Ibn Abbas narrated, Once
I was in a state of itikaaf in the Prophet's
Mosque (Medina). A certain person came to me and
sat down. I said to him, 'O so and so, you look
sad'. He said, 'Yes of course, o fraternal
brother of the Prophet. So-and-so has his due on
me, and by the one who lies in eternal peace in
the grave (i.e. Prophet Muhammad), I am not able
to pay the debt' I said, 'Should I not talk to
him about your debt?' He said, 'You can do so if
you like' There upon I put my shoes on and went
out of the mosque. The person asked him, 'Have
you forgotten the state you were in (i.e.
itikaaf)?' I replied, 'Not at all, but I have
heard rom the one who lies in eternal peace in
the grave [saying this his eyes became filled
with tears], said:
"One who moves to fulfill any need of his
brother, and makes effort for it, will find it
better than itikaaf of ten years; and one who
performs itikaaf for one day for the pleasure of
Allah, he will create a distance of three
ditches between him and the hell - and each
ditch has a width which lies between East and
West, or between the heaven and earth."
Source: Al Targhib Vol II p 272.
By the blessings of Allah, we are approaching
another Ramadan. For most of us, we feel a
little taste of hunger during this month only.
But there are billions for whom it is a matter
of daily life. Let us get immense rewards by
helping our needy brothers and sisters around
the world during this month of generosity.
