MUSJIDUL HAQ

Download PDF: [S] The Power of a Black Slave

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mubarak – May Allah be pleased with him – narrates:

Once when I arrived in Mecca Shareef to perform the Hajj, I also noticed that all the people in the city had gone outside the city to pray for rain. In other words, they had gone out to perform the Istisqah Salaah. I also continued to go with them for three days, but still there was no sign of rain. I then left these people and went to the Hajre Aswad. I saw a black slave who had a green shawl and he had two pieces of cloth covering his body.

One covered his upper body and the other covered his lower body. He wept so much that his clothes became wet. He also made Du’a in the following words, “O Allah! Because of immense sin and transgression, my face has become black. And because of the immense acts of disobedience, the rain has ceased upon Your servants. Your servants are also dying because of the immense drought and due to hunger. You are aware of all things. The children are stressed with hunger and the animals are also dying. I ask you in the name of Your beloved Habeeb – May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – to please send rain. I only rely on You and have presented myself in Your Divine Court. Please pardon the sins of people and do not hold them accountable for these transgressions.”

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubarak – May Allah be pleased with him – continues:

While he was making the Du’a, clouds appeared in the sky and it began to rain. I continued to weep when I saw this miracle. I also followed him to see where he was staying. After I saw where he stayed, I then returned to my residence. However, the entire night, I could not sleep thinking about this amazing slave. After Fajr Salaah, I then went to the house of this person. When I entered the house, I found an extremely handsome young man. I greeted him and he instantly recognized me.

He then asked me, “O Abdur Rahman, what is the purpose of your visit?”

I replied that I wanted to purchase one of his slaves. He replied that he had ten slaves and that I was welcome to take whichever slave I wanted. He then called one by one slave and I did not recognize anyone of them. After all of the slave had left, he mentioned to me, “I have only one slave which remains. He is extremely weak and he is also a Habshi. He is also very pale. He also has some unusual habits. When others laugh, he weeps and when others weep, he laughs. When people are busy in work, he is busy in Ibadah. He does not sleep the entire night. He also continues to call out in the night. Because of his weakness and thinness, he is not fit to serve anyone. However, I have a great regard and respect for him and when I look at him, I am able to attain Barakah and respect.”

He then called out to this slave whose name was Maymun. When this slave arrived, I instantly recognized him. I mentioned that this is the slave that I wished to purchase. However, the owner said that he did not see any reason to sell this slave. I then asked him why he did not want to sell the slave. He replied, “I have given up hope on him working, but I attain Barakah by merely looking at him. At the same time, I incur no expenses looking after him. In fact, he makes a few things with the strands of the date tree and then sells them and purchases his own food. If he is able to sell anything, he buys food and if he does not sell anything, he remains hungry. My other servants have also mentioned to me that he remains in Ibadah the entire night.”

I then told him, “I swear by Allah that if you do not sell this slave to me, then I will return with Hadrat Sayyiduna Fuzail bin Ayyaz and Hadrat Sayyiduna Sufyan Thouri.”

He mentioned that if this was the case, then he would certainly sell the slave to me. I then purchased the slave from him and gave him a few Dinaars. I took the hand of this slave and walked on the road. After a few minutes, he stopped and said, “O my master.” I replied, “Labbaik”. He said, “You should not reply by saying ‘Labbaik’. It is the right of the slave that he should reply with the word ‘Labbaik’.”

He then asked me what was the purpose of purchasing me when I knew that he was weak and thin and also someone who could not do any work in future.

I then told to him that he would remain in my company as a master and not as a slave and that I would certainly not take out any work from him.

He then insisted on asking why I had purchased him. I then told what I had seen at the Hajre Aswad and the manner in which I had seen him make the Du’a.

He said that I was indeed a pious servant of the Allah Almighty because I had seen something which others had been able to see or witness. In other words, the manner of how the Awliya make Du’a and the words they use in the Du’a is also something which is kept as a secret.

I also told him that I had clearly seen the miracle which had appeared through his Du’a. Again he was very shy in admitting that this had anything to do with him but this was strictly the Divine Favour of Allah Almighty that he had blessed His creation with rain. Nothing could be attributed to him.

In fact, such is the secret manner of the Awliya that they never want people to know what they are able to display and perform. But since I had seen it, the secret state of this simple slave had become apparent.

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubarak – May Allah be pleased with him – continued, “As we were walking we passed by a Masjid and this slave said to me, ‘O my master! If you give me permission, I would like to read two rak’ah of Salaah.’ I said to him, ‘We are now going towards the house of Hadrat Sayyiduna Fuzail bin Ayyaz – May Allah be pleased with him. When we arrive there, we can read as much Salaah as we wish.’ However he mentioned that there was a possibility that we might not reach there. In fact, the Holy Prophet – May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “For him whom the doors of goodness are opened, then he should make sure that he completes the goodness because he has no idea when the door will be opened again.” (Az Zuhd ibn Mubarak)

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubarak – May Allah be pleased with him – then continues that when they arrived in the Masjid both of them started their Salaah. However, the Salaah of the slave was quite prolonged. He then began to wait for this person. When he made the Salaah, he turned to me and said, “O my master! There is a special connection between me and my Creator which you have seen. At the same time, you will reveal this to others and this secret will become apparent. He then fell into Sajdah and began to weep and also continued to read the Kalimah. He continued to do this until his body stopped moving. When I shook him, I realised that he had passed away.

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mubarak – May Allah be pleased with him – continues, “I then left this place and called Hadrat Sayyiduna Fuzail bin Ayyaz – May Allah be pleased with him – and Hadrat Sayyiduna Sufyan Thouri – May Allah be pleased with him. We then completed the burial rites and I returned home.

However, all the while, I was extremely restless and tense. After I had completed my Wazifah, I dozed off. Suddenly, in a dream, I saw the same slave Mamun who was dressed in fine clothing. He walked towards me and he was smiling. He also had something clutched in his hands. He then told me, “O my master! When I arrived in the Divine Court of the Almighty, I revealed whatever had happened to me. I also explained that you had purchased me without any ulterior motive or without any purpose of using me. My Lord then said to me, ‘O Mamun! All secrets are known to Me and I also know that Abdullah ibn Mubarak had purchased you strictly for My Divine Pleasure. Because of you and your status, I have also freed him from the Fire of hell.” This slave then placed something in my hand and mentioned that this was price which I had paid to free him. I then began to weep and when I awoke I found that these Dirhams were still in my hand. I swear by Allah that whenever I think about this slave Mamun, I always weep. (Ar Roudul Faa’iq, 316,319)