding my sitting by your side, I heard Sayyidna Ali (radi Allahu anhu) say, ‘If you wish to see anyone of the inmates of Hell, look to one who keeps himself seated with the people standing around him.’”

Then Taus went away from him. [Ihya Ulum Id-Din]

[azc]

Sayeed bin Musayyeb, the famous scholar among the Tabieen, was asked by Caliph Abdul Malek to swear allegiance to his two sons Waleed and Solaiman. He said, “I will not vow allegiance to them till night and day turn as the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) prohibited allegiance to two persons (as rulers of the Muslims at one and the same time).” As a result, he was flogged and made to wear a dress of disgrace.

[Ihya Ulum Id-Din]

[azc]

Hasan bin Saalih (rahimahullah) was a pious person who was born in the year 100 A.H. and passed away in the year 169 A.H. Hasan (rahimahullah), his twin brother, ‘Ali (rahimahullah), and their mother, would divide the night into three portions between them. They would then take turns to perform salaah, thus ensuring that throughout the night there was one person standing in salaah in their home. After their mother passed away, Hasan (rahimahullah) and his brother divided the night into two portions between them, taking turns to stand in salaah. Finally, when his brother ‘Ali (rahimahullah) passed away, Hasan (rahimahullah) began to stand for the entire night performing salaah.

Hasan bin Saalih (rahimahullah) once sold his slave girl to a certain household. That night, while the entire household was asleep, the slave girl awoke them calling out, “O household! Salaah! Salaah!”

The members of the household awoke in a state of confusion asking, “Has the time of fajr already dawned?” The slave girl asked them, “Do you people only perform the fardh salaahs?” When they replied in the affirmative, and confirmed that they did not perform nafl salaah such as Tahajjud Salaah, she went back to Hasan bin Saalih (rahimahullah) and pleaded with him, “O master! You sold me to a household who only perform the fardh salaah! Please take me back from them!” Understanding her distress and pitying her, Hasan bin Saalih (rahimahullah) purchased her back.

(Siyaru Aa’laamin Nubalaa vol. 7 pg. 361, 369 & 371 and Lataaiful Ma‘aarif pg. 278)

[Abz2000]

@azc

Please refrain from posting falsehood against Allah :swt: when it is clear to you that it is falsehood - for it is Ash-Shaytaan who overburdens people in order to make them fail after wrongly feeling that Islam is a burden which they cannot bear.

No human being can pray all night without sleeping during the day - unless it is a once off.

If uncertain ask a grown up how much sleep a human being normally needs in order to remain healthy and energetic during the day.




- - - Updated - - -




Fabricated Hadiths Causes of Fabrication (Part 2 of 3)

/english /Living Shari`ah / Hadith / Living Shari`ah /Fabricated Hadiths Causes of Fabrication (Part 2 of 3)
english/ Hadith/ Living Shari`ah
By Mohsen Haredy

Shari`ah Editor — English IslamOnline.net




The fabricated hadiths can be divided into two categories:

Intentionally fabricated hadith, which is called hadith mawdu`(invented or fabricated hadith), and
Unintentionally fabricated hadith, which is referred to as hadith batil (invalid hadith).
Causes of Intentional Fabrication

The Zanadiqah (Heretics)
Political Differences
Favor Seekers
Storytellers
Human Frailties
Ignorant Ascetics
Prejudice for One’s Own Town, Race or Imam
Causes of Unintentional Fabrication

Novelty
Mistakes
Inexactness
Indirect Transmission
Failure to Copy
Lack of Qualification
Lost Books
Causes of Intentional Fabrication



1. The Zanadiqah (Heretics)

The term zanadiqah was defined as those who deny the validity of prophecy. Al-Ghazali divided thezanadiqah into absolute zanadiqah who deny the resurrection after death and the existence of the Creator of the world, and specific zanadiqah who recognize the existence of the Creator of the world but deny knowledge of the details of that world (193). In some sources they are referred to as those who do not believe in any of the divine attributes of Allah (Al-`Iraqi 95). Some give the word zindiq (singular ofzanadiqah) to the adherent of thethanawiyyah who believe in the two forces of Light and Darkness, or to one who does not believe in the world to come (Lane 1:1258). Lane said thatzindiq is an arabicized word originally Persian, so they say from Az-Zand, which is a book belonging to them, that is the book of Zoroaster, or from the Persian zandik (1:1258).

The zanadiqah flourished under various banners during early Islamic history and wrought havoc by forging thousands of hadiths and propagating them among the Muslim community (Abdul Rahman 30). Their anti-Islamic attitude motivated them to forge some hadiths, as they could not do anything to the Qur’an, which had been transmitted and written down in early Islam (As-Sabbagh 315). According to some sources, the zanadiqah concocted about fourteen thousand hadiths.(1)Muhammad Rashid Rida mentioned that some scholars of Hadith said that when `Abdul-Karim ibn Abi Al-`Awja’ was to be executed he said, “I fabricated four thousand hadiths in which I made the lawful prohibited and the prohibited permissible” (Ibn Al-Jawzi 1:37). By fabricating hadiths, the zanadiqah did a great damage to the history of Islam (Ibn Al-Jawzi 1:37). But Siddiqi, recognizing the anti-Islamic motivation of the zanadiqah, does not see any harm in the forgery of hadiths by the zanadiqah, as these hadiths were rejected by Muslims (53). An example of this class of fabrication is the report “When Allah wanted to create Himself He created the horse first and let it gallop till it sweated. Then He created Himself from its sweat” (As-Suyuti 1:2).


2. Political Differences

Islamic history passed a very critical stage after the death of the third caliph, `Uthman. Differences and battles between `Ali and Mu`awiyah were the reason behind the emergence of several religious sects, especially the Shiah and the Khawarij. Many hadiths, which might be termed as the fada’il genre, in favor of `Ali and the House of the Prophet, Ahl Al-Bayt, came from the Shiah. Ibn Abi Al-Hadid (d. AH 655/1257 CE), the famous commentator of Nahj Al-Balaghah, candidly points to this where he says

Lies were introduced in Hadith on merits (fada’il)(2) originally by the Shi`ah. They in the beginning fabricated many Hadiths in favor of their man, motivated by enmity towards their opponents. When the Bakriyyah (those favoring Abu Bakr) found out what the Shi`ah had done, they in turn fabricated hadiths in favor of their man. When the Shi`ah found out what the Bakriyyah had done they increased their efforts.(3)


3. Favor Seekers

The various party leaders, the numerous sectarian preachers, and the seekers of favors from the caliphs and their chiefs, and those who sustained their legal or theological theories by inventing hadiths were more dangerous to the authenticity of Hadith than the zanadiqah (Rida 545–547; Siddiqi 53). This was done even, Rida continues, by some of the Ahl As-Sunnah (Sunnis) who differed among themselves on subsidiary issues and to support their opinions, they resorted to inventing hadiths. To gain the favor of sovereigns some people fabricated hadiths that might please them.

A well known example is the report of Ghiyath ibn Ibrahim who came upon the Caliph al-Mahdi (d. 158/785) when this ruler was playing with a pigeon. Ghiyath recited to him the famous saying of the Prophet: “There shall be no wager except in the case of racing camels, hoofed animals or in the case of shooting (competitions)” (Abu Dawud). Then Ghiyath added the words “and pigeons,” to please Al-Mahdi. The Caliph gave him a large reward, but stated: “Verily, your neck is the neck of a liar who puts false words into the mouth of the Prophet.” Then he ordered the pigeon to be slaughtered. (As-Siba`i 103)


4. Storytellers

The storytellers, qussas, were no less dangerous than the party leaders or sects in fabricating hadiths. They “saw an easy profit by playing on the credulity of their audience. Some of them were compelled to invent Hadiths through the urge to instill into their listeners awe and reverence towards the religion” (Juynboll 100).

The following incident shows an example of the hadiths invented by such storytellers:

The hadiths concocted by the storytellers were few in the first century, but they increased by the passage of time. Hadith scholars traced these hadiths, detected their fabricators, and put them under severe criticism.

The hadiths concocted by the storytellers were few in the first century, but they increased by the passage of time. Hadith scholars traced these hadiths, detected their fabricators, and put them under severe criticism.


Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma`in (4) were performing their prayers in the mosque of Rusafah when a storyteller stood up in front of them and began to recite the following:
Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma`in related to us a hadith on the authority of `Abdur-Razzaq, who in turn had it on the authority of Ma`mar, who had it on the authority of Qatada, who had it on the authority of Anas, who reported: “The Prophet of God said,
‘Whoever says: There is no god but God, God will create for him for every word he utters of this formula a bird with a beak of gold and feathers of pearls.’” He continued with his story which would have taken up about twenty pages had he committed it to writing.
Upon this Ahmad ibn Hanbal began to look in amazement at Yahya ibn Ma`in, and Yahay ibn Ma`in at Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Then Ahmad said, “Did you narrate this hadith?” Yahya replied, “By God! I never heard this hadith before this present moment.”
The two remained quiet until he had finished his story. He then undertook to receive contributions and sat down and waited for the rest to come with their gifts, but Yahya ibn Ma`in beckoned to him with his hand. So he came supposing that it was a gift that he was about to give him.
Yahya then asked him, “Who narrated this hadith to you?”
He replied, “Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma`in.”
He retorted, “But I am Yahya ibn Ma`in and this is Ahmad ibn Hanbal! We never heard this story among the hadiths of the Prophet. As a matter of fact, it is nothing but a falsehood! Its authorities are not we!”
Then he asked, “Are you Yahya ibn Ma`in?”
He answered, “Yes!”
He went on, “I constantly hear that Yahya ibn Ma`in is fool, a fact which I never realized until this moment.”
Then Yahya ibn Ma`in said to him, “How did you know that I was a fool?”
He replied, “You act as if there is no other person by the name Yahya ibn Ma`in and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. As for me, I have recorded hadiths on the authority of seventeen persons by the names Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma`in.”
Then Ahmad placed his sleeve over his face and whispered [to Yahya], “Let him leave.”





5. Human Frailties

Neglect, bad memory, feeble-mindedness, boastfulness, and other human frailties have also given rise to fabrication (Rida 569).



6. Ignorant Ascetics

Those ascetics fabricated hadiths to let the people come close to Allah and devote much time to different forms of worship and even to encourage them to be more pious (Ahmad and `Abdul Malik 75). When reminded of the hadiths threatening those who lie against the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), they say, “We do not tell lies against him but for him” (As-Siba`i 103). Al-Albani provided us with this example: “The world is prohibited to people of the Hereafter and the Hereafter is prohibited to people of the world, and both the world and the Hereafter are prohibited to the people of Allah” (Al-Albani 1:15).



7. Prejudice for One’s Own Town, Race or Imam

To mention only one example of the last motive, that is, to praise one’s imam, As-Siba`i cites the alleged hadith that praises Abu Hanifah while degrading Ash-Shafi`i. The hadith reads, “There shall be in my Ummah a man by the name Muhammad ibn Idris who will be more dangerous to my Ummah than Iblis and there shall be a man in my Ummah known as Abu Hanifah who will be the lamp of my Ummah” (As-Siba`i 100). An example of favoring one’s race is the report that states that “When Allah gets angry, He reveals the Qur’an in Persian. And when He is satisfied, He reveals it in Arabic” (Ibn Al-Qayim 59).




Causes of Unintentional Fabrication


Below are the unintentional reasons behind the widespread phenomenon of the forgery of hadiths.


1. Novelty

Some transmitters took a well-known hadith and supported it with a new isnad (chain of transmission) just for the sake of novelty to attract the people around their transmission.


2. Mistakes

Sometimes scholars committed a mistake in the transmission of a hadith when its isnad ended with a Companion or a Successor only, so they attributed sayings to the Prophet while a Companion or a Successor was responsible for them.


3. Inexactness

Some people were not as exact in the transmission of Hadith as they were in their worship, so they committed mistakes in the process of transmission.


4. Indirect Transmission

Some scholars learned Hadith from a certain sheikh and later came to know that the same teacher had transmitted other hadiths on different occasions. So instead of being satisfied with what they learned directly from their teachers, they transmitted them all, pretending that they had learned them.



5. Failure to Copy

Some learned books from certain authorities but did not copy what they learned at that time. When they grew old and were asked about some hadiths, their desire to appear professional in the field led them to transmit hadiths from copies of the same book which they possessed, but which did not contain notes giving them ijazah (license to teach) in Hadith. This practice was very common in the fourth century.


6. Lack of Qualification

Some people lacked the necessary qualifications for teaching Hadith. Then a student came and recited hadiths to them that they had not transmitted, but they ignorantly confirmed the students. [One of the traditional ways of teaching Hadith is that a student recites a group of hadiths reported originally by the teacher, and after this recitation, the teacher gives the student the ijazah that he can report or transmit these hadiths.]

7. Lost Books

Sometimes scholars undertook journeys in pursuit of collecting Hadith and were recognized as Hadith specialists, but unfortunately they lost their books. At a later stage when they took charge of teaching students, they relied on copies other than their own, without expecting the possibility of the existence of some differences between two copies of the same work, or they relied on their weak memories (A`zami 70-1).

Sources:

Abdul Rahman, Hasbbullah Haji. “Causes for the Fabrication of Hadith and Means for Its Elimination,” in IMA (Islam and the Modern Age) New Delhi, 29. 1998.
Ahmad, Muhammad Shafiq and Muhammad Abdul Malik. Scientific Methodology for the Authentication of Hadith, inIslam and the Modern Age, 30 (1999).
Albani, Muhammad Nasir Ad-Din, Silsilat Al-Ahadith Ad-Da`ifah wa Al-Mawdu`ah wa Atharuh As-Sayi’ fil Ummah, 3rd ed. Damascus/Beirut, AH 1392.
A`zami, M. M. Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature. Indianapolis: American Trust Publication, Islamic Teaching Center, 1977.
Al-Ghazali, Abu Hamid. Faysal At-Tafriqah Bayna Al-Islam wa Az-Zanadiqah. Ed. Sulayman Dunya. Cairo, 1381/1961.
Al-`Iraqi, Abu Muhammad `Uthman ibn `Abdullah ibn Al-Hasan. Al-Firaq Al-Muftariqah bayna Ahli Az-Zayghi wa Az-Zanadiqah. Ed. Yasar Kultuay. Ankara, 1961.
Ibn Al-Jawzi, Kitab Al-Mawdu`at.
Ibn Al-Qayim, Al-Manar Al-Munif fi As-Sahih wa Ad-Da`if, 5th impr., Ed. `Abd Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah. Halab: Maktab Al-Matbu`at Al-Islamiyah, 1994.
Juynboll, G.H.A., The Authenticity of the Tradition Literature: Discussions in Modern Egypt. Leiden: B.J. Brill, 1969.
Lane, Edward William. Arabic-English Lexicon. London-Edinburgh, 1863.
Rida, Muhammad Rashid. “Asbab Wad` Al-Hadith Wa Ikhtilafuh.” in Al-Manar 3(1900).
As-Sabbagh, Muhammad. Al-Hadith An-Nabawi: Mustalahuhu, Blaghatuhu, Kutubuhu. 3rd ed. Beirut: Al-Maktab al-Islami, 1977.
As-Siba`i, Mustatfa, As-Sunnah wa Makanatuha fi at-Tashri` Al-Islami. Cairo: Dar Al-`Urubah, 1961.
Siddiqi, Muhammad Zubayr.Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development and Special Features. Calcutta University Press, 1961.
As-Suyuti, Al-La’ali’ Al-Masnu`ah fi Al-Ahadith Al-Mawdu`ah. Cairo 1317/1899.
Mohsen Haredy is the editor of Shari`ah Special Pages at IslamOnline.net. He graduated from Al-Azhar University and has an MA in Hadith literature from Leiden University, the Netherlands. You can reach him atmohsen.haredy@iolteam.com.

(1) This number was given by Hammad ibn Zayd. See Ibn Al-Jawzi, Al-Mawdu`at 1, p. 30; As-Suyuti, Tadrib, 1, p. 284; Rashid Rida quoted the number attributed to Hammad ibn Zayd as four thousand. See Rida, Asbab Wad` Al-Hadith wa Ikhtilafuh, in Al-Manar 3 (1900), p. 545.

(2) The so-called Fada’il Hadith, according to Juynboll, hold a foremost place. He defines this genre as the Hadith “in which the Prophet is alleged to have uttered laudatory or favorable remarks about the person, the group of persons, the town or the country, who or which particularly figure in a political or theological movement.” For more on the discussions on Fada’il Hadith see Abu Rayyah, Adwa’, p. 90; `Ajjaj Al-Khatib, As-Sunnah Qabla At-Tadwin, p. 197f; As-Siba`i, As-Sunnah, pp. 233-5. cf. Juynboll, Authenticity, pp. 101-2.

(3) Cf. Suhaib Hasan Abdul Ghaffar,Criticism of Hadith among Muslim with reference to Sunan Ibn Maja, London, Al-Qur’an Society, 1986, p. 35; `Ajjaj Al-Khatib, As-Sunnah Qabla At-Tadwin, p. 195; Juynboll, Muslim Hadith, p. 12.

