Aboo Ibraaheem narrated:
Once I was walking in the desert and missed the road; so, I stopped by an old
tent and I looked into it; behold, I saw a man sitting with all calmness on the
ground. His hands were amputated; he was blind and there was none of his family
members with him. I saw him murmuring some words. I moved closer to him,
behold, he was repeating the following: ‘All praise is due to Allaah who has
favoured me exceedingly over many of His creatures. All praise is due to Allaah
who has favoured me exceedingly over many of His creatures.’ So, I was amazed
at his speech and began looking at his condition: most of his senses have gone;
his two hands were amputated, he was blind in both eyes; and he could not do
anything for himself. I looked around him, searching for a child serving him or
a wife comforting him but I did not see anyone.
When I advanced towards
him, he sensed my movement and asked: ‘Who is that?’ ‘Who is that?’ I said, ‘As-Salaam
alaykum. I am a man who has missed the way and stopped by your tent. And
who are you too? Why are you residing alone in this place? Where is your
family, your son, your relatives?’ He replied, ‘I am a sick person; people have
abandoned me and most of my family members are dead.’ I said: “But I heard you
repeating the expression: All praise is due to Allaah who has favoured me
exceedingly over many of His creatures? How has He favoured you; you are blind,
poor, without hands and lonely.’ He said: ‘I will tell you about that, but I
will request for a need from you. Will you fulfil it for me?’ I said, ‘Respond
to me, I will fulfil your need – Allaah willing.’
Then he said: ‘You are
seeing that Allaah has afflicted me with various types of calamities; however,
all praise is due to Allaah who has favoured me exceedingly over many of His
creatures. Did Allaah not give me intellect? I comprehend with it, act with it
and contemplate with it’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘How many lunatics can be
found among the people?’ I said, ‘Many.’ He said: ‘All praise is due to Allaah
who has favoured me exceedingly over those people in many ways. Has Allaah not
given me the sense of hearing? I hear with it the call to prayer, understand
speech and know what goes around me?’ I replied in the affirmative. He said,
‘How many are the deaf, who cannot hear, can be found among the people?’
I said, ‘Many.’ He said,
‘All praise is due to Allaah who has favoured me exceedingly over those people
in many ways. Did Allaah not give me the tongue? I remember my Lord with it and
use it to explain my needs (to Him).’ I said, ‘Yes.’ I replied. He said: ‚How
many dumb people who cannot speak can be found? I said, ‘Many’. Then he said,
‚All praise is due to Allaah who has favoured me exceedingly over those people
in many ways. Has Allaah not made me a Muslim; I worship my Lord, have hope of
my reward with Him and exercise patience over my calamity?’ I said, ‘Yes’.
Then he said, ‘How many
among people can be found who are idol worshippers while they are sick; they
have lost the worldly life and the hereafter?’ I said, ‘Many’. He said, ‘All
praise is due to Allaah who has favoured me exceedingly over those people in
many ways.’ The old man continued to count the favours of Allaah upon him while
I was more amazed by the power of his faith, the strength of his certainty and
his pleasure with what Allaah has given him. How many among the sick, apart
from him, who were not afflicted with a quarter of the calamity he is afflicted
with, among those who were crippled by ailment or lost their hearing or sight
or lost some parts of their limbs; and would be considered healthier if they
were to be compared with this old man. Yet, they are restless, full of complaints,
groaning and weeping. In fact, it is due to the weakness of their patience,
paucity of certainty that they will be rewarded in such an extent that if it
were distributed to the rest of the Muslims, it will suffice them.
I was carried far away
by my contemplation; and nothing interrupted it except the speech of the old
man when he said: ‘Oof! Should I mention my need?’ Will you fulfil it?’ I said,
‘Yes Allaah willing; what is your need?’ He lowered his head for a while then
lifted it while tears rolled down his cheek. He said: ‘No one is left with me
among my family members except a young boy of mine. He is fourteen years old.
