A Collection of Short Stories and Poems

ENGLISH 102
A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES AND POEMS

The following are inspirational stories and poems which have circulated the internet by email and website posts. Some are ahadiths and many are stories written by anonymous authors. Many of these are probably familiar to you.
Table of Contents
Theme: Death
Poem: Story: Story: Story:
Sudden Realization Had I But Known The Day I Died Shes My Sister
6 9 13 18 23 24 26 28 30
Theme: Family- Parenting & Marriage Story: Story: Story: Theme: Wealth Story: Story: The Pearl Necklace Hadith: Story of Three Men from Bani Israel Story: Theme: Aqeedah Story: Poem: Poem: A Wise, Young Muslim Boy The Torments of Hell Remember, Just Remember The Club 99 The Wooden Bowl I Hate My One-Eyed Mother Daddy, Can You Give Me Ten Dollars?
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38 40 43 44 47 49
Theme: Tawbah Story: Story: Story: Story: The True Treasure Pray Before They Pray on You The Hadith of Kab bin Malik The Story of Burseesah
51 52 54 58 64
Islamic Online University
ENG 102
Theme: Death
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Sudden Realization
A mother goes into labor and a new child is born A new life came into existence yet another one to adorn Held so tight next to his mothers heart She wouldnt dare let anything rip them apart Little did she know an unknown disease would come And yes her baby would be the one added to that list of only some He would be the one affected With no cure for those who are infected The doctors couldnt save him because it was his time He was just a baby he committed no crime But to his Lord he returned Left his mothers heart all torn and severely burned Now she sits and wonders and all of a sudden realizes. A teenager living his life at ease Wouldnt ever think twice that life would ever cease Cant get away from the television set Caught up in a world of pop stars and the net Hormones out of control Cant set him straight even with patrol Always out with his group of friends with fingers set on with his stolen rings Drugs, overdoses and getting high is now his new thing Oh No! That bullet came all too fast Hit him right in the chest and put him in the list of those of the past Now he is left to His Creator The bullet came and to his desires set forth the destroyer He just finished University Got the degree in hand and felt a new life coming with no adversity but loads of prosperity Engaged to that girl he so dearly loved No one could stop him now and he would no longer be shoved Wedding preparations happening bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 6
Islamic Online University All happy and delighted that life was deepening Smiles and laughs, no sign of leer The good times were just starting so why put up any fear Went swimming with his friends and there he drowns Now why prepare suits and crowns When his life is gone and there wont be a marriage Or a wife wholl possibly have his babys miscarriage Now his fianc sits and wonders and all of a sudden realizes A father goes to work in order to make money his own Hes got to fulfill his role and return all his other loans Needs to fill the table with food Never matters what he feels or whats his mood Working so hard and long He couldnt possibly think that anything could go wrong But there comes that car and it happened all so quick Couldnt blink an eye or have his say and pick Smashed him all up and took his soul His family so devastated cant understand wholl fulfill daddys role One more soul that no longer exists Gone away and added to that long relentless list
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Cooking and cleaning working hard at home Needs to be on a schedule cant be outside all day and roam She thinks about her children and husband all day Knows that they need her even though they never say Shopping for food and washing the clothes Nonstop housework but she cannot stop this she knows Fell down unconscious all in a moment Children didnt understand how to comment Ran to give daddy a call to tell him something was wrong He came home after what seemed long Little did he know that life for him and his children was about to start a new fall His wife was gone and never again would pick up his call Now he sits and wonders and all of a sudden realizes Dont let your death become simply another persons realization Take consideration now and start preparing for your death without hesitation bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 7
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For life isnt a game that when you lose you get a second round Your deeds all go on record whether hideous or sound Life was not created in jest for amusement and play and utter dismay Indeed our Lord will hold us to account and have the last say So realize now and dont wait around for yourself to civilize For you know not whether you will get another chance to sit and wonder and all of a sudden realize
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Had I But Known
Anfal, a rich young girl, sat waiting impatiently at the doctor's clinic to get the results of a medical test. She was in a hurry to attend a party and feared she might be late for her appointment with the hairdresser. She never thought the result would be anything important. It was just a precaution insisted upon by her family. She had never suffered any serious illness, apart from the odd ache in her limbs. Then, it was her turn to see the doctor. She hurried inside to get it over with as quickly as possible. She was surprised to see the doctor look sad and concerned as he asked, 'Is this yours?' She answered, 'No, it is my daughter's.' She wanted to know the truth and thought that perhaps he would hide the truth, if she told him it was her own. He asked her to have a seat, so she sat feeling somewhat afraid. She looked at him anxiously, as he said, 'Why did not you send a man to get the results?' Anfal said, 'I was on my way so there was no need to send someone else.' The doctor looked sadly at her and said, 'You seem to be an educated girl. You understand the nature of life.' He stopped talking, and she began to tremble. She asked, 'What do you mean doctor?' The doctor said, 'The result indicates that there is a blood disease.' He looked down at his papers and remained silent. Anfal had to ask him to give her more information. She cried in fear, 'Is it cancer?' He did not look at her, but a cloud of sadness covered his face. It was as if he was sentencing her to death. She said in a broken voice, 'I am finished then.' The doctor knew then that she had lied, but it was too late to hide the truth. He looked kindly at her and said, 'I am sorry for you. Why did you lie? Anyway, life and death are matters within Allah's power. Many sick people live long and many healthy ones die.' Anfal felt as if she was drowning, as if a hard fist was cruelly squeezing her heart. She tried hard to regain her strength and said, 'I do apologize. Thank you doctor.' The doctor encouraged her saying, 'Be strong and optimistic. Medical science is constantly progressing. Some of today's incurable sicknesses can be cured tomorrow; I bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 9
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still have hope. Leave me your telephone number.' She repeated the number automatically without knowing what she was saying. Feeling great shock and bitterness, she again thanked the doctor and left. At home, she kept the truth to herself. She did not know how to share it. Anyway, everyone was busy, getting ready for the party. Her mother asked, 'Have you been to the doctor? Why did not you go to the hairdresser? It was just a by-the-way question, needing no answer. Anfal replied, 'I am not going to the party!' She went upstairs into her room and locked the door. She stretched out on her bed fully clothed and listened to her family's voices, as if they were coming from a far-away place. The wind seemed to her to be a sad funeral tune, lamenting her approaching death. The bedroom seemed strange to her as she would be leaving it soon. What about the house? It would not remember her. She was just a guest. Others would take her room and soon forget her. She tried to cry but tears did not help. She looked around her in pain. Those curtains that she had tried so hard to get, would stay after her. It would not have mattered if they had been made of the roughest fabric, she would leave them for others. She wished she had not troubled herself for such things. She wished she had saved her time and money for more useful things, which could have been helpful to her in her difficulty. She wondered, 'What is useful to me?' She was young, beautiful, and rich with everything her heart could desire. Could anything help her and save her from death? She had always longed for an official job with a good salary. She had it, but could it save her from death? An idea struck her. She hurried to the phone while everyone was away. She dialed the doctor's number and asked eagerly, 'If I travel abroad, can I find a cure?' He said, 'There is nothing new abroad. It is a waste of money.' She put the phone down and sat on a nearby chair. Her salary would not change matters. She walked through the house's rooms as if saying her farewells. She paced the small garden and looked at the trees. She whispered, 'I wish these trees knew I am leaving them, those stones, walls...I wish these doors knew my hands will soon no longer open them. I wish those flowers that I planted and watered knew. How often the thorns and hard stones tore my hands! How often I watered those dying flowers with my tears when there was no water. I wish they knew the meaning of my departure. These fruiting trees were tiny when I planted them. I did my best to help them flourish until they grew up healthy and fruitful. Will bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 10
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they know I am soon leaving? Will they remember my days in their company? What about these seats I used to rest on? Will they miss my presence? Will they be ready for someone else to settle on them? My writing desk felt my writing in tears and in smiles; does it know I am leaving? Will it miss my pen and papers in its drawers? I wish they all knew I am leaving. I wish I had known I was leaving, then I would not have cared so much for this life. I would not have felt proud and arrogant Had I known I was a guest in this world, I would not have been cheated or tempted by its luxuries Had I known this, I would have been aware that leaving a simple life is easier than leaving a luxurious one Had I lived a simple life, I would not have found it difficult to cross from this world to the next. My family is now enjoying the partyhow often I longed for such partieshow much I cared for fashion and hairstyles! Can they help me now?' Anfal threw herself down on the nearest chair as if she had realized a truth previously unknown to her. She said, 'What shall I take with me? Nothing, but the coffin and my deeds. What kind of deeds will go with me on my long journey? Nothing! Yes, nothing!' She remembered her friend Sarah, who used to advise her and guide her to the right path of Allah. She had never considered the importance of good deeds. Now she was in need of such deeds to present to Allah. She would stand to give her account, but what would she say? How could she expect Allah's mercy when she disobeyed His orders? How could she ask for forgiveness when she never even thought of obeying Him in her life's affairs? She wished she had read the Holy Qur'an instead of all those cheap novels. She wished she had gained some knowledge of her religion instead of reading film-star magazines. She continued wishing she had done few things, and not done other things. She wished she had not angered this person or that, and had never lied or gossiped about anyone. She wished she had not been proud and despised the poor. She said, 'I wish I could start my life all over again to make up for my errors and to obey Allah's orders. I worshipped my desires and ignored my Creator. I wish I could live for a while to make up for my sins.' She remembered a Qur'anic verse her grandfather used to recite: Until when death overtakes one of them, he says: Send me back, my Lord. Happily, I may do good in that bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 11
