Raising The Bar

My brother's and sister's in Islam...

I bring to you another story to illustrate how the Sahaba's of the Prophet (Sallahu A'laihi Wasallam) understood the teachings of Allah and His Messenger. 

Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf, We all heard of him? Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf (Radhi' Allahu Anhu). Ar- Rasul (Sallahu A'laihi Wasallam) made Dua' for him for Allah (SWT) give him lots of Provision and he said, 'I was so rich and it was os much so metaphorically speaking, that if I were to lift a rock, a stone, I would find underneath it dinars and dinars. I would find underneath it wealth. That's how much Rizq was opened up for Him.

After the Prophet (Sallahu A'laihi Wasallam) died Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf, one day brought a caravan of 700 camels and the camels were filled with Merchandise, new merchandise, you know new stuff, new stuff that's coming in from Ash-Sham into Madinah. Now Aishah (Radhi' Allahu Anha), she was sitting and looking at all this commotion and the whole Madinah started to shake and there was something Rumbling like there was an Earthquake. Everybody is coming out and she asks 'What's this Earthquake and rumbling? What's all of this hall of the blue?' 

So they said to her, ' Ya Aisha! Ya Ummul Mu'mineen! It is Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf's caravan, you know when it comes to Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf's caravan it means its carrying new Merchandise, new stuff'. And the whole of Madinah was calling out, 'Abshiru', Abshiru''. You know you have glad tidings, the caravan of Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf has come. Everybody run there, your going to get bargains, grab it, sell it! Today your going to get rich'! 

Aishah (Radhi' Allahu Anha) looked into the ground and she nodded her head and then she looked up. You know with a sight far off, as though she was thinking and recalling something of the past. So she looked out and nodded her head and then she said, 'I remember the Prophet (Sallahu A'laihi Wasallam) saying ' I have seen Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf enter Paradise crawling. Entering Paradise crawling, you know that Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf was promised Paradise. He was one of the 10 in one Hadith mentioning all these names, he was one of those entering Paradise. He was promised, he was going to enter. He is Guaranteed. Khalaas! He is gonna enter Paradise. Promised! 

And she said, 'He will enter it but Habwan, crawling. When Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf heard this, he ran to Aishah (Radhi' Allahu Anha) and he said, 'Ya Umma oh Mother, because the Prophet's wife's (Sallahu A'laihi Wasallam) become our Mothers, Ummaha-tul-Mu'mineen. He said, 'I make you witness mother that all of these Caravans with its camels with its everything that's on it, and that everything that it comes with, I donate it for the cause of Allah (SWT)'

Why Abdur Rahman Ibn Awf cannot settle for entering Paradise crawling? He wants to enter Paradise running. Flying! He wants to enter Paradise in the Highest Degree with all the other Companions. Hoping that if he donated that, that what the Prophet (Sallahu A'laihi Wasallam) saw, the vision he saw will change. Maybe Allah (SWT) will change his Qadr in this instance. so He said, 'Ya Umma, I make you witness that I have given all of this Fisabillillah! So that I don't enter Paradise crawling, I want to enter Flying.

We should all make that our objective, our brother's and sister's. What can we do more In Sha Allah? And I'd like to not stress you about it because you would be probably thinking, you know Oh My God! I cant do all that. Well then, listen! It is not about the quantity of our actions but it is about the quality of our actions.

By Ustadh Belal Assad