Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
A man asked Hazrat Hasan Basri: O Abu Syeed, how have you got up from bed at dawn? He said: In good condition. He again asked: How are you? Hasan Basri smiled and said: Are you asking me about my condition? What do you think about the man who got on board a boat. When it reached the middle of the sea, it was broken and every passenger floated on a plank. What is their condition? One man said: Grievous moment Hazrat Hasan said:
My condition is more precarious than their condition.
One female slave went to Caliph Omar-b-Abdul Aziz and prayed two rakats in his house. Then she went to sleep and dreamt. She got up from sleep and said: O Commander of the Faithful, I have seen a wonderful dream. He said: What is that?
She said: I saw Hell burning and the Bridge was placed on it.
Then Caliph Solaiman- b-Abdul Malek was bought there and placed on that bridge. When he proceeded some steps, the bridge turned down and he fell into fire. Caliph Omar then asked her:
What happened next? She said: Then you have been brought there. The Caliph raised such a loud shriek that he fell down senseless. The female slave said in his ears loudly: O Commander of the Faithful, by God, I saw you safe and secure. Then the Caliph moved his feet.
It has been narrated that the saint Hasan Basri did not laugh for 40 years. The narrator said: Whenever I saw him sittfng it seemed that he was a prisoner condemned to death. When he made sermon, it seemed that he was seeing as it were the next
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world and giving information after he has seen it. When he remained silent it seemed the the fire of Hell was burning before his eyes. When he was rebuked once for his excessive fear, he said: Who will give me surety that God will not rebuke me for my faults and say: Go, I have forgiven you. Then I will require no divine service.
These are the stories of the Prophets saints and religious men about God-fear. We should fear more as we are engrossed in numerable sins. Passions are strong in us, misfortune is prevailing over us and we do not see our condition owing to our negligence and hardness of heart . Even we do not wake up at the advent of death. Our minds do not become soft by the thoughts of the ultimate end. We pray to God that He may do us good out of His infinite mercy.