The Moral Stories

A Valiant Woman of Faith

Zubeir was one of the close companions of the Prophet and Asma, the daughter of Abu-Bakr, was his wife.

After the tragedy of Kerbala, Abdallah the son of Zubeir was in Mecca. He made an uprising against the Ommayyad Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan and appointed his brother Musa'b as governor of Basrah.

Abdul Malik replied by launching an attack on Basrah and killed Musa'b. Thereafter he sent a large army under the command of Hujjaj Ibn Yusuf to fight against Abdallah bin Zubair.

Hujjaj surrounded Mecca and Abdalla with all the manpower at his disposal came out in defence against the Omayyad attack from a raised stand. Hujjaj and his people attacked with stone-throwing on the city of Mecca, causing extensive damage.

When the situation became very grim, Hujjaj sent a message to Abdulla saying that he would soon be defeated hence it would be better if he surrendered to save further bloodshed of Muslims, and also to save further damage to the holy city of Mecca.

He would guarantee that no harm would come to him but that the caliph will decide his ultimate fate. Abdulla responded by saying that he would think over that night and convey his reply to him the following day.

Thereafter he went to his colleagues and friends for consultation. All of them said that it was better to go out of Mecca and surrender to the Caliph. From there he went to his mother and reported the whole matter. His mother 'ASMA' was a woman of great courage and staunch faith. She asked:

"Oh son! Was your uprising against Bani Ummayya for the sake of worldly gains, or for the sake of Islam?"

Abdallah replied: "By GOD, it is for Islam and the proof of it is that I have not set my eyes over any worldly wealth nor have I accumulated any money."

Asma then told her son: "Therefore continue with the Jihad and show forebearance against any affliction. Exercise patience and display bravery like Hussein bin Ali, the leader of free and valiant people of the world."

Abdallah in reply said, "Oh my dear mother! I have also been thinking the same but wished to sound your opinion. Now I know that martyrdom is acceptable for me. But my only worry is that they will chop me into pieces after my death."

"Don't worry son! Like a sheep when slaughtered, flesh is cut into pieces but it does not cause it any pain", the mother said unflinchingly.

Abdullah kissed his mother's hands, went inside his room and spent that night in prayers and recitation of Quran. When morning set in, he made GHUSL (ablution) said his morning prayer and wearing his helmet, he went first to his mother to bid her farewell. The mother without any emotion told him, "Son, fight these corrupt and wicked steadfastly so that you qualify to enter heaven" Abdulla came out and he saw that his army had all deserted him and run away except a few of his own kith and kin. He called them, "Oh free people!

Let us proceed to the front and fight". Thus Abdulla with his few colleagues launched an attack against the enemy like a lion roaring in the jungle.

It was the only battle of its kind in the history of Arabia. After killing a number of his enemies, he was hit by a stone on the forehead and another one crushed his chest. Unable therefore to continue the fight, he fell down to be surrounded by his enemies who chopped off his head instantly. His companions also were killed after a short fight.

When Hujjaj entered Mecca, he gave instructions that his body be hanged at the city gate and the severed head be sent to the caliph in Syria. It is said that when the news of the killing of her son reached his mother, she did not cry nor shed any tears but only uttered these words:

"If my son were not to display such bravery he would not have been the son of Zubair!!!!"

Sometime had passed after this episode when Hujjaj once asked what the mother of Abdulla was doing? He was informed of her above words and extreme forebearance over the killing of her son. Hujjaj was astonished and decided to shake her spirits and patience.

He prepared some women to persuade her to pay a visit to a place where the body of her son was hanging. When she arrived at that place and saw the state of her son's hanging body, she displayed no emotion whatsoever and with the same calmness said:

"Has not the time come for this mounted person to come down the saddle?".

So saying she went away. When these words were conveyed to Hujjaj, he gave instructions to remove the body of Abdullah so that it could be buried.

Greedy Even in Old Age

Haroon-AI-Rashid was one of the famous kings of Bani Abbas. He ruled from 170 to 193 A.H. He was the one who had poisoned and killed Imam Musa Kazim(A.S.).

Once addressing his courtiers, he said that he was anxious to meet a person who had personally seen the Prophet of Islam. He wanted to know from him the personal qualities of the last Prophet.

One courtier said that he knew an old person who lived in Yemen and who claimed to have seen the Prophet personally. Haroon ordered that every effort be made to bring that old man to his court. A special litter was sent to Yemen.

There the old man who was already weak and reduced to a skeleton was comfortably placed on it. Slowly he was carried on a long journey from his home till he safely arrived in Baghdad, the capital of the king.

On entering his court, Haroon warmly welcomed and seated him besides his throne. He then asked him whether he had seen the Prophet personally. The old man in his weak and lowly voice replied:

"Yes! I used to sit near the pulpit of the Prophet and hear his ahadith (sayings)" Haroon asked him to describe the main features and appearance of the Prophet. He said:

"The Prophet looked handsome and of sound physique. He had black and curly hair. His face was luminescent. He was fond of perfume and made use of it liberally, so much so that the fragrance would remain behind for quite sometime wherever he passed."

Haroon then asked whether he remembered any saying of the Prophet. The old man replied that he could still remember one in which the Prophet had said:

"Man grows old but two qualities in him still remain young: one is "greed" and the second great expectation"

Haroon was quite happy to meet the old man and hear what he had to say about the Prophet. He then ordered that a handsome gift of money be presented to him. He also instructed that he should be returned home as comfortably as possible.

Thus the old man comfortably placed on his stretcher was then on his way back to his home in Yemen. Hardly had the litter reached a small distance from Baghdad when he suddenly raised his weak voice. He asked to be sent back to Baghdad as he had an important matter to discuss with the king. When he was brought back to the court, Haroon was rather surprised and asked him if he had forgotten something. The old man replied:

"Oh King! Tell me whether the gift of money you gave me was only the first and the last or whether I could come every year to receive a similar gift from you?"

On hearing this Haroon laughed and said to him:

"You had rightly quoted the Prophet as saying that the two qualitites of greed and long expectation remain young and active even in old age." Haroon then promised the old man that he could expect repeated gifts yearly as long as he lived. But alas! the greedy old man was not destined to enjoy even the first gift from the king. Back on his litter as he was comfortably being carried, before he could reach his hometown in Yemen, he died of greed but without enjoying his cherished gift of money from Haroon.

The fact is that man by nature is born with greed in his character. The Holy Quran says:

"Verily man is created avaricious (Greedy)." (70:19)

Why is this instinct created in Man? The purpose is to make him work hard to raise his standard of living. He should temper his instinct with virtue by being considerate and generous and strive to attain the ultimate pleasure of Allah and high status in the life hereafter.

The instinct of profit and possession is not meant to make one selfish, to devote oneself to hoarding wealth, and to satisfy one's desire for worldly gains. Therefore this instinct needs to be controlled and channelled into the right direction- by being generous and charitable.

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was once asked who the wealthiest of all men was. In reply he said: "The wealthiest of all men is the one who is not enslaved with greed". And Hazrat Ali (A.S.) had said:

"The greedy is in the shackles of disgrace." and the fourth Imam Zainul Abedeen (A..S.) in one of his prayers said: "Oh Allah! I seek shelter from THEE from overriding desire and greed for worldly things".

ISLAMIC EQUALITY AND FAIRPLAY IN PRACTICE

It was during the times when Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was the caliph of the Muslim Ummah. One day accompanied by his slave Qamber, he went to the cloth bazaar in Kufa. They stopped at one shop, and Ali (A.S.) requested to see some clothes. The shopkeeper recognized him and said "Oh Ameer-al- Mu'mineen! (Master of the faithful) I have and can offer you what you want." On noticing that he had already been recognized, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) withdrew from that shop without any deal.

Both then proceeded and stopped at another shop run by a young man. From him Hazrat Ali (A.S.) purchased two clothes, one costing three dirham and the other two. He gave the more expensive one of three dirhams to Qamber and retained the cheaper one of lower quality for himself. On seeing this, Qamber objected saying that the better quality cloth would befit him better since Ali (A.S.) was going on the pulpit to deliver Khutbas (sermons).

To this Ali (A.S.) argued that the better grade cloth should be worn by Qamber who was younger and was more desirous of attractions. Besides, Ali (A.S.) added, that he had heard the Prophet recommending to them to clothe and feed their slaves the same way as they did for themselves.

From this story, three things are noteworthy:

1. That those in high posts in government should be careful not to take advantage of their positions in matters of personal interests. At if Hazrat Ali (A.S.) by withdrawing from that first shopkeeper wanted to convey to him that the one who desired to purchase cloth was not the Caliph of the country but Ali bin Abi Talib in his personal capacity. The shopkeeper addressed him as Amir-al-Mu'mineen hence he went away without making a deal.

2. The Islamic Shariah has prescribed special and equitable rights for slaves who must receive consideration as human beings. Hence Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was putting this teaching into practice and setting an invaluable example.

3. That Islam has given consideration within limits to the natural desire of younger people to make themselves attractive. In giving better cloth to Qambar, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) wanted to make him feel happy.

Were men of high positions in public institutions today to serve the interests of the people only without misusing their positions for personal gains, people would enjoy better prosperity and peace in the world.