The Three That Went To The Cave
By Navaid Aziz | 2026-01-16T18:11:15.633939+00:00 | Topic: Iman
The Three That Went To The Cave
Speaker: Navaid Aziz
Opening
(بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ - bismillahir-rahmanir-rahim)In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, we send peace and greetings to His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wasallam, to his family, and his companions.
(السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ - Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh)
My dear respected brothers and sisters, (Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh).
Introduction
First and foremost, I want to thank Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for bringing us together this evening for a worthy cause on this blessed evening of Jumu'ah.
On my way here, I was contemplating over today's lecture. And I remember the first day I started studying hadith. And we were in a classroom environment, and we were studying Sahih Al-Bukhari.
And our teacher in the Islamic University of Medina mentioned a very interesting story. And it was a story that has affected me throughout the years. With it, I renew my intention every time I seek knowledge. With it, I become more enthusiastic in sharing that knowledge. And with it, I have more patience over the trials and adversities that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tries and tests me with.
The Story of Jabir ibn Abdullah
And this is the story of a famous companion by the name of Jabir ibn Abdullah radiallahu anhu. For those of you who have heard his name, he is one of the companions who narrated the most hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. If you look at the top ten narrators from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, you will see his name amongst them.
So this noble and illustrious companion, after the death of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, he remembered a hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, yet he was unsure as to its exact wording. And he recollected that that very day when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam narrated this hadith to him, there was another man, that other companion by the name of Abdullah ibn Munais.
Jabir's Journey for One Hadith
So Jabir radiallahu anhu, being a companion from Medina, he took it upon himself to gather all of his belongings. Obviously the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, not all of them were granted with wealth. So he had to sell some of his belongings. And with that selling of his property, he rented or he bought something to ride upon, whether it be a camel or a horse. And he went this long distance, this journey of a month, to go to see Abdullah ibn Munais.
So once he gets to Abdullah ibn Munais' house, he knocks on the door. And he sees a servant of Abdullah come out. And he says, "Who are you?" And Jabir radiallahu anhu says, "Is this the house of Abdullah?" And the servant replies, "Yes." And he says, "Who are you?" And he says, "I am Jabir." And he says, "Jabir who?" He says, "Jabir, the companion of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam."
So the servant, he gets astonished. Another companion of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, coming to see us. So he hurries inside, and he tells Abdullah that there is a man here claiming to be the companion of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. So he comes out to Jabir radiallahu anhu, and he is astonished.
He is like, "I left you behind in Medina. What is it that has brought you here? This journey of 30 days of trials and hardships, with lack of food, with lack of water, in the desert heat. What is it that has brought you here? It must be a very important matter."
To which Jabir radiallahu anhu said, "Do you remember that day when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam narrated this hadith to us?" And then he started to mention the hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said that on Yawm Al-Qiyamah, the people will be gathered in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for judgment. That they will be gathered in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala there without anything on their feet, and those who are far from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will hear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala just like those who are close.
Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Judgments
So Jabir mentions this to Abdullah ibn Munais and he's like, "Is this how you heard it from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam?" And Abdullah replies, "Yes, this is how I heard it." To which Jabir radiallahu ta'ala anhu, he gave his salams and he went on his way.
And Abdullah is even more astonished now. He's like, "You came to ask me for this one hadith and one hadith alone?" To which Jabir radiallahu ta'ala anhu said, "I was hesitant that I should narrate something from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam inaccurately." And then he made his way back to Medina.
Reflection on the Companions' Dedication
So you see, this was the enthusiasm, this was the love, this was the desire of the companions radiallahu ta'ala anhum to study the hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. They would travel the journeys of months and days in the desert heat, without food, without water, going through every adversity just to attain that hadith.
Now look at the blessing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has placed us in today. We travel in air-conditioned cars, we travel in planes that can get us from point A to point B, no matter how long the distance, within 24 hours.
This is the blessing of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And this is a short story I want to begin with today as our discussion is based upon a noble hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam. And this hadith is known as the three that went into the cave.