(4) Both Swartz and Goldziher wrote it “Mu`in,” which is wrong. Therefore it should read Ma`in. It is interesting to note that Ibn Ma`in (d. 233/847) composed a book on the characteristic of Hadith transmitters. The work is entitled Kalam Yahya ibn Ma`in fi Ar-Rijal, which is also referred to in Muslim scholarship as Kitab Al-Majruhin, which must not be confused with the work by Ibn Hibban, see GAS, V, pp. 106-7; see also Asma Afsaruddin, An Insight into the Hadith Methodology p. 35, n. 47.


https://archive.islamonline.net/?p=5735

[azc]

@Abz2000 :

Praying tahajjud or qayamul lail was the common practice of the salaf and some of them have been reported to sleep between zuhur and asr salah.

[Abz2000]

@Abz2000 :

Praying tahajjud or qayamul lail was the common practice of the salaf and some of them have been reported to sleep between zuhur and asr salah.

I accept that tahajjud which is another name for qiyaam al layl are personal optional deeds which are recommended by Allah but not enforced - other than on the Prophet Muhammad :saws: whose only method of revision was recital, what i am stating is that we shouldn't be posting falsehoods and perverting people from the path by making them feel inadequate for not commiting personal optional good deeds, rather the focus of enforcement should be on obligations - the fulfilment of which is globally lacking.

Please do not twist the truth, and also please study further upon the actual meaning of sunnah of rasool Allah :saws: in relation to manhaj and nawafil. Here's a link:

http://islamic-dictionary.tumblr.com...-refers-to-the

They would then take turns to perform salaah, thus ensuring that throughout the night there was one person standing in salaah in their home. After their mother passed away, Hasan (rahimahullah) and his brother divided the night into two portions between them, taking turns to stand in salaah. Finally, when his brother ‘Ali (rahimahullah) passed away, Hasan (rahimahullah) began to stand for the entire night performing salaah.

Hadith no: 196
Narrated / Authority Of: Abdullah bin Amr bin Al Aas
Allah's Apostle said to me, "O Abdullah! Have I not been informed that you fast during the day and offer prayers all the night." Abdullah replied, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet said, "Don't do that; fast for few days and then give it up for few days, offer prayers and also sleep at night, as your body has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you. And it is sufficient for you to fast three days in a month, as the reward of a good deed is multiplied ten times, so it will be like fasting throughout the year." I insisted (on fasting) and so I was given a hard instruction. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have power." The Prophet said, "Fast like the fasting of the Prophet David (Daud, AS) and do not fast more than that." I said, "How was the fasting of the Prophet of Allah, David? (Daud)" He said, "Half of the year," (i.e. he used to fast on every alternate day). Afterwards when Abdullah became old, he used to say, "It would have been better for me if I had accepted the permission of the Prophet (which he gave me i.e. to fast only three days a month)."


Hadith no: 197
Narrated / Authority Of: Abdullah bin Amr
Allah's Apostle was informed that I had taken an oath to fast daily and to pray (every night) all the night throughout my life (so Allah's Apostle came to me and asked whether it was correct): I replied, "Let my parents be sacrificed for you! I said so." The Prophet said, "You can not do that. So, fast for few days and give it up for few days, and pray and sleep. Fast three days a month as the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times and that will be equal to one year of fasting." I replied, "I can do better than that." The Prophet said to me, "Fast one day and give up fasting for a day and that is the fasting of Prophet David (Daud) and that is the best fasting." I said, "I have the power to fast better (more) than that." The Prophet said, "There is no better fasting than that."


Hadith no: 198
Narrated / Authority Of: Abdullah bin Amr
The news of my daily fasting and praying every night throughout the night reached the Prophet. So he sent for me or I met him, and he said, "I have been informed that you fast everyday and pray every night (all the night). Fast (for some days) and give up fasting (for some days); pray and sleep, for your eyes have a right on you, and your body and your family (i.e. wife) have a right on you." I replied, "I have more power than that (fasting)." The Prophet said, "Then fast like the fasts of (the Prophet) David". I said, "How?" He replied, "He used to fast on alternate days, and he used not to flee on meeting the enemy." I said, "From where can I get that chance?" (Ata said, "I do not know how the expression of fasting daily throughout the life occurred.") So, the Prophet said, twice, "Whoever fasts daily throughout his life is just as the one who does not fast at all."


http://ramadan.ahadith.co.uk/ramadan...page=9&cid=117





﴿سورة الـمـزمـل ٢٠﴾ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ

وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ

ۚ عَلِمَ أَنْ سَيَكُونُ مِنْكُمْ مَرْضَىٰ ۙ وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ ۙ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ۚ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

[Quran 73:20]

Your Lord knows that you stay up nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, along with a group of those with you. Allah designed the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to sustain it, so He has pardoned you. So read of the Quran what is possible for you. He knows that some of you may be ill; and others travelling through the land, seeking Allah's bounty; and others fighting in Allah's cause. So read of it what is possible for you, and observe the prayers, and give regular charity, and lend Allah a generous loan. Whatever good you advance for yourselves, you will find it with Allah, better and generously rewarded. And seek Allah's forgiveness, for Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

https://goo.gl/JI94SN


حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ كَانَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ فُرِجَ عَنْ سَقْفِ بَيْتِي وَأَنَا بِمَكَّةَ، فَنَزَلَ جِبْرِيلُ فَفَرَجَ صَدْرِي، ثُمَّ غَسَلَهُ بِمَاءِ زَمْزَمَ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِطَسْتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ مُمْتَلِئٍ حِكْمَةً وَإِيمَانًا، فَأَفْرَغَهُ فِي صَدْرِي ثُمَّ أَطْبَقَهُ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ بِيَدِي فَعَرَجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، فَلَمَّا جِئْتُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ لِخَازِنِ السَّمَاءِ افْتَحْ‏.‏ قَالَ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ‏.‏ قَالَ هَلْ مَعَكَ أَحَدٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ مَعِي مُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ فَقَالَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ عَلَوْنَا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا، فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ قَاعِدٌ عَلَى يَمِينِهِ أَسْوِدَةٌ وَعَلَى يَسَارِهِ أَسْوِدَةٌ، إِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ يَمِينِهِ ضَحِكَ، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ يَسَارِهِ بَكَى، فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالاِبْنِ الصَّالِحِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ لِجِبْرِيلَ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا آدَمُ‏.‏ وَهَذِهِ الأَسْوِدَةُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَشِمَالِهِ نَسَمُ بَنِيهِ، فَأَهْلُ الْيَمِينِ مِنْهُمْ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَالأَسْوِدَةُ الَّتِي عَنْ شِمَالِهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ، فَإِذَا نَظَرَ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ ضَحِكَ، وَإِذَا نَظَرَ قِبَلَ شِمَالِهِ بَكَى، حَتَّى عَرَجَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَقَالَ لِخَازِنِهَا افْتَحْ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ خَازِنُهَا مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ الأَوَّلُ فَفَتَحَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ وَجَدَ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ آدَمَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ ـ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ ـ وَلَمْ يُثْبِتْ كَيْفَ مَنَازِلُهُمْ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ وَجَدَ آدَمَ فِي السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا، وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي السَّمَاءِ السَّادِسَةِ‏.‏ قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَلَمَّا مَرَّ جِبْرِيلُ بِالنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِإِدْرِيسَ قَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالأَخِ الصَّالِحِ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا إِدْرِيسُ‏.‏ ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِمُوسَى فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالأَخِ الصَّالِحِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا مُوسَى‏.‏ ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِعِيسَى فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالأَخِ الصَّالِحِ وَالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا عِيسَى‏.‏ ثُمَّ مَرَرْتُ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ فَقَالَ مَرْحَبًا بِالنَّبِيِّ الصَّالِحِ وَالاِبْنِ الصَّالِحِ‏.‏ قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَأَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ حَزْمٍ أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبَا حَبَّةَ الأَنْصَارِيَّ كَانَا يَقُولاَنِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ ثُمَّ عُرِجَ بِي حَتَّى ظَهَرْتُ لِمُسْتَوًى أَسْمَعُ فِيهِ صَرِيفَ الأَقْلاَمِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ ابْنُ حَزْمٍ وَأَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ فَفَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي خَمْسِينَ صَلاَةً، فَرَجَعْتُ بِذَلِكَ حَتَّى مَرَرْتُ عَلَى مُوسَى فَقَالَ مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ لَكَ عَلَى أُمَّتِكَ قُلْتُ فَرَضَ خَمْسِينَ صَلاَةً‏.‏ قَالَ فَارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ‏.‏ فَرَاجَعْتُ فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى قُلْتُ وَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لاَ تُطِيقُ، فَرَاجَعْتُ فَوَضَعَ شَطْرَهَا، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَى رَبِّكَ، فَإِنَّ أُمَّتَكَ لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ، فَرَاجَعْتُهُ‏.‏ فَقَالَ هِيَ خَمْسٌ وَهْىَ خَمْسُونَ، لاَ يُبَدَّلُ الْقَوْلُ لَدَىَّ‏.‏ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مُوسَى فَقَالَ رَاجِعْ رَبَّكَ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ اسْتَحْيَيْتُ مِنْ رَبِّي‏.‏ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ بِي حَتَّى انْتَهَى بِي إِلَى سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى، وَغَشِيَهَا أَلْوَانٌ لاَ أَدْرِي مَا هِيَ، ثُمَّ أُدْخِلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ، فَإِذَا فِيهَا حَبَايِلُ اللُّؤْلُؤِ، وَإِذَا تُرَابُهَا الْمِسْكُ ‏"‏‏.‏

8 Prayers (Salat)
(1)Chapter: How As-Salat (the Prayer) was prescribed on the night of Al-Isra (miraculous night journey) of the Prophet (pbuh) to Jerusalem (and then to the heavens)(1)باب كَيْفَ فُرِضَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فِي الإِسْرَاءِ
وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سُفْيَانَ فِي حَدِيثِ هِرَقْلَ فَقَالَ يَأْمُرُنَا- يَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ- صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالصَّلاَةِ وَالصِّدْقِ وَالْعَفَافِ.
Narrated Abu Dhar:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "While I was at Mecca the roof of my house was opened and Gabriel descended, opened my chest, and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden tray full of wisdom and faith and having poured its contents into my chest, he closed it. Then he took my hand and ascended with me to the nearest heaven, when I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the gatekeeper of the heaven, 'Open (the gate).' The gatekeeper asked, 'Who is it?' Gabriel answered: 'Gabriel.' He asked, 'Is there anyone with you?' Gabriel replied, 'Yes, Muhammad I is with me.' He asked, 'Has he been called?' Gabriel said, 'Yes.' So the gate was opened and we went over the nearest heaven and there we saw a man sitting with some people on his right and some on his left. When he looked towards his right, he laughed and when he looked toward his left he wept. Then he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' He replied, 'He is Adam and the people on his right and left are the souls of his offspring. Those on his right are the people of Paradise and those on his left are the people of Hell and when he looks towards his right he laughs and when he looks towards his left he weeps.' Then he ascended with me till he reached the second heaven and he (Gabriel) said to its gatekeeper, 'Open (the gate).' The gatekeeper said to him the same as the gatekeeper of the first heaven had said and he opened the gate. Anas said: "Abu Dhar added that the Prophet (ﷺ) met Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus and Abraham, he (Abu Dhar) did not mention on which heaven they were but he mentioned that he (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) met Adam on the nearest heaven and Abraham on the sixth heaven. Anas said, "When Gabriel along with the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by Idris, the latter said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.' The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Idris." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "I passed by Moses and he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Moses.' Then I passed by Jesus and he said, 'Welcome! O pious brother and pious Prophet.' I asked, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Jesus. Then I passed by Abraham and he said, 'Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.' I asked Gabriel, 'Who is he?' Gabriel replied, 'He is Abraham. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, 'Then Gabriel ascended with me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens."

Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers when I returned with this order of Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.'
Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.'
(So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to half.
When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, 'Go back to your Lord as your followers will not be able to bear it.'
So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced.
I again passed by Moses and he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it.
So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.'
I returned to Moses and he told me to go back once again.
I replied, 'Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.'
Then Gabriel took me till we '' reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (Lote tree of; the utmost boundary) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk."

Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 349
In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 1
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 345
(deprecated numbering scheme)

https://sunnah.com/bukhari/8


M. M. Pickthall
Lo! thy Lord knoweth how thou keepest vigil sometimes nearly two-thirds of the night, or (sometimes) half or a third thereof, as do a party of those with thee. Allah measureth the night and the day. He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite, then, of the Qur'an that which is easy for you. He knoweth that there are sick folk among you, while others travel in the land in search of Allah's bounty, and others (still) are fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite of it that which is easy (for you), and establish worship and pay the poor-due, and (so) lend unto Allah a goodly loan. Whatsoever good ye send before you for your souls, ye will find it with Allah, better and greater in the recompense. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.


Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Thy Lord doth know that thou standest forth (to prayer) nigh two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so doth a party of those with thee. But Allah doth appoint night and day in due measure He knoweth that ye are unable to keep count thereof. So He hath turned to you (in mercy): read ye, therefore, of the Qur'an as much as may be easy for you. He knoweth that there may be (some) among you in ill-health; others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah's bounty; yet others fighting in Allah's Cause, read ye, therefore, as much of the Qur'an as may be easy (for you); and establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan. And whatever good ye send forth for your souls ye shall find it in Allah's Presence,- yea, better and greater, in Reward and seek ye the Grace of Allah: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand (to pray at night) a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so do a party of those with you, And Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night, so He has turned to you (in mercy). So, recite you of the Quran as much as may be easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you sick, others travelling through the land, seeking of Allahs Bounty; yet others fighting in Allahs Cause. So recite as much of the Quran as may be easy (for you), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, and whatever good you send before you for yourselves, (i.e. Nawafil non-obligatory acts of worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj and Umrah, etc.), you will certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward. And seek Forgiveness of Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.



You may also watch this interesting piece for wisdom - although it is not completely accurate:

The part of intrigue is to be found from 55min 15 sec to 1 hr 16 min

[azc]

what i am stating is that we shouldn't be posting falsehoods and perverting people from the path by making them feel inadequate for not commiting personal optional good deeds, rather the focus of enforcement should be on obligations - the fulfilment of which is globally lacking.

Astaghfirullah...!

Are we not encouraged to pray tahajjud...?

"[The believers are those] whose sides remain away from their beds, while they call on their Lord with fear and hope."[32:16]

Hazrat Abu Sa'eed and Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [radhiyallahu anhuma] relate that Nabie [salallahu alaihi wasallam] said, "When a man awakens his family and they perform Tahajjud, they will be considered among the 'Zakireen' and the 'Zakiraat'." [Abu Dawood; Ibnu Majah]

Rasulullah [salallahu alaihi wasallam] said, "The closest Allah Ta'ala gets to his servant is in the last portion of the night. If you possess the ability to be from among those who remember Allah, then become one of them." [Tirmidhi]
http://www.beautifulislam.net/worshi...s_tahajjud.htm

[Abz2000]

Astaghfirullah...!

Are we not encouraged to pray tahajjud...?

"[The believers are those] whose sides remain away from their beds, while they call on their Lord with fear and hope."[32:16]

Hazrat Abu Sa'eed and Hadhrat Abu Hurairah [radhiyallahu anhuma] relate that Nabie [salallahu alaihi wasallam] said, "When a man awakens his family and they perform Tahajjud, they will be considered among the 'Zakireen' and the 'Zakiraat'." [Abu Dawood; Ibnu Majah]

Rasulullah [salallahu alaihi wasallam] said, "The closest Allah Ta'ala gets to his servant is in the last portion of the night. If you possess the ability to be from among those who remember Allah, then become one of them." [Tirmidhi]
http://www.beautifulislam.net/worshi...s_tahajjud.htm

We are positively encouraged to pray optional tahajjud along with many other optional good deeds if we are reasonably able to do so without undue pressure - as has been referenced in my above post along with Quranic references.

There is a clear difference between positive encouragement of personal optional deeds - and - condemnation of those who fulfil the lawful obligations whilst also adding personal optional good deeds - both these actions are at odds in law.

Condemnation is for persistent rejecters of just truth and liars who think to deceive Allah :swt: whilst they only deceive themselves.






encourage

ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ,ɛnˈkʌrɪdʒ/
verb

give support, confidence, or hope to (someone).

"we were encouraged by the success of this venture"
synonyms: hearten, cheer, buoy up, uplift, inspire, motivate, egg on, spur on, stir, stir up, whip up, fire up, stimulate, animate, invigorate, vitalize, revitalize, embolden, fortify, rally, incite; More
persuade (someone) to do or continue to do something by giving support and advice.

"pupils are encouraged to be creative"
synonyms: persuade, coax, urge, press, push, pressure, pressurize, exhort, spur, prod, goad, egg on, prompt, influence, sway; More
stimulate the development of (an activity, state, or belief).
"the intention is to encourage new writing talent"
synonyms: support, back, endorse, champion, advocate, recommend, promote, further, advance, forward, foster, strengthen, enrich; More



condemn

kənˈdɛm/
verb

1.
express complete disapproval of; censure.

