TREAT WIDOW AND ORPHAN WELL AND GET A WAY TO PARADISE

A man from a respectable background came to Balkh in Iran, accompanied by his wife and daughters. Shortly after their arrival the man fell ill and later died, leaving his wife and daughters. Without his support they became poor and suffered. So fearing the mockery of enemies, she escaped with her daughters to another town.

On the day she arrived the weather was very cold, so she left her daughters in a mosque and went out in search of food. She passed by two groups of people. One was gathered around a Muslim who was the Sheikh and the other group around a Zoroastrian (Majusi) who was the security officer of the city.

She first went to the Sheikh and described her situation saying, “I am a woman of a respectable family, with daughters whom I have left in the local mosque, I have come in search of food.” He asked her, “Bring me proof that you are from a respectable family.” She replied, “I am a stranger in this town and therefore do not know anyone to testify for me.” She departed from him brokenhearted.

She then went to the Zoroastrian and explained her situation to him, telling him about her noble background and her orphaned daughters who were waiting for her return. She also mentioned to him how the Sheikh had treated her. The Zoroastrian stood up and sent some womenfolk to bring her daughters and took all of them to his house. There he showered them with honor and generosity. He fed them fine food and clothed them in rich garments.

That night the Sheikh saw in a dream the Day of Resurrection and the banners were unfolded around the Prophet (Peace be Upon him). Ahead of him, was a green palace made of emeralds, its balconies of pearls and rubies and domes of pearls and corals.

He asked the Prophet (Peace be Upon him), “Messenger of Allah, for whom is this palace?” The Prophet (Peace be Upon him) replied, “For a Muslim.” The Sheikh replied, “I am a Muslim!” The Prophet (Peace be Upon him) said, “Prove to me that you are a Muslim?” At that, the Sheikh was dumbstruck. The Prophet (Peace be Upon him) then said, “You asked a woman to produce proof of her respectability, and therefore my question to you, is can you produce proof that you are a Muslim?” At this point the Sheikh felt remorse about his treatment towards the woman and her orphaned daughters.

In the morning, he immediately set out to find the woman. He learnt she was staying with the Zoroastrian and so called for him. When the Zoroastrian arrived, the Sheikh requested that he sends the woman and her daughters to him. The Zoroastrian replied, “Under no circumstance! I have received great blessings from her.” The Sheikh said “Take a thousand dinars from me and bring them to me.”

He shouted, “Impossible! The one who showed you the palace in your dream has made it (the palace) for me. Are you surprised because I am not a Muslim? By Allah, I did not sleep last night, before I and my family accepted Islam at that noble woman’s hand, and I dreamt something similar to what you dreamt; the Messenger of Allah (Peace be Upon him) asked me, “Is that noble woman and her daughters with you?” I replied: “Yes, Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (Peace be Upon him) said, “This palace is for you and your family. Allah created you a believer in pre-eternity.”

At that the Sheikh remained sorrowful and grieved for the missed opportunity of earning a lofty position in Paradise, due to his neglect of the widowed woman and her daughters.

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Hadith:

Allah’s Messenger (Peace be Upon him) has said, “The one who strives on behalf of the widow and the needy is like a warrior in the path of Allah”. (Bukhari and Muslim)

"One who cares for widows and the poor is like those who fight in the way of Allah or those who spend their days fasting and their nights praying." [Bukhari]

"Whoever removes a worldly grief from a believer, Allah will remove from him one of the griefs of the Day of Judgment" [Sahih Muslim]

The Holy Quran:

"And they feed, for the love of Allah, the poor, the orphan, and the captive..." [Surah al-Insaan, 8]

“Do IHSAAN (good) to them till their economic or emotional imbalance is no more”[2:83, 4:36]

"The Shaitan promises you poverty and enjoins you on vulgarity. But Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself with bounty. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower." [Surah al-Baqarah, 268]

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WHOSE IS THE KINGDOM TODAY?

When the Samanid ruler, Nasr bin Ahmad ( 301 - 331 A.H), entered Nishapur, he held a court. After ascending the throne, he wanted the proceedings to be started with the recitation from the Holy Qur'an. At this an elderly pious man came forward and recited a section of the Surah Al- Mu'min. When he came to the verse (On that Day it will be asked:) "...Whose is the Kingdom today?" (40:16)

Nasr was struck with awe; he descended the throne trembling, took off the crown and fell down in prostration, saying: "O my Lord, Kingdom is Yours, not mine!"
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The Holy Quran, in Surah Al-Mu'min:
The Day when they will come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allah.
(it will be asked) Whose is the Kingdom today? It is Allah's, the One, the Mighty!
Today everyone will be recompensed for what he earned. There is no injustice today.
Truly, Allah is swift in reckoning. (40:16-17):

Tafsir:
According to a hadith reported by Abu Wa'il from Sayyidna Abdulluh Ibn Mas'ud, all human beings will be assembled together on a clear surface, a surface on which no sin would have been committed by anyone. At that time, a bearer of news will be commanded to ask: “To whom belongs the Kingdom today?” Thereupon, the entire creation, believer or disbeliever, will respond saying: “To Allah alone, the One, the All Dominant.”
As for the believers, they will be more than pleased to say so, for this would be part of their belief. As for the disbelievers, they will confess to it sadly and helplessly.

And some other narrations (ahadith) also show that Allah Taala will make this statement when the entire creation will be destroyed after the blowing of the first Horn, and when even specially close ones, the angels (Jibrael, Mikael, Israfeel and the angel of death Izrael) will also meet death, and no one except the One Being of Allah Subhanahu wa Taala will remain, that will be the time He will say: “To whom belongs the Kingdom today?” Since there will be no one to answer at that time, He will Himself answer: “To Allah alone, the One, the All-Dominant.”

It is supported by the Hadith of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah and Ibn Umar (RA) in which it is said, “On the Day of Judgment, Allah Taala will with all earth surfaces rolled up in His left hand and all heavens rolled up in His right hand will say: “I am the owner of the kingdom. Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant?”

(Tafsir Maariful Quran, Vol 8)
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