FAZA'IL-E-A'MAAL

STORIES OF THE SAHAABAH

By Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakaria rah.

Chapter 1

STEADFASTNESS IN THE FACE OF HARDSHIPS

The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe Wasallam) Journey to Taif
For nine years, since his selection by Allah for His mission, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) had been delivering the message of Allah in Makkah and making all-out efforts to
guide and reform his community. Excepting a few persons who had either embraced Islam or
who helped him though not accepting his creed, all the rest in Mecca left no stone unturned in
persecuting and deriding him and his followers. His uncle Abu Talib was one of those good-
hearted people who helped him, in spite of his not entering into the fold of Islam.
The following year, on the death of Abu Talib, the Qu-reysh got a free hand and therefore
accelerated their sinister pursuits without check and hindrance. At Taif, the second biggest
town of Hijaz, there lived Banu Thaqif, a clan strong in number. The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) left for Taif with the hope of winning them over to Islam, thus giving quarter
to Muslims from the persecution of the Qureysh, and also establishing a base for the future
propagation of Islam. On reaching Taif he visited the three chieftains of the clan separately,
and placed before each of them the message of Allah, and called upon them to stand by his
Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) side. Instead of accepting his message, they refused
even to listen to him and, notwithstanding the proverbial Arab hospitality, each of them
treated him most contemptuously and rudely.
They plainly told him that they did not like his stay in their town. The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) had expected a civil, even a cordial treatment and due courtesy in speech
from them, as they were the heads of the clan. But one of them sneered:
"Hey, Allah has made you a Prophet!" The other exclaimed with derision:
"Could Allah not lay His hand on anyone else, beside you to make him His Prophet?"
The third one gibed at him:
"I do not want to talk to you, for if you are in fact a Prophet, then to oppose you is
to invite trouble, and if you only pretend to be one, why should I talk with an
impostor?"

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), who was a rock of steadfastness and perseverance,
did not lose heart over this check from the chieftains, and tried to approach the common
people; but nobody would listen to him. Instead they asked him to clear off from their own
town and go wherever else he liked. When he realised that further efforts were in vain, he
decided to leave the town. But they would not let him depart in peace, and set the street
urchins after him to hiss, to hoot, to jeer at, and to stone him. He was so much pelted at with
stones that his whole body was covered with blood, and his shoes were clogged to his feet. He
left the town in this woeful plight. When he was far out of the town, and safe from the rabble,
he prayed to Allah thus:

"0, my Allah! To Thee I complain of the feeble-ness of my strength, of my lack of resources

and my being unimportant in the eyes of people. 0, Most Merciful of all those capable of
showing mercy! Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my own Lord. To whom art
Thou to entrust me; to an unsympathetic foe who would sullenly frown at me, or to an alien to
whom Thou hast given control over my affairs? Not in the least do I care for anything except
that I may have Thy protection for myself. I seek shelter in Your light-the light which
illuminates the Heavens and dispels all sorts of darkness, and which controls all affairs in this
world as well as in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Thy wrath, or that Thou
should be displeased with me. I must remove the cause of Thy displeasure till Thou art
pleased. There is no strength nor power but through Thee."
The Heavens were moved by the prayer, and Jibrail (Alayhis salaam) appeared before the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), greeting him with Assalamu Alaikum and said:
"Allah knows all that has passed between you and these people. He has deputed an
angel in charge of the mountains to be at your command."

Saying this, Jibrail (Alayhis salam) ushered the angel before the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam). The angel greeted the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and said:
"0, Prophet of Allah! I am at your service. If you wish, I can cause the mountains
overlooking this town on both sides to collide with each other, so that all the people
therein would be crushed to death, or you may suggest any other punishment for
them."

The merciful and noble Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:

"Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope from Allah that there will be
persons from among their progeny who would worship Allah and serve His cause."

Behold the conduct of our noble Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), whom we profess to
follow! We get so much irritated over a little trouble or a mere abuse from somebody that we
keep on torturing and taking our revenge throughout our lives in every possible manner. Does
it become people who claim to follow the magnanimous
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)? Look, even after so much suffering at the hands of the
Taif mob, he neither curses them nor does he work for any revenge, even when he has the full
opportunity to do so.

Martyrdom of Hadhrat Anas bin Nadhr (Radhiyallaho anho)

Hadhrat Anas bin Nadhr (Radhiyallaho anho) was one of the Sahabah who could not take
part in the campaign of Badr. He very much regretted to have missed the honour of
participating in the first and the most illustrious battle for Islam. He longed for a chance
wherein he could make amends for Badr. He did not have to wait for long. The battle of Uhud
came about in the following year. He joined the army with the most determined zeal. Despite
heavy odds, the Muslims were gaining the upper hand, when some people made a blunder and
the Muslims had to suffer a reverse. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had posted a
band of fifty archers to guard a pass in the rear against the enemy cavalry. They had definite
instructions not to move from their position till further orders from him. But when they saw
the Muslims gaining victory and the enemy in full flight, they left their position in the belief
that the battle was over and it was time to join in the pursuit and get on to the booty. The
leader of the band tried his utmost to check them by reminding them of the Prophet's
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) command and solicited them to stay on, but no more than ten
persons would listen to him, arguing that the orders given by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) were only for the duration of the actual fight. The enemy cavalry then noticed the
unguarded pass in the rear, made a flank movement, forced a passage through it, and fell
right on the rear of the Muslims, who were pre-occupied with the booty. It was in this state of
affairs that Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallaho anho) saw Hadhrat Sa'ad bin Ma'az (Radhiyallaho
anho) passing in front of him. He shouted to him:
"0, Sa'ad! where are you going? By Allah! I smell the fragrance of Paradise coming from
Mount Uhud."
Saying this, he threw himself into the very thick of the enemy, and fought tooth and nail till he
met his martyrdom.
After the battle, it was found that his body had been mauled and mutilated to such an extent
that only his sister could identify him, and that barely from the finger tips. No less than eighty
wounds of arrows and swords were counted on his body.
Those who strive in the path of Allah with sincerity and devotion taste the pleasures of
Paradise even in this world, and so did Anas (Radhiyallaho anho) smell the fragrance of
Paradise.

The Truce of Hudeybiah and Story of Hadhrat Abu Jandal and Hadhrat Abu
Basir (Radhiyallaho anhu-ma)
In the 6th year of Hijrah, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] along with his companions
left for Mecca to perform Umrah. The Qureysh heard of the news and decided to resist his
entry into Mecca even as a pilgrim, and so he had to encamp at Hudeybiah. The devoted
Sahabah, 1 400 in number, were however determined to enter, even if it involved an open
fight; but the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) viewed the matter differently and in spite
of the Sahabah's eagerness to fight, entered into a treaty with the Qureysh, accepting their
conditions in full.
This one-sided and seemingly ungraceful truce was a very bitter pill for the Sahabah to
swallow, but their devotion to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) would not allow them
to demur, and even the most valiant man like Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) could not
but submit to his decision. According to one of the articles of the treaty, converts to Islam
during the period of the truce were to be returned, but not so the deserters from Muslims to
Qureysh.
Hadhrat Abu Jandal (Radhiyallaho anho) a Muslim in Mecca, was suffering great persecution
at the hands of Qureysh. They kept him constantly in chains. On hearing about the arrival of
the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in Hudeybiah, he escaped somehow and managed to
reach the Muslim camp at a time when the truce was about to be signed. His father, Suhail
(till then a non-Muslim) was the envoy of Qureysh in the negotiations for the truce. He smote
Hadhrat Abu Jandal (Radhiyallaho anho) on his face and insisted on taking him back to
Mecca. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) represented that, since the truce had not till
then been written, its application in Abu Jandal's case was premature. Suhail, however, would
not listen to any argument and was not inclined to leave his son with the Muslims even at the
personal request of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), and would have forgone the
truce even. Abu Jandal (Radhiyallaho anho) counting his hardships remonstrated at the top
of his voice but, much to the grief of the Sahabah, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)
agreed to his return. He however enjoined patience on him saying:
"Do not be distressed, Hadhrat Abu Jandal (Radhiyallaho anho), Allah will shortly open a
way for you."
After the truce was signed and the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had returned to
Madinah, another Meccan Muslim Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) escaped to
Madinah and besought the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) protection. The Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) refused to accept his implorations and, in deference to the truce
condition, handed him over to the two persons who had been deputed by the Qureysh to claim
him. He, however, advised him as he had advised Hadhrat Abu Jandal (Radhiallaho anho) to
be patient and to hope for the help of Allah. When Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho)
and his escort were on their way back to Mecca, Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) said
to one of them:
"Friend, your sword is extremely fine."

The man was flattered and took it out from the sheath and said:
"Yes it is really very fine, and I have tried it on so many persons. You can have a look at it."
Most foolishly he made over the sword to Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho), who immediately
'tried' it on its owner and killed him. The other man took to his heels and reached Madinah to
report to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). In the meantime Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho
anho) also arrived. He said to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):
"0, Prophet of Allah, you once returned me and absolved yourself of the truce
obligations. I had no obligations to fulfil and I managed my escape from them by
this trick, as I was afraid of their forcing me to forsake my faith."

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) remarked: "You are a war-monger. I

wish you could be helped."

Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) came to understand from this that he would be
returned to Qureysh again when they demanded him. He therefore left Madinah and fled to a
place in the desert on the sea shore. Abu Jandal (Radhiyallaho anho) also managed his escape
and joined him there. More Muslims of Mecca followed, and in a few days quite a small group
of such fugitives gathered in the wilderness. They had to undergo untold sufferings in the
desert, where there was neither habitation nor vegetation. They, however, being bound by no
treaty proved a great nuisance for the Qureysh by dealing blows after blows on their caravans
passing that way. This compelled the Qureysh to approach the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) and beseech him to intervene and call the fugitives to Madinah, so that they might
be bound by the terms of the treaty like other Muslims, and the caravans might pass in safety.
It is said that Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) was on his deathbed when the letter
sent by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) permitting his return to Madinah reached
him. He died while holding the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) letter in his hand.
No power on the earth can make a person forsake his faith, provided it is a true faith.
Moreover, Allah has given an assurance to help those who are genuine Muslims.

Hadhrat Bilal (Radhiyallaho anho) and his Sufferings

Hadhrat Bilal (Radhiyallaho anho) is one of the best known of the galaxy of Sahabah as
moazzin of the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) masjid. He was an Abyssinian slave of a
disbeliever in Mecca. His conversion to Islam was, naturally, not liked by his master and he
was, therefore, persecuted mercilessly. Ummayah bin Khalaf, who was the worst enemy of
Islam, would make him lie down on the burning sand at midday and would place a heavy
stone on his breast, so that he could not even move a limb. He would then say to him:
"Renounce Islam or swelter and die."

Even under these afflictions, Bilal (Radhiyallaho anho) would exclaim:-

"Ahad"-The One (Allah). "Ahad"-The One (Allah).
He was whipped at night and with the cuts thus received, made to lie on the burning ground
during the day to make him either forsake Islam or to die a lingering death from wounds. The
torturers would get tired and take turns (Abu Jahl, Umayyah and others) and vie with one
another in afflicting more and more painful punishment, but Hadhrat Bilal (Radhiyallaho
anho) would not yield. At last Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) bought his freedom, and he
became a free Muslim.
As Islam taught implicitly the oneness of the Almighty Creator, while the idolaters of Mecca
believed in many gods and goddesses with minor godlings, therefore Bilal (Radhiyallaho anho)
repeated:
"Ahad (The One), Ahad (The One)."
This shows his love and devotion to Allah. Allah was so dear to him that no amount of
persecution could distract him from reciting His Holy name. It is said that the urchins of
Mecca would drag him in the streets, with his words "Ahad!, Ahad!" ringing in their wake.
Look how Allah rewarded his steadfastness! He was to have the honour of becoming the
Prophet's moazzin. He was always to remain with him at home and abroad to call out the
Azaan for his Salaat. After the Prophet's death it became very hard for him to continue his
stay in Madinah where he would miss him at every step and in every corner. He therefore left
Madinah, and decided to pass the rest of his life striving in the path of Allah. Once he beheld
the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in his dream saying to him:
"O, Bilal! How is it that you never visit me."

No sooner did he get up than he set out for Madinah. On reaching there, Hadhrat Hasan and
Hadhrat Husain (Radhiyallaho anhuma) (The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)
grandsons) requested him to call out the Azaan. He could not refuse them, for they were very
dear to him. But as soon as the Azaan was called, the people of Madinah cried openly out of
their anguish at the memory of the happy old days of the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) time. Even the women came out of their houses weeping. Hadhrat Bilal
(Radhiyallaho anho) left Madinah again after a few days and died in Damascus in 20 A.H.

Hadhrat Abuzar Ghifari's (Radhiyallaho anho) Conversion to Islam

Hadhrat Abuzar Ghifari (Radhiyallaho anho) is very famous among the Sahabah for his piety
and knowledge. Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) used to say:
"Abuzar is the custodian of such knowledge as other people are incapable of acquiring."
When he first got news of the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) mission, he deputed his
brother to go to Mecca and make investigations regarding 'the person' who claimed to be the
recipient of Divine revelation. His brother returned after necessary enquiries, and informed
him that he found Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to be a man of good habits and
excellent conduct, and that his wonderful revelations were neither poetry nor sooth-sayings.
This report did not satisfy him, and he decided to set out for Mecca and find out the facts for
himself. On reaching Mecca, he went straight to the Haram. He did not know the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and he did not consider it advisable (under the circumstances
prevailing at that time) to enquire about him from anybody. When it became dark, Hadhrat
Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) noticed him and seeing in him a stranger, could not ignore him, as
hospitality and care for the travelers, the poor and the strangers, were the Sahabah's second
nature. He, therefore, took him to his place. He did not ask him about the purpose of his visit
to Mecca, nor did Abuzar (Radhiyallaho anho) himself disclose it. Next day, he again went to
the Haram and stayed there till nightfall without being able to learn who the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was. In fact everybody knew that the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) and his companions were being persecuted in Mecca, and Abuzar (Radhiyallaho
anho) might have had misgivings about the result of his quest for the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam). Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) again took him home for the night, but
again did not have any talk with him about the purpose of his visit to the city. On the third
night, however, after Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) had entertained him as on the two
previous nights, he asked him:
"Brother, what brings you to this town?" Before replying, Hadhrat Abuzar (Radhiyallaho
anho) took an undertaking from Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) that he would speak the
truth, and then he enquired from him about Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam).
Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) replied:
"He is verily the Prophet of Allah. You accompany me tomorrow and I shall take
you to him. But you have to be very careful, lest people come to know of your
association with me, and you get into trouble. When on our way 1 apprehend some
trouble, I shall get aside pretending some necessity or adjusting my shoes, and you
will proceed ahead without stopping so that the people may not connect us."

The next day, he followed Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho), who took him before the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). In the very first meeting, he embraced Islam. The Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), fearing that the Qureysh might harm him, enjoined upon him
not to make an open declaration of his Islam, and bade him to go back to his clan and return
when Muslims had gained the upper hand. Hadhrat Abuzar (Radhiyallaho anho) replied:
"0, Prophet of Allah! By Him who is the master of my soul, I must go and recite the
Kalimah in the midst of these unbelievers."

True to his word, he went straight to the Haram and, right in the midst of the crowd and at
the pitch of his voice, recited Kalimah-e-Shahadat viz:
" I bear witness that there is no god save Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad
(Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) is the Prophet of Allah."
People fell upon him from all sides, and would have beaten him to death if Abbas (the
Prophet's uncle, who had not till then embraced Islam) had not shielded him and saved him
from death. Abbas said to the mob:
"Do you know who he is? He belongs to the Ghifar clan, who live on the way of our
caravans to Syria. If he is killed, they will waylay us and we shall not be able to
trade with that country."

This appealed to their prudence and they left him alone.

