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PEARLS OF WISDOM
II
- 'Seek refuge against five traits...' -
The blessed Companion, Abdullah Ibn Umar
reports that the Holy Prophet (SAW) once gave a sermon in which he
said:
O Emigrants, I seek refuge of Allah Almighty against five traits of
character lest they should grow into you: firstly, against
immodesty, for when immodesty prevails in a people they are hit by
plagues, epidemics and ever-new diseases not even heard of by their
elders; and secondly, against cheating in weights and measure, for
when this disease grips a people, they are hit by famine,
price-hikes, rigorous labour and over-work and oppressive rulers;
and thirdly, against non-payment of Zakah, for when people do not
pay Zakah, rains are stopped; and fourthly, against the religious
apathy of people, for when a community breaks its covenant with
Allah and His Messenger, then Allah Almighty makes alien enemies sit
over them who snatch away what belongs to them without any
justification; and fifthly, against the apathy of ruling authority,
for when the rulers of a people fail to decide matters in accordance
with the Book of Allah because the injunctions revealed by Allah
Almighty do not suit their fancies, then Allah Almighty causes
mutual hatred and disputation to descend upon them.
(Ibn Majah, al-Bayhaqi and others and al-Hakim has called it ‘sahih’
according to the standard set by Muslim)
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- 'Means of purification ' -
The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "After every prayer,
if anyone:
1-GLORIFIES Allah (by saying Subhaan-Allah) Thirty Three times, and
2- PRAISES Allah (by saying Al-hamdu-lillah) Thirty Three times, and
3- DECLARES HIS GREATNESS (by saying Allahu-Akbar) Thirty Three times,
4- and says (once), to complete a hundred, "No one has the right to be
worshipped but Allah alone, Who has no partner; to Him belongs all
sovereignty, and to Him is due all praise; and He has power over all
things", [In Arabic: "Laa Ilaaha Illallaahu, Wah-dahu Laa Shareeka
Lahoo, Lahul Mulku, Wa Lahul Hamdu, Wa Huwa 'Alaa Kulli Shay-in
Qadeer."]
his sins will be forgiven even if these are as abundant as the foam
of the sea." (Saheeh Muslim)
"Believers! if you fear Allah he will grant you a criterion and will
cleanse you of your sins and forgive you. Allah is Lord of abounding
bounty. " (Surah Al-Anfal (The Spoils) 8: 29)
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- The collective punishment -
Adas Ibn Umayra
(RA) said : 'I heard the Prophet (SAW) say : "Allah
will
not punish the public (with His torment) because of the bad deeds of
a particular people, till the public sees the Munkar (Evil) amongst
themselves and they are able to change it but they don't change it.
If they do this, then Allah (SWT) will punish the particular people
who have been doing the wrong and the public as well."'
(Collected by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal)
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- Seeking betterment for the community -
"A Muslim is not the one who fights Satan with his sword only and
gets catapulted into Jannah (paradise), but rather the one who
interacts actively with his environment in order to make a
difference: Allah(SWT) says in the Qur'an: "That man can have nothing but
what he strives for; that [the fruit of] striving will soon come in
sight; then will he be rewarded with a reward complete." (53:39-41).
Our actions are witnessed not only by Allah and His Messenger (SAW)
but also by others as well. Hence, the Muslim is not living in a
vacuum; he is continuously acting and interacting with his
surroundings.
What makes him or her a better Muslim? According to
the following Hadith: "People are dependents of Allah; the closest
to Him (SWT) are the ones who are most useful to His dependents
(i.e. other creature)," (Sahih Muslim). Thus, the criterion for
being a better Muslim is not simply Salah (prayers), fasting, Dhikr,
and tasbih (glorifying Allah); it's one's utility to others! In this
context the following principle should alarm us: "He who does not
concern himself with the affairs of other Muslims is not one of
them."
