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"And if all the trees on earth were pens and the Ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the Words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom." [TMQ Luqman:27]

Once Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho), during his caliphate, was going on his usual rounds towards Harrah (a suburb of Madinah) with his slave Aslam, when he saw a distant fire in the desert. He said, "There seems to be a camp. Perhaps, it is a caravan that could not enter the town due to night fall. Let's go and look after them and arrange for their protection during the night."

When he reached there, he found a woman and some children. The children were crying. The woman had a pan of water over the fire. Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) greeted her with salaam and, with her permission, went near her. (The woman didn't recognize that it was Umar).

Umar, "Why are these children crying?"

The Woman, "Because they are hungry."

Umar, "What is in the pan?"

The Woman, "Only water to soothe the children, so that they may go to sleep in the belief that food is being prepared for them. Ah! Allah will judge between Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) and me, on the Day of Judgment, for neglecting me in my distress."

Umar began weeping, "May Allah have mercy on you! How can Umar know of your distress?"

The Woman, "When he is our Amir (leader), he must keep himself informed about us."

Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho Anho) returned to the town and straight away went to the Baitul Mal (House of Charity) to fill a sack with flour, dates, and clothes, and also drew some money. When the sack was ready, he said to Aslam, "Now put this sack on my back, Aslam."

Aslam, "No please, Amir-ul-Momineen (Commander of the fiathful)! I shall carry this sack."

Umar refused to listen to Aslam, even on his persistent requests to allow him to carry the sack, and remarked, "What! Will you carry my load on the Day of Judgment? I must carry this bag, for it is I who would be questioned (in the Hereafter) about this woman."

Aslam most reluctantly placed the bag on Umar's (Radhiyallaho Anho) back, who carried it with a swift pace right to the woman's tent. Aslam followed at his heels. He put a little flour and some dates and fat in the pan and began to stir. He blew (with his mouth) into the fire to kindle it.

Aslam says, "I saw the smoke passing through his thick beard."

After some time, the pottage was ready. He himself served it to the
family. When they had eaten to their fill, he made over to them the little that was left for their next meal. The children were very happy after their meal and began to play about merrily.

The woman felt very grateful and remarked, "May Allah reward you for your kindness! In fact you deserve to take the place of Khalifah instead of Umar."

Umar consoled her and said, "When you come to see the Khalifah, you will find me there."

He sat for a while at a place close by and kept on watching the children. He then returned to Madinah. On his way back, he said to Aslam, "Do you know why I sat there, Aslam? I had seen them weeping in distress. I liked to see them laughing and happy for some time."

Source: From the book "Stories of the Sahaba" by Shaikh Muhammad Zakariyya
Kandhalvi.

The streets were packed with police officers and the people were peeping out of their windows and doors. When we reached the Qaysun Mosque, we found it empty, even the servants were not present.

I realized that the police officers had ordered everyone to leave. I stood in front of the coffin to offer the funeral prayer and tears began to flow from my eyes. The coffin then went to the Imam Shafi Graveyard where we buried him and returned home crying and in a state of sadness.

The day passed and the night entered and not a single person came for consolation because the soldiers had prevented people from entering the house. As for those who were able to enter, they did not return to their homes. They were all arrested and put into the prisons except for one person - Mukarram Abid Pasha (a Copt) who used to challenge the tyrants.

Thus ended the life of someone about whom an American journalist wrote a few months before, 'Within six months, this man will either be the undisputed leader of the East (i.e Islam) or he will be dead.' Imam Hasan al-Banna, may Allah have mercy on him and grant him paradise, may have been assassinated and martyred, but his legacy continues.

Source:
The Medicine of the Prophet
Translation from Tibb an-Nabbi
By Jalalu'd-Din 'Abdur-Rahman as-Suyuti
-Edited by Ahmad Thomson
Published by Taha, London UK
Page 199 Reprinted 2004

Council from : Preparing for the Day of Judgement Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Translated and Edited by: S M Hasan Al-Banna

Counsel of Threes

[1] It has been reported that the Prophet (s) said,
"The one who wakes up in the morning and complains about the scarcity of livelihood, it is as though he is complaining against his Lord.
The one who wakes up and is sad over the affairs of the dunya, is as though he has woken up angry with Allah.
And
the one who humbles himself in front of a rich man because of his wealth will have lost two thirds of his Religion."

[2] Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said,
"There are three things which can not be attained through another three:
wealth with hope,
youth with dyeing [the hair],
and health with medication."

[3] Umar ibn al-Khattab said,
"good interaction with people is half of intelligence,
good questioning is half of knowledge,
and good planning is half of subsistence."

[4] Uthman ibn Affan said,
"the one who leaves the dunya Allah Exalted will love him;
and the one who leaves sins, the Angels will love him;
and the one who has no craving for the possessions of the Muslims, the Muslims will love him."

Counsel of Nines.

The prophet (s) said,
" Allah the Exalted revealed to Musa ibn Imran (Moses) in the Torah that the source of all mistakes are three
- arrogance, envy and greed.
Another six diseases were born out of these three, and thus they became nine -
satiety, excessive sleep, excessive rest, love of wealth, love of praise, and love of leadership."

About Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Abul Fadl Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali al-Kannani al-Asqalani, better known by the name of Imam Ibn Hajar, was born in Cairo in 773/1372. He bagan his studies at the age of five and completed the memorisation of the Qur'an by the age of nine. A Shafi'i scholar and hadith master, he studied under renowned scholars in Cairo, Yemen and the Hijaz. Known as Shaykh al-Islam, scholars travelled from far away lands to take knowledge from him. Appointed to the position of chief-judge several times, he authored more than fifty works on hadith, history, biography, Quranic exegesis, poetry and Shafi'i jurisprudence; among the most famous of them is his fourteen-volume commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari called Fath al-Bari. He passed away in Cairo in 852/1449.

Ref: Preparing for the Day of Judgement Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Translated and Edited by: S M Hasan Al-Banna