One Account, One Miracle
The Camel’s Complaint
Mawlana Haydar Ali Madani
As Khubayb and Suhayb endured the scorching heat and the incessant blaring of horns, Khubayb's headache worsened. “How long until we’re home?” he asked, turning to Suhayb.
“You have asked me the same question five times in the past ten minutes and my answer is still the same. I don’t know.” They were on their way back from school but were held up in a traffic jam. At first, it looked like it was normal traffic that would pass after a while, but the cars had not moved for ten minutes. The driver of the school bus and other drivers got out to see what was causing the hold up. The traffic jam had ruined the excitement of the weekend.
“I think there’s been an accident,” said Khubayb.
“Allah forbid,” replied Suhayb. The driver returned, and the children asked what was causing the holdup. The driver said that a donkey has collapsed in the middle of the road because of the heavy load it was carrying. After a while, the traffic began to ease, and Suhayb looked out of the window to see the donkey and the cart it was pulling.
Upon finally arriving home, Khubayb and Suhayb spotted their anxious mother pacing back and forth in the courtyard. Their mother turned towards them, her face a mix of relief and concern. “Where have you been?” she exclaimed, her worry evident in her voice. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Don’t worry Mum, I’ll tell you everything,” said Khubayb reassuringly. After explaining what happened, Mum told them to freshen up and have something to eat.
After the ꜤAṣr prayer, Grandad sat on a chair on the lawn and started reading a book whilst the brothers were busy playing games. Mum called Suhayb inside, and when he returned to the garden, he was carrying a tray covered with a cloth.
“Don’t eat yet. Let me wash my hands first,” said Khubayb hurriedly.
Suhayb responded, “Do not eat the food yet because it is niyāz for the month of Muḥarram. Grandad will recite Fātiḥah upon it before we eat. Mum said she will prepare plates for us to give to the neighbours too.”
After dinner, both brothers sat in Grandad’s room. They knew it was the weekend tomorrow so they could talk with Grandad all night. Khubayb started the conversation, “Grandad, when we were coming back from school, a donkey caused a colossal traffic jam. There shouldn’t be any donkeys pulling carts in the city.”
“The donkey didn’t cause the traffic jam on purpose. What happened to it Suhayb?” Granddad asked.
“The poor donkey was carrying a mountain of bricks in the unforgiving heat. The donkey collapsed, then people came together to take the bricks off of it. Then they dragged it to the side of the road.”
Grandad shook his head in disbelief and said, “It is strange that we do not understand that animals have feelings too. They can feel pain. One day, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم entered the garden of an Anṣārī companion and saw a camel. When the camel saw the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, it started to cry. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم passed his hand over the area behind the camel’s ear to comfort it, and it became calm. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم called the owner of the camel immediately and said, ‘Do you not fear Allah with regards to this animal which Allah has made you the master of? It has complained to me that you keep it hungry and load it heavily which fatigues it.’[1] So what have you learned from this, children?”
“This is a miracle of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم that he understood what the animal was saying,” said Suhayb.
“We should not burden an animal with more than it can carry,” added Khubayb.
“Well done children! Now get ready to sleep and remember to recite Tasbīh-e-Fāṭimah.”
Tasbīh-e-Fāṭimah
Recite سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه 33 times, اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه 33 times and الـلّٰـهُ اَکْبَر 34 times before going to sleep.
Virtue of Reciting Tasbīh-e-Fāṭimah
The one who recites Tasbīh-e-Fāṭimah before going to sleep will wake up fresh and energetic اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.[2]
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