Dialogue Between the Pious and the Wretched

Shaykh `Aa'id Abdullah al-Qarnee

Dialogue Between al-Aswad al-`Ansi and Abu Muslim al-Khawlani

Al Aswad al `Ansi, a man in Yemen who claimed prophethood, asked Abu Muslim to believe in him and testify that he is a messenger. Abu Muslim told him: "I can't hear a thing." So Abu Muslim, one of the awliyaa' (friends, allies of Allah) from the second generation of Muslims, belied him. Al Aswad al `Ansi prepared firewood and threw him in fire. Abu Muslim said: "Hasbuna'Llah wa ni`mal wakeel (Allah is sufficient for us and He is the best Protector . the words that Prophet Ibrahim `alayhis salam said when he was thrown in fire)", so Allah made the fire cool and safe for him.

[Later] `Umar hugged him in joy and said: "Welcome, O Khaleel (i.e. referring to Prophet Ibrahim `alayhis salam) of this Ummah" - or "the man who resembled al-Khaleel Ibraheem", or as he said, may Allah be pleased with him. Why? Because the Taqiyy (pious one) knew Allah and the Shaqiyy (wretched one) denied Allah's favors and went beyond the limits in transgression against Allah and His awliyaa' (allies)."

Dialogue between Rab`ee ibn `Aamir and Rustum

Rab`ee bin `Aamir entered upon Rustom, the leader of Persia, who had 280,000 soldiers under him. Rustum addressed him with arrogance of one who has power, "What brought you here?. . Rab`ee was wearing a thorn robe and had with him a spear and an old horse.

Rustom told him laughingly, while his ministers and companions were sitting with him: "You came to conquer the world with this spear, an old horse and a thorn robe?" So Rab`ee ibn `Aamir responded to him, confident in Allah's help: "Allah sent us to take servants from servitude to (other) servants to servitude of the Lord of servants, and from the narrowness of this world to the vastness of the hereafter, and from the tyranny of religions to the justice of Islam." So the wretched one responded to him after the reply of Rab`ee bin `Aamir baffled him: "Do not exit my palace or hall until you carry soil on your head", so Rab`ee bin `Aamir carried soil and said to his companions, "This is a glad tiding that Allah will let us own their land."

Later, Sa`d bin Abi Waqqaas entered this land victoriously and entered the hall of misguidance and smashed the den of the Persian idolatry, and said, what was related in the Qur'an, "How much they left behind of gardens and springs and crops and noble sites and comfort wherein they were amused. Thus. And we caused it to be inherited by another people." [Ad-Dukhaan, 44:25-28]

"These are two adversaries who have disputed over their Lord." [Hajj, 22:19] Such end befell those who did not know Allah, who did not obey his orders, nor shunned what He forbade.

Dialogue Between Khubayb bin `Adiyy and Disbelievers

Khubayb bin `Adiyy was brought to be hung and was asked, "What do you wish o Khubayb?" He said to the disbelieving, pagan polytheists: "I wish to pray two units of prayer", so he stood up, made ablution, quickly prayed two rak`ahs, and then told them: "By Allah, if you would not think that I fear death, I would lengthen the two units of prayer." Then they raised him to hang him and he supplicated against them: "O Allah, count them one by one, kill them to do away with them, and do not leave any one of them." They said: "Do you wish that Muhammad be in your place and that you be with your family and your wealth?" He said, "No, by Allah, I do not wish that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, be hurt by a thorn, and that I be with my family and my wealth." Then they killed him.

Biographers, such as Moosa bin `Uqbah, said Khubayb bin `Adiyy said before he was killed: "O Allah, inform the Prophet what happened to me. As-Salaamu `alayka, O Messenger of Allah, as-Salamu `alayka O Messenger of Allah, as-Salamu `alayka O Messenger of Allah." He was in Makkah, while the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, was in Madinah, and who said at that moment: . `Alaykas-Salam O Khubayb, `Alaykas-Salam O Khubayb, `Alaykas-Salam O Khubayb." Then Khubayb recited a poem about his death:

I do not care if I am killed as a Muslim,
From which side my death comes in the way of Allah.
And that is for His sake, if He wills,
He will bless parts of the body torn.