HADHRAT SUFYAAN THAURI (rahmatullah alayh)
1. One day when Hadhrat Sufyaan Thauri (rahmatullah alayh) entered the Musjid with his left foot, he heard a Voice rebuking him: "O Thaur! This disrespect for the Musjid is reprehensible." (Thaur means buffalo.) Henceforth he was called Sufyaan Thauri. The fear which the Voice instilled into him made him unconscious. When he regained his senses, he severely slapped himself many times, saying: "My name has been effaced from the role of human beings." This incident led to his reformation and entry into the spiritual path.
2. Once in the Musjid, Sufyaan Thauri saw the Khalifah of the time fiddling with his beard during Salaat. Sufyaan Thauri said: "This is not Salaat. On the Day of Qiyaamah this Salaat will be struck into your face." In annoyance and anger the Khalifah exclaimed: "Shut up!" Sufyaan Thauri said: "Why should I not proclaim the truth?" In a fit of rage, the king ordered Sufyaan Thauri to be executed by hanging. When the time for his execution neared, Sufyaan Thauri was sitting in the company of Hadhrat Sufyaan Bin Uyainah and another buzrug. At this time the king and his ministers were in discussion in the palace. Sufyaan Thauri said: "I am not concerned about being hung. I cannot conceal the truth." Then he supplicated: "O Allah! I am innocent. Punish the king." As he was making dua, a severe earth tremor struck. The king and his ministers were all swallowed by the earth. Sufyaan Bin Uyainah commented:
"We never saw anyone's dua so effective, swift and powerful."
3. The successor of the king mentioned above had great faith in Sufyaan Thauri. He was a devoted follower. Once when Sufyaan Thauri became severely ill, the king sent an experienced physician who was a fire-worshipper. After examining Sufyaan Thauri the physician said: "His liver has split into bits out of fear for Allah. A Deen which produces such an effect, must indeed be the true Deen." He then embraced Islam. When the king heard of this development, he commented: "I thought that I had sent a physician to a patient, but in fact I had sent a patient to the physician."
4. While still young, Sufyaan Thauri had developed a hunched back. When he was asked about his bent back at such a young age, he said:
"Three of my Ustaadhs were great Aabids and Zaahids. But while dying, they lost their Imaan. One became a Yahood; the second a Nasaara and the third a fire-worshipper. Fear of Allah has bent my back. I always ask Allah for a death with Imaan."
5. A man sent two packets of Ashrafis (gold coins) as a gift to Sufyaan Thauri with the message:
"My father was your close friend. He has now died. I am sending this gift from his lawful earnings. Do accept it." Sufyaan Thauri returned the money with the message: "My friendship with your father was on account of the Deen, not for any worldly motive."
6. Once a young man who missed his Hajj, let out a sigh of grief. Sufyaan Thauri said to him:
"I have performed four Hajj. Exchange the thawaab of your sigh for the thawaab of my four Hajj."
The youth happily agreed. At night, Sufyaan Thauri dreamt a Voice saying:
"You have indeed struck a wonderful bargain cheaply. If the reward of that sigh has to be distributed to all the participants of Arafaat, everyone would become wealthy."
7. Once when he went to the public bath, Sufyaan Thauri saw a young lad. Ordering the people to expel the boy from the bath, he said:
"With every woman there is one shaitaan. But accompanying a young boy are 18 shayaateen whose mission is to ensnare people."
8. Sufyaan Thauri said:
"When good deeds are practiced, the Angel records these in the Record of Goodness. When people speak about their good deeds, the Angel records the deeds in the Record of Riyaa (show and ostentation)."
"An Aabid (worshipper) who associates with a ruler is a man of riyaa."
"There are ten kinds of weeping. Of these, nine are the result of riyaa and one, the product of fear for Allah. If in an entire year one tear-drop is shed because of Allah's fear, it is better than a lifetime of weeping for other reasons."
"A man who adopts solitude in this world, attains salvation in the Hereafter."
"It is best to remain hidden from the gaze of people."
"The sleep of worldly people is better than their remaining awake. While sleeping, they are aloof from the world."
"Noble is the king who adopts the company of the zaahid, and evil is the zaahid who adopts the company of the king."
"The first ibaadat is seclusion then the quest of knowledge, then giving practical expression to knowledge, then dissemination of knowledge."
"Acquire the world according to the needs of the body and acquire the Aakhirah according to the needs of the soul."
"If sin has a physical stench, no one would have been able to come near to another person."
"Giving charity from haraam wealth is like washing garments with urine."
"A good act extinguishes the Wrath of Allah."
"Yaqeen is a propensity of the heart. When Yaqeen becomes perfect, a man acquires Ma'rifat. The belief that all calamities are from Allah Ta'ala, is Yaqeen."
9. It was said to Sufyaan Thauri: "Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) said that Allah Ta'ala regards as enemies those who consume meat in abundance. What is the wisdom underlying this?"
Sufyaan said: "Meat in this context refers to gheebat. Gheebat of a Muslim is like devouring dead meat. A person who indulges in gheebat is abhorred by Allah Ta'ala."
10. Sufyaan Thauri said to Hadhrat Haatim (rahmatullah alayh):
"I shall tell you four things which people generally are guilty of:
a) Criticizing and accusing people. This brings about negligence in the execution of Allah's laws.
b) Jealousy for the progress of a Muslim. This leads to ingratitude.
c) Accumulation of haraam assets. This causes forgetfulness of the Aakhirah.
d) To become careless regarding the warnings of Allah Ta'ala and to lose hope in His promises. This lead to kufr."
