Stories from Quran & Hadees - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh): Excellence of Prayer

Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) once decided to perform prayers and read
Zabur (Book of Psalms) with the excellence that nobody would have
done. He entered the Mehrab and prayed.
After he finished to his satisfaction he found a frog appear before
him and told him, "Oh Dawood! Is it true that you feel that you have
prayed too well? Every night I am habituated to pray 1,000 Tasbih
(glorifications) and from every Tasbih three thousand Hamds are
expressed.
Sometimes when I am at the bottom of a pond and I hear the voice of
any bird above, thinking that it might be hungry, I come to the
surface of the water so that the hungry bird may get its food by
eating me. This isthe part of the duty that Iperform towards Allah
(SWT)."
Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh): Do not Transgress
Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh) in response to his special prayer to
Allah (SWT) wasgranted Kingdom and was given power over the forces of
nature, overthe men, Jinn, devil and other living creatures. He was
also endowed with knowledge of their language and could easily
communicate with them.
Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh) once was sitting on the bank of a
lake deeply engrossed in the beauties of nature around and
appreciating the various forms of Allah's (SWT) creation on earth.
Suddenly Prophet Sulayman's / Solomon (pbuh) attention was drawn
towards an Ant creeping forward with a grain of wheat in its mouth. As
it reached nearthe water, a Tortoise came out, opened its mouth and
the ant crept into it. The Tortoise closing its mouth disappeared
under the water. After a while, the Tortoise again sprung out of the
water and standing on the bank opened its mouth and the Ant came out.
But thistime it had no grain of wheat in its mouth.
Prophet Sulayman / Solomon (pbuh) became anxious to know what had been
happening under water. On inquiring, the Ant explained that at the
bottom of the lake, was astone and underneath it lived a blind Ant.
Allah (SWT) had created it there and because of blindness, it could
not move about. The Ant further said that I have been appointed by
Allah (SWT) to provide its daily sustenance with the assistance of the
Tortoise and hence, I do perform this duty everyday.
Let us ponder over one thing. If a tiny creature like an Ant living
under a stone at the bottom of a sea is not denied its sustenance, why
should man the noblest of all creatures (Ashraf ul Makhluqat) ever
suspect loss of his sustenance from Almighty Allah (SWT)? Isn't it
foolishness to dirty one's hand in prohibited transactions for earning
one's livelihood? Such persons do not get more, than what is destined
and earn Allah's (SWT) Wrath and Punishment in this world and
Hereafter.
Moral: Allah (SWT) is Ar Razzaq. He is our Provider we should always
have faith in Him and trust Him in all our Affairs.

Stories from Quran & Hadees - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh): Value of one tumbler of water

