The Right Hand Ocak 8, 2009

An old man, probably some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the park bench. He didn’t move, just sat with his head down staring at his hands. When I sat down beside him he didn’t acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if he was ok.  

Finally, not really wanting to disturb him but wanting to check on him at the same time, I asked him if he was ok. He raised his head and looked at me and smiled. Yes, I’m fine, thank you for asking, he said in a clear strong voice. I didn’t mean to disturb you….but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were ok I explained to him. Have you ever looked at your hands he asked. I mean really looked at your hands? I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point he was making.   

Then he smiled and related this story:

Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years.

These hands, though wrinkled, shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.

They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.

As a child my mother taught me to hold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.

They dried the tears of my children and caressed the love of my life.

They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent.

They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son.

They wrote the letters home and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse. Yet, they were strong and sure when I dug my friend out of a foxhole and lifted a plow off of my best friends foot.

They have held children, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn’t understand.

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body.  

They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to open in prayer.

These hands are the mark of where I’ve been and the ruggedness of my life.

But more importantly it will be these hands that will receive, The Book of deeds. I look, ponder and pray that MY RIGHT HAND is blessed the fortune of receiving the trials of this life ie. MY BOOK OF DEEDS with this RIGHT HAND (Which will be given to everyone on the Day of Judgment for all his deeds done in this World as a record of all his actions. As for those who will be given the book of deeds in their right hand, they would read it expecting to receive God’s Mercy and such would not be wronged or dealt a whit unjustly and they will be given their reward in full (as promised by Allah). Please refer to the below verse. 

No doubt I will never look at my hands the same again. I never saw the old man again after I left the park that day but I will never forget him and the words he spoke. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and wife I think of the man in the park.  

 I, too, want to RECEIVE MY BOOK OF DEEDS WITH MY RIGHT HAND—-

I am trying to be worthy of it by preparing for it now……..  O MY PERFECT AND GENEROUS GOD ! I make shukr (Thanks) for these hands. 

“(And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imam (their Prophets, or their records of good and bad deeds, or their Books like the Quran, the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), etc.). So whosoever is given his record in his right hand, such will read their records, and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.” (Qur’an 17:71 )

The man whom the world did not affect Ağustos 29, 2008

Shaykh Abdul Hakim al Afghani was a big scholar who taught in Syria many years ago. At that time, it was hard to find books with heavy citation of hadith (meaning, when the ahadith were cited, explanations were often not included), thus many times the students of knowledge had to learn not only from the books, but with a scholar as well to elaborate. This scholar was very knowledgable and was known throughout the city.

He charged nothing for the knowledge he gave. Some of his students would sometimes bring him food, but he would make them promise not to tell their families that it was for a Shaykh, for fear that they may give him a lot of food. Subhan’Allah, it gets even more amazing.

People began to wonder where he gained his livelihood, and how he could live if he did not charge for the classes he held. One day, some of his students followed him. He left the city and made his way to a far village on the outskirts of the city where the people did not know him (in the city he was known as a big scholar.) there, his students who had followed him saw that he worked in masonry (brick-work, making bricks).

Subhan’Allah, wallahu akbar! He is an amazing example for us. In this day and age when people charge an arm and a leg for knowledge, this person was truly an example to live by. Instead of reaping worldly profits from the knowledge he shared, he did whatever job he could to gain his livelihood.

Now, his student (the same one who related this story to his son, who related it to the person who told me) was performing Hajj with another student many years later. They were in Madina when he had a dream. In his dream, the Prophet Muhammad SAW came to him and said “Today, the man whom the world did not affect him, has passed away.” When the student woke up, he made his way to fajr when he came upon his friend. He related the dream, and his friend had had the exact same dream! They knew that Shaytan could not impersonate the Prophet Muhammad SAW in a dream, so their dream must have meant something.

When they returned to Syria, they found that on that same night when they had had the dream, Shaykh Abdul Hakim al Afghani had passed away.

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alam.

Indeed, this serves as an amazing example for us. Insha’Allah, we can be of those people whom the dunya does not affect our faith in Allah SWT.ya Allah, give us the tawfeeq to follow your commandments and bless us with your Mercy. Ameen.

