The Scene - It was a dark winter night, as cold and silent as it could get. The swishing and gusty winds left the leaves tremble and fall off the trees. While everything else froze outside, the people were asleep in the safe and cozy confines of their homes. It seemed as if the long winter night even froze the time, all was perpetually trapped in oblivion.

Across the neighborhood’s corner, near a street, there was some mysterious movement. Four silhouettes moved stealthily through the black curtains of night, holding tightly onto their pistols, talking to each other in whispers. They approached the house of Mr. Hamza, a wealthy trader, and started planning ways to enter. Inside the house, Hamza, his mother, wife and little boy child Abdullah were peacefully sleeping, unaware of the intents of the evil menace lurking outside their house.

One of the Dacoits jumped over the wall and opened the door for his companions to get in. The others quickly followed and silently positioned themselves in front of the rooms where Hamza family was sleeping.

They kicked the doors open and entered the rooms, waking the poor family up with the noise. All four were shocked and started at the dacoits with wide open eyes. A rough voice commanded them to remain silent, even though the frightened souls could barely utter a word. The few moments of silence became unbearable eternity. The harsh voice spoke again and threatened them of dire consequences if anyone tried to gather help. They brought all the family members, who were shivering with fear, into the living room. The same voice. veiled in a mask, ordered rest of the gang to quickly gather all the valuables of the household. Then they ordered Hamza I to lead them to I the valuables. Hamza, in utter frustration and fear for his family’s safety ; asked one of the dacoits of the wrong he had done. In reply he held his gun to Hamza’s head and asked him to shut up.

The awkward scene played havoc and Hamza’s wife cried out to stop the dacoits from hurting her husband and led them to the valuables, quickly running back to brace her child.

Within no time the dacoits had gathered whatever there was to be taken and assembled for the last time to leave the house. Abdullah holding her mother’s arm tightly, was watching every thing sadly, and sobbing in fear and grief. His young mind could not fathom the ordeal that his family was facing, and he wondered if the people who had broken into his house so rudely would also take them along. He started growing impatient with the thought and asked his father,

“Baba! Who are these bad people and why are they taking all of our things with them.”

His father replied,

“These are thieves my dear son, and they are here, to steal our money. They don’t care about the humans.” Hearing this, the gang of dacoits laughted like mad people and turned away to leave.

Abdullah said, “Baba! But Dadi Amma told me if I recite Ayatul Kursi before sleeping, no evil will enter our home and Allah will take us in his protection. Baba! I had recited Ayatul Kursi before sleeping but why is this happening now. How did these evil people come here. Has Allah not taken us in his protection”?

He asked the question with such innocence and conviction that the leader of the dacoits froze in his own footsteps. A fear he had never known before struck him. He started sweating and shiveririg as if had suddenly been possessed by some strange power. With heavy feet, he came close to Abdullah and asked,

“Do you know Ayatul Kursi”?

Abdullah nodded his head and started reciting it from the depths of his heart. As the recitation proceeded, the leader started feeling weaker and weaker under the burden of this sins. When Abdullah finished, that harsh voice of the leader had changed to a feeble squeak askng his companions to put the valuables from wherever they took them. The leader then said to Abdullah, begging for forgiveness. “Son! indeed you are in Allah’s protection, the Best of the protectors. No harm will come to those who utter Allah’s name from the depths of their heart. Forgive us and pray for us; you have opened our eyes and shown us the path we had long forgotten”.

With this his hand reached his pocket and came out with a thousand-rupee note. He gave it to Abdullah and waved at his companion to leave the house, and with it the residents in peace.

The dacoits left the house, but the sparkle in Abdullah’s eyes did not leave them for a long time.

Nu’ayman was a fun-loving man with a sense of humour, so he went to some people who had brought livestock with them, and said, “Will you buy a sturdy Arab slave from me?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “He has a big mouth, and he may tell you that he is a free man. If that means that you do not want to take him, then forget the matter, and do not cause trouble for me with him.” They said, “No problem, we will buy him.” So they bought him for ten young she-camels. Nu’ayman brought the animals back, and told the people: “There he is!” Suwaybit said: “I am a free man!” They said, “He has already told us all about you,” and put a rope around his neck and led him away. Then Abu Bakr came, and was told what had happened. He and his companions went and returned the animals and took Suwaybit back. They told the Prophet (pbuh) what had happened, and he and his Sahabah would laugh about the story for a year afterwards.