One day Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) was passing through a barrenhill.
He noticed a pious person busy in prayer sitting in a cave of the
hill. Prophet Musa / Moses(pbuh) felt the urge to meet and talk to the
pious person. Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) went near and greeted him.
The pious person asked disinterestedly,"Who are you?" Prophet Musa /
Moses (pbuh) said,"I am Musa!"
The pious person asked,"Are you the Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)?"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) said, "Yes!"
The pious person said,"Then ask Allah (SWT) to Grant my wish!"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) asked, "What is it that you want?"
The pious person said,"Since the last one hundred years I am sitting
here praying to Allah (SWT). I don't do anything other than the
Prayer. Ask Allah (SWT), what He will give me for my efforts?"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) said, "I shall find about it immediately."
Heimmediately climbed up the hill and called aloud,"O Sustainer Allah!
This person wants to know about the reward for his prayers! Tell me,
what shall I inform him?"
He heard the sound, "O Musa! Tell him, we shall inform him about his
reward tomorrow."
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) went to the pious person and conveyed
themessage to him. The pious person said, "Its fine! Tomorrow is not
much of a time!"
The pious person was in the habit of going to a nearby canal early
every morning for bathing and fetching some water for his use.
Therefore, the next morning too he started for the canal but he lost
his way and reached somewhere else.Because of the sun's heat he became
very thirsty and tired. He sat on a lonely boulder and started
thinking about his death. At that time he found another person coming
from the other direction. He waved to the person to come to him. When
the person came nigh, he asked him to help him with some water.
The visiting person said,"Where is any water in this wilderness?
Whatever little I have is only for me."
The pious person started crying. The other person said, "Fine! What
will yougive me if I give you a tumbler of water?"
The pious person said, "I don't have anything. I have been busy in the
cave praying for the last one hundred years."
The other person said, "Ifyou agree to transfer to me the Rewards for
your prayers of one hundred years, I shall give you a tumbler of
water."
The pious person thought, if he lived, he could pray for a further
period to get the Rewardfrom Allah (SWT). He said,"I am ready to
transfer toyou my reward for the hundred years' of my prayers.
The other person gave him a tumbler full of water and the pious person
returned to his cave.
In the morning Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) got a revelation that the
pious person transferred his hundred years of prayer to another
personin exchange for a tumbler of water. Ask theman to settle the
value ofthe tumblers of water that he had been drinking during the
last hundred years!
Therefore, Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) went to the cave and told to
the person that he had a message for him from Allah (SWT).
The pious person said, "O Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)! I have already
sold my hundred years ofpenance!"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) said, "Yes! I know.But Allah (SWT) has
said that when the value of one hundred years of prayer is one tumbler
of water, then he must settle the value of the water he had been
drinking over the last hundred years."
When the pious person heard this, he was shocked and shouted, "O
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh)! Recommend to Allah (SWT) to forgive my
sins! Allah (SWT) is Beneficent and Merciful!"
Prophet Musa / Moses (pbuh) got the Revelation, "tell the piousperson!
Your penitence of this moment pleased us more than your prayers of a
hundred years and we have given to you rewards for a thousand years of
prayers!"
Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny? Noble Qur'an (55:13)
Imam Ali (as) says: "The sin that makes you sad and repentant is more
liked by Allah (SWT) than the good deed which turns you arrogant."

Stories from Quran & Hadees - Stories of the Prophets, Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh): Benefit of Namaz e Janaza

In the times of Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) there was a person who
was very pious who used to spend his money lavishly in good causes.
Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) was very much attached to him. In the
mean while Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) got a revelation from Allah
(SWT) through which Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) came to know that
all the money spent by that person was only for show and there was no
real charity for the sake of Allah (SWT). When this man died, people
expected Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) to attend the funeral but
instead of himself attending the funeral Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh)
sent a representative to attend.
There were fifty witnesses at the time of Ghusl (washing) and all of
them whispered among themselves that they had not seen anything except
good from the person. The same fifty declared and made the same
statementwhile offering Funeral Prayer (Namaz e Janaza / Namaz e
Maiyyat) and also at burial and all of them bore witness sayingthat
they found that man excellent in his ways. After the burial was
over,Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh) got a revelation from Allah (SWT)
and wasasked why he did not attend. Prophet Dawood / David (pbuh)
pleaded that because he was doing charity only for show and not for
Allah (SWT), hence he did not like to attend the funeral of such a
person.
Revelation came from Allah (SWT) saying, "Oh Dawood! When I heard the
statement of the people that he was good,I accepted their witnesses
and gave preference to their statement over my own knowledge and gave
the man all the rewards that he deserved because of the public
opinion."
Imam Ali (as) Says: "Live amongst people in such amanner that if you
die they weep over you and if you are alive they cravefor your
company."

