Download PDF: [S] A Zaahid and the Evil Woman (Islamic Story)

There was once a very pious and noble person among the Bani Israeel who used to spend most of his time in Ibadah. However, the evil people in the community wanted to remove him from this place of worship and in some way mislead him. They approached an evil female and asked her to present herself to this person with the intent that she would be able to mislead him.

 

One night when it was raining very heavily, she approached the cave and pleaded to the Zaahid to allow her into the cave. He was busy in his Ibadah and there was also a lantern which was burning on one side of the cave. He paid no attention to the female. She again pleaded to be allowed into the cave because the rain was quite intense. She told him that she had no place to go to.

 

Finally, this person allowed her to enter the cave. She then lay on one side of the cave while this person continued his Ibadah. However, this lady continued to twist and turn in her bed and also began to reveal her body to this person. She also called him towards her.

 

The Zaahid told her that he would only approach her if he could see whether he could manage to bear the fire of the lantern. He then approached the lantern and placed his one finger over the lantern. When his finger began to burn, he immediately withdrew his finger from the fire. He then told her that if he could not manage to bear this small fire, how would he be able to bear the intense Fire of hell. After saying this, he continued his Ibadah.

 

A few minutes later, the lady again invited him towards her and this person again approached the lantern and placed his finger over the fire. When it began to burn, he mentioned that how could he face the intense Fire of Hell when his finger could not stand the small fire of a lantern.

 

When the lady saw this, she screamed and fell dead. In the morning, the evil people of the community then entered the cave to find out what had happened the night before. They were shocked to see that the lady lay dead on the floor. They then grabbed this person accusing him of committing adultery with the female and then having her killed to hide his mistake and sin. They then presented him to the King who ordered that the pious person be killed.

 

The pious person asked that before they kill him, he be allowed to perform two rak’ah of Salaah. He then performed two rak’ah of Salaah and then made sincere Du’a in the Divine Court of the Allah Almighty in the following manner, “O Allah! I am certain that You will never hold me accountable for something which I have never committed. However, I make a sincere plea to You not to allow me to be embarrassed in front of others.”

 

When he made this sincere Du’a, Allah Almighty allowed the soul of the female to return to her. She declared, “O people! Please look at his hands.”

 

When they saw his hands, they noticed that one part of his hands were burnt. She asked them to leave the person alone. She mentioned that as long as she lived, she had no connection with these people. She then travelled to the nearby mountains and spent the rest of her life making the Ibadah of Allah. In this manner, the pious person was proven innocent of the crime which he had been accused of. (Kitaabuz Zuhud)