Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the people of the cave and said: Three men took refuge in a cave, and a part of the mountain fell over the entrance of the cave and blocked its way. One of them said: Remember, which one of you has done a righteous deed? Perhaps Allah, due to His mercy, will have mercy on us. One man said: I once did a good deed, (the details are as follows:) Some laborers used to work for me. My workers came to me, and I gave each one his fixed wage. One day, a man came to me at midday. I put him to work for wages, but due to the half day, I agreed to give him half the wage of the other workers. However, in that half day, he did as much work as the others did in the whole day, so I considered it my responsibility to give him the full wage like his companions, because he worked with full effort. One of them objected, saying: Are you giving him the same wage as me, even though he worked only half a day? I said: O servant of Allah! I have not reduced anything from what was agreed upon with you. This is my wealth; I can decide about it as I wish. (At my words) he became angry and left, abandoning his wage. I put his due in a corner of my house. Then one day, a cow passed by me. I bought a calf that had been weaned from its mother with his wage, (its offspring increased and) the number of cows grew. One day, that same laborer passed by me; he had become old and weak, so I did not recognize him. He said: My due is with you. When he reminded me, I understood. I said: I was looking for you. Presenting (all the cows) to him, I said: This is your due. He said: O servant of Allah! Do not mock me. If you cannot show kindness to me, at least give me my due. I said: By Allah! I am not mocking you. This is your right; nothing in it is mine. So I gave him all that wealth. O Allah! If I did this good deed for Your sake, then create an opening for us through it. (Because of this supplication) the rock moved (or split) so much that they could see the outside environment.

The second said: I too once did a good deed. (The details are as follows:) I had wealth in excess of my needs. People were afflicted with hardship. A woman came to me to ask for some wealth. I said: By Allah! Its only price is your private part. She refused (to do so) and left. Then she returned and pleaded with me by Allah, but I persisted in refusing and said: No, by Allah! Its only price is your private part. She refused my demand and left. She told her husband about this, and he said: Give yourself to him (i.e., let him commit adultery) and (by taking something) fulfill the needs of your children. She came and swore by Allah to me, but I (as before) refused and said: First you must sell yourself (i.e., lose your honor). When she saw this situation, she surrendered herself to me. When I undressed her and intended to commit the immoral act, she began to tremble beneath me. I said to her: What has happened to you? She said: I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I said to her: You fear Him despite your poverty, and I do not fear Him even in my prosperity? So I left her, and for the crime of undressing her, I gave her what was due upon me. O Allah! If I did this good deed for Your sake, then remove this (rock) today. (Because of this supplication) it moved further, until they began to recognize each other.

The third said: I too did a good deed. (The details are as follows:) My parents were old, and I had goats. I would feed my parents and give them milk to drink, and then return to my goats. One day, rain prevented me from returning (on time), and evening fell there. When I reached home, I took a vessel, milked the goats, and brought it to my parents, but they had fallen asleep before I arrived. On one hand, it was hard for me to wake them, and on the other, I was worried about leaving the goats unprotected. Nevertheless, I sat holding the vessel, waiting for them, until they woke up in the morning, and I gave them milk. O Allah! If I did this good deed for Your sake, then remove (this rock). Sayyiduna Nu’man says: It is as if I am still hearing these words from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah removed the (rock from the mouth of the cave), and they came out.