Source: Hayat Al Sahabah

The young man couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Does Allah still speak to people through intuition?’ After Lessons, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message.

Several different ones talked about how Allah had led them in different ways and that at the end you’ll know it was Allah(SWT) Who has directed you.

It was about ten o’clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, ‘Allah…If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.’

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, ‘Allah is that you?’ He didn’t get a reply and started on toward home.

But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk came into his head. ‘Okay, Allah, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.’ It didn’t seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.

As he passed Seventh Street , he again felt the urge, ‘Turn Down that street.’ This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street ..

At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, ‘Okay, Allah, I will.’ He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop.

He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi-commercial area of town. It wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something, ‘Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.’ The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. Allah, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid.’

Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, ‘Okay Allah(SWT), if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don’t answer right away, I am out of here.’ He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man’s voice yelled out, ‘Who is it? What do you want?’ Then the door opened before the young man could get away.

The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn’t seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. ‘What is it?’ The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, ‘Here, I brought this to you.’

The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, ‘We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn’t have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking Allah(SWT) to show me how to get some milk.’

His wife in the kitchen yelled out, ‘I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?’

The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man’s hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.

He knew that Allah (SWT) still answers prayers.

And if that weren’t enough to ruin my day, A young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play.

He stood right before me with his head tilted down and said with great excitement, “Look what I found!”

In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight, with it’s petals all worn, not enough rain, or to little light. Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I faked a small smile and then shifted away. But instead of retreating he sat next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and declared with overacted surprise, “It sure smells pretty and it’s beautiful, too. That’s why I picked it; here it’s for you.”

The weed before me was dying or dead. Not vibrant of colors, orange, yellow or red. But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.” But instead of him placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan. It was then that I noticed for the very first time that weed-toting boy could not see: he was blind.

I heard my voice quiver, tears shone like the sun as I thanked him for picking the very best one. You’re welcome, he smiled, and then ran off to play, unaware of the impact he’d had on my day. I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a self-pitying woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he know of my self-indulged plight?

Perhaps from his heart, he’d been blessed with true sight. Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see the problem was not with the world; the problem was me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see the beauty in life, and appreciate every second that’s mine. And then I held that wilted flower up to my nose and breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose. And smiled as I watched that young boy, another weed in his hand about to change the life of an unsuspecting old man.

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Allah mentions in Surah Bani-Israil 17:23-24

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.”

‘A’ishah narrated:

“Once, when I saw the Prophet in a good mood, I said to him: “O Messenger of
Allah! Supplicate to Allah for me!”

So, he said: “O Allah! Forgive ‘A’ishah her past and future sins, what she has hidden, as well as what she has made apparent.“

So, I began smiling, to the point that my head fell into my lap out of joy.

The Messenger of Allah said to me: “Does my supplication make you happy?“

I replied: “And how can your supplication not make me happy?”

He then said: “By Allah, it is the supplication that I make for my Ummah in every prayer.“

Reported in ‘Sahih Mawarid adh-Dhaman’ (# 1875), and it is in ‘as-Silsilah as-Sahihah’ (# 2254#)

“Come on, guys,” I said to the kids as I shifted into park and turned off the ignition. “Let’s see how fast we can do this.”

I scrambled out, and lifted my two-year-old daughter, Andrea, from her car seat, holding her against my hip.

Seven-year-old Max, my oldest, volunteered, “Let me help.” “Okay,” I responded, “you close the door when everybody’s out.” With three kids, I always felt like I was forgetting something. Daniel…Where was Daniel? I felt a tug at my sleeve and turned around.

There he was, my four-year-old. He wasn’t one to say much. Even when we said our prayers at night, Daniel kept his thoughts to himself. I put my hand out and he grabbed it as we headed to the store.

We were halfway there when Daniel dropped my hand and walked over to the cart return area. He stopped, peering at something by his feet. “Daniel, leave it, whatever it is,” I said. “We need to go.”

He reached down and picked up his prize, a grimy square of greenish paper. I glanced at it. A dollar bill. “I’ll take care of it till we’re home.” I shoved it into my pocket.

“Whose is it?” Daniel asked. “Won’t the people who lost it be sad?”

“Yeah, Mom,” Max agreed. “That’s a lot of money to lose.”

There wasn’t time to explain how little money a dollar actually was, not even enough to buy the dinner rolls. “No one will miss it, guys. Trust me.”