The next day, Hadhrat Abuzar (Radhiyallaho anho] repeated his perilous confession of Imaan
and would have surely been beaten to death by the crowd, had not Abbas intervened once
again and saved him for the second time.
The action of Hadhrat Abuzar (Radhiyallaho anho) was due to his extraordinary zeal for
proclaiming Kalimah among the disbelievers, and the prohibition by the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) was due to the soft corner in his heart for Hadhrat Abuzar (Radhiyallaho
anho), lest he be put to hardships that might prove too much for him. There is not the least
shadow of disobedience in this episode. Since the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) himself
was undergoing all sorts of hardships in spreading the message of Islam, Abuzar
(Radhiyallaho anho) also thought it fit to follow his example rather than to avail of his
permission to avoid danger. It was this spirit of Sahabah that took them to the heights of
material and spiritual progress. When a person once recited the Kalimah and entered the fold
of Islam, no power on earth could turn him back and no oppression or tyranny could stop him
from Tabligh.

The Afflictions of Hadhrat Khabbab bin Alarat (Radhiyallaho anho)

Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) is also one of those blessed persons who offered
themselves for sacrifice and suffering for the cause of Allah. He was the sixth or seventh
person to embrace Islam and, therefore, he suffered long. He was made to put on steel armor
and lie in the sun to sweat and swelter. Very often he was made to lie flat on burning sand,
which caused the flesh on his back to waste away. He was the slave of a woman. When she
came to know that he was visiting the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), she used to brand
his head with a hot iron rod. Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) during his caliphate once
inquired of him about the details of his sufferings after embracing Islam. He showed him his
back, seeing which Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) remarked, "I have never seen such a
back before." He said, "My body was dragged over heaps of smoldering charcoal, and the
blood and fat coming out of my back put out the fire." It is said that, when Islam spread and
the Muslims conquered all the surrounding territory, he used to weep and say:
"Allah seems to be compensating us in this world for all our sufferings, and
perhaps nothing would be left for us as reward in the Hereafter."

Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:

"The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once performed an unusually long
rakaat while leading a Sa-laat. When the Sahabah mentioned it to him, he said,
 "This was a Salaat of yearning and humility. I asked three boons from Allah. I
besought Him:

'0, Allah! Let not my Ummat perish by famine; let not my Ummat be annihilated
by an enemy gaining an upper hand on them; and let not my Ummat fight among
themselves.'

Allah granted the first two prayers, but not the third one."
Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) died in 37 A.H. He was the first of the Sahabah to be
buried at Koofah. Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) once passing his grave said:
"May Allah bless and show mercy on Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho). He
embraced Islam willingly. He emigrated with great pleasure in Allah's path, and
spent his whole life in striving and suffering for Islam. Blessed is the person who is
mindful of the Day of Judgement, prepares for his reckoning, remains contented
with very little of this world, and is able to please his Lord."

To be able to please Allah, was really, the Sahabah's greatest achievement, for this was the sole
purpose of their life.

Hadhrat Ammaar (Radhiyallaho anho) and His Parents

Hadhrat Ammaar (Radhiyallaho anho) and his parents were also subjected to the severest
afflictions. They were tormented on the scorching sands of Mecca. The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) while passing by them would enjoin patience giving them glad tidings about
paradise. Ammaar's father Yasir (Radhiyallaho anho) died after prolonged sufferings at the
hands of persecutors, and his mother Sumayya (Radhiyallaho anha) was killed by Abu Jahl,
who put his spear through the most private part of her body, causing her death. She had
refused to renounce Islam in the face of terrible torture in her old age. The blessed lady was
the first to meet martyrdom in the cause of Islam. The first mosque in Islam was built by
Ammaar (Radhiyal-laho anho).
When the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) emigrated to Madinah, Ammaar
(Radhiyallaho anho] offered to build a structure for him where he could sit, take rest in the
afternoon, and say his Salaat under its roof. He first collected the stones and then built the
musjid in Quba. He fought against the enemies of Islam with great zeal and courage. Once he
was fighting in a battle when he said rejoicingly:
"I am to meet my friends very soon, I am to meet Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam] and his companions."

He then asked for water. He was offered some milk. He took it and said:
"I heard the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying to me, *'Milk shall be the
last drink of your worldly life."

He then fought till he met his coveted end. He was then aged about ninety-four.

Hadhrat Sohaibs (Radhiyallaho anho) coming into Islam

Hadhrat Sohaib and Hadhrat Ammaar (Radhiyallaho anhuma) became Muslims at the same
time. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was staying at Arqam's (Radhiyallaho anho)
place, when they both came separately with the same intention of embracing Islam and met
each other at the door of the house. Sohaib (Radhiyallaho anho) also suffered very much at
the hands of his persecutors, like other poor Muslims of that time. At last he decided to
emigrate to Madinah. The Qureysh would not tolerate this and, soon after his departure, a
party went in pursuit to bring him back to Mecca. As the party drew near, he shouted to
them:
"You know that I am a better archer than all of you. So long as I have a single
arrow left with me, you will not be able to approach me and, when I finish all my
arrows, I shall fight you with my sword, as long as it is in my hand. If you like you
can get my money which I have left in Mecca and my two women slaves, in lieu of
me."

And they agreed. He told them the whereabouts of his money, and they allowed him to
proceed to Madinah. At this, Allah revealed the following verse of the Qur'an to the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):

"And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah has
compassion on His bondsmen."
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was at that time at Quba. When he saw Hadhrat
Sohaib (Radhiyallaho anho) coming, he remarked:
"A good bargain, Sohaib!"

Sohaib (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:

"The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was eating dates at that time. I also
joined him in eating. One of my eyes was sore." He said, "Sohaib! you are taking
dates when your eye is sore." 'But I am taking them by the side of the other eye,
which is not sore, 0, Prophet of Allah,' I replied. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) was much amused with my retort."

Hadhrat Sohaib (Radhiyallaho anho) was very generous and he spent his money on others
most lavishly. 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) once told him that he was rather extravagant. He
replied:
"But I spend only where it is right."

When Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) was about to die, he expressed the wish
that his funeral service be led by Hadhrat Sohaib (Radhiyallaho anho).

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) coming into Islam

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho), of whom all the Muslims are justly proud, and the
disbelievers still dread, was most adamant in opposing the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) and very prominent in persecuting the Muslims before he embraced Islam. One
day, the Qureysh in a meeting called for somebody to volunteer himself for the assassination
of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasal-lam). 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) offered himself for
this job, at which everybody exclaimed:
 "Surely, you can do it, 'Umar!"

With sword hanging from his neck, he set out straight away on his sinister errand. On his way
he met Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqas of the Zuhrah clan. Sa'ad inquired:
"Whither! 'Umar?" 'Umar: "I am after finishing Muhammad."
Sa'ad: "But do not you see that Banu Hashim, Banu Zuhrah and Banu Abde
Munaf are likely to kill you in retaliation?"

'Umar (upset at the warning):

"It seems that you also have renounced the religion of your forefathers. Let me settle with you
first."
So saying, Umar drew out his sword. Sa'ad announcing his Islam, also took out his sword.
They were about to start a duel when Sa'ad said:
"You had better first set your own house in order. Your sister and brother-in-law
both have accepted Islam."

Hearing this, Umar flew into a towering rage and turned his steps towards his sister's house.
The door of the house was bolted from inside and both husband and wife were receiving
lessons in the Qur'an from Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho). 'Umar knocked at the
door and shouted for his sister to open it. Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) hearing the
voice of 'Umar, hid himself in some inner room, forgetting to take the manuscript pages of the
Holy Qur'an with him. When the sister opened the door, 'Umar hit her on the head, saying:
"0, enemy of yourself. You too have renounced your religion."
Her head began to bleed. He then went inside and inquired, "What were you doing? And who
was the stranger I heard from outside?" His brother-in-law replied, "We were talking to each
other." 'Umar said to him, "Have you also forsaken the creed of your forefathers and gone
over to the new religion?" The brother-in-law replied, "But what if the new religion be the
better and the true one?" 'Umar got beside himself with rage and fell on him, pulling his
beard and beating him most savagely. When the sister intervened, he smote her so violently on
her face that it bled most profusely. She was, after all, 'Umar's sister; she burst out:
"'Umar! we are beaten only because we have become Muslims. Listen! we are
determined to die as Muslims. You are free to do whatever you like.."

When 'Umar had cooled down and felt a bit ashamed over his sister's bleeding, his eyes fell on
the pages of the Qur'an left behind by Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho). He said,
"Alright show me, what are these?" "No," said the sister, "you are unclean and no unclean
person can touch the Scripture." He insisted, but the sister was not prepared to allow him to
touch the leaves unless he washed his body. 'Umar at last gave in. He washed his body and
then began to read the leaves. It was Surah "Taha". He started from the beginning of the
Surah, and he was a changed man altogether when he came to the verse:

"Lo! I, indeed I am Allah. There is none worthy of worship save Me. So serve me and
establish Salaat for My remembrance."
He said: "Alright, take me to Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)."
On hearing this, Hadhrat Khabbab (Radhiyallaho anho) came out from inside and said:
 "0, 'Umar! Glad tidings for you. Yesterday (on Thursday night) the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) prayed to Allah, *0, Allah strengthen Islam with either
'Umar or Abu Jahl, whomsoever Thou likest'. It seems that his prayer has been
answered in your favour."

'Urnar then went to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and embraced Islam on Friday
morning. 'Umar's Islam was a terrible blow to the morale of the unbelievers, but still the
Muslims were few in number and the whole country was against them. The disbelievers
intensified their efforts for the complete annihilation of Muslims and the extinction of Islam.
With 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) on their side, the Muslims now started saying their Salaat in
the Haram. Abdullah bin Mas'ood (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"'Umar's Islam was a big triumph, his emigration to Madinah a tremendous
reinforcement, and his accession to the Caliphate a great blessing for the
Muslims."

The Flight to Abyssinia and Ostracism in the Gorge of Ibn-Abi Talib

The hardships and sufferings borne by the Muslims were ever on the increase. The Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) at last permitted them to emigrate to some other place. Abyssinia
at that time was ruled by a Christian King (who later on embraced Islam), famous for his
mercy and equity. In Rajab of the fifth year of the Mission, the first group emigrated to
Abyssinia. The group comprised about twelve men and five women. The Qureysh pursued
them to the port to capture them, but their vessels had left the shore. When the group reached
Abyssinia, they heard the rumour that the whole tribe of the Qureysh had accepted Islam.
They were naturally very much pleased at the news and returned to their country. On
approaching Mecca, they learnt that the rumour was false and the persecutions were going on
unabated. Some of them decided to return to Abyssinia and the rest entered Mecca, seeking
the protection of a few influential people. This is known as the first migration to Abyssinia.
Later on, a bigger group of eighty-three men and eighteen women emigrated to Abyssinia
(separately). This is called the second emigration to that country. Some Sahabah took part in
both the migrations. The Qureysh did not like the emigrations, and the thought of peace
enjoyed by the fugitives gave them no rest. They sent a delegation to Abyssinia with handsome
presents for the king, his courtiers and the clergy. The delegation first met the chiefs and the
priests and, by offering them presents, succeeded in winning the court officials to their side.
Having thus made their way to the royal court, they prostrated themselves before the king and
then presenting the gifts put their case before him. They said:
"0, king! A few foolish lads of our community have renounced their ancestral faith,
and have joined an absolutely new religion, which is opposed to our as well as your
religions. They have come and settled in your country. The nobility of Mecca, their
own parents and kith and kin have sent us to take them back to their country. We
beseech you to make them over to us."

The king replied:

"We cannot make over the people who have sought our shelter, without proper
investigation. Let us call them to our presence, and hear them out. If your charge
of apostasy against them is genuine, we shall make them over to you."

The king thereupon summoned the Muslims to his court. They were at first greatly distressed
and did not know what to do, but Allah gave them courage, and they decided to go and place
the true facts before the king. On appearing before him, they greeted him with 'Salaam'.
Someone from the courtiers objected that they had not prostrated before the king according
to the rules of the land. They explained:
"Our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has forbidden us from prostrating before any one
except Allah."
The king then asked them to submit what defense they could make to the charges brought
against them. Ja'far (Radhiyallaho anho) rose and addressed the king thus:
"0, king! we were an ignorant people. We neither knew Allah nor His Prophets A.S.
We worshipped stones. We used to eat carrion and commit all sorts of undesirable
and disgraceful acts. We did not make good our obligations to our relatives. The
strong among us would thrive at the expense of the weak. Till at last, Allah raised a
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for our reformation. His noble descent, up
right conduct, integrity of purpose, and pure life are only too well known amongst
us. He called upon us to worship Allah, and exhorted us to give up idolatry and
stone-worship. He enjoined upon us right conduct, and forbade us from indecency.
He taught us to tell the truth, to make good our trust, to have regard for our kith
and kin, and to do good to our neighbours. From him we learnt to observe Salaat,
Fasting, Zakaat and good conduct; and to shun everything foul, and to avoid
bloodshed.

He forbade adultery, lewdness telling of lies, misappropriating the orphan's

heritage, bringing false accusations against others, and all other indecent things of
that sort. He taught us the Qur'an, the wonderful book of Allah. So we believed in
him, followed him and acted up to his teachings. Thereupon our people began to
persecute us, and to subject us to tortures, thinking that we might abjure our faith
and revert to idolatry. When, however, their cruelties exceeded all bounds, we took
shelter in your country by the permission of our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam)."

The king said:

"Let us hear something of the Qur'an that your Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has
taught you."
Hadhrat Ja'far (Radhiyallaho anho) recited a few verses from the beginning of Surah
"Maryam", which touched the hearts of the king and the priestly class so much that tears
flowed down their cheeks and wetted their beards. The king remarked:
"By Allah, these words and the words revealed to Moosa ('Alayhis Salam) are the
rays of one and the same light," and he told the Qureysh embassy that he would by
no means hand over the refugees to them. Then, disappointed and disgraced, they
held a counsel. One of them said:

"I have hit upon a plan that is sure to draw the king's wrath upon their heads."
Although the others did not agree to such a drastic step (for after all they were their own flesh
and blood), yet he would not listen. The next day, they excited the king by telling him that
those heretics denounced 'Isa ('Alayhis Salam) and did not believe in his Divinity. The
Muslims were again summoned to the court. They were much more distressed this time. When
the king inquired about their belief in 'Isa ('Alayhis Salam), they said:
"We believe in what Allah has revealed about him to our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam), i.e. he is a servant and Prophet of Allah, and is His word, which He
conveyed to the virgin and pure Maryam."
Negus said: '"Isa ('Alayhis Salam) himself does not say anything beyond that."
The priests then began to murmur in protest, but the king would not listen to them. He
returned to the delegation the presents they had brought for him, and said to the Muslims:
"Go and live in peace. If anybody ill-treats you, he will have to pay heavily for it."
A royal declaration was also issued to that effect. This enhanced the prestige of the Muslims in
the country, and the Qureysh delegation had to return crestfallen.
This failure of the Qureysh embassy to Abyssinia, and the triumph of Muslims over them, led
to an increase in the exasperation of the idolaters; the conversion of 'Umar (Rad-hiyallaho
anho] to Islam added fuel to fire. They grew more and more embittered, till things came to
such a pass that a large number of the Qureysh chiefs conspired to kill Muhammad
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) outright and deal summarily with the whole affair. But this was
not so easy. Banu Hashim to which clan the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) belonged,
were strong in number and still stronger in influence. Although all of them were not Muslims,
yet even the non-Muslims among them would not agree to, or tolerate the murder of the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam).
The Qureysh, therefore, decided to place a social ban on the Banu Hashim, and their chiefs
drew up a document to the effect that none of them or their clans would associate with, buy
from or sell to those who sided with the Banu Hashim, unless and until they surrendered
Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for the death penalty. All of them signed this
document on 1st Moharram of 7th year of the Mission, and the scroll was hung up in the
Ka'abah in order to give it full sanctity.
Then, for three long years, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was shut up with all his
kinsfolk in the glen, which was a sub-section of one of the gorges that run down to Mecca. For
three long years, nobody could see them nor could they see anybody. They could not purchase
anything in Mecca nor from any trader coming from outside.
If any person was found outside this natural prison, he was beaten mercilessly and if he asked
for anything it was flatly refused. Soon their stock of food was exhausted and they were
reduced to famine rations. Their women and, more specially, the children and suckling babies
would cry with hunger, and this was harder on them than their own starvation. During the
last part of this period, their sole subsistence was the little food that the husbands of
Hashimite women married into other clans managed to smuggle into the glen in the darkness
of night.
At last by the Grace of Allah, after three years the scroll was eaten up by white ants and the
ban was removed. The severity of the afflictions, which they bore during this period of
ostracism, cannot be imagined. But the Sahabah not only remained steadfast in their faith,
but also kept busy in spreading the light of Islam amongst their comrades in distress.
Look! How much the Sahabah have suffered in the path of Allah and for the cause of Islam.
We claim to follow their footsteps, and dream of the material progress and spiritual elevation
which was theirs, but how much have we suffered in the true cause? what sacrifice have we
offered for the sake of Allah in His path? Success is always proportionate to the sacrifice. We
wish to live in luxury and comfort, and are too eager to race shoulder to shoulder with the
non-Muslims in enjoying the good things of this world, forgetting the Hereafter, and then at
the same time we expect to receive the same help from Allah which the Sahabah received in
their time. We cannot beguile anybody but ourselves by working like this. As the Poet has
said,
'I am afraid, 0 wayfarer, that you will not reach the Ka'aba because the path that you are
following goes (in the opposite direction) to Turkistan.'

