Islamic Stories

Once the Holy Prophet (s) entered the masjid in Medina and noticed two groups. Each group was engaged in a circle. One group was engaged in Zikr and remebering Allah and the other was busy teaching and learning issues. He (s) got very happy and told the people with him: "These two groups are both doing the right thing and both are on the path of success and goodness." The said: "However, I have been sent to teach and to inform." So he approached and joined the group that was engaged in teaching and learning.

Once there was a man who was extremely poor. So poor that he could not even afford anything for his family. One day he decided to go to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) and ask for some money. On his way he remembered that once the Prophet said : " Whoever asks our help, we will help. But the one who asks Allah for help, Allah will make him completely needless!" So he returns home empty handed and his family sleeps hungry again! Next night he could not take it anymore. His family was starving, his wife was ill and he was losing his patience. So he went to the Prophet Muhammad (s) to ask for some money. When in meeting with the Prophet, he again remembered him saying: "Whoever asks our help, we will help. But whoever asks Allah for help, Allah will make him completely needless!" Again he did not ask for money and went back home. One day he came out and thought to himself:" what are my capabilities?...what talent has Allah given me [that is Halal!]?" Then he got an idea...he went to the desert and collected woods and weeds. He brought them to the city and sold them. He got some money. Then the next day he went to the desert again and collected more weeds and woods, brought them and sold them. He did this until he became a very rich man! One day Prophet Muhammad (s) saw him; the Prophet smiled at him and said: " Didn't I tell you if people ask our help, we will help but if you ask Allah's help, Allah will make you completely needless?!"

Once The Holy Prophet (s) was traveling with a caravan. It was very hot and dry and everyone was very tired and thirsty. When they reached a small lake, everyone jumped off their camels and rushed towards the water to take a drink and wash their faces. The Holy Prophet (s) also went towards the lake to refresh himself; but after taking a few steps he paused and returned back to his camel. Everyone was shocked. "What's wrong?", they asked each other. "Why is he going back?!", they wondered. The travelers watched the prophet with all curiosity and then they saw him tie his camel and return back. After seeing this, they approached and told the prophet (s): "You went all the way back to tie your camel? Why didn't you tell us to do it for you? It would have been an honor for us to do your work for you." The Prophet replied: "Never rely on others for doing your agenda; even if it is for getting a piece of Miswaak."

Once a person rushed to Imam Ja'afar (a) and said: " Please make a Du'a for me so Allah would give me some money!" Imam replied: " I shall never make such a Du'a!" "Why not?", asked the man. Imam explained: " Because Allah has set a method for making money. He has ordered us to search for it; but you just want to sit at your house and make money with Du'a!"

Once a Muslim who had returned from Hajj was explaining his experience. He was talking about a very righteous man who always used to pray. Imam Ja'afar asked him: " Then who was taking care of his camel and other personal affairs?" The man replied: " Of course, it was an honor for us to take care of his affairs. Whenever we stopped at a rest place, he immediately prayed and we took care of his food, camel and other things." Imam Jafar told the man: " Then all of you were much better Muslims than him!"

Prophet (s) was travelling with friends. When they reached a place to rest, a group of people decided to slaughter a sheep and cook it. First Muslim said: " I will slaughter the sheep". The second one said: " I'll clean the sheep when slaughtered" The third said: " I'll cook it" The fourth which was the Holy Prophet (s) said: " I will set up the fire " The people around: " Oh no! You please go ahead and rest, we will take care of you!" Prophet (s) said: " I know that you will, but Allah does not like it when one of his servants receives especial discrimition ."

Once a caravan was heading towards Mecca for Hajj. They stopped at Medina to take a rest then they resumed their journey. In their way, a man encountered a person in the caravan who was working hard and helping people. The people in the caravan asked him for many helps and he did help them. They treated him like a servant and he was not complaining. The man got closer to the person and realized from his facial features that he was a nice and a faithful person. Then he recognized the man and shouted to the people in the caravan: " Don't you people know who this person is?" They answered: " No! but he's being very helpful. We did not even ask him to do some of the work and he volunteered to do many things for us." The man said: " This person whom you are treating like a servant is Ali son of Imam Hussein Ibn Ali (Imam Zainul-'Abedeen, the fourth Imam for Shias)" The people panniced and told Imam Sajjad: " Please accept our appologies. We did not know that you are son of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Holy Prophet (s)" Imam Sajjad replied: " I chose your caravan on purpose because you did not know me. This way, I did not receive any discrimition. In other caravans, they do not let me do anything, because they want to show respect for the family of the Holy Prphet (s)"

Once Imam al-Baqir was walking on the streets minding his business. (Imam al-Baqir is the fifth Imam for the Shi'as and is the grandson of Imam Hussein which makes him the great grandson of Prophet Muhammad (s). BAQIR means "the one who opens the doors to the knowledge". A non-Muslim saw him and with an insult called him "Baqar"..(Baqar means "cow"). Imam al-Baqir replied in a calm voice: " No. It is not Baqar, my name is "Baqir" ". The non-Muslim with harsh tone: " Whatever your name is! I've heard your mother was just a cook." Imam: "Yes. She was. It was a job and there is no shame in it." The non-Muslim yelled: "Oh! Your mother was nothing but a black slave who had no shame. She also had a very bad mouth."; the non-Muslim continued insulting Imam's mother. Imam with a calm voice answered: " If the things you say about my mother are true, then may Allah forgive her. If they are false, then may Allah forgive you." The non-Muslim man was so amazed with Imam's calmness and politeness that he considered becoming a Muslim and after a short while, he accepted Islam and became a follower of Imam al-Baqir.

One day a man saw a lady dragging a heavy bucket of water to her house. The man rushed to the woman and offered help. She was very thankful. They reached the woman's house and the man saw her kids were waiting for their mother. The man said: "It appears that you are alone. What happened to your husband?" The woman said:"My husband was a soldier. Ali bin Abu-talib (Imam Ali) sent him to a battle and he got killed over there." The man didn't say anything more. Next day someone knocked on the woman's door: The woman:" Who's there?" Man:"The same servant of God who helped you yesterday. I'm here with some water and food for you and your children." The woman: " May Allah bless you and May Allah Judge Ali bin Abu-Talib on the Day of Judgement" The man:" I want to receive some rewards from Allah, so please allow me to baby sit your children and bake the bread for you." The woman:" I can bake the breads better, why don't you baby sit." The man started feeding the children with the food which he had already brought. He kept on telling the children:" Please forgive Ali bin Abu-Talib if he has done any wrong to you." The woman asked the man to set up some fire so they could bake the bread. The man set the fire and got his face close to the fire and told himself:" Here, feel the fire! This is the fire that will burn those who do not help the orphans and widows." In the meanwhile the neighbor saw the man and yelled at the woman saying:" Oh My God! How dare you use this man for your help?! He is Imam Ali, the Caliph!" The woman got nervous and told Imam Ali: " Oh please forgive me, I was so rude to you." Imam Ali replied: " No. You please forgive me I neglected you and I should have helped you sooner."