Knowledge Is Light

‏عن سعيد بن جبير ومجاهد قالا:

من صلَّى الضحى ثمان ركعات كُتِبَ مِنَ الأوَّابين{إِنَّهُ كان للأَوَّابينَ غَفُورًا}

Al Haafidh ibn Rajab mentioned in the commentary of the tabiqaat of AlHanaabila (196/1) in the biography of Al Qaadi Abi Bakr Muhammad Abdul AlBaaqi Al Bazzaz who died in the year 535 AH Sheik Saalih Abu Al Qaasim Al Khazaz Al Bagdadi said, “I heard Al-Qaadi AbiBakr Muhammad Abdul Al Baaqi Al Bazzaz Al Ansaari say”… 

I used to live in the vicinity of Mecca, may Allah the Exalted protect it, so one day I was stricken with severe hunger and I did not find anything to fight against this hunger. So I found a bag made from silk, tied with a tassel that was also made from silk, so I grabbed it and took it to my house.

When I unfastened it I found in it a necklace made from pearl such that I had not seen the like of it before. So when I exited my house I saw an old man that was seeking this bag. With him was a torn rag containing five hundred dinar and he was saying, “This is for the one who returns to me the bag containing the pearls.”

So I said, “I am in need, I am hungry, so I will take this money and benefit from it and return to him the bag.”

So I said to him, “Come to me”, so I took him and brought him to my home. So he gave me the description of the bag, and the description of the tassel, and the description of the pearls along with their number, and the description of the thread that fastened it. So I removed it from the bag and gave it to him, so he gave me the five hundred dinar, but I did not take it.

Then I said to him, “It is incumbent upon me to return this to you and I will not take any reward for it.”

He said to me,“You must take it”, and he persisted in this, but I would not take it from him so he left me and went about his way. 

As for me, I didn’t have anything so I left Mecca and began sailing in the sea. So the ship tore apart and everyone aboard it drowned and their wealth wasdestroyed. I was saved by holding onto a piece of the ship. So I remained for a time period in the sea not knowing where I was going. I then arrived at an island that was inhabited by people.

I sat in some of the masaajid and the people heard me reading, and there did not remain anyone on the island except that he came to me and said, “Teach me the Qur’an”, so I acquired from the people a lot of wealth.

Then I saw in the masjid some paper from a Mushaf, so I took it and began to read it.

They said to me,“Do you have good handwriting?” I said “yes”. So they said, “Teach me handwriting”. So they came to me with their children from amongst the small kids and the young men and I used to teach them. I acquired from this also, a lot of wealth.

After this they said to me, “We have a young orphan girl who has some things from the dunya, (worldly wealth) we would like for you to marry her.  I refused, but they said, “It is a must!” And they made this incumbent upon me, so I agreed.

After they married her to me, I turned my glance toward her and I found that exact same necklace hanging around her neck! At this time I did not busy myself with anything except staring at this necklace. So they said to me, “O Shaykh! You have broken this young orphan girl’s heart by looking at this necklace, and you have not even looked at her.

So I relayed to them the story of the necklace. So they screamed and yelled out, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Allahu Akbar, until it reached everyone on the island.

So I said, “What is with you?”

They said, “The old man that took the necklace from you is the father of this young girl.” He used to say, “I have not found in the dunya (world) a Muslim (what is meant here is a trustworthy, kindhearted, one who knows the rights of found property) except the one who returned to me this necklace.” And he used to make dua (supplication) saying, “Oh Allah, join me and him together so that I may marry him to my daughter”, and now it has happened. 

So I remained with her for a time period and I was provided with two sons by her. Then she passed away, so I inherited the necklace, me and my two sons. Thenmy two sons died, therefore the necklace became mine. So I sold the necklace for one hundred thousand dinar, and the money that you see me with now is what is left over from that money.

translated by Rasheed Barbee

Why do Muslims not Drink Alcohol? 

قال شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية رحمه الله من احتمل الهوان والأذى في طاعة الله على الكرامة والعز في معصية الله -كما فعل يوسف وغيره من الأنبياء والصالحين- كانت العاقبة له في الدنيا والآخرة، وكان ما حصل له من الأذى قد انقلب نعيمًا وسرورًا، كما أن ما يحصل لأرباب الذنوب من التنعم بالذنوب ينقلب حزنًا وثبورًا.

☜ أحدها : ترك السؤال ☜ الثاني : سوء الإنصات وعدم إلقاء السمع ☜ الثالث : سوء الفهم ☜ الرابع : عدم الحفظ ☜ الخامس : عدم نشره وتعليمه فمن خزن علمه ولم ينشره ابتلاه الله بنسيانه جزاء وفاقاً ☜ السادس : عدم العمل به فإن العمل به يوجب تذكره وتدبره ومراعاته والنظر فيه فإذا أهمل العمل به نسيه »