The task of a jama'ah (group) of Muslims is not to serve
itself; it is to serve others! The group is not the objective, for
in reality it is only an organizational means to accomplish the
objective. The interest of such an organization must be subservient
to the interest of the Ummah (Nation) and of the outside world. The
Messenger of Allah (SAW) directs us: "Have mercy on those in the land,
so that the One in Heaven will have Mercy on you," (Reported by at-Tirmidhi).
Muslim groups which confine themselves to their membership are
losing sight or their objectives are becoming self-serving. In fact,
all the preparation and training of the organization's members
should be directed towards serving their nation. To establish an
organization for the sake of the organization is like building a
house for the sake of the house. The environment and the population
of which the Da'iyah (Caller to Allah) is a part, are the only
mediums through which he can perform. They are the only fields of
operation in which Allah is testing him during his life."
Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "Whoever asked Allah to be killed in the
path of Allah, truly out of his heart (with sincerity), Allah will
give him the reward of a martyr (Shaheed) even if he died on his
bed."
(Collected by al-Muslim)
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- True knowledge -
Khalid bin 'Aoun narrated that 'Abdullah bin Mas'oud
(RA) once said
to him: "True knowledge is not measured in relationship to how much
you memorize and then narrate, but rather, true knowledge is an
expression of piety (Ikhlaas)."
Abu Darda' (Radi Allahu 'anhu) used to say, "One does not become
truly pious unless he becomes learned, and one does not enjoy the
beauty and benefits of his knowledge unless he practices what he
knows." (Hilyatul
Awliyaa, Imam Al-Asafahaani (rh))
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- Truth is radiant -
Ibn Shahab narrated, that Muath bin Jabal, God be pleased with him,
said: "Beware of innovations, for innovations lead to erring. I also
warn you about the potential aberration of the scholars, or the
possible blunder of the teachers, for it is possible that even a
wise man's own satan utters a misleading statement through him, as
well as it is possible that a hypocrite speaks a word of truth.
Therefore, accept only the truth, for truth is radiant."
Someone asked: "How are we to know whether a wise man is right or
wrong in what he says?" Muath replied: "A wise man may utter a word
lightly, and you feel uncomfortable with it and question it in your
heart. Do not feel awkward, nor impel yourselves to agree without
questioning such statement should your heart not agree with what the
wise man may have said, for perhaps, and should his words be
unquestionable wrong, he will retract his expression when he hears
the truth from you, and therefore he will correct his own statement,
for indeed, truth is a radiant light, and it is assertive of
itself." (Hilyatul
Awliyaa, Imam Al-Asafahaani (rh))
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- Five pieces of advice -
'Akrama bin Khalid narrated that 'Ali bin Abi Talib(RA) once said: "Learn five things from me, although, even
if you were to ride on the speediest racing camels to attain them,
your camels will fall exhausted before you can ever arrive at fully
accomplishing them;
1) Let a servant implore no one beside his Lord;
2) let a servant fear nothing greater than the consequences of his
own sin;
3) let an unlearned person not shy to inquire about what he
does not understand; and finally,
4) let no scholar, when asked
about something he does not know, shy to say, 'I do not know the
answer to that question, surely Allah knows best.'
5) You also must
know that patience to one's faith is like the head in relationship
to one's body."
(Hilyatul
Awliyaa, Imam Al-Asafahaani (rh))
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- True friends -
"For various moral, psychological and social reasons, people need
good company and close friendship. The type of friends you have,
often indicate the type of person you are. 'Show me your friends and
I will tell you what you are,' says the well-known proverb. The
noble Prophet (pbuh) pointed to the value of good company when he
said that it is better to be alone than in the company of the
wicked, and it is better to be in the company of the good than to be
alone. Good company can be a great source of help and support in
leading a virtuous life, while bad company can lead to sin and
ruin.... The Prophet (SAW) was asked: "What is the person that can be
the best friend?" "He who helps you when you remember God, and he
who reminds you when you forget Him," the Prophet (SAW) replied. Then
he (SAW) was asked, "And which friend is the worst?" "He who does not
help you when you remember God and does not remind you of God when
you forget," he replied. Then he was again asked, "Who is the best
among people?" He replied, "He who when you look at him, you
remember God."
