The story of Malik ibn Dinar

Life is full of changes. That which yesterday seemed unshakable and unchanging, today loses its relevance, suffers changes. For example, entire civilizations and states with their inhabitants disappear. These processes relate to many things and phenomena around us. This also includes human life.

Sometimes you can meet a person whose disposition and behavior indicate that nothing good is expected from him, but … time passes, and this person can change in the opposite direction.

There have been many such examples in the history of mankind. Allah Almighty does not leave His creatures to the mercy of fate. By His grace, He gives everyone the chance to change their lives. The Creator often shows us certain signs, reflecting on which a person comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to change.

Someone can see these signs and signs directly, someone can see them in some phenomena and processes, someone can see a sign for themselves by the example of the life of another person. But there are people who still cannot read these tips of life, continuing to lead the old way of life, which sometimes differs little from the way of life of the animal.

One of the great signs for humanity is the Holy Qur’an, the verses of which make a person with a mind ponder. Interestingly, the Arabic word “ayat” itself means “a sign, a miracle.”
In the history of Islam there have been many people whose lives have changed thanks to just one verse of the Qur’an, which reads (meaning): “Is it not time for the hearts of believers to humble themselves at the mention of Allah and that which has been sent down from the truth …” [Surah ” al-Hadid ”, ayah 16]. This is not even the whole verse, but part of it, but he was able to turn their lives upside down by inscribing the names of these people in the glorious pages of the history of Islam …

As an example, let us give a story about a man named Malik ibn Dinar. This is a person who has spent part of his life in sin and was notorious. As Malik ibn Dinar himself later said with regret, “there was no such sin that I would not have committed.” Once he witnessed a conversation between a buyer and a seller of sweets. The buyer asked him to add a little for his little daughters. Seeing this, a love for girls awakened in Malik’s heart. So he decided to get married – he wanted to have a daughter. Soon, he really had a daughter. Malik named her Fatima.

The birth of a child calmed him down a little, but still he continued to drink wine. It so happened that he held his daughter in his arms and drank wine, and when he brought the cup to his mouth, his daughter removed the cup with her small hand and prevented him from drinking.
Subhanallah …

Malik did not like her soul. His joy knew no bounds. But at the age of three, Fatima dies. Malik could not find a place for himself from grief. And he began to seek solace in wine. As he himself said, dark days came for him, and he started drinking more than ever …
But one day he had a dream. He found himself in a vast, desolate area. And suddenly a large snake began to crawl on him, ready to devour him. Malik began to run away from her. At this time he met a weak, gray-haired old man. Malik began to ask him for help, and the old man, indicating the direction, told him to run there. Malik ran in that direction, but again came across a giant snake. He again ran to the old man, and the old man advised him to run in the other direction. This time Malik came to the garden where small children were playing. Seeing him, the children began to shout: “Fatima! Fatima! Your father has come. “

His daughter came to Malik. They embraced, and Fatima with her hand took away the snake from her father, which crawled away. And Fatima, at the request of her father, began to interpret what she saw. She said: “The giant snake chasing you — these were your sins, ready to devour you. A weak old man – these were your good deeds. There were so few of them that they could not protect you from the snake. ” After that, Fatima began to read the verse (meaning): “Isn’t the time for the hearts of believers to humble themselves at the mention of Allah and what is sent down from the truth …”.

At this moment, Malik wakes up in tears and hears the adhan for the morning prayer. Malik got up, bathed and went to the mosque. After the surah “al-Fatiha” the imam began to read in namaz … (meaning): “Is it not time for the hearts of believers to humble themselves at the mention of Allah and what is sent down from the truth …”.

Hearing this, Malik was shocked. He heard this verse again. Tears flowed from his eyes. A feeling of remorse for past sins overwhelmed his heart. After namaz, Malik publicly repented for his earlier sins.

From that day to the present day, Malik ibn Dinar is known as one of the scholars, the righteous, with whom few can compare …

Different people behave differently in relation to truth. Some, like Abu Bakr, for example, accept the truth as soon as they hear about it. Others, like Umar ibn Khattab, for example, need to go through certain emotional tests in order for them to realize the truth. Such people need something to happen to them that would make them think … There are people, like, for example, Ikrima ibn Abu Jahl, who until the last moment oppose the truth and even fight against it, but then they still accept it and make twice as much effort to spread this truth …

But there are people, like, for example, Abu Jahl or Abu Lahab, who never accept the truth and leave this world lost. Such people cannot or even do not want to see, read those signs that are installed in large numbers in everything that surrounds us.
“Verily, in the creation of heaven and earth, in the change of night and day, in [the creation of] a ship that floats on the sea with goods useful for people, in the rain that Allah made to pour from the sky, and then revived [with moisture] its withered earth and settled all kinds of animals on it, in the change of winds, in the clouds, obedient [to the will of Allah] between heaven and earth, – in all this are signs for reasonable people “ (meaning) [surah” al-Bakara “, ayat 164].
A person, reflecting on these signs of the Almighty, free from all prejudices and prejudices with his mind, will be able to read these signs. Previously, they seemed incomprehensible to him, but now they tell him that all this could not appear on its own or without some purpose. He will understand that all this has its own Creator. After that, he begins to understand that he needs the help and protection of his Creator. And he subordinates himself to Him, bringing his life in accordance with the commands of Allah.

“Indeed, in the creation of heaven and earth, in the change of day and night, are true signs for those with intelligence, who remember Allah both while standing, and sitting, and [lying] on their side, and meditate on the creation of heaven and earth [and say]:“ Our Lord! You did not do all this in vain. Glorious are you! Save us from the torment of fire. Our Lord! Whoever you bring into hellfire will be put to shame. And the wicked have no intercessors! Our Lord! We heard the one who called to faith with the words: “Believe on your Lord,” and we believed. Forgive us our sins and forgive us our sins and rest us [together] with the godly. Our Lord! Grant us what You promised through the mouth of the messengers, and do not put us to shame on the Day of Resurrection. You do not break your promises ”” (meaning) [surah “Alu Imran”, verses 190-194].

“And then the Lord will answer them:“ Truly, I will not neglect any deed done by any of you, man or woman, [after all] some of you [come] from others. And for those who moved or were evicted from their homes, suffered [in the struggle] for my sake, fought and were killed, I will certainly forgive sins, I will bring them into gardens where streams flow, as a reward from Allah. And He has the best reward ”” (meaning) [surah “Alu Imran”, ayat 195].