A PILGRIM’S PROGRESS (II)
“It is related that the noted Muslim scholar Abdullah bin Mubarak (lived 736 to 797 AD) had a dream while he was sleeping near the Ka’abah when he was on Hajj. In the dream, bin Mubarak saw two Angels descend from the sky. One asked the other: ‘Do you know how many people have come […]
“It is related that the noted Muslim scholar Abdullah bin Mubarak (lived 736 to 797 AD) had a dream while he was sleeping near the Ka’abah when he was on Hajj. In the dream, bin Mubarak saw two Angels descend from the sky. One asked the other: ‘Do you know how many people have come for Hajj this year?’ The other replied: ‘Six hundred thousand.’ The first Angel then asked: ‘How many people’s Hajj has been accepted?’ The second replied: ‘I wonder if anyone’s Hajj has been accepted at all.’ Still in his sleep, bin Mubarak was grieved to hear that. He thought, ‘So many people have come from all over the world, crossing so many obstacles and meeting so many expenses. Would their effort be wasted?’
“He had thought only so far when he heard the other Angel say: ‘There is a cobbler in Damascus whose name is Ali bin al-Mufiq. He could not come for Hajj, but Allah has accepted his Hajj. Not only will he get the reward for Hajj but, because of him, all the Hajjis of this year will be rewarded.’
“When bin Mubarak woke, he decided he would have to go to Damascus to meet that cobbler whose Hajj intention carried such a lot of weight.
“On reaching Damascus, bin Mubarak inquired for the cobbler. He was directed to a house. When a man appeared, bin Mubarak greeted him and asked his name. The man replied ‘Ali bin al-Mufiq’. bin Mubarak asked: ‘What do you do for a living?’ Ali replied: ‘I am a cobbler.’ Then Ali asked the stranger’s name that had come looking for him.
”Abdullah bin Mubarak was a very well-known scholar of Islam, so when he introduced himself, the cobbler was anxious to find out why such a well-known scholar was seeking him out. Then bin Mubarak asked Ali to tell him if he had made any plans to go for Hajj.
“Ali replied: ‘For thirty years I have lived in the hope of performing the Hajj. This year I had saved enough to go for Hajj, but Allah did not will it, so I couldn’t make my intention translate into action.’ bin Mubarak was eager to find out how could this man’s Hajj be accepted and blessed for all the people when he didn’t go for Hajj in the first place. While talking to the cobbler, bin Mubarak could discern a certain purity in the cobbler, as Islam regards greatness not in wealth or in power, but in civility, good manners and the goodness of heart.
”Bin Mubarak further asked: ‘Why could you not go on Hajj?’ In order not to disclose the reason, Ali again replied: ‘It was Allah’s will.’ When bin Mubarak persisted, Ali revealed: ‘Once I went to see my neighbour. His family was just sitting down for dinner and, although I was not hungry, I expected he would invite me to dinner out of courtesy. But I could see that he was grieved about something and wanted to avoid inviting me. After some hesitation, the neighbour told me: ‘I am sorry I cannot invite you for food. We have been without food for three days and I could not bear to see the pain of hunger in my children. So I went out looking for food today and found a dead donkey. In my desperation, I cut out some meat from the dead animal and brought it home so that my wife could cook this meat. It is halal (lawful) for us because of our extreme hunger, but I cannot offer it to you.’
”Ali continued: ‘On hearing this, my heart bled with tears. I got up and went home, collected the three thousand dinars (gold coins) I had saved for Hajj, and gave my neighbour the whole money. I too had had to go hungry, but that was to save money for Hajj, but I thought helping my neighbour during his difficult times was more important. But I still desire to go for Hajj if Allah wills.’
“Abdullah bin Mubarak was greatly inspired by the cobbler’s story and told the cobbler of his dream.” Not long after, it is narrated, an identical episode happened to bin Mubarak himself.
“It is said bin Mubarak once entered Kufa (in Iraq) on his way to Hajj. There was a woman sitting on a rubbish-heap plucking a duck. It occurred to him that it was carrion. He stopped on his mule and said to her, ‘Woman! Is this duck carrion or sacrificed?’ She said, ‘Carrion.’ He said, ‘Then why are you plucking it?’ She said, ‘So that my family and I can eat it.’ He said, ‘Woman! Allah Almighty has forbidden you carrion while you are in a land like this!’ She said, ‘Man, go away.’
“They continued to exchange words until he asked her, ‘Where in Kufa do you live?’ And she told him. He left and went to the inn and asked for directions. He said to a man who knew the place, ‘You have a dirham if you take me there.’
“He went until he came to the woman’s house. He said to the man, ‘Go.’ Then he went to the door and knocked. The woman said, ‘Who is it?’ He said to her, ‘Open the door.’ She opened it part way. He said, ‘Open it all the way.’ Then he got off his mule and hit it with a stick and the mule went into the house. Then he said to the woman, ‘This mule and the provision, money and clothes on it are yours, and you will have what is halal from it in this world and the next.’
“Then bin Mubarak remained hidden until people returned from Hajj. Some of the people of his land came to greet him and congratulate him on the Hajj. He turned and said to them, ‘I had an illness and did not go on Hajj this year.’
“Astonishingly, one of the people said, ‘Glory be to Allah! I met you there! Did I not leave my goods with you while we were at Mina and we were going to Arafat?’ And then another said, ‘I also met you, and you bought such and such for me! Bin Mubarak continued to say, ‘I do not know what you are saying. As for myself, I did not go on Hajj this year.’
“Later that night, bin Mubarak dreamt of someone saying to him, ‘O Abdullah, rejoice! Allah has accepted your sadaqa and He sent an angel in your form who performed the Hajj for you.’” Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik! May our Hajj be as the Cobbler’s and bin Mubarak’s, amin.