I put Andrea in the safety seat of the shopping cart while Max walked beside me, grabbing cereal boxes and putting fruit in plastic bags. Daniel trailed behind. We had almost made it to the cashier when Daniel said, “What about the money, Mom?”

“We need to go,” I said.

I coaxed a bag of M&M’s out of Andrea’s hand while I set our food on the conveyor belt. I wrote a check, wincing at the amount, and we left the store. As we passed the spot where Daniel had found his dollar, he lagged behind. “Mom, maybe someone really needs that money,” Daniel said.

“Look, it’s only a dollar,” I said impatiently, fishing the crumpled bill out of my pocket and unfolding it. I did a double take. “Daniel,” I exclaimed, “you found a hundred-dollar bill!”

“See, Mom,” Max said.

We sure could use that money, I thought as I pushed the grocery cart to our van. And someone out there surely needed it too. But how would we ever be able to track down the owner?

“Can you buy a lot of toys with a hundred dollars?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah!” Max said. “It’s so much money.”

Daniel stopped in his tracks, and looked up at me. “Then let’s give it back.”

“But how?” I asked.

“We wait here, and they come get it.”

The rocky road ice cream was melting, the milk was getting warm, Andrea was due for a nap. And I had to finish the vacuuming before our guests arrived.

“We don’t have much time to stand here waiting,” I said, though I hated to think of someone losing so much. But then Daniel looked up at me from beneath his dark eyelashes and said quietly, “Mom, you never have time when it’s important.”

I took a deep breath and glanced at my watch. If I took a really quick shower and skipped vacuuming upstairs…

“Okay, we’ll wait ten minutes.” We put the groceries in the van and sat inside. I looked around the parking lot to keep from staring at my watch. All I saw were other people like me, distracted, hurrying to fit in all they needed to get done. If I had passed that hundred-dollar bill, I wouldn’t have noticed it at all. Lord, I asked, what else have I been missing?

Just then a battered white car pulled into the parking space opposite us, and a tired-looking couple emerged.

We watched as they walked toward the store, their heads down. To my amazement, they stopped by the cart return where Daniel had found the bill. Carefully, the couple searched the area, the man’s shoulders slumped, the woman near tears. “Wait here a minute,” I said to the kids. I jumped out of the van and walked over to the couple.

“Did you lose something?” I asked the man.

“Yes,” he replied. “A hundred-dollar bill.”

I pulled the bill out of my pocket. I watched the man’s eyes widen in disbelief, and he almost crushed me in a bear hug. “It’s a miracle!” he exclaimed. “Thank God.”

“Could you thank my son too? He was the one who found it.”

The couple hurried over to our van. The man thrust out his hand for Daniel to shake, and the woman patted his head, tousling his hair. “I knew someone needed it,” Daniel said.

I watched the relieved couple walk back to their car. Then I shifted the van into reverse, and looked over my shoulder at Daniel, whose actions spoke louder than his words.

Dinner might have been a little late that night, but Daniel’s lesson had come right on time.

People, whose relationship with Allah is strong, will never ever dream of committing suicide. Those people who enjoy the pleasures of this world; alcohol, drug, women, dubbing, etc., they are the people who will ultimately, want to commit suicide because they will get sick of this world. Those who enjoy the pleasures of this world by committing sins will be surrounded by problems from all four sides. They have brought these problems upon themselves through disobedience to Allah Ta’aalaa.

Such people begin to feel they will only find peace, if they are dead. An Urdu poet has said: Now out of fear you desire to die (But) even after death, if you do not find peace, where will you go?

Now, overpowered by calamities and problems, you desire to die and you consider death a solution to all your problems, but if, after death, you do not find peace in the grave, if you do not find peace on the Day of Qiyaamah, if you do not find peace on the Pul Siraat and you are deprived of entry in Jannah, then where will you go?

So the person said to Shaikh Shiblee, ‘I have a big problem. Make du’aa that may Allah Ta’aalaa take me away from this world.’

The Shaikh said, ‘Calm down, take it easy, what is the problem?’ He replied, ‘I had a very close friend, and I loved him very much. We were friends for a very long time. He sacrificed everything for me and I sacrificed everything for him. I had never thought that he will ever leave me but he has left me. Now my heart is empty. I cannot survive without him. I love him so much that I want him back, and if I cannot have him back, then I want to die.’

The Shaikh soothed him and asked him to calm down saying, ‘Look, there is no need to lose hope. Why do you want to die when there is a solution to your problem?’

