Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

32. Truth and Falsehood

Allah, the Wise, has said:

قُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَ زَهَقَ الْباَطِلُ اِنَّ الْباَطِلَ کاَنَ زَهُوْقاً

“And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing (thing).”1

Imam ‘Ali (as) said:

ظَلَمَ الْحَقَّ مَنْ نَصَرَ الْباَطِلَ

“One, who helps falsehood, has oppressed (and done injustice to) the truth.”2

Short Expalantion

There are several levels to comprehending truth and falsehood, and individuals differ vastly with respect to acceptance and rejection of them. The general rule, with regards to the truth, is that the heart should be inclined towards Allah, His commandments and the realities, while the rule with regards to falsehood, is that the heart should be averse to things that are prohibited and related to other than Allah, and the interior should be kept away from dirty and impure carnal attachments.

A pious person comprehends that falsehood weans a person away from realities and it shall cease to exist, and it is only truth, which is deep-rooted and continues to exist. Thus, one must adhere to the people of truth and stay away from the people of falsehood.

1) The Right of a Deceased Muslim

Zurarah relates: I was in the company of Imam Baqir (as) in the funeral procession of a person from Quraish. ‘Ata, the jurist of Makkah, was amongst those present in the funeral procession. Suddenly, the air was filled with the wailing of a lady. ‘Ata instructed her to remain quiet as otherwise he would have to turn back. But the lady continued to wail and so ‘Ata left the procession.

I informed the Imam (as) about ‘Ata’s turning back.

“Why?” inquired the Imam (as).

I replied, “Due to the lamentation of a lady. He asked her to keep quiet and when she did not, he left.”

Imam Baqir (as) said, “Stay with me and we shall accompany the deceased. If we notice falsehood together with the truth and forsake the truth due to that falsehood, we would not have fulfilled the right of the Muslim.” i.e. escorting the funeral of the Muslim, which is his right, should not be forsaken for the sake of the wailing of that lady (which, according to the non-Shi’ite sects, is forbidden and prohibited).

When the prayers were offered for the dead person, his relative said to the Imam (as): “May Allah have mercy upon you! You can turn back for you do not possess the strength to walk.” Imam (as) continued to accompany the funeral procession.

Zurarah continues: I said to Imam Baqir (as), “The relative of the deceased has permitted you to turn back.”

“If you have some work, you may go,” said the Imam (as). “I have neither come here with his permission nor do I need his permission to return. I have come here to seek the rewards, since man shall be rewarded in the measure in which he accompanies a funeral procession.”3

2) Mua`wiyah Ibn Yazid

After the three-year Caliphate of Yazid (who brought about the murder of Imam Husain (as)), the lootings and crimes in Madinah and sacrilege with respect to the Ka’bah, the Caliphate reached his son Mua’wiyah. Whenever Mua’wiyah slept at night, two slave-girls would remain awake, one near his head while the other near his feet, in order to protect him from inconveniences.

One night, thinking that the Caliph was asleep, the slave-girls began conversing with each other.

“The Caliph likes me more than you and if he does not set his eyes upon me three times a day, he gets restless and disturbed,” the one that sat near the Caliph’s head said.

“Hell is the abode for both of you,” commented the other slave-girl.

Not being able to sleep, Mua’wiyah heard the conversation. Predictably, he felt the urge to get up and put the slave-girl to death, but he controlled himself and waited to hear more of their dialogue.

The first slave-girl wanted to know why the second one had made that remark. She got the following reply: “Mua’wiyah and Yazid, the grandfather and father of this Mua’wiyah, were the usurpers of the Caliphate, since the rank was the right and privilege of the household of the Noble Prophet (S).”

When Mua’wiyah heard this, he drifted into deep reflection and finally made up his mind to step down from the false Caliphate and inform the people of the true leader.

The next morning he ordered all the people to be present in the mosque. When the mosque was full, he ascended the pulpit and after praising Allah, said: “O’ People! The Caliphate is the right of Imam Sajjad (as) whereas my grandfather, my father and I were its usurpers.”

He descended from the pulpit, returned to his house, locked himself in and refused to allow anyone to enter it. When his mother was informed of the incident, she approached him, beating her head with her hands.

“Oh! How I wish that you had been the blood of my monthly cycle so that I might not have had to witness such an act from you!” she shouted.

Mua’wiyah remarked, “By Allah! I wish I had been just what you desired so that you had never given birth to me!”

For forty days he did not emerge from his house. In the meantime, Marwan Ibn Hakam took over the reins of the Caliphate. Marwan then married Mua’wiyah’s mother (Yazid’s wife) and a few days later he had Mua’wiyah poisoned.4

3) Accepting the Truth

One night, Sa’id Ibn Musayyab entered the mosque of the Noble Prophet (S) wherein he observed a person offering prayers. He was reciting them in a loud and beautiful voice. Sa’id instructed his slave to go to the person and request him to recite his prayers softly.

“The mosque is not our property; this person has a right over it too,” the slave said.

Sa’id decided to do it himself. He called out in a loud voice: “O’ Worshipper! If you are offering your prayers for Allah, then lower your voice, but if you are offering it for the people, (then do realize) they shall not benefit you in the least.”

The person, appreciating the truth in this advice, lowered his voice and recited the remainder of the prayers in a low voice. As soon as he had completed his prayers, he picked up his shoes and left the mosque. After he had left, it transpired that the person was ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz, the ruler of Madinah.5

4) The Intoxicated turns Grateful

Dhunnun Misri relates: “I had come out of Egypt for a walk and was strolling along the banks of the river Nile gazing at its water, when I suddenly caught glimpse of a scorpion moving forward hastily. I wondered where it was heading. As it reached the riverbank, a frog surfaced from within the water; the scorpion climbed onto its back and the frog began to swim through the water. “There is something mysterious about this event,” I thought to myself. I jumped into the water and began to swim after them.

I observed that when the frog had reached land, the scorpion got down from his back. I continued to follow the scorpion till I reached a tree. There, I found a youth lying in its shade. Beside him was a black snake that was about to bite him. Suddenly, the scorpion rushed forward and stung the snake in the back. The snake died instantly.

After this, the scorpion proceeded towards the water, climbed onto the frog’s back and was ferried to the other side. I stood absolutely amazed.

“This person is surely one of the auliya (close friends) of Allah!” I whispered. I was about to kiss his feet when I realized that the man was intoxicated, and this only served to add to my amazement. I waited patiently for the youth to recover from his drunken state and when he regained consciousness, he saw me standing near him.

“O’ one, who is the leader of histime! You have come near this sinner and honoured him,” he exclaimed in astonishment.

I told him to leave aside the rhetoric but to look at the snake beside him. Seeing the snake near him, he slapped his forehead and inquired what had happened. I related to him the entire incident of the scorpion, frog and the snake. On hearing about this and observing the grace of Allah upon him, he raised his head towards the heaven and cried: “O’You ! IfYour grace upon the intoxicated ones is in such measure, how much would it be upon (Your) friends?”

Then, after performing ablution in the Nile, he turned towards his house. From then on, he engaged himself in self-rectification, till he reached such a stage and rank that every sick person for whom he prayed would become cured.”6

5) The Gratitude of Abu Dharr

When Abu Dharr received the news that a Prophet had manifested himself in Makkah, he instructed his brother Anis to go and acquire some information about him.

His brother went to Makkah, came back and described the Noble Prophet (S) to him.

“You have not been able to smother the flames that smolder within my heart,” Abu Dharr complained.

He therefore made arrangements to undertake a journey to Makkah. On his arrival there, he took shelter in one corner of a mosque till on the third day, under the guidance of ‘Ali (as), he covertly approached the Noble Prophet (S) and greeted him.

When the Noble Prophet (S) asked him his name and inquired about him, Abu Dharr gave him the answers, following which he accepted Islam.

The Noble Prophet (S) advised him: “Return to your city and do not stay in Makkah for I fear that you might be subjected to persecution (here).”

“By He, in Whose Handlies my soul! I shall shout out in front of the people and loudly proclaim my acceptance of Islam,” responded Abu Dharr.

He headed straight towards Masjidul Haram where in a loud voice, he testified to the Unity of Allah and the Prophethood of the Noble Prophet (S). Hearing this, the people of Makkah rushed towards him to beat him up till he dropped down, unconscious. As ‘Abbas, the paternal uncle of the Noble Prophet (S) witnessed the scene, he threw himself upon Abu Dharr and shouted out to the people: “O’ People! Woe unto you! Do you not see that this person is from the tribe of Ghaffar and was amidst you while on a journey towards Syria?” With these words, he managed to save Abu Dharr’s life.

