Continuing the stories i've heard from the lectures of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat...

SULTAN NASIRUDDEEN’S EXAMPLE


Shaykh related the story of Sultan Nasiruddeen who was once busy writing a passage of the Qur’an while seated with his ministers. A passer-by, who was not a Haafiz of the Qur’an, came and stood watching him. The passer-by pointed out that the Sultan had repeated a word twice. The Sultan picked up a pen, circled the word that was repeated and thanked the person. After the person left the Sultan started scraping off the circle he had made. At this the ministers enquired why he had made the circle in the first place since the repetition of the word was not a mistake. The Sultan replied that it was easier to scrape off the mark of the circle made on the paper; the waters of the seven seas would not have been enough to wash off the mark of embarrassment caused by his tongue if he had told the passer-by in front of all the people that it was he who was mistaken.
Posted on www.shaykh.org (25 Nov 2007)

TRUE SACRIFICE

Imam Waaqidi, a great Wali of his time was poor and once at the time of ‘Eid his wife requested him to see if he could get something at least for the children. He set off to borrow some money from a friend who was a trader. The friend immediately handed over a sealed bag with 1200 dirhams in it. Arriving home he had just handed over the bag to his wife when there was a knock on the door. It was another friend of his who was in a similar situation and he asked Imam Waaqidi for help. He consulted his wife who in turn asked for his opinion. When he suggested they hand over half (even though he personally wished to give it all) she advised him to give it all and he handed over the bag to his friend leaving his family with nothing for ‘Eid.

Soon after this his trader friend, from whom he had borrowed the money, arrived enquiring about the bag. Imam Waaqidi was hesitant to disclose his actions however on his friend’s insistence he told him what had taken place. The trader friend then explained that when Imam Waaqidi had arrived asking for help he did not have anything except the bag which he had handed over to him. His family was also in need and his wife also requested him to try to get something for ‘Eid and so he had gone to the friend to ask for help who in turn handed over the bag which he recognised as his own and which he had given to Imam Waaqidi only a short time before. He was perplexed as to how that bag had reached his other friend and that was the reason for his insistence for an explanation.

Each of the three friends had been prepared to sacrifice all for a friend in need!

HUMILITY OF THE GREAT

Shaykh Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi
The great Shaykh was once giving a dars in the yard of the masjid when there was a sudden downpour. The students, worried more about their books, ran in protecting them from the rain. Once inside they realised their shoes would be soaked and turned back only to find that their ustaad (teacher), the great Shaykh Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi, had already collected his students’ shoes in his sheet and was carrying them in!


‘Umar bin ‘Abdul ‘Azeez
Late at night while in the company of a guest the flame of the lantern (chiraag) went out. The leader of the Believers refused to wake up his servant who he said would be tired and his sleep disturbed if woken up, and he also refused his guest’s offer of help. He himself went to fill the lantern with oil. After the job was done he said to his guest that before the errand he was son of ‘Abdul ‘Azeez and he still remained the son of ‘Abdul ‘Azeez after it.