Three Men Saved by Sincerity

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سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ انْطَلَقَ ثَلَاثَةُ نَفَرٍ مِمَّن كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَتَّى آوَاهُمُ الْمَبِيتُ إِلَى غَارٍ فَدَخَلُوهُ

I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: 'Three men from those before you set out, and night forced them to take shelter in a cave. They entered it.'

فَانْحَدَرَتْ صَخْرَةٌ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ فَسَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَارَ

Then a rock fell down from the mountain and blocked the entrance of the cave.

فَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُنَجِّيكُمْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَدْعُوا اللَّهَ بِصَالِحِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ

They said: 'Nothing will save you from this rock except that you call upon Allah by mentioning your righteous deeds.'

قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ اللّهُمَّ كَانَ لِي أَبَوَانِ شَيْخَانِ كَبِيرَانِ وَكُنْتُ لَا أَغْبِقُ قَبْلَهُمَا أَهْلًا وَلَا مَالًا

One of them said: 'O Allah, I had elderly parents, and I never provided drink to my family or wealth before them.'

فنأى بى طلب الشجر يوماً فلم أرح عليهما حتى ناما فحلبت لهما غبوقهما فوجدتهما نائمين فكرهت أن أوقظهما وأن أغبق قبلهما أهلاً أو مالاً،

One day, I was delayed by seeking wood and did not return to them until they had fallen asleep. I milked their evening drink for them, but I found them asleep and disliked to wake them or to serve my family or wealth before them.

فَلَبِثْتُ وَالْقِدْحُ عَلَى يَدِي أَنْتَظِرُ اسْتِيقَاظَهُمَا حَتَّى بَرَقَ الْفَجْرُ وَالصِّبْيَةُ يَتَضَاغَوْنَ عِنْدَ قَدَمِي فَاسْتَيْقَظَا فَشَرِبَا غَبُوقَهُمَا

So I waited with the vessel in my hand until dawn broke, and the children were crying at my feet. They then awoke and drank their evening drink.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَفَرِّجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ

O Allah, if I did that seeking Your face, then relieve us from the situation we are in with this rock.

فَانْفَرَجَتْ شَيْئًا لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْخُرُوجَ مِنْهُ

The rock then moved slightly, but they could not exit.

قَالَ الْآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ كَانَتْ لِيَ ابْنَةُ عَمٍّ كَانَتْ أَحَبَّ النَّاسِ إِلَيَّ

The other one said: 'O Allah, I had a cousin whom I loved most dearly.'

وفى رِوَايَةٍ كُنْتُ أُحِبُّهَا كَأَشَدِّ مَا يُحِبُّ الرِّجَالُ النِّسَاءَ

In a narration, I used to love her as intensely as men love women.

فأردتها على نفسها فامتنعت منى حتى ألمّت بها سنة من السنين فجاءتنى فأعطيتها عشرين ومائة دينار على أن تخلى بينى وبين نفسها ففعلت، حتى إذا قدرت عليها

I returned her to her own custody, but she withheld herself from me until a year of the years befell her. Then she came to me and I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars on the condition that she relinquish between me and her self; she did so, until when I gained power over her.

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فَلَمَّا قَعَدْتُ بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهَا قَالَتْ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلَا تَفُضَّ الْخَاتَمَ إِلَّا بِحَقِّهِ فَانْصَرَفْتُ عَنْهَا وَهِيَ أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَيَّ وَتَرَكْتُ الذَّهَبَ الَّذِي أَعْطَيْتُهَا

In another version: 'When I sat between her legs, she said: Fear Allah and do not break the seal except with its due right. So I refrained from her though she was the most beloved to me, and I left the gold that I had given her.'

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ فَانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْخُرُوجَ مِنْهَا

O Allah, if I did that seeking Your face, then relieve us from this situation we are trapped in. The rock moved slightly, but they still could not exit.

وقال الثالث اللهم استأجرت أجراء وأعطيتهم أجرهم غير رجل واحد ترك الذى له وذهب، فثمرت أجره حتى كثرت منه الأموال،

The third said: 'O Allah, I hired laborers and paid them their wages except for one man who left without taking his pay. I invested his wages until they multiplied into wealth.'

فَجَاءَنِي بَعْدَ حِينٍ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَدِّ إِلَيَّ أَجْرِي فَقُلْتُ كُلُّ مَا تَرَى مِنْ أَجْرِكَ مِنَ الْإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ وَالرَّقِيقِ

After some time, he returned to me and said: 'O Servant of Allah, return my wages to me.' I said: 'Look at everything you see; it is all from your wages: camels, cows, sheep, and servants.'

فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ لَا تَسْتَهْزِئْ بِي فَقُلْتُ لَا أَسْتَهْزِئُ بِكَ فَأَخَذَهُ كُلَّهُ فَاسْتَاقَهُ فَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا

He said: 'O Servant of Allah, do not mock me!' I replied: 'I am not mocking you.' So he took everything and drove it all away, leaving nothing behind.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرِجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ فَانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ فَخَرَجُوا يَمْشُونَ

O Allah, if I did that seeking Your face, then relieve us from this situation we are in. The rock moved, and they exited, walking.