The next day, his condition improved but Abu Dharr again proclaimed his new faith and was badly beaten up once more. For the second time in as many days, ‘Abbas intervened and saved him from their beatings. After this, Abu Dharr left Makkah and returned to his city.7

Notes

1. Noble Qur’an, Suratul Isra (17), Verse 81

2. Ghurar al-Hikam, Tradition 6041

3. Ba MardumIn Guneh Barkhord Konim, Page 55; Al-Kafi, Volume 3, Page 171

4. Dastan-ha Wa Pand-ha, Volume 9, Page 154; Jame’ al-Nurain, Page 316

5. Shanidani-ha-e-Tarikh, Page 18; Mahajjatul Baiďa, Volume 2, Page 230

6. Jawame’ al-Hikayat, Page 46; Siyar as-Salihin

7. PaighambarWa Yaran, Volume 1, Page 45; A’yan al-Shi’a, Page 316

33. Lawful and Unlawful

Allah, the Wise, has said:

يَا أَيُّهاَ النَّاسُ کُلُوا مِمَّا فِي الأَرْضِ حَلاَلاً طَيِّباً

“O mankind!eat the lawful and good things out of what is in the earth.”1

Imam Kadhim (as) said:

إِنَّ الْحَراَمَ لاَ يُنْمِي وَ إِِنْ نُمِيَ لَمْ يُباَرَكْ فِيهِ

“Surely, the unlawful things do not grow (and multiply) and if they ever do, they are never blessed.”2

Short Expalantion

Consumption of lawful things results in soundness of health and a good Hereafter, whereas consumption of unlawful things causes hardening of the heart - the gravest of diseases for the heart. Its ill effects are also seen to manifest in one’s progeny and even becomes cause for a person to stand up in opposition to Allah! The Prophets and the auliya never ate unlawful things and always counseled their ummah to earn a lawful income and desist from unlawful things.

Why should one who shall eventually be in need of only a grave and a few meters of shroud strive to collect wealth by unlawful means only to leave it for the others, not to mention its burden and responsibility?

In regards to earning a lawful income, it has been reported from the Noble Prophet (S) that worship consists of seventy parts, the most excellent of them being the earning of a lawful income. The act of earning a lawful income causes a person’s heart to become illuminated, his acts of worship to be accepted, and the person finds himself in the continuous protection of Allah.3

1) The Jews and the Unlawful Food

When the Noble Prophet (S) was seven years of age, the Jews (having perceived signs of Prophethood in him and therefore deciding to test him) discussed amongst themselves: “We have read in our Scriptures that the Prophet will distance himself from unlawful and dubious food, so let us test him.”

Thus, they stole a fowl and gifted it to Abu Talib so that the members of his family could eat it. All of them ate, except for the Noble Prophet (S) who did not touch the food. When questioned, he replied: “This fowl is unlawful and Allah has protected me from unlawful things.”

After this incident, the Jews got hold of a neighbour’s fowl with the intention of paying him later and sent it to Abu Talib, but once again the Noble Prophet (S) refused to eat the food, saying: “This food is dubious (with respect to its lawfulness).”

When the Jews came to know of these incidents, they commented, “This child shall come to possess a lofty rank and status.”4

2) By Unlawful Means

During the period when Imam Baqir (as) was in the captivity of Mansur Dawaniqi (the second ‘Abbasid Caliph), he used to eat very little food. Once, a righteous lady who was the follower of the Ahlul Bayt prepared two loaves of bread by lawful means and sent it to the Imam (as) so that he could eat them. The jail warden said to Imam (as): “A certain pious lady, who happens to be your follower has sent these loaves as a present for you and has sworn that it has been made out of lawful means and has requested you to eat them.”

The Imam (as) refused to accept the loaves and asked for them to be returned to the lady.

“Tell her: We know that your food is lawful; however, since you have made it reach us by unlawful means, it does not befit us to eat it,”he said.5

3) The Satan’s Snare

One of the students of Ayatullah Sheikh Murtaďa Ansari recounts: “One night, while we were in Najaf engaged in studies under the tutelage of the Sheikh, I saw Shaitan in my dreams. He was armed with numerous ropes and cords in his hands.

“What are these ropes for?” I asked him.

He replied, “I put them around people’s necks, draw them towards myself and ensnare them. Just last night, I had put one of these strong cords around the Sheikh’s neck and had managed to drag him from his room to the middle of the street in which his house is situated, but unfortunately he escaped from my clutches and returned home.”