.....When Zaid ibn Harithah (RA), the servant of Muhammad (SAW), was
killed at the battle of Mu'tah, the Prophet (SAW) said: "Zayd strove
in the path of God sincerely as he should. Today he has met his
Lord, and he is serene." Thereafter, Zayd's daughter found the
Prophet (SAW) weeping over the dead body of her father and said: "What
do I see?" The noble Prophet (SAW), with tears in his
eyes, said: "A friend weeping for his friend."
Through such actions and sentiments, the Prophet (SAW) showed his
gentleness and brotherhood. "
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- Companion of the dead -
Said `Ubaid bin `Umayr al-Laythi 'Not a single man dies without
being called by the pit in which he is buried, which declares, "I am
the house of gloom, and of loneliness and solitude! If you were
obedient to God during your lifetime then today I shall be a source
of mercy for you, but if you were rebellious then I am an act of
vengence against you. The obedient who enter me shall come forth
joyful, while the rebellious who enter me shall emerge in ruin".'
Said Yazid al-Ruqashi 'I have heard it said that when the deceased
is set in his tomb his works amass around him and are given to speak
by God, so that they say, "O bondsman, alone in his pit! Your family
and friends are now separated from you, so that today we are your
sole companions".'
(The Remembrance of Death and the Afterlife, Imam Al-Ghazali
(rh)
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- 'The food from Allah' -
Abdullah Ibn Masud (RA) related that the Prophet
(SAW) said: "Verily,
the Qur’an is the food from Allah, so come closer to it if you are
able. Verily, the Qur’an is the rope of Allah, bright light, good
medicine, and a guide for those who hold on to it. When he strays,
the Qur’an will remind him of the path; and when he is misguided,
the Qur’an will correct him. Its miracle lasts forever, and will not
be reduced by rejection. Read the Qur’an. Allah will reward each
word of your reading tenfold...."
[al-Hakim]
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- True sincerity -
"The sincere person is the one who hides his good deeds just like he
hides his evil deeds." (by Yaqub al-Makfoof)
- Remove him from this land -
In the book, Muslim Judges of Andalus, by Abu al-Hasan ibn Abdullaah
al-Maaliqee, he recounts a story about the great scholar of our
Ummah: Muharnmad ibn At-Tayyib Abu Bakr al-Baaqillaanee (d. 1013).
Let's spend a moment in his sandals , perhaps we may feel the power
that Islam had in the hearts of those Muslims.
This event took place when the Khalifah of the Muslims sent him to
the Roman King.
Ibn Hayyaan says: The transgressor - the King of the Romans -
invited Abu Bakr al-Baaqillaanee to a Christian banquet and on the
appointed day, Abu Bakr AI-Baaqillaanee arrived. The hall was filled
with Christian noblemen and the walls and tables dazzled in the
decorations.
At that moment, the King beckoned Abubakr al-Baaqillaanee near,
seating him a step down from his throne and complimenting him with
flattering questions. All around the King sat noblemen and those
most nearest to his counsel.
Then the Batrik (the High priest) entered the banquet hall with his
entire splendour, the final guest, the chief of their religion.
Swarming around him was an assembly of lower priests, each reciting
the Injeel (Bible) and carrying lanterns of incense, all of them
dressed in their most finely-hemmed garments.
When the Batrik found himself in the centre of the hall, the King
stood glorifying the Batrik. He bowed his head and rubbed both hands
on the Batrik's shoulders. Then to his immediate right, the King sat
the Batrik down on a throne marvelous in it's own right.
After the moment had passed and the crowd had focused on the stage
of the banquet hall, the King turned to Al-Baaqillaanee and said
with a sniff, "O Faqeeh! The Batrik is the chief of our religion,
and the guardian of the flock."
