Thalaba ibn Abdrahman

Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:38 -

By Magdy Abd AL-shafy

It is only when the belief in God reaches the utmost degree that what
people consider a weightless sin be heavier than the heaviest of all
mountains , some of us will be astonished at the following real story that
happened to one of the early companions of the prophet ; many lessons
can be deduced from this story . we will leave the reader himself
deduce these deductive lessons through this story

Thalaba ibn Abdrahman was one of the idolaters , who converted to

Islam and became a good Moslem , it was his fate that made him close
to the prophet to learn many lessons of the spiritual universe of the
prophet.  It is sometimes because of the human nature man finds
himself weak before the allurement of life but the worst thing is that
when you leave yourself in the quagmire of such a sin  but matters differ
on the part of the true believer whose remorse arise like high mountain
to squeeze the baser self of the human being as we will see in this true
story 

Thalaba ibn Abdrahman , one of the sincere companions of the prophet

and a dear servant to the prophet ,  was sent to do something for the
prophet and on his way he passed by a  

 woman in her house having shower . He looked at her and kept looking
at her for a while . It was then that his conscience began to revolt

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Thalaba ibn Abdrahman
Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:38 -

against him and began to feel the  grievousness of he  sin he committed
.

He , fearing that God might reveal Quran concerning what he did and
fearing Gods punishment , he left for the high barren places at the top
of the flanking mountains where  he remained there for 40 days alone
crying because of his sin  .

He had  been absent for long time . Gabriel , the revelation angel was
sent by  God to prophet Mohummed to tell him that there was  some
one from among his men lying in a pit at the top of the mountain
seeking refuge with ME against what he did and seeking for My
forgiveness .

The Prophet said " It is no one but  Thalaba" . The prophet asked Omer
ibn Khatab and Soleman to go and search for him .

So they rushed to the flaking mountains and on their way they ran into 
a shepherd and impatiently they said to him  "Do you have any
information about a man  who took the barren tops of the mountain as a
shelter ? "

"Do you mean the hellfire escapee ?" The man said.

  "Why do you think that he is hellfire escapee?" They said 

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Thalaba ibn Abdrahman
Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:38 -

Because when it is midnight , he comes out from among these

mountains putting his hand on his head and giving out successive
melancholic supplications to God  saying "

I wish You  had taken  my soul and kept it with the souls of the dead !

O God , I wish you had deadened my body and kept it with the body of
the dead .

Oh God , I wish You wouldnt  reshape me to be reckoned (for what I

had committed (

 "Yes ..we want this man "said Omer 

At once Omer made his way where the man was , on finding him he
embraced him passionately .

"Does the prophet know of my sin ?" Thalaba said

I dont know ..he just mentioned you yesterday and sent me and
Soleman to bring you .

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Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:38 -

He said " Dont let him see me unless after his prayer "

So they took him to the mosque where they stood in the first array and
when the prophet finished his prayer he said " how is Thalaba ?"

"Here he is , prophet of Allah " Omer said .

The prophet made his way to him and batted  him as he was absorbed
in his sin .

The prophet blamed him saying "what made you stay away and not
attend our prayer !!

With eyes filled with tears and a heart filled with grief he said " It is my
sin , prophet of Allah ."

Here the prophet was moved by the sight of Thalaba and his
deplorable  words . The most merciful human being  said " Can I tell
you of a verse that if you read , god will remit your sins ?"

Here the prophet, whose trust in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah is
infinite says " can I tell you of averse that can remit your sins , it is "Our
Lord! Give unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter
that which is good, and guard us from the doom of Fire." (2:201)

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Thalaba ibn Abdrahman
Thursday, 11 June 2009 12:38 -

Thalab , Whose sin weighed as heavy as the mountains there , said  "
But My sin is so great , prophet of Allah "

"But gods mercy and forgiveness is greater " , the prophet said . The
prophet ordered him to go home .

Eight days passed but Thalaba heavy burden of that sin , his fear and
shyness of God did not fade away and had weakened him so bad and
left him like uprooted trunk of a palm tree .

It is as if he wanted to leave that world where he disobeyed God , He

was lying in his bed when Soleman went to the prophet to say  " Wont
you see the man ..he is surely dying "

The prophet said to the companions " lets go to see him"

When he arrived there , Thalaba was completely weak and giving the
ghost , the prophet sat next to him putting his head on his lap .. Thalaba
felt that and opened his eyes looking at the prophet and then moved his
head letting it on the ground .

"why did you move you head from my lap ?" The prophet said .

It is so filled with sins " Thalaba answered .

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"How do you feel my brother " the prophet asked.

It is like the creeping of ants between my bones and flesh and skin ."
Thalaba answered

"What do you yearn for " the prophet asked

"Gods forgiveness "  he answered

It was then that Gabriel , the revelation angel descended and said "
God greats you , prophet of Allah " and added saying  God says " This
servant of Mine , if he dies with sins as many as what can be counted
on the earth , I will meet him with as much forgiveness as the whole of
the  earth .

On finishing his talk with the angel , the prophet informed him of that .
Thalaba gave out a resounding cry and shout then closed his eyes for
ever.

Was it the cry  of shyness …..?

Was that the cry of ecstasy ….?

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Thalaba ibn Abdrahman
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Or was the a shout of joy that God had remitted his sins ?

Perhaps all of these that precipitated his pure soul to free to hover there
in the world of angels .

The burial of the pure body 

 The prophet asked his companions to prepare for his funeral process .
On his march to his grave ,  the prophet was seen to walk on the toes of
his feet .

On finishing the burial , the prophet was asked " we have seen you
walking on the toes of your feet, why?"

I swear by God, Who sent me with the right as a prophet  I could not put
my feet because of the large number of  the angels who was sent to
escort him to his grave "

There in unknown place , lies the corpse of Thalaba .

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