Chapter 2

FEAR OF ALLAH
Coupled with the remarkable spirit of sacrifice, the Sa-habah had genuine and deep-rooted
fear of Allah in their hearts. I wish today's Muslims could have an iota of that fear of Allah.
Here are a few stories about this aspect of their lives.

The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) Apprehensions at the time of a storm

Hadhrat Aishah (Radhiyallaho anha) relates that whenever a strong wind bringing dense
clouds started blowing, the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] face turned pale with the
fear of Allah. He became restive and would go in and out with perturbation, and would recite
the following prayer:

"0, my Allah! I ask of Thee the good out of this wind, the good out of that which is in this
wind, and the good out of that which is the outcome of this wind. I seek refuge in Thee from
the evil of this wind, from the evil out of that which is in this wind, and from the evil out of
that which is the outcome of this wind."
She says:
"And further when it began to rain, signs of delight appeared on his face. I said to
him once, '0, Prophet of Allah when clouds appear everybody is happy as they
foretell rain, but why is it that I see you so much perturbed at that time?' He
replied, '0, 'Aishah! How can I feel secure that this wind does not portend Allah's
wrath? The people of A'ad were punished with the wind. They were happy when
they beheld the gathering dense clouds, believing that they brought rain; but
actually those clouds brought no rain but utter destruction to 'A'ad."

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was, obviously, referring to the following
verses of the Qur'an:
"Then, when they (A'ad) beheld a dense cloud coming toward their valleys, they said: "Here
is a cloud bringing us rain." Nay, but it is that very calamity which you did seek to hasten, a
wind wherein is grievous penalty, destroying all things by commandment of its Lord. And
morning found them so that naught could be seen, save their dwellings. Thus we treat the
guilty folk." (XL VI: 24 & 25)
Look at the fear of Allah in the heart of a person who is the best of all creation (Sallallahu
alaihe wasallam). In spite of a clear verse in the Qur'an that Allah would not punish the
people so long as the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was with them (Al-Qur'an VIII:
33), he has so much fear of Allah in him that a strong wind reminds him of the punishment
awarded to the people in the past. Now let us peep into our own hearts for a moment.
Although we are fully saturated with sins, yet none of the unusual phenomena viz:
earthquake, lightning, etc., arouses the least fear of Allah in our hearts and, instead of
resorting to Istighfaar or Salaat at such times, we only indulge in absurd investigations.

What Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallaho anho) used to do when a storm approached

Hadhrat Nadhr-bin-Abdullah relates:
"One day while Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallahu anhu) was alive, it became very dark during the
day time. I went to him and said, "Did you ever see much a thing in the Prophet's time?" He
replied, "I seek refuge in Allah! In those days if the breeze grew a little stronger than normal,
we would hasten towards the musjid, fearing the approach of the Last Day."
Hadhrat Abu Darda (Radhiyallahu anhu) narrates:
"Whenever there was a storm, the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) would get perturbed
and would go to the musjid."
Who thinks of going to musjid, now-a-days, even at the time of the worst of calamities? Leave
aside the common people, even those who regard themselves as good and practising Muslims
do not practise this Sunnat. What a deterioration!

The action of Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) at the Time of Solar Eclipse
The Sun once was in eclipse in the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) time. The
Sahabah left their jobs. Even the young boys, practicing archery, hastened towards
the musjid to know what the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) would do at that
time. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) started Salaat of two rakaat, which
were so long that some people fainted and fell down. He wept in his Salaat and
said:

"0, My Lord! Thou has said that Thou ouldst not punish them as long as I am with
them and so long as they seek Thy forgiveness."

This refers to a verse in the Qur'an wherein Allah says:

"But Allah would not punish them while Thou art with them, nor will He punish them while
they seek forgiveness." (VIII-33)
He then addressed the people saying:
"You should hasten for Salaat whenever you happen to find the Sun or the Moon
in eclipse. If you happen to know the signs of the Last Day as I do, then surely you
would weep more and laugh less. In all such happenings, repair to Salaat; pray to
Allah and distribute alms to the poor."

The Prophet's(Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) weeping the whole night

The Prophet once (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) kept weeping the whole night through,
repeating again and again the following verse:

"If Thou punish them, they art Thy slaves; and if Thou forgive them, Thou only art the
Mighty, the Wise." (V:118)
It is said about Imam Abu Hanifah (Rahmatullah alaih] that he also once wept the whole
night, reciting the following verse of the Qur'an in Tahajjud:

"But avaunt ye, 0, ye guilty, this day." (XXXVI: 58)

This verse means that on the Day of Judgement, the guilty will be asked to separate
themselves from the good, and will not be allowed to mix with them as they were doing in the
worldly life. Why should not the people with fear of Allah in their hearts weep in anxiety
regarding which class they will belong to on that Day?

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) and The Fear of Allah

According to our belief, Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) is the most exalted person after the
Prophets (may peace be on all of them). The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) himself
conveyed to him the glad tidings of his being the head of a group of persons in Paradise. The
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once remarked:
"Abu Bakr's name shall be called out from all the gates of Paradise, and he will be
the first of my followers to enter it."

With all these virtues and privileges, Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) used to say:
"I wish I were a tree that would be cut and done away with."
Sometimes he would say:
"I wish I were a blade of grass, whose life ended with the grazing by some beast."
He also said: "I wish I were a hair on the body of a Mo'min."
Once he went to a garden, where he saw a bird singing. He sighed deeply and said:
"0, bird! How lucky you are! You eat, you drink and fly under the shade of the
trees, and you fear no reckoning of the Day of Judgement. I wish I were just like
you."

Hadhrat Rabiah Aslami (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:

"Once I had some argument with Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho), during which he
uttered a word that I did not like. He realized it immediately and said to me
'Brother, please say that word back to me in retaliation.' I refused to do so. He
persisted, and even spoke of referring the matter to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam), but I did not agree to utter that word. He got up and left me. A few
people of my clan remarked, 'Look! How strange! The person does wrong to you
and, on the top of that, he threatens to complain to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam)'. I said, 'Do you know who he is. He is Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho).
To displease him is to displease the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) and to
displease the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is to displease Allah, and if Allah
is displeased then who can save Rabiah from ruin?* I went to the Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) and narrated the whole story to him. He said, 'You
were quite right in refusing to utter that word. But you could have said this much
in reply: '0, Abu Bakr, (Radhiyallaho anho) May Allah forgive you!"

Look at the fear of Allah in Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu)! He is so anxious to clear
his accounts in this world that no sooner has a slightly unpleasant word been addressed by
him to a person, than he regrets it and requests him to say that word back to him in
retaliation. He is so particular in this that he threatens to have the retaliation done through
the intervention of the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam). We are in the habit of saying
offensive words to others, but we fear neither the retaliation nor the reckoning in the
Hereafter.

Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) and the Fear of Allah

Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) would often hold a straw in his hand and say:
"I wish I were a straw like this."

Sometimes he would say: "I wish my mother had not given birth to me."

Once he was busy with some important work when a person came to him and, complaining
about some petty grievance, requested for its redress. Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) laid
a lash across his-shoulders, saying:
"When I sit for that purpose, you do not come to me but when I am engaged in
other important work you come with your grievances to interrupt me."

The person walked away. But Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyal-laho anho) sent for him and, handing
his whip over to him, said: "You now lash me to even the matter." He said: "I forgive you for
the sake of Allah." Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) went home, prayed a Salaat of two
rakaats in repentance and upbraided himself saying:
"0, Umar! You were low but Allah elevated you. You were wandering astray but
 Allah guided you. You were base but Allah ennobled you and gave you sovereignty
over His people. Now one of them comes and asks you for redress of the wrong
done to him, and you beat him? What answer have you to give before Allah?"

He kept on chiding himself thus for a very long time.

Once Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) was going on his usual round towards Harrah (a
suburb of Madinah) with his slave Aslam, when he saw a distant fire in the desert. He said:
"There seems to be a camp. Perhaps, it is a caravan that could not enter the town
due to night fall. Let's go and look after them and arrange for their protection
during the night."

When he reached there, he found a woman and some children. The children were crying. The
woman had a pan of water over the fire. Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) greeted her
with salaam and, with her permission, went near her.
Umar: "Why are these children crying?" The Woman: "Because they are hungry." Umar:
"What is in the pan?"
The Woman: "Only water to soothe the children, so that they may go to sleep in
the belief that food is'being prepared for them. Ah! Allah will judge between Umar
(Rad-hiyallaho anho) and me, on the Day of Judgement, for neglecting me in my
distress."

'Umar (weeping): "May Allah have mercy on you! How

can Umar know of your distress?"

The Woman: "When he is our Amir, he must keep himself informed about us."
Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) returned to the town and straightway went to Baitul-
Mal to fill a sack with flour, dates, fat and clothes, and also drew some money. When the sack
was ready, he said to Aslam:
"Now put this sack on my back, Aslam."

Aslam: "No please, Amir-ul-Mo'mineen! I shall carry this sack."

'Umar refused to listen to Aslam, even on his persistent requests to allow him to carry the
sack, and remarked:
"What! Will you carry my load on the Day of Judgement? I must carry this bag,
for it is I who would be questioned (in the Hereafter) about this woman."

Aslam most reluctantly placed the bag on Umar's (Radhiyallaho anho) back, who carried it
with a swift pace right to the woman's tent. Aslam followed at his heels. He put a little flour
and some dates and fat in the pan and began to stir. He blew (with his mouth) into the fire to
kindle it. Aslam says:
"I saw the smoke passing through his thick beard."

After some time, the pottage was ready. He himself served it to the family. When they had
eaten to their fill, he made over to them the little that was left for their next meal. The children
were very happy after their meal and began to play about merrily. The woman felt very
grateful and remarked:
"May Allah reward you for your kindness ! In fact you deserve to take the place of Khalifah
instead of 'Umar."
'Umar consoled her and said: "When you come to see the Khalifah, you will find me there."
He sat for a while at a place close by and kept on watching the children. He then returned to
Madinah. On his way back, he said to Aslam:
"Do you know why I sat there, Aslam? I had seen them weeping in distress; I liked
to see them laughing and happy for some time."

It is said that Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) while leading Fajr Salaat used to recite
'Kaht, *Taha' and other such Soorahs in his Salaat, and would weep so much that his crying
could be heard way back to several rows. Once he was reciting Surah 'Yusuf in Fajr. When he
came to the verse:

"I only plead for my distress and anguish unto Allah," (XII: 86)
he wept so much that he could not recite any further. In Tahajjud, he would sometimes fall to
the ground and would get indisposed with excessive weeping.
Such was the fear of Allah in Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) whose name struck terror
in the hearts of the mightiest monarchs of his time. Even today, the people are filled with awe
when they read about him. Is there any person in power today who is prepared to show such
kindness to the people in his charge?

An Admonition by Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho)

Wahab bin Munabbah says:
"Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) lost his eyesight in his old age. I once
led him to the Haram in Mecca, where he heard a group of people exchanging hot
words among themselves. He asked me to lead him to them. He greeted them with
'Assalamu Alaikum.' They requested him to sit down, but he refused and said:
'May I tell you about people whom Allah holds in high esteem? These are those
whom His fear has driven to absolute silence, even though they are neither helpless
nor dumb. Rather they are possessors of eloquence and have power to speak and
sense to understand. But constant glorification of Allah's name has so over-
powered their wits that their hearts are overawed and their lips sealed. When they
get established in this state, they hasten towards righteousness. Whither have you
people deviated from this course? After this admonition, I never saw an assembly
of even two persons in the Haram."

It is said that Hadhrat Ibne Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) used to weep so much with Allah's
fear that the tears streaming down his cheeks had left permanent marks on them.
In this story, Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) has prescribed a very easy
way to righteousness. This is to meditate over the greatness of Allah. If this is done, it becomes
very easy to perform all other acts of righteousness with full sincerity. Is it so very difficult to
devote a few minutes, out of the twenty four hours of a day at one's disposal, to this spiritual
meditation?
The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) passing near the ruins of Thamud
during Tabuk expedition
The Tabuk expedition is one of the major campaigns of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam), and the last one in which he personally took part. When he received the news that
the Caesar (of Rome) had mustered a large force to crush the power of Islam and was on his
way (through Syria) to invade Madinah, he decided to lead the Sahabah to check him on his
way. On Thursday the 5th of Rajab, 9 A.H., the devoted band marched out of Madinah. As the
weather was hot and the fighting was expected to be very tough, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) made an open declaration that the Muslims should gather in strength and prepare
fully to face the forces of the Roman Empire. He also exhorted them to contribute towards the
equipment of the expedition. It was on this occasion that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho
anho) contributed all his belongings. When he was questioned by the Prophet (Sal-lallaho
alaihe wasallam) as to what he had left for his family, he replied:
"I have left Allah and His Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for them."
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) contributed half of his belongings and Hadhrat 'Usman
(Radhiyallaho anho) provided for the equipment of one-third of the whole army. Although
everybody, contributed beyond his means, yet the equipment fell far short of the
requirements. Only one camel was available for each group of ten persons, who were to ride it
in turn. This is why this campaign is known as: "The campaign of hardship."
The journey was long and the weather hot and dry. The orchards were laden with ripe dates
(the staple crop of Madi-nah) and it was just the time for harvesting, when all of a sudden the
Sahabah were required to start on this campaign. It was really an acid test of their Imaan.
They visualised the long and arduous journey, the scorching heat, the formidable enemy
opposed to them and, to top all, the prospective loss of the year's crop, but they could not even
dream of evading the call to arms, and that solely on account of the deep-rooted fear of Allah
in their hearts. Except the women, children (who were excusable), those who were ordered to
stay behind by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) himself, and the munafiqin, nearly
everybody joined the expedition. Also among those left behind were such persons as could
neither arrange conveyance for themselves, nor was the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)
able to provide them with any. It is about such people that Allah says in his Book:

"They turned back with eyes flowing with tears in sorrow that they could not find means to
spend." (IX: 92)
Of the true believers, those who stayed behind without any excuse whatsoever were three in
number. Their story would be presently related. On their way to Syria when the expedition
reached the habitation of Thamud, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) covered his face
with his shirt and quickened the pace of his camel. He also instructed the Sahabah to do the
same, since that was the scene of Tha-mud's destruction. They were advised to pass there
weeping and fearing lest Allah should punish them as he had punished the Thamud.
The dearest and the most beloved Prophet of Allah and his privileged companions pass by the
ruins of the punished people in fear and tears, lest they meet the same fate; on the other hand
today, if any place is struck with an earthquake, it becomes a place of sightseeing for us and, if
we come across any ruins, our eyes remain dry and our hearts unaffected. What a change of
attitude!
Hadhrat Ka'ab's (Radhiyallaho anho) Failure to Join the Tabuk Expedition
Among the Munafiqin who did not join the Tabuk expedition, there were more than eighty
persons from among the Ansar and an equal number from amongst the nomadic Arabs and a
large number from the out-stations. Not only did they stay behind themselves, but they
induced others to do so saying:

"Go not forth in the heat."