"most leaders roundly condemned the attack"
synonyms: censure, criticize, castigate, attack, denounce, deplore, decry, revile, inveigh against, blame, chastise, berate, upbraid, reprimand, rebuke, reprove, reprehend, take to task, find fault with, give someone/something a bad press; More

2.
sentence (someone) to a particular punishment, especially death.

"the rebels had been condemned to death"
synonyms: sentence, pass sentence on; More

[azc]

@Abz2000 :

You are advised to report my (any) post to admin if you find it objectionable instead of starting futile debate.

If you want to discuss any topic, come in segregated section.

Your serious allegations:

1: Imam Dhahabi rh, one of the most reliable imam of jarh o ta'deel and great imam ibn rajab hambali rh deliberately narrated a fabricated story.

2: such Narrations concerning tahajjud are false and cause deviation.

Anyways.

Nobody is condemned for not performing tahajjud.

The slave girl did not like them because they didn't pray tahajjud and it's the personal matter what someone likes or dislikes.

It's a fact that great Islamic personalities would always pray tahajjud. So we should also try to pray tahajjud if we can.

Mukhallad Ibn Husain said: “I never woke up at night except I saw Ibrahim Ibn Adham remembering Allah and praying, and this made me depressed, so I consoled myself with this ayah : ‘That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He pleases. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty’ [Al-Hadid 54:21].”

Abu ‘Asim Al-Nabil said: “Abu Hanifah used to be called al-Watad (pole or pillar) because he prayed so much.”

Al-Qasim Ibn Ma’een said: “Abu Hanifah spent an entire night in qiyam reciting this ayat:
‘Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter’[Al-Qamar 54:46], repeating it and weeping, beseeching Allah until morning came.”

Ibrahim Ibn Shammas said: “I used to see Ahmad Ibn Hanbal staying up at night to pray when he was a young man.”

Abu Bakar Al-Marwadhi said: “I was with Imam Ahmad for nearly four months in the army, and he never stopped praying qiyam at night or reading Qur’an during the day, and I never knew when he completed the Qur’an, because he kept that secret.”

Imam Al-Bukhari used to pray qiyam at night until the time of sahur, and he would read between a half and a third of the Qur’an, and complete it at sahur every third night.

Al-‘Allamah Ibn ‘Abd Al-Hadi said, describing the qiyam of Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taimiyah: “At night he would keep away from people, and spend that time only with his Lord, beseeching Him continually and reciting Qur’an, repeating different kinds of acts of worship by night and by day. When he began to pray, his body would start to tremble, leaning to the left and right.”

Ibn Rajab said concerning his Shaikh Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim: “He was a man of worship; tahajjud and lengthy prayers. I have never seen his equal in worship and knowledge of the Qur’an, hadith and principles of faith.”

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said, describing his Shaikh Al-Hafiz Al-‘Iraqi: “I stayed with him, and I never saw him forsake qiyam al-layl: it was like a habit for him.”
https://contemplatequran.wordpress.c...0%2C6963638859

[azc]

Some people who lived outside Madina did not find out about the absolute prohibition of alcohol till later. One day Amir bin Rabi’ah (radi Allahu anhu) returned from a journey and presented a bottle of alcohol to the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) – a bottle full of alcohol after Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) had made it Haraam!

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) never drank alcohol, neither in the pre-Islamic days of ignorance, nor in Islam. However, people still used to offer him gifts some of which he wouldn’t use himself but give to others or sell. People would sometimes give him gold or silver which he would not wear but give to his wives or others.

But the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) looked at the alcohol in surprise and said, “Don’t you know that this has been forbidden?”
Amir bin Rabi’ah (radi Allahu anhu) replied, “Forbidden? No! I didn’t know about it, O Messenger of Allah!”

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Yes. It has been forbidden.”

Amir (radi Allahu anhu) then took the bottle away. Some people suggested that he should sell it. When the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) heard about it he said, “No. When Allah forbids something, he also forbids its value.” Upon hearing this, Amir poured the alcohol out onto the ground.

Notice how the Sahabah immediately acted upon the teachings of Islam, putting aside any other consideration!

Notice how briefly and to the point the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) gave instructions and made corrections. He didn’t go on and on about it.

Notice that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) did not question the Sahabi’s integrity by saying such things as, “How could you not have known that alcohol is now forbidden!” He never doubted the intentions of the people around him, nor abused them.

This Hadith makes clear that when something is forbidden to consume (such as alcohol), then it is also forbidden to sell it and use the money. Notice that the Sahabi did not gift the bottle on to one of the non-Muslims around either.
http://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com/

[Abz2000]

I am not obliged to begin a to-and-fro based on falsehood with you, i am however obliged to state the facts.

Imam ad-dahabi may not have DELIBERATELY narrated a false saying - or DELIBERATELY encouraged a forbidden act - since he may have been ignorant of the fact that it had been forbidden by Allah's messenger :saws: , and that Allah's statement in the concluding verse of Surah Al Muzzammil had possibly slipped his mind at the time of penning - you user @azc however have been DELIBERATELY narrating the same misleading statements despite being made fully aware of the unlawfulness of such acts along with solid ahadith, perfect wisdom, and QURANIC statements by Allah :swt: Himself - and what is worse is that you are engaging in contentious argument after all has been made clear.



Attachment 6461


The thing that bothers me is the fact that many people coming to the forum to understand Islam are being misled by such dualaalah.
If the mods haven't seen through such falsehood or find themselves constrained from action due to rules - i am certain that Allah :swt: will deal with you as He PROMISES to deal with the type of perverter described at the end of Surah Al 'Alaq.

Repent.

[azc]

Shaikh Ebrahim bin Muhammad Al-Hilaali (rahimahullah) was a great ‘Aalim who was born in 1155 A.H. (1742 A.C.) in a small village on the outskirts of Halab (Aleppo).

He departed from Halab in 1178 A.H. (at the age of twenty three) and travelled to Egypt to acquire the knowledge of Deen from the great luminaries who were teaching in Al-Azhar at the time. He remained there for twenty years, only returning to Halab in 1198 A.H. He eventually passed away in the year 1238 AH (1823 A.C.) at the age of 83 (some reports suggest that he passed away in 1248 A.H.). Together with being a great ‘Aalim, he was a renowned Shaikh of Tasawwuf (spiritual guide) at whose hands many people gained guidance and spiritual reformation.

While Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah) was studying in Egypt, he once underwent a period of poverty. During this trying time, two days had passed in which the Shaikh was unable to find anything to eat. In a state of hunger and desperation, he left Al-Azhar and began to wander through the streets, hoping that Allah Ta‘ala would perhaps make some means for him to acquire food.

While wandering through the streets, he entered a certain alley and saw a double-story house with a huge door. Seeing the size of the house and the door, he understood that the owner of the house was a wealthy person and thus entered the home. On entering, he did not encounter anyone on the ground floor, and so proceeded directly to the kitchen where he found a pantry fully stocked with all types of delicious foods! The sight and smell of the food assaulted his senses and the pangs of hunger urged him to help himself to the food. However, his sense of taqwa and the fear of Allah Ta‘ala did not allow him to eat from that which did not belong to him. For close to an hour, he remained in this predicament, torn between the desperation to eat and the fear of Allah Ta‘ala, until eventually, he closed the pantry and departed without eating anything.

Unbeknownst to Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah), the owner of the house had seen him enter, from the upper story, and had been observing him all along! The owner, however, was quite perplexed at the behaviour of Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah). Why did he enter the kitchen and remain there for so long, yet depart without taking anything? With this question in mind, he instructed his servant to call Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah). When Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah) arrived, he asked him the secret to his confusing conduct. Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah) explained that he had not eaten for two days and had thus entered the home out of desperation. However, the fear of Allah Ta‘ala prevented him from eating that which did not belong to him. When the man heard the story, he was impressed by the taqwa of Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah) and the fact that he was studying the knowledge of Deen in Al-Azhar. Hence, without delay, he requested the principal of Al-Azhar as well as some of his friends to come. As soon as they arrived, he married his daughter to Shaikh Ebrahim (rahimahullah).

(I’laamun Nubalaa bi Taareekhi Halab Ash-Shahbaa vol. 7, pgs. 221 & 223)
http://alhaadi.org.za/articles-publi...-of-taqwa.html

[azc]

Once when speaking about the elders of Hatora, Hazrat Qari Siddeeq Ahmad Baandwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) mentioned, that in those days poverty was the order of the day. Every home suffered with hunger. There were also some servants of Allah Ta‘ala whom He had blessed with abundance. They would look after the poor, see to the orphans and widows, etc. There was one person by the name of Muhammad Ilyaas, whom Qari Siddeeq Saheb (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) used to often speak about. He built a warehouse opposite the musjid which he filled with grain from time to time. It was his habit to take a survey of the village and give out grains to those people who did not have any food. This generosity of his was not only confined towards the Muslims, but he would look after the needs of the non-Muslims in the same way.
He would give many people grains on loan and would say to them that you can pay me back when you harvest your crops. Many of them would not even pay him back after the harvesting period was over. He would then say to them, “Very well, bring to me the same amount in the form of berries from the jungles. The jungles used to be full of berries and any person could obtain as much as he wished. This was only his kindness upon them that in this manner he would relieve them of the burden of debt.

Qari Siddeeq Saheb (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) mentioned regarding this same elder that it was his practice that before the Fajr Salaah he would take a walk in the village. In those days people had to grind the flour with their hands because there were no machines to grind flour. In most of the homes the women would grind the flour before Fajr Salaah. Hence before Fajr Salaah one could hear the sounds of the grinding stones. This pious person would go around the houses and wherever he did not hear the sounds of the grinding stones he made a mental note of those homes. After Fajr Salaah he would ask the people of those homes why they were not grinding flour. If they were in need they would maintain silence and hang their heads in shame. This buzurg would understand and instruct his servants to deliver grain to their homes.

Qari Siddeeq Saheb (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) had mentioned, “I had seen this warehouse with my own eyes. It would always be filled with grains. These were the wealthy and pious elders of those days.” May Allah Ta‘ala grant us all the taufeeq (ability) to follow in the beautiful example of our pious predecessors, aameen.

( Hayaat-e-Siddeeq, pg. 4 1)

[azc]

‘Isa bin ‘Umailah Al-Fazaari (rahimahullah) mentions that a certain person told him the following:

I noticed that when Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) would milk his goats, he would give his neighbours and guests to drink before he drank himself. One night, I saw him milk his goats to the point where absolutely nothing remained in their udders. After presenting the milk to his guests, he placed a small amount of dates before them. He thereafter apologized to them saying, “If we had anything better than this, we would have definitely brought it before you.” I thereafter observed that Abu Zar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) himself did not eat a single morsel that night as he had presented all that he possessed to his guests.

(Tabaqaat Ibni Sa’d vol. 4, pg. 178)

[azc]

يحكى أن أبا العباس أحمد بن منصور لما مات رآه رجل من أهل شيراز وهو واقف في المحراب بجامع شيراز وعليه حلة وعلى رأسه تاج مكلل بالجوهر فقال له : ما فعل الله بك؟ قال : غفر لي وأكرمني وتوجني وأدخلني الجنة فقال له : بماذا؟ قال : بكثرة صلاتي على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رواها النميري وكذا ابن بشكوال في القربة وفي ترجمة جماهر من كتاب الصلة له أيضا‎) ‎القول البديع ص‎(259‎ ‎

It is reported regarding Abul ‘Abbaas, Ahmed bin Mansoor, that after he passed away, a man from the inhabitants of Sheeraaz saw him in a dream. In the dream, Ahmed bin Mansoor was standing in the mihraab of the Jaami’ Musjid of Sheeraaz, he was adorned in a set of (beautiful) clothing and had a crown on his head which was decorated with precious stones. The man asked him, “How did Allah Ta‘ala deal with you?” He replied, “Allah Ta‘ala forgave my sins, granted me honor, crowned me with the crown of Paradise and blessed me with entry into Jannah.” The man thus asked, “On account of which action did Allah Ta‘ala honor you with this lofty position?” He replied, “On account of the abundant durood that I would recite on Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).”

[azc]

Shaikh Abur Rabee’ (rahimahullah) relates the following incident:

I once heard of a very pious lady by the name of Fidh-dhah who lived in a certain village. This woman, Fidh-dhah, was rapidly gaining fame as word of an amazing phenomenon regarding her spread among people. Although we do not visit women, due to the necessity to investigate and ascertain the reality and authenticity of this rumour, I took a group of people and travelled to her village.

On arriving in the village and making enquiries, the people of the village informed us that Fidh-dhah possessed a she goat that yielded both milk and honey. Hearing this, we bought a brand new bowl and proceeded to her home.

On arriving, we greeted her with salaam and said, “We wish to witness the barakah (blessing) of your goat.” Fidh-dhah obliged and made the goat over to us. After receiving the goat, we began milking it and as it was reputed, both milk and honey flowed from the teats of the goat!

After enjoying the milk and honey, we asked Fidh-dhah to tell us the secret to the special barakah (blessing) she and her family enjoyed from the goat. In response, she mentioned the following story to me:

There was a time when we were very poor and possessed nothing except a small she goat. When ‘Eidul Adha arrived, my husband, who was a pious man, said to me, “We own nothing except this she goat. Let us sacrifice it for ‘Eid in the name of Allah Ta‘ala.” I replied, “Don’t slaughter it as we need it. Allah Ta‘ala has not made it necessary for us to sacrifice an animal for ‘Eid in circumstances of such poverty.”

Coincidentally, a guest arrived on that very Day of ‘Eid and we had no food with which to entertain him. I thus said to my husband, “Allah Ta‘ala has instructed us to honour our guests by entertaining them and seeing to their comfort. Let us slaughter this she goat for our guest.” As my husband prepared to slaughter the goat, I said to him, “You should slaughter it outside the house, behind the wall, so that the sight of its slaughter does not distress our children and cause them to cry.”

My husband thus took the goat and made his way out of the yard to slaughter it. However, while he was meant to be slaughtering it, I saw the goat jump onto the wall and re-enter the yard. Thinking that the goat had escaped, I went outside and saw that my husband had already slaughtered our goat and was now in the process of skinning it! I exclaimed to him, “How strange! Another she goat, resembling our own, has entered our yard!” Hearing this, my husband said, “Perhaps Allah Ta‘ala has granted us a goat which is better.”

Whereas our first goat yielded only milk, this second goat yields both milk and honey! This special barakah which we enjoy was granted to us on account of us honouring our guest.

Fidh-dhah then advised saying, “This goat grazes in the pasture of the heart. If you sow goodness and righteousness in your hearts, it will graze on good and its milk will accordingly be wholesome and good. Conversely, spoiling your hearts and filling them with filth and muck causes the milk of the goat to spoil and turn bad. Therefore, ensure that you guard your hearts from evil, then everything will be of benefit to you.”

(Rowdhur Rayyaaheen pg. 93)

[azc]

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : اشترى رجل ممن كان قبلكم عقارا من رجل فوجد الذي اشترى العقار في عقاره جرة فيها ذهب فقال له الذي اشترى العقار : خذ ذهبك عني إنما اشتريت العقار ولم ابتع منك الذهب . فقال بائع الأرض : إنما بعتك الأرض وما فيها فتحاكما إلى رجل فقال الذي تحاكما إليه : ألكما ولد ؟ فقال أحدهما : لي غلام وقال الآخر : لي جارية . فقال : أنكحوا الغلام الجارية وأنفقوا عليهما منه وتصدقوا. ‏‎--‎البخاري رقم 3472

Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “There was once a man who purchased some land from another. The purchaser found an earthenware utensil filled with gold buried in the ground. Hence he went to the seller and told him: ‘Take your gold, for I have purchased from you only the land and not the gold.’ The former owner replied: ‘Well! I have sold you the land together with whatever is in it.’
Hence both the buyer and seller presented their case to a third person in order to resolve their dispute. He asked them: ‘Do you have any children?’ One of them replied: ‘I have a son.’ The other replied: ‘I have a daughter.’ The one presiding over their case then said: ‘Get the boy married to the girl. Spend some of this wealth in seeing to their needs and give the rest in charity.'”

[azc]

Ulama e Haq:

Khedive Ismail Pasha was appointed as the ruler over Egypt by the Ottoman Empire. During his reign, Egypt and Ethiopia were at war from 1874 to 1876. Due to the disunity that existed between the various commanders of the Egyptian army, Egypt suffered numerous defeats during this war, and was ultimately unsuccessful against Ethiopia.

One day, Khedive Ismail felt depressed and overcome by anxiety on account of the defeats that Egypt was suffering. He thus mounted his conveyance and set out with his minister, Shareef Pasha, hoping to find a way to relieve his anxiety and dispel his worries. While they were out, he turned to Shareef Pasha and asked him, “When you have a serious problem that you need to solve, what do you do?” Shareef Pasha answered, “It is my habit that when I have a problem, I request the pious ‘Ulama to recite the kitaab, Saheeh Bukhaari, on my behalf. Through the blessings of this kitaab, Allah Ta‘ala assists me to solve my problem.” Khedive Ismail replied, “We will speak to the Shaikh of Al-Azhar and ask him to arrange for Saheeh Bukhaari to be recited.”

