27 April 2013

Oh, they left me alone to suffer the torture


Imam Adh-Dhahabi mentions this story in “Kitabul-Kabaair”

““Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Al-Feriabi said, “Once I went out accompanied with a group of my friends to visit Abu Sann'an, (May Allah have mercy on him). When we entered his house and sat down for a while, he said, “Let us visit a neighbor whose brother has recently died to console him.”

Then, we all went to the man but we found him wailing and impatient for the death of his brother. Accordingly, we tried to console him but of no avail. We admonished him that death is an inevitable end. Then, he said, I know. I just weep for my brother’s death abode and the torture he is in.

We asked, “Did Allah enable you to know the Unseen?” He said,” Of course not, but when I buried him and people went away I sat down by his grave.

Meanwhile, I heard a sound of distress. I heard someone crying.” ‘Oh, they left me alone to suffer the torture. I was praying, and fasting’. The brother went on saying “I wept out of pity for those words and I began to dig the grave to see his status. The grave was full of fire and I noticed a circle of fire around his neck. Out of pity I extended my arm to help him out from the fire. No sooner I extended my hand ,my fingers were burnt. Then, the man showed us his burnt hand.

He went on saying; “I hoarded the earth over him and went away. Thus, how can I keep patient after I have seen how he is”.

We, then, asked, "What did your brother do in this world (to deserve such a status)?"
He replied. “He did not pay Zakah from his money."

We said, "This is in accordance with Allah's saying,

{And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah has bestowed on them of His Bounty (Wealth) think that it is good for them (and so they do not pay the obligatory Zakat). Nay, it will be worse for them; the things which they covetously withheld shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Well-Acquainted with all that you do.} (Al-Imran: 180)

Your brother, therefore, is being tortured in advance in his grave until the Day of Judgment.”

Afterwards, we went to Abu Dharr (Radiy Allah anhu), the companion of the prophet (Sallallahu ‘alahi Wasallam), and told him this man's story. We also said, "When a Jew or a Christian dies, we do not notice them suffering like this," He said; "They are undoubtedly in the Hell-fire. Allah shows you the abode of the Muslims in order to learn the lesson. Allah, the Most High, says,

{Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his ownself, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so to his own harm, and I (Muhammad SAW) am not a watcher over you.)} (AI-An' am: 104)””

No comments: