Have you found your moment?

Today, I will share a series of narrations that may initially appear random and unrelated. However, as we progress, a life-changing theme connecting them will emerge.

In the first, the Prophet ﷺ said,

بَينَما رَجُلٌ يَمشي بِطَريقٍ اشْتَدَّ عَلَيهِ العَطَشُ، فَوَجَدَ بِئرًا فَنَزَلَ فِيهَا فَشربَ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فإذَا كَلْبٌ يَلْهَثُ يأكُلُ الثَّرَى من العَطَشِ، فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: لَقَدْ بَلَغَ هَذَا الكَلْبُ مِنَ العَطَشِ مِثلُ الَّذِي كَانَ قَدْ بَلَغَ مِنِّي، فَنَزَلَ البِئْرَ، فَمَلأَ خُفَّهُ مَاءً ثُمَّ أمْسَكَهُ بفيهِ حَتَّى رَقِيَ، فَسَقَى الكَلْبَ، فَشَكَرَ اللهَ لَهُ، فَغَفَرَ لَهُ

“While a man was walking along a path, he became extremely thirsty.

“He found a well, went down into it to drink, and then came out. There he saw a dog panting, licking the earth from thirst.

“The man said to himself: ‘This dog has become as thirsty as I was.’

“He went back down into the well, filled his shoe with water, and held it in his mouth as he climbed out. He then gave the water to the dog. Allah appreciated his action and forgave him.” [1]

In another narration of this event, it concludes:

فَشَكَرَ اللهُ لَهُ، فَغَفَرَ لَهُ، فأدْخَلَهُ الجَنَّةَ

“Allah thanked him, forgave him, and admitted him into Paradise.” [1]

In the second, the Prophet ﷺ said,

بَيْنَما كَلْبٌ يُطِيفُ بِرَكِيَّةٍ – أي يحوم ببئر – قَدْ كَادَ يقتلُهُ العَطَشُ إِذْ رَأَتْهُ بَغِيٌّ مِنْ بَغَايَا بَنِي إسْرَائِيل، فَنَزَعَتْ مُوقَها فَاسْتَقَتْ لَهُ بِهِ فَسَقَتْهُ فَغُفِرَ لَهَا بِهِ

“While a dog was circling around a well, almost dying of thirst, a prostitute from the prostitutes of the Children of Israel saw it.

“She took off her shoe, drew water with it, and gave the dog a drink.

“Because of this, she was forgiven.” [2]

In the third, the Prophet ﷺ said,

لَقدْ رَأيْتُ رَجُلًا يَتَقَلَّبُ في الجَنَّةِ في شَجَرَةٍ قَطَعَهَا مِنْ ظَهْرِ الطَرِيقِ كَانَتْ تُؤذِي المُسْلِمِينَ

“I saw a man enjoying his time in Paradise because of a tree he had cut down from the middle of the road that was harming Muslims.” [3]

In the fourth, the Prophet ﷺ said,

مَرَّ رَجُلٌ بِغُصْنِ شَجَرَةٍ عَلَى ظَهرِ طَرِيقٍ، فَقَالَ: وَاللهِ لأُنْحِيَنَّ هَذَا عَنِ المُسْلِمينَ لا يُؤذِيهِمْ، فَأُدخِلَ الجَنَّةَ

“A man passed by a tree branch on the road and said,

‘By Allah, I will remove this so it does not harm the Muslims.’

“As a result, he was admitted into Paradise.” [4]

Four people, four times, four locations

These four narrations pertain to four different individuals, occurring at four distinct times and locations.

At first glance, they appear to have little in common.

However, a closer examination reveals a significant shared theme: the paths to Paradise are often the subtlest and most unexpected ones; never could the man who cleared the thorns from the path have imagined that this act would become the happiest day of his life.

Similarly, the prostitute who offered a sip of water to a parched dog could never have foreseen that this gesture would mark the happiest day of her life. But the Prophet ﷺ affirmed it all, stating that their eternal futures had changed forever.

Nuance between sidq and ikhlās

Whenever Allah sees goodness within a Muslim, He mercifully orchestrates an opportunity that may seem of little worth.

Nevertheless, they embrace it wholeheartedly, and end up securing a permanent position of honour with Allah and an eternal home in Paradise because of it.

As life goes on, however, that moment may be totally forgotten. Yet, unknown to them, that fleeting instant marked a pivotal turning point in their life.

Everything changed, not because of the deed itself, but because of their immense sense of sidq (truthfulness) and ikhlās (sincerity) that emanated from them when performing it.

It is pertinent here to demarcate a difference between ikhlās (being sincere to Allah) and sidq (being true to Allah).

Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said,

الإخلاص هو […] تصفية الفعل عن ملاحظة المخلوقين، وأما الصدق فهو التنقي من مطالعة النفس، فالمخلص لا رياء له، والصادق لا إعجاب له

“Sincerity (ikhlās) is purifying actions from your notice of people, while truthfulness (sidq) is purifying one’s self from noticing itself.

“Therefore, the sincere person does not show off, whilst the truthful one does not self-admire.” [5]

Five Qur’ānic concepts mentioned with sidq

Interestingly, the term “sidq” (truthfulness) is mentioned in the Qur’ān alongside five different concepts.

Clearly, ikhlās and sidq can affect every aspect of life.

Equally clear is how the core of the matter lies not in merely the doing of good deeds, but the sidq (truthfulness) and ikhlās (sincerity) that infuse them.

Three examples that evidence this

In the year 6 AH, the Prophet ﷺ encamped outside Makkah at Hudaybiyah, dispatching Uthmān ibn Affān (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) as his envoy to negotiate with the Quraysh leaders for the Muslims’ peaceful entry into the city.

However, the Quraysh detained Uthmān (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) longer than anticipated and kept his status hidden, leading the Muslims to fear he had been slain.

In response, the Prophet ﷺ rallied his nearly 1,400 companions beneath a tree, calling them to a solemn vow: to fight to the death, if necessary, to avenge Uthmān (radiy Allahu ‘anhu).

This moment, marked by each companion placing their hand atop the Prophet’s as they pledged (ﷺ), became immortalised as the Pledge of the Tree.

Uthmān (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) returned safely, averting any conflict.

Despite no battle ensuing, this act of solidarity and readiness to fight was so profound that Allah commemorates it in the Qur’ān, saying:

لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ

“Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you [O Prophet] under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts.” [10]

Notice how they were gifted the ultimate prize — Allah’s acceptance, along with forgiveness and eternity in Paradise, though they were still alive and could commit sins, and though no fighting had happened.

The man with 99 scrolls of sins

We know the story of a man who, on the Day of Judgment, faces Allah with 99 scrolls of sins, each stretching as far as the eye can see, placed on one side of a scale.

As he loses all hope of Paradise, he is reminded of a single good deed — a small card bearing the declaration, “lā ilāha illa Allāh”.

Questioning the significance of this small deed amidst his vast sins, he is assured of justice. When the card is placed on the scale, astonishingly, it tips dramatically, outweighing all his sins and granting him entry into Paradise!

But does this narrative capture the complete story? Many others who have uttered the same declaration will not find salvation. And what makes the people in the above examples unique?

Ibn Taymiyyah sheds light on this:

فَهَذِهِ حَالُ مَنْ قَالَهَا بِإِخْلَاصٍ وَصِدْقٍ، كَمَا قَالَهَا هَذَا الشَّخْصُ. وَإِلَّا فَأَهْلُ الْكَبَائِرِ الَّذِينَ دَخَلُوا النَّارَ كُلُّهُمْ كَانُوا يَقُولُونَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَلَمْ يَتَرَجَّحْ قَوْلُهُمْ عَلَى سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ، كَمَا تَرَجَّحَ قَوْلُ صَاحِبِ الْبِطَاقَةِ

“This is the condition of those who said it with sincerity and truthfulness, as this person did.

“Otherwise, the people of major sins who entered the Fire, all of them used to say: ‘There is no god but Allah’, but their declaration did not outweigh their sins, as the declaration of the cardholder did.” [11]

Similarly, Ibn Taymiyyah expressed comparable thoughts about the prostitute who gave water to the thirsty dog, noting:

فَهَذِهِ سَقَتِ الْكَلْبَ بِإِيمَانٍ خَالِصٍ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهَا فَغُفِرَ لَهَا، وَإِلَّا فَلَيْسَ كُلُّ بَغِيٍّ سَقَتْ كَلْبًا يُغْفَرْ لَهَا

“She gave water to the dog with pure faith in her heart and, for that, she was forgiven.

“Otherwise, not every prostitute who gives water to a dog is forgiven.” [11]

Hence, he conveys that it wasn’t merely the act itself that rescued them. Rather, it was the state of genuine sidq they embodied while performing the deed.

Find your moment

Herein lies an essential truth: there may be a single instance in a Muslim’s life that — due to the strength of its sincerity and presence of heart — could counterbalance any subsequent sins and secure a permanent home in Paradise.

Search for those moments and maximise them in your life.

Knowing that some of our good deeds will almost certainly be rejected for a host of reasons, it is these moments of true sincerity that will serve as the believer’s lifeline, carrying them to Jannah, if and when all else fails.

Ja’far al-Khuldī said,

“I saw al-Junayd in a dream after he had passed away, and I asked him,

‘What did Allah do with you?'”

