March 30, 2011

A story of an Arab Lady

An elderly Arab lady was sitting at the trunk of a tree, on the way to Haj. Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) happened to pass that way. He was also heading for Baitullah, for Hajj, and to the Sacred tomb of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaahu ?layhi Wasallam). Seeing this lady very disturbed and in a state of despair, (distressed) he spoke to her. The discussion is recorded as follows:

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah

The lady: “The word from a merciful Lord is Peace” (Surah 36 Aayat 58). She meant that the reply of salaam is from Allah, Most High, Himself.

She said further: “Those whom Allah sendeth astray, there is no guide for them.” (Surah 7 Aayat 186). She meant that she has lost her way.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Where are you coming from?

The lady: “Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the Musjid-e-Aqsa (invioble place of worship) to the Musjid-e-Haraam” (Far distant place of worship) (Surah17 Aayat1). She meant that she had come from Musjid-e-Aqsa.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): How long are you in this place?

The lady: “For three nights” (Surah 19 Aayat10).

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): What arrangements are made for your food?

The lady: “And who (Allah) feedeth me and watereth me” (Surah 26 Aayat 79). She meant that somehow or the other, her food is provided to her by Allah.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Is there any water for Wudhu?

The lady: “And ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and (make tayammum) rub your faces and hands.” (therewith) (Surah 4 Aayat 43). She meant that she makes tayammum, due to not finding water.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Here is some food. Partake of it.

The lady: “Strictly observe the fast till nightfall” (Surah 2 Aayat 187). She indicated that she is fasting.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): This is not the month of Ramadaan.

The lady: “And he who does good of his own accord (for him) lo! Allah is responsive, aware”. (Surah 2 Aayat158) meaning that I have observed an optional (nafl) fast.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): It is permitted to break the fast when in a journey.

The lady: “And that ye fast is better for you, if you did but know.” (Surah 2 Aayat 184)

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Speak like how I speak.

The lady: “He (man) uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready” (Surah 50 Aayat 18). She meant that since every word of a person is observed and recorded, she is taking precaution by speaking only in the words of the Holy Quran.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Which clan do you belong to?

The lady: “Follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge, lo! The hearing and the sight and heart of each of these it will be asked” (Surah 17 Aayat36). She meant those things that you have no knowledge of, nor do they concern you, you are wasting your strength (senses) by enquiring about them.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Forgive me. I have certainly made a mistake.

The lady: “Have no fear this day. May Allah forgive you” (Surah 12 Aayat 92)

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Would you like to travel on my camel and meet your caravan?

The lady: “And whatsoever good ye do Allah knoweth it” (Surah 2 Aayat 197). Meaning that if you will do this good deeds towards me, Allah will recompense you for it.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Well, then you may mount it.

Saying this he made the camel to sit down.

The lady: “Tell the believing men (when confronted by women) to lower their gaze”. (Surah 24 Aayat 30).

Hadhrat Abdullah understood and (turned) looked away. While she was mounting, the camel jerked and her clothes got estrangled in the saddle (dorsers) and she proclaimed: “whatever of misfortune striketh you, it is what your hands have earned.” (Surah 42 Aayat 30).

In other words she was drawing Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak’s (RA) attention towards this mishap. Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) understood and he tied the legs of the camel and he straightened the straps of the saddle (or dorser).

She applauded him for his proficiency and capability by saying “And we made Sulaiman to understand” (Surah 21 Aayat 79). When the journey was about to begin, the lady recited the Aayats which are read when undertaking a journey “Glorified be he who hath subdued these unto us, and we were not capable (of subduing them). And lo, unto our Lord we are returning.” (Surah 43 Aayat 13).

Hadhrat Abdullh bin Mubarak (RA) held the bridle (or nose string) of the camel. He began to hum the (Huddi) famous Arabic song for travelling, and he started walking very fast.

The lady: “Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice” (Surah 31 Aayat 19). Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) understood. He began walking slower and he lowered his voice.

The lady: “Recite of the Quran that which is easy for you.” She meant that instead of humming the Huddi, he should rather recite the Holy Quran.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) began reciting the Holy Quran.

The lady became very pleased and said “but none remember (accept advice) except men of understanding” (Surah 2 Aayat 269).

After reciting the Holy Quran for a while, Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) asked (the lady if she had a husband) (if he was alive) “O Aunt, have have you a husband? (meaning is he living)

The lady: “O you who believe, ask not of things which if they were made known unto you, would trouble you” (Surah 5 Aayat 101). She meant that no questions should be asked regarding this matter which indicated that her husband has most probably passed away. Finally they (caught up) met the caravan.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Do you have any son or relative (friend) in this caravan who has connection (contact) with you?

