1

ISLAM
A TRADITION OF MERCY


ALLIE KHALFE

2
Chapter 1

Divine
Mercy

3
 MŪSĀ  AND THE CURE1

The blessed Prophet Mūsā  fell ill and experienced an intense

pain in his stomach. After supplicating to God, he was guided to a
certain herb of the desert. He ate from this herb and his health
was restored by the permission of Allah.

After a while the illness

returned and he went back
to the same herb, took it but
found that his pain only
increased. Mūsā supplicated:

‘O Lord! I took the herb the

 me
first time and found relief, but
the second time my ailment
increased!’

God Almighty replied:

‘The first time you went from

Me to the herb and found the
cure. As for the second time,
you went from yourself to the
herb and your ailment
increased. Do you not know
me 
that the entire world is a
poisen and the antidote is My
Name?’

1 Tafsīr al-Kabīr, Fakhr al-Rāzī, Sūrah al-Fātihā, chapter 11, point 1

4
 RĀBI’AH AND THE BURGLAR2

One night, Rābi’ah, the

pious servent of Allah,
spent the entire night in
voluntary prayer and
overslept when the
compulsory fajr prayer
entered.

It so happened, that a burglar

entered her home and tried to steal
her clothes.

The problem was that everytime

the burglar attempted to escape he
could not find the door.

What astonished the burglar was

that whenever he put down the
clothes he realised that he could
see the exit. This occurred three
times in succession.

Suddenly a voice called out

from the corner of the house:
‘Put down the clothes and
leave, for while the beloved
sleeps, the Sultan is awake!’

2 Tafsīr al-Kabīr, Fakhr al-Rāzī, Sūrah al-Fātihā, chapter 11, point 2