He replied,

“All those indications vanished, all those expressions disappeared, all those sciences perished, and all those forms were exhausted.

“Nothing benefited us except the short units of prayer we used to perform during the latter parts of the night.” [12]

A sleepless night during Hajj

When my parents returned from Hajj in 2014, my father shared a moving story from his time in the camps of Mina.

He described how he struggled to sleep, tossing and turning amidst the crammed, bustling, and sweltering environment.

Sleep seemed impossible.

Then, suddenly, it felt as if the most beautiful breeze enveloped him, and he drifted into slumber.

He woke for Fajr to the sight of an elderly pilgrim gently fanning him.

Without needing to be asked, the old man said,

“I noticed how you were struggling to sleep, so I thought I’d fan you.”

My father, moved, asked,

“How long have you been standing here?”

The old man replied,

“Since around midnight.”

Despite being on his own Hajj journey, having spent thousands and made immense sacrifices, he never stopped seeking his moment of true connection with Allah, knowing that it could be the moment that saves him.

It is those moments of sidq that truly matter. Those are the moments that Allah wants from you as you worship Him.

The paths to Jannah are not always the obvious ones and that opportunity which others belittle could, in fact, be your defining moment, if and when passed through the filter of sidq and ikhlās.

The story of the man and the loaf of bread

Abu Burda (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) said,

“When Abu Mūsa (the Companion of the Prophet ﷺ) was on his deathbed, he said:

‘O my children, remember the story of the man with the loaf of bread.’” [13]

He explained,

“There was a man who worshipped in seclusion for seventy years. He would only come down on Sundays.

“One Sunday, Satan made a woman appear attractive in his eyes, and he stayed with her for seven days and nights.

“Then, he realised his mistake, repented, and left. In utter regret, he would pray and prostrate with every step he took.

By nightfall, he sought shelter in a place where there were twelve poor men. Exhausted, he lay down between two of them.

“There was a monk who used to send them bread every night, giving each person a loaf. The man with the bread came and gave everyone a loaf, including the repentant man, thinking he was one of the poor.

“One of the poor men who was missed said to the man with the bread, ‘Why didn’t you give me my loaf? You had no reason to keep it from me.’

“The man with the bread replied, ‘Do you see me withholding it from you? Ask if I gave anyone two loaves.’

“They said, ‘No.’ He then said, ‘I will not give you anything tonight.’ The repentant man, feeling compassion, gave his loaf to the man who was left without one. The next morning, the repentant man was found dead.” [13]

When the seventy years of worship were weighed against the seven nights of sin, the worship did not outweigh the sin.

But when the loaf of bread was weighed against the seven nights, the loaf outweighed them.

Abu Mūsa, the narrator, then said,

“O my children, remember the story of the man with the loaf of bread.” [13]

Seventy uninterrupted years of isolated worship and, in the end, it was the giving of a piece of bread that saved him, because that was his moment of sidq.

Now is the time to pause and confront this…

Do I have a deed that I believe will be the reason for my redemption on the Day of Judgment?

We all pray and fast, but is there an act in our lives that we can confidently hold up on that Day, truly believing it will save us from the Fire?

Have you found your moment?

That “moment” could be a private tear which you shed in your longing for Allah or in deep regret over your sinful ways.

It could be an impermissible relationship that has lingered for far too long, which you put an end to once and for all, despite the initial heartache.

It could be through happiness which you bring to the heart of another Muslim by offering a loan, paying off a debt, or any pressure that you alleviate from them.

It might be a courageous statement of truth, spoken even at the cost of your own comfort.

It could be the full hijab that you courageously decide to wear, come what may.

It could be a life project which you decide to dedicate the next 20 years of your life to offer Allah on the Day of Judgment.

The condition is that the moment coincides with immense sidq and ikhlās in your heart, where you truly purify that action from the notice of people, and purify your soul from noticing itself.

No-one knows where their “moment” lies — that singular, transformative instant which will bring eternal happiness. So, leave no stone unturned in its pursuit, and never belittle any good deed.

Think,

“Perhaps this will be the deed which will save me if all else collapses.

“Perhaps this will be the turning point in Allah’s Eyes. Perhaps this will be my moment!”

Source: Islam21c

Notes

[1] al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah; https://sunnah.com/riyadussalihin:126

[2] al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah

[3] Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah

[4] al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah

[5] Madārij al-Sālikīn

[6] al-Qur’ān, 17:80

[7] al-Qur’ān, 19:50

[8] al-Qur’ān, 54:55

[9] al-Qur’ān, 10:2

[10] al-Qur’ān, 48:18

[11] Minhaj al-Sunnah

[12] Tabaqāt al-Hanābilah, Ibn Abi Ya’la

[13] al-Musannaf, Ibn Abi Shayba