Accordingly, Shaikh Aroosi, the Shaikh of Al-Azhar, gathered the pious ‘Ulama who began to recite Saheeh Bukhaari. However, news of the Egyptian army’s defeat continued to arrive. After some time, Khedive Ismail and Shareef Pasha went to the ‘Ulama where Khedive Ismail said to them in anger, “Either the kitaab that you are reciting is not Saheeh Bukhaari, or you are not the pious ‘Ulama that we think you to be, like the pious ‘Ulama of the past. Allah Ta‘ala has not assisted us in any way through you and your recitation!”

On hearing this outburst, the gathering of ‘Ulama remained silent. However, an old ‘Aalim, seated in the last row of the gathering, spoke up and said, “It is your fault, Ismail, as Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has said,‘You will certainly command people towards righteousness and forbid them from evil, or Allah Ta‘ala will allow the evil among you to rule over you. Thereafter, when the pious among you will make du‘aa, it will not be accepted.’” When the old ‘Aalim said this, there was pin drop silence. After a few moments, Khedive Ismail and Shareef Pasha turned and left without uttering a word.

As soon as they left, the other ‘Ulama began to reproach him for speaking against the ruler as they feared that he would be punished or killed. Mere moments later, Shareef Pasha returned and informed the old ‘Aalim that Khedive Ismail had summoned him. The other ‘Ulama were now convinced that the old ‘Aalim was departing to his death, and they thus began to bid him farewell.

The old ‘Aalim accompanied Shareef Pasha to the palace of Khedive Ismail. On entering, they found Khedive Ismail in the hall with a chair before him. After seating the old ‘Aalim in the chair, Khedive Ismail said,“Repeat what you said to me earlier, in Al-Azhar.”When the old ‘Aalim repeated the hadeeth of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and explained what it meant, Khedive Ismail asked, “What evils have we committed due to which this calamity has befallen us?” The old ‘Aalim replied,“Have the mixed courts (courts with jurisdiction over residents of foreign nationality) not begun to pass laws permitting interest and usury? Has adultery and fornication not been allowed? Has wine and alcohol not been legalised?”In this manner, the old ‘Aalim continued citing many more examples of evils and sins that were undeniable realities. He then concluded saying, “When this is our lamentable condition, how can we expect to receive the assistance of Allah Ta‘ala?”

After hearing him out, Khedive Ismail exclaimed,“What can we do? We cannot help it! There are non-Muslims living here with us and we need to appease them!”The old ‘Aalim responded, “In that case, what is the fault of Saheeh Bukhaari, and what can the ‘Ulama do to help you? (i.e. when you wish to compromise Deen to appease the kuffaar, then you should not blame Saheeh Bukhaari and should not expect the du‘aa of the ‘Ulama to avail you, as you have caused yourself to be deprived of the assistance of Allah Ta‘ala).”

Khedive Ismail lowered his head and pondered over the profound words of the old ‘Aalim for some time. Eventually, he raised his head and submitted,“You are right and you have spoken the truth.”Saying this, he allowed the old ‘Aalim to return to Al-Azhar where he was received by the other ‘Ulama who were joyous over his safe return.

(Min Akhlaaqil ‘Ulama pgs. 97)

[azc]

There was once a man who was in a state of poverty. One day, he left home with some yarn and sold it for one dirham (silver coin), hoping to purchase flour. Coincidentally, he thereafter passed by two men who were fighting with one another and shouting. On enquiring the reason for their quarrel, he was informed that they were fighting over a dirham. In order to end their dispute and create peace between them, he gave them his dirham – even though it was the only money that he possessed.

The man then returned home and informed his wife of what had transpired. As they were in poverty and required food, she gathered some of their household items and handed them to her husband so that he could sell them and raise some money to buy their needs. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, he was unable to sell the goods.

After some time he met a man who had a fish that had begun to spoil. On seeing him, the man said, “You have goods which you cannot sell, and I have something which I cannot sell. Why do you not then sell me your goods in exchange of this fish?” The man agreed and they thus swapped the fish for the goods.

He then went home and handed the fish to his wife saying, “Please clean and prepare this fish, as we are dying of hunger!” Suddenly, while cleaning the fish, she slit its belly and discovered a pearl inside! She turned to her husband and said, “Something has emerged from the belly of the fish. It is smaller than a chicken’s egg and resembles a pigeon’s egg.”

The husband asked her to show it to him. When he looked at the item, he saw something that he had never before seen in his life. He was seized by excitement and exclaimed, “I think that it’s a pearl!” His wife asked him, “Do you know the value of a pearl?” He replied, “No, but I know a person who does.” Saying this, the husband took the pearl and went to one of his friends who was a jeweller by trade.

When he arrived at the shop of his friend, he greeted him with salaam and sat to speak to him. He then handed the pearl to him and asked, “How much is this worth?” After examining the pearl for a lengthy period, his friend said, “I can give you forty thousand dirhams (silver coins) for this pearl. If you wish, I can give you the money immediately. However, if you want a higher price, you can go to so-and-so, as he will pay you even more for this pearl.”

The man accepted his friend’s advice and went to the second person. When he saw the pearl, he said, “I can pay you eighty thousand dirhams for this pearl, but if you wish, you can go to so-and-so, as he can pay you more than I can.”

The man thus proceeded to the third person who examined the pearl and said, “I can pay you one hundred and twenty thousand dirhams, and I do not know of anyone who will pay you more than this.”

The man happily accepted the offer and returned. His money, which was in twelve piles of ten thousand dirhams each, was carried along with him to his home. As he arrived at home with the money, he found a beggar at the door. He told the beggar what had transpired and how he had acquired the wealth and bade him to come inside. When the beggar had entered, the man said to him, “Take half of this wealth.”

The beggar took six of the piles, equalling sixty thousand dirhams, and departed. However, after going a short distance, he returned and said, “I am neither in poverty nor am I destitute. Allah Ta‘ala, who gave you twenty qeeraat in exchange of the one dirham that you spent, sent me to you. All this money that Allah Ta‘ala has given you is only one of the twenty qeeraat, and Allah Ta‘ala has kept the other nineteen qeeraat in store for you in the Hereafter.”

(Al-Faraj ba’dash Shiddah vol. 3, pg. 238)

[azc]

Hadhrat Salman Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) went outside of Madain and with him was a guest. Deers were running and birds were flying through the forest. He said, “Out of you one deer and one bird, come to me! Because a guest has come to me, who I have to entertain.” Both came and the person uttered ‘Subhan’Allah!’ Hadhrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Are you suprised at this? Have you ever seen a person obeying Allah Ta’ala and then anything is disobeying him?“

Jamaal al-Awliya, pg. 55

[azc]

Moulana Maseehullah Khan Saheb (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) went to school in his hometown, Barlah, and then moved onto Aligarh to continue with his education. He completed up to grade six. He always excelled in his class and would very often take the first position. However since his heart was not inclined towards worldly education, his father then took him out of school and engaged him in Deeni ta’leem.

Even whilst he was in school, he was extremely punctual in performing his salaah with jamaat. Once Hazratjee (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) mentioned, “Our school would terminate at 12:30 pm. Near our school was a small musjid. Daily I would go to the musjid after school and perform my Zuhr Salaah with jamaat.”

( Hazrat Moulana Maseehullah Khan Saheb [rahmatullahi ‘alaih] – A Brief Biography, pg. 12)

[azc]

Ubayd ibn Ameer Al-Makkee )رضي الله عنه( was among the senior tabiyeen and was a great scholar and judge in Makkah. Once he went through an extreme test when a beautiful woman tried to entice him by her beauty but by the mercy of Allah ‏he failed her to get her desire fulfilled, besides, he turned her into a decent and righteous woman.

Allama Ibnul Qayyim ‎رضي الله عنه reported from Abul Faraj and others in his book Roudhatul Muhibbeen wa Nuzhatul Mushtaaqeen -pg. 345:

There used to be a beautiful, gorgeous and married woman in Makkah.

One day she looked at herself in the mirror and said to her husband “Do you think there is anyone who can look at this face and not be enticed by it?” He answered, “Yes”. She enquired as to who it could be. He said, “Ubayd bin Ameer”. She asked him, “Grant me permission so that I may go entice him”. He gave her permission.

The woman approached the judge on the pretext of asking him for a fatwa. Therefore, he went with her to a part of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam and sat in privacy with her. Then she uncovered her face; it looked like half of a moon.

He promptly said to her, “O slave of Allah! Fear Allah and cover your face”. She said, “I am captivated by you so let me get my desire fulfilled”.

The judge responded saying, “I am going to ask you a few questions if you answer them truly then I will think about your issue”.

He asked, “If the angel of death is capturing your soul would you like to get your desire fulfilled?” “By Allah, no”, she replied. He said, “You are right”.

“When you are being buried in the grave and are being questioned by the angels would you like to have your desire carried out?” She replied, “By Allah, no”. He said, “You are true”.

“When people are being handed over their deeds to and you don’t know which hand your deeds will be handed over to would you like to get your desire accomplished?” She replied, “By Allah, no”. He said, “You are right”.

“When you are passing over the siraat )It is a bridge that will be set up over Hell( and you don’t know if you would pass over it or fall down into hell, would you be happy to have your desire carried out?” She replied, “By Allah, no”. He said, “You are right”.

“When the balance is being placed and you don’t know that your balance would be heavy or light, would you want me to carry out your desire?” She replied, “By Allah, no”. He said, “You are true”.

“When you are standing before Allah ‏for questioning, would you like to have your desire accomplished? She replied, “By Allah, no”. He said, “You are right”. He further added, “O’ my sister, fear Allah who blessed you with His favours and bounties”.

When the woman returned to her house, her husband asked her what had happened. She replied, “you are useless and we too”. Thereafter, she occupied herself with Sawn and Salaah and acts of worship, so much so that her husband used to say, “What wrong have I done to Ubayd ibn Umair? He spoiled my wife; she used to be a bride every night but he has turned her into a worshipper and obedient to Allah ‏

[azc]

Fadhlul Haq, who was the minister of Bengal and Calcutta on behalf of the Muslim League, once needed to travel from Delhi to Calcutta. To make the journey, he decided to buy a first-class train ticket

After boarding the train, he asked his attendant “Where is my Quraan Majeed? Is it aboard the train?” The attendant replied, “All the luggage has not yet been loaded into the carriage, and the box in which we packed the Quraan Majeed still needs to be loaded. I will bring it immediately.” When he heard this, Fadhlul Haq immediately said, “I have told you, on multiple occasions, to ensure that the Quraan Majeed comes into the carriage first. Unload whatever luggage has already been loaded, we will take the next train and ensure that the Quraan Majeed goes into the carriage first.” Saying this, Fadhlul Haq exited the carriage and left the train.

On seeing Fadhlul Haq exit the carriage, some Hindus who were already seated inside began to laugh in mockery and said, “How strange! He left the train because his Quraan did not come first!”

Later on as the train Fadhlul Haq had abandoned neared Calcutta, the entire first-class carriage exploded. It turned out that some Hindus who were the enemies of Fadhlul Haq, had planted a bomb under the first-class carriage in the hope of killing him. When the carriage exploded, most of the people in it were killed and the few survivors were critically injured. On learning of the fate of the first-class carriage which he had abandoned, Fadhlul Haq said, “The Hindus wish to kill me. They should bear in mind that the Quraan Majeed always remains with me and nothing can thus harm me.”

The few Hindus who survived the explosion later on wrote in an article, “When Fadhlul Haq exited the carriage, we were initially laughing. However, we now know that he was fortunate to have exited and we know that the Quraan Majeed saved him.”

(Quraan ke Hayrat Angez Waaqi‘aat pg. 322)

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In Al-Fawaaid Ad-daraaree, Al-Ajloonee related that Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) once travelled by boat on a journey to seek out knowledge and that he had taken with him one-thousand dinars. One of his fellow travelers ingratiated himself with Imam Bukharee, outwadly showing him love and admiration. During the sea-voyage, the man often made it a point to sit in his company. On long journeys, friendships develop faster than normal, and during the course of the time they spent together, Imam Bukhaaree informed the man that he had one-thousand dinars with him.

The morning after Imam Bukharee spoke about the money, the man woke up and began to cry, scream, rip his clothing apart, and slap his own face, as if he had just been afflicted with a great loss. His fellow shipmates asked him what was wrong, and he refused to answer at first, as if he was still in a state of shock and could not bring himself to speak about his situation. After they continually insisted that he tell them what the matter was with him, he finally said, “I had a bag that contained one-thousand dinars, and I lost it.”

The crewmen who were incharge of the ship began to search the passengers. One by one everyone was being searched, and upon realizing what was happening, Imam Bukharee, making sure that no one was looking, threw his bag of money over the side of the ship. When it was his turn to be searched, nothing was found. When the entire ship and all of its passengers were searched, and when no bag of money was found, those in authority on the ship went back to the man who had made up the story and chastised him for making a false claim and for putting them through so much trouble. As soon as the ship finally reached shore, the passengers began to disembark; meanwhile, Imam Bukhaaree’s old friend went to him and asked him what he had done with the bag of money.

“I threw it into the sea,” Imam Bukhaaree matter-of-factly replied.

“And you are patiently accepting the fact that you have just lost such a huge sum of money?” the man asked in bewilderment.

“O ignorant one,” Imam Bukhaaree said,
“Do you not know that I have spent my entire life gathering the Ahadeeth of the Messenger (Sallalaahu alaihi wa Sallam) and that the world now acknowledges my trustworthiness. Would it then have been befitting for me to subject myself to the accusation of theft? And shall I lose the precious pearl (i.e my knowledge and achievements as a scholar) that I have earned over a lifetime over a limited number of dinars?”

Refer Al-Fawaaid Ad-Daraaree As-Sujloonee, and to Seerathul Bukhaaree by Al-Mubaarakpooree
Source: The Boigraphy of Imaam Bukhaaree (May Allah have mercy on him), published by dar-us-salam. pg 143-144

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Imam Ahmad rh recorded that Abu Hurayrah RA said,

“A man and his wife from an earlier generation were poor. Once when the man came back from a journey, he went to his wife saying to her, while feeling hunger and fatigued, `Do you have anything to eat’ She said, `Yes, receive the good news of Allah’s provisions.’ He again said to her, `If you have anything to eat, bring it to me.’ She said, `Wait a little longer.’ She was awaiting Allah’s mercy. When the matter was prolonged, he said to her, `Get up and bring me whatever you have to eat, because I am real hungry and fatigued.’ She said, `I will. Soon I will open the oven’s cover, so do not be hasty.’ When he was busy and refrained from insisting for a while, she said to herself, `I should look in my oven.’ So she got up and looked in her oven and found it full of the meat of a lamb, and her mortar and pestle was full of seed grains; it was crushing the seeds on its own. So, she took out what was in the mortar and pestle, after shaking it to remove everything from inside, and also took the meat out that she found in the oven.”

Abu Hurayrah RA added, “By He in Whose Hand is the life of Abu Al-Qasim (Prophet Muhammad s.a.w)! This is the same statement that Muhammad s.a.w said, (Had she taken out what was in her mortar and not emptied it fully by shaking it, it would have continued crushing the seeds until the Day of Resurrection.)”
https://abdurrahman.org/2014/01/29/s...0%2C2342545214

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“Or like the one who passed by a town in ruin up to its roofs. He said: “How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death” So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again). He said: “How long did you remain (dead)” He (the man) said: “(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day.” He said: “Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at your food and your drink, they show no change; and look at your donkey! And thus We have made of you a sign for the people. Look at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh.” When this was clearly shown to him, he said, “I know (now) that Allah is able to do all things.”(Qur’an 2.259)

Allah’s statement,
(Have you not looked at him who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord) means, “Have you seen anyone like the person who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord” Then, Allah connected the Ayah,

(Or like the one who passed by a town in ruin up to its roofs)to the Ayah above by using `or’.

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said that the Ayah (2:259) meant `Uzayr. Ibn Jarir also reported it, and this explanation was also reported by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim from Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Sulayman bin Buraydah.
Mujahid bin Jabr said that the Ayah refers to a man from the Children of Israel, and the village was Jerusalem, after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it and killed its people.

(in ruin) means, it became empty of people. Allah’s statement,
(up to its roofs) indicates that the roofs and walls (of the village) fell to the ground. `Uzayr stood contemplating about what had happened to that city, after a great civilization used to inhabit it. He said,

(Oh! How will Allah ever bring it to life after its death) because of the utter destruction he saw and the implausibility of its returning to what it used to be. Allah said,
(So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again).)

The city was rebuilt seventy years after the man (`Uzayr) died, and its inhabitants increased and the Children of Israel moved back to it.When Allah resurrected `Uzayr after he died, the first organ that He resurrected were his eyes, so that he could witness what Allah does with him, how He brings life back to his body.When his resurrection was complete, Allah said to him, meaning through the angel,

(“How long did you remain (dead)” He (the man) said: “(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day.”)

