One of the friends of Allah was once asked if he had ever experienced any event concerning sincerity that had left an impression on him. He replied:
“Indeed I have” and he explained:
One time I lost my purse at Mecca and was left penniless. I was expecting money from Basra but it had somehow failed to arrive. My hair and beard had grown somewhat. I went to a barber and asked him:
“I have no money. Would you cut my hair for the sake of Allah?” At that point the barber was shaving a man. Indicating the seat next to him he said: “Sit here” and leaving him he began to shave me. The man objected. The barber turned to him and said:
“I am sorry sir. I was shaving you for a fee but this person here asked me to shave him for the sake of Allah. Duties done for Allah always have priority and they have no fee. The servants can never know the price of those things done for Allah and never can they pay them”.After he shaved me, the barber slipped a few pieces of gold into my pocket: “You can attend to your immediate needs with this. This is all I have, I am sorry”.
A few days passed. The money I was waiting for from Basra arrived. I took a small pouch of gold to the barber but he objected:
“I will never take it! None of the slaves of Allah can ever have the ability to pay the price for a task done for Allah’s sake. Be on your way. May Allah give you peace”.
I made amends and parted from him but for forty years now I have been waking up in the middle of the night and praying for him”.
And so almighty Allah will reward those righteous deeds and all acts of goodness with goodness that is worthy of His glory as long as they are done in such a sincere manner, that is purely for the sake of Allah.
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