Maalik Bin Dinaar
1. Hadhrat Maalik Bin Dinaar (rahmatullah alayh) was a contemporary of Hadhrat Hasan Basri (rahmatullah alayh). Once he got into a ferry boat. When the boat was in the middle of the river, the pilot asked for the fee which Maalik Bin Dinaar was unable to tender. The pilot mercilessly beat him until he became unconscious. When he revived, the pilot threatened to throw him overboard if he failed to make payment. By the command of Allah Ta’ala a shoal of fishes surfaced. Each one had a dinaar (gold coin) in its mouth. Hadhrat Maalik took one dinaar and handed it to the pilot who fell at his feet ashamed, profusely apologizing. Hadhrat Maalik stepped off the boat and walked away on the surface on the water until he was out of sight.
2. Hadhrat Maalik Bin Dinaar was very handsome and extremely wealthy. He lived in Damascus. The following is the episode which led to his reformation. He used to spend time in I’tikaaf in the beautiful Jaami Musjid built by Hadhrat Muaawiyah (رضئ الله عنه ). Once he developed the desire to become the mutawalli (trustee) of the Musjid. He, therefore, decided to remain in the Musjid and engaged in ibaadat to impress the musallis. He spent the whole year in I’tikaaf in the Musjid. Whenever people entered the Musjid they would find him performing Salaat. After one year he came out of the Musjid and heard a voice saying: “O Maalik! Alas! Why don’t you repent. Shame on your year’s of deceptive worship.”
Cleansing his heart from riyaa (show) he passed the entire night in ibaadat. In the morning he saw a group of musallis at the entrance of the Musjid. They were discussing the poor state of the Musjid’s administration. They unanimously decided to appoint Maalik Bin Dinaar as the mutawalli. They said that there was no one better qualified for this post than Maalik Bin Dinaar.
When the group approached Maalik Bin Dinaar, he was engaged in Salaat. After he completed his Salaat, they informed him of their decision to appoint him the mutawalli. When he heard this he said to himself: “O Allah! For a whole year I worshipped you with riyaa, but no one paid any heed to me. Now after a single night’s ibaadat with sincerity, so many people have turned to me by Your command. I take oath by You that I shall not accept this offer.” So saying, he came out of the Musjid and engrossed in ibaadat life-long.
3. In the city of Basrah an extremely wealthy man had died leaving his only daughter. This girl who inherited her father’s entire estate was very beautiful. She went to Hadhrat Thaabit Bunaani (rahmatullah alayh), the renowned saint, and said: “I wish to be married to Maalik Binaar so that I derive aid in ibaadat and the Deen.” Hadhrat Thaabit put this proposal to Hadhrat Maalik Bin Dinaar, but he declined, commenting:”I have abandoned the world. Woman is also part of the world. I have no desire of violating my pledge.”
4. Once while Maalik Bin Dinaar was resting in the shade of a tree, a snake was fanning him with a Narcissus branch.
5. Hadhrat Maalik Bin Dinaar frequently resolved to participate in Jihaad. When finally he acquired the opportunity, he was overtaken by a severe fever which rendered him helpless. Lamenting his fate, he said to himself: “Maalik, if you had any status by Allah, you would not have become ill at such an opportune time.” Full of grief he fell asleep. In a dream he heard a caller saying: “If you had today gone in Jihaad, you would have been captured. The kuffaar would have ruined your Imaan by forcibly feeding you pork. This fever is a beautiful gift for you.” Waking up from his dream, Maalik Bin Dinaar abundantly expressed his gratitude to Allah Ta’ala.
6. Once, after a long spell of illness he went into the bazaar. Due to excessive weakness he was hobbling along. The Sultan with his retinue happened to pass through the bazaar. The soldiers were clearing the street, harshly ordering people to step aside to make way for the royal procession. On account of his weakness, Maalik Bin Dinaar was unable to move quickly. A soldier struck him with a whip. Feeling the sharp pain, Maalik spontaneously exclaimed: “May Allah cut off your hand.” The next day, he saw the soldier laying in the street with his hand cut off. Hadhrat Maalik grieved much for having blurted out the curse.
7. The neighbour of Maalik Bin Dinaar was a physically strong evil young man who caused much distress to people. Once the people complained to Maalik Bin Dinaar about the oppressive conduct of the young man. Maalik Bin Dinaar went to counsel him. The young man responded: “I am a royal servant. No one can tell me anything.” He displayed an evil temper. Maalik said: “I shall complain to the king.” The young man said: “He is most gracious and kind and will not apprehend me.” Maalik Bin Dinaar returned crestfallen.
After some time, the people again complained about the evil and oppressive conduct of the young man. Maalik Bin Dinaar again set off to counsel the young man. Along the way he heard a voice saying: “Do not pursue My friend.” Maalik Bin Dinaar, greatly surprised went to the young man who exclaimed: “You have come again!” Maalik Bin Dinaar said: “I have come to give you glad tidings. Allah Ta’ala says that you are His friend.” The young man said: “If this is so, I give all my wealth in the path of Allah.”
After having contributed his entire estate in the path of Allah, he left, never to be seen again. Maalik Bin Dinaar saw him in Makkah. He had become extremely lean and weak. He was supplicating:
“Allah has called me His friend. I have sacrificed myself for Him with all my heart. I know that His pleasure is in ibaadat. Never shall I displease Him. I repent.”
As he supplicated, his soul departed from his earthly body.
8. Once Maalik Bin Dinaar rent a room next to the home of a Jew. His room was adjacent to the entrance of the Jew’s home. The Jew spitefully always deposited garbage and filth in Maalik’s entrance. Even his musalla would at times be soiled. This treatment continued for a long period, but Maalik Bin Dinaar never complained.
One day the Jew came and said: “Does the garbage I deposit in front of your room not distress you?”
Maalik: “It does distress me, but I wash and clean the place.”
Jew: “Why do you tolerate so much distress?”
Maalik: Allah has promised substantial reward for those who contain their anger and forgive people.”
Jew: “Truly, your Deen is beautiful. It commands toleration of even the hardships presented by enemies.”
The Jew was so affected by the beautiful conduct of Maalik Bin Dinaar that he embraced Islam.
9. Maalik Bin Dinaar visited a man in his death throes. He endeavoured to induce the dying man to recite Kalimah Shahaadat. The only response was: “Ten, eleven–ten, eleven.” The man said: “In front of me is a mountain of fire. When I wish to recite Kalimah Shahaadat, the mountain of fire rushes towards me. Maalik Bin Dinaar enquired about the man’s deeds and he was told that this man dealt in interest and would give less when weighing.
10. Once Maalik Bin Dinaar and Ja’far Bin Sulaimaan were together in Makkah Muazzamah. When Maalik Bin Dinaar commenced the Talbiyah, saying he fainted. When he revived, Ja’far bin Sulaimaan asked the reason for his unconsciousness. Maalik Bin Dinaar said:
“I feared to hear a voice which would respond
(There is no presence for you).”
11. When reciting the aayat
Maalik Bin Dinaar would restless, weep much and say:”If this was not a Qur’aanic aayat, I would not have recited it because it means: Only You do we worship and only You we seek aid, but we worship our nafs and seek aid from other.”
12. Once a woman said to Maalik Bin Dinaar: “You are a man of riyaa.” (Riyaa means to worship in order to impress others.)
Maalik Bin Dinaar: “For the past 20 years no one called me by my name. Finally, you have recognized me.”
13. Maalik Bin Dinaar said:
“A companionship which will be of no benefit on the day of Qiyaamah is futile.”
“A man who indulges in idle conversation and remembers Allah little, lacks knowledge. His heart is blind. His life is ruined.”
14. Maalik Bin Dinaar said that in one of the Divine Scriptures, Allah Ta’ala said:
“The least punishment I give to an Aalim who loves the world is the elimination from his heart of the pleasure of thikr.”
15. After Maalik Bin Dinaar’s demise, a buzrug saw in a dream a scene on Qiyaamah. The angels were leading Maalik Bin Dinaar and Muhammad Waasi’ to Jannat. The buzrug (in his dream) wondered: “Who will be allowed to enter first into Jannat?” Soon he observed that Maalik Bin Dinaar was permitted to enter first. The buzrug commented: “Muhammad Waasi’ was a greater Aalim and enjoyed greater spiritual perfection.” The Angel responded: “True, but Muhammad Waasi’ owned two sets of garments while Maalik Bin Dinaar had only one set. He has therefore been granted prior entry into Jannat.”