The scholars said that since the man died in the early part of the day and Allah resurrected him in the latter part of the day, when he saw that the sun was still apparent, he thought that it was the sun of that very day. He said,

(“Or part of a day. ” He said: “Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at your food and your drink, they show no change.”)

He had grapes, figs and juice, and he found them as he left them; neither did the juice spoil nor the figs become bitter nor the grapes rot.

(And look at your donkey!),“How Allah brings it back to life while you are watching.”

(And thus We have made of you a sign for the people)that Resurrection occurs.

(Look at the bones, how We Nunshizuha) meaning, collect them and put them back together. In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim, recorded that Kharijah bin Zayd bin Thabit said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah read this Ayah,

(how We Nunshizuha.) Al-Hakim said; “Its chain is Sahih and they (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.” The Ayah was also read,
(نُنْشِرُهَا)
“Nunshiruha” meaning, bring them back to life, as Mujahid stated.
(And clothe them with flesh. )

As-Suddi said, ”`Uzayr observed the bones of his donkey, which were scattered all around him to his right and left, and Allah sent a wind that collected the bones from all over the area. Allah then brought every bone to its place, until they formed a full donkey made of fleshless bones. Allah then covered these bones with flesh, nerves, veins and skin. Allah sent an angel who blew life in the donkeys’ nostrils, and the donkey started to bray by Allah’s leave.” All this occurred while `Uzayr was watching, and this is when he proclaimed,

(He said, “I know (now) that Allah is able to do all things,”)meaning, “I know that, and I did witness it with my own eyes. Therefore, I am the most knowledgeable in this matter among the people of my time.”

Source: Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Surah Baqarah, Ayah 259

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A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik Bin Dinar's house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see nothing worth stealing. Maalik was busy performing prayer. Realizing he was not alone, he quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief.

Without showing any signs of shock or scare, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and said, "My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave without taking away some benefit."

He went in another room and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said,

"Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought."

Humbled by Maalik's manners and words, the thief said, "Yes, that is a generous offer indeed."

After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, "O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer?"

Maalik said, "Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now."

The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maalik's house. He continued to pray until morning. Then Maalik said, "Leave now and be good."

But instead of leaving, the thief said, "Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast?"
"Stay as long as you wish," Maalik said.

The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting in the day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, "O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life."
Maalik said, "That is in the Hand of Allah."

The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, he came across another burglar who asked him, "Have you found your treasure yet?"
He replied, "My brother, what I found is Maalik Bin Dinar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door (of His Mercy and Forgiveness) until I achieve what his obedient, loving slaves have achieved."

[Al-Mawaa'idh wal-Majaalis: 85]

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A story mentioned by Hadhrat Maulana Adam Sahib DB:Hadrat Luqman very pious slave. One day, his master ordered him to slaughter a goat and to bring him the best parts from it. Luqman brought him the tongue and heart. The master asked: “Didn’t you find anything more pleasant than these?” Hadrat Luqman said: “No!” After a while, the master ordered him to slaughter a goat and to bring the most malignant and dirty parts. Hadrat Luqman slaughtered the goat and brought the tongue and heart. The master was confused and exclaimed: “I ordered you to bring me the best parts and you brought me the tongue and heart, and I ordered you to bring the most malignant parts and you brought the tongue and heart again, how can this be?” Hadrat Luqman replied: “Nothing can be more pleasing than these if they are good and nothing can be more malicious than these if they are malignant.”

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Sultan Sikandar Lodhi (died 923H,1561 AD) was faced with an issue that many Hindus of Delhi participated in the group bath at Kurukshetra fair.. they used to come in great numbers and a religious fair was observed..People complained to Sikander Lodhi that an Islamic Sultanate should not have such customs.

Sikandar Lodhi attempted to halt it, but before that he sought the counsel of Ulema... Malik al Ulema Hazrat Maulana Abdullah Ajodhani was also present in the meeting..

All the ulema collectively hinted towards him saying that his opinion would be the final word and it shall be the decision of all of us... Sikandar Lodhi wished that Maulana Abdullah would give a ruling prohibiting the Fair..

Maulana Abdullah inquired " What is this Kurukshetra..?"

He replied that " it is a very big tank where Hindus from Delhi.. near and far gather for a bath.."

Maulana asked " how old is this custom..?" and people replied " it is prevalent since olden times.."

Maulana Abdullah gave a Fatwa saying

" To destroy any old place of worship regardless of its religious affiliation, from an Islamic perspective, is Not permissible.."

When Sikander Lodhi heard the decision being made against his wishes.. with hands gripping on his dagger he said..:

"This Fatwa of yours is favorable to the Hindus.. I shall slay you first then destroy kurukshetra"

Maulana Abdullah replied him with great courage and audacity:

"No one dies without the orders of Allah سبحانه وتعالى .. Whenever I visit a tyrant.. i prepare myself for death beforehand.. you inquired me of a Shari'i injunction.. so I have informed you of .. if you have no concern for Shari'ah.. then what was the need to ask.."

Hearing this firm response... Sikander remained mute.. after a while when his fury settled down and the meeting was dispersed.. he quipped at Maulana " Miyan Abdullah..! do keep meeting me.."

( Waqiat Mushtaq , P:61)

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Hazrat Maulana Rafi'uddin sahab had migrated to Makkah Mukarramah.. he also passed away there.. he was aware of the Hadith that Nabi Kareem had made the Shaybi family custodians of the key to the Holy Kaaba.. that Even if (god forbid) all the families in Makkah were to be ruined.., the family of Shaybi shall last till the day of judgment..

This was his faith.. Maulana had a strange plan..

Truly, these buzurgs deserve praise..how far do they think..

Maulana collected a Hamail Shareef (pocket edition of Holy Qur'an) and a sword... and wrote a letter to Imam Mahdi..:

" Faqeer Rafi'uddin deobandi resides in Makkah Mu'azzamah and you are organizing for Jihad.. the Mujahideen are with you and shall get the same rewards as those of Badr.. This Hamail is presented by Rafi'uddin for your own self as a gift... and the sword may be given to a Mujahid that he would fight on my behalf and I shall get the reward of Mujahideen e Badr..."

Taking the sword and Hamail he entrusted it with a Shaybi who was the Shaybi of that period.. and told him that till the advent of Mahdi this shall remain in Amanah ( in custody) with you..

That you shall make this a will to pass on to your successor when death approaches..also pass the message that at the time of his death, he has to make the will that the Hamail and sword of "Rafi'uddin" shall continue in the family for generations.. till Imam Mahdi arises.. such that the Shaybi of that time would deliver both these presents of mine to Imam mahdi..

( Khutbaat Hakeem ul Islam )

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Imam Zayn Al-Abidin, May Allah be well pleased him, looked after the poor people in the city of Madinah and took into account their feelings and their explanations of how they understood life as a whole. For example, when he would give the beggars some charity, he would kiss them in order to make them smile, so that he wouldn’t see the mark of abasement and need on their faces.”

(Hilyatul-Awliyah – The Adorment of the Friends of Allah)

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Abū Abdullāh al Hāris bin Asad al Muhāsabi rahmatullah alayh. He was born in Basra, known by the title of Al Muhāsabi because of his excessive accountability of self. His date of birth is unknown but his demise was in 243h. in Baghdād.

Hāris al Muhāsabi rahmatullah alayh have a very profound and holistic manhaj (methodology) of tasawwuf. Judging from what he has written in his books on the topic, he was very particular about adaptation of Qur’ān, Sunnah, sayings and actions of the Sahaba radi allāhu anhum according to his knowledge and understanding. His books are apparently void of philosophical discussions onTasawuf, rather all his writing are directed toward rectification of one’s understanding (of dīn) and one’s actions; pondering over Allah Ta’āla and purification of one’s Nafs and its cleanliness from all the illnesses; and drawing oneself closer to Allah Taāla. In other words al Muhāsabi has only written or spoken of those things which involves ones actions.
This is the true noble Sharai manhaj which should be adhered onto and will be rewarded inshā’Allah.

– –
Ibn Dhafar al Maghrabī mentions in his book, “Anbā’ Nujabā’ al Abnā’” that when Hāris al Muhāsabī was a young boy, he once passed by two children playing at the doorstep of a date merchant. Hāris stopped for a while to see the children playing. In the meantime the owner (date seller) came out of the house. He had some dates in his hand.

He said to Hāris, “Eat these dates”.

Hāris replied, “What is the matter with them?”

The merchant said, “I had sold a Sā (1) of dried dates to a person and some fell from his merchandize.”

Hāris asked, “Do you know the buyer?”

“Yes” responded the merchant.
Hāris then turned to the two boys playing and asked, “Is this old man (merchant) a Muslim?”

They replied, “Yes”.

So Hāris started walking and left him. The date merchant followed him until he grabbed hold of him and said, “Wallāh I will not lighten (the grasp) of my hand until you tell me what is in your heart for me!”

So Hāris answered, “O Sheikh, if you are a Muslim then search for the owner of those dates so much so that your only focus is his search, like how you would search for water if you were extremely thirsty. O Sheikh, you feed the children of muslimīn with harām while you are a muslim?!”

The old man said, “Wallah! I will never trade for worldly things.”
– –
Al Qushayrī says in Ar Risālah Pg. 15 and Ibn Khalkān in Al Wafayāt 1:126 and Ibn Hajr in Tahdhībut Tahdhīb 2:135 that Al Junaid (2) said that the day the father of al Hāris passed away, he had a need of adāniq(1/6thof adirham) while his father had left him 70,000 dirhams. Hāris al Muhāsabī did not take anything from it although he was entitled for it all. This was because his father was from among the Qadariyyah (3). Hāris al Muhāsabī thought it to be contrary to piety that he takes anything from his father’s inheritance.
– –
Some of the sayings of Hāris Al Muhāsabi are:

“He who does not show gratitude to Allah upon His blessings has essentially made duā’for those blessings to be taken away from him.”

“Whosoever will rectify hisBātin (hidden) through murāqabah and Ikhlās, Allah will beautify his Dhāhir (apparent) with Mujāhadah (struggle) and following of Sunnah.”

“Whoever struggles towards his Bātin Allah will inherit him with goodness in his matters of Dhāhir, and whoever beautifies his matters of Dhāhir along with struggle towards his bātin, Allah will inherit him guidance towards it because Allah says “And those who struggle in our path We shall most definitely guide them towards our path, and verily Allah is with those who do good.”

Adapted from Tarjumatul Mu’allif by Sheikh Abdul Fattāh Abu Ghuddah
Risālatul Mustarshidīn lil Haris al Muhāsabī, Pg. 60
Darul Islām

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Imam Al-Bukhari’s mother was a pious and ascetic woman, and was blessed with a sincere du’a. It is narrated that Imam Al-Bukhari ra went blind in his youth and she saw an amazing dream: she saw Al-Khalil, Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and he said to her, ‘O you, Allah has returned your son’s eyesight because of your abundant tears and du’a’.

They woke up and Allah swt had returned his eyesight.


Tarikh Baghdad, 2/10, Siyar, 12/393, Intro of ‘Al-Fatih’, 502

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The only reason that Hazrat Moulana Husain Ahmad Madani (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) had given himself up for imprisonment in Malta was to serve his ustaaz, Shaikhul Hind Moulana Mahmoodul Hasan (rahmatullahi ‘alaih).

Hazrat Moulana Madani (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) rendered such service that Shaikhul Hind (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned to his wife, “My own son would not have been able to render the service which Molvi Husain Ahmad had made for me.”

Because Malta was extremely cold, and there was no hot water to make wudhu with, Hazrat Moulana Madani (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) would hold the water bag to his stomach the entire night just so that it would be warm enough for his ustaaz to use at the time of Tahajjud.

(Hazrat Moulana Husain Ahmad Madani [rahmatullahi ‘alaih] pg. 219)

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Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahimahullah), the reviver of the effort of tableegh, was once invited to a tableeghi gathering in Muzaffarnagar. On arrival in Muzaffarnagar, he observed that the people who invited him had brought elephants to the station as they wished to form a ‘procession’ to escort him to the gathering. Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah) objected and explained that traveling in this manner was against the fundamental principles of the effort of tableegh. Hence, Moulana (rahimahullah) sat in an ordinary horse carriage and reached his residence.

As planned, the tableeghi gathering commenced, only for Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah) to learn, shortly after, that Moulana Sayyid Husain Ahmad Madani (rahimahullah) was delivering a lecture in another gathering nearby. Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah) immediately cancelled his lecture and instructed those present saying, “Moulana Madani (rahimahullah) has come. Everybody should go to that gathering and listen to his lecture.”

As for Moulana Husain Ahmad Madani (rahimahullah), as soon as he learnt that Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah) had arrived and was going to deliver a bayaan at a tableeghi gathering, he cancelled his lecture and instructed the audience to proceed to the tableeghi gathering to listen to the lecture of Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah).

Hence, neither did Moulana Ilyaas (rahimahullah) deliver his lecture, nor did Moulana Madani (rahimahullah) deliver his. However, they both left behind an amazing example of sincerity for generations to come.

(Hazrat Madani [r.a] Waaqi‘aat aur Karaamaat ki Roshni me, pg. 104)

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‘Ataa’ Sulami (rahimahullah) narrates the following:

I was once passing through the alleys of Kufah when I saw ‘Alyaan laughing at a doctor. As it was well known that ‘Alyaan never laughed, I became intrigued and drew closer. As I approached, I asked him why he was laughing. ‘Alyaan replied, “I am laughing at this doctor who is treating the illnesses of others, despite the fact that he is himself fatally ill.” Hearing this, I asked ‘Alyaan, “Do you know of any medication that can save him from his illness?” “Yes!” he replied, “I know of a medication which is such that if it is administered to him, I hope that he will recover.” “What is the formula of this medication?” I prompted. On my request, ‘Alyaan proceeded to prescribe the following:

1. A few leaves from the tree of poverty
2. The root of the tree of sabr (patience, forbearance and steadfastness)
3. Fruit from the tree of humility
4. Fruit from the tree of ma’rifat (recognition of Allah Ta‘ala)
5. The ingredient of pondering over one’s condition

Using the mortar and pestle (or the grinding stone) of grief and regret over one’s sins, crush the above ingredients into a fine paste. Thereafter place the paste into the pan of taqwa and pour some of the water of hayaa into the mixture. Using the firewood of Allah Ta‘ala’s love, light a fire beneath the pan and boil the mixture until it begins to froth. Once the mixture is prepared, empty it into the bottle of always remaining pleased over the decision of Allah Ta‘ala. Thereafter, cool the mixture by fanning it with the fan of the praise of Allah Ta‘ala. Finally, take this medication consistently, by pouring a little into the cup of concern over one’s state and condition, and by swallowing it using the spoon of repentance. If this medication is taken regularly, there is hope that the person will never again fall into the illness of disobeying Allah Ta‘ala.

(Taareekh Ibni ‘Asaakir, vol. 41, pg. 524)

[MazharShafiq]

There lived a pious man all by himself, who spent most of his time in praying, fasting and praising Allah. Almost all his waking hours were utilised in meditation and devotions. He was very happy with his spiritual progress. No wicked thoughts came to his mind and no evil temptations entered his heart.

One night, he dreamt a rather disturbing dream. He saw that a shopkeeper in the town was far superior to him in spirituality and that he must go to him to learn the basics of true spiritual life.

In the morning, the pious man went in search of the shopkeeper. He found him busy with his customers, selling goods and collecting money with a cheerful face. He sat there in a corner of the shop and watched the shopkeeper carefully. No signs of any spiritual life at all, he said to himself. His dream could not be true. But then he saw the shopkeeper disappear to pray his Salah. When he returned, he was busy dealing with money matters again.

The shopkeeper noticed the pious man sitting in the corner and asked: "As Salamu Alaikum, would you like something, brother?"

"Wa Alaikum As Salam. Oh! No! No!" said the pious man. "I don't want to buy anything, but I want to ask you a question." He then related his dream.

"Well, that is very simple to explain," said the shopkeeper, "but you will have to do something for me before I answer your question."

"I will do anything for you," replied the pious man.

"All right! Take this saucer; there is some mercury in it. Go to the other end of the street and come back fast within half an hour. If the mercury falls out of the saucer, you will hear nothing from me. There you go now."

The pious man took the saucer and started running. The mercury nearly wobbled out of the saucer. He saved it just in time, and slowed down. Then he remembered he had to return within half an hour, so he started walking at a fast pace. At long last he returned puffing and panting. "Here is your mercury, safe and sound," he told the shopkeeper. "Now tell me the true interpretation of my dream."

The shopkeeper looked at the pious man's weary condition and asked him: "Well, friend, how many times did you remember Allah while you were going from this end of the street to the other?"

"Remember Allah!" exclaimed the pious man. "I did not remember Him at all. I was so worried about the mercury in the saucer."

