Post by Ashiq e Rasool on Nov 22, 2004 10:42:36 GMT
It was midnight, people were fast asleep in their houses. A man wearing a mask was going round the streets of Madina alomg with one of his companions. They were looking at each house. At once, they caught sight of a house. A flickering light of a lamp was coming through the window.
THE MASKED MAN: stopped over there and said to his companion:
THE MASKED MAN: hush! Do you see the light coming out of this house? I guess the residents of this house are still awake.
THE COMPANION: oh yes, it seems so. Look, I hear the children crying and weeping. It seems as if the mother is appeasing them and trying hard to keep them quiet.
THE MASKED MAN : keep quiet and carefully listen to the talk that is going on in the house.
The two men were all ears to the talk between the mother and her children.
THE FIRST CHILD : It is already mid-day mother. You have not yet cooked the food and nor have we taken our dinner by now.
THE SECONED CHILD : Mother! Look, I am dying of hunger. Please give me something to eat.
THE THIRD CHILD : (weeping) O ALLAH! Have mercy upon us. Make this saucepan, be cooked very well so that we can satiate our hunger.
THE MOTHER : Dont worry, my children. Have patience and trust in ALLAH, I have put on the oven. Allah willing, you will get the fruits of your patience and will take your dinner to your fill.
Having heard the talk, the Masked Man entered the house. The mother and the children were frightened, She asked him: Who are you and why have you come in?
THE MASKED MAN : Sister! I was passing your house. I heard the children weeping and it rented my heart. I have come here to know all about the matter.
THE MOTHER : Please, mind your own business. You are unknown to me. What will you do even if you know the matter?
THE MASKED MAN : Consider neither me as a stranger nor my coming here as useless. Tell me your problem you will find a sympathizer in me.
THE MOTHER : I am a poor and unforunate woman. I am very worried about these children. Please leave me alone. I do not want to hurt you as well as myself by telling you the tale of my grief and sorrow. Please do not touch me on a sore place.
THE MASKED MAN : Sister! You will have to yeild to my request and tell me the reason for your weeping.
THE WOMAN : Well. Listen to me. I have complaints against the AMEERUL MU'MINEEN. He is our leader. ALLAH, the Exalted, has granted him the caliphate only to protect and serve us. He does not look after the poor like us. I am a widow. I as well as my children have been starving for two days. My children are run-down because of hunger. I have been pretending to cook food since early evening. The saucepan has only water in it. Thus I want to lull them to sleep. I am sure Allah will help me the next morning. Alas! The AMEER is not aware of the wretched condition of me and my children.
THE MASKED MAN : (in a sorrowful voice) How will Umar be aware of your condition? Why did'nt you inform him?
THE WOMAN : Wonderful! Allah has appointed the Khalifah to look after the people. He is supposed to make sure that each and every person lives a comfortable life. It is his official duty to be aware of the needs of his subjects. If he remains ignorant of them, he will not deserve this post any more. I will complain to the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) on the Day of Judgment if he does not come to the aid of me and my children.
The Masked Man began to weep. He left the house and went away. He came back with a sack, full of flour, on his back. He put the sack on the ground and started shaking the dust off his clothes. He said to his companion :
THE MASKED MAN : I thank Allah who helped me bring the sack on my back.
THE COMPANION : I had requested you to let me bring the sack on my back, but you turned down my request.
THE MASKED MAN : Will you shoulder my burden on the day of Judgment? It is better for me to lift my own burden.
THE WOMAN : (watching the scene with surprise) May Allah shower His blessings upon you. You look an angel in disguise, I am very sorry. I put you to difficulties by telling you the tale of sorrows.
THE MASKED MAN : Please do not mind. Let me fulfill my duty. Then the masked man took the flour out of the sack and kneaded it. Thus he prepared the dough to make bread. While he was lighting the fire, it seemed the smoke was puffing out of his beard. He baked the loaves of bread himself and fed the children to the fill. Thereafter he had a nice and pleasent chat with them. He wanted to make them smile and play happily. He said that he wished to watch those children smiling with his eyes. The woman was deeply touched by this kind behavior of the masked man. She said:
THE WOMAN : O kind hearted man ! you have done a great favour to me. In fact, you have brought prosperity to us.
THE MASKED MAN : Are you really happy with me?
THE WOMAN : Yes Allah, the Exalted, knows that I am really happy with you.
THE MASKED MAN : Then I request you kindly to forgive UMAR for my sake. Please do not complain against him to the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) on the Day of Judgment.
THE WOMAN : Why are you so worried about UMAR?
THE MASKED MAN : Please forgive him first. Then I will tell you the reason why I am worried about him.
THE WOMAN : OK. I forgive him and his negligence. But at the same time I Pray to Allah to appoint you as the Khalifah in place of UMAR.
THE MASKED MAN : Allah, the Exalted, has already granted your prayer.
THE WOMAN : How can it happen?
THE MASKED MAN : (removing his mask) Look at me.
THE WOMEN : It is you, the AMEERUL MU'MINEEN!
THE MORAL:
HAZRAT UMAR'S reign was a divine blessing. It benefitted all the people. He was a pious, God-fearing and competent ruler. He did his level best for the good of the subjects. Then those, who bear a grudge against him. are, in the true sense of word, not happy with the divine blessing.