The lady: “Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world” (Surah 18 Aayat 46). She meant that her sons were with this caravan and he has provisions with him.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): What work are your sons doing for the caravan? (Hadhrat Abdullah’s object for asking was to make it easy for him to recognise her son).

The lady: “And landmarks, and by the star they find a way” (Surah 16 Aayat 16). She meant that he is a guide for the caravan.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): Can you tell me their name?

The lady: “Allah chose Ibrahim as (for) a friend” (Surah 4 Aayat 125). And Allah spoke directly unto Moosa” (Surah 19 Aayat 12). By reciting these Aayats the lady informed him that her sons names were Yahya, Ibrahim and Moosa.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) called out these names in the caravan and immediately three young people came forward.

The lady: (addressing her children) “Now send one of you with this your silver coin unto the city. And let him see what food is purest there and bring you a supply thereof” (Sura 18 Aayat 19) In other words she instructed them to feed Hadhrat Abdullah (RA).

When the food was brought, she told Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA): “Eat and drink at ease for that which ye sent on before you in the past days.” (Surah 69 Aayat 24), and with this Aayat she recited another Aayat, the object of which was to convey (show) her gratefulness to him for his good conduct and courtesy. The Aayat was: “Is the reward of goodness aught save goodness?” (Surah 55 Aayat 60).

Their conversation terminated on this Aayat. The lady’s son informed Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mubarak (RA) that his mother has been speaking in this manner, i.e. using only the Aayats of the Holy Quran in her speech, for the last forty years.

“Unlearned or illiterate”

There are various points in life that are deep thought provoking to a man. He gets speechless by not only the “Listener” but also he gets completely unaware of the environment around him. He cannot hear to the voices around him…!! Then slightly he starts feeling that there is still a sound….that is the heart-b...eat..!!
I was always fond of doing tough tasks..! even in my exams I used to attempt the toughest question..!! I don,t know why but the toughest thing seems easy to me..!! I could work on any of the computer programming language and also I read every book related to programming language and by the grace of Allah (God) I never faced any difficulty..!! but one day somebody asked me like this “Have u ever read Quran??”

And I replied Quran is really tough…I cant understand it…not only Arabic but I cant even understand its urdu translation..and so Quran is hard to understand and read…in response to this that I said the enquirer asked me just this:
“what is the benefit of all these certificates that u are achieving? Have u ever tried to have a certificate from Allah? And He (Allah) grants the certificate through only a book (Quran).. After death when u will be realive infront of Him(Allah) so what wud u show to Him then..?do u have any certificate from Him? Will u tell Allah that His book is tough or that u never tried to study Allah’s book(Quran).

March 17, 2011

A Story With A Moral… The Pencil And The Eraser.

Pencil: “I’m sorry.”

Eraser: “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Pencil: “I’m sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you’re always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.”

Eraser: “That’s true. But I don’t really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I’ll be gone and you’ll replace me with a new one, I’m actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.”

Moral: I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They’re always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad. All my life, I’ve been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I’m left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have.

March 4, 2011

Ranking of a Person Who Repents

Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Muzani is the narrator of this story:

There was once a butcher who fell in love with the daughter of his neighbors. One day, the girl's parents sent her on an errand to the neighboring town. Seeing that she was alone, the butcher follwed her until she reached a seculeded place, where he made his presence known to her. When he tried to seduce her, the girl said, "Do not do so! Indeed, I love you even more than you love me, but I fear Allah."



The butcher's jaws dropped and he said in self-reproach, "You fear Allah and I don't!" He left her alone and repented for his intentions.



On his way back, he became extremely thirsty. He soon came across a Prophet from the Prophets of the Children of Israel. Noticing the expression on the butcher's face, the Prophet asked, "What is the matter with you?"



"Extreme thirst," said the butcher.



"Let us go supplicate to Allah for rain."



"I have no good deed that makes my supplication worthy of being answered," said the butcher.



"Then let me invoke Allah while you say 'Ameen' to my invocations," said the Prophet.



He then began to supplicate, and the butcher said, 'Ameen,' after each of the supplications.



Suddenly, a cloud appeared, rain fell from it into the nearby town, after which it approached the two men. Wherever the butcher walked, the cloud followed after him, instead of hovering over the Prophet.



"You claim that you have no good deeds," said the Prophet. "Yet despite the fact that it was I who suplicated while you said 'ameen' the cloud shaded the city and then it followed you. What is your story?"



The butcher the told him what happened with his neighbor's daughter.



"One who repents to Allah has a ranking that no other person can achieve," said the Prophet