Al-Baaqillaanee turned to the Batrik with the warmest smile and the
gentlest of words. He asked the sweetest and most loving questions,
then Al-Baaqillaanee said:
"So Batrik. How are the kids and wife!?!" (Remember, the popes would
practice celibacy).
The hall fell silent. Blasphemy! The King was shocked. The Batrik
was outraged. Brows cringed, decorations dimmed, disgusted faces
showed up. Then Abu Bakr Al-Baaqillaanee said, "O people, listen to
me. You dislike that this mere mortal could have a wife and children
ascribed to him. And you deny any allegation to the contrary. Yet
when it comes to your Lord, Glorious and most High, you do not feel
the same disgust. And you attribute to Allah both the wife and child
that you would never allow your Batrik to be associated with.
Suddatan lihaadha ar-Ra’y - Perished be your claim! How clearly
wrong it is!"
It fell in the Christians hands and they had no answer. Fear and
nervousness shook their hearts.
Quickly the King turned to the Batrik and whispered in his ear,
"What shall we do?"
He replied, "Treat this man honorably, complete the dinner, then
expel this Iraqi trouble maker from your land; today if you can.
Otherwise, you shall not be safe from his mischief."
The king did as he was advised. Al-Baaqillaanee was returned to Iraq
- back to the Khalifah - with gifts and many Muslim prisoners
finally released.
This is a true story that happened in the year 1002 CE. May Allah
reward handsomely those that preserved it for us.
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- Wisdom from Umar(RA) -
Umar bin Khattab (ra) left to people 18 statements of wisdom:
1- When someone transgresses upon your rights (and in doing so
disobeys Allah) the way to 'revenge' is to obey Allah in dealing
with him. (use reason/rules instead of anger)
2- When something comes to you from your brother, accept it as
something good, unless you have overwhelming evidence against it.
(hush dhann- thinking good of people)
3- Don't take the word of a Muslim as ill. When there is a way of
seeing it positively, take it that way. Find one good interpretation
out of 10.
4- Avoid positions that will make others doubt you. (ie disobey
Allah publicly, hang out with ppl who don't care, at all time and
places)
5- Do not blame others. When you have a secret, its under your
control, but when you tell someone else, that control is not yours
anymore. People fall under different factors and pressures, so do
not blame others.
6- Always take care of the brothers and sisters of truth. Be with
them always. They will protect you. They are always a beautiful
ornament. In good times you will have ease, and in time of
difficulty, you will have protection and support.
7- Be strict and careful in choosing your friends.
8- Always be with the truth even against your own life.
9- Don't indulge in that which is meaningless. Every moment of our
life is meaningful- use it to worship Allah subhanawat'ala
10- Don't ask about that which didn't happen. You already have
enough to deal with, be practical, deal with immediate problems not
the future of ghayb.
11- Don't ask for your need to be fulfilled from someone who
wouldn't like your need to be fulfilled. Try to be self-sufficient
as individuals and as an ummah, muslims of early generation were
poor but didn't lower themselves. Always be with dignity.
12- Don't be neglectful or careless in swearing by the name of
Allah. Otherwise, Allah will bring punishment for you.
13- Don't be in the company of fajaar (those who commit major sins
openly and don't care) You WILL be affected. Your own behavior
changes little by little. Be in the company of people who remind you
of Allah.
14- Be aware of your enemy. Be careful, alert, and prepared.
15- Remember death. Visit the graveyards, try to be in kushuu'. If
you can't cry, force yourself to. Try to be humble in front of the
Creator, the One who gives life and takes it away.
16- Be HUMBLE in acts of obedience to Allah. No one will protect us
but Allah. Seek protection from Allah in Allah.
17- Seek tawbaah. Immediately, be determined, have resolve.
18- Consult in your matters those who have kashiyaah (fear of Allah
and always conscious of Him), because those who have kashiyaah are
the ones that truly have ilm.