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which I have left. By no means! It is a mere word that he speaks, and before them is a barrier until the day they are raised. *Surah al-Muminun: 99 & 100] Here she said, 'Oh God, I do mean it...' Tears burst from her eyes. She cried bitterly in repentance, not pain. She decided to obey Allah in all His orders if she lived a bit longer. The phone rang, and she walked towards it lazily. Tears in her eyes she said, 'Yes?' Someone said, 'Can I speak to Miss Anfal?' She knew the speaker. It was her doctor. She said, 'Yes, speaking.' The doctor said cheerfully, 'Congratulations, my daughter! There is nothing wrong with you. Thank God!' She was stunned with surprise. She did not know what to say. 'No disease? How? You are joking, doctor!' The doctor said, 'May Allah protect me. I am not joking. I have just got an apology from the analyst. He explained that there was a mix-up with the names. Your name was written instead of someone elses. I have your medical report here in front of me. You are quite well. Be thankful to Allah, my daughter.' Excitedly, she said, 'Thanks be to Allah, Thank you, Doctor.' She put the phone down, feeling as if she was new born. She knew she was safe for a while, but death would certainly come one day. She had no time to waste. However long she lived she was a guest. The first thing she did was to perform her prayer, which she had neglected for a long time. She promised Allah to obey His orders to pray, fast, and stick to wearing decent clothes. She would also give up whatever Allah had forbidden. In order not to forget this, she wrote the Qur'anic verse on a placard and hung it on the wall. On the other side she wrote a wise saying: 'Repent the day before you die. Because you do not know when you will die, then always be repentant.'
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The Day I Died
By Saleh Ali As-salamu Aleykum War rahmatuAllahi Wabarakatuh, Brothers and Sisters, Below is an eye-opening fiction recently published in the Al Jumuah Magazine. Although a fiction, it touches on the basic challenge the human race face in the course of achieving the main purpose of living- which is to commit ourselves entirely to the worship of Allah alone- both in the open and in secret- in all aspects of our lives. The Quran speaks eloquently of the need for us to be on guard against the 'disease of the heart' that makes us fall prey and some scholars call this disease of the heart the foundation of all other sins: this is called ghafila or heedlessnes. For instance the Qur'an says in the following verses: Many are the jinns and men we have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle- nay more misguided: for they are heedless. (7:179) So, this is a serious matter as most sins and mistakes are committed while in this trancelike state of mind- a moment of madness as they call it. May Allah increase and strenghthen our eman so that we do not be among those that will say on the Day of Resurrection: "Ah! Woe to us! we were indeed heedless of this; nay, we truly did wrong!" (21:97) Ma sallam, MPAC
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Life is unpredictable. But I always thought I could predict what was going to happen next. It was only six days ago. I was driving home with my friends, Malik and Omar. It was Halloween night. We had just watched the movie Saw 3 at the recently refurbished theater at the 3rd Street Promenade in Santo Monica, CA. It was 11:46 p.m. when I glanced at the clock on the dashboard and realized I hadn't made Isha. But I didn't say anything, so as not to upset the mood. Just three hours earlier, I put off the Isha prayer until after the movie. Now, I was running out of time. I only lived 26 years. My 27th birthday was exactly two weeks away. I always imagined I would live long. At least until age 60. It just wasn't imaginable that I would have such a sudden, unexpected death. I had graduated from the University of Southern California three years earlier with a degree that means absolutely nothing right now. Shortly after, I landed a job as a marketing director of a major clothing company. Aside from the usual life problems, I was living a normal life. My girlfriend of four years was starting to pressure me into us getting a place together. I knew I wasn't supposed to have a girlfriend in the first place, but I enjoyed her company and friendship. I wasn't ready to give that up. I used to always tell myself that eventually I would marry her. Plus, what would these few years of living a sinful life mean by the time I got older? My job, my girlfriend, and my life-long friends took up the majority of my time. It seemed I never had time to offer salah. I hardly even had time to sit down and eat. Offering salah was always something that continuously bugged me. The more I postponed my salahs, the more it irritated me. I did give an effort to keep up on my salahs. But for the last two years of my life I gave up. I pretty much stopped making salah altogether. I never made it home in time to make salah that day. Saw 3 was a walk through the rose garden compared to what I was about to experience. I was doing 85 mph on Freeway 10. At 12 midnight, 85 mph is not considered speeding. Omar flipped through FM radio stations searching for a song he liked. Malik had fallen asleep in the back seat. I began to doze off too. I used to hate when that happened. I shook out of what seemed like a 10 second snooze. I tried to keep my eyes open, but again I dozed off. Omar screamed, 'HEY! It was too late. The car struck the center divider and spun back into the flow of traffic. An oncoming car hit my door. That car was also hit by another vehicle. We finally came to a halt somewhere in the middle of the freeway- a hundred yards from the spot of the collision. I didn't feel any pain. I was just dizzy. I heard Omar and Malik moaning, as good civilians tried pulling us from the wreck. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 14
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I wasn't rescued until the fire fighters arrived. It was quite a task recovering my battered body from my totalled car. Breathing became difficult. The fire fighters huddled around me and frantically applied device after device. 'He's not gonna make it,' I heard one of them say. I 'm not gonna make it? How? I didn't feel like I was dying. I felt nothing. My heart started pounding. I was soaked in sweat and blood. I saw Malik standing over the top of me with tears in his eyes. 'Don't quit on me', he told me. At that time, I knew it was over. I started to cry. The fire fighters moved him away as they made the last attempts to revive me. I died. An angel came to me and removed my soul. I watched him fly away with it in disbelief. 'How could you? I'm not even 27,' I pleaded. 'It's time,' he told me and left. Two minutes later they pulled a white sheet over me. Omar and Malik, apparently doing better than I, pulled the sheet back to look at me one last time. They cried their eyeballs out; I had known them ever since I was 13 years old and had never seen either one cry. It was a depressing sight. The ride to the morgue, until then, was the worst experience I ever had. I was alone. It was dark and cold. I missed my mom. I missed my brother. I missed my sister. I wished I had spent that last night with my family instead of with Omar and Malik. I worried what my mother was going to do when she saw me in this state. I was ugly. When we finally arrived, I was placed in another cold room with dozens of other dead people. I missed my family so much. Every so often, a family came in to view their dead. I always thought it was my family, but it wasn't. Hour after hour passed. No mom. No dad. I started to cry again. Then one odd hour, I recognized voices. My father walked in with my mother in his arms. His face worn from stress. Hers, wet with tears. They just stared into my eyes and cried. I stared back. I wanted to tell them I loved them. I couldn't. I wanted to hug them. I couldn't. Mom stroked my bloodied hair and left. I was to be buried the next day. When my parents left, it hit me. I never made Isha! My heart jumped out of my chest. I owed Allah a salah and failed to deliver it to him. I had hundreds of missed salahs over the past two years. Now I was about to face Him. I felt powerless. For those of you who have never experienced guilt at death, there is not a worldly feeling that amounts to it. It is guilt and sorrow at another level. I tried getting up to make Isha, but I couldn't move. It was over. I had no second chance. Then I began to think back. I never knew my memory was so good. I had more than enough time to ponder as I was awaiting my burial. I literally remembered every single salah I missed and the reasons why I missed them. Most were laziness, procrastination and neglectfulness. I knew I was in trouble. I wished they would take longer to bury me. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 15
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I failed! I failed! I failed! My girlfriend paid me a visit. She was a devil. When I was alive, I saw her as a pretty angel-my pretty angel who loved me and would do anything to make me happy. If I had the ability, I would have cursed her and demanded her to leave the morgue. She put her hand on my forehead. I allowed her to do that for the past four years. Now that I was opposed to it, I could do nothing about it. The devil cried for hours at my side. She just would not leave. I felt cheated. I felt like she pulled a prank on me for the past couple years of my life. I hated this devil! She was ugly! She smelled horrible! She finally left. As she walked out the door, my heart was filled with fear and anxiety. The funeral was simple. My body was washed. I didn't seem to care that my naked body was exposed. My worries far surpassed my desire to be modest. I was wrapped in three white sheets. About three hundred people attended my funeral. I was saddened not to see my mom at the funeral. I wished she came to see me one last time before they put me in the ground. I never knew so many people cared about me. Many just stared at the tightly wrapped figure in disbelief. Others cried and cried some more. The mass prayed for me. Thousands of individual prayers were made. They asked Allah to have mercy on me. They asked Him to forgive me. I wanted to pray for myself, but I couldn't speak. I was helpless. I was carried to the hole in the middle of the barren desert. The people followed. It seemed like slow motion. I didn't want to go. If I had 24 bonus hours, I would pray non-stop. They lowered me into the ground. The anticipation was eating away at me. I had surely failed life. I thought back on everything that I had worked so hard to accomplish. I earned a college degree. I had a well paying job. I spent hours and hours in the weight room ever since I was 16 years old developing my body. I had a pretty girlfriend who loved me. In that life, that was a badge of honor. But as they were lowering me into this grave, which seemed like it took forever, I realized that I couldn't use any of those 'accomplishments'. If only I had been that dedicated to making salah five times daily, I would have been at peace right now. Instead, I am a nervous wreck beyond anything you all can comprehend. Dirt fell in the hole. Darkness overcame my new home. The last shovels of sand filled the grave. Everyone sadly walked away. The graveyard started to empty. Family by family. Mine was the last to leave. The attendant left. By nightfall it was just me. All alone. My wrapping was soaked in sweat. I nervously awaited the angels to come and question me. They finally did. My final judgement has not been reached yet. I am now waiting for bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 16
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judgment day. Still lying here, alone, as day comes and night falls. Soon, I will meet Allah Himself and He will decide whether He will forgive me or not. I can only lay here, wait and hope that The All Forgiving, The Most Merciful, forgives me and does not punish me. I hope. That is all I have right now. Hope.
Courtesy: Al Jumuah Magazine.
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She's My Sister
A true story translated by Muhammad Alshareef Her cheeks were worn and sunken and her skin hugged her bones. That didn't stop her though; you could never catch her not reciting Qur'an. She was always vigil in her personal prayer room-that Dad had set up for her. Bowing, prostrating, raising her hands in prayer. That was the way she was- from dawn to sunset and back again; boredom was for others. As for me, I craved nothing more than fashion magazines and novels. I treated myself all the time to videos until those trips to the rental place became my trademark. As they say, when something becomes habit, people tend to distinguish you by it. I was negligent in my responsibilities, and laziness characterized my salah. One night, I turned the video off after a marathon three hours of watching it. The adhan softly rose that quiet night. I slipped peacefully into my blanket. Her voice carried from her prayer room. "Yes? Would you like anything Noorah?" I said. With a sharp needle, she popped my plans. "Don't sleep before you pray Fajr!" Agh...there's still an hour before Fajr, that was only the first Adhan! I replied. With those loving pinches of hers, she called me closer. She was always like that, even before the fierce sickness shook her spirit and shut her in bed. "Hanan, can you come sit beside me?" I could never refuse any of her requests; you could touch the purity and sincerity. "Yes, Noorah?" "Please sit here." "OK, Im sitting. What's on your mind?" With the sweetest mono- voice, she began reciting: "Every soul shall taste death and you will merely be repaid your earnings on Resurrection Day." She stopped thoughtfully. Then she asked, "Do you believe in death?" "Of course I do." "Do you believe that you shall be responsible for whatever you do, regardless of how small or how large?" "I do, but Allah is Forgiving and Merciful and I have got a long life waiting for me." "Stop it, Hanan! ... aren't you afraid of death and it's abruptness? Look at Hind. She was younger than you but she died in a car accident. So did so and so, and so and so. Death is age-blind and your age could never be a measure of when you shall die."