Keep me in your duaa.
Ma’asalam.

(from http://www.jannahbound.blogspot.com/)

Woe Unto You, O Dinar Ağustos 24, 2008

 

There is an interesting story related about Dinâr Al’Ayyâr. Dinâr had a righteous mother who would constantly advise him to repent for his wayward, sinful existence, but as much as she tried, her words had no positive effect on him whatsoever. Then, one day, as he was walking by a graveyard, he stopped to pick up a bone; he was shocked to see how it crumbled and turned to dust in his hand. The sight of that bone had a profound effect on Dinâr. He began to think about his life and is past sins, and then he exclaimed, “Woe unto you, O Dinâr, you are going to end up like this crushed bone, and your body will turn into dust.” All of his past sins then flashed before his eyes, and he made a firm resolve to repent. Turning his gaze towards the sky, he said, “My Lord, I now turn to You in complete submission, so accept me and have mercy on me.”

With a complete changed heart and state of mind, Dinâr went to his mother and said, “Mother, what does a master do when he captures his slave, who had run away from him?” She said, “(To punish him,) the master then provides him with coarse clothing and low-quality food; and he ties his hands and feet, so that he does not make another attempt to escape. ” Dinâr said, “Then I want a garment made of coarse wool, low-quality barley, and two chains. Mother, do with me which is done to a runaway slave: Perhaps my Lord will, upon seeing my humiliation and humility, have mercy on me.” Seeing that her son was adamant and resolute in his quest, she complied.

At the beginning of every ensuing night, Dinâr would begin to cry and wail uncontrollably. And he would repeat the words: “Woe unto you, O Dinâr, do you have the power to withstand the Hell Fire! How brazen you have been to have led a life that has made you deserving of the anger of the All-Mighty!” He would continue upon that state until the morning. Turning wan and pale, Dinâr’s body slowly wasted away. Not being able to bear seeing hum in that pitiable state, his mother said, “My son, be easy on yourself.” He answered, “My mother, let me remain tired for a short while, so that perhaps I can achieve long term comfort later on. For tomorrow, I will be waiting a long time before my Majestic Lord, and I do not know whether He will order me to go to places of beautiful shade or to places of unspeakable horror.”

She said, “My son, at least rest for a while.” He said, “It is not present rest or comfort that I am seeking out. Mother, it is as if I see you and other people being led tomorrow towards Paradise, while I am being led towards the Hell Fire along with its inhabitants.” She left him then, and he returned to crying, worshipping, and reciting the Quran. One night, as he was reciting the Quran, he came across these verses:

“So, by your Lord (O Muhammad), We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all they used to do.” [Quran 15: 2, 93]

As he contemplated the meaning and the implications of the verses, he cried with such intensity that he fainted. His mother rushed to him and tried very hard to revive him, but he wouldn’t respond; she thought that he had died. Looking into the face of her precious son, she said, “O my beloved one, O the joy of my heart, where shall we meet again?” In fact, Dinâr still had some life left in him, and hearing his mother’s words , he answered with a faint voice, “My mother, if you do not find me on the wide plains of the Resurrection Day, then ask Malik, the Custodian of the Hell Fire, about me.” He then made a croaking sound and died.

After she finished washing his body, Dinâr’s mother prepared for him his funeral. She then went out and made the announcement: “O people, come to the (funeral) prayer of one who has been killed by (fear of) the Hell Fire.” People began to come from all directions; it is said that, during that era, no greater gathering came together and no amount of tears were shed as much on that day.

On the same night that his funeral was held, one of Dinâr’s friend saw him in a dream: attired in a green robe, Dinâr was prancing around in Paradise, all the while reciting the verse:

“So, by your Lord (O Muhammad), We shall certainly call all of them to account, for all they used to do.” [Quran 15: 2, 93]

During the dream, his friend heard him say, “By His and Majesty, He asked me (about my deeds). Having mercy on me, He forgave me and pardoned me (my sins). Lo! Convey news of this to my mother.”

 

From the Book: Stories of Repentance, By: Muhammad Abduh Mughawiri