The Hadith of the Three in the Cave
So starting off with that, Imam Al-Bukhari rahimahullah mentions in his book:
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
So, Imam Al-Bukhari, he starts off by saying that Abu Yaman narrated to us that Shu'ayb informed him from Az-Zuhri, the great Imam, that he heard Salim, the slave of Abdullah ibn Umar radiallahu anhu, who said that he heard Abdullah ibn Umar say that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:
"There were three people from the people before you who went out, and they were forced to go into a cave."
The Miracle of Preservation
Now, this was the methodology of the scholars of the past, that when they would narrate a hadith, they would always start off with the chains of narration. It is with great sadness today that when we study hadith, we generally just focus on the actual text of the hadith and not the chain of narrators.
You see, it is from the blessings of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala upon this Ummah that we were granted this chain of narration. Because it is through this chain of narration that our deen is protected. And what a great blessing it is.
Two Important Points Before the Hadith
Now, before actually getting into this hadith, I actually want to mention two things:
First Point: A miracle that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was granted. Often when we think of the miracles that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was granted, we either think of the Qur'an, or we think of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam splitting the moon, or we think of the ability of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam to feed a large amount of people with a little amount of food.
But how do these miracles directly affect us? Very few of these miracles directly affect us in our times. But one of the few miracles that actually affects us in our times directly is a miracle of preservation.
Now, if you look at all the noble and illustrious personalities that have existed from the time of Adam alayhi salam to our time today, you can probably count hundreds and thousands if not millions of great personalities, whether they be generals or explorers or any sort of leaders. But how many of their sayings, how many of their actions, how many of their stories were actually preserved? You will see that it is none of them.
None of them have a complete recollection of how their lives were lived. No one's life was preserved like the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam.
The companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam were so specific in narrating about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that they got to the most meticulous details, as to how many white hairs the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had in his beard. As Anas radiallahu anhu mentions in Shama'il At-Tirmidhi, that he had fourteen white hairs in his beard.
Now, obviously, this would vary from time to time. If it was a companion that saw him later, he would obviously have more white hair. But the companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam were so meticulous, that they preserved and recorded the smallest of details.
So again, this was a blessing that affects us as Muslims directly, that those people who met the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and were blessed with his companionship, they fulfilled their duty and obligation of learning, and memorizing, and preserving everything they possibly could, so that fourteen hundred and twenty-eight years later, we would have it just as they had it.
This is a miracle that affects us directly.
The Hadith: Three Men Trapped in a Cave
Now the hadith mentions that there were three people from the people before them, that as they were going, they were forced to go into a cave. Now, the hadith specifically does not mention what caused them to go into the cave, but Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar rahimahullah mentions in Fath Al-Bari that the obvious reason being that there was some sort of storm outside or it was getting night, but something caused them to go into this cave.
So when they went inside this cave, they noticed that as soon as they went in, they were locked in. A large boulder came and blocked off the entrance to this cave. Now they're stuck inside, and obviously when someone gets stuck inside of a cave with no light, and if you're inside a cave that's blocked off, you'll notice that the oxygen starts running out, and you naturally start to panic.
So, these three people being upon their fiqh, one of the people mentioned that you will not be relieved of this adversity, you will not be relieved of this trial until you turn back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and supplicate to Him with your righteous deeds.
(فَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ إِلَّا أَنْ تَدْعُوا اللَّهَ بِصَالِحٍ أَعْمَالِكُمْ - Faqaaloo innahu laa yunjikum min haathihis-sakhrati illaa an tad'oollaaha bi saalih a'maalikum)
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The First Man: Righteousness Towards Parents
So then they started with this. One by one, they started mentioning the righteous deeds that they did for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And the first man, he mentions that I had two parents who were old in age.
(اللَّهُمَّ كَانَ لِي أَبَوَانِ شَيْخَانِ كَبِيرَانِ - Allaahumma kaana lee abawaani shaikhaani kabeeraani)
That they were really old in age. And one day, the hadith mentions that he was a shepherd. That he went out far away. And as he was coming back, he got the food for his parents. The food for his parents and for his family as a whole was milk.