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The darkness of the room filled my skin with fear. "I'm scared of the dark and now you made me scared of death, how am I supposed to go to sleep now. Noorah, I thought you promised you'd go with us on vacation during the summer break." Impact. Her voice broke and her heart quivered. "I might be going on a long trip this year Hanan, but somewhere else. Just maybe. All of our lives are in Allah's Hands and we all belong to Him." My eyes welled and the tears slipped down both cheeks. I pondered my sisters grizzly sickness, how the doctors had informed my father privately that there was not much hope that Noorah was going to outlive the disease. She wasn't told though. Who hinted to her? Or was it that she could sense the truth. "What are you thinking about, Hanan?" Her voice was sharp. "Do you think I am just saying this because I am sick? Uh - uh. In fact, I may live longer than people who are not sick. And you, Hanan, how long are you going to live? Twenty years, maybe? Forty? Then what?" Through the dark, she reached for my hand and squeezed gently. "There's no difference between us; we're all going to leave this world to live in Paradise or agonize in Hell. Listen to the words of Allah: "Anyone who is pushed away from the Fire and shown into Jannah will have triumphed." I left my sister's room dazed, her words ringing in my ears: May Allah guide you, Hanan don't forget your prayer. It was eight o'clock in the morning. There was pounding on my door. I don't usually wake up at this time. Crying. Confusion. O Allah, what happened? Noorahs condition became critical after Fajr; they took her immediately to the hospital ... Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. There wasn't going to be any trips this summer. It was written that I would spend the summer at home. After an eternity... It was one o'clock in the afternoon. Mother phoned the hospital. "Yes. You can come and see her now." Dad's voice had changed; mother could sense something had gone deathly wrong. We left immediately. Where was that avenue I used to travel and thought was so short? Why was it so long now, so very long? Where was the cherished crowd and traffic that would give me a bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 19
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chance to gaze left and right? Everyone, just move out of our way. Mother was shaking her head in her hands, crying as she made dua for her Noorah. We arrived at the hospitals main entrance. One man was moaning, another was involved in an accident and a third's eyes were iced; you couldn't tell if he was alive or dead. We skipped stairs to Noorahs floor. She was in intensive care. The nurse approached us. "Let me take you to her." As we walked down the aisles, the nurse went on expressing how sweet a girl Noorah was. She reassured Mother somewhat that Noorah's condition had gotten better than what it was in the morning. "Sorry. No more than one visitor at a time." This was the intensive care unit. Through the small window in the door and past the flurry of white robes, I caught my sisters eyes. Mother was standing beside her. After two minutes, mother came out, unable to control her crying. "You may enter and say salam to her on condition that you do not speak too long," they told me. "Two minutes should be enough." "How are you Noorah? You were fine last night, Sister. What happened?" We held hands, she squeezed harmlessly. "Even now, Alhamdulillah, I'm doing fine." "Alhamdulillah...but...your hands are so cold." I sat on her bedside and rested my fingers on her knee. She jerked it away. "Sorry ... did I hurt you?" "No, it is just that I remembered Allah's words: One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud) {waltafatul saaqu bil saaq} "Hanan, pray for me. I may be meeting the first day of the Hereafter very soon. It is a long journey and I haven't prepared enough good deeds in my suitcase." A tear escaped my eye and ran down my cheek at her words. I cried and she joined me. The room blurred away and left us two sisters - to cry together. Rivulets of tears splashed down on my sister's palm which I held with both hands. Dad was now becoming more worried about me. I've never cried like that before. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 20
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At home and upstairs in my room, I watched the sun pass away with a sorrowful day. Silence mingled in our corridors. A cousin came in my room. Then another. The visitors were many and all the voices from downstairs stirred together. Only one thing was clear at that point ... Noorah had died! I stopped distinguishing who came and who went. I couldn't remember what they said. O Allah, where was I? What was going on? I couldn't even cry anymore. Later that week, they told me what had happened. Dad had taken my hand to say goodbye to my sister for the last time. I had kissed Noorah's head. I remember only one thing though, seeing her spread on that bed, the bed that she was going to die on. I remembered the verse she recited: "One leg will be wrapped to the other leg (in the death shroud)." I knew too well the truth of the next verse: "The drive on that day will be to your Lord (Allah)!" I tiptoed into her prayer room that night. Staring at the quiet dressers and silenced mirrors, I treasured who it was that had shared my mother's stomach with me. Noorah was my twin sister. I remembered who I had swapped sorrows with. Who had comforted my rainy days. I remembered who had prayed for my guidance and who had spent so many tears for so many long nights telling me about death and accountability. May Allah save us all. Tonight is Noorah's first night that she shall spend in her tomb. O Allah, have mercy on her and illuminate her grave. This was her Qur'an and her prayer mat. This was the spring rose-colored dress that she told me she would hide until she got married- the dress she wanted to keep just for her husband. I remembered my sister and cried over all the days that I had lost. I prayed to Allah to have mercy on me, to accept me and forgive me. I prayed to Allah to keep her firm in her grave as she always liked to mention in her supplications. At that moment, I stopped. I asked myself: What if it was I who had died? Where would I be moving on to? Fear pressed me and the tears began all over again. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar... The first adhan rose softly from the masjid. How beautiful it sounded this time. I felt calm and relaxed as I repeated the muadhdhins call. I wrapped the shawl around my
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shoulders and stood to pray Fajr. I prayed as if it was my last prayer, a farewell prayer, just like Noorah had done yesterday. It had been her last Fajr. Now, and inshaAllah for the rest of my life, if I awake in the mornings, I do not count on being alive by evening, and in the evening, I do not count on being alive by morning. We are all going on Noorah's journey. What have we prepared for it?
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Theme: Family-Parenting & Marriage
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The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old mans hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfathers shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughterin-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. Ive had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes, when the family glanced in grandfathers direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfathers hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day building blocks are being laid for the childs future. Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, and those you love, today, and everyday! "And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents" [Soorah alAnkaboot (29): 8] bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 24
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"And your Lord has decreed (commanded) that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents..." [Soorah al-Isra (17): 23] "The Lord is pleased with the pleasing of the parents, and the Lord is angry with him who angers the parents." [Saheeh al-Jamee (3500)]
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I Hate My One-eyed Mother
My mom only had one eye. I hated her .. She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family. One day, while I was in elementary school, my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look, and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, Ew! Your mom only has one eye! I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. So I confronted her that day and said, If youre only gonna make me a laughing stock, why dont you just die? My mom did not respond!!! I didnt even stop to think for a second about what I had said because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings. I studied real hard, got a chance to go to Singapore to study. Then I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life. Then one day, my mother came to visit me. She hadnt seen me in years and she had never met her grandchildren. When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her. I screamed at her, How dare you come to my house and scare my children! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!! And to this, my mother quietly answered, Oh, I am so sorry. I might have the wrong address. She then disappeared out of sight. One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity. My neighbor said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have. It read: My dearest son, I think of you all the time. Im sorry that I came to Singapore and scared your children. I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. Im sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up. You see .when you were very little, you were in an accident and lost your eye. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com
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As a mother, I couldnt stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So .. I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son who could then see whole new world for me- in my place- with that eye. With My Love To You, Your Mother
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Daddy, can you give me ten dollars?
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. Daddy, may I ask you a question? Yeah, sure, what is it? replied the man. Daddy, how much money do you make an hour? Thats none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing? the man said angrily. I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour? pleaded the little boy. If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour. Oh, the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please? The father was furious. If the only reason you want to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why youre being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and dont have time for such childish games. The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boys questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money. After an hour or so , the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didnt ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boys room and opened the door. Are you asleep son? he asked. No daddy, Im awake, replied the boy. Ive been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier, said the man. Its been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Heres the $10.00 you asked for. The little boy sat straight up, beaming. Oh, thank you, Daddy! he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing
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that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man. Why did you want more money if you already had some? the father grumbled. Because I didnt have enough, but now I do, the little boy replied. Daddy, I have $20.00 now Can I buy an hour of your time?
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Theme: Wealth
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The Pearl Necklace

