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The Patched Robe

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The Patched Robe
Halima
10/04/04 at 01:09:10
There was a Jew of Damascus who was reading a holy book one day when
he came across the name of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
written in it. Not liking this, he removed the name. But the next
day he found it there again. Again he took out the name; but on the
third day it had appeared again. He thought: "Perhaps this is a sign
that a true Emissary has come. I will journey southwards to Madinah."

And he forthwith started out, not tarrying until he reached the city
of the Prophet. When he arrived there, knowing nobody, he was near
the Mosque of the Prophet when the Sahabi Anas (ra) arrived. He said
to Anas: "Friend, take me to the Prophet."

Anas (ra) led him into the mosque, which was full of people in
anguish. Abu Bakr (ra) the successor was sitting there at the head
of the assembly. The old man went up to him, thinking he must be
Muhammad, and said: "O Chosen Envoy of God, a strayed old man has
come to offer you peace." Hearing the title of the Prophet used,
everyone present burst into a flood of tears. The stranger was
uncertain as to what to do. He said: "I am a foreigner and a Jew,
and I am unaware of the rites of the Faith of Submission to the Will
of Allah. Have I said something untoward? Should I have remained
silent? Or is this a ritual observance? Why do you cry? If it is a
ceremony, I have never heard of it."

Omar (ra) said to him: "We do not weep because of anything which you
have done. But you must hear, unfortunate one, that it is a but a
week since the Prophet left the earth. When we heard his name, grief
took possession of our hearts anew."

As soon as he heard this, the ancient tore his clothes in anguish.
When he had recovered a little, he said: "Do me one favour. Let me
have at least a robe of the Prophet. If I cannot see him, at least
let me have this."

Omar (ra) answered: "Only Fatima (ra) could give us one of his
robes." Ali (ra) said: "But she will not allow anyone to go near
her." But they went to her door and knocked, and explained what they
wanted.

Fatima (ra) answered: "Verily, the Prophet spoke truly when he said,
shortly before he died: 'A wayfarer, who has love towards me and who
is a good man, will come to the house. He will not see me. Give him,
therefore, this patchwork robe as if from me, and for me treat him
gently, offering salutations.'"

The Jew put the robe on himself and, professing Islam, asked to be
taken to the Prophet's grave. It was at this place that he breathed
his last.

Source: From the book "Ilahi-Nama" by Shaikh Farid Al-Din Attar.


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