Category: Stories of the Pious

Shaykh Abul – Hasan Noori relates that whilst he was once taking a bath, a thief made off with his clothes. After a while he saw the same thief returning with his clothes. He took back the garments and then realised that his hands had been paralysed. He had loss movement in both hands leaving him grieving.

Upon receiving his garments Shaykh Abul – Hasan supplicated, “Oh Allah you have given back my clothes, so give back his hands.” Immediately the thief was able to move his fingers and hands.

It is related that a woman often gave bread in charity to roadside beggars. She once set off on a journey to see her husband on a nearby field with her child.

As she passed by a meadow, a beast pounced on them. It swallowed the child and left the woman wounded. She cried out to her Lord in anguish and all of a sudden a hand appeared which hit the beast. The beast succumbed to this and choked out the child. A voice called out, “Take your child, You have been repaid a morsel for a morsel.”

A Pious Saint relates that our boat was crushed by strong tides and my wife and I were left clinging onto on a plank of wood. In this state she gave birth to a baby girl. She called out to me, “Thirst will kill me”. I shouted back, “Allah is surely watching us.”

All of a sudden a man appeared floating on thin air holding a cistern before us. He said, “There is water in it, drink”. I took it and we drank from it. The water was cool and scented. I asked, “Who are you?” “A servant of your Lord”, he replied. I asked “How did you get to this stage?” He said, “I left my desires for His pleasure and now He has given me the ability to do this”. Having said this he disappeared.

A Pious Saint relates that once we were in Askalaam and a young man visited us. He stayed for some time and talked to us. When we finished he prayed and then bid us farewell. He was going to Alexandria. I walked out of Askalaam with him and offered him a few dirhams, but he refused to accept. When I insisted, he took a handful of sand in his pot, added some water and then murmured something. Amazingly it turned into flour, He said: “One whose condition with his Lord is like this, is he in need of Dirhams?

Abu Ali relates that a man by the name of Bishr passed by a group of people who were talking amongst themselves about his noble qualities. That is he sleeps very little during the night and only makes Iftaar once every three days.

On hearing this Bishr was overwhelmed and reduced to tears and said, “I cannot remember that I have stayed awake one complete night and when I fast I break the fast the very same night it ends. But Allah through His Mercy puts in the hearts of people more than the servant actually worships”.

A pious man relates that in one of my journeys I once saw a young Bedouin girl.

“Where do you stay?” I enquired

“The jungle”, she replied.

“Do you not feel lonely?” I asked curiously.

She answered, “Oh Shaykh, one who befriends Allah and keeps His company can never be lonely”.

I asked, “Where do you eat?”

She replied, “Allah knows best from where He provides for His creation. He gives it to those who believe in Him”.

Then she went on to say, “The hearts that are alive with the recognition of Allah’s oneness and have relented to His love, their food is the love of Allah and His Company”.

It is related that some people said to Hasan al-Basri, “Oh Abu Saeed there is a man sitting behind a pillar here, whom we have never seen. Hasan al-Basri went to him and said, “Oh Abdullah, I see the love of seclusion has engulfed you. What prevents you from sitting with the people?”

He replied, “A matter which has averted my attention from the people”.

He then asked “So what prevents you from sitting with Hasan al-Basri?” He again replied, “A matter which has averted my attention from Hasan al-Basri and the people.”

Hasan al-Basri enquired about this affair which was keeping the man away. The man asserted, “In the morning I look at the blessings of Allah and at the sins I have committed. I then occupy myself thanking Allah for the blessings and repenting from my sins”.

Hasan al-Basri said to him, “Oh Abdullah you are more knowledgable and have better understanding than Hasan! Remain steadfast in your action.”

It is related that when Sahl – bin Abdullah AI – Tustairi died, people flocked from all over to attend his funeral prayer.  An elderly Jew, who lived nearby, was overwhelmed by the mass of people. When his eyes fell on the Janazah, he remarked, “Do you see what I see?”

They asked, “What do you see?”

He cried, “I see angels descending from the heaven taking blessings from it”.

Overcome by what he was witnessing, he confirmed his Faith in Allah and His Messenger.

Rabi bin Sulaiman relates that I saw Imam Ash-Shafi’ in my dreams after his death and Iasked ”Oh Abu Abdullah, how did Allah deal with you?” He replied, ”He sat me down on a chair and showered me with diamonds.”

A Pious Saint relates that I saw Shaykh Abu Is-haak Ibraheem bin Ali bin Yusuf Al-Sherazi in a dream after his death, crowned and clothed in a beautiful white garment. I asked, ”Where is this whiteness appearing from?” He replied, ”Honour of Oobedience.” Again I asked ”And the crown?” He replied ”Honour of knowledge.”

It has been related from those who used to dig graves that once a grave was dug in some city. In this particular grave a man appeared, sitting on a throne. On seeing this, the grave digger ran and fell unconscious. His companions, not knowing what had happened carried him away.

When night fell, he came round and related the whole incident. Obviously intrigued with what they had heard, the companions requested the man to point out the grave in order that they may experience themselves this unusual phenomena for themselves. He agreed to show them at first light, so his companions lay in wait for daybreak.

That night he saw the same man from the grave in a dream warning him, “I swear by Allah if you show anybody my grave you will receive great punishment.”  The man awoke sweating and breathless. He realised the location of the grave should not be disclosed.

He repented and refused to show anyone. This angered the people but despite their anger the grave digger would not disclose the site of the grave. They were never to know were the grave was.

Mansoor Bin Amar relates that once I saw a young man praying Salah for a considerably long time. I thought to myself perhaps this young man is a ‘Wali’ of Allah. So I decided to wait till he finished. Once he had finisghed, I greeeted him with Salaam which he reciprocated.

I asked him whether he knew of the valley in Jahanam called ‘Laza’. I mentioned a fire bursting forth into flames; so fierce that it burns the scalp and sucks up the liver from within those who turned their back. The young man screamed and fell unconscious.

When he gained consciousness he said, ”Tell me more”. I continued saying, “Oh believers save yourself and your families from that fire whose fuel is men and stones and upon it are appointed angels, harsh and terrible; they do not disobey God in what He commnds them and do whatever thay are commanded”. On hearing this he fell to the ground and died.

On the following night I saw him in a dream sitting on a throne with a crown on his head. I asked , ”What did Allah do with you.” He replied, ”Allah forgave me and gave me the reward equal to the reward of the people of Badr and more.”

Startled at his response I again asked, ”Why did He give you more?” He said, “Because they (the martyrs of Badr) were killed with the non-believers sword, while I was killed by the words of the Almighty”.