Download PDF: [S] A Better Action than Nafil Hajj (Islamic Story)

Abdullah bin Katheer Darri Makki is considered as among the seven Qurra’. He was also among the Qadis in Mecca Shareef. Abdullah bin Katheer Darri Makki was originally from Persia and used to sell Ittar in Mecca Shareef. Although his forefathers came from Persia, Abdullah bin Katheer Darri Makki himself was born in Mecca Shareef and passed away there in 160 A.H. (Al ‘Alam)

Abdullah bin Katheer Darri Makki narrates that one day, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubaarak – may Allah be pleased with him – prepared to go for Hajj. As he was passing a certain town, one of the chickens of those in the caravan died and they threw it next to the side of the road on a rubbish dump. His companions continued on the journey while he remained a little longer at that place.

A few minutes later, he saw a young girl come to the same dump site pick up the dead chicken. She took it home. The great Imam then approached this girl and asked her the reason for this. She was embarrassed at first but finally revealed her story.

She informed me that only she and her old mother lived in thew house and that they had nothing except the clothes which they wore and that their food was the same items which people left on this rubbish dump. She also said that her father was a very wealthy person and for some reason he had been killed. All his wealth was captured and that they had nothing with them through which they could survive.

When Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubaarak – may Allah be pleased with him – heard this, his eyes filled with tears. He ordered that all his goods on the camel which he was taking for Hajj be offloaded. He asked his servants how much of money they had and they informed him that they had one thousand Dinaars. He said to them, “Keep only twenty Dinaars for us as this is sufficient for us to return home and give the balance to these poor people. I swear by Allah Almighty! Without doubt, looking at the difficulty of these people has truly shaken my heart. There is no doubt that this act of ours is far greater than the Hajj which we were intending to undertake.”

The great Imam then returned home without performing the Hajj that year. He was of the opinion that this act of Sadqah was far greater and superior than the act of performing the Nafil Hajj. (Imam Bahiqi)

The importance of Sadqah

 

Once a person asked the great Saint, Hadrat Sayyiduna Zun Nun Misri – may Allah be pleased with him, “I have two hundred Dirhams. Should I perform Hajj with it or give it in Sadqah (charity)?”

He asked, “Have you performed your Fard Hajj?” He said that he had completed this. He then declared, “If you are able to distribute these Dirhams among ten needy females and give each one ten Dirhams, this would be better for you with Allah Almighty than the performance of the Nafil Hajj. If you wish, you can accept my advice.”

This person accepted the advice of the great Saint and gave all of this money in charity.

The great Imam, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubaarak – may Allah be pleased with him – also understood this secret. By doing what he did, he was able to please Allah Almighty and His beloved Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. There is no doubt that eminent scholars and Saints like this had truly achieved the spiritual message of the Qur’an and the Ahadith. In other words, they had bowed down to the Divine Pleasure of Allah Almighty. They also made sure that they practised on the true path of Islam. They also made sure that they displayed complete trust and reliance on the Allah Almighty.

There is also no doubt that the stories of these great Saints and scholars are a lesson for those who have power and stature and that if they truly want more status and stature in the Divine Court of Allah Almighty, these incidents should also be taught and preached to Muslims. In today’s mundane world, when wealth and riches have become the most sought after things in the minds of people, these stories would become like a beacon of salvation for people.

Another eminent scholar in Islam is Shamsudeen Abu Abdullah Mohammed bin Ahmed Zehbi – may Allah be pleased with him. He is considered as a Haafizul Hadith, a great historian and researcher in the Islam. Shamsudeen Abu Abdullah Mohammed bin Ahmed Zehbi – may Allah be pleased with him – was originally from Turkmenistan and was born in Damascus in 673 A.H. It is said that the number of books he had written were over a hundred. In the final stages of his life, Shamsudeen Abu Abdullah Mohammed bin Ahmed Zehbi – may Allah be pleased with him – lost his vision and passed away in 748 A.H. in Damascus. (Al ‘Alam, 5/326)

Pertaining to the great Saint and scholar Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubaarak – may Allah be pleased with him, in his “Al ‘Iber”, he states that he was among those who achieved great fame in Islamic Jurisprudence, in piety, in spiritual penitence and great control over the hearts of people. In the Science of AHadith, he was actually considered as Ameerul Mo’mineen. He also studied Hadith at the blessed hands of Imam Malik – may Allah be pleased with him – and has also narrated from the Mu’atta of the great Imam. He had immense love and reverence for Hadrat Sayyiduna Fuzail bin Ayyaz, Hadrat Sufyan Thouri, Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Malik and Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Abu Hanifah Shamsudeen – may Allah be pleased with him. He was a combination of extreme piety and immense knowledge.