So he milked his animals, and he was on his way back home. So on his way back home, when he returned, he noticed that his parents were already asleep. So he waited and waited, refusing to feed his family or his wealth. Now, "mal" generally we understand from it, his wealth. But why would he feed his wealth? The obvious reason being that in the language of the Arabs, mal is anything which is of intrinsic value, anything that possesses value, whether it be a pen, a microphone, or whether it even be an animal that you can trade and sell.
So, he waited. He refused to feed his wife and children, and his animals that needed food, until he fed his parents first.
(فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُوقِظَهُمَا وَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُغْبِقَ أَهْلِي وَمَا لِي قَبْلَهُمَا فَلَبِثْتُ وَالْقَدَحُ عَلَى يَدِي أَنْتَظِرُ اسْتِيقَاظَهُمَا حَتَّى بَرَقَ الْفَجْرُ - Fakarihtu an uqizuhumaa wa karihtu an ughbiqa ahli wa maa lee qablahumaa falabithtu wal qadahu 'ala yadee antazir istiqazuhumaa hatta baraqal fajr)
Now look at the ihsan, and look at the righteousness that this man has towards his parents. You have your children crying at your feet. You have your wife showing the sad face. And then you have your animals who are starving for food. Yet, you refuse to feed them for the sake of showing righteousness to your parents.
So he says:
(اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ - Allaahumma in kuntu fa'altu dzaalikaa ibtighaa'a wajhika fa'furj 'annaa maa nahnu feehi min haathihis-sakhrati)
"O Allah, if I waited for my parents to get up, only for Your sake and Your sake alone, then alleviate this trial from us that we are in."
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The Importance of Righteousness Towards Parents
Now, before getting on to the second and third individual, let us take a moment and reflect upon what this man did. The righteousness towards parents is a very important topic and subject. Books can be written on it, and individual lectures on it are given often.
From the Qur'an and the Sunnah, how do we actually see the importance of righteousness towards one's parents? From what we know from the essence of Islam, it is Tawhid. That Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala placed us on this earth to worship Him and Him alone.
And thus you see that the very first commandment that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives in the Qur'an, in Surah Al-Baqarah, He mentions:
"O mankind, worship your Lord."
So thus we see that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala frequents those things which are important. And now that we have agreed upon that Tawhid is the most important thing, likewise Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala would place other important things with it.
So if you look at the Qur'an, how many ayat does Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala mention that worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alone:
"And show righteousness towards your parents."
This is one way that we see the importance of righteousness towards our parents.
Hadith on Righteousness to Parents
Another way we see righteousness towards our parents is from the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), where a man wanted to go out on one of the expeditions. And he came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and he said, "Ya Rasulallah, I want to go out with you on this expedition."
To which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) asked him, "Are your parents alive?" And this man, he said yes. So he said:
(Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
"If they're alive, then struggle in their way. Struggle in pleasing them. Struggle in showing righteousness towards them."
Then we have another example, as Imam Bukhari rahimahullah mentions in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, a fatwa of Ibn Abbas radiallahu anhuma, that a man came to him and he said, "Ya Ibn Abbas, I've committed this large list of sins." He mentions theft, he mentions zina, he mentioned all these sins that he committed.
He said, "What can I do to make tawbah to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, so that He may forgive me for my sins?" So Ibn Abbas, before even saying anything, he asked him, "Is your mother alive?" To which the man, he said no. So then he said, "Seek forgiveness from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and inshallah Allah will forgive you."
So one of the students of Ibn Abbas radiallahu anhuma, he asked him, "Why is it that you asked this man if his mother was alive?" To which Ibn Abbas radiallahu anhuma mentioned: "I know of no deed better in sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala than righteousness towards one's mother."
Personal Reflection
So we see that ihsan towards our parents is something very important. Now on a more individual level, all of us have been blessed with parents. For had we not had parents, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wouldn't have allowed us to be in this dunya today. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala blessed us with lives through our parents.
And we have a great obligation towards them for various reasons. There are aspects that Allah makes sunan in life, that He makes it a repeating cycle. And that repeating cycle is the way you treat yourself, and the way you treat your parents, is the way that you will one day be treated by your children.
