A Female of Jannah (Islamic Story for Muslim sisters)

Hadrat Sayyiduna Ataa bin Rabaa May Allah be pleased with him narrates: “Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas May Allah be pleased with them asked me, ‘Shall I not show you a female of Jannah?’

 

I said to him, “Please show me such a female.’”

 

He then pointed to an old Abyssinian female and said to me, “Once she presented herself to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah! I sometimes suffer from epilepsy and sometimes due to this certain parts of my body become visible to others. Please make Du’a for me.’

 

Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam replied, ‘If you wish, you can make Sabr and because of this Allah azza wajal will grace you with Jannah or if you wish, I can make Du’a that he graces you with a cure.’”

 

When she heard this, she replied, “I will make Sabr, In Sha Allah, but please make Du’a that during this state, certain parts of my body do not become openly visible.”

 

Thereafter, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam made a special Du’a for her in this regard. (Muslim Shareef)

 

Lesson

 

The name of this blessed female was Suqrah, Sukayrah or Shu’airah. She used to plait the hair of the mother of the Muslims, namely Sayyidah Khatijadul Kubra May Allah be pleased with her. At the same time, since she was very elderly, it was permissible for Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas May Allah be pleased with them to see her and also point her out.

 

In the “Hidaayah” it is mentioned that if there is a very old female who when looking at, no carnal desires are created, then there is no harm in shaking the hands of this female. Therefore, if shaking hands with such a person is permissible, it would mean that looking at this person would also be clearly permissible.

 

The blessed Ashaab were always seeking reward for the Hereafter and not something which was wordily in nature. They also understood that receiving such blessings was an indication that Allah azza wajal and His beloved Prophet Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam were pleased with them. This is also the reason that they were prepared to continue displaying patience with whatever ailment they suffered from.

 

They were such blessed people that they never allowed complaint to leave from their mouths. This blesssed female was not complaining about her state but was merely complaining about the fact that she was concerned about her body becoming visible to others. We see that when Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam made Du’a in this regard, she was satisfied with enduring her ailment thereafter.

 

They were such blessed people that in spite of already receiving the news of Jannah, but they continued to display immense humility and modesty. They were people who had this firm belief that every word and Du’a of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam was something which was accepted in the Divine Court of Allah azza wajal. This is the reason that whenever he mentioned anything, they were immediately satisfied and did not complain any further.

 

In describing the Du’a of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam, Sayyidi A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmed Raza May Allah be pleased with him has stated that:

 

A garland of acceptance coupled with bounty,

it appeared as a bride, this Du’a of Muhammad Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam

 

Acceptance bowed its head and embraced the shoulders

With immense pride, through this Du’a of Muhammad Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam.

 

We should also continue to display patience through whatever trial and tribulation comes from Allah azza wajal. It must be borne in mind that this blessing of Jannah is something which is kept for the entire Ummah if they display the same patience and dedication.

 

In Surah Baqarah, verses 155-157, the Qur’an declares:

 

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّکُمْ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوۡفِ وَالْجُوۡعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوٰلِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ﴿۱۵۵﴾ۙ

الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصٰبَتْہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلہِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ﴿۱۵۶﴾ؕ

اُولٰٓئِکَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ صَلَوٰتٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہِمْ وَرَحْمَۃٌ ۟ وَاُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الْمُہۡتَدُوۡنَ﴿۱۵۷﴾

“And We will surely test you with some fear and hunger, and with paucity of wealth and lives and crops; and give glad tidings to those who patiently endure. – Those who say when calamity befalls them, “Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed it is to Him we are to return.” These are the people upon whom are the blessings from their Lord, and mercy; and it is they who are on guidance.”

 

When we remember the examples of these blessed Muslims, we will also be able to display that same type of patience and hopefully, we will also protect ourselves from sudden shock or from uttering words of complain. By remembering and mentioning examples and stories of such noble people, we will also be able to gain maximum benefit from the Divine Court of Allah azza wajal.

 

Note

 

There is no harm in seeking a cure or seeking medical help. It is not considered as Fard or Waajib. Therefore, if a person does not seek medical help or some medical assistance and he or she passes away in this state of illness or sickness, he or she cannot be termed as someone who had committed suicide and neither would they be questioned on the Day of Judgement in this matter. In “Alamgheeri,” it is mentioned that, “If a sick person did not seek a cure for any illness and then dies, he or she will not be considered a sinner.”

 

There are many people who have the habit of complaining when they suffer from high fever and yet, if they can only remember the words of the following Ahadith, they would immediately refrain from such behaviour.

 

  1. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallamhas stated, “Allah azza wajal has stated that ‘When I immerse any of My slaves especially the true believer in any trial and during this trial, they praise Me, then they will awake from their bed (after recovering from this sickness) in such a manner as they were on the day they were born to their mothers. (In other words, they will have no sins on them).’” (Musnad Imam Ahmed)

 

  1. Hadrat Sayyiduna Mu’az bin Jabal May Allah be pleased with him narrates that, “When Allah azza wajal immerses a person (in the test of) sickness, then He commands the Angel on the left shoulder to stop recording (the deeds of the person) and He commands the Angel on the right shoulder to only record those (noble and good) deeds which this person had committed when he was well.” (Makaa Shifatul Qulub)

 

  1. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallamhas stated that, “Fever does not leave a person until it does not free him of all sins.” (Makaa Shifatul Qulub)

 

  1. It is reported that once Nabi Moosa Alayhis Salaam saw a person who was sick and mentioned in the Divine Court of Allah azza wajal, “O my Lord! Please bestow Your Divine Mercy on this person.” Allah azza wajal replied, “What other Divine Mercy of Mine can I bestow upon this person because it is through this sickness that I wish to bestow Divine Mercy upon him”. (Makaa Shifatul Qulub)

 

  1. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallamhas stated that, “The sickness upon a Muslim, his sorrow, or sadness even if he is pricked by a thorn – whatever difficulty reaches him, Allah azza wajal through the Barakah (of these afflictions), nullifies his sins.” (Bukhari; Muslim Shareef)

 

  1. Once Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam visited a female companion and at that moment she was trembling. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam asked her what had happened. She replied that she was suffering from fever and she also cursed this fever. However, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallamreplied, “Do not speak ill of fever because it removes the mistakes of people as the rust is removed from iron.” (Muslim Shareef)

 

  1. It is reported that once a person passed away and another person said, “It is so nice that he passed away without suffering from any sickness.” Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallam replied, “You should be ashamed. What do you know that perhaps through this sickness, Allah azza wajal would have pardoned his sins?” (Mu’atta Imam Malik)

 

  1. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallal Laahu ‘Alayhi Wasallamhas stated that, “There is not a Muslim to whom sickness and tribulation does not reach but through this, Allah azza wajal sheds away the sins of that person as a tree sheds away its leaves.” (Muslim Shareef)

 

Allah azza wajal also grace us with patience and forbearance when we are suffering from any calamity and sickness. Aameen.

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