ADVICE TO ABDULLA MUBARAK
Abdulla Mubarak once approached Bahlool with a request to show him a way of salvation and purification from sins. Bahlool replied that what could be expected from him when he was considered as an insane person by people.
Why not find a sensible person to guide you? he added. Abdulla said that insane persons are quite often expert in their profession hence one ought to listen to words of wisdom from those considered mentally unbalanced. On Abdullah's insistence, Bahlool agreed upon four conditions narrated as under:
What better reason other than this could it be for one always to remain on the path of obedience to Allah.
Firstly: "If you go against any command of Allah then you should refrain from eating from His sustenance. How dare you as a sensible person, claiming to be servant of Allah and enjoying His bounties yet turn against Him?"
Abdulla admitted that this was the absolute truth Secondly: "When you disobey Him, you should not reside in His domain." Adbulla said: "This was rather, difficult condition to comply with" Bahlool said:
"But how unfair it was to enjoy His blessings and reside in His doinain yet disobey and go against His commands. Allah Himself has said in the Holy Qur’an:
"Surely to Us is their turning back, Then surely upon Us is the taking of their account." (88:25-26) Thirdly; "If you are bent upon committing a sin, then do so at a place where Allah cannot see you at all"
Abdulla said: "This is impossible" Bahlool said: "How unfair it was for one to enjoy His bounties, reside in His domain and yet commit sins despite the fact that He is seeing you. And Allah has stated in the Holy Qur’an:
"And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He only respites them to a day on which the eyes shall be fixedly open." (14:42) Fourthly: "When the angel of death approaches you for taking away your soul, tell him to wait so that you may bid farewell to people and perform some good deeds for the benefit of life after death" Abdulla responded saying:
"This was impossible because the angel of death does not allow any respite to anyone"
Bahlool reacted to this by saying:
"How dare you then commit a sin when you know for certain that you are not going to be spared anytime when death approaches? Is it not possible that death comes to you at the very moment when you are committing sin and you are unable to move? And Allah had said in the Holy Qur’an:
"And for every nation there is a doom, so when their doom is come they shall not remain behind the least while, nor shall they go before." (7:34) Abdulla told Bahlool that he had carefully listed and understood his four conditions and wanted to hear more from him. Bahlool then added: "Man,when committing action, or uttering, or hearing any word, ought to keep in view the commands of Allah"
Taken from the book “The Moral Stories (Part 2)”
Author: Ahmed .H. Sheriff
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ON THE THRONE OF CALIPH
