Incident Two

2.) Abdullah ibn Abbaas RadhiyAllaahu Anhu narrated the following incident:

Barseesah was a very pious monk. He had devoted himself to the worship of Allaah for seventy years, during which period he had completely kept himself aloof from sin. Iblees was not pleased with this and decided to gather his most wretched Shayaateen and recruited the most deceitful from amongst them to mislead Barseesah. The wicked Shaytaan dressed up in the garb of a pious person, shaved his head and appeared before Barseesah, while he was engaged in worship in his monastery. He first called out to Barseesah but was ignored. Barseesah used to raise his head from worship once every ten days and used to fast for many days at a time. Shaytaan then took a place next to the wall on the outside of the monastery and engaged himself in prayer with astounding devotion. Barseesah began noticing his extreme sacrifice in worship and decided to get some clarification from him. Shaytaan explained that he wanted to worship in the company of Barseesah and learn from him.

Barseesah made it clear to him that he was too busy, ignored him again and continued with his worship, and so did Shaytaan. Barseesah continued to notice how Shaytaan exerted himself in worship. Shaytaan again requested that Barseesah allow him inside the monastery to join him in worship. Barseesah agreed, and they engaged themselves in prayer and fasting for many days at a time. Shaytaan worshipped with Barseesah for an entire year, by which Shaytaan won over the confidence of Barseesah. Before leaving, Shaytaan taught him a few words which were effective in curing the sick and insane. This Shaytaan then went back to Iblees and reported that he had succeeded in overpowering and destroying the pious monk.

Shaytaan then went to a man in his original form of a Jinni, and began strangling him, causing him to have fits. Dressed as a common person, he approached the man’s family and advised them to go to Barseesah, who had a “cure” for the man’s “affliction”. When the man was brought to Barseesah, he recited the words taught to him by Shaytaan and the man was “cured”.

Shaytaan soon began inflicting other people with the same “illness” and directed them to Barseesah, who would “cure” them. Then, he did the same to a young girl from the family of the king of that time. The girl had three brothers, one of whom was appointed king after her father had died. Disguised as a physician, Shaytaan informed them that he was unable to cure her and instructed them to take her and leave her in the monastery of Barseesah, but they refused, saying that he, being a pious person, would not allow her to stay with him. Shaytaan proposed a second plan in case Barseesah refused. He advised that they build a monastery close to his monastery and leave her therein, notifying Barseesah that the girl was in his care and that he should take care of her in case anything goes wrong. They agreed. Barseesah, as predicted, refused to keep the girl. So, they built another monastery in close proximity to his and left her there.

One day, as Barseesah completed his prayers, he noticed the young girl and was taken aback by her beauty. Shaytaan began strangling her, and Barseesah immediately left his worship and commenced reciting the words of “cure” for her. She was “cured” and Barseesah returned to his devotions. But, Shaytaan again strangled her and made her expose her body to Barseesah.

Then, Shaytaan came to Barseesah and began whispering to him, “Fulfil your desires with the young girl! You will never find another like her. You can repent again thereafter.”

He continued persuading Barseesah, to such an extent, that he finally left his worship and fulfilled his desires with the girl. She fell pregnant with his child. Shaytaan again came to Barseesah and said, “Your evil deed will be exposed. The only choice you have is to kill her. When her brothers return and ask about her, say to them that her Shaytaan who was causing her to have fits had attacked her so terribly that she died as a result.”
Barseesah accepted the idea, killed the young girl, and buried her during the darkness of night. Shaytaan then appeared to the brothers in a dream and revealed to them that Barseesah had fulfilled his desires with the young girl and killed her. They did not believe the dream, but asked Barseesah for clarification. Barseesah insisted that Shaytaan had killed her.

Shaytaan again appeared to the brothers in a dream, and directed them to the spot where their sister had been buried. When they dug open the grave, they found their sister and realised that Barseesah had deceived them. In anger, they broke down his monastery, took him forcefully, tied him by the neck and led him to the king before whom Barseesah confessed to his evil deed. The command was given for Barseesah to be killed.

As he was about to be killed, Shaytaan appeared before him and asked, “Do you know who I am?”
“No”, replied Barseesah.
“I am the person who taught you the words of “cure”. Do you not fear Allaah? Are you not ashamed? You were the most pious of men. You exposed your evil and have destroyed the reputation of all pious men.”

”What can I do?” asked Barseesah.
Shaytaan replied, “There is one thing you can do. If you do it now, I will save you by taking you away from here immediately.”
“What?” asked Barseesah.
“Prostrate before me just once,” replied Shaytaan.
Barseesah agreed and prostrated himself before Shaytaan.
Shaytaan retorted, “This is what I desired from you all along. Your end result is that you have denied Allaah in the last moments of your life. I have nothing to do with you. Verily I fear Allaah, the Sustainer of all the worlds.”
(Tafseer Qurtubi vol. 18 page 37-39 – Translation mostly adapted from ‘Pearls of the Path’ by Ml. Afzal Ismail)

To be Continued In Sha Allaah

مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَداً  عَلىٰ حَبِيْبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