Great Sons Of a Great Mother
Once, some stone-pelting labourers appeared in the court of Hazrat Syedna Wahab bin Munba, رحمۃ اللہ تعالی علیہ, and said: “Hozor! How many troubles are we facing? Did the people before us ever face such troubles?” Upon hearing this, the Prophet (رحمۃ اللہ تعالی علیہ) said: “If you compare your troubles with the troubles of the people before you, you will find your problems like smoke compared to fire (i.e. their troubles are like fire and your problems are like smoke). Then he (رحمۃ اللہ تعالی علیہ) said: “There was a woman among the Children of Israel, whose name was Sarah, who had seven sons.
The king of the country where she lived was very cruel. He would force people to eat pork, and if they refused, he would have them killed. So, this woman was also brought before the king and her sons. The cruel king called the eldest son and said: “Eat this pork.” The man-fighter replied: “I will never eat what Allah Almighty has forbidden.” When the king heard this, he ordered that he be given the severest punishment. The executioner went ahead and cut off every limb of him and martyred him.
Then the tyrannical king called the younger boy and, placing pork before him, said: “Eat this.” He, too, showing the courage of faith, replied: “I will never eat anything forbidden by Allah Almighty.” Hearing this, the tyrannical king became furious and ordered that oil be poured into a copper pot and placed on the fire. This was done. When the oil became very hot, the young Mujahid was put into the oil.
In this way, he also drank the cup of martyrdom. Then the king called the younger one and said: “Eat this meat.” He said to the king: “You are humble and weak, you are nothing against Allah Almighty, you cannot persuade me to do anything against the command of Allah Almighty. Do whatever comes to your mind, but I will never eat the things forbidden by Allah Almighty.” Hearing this, the king started laughing and said to the people: “Do you know why he abused me?” He abused me, thinking that I would get angry after hearing the abuse and immediately order him to be killed; in this way, he would easily die, but I would never do that. Then, this cruel king ordered that he be punished severely.
So, on the orders of the cruel king, the young man’s neck was first cut, and then his head and face were skinned. In this way, he was also martyred. The king martyred the rest of the brothers in the same cruel way. Finally, the youngest brother survived. The king called his mother and said: “I will do the same to you. If you want the safety of yourself and your son, then take him to a private place and explain to him. I will let you both go if he agrees to eat even a bite.
Then you can live as you wish.” The woman said: “Okay, I will try to explain to him.” Then she took her son to a private place and said: “O my beloved! Do you know that I have one right over each of your brothers, and I have two rights over you, just as I suckled your brothers for two years? A few days before your birth, your father died, and when you were born, you were very weak. I felt great pity for you, and out of your weakness and my intense love for you, I breastfed you for four years.
I tell you, by Allah Almighty and the favour I have done to you, that you should never eat anything that Allah Almighty has forbidden, and on the Day of Judgment, do not meet your brothers unless you are one of them. When the blessed son heard his mother’s words, he said: “I was afraid that you might incite me to eat pork, but thanks be to Allah Almighty that He has given me a great mother like you.”
Then the woman brought her son to the king and said: “Take this; now he will do what I have told him.” The king was very happy and, holding out the pork towards him, said: “Take this, eat some of it.” Hearing this, the brave young man replied: “By God Almighty! I will never eat that which God Almighty has forbidden.” The king became very angry on hearing this.
So this tyrant had this male Mujahid martyred. Similarly, he also joined his brothers. Then the king said to this great woman: “I think that I will have to treat you the same way I treated your sons. O older woman! If you die, eat just one bite, and I will give you whatever you ask for, and I will do whatever you say. Eat just one bite, and then live a life of luxury.” Hearing this, this great mother replied: “O tyrant! You killed my children in front of me, and now you want me to disobey Allah Almighty on your orders. After the death of my children, I have no interest in life.
By Allah Almighty! Do whatever you can, I will never eat anything forbidden by Allah Almighty.” Hearing this, this cruel and tyrannical king had her martyred, too. In this way, the soul of this great mother also joined her great children.