He is the one who feeds me, gives me water to drink, performs ablution for me
and takes charge of all my affairs. He left in the morning seeking for food for
me and he has not returned up till now. I do not know whether he is a living
person that should be hoped for, or a dead person that should be forgotten. And
as you can see, I am an old and blind man; I cannot search for him (myself).’
Then I asked him about the description of the boy and he told me.
So I promised him good.
Then I left him without knowing how to search for the boy and to which direction
I should go. While I was working, looking for someone among the people to ask about
him, behold, my sight turned to a small mountain close to the old man’s tent;
upon it was a flock of chough that had gathered around something. Then it
occurred to me that they would not gather except around carcass or some
scattered food. I went up the mountain and proceeded towards those birds, so
they dispersed. When I looked at the spot where they had gathered, I saw a dead
little boy in shreds; it was as if he was attacked by a wolf and it ate him and
left the rest for the birds. I did not grieve over the boy compared to the way
I grieved for the old man.
I came down from the
mountain dragging my step while I was between sorrow and confusion. Should I go
away and leave the old man to face his destiny alone, or I should go back to
him and inform him about his son? ‛ I pondered. I proceeded towards the old
man’s tent and started to hear his Tasbeeh (saying: Subhaanallaah)
and Tahleel (saying: laa ilaaha illa Allaah). I became more
confused. I wondered what I will say, and with what should I start? Then the
story of Allaah’s Prophet, Ayyoob – peace be upon him - came to my mind. So I
entered upon the old man and found him dejected the way I left him. I said the
greeting of salaam to him. The poor man was eager to see his son; and he
welcomed me saying: ‘Where is the boy?’ I said to him, ‘respond to me first:
Between you and Ayyoob – peace be upon him -, who is the dearest to
Allaah?’ He said, ‘Indeed, Ayyoob is the dearest to Allaah.’
I
asked, ‘Which of you both was greatly afflicted with calamity; was it you or
Ayyoob – peace be upon him?” He replied: ‘Ayyoob – peace be upon him.’ Then I
said: ‚Therefore, hope for reward for your son with Allaah, as I met him dead
on the top of the mountain. Wolfs had raced towards his carcass and had eaten
him. Then the old man sobbed uncontrollably and began to repeat the expression:
‘Laa ilaaha illa Allaah’ while I was appeasing him and asking him to be
patient. Later on, his sobbing became worse till I started prompting him to say
the testimony of faith. Thereafter, he died before me. I covered him with a
blanket that was under him. Then I went out searching for someone to assist me
in preparing him for burial. I saw three men on their riding animals; it was as
if they were travellers. I called on them and they advanced towards me. I said
to them: ‘Here is a man among the Muslims who has died and he has no one to
take care of him; could you assist in washing him, shrouding him and burying
him?’ They agreed. So they entered into the tent and moved towards him in order
to carry him.
When
they uncovered his face, they all screamed: ‘Aboo Qilaabah, Aboo Qilaabah.’
Aboo Qilaabah was one of their scholars. Time rotated its heel around him, and
was overwhelmed with calamity so much so that he retired from people to an old
tent. Then we performed our obligation and buried him, and I followed them to
the city. When I slept that night, I saw Aboo Qilaabah (in my dream) in a good
form; he was wearing white clothing and his form had been completed. He was
walking on a green land. I asked him (in the dream): ‘Aboo Qilaabah, by what
did you attain what I am seeing?’ He replied: ‘My Lord admitted me into
Paradise and it was said to me therein: “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the
final home.” [Soorah Ar-Ra’d: 24]
The
story was slightly adapted from As-Siyar al-A’laam an-Nubalaa of Imam
Adh-Dhahabee – may Allaah shower blessings on him.
Source: Tremendous Benefits, pp.
27-32, published by Dakwah Corner Bookstore. Transl. by Abdus-Samee
Abdus-Salaam.