Qadi Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Abdul Baqi Ansari is an illustrious personality of Islamic history. He was among the most pious of men of his time. Even after the lapse of nine centuries, his exemplary life is a source of guidance to Muslims. His biographers tell a number of tales of his honesty and reliability, but the one that affected his whole life is full of strange and unique events. He has narrated this story in his own words and it adorns the pages of history books. In the middle of the 5th century Hijri, I was a student of the Holy Quran and Hadith in Makkah. During that period, I once became jobless and my means of income came to an end. I managed, somehow, to subsist for a few days but soon it became hard to obtain even two square meals. My studies were discontinued and I had to sell a few of my books to support myself. I was at the edge of starvation, but my feelings of self-respect did not allow me to borrow or beg from anyone. One day, I was hungry, as usual. I went to the Holy Kaaba to pray to Almighty Allah to save me from my sad plight. On my way back, I saw a velvet cloth pouch lying near the road edge. I picked it up. It was nicely sewn and neatly tied with a silk cord. I looked around to find its owner but the road was deserted and nobody was in sight. I carried the pouch to my house. I was curious to know the contents of the small bag. As I untied the cord, a very precious necklace of pearls slipped into my hand. The luster of the spotless pearls almost lit my room. The pearls of different sizes were nicely put together in a string of crimson colored silk. It was a radiant beauty and I was thrilled to hold the valuable ornament. For a moment, I altogether forgot the hungry and pitiable state in which I was. My thoughts went to the unfortunate owner who had lost the precious jewelry. He must be unhappy and very worried due to his great loss. The course of action which I instantly decided on was to look for the owner and give him back his necklace to relieve him of this mental suffering. It never came to my mind to keep it wrongfully in my possession. So I set out to search for him. Leaving the bag behind, I went straight to the place where it was found. A group of excited men were standing there and were busy in anxious conversation. I went close to them. Their topic of discussion was the missing pouch of pearls. An old man whose nobility and magnanimity was evident from his imposing personality, was standing amidst them. He was explaining the loss of his pearls to the attentive audience and was announcing a reward of five hundred gold coins to the person who could help him in recovering the lost necklace. I listened to his account of the loss very carefully. When I was sure of his ownership, I held his hand gently and requested him to come along with me. He looked at me very bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 31
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hopefully and without asking any questions, he followed me. On the way back to my house, I was delightfully thinking that a handsome amount of five hundred dinars would be mine after a short while. The very thought of getting a reward of that much money was very pleasing. I was wondering whether my miseries would be over. I would no longer be a hungry or poor person. With such happy ideas in my mind, I entered my house and also invited the old man to come in. When we sat down, I asked my perplexed guest about some marks of identification of his lost bag, so that his ownership could be established beyond doubt. He readily explained the shape and color of the pouch. He told me about its contents and gave an exact count of the pearls. He even described the tying cord. It convincingly proved that he was the rightful owner of the bag and the necklace of pearls. I silently rose and brought out the necklace pouch. As he saw it, his gloomy expression at once changed. His shining eyes beamed with joy and he looked at me with sincere gratefulness. His pleasant glance of thanks impressed me, and my own mode of thinking suddenly changed. A little earlier, I was enjoying the idea of getting a good reward, but now my mind was reasoning as to what I had actually done to deserve it. It was by sheer chance that the bag had come into my possession. I had exerted no efforts to obtain it. Therefore, why did I expect to get a reward for returning it to its rightful owner? But I was actually in dire need of money. My poverty and the grim realities of life were looking me in the face. Why shouldnt I accept the reward? It was absolutely legitimate and surely there was no harm in taking it. A painful conflict of indecision was going on within me and I was in an uneasy state of double mindedness. The noble old man was looking at the necklace again and again as to assure himself of its recovery. He then looked at me and said, O dear me, you are a virtuous person, and I thank you from the core of my heart. I am unable to express fully my feelings of gratitude for your act of praiseworthy conduct. Nevertheless, I offer you a purse of five hundred dinars as a humble present and request you to kindly accept it. He then placed in front of me a purse full of gold coins. A conflicting struggle of ideas was still going on in my mind. The sight of money which was within my easy reach was very tempting but I checked myself and said, Sir, I thank you for offering me a substantial amount as a reward but it is impossible for me to accept it. Why not? asked my noble guest, You justly deserve the reward because I am giving it entirely of my own free will. I gladly give it to you as a humble token of my gratitude. Please do not dishearten me by refusing it. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 32
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I replied, Sir, I cannot even think of being rude to decline your kind offer, but it is certainly improper for me to take it without doing anything to earn it. The necklace is yours and I happened to find it only by chance. Its restoration to you does not entitle me to take anything in return. Please do not insist on me to accept what is not morally due to me. He was rather surprised by my firm refusal. Normally people yearn for money, but I was adamantly declining it. He said, My son! It is a virtue to be an honest person but the money which is being offered to you is not disallowed by our faith. It is not prohibited to offer or accept such presents. Therefore, I request you to reconsider your unrealistic stand and keep that purse for the sake of my pleasure if not for anything else. I said, Sir, I do not at all intend to displease you, but the pleasure of Almighty Allah is more important to be reckoned with than your or my pleasure. If there is any good in my action, I will prefer to leave the matter to His Grace for compensation, which I do not want to risk for all the riches of this world. Kindly do not insist, because I am determined not to accept any undue reward. My guest collected his pouch and purse and stood much dejectedly to leave. He patted me on the back and left without a word. After a week or so, I got back my previous job. My days of deprivation and hunger were over. I rejoined my classes and forgot all about the incident because of my busy schedule of daily routine. I exerted all of my energy to acquire knowledge of the Holy Quran and Hadith. My main subject of interest was Islamic Jurisprudence. I completed my studies with distinction. On the recommendation of my tutor, I was offered an appointment as qadi (judge) of Qurtaba, (Cordova) the capital city of Haspaniyah (presently known as Spain). I readily accepted the post and started to prepare myself very happily for the long journey. I took leave of my colleagues and went to the port of Jeddah to embark on the ship for my destination. I boarded a merchant ship to carry me to the land of my future hopes. For the first few days, the voyage was smooth and very enjoyable. Then, suddenly a violent storm of severe intensity overtook us and the ship was engulfed by stormy waves. The mountain high waves tossed the ship around like a tiny toy. The masts were broken and the sails torn. A mighty wave crushed the ship and wrecked it completely. A few screams were heard and it was all over. I saw some floating boards and a few victims of the crash swimming around trying to save their lives. They were the only survivors of the hapless ship who were drifting over the ocean surface. When I recovered from the shock, I found myself clinging to a plan and moving with it at the mercy of the waves. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 33
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After drifting for two days, in a semi-conscious state, the waves tossed me upon the shore. I thanked Almighty Allah for saving me from the jaws of death. I was so weak that I couldnt move. I helplessly lay there, exposed to the scorching heat of the burning rays of the sun. I crawled to the dim shadows of a thorny bush. I lost track of time and was in a state between dizziness and heavy slumber. After some time, I slightly opened my eyes and saw a few strange faces staring at me. They poured a few drops of water into my mouth and I came out of my oblivion but was still unable to speak. They made up a stretcher and carried me to a nearby town. When we approached it, I noticed a towering minaret of a masjid (which was the first manmade thing that caught my eye). I thanked Allah for being among my own brethren of faith. They took me to a house belonging to one of them and laid me on a comfortable bed. With proper care, feeding, and treatment, I soon regained my lost energy. I told my kind host all about myself and the mishap of the ship wreck. My host, whose name was Faleh Hasan, informed me that I was in Hodeida, a coastal town of Yemen. The tract where I was luckily found was a desolate region and was a less treaded part of the coast. Faleh Hasan and his friends noticed a few vultures circling over the area, so they went to investigate and found me there in an unconscious state. He introduced me to his friends and I expressed my heartfelt thanks for saving my life. Due to their loving concern, I was soon normal, both mentally and physically. I began to attend the masjid to offer my regular prayers and there I came to know many persons of nobility and of high-ranking positions. They all knew my unhappy episode through my host and treated me with understanding and respect. One of them was the aged and pious Sheikh Ahmad bin Suhail who usually led the prayers. He always greeted me with fatherly affection, which touched me to the heart. One day, he was a little late to arrive to the masjid, so the people requested me to lead the prayers. My hesitation and excuses proved to be useless before their sincere appeals. That day I performed the duties of imam. I did my best to recite clearly the verses of the Holy Quran during the prayer and afterwards delivered a brief sermon on Islamic Law. Everyone seemed to be highly impressed. Sheikh Ahmad bin Suhail came forward and congratulated me on my excellent performance. I thanked him for his appreciation and encouragement. I returned to the house of my host filled with delight and self-confidence. But later, I sometimes thought that I had overstayed my welcome. So after the evening prayers, I stated my intention of leaving, but my host disagreed with me. He wanted me bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 34
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to stay for a few more days to recoup my health fully. At night, when I was going to bed, Sheikh Ahmad bin Suhail came with a few respectable people of the town. The friends of Faleh Hasan, who were my saviours, were also with them. When the preliminary formalities of greeting each other were over and all were comfortably seated, Sheikh Ahmad turned his eyes towards me and said, Dear Abu Bakr, I have been honored by these gentlemen to speak to you, on behalf of them, about their commendable wish. I expect, you will please assent to it. I was perplexed by that kind of address. So I said nervously, Sir, you are very helpful and kind to me. I cannot disregard any of your commands or wishes. You can order me to do anything and it will be an honor for me to obey it. He said, Dear son, we all earnestly desire you to stay here with us forever. The regular imam of our masjid died last year. We still mourn his death and perhaps will do so forever. His respect is deeply rooted in our hearts. He had enlightened our lives with the torch of knowledge. We wish you to take his place and consent to be our imam. We may not be able to offer you a better paid position than that of the qadi in Qurtaba, but we will surely give you our love, affection, and respect. But Sir, I protested, I am a fresh, inexperienced student and feel small to carry out the sacred duties of the high office of imam. The Sheikh said, My son, do not underestimate yourself. We all have heard your recitation and sermon, and are fully convinced of your ability to fulfill those responsibilities. Before I could think of any evasive answer, my host, Faleh Hasan, and his friends vehemently backed up the proposal. I was left with no other alternative but to nod in affirmative. Everybody was pleased with my decision, especially Sheikh Ahmad who thanked me and kissed my forehead. They all rose to leave and thanking me individually, departed happily. They left me thinking how the secret hands of fate change the course of destiny in a secret manner. Circumstances secretly take such a turn that they altogether change the plans made up by man. I had cherished the hope of being a qadi of Qurtaba and had taken steps to attain that goal, but preordained events made me an imam of the masjid in Hodeida. So a new phase in my life began. I took charge of the imposed position and shifted to the assigned house of the imam. I restarted the primary school that had closed due to bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 35
