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The Handsome Young Man and the Ugly Dog
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The Handsome Young Man and the Ugly Dog Shaikh
Sa’eed Qummi narrates in “Arba’eenat” from a trustworthy authority, who
told him that Shaikh Bahauddin Ameli once went to visit a wise man who lived
near a cemetery in The wise man told Shaikh Bahai: Some days back I witnessed an astonishing incident, which I would like to tell you. Some people came here with a dead body, buried it and went away. Suddenly I smelt a fragrance the likeness of which I had never smelt before. I turned towards the left and right to see where it came from. I saw a handsome young man wearing splendid clothes going towards the newly made grave. He went and sat near the grave. I was all the more surprised when I saw the young man disappear into the grave. After sometime I smelt a bad odour the likeness of which too I had never smelt before. I saw an ugly dog going towards the grave and disappear in it. My astonishment knew no bounds. I was wondering about what actually was happening, when I saw the young man coming out of the grave in a bad state. His whole body was bruised. He started running away from the grave and I followed him. I stopped him and asked him the reason for running fearfully. The young man replied, “I am the dead man’s good deeds, and was commanded to accompany him in his grave. Suddenly the dead man’s evil deeds came in the form of a dog. I tried to keep him away from the dead man, but it bit me and wounded me all over. He made a bad state of me and I could no longer remain in the grave. Hence I have come out leaving the dead man to the mercy of his evil deeds.” (The dead man’s evil deeds were stronger than his good ones). When
Shaikh Bahai heard this incident, he told the wise man, “Verily the incident
is true, because it is narrated that the deeds (good or bad) that a person
performs in his lifetime, are given a physical form.” Shaikh Sadooq in his
book ‘Amali’ narrates that once Qays bin Asim Minqari came to the presence
of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) accompanied by some people of Bani Tameem. He
requested the Prophet to advice him. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied, “O Qays! When you die, a companion will also be buried along-with you, who will be alive while you will be dead. If the companion would be blessed, you will get peace, and if he would be accursed, you will fall in anguish. Compel your companion to become good, because if you will be good, you will love him and respect him. While if you will be bad, you will hate him and neglect him. Verily this companion are your good deeds.” Reference: Manaelul Akhreah - 'Stages of the Hereafter' A small Extract from a Sermon of Imam Ali (as), describing the people who forget death and crave for pleasures of this world How distant (from achievement) is their aim, how neglectful are these visitors and how difficult is the affair. They are more entitled to be a source of lesson than a source of pride. Now they have gone into the interstice where earth covers them from above and is eating their flesh and drinking their blood. They lie in the hollows of their graves lifeless, no more growing, and hidden, not to be found. How many a prestigious body and amazing beauty the earth has swallowed, although when in the world he enjoyed abundant pleasures and was nurtured in honour. He was laughing at the world while the world was laughing at him because of his life full of forgetfulness. Then time trampled him like thorns, the days weakened his energy and death began to look at him from near. Nahjul
Balaga - Sermon - 219 |