INCIDENTS OF GOD FEARING PERSONS
Incident - 2
Shaikh Sadooq relates, that one day Ma'az bin Jabal came weeping to the
presence of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.)
asked him the reason for weeping. Ma'az replied, "O Prophet ! A youth
is standing at your door and weeping as a mother weeps at the dead body
of her young son. His state is pitiable, and he desires to meet you".
The Prophet (S.A.W.S.) called him in.. The youth came in and saluted the
Prophet. The Prophet (S.A.W.S.) answered his salutation and asked him
the reason for weeping so bitterly. The youth replied, "O Prophet of
Allah! Why should I not cry, for I have committed a grave sin. I fear
that if Allah takes into
account that sin of mine, and no doubt He shall do so, He shall throw
me head-long into the fire of hell". The Prophet replied, "Have you
committed `shirk'(associated anyone with Allah)"? He said, "I seek
refuge in Allah from being a polytheist (mushrik)". The Prophet asked,
"Then have you killed anyone without any reason"? He replied in the
negative. The Prophet then said, "Even if your sin is bigger than the
mountains, Allah shall forgive you". He replied, "Verily my sin is
bigger than that". The Prophet said,"Then if your sin is bigger than the seven
worlds, the seas, the trees and whatever is in them, then too Allah is
merciful, He shall forgive you. He replied that his sin was
even greater than that. The heavens, the Throne (Arsh). and the Chair
(Kursi), then too the Beneficent Allah will forgive you". The man still
persisted. Then the Prophet
turned towards him in anger and said, "O young man! Is your sin bigger
than the Almighty". The youth replied, "Verily my Lord is free from all
shortcomings, nothing is greater or bigger than Him, and He is above
all things". The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) then said, "Who else besides
the Almighty has got the power to forgive big sins. The young man
replied, "Truly O Master, no one except Him has the power". The Prophet
said. "Now then young man, tell me as to what sin have you committed
for whose forgiveness you have lost all hope of mercy". `The young
man replied, "O Apostle of Allah! Since the past seven years I have
been digging the graves of people and robbing their shrouds. One day a
young girl from among the Ansars (the Helpers, the people of Medina who
had given refuge to the Prophet) died and was buried. As usual I went
to the graveyard with the intention of robbing the shroud. 1 saw a
newly formed grave and dug it, then I removed the shroud from her dead
body, and leaving her naked started going away. When suddenly I looked
at her, shaitaan tempted me
and the girl seemed beautiful in my eyes. By
now shaitaan and over powered me and I turned towards the girl and had
intercourse with her. Then I left her in that state and started
leaving, when I heard a voice from behind me saying: "O young man! May
Allah curse you! On the day of Qayamat when our case will be brought
before Almighty Allah, and it will become apparent that you removed me
from my
grave, robbed me of my shroud, left me in a state of pollution among
the dead, and I will rise in this impure state on that day. May your
youth burn in the fire hell". The
youth continued, "After having committing this sin, I am sure that I
will not be able to even smell the fragrance of Paradise". The Prophet
replied, "O fornicator! Go away
from me, I fear lest the fire of hell would burn me along with you, for
you have gone quite near to it".
(It
should be noted here that this attitude of the Holy Prophet towards the
young man was so as to put fear (of Allah and the hereafter) in his
heart, so that he my feel
ashamed and repent sincerely for this indecent act, as will be seen
later).
When
the young man heard these words from the mouth of the Prophet
(S.A.W.S.), he left His presence. He went to the market place and
bought food for some,days and went to one of the mountains of Madina to
repent. He wore a dress of sack-cloth and started worshipping Almighty.
Heput his hands behind his neck and said, "O
Lord! This slave Bahlool of Your's is standing in front of You with his
hands tied. O Allah! You know me well and also my sin. Verily I regret
over it and even went to Your Prophet to confess my guilt. He turned me
away from Him thereby increasing my fear (of Your wrath). I now ask You
in the name of Thy Magnificence, Thy Glory, and Thy Best Names, do not
forsake me and leave me in despair.O Allah! Do not reject my Prayers,
and do not turn away
Your blessings from me".
Forty
days passed in this state of repentance. He wept such bitterly that
even the animals and beasts lamented over his pitiable condition. When
forty days passed away, he lifted his hands towards the sky and said,
"O my Lord! Have you heard my words? And if You have forgiven me,
reveal to Your Prophet to give me the glad tidings. And O Lord! If You
have still not forgiven me, send Your wrath on me, a fire which would
burn me in this very world. But save me from Your chastisement on the
day of Qayamat"`. Almighty Allah forgave him and accepted his (sincere)
repentance. It was revealed to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S..): And those
who when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their souls,
remember Allah and forgiveness for their faults, and who forgives the
faults but Allah, and (who) do not knowingly persist in what they have
done.(As for) these, their reward is forgiveness
from their Lord, and gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in
them, and excellent is the reward of the labourers. (Surah-al-Aale
Imraan: 134, 135)
When
this verse was revealed, the Prophet came out reciting it and incurred
about Bahlool. Ma'az replied, "O Prophet of Allah! We have heard that
he is at so and so
mountain repenting". The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) accompanied by some of
His close companions left for the place. He saw Bahlool standing
between two stones with his hands tied on his neck. His face had turned
dark because of the heat of the blazing sun, and his eyelashes had
fallen because of intense weeping. He was saying "O Lord You have
created us humans the best creatures (Ashraful Makhlooqat), and given
me a good disposition and face. I wish I knew what would happen to me
(in
Qayamat). When You will forgive me and permit me to enter Your
paradise, or forsake me and throw me into the blazing fire. O Allah!
Surely You have favoured me, and Your rights are more than me. My sin
is greater than the earth, the heavens, the Throne (Arsh), and the
Chair (kursee). I wish I knew whether you will forgive me or
disgrace me on the day of Qayamat". The young man was uttering these
words and weeping and throwing dust on his head. Animals and beasts had
surrounded him, and the
birds had formed a circle around his head,
and were weeping at his pathetic state. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.)
went towards him and untied his hands. He cleaned the dust from his
hair and said, "Bahlool! I give you glad news that Allah has forgiven
you and promises to save you from the fire of hell". Then He (S.A.W..S.)
turned towards His companions and said. "O my companions! You too seek
forgiveness from Allah just like Bahlool". Then He recited the above
verse and gave the good news to Bahlool.
Allamah
Majlisi in his `Aynul Hayaat' after quoting this narration, says that
repentance has come terms and conditions which need to be fulfilled.
Ref:MANAZELUL AKHERAH
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