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the sad demise of the former imam. I also commenced evening classes to impart lessons to explain the meaning of the Holy Quran. I completely adjusted myself to the new environment and people generally accepted me as their religious leader. I was very contented and never for a moment regretted my decision to settle there. All the people, young and old alike, were happy and respected me. The feelings of any estrangement all faded away and I became as if I was one of them for ages. One day, Sheikh Ahmad came to me and after enquiring about my welfare, said, Dear Abu Bakr, your services to our townsmen are praiseworthy and beyond our expectations. I am glad that you have accepted our offer of staying with us. I now have come to you to ask one more favor. I said, Sir, I am at your service. Please tell me and I will comply with your order. He said, Dear son, a man is not perfect without his partner in life. I want you to marry and take full advantage of life. Marriage is also a sacred sunna of our Holy Prophet Salla Allahu alayhe was sallam. The sweet marital responsibilities are a real blessing which have been conferred onto man. I replied, Sir, you have always advised me in my best interest. I take you as a father to me and in this matter also, I will follow your counsel. The Sheikh said, Your predecessor, the late imam of this masjid was a very close friend of mine. He had a daughter, and when he was sure of his end, he entrusted her to my protection and care. Since then, she has been under my guardianship. She is a lovely and adorable girl of good manners. Allah has endowed her with physical and mental beauty. She is virtuous and is a suitable match for you. I wish to give her in marriage to you and I feel sure that it will be a marriage of true minds. I had no objection to the proposal whatsoever. A few days later, the bonds of marriage united us. After the festive ceremonies were over, Sheikh Ahmad escorted her to my house- that was, in fact, her old abode where she had lived with her late father. I looked at her and my gaze was concentrated steadily on her. I forgot to even say welcome to her. I was not only looking at her beautiful and charming face, and at her downcast eyes; but my glance was riveted upon her pretty neck, which was ornamented by precious pearls. I at once recognized that necklace. It was the same necklace that I once found on a deserted road of Makkah. I looked at her in silent and open-mouthed wonder. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 36
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Sheikh Ahmad noticed my confused condition and thought that her beauty and the luster of the pearls had enchanted me. He politely said, Dear Abu Bakr, that necklace and its wearer, both are yours now and you can take all your time to behold them. It may, perhaps, interest you to know that the necklace has a strange story of its own. Five years ago, my friend went to Makkah for pilgrimage and took that necklace with him to get it re-polished. There, he lost it. But due to the goodness of an honest young man, he recovered it intact. That commendable young man refused to sell his honesty and declined the pressing offer of a handsome reward. He left a lasting impression upon my friend who always remembered and talked about him. He once confided to me that he had a mind to go to Makkah again and ask that virtuous young man to accept the hand of his daughter, but time did not allow him to do so. Anyhow, it was destined differently. His daughter was to become your wife instead of his. The decreed decisions of fate are strange and beyond the understanding of man. An emotional storm erupted within me. The strange happenings of the fateful events which were unfolded by the hidden hands of destiny agitated me and drops of tears rolled down my cheeks; I looked towards Sheikh Ahmad through misty eyes and said, Dear Sir, you are very right to say that insight into the unknown mysteries of fate is not possible. It would perhaps be a pleasant surprise to know that I am the same person who found the necklace and restored it to your friend. He, in return, offered me an amount of five hundred dinars. Although I was a pauper and was suffering from the agonies of hunger in those days, my conscience did not allow me to accept anything that was not my due. I pinned all my hopes and expectations of Almighty Allah for any reward. And here I am with His gracious and greatest reward of all. Sheikh Ahmad was amazed and without saying a word, he held my hand and shook it with a passion. My newly wedded wife lifted her eyes and looked me full in the face. Her eyes were filled with enthusiastic love that any husband ever could desire for. Almighty Allah had bestowed upon me His favors by giving me a considerate and loving wife and nothing in life surpasses that bliss. Whosoever keepeth his trust to Allah, Allah will appoint a way for him *out of every difficulty], and will provide for him from (a place) whence he has no expectations; and whosoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him (Surah Talaaq: 2 &3)
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The Story of Three Men from Bani Israel: a Leper, a Blind Man, and a Bald-headed Man
[Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 56 Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (sal-allahualleihi-wasallam) and his Companions, Number 670] Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi Allah Anhu) that he heard Allah's Messenger (sal-allahualleihi-wasallam) saying, "Allah willed to test three Israelis who were a leper, a blind man and a bald headed man. So, He sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, 'What thing do you like most? He replied, 'Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.' The angel touched him, and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Camels'. So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant shecamel, and the angel said, 'May Allah bless you in it.' The angel then went to the bald headed man and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He said, 'I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Cows.' The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, 'May Allah bless you in it.' The angel went to the blind man and asked, 'What thing do you like best?' He said, '(I like) that Allah may restore my eyesight so that I may see the people.' The angel touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eyesight. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Sheep.' The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, went to the leper and said, 'I am a poor man who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allah and then you. In the name of Him who has given you such nice color and beautiful skin and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination'. The man replied, 'I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).' The angel said, 'I think I know you. Were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion? Weren't you a poor man, and then Allah gave you (all this property).' He replied, '(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 38
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my forefathers.' The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.' Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.' The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, 'I am a poor man and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allah, and after Him, you, yourself. I ask you in the name of Him who has given you back your eyesight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey'. The man said, 'No doubt, I was blind and Allah gave me back my eyesight; I was poor and Allah made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allah, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allah's sake.' The angel replied, 'Keep your property with you. You (i.e. three men) have been tested and Allah is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions.'
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The Club 99 .....
Some time ago, there lived a king. This king should have been contented with his life, given all the riches and luxuries he had. However, this was not the case! The king always found himself wondering why he just never seemed content with his life. Sure, he had the attention of everyone wherever he went, attended fancy dinners and parties, but somehow, he still felt something was lacking and he couldn't put his finger on it. One day, the king had awaken earlier than usual to stroll around his palace. He entered his huge living room and came to a stop when he heard someone happily singing away. He saw that one of the servants was singing and had a very contented look on his face. This fascinated the king and he summoned this man to his chambers. The man entered the king's chambers as ordered. The king asked him why he was so happy? To this, the man replied: "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but I make enough of a living to keep my wife and children happy. We don't need too much- a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies. My wife and children are my inspiration; they are content with whatever little I bring home. I am happy because my family is happy." On hearing this, the king dismissed the servant and summoned his personal assistant to his chambers. The king related his personal anguish about his feelings and then related the story of the servant to his personal assistant, hoping that somehow, he will be able to come up with some reasoning that here was a king who could have anything he wished for at a snap of his fingers and yet was not contented, whereas, his servant, having so little was extremely contented. The personal assistant listened attentively and came to a conclusion. He said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club." "The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the king inquired.
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To which the assistant replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, you will have to do the following... place 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep; you will then understand what The 99 Club is." That very same evening, the King arranged for 99 Gold coins to be placed in a bag at the servant's doorstep. Although he was slightly hesitant and thought that he should have put a hundred gold coins into the bag, he did as his assistant had advised. The servant was just stepping out of his house when he saw a bag at his doorstep. Wondering about its contents, he took it into his house and opened the bag. When he opened the bag, he let out a great big shout of joy. Gold coins! There were so many of them. He could hardly believe it. He called his wife to show her the coins. He then took the bag to a table and emptied it out and began to count the coins. Doing so, he realized that there were 99 coins and he thought it was an odd number so he counted again, and again and again only to come to the same conclusion- 99 gold coins. He began to wonder. What could have happened to that last one coin? For no one would leave 99 coins. He began to search his entire house, looked around his backyard for hours, not wanting to lose out on that one coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to make up for that one gold coin to make his entire collection an even one hundred gold coins. He got up the next morning, in an extremely horrible mood, shouting at the children and his wife for his delay, not realizing that he had spent most of the night conjuring ways of working hard so that he had enough money to buy himself that gold coin. He went to work as usual - but not in his usual best mood, singing happily - as he grumpily did his daily errands. Seeing the man's attitude change so drastically, the king was puzzled. He promptly summoned his assistant to his chambers. The king related his thoughts about the servant and once again, his assistant listened. The king could not believe that the servant, who until yesterday, had been singing away and was happy and content with his life had taken a sudden change of attitude, even though he should have been happier after receiving the gold coins. To this, the assistant replied "Ah! But your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club." He explained: "The 99 Club is just a name given to those people who have everything but yet are never contented, therefore they are always working hard and striving for that extra 1 to round it out to 100! bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 41