HAJJ (Pilgrimage)

The last of the fundamental duties in Islam is the Hajj. Laying itdown
as an essential religious obligation of Muslims, the Holy Quraan says:
Pilgrimage thereto is a duty, men owe to Allah, on those who can
afford the journey, but if any one denies faith, Allah stands not in
need of anyof His creatures. [III:97]
In this verse while the Hajj has been declared obligatory it has been
made clear that it is applicable only to those who possess the means
and material resources toundertake it. But care has been taken, in the
last part of it, to warn that if Muslims whom Allah (Subhaanahu
Wata'aalaa) has blessed with the necessary material means to perform
the pilgrimage still fail to carry out the duty through sheer
ingratitude (as is common among the wealthy classes these days) then
Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) does not stand in need of their
pilgrimage. The Almighty,definitely, is not going tolose anything by
their not performing the Hajj, the loss will entirely to them. They
will forfeit Hisgood graces, they will deprive themselves of
Hisbenevolence, and Allah-forbid, a most lamentable fate will be
waiting for them in the Hereafter. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe
Wasillam) is reported to have gone as far as to say:
"A person whom Allah (SUbhaanahu Wata'aalaa) has given enough to
perform the Hajj, if he still fails to do so then it does not matter
at all whether he dies as a Jew or a Christian."
Brothers! If there is any regard in our hearts for Islam, if we can
boast of the least attachment to Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa) and the
Prophet (Sallallahu AlaiheWasallam) none of us who can afford to make
the journey should remain without performing the Hajj afterwe have
known this Tradition.
Spiritual Merit
The importance of the Hajj and the spiritual meritoriousness of those
who perform it have been emphasised in a number of Traditions. Wewill
reproduce a few of them here.
"Those who make the pilgrimage for the Hajj orthe Umrah they are the
guests of Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa): their petitions, if they make
any to Allah (SubhaanahuWata'aalaa), will be granted, and if they seek
deliverance from sins, their sins will be forgiven."
"He who performs the Hajj and commits no wicked or sinful deed during
it and does not disobey Allah (Subhaanahu Wata'aalaa), he will return
from it as pure and guiltless as he was atthe time of his birth."
"The reward for a pure and untainted Hajj is paradise itself and
nothing short of it."
Immediate Gains
The remission of sins andthe enjoyment of the supreme blissfulness of
paradise as a result of the spiritual auspiciousness of the Hajj will,
Inshaa Allah, surely be granted to the faithful in full measure inlife
to come, but the exquisite thrill and the sublime joy one experiences,
the soul-stirring sensation of delight and wondermentone feels, on
seeing that choicest seat of Divine splendour - the House of Ka'bah
and on visiting those special places in Makkah where the memories of
Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) are still alive, are also things
of the celestial world on the earth. Then the pilgrimage to the
Prophet's (Sallallahu Alaihe Wasallam) mausoleum at Madinah, the
offering up of Salaah in his own mosque, the addressing of the
salutation and the benediction to him directly, the aimless wanderings
in the streetsand the wilderness of theblessed city, the breathing in
of its air and the fragrance which always seems to be fillingits
atmosphere, the ethereal joy of his remembrance bursting upon one
sometimes in laughter and sometimes in tears - all these things -
provided, of course, that one is blessed enough to feel them - arethe
immediate rewards apilgrim gets when he betakes himself to the holy
cities of Makkah andMadinah.
Five Pillars of Islam
The five fundamental teachings of Islam we have discussed so far,
theKalimah, Salaah, Zakaah, Saum and Hajj, are known as the 'Five
Pillars of Islam'.
A well-known Tradition of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Ataihe
Wasallam) tells us that,"The foundation of Islam rests on these five
things;(i) the affirmation of (ii) the establishment of Salaah (iii)
the payment of Zakaah (iv) the observance of Saum in the month of
Ramadhaanand (v) the performance of Hajj by those who can afford to
make the pilgrimage."
When these five items are spoken of as the Pillars of Islam, it means
that these are the fundamental duties of the faith. If carried out
properly these duties are capable of producing in us the ability to
fulfil our other religious obligations as well. Here we have dwelt
only on their importance and theintrinsic spiritual virtue that
underlies them. Detailed rules and principles governing them can be
learnt from reliable, books on IslamicJurisprudence or directly from a
Muslim theologian.