Bi ismillahir rahmanir raheem
assalamu alaikum
Shaykh Malik Bin Dinar (rahmatullah alayh) was one
of the renowned of his time. It is said that in his early life, he was
not a pious man and when someone asked him how he came to repent of his
sins and abandon his evil ways, he related the following story about
himself:
I was a policeman in my youth, and was fond of wine and would drink
like a fish. I drank day and night and led a care-free life. I bought a
beautiful slave girl whom I loved most dearly. I had a daughter from
her, a lovely child, and I was very fond of her and she was also very
fond of me. When this baby daughter began to walk and talk, I loved her
all the more and she remained with me all the time.
The innocent child had a strange habit. When she saw a glass of wine in
my hands, she would snatch it away and spill it on my clothes. Being
fond of her, I did not scold her. As fate would have it, my innocent
child died when she was two years old and I was stunned with shock and
heart-sore with bitter grief.
One night, the 15th of Sha�ban, I was very drunk and went to sleep
without performing my Esha salah. I had a most horrible dream, in which
I saw that it was the Day of Resurrection with men coming out of
graves, and I was one of those who were being driven to the place of
assembly. I heard the noise of something following me and looking back
I saw a huge snake chasing me, close behind. Ah! It was a most horrible
sight, the snake had blue cat-like eyes, its mouth was wide open and it
was rushing towards me most furiously. I ran faster in terror,
desperate for my life, the horrible snake still running after me and
drawing closer. I saw an old man, dressed in elegant clothes, with rich
perfumes wafting all around his person. I greeted him saying, �Asalamu
alaykum� and he returned my greeting. I said, �For the Sake of Allah,
help me in my misery.� He said, �I am too weak to help you against such
a mighty foe; it is beyond my powers. But you must go on running;
perhaps you may find some help to save you from it.�
Running wildly, I saw a cliff in front of me and climbed it, but on
reaching its top, I saw beyond it the raging fire of Jahannam, with its
most horrifying spectacles. I was so terrified by the snake that I ran
on till I was afraid I would fall into Jahannam. Meanwhile, I heard a
voice calling aloud �Get back, for you are not one of them (people of
Jahannam).� I came away and began to run in the opposite direction. The
snake also turned around and came after me. I saw again, the white
robed old man and said to him, �Old man, can�t you save me from this
python, I asked you before, but you did not help me.� The old man began
to cry and said, �I am too weak to help you against such a mighty
snake, but I can tell you that there is a hill nearby where they keep
the sacred trusts of the Muslims. If you go up that hill you might find
something of yours, kept in trust, which might save you from the
snake.�
I rushed towards the hill, which was round in shape, with a large
number of open curtained casements. The casements had golden shutters
studded with rich rubies and most precious jewels, on each shutter hung
a curtain of the rarest of silk. When I was going to climb the hill, an
angel called out, �Open the windows and raise the curtains and come out
of your closets! Here is an unfortunate man in misery, may be you have
with you some trust of his that might help him in his distress.� The
windows opened at once, the curtains went up and there issued forth
from the casements a host of innocent children with faces bright as the
full moon. By this time I was utterly despondent, for the snake had
drawn very close to me. Now the children called their friends, �Come
out, quickly, all of you, for the snake has drawn very close to him.�
Hearing this more children came out in crowds and among them; I saw my
own dear daughter who had died some time ago. She began to weep,
exclaiming, �By Allah, he is my own dear father!� She jumped on a
swinging cradle, which seemed to be made from heavenly light and darted
to me. I took her to my bosom; she lifted her left hand towards me and
with her right hand motioned the snake away. The snake went away
immediately. Then she gave me a seat and sat in my lap and began to
stroke my beard with her right hand saying, �My dear father, has
not the time come for the Believers that their hearts should submit in
all humility to the remembrance of Allah and to the truth which is
revealed.� [Majestic Qur�an - Al-Hadeed: 16)
I was moved to tears and asked her, �My daughter, do all of you know
the meaning o the Qur�an?� She replied, �We understand the Qur�an even
better than you.� I asked her, �My dear child, what was this snake?�
She said, �It was your own evil deed which had made it so strong, it
was about to push you into Jahannam.� I asked �And who was that white
robed old man?� She replied, �Those were your good deeds and you had
made them so weak with your scanty good deeds that he could not help
you with the snake.� I asked, �What are all of you doing on this hill?�
She replied, �We are the children of the Muslims who died in infancy.
We shall live here till the day of resurrection, waiting to be reunited
with you when you come to us at last and we shall intercede for you
with your Lord.�
And then I woke from the dream, with the fright from the snake still
heavy on my heart. I turned to Allah in repentance as soon as I rose
and abandoned my evil ways.
from 'Upbringing of Children', by Hazrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi rahmatullah alayhi
------------- Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.
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