Islamic Lessons
A Story That Sends Shivers Down the Heart: The Power of Sincere Faith
How a simple ship journey became a life-changing encounter with divine truth
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Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi narrates in his book “Al-Tawabeen” from Abdullah ibn Zayd who said:
ﺫﻛﺮ ﺍﺑﻦ ﻗﺪﺍﻣﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺪﺳﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺘﻮﺍﺑﻴﻦ ﻋﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﺣﺪ ﺑﻦ ﺯﻳﺪ ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻛﻨﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺳﻔﻴﻨﺔٍ ﻓﺄﻟﻘﺘﻨﺎ ﺍﻟﺮﻳﺢُ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺟﺰﻳﺮﺓ ﻓﻨﺰﻟﻨﺎ ﻓﺈﺫﺍ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺭﺟﻞ ﻳﻌﺒﺪُ ﺻﻨﻤًا
“We were on a ship when the wind carried us to an island. There we found a man worshipping an idol…”
The Ship’s Crew:
“We approached him and asked: ‘O man, whom do you worship?'”
ﻓﺄﻗﺒﻠﻨﺎ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻭﻗﻠﻨﺎ ﻟﻪ: ﻳﺎ ﺭﺟﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺗﻌﺒﺪ؟
The Idol Worshipper:
“He pointed to the idol.”
ﻓﺄﺷﺎﺭ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺻﻨﻢٍ
The Ship’s Crew:
“We said: ‘Who among us would make an idol like this to worship?’ This idol is not worthy of worship.”
ﻓﻘﻠﻨﺎ: ﻣﻌﻨﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻔﻴﻨﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻳﺼﻨﻊ ﻣﺜﻞ ﻫﺬﺍ، ﻓﻠﻴﺲ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺇﻟﻪ ﻳﻌﺒﺪ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He asked: ‘Who do you worship?'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﺃﻧﺘﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺗﻌﺒﺪﻭﻥ؟
The Ship’s Crew:
“We said: ‘We worship Allah.'”
ﻗﻠﻨﺎ: ﻧﻌﺒﺪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He asked: ‘And what is Allah?'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻭﻣﺎ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ؟
The Ship’s Crew:
“We replied: ‘He is the One whose throne is above the heavens, whose authority is on earth, and who has decreed death for all living things.'”
ﻗﻠﻨﺎ: ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺴﻤﺎﺀ ﻋﺮﺷﻪ ﻭ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﺭﺽ ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻧﻪ ﻭ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻷﺣﻴﺎﺀ ﻭ ﺍﻷﻣﻮﺍﺕ ﻗﻀﺎﺅﻩ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He asked: ‘And how did you come to know Him?'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻭ ﻛﻴﻒ ﻋﻠﻤﺘﻢ ﺑﻪ؟
The Ship’s Crew:
“We said: ‘This magnificent King, the Supreme Creator, sent to us a noble messenger with clear guidance.'”
ﻗﻠﻨﺎ: ﻭﺟَّﻪ ﺇﻟﻴﻨﺎ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚُ ﺍﻟﻌﻈﻴﻢُ ﺍﻟﺨﺎﻟﻖُ ﺍﻟﺠﻠﻴﻞُ ﺭﺳﻮﻻً ﻛﺮﻳﻤﺎً ﻓﺄﺧﺒﺮﻧﺎ ﺑﺬﻟﻚ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He asked: ‘What did the messenger do?'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻓﻤﺎ ﻓﻌﻞ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﻮﻝ؟
The Ship’s Crew:
“We said: ‘He conveyed the message, then Allah took him back to Himself.'”
ﻗﻠﻨﺎ: ﺃﺩَّﻯ ﺍﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ ﺛﻢ ﻗﺒﻀﻪ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He asked: ‘What remains with you from him?'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻓﻤﺎ ﺗﺮﻙ ﻋﻨﺪﻛﻢ ﻋﻼﻣﺔ؟
The Ship’s Crew:
“We said: ‘A book from the King.'”
ﻗﻠﻨﺎ: ﺗﺮﻙ ﻋﻨﺪﻧﺎ ﻛﺘﺎﺏًا ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He said: ‘Show me this book from the King so I may see if I can be one of the kings.'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﺃﺭﻭﻧﻲ ﻛﺘﺎﺏ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﻓﻴﻨﺒﻐﻲ ﺃﻥ ﺗﻜﻮﻥ ﻛﺘﺐ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻮﻙ ﺣِﺴﺎﻧﺎً
The Ship’s Crew:
“We gave him the Mushaf. He said: ‘What is this?’ We read to him a surah from the Qur’an, but he didn’t understand. We read and he cried, we read and he cried until we finished the surah.”
ﻓﺄﺗﻴﻨﺎﻩ ﺑﺎﻟﻤﺼﺤﻒ، ﻓﻘﺎﻝ: ﻣﺎ ﺃﻋﺮﻑ ﻫﺬﺍ. ﻓﻘﺮﺃﻧﺎ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺳﻮﺭﺓ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻘﺮﺁﻥ ﻓﻠﻢ ﻧَﺰَﻝْ ﻧﻘﺮﺃ ﻭﻫﻮ ﻳﺒﻜﻲ ﻭﻧﻘﺮﺃ ﻭﻫﻮ ﻳﺒﻜﻲ ﺣﺘﻰ ﺧﺘﻤﻨﺎ ﺍﻟﺴﻮﺭﺓ
The Idol Worshipper:
“He said: ‘It is appropriate for the owner of this speech not to have partners. Whoever obeys him will not be lost, and whoever disobeys him will not succeed.'”
ﻗﺎﻝ: ﻳﻨﺒﻐﻲ ﻟﺼﺎﺣﺐ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻜﻼﻡ ﺃﻻ ﻳﻮﺻﻞ ﺷﺮﻳﻜﺎً ﻣﻦ ﺃﻃﺎﻋﻪ ﻻ ﻳﻀﻞ ﻭﻣﻦ ﻋﺼﺎﻩ ﻻ ﻳﻔﻠﺢ
The Idol Worshipper:
“Then he took the book and began to weep. He continued weeping until he died. He was one of the most righteous of the pious until he died.”
ﺛﻢ ﻣﻀﻰ ﻳﺘﻜﺴَّﺐ ﻟﻨﻔﺴﻪ، ﻭﻛﺎﻥ ﻣِﻦ ﺑﻌﺪﻫﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻛﺒﺎﺭ ﺍﻟﺼﺎﻟﺤﻴﻦ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺃﻥ ﻣﺎﺕ
Lessons from This Powerful Story
This remarkable account teaches us several profound lessons:
- The Power of the Qur’an: The mere recitation of the Qur’an had such a profound effect on this man that it brought him to tears and ultimately to faith.
- Sincere Da’wah: The crew didn’t force or argue, they simply presented the truth with wisdom and patience.
- Divine Guidance: Allah guides whom He wills – the man recognized the truth immediately when he heard it.
- True Repentance: The man’s immediate transformation shows how sincere repentance can change a person completely.
- The Impact of One Encounter: A single genuine interaction with the Qur’an was enough to transform this man’s entire life and afterlife.
This story reminds us that the Qur’an is not just words, but a living miracle that can transform hearts and souls. It challenges us to reflect on how we present Islam to others and the power of sincere, patient da’wah.
📚 Source
Al-Tawabeen by Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi, page 179
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