The Tears Of The 'Lion Of The Desert'
22-09-2008
Have you ever read the story about Umar bin Khatab RA crying? Umar bin Khatab RA
was known as a strong and fearless man, respected by both friends and foes. In
fact it was said in a tradition, the Prophet said that even the Shaitan would
shrink from Umar to the extent that when Umar walked on a path, the Shaitan
would avoid the same path and use a different one. There are many other
narrations that talked about the fearlessness of Umar. It was obvious that the
formidable character of Umar had become the talk of the town amongst the Muslim
community. Thus, for this reason it must be an incredible event if Umar was ever
found to cry.
Why did this "lion of the desert" cry?
Umar once seeked permission to meet Rasulullah SAW. He found him lying on a very
rough mat and a part of his body was laid on the ground. He only had a very hard
stalk of palm tree as his pillow. He greeted him peace and sat close to him. He
could not hold his tears.
The noble Messenger asked, "Why are you crying O Umar?"
Umar replied, "How could I not cry. The mat has left a mark on your body,
whereas you are Allah’s Prophet and His beloved. Your wealth consists only of
what I am seeing now. Whilst the Czars and the Kaisers are seated on thrones
made of gold and sleep on pillows made of silk.”
The Prophet said, "They have hastened to get their comforts in the present time,
a comfort which will soon end. We are a people who adjourn our comforts for the
last days. The likeness of my relation with the dunya (world) is like that of a
traveler journeying in the summer. He takes shelter under the shade of a tree,
and then depart and leave it."
So beautiful indeed was the Prophet’s comparison with regards to his relation to
this world. This world is just a place of transit, to take shelter from the
midday sun and then carry on with the real journey.
If you want to go to Amsterdam the plane will normally have a transit in
Singapore. Or if you return from Saudi Arabia, normally the plane would stop by
in Abu Dhabi. Just assume those places of transit, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, as
this world. Would you finish off all your provisions there? Would you be
decorating the transit halls luxuriously? Would you be living permanently in
those places of transit?
While you are busy doing your shopping, the plane would soon call for you in
order to continue your next journey. While you are being sedated and engrossed
with this dunya, suddenly Allah SWT calls you back to return to His side. Your
provisions have already been exhausted, your hands are full of packages filled
with sins, so what would you bring with you in the field of Mahshar later.
Leave some of the comforts of this world as provisions for the hereafter. In the
seven days of the week, why don’t we suppress our nafs (ego), endure the feeling
of hunger and thirst, at least two days a week. Perform the sunnah fasting of
Monday and Thursday. In the twenty four hours of the day, why don’t we set aside
an hour or so to perform salah and read al-Qur'an. In the eight hours of our
sleeps, why don’t we take 5 minutes away to perform the Tahajjud prayer.
"Dip you hand in the ocean," the Prophet suggested to a companion who asked
about the difference between this world and the hereafter, "the water you see in
your fingers is this world, whereas the rest of the water (in the ocean) is the
hereafter.”
Be prepared to dive into the "ocean of the hereafter". Who knows Allah SWT will
be calling us in a short while, and when the time of the calling arrives, not
only that we don’t have the time for ibaadah (worships) anymore, even the time
to cry is also non-existent!
Submitted by a Mujahid