Anecdotes of Pious Men

The Retirement

The old man, a Christian by religion, had worked all his life; but had not been able to save anything for his old age. Lately he had become also blind. Old age, poverty and blindness had joined hands and he had no other way except begging. He used to stand at the corner of a lane for begging. People had compassion for him and gave him some alms from which he ate every day, and so he con- tinued his sad life.

One day Ali, the Leader of the Faithfuls pass- ed through the lane and saw the beggar in that con- dition. Ali, out of his concern for others, enquired about the old man. He wanted to know the factors which led him to that condition. "Had he no son to support him? Or, is there no other way for him to live a respectable life in his old age?"

The people who knew the old man came for- ward and informed Ali that he was a Christian and,

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had worked hard so long as he had his eyes, and was young and strong. Now that he had lost his youth as well as his eyes he was unable to do any work; also he had no savings, so it was natural that he was begging. Ali said, "Strange! Till he had strength you extracted work from him and now you have left him on his own?" His story shows that he had worked when he had the strength. Therefore, it is the duty of the Government and the society to support him till he is alive. Go, and give him a life-pension from the State-treasury ."

IN THE LAND OF MINA

The pilgrims had assembled in Mina. Imam Sadiq and his companions sitting in a place were eating some grapes placed before them. A beggar appeared and asked for alms. The Imam took some grapes to give him, but he refused to accept it and asked for money. Imam told him to excuse him as he did not have money. The beg- gar went away disappointed.

After going a few steps he had second thoughts came back and asked for the same grapes. The Imam now refused to give him those grapes too. Soon after, another beggar appeared. The Imam again took some grapes and gave to him. He accepted it and said, "Thanks to the Lord of universe who gave me my sustenance" On hearing these words, the Imam told him to wait and gave him two handfuls of grapes.

The beggar thanked God for the second time.

The Imam again told him to wait and then turning to one of his friends asked, "How much money is with you?" The man searched his pockets and produced nearly twenty Dirhams which he gave to the beggar at the order of the Imam.

The beggar thanking God for the third time said, "Thanks are exclusively to God. O God! Thou art the Bestower of the good, and thou hast no companion'." On hearing these words, the Imam took off his garment and gave it to the beggar. Now, the beggar changed his tone and spoke a few words of thanks to the Imam himself. Then the Imam did not give him anything and he went away.

His friends and companions who were present there said, "We thought that had the beggar conti- nued thanking God in the same manner as before, the Imam would have continued giving him more and more. But when he cnanged his talk and praised

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and thanked the Imam himself, the Imam did not continue his help.

The Protection That Was Revoked

Muslims had migrated to Abyssinia because of the torture and persecution by Quraish, but al- ways anxiously waited for some news from their homeland. Those stand-bearers of Unity and justice of God (though an insignificant minority in com- parison to the swarms of idolators who were bent upon maintaining statuesque in religion and social system) were confident that everyday their suppor- ters were increasing and the rank of their adversa- ries was decreasing. They even hoped that soon the curtain of ignorance would be removed from the eyes of the non believers and the whole tribe of Quraish would embrace Islam, casting away their idols.

By chance a rumour took wings in their local- ity in Abyssinia that the whole Quraish had been converted to Islam. Though the news was not con firmed, but the refugees deep faith in their religion, and their strong expectation and hope in the ulti-

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mate victory of Islam led a group of them to return to Mecca without waiting for the confirmation of the news from reliable sources. One of them was Othman bin Madh'un, the well-known companion of the Prophet who was extra-ordinarily attached to the Holy Prophet, and was greatly respected by all Muslims. When he reached near Mecca, he realis- ed that the news was not correct; on the contrary, Quraish had intensified the torture and oppression of the Muslims. He was in a bad fix: He could not return to Abyssinia as it was far off; and if he en- tered Mecca,he would immediately become a target of the Quraish's torture. At last, an idea came into his mind. He thought of taking advantage of an Arabian custom by placing himself under the pro- tection of one of the influential men of Quraish.

According to the Arab custom if a person would request an Arab for protection, he usually would grant his request and would protect him even at the cost of his own life. For an Arab, it was a shame if someone asked him for protection and he

did not grant that request eventhough he might be his enemy. So Othman entered Mecca at mid-night and went straight to the house of Waleed son of Mughira Makhzumi, a distinguished wealthy and in- fluential Quraishite. He asked for his protection which was readily granted.