11. Sufyaan Thauri had great affection and mercy for creation. Once when he saw a bird suffering in a cage, he set it free. The bird frequently visited him and watched him in ibaadat. After his death, the bird flew along with the Janaazah. It would sometimes settle with grief on the Janaazah. After burial, the bird sat on the grave grief-stricken. A Voice spoke from the grave: "Allah has forgiven Sufyaan on account of his affection for creation."
2. Once in the Musjid, Sufyaan Thauri saw the Khalifah of the time fiddling with his beard during Salaat. Sufyaan Thauri said: "This is not Salaat. On the Day of Qiyaamah this Salaat will be struck into your face." In annoyance and anger the Khalifah exclaimed: "Shut up!" Sufyaan Thauri said: "Why should I not proclaim the truth?" In a fit of rage, the king ordered Sufyaan Thauri to be executed by hanging. When the time for his execution neared, Sufyaan Thauri was sitting in the company of Hadhrat Sufyaan Bin Uyainah and another buzrug. At this time the king and his ministers were in discussion in the palace. Sufyaan Thauri said: "I am not concerned about being hung. I cannot conceal the truth." Then he supplicated: "O Allah! I am innocent. Punish the king." As he was making dua, a severe earth tremor struck. The king and his ministers were all swallowed by the earth. Sufyaan Bin Uyainah commented:
"We never saw anyone's dua so effective, swift and powerful."
3. The successor of the king mentioned above had great faith in Sufyaan Thauri. He was a devoted follower. Once when Sufyaan Thauri became severely ill, the king sent an experienced physician who was a fire-worshipper. After examining Sufyaan Thauri the physician said: "His liver has split into bits out of fear for Allah. A Deen which produces such an effect, must indeed be the true Deen." He then embraced Islam. When the king heard of this development, he commented: "I thought that I had sent a physician to a patient, but in fact I had sent a patient to the physician."
4. While still young, Sufyaan Thauri had developed a hunched back. When he was asked about his bent back at such a young age, he said:
"Three of my Ustaadhs were great Aabids and Zaahids. But while dying, they lost their Imaan. One became a Yahood; the second a Nasaara and the third a fire-worshipper. Fear of Allah has bent my back. I always ask Allah for a death with Imaan."
5. A man sent two packets of Ashrafis (gold coins) as a gift to Sufyaan Thauri with the message:
"My father was your close friend. He has now died. I am sending this gift from his lawful earnings. Do accept it." Sufyaan Thauri returned the money with the message: "My friendship with your father was on account of the Deen, not for any worldly motive."
6. Once a young man who missed his Hajj, let out a sigh of grief. Sufyaan Thauri said to him:
"I have performed four Hajj. Exchange the thawaab of your sigh for the thawaab of my four Hajj."
The youth happily agreed. At night, Sufyaan Thauri dreamt a Voice saying:
"You have indeed struck a wonderful bargain cheaply. If the reward of that sigh has to be distributed to all the participants of Arafaat, everyone would become wealthy."
7. Once when he went to the public bath, Sufyaan Thauri saw a young lad. Ordering the people to expel the boy from the bath, he said:
"With every woman there is one shaitaan. But accompanying a young boy are 18 shayaateen whose mission is to ensnare people."
8. Sufyaan Thauri said:
"When good deeds are practiced, the Angel records these in the Record of Goodness. When people speak about their good deeds, the Angel records the deeds in the Record of Riyaa (show and ostentation)."
"An Aabid (worshipper) who associates with a ruler is a man of riyaa."
"There are ten kinds of weeping. Of these, nine are the result of riyaa and one, the product of fear for Allah. If in an entire year one tear-drop is shed because of Allah's fear, it is better than a lifetime of weeping for other reasons."
"A man who adopts solitude in this world, attains salvation in the Hereafter."
"It is best to remain hidden from the gaze of people."
"The sleep of worldly people is better than their remaining awake. While sleeping, they are aloof from the world."
"Noble is the king who adopts the company of the zaahid, and evil is the zaahid who adopts the company of the king."
"The first ibaadat is seclusion then the quest of knowledge, then giving practical expression to knowledge, then dissemination of knowledge."
"Acquire the world according to the needs of the body and acquire the Aakhirah according to the needs of the soul."
"If sin has a physical stench, no one would have been able to come near to another person."
"Giving charity from haraam wealth is like washing garments with urine."
"A good act extinguishes the Wrath of Allah."
"Yaqeen is a propensity of the heart. When Yaqeen becomes perfect, a man acquires Ma'rifat. The belief that all calamities are from Allah Ta'ala, is Yaqeen."
9. It was said to Sufyaan Thauri: "Rasulullah ( صلى الله عايه وسالم) said that Allah Ta'ala regards as enemies those who consume meat in abundance. What is the wisdom underlying this?"
Sufyaan said: "Meat in this context refers to gheebat. Gheebat of a Muslim is like devouring dead meat. A person who indulges in gheebat is abhorred by Allah Ta'ala."
10. Sufyaan Thauri said to Hadhrat Haatim (rahmatullah alayh):
"I shall tell you four things which people generally are guilty of:
a) Criticizing and accusing people. This brings about negligence in the execution of Allah's laws.
b) Jealousy for the progress of a Muslim. This leads to ingratitude.
c) Accumulation of haraam assets. This causes forgetfulness of the Aakhirah.
d) To become careless regarding the warnings of Allah Ta'ala and to lose hope in His promises. This lead to kufr."
11. Sufyaan Thauri had great affection and mercy for creation. Once when he saw a bird suffering in a cage, he set it free. The bird frequently visited him and watched him in ibaadat. After his death, the bird flew along with the Janaazah. It would sometimes settle with grief on the Janaazah. After burial, the bird sat on the grave grief-stricken. A Voice spoke from the grave: "Allah has forgiven Sufyaan on account of his affection for creation."
