The Tale of a Devout Worshipper’s Redemption and Compassion
In the secluded nooks of his abode, an individual would engage in solitary acts of devotion, detached from the world. According to the teachings of Hazrat Syedna Abu Burda (may Allah be pleased with him), when the time drew near for the passing of Hazrat Syedna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), he gathered all his sons and narrated the story of the Bread Giver to them, saying, “Always remember this tale.”
He lived in the same seclusion for seventy years, never abandoning his worship and never stepping outside his abode. Then, one day, he ventured beyond his dwelling, only to fall victim to the temptation of a woman, spending seven days and seven nights in her company. After the span of seven days, when the veil of neglect lifted from his eyes, he felt deep remorse and repented before the Almighty, departing from there.
Riddled with remorse, he found himself compelled to engage in prayer and repentance at every step. One night, exhausted, he arrived at a place where twelve destitute souls resided. The worn-out recluse would offer each of them a piece of bread daily.
When the exhaustion took its toll, he stumbled near these destitute individuals. The ascetic began distributing bread to them, and even considering him as one of the destitute, he handed him a piece of bread. When one of the twelve did not receive any bread, he asked the ascetic, “Why didn’t you give me bread today?” The ascetic replied, “I have already distributed all twelve loaves.” Hearing this, the destitute collectively replied, “We have only received one loaf each; none of us received two.”
Upon hearing this, the ascetic was struck with fear for the destitute. Consequently, he gave his bread to one of the poor, leaving himself hungry. In this state of hunger, he passed away, bearing the weight of seventy years of worship and neglect, succumbing to the weight of seven nights spent in sin.
It was then that the comparison was drawn between the bread he had given to the destitute and the bread he had handed to the woman. The bread he had given to the destitute triumphed over those seven nights, and his forgiveness was granted. According to the narrations of Hazrat Ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him), an ascetic worshipped Allah for seventy years, committed a sin with a woman, and all his deeds were obliterated by Allah. Upon realizing his sin, he repented and soon after, he was afflicted with an ailment, rendering him unable to walk. One day, he witnessed a person distributing bread. In his fallen state, he managed to obtain a loaf of bread.
