What happened to the dwellers of jungle?/ Habit of recitation of the Holy Quran

There was a jungle near the ‘Madyan’, a famous city of Arab. It was full of trees and bushes. Those living there were known as ‘اَصْحَابِ اَیْکَہْ’ i.e., ‘the dwellers of jungle’.

Evils of Ashab-e-Aikah

٭ Giving short measure

٭ Cheating people when returning things belonging to the people

٭ Robbing and plundering

٭ Destroying crops etc.^[1]

Invitation to Iman

Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ sent Sayyiduna Shu’ayb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام for their guidance.^[2] As most of them were not Muslims^[3], so he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام invited them to embrace Iman, warned them of the torment of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, assured them that he was a Nabi and while instructing them to obey him (Sayyiduna Shu’ayb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام), he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام advised them not to indulge in the evils mentioned above.^[4]

Refuse to accept

Having listened to the advice of Sayyiduna Shu’ayb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, the dwellers of the jungle said: ‘O Shu’ayb! Someone has cast a spell on you. You are not any angel rather you are [merely] a man like us. The claim you have made of being a Nabi, we consider you to be a liar in that claim. If you are truthful in your claim, make Du’a to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ: He عَزَّوَجَلَّ may cause a piece of sky fall on us in the form of torment.’^[5]

Answer of Sayyiduna Shu’ayb

Having listened to this answer of the dwellers of jungle, Sayyiduna Shu’ayb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام said: ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ also knows your deeds and also the torment you deserve. If He wills, He will cause any piece of sky to fall on you and if He wills, He will cause another torment descend on you.’^[6]

Burned to ashes

By Allah’s will, a door of Hell was opened to the dwellers of jungle, causing scorching heat leading to heatstroke. As a result, the dwellers of jungle began to suffer suffocation. Despite being confined to the houses and sprinkling water, they did not find any relief. Seven days passed in this state. Thereafter Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ sent a cloud which overspread all the dwellers of jungle. Due to this cloud, cold wind started to blow. They all came out of their houses and started to gather below the cloud. The moment all they gathered below the cloud, an earthquake occurred and there was a shower of fire descending from cloud. The dwellers of jungle started to burn writhing in agony like grasshoppers and they all turned into a heap of ashes in no time.^[7]

Madani pearls taken from the parable

Dear Madani children! The Madani pearls derived from the blessed lives of Ambiya عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام contain the correct beliefs along with the Madani pearls of reforming deeds as well.

٭ Considering Ambiya عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام like the general human beings is a way of bad people.

٭ We should give immense respect and reverence to the beloveds of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

٭ One who disrespects the pious people suffers loss in this world and in the Hereafter as well.

Dear son Khurram! It has been several years since you recited the Holy Quran.

Khurram: Mom! I have read it once! That’s enough. Please pack my bag. This time, I will spend my summer vacation in my [maternal] uncle’s village. I will play a lot with Saleem and Junayd there, will also visit different places and have lots of fun.

Two days later, Khurram was in the village. Saleem and Junayd became extremely happy upon seeing him. Next day, after the Fajr Salah and breakfast, three of them went out to have fun and visit places. They came back home at 1:00 pm, had lunch and offered Zuhr Salah in Masjid with Jama’at [congregation].

Saleem: Brother Khurram! Are you now going home or will you read out the Holy Quran to Imam Sahib with us?

Khurram: You both have not yet completed the Holy Quran?

Junayd: We have indeed completed the Holy Quran but read out one quarter Parah (Juz) to Imam Sahib everyday.

Little while later, Imam Sahib arrived. Saleem and Junayd recited the Holy Quran to Imam Sahib turn by turn. Imam Sahib asked Khurram: ‘Son, will you not read out the Holy Quran?’

Khurram: I already completed the Holy Quran four years ago.

Imam Sahib: Tell me if a house is locked up for several years and no one cleans it either, then what will be the state of the house?

Khurram: It will have dust and dirt all around it.

Imam Sahib: Liveliness of a home lies in humans and household provisions, whereas the liveliness of heart lies in the Holy Quran. The one who does not learn by heart (any portion of) the Quran at all, or learns by heart but does not recite it at all, or does not act upon it, then his heart is deserted just like an empty home. The Beloved Nabi صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: ‘One who has no Quran in his heart, is like a deserted home.’ (Sunan-ut-Tirmizi, vol. 4, pp. 419, Hadees 2922)

Khurram: Is it not sufficient to complete the Holy Quran once?

Imam Sahib: Not only once, but we shall recite the Holy Quran again and again.

Khurram: Why again and again?

