A Story to be Told! Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ)

Hazrat Th’alaba  Ibn Abdur Rahman (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) was a young man of sixteen, from the Ansaar. He would often run errands for Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

One day, whilst taking a walk in Madina Munawwarah, he passed by a house. The door had been left open. Without much thought, and a little curious, he glanced inside the house.
…He did not anticipate what would then transpire.
When he glanced into the home, a breeze lifted and shifted the curtain of an entrance, revealing a woman who was taking a bath.
Hazrat Th’alaba ( رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ) immediately lowered his gaze, but his heart and mind were already tormented by guilt.
…He did not continue gazing. No. He immediately lowered his gaze. This was not what he expected to see.
Despite his youthfulness, look at his response. There was khauf and fear of Allah Ta’ala, there was shame and modesty.

Searching for Opportunities to Sin
Today, the situation is the exact opposite. We have the majority searching for some television channel, exploring the internet, or looking through some magazine, where the content is immoral, indecent; where there is nudity, where there are filthy, crude pictures. And this is where the gaze is fixed, because the nafs wants some Haraam gratification and satisfaction.
The vast number of letters and e-mails that I receive, reveal these types of sins. It has become the plague and affliction of societies throughout the world.
This is how the soul is soiled, the heart is spoilt and the mind polluted. And then we want wazeefas for peace of mind and contentment of heart, wazeefas for barakah in rizq (sustenance) and wazeefas to solve marital problems.
Whilst many write along the same lines, one person recently wrote, relating how excessive and how extreme his obsession for casting lustful gazes, to the extent where there was desperation to cast lustful gazes. It had become an uncontrollable addiction which resulted in him behaving very, very disgracefully.

The Concern of Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
Days passed and observing Hazrat Th’alaba’s (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ) absence, Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) kept asking the other Sahabah if they had seen Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ). …No one had seen
him. No one knew his whereabouts.

Concerned and worried, Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sent a few of his companions to search for Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ).
Amongst them were Hazrat ‘Umar ibn Khattaab (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ َ)and Hazrat Salmaan Farsi (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ َ)
Both went in search of Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ َ), looking everywhere in Madina Munawwarah and moving to the outskirts of Madina, until they reached some mountains between Makkah Mukarramah and Madina Munawwarah.
Here, they found some nomads herding their sheep. They asked the nomads if they had seen Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ), describing his characteristics.
The Bedouins responded that there was a young man who had been in the vicinity for 40 days, spending his time, weeping and weeping. He would come down from the mountains just once a day, drink the milk they offered him, then return to the mountains, distraught and grieved. They always found him crying, and repeatedly asking Allah Ta’ala for His Forgiveness, with words of repentance.
…Beyond doubt, these were people who had genuine Imaan; whose hearts possessed the reality of Khauf (fear) and Khashiyat (awe) of Allah Ta’ala. They were not Munafiqeen (hypocrites) like so many of us.

When they said that they believed in Allah Ta’ala, then they truly believed in Allah – with heart, mind and soul. They believed in Allah Ta’ala as He is, with all His Sifaat (Qualities).

I BELIEVE IN ALLAH AS HE IS WITH ALL HIS NAMES AND QUALITIES AND I HAVE ACCEPTED ALL HIS ORDERS.

The slightest disobedience to Allah Ta’ala was weightier than a mountain placed upon their shoulders.

Return to Madina Munawwarah
The Companions thus waited until Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) came down from the mountain. Observing him, they found he had lost much weight. His face revealed deep sorrow and as he drank the milk, his tears mixed with it, due to his constant weeping.
They approached him and insisted that they wanted to take him back to Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), who was concerned over his long absence.
Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) refused and asked them if Allah Ta’ala had revealed any verses stating that he was a munafiq (hypocrite).

They responded that they had no knowledge of any such verses being revealed. Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) thus relented and gave into the plea of the two Companions, and was taken back to Madina Munawwarah.
On their arrival, Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) went to see him.
Still anxious and fearful over what had happened, Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ َ) asked Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) if Allah Ta’ala had included him in the category of the hypocrites or revealed that he was one of them.

…Ahh! The concern and fear of the Sahaba-e-Kiraam (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ َ)! Theirs was a constant fear and worry that they not fall into the category of the Munafiqeen. We are comfortable with our lies, arguments, betrayal of trust, swearing, being two-faced, and all those qualities which Rasululullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mentioned as traits of the Munafiqeen.

Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) assured Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ َ) that there were no such verses revealed.
With great compassion and mercy and observing the tiredness, frailty and weakness of Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ),
Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) had him lie down. He then placed Hazrat Th’alaba ( رَضََ ََ َىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ََ)’s head on his lap.
Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) said : “O Rasulullah, remove the head of a sinner away from you.”
In response, Rasulullah (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) comforted him until Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ََ) said : “I feel as though ants are walking between my flesh and bones.”
Nabi (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) gently explained that it was death and that his time had come.
Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ََ) thus proclaimed : ََ “There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” … and his soul departed from his emaciated body. … ا

What a great privilege and tremendous honour, returning to Allah Ta’ala whilst in the compassionate care of the Beloved of Allah Ta’ala.
Nabi (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) gave ghusl (washed) to Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) and carried him to his grave.
On their way to bury Hazrat Th’alaba (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ََ), Rasulullah (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ) walked on his toes, as though he was in a big crowd.

When Hazrat ‘Umar (رَضَىَ اَلله عََنَهََ ََ) asked the reason for doing so, Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) explained that there was such a large gathering of angels, that he did not have place to put his feet fully on the ground

Musnad Ahmad