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

The Prophet  was also at the end of the army, so he met Jabir as his camel walked slowly along.The Prophet  said, “What is wrong with you, O Jabir?” He said, “This camel is slowing me down.” Choose the right topics The Prophet  said, “Kneel it down.” Jabir knelt it down, as the Prophet  knelt his camel down, too. The Prophet  then said, “Give me your whip, or break a branch off a tree.” Jabir gave him his whip. The Prophet  took the whip and struck the camel with it gently, and the camel got up energetically. Jabir got hold of the camel and jumped on its back and went alongside the Prophet  happily. The camel had become very lively. The Prophet  turned to Jabir to converse with him. What was the topic that the Prophet  chose to discuss with him? Jabir was a young man, and young men are normally concerned about marriage and their livelihood. The Prophet  said, “O Jabir, did you get married?” He said, “Yes, I did.” The Prophet  said, “To a virgin or a previously married woman?” He said, “Previously married.” The Prophet  was surprised at why a young man like him, who had married for the first time, had done so to a previously married woman. He said to Jabir in kindness, “Why didn’t you marry a virgin so that you could fondle one other?” Jabir said, “O Messenger of Allah, my father was martyred on the day of Uhud and left nine (orphan) daughters who are my nine sisters. I thus disliked to have another young girl of their age, and instead married someone older than them so she could be like their mother.” The Prophet  realised that the man he was speaking to was one who had sacrificed his own pleasures for his sisters.Thus, Choose the right topics the Prophet  decided to tell an appropriate joke for a youth of his age: He  said, “Perhaps, when we head for Madinah and stop over at Sarar (5 km from Madinah), your wife will hear of our arrival and lay out the pillows.” Meaning, even if you married someone previously married, she will always remain your bride. She would rejoice upon your return, lay down the carpet and arrange on it pillows. Jabir thought of his poverty and that of his sisters. He said, “Pillows?! By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we do not have pillows!” The Prophet  said, “InshaAllah, you will soon have pillows.” As the two continued on, the Prophet  wished to gift some money to Jabir, so he turned to him and said, “O Jabir!” “At your service, O Messenger of Allah!” he replied. The Prophet  said, “Will you sell me your camel?” Jabir thought that the camel was his capital, and even though previously extremely weak, it had now become very strong! However, he thought it rude to reject the Prophet’s offer. Thus he said, “Make an offer, O Messenger of Allah! How much will you pay?” The Prophet  said, “A Dirham.” “A Dirham! You are cheating me, O Messenger of Allah”, replied Jabir. The Prophet  said, “Two Dirhams.” “No. You are still cheating me, O Messenger of Allah...” replied Jabir. Choose the right topics They continued raising the price until it amounted to forty Dirhams, or an ounce of gold. Jabir said, “Fine, but on the condition that I continue to ride it until we reach Madinah.” “Yes,” agreed the Prophet . When they reached Madinah, Jabir went to his house and offloaded the camel.Then he went to pray with the Prophet  and tied his camel next to the mosque. When the Prophet  came out of the mosque, Jabir said to him, “This is your camel, O Messenger of Allah!” The Prophet  said, “O Bilal, give forty Dihrams to Jabir and more.” Bilal gave Jabir forty plus Dirhams. Jabir took the money in his hand and went away thinking about his situation and what he could do with the money. Should he buy a camel, or should he buy furniture for his house? The Prophet  suddenly turned to Bilal and said, “O Bilal, take the camel and give it to Jabir.” Bilal took it and went to see Jabir. When he arrived, Jabir was surprised and wondered if the Prophet  had cancelled the sale. Bilal said, “Take the camel, O Jabir.” Jabir said, “Why? What’s the news?” Bilal said, “Allah’s Messenger has ordered me to give you the camel and the money.” Jabir returned to the Prophet  and asked him what had happened. The Prophet  replied, “Do you think I haggled with you just to take your camel?” Meaning, I wasn’t asking you to lower the price because I wanted to buy your camel.