When we were in the Arabic Institute at the Islamic University of Medina, one of our teachers mentioned a story to us in Medina, that there was a man walking with his son in the market. And as they're walking through the market, the father tells his son, "Go and get me such and such item from that store." The son already having items in his hand, he puts them down, and he gets very angry.
He says, "I carry all these items for you. I'm patient with all your commandments. Now if you want anything, go and do it yourself."
So the father, a bit disturbed, doesn't do anything. They're walking a bit more, and the father remembers, "Oh, I need such and such item from that store." So again he tells his son, "Go and get me such and such item from that store."
To which the son now is infuriated. He is raging with anger. He's like, "Do you treat me like a slave? Do you think you own me and you pay me that I do all this work for you for free? If you want it, go get it yourself."
So again, the father, bearing the disgrace, he keeps on going. Now a time eventually comes where they're leaving the souk, and they're at the very end of the souk. And he says, "Oh my son, I forgot such and such item. Can you please go and get it for me?"
So now at this point, the son puts down all the things he's holding, and starts beating up the father, pounding him and pounding him and pounding him, till he's bleeding. And the people are gathering around him, and they're saying, "Have you gone crazy? You're beating your own father?"
And now this old man, he's like, "Leave him, let him be. For it was in this very spot that I beat up my own father."
And I remember when I heard this story, so many memories went through my mind, of times where I may have spoken to my mother rudely, or a time where my father said, "Go and do this," yet I said "I'll do it later," but I never ended up doing it.
And I just thought to myself, subhanAllah, this is indeed the Sunnah of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that the way we treat our parents is the way our children will treat us.
Rewards for Righteousness to Parents
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
(Musnad Ahmad)
"Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers."
Abu Dawood radiallahu ta'ala anhu narrated from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that the middle door of Jannah, we know that Jannah has eight doors, and he said that the middle door of Jannah is called Al-Walid, meaning the father/parent. And the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), once he said this, he said:
"So preserve it. Meaning show righteousness towards your parents, and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will grant you this middle door of Jannah."
And another hadith, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was asked about the worst of deeds. So after mentioning shirk with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, which we mentioned is something great, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then mentioned:
"The killing of a soul."
And the third thing he mentioned is disobedience to our parents.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
So now, look at these things. The first thing that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mentioned was shirk. So now, if a person is Muslim, and he apostates, and he doesn't make tawbah, the punishment is that he is to be killed. This is under Islamic rule and legislation of Shari'ah when you have an Islamic state.
Now, the second thing is if you kill another person. Likewise, under Islamic state, if you kill another person intentionally, then the punishment is that you are to be killed as well. So now, these are punishments that are very severe and great in Islam.
Now, not mentioning zina, not mentioning theft, not mentioning backbiting, all these great sins that people commit, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) thereafter mentioned disobedience towards our parents. So now, it shows you how great the sin is in the sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
A further reflection is upon the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when he was asked about paying our parents back, to which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) ended up saying that if you were to carry your mother on your shoulders for Hajj, you wouldn't have repaid her the debt of one of the pains of pregnancy that she felt.
So one of those pains or cramps, one of those pains that she felt while she was pregnant, you wouldn't have repaid that debt upon her, even if you carried your mother on your shoulders for Hajj. So this is the responsibility that we have towards our parents.
So it will not harm us if we speak to them with a smiling face, or if we lower our voices towards them, or if we take time out of our day just to go see how they are doing and how they are feeling, and if we can make their lives more comfortable.
For brothers and sisters, I assure you, that any goodness that you do towards your parents now, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will compensate it with something equal or better when you have your own children.
Continuation of the Hadith
Now moving on to the hadith again. He said:
"O Allah, if I did this action of not feeding my family until I fed my parents, then please alleviate this hardship that we're in."
So this man made the du'a, and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala moved that boulder that was closing or blocking the cave. Yet it was not enough for them to escape.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
The Second Man: Abstaining from Zina
So then, the second man, he comes and he says: "There was a cousin that I had, and look at the wording that he uses. She was the most beloved of mankind to me."
Meaning that he had this severe love and passion and desire for her. And he always wanted her. And obviously this is in an unlawful context or in a haram context, meaning that he sexually desired her without the performing of marriage.
So one day out of the years, she came to me and she was in severe need of money. So I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars, and to which I made her agree that if I give her this money, then she will be alone with me, meaning that they can perform illegal intercourse or illicit intercourse.
So when I came close to her, she said, "Do not pierce the seal except with its due right." Meaning that if you want to be with me, then do it properly. Get married to me. And in one of the other narrations of this hadith, she said, "Fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and don't pierce the seal except with its right."
So the man, he became ashamed, and then he left and he left the money behind for his cousin. So he says over here:
"Oh Allah, if I did this for Your sake and Your sake alone, then get us out of this adversity that we're in right now."
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allowed the rock to move a little bit, yet they were still unable to get out of the cave.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Lessons on Controlling Desires
So now this man, what did he do? This man, being a youth like all of us here are, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grants us natural desires. He grants us natural lusts. So he desired one of his cousins.
And just look at the phrase that he used, that she was the most beloved of mankind to me. A lot of us, when we're growing up, you're in high school, you have a crush on a girl, you might like her, something small. But he said, she was the most beloved of mankind to me, meaning that he desired her heavily. It wasn't just a small crush that he had.
So now, when this cousin comes to him, and she's in the utmost of need, he's like, yes, now is my time to get what I want. So he gives her the money and makes an agreement with her. Now, just as he's on top of her, just as he's about to do something haram, he fears Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and leaves this sin for His sake. And then, to show his sincerity, he leaves the money behind with her as well.
So we learn from this hadith, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did not create us without lusts and desires. We aren't expected to totally control our lusts and desires. But what is expected from us is to release those lusts and desires in a halal manner. And that no matter what situation you may be in, if you are forced to do something haram, you should turn away from it out of the fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will replace it with something better.
The Problem in Muslim Communities
Just a couple of reflections on this. What was going to happen in this situation is that he was going to perform an act of intercourse which was not permissible for him to perform. And we know from the sad realities of our times, is that people are performing this left, right and center. This is due to many reasons, whether it be it's hard to get married, or whether it be it's just the culture that we live in that facilitates it.
One of the things that we need to reflect upon is why does it happen in the Muslim community specifically. If you look at the Muslim community specifically, you will see that a lot of the youth, they want to get married, but they are unable to do so. A lot of the times, it's due to the ethnic background of the fiancé or the spouse being different. Or it might be that the man in this relationship is not a doctor or not an engineer. Or it might be that instead of him being 6 feet tall, he is only 5 foot 5.
Due to such petty reasons, people in the community prevent their children from getting married. So thus, they go about doing these types of things, things that not only bring about the displeasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in the Akhirah, but can contribute to societal problems as well.
Story of a Convert Sister
Now, I remember some time back, maybe about two and a half years ago, there was a sister. She had just recently accepted Islam. She was about 17 years old, and she was pregnant. She accepted Islam, and she had a boyfriend, and the boyfriend impregnated her, and she accepted Islam.
Now, her parents had kicked her out of the house once she got impregnated. And she had nowhere to go. So, she was looking for a place to stay. Where she came upon a halaqah of sisters who were there in the park. And she's like, "I have no place to stay, and I have no food, can you please help me out?"
So this group of sisters, they helped her out, and she eventually ended up becoming Muslim. And now, when the sister tried to get married, she accepted Islam, she tried to get married, she had this child with her. No matter where she went, the brother's parents, they refused to get her married. They refused to marry their children or their sons to her, just because she's a convert, she had a child.
And time went on, a year, a year and a half, two years, and she's still unable to get married. Until a point came, she was like, "I was better off having a boyfriend who impregnated me. At least he showed some sort of care, now I'm just left without anyone." And she eventually ended up leaving Islam.
Responsibility of Parents
The point I'm trying to derive from this story is that we need to facilitate marriage for our children and for our youth. As parents, we have a responsibility on our shoulders, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala blessed us with children, and we need to take care of them. And just because a person's ethnicity may be different, or just because they don't make enough money as you'd like, as long as they can fulfill the necessities of your child, you should let them get married. And when someone puts their trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will bless that marriage.