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- How do I stop sinning? -
Ibraheem ibn Adham was approached by a man who wanted to stop his
sins. He asked for advice that will help him realize the
consequences of his actions. He was told:
If you want to disobey Allah, you can, in 5 cases:
1- If you want to disobey Allah, then don't eat from His rizq
(provision.)
The man said: Then where am I to eat when every provision is from
Allah?
Ibraheem said: O such a person! Is it honorable and good to disobey
Allah, and eat from His provision?
The man said: give me the second one.
2- If you want to disobey Allah, then do not live on Allah's
property.
The man said: Then where am I to live if not on Allah's property?
Ibraheem said: Is it good then, to eat from His provision, live on
His property, and disobey Him?
The man said: Give me the third one.
3- If you want to disobey Allah, then disobey Him in a place where
He will not see you.
The man said: How am I to do this when He not only sees what others
see, but what is in the hearts?
Ibraheem said: o you such a person, how do you eat from His
provision, live on His property, and disobey Him openly?
The man said: Give me the fourth one.
4- If you want to disobey Allah, when the Angel of Death comes to
you, tell him to come back later, after you repent.
The man said: He will not accept this from me!
Ibraheem said: O you such a person, when you cannot delay death, how
do you expect a savior?
The man said: Give me the fifth.
5- If you want to disobey Allah, then after death comes to you, on
the Day of Judgement, when the Angels of Hell come to drag you into
Hell, refuse to go with them.
The man said: They will not accept that from me!
Ibraheem said: Then how do you expect to be saved?
The man said: Enough! Enough! I seek forgiveness in Allah and make
tawbaah! AstaghfirAllah wa i'tubuu ilayk!
He made sincere tawbaah, and left all his acts of disobedience, and
he died in such a state.
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- Shortest distance between a problem and a solution -
"The shortest distance between a problem and its solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to Allah can stand up to anything."
(Anonymous)
- Seeking tranquility -
An investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."
The investment banker then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The fisherman said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."
The investment banker then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening and spend time with my family, I have a full and busy life."
The investment banker scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to a big town and eventually to the the city where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the investment banker replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the fisherman.
The investment banker laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The investment banker said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings and spend time with your family."
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- Recognise the bounties of Allah (SWT) -
Once Rasulullah (SAW) related that there were
three men from the Banu Isra'eel. One of them was a leper, the other
bald, and the third blind. Allah Ta'ala wanted to test them, so He
sent an angel to them. The angel first went to the leper and asked
him: "What would you like best?" He replied: "I would like a nice
complexion, a beautiful skin, and that this sickness goes away from
me
whereby people do not allow me to sit with them and which they
hate."
The angel passed his hand over the body of that person. He was
immediately cured and a nice skin and beautiful complexion appeared.
The angel then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the
most?"
He replied: "Camels." So he gave him a pregnant camel and told him:
"May Allah Ta'ala give you barakah in this."
The angel then went to the bald person and asked him: "What would
you
like best?" He replied: "That my hair grows nicely and that this
sickness which people dislike goes away from me!" The angel passed
his
hand over his head, he was immediately cured and beautiful hair
began
to grow. He then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the
most?" He replied: "Cows." So he gave him a pregnant cow and told
him:
"May Allah Ta'ala give you barakah in this."
Eventually, the angel went to the blind person and asked him: "What
would you like most?" He replied: "That Allah gives me back my sight
so that I may be able to see everyone." The angel passed his hand
over
his eyes and Allah gave him back his sight. He then asked him: "What
type of wealth do you like the most?" He replied: "Goats."
So he was
given a pregnant goat. The animals of all three delivered their
babies. In a short time, the jungle was filled with his camels, his
cows, and his goats.
