A Story of an Exemplary Crime and a Mother's Mercy

Hazrat Malik bin Dinar (may Allah have mercy on him) relates: "I performed Hajj sixty times in my life. During one Hajj, I saw an extraordinary crowd in Makkah Mukarramah, a magnificent gathering of millions of people. Seeing this immense multitude, a thought suddenly arose in my heart, and I inwardly pleaded: 'O Allah! So many people have come to Your House; have You accepted the Hajj of all of them or not?' Lost in this profound thought, I fell asleep. That night, in a dream, I heard a voice from the unseen saying: 'O Malik! Allah has accepted the Hajj of everyone, except for a man from Balkh named Muhammad bin Harun Balkhi; his Hajj has not been accepted.'" The Search for Muhammad bin Harun Balkhi: Hazrat Malik bin Dinar (RA) further states: "In those days, tents in Arafat and Mina were set up separately according to cities and countries. As soon as morning broke, I began my search for this man. I went towards the tents of Balkh and inquired about Muhammad bin Harun. The moment the people heard his name, they showered him with praises, saying: 'He is an exceptionally righteous and devout person. He is a Qaim-ul-Lail (one who stays up all night in worship) and a Saim-ud-Dahr (one who fasts continuously). If you wish to see him, he is sitting alone in the shelter of that mountain ahead, engrossed in the remembrance of Allah. He keeps himself completely isolated from people.'" Malik bin Dinar (RA) says: "Hearing this, I was astonished by the contrast between what I was shown in my dream and how highly these people were praising him! Filled with curiosity and wonder, I went behind the mountain and saw a man sitting on a prayer mat. The signs of intense worship, asceticism, and piety were evident on his face and body, but one of his arms was severed." An Astonishing Dialogue and Tears of Remorse: "When the man completed his two rak'ahs of prayer and offered salam, I stepped forward and said: 'Assalamu Alaikum!' He replied: 'Wa Alaikum Assalam! Are you Malik bin Dinar?' I was stunned and thought to myself: 'How sharp is this man's spiritual insight that he recognized me at first sight!' Then, he took a cold, deep sigh and said in a deeply sorrowful voice: 'O Malik! Surely, you must have been told in a dream last night that my Hajj has not been accepted?'" Hearing this, it was as if lightning had struck me. I asked in astonishment: 'Brother! People praise your righteousness and piety so much, and your own spiritual insight is of such a high caliber, then what on earth is the matter?' He replied with anguish: 'It is better if you do not ask me this.' Saying this, he began to weep profusely and cried for a long time. I insisted, saying: 'No, brother, you must tell me.' Weeping, he said: 'If you hear it, you will become furious with me.' I reassured him: 'I will not be angry, please relate your story.'" The Story of a Horrific Crime: The man began: "Sir! This is my 24th Hajj. For twenty-four years, I have been performing Hajj continuously, and every year, some saint of Allah (who sees true dreams) comes to me and says: 'Go away, none of your Hajj has been accepted!'" I asked: "What sin have you committed after all?" He replied: "I am a severely disobedient and sinful son to my mother. The truth is, Allah had blessed me with immense wealth, lands, and possessions, but I became indulgent, reckless, and wayward. Once, during the holy month of Ramadan, after the Asr prayer, my elderly mother was busy preparing for Iftar. I entered the house completely drunk on wine. I rudely demanded: 'Mother! Give me bread!' Seeing me in this wretched state, my mother cried out in anguish: 'O oppressor! Have some shame, have some decency! You did not keep the fast yourself, but at least you could have respected those who are fasting!'" (Here, the narrator interjects: How unfortunate is that son whose father fears talking to him, wondering what rudeness he might retort with! And how oppressed is that mother who trembles while talking to her own son, fearing his harsh tone! Those children are in total loss whose elderly parents cannot even speak to them openly.) Muhammad bin Harun continued his story: "When my mother shamed me, overwhelmed by the intoxication of wine and blind rage, I forcefully slapped my own mother. My frail, elderly mother lost her balance and fell backward into a burning clay oven (tandoor)! Seeing this horrific sight, the neighborhood people rushed in and locked me in a room. I lay there all night in a drunken stupor, hearing the chaotic noise of people outside. In the morning, when I regained consciousness, I saw my wife packing her belongings. I asked: 'Where are you going?' She looked at me with pure disgust and said: 