Allah's reply to this :

"Say the fire of Hell is of more intense heat."

From amongst the faithful, there were only three persons who failed to rally to the Prophet's
call. They were Mura-rah bin Rabi, Hilal bin Umayyah and Ka'ab bin Malik (Radhiyallaho
anhum). Murarah had orchards of dates, laden with fruit. He persuaded himself to lag behind
with the plea:
"I have taken part in all the campaigns so far. What possible harm would befall the Muslims,
if I miss this one?"
He feared the loss of his entire crop in his absence, and this prevented him from going out. But
when he realised his folly, he gave away in charity the whole crop and garden, too, that had
caused him to tarry behind the Prophet (Sal-lallaho alaihe wasallam). Hilal's case was
different. Some of his kinsfolk who had been away for a long time had just returned to
Madinah. It was for the sake of their company that he did not join the expedition. He also had
participated in all the campaigns previously and thought (like Murarah) that it would not
matter much if he missed just that one campaign. When he came to know of the seriousness of
his default, he made up his mind to sever all his connections with those relatives who had been
the cause of that blunder. Ka'ab himself gives his account in detail, which is quoted in all
books of Hadith. He says:
"I had never been financially so well off as I was at the time of Tabuk. I had two
dromedaries of my own. I had never possessed this number before. It was a habit
with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) that he never disclosed the
destination of his expeditions, but he would keep enquiring about the conditions
prevailing elsewhere.

But this time in view of the distance, the hot season, and the strength of the enemy,
he had declared his destination, so that preparations could be made thorough and
complete. The number of the participants was so large that it was difficult to note
down their names even, so much so, that absentees could hardly be detected in the
large host. The gardens of Madinah were full of fruit. I intended every morning to
make preparation for the journey but, somehow or other, the days passed by and I
made no progress. I was satisfied that I had all the necessary means at my disposal
and that I would be ready in no time if I once did decide to do so.

I was still in this state of indecision when I learnt that the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) had left with his companions. The idea still lingered in my mind
that I would take a day or two to get ready and overtake the party. This
procrastination continued till the time for the Prophet's arrival in Tabuk drew very
 near. I then tried to get ready but again, somehow or other, I did not do so. Now,
when I came to look at the people left behind, I realised that there was none in
Madinah except those who had been condemned as Munafiqin or had been
specially exempted from going for certain reasons.

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) on reaching Tabuk inquired as well,

'How is it that I do not see Ka'ab?' Somebody said, '0, Prophet of Allah: His pride
in wealth and ease has caused him to stay behind.' Ma'az interrupted and said, No,
this is wrong. As far as our knowledge goes, he is a true Muslim.' The Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) however, kept quiet."

Ka'ab (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"After a few days I heard the news of the Prophet's return. I was struck with grief
and remorse. Good excuses one after the other entered my mind, and I was sure
that I could escape the Prophet's wrath with one of them for the time being, and
later on I could pray for forgiveness to Allah. I also sought advice of the wise men
of my family in the matter.

But when I knew that the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had actually
arrived, I was convinced that nothing but the truth would save me; so I decided to
speak out the plain truth.

It was a habit with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) that whenever he
returned from a journey he would repair to the musjid, first of all, say two rakaat
'Tahiyyatui musjid' and then stay there for a while to meet visitors. Now also, as he
sat in the musjid, the Munafiqin came and placed before him on solemn oaths,
their excuses for failing to accompany him on the campaign. He took them at their
words, leaving the rest to Allah. Just then I came and greeted him with 'salaam'.

He turned his face with a sardonic smile. I besought him with the words: '0,
Prophet of Allah! You turn your face from me. By Allah! I am neither a Munafiq,
nor have I the least doubt in my faith.' He asked me to draw near and I did so.

He then said to me: 'What prevented you from going out? Had you not purchased
the dromedaries? I made a reply: '0, Prophet of Allah: If I were dealing with a
worldly man, I am sure I would escape his displeasure through (seemingly)
reasonable excuses, for Allah has endowed me with the gift of the gab. But in your
case I am sure that if I appease you with a false statement, Allah would be
displeased with me. And, on the other hand, I am sure that if I displease you by
confessing the simple truth, then Allah would very soon blow away your
displeasure. I, therefore, make bold to speak the very truth. By Allah, I had no
excuse at all.

I had never been so well to do as I was at that time.' The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) remarked: 'He is speaking the truth.' He then said to me: 'You go away,
Allah will decide about you. When I left the musjid, many a man of my clan
blamed me and admonished me thus; 'Never before you had committed any
wrong; if after making some good excuse for once, you had requested the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to pray for your goodness, surely his prayer would
have sufficed you.* I inquired of them if there were any more people like me. They
informed me that there were two other persons viz. Hilal bin Umayyah and
Murarah bin Rabi, who also had admitted their faults like me and received the
 same reply from the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam).

I knew that both of them were very good Muslims and had participated in the
campaign of Badr. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] issued instructions
that none was to speak with the three of us.'

It is a common principle that displeasure is shown where some attachment exists, and a
reprimand is given
when there is hope for correction. A reprimand to an incorrigible person would be a futile
effort.
Ka'ab (Radhiyallaho anho) continues:
"Under the instructions of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), the Sahabah
completely boycotted us. Nobody was prepared to mix with or even speak to us. It
seemed as if I was living in a strange land altogether. My own birth-place looked
like a foreign locality and my bosom friends behaved like strangers.

'The earth, vast as it is, was straightened' (Al-Qur’an IX: 113] for me. The thing
that worried me most was that, if I died in this condition, the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) would not lead my funeral prayer, and if the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) died in the meantime, I would be doomed for ever, with none to
talk to me and with none to pray at my funeral. The other two companions of mine
confined themselves to their houses.

I was the most daring of the three; I would go to the market, and join the Jamaat
for Salaat, but nobody would talk to me. I would approach the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) and say 'Assa-lamo alaikum' and would watch eagerly to see if
his lips moved in reply. After Fardh, I used to complete the Salaat by standing
close to him, and I would look at him from the corner of my eye to learn if he ever
cast a single glance at me. I noticed that when I was engaged in Salaat he did
glance at me, but when I was out of it, he would avert his face from me."

Ka'ab (Radhiyallaho anho) continues:

"When this complete social boycott became too hard for me to bear, I, one day,
climbed up the wall of Qata-dah, my dear cousin, and,greeted him with 'Assalamo-
alaikum'. He did not return my greetings. I said to him, 'For Allah's sake, do
answer me one question.

Do not you know that I love Allah and His Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)?'
He kept quiet. Again I repeated my request, but again he would not speak. When I
inquired for the third time, he simply said, 'Allah and His Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) know best.' At this, tears welled out of my eyes and he left me
alone."

"Once, I was passing through a street of Madinah, when I noticed a Coptic

Christian, who had come from Syria to sell his grain, inquiring about Kaab-bin-
Malik. When people pointed me out to him, he came and made over a letter to me
from the Christian King of Ghassan. Thus it read: 'We have come to know that
your master has ill-treated you. Allah may not-keep you in abasement and in
disgrace. You had better come to us. We shall extend all help to you.' When I read
this letter, I uttered
 "Inna-lillahi-wa-Inna-ilaihi-raaji-oon"

To Allah we belong and to Him is our return;

and said; 'So my state of affairs (had) reached such an ebb that even the Kafirs
were aspiring to draw me away from Islam.' I could not imagine a calamity worse
than that. I went and threw the letter into an oven. Thereafter I presented myself
to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and exclaimed: '0, Prophet of Allah!
Your indifference towards me has lowered me to such an extent that even the
Kafirs are building up their hopes over me."

When forty days had passed in this condition, a messenger of the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) brought me this mandate: 'Be separated from your
wife' I inquired, 'Am I to divorce her?' He replied: 'No, only be separated.

A similar message was delivered to my other two companions as well. I

consequently said to my wife: 'Go to your parents and wait till Allah decides my
case.' Hilal's wife went to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and said; '0,
Prophet of Allah! Hilal is an old man and there is nobody else to look after him. If I
go away from him, he will perish. If it is not very serious, kindly permit me to keep
attending to him.'

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) replied; 'There is no harm, provided you
don't indulge in cohabitation with each other.' She remarked! '0, Prophet of Allah:
He has no urge for such a thing; since the day his ordeal has started, he has been
spending his entire time in weeping."

Ka'ab (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"It was suggested to me that I might also request the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for
permission to keep my wife with me for service, but I said; 'Hilal is old, while I am young. I do
not know what reply I shall get and, as such, 1 have no courage to make the request.
Another ten days passed and now our ordeal had lasted for a full fifty days. On the morning
of the fiftieth day, when I had said my Tajr' prayer and was sitting on the roof of my house
stricken with grief, and the earth had 'straightened' for me and the life had become dismal for
me, I heard a crier's cry from over' the top of the mount Sula; 'Happy tidings to you, 0,
Kaab.' The moment I heard this, I fell prostrate on the ground and tears of joy rolled down
my cheeks, as I understood that the ordeal was now over. In fact, the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) had announced the Divine forgiveness for all three of us after the Salaat that
morning.
At this, a person ran up the top of the mountain and yelled out the cry that had reached me.
Thereafter, a rider came galloping to deliver the same happy news to me.
I gave away as a gift the clothes, I was wearing, to the messenger of glad tidings. I swear by
Allah I had no other clothes in my possession at that time. I dressed up by borrowing clothes
from some friend and went to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). As I entered the
musjid, the people in the audience of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) ran to
congratulate me. Abu Talha (Radhiyallaho anho) was the first to approach me. He shook my
hand with a warmth that I shall never forget.
Thereafter I offered my salutation to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). I found his
face beaming and radiant like the full moon. This was usual with him at times of extreme joy.
I said to him, '0, Prophet of Allah! I propose to give away in charity all that I possess as
thanks for the acceptance of my Taubah.* He said: 'This will be too much for you. Keep a
portion with you.' I agreed to keep my share of the booty that fell in our hands in the Khaiber
campaign."
He says:
"It is the truth that brought me salvation, and as such I am determined to speak
nothing but the truth in future."

The above story brings out the following salient characteristics of the Muslims of that time:—
(1) The importance of striving in the path of Allah. Even the persons who had
hitherto faithfully participated in every expedition, had to bear the brunt of the
Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) anger when they failed to respond to Allah's
call even though for the first time in their lives.

(2) Their devotion and obedience to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). For
full fifty days the whole Muslim community, even their nearest and dearest, would
not speak to the three persons, in obedience to the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam] orders. The three persons themselves went most steadfastly through the
ordeal imposed on them.

(3) Their strong faith. Kaab was so much perturbed when he received the letter
from the Christian King, exciting him against the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam). His words and his action at that time are a testimony to the strong faith
in his heart.

Let us search our hearts and see how much devotion we have in them for the observance of
the duties we owe to Islam. Leaving aside Zakaat and Hajj, which involve the sacrifice of
money, take the case of Salaat alone, which is the most important pillar of Islam after Imaan.
How many of us are particular about it?

The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) reprimand on the Sahabah's

Laughing
Once, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) came to the musjid for Salaat, where he
noticed some people laughing and giggling. He remarked:
"If you remembered your death, I would not see you like this. Think of your death
often. Not a single day passes when the grave does not call out: 'I am a wilderness',
I am a place of dust, I am a place of worms'. When a Mo'min is laid in the grave, it
says; 'Welcome to you. It is good of you to have come into me. Of all the people
walking on the earth, I liked you best.

Now that you have come into me, you will see how I entertain you'. It then expands
as far as the occupant can see. A door from Paradise is opened for him in the grave
and, through this door, he gets the fresh and fragrant air of Paradise. But when an
evil man is laid in the grave it says; 'No word of welcome for you. Your coming into
me is very bad for you.

Of all the persons walking on the earth, I disliked you most. Now that you have
been made over to me, you will see how I treat you!' It then closes upon him so
much that his ribs of one side penetrate into the ribs of the other. As many as
 seventy serpents are then set upon him, to keep biting him till the Day of
Resurrection. These serpents are so venomous that if one of them happened to
spurt its venom upon the earth, not a single blade of grass would ever grow."

After this, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:

"The grave is either a garden of Paradise or a pit of Hell."
Fear of Allah is the basic and essential qualification of a Muslim. The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) advised the believers to remember death, off and on, and to keep the fear of
Allah ever present in their hearts.

Hadhrat Hanzlah's (Radhiyallaho anho) Fear of Nifaq:

Hadhrat Hanzlah (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"We were once with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) when he delivered a sermon.
Our hearts became tender, our eyes were flowing with tears, and we realised where we stood. I
left the Prophet and returned home. I sat with my wife and children and cracked jokes with
my wife, and I felt that the effect of the Prophet's sermon had completely vanished from my
heart.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that I was not what I had been, and I said to myself; '0, Hanzalah!
You are a Munafiq'. I was stricken with grief and I left my house repeating these words in
sorrow; 'Hanziah has turned Munafiq.
I saw Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) coming towards me and I said to him; 'Hanzalah has
turned Munafiq.' He said; 'Subhanallah' What are you saying? Hanzalah can never be a
Munafiq.
I explained to him: 'When we are with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and listen to
his discourses about Paradise and Hell, we feel as if both are present before our very eyes but
when we return home and are absorbed in our domestic and family affairs, we forget all about
the Hereafter. Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) said: 'My case is exactly the same.
We both went to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and I said; 'I have turned Munafiq,
0 Prophet of Allah!' He inquired about the matter, and I repeated what I had said to Abu Bakr
(Radhiyallaho anho). Thereupon the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) remarked: 'By Him
Who controls my life, if you could keep up for all times the fervor aroused in you when you
are with me, angels would greet you in your walks and in your beds. But, 0, Hanziah! This is
rare! This is rare!"
We have to attend to our personal and impersonal worldly affairs, and therefore we cannot be
contemplating the Hereafter for all the twenty-four hours of the day. According to what has
been said by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), complete absorption in the Hereafter is
rare, and it should not be expected by all. It is only for the angels to remain in the same state
for ever.
In case of men, the state of their mind changes with circumstances and environments. But we
can see from this story how anxious the Sahabah were about the condition of their Imaan.
Hanziah (Radhiyallaho anho) suspects Nifaq in himself when he feels that the condition of his
mind at home is not the same as it is when he is with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam).
A Few Miscellaneous Stories about the Fear of Allah
It is very difficult to cover all that is said in the Qur'an and the Hadith about the importance
of fear of Allah. It may, however, be understood that fear of Allah is an essential step towards
all spiritual advancement. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said: "Fear of Allah is the
root of all wisdom".
Hadhrat Ibn 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) used to weep so much with the fear of Allah that he
lost his eyesight. He said to somebody watching him: "You wonder at my weeping. Even the
sun weeps with the fear of Allah."
On another occasion, he is reported to have said: "Even the moon weeps with His fear."
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] once passed by one of the Sahabah who was reciting
the Qur'an. When he came to the verse:

"And when the heaven splitteth asunder and becometh rosy like red hide", ( LV:37)
the hair of his body stood on end, and he was nearly choked, with excessive weeping. He
would cry and say:
"Alas; what will happen to me on the day when even the Heaven splitteth asunder. Woe is
me!"
The Prophet (Sallallaho alai-he-wasallam) said to him:
"Your crying has made even the angels weep". Once an Ansari sat and wept after Tahajjud,
saying:
"I cry to Allah for protection from the fire of Hell". The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam]
said to him: "You have made the angels weep today".
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Rawahah (Radhiyallaho anho] was once weeping. His wife also began
to weep on seeing him in this condition. He enquired of her:
"Why are you weeping?"