Next day, Waleed brought him to the Mosque and made a formal announcement before the elders of the tribe that from that moment Othman was under his protection, anyone doing anything against him would be considered going against Waleed per- sonally. As Waleed was highly respected by Ouraish, nobody dared to trouble Othman any more. He was now a protected person. He moved freely as one of the Quraish attending their sittings.

But at the same time, the persecution of other Muslims continued unbated. It was hard on Oth- man, who was not happy at being Safe while his fellow Muslims continued to suffer. One day he thought to himself that it was not just on his part

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to be safe under the protection of a pagan whereas his brethren were being persecuted. He came to Waleed and said:

"I am sincerely thankful to you. You gave me protection and saved me; but from today I want to go out from your protection, and join my friends. Let, whatever happens to them, happen to me" "Nephew, perhaps you are not happy with me, or perhaps, my protection could not keep you safe" "Why, I am not unhappy at all. But I don't want to live any longer under protection of anyone except God'."

"Since you have so decided, I would like you to come to the Mosque announce your going out from my protection, as I took you the first day there and announced your protection" "Very well, no objection to it."

They came to the Mosque. When the elders had gathered, Waleed said: "Everybody should know that Othman has come here to announce his

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exit from my protection"

Othman said: "He is right. I have come here with that very intention, and also to inform you that so long as I was under his protection, he protec- ted me very well and I had no reason to complain. The reason for my going out from his protection is only that I don't like to live under the protection of anyone except God."

This is how the protective period came to end, and he lost his immunity from persecution. But he was still moving freely among Quraish as before.

One day, Labeed bin Rabia, the well-known poet of Arabia came to Mecca to recite his Qasida (poem) which he had recently composed, and which is now considered as a masterpiece and classics of the pre-Islamic period of Arabic literature.

The Qasida begins with the following line:

Know (that Ev ery thing is null and v oid ex - cept God; nothing ex cept A llah is Truth). The Prophet had said about this line, "It is the truest poem has ever composed'."

Anyhow, Labeed came, Quraish gathered to hear such a great poet. There was a pin-drop silence to hear a reputedly best work of Labeed. He started recitation with manifest pride:

(Know that everything is null and void except God).

Before he could recite the second line, Oth- man sitting in a corner said loudly: "Excellent, you have spoken the truth. It is the fact; everything except God is false."

Labeed recited the second line:

end).

(A nd, without doubt all riches come to an

Othman cried, "But this is wrong. Not all riches are to come to an end. This is true only for the material riches of this world. The riches of the life hereafter are immortal and eternal:"

The people were surprised. No body had ex- pected that a man who only a short while ago was under the protection of another person and who now had neither security of his life nor power of any wealth would dare criticising a poet of Labeed's stature in the gathering of chiefs and elders of the Quraish.

They requested Labeed to repeat the lines; the poet repeated the first line and again Othman said: "True, correct'." But when Labeed repeated the second line, Othman again said: "Wrong. It is not true; the riches of that world are not perishable"

This time Labeed himself felt most annoyed. He cried: "O people of Quraish! By God, your gatherings were not like this before. There were

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not such rude and discourteous persons among you. How is it that now among you I find such persons?"

A man from the audience with the intention of pacifying hire and making him to continue his recitation, said affably: "Please, don't be angry to the talk of this man. He is crazy. And he is not alone. There is a group of some more crazy per- sons in this city. And they have the same belief as this fool. They have gone out from our religion and have chosen a new religion of their own"

Othman replied to that man forcefully. The man lost his temper; moved from his seat and slap- ped at the face of Othman, putting his full strength behind that slap. Othman got a black-eye.

Somebody said to Othman:

"Othman! you did not appreciate the value of the protection of Waleed. Had you still been

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under his protection, your eye would not have be- come black." "The protection of God is safer and more dig- nified than the protection of any other person. So far as my eye is concerned, the other eye also longs to attain the same honour in the way of Allah:"

Waleed came forward and said:

"Othman, I am ready to take you again under my protection:" "But I have decided not to accept anyone's protection except that of God."