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We have so much to be thankful for and we can live with very little in our lives, but the minute we are given something bigger and better, we want even more!
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Theme: Aqeedah
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A Wise, Young Muslim Boy
Many years ago, during the time of the Tabi'in (the generation of Muslims after the Sahabah), Baghdad was a great city of Islam. In fact, it was the capital of the Islamic Empire and, because of the great number of scholars who lived there, it was the center of Islamic knowledge. One day, the ruler of Rome at the time sent an envoy to Baghdad with three challenges for the Muslims. When the messenger reached the city, he informed the khalifah that he had three questions which he challenged the Muslims to answer. The khalifah gathered together all the scholars of the city and the Roman messenger climbed upon a high platform and said, "I have come with three questions. If you answer them, then I will leave with you a great amount of wealth which I have brought from the king of Rome." As for the questions, they were: "What was there before Allah?" "In which direction does Allah face?" "What is Allah engaged in at this moment?" The great assembly of people were silent. (Can you think of answers to these questions?) In the midst of these brilliant scholars and students of Islam was a man looking on with his young son. "O my dear father! I will answer him and silence him!" said the youth. So the boy sought the permission of the khalifah to give the answers and he was given the permission to do so. The Roman addressed the young Muslim and repeated his first question, "What was there before Allah?" The boy asked, "Do you know how to count?" "Yes," said the man. "Then count down from ten!" So the Roman counted down, "ten, nine, eight, ..." until he reached "one" and he stopped counting. "But what comes before 'one'?" asked the boy. "There is nothing before one- that is it!" said the man.
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"Well then, if there obviously is nothing before the arithmetic 'one', then how do you expect that there should be anything before the 'One' who is Absolute Truth, All-Eternal, Everlasting- the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden?" Now the man was surprised by this direct answer which he could not dispute. So he asked, "Then tell me, in which direction is Allah facing?" "Bring a candle and light it," said the boy, "and tell me in which direction the flame is facing." "But the flame is just light- it spreads in each of the four directions- north, south, east and west. It does not face any one direction only," said the man in wonderment. The boy cried, "Then if this physical light spreads in all four directions such that you cannot tell me which way it faces, then what do you expect of the Nur-us-Samawati-wal'Ard: Allah- the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!? Light upon light, Allah faces all directions at all times." The Roman was stupefied and astounded that here was a young child answering his challenges in such a way that he could not argue against the proofs. So, he desperately wanted to try his final question. But before doing so, the boy said, "Wait! You are the one who is asking the questions and I am the one who is giving the answer to these challenges. It is only fair that you should come down to where I am standing and that I should go up where you are right now, in order that the answers may be heard as clearly as the questions." This seemed reasonable to the Roman, so he came down from where he was standing and the boy ascended the platform. Then the man repeated his final challenge, "Tell me, what is Allah doing at this moment?" The boy proudly answered, "At this moment, when Allah found upon this high platform a liar and mocker of Islam, He caused him to descend and brought him low. And as for the one who believed in the Oneness of Allah, He raised him up and established the truth. Every day He is in (i.e. bringing about) a matter. (Surah 55:29)." The Roman had nothing to say except to leave and return back to his country, defeated. Meanwhile, this young boy grew up to become one of the most famous scholars of Islam. Allah, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the deen. His name was Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah 'alayhi- Allah have mercy on him) and he is bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 45
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known today as Imam-e-A'zam, the great imam and scholar of Islam. May Allah shower some of His Mercy in the same way upon our Muslim children who are growing up today. Ameen *[Adapted into English from "Manaqib Abi Hanifah", written by Imam Muwaffaq Ibn Ahmad al-Makki (d. 568 Hijri). Dar al-Kitab al-'Arabiy, Beirut, 1981/1401H.]*
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The Torments Of Hell
If only you knew the torments of hell It is the worst of places where anyone could dwell It is in existence even as we speak And for its inhabitants, the outlook is bleak On the day of rising, hell will be in view A terrible sight, if only you knew It will be brought forward by 70,000 reigns And 70,000 angels will be on each of those chains After burning for a thousand years, its flames turned white A thousand more years, now its as black as the night You think the flames are bearable, youre totally wrong The flames of hell are sixty-nine times as strong In a flash it will disintegrate all of your bones The hellfire will be fueled by man and stones The thickness of your skin will greatly increase Causing your threshold for pain to greatly decrease The people in hell, many are there to stay They will melt to nothing, 70,000 times in a day Seventy years it will take, for a stone that is thrown to hit the bottom of hell and it wont be alone The food of hell resembles a devils head and to drink, boiling water and blood bright red Which cuts up the bowels, everything will fall out bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 47
Islamic Online University The inhabitants of hell will scream and shout Some will be taken out by Almighty Allahs command but the polytheists will stay eternally damned Take up Islam, the only way to succeed and if you dont, youre unfortunate indeed Brothers and Sisters, help determine your fate Once you see Hellfire, it'll be far too late...
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Remember, Just Remember
When things are down And you are out of your mind Remember, just remember Allah is The Kind. When your life is in darkness And nothing is right Remember, just remember Through the darkness, Allah is The Light. When nothing makes sense And youre heading for demise Remember, just remember It doesn't make sense, but Allah is The Wise. When times are troubled And no one seems to care Remember, just remember Allah won't hurt you, He is The Fair. When your heart is breaking And your pain makes you fall Remember, just remember Allah Sees it all. When you are weak And the road seems long Remember, just remember Seek strength from The Strong.
When life is a burden And everything is unstable Remember, just remember Allah is The Able. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 49
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When the way is cloudy And there is no one by your side Remember, just remember Allah is The Only Guide. When no one wants to listen Or is willing to lend an ear Remember, just remember Allah is always ready to hear. When you are poor and penniless And you are stuck in a niche Remember, just remember Allah is The Rich. When you are down in your misery And there is nowhere to run Remember, just remember You can always run to The One. When youre all alone And your pain has no end Remember, just remember And when your scars are hurting And your heart is in fear Remember just remember Allah is really here. And your Lord says: "Call upon Me, I will answer you." "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way." (Quran 2: 186)
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Theme: Tawbah
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The True Treasure
A burglar scaled the wall of Maalik Bin Dinars house one night and easily managed to get inside. Once inside the house, the thief was disappointed to see nothing worth stealing. Maalik was busy performing prayer. Realizing he was not alone, he quickly ended his prayer and turned around to face the thief. Without showing any signs of shock or scare, Maalik calmly extended greetings of peace and said, My brother, may Allah forgive you. You entered my home and found nothing worth taking, yet I do not want you to leave without taking away some benefit. He went in another room and came back with a jug full of water. He looked into the eyes of the burglar and said, Make ablution and perform two units of prayer, for if you do so, you will leave my home with a greater treasure than you had initially sought. Humbled by Maaliks manners and words, the thief said, Yes, that is a generous offer indeed. After making ablution and performing two units of prayer, the burglar said, O Maalik, would you mind if I stayed for a while, for I want to stay to perform two more units of prayer? Maalik said, Stay for whatever amount of prayer Allah decrees for you to perform now. The thief ended up spending the entire night at Maaliks house. He continued to pray until morning. Then Maalik said, Leave now and be good. But instead of leaving, the thief said, Would you mind if I stayed here with you today, for I have made an intention to fast? Stay as long as you wish, Maalik said. The burglar ended up staying for a number of days, praying during the late hours of each night and fasting in the day. When he finally decided to leave, the burglar said, O Maalik, I have made a firm resolve to repent for my sins and for my former way of life. Maalik said, That is in the Hand of Allah. The man did mend his ways and began to lead a life of righteousness and obedience to Allah. Later on, he came across another burglar who asked him, Have you found your treasure yet? bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 52
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He replied, My brother, what I found is Maalik Bin Dinar. I went to steal from him, but it was he who ended up stealing my heart. I have indeed repented to Allah, and I will remain at the door (of His mercy and forgiveness) until I achieve what His obedient, loving slaves have achieved. (Al-Mawaaidh wal-Majaalis: 85)
Adapted from Stories of Repentance published by Darussalam
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Pray Before They Pray on You
There were only fifteen minutes left before Salat-ul Isha. He quickly made wudhu and performed Salat-ul Maghrib. While making tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed. His grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making dua and went down to make sajdah and stayed like that for awhile. He had been at work all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands, just waiting. Pure fear and apprehension filled him as he realized where he was. His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgment. When he was alive, he had heard many things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imagined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him. All of a sudden his name was called and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two angels grabbed his arms and led him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd.
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Islamic Online University The angels brought him to the center and left him there.
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His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping others. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was being cleared. He pleaded his case, 'I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah. I performed my Salah. I fasted in the month of Ramadhan. Whatever Allah ordered us to do, I did. Whatever he ordered us not to do, I did not.' He began to cry and think about how much he loved Allah. He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah deserved and his only protector was Allah. He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam. His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn't be, 'How could I go to Jahannam? I served others all my life. I spread the word of Allah to others'. His eyes had become blurry and he was shaking with sweat.
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Islamic Online University The two angels took him by the arms.
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As his feet dragged, they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good deeds he had done- how he had helped his father; his fasts; his prayers; the Noble Qur'an that he read. He was asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had gotten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Rasulullah [SAW] said, 'How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah performed five times cleanse someone of their sins? He began yelling, 'My prayers? My prayers? My prayers?' The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam. The flames of the fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in. He found himself in the air and falling towards the flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted his head and saw an old man with a long white beard. He wiped some dust off himself and asked him, 'Who are you?' The old man replied, 'I am your prayers'. 'Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire! You rescued me at the last minute before I fell in'. The old man smiled and shook his head, 'You always performed me at the last minute, did you forget?' At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from sajdah.