Thereafter, under the orders of Allah Ta'ala, that angel went in his
previous form to the leper and said to him: "I am a poor person. All
my provisions for my journey are finished. Today I have no means of
reaching home except through Allah and then through your help. In
the
name of that Allah who has blessed you with a nice skin and a
beautiful complexion, I ask you for a camel which I could ride and
reach my home." He replied: "Get far away from here! I have a lot of
other commitments to fulfil. I do not have anything to spare which I
could give you." The angel said: "I think I recognize you. Were you
not a leper, for which people despised you? Were you not very poor,
and then Allah blessed you with so much of wealth?" He replied:
"What
are you talking? I inherited this wealth from my ancestors." The
angel
said: "If you are lying, may Allah return you as you were before."
The angel then went to the bald person in his previous form and
asked
him the same questions and he also replied in the same way. So the
angel said to him: "If you are lying, may Allah return you as you
were
before."
Eventually he went to the blind person in that same original form
and
said to him: "I am a traveller and all my provisions are finished.
Today I have no means except Allah and then you. In the name of that
Being who returned to you your eye-sight, I ask you for a goat with
which I could do my work and complete my journey." He replied:
"Without doubt, I was blind. It was only out of His mercy that Allah
Ta'ala gave me back my eye-sight. Take as much as you want and leave
behind as much as you want. By Allah, I will not stop you from
taking
anything." The angel replied: "Keep your wealth with you, I do not
want anything. I had only come to test you three. Now the test is
over. Allah is pleased with you and displeased with the other two."
Lesson: Just imagine, that because of the ungratefulness of those
two,
all those bounties were taken away and they were left as they were
before. Allah became displeased with them and they are forsaken both
in this world and in the hereafter. Due to his gratefulness, that
person's bounties remained intact, Allah was pleased with him, and
he
is contented both in this world and in the hereafter.
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- The evil of the evildoer is sufficient for him -
"There was a
companion of the king who visited him all the time. He would sit
beside him and say, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't treat
the evil-doer with evil for his evil will be sufficient for him.'
Another man envied his position with the king and his good
speech. The envious man came to the king and related: 'Your
companion that sits beside you claimed that you had a bad smell.'
The king
inquired, 'But how can I verify this?' The man replied, 'Call him to
you. He will put his hand on his nose as he gets closer to you.' The
king said, 'Leave, and I will see! ' This man left the king and
invited the king's companion to a meal that he had placed much
garlic in.
The companion ate and then went to the king as usual and said,
'Treat the good-doer with good and don't treat the evil-doer with
evil, for his evil will be sufficient for him.' The king said to
him, 'Get closer to me!' The man moved closer, and placed his hand
over his
mouth so that the king would not smell the odor of garlic. The king
thought to himself, 'That man was truthful.' The king then
hand-wrote
a letter and gave it to the companion. The king never wrote anything
unless he wanted to give someone a prize or gift.
But this letter was written to one of his administrators and
contained the following message: 'When the bearer of this letter
comes to you,
slaughter him and skin him. Then fill his skin with straw and send
him back to me.' Later, the envious man met the companion on his way
and asked, 'What is this letter?' The companion replied, 'The king
has given me a gift.' The envious man asked, 'Would you give it to
me.'
The other companion said, 'It's yours.' The envious man took it and
went to the administrator. The administrator said to him, 'This
letter
is a command from the king to slaughter you and skin you.' The
envious man announced, 'This letter is not mine. I beseech you in
the Name of Allah to check with the king before you do anything.'
The administrator informed him that there would be no changes to
what the
king had written. Then he slaughtered him, skinned him, filled his
skin with straw, and sent him back to the king.
In the meantime, the companion returned to the king as usual. The
king was shocked and demanded, 'What happened to the letter?' He
said, 'So-and-so met me and asked me for it, so I gave it to him.'
The king then challenged, 'Have you said that I have a bad smell?'
The man rebutted, 'No! ' So the king asked, 'Then why did you
place your hand over your mouth?' The man answered, 'So-and-so
provided me with food that had much garlic in it and I hated that
you might smell it.' The king declared, 'You are truthful. The evil
of the evildoer is
sufficient for him.'" |