Imam Sahib: The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: ‘Make the recitation of Quran and Zikr of Allah Almighty compulsory upon you, because this will be Noor for you on the earth and [its reward will be] hoarded for you in the Heavens. (Sahih Ibn Habbaan, vol. 1, pp. 289, Hadees 362) OK, tell me why do you study books in school?

Khurram: So that we can memorise them and attain good marks in the exams and keep on progressing.

Imam Sahib: By memorising the Holy Quran, reciting it again and again and acting upon its commandments, we can succeed in the examination of the Hereafter in a good manner and attain high ranks in the Paradise. Holy Quran is a great book which was revealed upon the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and is guidance for everyone until the world exists. One even gets the reward upon listening to the Quran, looking at it, touching it and reading it. One reaps ten rewards (Ajr) upon reciting one letter of it. The heart attains tranquillity and satisfaction upon reciting it. It reforms our Zaahir [apparent-self] and Baatin [inner-self]. The same Holy Quran makes us remember the Hereafter. That’s why, good parents want their children to learn how to recite the Holy Quran at a young age and then they recite it again and again. Recitation of the Holy Quran is the favourite action of the beloved bondmen of Allah Almighty. The beloved companion, Sayyiduna ‘Usman-e-Ghani رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ was reciting the Holy Quran even at the time of his martyrdom.

Khurram: I find it extremely difficult to recite the Holy Quran.

Imam Sahib: This difficulty will ease off when you recite it again and again. The one who recites the Holy Quran with several pauses and it is difficult for him (i.e. his tongue cannot pronounce the words easily and pronounces with difficulty), there is double the reward for him. (Sahih Muslim, pp. 312, Hadees 1862)

After listening to Imam Sahib, Khurram also started reading out the Holy Quran to him everyday. He initially found it difficult but did not lose the courage and kept reciting it. Eventually, the day of his departure from the village arrived.

Imam Sahib: Khurram son! مَـاشَــآءَ الـلّٰـه, you have completed the Holy Quran in these vacations. Keep reciting the Holy Quran in the same way upon your return as well and never be heedless in this regard.

Khurram: All right Imam Sahib! اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه, I will do so.

After saying this, Khurram departed while obtaining Du’as from the Imam Sahib.

1. “Going out alone”

Dear children! Going out in an open area and enjoying fresh air is very useful for our health but remember this, whenever you want to go out, you should certainly be accompanied by your family members because it is not necessary that all the people you meet out of home are good, some are also bad people who are not kind and caring like your family members rather they are very cruel, they kidnap the children who roam around alone and then demand a ransom for their release from the parents of children and when they do not receive money, they even kill the children. Similarly, when children go out alone in the street or walk along the road, there is a risk of being hit by any car or motor bike which may result in bruises and wounds.

2. “Observing carelessness on roof and stairs”

Dear children! Go up and down the stairs at a normal pace; while going up and down, take the support of handrail or wall. You must not run down and jump down the stairs. A small mistake and little haste may lead to a big loss for you; a stairway fall can seriously hurt you and it may even claim your life. In the same way, roofs without boundaries also pose a threat to child safety as there is a high risk of falling. So, children should not climb up such types of the roofs.

3. “Lifting heavy objects”

Children should not lift heavy objects beyond their capability. They cannot handle everything properly, and if you lift any heavy object, and it falls on you, you may suffer a lot. So, do not lift the heavy objects. Remember! Everything is not meant to play with.

Once a companion رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ was passing by a bush. He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ heard the chirping of the offspring of a sparrow from the bush. He went close to them and having grabbed the offspring of the sparrow, he placed them in his shawl. In the meantime, the mother (sparrow) of the children arrived and began circling the head of the companion. He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ opened the shawl. The sparrow came down and sat with her children. That companion, having folded the shawl over all of them, presented himself in the blessed court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and relayed the entire account. The Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Open it, placing the shawl on the floor.’ He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ opened the shawl but the sparrow did not separate from its offspring. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Are you surprised at the affection and kindness of this sparrow onto its offspring? Indeed, Allah Almighty is even more gracious on His people than this sparrow.’ Then the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Take them back, to the extent that you put them back where you picked them up from.’ Their mother stayed with them and the companion took them back. (Mishkat-ul-Masabih, vol. 1, pp. 443, Hadees 2377)

Dear Madani children! One comes to know from this account that:

٭    A mother loves and protects her children so much. This is why we should also take loads of care of our mother, listen to what she says and do not annoy her.

٭    Allah Almighty is more gracious on His people even than their mother. Therefore, we should also love Allah Almighty and avoid performing those actions that lead us to disobey Him. May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to do so!

اٰمِيۡن   بِجَاهِ   النَّبِيِّ  الۡاَمِيۡن   صَلَّى  اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى  عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم