Islamic stories

Don't belittle the little

Abu Nasr Sayyad narrates his story, saying that; He was extremely poor, he looks for a job so he could feed his family but couldn't find one. So, he went to his Sheikh Ahmad Bin Miskin (who was a tabiin[those who saw the sahabas radiya Allahu anhum]) and he tells him, "Sheikh I need to feed my family and I don't have anything. What should I do?"

The sheikh said, " Pray two rakaahs to Allah then go to the sea. I will help you with my fishing net."

So Abu Nasr Al-Sayyad prayed the two rakaahs and went to the sea and with the fishing net, he was able to catch a huge fish which he took to the market and sold it. He bought two plates of food from the money. He took one plate of food to his sheikh to thank him.

Sheikh Ahmad bin Miskin on receiving the plate said, "O Abu Sayyad, had I helped you for the sake of getting any worldly benefit, the fish would have never come out. Allah would have never put barakah in my advice and in your day. Go and feed your family."

Abu Sayyad goes with the remaining plate towards his home and on his way, he sees a woman with her child, she's a widow and the son is an orphan and they immediately sees the plate he was carrying. And he says, "Wallahi by Allah I forgot about the hunger of my family and I felt like paradise came down on earth offering itself to anyone who was going to feed that Mom and her baby. so I gave them the plate of food."

He went back home with nothing and he started to regret what he has done and he started worrying and being concerned how he will feed his family.

Suddenly a knock came through the door. He answered the door

The man asked;"Are you Abu Nasr Al-Sayyad?,"

"Yes,"

"I borrowed money from your father 20 years ago and I have been looking for him and when l finally found the town he lives, I heard that he died and you are the only son. Here is the money I borrowed from your father."

Abu Nasr Al-Sayyad became extremely rich. He first set aside money for his family and invested the remaining amount and within a short period he became wealthy in his society. He also continued donating a lot of money as well to thank Allah Subhanahu watalla.

But, he become a lot of over confidence and he cared more of the quantity and not the quality of his charity/ sadaqah.

One night, he saw a dream that the day of judgement has arrives and he saw masses of people resurrected in front of Allah. Angels were calling 'Come present your deeds infront of Allah subhanahu watalla'

And when it was his turn, he was presented with some of his bad deeds but he was hopeful that he has tons of good deeds, his tones of charity. So, the charity was kept in the good deed but it weigh nothing, piles of good deeds looked like piles of cotton with no values. He was disappointed.

Then the Angels started calling, "Does he have anything remaining?"

Then the two plates that he helped the woman and his sheikh were brought. He got worried that they wouldn't be enough to outweigh his bad deeds.

When those plates were put on the weigh, they had great weigh and they balance out. He still needed some more. Abu Sayyad became extremely worried and scared because everything has been weighed.

Then the Angels called again, "Does he have anything remaining?"

And Subhanallah, the tears from the eyes of the woman and the smile from the eyes of the orphan became physical objects that would be put on the side of the good deed. The tears become a big pound and from the pound a fish comes out and they were weighed on the side of the good deeds. The angels then say, "He has passed, He has made it!!!"

Abu Sayyad then woke up and he said, ' Had it been for any worldy benefit the fish would have never come out.

This story teaches us that whatever you do or give, do it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wataalla. The good deed[ charity] Abu Sayyad did, didn't weigh heavily because there were filled with showing off, bad intention and trying to impress others other than Allah, which make us loose all the get reward we would have got.

Shukran Jazakamullahu kheir.