Stories of the Pious: Allah the Provider

It is related that Abu-al-Abbas al-Khadir was once questioned by Abdullah,’ Have you come across a Wali of Allah that has a greater status than yours?”

”Yes” he replied. “I was once in Masjid-e-Nabawi, when I saw Abdur Razzak and a group of people around him listening to Ahadith. In the corner of the masjid was a young man sitting with his head on his knees.” I asked him why are you not sitting with the People and listening to the Hadith of Rasulullah (SAW) from Abdur Razzak?”

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Stories of the Pious: The Pious Barber

The Pious Barber Abu Ja’far al-Hadad relates, “During a stay in Makkah my hair had grown long but I could not afford to cut it. I went to a barber who seemed to be a good man and asked him to cut my hair for the sake of Allah. The barber glanced at my messy hair and invited me forward. He trimmed away the locks up to the ears.

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Stories of the Pious: The Ethiopian Slave

Abdullah bin Mubarak relates, “‘Once while I was in Makkah, we were struck with a severe drought. It had not rained for weeks and all the people gathered in Masjid al-Haram to pray for rain. I was also amongst them sitting next to the gate of Banu Saiba. An Ethiopian slave wearing tatty garments came and sat in front of me. 

I could hear him praying, “Oh Allah, bad deeds and sinning have frayed the faces and you have stopped showering us with your mercy to teach mankind a lesson. I ask you Oh Haleem, Oh Raheem, Oh One whose people know nothing except good. Send rain unto us this moment”. He prayed until the clouds appeared and it rained.

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Stories of the Pious: Sinless Barkh

Ka’ab relates, once at the time of Prophet Musa (AS), there was a drought. The Bani Israeel aked him to pray for rain. Prophet Musa told them to come with him to the mountain. When they climbed the mountain he said to his People, “Whoever has committe a sin, then do not follow me ” They all turned and walked back down the mountain except one man. He was blind from one eye and known to the people as Barkh.

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Stories of the Pious: Abul-Hasan and the Thief

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.

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Stories of the Pious: Fruits of Charity

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.

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Stories of the Pious: Water with the Taste of Honey

A pious man relates, whilst I was sitting next to the Ka’ba an old man with his face covered came and drank water from the well of Zam Zam using a container. I then drank what he had left over and found that it tasted of honey. I turned to see where he had gone, but he had left.

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Stories of the Pious: Dirhams from the Unseen

A pious man relates, I was travelling with a caravan through a jungle when I saw a woman walking ahead. She appeared weak, so I thought that perhaps she was walking in front so that she is not left behind. 

I found a few dirhams in my pocket and gave them to her and said, “When the caravan stops, come to me and I will ask the people to offer you some money”, enabling her to purchase an animal to ride on. She stretched out her hands and showed me some dirhams clenched in her hands. She gave them to me and said “You took them from your pocket and I from the unseen”.

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Stories of the Pious: Benefits of Salaam

It is said that a young man was making tawaf of the Ka’ba. At the same time he was engaged in sending Salaam on the Prophet (SAW). A man on hearing this inquired, “Do you know of any benefits of sending Salaam?” “Yes” he replied. “My father and I left for hajj, he fell sick on the way and died. His face turned black, his eyes blue and his stomach had swollen up. I cried and said, “We belong to Allah and to him we return”.

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Stories of The Pious: Pearls from the Sea

Zun-Noon Misri relates, we once embarked on a ship and a handsome young man, whose face was gleaming with light also set out with us. During the voyage the owner of the ship lost a bag which contained his money. 

This led to a search of all the passengers on board. When the young man was approached, he leaped out of the ship into the water. Whilst we looked on he supplicated, “Oh Allah they have accused me. I take oath that you order every creature in the sea to raise their head with a pearl resting in their mouths.”

Zun- Noon further states that before the young man could complete his supplication we witnessed the creatures doing just as he had requested. The young man continued, “Oh Allah it is Ye we worship alone and Ye we seek help from.” He then disappeared.

After witnessing such a remarkable incident the narrator exclaimed, “The Hadith of Prophet (SAW) came to mind. There will always remain thirty people from among my Ummah whose hearts will be like the heart of Ibraheem. Every time one dies Allah will replace him.” Perhaps the narrator believed this young man was one of them.

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Stories of the Pious: The Ultimate Test

Abu-ul-Hassan Siraj (mercy be upon him) said, “One day I set out for the performance of pilgrimage (Hajj). As I was making a circuit (Tawwaf) around the Holy Ka’ba, I happened to see a fair-faced woman. I said to myself, By God! I have never seen a woman with such beauty before. 

Perhaps she has all this beauty as she may not have suffered any grief or sorrow.” She heard this statement and said, “What did you say? By God! I am immersed in grief and my heart is afflicted with adversities and misfortunes and there is no one to share with me the pangs of grief.”

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