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30.
Suhaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
"There lived a king
before you and he had a court magician. As he (the magician) grew old, he said to the king: `I have grown old, so
send me a young boy in order to teach him magic.' The king sent him a young boy to serve the purpose. And on his
way (to the magician) the young boy met a monk to whom he listened to and liked it. It became his habit that on his
way to the magician, he would meet the monk and sit there and would come to the magician (late). The magician
used to beat him because of this delay. He complained about this to the monk who said to him: 'When you feel
afraid of the magician, say: Members of my family detained me. And when you fear your family, say: The magician
detained me.' It so happened that there came a huge beast and it blocked the way of the people, and the young boy
said: 'I will know today whether the magician or the monk is better.' He picked up a stone and said: `O Allah, if the
way of the monk is dearer to You than the way of the magician, bring about death to the animal so that the people be
able to move about freely.' He threw that stone at it and killed it and the people began to move about freely. He then
came to the monk and told him the story. The monk said: `Son, today you are superior to me. You have come to a
stage where I feel that you would be soon put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial, do not reveal me.' That
young boy began to heal those born blind and the lepers and he, in fact, began to cure people from all kinds of
illnesses. When a courtier of the king who had gone blind heard about him, he came to him with numerous gifts and
said, `If you cure me, all these things will be yours.' He said, `I myself do not cure anyone. It is Allah, the Exalted,
Alone Who cures; and if you affirm faith in Allah, I shall also supplicate to Allah to cure you.' This courtier
affirmed his faith in Allah and Allah cured him. He came to the king and sat by his side as he used to sit before. The
king said to him, `Who restored your eyesight?' He said, `My Rubb.' Thereupon he said, 'Do you have another lord
besides me?' He said, `My Rubb and your Rubb is Allah.' So the king kept torturing him untill he revealed the young
boy. The young boy was thus summoned and the king said to him, 'O boy, it has been conveyed to me that you have
become so much proficient in your magic that you cure the blind and the lepers and you do such and such.'
Thereupon he said, `I do not cure anyone; it is Allah Alone Who cures,' and the king took hold of him and began to
torture him until he revealed of the monk. The monk was summoned and it was said to him: `You should turn back
from your religion.' But he refused. The king sent for a saw, placed it in the middle of his head and cut him into two
parts that fell down. Then the courtier of the king was brought forward and it was said to him: `Turn back from your
religion.' He, too, refused, and the saw was placed in the midst of his head and he was torn into two parts. Then the
boy was sent for and it was said to him: `Turn back from your religion.' He refused. The king then handed him over
to a group of his courtiers, and said to them: `Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that
mountain and when you reach its peak ask him to renounce his Faith. If he refuses to do so, push him to his death.'
So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: `O Allah, save me from them in any way you
like,' and the mountain began to shake and they all fell down (dead) and that young boy came walking to the king.
The king said to him, `What happened to your companions?' He said, `Allah has saved me from them.' He again
handed him to some of his courtiers and said: `Take him and carry him in a boat and when you reach the middle of
the sea, ask him to renounce his religion. If he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water).' So they
took him and he said: `O Allah, save me from them.' The boat turned upside down and they all drowned except the
young boy who came walking to the king. The king said to him, `What happened to your companions?' He said,
`Allah has saved me from them,' and he said to the king: `You cannot kill me until you do what I command you to
do.' The king asked, `What is that?' He said, `Gather all people in one place and tie me up to the trunk of a tree, then
take an arrow from my quiver and say: With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the boy; then shoot me. If you do that
you will be able to kill me.' `The king called the people in an open field and tied the young boy to the trunk of a tree.
He took out an arrow from his quiver, fixed in the bow and said, `With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the young
boy,' he then shot the arrow and it hit the boy's temple. The young boy placed his hand upon the temple where the
arrow had hit him and died. The people then said: `We believe in the Rubb of this young boy.' The king was told:
`Do you see what you were afraid of, by Allah it has taken place; all people have believed.' The king then
commanded that trenches be dug and fire lit in them, and said: `He who would not turn back from his (the young
boy's) religion, throw him in the fire' or `he would be ordered to jump into it.' They did so till a woman came with
her child. She felt hesitant in jumping into the fire. The child said to her: `O mother! Endure (this ordeal) for you are
on the Right Path".
[Muslim].
Commentary:
1. The most important lesson of this Hadith is that whatever difficulties one has to face on the path of Deen, he
should endure it with patience and determination; and if interest of the Deen requires, one should sacrifice his life
for it.
2. The wonders displayed by righteous people are true. When Allah's Will and Wisdom requires, He manifests these
wonders through His slaves.
3. It is a proof of the truth of the Qur'an that it has retold the great historical event like Ashab-ul-Ukhdud which,
buried in the dust of ages, had long been forgotten.
4. It is not possible to explain and interpret the Qur'an without the help of Ahadith. The event of Ashsb-ul-Ukhdud
mentioned in the Qur'an is an instance in point. It is the Hadith that has brought into light the details of the event and
clarified its ambiguity.
5. Such incidents are a source of strength for the faith of true believers.
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