Al Haafidh ibn Rajab mentioned in the commentary of the tabiqaat of Al Hanaabila (196/1) in the biography of Al Qaadi Abi Bakr Muhammad Abdul Al Baaqi Al Bazzaz who died in the year 535 from the migration of the Messenger of ALLAH, ﷺ. Sheik Saalih Abu Al Qaasim Al Khazaz Al Bagdadi said,
| I heard Al Qaadi Abi Bakr Muhammad Abdul Al Baaqi Al Bazzaz Al Ansaari say |
I used to live in the vicinity of Mecca, may ALLAH the Exalted protect it, so one day I was stricken with severe hunger and I did not find anything to fight against this hunger. So I found a bag made from silk, tied with a tassel that was also made from silk, so I grabbed it and took it to my house. When I unfasten it I found in it a necklace made from pearl such that I had not seen the like of it before. So when I exited my house I saw an old man that was seeking this bag. With him was a torn rag containing five hundred dinar and he was saying,
| This is for the one who returns to me the bag containing the pearls. |
So I said,
| I am in need, I am hungry, so I will take this money and benefit from it and return to him the bag. |
So I said to him,
| Come to me, |
so I took him and brought him to my home. So he gave me the description of the bag, and the description of the tassel, and the description of the pearls along with their number, and the description of the thread that fasten it. So I removed it from the bag and gave it to him, so he gave me the five hundred dinar, but I did not take it. Then I said to him,
| It is incumbent upon me to return this to you and I will not take any reward for it. |
He said to me,
| You must take it, |
and he persisted in this, but I would not take it from him so he left me and went about his way.
As for me, I didnt have anything so I left Mecca and began sailing in the sea. So the ship tore apart and everyone aboard it drowned and their wealth was destroyed. I was saved by holding onto a piece of the ship. So I remained for a time period in the sea not knowing where I was going. I then arrived at an island that was inhabited by people. I sat in some of the masjids and the people heard me reading, and there did not remain anyone on the island except that he came to me and said,
| Teach me the Koran, |
so I acquired from the people a lot of wealth. Then I saw in the masjid some paper from a Mushaf, so I took it and began to read it. They said to me,
| Do you have good handwriting? |
I said yes. So they said,
| Teach me handwriting. |
So they came to me with their children from amongst the small kids and the young men and I used to teach them. I acquired from this also, a lot of wealth.
After this they said to me,
| We have a young orphan girl who has some things from the dunya, (worldly wealth) we would like for you to marry her. |
I refused, but they said,
| It is a must! |
And they made this incumbent upon me, so I agreed. After they married her to me, I turned my glance toward her and I found that exact same necklace hanging around her neck! At this time I did not busy myself with anything except staring at this necklace. So they said to me, Oh Sheik! You have broken this young orphan girls heart by looking at this necklace, and you have not even looked at her. So I relayed to them the story of the necklace. So they screamed and yelled out,
| There is no deity worthy of worship except ALLAH, ALLAHU AKBAR, |
until it reached everyone on the island. So I said,
| What is with you? |
They said,
| The old man that took the necklace from you is the father of this young girl. |
He used to say,
| I have not found in the dunya (world) a Muslim (what is meant here is a trustworthy, kindhearted, one who knows the rights of found property) except the one who returned to me this necklace. |
And he used to make dua (supplication) saying,
| Oh ALLAH, join me and him together so that I may marry him to my daughter, |
and now it has happened. So I remained with her for a time period and I was provided with two sons by her. Then she passed away, so I inherited the necklace, me and my two sons. Then my two sons died, therefore the necklace became mine. So I sold the necklace for one hundred thousand dinar, and the money that you see me with now is what is left over from that money.
Footnote
Taken from Abdurrahman.org
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