She replied: "Whatever makes you weep makes me weep too".

He said: "The idea that I have to cross the bridge of Siraat across Hell makes me
weep. I don't know whether I shall be able to cross over or fall into Hell'*.

Zurarah bin Aufa was leading the Salaat in a Musjid. When he recited the verse:

"For when the Trumpet shall sound; Surely that day will be a day of anguish"! (LXXIV: 8 &
9)
he fell down and expired. People carried his body to his house.
Khulaid was saying his Salaat. During his Qiraat, when he reached the verse:

"Every soul will taste of death" (III: 185)

he began to repeat it again and again. He heard a voice from a corner of the room saying:
"How often are you going to repeat this verse? Your recitation has already caused the death of
four Jinns".
It is reported about another Sheikh that (while reciting the Qur'an) when he reached the
verse:

"Then are they returned unto Allah, their Lord, the Just, is not His the Command?" (VI:62)
he gave out a cry, shivered and breathed his last.
There are many stories of this type. Fudhail, a famous Sheikh, says:
"Fear of Allah leads to everything that is good". Shibli, another Sheikh of high position, says:
"Whenever I have felt Allah's fear in me, I have found a fresh door of knowledge
and wisdom opened for me".

In a Hadith, it is said:
"Allah says; ' I do not impose two fears on my slave. If he does not fear me in this
world, I shall give him fear in the next, and if he fears me in this world I shall save
him from all fears in the Hereafter".

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) says:

"All things fear a person who fears Allah, while everything is a source of fear to
him who fears somebody other than Allah."

Yahya bin Ma'az (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

"If a man fears Hell as much as he is afraid of poverty then he may enter into Paradise."
Abu Sulaiman Daarani (Rahmatullah alaih] says:
"There is nothing but ruin for a heart that is devoid of fear of Allah."
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) says:
"The face that gets wet with the smallest drop of tear from the fear of Allah is safe
from entrance into the fire of Hell."

He also said:
"When a Muslim shivers with the fear of Allah, his sins fall away from him like the
falling leaves of a tree."

The dear Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said:

"A person weeping with fear of Allah cannot go to Hell until milk goes back into
the teats (which is an impossibility)".

Hadhrat Uqbah bin Amir (Radhiyallaho anho) once inquired of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam).
"What is the way to salvation?"
He replied: "Hold your tongue, stay indoors and cry over your sins."
Hadhrat A'ishah (Radhiyallaho anha) once inquired of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam).
"Is there anybody among your followers who will go to Paradise without reckoning?"
"Yes," replied the Prophet, "the person who often cries over his sins."
There is another Hadith, in which my dear Master, Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)
has said:
"No drop is more dear to Allah than two drops; a drop of tear shed in the fear of
Allah, and a drop of blood shed in the path of Allah."

It is said in a Hadith that seven persons would be under the shade of the Arsh on the day of
judgement. One of them would be the person who remembered Allah when all alone by
himself, and tears flowed from his eyes with awe of Allah and in repentance for his sins.
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"One who can weep should do so, and one who cannot should make the appearance of a
weeping person."
It is reported of Muhammad bin Munkadir (Radhiyallaho anho) that, when he wept, he
smeared his tears over his face and beard saying:
"I have heard that the fire of Hell does not touch the place touched by these tears."
Thabit Banani was suffering from a disease of the eyes. His doctor said to him:
"Your eyes would be all right, provided you do not weep in future."
He replied: "What is the good of an eye if it cannot shed tears."
Yazid bin Maisarah (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

'There can be seven reasons for weeping viz., extreme joy, insanity, extreme pain,
horror, artifice, intoxication and fear of Allah. A single tear shed in the fear of
Allah is sufficient to quench oceans of fire (of Hell)."

Hadhrat Ka'ab Ahbar (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"By Him who holds my life in His (hands), I love to weep for fear of Allah, with
tears flowing down my cheeks, rather than spend a mountain of gold in charity"

There are numerous other sayings of the Saints and other pious people, indicating that
weeping because of the fear of Allah, and over one's sins, is very effective and beneficial in
attaining spiritual elevation. We should not, however, lose hope in Allah. His Mercy is all-
embracing. Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho] says:
"If it be announced on the Day'of Judgement that all except one individual shall go
to Hell, my expectation of the Mercy of Allah would make me hope that I may be
that chosen one. Again, if it be announced on that day that all except one individual
shall go to Paradise, then my sins would make me fear that I may be that
condemned one."

It is therefore necessary that we should combine fear and hope together in our hearts.
Especially when the time of death is approaching, we should have more hope than fear. The
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) says:
"None of you should die, except with a strong hope in the Mercy of Allah."
When Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (Radhiyallaho anho) approached his end, he sent for his son
and asked him to read to him the Ahaadith that induce hope in Allah and His Mercy.

Chapter 3

ABSTINENCE AND SELF-DENIAL OF THE SAHABAH

There is such a wealth of Ahadith about this aspect of the Prophet's life that it is really
difficult to chose a few examples. He said:

"Abstinence is an asset of a Mo'min."

The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) Dislike for gold

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:
"My Lord offered to turn the mounts of Mecca into gold for me. But my supplication to Him
was; '0, Allah! I like to eat one day and feel hungry the next, so that I may cry before Thee
and remember Thee when I am hungry; and be grateful to Thee and glorify Thee when my
hunger is gone!"
Thus said our Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). We profess to follow him and are proud
of being in the fold of his Ummat. Isn't it incumbent upon us to follow him in practice also?

The Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) Life of Abstinence

Once, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) decided to stay away from his wives for one
month, as he was displeased with them on some account. He lived for that one month in a
separate room in the upper story. A rumor that the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had
divorced his wives got afloat among the Sahabah. When 'U mar heard of this, he came
running to the musjid and found the Sahabah sitting in groups, struck with grief over the
Prophet's suffering. He went to his daughter Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha), who was a wife of
the Prophet, and found her weeping in her room. He said to her:
"Why are you weeping now? Have I not been warning you all these times to
refrain from any act likely to cause the Prophet's displeasure?"

He returned to the musjid and found some of the Sahabah sitting near the pulpit and weeping.
He sat there for some time, but could not sit for long due to his excessive grief. He went
towards the room where the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was staying.
He found Rabah (Radhiyal-laho anho), a slave, sitting on the steps. He asked him to go and
inquire of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] if he could allow 'Umar (Radhiyallaho
anho) to see him. Rabah went inside and came back to inform him that the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) held his peace and said nothing. 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho)
returned to the musjid and sat near the pulpit.
Again the anguish eating his heart would not allow him any rest, and he requested Rabah to
convey his request to the Prophet a second time. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) did
not make any answer this time too. After tarrying near the pulpit for some time more, 'Umar
(Radhiyallaho anho) craved permission to see the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) for the
third time.
This time, his request was acceded to. When he was ushered in, he saw the Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) lying on a date leaf matting. The crossed pattern of the matting could easily
be seen imprinted on his handsome body. He had a leather bag filled with the bark of the
datepalm as his pillow.
Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"I greeted him with Assalamo alaikum and inquired: 'Have you divorced your
wives, 0, Prophet of Allah?" He answered in the negative. Much relieved, then I
made bold to remark, a bit amusingly; '0, Prophet of Allah! we the Qureysh have
always been having the upper hand over our women, but in case of the Ansar of
Madinah, it is the women who have the upper hand. Our women have also got
influenced by the women over here'.

I said a few more similar things which made him smile. I noticed that the contents
of his room consisted of only three pieces of tanned skin and a handful of barley
lying in a corner. I looked about, but I failed to find anything else. I began to weep.

He said; 'Why are you weeping?' I replied: '0, Prophet of Allah! why should I not
weep? I can see the mat's pattern imprinted on your body, and I am also beholding
all that you have got in this room. 0, Prophet of Allah! Pray that Allah may grant
ample provisions for us.

The Persians and the Romans who have no true faith and who worship not Allah
but their kings—Caesar and Chosroes-presently live in gardens with streams
running in their midst, but the chosen Prophet and the accepted slave of Allah does
live in such a dire poverty!' The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was resting
against his pillow, but when he heard me talk like this, he sat up and said; '0,
'Umar! are you still in doubt about this matter? Ease and comfort in the Hereafter
are much better than ease and comfort in this world.

The unbelievers are enjoying their share of the good things in this very world,
whereas we have all such things in store for us in the next. I implored him: '0,
Prophet of Allah! Ask forgiveness for me. I was really in the wrong"

Look at the household effects of the sovereign in this world and in the hereafter, and the
beloved Prophet of Allah. See how he rebukes 'Umar when he asks him to pray for some relief
and comfort.
Somebody inquired of A'ishah (Radhiyallaho anha) about the bedding of the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in her house. She said:
"It consisted of a skin filled with the bark of date-palm."
The same question was put to Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha]; she said:
"It consisted of a piece of canvas, which I spread doublefolded under him. Once I
laid it fourfold in an effort to make it more comfortable. The next morning he
asked me: 'What did you spread under me last night?' I replied: 'The same canvas,
 but I had four-folded it instead of the customary double fold.' He said: 'Keep it as
it was before. The additional softness stands in the way of getting up for
Tahajjud.'"

Now let us look around and survey the furniture of our bedrooms. We, who live in so much
comfort, never hesitate to complain of hard times, instead of being grateful and more obedient
to Allah for his bounties.

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) in a State of Hunger

Once, Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) after wiping his nose with piece of fine
linen remarked to himself:
"Look at Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho)! He cleans his nose with fine linen,
today. I remember the time when he used to lie down between the pulpit and the
Prophet's house. People took him to be suffering from epilepsy and put their feet
on his neck. But there was no other malady with him, other than spasms of
hunger."

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) had to remain hungry for days together. At
times, he was overpowered with hunger so much that he fell unconscious, and people mistook
this as attacks of epilepsy. It seems that in those days they treated epilepsy by placing a foot on
the neck of the patient.
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) is one of those people who suffered from
extremes of want and poverty in the early days of Islam. He however, saw better days in later
years when Muslim conquests followed in succession. He was very pious, and loved very much
to say the Nafl Salaat.
He had with him a bag full of date-stones. He used these stones for his Zikr. When the bag was
exhausted, his maid filled it again with date-stones. Somebody was always busy in Salaat in
his house during the night; his wife and his servant taking turns with him in the prayers.

Hadhrat Abu Bakr's (Radhiyallahu anhu) Daily Allowance from the Bait-ul Mal
Hadhrat Abu Bakr's (Radhiyallahu anhu) Daily Allowance from the Bait-ul Mal
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) was a cloth merchant and lived by that trade. On the
death of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), people selected him as the Khalifah. Next
day with some cloth slung on his arms, he was proceeding to the market as usual when 'Umar
(Radhiyallaho anho) met him in the way. 'Umar: "Where are you going to, Abu Bakr?" Abu
Bakr: "To the market".
'Umar: "If you get busy with your trade, who will carry out the duties of the caliphate?"
Abu Bakr: "How am I to feed my family then?"
'Umar: "Let's go to Abu 'Ubaidah (In charge of Bait-ul-Mal), who will fix some
daily allowance for you from the Bait-ul-Mal."

They both went to Abu 'Ubaidah (Radhiyallaho anho).

He fixed for Abu Bakr an allowance equal to that usually paid to an average Muhajir. Once
Abu Bakr's (Radhiyallaho anho) wife said to him:
 "I would like to have a sweet dish."

Abu Bakr: "I have no money to arrange for the dish."

His wife: "If you permit, I shall try to save something daily from our allowance,
which will some day make enough to enable us to prepare the sweet dish."

He agreed. A little money was saved in many days. When his wife brought him the money to
make purchases for the sweet dish, he said:
"It seems that we have received so much over and above our needs."
He deposited the saving in the Bait-ul-Mal and for the future got his allowance cut down by
the amount saved by his wife. Hadhrat A'ishah (Radhiyallaho anha) narrates:
"When Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) was selected as Khalifah, he said to the
people: 'You well know that I live by trade, and my income therefrom is sufficient
to meet my expenses. Now I have to devote my full time to the affairs of the state
and therefore my family allowance shall be paid from the 'Bait-ul-Mal."

Hadhrat A'ishah (Radhiyallaho anha) says:

"At the time of his death, Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) directed me to hand over
to his successor all that was issued to him from the Bait-ul-Mal for his household
needs.

It is said that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) left no cash after him. Anas
(Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) left a milch she-camel, a bowl and a servant."
According to some other narrators, he left a bedding also. When all these were made over to
'Urnar (Radhiyallaho anho), his successor, he remarked:
"May Allah be merciful to Abu Bakr! He has set a precedent for his successors which is very
hard to follow."

Hadhrat 'Umar's (Radhiyallahu anhu) Daily Allowance:

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) also lived by trade. When he was made Khalifah after
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho), he assembled the people and said to them:
"I earned my living through trade. As you people have engaged me as Khalifah, I
cannot attend to my business. Now. what about my living?"

Different amounts of daily allowance from the Bait-ul-Mal were suggested by different people.
Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) did not speak. 'Umar inquired of him:
"Oh Ali what is your suggestion?" He replied:
I suggest that you should take such amount as may be on average be sufficient for your
family."
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) accepted his suggestion and a moderate amount was
fixed as his daily allowance.
Later on, some people including Hadhrat Alt, Hadhrat Usman, Hadhrat Zubair and Hadhrat
Talhah (Radhiyallaho anhum) once proposed that Hadhrat Umar's (Radhiyallaho anho)
allowance might be increased, as it was hardly sufficient for him, but nobody dared to suggest
that to Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho).
People approached Ummul-momineen Hadhrat Hafsah (radhiyallaho anha), his daughter,
and requested her to ascertain 'Umar's (Radhiyallaho anho) reaction to the suggestion
without mentioning their names to him. When Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha) talked
about it to Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho), he became angry and said:
"Who are the persons making this suggestion?" Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha): "Let
me first know your opinion."
Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho):
"If I knew them, I would smite them on their faces Hafsah! just tell me what was
the Prophet's best dress in your house?"

Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha):

"It was a pair of reddish brown clothes, which the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) wore on Friday or while receiving some envoy.

"Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho): "What was the best of food that the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) ever took at your house?"

Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha): "Simple barley bread was the only food we
used to take. One day I anointed a piece of bread with the sediments from an
empty butter tin, and he ate it with relish and offered it to others as well."

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho): What was the best bedding that the Prophet
ever used in your house?"

Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha): "It was a piece of thick cloth. In the
summer it was spread in four layers, and in the winter in two, half he spread
underneath and with the other half he covered himself."

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho): "Hafsah! Go and tell these people that the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has set a standard by his personal example. I
must follow him. My example and that of my other two companions viz., the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) is like
that of three men travelling on the same road.

The first man started with a provision and reached the goal. The second followed
the first and joined him. Now the third is on his way. If he follows their way, he will
also join them, otherwise he can never reach them."

