I SAW SIGNS OF HUNGER ON PROPHET'S FACE
Author: Syeda Muneeba Masood
http://groups.msn.com/islamisuniversal

Assalam o Alaikum,

Dear Sisters & Brothers

Have you ever thought from where you are getting food? Who is this much kind to you and providing you meals regularly, even more than your need that you throw excess food into dustbins sometimes?

Have you ever imagine about those hungry people who do not have a single atom to eat for many days and weeks and many of them die because of hunger?

But still we complain the food giver that He has not given us good food of our choice! How unthankful we are to our Creator - Food Giver - Allah!

A few hours of fasting are a lesson to realize the pain of hunger and to owe the guilty of unthankfulness we show to Allah. We are infact committing 'Kufraan-e-Naimat' i.e. 'Denying the Blessing' of Allah.

He is continuously bestowing His blessings upon us and we are continuously making Him angry!

Prophets and their companions have left examples of patience for us so that we take lesson from the historical events.

• QURAN
  And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.). (Chapter #2, Verse #155)
  
  
• QURAN
  He Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear. (Chapter #106, Verse #4)
  
  
• QURAN
  And Allah puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favors of Allah (with ungratefulness). So Allah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad (SAW) which they (its people) used to do. (Chapter #16, Verse #112)
  

Allah testifies us with hunger. He checks if we remember Him only in good days and forget Him in bad days! And how strong footed we are in our faith. There is never ending reward for those who show patience in tough times and worship their Lord in the same way.


HADITHS

• ROASTED SHEEP
  Narrated Abu Huraira: that he passed by a group of people in front of whom there was a roasted sheep. They invited him but he refused to eat and said, "Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) left this world without satisfying his hunger even with barley bread." (Book #65, Hadith #325)
  
  
• DATES & WATER
  Narrated 'Aisha: Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) died when we had satisfied our hunger with the two black things, i.e. dates and water. (Book #65, Hadith #295)
  

Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) has left examples of patience for us so that we learn how piety is achieved, and how favor of Allah is earned! He was the loveliest Prophet of Allah. If he would want, Allah would have made him the wealthiest person of this world. But he led his whole life in poverty so that Muslim Ummah of the lasting world takes lesson and realize the ending joys of this world are nothing but a deceit!

• I SAW SIGN OF HUNGER ON PROPHETS FACE
  Narrated Abu Mas'ud: An Ansari man, called Abu Shu'aib, came and told his butcher slave, "Prepare meals sufficient for five persons, for I want to invite the Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) along with four other persons as I saw signs of hunger on his face." Abu Shu'aib invited them and another person came along with them. Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) said (to Abu Shu'aib), This man followed us, so if you allow him, he will join us, and if you want him to return, he will go back." Abu Shu'aib said, "No, I have allowed him (i.e. he, too, is welcomed to the meal)." (Book #34, Hadith #295)
  

His family and companions were also amongst the most patient people. We have a lesson in their lives.

• I PRESSED MY BELLY BECAUSE OF HUNGER
  Narrated Abu Huraira: The people used to say, "Abu Huraira narrates too many narrations." In fact I used to keep close to Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) and was satisfied with what filled my stomach. I ate no leavened bread and dressed no decorated striped clothes, and never did a man or a woman serve me, and I often used to press my belly against gravel because of hunger, and I used to ask a man to recite a Quranic Verse to me although I knew it, so that he would take me to his home and feed me. And the most generous of all the people to the poor was Ja'far bin Abi Talib. He used to take us to his home and offer us what was available therein. He would even offer us an empty folded leather container (of butter) which we would split and lick whatever was in it.  (Book #57, Hadith #57)
  
  
• IN THE YEAR WHEN PEOPLE WERE HUNGRY
  Narrated 'Abis: I asked 'Aisha "Did the Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) forbid eating the meat of sacrifices offered on 'Id-ul-Adha for more than three days" She said, "The Prophet did not do this except in the year when the people were hungry, so he wanted the rich to feed the poor. But later we used to store even a trotter of a sheep to eat it fifteen days later." She was asked, "What compelled you to do so?" She smiled and said, "The family of Muhammad did not eat to their satisfaction white bread with meat soup for three successive days till he met Allah."  (Book #65, Hadith #334)
  
  
• FALLING SENSELESS BECAUSE OF HUNGER
  Narrated Muhammad: We were with Abu Huraira while he was wearing two linen garments dyed with red clay. He cleaned his nose with his garment, saying, "Bravo! Bravo! Abu Huraira is cleaning his nose with linen! There came a time when I would fall senseless between the pulpit of Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) and 'Aisha's dwelling whereupon a passerby would come and put his foot on my neck, considering me a mad man, but in fact, I had no madness, I suffered nothing but hunger."  (Book #92, Hadith #425)
  

This was the example of weakness of the companion of Prophet who fell senseless because of hunger.

• EVENT OF UMAR BIN AL-KHATTAB
  Narrated Aslam: Once I went with 'Umar bin Al-Khattab to the market. A young woman followed 'Umar and said, "O chief of the believers! My husband has died, leaving little children. By Allah, they have not even a sheep's trotter to cook; they have no farms or animals. I am afraid that they may die because of hunger, and I am the daughter of Khufaf bin Ima Al-Ghafari, and my father witnessed the Pledge of allegiance) of Al-Hudaibiya with the Prophet' Umar stopped and did not proceed, and said, "I welcome my near relative." Then he went towards a strong camel which was tied in the house, and carried on to it, two sacks he had loaded with food grains and put between them money and clothes and gave her its rope to hold and said, "Lead it, and this provision will not finish till Allah gives you a good supply." A man said, "O chief of the believers! You have given her too much." "Umar said disapprovingly. "May your mother be bereaved of you! By Allah, I have seen her father and brother besieging a fort for a long time and conquering it, and then we were discussing what their shares they would have from that war booty."  (Book #59, Hadith #479)
  
  
• A HYPOCRITE EATS IN SEVEN INTESTINES
  Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) said, "A believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), and a kafir (unbeliever) or a hypocrite eats in seven intestines (eats too much)."  (Book #65, Hadith #306)
  
  
• FEED HUNGRY AND POOR
  Narrated Abu Musa: Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) said, "Free the captives, feed the hungry and pay a visit to the sick."  (Book #52, Hadith #282)
  

Allah commands us to feed the poor and to look after them is equivalent to Jihad. Food is not reduced by inviting others; rather it is increased by the blessings of Allah. If you have nothing with you, you can simply grant a toffee to a poor child to make him happy. A soily date given by our own hands is worth rewarding than a fresh date given by others behalf of us after our death.

• IMPRISONED THE CAT TILL IT DIED OF HUNGER
  Narrated Asma' bint Abi Bakr: Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) prayed the eclipse prayer, and then said, "Hell was displayed so close that I said, 'O my Lord! Am I going to be one of its inhabitants?"' Suddenly he saw a woman. I think he said, who was being scratched by a cat. He said, "What is wrong with her?" He was told, "She had imprisoned it (i.e. the cat) till it died of hunger."  (Book #40, Hadith #552)
  

Islam orders us to be kind to all living beings. Prophet Muhammad (SalAllaho Alaihi Wasallam) has several times warned us to kind towards animals because they are innocent, cannot express their feelings. There is severe punishment of hurting the animals and keeping them hungry.

Go ahead! Compete in earning rewards!

Allah Hafiz
Muneeba


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