A Thought-Provoking Story
Some Islamic books mention a remarkable and thought-provoking story about an incident said to have occurred near Madinah.
A woman passed away, and another woman began washing her body for burial. While washing the deceased, she said to the women around her, “This woman had an unlawful relationship with a certain man.”
The moment these words left her tongue, by the will of Allah, her hand became stuck to the deceased woman’s thigh. No matter how hard she tried, she could not free it.
The deceased’s family urged her to complete the washing so that the funeral prayer and burial could take place before evening. She replied, “I want to leave the deceased, but she is not letting go of me.”
The entire night passed, yet her hand remained attached.
The following day, the families consulted several scholars. One reportedly suggested cutting off the living woman's hand, but her family refused. Another suggested cutting part of the deceased's body, but her family also refused. Three days and three nights passed in this condition. Because of the intense heat, the body began to decompose, and news of the incident spread throughout the surrounding villages.
Finally, they decided to seek the judgment of Imam Malik.
After hearing the matter, Imam Malik asked the woman, “When your hand became attached, did you say anything?”
She replied, “I said that this woman had an unlawful relationship with a certain man.”
He asked, “Did you have four eyewitnesses to support your accusation?”
She answered, “No.”
He then asked, “Did she ever confess this to you herself?”
Again she replied, “No.”
He asked, “Then why did you accuse her?”
She said, “I once saw her carrying a water vessel while passing by that man's house, so I assumed it.”
Imam Malik then referred to the Qur'anic ruling concerning those who accuse chaste women without producing four witnesses. According to the narration, he ordered the prescribed punishment to be carried out.
The story states that after seventy lashes, her hand remained attached. After seventy-five lashes, nothing changed. Even after seventy-nine lashes, it remained attached. But when the eightieth lash was completed, her hand was released on its own.
The lesson of this story is clear: falsely accusing someone of immorality is a grave sin. A Muslim should never make accusations without clear and lawful evidence.
May Allah protect us all from slander, false accusations, and سوء الظن (evil suspicion).
Purifying the Heart
Today, many hearts have become stained by sins. Instead of ignoring our spiritual condition, we should strive to cleanse, illuminate, and reform our hearts through sincere repentance and obedience to Allah.
We look at our faces in the mirror, yet we often fail to notice the stains upon our hearts.
Many people have become so attached to worldly life that they have forgotten death and preparation for the Hereafter.
The call to prayer still echoes from the mosques, but the spiritual impact that once shook hearts has become rare.
Where Are the Righteous Youth?
Where are the young people who used to rise during the last part of the night to worship Allah?
They frequently recited "La ilaha illallah."
Their hearts trembled out of fear and reverence for Allah.
Their hearts overflowed with love for their Lord.
Whenever they recited the Qur'an, tears flowed from their eyes.
They found immense joy and peace in listening to the Qur'an.
When they prostrated before Allah, they wished to remain in sujood because of the sweetness of worship.
Such young people are rarely seen today.
Instead, during the last part of the night, cities are silent as people remain asleep, missing one of the most blessed times for worship.
The Virtue of Tahajjud
Authentic hadith mention that during the last third of the night, Allah calls upon His servants, saying: "Who is asking Me so that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?"
Yet many people sleep through these blessed hours and later complain that their prayers are not answered.
Staying awake late for worldly entertainment has become easy, while waking for Tahajjud has become difficult.
There was once a time when travelers passing through towns at night could hear the recitation of the Qur'an coming from the homes of believers.
We should begin preparing for the Hereafter today, because none of us knows how much time remains in this world. The only certainty is that every soul will one day return to Allah.
.
Post a Comment