The Amazing Favor (Ishaan)

During the time of Umar ibn Al-Khattab radiyAllahu anhu, there were two men who brought in a young boy, dragging him into the courthouse. Umar ibn Al-Khattab radiyAllahu anhu asked, "What is this? What is going on? Why are you dragging him into the courthouse?" They replied, "This boy has killed our father." 

Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked the boy, "Did you really kill their father?" The boy said, "Yes, I did kill their father, but it was by accident. My camel used to tread on their property. So one day, their father took a rock and hit the camel in the eye. When I saw the camel suffering, it made me furious and aggravated. So I took a rock and threw it at their father. It hit him in the head, and he died."

Umar ibn Al-Khattab then asked the two brothers, "Will you forgive this young boy for this accident?" They said, "No, we want retribution." So Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked the young boy, "Do you have any last wishes or requests?" The young boy said, "Yes, my father passed away, and I have a younger brother. My father left some wealth behind for my younger brother. I would like three days to go and retrieve this wealth from a hidden place so that I can ensure my brother gets it when I die and pass away."

Umar ibn Al-Khattab thought the boy was making up the story. "Boy, what are you talking about? What wealth? What father? What younger brother?" The young boy insisted, "Trust me." Umar ibn Al-Khattab said, "Okay, I will trust you, but find a guarantor for you, someone who will guarantee that you will come back."

The young boy looked around the packed courthouse, asking, "Will someone not help me today?" As he looked around, people turned their faces away, and no one wanted to help him. Then, from the back of the courthouse, a hand raised up. Whose hand was it? It was Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari radiyAllahu anhu, the noble and illustrious companion who gave dawah to so many tribes. He said, "I will be the guarantor of this boy."

Now, understand what it means to be the guarantor: if the boy did not come back, it would be the head of Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari radiyAllahu anhu that would be chopped off and killed. Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari radiyAllahu anhu said, "I will be the guarantor." So the boy went away.

The first day went by, and the boy was nowhere to be seen.

The second day went by, and the boy was still nowhere to be seen. At Asr time on the third day, the two brothers went to Abu Dharr radiyAllahu anhu and said, "Come with us to the courthouse; it is time." Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari radiyAllahu anhu said, "I will come to the courthouse, but the day does not end until Maghrib."

So Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari walked through Medina with these two brothers, heading to the courthouse, and the people of Medina followed behind them. All were going to the courthouse to see what would happen—it was now the talk of the town. You can imagine the minutes going by, the courthouse filling up, and the anxiety building up. Would Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari have his life sacrificed for the mistake of a boy?

And literally minutes before the Azaan of Salat of Maghrib, the boy rushed in, and people were shouting with happiness, wondering what would happen and if everyone would be forgiven. The boy came in before the Azaan of Maghrib. Umar ibn Al-Khattab radiyAllahu anhu asked the boy, "O boy, why did you come back? I did not send a spy behind you, I did not send anyone to follow you. What made you come back?"

He said, "I did not want anyone to say that a Muslim gave his word and did not fulfill it, so I came back." Umar ibn Al-Khattab turned to Abu Dharr and asked, "O Abu Dharr, what made you want to be the guarantor of this boy?" He said, "I saw a Muslim in need, and I did not want anyone ever to say that a Muslim was in need, and no one was there to help him, so I raised my hand to be his guarantor."

The two brothers said, "When we have people like this, how can a Muslim ask for forgiveness, and no one be there to forgive him?" So they forgave the boy, and the boy was forgiven.

This was the legacy of Islam, this was the code of conduct. This is why, during the caliphate of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, they were able to reach the border of China, all the way to the south of France. Because they had a strong relationship with Allah, they did things with Ishaan (sincerity), and they lived by the code of conduct of Islam. And this is when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will restore the honor of this nation.

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