Such is the life of the person who was a dread for the monarchs of the world. What a simple
life he lived! Once he was reciting the Khutbah when it was noticed that his lower cloth had as
many as twelve patches, including one of leather. Once he came late for his Jumu'ah prayer
and told the congregation:
"Excuse me, people! I got late because I was washing my clothes and had no other clothes to
put on."
Once he was having his meal when 'Utbah bin Abi Farqad (Radhiyallaho anho) asked
permission to see him.
He allowed him in and invited him to share the food with him. 'Utbah (Radhiyallaho anho)
started eating, but the bread was so coarse that he could not swallow it. He said:
"Why don't you use fine flour for your bread, 'Umar?"
He said: "Can every Muslim afford fine flour for his bread ?"
'Utbah replied, "No. Everybody cannot afford it."
He remarked, "Alas! You wish to fulfill all my pleasures while I am in this world."
There are thousands of such stories about the illustrious Sahabah. Everybody should not try
to imitate them, for we lack the physical strength of those people; and that is why the Sufi
Sheikhs of our time do not recommend such exercise, which tax the body too much, as the
people are already low in physical strength.
We should however keep the life of the Sahabah as an ideal before us, so that we may at least
give up some of our luxuries and lead a simpler life (judged by modern standards). With the
Saha-bah's lives as an ideal, we can at least feel ashamed when vying with one another in
running after the luxuries of this world.

Bilal's (Radhiyallahu anhu) story about the Prophet

Someone inquired of Bilal (Radhiyallaho anho) how the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)
met his expenses. He replied:
"He never kept back anything for future use. I arranged money for him. Whenever
a needy person, whether hungry or naked, came to him, he would make him over
to me and I would then arrange for his needs by borrowing money from somebody.

This is what usually happened. Once a Mushrik came to me and said: 'Look here!
I have a lot of money to spare. Don't borrow money from anybody else. Whenever
you need it, come straight to me.' I exclaimed: 'This is indeed fine.' I began to
borrow money from him to meet the needs of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam).

One day, after I had taken my Wudhu and was about to call Azaan, the same
Mushrik accompanied by some people came and shouted, '0, Negro!' When I
attended to him, he began to abuse me, using filthy language and said: 'How many
days are left of this month?

'I said: 'It is about to finish. 'He said most insolently: 'Look here! there are only
four days left of this month. If you fail to clear up your debts by the end of the
month, I shall take you as my slave for my money and then you will be grazing
sheep as you have been doing before.

After saying this he went away. I remained melancholy and full of grief throughout
the day. After Isha when the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was alone, I
went and narrated the story to him, saying: '0, Prophet of Allah! you have nothing
with you, nor can I arrange any money from somewhere so quickly.

I am afraid the Mushrik will disgrace me. I therefore intend to keep away for such
time as you get sufficient money to clear the debts.

I went home, took my sword, shield, and shoes, and waited for the morning to
make for some other place. Just before dawn, somebody came to me and said.
 'Hurry up. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) wants you.' I hurried to the
musjid and found four loaded camels sitting near the Prophet. He said: 'Good
news, Bilal. Allah has made arrangements for clearing your debts. Take these
camels with their load. The Chief of Fidak has sent them as a gift to me.

I thanked Allah and took the camels and cleared up all the debts. In the meantime,
the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) kept sitting in the musjid.

When I returned, 1 said: 'Alhamdulillah.' All the debts are now clear, 0, Prophet of
Allah' He inquired: 'Is there anything left from the gift?" I said, "Yes, something is
still left." He said, "Go and spend that as well. I shall not go home until the whole
lot is spent.' The Prophet kept sitting in the musjid all day long.

After Isha he inquired again if everything had been spent. 1 said: 'Something is
still left unspent. A few of the poor have not turned up so far.' He slept in the
musjid that night. Next day after Isha'a he again called me to him and said: 'Bilal!
Is everything finished now?" I said: 'Yes, Allah has blessed you with peace.
Everything is now spent and gone.

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) began to hymn the Glory of Allah over
this news, for he did not like death to overtake him while any of the riches were in
his possession. He then went home and met his family."

It is common with pious people that they do not like to keep any wealth with them. How could
the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), being the fountain-head of all piety, like to keep
anything in his possession? It is said of Mau-lana Abdur Rahim (May Allah have mercy on
him), a Saint of our time, that all that he received as gifts from the people was immediately
spent by him and he did not keep anything for himself.
A few days before his death, he gave over all his clothes to one of his attendants and said:
"If I need to wear any clothes in my life, I shall borrow them from you."
And I also know about my late father, who whenever had any money left after Maghrib,
would give it to someone of his creditors (he was several thousand rupees in debt) and would
say 'I would not like to keep this source of trouble with me for the night.

Another Story of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah's (Radhiyal-lahu anhu) Hunger

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"I wish you had seen some of us living on a starvation diet for several days,
successively, so much so that we could not even stand erect. On account of spasms
of hunger, I would lie on my belly and press my stomach against the ground or
keep a stone tied to my abdomen.

Once, I intentionally sat in wait for some notable people to pass that way. As
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) came along, I joined in conversation with
him, intending to continue the talk till we reach his home, where I expected him to
invite me to share his meals, as was his wont. But his answer was brief, and my
plan did not work.

The same thing happened with Hadhrat Umar, (Radhiyallaho anho) when he
 chanced that way. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wa-sallam) himself was the next
to come. A smile spread on his face when he saw me, for he at once divined why I
was sitting there. 'Come with me, Abu Hurairah', he said, and I accompanied him
to his house.

He took me in, where a bowl of milk was brought before him. He asked, 'Who
brought this milk?" and was told that somebody had sent it as a present. He bade
me to go and invite all the Suffah friends. The Suffah people were treated as
everyone's guests by all the Muslims. They were such persons who had neither
hearth nor home of their own, nor any other means of livelihood.

Their number varied with time. But at this particular juncture, they mustered
seventy in all. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) would send them in groups
of two or four each to the well-to-do Sahabah as guests. He himself would pass on
to them all that came to him as 'Sadaqah', and would share the gifts too with
them."

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"When the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) asked me to invite all these
persons, I naturally had some misgivings, for the milk was so little that it could
hardly suffice a single person. Also, I was aware that the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) would ask myself to serve the milk to the others first, and a server is
always the last and, more often than not, gets the least of the lot. Anyway, out I
went, and fetched them all.

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said to me: Hadhrat 'Abu Hurairah
(Radhiyallaho anho), do serve the milk to them.' I took the bowl to each person in
turn, and he drank the contents to his heart's desire, and returned the same to me,
till all of them were served. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) then held the
goblet in his own hand, smiled at me, and remarked;

Only two of us are left now!' 'Quite so', I replied. 'Then take it,' he said. I needed
no second bidding, and took enough. He exhorted me to have more, and I had my
fill; till I declared that I had no room for any more. He then took hold of the bowl,
and drained the still remaining milk."

The Prophet's (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) opinion about two persons

The Prophet's (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) opinion about two persons
Some people were sitting with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) when a person passed
that way. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) asked of the company:
"What do you think of this person?" They replied:
"0, Prophet of Allah! He is the scion of a good family. By Allah, he is such that if he
seeks in marriage the hand of a woman of the most illustrious family, he would not
be rejected. If he recommends anybody, his recommendation would be readily
accepted."

Thereupon the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) held his peace. A little later, another
person happened to pass that way, and the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) put the same
question to his companions about that person also. They replied:
"0, Prophet of Allah! He is a very poor Muslim. If he is betrothed somewhere,
chances are that he will not get married. If he happens to recommend anybody, his
recommendation is not likely to be accepted. If he talks, few would listen to him."

Thereupon the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) remarked:

"This latter person is better than a whole lot of such persons as the former."
Belonging to a good family carries absolutely no weight with Allah. A poor Muslim, who is of
little esteem and who commands but little respect in this world, is far nearer to Allah than
hundreds of the so-called noblemen who, though respected and attended upon by the wordly
people, are far from the path of Allah. It is said in Hadith:
"It will be the end of this world when there remains not a single soul to hymn the
name of Allah. It is by the holy name of Allah that the system of this universe is
running."

Privations go with love for the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam)

A person came to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and said:
"0 Prophet of Allah! I love you so much." The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):
"Think well before you say this." The person:
"I have already given thought. I love you very much, 0, Prophet of Allah."
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam): "Think once again before you declare such a
thing."
The person:
"I still love you very much, 0, Prophet of Allah." The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):
"Well, if you are sincere in what you say, then be prepared to face privation and
want coming to you from all directions, for it pursues all those who love me, as
swiftly as water running down-stream."

That is why we find the Sahabah living mostly a life of poverty. Similarly the eminent
Muhaddithin, Sufi's and theologians lived hand to mouth throughout their life.

The Al-Ambar Expedition

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) despatched towards the sea-shore an expedition of
three hundred men, under the command of Hadhrat Abu Ubaidah (Radhiyal-laho anho) in 8
A.H. He gave them a bag full of dates for their rations. They had been hardly out for fifteen
days when they ran short of rations.
In order to provide the contingent with food, Hadhrat Qais (Radhiyallaho anho) began buying
three camels daily from his own men, to feed the Mujahideen, with a promise to pay on return
to Madinah. The Amir seeing that the slaughter of camels would deprive the party of their
only means of transport, prohibited him to do so.
He collected the dates that had been left with each person and stored them in a bag. He would
issue one date to each man as his daily ration. When Hadhrat Jabir (Radhiyallaho anho) later
on narrated this story to the people, one of his audience inquired:
"How did you manage to live upon one date only for the whole day?"
He replied:
"We longed even for that one date, when the whole stock was exhausted. We were
on the verge of starvation. We moistened the dry tree-leaves with water and ate
them."

When they reached this stage, Allah had mercy on them, for He always brings ease after every
hardship, provided it is endured patiently. A big fish known as "Ambar" was thrown out of
the sea for them. The fish was so big that they lived on it for eighteen days altogether.
They also filled their satchels with the remaining portion, which lasted them right up to
Madinah. When the episode was narrated to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), he
said:
"The fish was a provision arranged for you by Allah."
Difficulties and hardships are not uncommon in this world to the people of Allah; these are
bound to come. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) says:
"The worst trials in this world are reserved for the Prophets, then for those who
are next to them, and then for those who are best of the rest."

The trial of a person is proportionate to his position near Allah, and He bestows solace and
comfort by His Grace and Mercy after each trial. Look how much our ancestors in Islam have
suffered in the path of Allah. They had to live on leaves of trees, starve and shed their blood in
the service of the true faith, which we now fail to preserve.

Chapter 4

PIETY AND SCRUPULOUSNESS

The habits and traits of character of the Sahabah, as a whole, are worth following, as they
were the people specially chosen and selected by Allah to be the companions of His beloved
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) says:
"I have been sent in the best period of human history."
The time of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] was itself a blessed period, and the
people favoured with his company were really the cream of that age.

The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) accepts a woman's invitation

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam] was once returning from a funeral, when a woman
invited him to partake of some food at her house. He went in with some of his Sahabah. When
the food was served, it was noticed that the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) was trying to
chew a morsel, but it would simply not go down his throat. He said:
"It seems that the animal has been slaughtered without the permission of its owner."
The woman said:
 "0, Prophet of Allah! I had asked a man to purchase a goat for me from the
market, but he could not obtain one. My neighbour also had recently purchased a
goat. So I sent the man thither with some money to buy the same from him: My
neighbour was out and his wife made over the goat to my man."

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) directed her to go and serve the meat to the
captives.
It has been noted of pious and saintly Muslims that food obtained from doubtful sources
would simply not go down their throats. So this is not such a surprising thing in the case of the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), who is the fountain-head of all piety.

The Prophet's (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) Sleepless Night

Once the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) spent a sleepless night. He would turn from
side to side and could not sleep. His wife asked him:
"0, Prophet of Allah! Why can you not sleep?" He responded:
"A date was lying about. I took it up and ate it, lest it should be wasted. Now I am
troubled lest it might be from Sadaqah."

Most probably the date belonged to the Prophet himself, but because people sent him their
'Sadaqah' as well (for distribution), he could not sleep with the apprehension that it might be
of Sadaqah. This is the last word in scruples from the master himself, that he could not sleep
because of a suspicion in his mind. How would it go with those who claim themselves to be the
slaves of that very master but indulge in usury, corruption, theft, plunder and every other
type of 'haraam' business without the least scruple.

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu) and a soothsayer's food

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) had a slave who used to give him a portion of his
daily income as the master's share. Once he brought him some food, and Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(Radhiyallaho anho) took a morsel out of it. Then the slave remarked:
"You always enquire about the source of what I bring to you, but today you have not done
so."
He replied:
"I was feeling so hungry that I failed to do that. Tell me now, how did you come by this food?"
The slave said:
"Before I embraced Islam, I practiced sooth-saying. During those days I came across some
people for whom I practiced some of my charms. They promised to pay me for that later on. I
happened to pass by those people today, while they were engaged in a marriage ceremony, and
they gave me this food."
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) exclaimed: 'Ah! you would have surely
killed me?"

Then he tried to vomit the morsel he had swallowed, but could not do so, as his stomach had
been quite empty. Somebody suggested to him to take water to his fill and then try to vomit.
He sent for a goblet of water and kept on taking water and forcing it out, till the morsel was
vomit-ted out. Somebody remarked:
"May Allah have mercy on you! You put yourself to such trouble for one single morsel."
To this he made reply:
"I would have thrust it out even if I had to lose my life. I have heard the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) saying. 'The flesh nourished by haraam food, is
destined for the fire of Hell.' I, therefore, made haste to vomit this morsel, lest any
portion of my body should receive nourishment from it."

Many stories of this nature have been reported about Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho
anho). As he was very scrupulous and would not taste anything but that about which he was
perfectly sure, even the slightest doubt about its being 'halaal' would make him vomit what he
had taken.

Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu) vomits out milk of Sadaqah

A person once brought some milk for Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho]. When he took it,
he noted its queer taste, and asked the person as to how he had come in possession of the milk.
He replied:
"The camels given in Sadaqah were grazing in the desert, and the attendants gave
me this milk out of what they got from them."

Upon this, Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) put his hand in his throat and vomited all that
he had taken.
These God-fearing people not only totally abstained from 'haraam' food, but were most
anxious to avoid any doubtful morsel finding its way inside them. They could not dare taking
anything that was 'haraam', which is so usual these days.

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu) gives his garden to Bait-ul-Maal

Ibn-Seereen writes:

"When Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) was about to die, he said to his
daughter, Hadhrat Aishah (Radhiyallaho anha), 'I did not like to take anything
from the Bait-ul-Maal, but Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) insisted on it, to
relieve me of my occupation, and to enable me to devote my full time to the duties
of the 'Khilafat; and I was left no choice. Now make over that garden of mine to
my successor, in lieu of what I have received from the Bait-ul-maal'.

When Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) died, Aishah (Radhiyallaho anha) asked
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) to take over that garden, as desired by her late father.
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) remarked:
"May Allah bless your father! He has left no chance for anybody to open his lips against him."
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) received his subsistence allowance from the Bait-ul-
maal in the interest of all the Muslims, and that too at the request of the most prominent
Sahabah. Again the amount taken was almost the minimum possible, and hardly sufficient for
him, as we have already seen in the story (in the last chapter) about his wife's inability to cook
one sweet dish during the whole month.
In spite of all this he was so scrupulous that he made over his garden to the Bait-ul-maal in
lieu of what he had received from the public funds.

The story of AIi bin Ma'bad: (Rahmatullah alaih)

Ali bin Ma'bad (Rahmatullah alaih) is a Mohaddith. He says:
"I was living in a rented house. Once I wrote something which I wanted to dry up
quickly. The house walls were of mud and I intended to scrape a little mud from
there to dry up the ink. But I thought: 'This house is not mine, and I cannot scrape
the walls with-out the owner's permission.

After a moment I reflected: 'After all what difference does it make? It is only a
very little mud that I am using.' So, I scraped a little mud from a wall and used it.
That night, while asleep, I saw a person in my dream, admonishing me: 'Perchance
tomorrow, on the Day of Judgement, you may rue that saying of yours:

(It is, only a very little mud that I am using)

The dictates of piety are different with different persons. The high rank of the Mohaddith
demanded that he should have been scrupulous even about a small quantity of mud, though
for a common man it was insignificant and therefore within permissible limits.

Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallahu anhu) passes by a grave

Hadhrat Kumail (Radhiyallaho anho) says: "I was with Ali (Radhiyallaho anho)
once on a journey, when he reached an uninhabited place; he approached a grave
and said:

0 you dwellers of the graves! 0 you who live amongst ruins! 0 you who live in the
wilderness and solitude! How fare you in the other world? How has it gone with
you there?' He continued: 'The news from our side is that all you did leave of the
wealth and riches here, has long been distributed; your children are orphans; your
widows have" long since remarried.

Now let us hear about you.' He then turned to me: '0 Kumail! If they could speak,
they would have informed us that the best provision for the Hereafter is Taqwa.

Tears welled out of his eyes, as he added: '0 Kumail! The grave is a container of the
deeds; but one realizes it only after death."

Our good or bad actions are stored up in our graves. It is said in a Hadith that every person
meets his good deeds in the grave in the person of an agreeable companion who befriends and
consoles him there. But his wicked deeds assume hideous shapes emitting bad smells, which
add to his misery. In another Hadith it is said:
"Three things accompany a person to his grave viz: His wealth (as was the
prevalent custom among the Arabs of the time), his relatives, and his deeds.

His wealth and his relatives turn back after his burial, but his actions go in and
 stay with him in the grave."

Once the Prophet [Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) asked the Sahabah:

"Do you know in what relation your relatives, your wealth, and your deeds stand to you?"
The Sahabah expressed their desire to know about it. He replied:
"It can be likened to a person having three brothers. When he is about to die, he
calls one of his brothers to him, and asks him: 'Brother! You know what plight is
mine? What help can you render me at this juncture?' That brother replies: *I
shall call the doctor to you, nurse you and attend upon you.

And when you are dead, I shall bathe you, enshroud you, and carry you to the
grave. Then I shall pray for you after you are buried. This brother is his kith and
kin. He puts the same question to the second brother, who delivers himself like
this: 'I shall remain with you as long as you are alive. No sooner you are dead than
I shall betake myself to someone else.

This brother is his wordly wealth. He then questions the last brother in the same
strain, who makes response: 'I shall not forsake you even in your grave; and I shall
accompany you into that place of utter solitude. When your deeds are weighed in
the balance. I shall forthwith lend my weight to the scale of your good deeds and
weigh it down.

This brother is the personification of his good deeds. Now, tell me, which of the
brothers you regard to be the most useful to the person?' The Sahabah replied: *0,
Prophet of Allah! The last brother is really the most useful to him. There is no
doubt about it. The other two brothers were of no avail."

The Prophet's (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) verdict about haraam food

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) once said:
"As Allah Himself is above all blemishes, likewise, He blesses with His grace only
the unblemished things. He enjoins upon the Muslims, what He has laid down for
His Prophets. He says in His Holy Book:

"0, Prophets! Eat of the good things and do right. Lo! I am aware of what ye do." (XXIII: 51)

O Ye who believe Eat of the good things where-with we have provided you." (II: 172)
Then the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) did mention of a person who is a way-farer
with dishevelled hair and dusty clothes; raising his hands towards the heaven, he calls out: "0,
Allah! 0, Allah!" but his food, drink and dress all were from haraam sources. So, Allah would
never listen to him and answer his prayers, even though his outward condition showed him
deserving.
People wonder why the prayers of the Muslims are not always fulfilled by Allah; the reason is
easy enough to understand in the light of the above Hadith.
Though Allah does sometimes grant the prayers of even a Kafir (not to mention the prayer or
requests of a sinful Muslim), but it is particularly the prayer of a pious person that is seldom
rejected. That is the reason why people generally seek the prayers of such persons for
themselves.
It follows that those who wish to have their prayers often granted must abstain from haraam.
No wise person would like to run the risk of his prayers being rejected.

Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) does not like his wife to weigh musk
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anha) once received some musk from Bahrain. He said:
I want someone to weigh it, so that it may be equally distributed among the Muslims.'
His wife said: I shall weigh it."
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) kept quiet. A little later he again asked for someone to
weigh the musk, and again his wife volunteered to do so. But he kept quiet this time too. When
she repeated her offer for the third time, he said:
"I do not like your touching the musk with your hands (while weighing it) and
rubbing those hands on your body afterwards, as that would amount to something
over and above my legitimate share.'*

Any other person weighing the musk would, for that matter, have had the same advantage,
but Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anha) did not like this preference particularly for any
member of his own family. Look at this scrupulous anxiety to avoid charge of selfishness.
A similar story is related about Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Rahmatullah alaih) (who is
known as the second Umar). While he was holding the reins of the Khila-fat, musk belonging
to the Bait ul-Maal was being weighed. He closed his own nostrils, with the remark:
"The use of musk is to smell it."

These were the scruples of the Sahabah, and their successors, and our elders in Islam.

Hadhrat Umar-bin-Abdul Aziz (Rahmatullah alaih) dismisses a governor

Hadhrat Umar-bin-Abdul Aziz (Rahmatullah alaih) appointed a person as governor of a
province. Somebody remarked that this person had held the same post under Hajjaj-bin-
Yusuf (the notorious blood shedder) also. Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Rahmatullah alaih)
immediately issued orders of his dismissal. The man protested:
I had been with Hajjaj only for a very short time." To this, the Khalifa replied:
"His company for a day or even less is sufficient to render a man unfit for public service."
"A man is known by the company he keeps." The company of pious people leaves an
imperceptible impression of piety on the character, and likewise evil company has its evil
influence. That is why association with bad people is always discouraged. Even the company
of animals is not without its own effect. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:
"Pride and arrogance are prone to be found in those who own camels and horses,
 while meekness and humility characterise those who tend sheep and goats."

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is reported to have said:

"A person who associates with a pious man is like one who sits with a musk-seller.
Even if he does not receive any musk from the latter still the pleasant smell would
be a source of pleasure to him. But bad company may be likened to a furnace; a
man sitting near one cannot escape the smoke and the fumes, even if a spark does
not fall on him."

Chapter 5

DEVOTION TO SALAAT
Salaat is the most important of all forms of worship. It is, in fact, the first and foremost item
to be reckoned with on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is
reported to have said:

"Salaat is the only line of demarcation between Kufr and Islam."

There are many Ahadith about Salaat, which I have collected in a separate book.

Blessings of Nafl (non-obligatory) Prayers

The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) reported that Allah told him:
"My wrath descends upon a person who bears ill-will towards My friends. And
only those are blessed with My love who implicitly carry out Fardh (obligatory)
injunctions.

A person keeps on advancing in my esteem through nafl ; till I choose him as 'My
beloved'. I then become his ear by which he listens, his eye by which he looks, his
hands by which he holds, and his feet by which he walks (i.e. his listening, looking,
holding and walking are all in perfect accord with My injunctions, and he would
never even dream of employing any part of his body in any action contrary to My
commands).

If such a person prays for anything, I grant it to him and if he seeks My protection
I do protect him."

Those people are really blessed who, after performing their Fardh, are in the habit of
observing Nafl profusely. May Allah give me and all my friends the strength to earn this
blessing.
The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) spends the whole night in Salaat
A certain person asked A'ishah (Radhiyallahu anha):

"Tell me something noteworthy concerning the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)."

She answered:
"There was nothing which was not unusual about him. Everything he did was noteworthy.
One night he came and lay down with me. After sometime, he got up saying, 'Now let me pray
to my Lord, the Sustainer."
With this, he stood up in Salaat, humbling himself before his Creator with such sincerity that
tears rolled down his cheeks to his beard and on to his breast. He then bowed for Ruku' and
Sajdah, and his tears flowed down as fast as before and after raising his head from his Sajdah,
he continued weeping in this manner till Hadhrat Bilal (Radhiyal-laho anho) announced the
approach of Fajr.
I pleaded with him:
"0, Prophet of Allah! you are sinless, as Allah has in His munificence forgiven your
each and every sin (even if committed) in the past and which may happen in the
life to come (XLVIII: 2) and still you grieve so much". He replied: Why, then,
should I not be a grateful slave of Allah? Then he added, 'Why should I not be
praying like this when Allah has today revealed to me these verses?'

'Lo! in the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, and in the difference of night and day, are
tokens (of His Sovereignty) for men of understanding, such as remember Allah, standing,
sitting and reclining . . . (111:190-191)'
It has been reported in many Ahadith that the Prophet's feet would get swollen because of his
very long ra-kaats in Salaat; people tried to reason with him: "0, Prophet of Allah! You are
sinless and still you labour so hard!"

He would reply: "Should I not be a grateful slave of my Allah, then ?"

The Prophet's (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) recitation of the Qur'an in Salaat

Hadhrat 'Auf (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:

"I was once with the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasal-lam). He brushed his teeth
with a Miswak, performed his Wudhu and stood up for Salaat. I also availed of the
opportunity to join him. He recited surah 'Baqarah' in his first rakaat; he would
pray for mercy when he recited any verse extolling the Grace of Allah, and would
supplicate for Divine forgiveness when reciting any verse referring to His wrath.
He took as much time in Ruku and Sajdah each as he had taken in Qiyaam. In
Ruku' he recited:
'Glory to Allah the Lord of Majesty, sovereignty and magnificence.'
He recited the next three successive Soorahs in the remaining three rakaats, and
each rakaat was of about the same length as the first one."

Hadhrat Huzaifah (Radhiyallahu anho) has also narrated a similar story about his Salaat
with the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam.)
The Qiraat (recitation) of the Qur'an by the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) in the above
mentioned four rakaats amounts to more than one-fifth of he whole Qur'an. And the Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) recited the Qur'an with proper intonation (Tajweed), and would
also pray and seek forgiveness after relevant verses. Again his Ruku' and Sajdah also would
last as long as his Qiyaam.
We can thus have a fair idea of how much time he must have taken to say his Salaat. This can
only be possible when Salaat is a source of great inner satisfaction and spiritual ecstasy. That
is why the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) has often been quoted as saying:
"The comfort of my eyes lies in Salaat."

Salaat of a Few Eminent Sahabah

Hadhrat Mujahid (Radhiyallaho anho), describing the Salaat of Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(Radhiyallaho anho), and that of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Zubair (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"They stood in Salaat motionless like pieces of wood stuck in the ground."
'Ulama agree that Hadhrat Abdullah bin Zubair (Radhiyallaho anho) learnt to say his Salaat
from Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(Radhiyallaho anho), who in turn learnt it direct from the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe
wasallam).
It is said about Hadhrat Abdullah bin Zubair (Radhiyallaho anho) that he remained in Sajdah
for so long, and kept so motionless therein, that birds would come and perch on his back. He
would sometimes remain in Sajdah or Ruku' all night long. During an'attack against him, a
missile came and hit the wall of the musjid wherein he was saying his Salaat. A piece of
masonry flew from the wall and passed in between his beard and throat. He neither cut short
his Salaat, nor was he the least perturbed.
Once he was saying his Salaat while his son Hashim was sleeping near him. A snake fell from
the ceiling and coiled round the child. The child woke up and shrieked, and the whole
household gathered round him. They killed the snake after a great hue and cry. Ibne Zubair
(Radhiyallaho anho), calm and quiet, remained engaged in his Salaat all the while. When he
had finished it, he said to his wife: "I heard some noise during my Salaat; what was that?"
His wife exclaimed:
"May Allah have mercy on you! The child's life was in danger, and you took least notice of it."
His answer was:
"Had I turned my attention to anything else, what would have remained of the Salaat?"
Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) was stabbed at the close of his career, and this same
wound caused his death. He bled profusely and remained unconscious for long intervals. But
when he was informed of the time of Salaat, he would perform it in that very condition, and
say:
"There is no portion in Islam for the person who discards Salaat."
Hadhrat Uthman (Radhiyallaho anho) would remain in Salaat all night long, finishing the
whole of the Qur'an in one rakaat.
It is reported about Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) that he would turn pale and tremble at
the time of Salaat. Somebody asked him the reason, and he said:
"It is the time to discharge that trust which Allah offered to the Heavens and the
Earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it, and I have assumed it."

Somebody asked Khalaf-bin-Ayub: "Do not the flies annoy you in your Salaat?"
His answer was:
"Even the sinful persons patiently bear the lashes of the government, to boast of
their endurance afterwards. Why should I be made to skip about by mere flies
when standing in the presence of my Lord?"

Muslim bin Yasaar when he stood up for Salaat, said to members of his family:
"You may keep on talking, I shall not be knowing what you talk."
Once he was saying his Salaat in the Jaami' musjid of Basrah. A portion of the musjid wall fell
down with a crash; and every body ran pell mell for safety, but he never even heard the noise.
Somebody asked Haatim Asam as to how did he say his Salaat.
He replied:
"When the time for Salaat comes, I perform my Wudhu and go to the place where
I have to say my Salaat. I sit down for some time, till all the parts of my body are
relaxed. Then I stand up for Salaat, visualising the Ka'bah in front of me,
imagining my feet upon the Bridge of Siraat, with Paradise to my right, and Hell to
my left, and Izraa-eel close behind me, and thinking that it may be my last Salaat.
Then I say my Salaat with full sincerity and devotion.

And I finish my Salaat between fear and hope about its acceptance.

Salaat of a Muhajir and an Ansari keeping watch

While returning from a campaign, the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) happened to halt
for the night at some place. He inquired:
"Who would keep watch over the camp this night?"
Hadhrat Ammar bin Yasir (Radhiyallaho anho) of the Mu-hajirin and Hadhrat Abbaad bin
Bishr (Radhiyallaho anho) of the Ansar offered their services. Both of them were posted to
watch from a hill-top against any possible night attack by the enemy.
Abbaad (Radhiyallahu anho) said to Ammar (Radhiyal-lahu anho):
"Let us keep watch and sleep turn by turn. In the first half of the night I shall keep
awake, while you go to sleep. In the next half, you may keep watch while I go to
sleep."
Hadhrat Ammar (Radhiyallaho anho) agreed and went to sleep, and Hadhrat Abbaad
(Radhiyallaho anho) started his Salaat. But an enemy scout made him out in the dark from a
distance, and let fly an arrow at him. Seeing that he made no movement, he shot another and
still another arrow at him. Hadhrat Abbaad (Radhiyallaho anho) drew out and threw away
each arrow as it struck him, and at last awakened his companion. The enemy fled when he
saw them both together, fearing that there might be many more of them. Hadhrat Ammar
(Radhiyallaho anho) noticed Abbaad (Radhiyallaho anho) bleeding from three places. He
said:
"Subhanallah! why did you not awake me earlier?"
Abbaad replied:
I had started"reciting Surah 'Kahf in my Salaat. I did not like to cut it short, but
when I was struck by the third arrow, I was greatly concerned that my death might
jeopardise the safety of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). I therefore
finished the Salaat and awakened you. But for this fear, I would not have gone to
Ruku' before finishing the Surah even if I had been killed."

Look at the devotion of the Sahaba to Salaat. One arrow after another is piercing Hadhrat
Abbaad's (Radhiyallaho anho) body and he is bleeding profusely, but is not prepared to
sacrifice the pleasure of reciting the Qur'an in his Salaat. On the other hand, the bite of a
wasp, nay of a mosquito, is sufficient to distract us from our Salaat.
According to the Hanafiyyah school of jurisprudence, Wudhu breaks with bleeding, while
according to the Sha-fi'iyyah it does not. It is just possible that Abbaad might be having the
latter view, or that this point might not have been brought to an issue till then.

Hadhrat Abu Talha (Radhiyallahu anhu) and his Salaat

Hadhrat Abu Talha (Radhiyallaho anho) was once saying his Salaat in his garden. His
attention was drawn towards a bird that flitted about, but could not find a way out of the
dense foliage. For a short moment, he followed the bird with his eyes, and forgot the number
of his rakaat. Upon this mishap, his sorrow knew no bounds. He repaired to the Prophet's
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) presence straightway and submitted thus:
"0 Prophet of Allah, this garden of mine has been the cause of a diversion in my
Salaat. I give it away in the cause of Allah. Kindly spend it as may appear proper
to you."

A similar chance befell one of the Ansaar in the time of Hadhrat Usman (Radhiyallaho anho).
He was saying his Salaat in his garden. The branches of the trees were weighed down with
ripe juicy dates, luxurious abundance, which caught his eyes, and he felt pleased with it. This
made him forget the number of his rakaat. He was so much stricken with grief that he decided
to part with the garden that had distracted him from his Salaat.
He approached Usman (Radhiyallaho anho) and made over the garden to him for utilising it
in the path of Allah. Usman (Radhiyal-laho anho) had the garden sold for fifty thousand
dirhams and spent the money as desired. This shows the value the Sahaba set on their faith;
and Hadhrat Abu Talha (Radhiyallaho anho) could give away his orchard worth fifty
thousand dirhams because it had interfered with his Salaat. According to Shah Waliullah, the
Sufis give preference to obedience to Allah over anything that distracts from it.

Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallahu anhu) and his Salaat

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) suffered from cataract of the eye. A doctor
told him:
"A treatment is possible, provided you are willing to take precautions. For five
days, it will be essential for you to avoid prostrating yourself on the ground. You
can, however, use a wooden desk for performing Sajdah."

He said: "This cannot be so. I would not say a single rakaat like that. I have heard
the Prophet (Sallal-laho alaihe wasallam) saying, "A person who intentionally
foregoes a single Salaat shall have to face Divine wrath on the Day of Judgement."

Although it is quite permissible to perform Salaat in the way advised by the doctors, and it
involves no direct transgression of the Law of Allah, yet due to his utter devotion to Salaat and
implicit regard for the Prophet's warning, he was ready to lose his eyesight rather than allow
the slightest modification in the Salaat as performed by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) himself. In fact, the Sahabah would sacrifice the whole world for their Salaat. We
may dub it as 'fanaticism', or make any other remark about that devoted band. but the
verdict in the Hereafter would prove, beyond doubt, that they were the personages who really
feared and loved their Creator above everything else in this world.

Sahabah's suspending trade at the time of Salaat

Hadhrat Abdullah bin 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) once visited the market. He noticed that at
the time of Salaat, everybody closed his shop and flocked to the musjid. He remarked:
"These are people about whom Allah has remarked:

"Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and
constancy in Salaat and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs
will be overturned. (XXIV: 37)"
Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) says:
"These people were completely absorbed in their trade, but when they heard
Azaan they left everything and hastened towards the musjid."

He once remarked: "By Allah, they were such traders whose trade did not hinder them from
the remembrance of Allah."
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Masood (Radhiyallaho anho) once chanced to be in the market when
Azaan was called out. He noticed everybody leaving his shop as it was, and proceeding to the
musjid. He remarked:
"These are surely the persons of whom Allah says:

'Men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and
constancy in Salaat and paying to the poor their due. (XXIV-.37).'
Another Hadith has it:
"All the people shall be gathered on the Day of Judgement, when it will be asked, 'Who are
those who glorified Allah in ease and adversity?" A group will arise and enter Paradise
without any reckoning. Again it will be asked, 'who are those who kept away from their beds
and passed their nights in worshipping their Creator.' Another group will arise and enter
Paradise without any reckoning. The angel will ask yet again, where are those whom trade did
not hinder from remembering Allah.' And yet another group will arise and enter Paradise
without any reckoning. After these three groups have departed, and reckoning would
commence for the people in general."

Martyrdom of Hadhrat Khubaib, Hadhrat Zaid and Hadhrat 'Asim

(Radhiyallahu anhum)
The Qureysh writhed with fury and rage at the loss of some of their greatest men in Uhud.
Sulaifah, whose two sons had fallen in action, had taken a solemn vow that she would drink
wine in the skull of 'Asim (Radhiyallaho anho], who had killed both of them, if she could get
possession of his head.
She had proclaimed a prize of one hundred camels (a stupendous sum for the place and the
time) for the person who brought 'Asim's head to her. Sufyan bin Khalid worked out a plan to
secure the prize. He sent a few men of Adhal Waqarah to Madinah, who pretended to
embrace Islam: they besought the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to detail some persons
to accompany them to their locality to preach Islam to the populace. They made a special
request for 'Asim (Radhiyallaho anho) saying:
To return to the fight, when seven out of the ten Saha-bah (Radhiyallaho anhum) had attained
martyrdom and the remaining three, Khubaib, Zaid bin Wathnah and Abdullah bin Tariq
(Radhiyallaho anhum) were still sticking to their position on the hill-top, the enemy again
called out to them:
"You three should come down the hill; of course we would do no harm to you."
The three trusted them and came down the hill, but the enemy immediately pounced upon
them, and pinioned them with the gut strings of their bows. Upon this, Abdullah bin Tariq
(Radhiyallaho anho) protested:
"So this is the very first breach of your solemn promise. I would rather join my
martyred brothers than go alive with you."

He then refused to follow them in captivity. They tried their best to make him walk, but could
not, and ultimately perceiving that he would on no account budge an inch from the spot,
despatched him there and then. The two remaining captives were taken by them to Mecca and
sold to the Qureysh.
Safwan bin Umayyah paid fifty camels for Zaid bin Wathna (Radhiyallaho anho) to kill him
in revenge for the death of his father Umayyah in 'Uhud*. and Hujair bin Abi Ahaab bought
Khubaib (Radhiyallaho anho) for one hundred camels to avenge the fall of his father in the
same battle.
Safwan made over Hadhrat Zaid (Radhiyallaho anho) to his slave to be killed outside the
limits of the Haram. A crowd followed them to watch Hadhrat Zaid (Radhiyallaho anho) meet
his end, and Abu Sufyan (Radhiyallaho anho) also happened to be one of the spectators. When
Zaid (Radhiyallaho anho) stood prepared to meet his doom, Abu Sufyan asked him thus:
"Don't you wish Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasal-lam) to be in your place
today, and you be let off to enjoy life with your family?"

Zaid's (Radhiyallaho anho) reply amazed them all:

 "By Allah!" he said, "the very thought of enjoying life with my family is
unbearable to me, if the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) were even to suffer a
thorn-prick in his foot for that."

The Qureysh simply could not understand this reply, and Abu Sufyan (Radhiyallaho anho)
remarked:
"There is absolutely no parallel, anywhere in the world, to the love that the
companions of Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) bear him."

Hadhrat Zaid (Radhiyallaho anho) was then martyred.

Hadhrat Khubaib (Radhiyallaho anho) remained in the captivity of Hujair for a long time. A
woman slave of Hujair (who later embraced Islam) says:
"When Hadhrat Khubaib (Radhiyallaho anho) was in captivity with us, I noticed
one day that he was eating grapes from a bunch as big as a human head, though it
was not the season of grapes in Mecca at that time. When the day for his execution
drew near, he asked for a razor, which was handed over to him. Meanwhile a child
of the house, in his play, went close to Hadhrat Khubaib (Radhiyallaho anho).

All the inmates of the house got alarmed at the sight. Hadhrat Khubaib
(Radhiyallaho anho) having been marked for death, they thought there was
nothing to prevent him from killing the child with the razor. But to remove their
fears on observing their alarm, Hadhrat Khubaib (Radhiyallaho anho) remarked:
'Do you think that I would stoop to the killing of an innocent child? This heinous
crime is simply not possible for me.'"

When he was brought to the gallows, and asked to make his last wish, if any, he requested:
"Allow me to say two rakaat of Salaat, for it is time for me to leave the world and meet my
Allah."
They let him say his Salaat. On finishing the two rakaat most calmly, he said:
"But for your thinking that I was afraid of death, I would have said another two rakaats."
He was then tied to the gallows. At that time he said:
"0, Allah! There is nobody to convey my last Salaam to Thy Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam)."
And Allah sent his Salaam to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) through an angel. The
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) answered:
"Wa alaikumus salaam! 0 Khubaib," and observed to the Sahabah: ^Khubaib has
been martyred by the Qureysh."

At the gallows, forty of the Querysh speared him simultaneously. One of those teased him:
Say by Allah, if you now wish Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) to be in
your place and you to be let off."

He replied: "By Allah the Most Magnificent, I will not tolerate a thorn pricking the
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in ransom for my life."

Every word of this story is a lesson for us all. The devotion and love of the Sahabah narrated
therein is really something to esteem and covet. They would lay down their very lives, but they
would not tolerate even a thorn pricking the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). Again, look
at Hadhrat Khubaib's (Radhiyallaho anho) last wish.
He neither remembers his family members nor wishes to see any of them; what he wishes is to
send his last Salaam to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and to say two last rakaats of
Salaat.

Chapter 6

SYMPATHY AND SELF-SACRIFICE

The Sahabah, as a class, were an embodiment of righteousness. They attained a standard that
is rather difficult to emulate in a modern society. We would be fortunate if we really attain
even a partial resemblance to their character. Some of their qualities are peculiarly their own,
and self-sacrifice is one of these. Allah has made a mention of this in the Holy Qur'an in these
words.

"They prefer others above themselves, even though poverty become their lot. (LIX: 9)."

Feeding the guest in darkness

A Sahabi came to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasal-lam) and complained of hunger and
distress. Just then, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had nothing in hand, or in his
home to feed him. He asked the Sahabah:
"Would anybody entertain him as a guest tonight on my behalf?"
One of the Ansaar said: "0, Prophet of Allah, I will do that."

The Ansari took the person to his house and instructed his wife:
"Look here, this man is a guest of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). We
will entertain him as best as we can, and won't spare anything in doing so."

The wife replied:

"By Allah! I have got no food in the house, except a very little—something just enough for the
children."
The Ansari said:
"You lull the^children to sleep without feeding them, while I sit with the guest over
the meager meal. When we start eating, put out the lamp pretending to set it right,
so that the guest may not become aware of my not sharing the meal with him."

The scheme worked out nicely, and the whole family, including the children, stayed hungry to
enable the guest to eat to his fill. It was over this incident that Allah revealed the verse:
"They prefer others above themselves, even though poverty become their lot (LIX: 9)."
There are quite a number of similar incidents about the Sahabah. The following is one of
these:

Feeding a fasting Sahabi

One of the Sahabah was keeping fast after fast, as he could not get anything to eat. Hadhrat
Thabit (Radhiyallaho anho) came to know of this. He told his wife:
"I shall bring a guest tonight. When we sit at the meal, put out the lamp,
pretending to set it right, and you are not to eat anything until the guest has taken
his fill."

The scheme worked out as in the last story. The husband and wife sat with the guest and the
simple soul never suspected in the least that neither of them had partaken at all of the food,
though their hands and jaws seemed to be moving all right. When Hadhrat Thabit
(Radhiyallaho anho) repaired to the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wasal-lam) presence next
morning, he was greeted with the happy news;
"0, Thabit! Allah has very much appreciated your entertainment of the guest last night."

Overpayment of Zakaat
Hadhrat Ubay bin Kaab (Radhiyallaho anho) says: "The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) once deputed me to collect Zakaat dues from a locality. I went to
a person there, and asked about the details of his possessions. A baby camel one
year old was due from him in Zakaat. When he heard this, he exclaimed, 'Of what
use is a baby camel, one year old? You can neither milk it, nor ride it. Here is a fine
grown-up she-camel. You had better take this instead.

I replied, 'My commission does not permit me to take more than what is actually
due from you. I, therefore, cannot accept what you offer. The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) is visiting this locality, and tonight he will be camping at a place
not very far from here.

It is better you should go and place your offer before him. If he does not object, I
would gladly accept your offer, otherwise you shall have to give me exactly what is
due from you.' Thereupon, he took the she-camel to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) and besought him thus: '0, Prophet of Allah! Your deputy came to
receive Zakaat from me. By Allah! before this time, I have never had the honour of
paying anything to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) or his deputy. I
therefore placed everything that I possessed before him.

He decided that a baby camel one year old was due from me. Now, 0, Prophet of
Allah! This baby camel is of no use. It can neither yield milk nor carry a load. I,
therefore, pressed him to accept a fine grown-up she-camel in-stead; which he
refused to accept without your permission. I have now come to you with the she-
camel.

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) observed, No doubt only that much is
due from you which he has worked out, but if you are willing to give more than
 that, of your own accord, it would be accepted.' I then presented the she-camel to
the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), which he accordingly accepted and
sought Allah's blessings for the donor."

Look, with what magnanimity of heart the Sahabah parted with their best things for the sake
of Allah. On the other hand, we too claim to be the true followers of Islam, and ardent
devotees of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) but, leaving apart the bestowing of alms
in general to the poor and the needy, we are most reluctant to pay the actual obligatory dues.
Zakaat, as a pillar of Islam, is not even known to our upper classes.
Of the middle classes, only the religiously conscious strata keep up a form of paying Zakaat,
in as much as even the expenditure incurred on their own relatives and acquaintances, and all
other charitable donations squeezed out of them by the force of circumstances and face-
savings are debited to this account.

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallahu anhu) trying to emulate Hadhrat Abu Bakr

(Radhiyallahu anhu)
Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:

"Once the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) asked for contributions in the path
of Allah. In those days, I was in possession of some wealth. I mused thus, 'Time and
again Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) has surpassed me in spending for the sake of
Allah.

I shall by the Grace of Allah surpass him this time, because I have just now some
wealth with me to spend'. I went home buoyant with the idea. I divided my whole
property into two exactly equal parts. One I left for my family, and with the other I
rejoined the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), who accosted me thus:

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):

'Did you leave anything for your family, 'Umar?'

'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho):

'Yes, 0 Prophet of Allah.'

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):

'How much?'

'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho):

'Exactly one-half.'

By and by, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) came along with his load. It transpired
that he had brought everything that he possessed.
This is what I heard:
The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam):
'What did you leave for your family, Abu Bakr?'

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho):

 'I have left Allah and his Prophet for them!'

Hadhrat 'Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) says that on that day he admitted to himself that he
could never hope to surpass Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho).
Allah says in his Holy Book,

"Vie one with another in good works (V:48)."

Such healthy emulation in sacrifice is therefore quite desirable and welcome. This incident
happened at the time of Tabuk, when the Sahabah in response to the Prophet's (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) appeal for help contributed beyond their means. This has already been
mentioned in Chapter II. May Allah grant them best rewards on behalf of all the Muslims!

Sahabah dying thirsty for others:

Hadhrat Abu-Jahm-bin-Huzaifah (Radhiyallaho anho) narrates:
"During the battle of Yarmuk, I went out in search of my cousin, who was in the
forefront of the fight. I also took some water with me for him. I found him in the
very thick of battle in the last throes of death. I advanced to help him with the little
water I had. But, soon, another sorely wounded soldier beside him gave a groan,
and my cousin averted his face, and beckoned me to take the water to that person
first.I went to this other person with the water. He turned out to be Hishaam bin
Abil Aas (Radhiyallaho anho). But I had hardly reached him, when there was
heard the groan of yet another person lying not very far off. Hisham (Radhiyallaho
anho) too motioned me in his direction. Alas, before I could approach him, he had
breathed his last. I made all haste back to Hishaam and found him dead as well.
Thereupon, I hurried as fast as I could to my cousin, and, lo! in the meantime he
had also joined the other two.

Many an incident of such self-denial and heroic sacrifice is recorded in the books of Hadith.
This is the last word in self-sacrifice, that each dying person should forego slaking his own
thirst in favour of his other needy brother. May Allah bless their souls with His choicest
favours for their sacrifice for others even at the time of death, when a person has seldom the
sense to make a choice.