"But I do remember Him all the time," said the shopkeeper. "When I am doing my business, I am also carrying mercury in a saucer. I am fair, honest and kind to my customers. I never forget Allah Ta'ala in my dealings with other men."

"Men whom neither trade nor sale (business) diverts from the remembrance of Allaah (with heart and tongue) nor from performing As‑Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑Salaah) nor from giving the Zakaah. They fear a Day when hearts and eyes will be overturned (out of the horror of the torment of the Day of Resurrection). That Allaah may reward them according to the best of their deeds, and add even more for them out of His Grace. And Allaah provides without measure to whom He wills" [Al Quran, Surah an-Noor 24:37-38]

-

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:jz: for sharing this story.
Post some more if have.

Also give source or book name as well, plz

Thanks...!

[Sakina'141]

Wow Love this story mashaALlah so inspirational! Exactly what I needed to hear right now!

JazakAllah khair for sharing! :)

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Ali bin Husain (rahimahullah), also knownby the title Zainul ‘Aabideen, was the grandson of Sayyiduna ‘Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and the son of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiyallahu ‘anhu).

On one occasion, Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) was performing wudhu while his slave girl was assisting him by pouring the water onto his limbs from a pitcher. As she was pouring the water, it so happened that the pitcher fell from her hand, striking Zainul ‘Aaibdeen (rahimahullah) on his head and injuring him.
On suffering the injury, Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) looked up at the slave girl (in anger).

The slave girl addressed him saying,

“Allah Ta‘ala mentions (while describing the people of taqwa)
l
:وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظ

َAnd those who suppress their anger

As soon as he heard this, Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) responded,

“I have suppressed my anger.

”The slave girl then continued reciting the verse,
وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاس

ِAnd those who forgive people

Hearing this, Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) submitted,

“(I have forgiven you), may Allah Ta‘ala forgive you.

”Finally, the slave girl recited:

وَاللَّـهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِين

َAnd Allah Ta‘ala loves those who do good.

When he heard this, Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) replied,

“Go, for I have set you free!”

(Shu‘abul Imaan #7964)

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HADHRAT AHMAD BIN Saeed (rahmatullah alayh) narrated the following episode which is a sombre naseehat for those involved in evil:

“In Kufah in our locality there lived an extremely handsome youth. In addition to his physical handsomeness, he was exceptionally pious. He devoted all his time to ibaadat. At all times he was in I’tikaaf in the Jaami’ Musjid. His moral character was impeccable. One day a very beautiful woman set eyes on him while he was on his way to the Musjid. Immediately she was captivated by his handsomeness. She fell madly in love with him. For many days thereafter, this woman did not gain the opportunity of revealing her love to this young Aabid (worshipper).

One day while the youth was on his way to the Musjid, the woman ventured into the road and blocked his path. She said: “Before you proceed listen to me, then do as you please.” The youth did not respond. He brushed past her and continued walking to the Musjid. On his way back from the Musjid, the woman again stood in his path. When the youth neared her, she attempted to say something, but the man spoke: “This is a place of suspicion. I do not want anyone to see me standing here with you. (Rasulullah – sallallahu alayhi wasallam — had said: ‘Stay away from places of suspicion.’) Move out of my way.”

The woman said: ‘By Allah! I am well aware of your status. I also do understand that meeting in this way is a cause for suspicion. Nevertheless, I have to say that my heart and every limb of my body are in love with you. Only Allah Ta’ala will decide this matter between us.”

The youth, without responding, silently left for his home. At home he decided to engage in Nafl Salaat, but his heart was in a state of agitation. He sat down to write a letter to the woman. After he completed the letter, he went outside and saw the woman standing in a trance-like state in the same place where he had left her. He threw the letter in her direction and quickly went into his home.

The woman opened the letter and read:

“O woman! You should understand that when a bandah (slave of Allah) commits an act of transgression, Allah Ta’ala overlooks it. When the slave commits the same crime a second time, Allah Ta’ala again overlooks it. But, when he repeatedly indulges in the same sin, then Allah Ta’ala unleashes His Wrath which makes all creation shudder with fear. Who can bear Allah’s punishment? Who can bear His Displeasure? Present yourself in the Court of Allah Who is the Creator of all the worlds. Submit yourself to This Mighty Being. Cultivate love for Him Alone. He is eternal.”

Many days after she had received this letter, the woman once again stood in the road. The youth seeing her, turned to return to his house, but she called: ‘Do not go back. This is my last meeting. She recited some heart-rending poetry, then said: “Now give me some naseehat (advice).” The youth said: “My only advice for you is – save yourself from your own desires and at all times reflect on the aayat: “It is He (Allah) Who possesses your souls during the night time, and He is well aware of what you commit during the day time. Then He resurrects you during the day, so that the appointed time is completed.” He is aware of the stealthy glances of the eyes and that which the breasts conceal.”

The youth departed. The woman remained standing, shedding tears profusely for a long time. Then she too went away and engrossed herself in ibaadat. After a short while she departed from this worldly realm with her Imaan intact.”

According to the Hadith, on the Day of Qiyaamah, when there will be no shade, but the shade of Allah’s Arsh, chaste and pious young men will be honoured to be in the Shade of Allah’s Throne. Besides Divine Love, all other types of love are artificial. Illicit love for the opposite sex is a great calamity. Only if the limits of the Shariah are observed will one be saved from this calamity. Only taqwa can protect the moral purity and chastity of those who suffer the misfortune of becoming enmeshed in this kind of artificial love.

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Whoever falls in love and maintains his (or her) moral purity, then dies, verily, he (or she) attains shahaadat (martyrdom).”

For the acquisition of this lofty rank, moral purity and chastity are essential. Moral purity is purity of the eyes, the limbs and even the mind. The grief of this calamity should be borne with Thikrullah and suppression of the inordinate dictates of the carnal nafs.
https://islamreigns.wordpress.com/?_...0%2C6607765536

[BeTheChange]

Excellent thread useful reminders. Very inspiring. Alhamdulillah.

[BeTheChange]

[azc]

Salah uddin ayyubi rh:

In'al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah' (13/5-6), Ibn Kathir said

that at the time of his death, Salah ad-Din hardly had any money in his possession, and this is because:
"…of the immense amount of gifts and charity and kindness that he used to show the leaders and ministers under his command, and even to his enemies!I've already described this previously. Andhe was very simple in his clothing, food, drink, and transportation.He would only wear cotton, linen, and wool. It is not known that he ever approached anything forbidden or discouraged, especially after Allah :swt: blessed him with his kingdom. Rather, his greatest concern and goal was to aid Islam."

Ibn Kathir continued:

"This is all in addition to the virtues and unique skills he possessed in the Arabic language, poetry, and history, such that it was said he had memorized' al-Hamasah'

(a book of poetry compiled by Abu Tammam at-Ta'i) in its entirety.
And he was very strict in praying on time injama'ah. It is said that he never missed a single prayer in jama'ah for a great part of his life, even during the illness that killed him. The imam would enter and lead him in prayer, and he would struggle to get up and pray despite his weakness."

He continued:

"And he loved to hear the recitation of the Qur'an and the reading of ahadith and knowledge. He was constant and habitual in listening to ahadith being read to him, to the point that he would hear a section read to him while he was standing between the ranks of soldiers! He would enjoy doing this and say: "Nobody listens toahadithin a situation like this.""

He also mentioned:

"He had a soft heart, and was easily swayed to tears when he would hearahadith."

He continued:

"And Salah ad-Din was from the bravest of people, and the strongest of them in body and heart despite the illnesses and sickness his body suffered from. This was most evident during the Siege of Acre, where despite the massive numbers of the enemy, he only increased in power and bravery. They had as many as 500,000 soldiers – some say 600,000 – and he killed 100,000 of them."

He also said:

"He was generous, well-rounded, always laughing and smiling. He would never slack off in any good that he did. He was extremely patient when doing good and worshipping Allah."

In'Siyar A'lam an-Nubala"(15/436),

it's mentioned that al-Muwaffaq 'Abd al-Latif said:

"I went to Salah ad-Din while he was in Jerusalem, and I saw a king who filled eyes with amazement and hearts with love, whether they were near or far.He was an easy going person, likeable, and his companions used to try to imitate him, racing towards good actions, as Allah :swt: Said: {"And We removed any sense of pain from their hearts, making them like brothers…"} [al-Hijr; 47]
The first night I spent with him, I found his gatherings filled with scholars engaged in knowledge. He would listen intently and participate in their discussions. He would learn how to build walls and dig trenches, and he would then do this himself, carrying the rocks on his own shoulders."

al-'Imad said in'as-Siyar'(15/440):

"He would only wear what was permissible to wear, such as linen and cotton. His gatherings were free of vain talk, and they were only attended by the most virtuous people. He loved to hear ahadith being read with their chains of narration. He was forebearing, honest, pious, pure, and trustworthy. He would contain himself and not become angry. He would never turn back someone in need or embarrass someone who spoke in front of him. He was extremely kind and charitable, and he reprimanded me for decorating my utensils in silver, and I replied that Abu Muhammad al-Juwayni mentioned a point of view of it being permissible. And I never saw him praying except in jama'ah."

Also on the same page, Abu Ja'far al-Qurtubi said thatwhen Salah ad-Din was on his deathbed:

"I finished reciting the Qur'an at the verse: {"He is Allah, besides Whom there is none worthy of worship; the Knower of the Unseen and the seen…"} [al-Hashr; 22] andI heard Salah ad-Din saying: "This is true," and he was in a coma before this. He then died, and al-Khatib ad-Dawla'i washed his body. He was brought out in a coffin, and Muhi ad-Din bin az-Zinki prayed over him. He was then returned to the room in the garden where he had been sick and was buried in a kiosk. Voices were raised in crying, and it became so loud that even the smart one would think that the whole world was screaming in a single voice. The people were so overwhelmed that some of them were distracted from praying over him. People expressed their remorse at his passing - including the Crusaders, due to how truthful and trustworthy he was."

adh-Dhahabi said:

"And I never saw a king whose death people were sad for except him. This is because he was loved by everyone: he was loved by the righteous and the wicked, the Muslim and thekafir."

[BeTheChange]

[azc]

Ibn al-Qayyim related from al-Jariri:

“I was told of a man from the Children of Israel who had a need that he wanted fulfilled by Allah :swt1:.So, he engaged in constant worship and then asked Allah :swt1: for his need. When he did not see that his need was fulfilled, he spent the night blaming himself, saying: “O self! What is wrong with you that is preventing your need from being fulfilled?”

And he spent the night sad and holding himself to account, saying: “By Allah, the problem is not with my Lord. Rather, the problem is with myself,” and he remained in such a state of holding himself responsible until his need was finally taken care of.”

]‘Ighathat al-Lahfan’; 1/77[

[azc]

يحكى عن الشيخ أبي الحسن الشاذلي رحمه الله أنه كان ببعض المفازات فأتته السباع فخافهم على نفسه ففزع إلى الصلاة على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم مستندا إلى ما صح من أنه من صلى عليه صلى الله عليه عشرا وأن الصلاة من الله رحمة ومن رحمه الله كفاه كل مهمة فنجا بذلك صلى الله عليه وسلم تسليما كثيرا

القول البديع ص265

It has been reported regarding Sheikh Abul Hasan Shaazili (rahimahullah) that on one occasion, he was in the wilderness when wild animals began to approach him. Fearing that these animals would harm him, he immediately resorted to reciting durood and salaat upon Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). The reason for him doing this is that it is reported in the authentic Ahaadith that when a person sends one salaat upon Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Allah Ta‘ala sends ten salaat (i.e. mercies) upon him, and the one upon whom Allah Ta‘ala showers His mercy, Allah Ta‘ala suffices him for all the worries and difficulties that he faces. Hence, through reciting durood upon Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), Sheikh Shaazili (rahimahullah) was saved from the wild animals.

[azc]

Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri {May Allah be pleased with him} reported that the Prophet of Allah {Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him} said:

“There was a man from among a nation before you who killed ninety-nine people and then made an inquiry about the most learned person on the earth. He was directed to a monk. He came to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked him if therewas any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the negative and the man killed him also completing one hundred. He then asked about the most learned man in the earth. He was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people and asked him if there was any chance for his repentance to be accepted. He replied in the affirmative and asked, `Who stands between you and repentance? Go to such and such land; there (you will find) people devoted to prayer and worship of Allah, join them in worship, and do not come back to your land because it is an evil place.’ So he went away and hardly had he covered half the distance when death overtook him; and there was a dispute between the angels of mercy and the angels of torment. The angels of mercy pleaded, ‘This man has come with a repenting heart to Allah,’ and the angels of punishment argued, ‘He never did a virtuous deed in his life.’ Then there appeared another angel in the form of a human being and the contending angels agreed to make him arbiter between them. He said, `Measure the distance between the two lands. He will be considered belonging to the land to which he is nearer.’ They measured and found him closer to the land (land of piety) where he intended to go, and so the angels of mercy collected his soul”.

{Sahih Bukhari & Muslim ~ Riyadus Saliheen ~ The Book Of Miscellany Chapter 2}

In another version:

“He was found to be nearer to the locality of the pious by a cubit and was thus included among them”.

Another version says:

“Allah commanded (the land which he wanted to leave) to move away and commanded the other land (his destination) to draw nearer and then He said: ‘Now measure the distance between them.’ It was found that he was nearer to his goal by a hand’s span and was thus forgiven.”

It is also narrated that he drew closer by a slight movement on his chest.

[azc]

A friend of Sheikhul Islam Izzuddin bin Abdus Salam (RA) has related an incident in these words:

“Our mentor, Sheikh Izzuddin, once went to the Sultan Al-Malik-us-Saleh Najmuddin Ayub of Egypt in the fort. It was the day of eid. He saw that the royal durbar was being held and the troops were arrayed before the sovereign. The Sultan was present in his full magnificence and the grandees
and noblemen were kneeling on the ground out of awe and deference. The Sheikh turned towards the Sultan, and addressing him by name, said, ‘O Ayub! What answer would you give to God if He were to ask you: We gave thee the kingdom of Egypt and thou permitted wine?’ The Sultan enquired, ‘Is it so?’ ‘Yes’, replied the Sheikh, ‘On such‐and‐such a shop wine is being sold and other forbidden things are also taking place while you are lost in luxury and self‐indulgence’. He spoke in a loud voice and the soldiers looked on respectfully. The Sultan, thereupon, remarked. ‘It is not of my doing. Things have been like that since the time of my father’. ‘Are you’, interjected the Sheikh ‘among those who say: “We found our forefathers on the same path?”’

The Sultan ordered the shop to be closed at once.

When the Sheikh returned and the news of the incident spread I enquired from him about it. He said, ‘My friend! When I saw his splendour I felt that it was for his own good that he should be humiliated a little otherwise his ego would swell and become uncontrollable. I asked ‘Were you not afraid’? The Sheikh replied, ‘As surely as I believe in God!When I reflected upon the Power and Glory of the Lord in his presence it appeared to me that a cat was sitting on the throne’.”

[Tabaqat-ul-Shafiyatul-Kubra,Vol. V p. 82]

[azc]

It is narrated by Sheikh Mahmud bin Mubarak Kirmani that:

“Once Sultan Mohammad bin Tughlaq summoned Sheikh Qutubuddin Munawwar to Delhi. The saint had not paid homage to the king on a certain occasion and he wanted to take him to task for it.

When the Sheikh came to the royal palace, the court nobles, ministers, heralds and attendants were standing in a double row in front of the throne. On seeing the glittering spectacle, the Sheikh’s son, Nuruddin, who was with him and had never been in a king’s court before, was struck with fear. The Sheikh admonished him sternly.‘Glory is for God, Baba Nuruddin,’ he said to him in a loud voice. The son related later that as soon as he had heard these words, he felt a new strength within him and all the fear disappeared and it began to look to him that the court grandees were not men but sheep and goats.”

[Siyar-ul-Aulia, pp. 353-55]

[azc]

Imam Bukhari rh was a simple and hard working person. He would fulfill his own needs by himself. Despite having a lot of wealth and status, he always kept the minimum number of servants required and never indulged himself in this matter.

Muhammad ibn Hatim Warraq, who was one of his main disciples, says: “Imam Bukhari was establishing an inn near the city of Bukhara and was placing the bricks with his own hands. I came forward and said ‘Leave the laying of the bricks for this building to me.’ But he replied, ‘On the day of judgement, this act will be of benefit to me.'”

Warraq goes on to say: “When we accompanied Imam Bukhari on a journey, he would gather us in one room and would stay by himself in a separate room. Once I saw Imam Bukhari get up between fifteen and twenty times during the night and every time, he lit the lamp with his own hands. He took some Ahadith out, marked them and then placed his head on his pillow and laid on his couch. I said to him, ‘Why did you go through all this trouble during the night, when you could have woken me up [so that I could help you].’ He replied, ‘You are young and are in need of sound sleep and I did not want to disturb your sleep.'”

