When the secret was no longer a secret!

[Striver]

The Ethiopian Slave

Abdullah bin Mubarak relates, "'Once while I was in Makkah, we were struck with a severe drought. It had not rained for weeks and all the people gathered in Masjid al-Haram to pray for rain. I was also amongst them sitting next to the gate of Banu Saiba.

An Ethiopian slave wearing tatty garments came and sat in front of me. I could hear him praying, "Oh Allah, bad deeds and sinning have frayed the faces and you have stopped showering us with your mercy to teach mankind a lesson. I ask you Oh Haleem, Oh Raheem, Oh One whose people know nothing except good. Send rain unto us this moment". He prayed until the clouds appeared and it rained.

When he left I followed him to find out his whereabouts. On returning home I went to see Fudail bin Ayaz who asked me why I was depressed. I related the incident, he then insisted that I take him to this Young man. "It is late, let me find out more about him" I told him.

After Fajr, I went to see the slave and found an old man sitting at his door. On seeing him he recognised me. He welcomed me and then asked about my need. "I need a black slave", I asked. He replied, "I have many, take anyone you like". He kept on calling the slaves one by one and I refused until he finally called out the one I was looking for. He then refused to sell this slave on the grounds that his presence brought many blessings. When I said, "Shall I return to Sufyan Ath-Thauri and Fudail bin Ayaz empty handed?" He accepted and said, "Your coming was a big thing. Pay the price you like and take him."

I purchased the slave, and headed towards Fudail's house. On the way He asked, "Why did you not Purchase a slave stronger than me? I am weak and cannot serve you. My master showed you many that were stronger. I said, ''By Allah, I am going to serve you, buy you a house and marry You off," He began to cry. I asked, "What makes you cry?'' He said, "The only reason you are going to treat me like this is because you have seen my connection with my Lord."

He then asked if I could wait for him as he had some Rakats left over from lastnight. I informed him that Fudail's house is close from here, but He insisted, ''It is not good to delay the work of Allah''. He entered the Masjid and prayed. When he finished he asked me, ''Oh Aboo Abdur Rahman, do you have a need?'' I said, ''Why do you ask?'' He replied, ''To the Hereafter.''

He then said, "Life was good when the secret was between my Lord and I. Now you know and then someone else will come to know. Now I am no longer in need of this life.'' He fell down and began to say, ''Oh Allah take me now.'' I came close to him and found him still. He had passed away.

Faza'il & Rawdhatur-riyaaheen.
Translated by Maulana Ahmed Ali

[abdushakur]

mashallah a very nice story.

'Striver' if possible can u also include the source(s) for all the stories u post up on here.

there is benefit in the story itself, even without the mention of the famous personalities like Abdullah Ibn Mubarak and Fudail Ibn Iyad (may Allah have mercy on them both), but it would be even greater to see from which books these narrations were taken so as to strengthen our hearts and increase our love for the ulama who have collected them.

[Striver]

'Striver' if possible can u also include the source(s) for all the stories u post up on here.

Inshallah.
This story is from Faza'il.

[abdushakur]

Faza'il.

do u mean "Faza'il-e-Amal" by Shaykhul Hadith Maulana Zakariyya Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him) ?

sorry to ask so many questions.
its just that ive seen so many of these types of stories and bcos i cant 'source' them i tend to ignore them and not pass them on. i get worried that they may be 'made up' u see.

but sources like "fadhail-e-amal" give me confidence.
and others i suppose too.

jazakumullah khayran.

[Striver]

do u mean "Faza'il-e-Amal" by Shaykhul Hadith Maulana Zakariyya Sahib (may Allah have mercy on him) ?

Yes.
The title, I made up.

[Striver]

Its also in Rawdhatur-riyaaheen.

The author was Afifud-Din Abdullah bin As'ad Al- Yamani al- Yafi'ee as-Shafi'ee. Born 696AH near Aadan, Yemen; he was a man of great capability which began to show at a very early age. He benefited from, and studied under, Qadi Najmuddin at-Tabri; Radi -ud- din at- Tabri; Salih Mohammed bin Ahmad al Bassal; Shaykh Sharfud Ahmad bin ali al-Harazi. Acknowled and praised by his teachers he was a great scholar who spent his life serving the deen and his 44 works bear witness to this. His most famous work was 'Rawdur-Raiyaheen'. He died in 768AH (May Allah grant him paradise).