100 Moral Stories

ABOYWITH STRONG BELIEF Shaykh Fath al-Mowsily relates, once I saw a young boy walking through the jungle. It appeared as

if he was uttering some words. I greeted him with Salaam and he replied accordingly. I inquired,

“Where are you going?” He retorted, “To the house of Allah

(Makkah).” I further asked, “What are you reciting?”

“The Qur’an” he replied. I remarked, “You are at a tender

age, it is not an obligation that you are required to fulfill.”

He said, “I have witnessed death approach people younger

than me and therefore would like to prepare if death was to

knock on my door.” I astoundingly commented, “Your steps

are small and your destination far.” He responded, “My duty

is to take the step and it remains the responsibility of Allah

to take me to my destination.” I continued to ask, “Where is

your provision and conveyance (means of transport).”

He replied, “My Yaqeen (belief) is my provision and

my feet’s are my conveyance.” I explained, “I am asking you regarding bread and water.”

He replied! “Oh Shaykh if someone invited you to his house, would it be appropriate to take your

own food?” I exclaimed, “No!” “Similarly, My Lord has invited His servant to His house, it is only

the weakness of your Yaqeen that makes us carry provisions. Despite this, do you think Allah will

let me go to waste?” “Never” I replied. He then left. Sometime later I saw him in Makkah. He

approached me and inquired, “Oh Shaykh are you still of weak belief?”

Source: Stories of the Pious by Shaikh Ahmad Ali.

AVERYPOWERFULSTORY

He remembered his grandmother’s warning about praying on time: “My son, you shouldn’t leave

prayer to this late time.” His grandmother’s age was 70 but whenever she heard the Adhan, she got

up like an arrow and performed Salah/Namaz/prayer. He, however could never win over his ego to

get up and pray. Whatever he did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it

quickly to get it in on time. Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes

left before Salat-ul Isha. He quickly made Wudhu and performed Salat-ul Maghrib. While making

Tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed. His

grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making Dua and went down to

make Sajdah and stayed like that for a while.

He had been at school all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and

shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he

looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and

right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and

apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.

His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgment. When he was alive, he had heard many

things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be

something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imag-

ined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people

to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him. All of a sudden his name was called

and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two people grabbed his arms and led

him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd. The angels brought him to the

center and left him there. His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his

eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping oth-

ers. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of

Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was

being cleared.

He pleaded his case; “I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah.

I performed my Salah. I fasted in the month of Ramadan. Whatever Allah ordered us to do, I did.

Whatever he ordered us not to do, I did not.” He began to cry and think about how much he loved

Allah. He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah deserved and his

only protector was Allah. He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were

fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with

sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He

closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam/Hell.

His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn’t be, “How could I go to

Jahannam? I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah to others.” His eyes had become

blurry and he was shaking with sweat. The two angels took him by the arms. As his feet dragged,

they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling

and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good

deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Qur’an that he read, he was

asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had got-

ten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Rasulullah [saw]

said, “How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah

performed five times cleanse someone of their sins?” He began yelling, “My prayers? My prayers?

My prayers?”

The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam. The flames of the

fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had

nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in.

He found himself in the air and falling towards the

flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand

grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted

his head and saw an old man with a long white beard.

He wiped some dust off himself and asked him,

“Who are you?” The old man replied, “I am your prayers.”

“Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire! You

rescued me at the last minute before I fell in.”

The old man smiled and shook his head. “You always

performed me at the last minute, and did you forget?”

At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from

Sajdah. He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices

coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat-ul

Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform Wudhu.

“Say Your Prayers Before Prayers For You Are Said.”

“Namaz Parh Is Se Pehle Ke Teri Namaz Parhi Jaye.”