Imam Bukhari died in Samarkand on the night before Eid-ul-Fitr in the year 259 A.H. He was not only a scholar, worshipper, a devotee and a prosperous man, but he always feared Allah :swt1: and shone with the love of the Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. The virtuous outpourings he gave to the world during his life are still being given today and as the Muslim Ummah goes about its daily acts of worship, they realize how important the role played by Imam Bukhari was. He compiled and circulated the Ahadith of the Prophet ‏:saws: wherever possible and Allah :swt1: spread his status to every corner of the world.

[azc]

‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr rh came to visit the Khalîfah al-Walîd ibn ‘Abdu’l-Malik. With him was his son Muhammad, who was one of the most handsome of men. The young man had dressed up for the occasion in fine clothes, and had his hair in two plaits or braids. When al-Walîd saw him, he said, “This is how the young people of Quraysh look!” and by so saying, put the evil eye on him.

Before he left, the young man fell ill. When he was in the stable (preparing for the journey) he fell down, and the horses trampled him to death. Then ‘Urwah got gangrene in his leg, and al-Walîd sent doctors to him, who suggested that the leg should be amputated, otherwise the gangrene would spread to the rest of the body and kill him. ‘Urwah agreed, and the doctors began to remove his leg, using a saw. When the saw reached the bone, ‘Urwah fainted, and when he came around, sweat was pouring down his face, and he was repeating, “Lâ ilâh ill-Allâh, Allâhu akbar.”

When the operation was over, he picked up his leg and kissed it, then said, “I swear by the One Who mounted me on you, I never used to walk to any place of wrong action or to any place where Allâh would not like me to be.” Then he gave instructions that the leg should be washed, perfumed, wrapped in a cloth and buried in the Muslim graveyard.

When ‘Urwah left al-Walîd and returned to Madînah, his family and friends went to meet him at the outskirts of the city and to offer condolences. The only reply he made was to quote from the Qur’ân:“…truly we have suffered much fatigue at our journey” (al-Kahf 18:62). He did not say any more than that. Then he said, “I will not enter Madînah, for people there either rejoice over the afflictions of others, or else feel envy for their blessings.” So he went to stay in a place at al-‘Aqîq.
‘خsâ ibn Talhah came to visit him there and said, “May your enemies’ fathers perish!” and asked him, “Show me the affliction for which I have come to console you.” ‘Urwah uncovered his stump, and ‘خsâ said, “By Allâh, we were not preparing you to wrestle! Allâh has saved most of you: your sanity, your tongue, your eyesight, your two hands, and one of your two legs.” ‘Urwah told him, “Nobody has consoled me as you have.”

When the doctors came to perform the amputation, they had asked ‘Urwah whether he would drink intoxicants to ease the pain. He said, “Allâh is testing me to see the extent of mypatience. How could I go against His commands?”

[azc]

‘Abdu Rabbihee Al-Qassaab recounts the following incident:

I once promised Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah) that I would purchase his qurbaani animals for him. Accordingly, we arranged to meet at a certain time and place. Subsequently, I became preoccupied and completely forgot that I had promised to meet him.

Later on, when it was already close to midday, I remembered my meeting with him and thus set out towards the place where we had arranged to meet. On arriving there, I found that he was still waiting for me! I greeted him with salaam. He then raised his head and said, “Listen well! Sins that are smaller than this can sometimes be overlooked and accepted (but this sin, of breaking one’s promise, is very serious).”

I immediately apologised and explained my excuse, that I had forgotten the appointment due to becoming preoccupied in some work. Thereafter, I remarked to him, “When I remembered our arrangement and set out to meet you, my friends began to scold me saying, “Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah) must have departed from the meeting place already, he will not be waiting there until now!”

When he heard this, Muhammad bin Seereen (rahimahullah) mentioned, “Even if you had delayed and only came at the time of sunset, I would have remained waiting here for you. I would have only left briefly to perform salaah or for some other urgent necessity, and I would have returned immediately thereafter.”

(Kitaabus Samt wa Aadaabil Lisaan #461)

[azc]

Bishr ibnul Haarith (rahimahullah), popularly known as Bishr Haafi, was a renowned saint of his era. On one occasion a person asked him, “How did you attain this lofty position of sainthood? We notice that people take your name with extreme reverence and honour!”

In reply, Bishr (rahimahullah) mentioned the following:

What can I say? Whatever I have been blessed with is purely out of the grace and favour of Allah Ta‘ala! I was a man who was leading an extremely sinful life. One day, while walking, I came across a piece of paper that was lying on the road. When I picked it up, I saw that it had ‘Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem’ written on it. I thus wiped the paper clean and placed it in my pocket with respect.

At that time, I only possessed two dirhams (silver coins). I proceeded to the ‘itr (perfume) merchants and used my two dirhams to purchase ‘ghaaliyah’ (a type of exclusive ‘itr). Then I applied the ‘itr to the piece of paper.

That night, when I went to sleep, I had a dream in which I was told, “O Bishr ibnul Haarith! You raised Our name from the road and perfumed it! Thus, I will most definitely cause your name to be raised and revered in this world and the next!”

It was on account of this that Allah Ta‘ala granted me this position.

(Kitaabut Tawwaabeen - Ibnu Qudaamah pg. 216)

[azc]

Abu Hafs, ‘Umar bin Hasan Samarqandi (rahimahullah), narrates the following incident in his kitaab, Rownaq-ul-Majaalis:

There was once a wealthy businessman who resided in the city of Balkh and had two sons. After his demise, his two sons divided his estate between them equally.

Included in the estate were three strands of the blessed hair of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). In winding up the estate, each son took one strand, leaving the third strand belonging to both of them. Hence, the elder brother suggested, “Let us cut the third strand into half so that we can each take our share from the strand.” However, the younger brother did not agree to this saying, “No! By Allah, the respect and honor that we are supposed to show to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is such that it is inappropriate for us to cut the strand of his blessed hair.”

When the elder brother witnessed the love and respect that his younger brother had for the blessed hair of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he proposed, “Why don’t you take all three strands of hair in exchange of your share of the inheritance?” Out of love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), the younger brother agreed. Accordingly, the elder brother took all the wealth of the estate while the younger brother took the three strands of hair.

The younger brother placed them in his pocket with utmost respect. Thereafter, he would continuously take them out of his pocket, gaze at them with love and recite durood upon Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). He would then return them to his pocket.

After some period of time had passed, all the wealth of the elder brother had depleted, whereas the younger brother was granted abundant wealth by Allah Ta‘ala. After some time, however, the younger brother passed away.
After he left this world, a pious person had a dream in which he saw the younger brother together with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) addressed the pious person and said, “Tell the people that if anyone has a need from Allah Ta‘ala, he should go to the grave of this person (referring to the younger brother) and make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala to fulfill his need. His needs will be fulfilled.” People would thereafter come to the grave of this brother in order to make du‘aa, until even those who would be passing by on their conveyances would dismount and walk on foot out of respect before reaching the grave.

(Al Qowl-ul-Badee pg. 276-277)

[MazharShafiq]

Shaikh al Itlaaq, Mamba-e-Israar, Sultan-e-Tariqat, Hazrat Shaikh Junaid Baghdadi (RA), was born in Baghdaad in 218 Hijri, in the initial phase of his life was a wrestler under the employment of the king. Such was his renown that people would challenge him for large sums of money and he would wrestle in front of large audiences with the king looking on.

On one such occasion, a very feeble looking man asked the king that he would like to challenge the imperial wrestler. The king was initially reluctant to accept the man’s offer for he felt that the man would pose no challenge to Shaykh Junayd. However after a while the king accepted and the bout began.

Both wrestlers began to warm up with the huge crowd waiting in anticipation. Just before the match started the challenger said to Shaykh Junayd that:

‘I want to say something to you. You and I both know that I cannot beat you. The reason for my challenging you is that I am a Sayidd (descendent of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam).

I and my family have been struck with poverty and we have not eaten for many days. Such are things that we cannot bear the hunger anymore. I beseech you to respect my lineage and let me win this match so that I may get the reward and be able to feed my family’

Shaykh Junayd was shocked by the man’s request but he accepted and to crowd’s great surprise lost the bout. He bore the great disgrace of defeat for the sake of respecting the family of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam. That night when Shaykh Junayd went to sleep he saw the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam in a dream. The Prophet sallahu alayhi wasalam said to him:

O Junayd. For my family you made such a great sacrifice. Because of this I have asked Allah to make you the greatest wali of your time

And it was the blessing of this action and duaa that transformed the wrestler Junayd into the great Shaykh Junayd Baghdadi rahmatullahi alayh.

[azc]

Shaikh al Itlaaq, Mamba-e-Israar, Sultan-e-Tariqat, Hazrat Shaikh Junaid Baghdadi (RA), was born in Baghdaad in 218 Hijri, in the initial phase of his life was a wrestler under the employment of the king. Such was his renown that people would challenge him for large sums of money and he would wrestle in front of large audiences with the king looking on.On one such occasion, a very feeble looking man asked the king that he would like to challenge the imperial wrestler. The king was initially reluctant to accept the man’s offer for he felt that the man would pose no challenge to Shaykh Junayd. However after a while the king accepted and the bout began.Both wrestlers began to warm up with the huge crowd waiting in anticipation. Just before the match started the challenger said to Shaykh Junayd that:‘I want to say something to you. You and I both know that I cannot beat you. The reason for my challenging you is that I am a Sayidd (descendent of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam).I and my family have been struck with poverty and we have not eaten for many days. Such are things that we cannot bear the hunger anymore. I beseech you to respect my lineage and let me win this match so that I may get the reward and be able to feed my family’Shaykh Junayd was shocked by the man’s request but he accepted and to crowd’s great surprise lost the bout. He bore the great disgrace of defeat for the sake of respecting the family of the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam. That night when Shaykh Junayd went to sleep he saw the Prophet sallahu alayhi wasallam in a dream. The Prophet sallahu alayhi wasalam said to him:O Junayd. For my family you made such a great sacrifice. Because of this I have asked Allah to make you the greatest wali of your timeAnd it was the blessing of this action and duaa that transformed the wrestler Junayd into the great Shaykh Junayd Baghdadi rahmatullahi alayh.

Will you give source of this story...?

[azc]

Amru' ibn Thabit said:

When Ali ibn al-Hussain died, people who washed him saw black spots on his back and asked, "What's this?" The reply came:

"He used to carry bags of bread on his back during the night and distribute it among the poor and needy in Madinah."

- Wisdom of the Wise, Page 10 || Ibn al-Jawzi, Sifat as-Safwah 2/96.

[azc]

Muhammed bin ‘Ali (rahimahullah) narrates the following incident that transpired between his father and a person who bore enmity for Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). He says:

A person once came to my father, ‘Ali bin Husain (rahimahullah), who was famously known as Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah), and said, “Tell me about Abu Bakr.”
Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) replied, “Are you asking me regarding Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)?”When the man heard Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) show respect and honor to Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) by referring to him with the title ‘Siddeeq’, the man asked, “Are you calling him ‘Siddeeq’? I don’t regard him to be Siddeeq.”
Zainul ‘Aabideen (rahimahullah) realized that this man had an ill opinion of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddeeq (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). He thus addressed him saying, “Woe to you! The people who were better than me all referred to him with the title ‘Siddeeq’! They were Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his illustrious Sahaabah from among the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). When Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) himself honored him with the title Siddeeq then I will definitely call him by this title. If any person does not accept this title and refuses to afford Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) this title of respect, then may Allah Ta‘ala not make such a person true and not accept any of his ‘ibaadaat. Go, and ensure that you love Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) from your heart, and align yourself to them in the friendship of Islam, for I stand guarantee for their great virtue and superiority by Allah.”

(Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa 4/395)

[MazharShafiq]

It is reported that ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said:

Verily a man continues to be truthful until he is written with Allāh as a true believer (ṣiddīq); and he persists in truthfulness until there is not even the space of a needle for sinfulness left in his heart to settle. And a man lies and persists in lying until there is not even the space of a needle for goodness in his heart to settle.

Wakīʿ b. Al-Jarrāḥ, Al-Zuhd ḥadīth 398.

[azc]

One night Muhammad b. Ismaa’eel [al-Bukhari] rh was praying, when a wasp stung him seventeen times. When he completed his prayer, he (didn’t complain but instead) simply said, ‘Look and see what has harmed me during my prayer.’

According to another account of the same incident, Imam Bukhaaree rh, having just led other in Dhuhr prayer, got up and performed voluntary units of prayer. Upon the completion of those units, he lifted up one of the sides of his shirt and said to someone who was with him, “Look here. Do you see anything below my shirt?”

The man was amazed to see that a wasp had bitten Imam Buhkhaaree (rah) in sixteen or seventeen places; and as a result, his body had become swollen.


(Read on pg 104, Salaahud-Deen ibn ‘Alee ibn ‘Abdul-Maujood, The Biography of Imam Bukhaaree. Darussalam. Riyadh: 2005.)

[MazharShafiq]

A man came to the Prophet (saw) and said: O Messenger of Allah, teach me but make it concise. He said: When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell. Do not say anything for which you will have to apologize. And give up hope for what other people have. Narrated by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari

[azc]

Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, was no ordinary woman. Her strength and her status will forever remain unsurpassed.

She was a woman who never allowed herself to be defined or limited by her painful circumstances, but rather carried in her such a deep faith and sense of self that she was willing to die for what she believed in.

For those who had dared disobey Pharaoh and believe in Moses, was a grave punishment.

Yet despite this persecution, Asiya believed in Moses’ message and held firmly to her faith. That faith was so strong, she was willing to die for it. When Pharaoh found out that she believed, he tortured her severely.

Her belief in God was so strong, it made her an everlasting symbol

Asiya was a queen. She was the wife of one of the most powerful men to walk the earth. She lived a life of unparalleled wealth and luxury. And yet, she knew that her true home was in Paradise.

She had no attachment to this life. Asiya was not defined by the wickedness of the man she married. Her mind and her soul remained independent from her husband. And her heart was not a slave to his beliefs. She refused to submit to the tyranny of her husband, but chose instead to devout her soul and her life to God.

And in the story of Asiya is an everlasting example of a woman who chose the Hereafter over all of the glitter of this world, and whose love for God and the Home with Him inspired her to take on the greatest tyrant of all time and give her life in the process.

(Quranic story)

[MazharShafiq]

nice story thank you for this informative share.

[azc]

Abdullah bin Mubaarak (R.A), the Ustaad of Imaam Bukhari (R.A), used to perform haj one year and go for jihad the other year. He relates: Once when it was my year for haj, I took five hundred dinars and left for Makkah. At Kufa I stopped and went to the camel market with the intention of buying a camel. On the other side I saw a dead duck. A woman was sitting there. She picked up the duck and started cleaning it by plucking its feathers. Seeing this I approached her and asked her: "What are you doing dear woman?"

She replied: "Why do you enquire about such things which do not concern you ?" This set me thinking. However I insisted on an answer. Then she said: "Your persistence has forced me to open my heart. I am a lady from among the Sayyids – the family of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam - I have four young daughters whose father passed away. This is now the fourth day that we have not even tasted a thing and in such dire need are we that the eating of dead animals has become permissible. I am taking this dead duck to feed my daughters."

ANGEL PERFOMING HAJ

Abdullah bin Mubaarak (R.A.) says, her story filled me with sorrow. I told her to stretch fourth her hand and in it I placed the five hundred dinars. She took it and went home. I postponed my intention for haj and returned home. After haj I was so amazed that whenever I met any of the returning hujjaaj and wished them a "haj maqbool" they would wish me the same. Then, when I said anything further, they would remind me about having met me at such and such place. I could not understand this. That night I saw a dream, wherein Rasulullah r said to me: "O son of Mubaarak, there is no need to be astonished. You have assisted a distressed one from among my children, whereupon I begged of Allah to appoint one such angel to perform haj in your form and on your behalf until Qiyaamah and now you have a choice. You may perform haj or you may leave it." (Rushfa)

[azc]

Laith bin Sa’d (rahimahullah) was an illustrious Imaam of his era. He was born in Egypt during the year 94 A.H. and passed away on a Friday in the month of Sha’baan during the year 175 A.H.

Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) was not only renowned for being an Imaam in the various fields of Islamic knowledge, but was also renowned for his piety, and particularly his generosity and big-heartedness. He had an annual income of approximately twenty thousand dinars (gold coins), yet his generosity was such that from the time he became baaligh, zakaat never once became obligatory on him (as he would spend all his wealth on people). He would give charity to approximately three hundred people daily!

Below are a few incidents that highlight his willingness to spend on others.

On one occasion, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) wrote to him saying, “I will soon be sending my daughter off to her husband’s home. Please send some safflower to me (to dye some of her clothing).” In response, Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) sent him thirty loads of safflower! The safflower was so abundant that Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) sold a portion of it for five hundred dinars.

Similarly, a woman once came to Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) and addressed him saying, “O Abul Haarith! My son is ill and wishes to eat some honey!” (Although the woman was only requesting a small amount of honey for her son to eat,) Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) called out to his attendant and instructed him to give her the equivalent of almost 48kg of honey!

When Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) went to Madeenah Munawwarah, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) sent a platter of fresh dates to him as a gift. When returning the platter, Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) first placed one thousand dinars on it and then sent it back to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah).