So this is just a small thought I had, that one of the reasons that this problem of zina takes place in our communities is because our parents make it difficult. So one day when we grow older, and when we are parents, we need to keep this in mind as well. Just as we have a difficult time getting married due to pressure, or due to the opinions of our parents, we should realize that we should not make the same mistake that our parents did.
Lowering the Gaze
One of the most simple things is that this lust and desire that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gave us, we look at the opposite gender. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told us that the first look is allowed for you, but the second look is from Shaytan.
Meaning that when you see someone from the opposite gender, if you want to protect yourself from falling into zina, then prevent it from the very first route. If you want to stop the evil, prevent it from the root. And this is one of the benefits which we actually learn from the ayah where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:
"And do not come close to zina."
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala did not say that zina is haram, but rather He said do not come close to zina. Meaning that cut off all those things that will lead to zina, whether it be by looking, whether it be by talking, whether it be by listening, whether it even be by taking a step towards it. If you cut it off at its root, then you will prevent yourself from performing the actual act.
The Third Man: Honesty in Trust
Now, moving on to the third part of the hadith. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says: "And the third man said":
(Source Name)
"I hired a group of workers one day, and I paid all of them except for this one man who left without taking his dues. So I invested his dues and his money grew and grew and grew. And then one day this man finally returned after a really long time. And he says, 'O slave of Allah, give me my due right. Meaning, give me that compensation that you owe me. Give me my pay and give me my wages.'
So now this man says, "Everything you see in front of you, from the camels, and the sheep, and the cows, and even the heaps of wheat, it is all yours." So now this worker, he is upset. And he says, "O slave of Allah, do not mock me, do not make fun of me. Just because I'm poor doesn't mean you have this right."
So then he says, "I'm not mocking you nor am I jesting with you. But rather everything that you see in front of you is yours."
(Source Name)
So this man or this worker, he took every single thing and did not leave a single thing behind. So then he says, and now we're coming back to his situation in the cave:
(Source Name)
"Oh Allah, if I did this for Your sake and Your sake alone, then alleviate from us this trial that we are in."
(Source Name)
And thus Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allowed the boulder to move and they left the cave walking.
Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari
The Virtue of Honesty
Now this last man, what was the noble deed that he did? The noble deed that he did was honesty. Honesty in a time where he wasn't forced or compelled to be honest, but rather it was out of his own free will. And it was honesty at a time where dishonesty or lack of honesty might have been more in accordance to his desire.
Now this man, he left behind his wages and he invested the money. So now when this worker came back, he didn't have to give him everything that he invested. He could have just given him his due wages and he would have fulfilled his right. But rather due to the honesty and goodness that this man had, he said that everything you see in front of you is yours. That I invested your money, I took care of it and this is the result of it. So everything that you see in front of you is yours.
Now one of the lessons we learn from this is honesty, not only in times of being compelled to in front of your friends or anything like that, but at times where it may even be against your own wills and desires. And one of the lessons we learn from this is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will compensate you with something great.
Now you see that it was the third man's du'a or the third man's supplication that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala answered. That he said, "O Allah, if I did this for Your sake, then alleviate this trial from us that we are in." And with this third man's du'a, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allowed them to walk freely.
So we see from this the great virtue that honesty has. That after the first man, he was righteous towards his parents; the second man, he abstained from committing zina out of fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala; and this third man, it took the third man due to his honesty at a time where it went against his wills and desires that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accepted his du'a and he left walking.
Mutual Concern for Fellow Muslims
Now imagine yourselves in such a situation, brothers and sisters. How many times are we entrusted with trust? That we have responsibilities that we have to fulfill. How many of us actually fulfill them? Most of the times we won't fulfill all the responsibilities and duties that we have. But how often, from the times that we do fulfill them, do we do it completely and wholeheartedly and actually put ihsan into it?
This man that we mentioned, he could have just given the wages to his worker. But rather, he took the money, and he said, "This is a fellow human being, let's see what I can do with his money. Maybe I can gain some money for him." So he invested his money, he took care of it. This is a responsibility he took upon himself. And this money grew, and now when the man came back, he gave it all to him.
