Allah Ta’ala once asked the Angel of Death: “Of all the people whose souls you have taken, for whom did you feel the most sympathy?”

The Story of the Ungratefulness of Namrood

Allah Ta’ala once asked Hazrat Izraeel (the Angel of Death): “Of all the people whose souls you have taken,for whom did you feel the most sympathy?” He replied:
“Over all of them, but in the carrying out of Your orders, I submit myself”.

Allah Ta’ala asked: “But on which occasion did your heart feel the most grief? He replied: “O Lord, there was one occasion when my heart was very much filled with pity and compassion. Once on Your command when the waves of the sea were very strong and high, we broke a boat into pieces.
Then You commanded that all those on board should be drowned except one woman and her baby. All of them died except the woman and her child, who remained alive on a raft.
The waves of the sea caused the raft to be driven along until the wind caused the raft to be brought near the coast. I was very pleased to see that they were near safety. Then the order came from You that the mother’s soul be taken, while the baby should be left alone.

At Your command, I took the soul of the mother and the two of them were separated by death. You can well imagine how unpleasant it must have been for me. You can imagine what passed through my heart at that time. You
know all, but I was under Your command and obeyed. Who is there that can rebel against Your command?”
“No one has the right to demand the why and wherefore of Your commands and decisions. To You alone belongs the true kingdom and decision.”

Hazrat Izraeel continued: “O Lord, on taking the soul of the mother, I felt great sorrow and to this day, I have not forgotten the helplessness of that baby and its destitution”

Allah Ta’ala replied: “Now listen to what happened to that baby afterwards. Listen to how I reared that child. I commanded the waves to throw that baby in such a forest where there are lilies, sweet-smelling plants and fragrant flowers and where there are fruit ‘trees and fountains bringing forth sweet waters. There I reared him. Numerous birds with beautiful voices used to sing beautiful melodies in his presence. I made his bed from the leaves of the wild rose tree so that he may be safe from all trials.
I commanded the sun not to shine on him with strong rays and to be considerate of him. I commanded the wind to blow over him gently and kindly. I commanded the clouds not to let the rain fall on him. Lightening was commanded not to strike him.
The season of autumn was commanded not to remove the moderate weather from his garden. The result was that the garden where he lived was like the soul of the saintly ones protected against cold, violent winds and warm pestilential winds.

I commanded a leopard, to give this baby milk to drink and the leopard did this until the baby grew into a grown-up child. When the time came for it to stop drinking milk, I commanded the Jinns to teach him how to communicate and to teach him the method of governing a kingdom. In this wonderful and astonishing way, I reared and nourished him.
So is My handling strange and wonderful! I nourished the worms in the body of Nabi Ayoub (Alaihis Salaam) and granted him such feeling for the worms just like a father over his children, so much so that when a worm came out of his body, he used to feel as if his children were being separated from him.

“I gave to Ayoub feelings of sympathy like a father,
Acting like a host to worms without any harm to them”.
“I taught all mothers what love is, What a lamp that is, which I have enlightened”.

“Thus, I showed that child My numerous favors and numerous ways of My grace so that he could see My grace and generosity without adopting any means. This was done to prevent him from becoming involved with the problem of looking for the means, because sometimes the causes of the means are different. Further, I did all that so that the child should in future seek help from Me alone, because the Provider of means was not hidden behind veils and curtains.”

In other words, to be nourished and reared without any means would entail that he should not look towards anyone else, so that he should have no excuse to go astray. He will not be able to provide the excusemthat by having seen the means, he failed to pay attention to Allah Ta’ala’s favors and bounties.

“But, O Izraeel, how did that child show gratitude to Me? That child became Namrood and he was the one who wanted to burn My friend, Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) alive. That was his intention but I made that fire of Namrood a rose – garden of safety.”

Now Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullah Alaihe) says: This Nafs (self) is a very dangerous enemy. One should always seek refuge from it. For others, the nourishment by the mother and the father becomes a curtain, but this unfortunate one used to receive many pearls from Allah Ta’ala directly.