The next morning when I went to the Sheikh, I related the previous night’s dream to him.

“Shaitan has spoken the truth,” the Sheikh explained. “That accursed had desired to beguile me but by the grace of Allah, I escaped from his grasp. Yesterday, I did not have any money to purchase something for the house. I said to myself: ‘I have one riyal from the money of Imam al-Zaman (as) and there is still some time before I can put it to use. I shall borrow it for now and repay it later.’

“I left the house with that money, but as I was about to purchase the item which I needed, I said to myself: “How do I know I shall be able to repay this debt later?” I wavered and then all of a sudden decided against going ahead with the purchase. As soon as I returned home, I put the money back in its place.”6

4) The Caliph’s Food

Once, in a gathering of Harun Rashid (the fifth ‘Abbasid Caliph), which included a number of aristocrats, the conversation drifted towards Buhul and his insanity.

When it was time for lunch, a king’s luncheon was spread out, and a delicacy especially prepared for Harun was placed before him. Harun handed this food to one of his slaves and ordered him to take the food to Buhul, in the hope of drawing him towards himself with this benevolent act.

When the slave brought the food before Buhul, who was seated in the ruins of a broken down house, he noticed that some dogs nearby were tearing apart and eating the carcass of a dead donkey. Buhul refused to accept the food.

“Place the food before the dogs,” he said to the slave.

“This is the Caliph’s special food and he has sent it to you out of his respect for you. Do not insult the Caliph!” ordered the slave.

Buhul responded, “Lower your voice for if the dogs come to know of this, even they would refuse to eat this food.” (Since, with regards to the riches at the Caliph’s disposal, it is not known which part of it is lawful and which part is not.)7

5) ‘Aqil

Once, ‘Aqil, the brother of Imam ‘Ali (as), seeking some monetary help, asked the Imam (as) to give him something because he was poor.

The Imam (as) said, “Be patient till I distribute the money amongst the other Muslims for then, I shall give you your share too.”

But when ‘Aqil persisted with his request, the Imam (as) said to a person: “Take ‘Aqil by the hand towards the market and ask him to force open the lock of one of the shops and take away everything from it!”

‘Aqil immediately asked, “You want me to be arrested as a thief?”

“And by giving you money from the public treasury of the Muslims you want me to be looked upon as a thief?” the Imam (as) retorted.

“I shall go to Mua’wiyah,” replied ‘Aqil.

Imam ‘Ali (as) suggested to him to do as he pleased. ‘Aqil went to Mua’wiyah to seek help from him whereupon Mua’wiyah gave him a hundred thousand dirhams and said: “Ascend the pulpit and inform the people as to how ‘Ali (as) behaved with you and how I cooperated with you.”

‘Aqil climbed up the pulpit and, after thanking and praising Allah, said: “O’ People! When I sought from ‘Ali (as) his religion, he abandoned me - his brother, and adhered to his religion. However, when I approached Mua’wiyah, he gave me preference over his religion.”8

Notes

1. Noble Qur’an, Suratul Baqarah (2), Verse 168

2. Jame’ al-Sa’adat, Volume 2, Page 167

3. Safinatul Bihar, Volume 1, Page 297

4. Dars-hai Az Zindagi-e-Payambar, Page 31; Biharul Anwar, Volume 15, Page 336

5. Lataif al-Tawaif, Page 44

6. Sima-e-Farzanegan, Page 430; ZindaganiWa Shakhsiyyat-e-Sheikh Ansari, Page 88

7. Hikayat-ha-e-Shanidani, Volume 1, Page 120

8. Pand-e-Tarikh, Volume 1, Page 180; Al-Sawaiqul Muhriqah

34. Forbearance

Allah, the Wise, has said:

إِنَّ إِبْراَهِيْمَ لَحَلِيْمٌ اَوَّاهٌ مُّنِيبٌ

“Most surely Ibrahim was forbearing, tender-hearted, oft-returning (to Allah).”1

Imam Sadiq (as) had said:

إِذَا لَــمْ تَکُنْ حَلِيماً فَتَحَلَّمْ

“If you are not forbearing then portray yourselfas one possessing forbearance .”2

Short Expalantion

Forbearance is Allah’s lantern from the illumination of which a person achieves the proximity of Allah. A forbearing person, in the face of ill treatment by his family, friends and other people, exhibits patience for the sake of divine pleasure. The reality of forbearance is when a person, despite having the power and ability to extract revenge, pardons the person who has caused him harm and injury; we read in the supplications: “O’ Lord! Your grace is (too) expansive andYour forbearance is (too) immense that You should punish me for my deeds and disgrace me for my sins.”

Since the significance of a true believer more than anyone else, thus, it is imperative for him to exhibit forbearance in the face of troubles and inconveniences of the foolish ones, for if he were to stand up in confrontation withthem, it would be tantamount to adding fuel to the fire and only serve to aggravate the issue.3

1) The Nuisances of the Pigeon-Fancier

Sheikh Abu ‘Ali Thaqafi had a neighbour who loved pigeons. His pigeons would perch on the roof of the Sheikh’s house and in order to make them fly away, he would fling stones at them, an act that caused disturbance and inconvenience to the Sheikh.

One day, the Sheikh was sitting in his house reciting the Noble Qur’an, when the neighbour hurled a stone at the pigeons. The stone struck the Sheikh on his forehead, injuring him and causing blood to flow down his forehead.

The Sheikh’s companions were overjoyed and spoke amongst themselves: “Tomorrow, the Sheikh is bound to complain to the governor of the city and we shall soon be relieved of the pigeon-fancier’s nuisance.”

The Sheikh summoned his servant and instructed him to bring a long branch of a tree. When the slave had brought the branch, the Sheikh said to him: “Now take this branch to the pigeon-fancier and ask him not to throw stones but to use this instead to make the pigeons fly.”4

2) ToleranceTowards the Commander’s Deeds

While Hisham Ibn Isma`il (the maternal uncle of ‘Abdul Malik Ibn Marwan) was the governor of Madinah, having been appointed by Yazid, he used to harass Imam Sajjad (as) immensely. When he was dismissed from the post, Walid took his place, ordered him to be arrested and placed him in custody so that all those people who had grievances against him could come forward and seek compensation.

Hisham said, “I do not fear anyone except ‘Ali Ibn al-Husain (as).” This fear was because he had subjected the Imam (as) to enormous troubles.

However, the Imam (as) had instructed some of the individuals known to him (and who had had a hand in Hisham’s arrest) not to cause any harm to him, even by using a bad word. He even sent a message to Hisham stating: “Listen, if you are unable to pay the money which they have imposed upon you as penalty and punishment, we can arrange to have it paid for you. Rest assured! You need not be worried, either with respect to us or with respect to our followers.”

When Hisham realised the Imam’s civility and courteousness towards him in spite of his improper conduct, he recited aloud5 : “Allah knows best where He places His message.”6

3) Qais Minqari

A narrator says: “I learnt to practice forbearance from Qais Ibn ‘Asim Minqari. Once, I watched him preaching and exhorting the people as he leaned on his sword in front of his house. In the course of his preaching, I observed that some people came to him with a dead body together with a person whose hands were tied.

“This is your nephew and he has killed your son,” they said to Qais.

The narrator continues: “By Allah! Qais neither discontinued his speech nor did he get up from his place. Instead, he continued till his speech finished, after which, he turned to his nephew and said: “O’ Nephew! You have committed an evil deed, disobeyed your Lord, severed your relationship, used your weapon to your own detriment and dishonoured the people of your tribe!”

Then, turning to his other son, he said: “Untie the hands of your cousin, bury your brother and give your mother, from my property, a hundred camels as blood money for the death of your brother, for she comes from a different family.”7

4) Imam Hasan and the Syrian

One day, Imam Hasan (as) was sitting in his place when he was confronted by a man who had come from Syria. As soon as the man set his eyes upon the Imam (as), he began to curse and revile him; but the Imam (as) remained silent till he had completed his outburst.

When he had stopped, the Imam (as) turned towards him, greeted him, smiled and then said: “Brother! You seem to be a stranger here and you have apparently made a mistake. If you want me to disregard your behaviour and forgive you, I shall do so; if you seek something from me, I shall grant it to you; if you want me to guide you, I shall do so; if you are hungry, I shall feed you; if you are in need of clothes, I shall provide them to you; if you are needy, I shall give you all that you need; if you have been expelled, I shall grant you shelter and if you have a desire, I shall fulfill it for you. If you can be my guest for the duration of your stay here, it would be to your benefit, since my house is large and contains all amenities.”

Hearing these words of Imam Hasan (as), the man burst into tears and said: “I bear witness that you are Allah’s Caliph upon the earth and Allah knows best where He places His message and caliphate. Before this meeting of ours, I regarded you and your father as my greatest enemies amongst the people, but now you are the most beloved of them all for me.”

The man stayed with Imam Hasan (as) as his guest for the entire duration of his stay in Madinah and eventually became one of the sincere followers of the Ahlul Bayt.8

5) Sheikh Ja’far Kashif al-Ghita

Sheikh Kashif al-Ghita was one of those illustrious scholars who were known to possess a high degree of forbearance.

One day, the Sheikh distributed some money amongst the impoverished people of the city of Isfahan after which he began to lead the congregational prayers. Between the two prayers, when the people were engaged in reciting their supplications, a poor sayyid9 entered the mosque, stood before the Sheikh and shouted rudely: “O’ Sheikh! Hand over the money of my grandfather (khums) to me.”

“You have arrived late; unfortunately, I have nothing left with me,” the Sheikh replied.

The sayyid, with great impertinence, spat on his beard!

Instead of reacting violently, the Sheikh spread out his cloak and began to walk amidst the rows of people, saying, “Whoever loves and respects the Sheikh’s beard, should help this sayyid.” The people, having witnessed what had transpired between the two, immediately obeyed and very soon the Sheikh’s cloak was filled with money. He handed all the money to the sayyid and proceeded to lead the congregation for the ‘Asr prayers.10

Notes

1. Noble Qur’an, SuratHud (11), Verse 75

2. Jame’ al-Sa’adat, Volume 1, Page 297

3. Tadhkeratul Haqaiq, Page 54

4. Namunah-e-Ma’arif, Volume 4, Page 368

5. Noble Qur’an, Suratul An’am (6), Verse 124

6. Ba MardumIn Guneh Barkhord Konim, Page 22; Tarikh Tabari, Volume 8, Page 61

7. PayghambarWa Yaran, Volume 5, Page 180; Asad al-Ghabbah, Volume 4, Page 229

8. Muntahal A’mal, Volume 1, Page 222

9. A descendant of the Noble Prophet .(Tr.)

10. Seema-e-Farzanegan, Page 338; Fawaid al-Raďawiyyah, Page 74

35. Modesty

Allah, the Wise, has said:

إِنَّ ذٌالِکُمْ کَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْـتَحْيِي مِنْکُمْ وَ اللٌّهُ لاَ يَسْتَحْــيِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ

“Such (behaviour) annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth.”1

The Noble Prophet (S) said:

أَلْحَياَءُ خَيْرٌ کُلُّهُ

“Every kind of modesty is goodness.”2

Short Expalantion

Modesty is a luminosity, the essence of which is faith, and therefore, modesty stems from faith and ought to be strengthened by means of it.

A person who possesses modesty enjoys every kind of goodness – restraining himself in the face of every repugnant and impure act - but one who lacks modesty and shame, acquires every kind of evil, although he may appear to engage himself in acts of worship. A person who lacks this virtue shall be left deprived (of mercy) and will be afflicted with the punishment of the Hereafter. Modesty, in the initial stage, transforms into ‘fear of Allah’, while in the final stage, into ‘perception of Allah’.

A person who is in possession of this virtue, is heedful of Allah, distant from sins and disobediences, and cloaked with honour and love.3

1) Musa and the Daughters of Shu’aib

When Musa (as) killed the person from Qabt, the followers of Fir’awn schemed to have him murdered, and so he fled from Egypt. After travelling for between three and eight days and enduring great troubles, he reached the city of Madyan, where he stretched out to rest beneath a tree situated near a well.

He realized that there were two ladies standing near the well, waiting for the shepherds to finish drawing water so they too could draw water from the well. He went to them and offered to help by drawing the water for them. As a result of Musa’s help, the women brought the water home sooner than usual and this prompted their father, Sho’aib (as) to inquire: “How did you manage to bring the water sooner than usual today?”

They narrated to him the entire episode, whereupon Sho’aib said, “Go to the man and bring him to me in order that I may reward him for his act.”

