31/12/2025
The Baker and the Imam
An elderly man stood bewildered for a moment in front of the mosque!
He did not want to bother anyone in their homes so late at night. For that reason, he intended to spend the night in the mosque. He could have easily passed the night with voluntary (Nafil) prayers and a little sleep.
But the mosque's caretaker (Khadem) objected. For some unknown reason, the caretaker did not take a liking to him. He simply refused—no one was allowed to spend the night in the mosque. Standing in front of the mosque, the caretaker conveyed this to the old man in a very loud and harsh voice.
At a bread shop adjacent to the mosque, a middle-aged man was making bread in a large clay oven (Tandoor). The caretaker’s loud voice reached his ears. Stopping his work, the middle-aged man walked slowly toward the elderly man standing there.
“Assalamu Alaikum. Are you a traveler? If you don't mind, you can spend the night with me. I make bread in that shop over there; it might be a bit uncomfortable for you.”
The elderly man was very happy. He went with the baker and entered his home. After arranging a bed for the guest, the baker went back to making bread. Lying on the bed, the elderly man noticed that the man was reciting something under his breath while working.
The old man asked, “If you don't mind, may I ask you something, brother? It seems you are reciting something while making bread. Could you please tell me what you are reading?”
“It is nothing much,” the baker replied. “I am reciting Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Almighty Allah).”
“Has this constant Istighfar, even amidst work, brought you any benefit?” the old man asked.
“Yes, sir. Alhamdulillah, I believe that because of this Istighfar, Allah has accepted every single prayer (Dua) of mine so far—except for one.”
“Which prayer has Allah not accepted yet?”
“Far away from here lives a beloved servant of Allah. He is among those blessed by Allah’s mercy in knowledge, wisdom, and logic. It is my greatest desire—if only I could meet him once. If only I could spend some time with that wise servant. Allah has only withheld this one prayer of mine so far. Surely, He will accept it. Perhaps it is not being accepted yet due to some sin of mine.”
The elderly man’s eyes grew heavy with tears. Suppressing a sob, he asked in a choked voice:
“Are you talking about Ahmad ibn Hanbal, brother?”
“Yes, sir. I am talking about Shaykh al-Islam, the world-renowned scholar and Mujtahid, Imam Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal. May Allah shower His continuous mercy upon him.”
The elderly man stood up and came close to him.
“By the oath of that Holy Being in whose hand is my soul! Allah has not only accepted your Istighfar, but He has also dragged me to this distant land, this unknown city, in the middle of the night—straight to your home. I am that humble servant of Allah—Ahmad ibn Hanbal!”
“...I seek forgiveness from Allah, besides whom there is no other deity. He is the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of the universe. I turn to Him in sincere repentance.”
