Download PDF: [S] Hajj Funds given to needy Neighbour (Islamic story)

Shaikhul Islam, Khawaja Qamarudeen Siyalwi narrates that, “In the book Fawaa’idul Fawaad, the following incident is mentioned.

 

“Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubaarak – may Allah be pleased with him – mentions that, ‘Once I was sleeping in the Hateem of the Ka’ba when two people stood near me. The first person asked the next person, ‘How many people arrived for Hajj this year?’ The second person replied, ‘Seven hundred thousand.’ When I heard this number, I realised that it would been impossible for an ordinary person to count and therefore, these people had to be Angels.

 

“The first person again asked, “How many people’s Hajj has been accepted this year?’ The second replied, ‘No one’s Hajj has been accepted this year.’

 

“The first person then asked, ‘How many people have been pardoned this year?’ The second person replied, ‘Everyone has been pardoned this year.’

 

“Again the first person asked, ‘Are you saying that no one’s Hajj has been accepted this?’

 

“The second person replied, ‘Only the Hajj of one person has been accepted and he did not even arrive for Hajj!’

 

“He was then asked, ‘Through whom were all this people pardoned?’.

 

“The Angel replied, ‘They were pardoned because of a person named Ali bin Talq.’

 

“When he was asked who this Ali bin Talq was, he replied, ‘He is a person who lives in a certain village in Damascus and he is also an animal doctor.’”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubaarak – may Allah be pleased with him – continues, “When I awoke, I decided to travel to Damascus to meet this person. After all, he was actually someone through whom everyone who went for Hajj this year were pardoned! At the same time, he must certainly be a very pious person whose Hajj was actually accepted even though he never even arrived in the Haram Shareef.

 

“I arrived in Damascus and began to look for this person but could not find him anywhere. I stayed there for many days and finally I met this person who was an animal doctor. When I approached him, I asked him his name and he replied that his was Ali bin Talq. I then sat there and began to question him.

 

I said to him, “I had searched for you for many days and finally, I have managed to find you. Tell me, did you perform Hajj this year?’

 

“He then looked on the floor with great regret and replied, ‘I could not go for Hajj this year and there was also a reason for this.’ I said to him to please explain to me the reason for not going for Hajj.

 

“He continued, ‘I had already prepared for Hajj and had also prepared all the goods for travelling. However, at that moment, my wife was about to give birth. At the same time, this was to be the first baby born in the house. When my wife began to feel extreme discomfort, she also mentioned to me that she felt like eating some meat. I also felt that if I go to the bazaar and purchase this, everything would be delayed because they would take time preparing this dish. However, the house people informed me that it seems like the neighbours had prepared some meat today. I then went to the neighbours and asked them about it, they replied that indeed, they had prepared meat that day. I asked them to give me a little gravy for my wife. However, they refused to give me anything. I also mentioned that I was prepared to actually pay for the entire carcass but only wanted a little for my wife. However, they refused to give me anything.

 

‘Finally they revealed the secret to me. They mentioned, ‘You are someone who is well off and because we are so poor, we have actually prepared Haraam meat. There is no harm in this for those who are poor and destitute and starving.’

 

‘When we saw the state of the children and their immense hunger, we saw a dead donkey outside and decided to cut off some of the meat and prepare it for the children. Obviously, this would be Haraam for you and therefore, we cannot give you anything from this meat.’

 

When I heard this, I was extremely saddened. I then came home and whatever monies and goods I had saved for Hajj, I took all of these and give it to the poor neighbour. I also pleaded to them to pardon me because I had no idea that they were going through this hardship. I also promised them that in future, I will first look at their state and then look at the state of my own family. O Abdullah ibn Mubaarak! This is the real reason why I could not go for Hajj this year’

 

I then gave him the good news that only his Hajj was accepted this year and through him seven hundred thousand people were actually pardoned!

 

From this incident narrated by the great scholar we realise that this person’s Hajj was accepted merely because he took care of his neighbours. In other words, taking care of his poor neighbours allowed him to receive the reward of Hajj while sitting in his house. Today, we find people rushing to perform Hajj with all fancy clothing and items and yet they have no idea whether their neighbour is dying of hunger or not.