Two Beautiful Narrations

Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem.
As-salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu : )

Below I have quoted two narrations, the beauty of which can not be expressed in words, only shed in tears. The purpose of my quoting these is to remind myself and others about the blessing of being given Islam. Without doubt the biggest blessing upon each and every Muslim is not his health, nor his wealth, nor his family, but the Prophet salAllahu 'alayhi wasallim and the message he brought mankind, which a select few were chosen to embrace. Within these narrations are also deep and pertinent lessons for us to reflect upon and inculcate. May Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala grant us the tawfiq to allow these words to reach past our eyes into our hearts. Ameen.

The following are quoted from Imam 'Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad rahmatullahi 'alayhi in his book The Lives of Man translated by the well-known translator, Mostafa al-Badawi, may Allah subhaanahu wa ta 'aala preserve and increase him. The full title of the book is actually, The Way to Remember and Learn from the Lives of Man that Wane and Perish, and I highly recommend you buy this book and read it least once a month. It's short, but its message and reminder is of utmost importance. You can purchase the book from its publisher, Fons Vitae.


Wahb ibn Munabbih, may God show him His Mercy, said: When Moses, upon whom be peace, read the Tablets, he found mentioned in them the merits of the nation of Muhammad, may blessings and peace be upon him, and he said: "O Lord! Which is this mercy-given nation that I find in the Tablets?" God answered: "It is the nation of Ahmad, whose people are content with whatever little provision I give them, and I am content with whatever little good works they do. I make each one of them enter the Garden by his testimony that laa ilaaha ilAllah."

And then Moses said: "I find in the Tablets a nation of people who shall be resurrected and assembled on the Day of Rising with their faces like full moons. Let them be my nation!" But God replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad; I shall gather them resurrected on the Day of Rising, when their foreheads and limbs shall be blazing white from the effect of their wudu-ablutions and their prostrations."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people whose clothes are on their backs and whose swords are on their shoulders, people of certitude and dependence [tawakkal]; they glorify God from minaret-tops, and they continue to seek to fight for every righteous cause, until they do battle against the Dajjal. Let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation for whom the [whole] earth is a place of worship and ritually pure, and for whom booty is lawful; let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who fast the month of Ramadan for You, and whom You then forgive all they had done before; let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who go on pilgrimage to the Invioble House for Your sake, whose longing for it is never exhausted, whose weeping is loud and tumultuous, whose talbiya is clamorous; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "What will you give them for that?" And God said: "I shall grant them more forgiveness, and shall allow them to intercede for those who come after them."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find the the Tablets a nation of people who ask forgiveness for their sins; when they raise their food to their mouths it does not reach their stomachs before they are forgiven; they start [eating] with Your name and end with Your praise; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find the the Tablets a nation whose members will be the foremost on the Day of Rising, but are the last to be created; let them be my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people whose gospels are held within their breasts and they recite them; let them be my nation!" But He answered: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people among whom when one of them intends a good deed but does not perform it, it is written as one good deed for him, while if he does perform it, it is written as ten to seven hundred times its worth; let them be my nation!" But God said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation among whom, when one of them intends a sin but does not commit it, it is not written against him, while if he does commit it, it is written as a single sin; let them by my nation!" But He replied: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation who are the best of people, who exort to good and forbid evil; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! I find in the Tablets a nation of people who will be resurrected and brought on the Day of Rising as three groups. One group shall enter the Garden without reckoning, another's reckoning will be easy and another will be rigorously judged, then made to enter the Garden; let them be my nation!" But He said: "They are the nation of Ahmad."

Moses said: "O Lord! You have spread out all this good for Ahmad and his nation; let me be a member of his nation!" But God told him: "O Moses! I have chosen and preferred you over other people with My Message and My Speech; take what I have given you and be one of the thankful."

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Ibn 'Abbas, God be pleased with him, said: 'The Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, said one day to his Companions: "What do you say of this verse: And you were not beside the Mountain when We called? [28:46] They said: "God and His messenger know best." And he told them, "When God spoke to Moses, upon whom be peace, he asked Him: 'O Lord! Have you created any creature dearer to You than myself? For You have chosen and preferred me over mankind, and did speak to me on Mount Sinai.' And God answered him saying: 'O Moses! Did you not know that Muhammad is dearer to Me than the rest of My creation? And that I looked into the hearts of My slaves, and, finding no heart humbler than yours, therefore chose and preferred you, with My Message and My Speech, over other men. Make sure, therefore, that you die in tawhid and the love of Muhammad!'

'Moses asked again: 'O Lord! Is there any nation dearer to You than mine? For You have shaded them with the cloud, and sent down to them honeydew [manna] and quails.' [2:57] And God replied: 'O Moses! Did you not know that the eminence of the nation of Muhammad over other nations is like My eminence over the whole of My creation?'

Moses asked: 'O Lord! Will I see them?' And He replied: 'You will not see them, but if you wish, you can hear their speech.' Moses said: 'I do so wish.'

And thus God the Exalted called: 'O nation of Muhammad!' And they all answered with one voice, from within the loins of their ancestors: 'Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk! [Here we are, O God! Here we are!]' And God the Exalted said: 'My blessings and peace are upon you; My Mercy has outsripped My Wrath; My Forgiveness has outstripped My Punishment; I forgave you before you even asked for My forgiveness; I answered you before you called upon Me; I gave to you before you asked of Me! Those of you who will meet me bearing witness that there is no god save God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, I will forgive them their sins.'"

'And the Prophet, upon whom be blessings and peace, continued and said: "And God wished to favour me with this, so He said (Exalted is He!): And you were not beside the Mountain when We called; i.e. [when We called] your nation to let Moses hear them speak."'

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Allahumma salli 'alaa sayyidinaa Muhammad...