'He who could not be loyal to his own mother, how could he ever be faithful to me?' Panicking, I asked: 'Where is my mother?' Weeping, she replied: 'Last night, the people offered her funeral prayer and buried her.' I was shaken to the core and said: 'Why didn't you wake me up? Why didn't you tell me?' My wife replied: 'Your dying mother left a final testament: Do not let this cruel son of mine see my face one last time, and do not allow him anywhere near my funeral.'" The Anguish of Repentance and Malik bin Dinar's Reaction: Hazrat Malik bin Dinar (RA) relates: "When I heard this horrific incident from his own mouth, out of righteous Islamic indignation, I too slapped him across the face and said: 'You truly deserve this treatment! How could you commit such a monstrous act of brutality against your own mother?' The man wept even more bitterly and pleaded: 'Sir! Please pray for me that my Lord may somehow become pleased with me. When I received the news of my mother's horrific death and the intoxication wore off, I immediately picked up an axe and chopped off the right hand with which I had struck my mother. I donated all my property and wealth in the way of Allah. Today, it has been 24 years; I fast all day, spend the entire night crying in prayers, and perform Hajj every year, but each time I receive the same devastating answer that none of my deeds are accepted. Sir! Please pray that my Lord forgives me.'" Hazrat Malik bin Dinar (RA) states: "Filled with anger and deep sorrow, I walked away from there, saying: 'How can Allah ever be pleased with an oppressor like you!'" A Glimpse of Divine Mercy and Glad Tidings: Hazrat Malik bin Dinar (RA) continues: "That night, when I slept in Makkah, I was blessed with a vision of the Master of the Universe, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Prophet (PBUH) addressed me in a tone of loving admonition: 'O Malik! Why did you leave that servant of Allah completely despondent? Allah, the Exalted, is indeed Most Forgiving, Most Merciful, and Boundlessly Kind.' I respectfully submitted: 'O Messenger of Allah (PBUH)! He is his mother's murderer and a severely disobedient son; how can he ever be forgiven?' The Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied: 'O Malik! Go and give him the glad tidings that on the Day of Judgment, he will be forgiven because of that very mother of his.' I asked in astonishment: 'O Prophet of Allah! How will he be forgiven because of his mother?' The Beloved of Allah (PBUH) explained: 'On the Day of Judgment, his mother will present her case against her son in the court of the Almighty Lord. She will complain: "O my Lord! I carried him in my womb for nine months, endured the intense pangs of labor to give him birth, and nurtured him by feeding him the blood of my liver (milk), but he burned me alive in an oven and killed me!" Hearing this plight of the mother, the Lord of Majesty will declare in Divine Wrath: "Seize this sinner and cast him into the fires of Hell! He burned his mother in the world; today, burn him in the fire of Hell!"' The Holy Prophet (PBUH) continued: 'When the angels seize Muhammad bin Harun and begin dragging him towards Hell, he will turn back and look yearningly at his mother. The angels will drag him again, and he will look back at his mother a second time. When he is dragged for the third time, he will cry out in absolute anguish: "O Mother! Look, they are taking me to burn in the fire! O Mother! They are throwing me into Hell!"' My Beloved Prophet (PBUH) said: 'Upon hearing this agonizing wail of her son, that mother, who died from being burned in the world, will be overcome with maternal emotion. In a sudden surge of boundless motherly love, she will implore in the Divine Presence: "O Allah! This is my own child; I have forgiven him, so You too forgive him! O my Allah! I have relinquished my right, so You too bless him with forgiveness!" Thus, upon the mother's intercession, Allah Almighty will grant him absolute forgiveness.'" Lesson for Life: Subhan Allah! There is no love as selfless, unconditional, and pure as the love of parents in the entire universe. A mother grieves for her children in this world, and even in the Hereafter, her heart melts for them. What is our duty? We must value our parents while they are alive, never say even a word of frustration ('uff') to them, and consider serving them as our greatest blessing. Remember, if this protective shelter is lifted from above your head, no wealth in the world can ever replace it. May Allah make this incident a source of transformation for our hearts and grant us the immense ability to appreciate and serve our parents. Ameen! (Narrated — Selection: Islamic Tube Pro App)

• Anas Memon Palanpuri