The Moral Stories (part 2)

A Joke With Bahlool

Once Bahlool was sitting in the court of Haroon. In order to create some fun, one of the vazirs of the Caliph said this to him:

"Congratulations Oh Bahlool! I understand the Caliph Haroon has decided to entrust to you the kingdom and rulership over the animals of the cocks and the pigs etc."

Promptly Bahlool reacted to this by saying:

"Be careful not to go against any rule in my kingdom. I shall be very strict to those going against. But I shall be very considerate to those obeying me and providing more grass and water."

On hearing this, Haroon was much amused. He laughed and laughed till he fell backward. What a logic and prompt way Bahlool always responded to any matter put forward to him.

"Throw a stone in return from where one comes to you because evil can be met only with evil."

ADVICE TO ABDULLA MUBARAK

Abdulla Mubarak once approached Bahlool with a request to show him a way of salvation and purification from sins. Bahlool replied that what could be expected from him when he was considered as an insane person by people.

Why not find a sensible person to guide you? he added. Abdulla said that insane persons are quite often expert in their profession hence one ought to listen to words of wisdom from those considered mentally unbalanced. On Abdullah's insistence, Bahlool agreed upon four conditions narrated as under:

What better reason other than this could it be for one always to remain on the path of obedience to Allah.

Firstly: "If you go against any command of Allah then you should refrain from eating from His sustenance. How dare you as a sensible person, claiming to be servant of Allah and enjoying His bounties yet turn against Him?"

Abdulla admitted that this was the absolute truth Secondly: "When you disobey Him, you should not reside in His domain." Adbulla said: "This was rather, difficult condition to comply with" Bahlool said:

"But how unfair it was to enjoy His blessings and reside in His doinain yet disobey and go against His commands. Allah Himself has said in the Holy Qura'n:

"Surely to Us is their turning back, Then surely upon Us is the taking of their account." (88:25-26) Thirdly; "If you are bent upon committing a sin, then do so at a place where Allah cannot see you at all"

Abdulla said: "This is impossible" Bahlool said: "How unfair it was for one to enjoy His bounties, reside in His domain and yet commit sins despite the fact that He is seeing you. And Allah has stated in the Holy Qura'n:

"And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He only respites them to a day on which the eyes shall be fixedly open." (14:42) Fourthly: "When the angel of death approaches you for taking away your soul, tell him to wait so that you may bid farewell to people and perform some good deeds for the benefit of life after death" Abdulla responded saying:

"This was impossible because the angel of death does not allow any respite to anyone"

Bahlool reacted to this by saying:

"How dare you then commit a sin when you know for certain that you are not going to be spared anytime when death approaches. Is it not possible that death comes to you at the very moment when you are committing sin and you are unable to move. And Allah had said in the Holy Quran:

"And for every nation there is a doom, so when their doom is come they shall not remain behind the least while, nor shall they go before." (7:34) Abdulla told Bahlool that he had carefully listed and understood his four conditions and wanted to hear more from him. Bahlool then added: "Man,when committing action, or uttering, or hearing any word, ought to keep in view the commands of Allah"

Inquiry On Bahlool's Welfare

Haroon once inquired from Bahlool about his welfare and how he was keeping. In reply he said:

"So long as I do not take over upon myself the responsibility of governing and matters pertaining to the Muslim Ummah, I shall remain alright" "But don't you know that to maintain justice and fairplay among Muslims is Ibadat - an act of virtue", said Harooh.

"I know that but the Cafiph himself ought to be obedient and not an usurper since the caliphate is the right of the children of Ali (A.S.)". retorted Bahlool. "Don't you like to live forever with pleasure and happiness?". asked Haroon.

"No, because if I were always to enjoy the pleasure of worldly blessings, I am likely to forget Allah, the reality of my true self and my welfare and salvation in the next world and I do not want to risk that. I am only willing to accept and be satisfied with what is my right", replied Bahlool.

Thus Bahlool demonstrated his profound sense of contentment besides his strong belief in the fact that the more one is attached to worldly pleasures, the more the risks of forgetting Allah and the life hereafter. How truly is the saying of the Prophet:

"Contentment is such a wealth which does not get exhausted" Contentment has been regarded as capital and estate for the reason that just as the estate and area under sway dispels need in the same way when a man adopts contentment and feels happy over his livelihood he becomes free of turning to others in the time of need.

Whoever is contented with the morsel he gets, dry or wet, is the king of all the land and sea.

VISIT TO THE GRAVEYARD

Once people saw Bahlool sitting between graves at a graveyard. They joked with him saying: "Oh Bahlool! You are still alive, why do you have to remain seated here between the dead?"

"I prefer to sit with such people because they keep me away from pride and negligence of my moral duties, and are the cause of good advice to me" replied Bahlool. And once Bahlool was returning from a visit to the grave-yard, some people asked him:

"Wherefrom do you come. Oh Bahlool?" "I am coming back from a visit of those people who have already descended under the earth", he replied.

"Have you talked and asked them anything?", those people asked. "Yes! I asked them when were they to move away from their present station and they told me that they were awaiting your arrival there. They will move when you also arrive there", replied Bahlool.

That graveyard is the final place we all have to go to one day Is the moral lesson given by Bahlool. Therefore wise is the one who remains always thoughtful and prepared for this ultimate destination.

"I also advise you to remember death and to lessen your heedlessness towards it. Why should you be heedless of Him Who is not heedless of you? Why expect from him (i.e., the angel of death) who will not give you time?

The dead whom you have been watching suffice as preachers. They were carried to their graves, not riding themselves, and were placed in them but not of their own accord. It seems as if they never lived in this world and as if the next world had always been their abode.

They have made lonely the place where they were living, and are now living where they used to feel lonely. They remained busy about what they had to leave, and did not care for where they were to go. Now they cannot remove themselves from evil, nor add to their virtues They were attached to the world and it deceived them. They trusted it and it overturned them." (Nahjul Balaghah; sermon 188)

DISCUSSION ON LIFE HEREAFTER

Haroon once asked Bahlool whether he new where his place was after death in accordance with this Quranic Ayat:

"Most surely the righteous are in bliss, And most surely the wicked are in burning fire," (82:13-14) And what is to happen to my tie of relationship to the Prophet? Haroon also asked. In reply Bahlool recited the following Ayat of the Qura'n:

"So when the trumpet is blown, there shall be no ties of relationship between them on that day, nor shall they ask of each other." (23:101)

"Without good deeds, your tie of relationship with the Prophet will be of no benefit to you. Whosoever oppresses the decendants of the Prophet shall be denied his intercession on the day of Judgement." Haroon on hearing this asked:

"In what way have the decendants of the Prophet suffered because of me?" Bahlool in reply to this said:

"Imam Musa ibn Jaffer who is the decendant of the Prophet is without any fault or reason in your prison. Could there be worse sin than this?" Haroon thought deeply for a while and wept then asked: "If I were to repent and make Tauba, would I not achieve salvation?" To this Bahlool responded by saying:

"You are so much overtaken by the love of power and so negligent of the life hereafter that you would not refrain from your misdeeds and sins even if the Prophet were to descend from heaven and reproach you giving good advice."

The foregoing polemic denotes the deep concern Bahlool cherished in his heart for the oppressive treatment of the descendants of the Prophet by the Abbasid rulers of his time. That Bahlool dared to raise his voice of protest before Haroon shows the degree of his great courage and uprightness.