The ladies approached Musa (as). As soon as they conveyed their father’s message to him, he immediately agreed, as he was hungry, tired and a stranger in the place. The maidens led the way while Musa (as) followed them, but as they walked, the outlines of their bodies became visible and this appeared unsuitable to Musa’s modesty (to look at). Consequently, he said to them: “I shall lead the way while you follow up behind me; correct me if you find me heading in the wrong direction (or throw pebbles before me so that I know where to go) for we, the children of Ya’qub, do not look at the backs of women.”

When the ladies approached Sho’aib (as) and related the incident to him, he gave his daughter in marriage to Musa (as), owing to the latter’s assistance, modesty, purity, trustworthiness and physical strength.4

2) The Modesty of the Eyes

It has been related in the commentary Ruhul Bayan that in a city there lived three brothers. The eldest brother had been the muezzin of the mosque in the city and used to recite the adhan from the top of its minaret. After extending his services for ten years, he died and the second brother took over his brother’s task. A few years later, this brother died too and so, the people approached the third brother and urged him to accept this responsibility and not to let the sound of adhan be terminated. But he flatly refused.

“We shall give you a large amount of money!” they said to him.

But he replied, “Even if you were to give me a hundred times more, I would not accept this task.”

“Is the recitation of adhan an evil act?” they asked him.

“No, but I shall not recite it from the top of the minaret.”

When they sought to know the reason for his refusal, he said, “This minaret is a place that has caused my two wretched brothers to die without faith. I was near my eldest brother when he was breathing his last and I desired to recite the Surat Yasin to ease the agony of his death, but he prohibited me from reciting it.

“The second brother too departed from the world in the same manner. In order to know the reason for this problem, Allah graced me and I saw my eldest brother in my dream, in a state of chastisement. I said to him: ‘I shall not leave you till you tell me what caused both of you to die without faith?’ He said: ‘Whenever we ascended the minaret, we would look at the womenfolk in the people’s houses, without shame and modesty. This act of ours used to engage our hearts and occupy our thoughts, leaving us neglectful and heedless of Allah, and this is what has caused us to become wretched and earned for us an evil Hereafter.’”5

3) Zulaikha

When Zulaikha followed Yusuf to gratify herself and proposed to commit the sin, Yusuf suddenly observed that she had covered something with a piece of cloth.

“What did you do?” he asked her.

“I have covered the face of the idol so that it does not watch me while I commit the sin,” she replied.

Hearing this, Yusuf said, “(If) you exhibit shyness and modesty before a stone that does not see, it is more befitting for me to exhibit shame and modesty before the One, Who sees andWho is aware of what is manifest about me and what is concealed within me.”6

4) The Modesty of Amirul Mo’minin

The marriage formula between Imam ‘Ali (as) and Hadhrat Zahra (as) had been recited in the year 2 ah, but the wedding ceremony took place only later (after one month or one year, as per varying reports).

During this period, ‘Ali (as), out of shyness, would not utter the name of Fatimah (as) and she too behaved likewise.

This continued till one day, the wives of the Noble Prophet (S) approached ‘Ali (as) and asked: “Why do you delay the wedding ceremony? If you experience a feeling of shyness and timidity, permit us to speak to the Noble Prophet (S) about it.”Imam ‘Ali (as) granted them permission.

En masse, they arrived in the presence of the Noble Prophet (S).

“O’ Prophet of Allah!” they said. “Had Khadijah been alive, Fatimah’s wedding ceremony would have left her overjoyed and Fatimah (as) herself would be happy to set her eyes upon her husband. ‘Ali (as) too awaits his wife and we look forward to this joyous occasion.”

Hearing Khadijah’s name, tears welled up in the Noble Prophet’s eyes. With a heave of sigh, he said, “Where is there the like of Khadijah…?” and then added, “But why did ‘Ali (as) not approach me directly for this?”

The wives replied, “His modesty restrained him from doing so.”

Hearing this, the Noble Prophet (S) directed them to make preparations for the wedding ceremony.7

Notes

1. Noble Qur’an, Suratul Ahzab (33), Verse 53

2. Jame’ al-Sa’adat, Volume 2, Page 385

3. Tadhkeratul Haqaiq, Page 93

4. Tarikh-e-Anbiya, Volume 2, Page 65-71

5. Riwayat-ha Wa Hikayat-ha, Page 105; Dastan-ha-e-Parakandeh, Volume 1, Page 123

6. Namunah-e-Ma’arif, Volume 4, Page 385; Bahrul Mahajjah (of Ghazzali), Page 94

7. Fatimah al-Zahra, Page 283