AGAIN, ON THE JUSTNESS OF GOD

For those who follow this Column diligently, they know how deep our belief is in Divine Intervention. About three years ago, we discussed the Justness of God here and, today, we feel it is time we revisit that narrative so that our faith and trust in the Almighty may be renewed anew. But do not […]

For those who follow this Column diligently, they know how deep our belief is in Divine Intervention. About three years ago, we discussed the Justness of God here and, today, we feel it is time we revisit that narrative so that our faith and trust in the Almighty may be renewed anew. But do not ask of the sources of these stories – that they reconfirm the justness of God is enough for us. Enjoy:
“It is related that a woman once went to the Prophet Dawud (David), upon whom be peace and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, is your Lord just or unjust?’ Prophet Dawud said to her, ‘Woe unto you, woman; indeed, my Lord is Most Just and never acts unjustly.’ Having said that, he then asked her, ‘What is your story?’
“The woman said, ‘I am a widow and have three daughters. I provide for them from what I spin with my needle and yarn. Yesterday, I wrapped my yarn in a cloth and went to the market to sell it and use the proceeds to buy provisions for my children. But while I was walking to the market, a bird suddenly swooped down and took my yarn and my cloth and flew away. I sat there in a sad and miserable state, faced with the reality that I owned nothing that I could use to provide for my children.’
“As the woman was with Prophet Dawud telling him her story, someone just then knocked on the door, asking for permission to enter. Ten men then entered; each one was a merchant, and each one of them had one hundred dinars [one thousand dinars in all, millions in today’s Naira] in his hand. They said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, give this money to someone who is deserving of it.’ Prophet Dawud asked them, ‘What prompted you to bring this money here?’
“The merchants said, ‘We were travelling in a ship when the waves began to roar tempestuously, and our ship began to sink. Then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a bird came and dropped a red cloth that contained yarn inside of it. Using those materials, we quickly worked to repair the hole in the ship that was causing us to sink. Not much time passed before the winds and waves calmed down and the hole was repaired. We then made an oath to Allah (exalted be His Name) that each one of us would give one hundred dinars in charity. This is that money, which you may give as charity to whomsoever you please.’
“Turning to the woman, Prophet Dawud said, ‘Your Lord does business for you on land and in the sea, yet you make Him out to be unjust?’ He gave her the entire one thousand dinars and said, ‘Spend it on your children.’ “
And then this:
“A long time ago, a woman’s son went missing. He was gone for so long a time that she finally lost all hope of ever seeing him again. One day, she sat down to eat. Breaking off a piece of bread from her loaf, she was about to put it into her mouth when all of a sudden a beggar appeared at her door and asked her to feed him. Not only did she give him the remaining part of the loaf of bread, but she also gave him the morsel that she was about to put into her mouth. Putting the loaf back together as best as she could, she handed it over to the poor beggar. As since she herself was relatively poor, she remained hungry for the rest of the day.
“A few days passed, and suddenly her son returned. They both rejoiced at the reunion, thanking Allah for this great favour. They sat down, and he began to give an account of the many hardships he endured since the time he went missing.
“He said, ‘Perhaps the most traumatic experience that happened to me occurred a few days ago when I was riding a donkey in a far-off valley. A lion suddenly appeared in front of me and, instead of attacking the donkey that I was riding, it leapt straight at me, throwing me off my mount. As fast as it could, the donkey raced off, and I was left as easy prey for the lion. It began to tear away at my clothes with its ferocious claws. I was so afraid that I almost fainted. The lion then leaned over me, getting ready for a lethal strike.
“But just as suddenly, a giant of a man dressed in white appeared and drew the attention of the lion from me. He approached, and without the use of any weapon, he pulled the lion away from me and wrestled it to the ground. Then looking at the lion with a menacing expression, the man said to the animal, ‘Stand and leave, O dog! A morsel for a morsel!’ The lion immediately got up and raced away.
“After seeing the lion speed away, I returned my gaze to the man; but he was gone, and I couldn’t find him afterwards. I stayed where I was for a number of hours, until my strength returned. Realising that the lion had done no harm to my body, I got up and walked until I joined up with a travelling party. I told my story to them, but there is one part of it that I was, and still am, extremely confused about: what did the man mean when he said, ‘A morsel for a morsel’?
“At this point during the narrative, his mother stared straight ahead of her with an incredulous expression, realising that the mysterious man came to save her son at exactly the same time that she had given up her morsel of bread to the beggar.”
The last story is closely related to this:
“In classical times, the Governor of Egypt once summoned Ibn Furat and said to him: ‘I always hated you and have always been scheming to harm you. But do you know what prevents me from doing so? Every night I see you in my dreams; you are always preventing me from reaching you by using a loaf of bread to keep me back. And when I order my guards to kill you in the dream, you fend off their various attacks with the same loaf of bread. It always happens like that; that neither blow nor arrow reaches you; the loaf is your shield. How come?
“Ibn Furat said, ‘O Governor, since I was small, my mother always placed a loaf of bread underneath my pillow. Next morning she would give it away in charity on my behalf. She never stopped doing so until she died. Then I continued to do the same myself, placing a loaf of bread underneath my pillow every night and giving it away in charity in the morning.’
“The Governor was greatly affected by what he heard, and he said, ‘By Allah, I will never even think about harming you after this day. I now think well of you and love you very much.”
Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, said, “Sadaqa (charity) extinguishes sins as water extinguishes fire. Sadaqa appeases Allah’s anger and averts evil. And even a smile in your brother’s face is sadaqa.”
So, are you sure the children of the poor people among your neighbours (and, if you live in Abuja, your neighbours in your hometown) have had breakfast this morning? Go on, give that loaf! Avert evil which abounds all over! The Hausa say, directly translating that Hadith: ‘Sadaka Maganin Masifa!’