Salafus-Saaliheen سلف صالحين

It was reported on the authority of Hassan Al Basree (Rahimahullah), who was one of the scholars from the Ta’bieen:

There was a prostitute who had a third of the beauty of Adam (Alaihis salam). She would not allow anyone to have sexual relations with her unless it was for 100 dinars. There was a slave boy who saw her one day and her beauty amazed him so much that he went and worked and toiled with his own two hands until he collected 100 dinars. So he went to her and said: “Your beauty amazed me so much that I went and worked and toiled with my own two hands and immediately collected 100 dinars!” So she said to him: “Enter!” So he entered and to his amazement she had a bed made of gold. He said: “So I sat on her bed and she said to me: “Come on!” So when he sat between her legs he remembered his standing in front of Allah!! His heart began to tremble and quiver and he said to her: “Let me leave and you can keep the money!!” She said to him: “What is wrong with you?! You were the one who said that you saw me and my beauty amazed you so you worked and toiled hard and quickly with your bare hands until you collected 100 dinars and now that you have the ability to take what is rightfully yours this is what you do?!!! “

So he said: “I am afraid of Allah and my standing in front of Him! I was once the most hated person to you (because he was a poor slave) and now you are the most hated person to me!” (because he now realizes the sin she is allowing him to commit) So she said: “If you are honest in what you say, then you are the only husband for me!” So he said: “Let me leave!” So she said: “No! Not until you marry me?!” So he said: “No! Not until you allow me to leave!” So she said: “If you leave and I go out in search of you, do you promise that if I find you, you will marry me?” So he said: “Perhaps!” So she let his garment go, he left and returned to his city. She set out in search of him remorseful and repentant for what she had done until she found the city where he resided. She asked around town about his whereabouts and she was directed towards where he lived. So someone said to him in passing:

إن الملكة قد جاء!
“The queen has come!” (He said this because her clothing and demeanor spoke that of a queen)

So when he saw her he cried so profusely and began to gag and gasp for air (as he never expected to see her again and now to his amazement, believed that she was a queen!) and he died while falling into her arms! So she said:

أما هذا فقد فاتني فهل له من قريب؟
“As for him, I have lost this one! Does he have any relatives?

So it was said to her:
له أخ فقير!
“He has a brother but he is poor!”

So she said with all candor and sincerity:

فأتزوجه حبا لأخيه!
“Thus I will marry him because of my love for his brother!!” (keep in mind they still believe that she is the queen!)

So she married him.

Translator’s Note: This narration is taken from a book called Hilyat ul Awliyaa by Abu Nu’aim Al Asbahani (Rahimahullah) and it is a book filled with narrations about amazing events during the time of the Salaf. Some of these narrations may not be authentic or we may not know the authenticity of them, however the scholars use them in the realm of what is called At Targheeb wat Tarheeb (i.e. encouragement (to be obedient to Allah) and discouragement (from disobedience to Allah) and they have stipulated 4 conditions for using these narrations and I will provide them below for the reader’s clarification:

The First: The narration can not be used to establish and/or substantiate a legislative Islamic ruling. As the Islamic rulings in Islam are established and/or supported by authentic unequivocal and concrete texts from the Qur’an, Authentic Sunnah and the Ijma’a (i.e. Consensus) of the Sahabah and the Salaf us Salih (i.e. Righteous Predecessors)

The Second: The narration can not be attributed to the Prophet (Sallahu alaihi wa salam) or the narrator unless the Isnad (i.e. chain of narrators) is affirmed by those scholars who are proficient in that respective field. So thats why the scholars will say when narrating these types of narrations “It was reported….” Or “it was mentioned about…” but they will never say such and such said.

The Third: The class of the narration has to be clarified when quoted so as not to mislead the reader and/or listener to believe that it is authentic if it is not authentic.

The Fourth: It can only be used in the realm of what the scholars call At Targheeb wat Tarheeb, as it was mentioned before.

Translated by Abu Az Zubayr Shadeed Muhammad on the 1431H./1/4 corresponding to Dec. 19 2009 in the city of Riyadh, the Capital of Saudi Arabia.