Narrated Imaam AI-Awzaaee from Abdullaah ibn Muhammad who said: "One day I set out to the shore on patrol; and those days we were stationed at AI Arish [A town in N. Egypt], thus when I came to the end of the shore, I saw a small tent [at a distance in the desert] so I set out for it. " "Inside it there was a man who had lost his hands, and had lost his legs, and his sight and hearing had become heavy due to the affliction he had" thus there was not anything [more realistically] beneficial to him than his tongue.
And he was saying: O, Allaah enable [and facilitate] "for me that I praise and thank You, the praise which equates thanking You for the blessings which You have bestowed on me and gave me excellence to many more of whom You created." So I [was amazed and] said to myself: By Allaah, I have to approach this man and ask him, from among the favours and blessings; what does he really have!? [While he is in this state!] Why is he saying these words? Does he have understanding, or knowledge of what he is saying!? Or is it just desires!?
So I approached the men and gave him the salaams [greetings of peace] and I said to him: I heard you and you were saying: O, Allaah enable [and facilitate] for me that I praise and thank You, the praise which equates thanking You for the blessings which You have bestowed on me and gave me excellence to many more of whom You created. So what favours and blessings do you [really] have [while you are in this slate!!] and what excellences has he favoured you with such that you praise Him because of them?
So he replied: Even on top of all what you see [of my deficiencies]; If Allaah were to send a fire from the sky to burn me, or commanded the mountains to crash me, or ordered the seas to drown me, and ordered the earth such that it swallows me: I would not increase except in thanking and praising my Lord "due to what He has favoured me with - of a tongue [which I use to worship Him]!! So, a slave of Allaah; as you have come here" and as you see my state -I have a need from you: as you see I have no capability over myself in benefiting or harm.
But I have my son who comes to me at the time of prayers and he helps me in making wudhoo for my prayers, and when I am hungry he feeds me, and when I thirst he gives me to drink: But I have not seen him for three days now "so help me by looking for him, may Allaah have mercy on you. So I said: By Allaah there is no one who can get a better reward from Allaah by going out to help someone who is most worthy of being helped than someone like you.
Thus I set out looking for the son, and I had not gone a far distance when in between two sand-dunes I found a boy who had been attacked by a beast of prey and it killed him for meat! I was in shock and very over whelmed in emotion.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited