Story From a Police Officer

A police officer in a Muslimcountry wrote the following letter to a
Shaykh describing the events that led to his return to Allah. He
recalls:
Seeing accidents and crashvictims was a normal part of my day, but one
incident was different.
My partner and I had parked on the shoulder of the highway and began
tochat. In a random second, the scene shattered to the hideous sound
of metal bodies becoming one. We threw our heads back to see what had
happened: ahead-on collision, the result of a vehicle slipping into
the lane of the oncoming traffic.
You couldn�t describe the carnage. Two young men sprawled in the first
car, both in critical condition. We carried them gently away from the
car and rested them on the ground.
Quickly we returned to assist the owner of the second car. He was
dead. Back we went to the two young men lying side by side on the
pavement.
My partner began dictating the Shahadah to them. �Say: La iIaha
illAllah (there is no god but Allah), La iIaha illAllah��
... their tongues wouldn�t acknowledge. They startedhumming the
hypnotic lyrics of some song. I was terrified. My partner had
experience however and he kept repeating his instruction.
I stood watching, no movement, eyes locked. Never in my life had I
seenanything similar to what was going on before me. In fact, I�ve
never actually seen someone die, and never in such a satanic way.
My partner continued to instruct them to say the Shahadah but there
was no use. The hum of their song came to a slow silence, slowly. The
first one stopped and then the other. Not a stir. Dead.
We carried them to our patrol car, my partner made no effort to speak.
Not a whisper between us two as we carried the corpses to the nearest
hospital.
"Has not the Time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all
humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah andof the Truth
which has been revealed (to them), and that they should not become
like those to whom was given Revelation aforetime, but long ages
passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are
rebellious transgressors." Al Quran 57:16

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Story of a Brilliant Student

The following story was narrated by Professor Anwar, who teaches in
theRyerson University locatedin Toronto, Canada. He said that during
his student life, he was studying at an university in Bangladesh.
There, he had a good friend who was very intelligent. This friend was
the only child of his family. Everyone used to look upto his great
future. And they were right, he graduated with the highest mark in his
field. Immediately, callscame for him from big companies. One day, Dr.
Anwar was requested by his friend to accompany him to one such
companies for an interview. They were going by riding on a motor
cycle. On the way, aspeeding truck couldn't manage itself and hit
theirmotor cycle from the back.At that collision, Dr. Anwarflew off
the motor cycle and fell on the side of the street. But his friend got
hit from another vehicle that was coming from the opposite side and
died instantly.
Here was a person who was at the peek of material success in this
world but little did he know that his death was just around the
corner. Wehave spent much of our time preparing for the life before
death, but how much time have we spent preparing for the everlasting
life after death?

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A True Muslim Leader

Once Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho), during his caliphate, was going
on his usual rounds towards Harrah (a suburb of Madinah) with his
slave Aslam, when he saw a distant fire in the desert. He said, "There
seems to be a camp. Perhaps, it is a caravan that could not enter the
town due to night fall. Let's go and look after them and arrange for
their protection during the night."
When he reached there, hefound a woman and some children. The children
were crying. The woman had a pan of water over the fire. Hadhrat Umar
(Radhiyallaho Anho) greeted her with salaam and, with her permission,
went near her. (The woman didn't recognize that it was Umar).
Umar, "Why are these children crying?"
The Woman, "Because they are hungry."
Umar, "What is in the pan?"
The Woman, "Only water to soothe the children, so that they may go to
sleep in the belief that food is being prepared for them. Ah! Allah
will judge between Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) and me, on the Day of
Judgment, for neglecting me in my distress."
Umar (weeping), "May Allah have mercy on you! How can Umar know of
your distress?"
The Woman, "When he is our Amir, he must keep himself informed about us."
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) returned to the town and straight
away went to the Baitul Mal (House of Charity) to fill a sack with
flour, dates, fat, and clothes, and also drew some money. When the
sack was ready, he said to Aslam, "Now put this sack on my back,
Aslam."
Aslam, "No please, Amir-ul-Momineen! I shall carry this sack."
Umar refused to listen to Aslam, even on his persistent requests to
allow him to carry the sack, and remarked,"What! Will you carry my
load on the Day of Judgment? I must carry this bag, for it is I who
would be questioned (in the Hereafter) about this woman."
Aslam most reluctantly placed the bag on Umar's (Radhiyallaho Anho)
back, who carried it with a swiftpace right to the woman's tent. Aslam
followed at hisheels. He put a little flour and some dates and fat in
the pan and began to stir. He blew (with his mouth) into the fire to
kindle it.
Aslam says, "I saw the smoke passing through histhick beard."
After some time, the pottage was ready. He himself served it to the
family. When they had eaten to their fill, he madeover to them the
little thatwas left for their next meal. The children were very happy
after their meal and began to play about merrily.
The woman felt very grateful and remarked,"May Allah reward you for
your kindness! In fact you deserve to take the place of Khalifah
instead of Umar."
Umar consoled her and said, "When you come to see the Khalifah, you
will find me there."
He sat for a while at a place close by and kept onwatching the
children. He then returned to Madinah. On his way back, he said to
Aslam, "Do you know why I sat there, Aslam? I had seen them weeping
indistress. I liked to see them laughing and happy for some time."

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Should We Really Laugh?

Hasan al-Basri (rahimaullah) was an eminent scholar and
piousindividual of his time. He would rarely laugh due to his
remembrance of death and the punishment of hell. One day he was
goingsomewhere when he saw a young man indugled in laughter. Hasan
al-Basri asked the youth, "Young man, have you already crossed the
bridge of Sirath? Have you already found out whether you are going to
paradise or hell?" The young man replied, "No." Hasan al-Basri told
him, "Then why are you laughing so much?" After that, no one saw this
young man laughing again as he cameto know the reality of this life.
Source: Story extracted from the book "Tambihul Ghafileen" by Shaikh
Abul Laith Samarkandi.
Many hours or probably days have passed away from our lives in
laughter and jokes. It is a sign that we have forgotten the life of
the hereafter. The sahabah used to do good deeds all day but still cry
during the night to Allah. On the other hand, we do sins all day and
still have no concerns! It is permissible to laugh at amazing things
and smile while being in company ofothers.

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