THE MASKED MAN: stopped over there and said to his companion:
THE MASKED MAN: hush! Do you see the light coming out of this house? I guess the residents of this house are still awake.
THE COMPANION: oh yes, it seems so. Look, I hear the children crying and weeping. It seems as if the mother is appeasing them and trying hard to keep them quiet.
THE MASKED MAN : keep quiet and carefully listen to the talk that is going on in the house.
The two men were all ears to the talk between the mother and her children.
THE FIRST CHILD : It is already mid-day mother. You have not yet cooked the food and nor have we taken our dinner by now.
THE SECONED CHILD : Mother! Look, I am dying of hunger. Please give me something to eat.
THE THIRD CHILD : (weeping) O ALLAH! Have mercy upon us. Make this saucepan, be cooked very well so that we can satiate our hunger.
THE MOTHER : Dont worry, my children. Have patience and trust in ALLAH, I have put on the oven. Allah willing, you will get the fruits of your patience and will take your dinner to your fill.
Having heard the talk, the Masked Man entered the house. The mother and the children were frightened, She asked him: Who are you and why have you come in?
THE MASKED MAN : Sister! I was passing your house. I heard the children weeping and it rented my heart. I have come here to know all about the matter.
THE MOTHER : Please, mind your own business. You are unknown to me. What will you do even if you know the matter?
THE MASKED MAN : Consider neither me as a stranger nor my coming here as useless. Tell me your problem you will find a sympathizer in me.
THE MOTHER : I am a poor and unforunate woman. I am very worried about these children. Please leave me alone. I do not want to hurt you as well as myself by telling you the tale of my grief and sorrow. Please do not touch me on a sore place.
THE MASKED MAN : Sister! You will have to yeild to my request and tell me the reason for your weeping.
THE WOMAN : Well. Listen to me. I have complaints against the AMEERUL MU'MINEEN. He is our leader. ALLAH, the Exalted, has granted him the caliphate only to protect and serve us. He does not look after the poor like us. I am a widow. I as well as my children have been starving for two days. My children are run-down because of hunger. I have been pretending to cook food since early evening. The saucepan has only water in it. Thus I want to lull them to sleep. I am sure Allah will help me the next morning. Alas! The AMEER is not aware of the wretched condition of me and my children.
THE MASKED MAN : (in a sorrowful voice) How will Umar be aware of your condition? Why did'nt you inform him?
THE WOMAN : Wonderful! Allah has appointed the Khalifah to look after the people. He is supposed to make sure that each and every person lives a comfortable life. It is his official duty to be aware of the needs of his subjects. If he remains ignorant of them, he will not deserve this post any more. I will complain to the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) on the Day of Judgment if he does not come to the aid of me and my children.
The Masked Man began to weep. He left the house and went away. He came back with a sack, full of flour, on his back. He put the sack on the ground and started shaking the dust off his clothes. He said to his companion :
THE MASKED MAN : I thank Allah who helped me bring the sack on my back.
THE COMPANION : I had requested you to let me bring the sack on my back, but you turned down my request.
THE MASKED MAN : Will you shoulder my burden on the day of Judgment? It is better for me to lift my own burden.
THE WOMAN : (watching the scene with surprise) May Allah shower His blessings upon you. You look an angel in disguise, I am very sorry. I put you to difficulties by telling you the tale of sorrows.
THE MASKED MAN : Please do not mind. Let me fulfill my duty. Then the masked man took the flour out of the sack and kneaded it. Thus he prepared the dough to make bread. While he was lighting the fire, it seemed the smoke was puffing out of his beard. He baked the loaves of bread himself and fed the children to the fill. Thereafter he had a nice and pleasent chat with them. He wanted to make them smile and play happily. He said that he wished to watch those children smiling with his eyes. The woman was deeply touched by this kind behavior of the masked man. She said:
THE WOMAN : O kind hearted man ! you have done a great favour to me. In fact, you have brought prosperity to us.
THE MASKED MAN : Are you really happy with me?
THE WOMAN : Yes Allah, the Exalted, knows that I am really happy with you.
THE MASKED MAN : Then I request you kindly to forgive UMAR for my sake. Please do not complain against him to the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam) on the Day of Judgment.
THE WOMAN : Why are you so worried about UMAR?
THE MASKED MAN : Please forgive him first. Then I will tell you the reason why I am worried about him.
THE WOMAN : OK. I forgive him and his negligence. But at the same time I Pray to Allah to appoint you as the Khalifah in place of UMAR.
THE MASKED MAN : Allah, the Exalted, has already granted your prayer.
THE WOMAN : How can it happen?
THE MASKED MAN : (removing his mask) Look at me.
THE WOMEN : It is you, the AMEERUL MU'MINEEN!
THE MORAL:
HAZRAT UMAR'S reign was a divine blessing. It benefitted all the people. He was a pious, God-fearing and competent ruler. He did his level best for the good of the subjects. Then those, who bear a grudge against him. are, in the true sense of word, not happy with the divine blessing.
Just think how a bag of flour and water was enough for their feed , back in those days. Makes you feel guilty. 