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Islamic Online University He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat-ul Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform wudhu.
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The Hadith of Kab bin Malik (RahiumuhAllah ta Ala)
Saheeh al Bukhaaree Volume 5, Book 59, Number 702 Narrated Abdullah ibn Kab bin Malik: Who, from among Kabs sons, was the guide of Kab when he became blind: I heard Kab bin Malik narrating the story of (the Ghazwa of) Tabuk in which he failed to take part. Kab said, "I did not remain behind Allahs Apostle in any ghazwa that he fought except the Ghazwa of Tabuk, and I failed to take part in the Ghazwa of Badr, but Allah did not admonish anyone who had not participated in it; for in fact, Allahs Apostle had gone out in search of the caravan of Quraish till Allah made them (i.e. the Muslims) and their enemy meet without any appointment. I witnessed the night of Al-Aqaba (pledge) with Allahs Apostle when we pledged for Islam, and I would not exchange it for the Battle of Badr although the latter Badr was more popular amongst the people than it (i.e. AlAqaba pledge). As for my news (in this Battle of Tabuk), I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind the Prophet in that ghazwa. By Allah, never had I two she-camels before, but I had them at the time of this ghazwa. Whenever Allahs Apostle wanted to make a ghazwa, he used to hide his intention by apparently referring to a different ghazwa till it was the time of that Ghazwa (of Tabuk) which Allahs Apostle fought in severe heat, facing, a long journey, desert, and the great number of enemies. So the Prophet announced to the Muslims clearly (their destination) so that they might get prepared for their ghazwa. So he informed them clearly of the destination he was going to. Allahs Apostle was accompanied by a large number of Muslims who could not be listed in a book- namely, a register." Kab added, "Any man who intended to be absent would think that the matter would remain hidden unless Allah revealed it through divine revelation. So Allahs Apostle fought that ghazwa at the time when the fruits had ripened and the shade looked pleasant. Allahs Apostle and his companions prepared for the battle and I started to go out in order to get myself ready along with them, but I returned without doing anything. I would say to myself, I can do that. So I kept on delaying it every now and then till the people got ready and Allahs Apostle and the Muslims along with him departed, and I had not prepared anything for my departure, and I said, I will prepare bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 58
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myself (for departure) one or two days after him, and then join them. In the morning following their departure, I went out to get myself ready, but returned having done nothing. Then again, the next morning, I went out to get ready, but returned without doing anything. Such was the case with me till they hurried away and the battle was missed (by me). Even then I intended to depart to take them over. I wish I had done so! But it was not in my luck. So, after the departure of Allahs Apostle, whenever I went out and walked amongst the people (i.e., the remaining persons), it grieved me that I could see none around me, except one accused of hypocrisy or one of those weak men whom Allah had excused. Allahs Apostle did not remember me until he reached Tabuk. So while he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk, he said, What did Kab do? A man from Banu Salama said, O Allahs Apostle! He has been stopped by his two burdas (i.e. garments) and he is looking at his own flanks with pride. Then Muadh bin Jabal said, What a bad thing you have said! By Allah! O Allahs Apostle! We know nothing about him but good. Allahs Apostle kept silent." Kab bin Malik added, "When I heard that he (i.e. the Prophet) was on his way back to Medina, I got dipped in my concern, and began to think of false excuses, saying to myself, How can I avoid his anger tomorrow? And I took the advice of a wise member of my family in this matter. When it was said that Allahs Apostle had come near, all the evil false excuses abandoned from my mind and I knew well that I could never come out of this problem by forging a false statement. Then I decided firmly to speak the truth. So Allahs Apostle arrived in the morning, and whenever he returned from a journey, he used to visit the mosque first and offer a two-rakat prayer therein and then sit with the people. So when he had done all that (this time), those who had failed to join the battle (of Tabuk) came and started offering (false) excuses and taking oaths before him. There were over eighty men; Allahs Apostle accepted the excuses they had expressed, took their pledge of allegiance, asked for Allahs forgiveness for them, and left the secrets of their hearts for Allah to judge. Then I came to him, and when I greeted him, he smiled a smile of an angry person and then said, Come on. So I continued walking until I sat before him. He said to me, What stopped you from joining us? Had you not purchased an animal for carrying you? I answered, Yes, O Allahs Apostle! By Allah, if I were sitting before any person from among the people of the world other than you, I would have avoided your anger with an excuse. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 59
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By Allah, I have been bestowed with the power of speaking fluently and eloquently, but by Allah, I knew well that if today I tell you a lie to seek your favor, Allah would surely make you angry with me in the near future, but if I tell you the truth, though you will get angry because of it, I hope for Allahs forgiveness. Really, by Allah, there was no excuse for me. By Allah, I had never been stronger or wealthier than I was when I remained behind you. Then Allahs Apostle said, As regards this man, he has surely told the truth. So get up until Allah decides your case. I got up, and many men of Banu Salama followed me and said to me, By Allah, we never witnessed you doing any sin before this. Surely, you failed to offer an excuse to Allahs Apostle as the others who did not join him have offered. The prayer of Allahs Apostle to Allah to forgive you would have been sufficient for you. By Allah, they continued blaming me so much that I intended to return (to the Prophet) and accuse myself of having told a lie, but I said to them, Is there anybody else who has met the same fate as I have? They replied, Yes, there are two men who have said the same thing as you have, and both of them were given the same order as given to you. I said, Who are they? They replied, Murara bin Ar-Rabi Al-Amri and Hilal bin Umaiya Al-Waqifi. They were two pious men who had attended the Ghazwa (Battle) of Badr, and in whom there was an example for me. So I did not change my mind when they mentioned them to me. Allahs Apostle forbade all the Muslims to talk to us, the three aforesaid persons who had remained behind in that ghazwa. So we kept away from the people, and they changed their attitude towards us until the very land (where I lived) appeared strange to me as if I did not know it. We remained in that condition for fifty nights. As regards my two fellows, they remained in their houses and kept on weeping, but I was the youngest of them and the firmest of them, so I used to go out and witness the prayers along with the Muslims and roam about in the markets, but none would talk to me. I would come to Allahs Apostle and greet him while he was sitting in his gathering after the prayer, and I would wonder whether the Prophet did move his lips in return to my greetings or not. Then I would offer my prayer near to him and look at him stealthily. When I was busy with my prayer, he would turn his face towards me, but when I turned my face to him, he would turn his face away from me. When this harsh attitude of the people lasted long, I walked until I scaled the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada, who was my cousin and the dearest person to me, and I offered my greetings to him. By Allah, he did not return my greetings. I said, O Abu Qatada! I bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 60
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beseech you by Allah! Do you know that I love Allah and His Apostle? He kept quiet. I asked him again, beseeching him by Allah, but he remained silent. Then I asked him again in the name of Allah. He said, Allah and His Apostle know it better. Thereupon, my eyes flowed with tears and I returned and jumped over the wall." Kab added, "While I was walking in the market of Medina, suddenly I saw a Nabati (i.e. a Christian farmer) from the Nabatis of Sham who came to sell his grains in Medina, saying, Who will lead me to Kab bin Malik? The people began to point (me) out for him until he came to me and handed me a letter from the king of Ghassan in which the following was written: To proceed, I have been informed that your friend (i.e. the Prophet) has treated you harshly. Anyhow, Allah does not let you live at a place where you feel inferior and your right is lost. So join us, and we will console you. When I read it, I said to myself, This is also a sort of a test. Then I took the letter to the oven and made a fire therein by burning it. When forty out of the fifty nights elapsed, behold ! There came to me the messenger of Allahs Apostle who said, Allahs Apostle orders you to keep away from your wife, I said, Should I divorce her? What should I do? He said, No, only keep aloof from her and do not cohabit with her. The Prophet sent the same message to my two fellows. Then I said to my wife. Go to your parents and remain with them until Allah gives His verdict in this matter. Kab added, "The wife of Hilal bin Umaiya came to the Apostle and said, O Allahs Apostle! Hilal bin Umaiya is a helpless old man who has no servant to attend to him. Do you dislike that I should serve him? He said, No (you can serve him) but he should not come near you. She said, By Allah, he has no desire for anything. By, Allah, he has not ceased weeping since his case began. On that, some of my family members said to me, Will you also ask Allahs Apostle to permit your wife (to serve you) as he has permitted the wife of Hilal bin Umaiya to serve him? I said, By Allah, I will not ask the permission of Allahs Apostle regarding her, for I do not know what Allahs Apostle would say if I asked him to permit her (to serve me) while I am a young man. Then I remained in that state for ten more nights after that until the period of fifty nights was completed starting from the time when Allahs Apostle prohibited the people from talking to us. bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 61
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I had offered the Fajr prayer on the fiftieth morning on the roof of one of our houses. While I was sitting in the condition which Allah described (in the Quran)- my very soul seemed straitened to me and even the earth seemed narrow to me for all its spaciousness- then I heard the voice of one who had ascended the mountain of Sala calling with his loudest voice, O Kab bin Malik! Be happy (by receiving good tidings). I fell down in prostration before Allah, realizing that relief had come. Allahs Apostle had announced the acceptance of our repentance by Allah when he had offered the Fajr prayer. The people then went out to congratulate us. Some bringers of good tidings went out to my two fellows, a horseman came to me in haste, and a man of Banu Aslam came running and ascended the mountain; his voice was swifter than the horse. When he (i.e. the man) whose voice I had heard, came to me conveying the good tidings, I took off my garments and dressed him with them; and by Allah, I owned no other garments than them on that day. Then I borrowed two garments and wore them and went to Allahs Apostle. The people started receiving me in batches, congratulating me on Allahs acceptance of my repentance, saying, We congratulate you on Allahs acceptance of your repentance." Kab further said, "When I entered the mosque. I saw Allahs Apostle sitting with the people around him. Talha bin Ubaidullah swiftly came to me, shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allah, none of the Muhajiroon (i.e. Emigrants) got up for me except him (i.e. Talha), and I will never forget this for Talha." Kab added, "When I greeted Allahs Apostle, he, his face being bright with joy, said, "Be happy with the best day that you have got ever since your mother delivered you." Kab added, "I said to the Prophet, Is this forgiveness from you or from Allah? He said, No, it is from Allah. Whenever Allahs Apostle became happy, his face would shine as if it was a piece of moon, and we all knew that characteristic of him. When I sat before him, I said, O Allahs Apostle! Because of the acceptance of my repentance, I will give up all my wealth as alms for the sake of Allah and His Apostle. Allahs Apostle said, Keep some of your wealth, as it will be better for you. I said, So, I will keep my share from Khaibar with me. I then added, O Allahs Apostle! Allah has saved me for telling the truth; so, it is a part of my repentance not to tell only the truth as long as I am alive. By Allah, I do not know anyone of the Muslims whom Allah has helped foretelling the truth more than me. Since I have mentioned that truth to Allahs Apostle, I made intentions to never tell a lie. I hope that Allah will also save me (from telling lies) the rest of my life. So Allah revealed to His Apostle the Verse: "Verily, Allah has forgiven the bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 62
