An examination

A person came to Bishr Bin Al-Haarith (Rahmatullahi alayh) and expressed his intention to perform Hadj. When Bishr (Rahmatullahi alayh) questioned him, he said that he has saved 2000 Dirham for this project. Bishr (Rahmatullahi alayh) asked him: "What is your aim of going to perform Haj? Are you doing this to express your piety or due to your ardent love for the Ka’bah or to seek the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala?" He said that he is doing it for the pleasure of Allah Ta'ala. Upon this, Bishr (Rahmatullahi alayh) said to him: "Let me show you a way by means of which you can have what you are looking for while staying at home." He accepted this proposition. Bishr (Rahmatullahi alayh) said to him: "Go help the people who are in need. And if you want, you can even offer the entire sum to one person only as to make the heart of a Muslim happy, to help people who are in problems and to help the weak is better than 100 Nafl Haj. Do what I told you to do. Or you tell me what you have in your heart." Then, this person said that in reality, I want to travel. Bishr (Rahmatullahi alayh) smiled and said to him: "When the money of a person is impure and doubtful, then his heart demands that he satisfy his passions but he does it under the cover of good deeds. And yet Allah Ta'ala has taken upon himself not to accept any deeds except those of the pious."  (Ihyaa-ul-Ulum)

[English version of "Ene l’examen" – Al Jamiat – Vol.5 No.4]