The Promise of a Believer
This is a story I picked up when a few Imams from Madina visited our mosque, their simplicity and humbleness was unbelievable. Their faces lit up with kindness when they smiled and it was a great evening.
This particular story is about a young boy and how he sets an example for all of us believers.
A man threw a stone at a camel and it hit the animal in the eye causing it to go blind in one eye, a boy who saw the animal in pain picked up a stone and threw it back at the man...but the man died.
This was during the time of Umar Bin Al Khattab (RA), the boy explained how he killed him by accident.. so Umar (RA) asked the man's two sons.. "Will you forgive him?"
They both said "No we want retribution.."
So Umar (RA) asked the boy "Do you have any last requests?"
The boy said "Yes my father passed away and I have a younger brother..and my father left some money for my brother, I would like 3 days to retrieve this wealth from a hidden place So that I could make sure my brother gets it when I die.."
Umar( RA) said "I will trust you but find a guarantor, someone that will guarantee that you will be back"..
The boy shouted out in the court.."Will someone not help me today?"
Everyone puts their head down..till Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (RA) the noble companion who gave Dawah to many tribes raised his hand.
Now understand to be a guarantor means that if the boy does not come back it will be the head of Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari that will be chopped off.
First day goes by and the boy is not to be seen, same for the second and the third day comes..the two brothers take Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari to the court again but Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (RA) said "The day does not end till maghrib (sunset)".. And literally minutes before the Adaan of Maghrib the boy rushed in..
Umar (RA) asked the boy.. "Oh boy why did you come back? I did not send anyone after you.. I did not send a spy after you..what made you come back!?!"
He said "I did not want anyone to say that when a Muslim gave his word he did not fulfil it..so I came back.."
Umar (RA) turns to Abu Dharr (RA) and says "Oh Abu Dharr what made you to be the guarantor of this boy?"
Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (RA) replied.. "I saw a Muslim in need and I did not ever want anyone to say that a Muslim was in need and no one was there to help him.. so I raised my hand to be the guarantor of this boy"
The two brothers said "When we have people like this how can a Muslim ask for forgiveness and no one be there to forgive him.." SUBHANALLAH. So they forgave the boy. :')
This was the legacy of Islam. This was the code of conduct, this is why during the Caliphate of Umar Bin Al Khattab they were able to achieve big things because they had a strong relationship with Allah.. they did things with Ihsaan. They lived with the code of conduct of Islam..
I thank all of you who read this ,and want you to take a lesson from this story, we live in a world of distractions and the only thing that can keep us in the right path is constant reminders.
May Allah Guide & Protect Us All.
-Hisham Nazer
