Changing the World with Apples, Pomegranates and Milk??!!!

The following stories involve an apple, a pomegranate, and milk. This was originally sent via email by a former President of FOSIS UK, I have just edited it slightly. No – it’s not a recipe for some funky milkshake; although that would taste awesome ! But rather it’s the right cocktail needed (complememted with dua’a) for attaining the countenance of Allah The Ultimate Bestower in your life and in the future generations insh’Allah. Read on to see how!

Story one- The trust of the pomegranate

Historical documentations and sources such as Shadharat al-Dhahab and Wafayat al-A’yan mention an interesting account that took place whilst a man from Khurasan called Mubarak was working for his master in the fields/plantations: After having worked in those fields and tended to the fruits and crops for many years, he was one day approached by his master who requested a sweet pomegranate. Mubarak went to the crops and brought back a pomegranate but as the master bit into it, he found it to be sour. He said, ‘I request a sweet one and you bring me a sour one? Bring a sweet one!’ So he went and brought another pomegranate which again turned out to be sour. He rebuked him harshly and ordered a sweet one again. This happened for a third time whereupon the master said, ‘Do you not know the difference between sweet and sour?’. Mubarak replied, No.’ He said, ‘How is that possible?’ He said, ‘Because I have never eaten from it such that I should know the difference.’ His master said, ‘And why have you not eaten of it?’ He said, ‘Because you have never given me permission to eat it.’

It was the piety of Mubarak had that prevented him from eating the fruits which he had long tended to and cared for throughout the years that he worked in those fields – he wasn’t given permission to eat and so he refrained, out of obedience and fear of Allah `azza wa jall.His master, upon seeing the righteousness of Mubarak requested him to marry his daughter but he replied,

‘The people in the time of ignorance (Pre-Islamic Arabian jahiliyah) used to marry for lineage, the Jews married for wealth and the Christians for beauty but this Ummah marries for Deen (religion).’ 

The master became even more amazed at the attitude of Mubarak whereupon he informed his wife who said, ‘I do not see anyone else more suitable to marry her than Mubarak.’ He rahimahullah then married his master’s daughter (originally from Khuwarizm).

 

The fruit of this marriage was the birth of no other than the great tabi’i (second generation of Muslims, who met the Sahabah but not The Prophet Muhammad [Peace be upon him]), Abdullah ibn Al Mubarak, one of the earliest scholars of this Ummah who was known for his knowledge, Fiqh, literature, grammer, language, zuhd, eloquence, poetry, Qiyam-ul-Layl, worship, Hajj, bravery, “struggle”, instinct, strength, sincerity, fairness and not causing disunity among his companions. Its interesting to know that he could reference off 20,000+ books.  ALLAH AKBAR!

“I looked to the Sahabah and I looked to ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, but I didn’t see a virtue for them over him, except in their companionship of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and their battles with him.” - Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah

Story Two- The Apple of Remorse

There was once a man who was travelling and felt really hungry. He walked past a garden and saw an apple on the walk path. It had fallen off the tree whose branch extends beyond the fences to shade the way. He picked it up and ate it.

Shortly thereafter, he was struck by guilt, thinking he had consumed an apple that didn’t belong to him. He set out to find the owner of the garden to inform him that he ate one of his apples without permission, in order to pay the monetary value of it, or be forgiven for this sinful deed, and he did! The owner was amazed and cleverly responded, “I will not forgive you unless you accept my one stipulation: that you marry my daughter. But she is deaf, blind, mute and paralysed”.

The man was gobsmacked, and juggled his thoughts in his head for a moment. He then surrendered to the stipulation, knowing that persevering with such a misfortunate wife is less horrific than the torment of Allah for ‘stealing’ an apple. The night of the marriage came, and the groom walks in to his brides room with deep sorrow feelings, only to find a woman of magical beauty awaiting him; she speaks, hears, see’s and walks. Moreover, she was very well learned in Islam, exceptional in piety. She said to her now husband, “I know you are surprised. My father described me as blind, and that is because I have blinded my eyes away from any sight which displeases Allah; he said I’m mute, because I’ve muted my tongue from all speech but that which is remembrance of Allah; I’m paralyzed because I indulge in no forbidden activity; and I’m deaf because I refrain from hearing all vein speech. My father wanted to ensure my husband is a very pious man, one whom deserves me”.

The pious couple brought a gift to the Ummah; their child was one of the greatest scholars of Islam who was the “Father of the Imams” and who established the 1st of the 4 major schools of thought. None other than Imam Abu Hanifah (Rahimullah).

” By Allah, you were the greatest faqih and the most pious man of our time …” - The Qadi who washed Abu Hanifah’s body upon his death

Story Three – The Milky Way

The famous story of the woman who sold milk during the era of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RadiAllahuanhu) . The woman would mix the milk with water at night to increase it’s volume and generate greater revenues from her trade in the morning. As Umar Ibn Al-Khattab walked by her home during his routine night inspections, he overheard the daughter of this woman proclaim, “O mother! If you’re assured that Umar does not see you cheating in the secrecy of your home, in the middle of the night, then be certain that the Lord and Creator of Umar sees and records all actions.”

Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RadiAllahuanhu) heard the words of this god-fearing young woman, and later on asked her to marry his son [Asim]. Their child was Layla, the mother of Ameer-ul Mu’mineen Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz, the Umayyad caliph described by most Islamic historians as the 5th of the 4 rightly guided caliph’s and called a Mujtahid(Revivalist) of that century by Abul Hassan Al-Nadwi, due to his exceptional knowledge, conduct, justice and piety.

Disclaimer: Every Muslim wishes to seize jannah al firdous, however most of us have a tunnel visioned methodolody in attaining it which is primarily purely dunya orientated in intention: Amongst the morals of these stories is to truly fear & love Allah The Most-High, and insh’Allah He will open up doors of success before you in this world and bless you with pious offspring who will continue to generate you reward, by their righteous deeds and supplications, even after you’re long gone.

That is the command of Allah , which He has sent down to you; and whoever fears Allah – He will remove for him his misdeeds and make great for him his reward. [The Divorce 65:05]