THE BLESSED
MONEY
At the request of the Prophet (SA) of Islam, Hadrat 'Ali (AS) went to buy a shirt for him.
Hadrat 'Ali (AS) went to the market and bought a shirt for twelve Dirhams. Hadrat Muhammad
(SA) asked:
"For how many Dirhams did
you buy it?"
"For twelve Dirhams."
"I didn't like it, I want a
cheaper one. Would the shopkeeper take it back?"
"I don't know, O Messenger
(SA) of Allah."
"Please go and see if he
agrees to take it back."
'Ali (AS) took the shirt to the
shopkeeper and said to him:
"The Messenger (SA) of Allah
wants a cheaper shirt; would you agree to take it back and give back the money?"
The shopkeeper agreed to do so
and he gave the money back to 'Ali (AS). Hadrat 'Ali (AS) took the money to the Prophet
(SA). After this, Hadrat Muhammad (SA) and Hadrat 'Ali (AS) went to the market together.
While on the way, the Prophet (SA) saw a slave-girl, who was crying. He went to her and
asked:
"Why are you crying?"
"My master gave me four
Dirhams to buy things from the market. I don't know where that money got lost. Now, I
don't have the courage to go home."
Out of twelve Dirhams, Hadrat
Muhammad (SA) gave four Dirhams to the girl and said: "Buy whatever you had to buy
and go back home." The Prophet (SA), himself, went to the market and after buying a
shirt for four Dirhams, he put it on.
While coming back from the
market, he saw an undressed man. He quickly took off his shirt and gave it to him. He
again went to the shop and bought another shirt for four Dirhams. He put it on. On his
way, he again saw the same slave-girl, who was sitting scared and troubled. He asked:
"Why didn't you go
home?"
"O Messenger (SA) of Allah,
it's too late for me and I am scared that they might beat me and ask as to why I took so
long."
"Tell me the address of your
house and come with me, so that I might request that no one should say anything to
you". Hadrat Muhammad (SA) took the slave-girl with him. As soon as they reached near
the house, the girl said: "This is the house." With a loud voice, the Messenger
(SA) of Allah said:
"My salam to you, the
inhabitants of this house".
He didn't get any reply; so he
again said salam. But still he got no reply. He said salam for the third
time and then everyone replied saying: "Assalamu Alayk, O Messenger (SA) of
Allah."
"Why didn't you people
respond me for the first time? Did you not hear my voice?"
"Yes! after hearing your
voice for the first time itself, we came to know that it was you."
"Then what was the reason
for the delay in response?"
"O Messenger (SA) of Allah,
we loved to hear Your voice (salam) again and again. Your salam is virtuous, peace and
blessing for us."
"Your slave-girl has taken
long in coming back. Hence, I have come to request that you don't punish her."
"O the Messenger (SA) of
Allah! by the blessings of your gracious coming over to our place, we have set this girl
free." The Prophet (SA) said: "Thanks a million to Allah. How blessed these
twelve Dirhams were; with which two undressed persons got dressed as well as a slave-girl
got free."
* * *
It was for some time that Zakariyya, son of Ibrahim, felt attracted towards Islam although
his father, mother and all the family-members were Christians and he too was the believer
of Christianity. Both his conscience and heart were inviting him towards Islam. At last,
against the liking of his father, mother and family-members, he accepted Islam and
surrendered himself to the commandments of Islam.
The Hajj season commenced. Young
Zakariyya left Kufah with the objective of performing Hajj and had the honour of meeting
Al-Imam As-Sadiq (AS) in Madinah. He narrated to Imam (AS) the incident of his acceptance
of Islam. Imam (AS) enquired: "What virtue of Islam attracted your attention?"
He replied: "I can only say that it was Allah's words in Qur'an which impressed me
and holds true in my case. Allah says to his Prophet (SA) in Qur'an: 'O Prophet! earlier
you didn't know what the Book is and didn't know what the faith is, but We revealed to you
this Qur'an and made it a light by which We guide whomsoever We wish.'"
Imam (AS) said: "I confirm
Allah has guided you."
Then Imam (AS) said thrice:
"O Allah! You Yourself be a guide to him." Afterwards Imam (AS) said: "My
son, now whatever questions you have, ask me". The young-man said: "My father,
mother and family-members, are all Christians. My mother is blind. I am associated to them
and I am compelled to eat with them. What am I supposed to do in such circumstances?"
Imam (AS): "Do they eat
pork?"
Zakariyya: "No, O son of
Prophet (SA)! They don't even touch pork".
Imam (AS): "Then, there is
nothing wrong in your association with them."
Then Imam (AS) said: "Be
careful about your mother's health. Be kind to her till she is alive. When she dies, don't
give Her body to anyone else. You personally take charge of her corpse. Here, don't tell
anyone that you have met me. I will also come to Makkah. In sha' Allah (Allah
willing), we will meet in Mina.
In Mina, the young-man went in
search of Imam (AS). There was a huge crowd around Imam (AS). The people, like the
children surrounding their teacher and asking questions one after the other without giving
any time, were asking questions one after the other from Imam (AS) and were listening to
his replies.
The Hajj season came to an end
and the young-man returned to Kufah. He had kept in mind Imam's (AS) advice. With firm
determination, he started serving his mother and never failed to be kind and loving to his
blind mother. He served food to her with his own hands. He even used to cheek her clothes
and head to see that no lice might be present. This change in the behaviour of the son,
mainly after his return from Makkah, was surprising for his mother. One day she asked her
son:
"Dear Son! Earlier, when you
followed our religion, you were not so kind to me. Now what has happened to you that
though I and you are not the same in respect of religion, you are more kind to me than
before?"
Zakariyya: "Dear mother'. A
person from the descendants of our Prophet (SA) has told me to do so."
Mother: "Is he himself a
Prophet?"
Son: "No, he is not a
Prophet. He is the son of the Prophet (SA)."
Mother. "My son! I think he
himself is a Prophet as this type of advises and preachings are not given by anyone except
the Prophets."
Zakariyya: "No mother! Be
sure that he is not a Prophet. He is the son of the Prophet (SA). Basically, no Prophet is
supposed to come to earth after our Prophet [Muhammad (SA)]."
Mother: "My son! Your
religion is very good. It is better than all the other religions. Teach me your
religion."
The youngman told his mother the 'shahadatayn'
[meaning: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad (SA) is his Messenger."].
Thus, the mother became a Muslim.
Then the youngman taught his blind mother the process of reciting salat (prayer).
The mother grasped it and recited the Zuhr (noon) and the 'Asr (afternoon) Salats.
It became night. She succeeded in reciting both the Maghrib (evening) and the 'Isha'
(night) Salats. Suddenly, late in the night, the mother's condition (of health)
changed; she fell sick and got bed-laid. She called her son and said:
"My son, once more teach all
the things you had taught me."
Once again, the son taught his
mother the shahadatayn and all the principles of Islam, that is, belief in Allah,
Prophet (SA), angels, the Divine Books and the Ma'ad (Day of Resurrection). The
mother repeated all these as a symbol of her belief and acceptance and offered her life to
the Creator.
In the morning, the Muslims
gathered for giving her ghuslul-mayyit (obligatory bath to the dead) and her
burial. The person who recited salatul-mayyit (prayer for the dead) and buried her,
was none but her young son, Zakariyya.
* * *
Habbah 'Arni and Nawf Bakali were lying in the courtyard of Darul-Amarah (fort) of Kufah.
After the midnight, they saw that the Leader of the Faithful, 'Ali (AS), was coming from
the fort towards the courtyard. But his condition was bad; he was having extraordinary
fear and was unable to keep the equilibrium of his body. Keeping his hands on the wall and
having his body in bent position, he was walking slowly with the support of the wall. And
he was reciting the last Ayahs (verses) of Surah (chapter) Ale 'Imran as
follows:
"Indeed in the creation
of the heaven and the earth and alteration of the night and the day, there are signs for
men of acumen. Those who extol Allah, standing, sitting and (lying) on their sides, and
reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): 'Our Lord! You have not
created this in vain! Glory is Yours; protect us against the torment of the Fire. Our
Lord! indeed whomsoever You enter the Fire, You have surely disgraced him, and there shall
be no helpers for the wrongdoers. Our Lord! surely we have heard a caller calling to faith
(saying): 'Believe in your Lord', so we did believe; Our Lord! forgive us, therefore, our
sins and cover our evil deeds and receive us with the righteous Our Lord! grant us what
You have promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Resurrection
Day; surely You do not break the promise (3:190-194)."
As soon as he finished these Ayahs,
his condition became bad; he then repeated these Ayahs again and again and his
condition became bad to worse and he became almost unconscious.
Both Habbah and Nawf were
witnessing this amazing scene, while lying on their beds. Habbah, while quite startled,
was looking this astonishing scene.
But Nawf was unable to control
his tears and he was continuously weeping.
By this time, 'Ali (AS) reached
the bed of Habbah and said: "Are you awake or asleep?"
(Habbah replied:) "I am
awake O Leader of the Pious! If a person like you has such a condition with awe and fear
of Allah, then what would happen to we poor people."
The Leader of the Pious looked
down and wept. He then said: "O Habbah! all of us will be presented before Allah one
day. And no deed of ours is hidden from Him. He is very near to you and me. Nothing can
act as an obstruction between us and Allah.
Then he said to Nawf: "Are
you asleep?" (Nawf replied:) "No, O Leader of the Pious! I am awake. It is for
some time that I am shedding my tears."
'Ali (AS) said: "O Nawf! If
today you shed your tears in fear of Allah, tomorrow your eyes will glitter.
"O Nawf! No one has more
respect than that person who cries in the fear of Allah and that he likes to do it only
for His sake.
"O Nawf! The one who loves
Allah and that whatever he loves, he does it just for the sake of Allah, does not prefer
anything over love for Allah. And the one who dislikes anything, and does it for the sake
of Allah, he would receive nothing except virtue for his disliking. Whenever you reach
such a stage, you have attained the truths of faith to their perfection."
After this, he preached and gave
a piece of advice to Habbah and Nawf. His last sentence was: "I have told you that
you should fear from Allah."
Then he passed by both of them
and got busy with his own work. He started his prayers and while doing so, he said:
"O Allah! I wish I knew that when I am neglectful towards You, do You ignore me or do
You still care for me? I wish I knew that in these long neglectful dreams of mine and in
my shortcomings in thanking you, what is my position before You?"
Habbah and Nawf said: "By
Allah! he ['Ali (AS)] kept on walking and he had the same condition continuously till
dawn."
* * *
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