91. Be brave and start from now! (cont.)

This is just as if you were to meet someone in a European country who said to you, "Why don't you become a Christian?" And you were to say to him, "I already have a religion." Who is the most beloved to you? And he didn't reply with, "Are you a Muslim?" or even, "Are you a Sunni?" But rather, with, "Are you a Shafi'i or a Hanbali?" You would then realise that he knows much about your religion. This is exactly what the Prophet did with 'Adi by asking, "Are you not from the Rakusiyya?" "Indeed, I am," replied 'Adi. The Prophet said, "When you go to war, do you not share one quarter of your people's gains?' He said, 'Yes, I do." The Prophet said, "This is not allowed in your religion." "Adi admitted in embarrassment, 'Yes." The Prophet said, "I know what is preventing you from accepting Islam. You think that the only people to follow this man (i.e., himself) are the oppressed people who have no strength: the Arabs have discarded them. O 'Adi! Have you heard of alHira (a city in 'Iraq)?" 'Adi said, "I haven't seen it but I have heard of it." The Prophet said, "I swear by the One who has my soul in His Hand, Allah will complete this affair, until a woman travels from al-Hira to make Tawaf around the Ka'bah, without fearing anyone." Meaning: Islam will one day become so strong that a woman would be able to travel from al-Hira to Makkah without a male guardian and without any need for protection. She would pass by hundreds of tribes and no one would dare to harm her or take her wealth. This is because the Muslims will become so strong that no one would dare to trouble a Muslim from fear of other Muslims rushing to his or her help. When 'Adi heard this, he began to picture this in his mind – a woman leaving 'Iraq and reaching Makkah, i.e. approaching from the north of the peninsula, and passing by the Ta'i mountains where his people reside. 'Adi became amazed and said to himself, "What will the bandits do who terrorise us and the rest of our cities?!" The Prophet said, "You will seize the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz." He said, "The treasures of Ibn Hurmuz?" Yes, "Kisra bin Hurmuz, and you will spend it all in the path of Allah. If you live long, you would see a man offering a handful of gold or silver to others but none will accept it." Meaning: wealth will be so plentiful that a rich man will look for someone to accept his charity but will not be able to find a poor person to give it to. The Prophet then admonished 'Adi and reminded him of the Hereafter. He said, "One of you shall meet Allah on the Last Day without anyone to translate the dialogue between you and Allah. He will look to his right and not see anything except Hell. He will then look to his left and not see anything except Hell." 'Adi remained silent and began to think. The Prophet abruptly said, "O 'Adi! What is preventing you from saying: There is none worthy of worship but Allah? Do you know of a god greater than Him?" 'Adi said, "In that case, I am a monotheist Muslim; I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Servant and the Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet's face became overjoyed. 'Adi bin Hatim later said, "I have seen a woman riding a camel travelling from Al-Hira till it made Tawaf around Ka'bah fearing none but Allah, I have also been one of those who opened the treasures of Kisra bin Hurmuz. I swear by the One who has my soul in His Hand, the third prophecy will also be fulfilled, since Allah's Messenger has said so!" (Muslim and Ahmad) Contemplate the way the Prophet dealt with 'Adi, how he welcomed him, something which 'Adi no doubt felt. Think how all of his fine manners contributed to 'Adi accepting Islam. If we were to practise these skills with people, we would also successfully capture their hearts. A thought... With gentleness and interpersonal skills, we can achieve our objectives. Who is the most beloved to you? (8) Enjoy the skills These skills give us physical pleasure, and I do not mean by this the pleasure of the Hereafter only. Rather, it is that pleasure one actually feels in this world. So enjoy these skills and practise them with the old, young, rich, poor, near or far. Use these skills with them in order to guard yourself from their harm, to earn their love, or to rectify them. 'Ali bin al-Jahm was a very eloquent poet, but he was a Bedouin. The only life he knew was the desert life.