AL-HUDA
Foundation, NJ U. S. A
Article 1: - Article 2: - Article 3: - Article 4: - Article 5: - Article 6: - Article 7: - Article 8: - Article 9: - Article 10: - Article 11: - Article 12:
Recognise the bounties of Allah - story of three men
Once Sayyidina Rasulullah (pbuh)sallallahu alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam related that there were three men from the Banu Isra'eel.
One of them was a leper, the other bald,
and the third blind. Allah Ta'ala wanted to test them, so He
sent an angel to them. The angel first went to the leper and
asked him: "What would you like best?" He replied: "I would like
a nice complexion, a beautiful skin, and that this sickness goes
away from me whereby people do not allow me to sit with them and
which they hate." The angel passed his hand over the body of
that person. He was immediately cured and a nice skin and
beautiful complexion appeared. The angel then asked him: "What
type of wealth do you like the most?" He replied: "Camels." So
he gave him a pregnant camel and told him: "May Allah Ta'ala
give you barakah in this."
The angel then went to the bald person and asked him: "What
would you like best?" He replied: "That my hair grows nicely and
that this sickness which people dislike goes away from me!" The
angel passed his hand over his head, he was immediately cured
and beautiful hair began to grow. He then asked him: "What type
of wealth do you like the most?" He replied: "Cows." So he gave
him a pregnant cow and told him: "May Allah Ta'ala give you
barakah in this."
Eventually, the angel went to the blind person and asked him:
"What would you like most?" He replied: "That Allah gives me
back my sight so that I may be able to see everyone." The angel
passed his hand over his eyes and Allah gave him back his sight.
He then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the most?"
He replied: "Goats." So he was given a pregnant goat. The
animals of all three delivered their babies. In a short time,
the jungle was filled with his camels, his cows, and his goats.
Thereafter, under the orders of Allah Ta'ala, that angel went in
his previous form to the leper and said to him: "I am a poor
person. All my provisions for my journey are finished. Today I
have no means of reaching home except through Allah and then
through your help. In the name of that Allah who has blessed you
with a nice skin and a beautiful complexion, I ask you for a
camel which I could ride and reach my home." He replied: "Get
far away from here! I have a lot of other commitments to fulfil.
I do not have anything to spare which I could give you." The
angel said: "I think I recognize you. Were you not a leper, for
which people despised you? Were you not very poor, and then
Allah blessed you with so much of wealth?" He replied: "What are
you talking? I inherited this wealth from my ancestors." The
angel said: "If you are lying, may Allah return you as you were
before."
The angel then went to the bald person in his previous form and
asked him the same questions and he also replied in the same
way. So the angel said to him: "If you are lying, may Allah
return you as you were before."
Eventually he went to the blind person in that same original
form and said to him: "I am a traveller and all my provisions
are finished. Today I have no means except Allah and then you.
In the name of that Being who returned to you your eye-sight, I
ask you for a goat with which I could do my work and complete my
journey." He replied: "Without doubt, I was blind. It was only
out of His mercy that Allah Ta'ala gave me back my eye-sight.
Take as much as you want and leave behind as much as you want.
By Allah, I will not stop you from taking anything." The angel
replied: "Keep your wealth with you, I do not want anything. I
had only come to test you three. Now the test is over. Allah is
pleased with you and displeased with the other two."
Lesson: Just imagine, that
because of the ungratefulness of those two, all those bounties
were taken away and they were left as they were before. Allah
became displeased with them and they are forsaken both in this
world and in the hereafter. Due to his gratefulness, that
person's bounties remained intact, Allah was pleased with him,
and he is contented both in this world and in the hereafter.
DISCLAIMER:
All material published by Al-Huda.com / And the Message Continues is the sole responsibility of its author's).
The opinions and/or assertions contained therein do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of this site,
nor of Al-Huda and its officers.