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Prophet, the Muhajirin (i.e. the Emigrants (up to His saying): And be with those who are true (in word and deed)." (9.117-119) By Allah, Allah has never bestowed upon me, apart from His guiding me to Islam, a greater blessing than the fact that I did not tell a lie to Allahs Apostle which would have caused me to perish as those who have told a lie perished, for Allah described those who told lies with the worst description He ever attributed to anybody else. Allah said: "They (i.e. the hypocrites) will swear by Allah to you when you return to them that you would leave them alone. So leave them alone; indeed they are evil; and their refuge is Hell as recompense for what they had been earning. They swear to you so that you might be satisfied with them. But if you should be satisfied with themindeed, Allah is not satisfied with a defiantly disobedient people. (9:95-96) Kab added, "We, the three persons, differed altogether from those whose excuses Allahs Apostle accepted when they swore to him. He took their pledge of allegiance and asked Allah to forgive them, but Allahs Apostle left our case pending till Allah gave His judgment about it. As for that, Allah said: And (He also forgave) the three who were left behind (and regretted their error) to the point that the earth closed in on them in spite of its vastness and their souls confined them and they were certain that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them so they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful." (9.118) What Allah said (in this Verse) does not indicate our failure to take part in the ghazwa, but it refers to the deferment of making a decision by the Prophet Salla Allahu alayhe was sallam about our case in contrast to the case of those who had taken an oath before him and he excused them by accepting their excuses.
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The Story of Burseesah
There were three men from Bani Israel who were called to fight for the sake of Allah. They accepted the call, but they had concerns for their sister as she would be left behind with no one to look after her. After some discussion, they agreed that the best place to leave her would be with the most trusted person in town. This was a pious man called Burseesah, who lived in a sanctuary and devoted his entire life to the worship of Allah. They came to Burseesah and said to him, "O Burseesah. We know you to be a pious and trustworthy man. We have been enlisted to fight for the sake of Allah and we want to leave our sister with you. O Burseesah! We trust no one else in town except you. Please take care of our sister." Burseesah immediately said, "AoothoBillah! (I seek refuge in Allah) Get away from me! I have sworn to spend my time devoting it to the worship of Allah! I do not want to deal with these issues and be burdened with looking after someone." The three men said to him, "O Burseesah! We have nowhere else to take her! We cant leave her with anyone else and we don't trust anyone else. Please take care of our sister!" Shaytaan heard the discussion and came to Burseesah. "Burseesah..." The waswaas [evil whisperings] began. "Burseesah, if you don't look after her, she might be left with someone who is not trustworthy! You have to take this responsibility." Burseesah listened and finally agreed to look after her. He told the brothers to leave her in a separate house so not to distract him from his acts of worship. They left her there, said goodbye, and went to jihad. Burseesah would continue his acts of worship as normal, and during the day, he would leave food on his doorstep so the woman would have to leave the house to collect the food. This ensured that they never saw one another, and Burseesah never even left his place of worship. Time passed by. Shaytaan came to Burseesah. "Burseesah... he whispered, "You can't leave the food on your doorstep! As she is leaving the house, someone might see her by herself. Shes all alone and vulnerable and bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 64
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someone might take advantage of her. Rather than her leave her house, you should go to her house and drop off the food on her doorstep." Burseesah made the decision that this was the right thing to do, and followed the bait that Shaytaan masked in a cover of righteousness. During the day, Burseesah would leave his place of worship and go to her house and leave the food on her doorstep. This happened for a while and with the trap just being set, Shaytaan moved in for the next step. "Burseeeeesah..." the whispers came again. Burseeesah...you are now leaving the food on her doorstep, but still this is not good. She still has to open the door and collect the food. Someone might still see her and she is so beautiful. She is VERY beautiful!" This servant of Allah, who never saw this woman, started to be tempted by the whispers from Shaytaan about her beauty. "Burseesah, her beauty is intoxicating and if someone sees her, they may try something. You have to leave the food INSIDE her house! You don't have to look at her. Just knock on the door and hand her the food as she opens the door." Burseesah saw no harm in this. After all, it would stop people from seeing her. More deception covered in righteousness. So again, Burseesah would leave his place of worship and go to the house and knock on her door to hand her the food. Time passed by again. Shaytaan remained patient before executing his next plan. Shaytaan came again. "Burseeesah...you cant leave this poor woman all alone without any company. No one is speaking to her. She's lonely, Burseesah. Just talk to her. Theres no harm in saying salaam and asking how she is. You can talk to her from behind the door...you dont have to see her...just talk from outside." He liked the idea and when he would bring her the food, he would talk to her behind the door while she was in her room. They would talk for hours every day and the relationship began to grow stronger. Shaytaan found it easier and easier to drag him into the next step. "Burseeesah.....Burseesah....you can't just sit behind the door. You know each other well bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 65
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enough to be in the same room now. Just sit in the same room and speak to her. You don't have to look at her. Just sit in the same room." Burseesah began to follow the advice of Shaytaan. Every time they met, the talk became more intimate as they began getting closer...and closer...and closer. He would hold her hand... The kiss came a few days later... Eventuallythey committed zinaa *fornication+ with each other. "Ohh! What have I done!" Burseesah said as he realized his mistake. From being a slave of Allah...to becoming a fornicator! But the story did not end there. That night, the woman became pregnant. Nine months later, she delivered a baby boy. The familiar whispers started again as Shaytaan flowed through Burseesah's veins like blood. "Burseeesaah...when her brothers come back and find out their sister has a child from zinaa, you are going to be in trouble! There is only one way to solve this problem. Burseesah........you have to kill the baby! Get rid of the evidence!" Grief and anxiety ran through Burseesah's mind as he listened to the whispers of Shaytaan. He did what he heard and killed the baby. "Ohhhh, Burseesah! Do you think this woman will keep this a secret after you killed her own child? Nooo! Burseesah.....the only thing to do now is to kill her!" Burseesah then killed the woman and buried both mother and child under the house and covered it with a rock. From being a slave of Allah...to becoming a murderer. The three brothers returned and went to greet their sister. She was nowhere to be found. They went to the house of Burseesah and asked him, "Where is our sister?" "She has passed away," he said as he pointed to a fake grave. The brothers were saddened by the loss and made du'a for her.
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That night when they went to sleep, Shaytaan came to them in their dreams and told them all what had happened. "Burseesah has lied to you! Burseesah killed your sister! Burseesah made zinaa with her! She is buried under the rock inside the house." As they all woke up in the morning, and talked about their dream, they began relating the same dream and thought there must be some truth in it. They first dug up the grave Burseesah pointed to and found no body. They stormed to Burseesah's house and demanded to know what had happened to their sister. One of them saw the rock in the house and uncovered it, where they saw their sister and her child. "What has happened to our sister?!" The eldest screamed. They forced Burseesah to disclose the secret of what happened and Burseesah told them everything. Burseesah was taken to court where he confessed everything to the king. The king sentenced Burseesah to be executed. As they dragged him to his death, fear overcame Burseesah. Shaytaan then appeared before Burseesah and said to him, "Oh, Burseesah! Listen! Look at me! I was the one who was whispering to you since this whole thing started! I am Shaytaan!" Burseesah's fear grew as the blade for his execution was brought! "Now I can get you out of all this trouble. I was the one who put you in it, and I can get you out of it!" "Oh Shaytaan, what should I do?!" Burseesah cried! With an evil grin, Shaytaan said, "Make sujood to me. I am Shaytaan and I will save you! Bow down and prostrate to me!" Burseesah fell down in sujood to Shaytaan and as soon as he did this, Shaytaan ran away! .....and Burseesah was executed. From being a servant of Allah, bowing down to Allah...to becoming a servant to Shaytaan...bowing down to Shaytaan. From imaan...to the worst type of kufr - bowing down to Shaytaan! -bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com 67
Islamic Online University Who could ever imagine a servant of Allah making sujood to Shaytaan!?
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Imagine if Shaytaan had come to Burseesah at the beginning and said, "Burseesah make sujood to me." Would Burseesah have prostrated to him? NO! If Shaytaan had come to Burseesah at the beginning and said, "Commit murder." Would he have done it? NO! If Shaytaan had come to Burseesah at the beginning and said, "Commit zinaa." Would he have committed it? NO! But Shaytaan knows the game! He's been playing his tricks since the time of Adam. Classical method of misleading people. Through step by step deception. This is how Shaytaan pulls at your feet and deceives you. So even if something may seem to be like an insignificant sin, be careful. It might be the start of a trap. Allah tells us: O you who believe! Do not follow the footsteps of the Shaytaan, and whoever follows the footsteps of the Shaytaan, then surely he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing.(24.21)
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A Collection of Short Stories and Poems

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A Collection of Short Stories and Poems

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ENGLISH 102

A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES AND POEMS

Poem: Story: Story: Story:

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Had I But Known

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The Day I Died

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Courtesy: Al Jumuah Magazine.

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Theme: Family-Parenting & Marriage

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The Wooden Bowl

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I Hate My One-eyed Mother

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Daddy, can you give me ten dollars?

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The Pearl Necklace

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The Club 99 .....

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A Wise, Young Muslim Boy

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The Torments Of Hell

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Remember, Just Remember

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The True Treasure

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