On one occasion, the house of the hadeeth scholar, Ibnu Lahee‘ah (rahimahullah) caught alight and burnt down, causing all his books to be destroyed. The following day, Imaam Laith (rahimahullah) sent 1000 dinars to him.

(Siyaru Aa’laamin Nubalaa vol. 8, pgs. 137-158)

[azc]

During the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattabرضي الله عنه, Hazrat Sa'eed bin 'Amirرضي الله عنهwas the governor of Hims, a city in Shaam. When Hazrat Umarرضي الله عنهvisited Hims to see how things were going there, he was met by a large group of people who began to complain to him about Hazrat Sa'eedرضي الله عنه.

They found fault with him in four matters. First, they said, he would not come out to them until mid-morning. Second, he would refuse to answer any caller during the night. Third, once a month, he would stay away from the people. And fourth, once in a while, Sa'eed رضي الله عنهwould faint and lose consciousness for no apparent reason.

Hazrat Umarرضي الله عنهasked Hazrat Sa'eedرضي الله عنه to respond to their complaints.

In regard to the first complaint, Hazrat Sa'eedرضي الله عنهexplained that he had no servant and that, every morning, he had to crush his own wheat in order to make bread. As soon as he would finish making his bread, he said, he would then go out to serve the people.

As for not answering any callers during the night, he said that he dedicated his days to serving the people and his nights to worshipping Allah :swt:.

As for not going out to the people once a month, he explained that he had only one garment and that he washed it once a month and had to then wait until it dried.

As for passing out every so often, he gave this explanation:

"When I was a mushrik, I witnessed the brutal execution of Hazrat Habib al-Ansaari رضي الله عنه‎ in Makkah. I saw how Quraish cut up his flesh little by little. They said to Habib ‎رضي الله عنه, 'Do you now want Muhammad :saws: to take your place?' He said, 'By Allah :swt:, I would not want to be safe with myself, my family and my children if Muhammad :saws: were even to be pricked by a thorn.' Every time I remember that day and how I refrained from helping Hazrat Habibرضي الله عنه, for I was a mushrik and did not believe in Allah, the All-Mighty- I begin to think that Allah Ta’ala, the Possessor of Might and Majesty, will never forgive me. It is then that I faint, O Leader of the Believers."

Hazrat Ibrahim bin Bashaarرحمة لله علیھ narrates this story:

"While I was walking towards Kufah with Hazrat Ibrahim bin Adham رحمة لله علیھ, he stopped beside a grave and invoked Allah to have mercy on its dweller. "Whose grave is this,' I asked.

'It is the grave of Humaid bin Jaabirرحمة لله علیھ,' said Hazrat Ibrahimرحمة لله علیھ 'He was once the leader of all the townships that are in this area.'

'What was so special about him?' I asked. Hazrat Ibrahimرحمة لله علیھ told me that he was a very rich leader who would spend his nights enjoying foolish games and entertainment.

'One night he fell asleep and saw a dream in which a man was standing over his head,' said Hazrat Ibrahimرحمة لله علیھ. 'The man had a book in his hand, which Humaid grabbed and tore open. The words inside were written with gold [ink]. They ran as follows:

Do not prefer my Fire over my Light, and do not be deceived by what you own in this world, for what you own is preventing you from getting what is saved for you in the afterlife. True, what you have might have been called a kingdom, had it not been for the fact that it will all soon perish. And your life might have been called a life of happiness and joy, had it not been for the fact that it will be followed by anxiety and misery. So beware of falling under the spell of these worldly ornaments, or you will join the ranks of the destroyed ones
وَ سَارِعُوۡۤا اِلٰی مَغۡفِرَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکُمۡ وَ جَنَّۃٍ عَرۡضُہَا السَّمٰوٰتُ وَ الۡاَرۡضُ ۙ اُعِدَّتۡ لِلۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ

And march forth in the way [which leads to] forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, it has been prepared for the Allah fearing.

[Aal-Imraan : 133]

Humaid then woke up in a terrified state,' continued Hazrat Ibrahimرحمة لله علیھ.
'Resigning from his post as leader, Humaid betook himself to this mountain, where he led a simple life, doing menial work to maintain his physical upkeep, but dedicating most of his time to the worship of Allah. I came here once and met him. By keeping company with him, I found him to be a noble man. I would thereafter continue to visit him until he passed away.' "

[azc]

Zaazaan ‎رحمة لله علیھ was a saint and a scholar of hadeeth. He was blessed to meet ‘Umar ‎رضي الله عنه, ‘Ali ‎رضي الله عنه‎ and many other Sahaabah ‎رضي الله عنه, and was one of the special students of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه.

Before he became a great saint and scholar, Zaazaan ‎رحمة لله علیھ was ‘living the life’ and was involved in sin. However, Allah Ta‘ala inspired him to repent and change his life at the hands of ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه.

The following is the personal story of Zaazaan رحمة لله علیھ in which he describes how Allah Ta‘ala guided him and inspired him to reform himself. He says:

When I was a youngster, I had a melodious voice and was talented in playing the drum. Once, I was with a group of friends who were listening to me singing songs. While we were enjoying our party, ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه‎ happened to pass by. When he heard the singing and music, he came towards us and kicked the jugs of wine, causing all the wine to spill. He then snatched the drum from me and threw it on the ground, breaking it. Finally, he turned to me and said, “O youngster! If you used your melodious voice to recite the Quraan Majeed, you would really become something!” After saying that, he suddenly left.

I turned to my friend and asked him, “Who was this person?” He replied, “That was ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه.” At that moment, Allah Ta‘ala inspired me to repent. I ran after ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه‎ with tears streaming down my face. He had just arrived at the door of his home and was about to enter when I reached him and held onto his clothing. He turned to me and asked, “Who are you?” I replied, “I am the person who was playing the drum.” ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه‎ realized that I had come to repent and change my life, and so he hugged me and cried in joy and happiness. He then said, “Welcome to the one whom Allah Ta‘ala loves (and thus inspired to repent). Sit here!” ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ood ‎رضي الله عنه‎ then entered his home and brought some dates for me to eat saying, “Eat from these dates. If I had any food besides this, I would have served that to you as well.”

[azc]

Ibn Jowzi رحمة لله علیھ narrates that once he went to Egypt and saw an amazing sight. I saw a blacksmith who would take the glowing iron out of his furnace using his bare hands! He would even place the iron on his anvil and turn it with his hands, not feeling any pain from the heat of the glowing iron!

When I saw this extraordinary sight, I thought to myself, “This must be a very pious man! After all, the fire is unable to burn him!” I then went up to him and greeted him with salaam. I thereafter said, “O my master! I ask you in the name of that Being who blessed you with this miracle to please make du‘aa for me!” Hearing my request, the blacksmith began to cry and exclaimed, “My brother! By Allah! I am not the pious person that you think I am!” I replied, “O my brother! This miracle which I saw you perform is something that only pious people are able to do.” The blacksmith answered, “There is a strange incident behind this miracle.” The blacksmith thereafter narrated the following incident:

I was once busy in my business when I suddenly realized that there was a woman in front of me. When I looked up, I saw that her face was the most beautiful face that I had ever seen before. The woman began to beg me saying, “O my brother! Do you have anything to give us for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala?” I was captivated by her sight and infatuated by her beauty. I replied, “Why don’t you come to my home? There I will give you something and see to your needs.” On hearing my suggestion, she looked at me in silence for some time. Eventually, she turned and left. After some time, however, she returned and said, “Desperation has forced me to accept your offer,” So I locked my business and took her home.

When we reached my home, she begged me saying, “I have children that I left in starvation. Please give me something and allow me to go and feed them! I will return after they have eaten.” After making her promise that she would return, I gave her some silver coins and watched as she left to feed her children. When she returned, I led her into my home and turned to lock the door. “Why are you locking the door?” she asked. “I fear the people.” I replied. “And why do you not fear the Lord of all the people?” she asked. “He is Forgiving and Merciful.” I said. I then made advances towards her and found that tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was trembling, just as palm leaves tremble in the wind. “Why are you trembling and crying?” I asked. “Out of the fear of Allah Ta‘ala.” she answered.

The woman then turned to me and begged, “If you leave me for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala, I will stand guarantee that Allah Ta‘ala will not punish you with fire in this world and in the next.” When I heard her say this, I was shaken. I immediately stood and gave her all my wealth saying, “I have left you because I fear Allah Ta‘ala!”

After some time, I fell asleep and had a dream. In the dream, I saw a woman wearing a crown of red rubies. She had the most beautiful face that I had ever seen. She said to me, “May Allah Ta‘ala give you a good reward on our behalf.” “Who are you?” I asked. “I am the mother of the girl whom you left out of the fear of Allah Ta‘ala. May Alah Ta‘ala never punish you with fire, neither in this world nor the next.” I next said to her, “Please tell me who she is and which family she is from.” The woman replied, “She is from the family of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).”

When I awoke from my sleep, I found that the fire of this world could not harm me. I have hope that the fire of the Hereafter will not harm me as well.

[azc]

It is reported that there was once a king who, at a certain moment during his rule, came to the realization that no matter how rich he was, his pleasures were of the fleeting kind and his end was going to be death. These thoughts lingered in his mind, until one day he secretly left his castle and made his way towards the seaside. There, he spent his days earning his keep by working with bricks, and his nights worshipping Allah :swt:. Although he had travelled far away from his homeland, he could not remain unrecognized for long, and soon news of his story reached the king of the land that he was in. That king summoned him, but he refused to go; and when he was summoned for a second time, he made it clear that he didn’t want to meet the king.

The king of the land was too curious about the former king’s story to let the matter rest there. And so he went to him in person, but when the former king saw him approaching, he began to run away. The king of the land chased him as he called out, “O slave of Allah :swt:, fear not,” but the former king continued to flee from him. This continued until the king of the land was able to convince him that he just wanted to talk to him for a few moments. When the two were face to face, the king of the land asked the former king, “What made you come to this land?”

He said, “I found that my heart desired separation from the children of Adam.”

The king of the land asked, “How can you bear living a life of loneliness?”

He said, “Whoever finds comfort with Allah finds unwholesome the company of anyone else.”

The king of the land asked, “And why did you leave your kingdom?”

He answered, “I thought about my outcome, my final destination on this earth, and I realized that my end here was near at hand. And so I decided to turn away from that which is temporary and to instead turn towards that which will abide forever. Turning to my Lord, I then fled from my sins.”

The king of the land said “You do not have more reason to fear Allah than I do.”

The king of that land then abdicated his throne, after which he followed his new companion on the path of simplicity, repentance, and worship.

(Stories of repentance)

[azc]

During one of his journeys, Hazrat Sirri as-Saqati رحمة لله علیھ passed by a cave, from which he heard continuous sobbing. Aroused by curiosity, he entered the cave and saw a young man whose body seemed to be wasted away by grief and sadness. Having immediately perceived that the man was a righteous worshipper, Hazrat Sirri رحمة لله علیھ humbly asked, “O young man, how is safety achieved?”

He said, “By performing all prescribed acts of worship, by not wronging others, and by repenting to Allah.”

Sirrri رحمة لله علیھ asked, “Can you please deliver a sermon to me?”

The young man said, “The best sermon you can receive is by looking into your own self. But I will say this: be obedient to Allah :swt: when you are alone, for doing so will atone for your sins, and Allah :swt: will then display you to the inhabitants of the heavens.”
(ibid)

[azc]

Rashid, a first century ruler, once said to Hazrat Fudayl bin Iyaad ‎رحمة لله علیھ, "Admonish me."
"O Leader of the believers!" said Hazrat Fudayl ‎رحمة لله علیھ. "Indeed your grandfather, Hazrat Abbaas ‎رضي الله عنه, ‏ once went to the Nabi :saws: and said, 'O Messenger of Allah :saws: appoint me to be a leader.' Nabi :saws: said, 'My uncle, indeed, being a leader leads to sorrow, and regret on the Day of Resurrection. If you are able to go without ever being a leader, then do so!'"

Moved to tears, Rashid said, "Give me more."

Hazrat Fudaylرحمة لله علیھ looked at Rashid and said, "O One who has a handsome face, if you are able to protect that face from the Hell-fire then do so. And beware of ever cheating or betraying your people."

Being much moved by Hazrat Fudayl' ‎رحمة لله علیھs words, Rashid wanted to reward him.
"Do you have any debts?" he asked.

"To my Lord, yes, and He will hold me accountable for them," said Hazrat Fudaylرحمة لله علیھ.

"I am of course referring to debts to other human beings," said Rashid.
After Hazrat Fudaylرحمة لله علیھ answered in the negative, Rashid said to one of his assistants, "Give him 1000 dinars, which he can use to help his family."
Hazrat Fudaylرحمة لله علیھ was greatly offended by these words and said, "How perfect Allah is! I am guiding you to safety and you want to reward me with this worldly sum!"

He then left, having refused to take anything.
(ibid)

[azc]

A person once came to Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) and said, “O Abu Ishaaq! I am a great transgressor and sinner. Please give me some advice that will serve as a deterrent from sin and will save my heart.”

Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) replied, “If you accept five things from me and you are able to hold fast to them, you will neither be harmed by falling into sin nor will you be destroyed through falling prey to your carnal desires.” The man replied, “Mention them, O Abu Ishaaq.”

Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) commenced enumerating the five things as follows:

The first thing is that when you wish to disobey Allah Ta‘ala, then do not eat from His sustenance.” The man replied, “Where will I get food from when all the food on earth is the sustenance granted by Allah Ta‘ala?” Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) responded, “Does it behove you to eat from Allah Ta‘ala’s sustenance whilst disobeying Him?” The man submitted, “No, it does not behove one to do so.” The man then said, “What is the second thing?”

Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) said, “When you wish to disobey Allah Ta‘ala, then do not stay on His land.” The man replied, “This is even more difficult than the first! When the East and the West and all the lands in-between belong to Allah Ta‘ala, then where will I live?” Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) responded, “Does it behove you to eat from Allah Ta‘ala’s sustenance, and reside on His land, whilst disobeying Him?” The man admitted, “No, it does not behove one to do so.” The man then asked, “What is the third thing?”

Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) said, “When you wish to disobey Allah Ta‘ala, and you are eating from His sustenance and residing on His land, then at least find a place where He will not see you defying Him openly.” The man exclaimed, “O Ebrahim (rahimahullah)! How is this possible when Allah Ta‘ala even sees those things which are hidden?” Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) responded, “Does it behove you to eat from Allah Ta‘ala’s sustenance, and reside on His land, and disobey Him while He is watching you and can see how you are defying Him?” The man acknowledged, “No, it does not behove one to do so.” The man then asked, “What is the fourth thing?”

Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) said, “When the angel of death approaches you to extract your soul then say to him, ‘Give me some time so that I may engage in sincere repentance from my sins and carry out righteous actions to please Allah Ta‘ala.’” The man responded, “The angel of death will never accept this request from me!” Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) remarked, “When you do not have the ability to repel death when it comes to you, so that you will have the opportunity to repent, and you are well aware that when death comes, there will be no delay or procrastination, then how do you hope to gain salvation?” The man then asked, “What is the fifth thing?”

Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) said, “On the Day of Qiyaamah, when the angels of punishment come to seize you and drag you to the fire of Jahannum, then do not go with them.” The man replied, “Neither will the angels leave me, nor will they listen to my plea!” Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) asked, “In that case, how can you hope for salvation?”

The man exclaimed, “O Ebrahim (rahimahullah)! That is enough for me! I beg Allah Ta‘ala to forgive my sins and I turn to Him in repentance!”

The man then chose to remain in the company of Ebrahim bin Adham (rahimahullah) where he remained engaged in ‘ibaadah until his death.

(Kitaabut Tawwaabeen - Ibnu Qudaamah pg. 211)

[azc]

‘Abdullah, the nephew of Muslim bin Sa’d (rahimahullah), narrates the following incident:

I once intended to perform hajj. On learning of my intention, my mother’s brother, Muslim (rahimahullah), handed me ten thousand Dirhams and said, “Seek the poorest household from the people of Madeenah Munawwarah and give these Dirhams to them.”

When I entered Madeenah Munawwarah, I asked the people to show me the poorest household among them. They thus directed me to a certain home to which I thereafter proceeded. On reaching the home, I knocked on the door. My knock was soon answered by a woman who asked me who I was. I replied, “I am a man from Baghdad who has been entrusted with ten thousand Dirhams and instructed to give them to the poorest household from the people of Madeenah Munawwarah. Please take this wealth, as your household has been described as the poorest household in Madeenah Munawwarah.”

The woman replied, “O ‘Abdullah! The person who entrusted you with this wealth specified that you should give it to the poorest household. The household that is next to us is more needy than we are.”

I thus left the first home and made my way to the second home. On arriving at the door, I knocked, and my knock was soon answered by a woman. I informed her of the wealth that had been entrusted to me and similarly told her of the condition that the owner of the wealth had stipulated. When I had explained my errand to her, the woman said, “O ‘Abdullah! We and our neighbours are equal in poverty. Thus, divide the wealth between us equally.”

(Sifatus Safwah, vol. 1, pg. 411)