How many of us have this mutual concern and desire for our fellow Muslims? Let alone for our workers. How many of us wish for our Muslims to have barakah in their wealth? How many of us wish for our fellow Muslims
to have barakah in their time? How many of us wish for our fellow Muslims to go to Jannah along with us?
Now this man, just a worker he might have met once or twice, but rather he had this good will for him. That he invested his money and he took care of it. And when he came back, he could have kept it all, but he didn't. But for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he gave it all to him. So this is a very important lesson that we learn from this hadith: a good will for all of our brothers and sisters.
When you have the ability to benefit your fellow Muslims, it is upon you to be that good Muslim and take advantage of it. Simple things like just holding the door open. Simple things like when you see your brother eating, "Oh brother, it is from the Sunnah for you to give and take what you like."
Simple things like this. And we encourage one another upon righteousness and prevent one another from things which are despicable and haram. You will see that we can become that ideal society or that ideal community that existed at the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). And that ideal society is not one that has no mistakes and no flaws. But rather it is one that knows how to deal with it.
The Concept of Tawassul
Now, in ending off our discussion on this hadith bi'ithnillahi ta'ala in the next couple of minutes, one of the great lessons we learned from this hadith is the concept of tawassul. And the concept of tawassul often is something very touchy, and it is often a subject which there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about.
So the general concept of tawassul, what it means is: increasing the chances of your du'a to be accepted. Meaning those things that we can do to increase the chances of our du'a to be accepted. This is the general concept of tawassul.
So under this definition of tawassul, you fall under those things which are permissible and those things which are impermissible.
Permissible Forms of Tawassul
First Way: By making du'a to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala through His names and attributes.
"For Allah are the lofty names, so call Him by them."
So now, find yourselves in a situation where you are asking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for something. So now, any name that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has that is appropriate for that situation, you should use. For example, you are in a time of tribulation. You are in need of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's mercy. So you call Allah by Ar- Rahman and Ar-Rahim. Or you find yourself in a situation where you are in need of wealth. So you call Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala by the names of Ar-Razzaq, Al-Kareem, and Al-Mannan.
Second Way: By mentioning the good deeds that we did for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, as we saw in this hadith. And obviously good deeds have many virtues to them. But one of them is that we can, as you can put it simply, bank them up. That you can put them in an account. And whenever you need, you can use it by saying, "Oh Allah, I did such and such for Your sake sincerely, please help me in this situation."
Third Way: By mentioning the favors of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala loves to have His favors mentioned to Him. So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, when He blesses us with wealth, when He blesses us with health, when He blesses us with righteousness, when you make du'a to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, mention to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala how He has granted you all of these blessings.
And this is what you learn from Surah Al-Fatihah itself. That you say, "Oh Allah, guide us to the straight path, the path of those people whom You have favored and blessed." That you are mentioning the favor that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has blessed upon His people.
Fourth Way: By asking a righteous person to make du'a for you. This is something that there is a lot of discussion about. And this was actually seen during the time of the companions radiallahu anhum. That during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), when they needed rain to come down, they would go to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and ask him to make Salat Al-Istisqa.
So after the death of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), they went to Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and asked him to lead this prayer and to make du'a that the rain comes down.
However, the more correct opinion seems that it is something which isn't strongly encouraged to do. Because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us in the Qur'an:
"And if My slaves ask about Me, then tell them that I am near."
Meaning that we don't need any intermediaries towards Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And if we need anything from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, that same time and same energy that you spend in telling someone else, "Oh so and so, make du'a for me that Allah bless my kid, or that Allah bless my wife," at that very moment you can turn to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala yourself and ask Him. Indeed Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is close, and merciful, and giving towards His slaves.
Closing Du'a
And with that, bi'ithnillahi ta'ala, we will end our discussion.
And in ending off, we ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to increase us in righteous deeds, and to increase us in sincerity, in statement, and in action, and intention.
I say this saying, and I ask Allah to forgive me and you, and the rest of the Muslims from every sin, and ask Him to forgive me. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Glory, above what they describe. And peace be upon the messengers, and praise be to the Lord of the worlds.
End of Khutbah