Download PDF: [S] The Slave who loved her Nightly Ibadah

It is reported that Hadrat Hasan bin Saleh – may Allah be pleased with him – was always in the habit of staying awake at night in Ibadah. His female servant also joined him in Ibadah. However, one day, in a time of great need, he sold this female slave.

 

When she went to the house of the new owners, after the ‘Isha Salaah as per her normal behaviour, she started to perform her nightly Ibadah. She also saw that the people of this house were sleeping and she asked them wake up so that they could also busy themselves in Ibadah. However, when she called to them, they replied that will read Salaah in the morning. This continued for a few days.

 

When she saw the behaviour of new owners, she immediately went back to Hadrat Hasan bin Saleh – may Allah be pleased with him –and complained. She informed him, “You have sold me to a family who sleeps the entire night. I am afraid that perhaps, looking at the laziness of these people, I might also be affected.” When he heard this, he felt sorry for her and bought her back from these people. (Tambeehul Mughtareen, 158)

 

When a person continues to think of the Hereafter, then they are unaffected by the troubles and calamities which come to them. When they think of the immense Divine Blessing which is in store in the Hereafter, they are prepared to sacrifice their comfort and their sleep.

 

This has always been the behaviour of the pious Muslims of the past. But when we look at our state today, it is extremely tragic. We have the wish to enter Jannah, we fear what will happen in the grave, we are uncomfortable with the disgrace and embarrassment which might occur on the Plains of Mesher, we are afraid of the flames of Hell. But in spite of all of these things, we are not prepared at all in doing good and noble deeds or actions. We do not worry about Salaah, we do not worry about fasting, our hearts have no interest in giving any Zakaah, we are not prepared to help those who are poor and destitute and we are not concerned at all about the sins we commit on a daily basis.

 

If only we could remember the example of the above mentioned pious female slave. Besides the Tahajjud Salaah, if only we could be punctual in performing the five daily Salaah, it would be a great start in our lives.

 

There is no doubt that bad company certainly affects a person. When a person sits with a person who does not read his Salaah, he also becomes like this person. When a person sits in the company of someone who always speaks ill of others, his own tongue becomes contaminated by this behaviour. When he sits with a person who is more concerned about fashion, then the world becomes more important to him.

 

This pious female was so pious that even though these new owners were not people who missed their daily Salaah, but she felt that she would be badly affected by them because they were not staying awake at night to perform Ibadah!