He quickly said, very happily, ‘Tell me what is the solution, tell me quickly! Since he has left me I have not been eating, drinking or sleeping. There is no joy in my life. Please tell me quickly.’

The Shaikh replied, ‘The only way to forget a friend who has left you is to make a new friend.’ He said, ‘O Shaikh, after ten to fifteen years of loyal friendship, he has left me and I am suffering. And you are telling me to make a new friend. I fear that if the same thing happens, then what will become of me.’

Shaikh Shiblee said, ‘What if I find you a friend who will never leave you. In fact, if you are disloyal to him and after years of disloyalty, you go back to him saying O my friend! Forgive me. I want to be your friend again, he will immediately accept you again as a friend.’ He said, ‘O Shaikh! Show me this friend! Who is this friend that is so loyal.’

The Shaikh replied, ‘Turn to Allah and make friendship with Him.’

With a complete changed heart and state of mind, Dinâr went to his mother and said, “Mother, what does a master do when he captures his slave, who had run away from him?” She said, “(To punish him,) the master then provides him with coarse clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet, so that he does not make another attempt to escape. ” Dinâr said, “Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me which is done to a runaway slave: Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my humiliation and humility, have mercy on me.” Seeing that her son was adamant and resolute in his quest, she complied.

At the beginning of every ensuing night, Dinâr would begin to cry and wail uncontrollably. And he would repeat the words: “Woe unto you, O Dinâr, do you have the power to withstand the Hell Fire! How brazen you have been to have led a life that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!” He would continue upon that state until the morning. Turning wan and pale, Dinâr’s body slowly wasted away. Not being able to bear seeing hum in that pitiable state, his mother said, “My son, be easy on yourself.” He answered, “My mother, let me remain tired for a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long term comfort later on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror.”

She said, “My son, at least rest for a while.” He said, “It is not present rest or comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led towards the Hell Fire along with its inhabitants.” She left him then, and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Quran. One night, as he was reciting the Quran, he came across these verses:

“So, by your Lord (O Muhammad), We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all they used to do.” [Quran 15: 2, 93]

As he contemplated the meaning and the implications of the verses, he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn’t respond; she thought that he had died. Looking into the face of her precious son, she said, “O my beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?” In fact, Dinâr still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother’s words , he answered with a faint voice, “My mother, if you do not find me on the wide plains of the Resurrection Day, then ask Malik, the Custodian of the Hell Fire, about me.” He then made a croaking sound and died.

After she finished washing his body, Dinâr’s mother prepared for him his funeral. She then went out and made the announcement: “O people, come to the (funeral) prayer of one who has been killed by (fear of) the Hell Fire.” People began to come from all directions; it is said that, during that era, no greater gathering came together and no amount of tears were shed as much on that day.

On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Dinâr’s friend saw him in a dream: attired in a green robe, Dinâr was prancing around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse:

“So, by your Lord (O Muhammad), We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all they used to do.” [Quran 15: 2, 93]

During the dream, his friend heard him say, “By His and Majesty, He asked me (about my deeds). Having mercy on me, He forgave me and pardoned me (my sins). Lo! Convey news of this to my mother.”

From the Book: Stories of Repentance, By: Muhammad Abduh Mughawiri

Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) once was sitting on the bank of a lake deeply engrossed in the beauties of nature around and appreciating the various forms of Allah’s creation on earth.

Suddenly Prophet Sulayman’s (peace be upon him) attention was drawn towards an ant creeping forward with a grain of wheat in its mouth. As it reached near the water, a tortoise came out, opened its mouth and the ant crept into it. The tortoise closing its mouth disappeared under the water. After a while, the tortoise again sprung out of the water and standing on the bank opened its mouth and the ant came out. But this time it had no grain of wheat in its mouth.

Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) became anxious to know what had been happening under water. On inquiring, the ant explained that at the bottom of the lake, was a stone and underneath it lived a blind ant. Allah had created it there and because of blindness, it could not move about. The ant further said that “I have been appointed by Allah to provide its daily sustenance with the assistance of the tortoise and hence, I do perform this duty everyday.”

Let us ponder over one thing. If a tiny creature like an ant living under a stone at the bottom of a sea is not denied its sustenance, why should man the noblest of all creatures ever suspect loss of his sustenance from Almighty Allah? Why should we worry so much about our food, wealth, daily food, if Allah is the Ultimate Provider? Should we not turn to Him first?